Senneville Hunter Jumper Farm

07/05/2025

06/25/2025

06/12/2025

🌱 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬 - 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐍𝐒𝐂 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 🐴

I have seen some images and posts circulating lately regarding the ideal grass height to reduce ‘sugar’ intake in horses. The common recommendation is that short grass will have the highest sugars compared to taller grasses. But is this really the case?

📖 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭:

In plants such as grasses, simple sugars (often grouped with starch and fructans and termed nonstructural carbohydrates or NSCs) are produced via photosynthesis. This class of carbohydrate is an important source of energy for the horse and they are digested and absorbed in the foregut, leading to an increase in blood glucose and insulin. As a result, high levels of NSCs in the diet can be an issue for horses with metabolic concerns, specifically related to insulin dysregulation which may be observed in horses diagnosed with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), Cushing’s (PPID), and laminitis/founder.

The belief that short grass has higher NSCs is due to the fact that grasses tend to store these sugars in the lower base of the stem. As a result, shorter grass is more concentrated in NSC. But is this actually the case – what has the research shown us?

🔬 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡.

A study performed in New Jersey evaluated cool-season grass pastures and compared short, continuously grazed pasture (2.9 to 4.1 inches/7.3 to 10.5 cm) to a taller, rotationally grazed pasture (5 to 9.5 inches/12.4 to 24.1 cm). This study found that the ‘sugars’ in the grass, as well as the glucose and insulin responses in grazing horses, were the same regardless of grass height. Rather, season and time of day were two important variables capable of altering these carbohydrate concentrations.
📚 Williams et al., 2019

A separate study in North Carolina evaluated horses grazing tall fescue pasture mowed down to 5.9 inches (15 cm) 11 days prior to grazing horses compared to taller grass (11.8 to 15.8 inches/30 to 40 cm). This study found that the shorter, mowed pasture resulted in less simple sugars and a subsequent decrease in the insulin response of grazing horses compared to taller grass.
📚 Siciliano et al., 2017

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞?

🍃 Short or overgrazed grass may lack sufficient leafy surface to produce and store sugars effectively.

🌱 Under stress, plants may move sugars into the roots—where grazing horses can't reach them.

🌾 Shorter grass that is actively growing is more likely to utilize the NSC to contribute to growth whereas a taller, more mature grass will accumulate and store more NSCs.

🐴 Horses can consume more grass per bite when eating tall grass (Eduoard et al., 2009) which could result in greater sugar intake as well as an increased glucose and insulin response.

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧?

These findings suggest that short grass may not be as concerning as we originally thought. With that said, there are a few things to keep in mind:

⚠️ There will always be a risk when allowing sugar-sensitive horses to graze fresh forage due to regular fluctuations in the NSCs in pasture.

✂️ Managing pastures is important, and while shorter grasses may be beneficial, it is important not to overgraze pastures (less than 4 inches).

🧪 The only way to truly know the NSCs in the forage is by sending a sample to a lab for analysis. While this is trickier to do with fresh forage (since it constantly changes), it can create a baseline to guide decisions.

🗺️ There are many factors that may influence these findings so it should not be applied broadly and should be considered within the context of your horses, location, species, and management style.

📌 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲

Grass height alone is not a reliable measure of pasture safety. For metabolically sensitive horses, effective management, not grass length, is what truly matters.

Cheers,
Dr. DeBoer

Siciliano PD, Gill JC, Bowman MA. Effect of sward height on pasture nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations and blood glucose/insulin profiles in grazing horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2017 Oct 1;57:29-34.

Williams CA, Kenny LB, Burk AO. Effects of grazing system, season, and forage carbohydrates on glucose and insulin dynamics of the grazing horse. Journal of animal science. 2019 May 30;97(6):2541-54.

Edouard N, Fleurance G, Dumont B, Baumont R, Duncan P. Does sward height affect feeding patch choice and voluntary intake in horses?. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2009 Jul 1;119(3-4):219-28.

05/12/2025

If your canter length is not 12 feet (3.6 m), you're making it difficult for your horse to find a good takeoff spot. Show jumping courses are designed to accommodate a standard canter stride length and are not adjusted to each horse's stride. This means courses with related lines (ie all of them!) and distances in combinations will be significant challenges if you can't maintain a 12-foot (3.6 m) canter.

Yes, it's possible to jump clear without a standard stride, but you'll need a great "eye". You've probably seen the "old school" riders who hold and hold and hold until they "see a spot," then they chase it down. This approach requires a reactive horse, bigger bits, nosebands, martingales, and the often yelled instruction of "MORE LEG".

There are better ways to achieve consistency.

Inconsistent stride lengths increase wear and tear on your horse, which we want to avoid at all costs. I'm not saying you don't need an adjustable canter or a sharp eye—because you do—but it should be subtle.

We've all heard people say, "riders just sit there; the horse does all the work." You CAN learn to ride like that, but it requires careful preparation. If you don't have one yet, get a long tape measure and use it for the free exercises on my website (link in comment). You'll be on your way to improvement!

Most jumping riders practice straight-line distances, but it's just as important to master the 3.6 m (12-foot) stride on curved lines. At home, you can test this by placing two poles on opposite sides of a 20-meter circle. Canter around the circle and count how many strides you take between the poles.

You should be able to canter eight non-jumping strides for each half of the 20-meter circle. If this is new to you, you might end up with around ten strides, or even more. Here's the maths: The circumference of a 20-meter circle (C = πd) is about 63 meters, which is 17.5 standard canter strides. For simplicity, we'll call it 18. Subtract two strides for the poles, leaving 16. Half of that is eight.

Don't say that's too hard! Your phone has a calculator, and if you rotate it, you'll find a scientific calculator with a π symbol. If you want to be a jumping rider there are no excuses for being lazy about distances and canter length. You cannot improve what you do not measure.

One day, you'll face a combination off a half-circle approach. If you're counting ten strides between the poles on a 20-meter circle, how will you safely jump though a combination approached from a turn? If you can't maintain a 12-foot (3.6 m) canter by riding eight strides over poles on the ground in both directions, please hold off on jumping courses for now. Nail down the right canter so you can handle bigger tracks harmoniously without pulling and chasing. Your horse will thank you.

05/12/2025

We have a rare stall opening available June 1. We are looking for someone who wants to send a horse in for training with our amazing dressage trainers, an adult ammy to join our barn family and be in a program, or someone who is looking to have their young horse started with a good foundation.
We are a quiet barn with a handful of boarders. 45 acres with a dressage arena, large irrigated jump field, xc field and access to miles of hacking.

04/21/2025

03/20/2025

When girthing up a horse, it’s important not to over-tighten the girth. An over-tightened girth may pinch or bruise the muscles, especially those in the chest (pectorals), the neck (trapezius), the side of the ribcage (serratus ventralis), and the lower back (latissimus dorsi), which are shown in red on the diagram bel. Similar to how a tight belt can cause discomfort or bruising in a human, an overly tight girth can cause soreness in these areas. It may also lead to bruising of the ribs and the intercostal muscles (the muscles between the ribs), restricting movement and causing pain. Additionally, the tightness will cause the saddle to put more pressure on the horse’s back muscles, leading to further discomfort.

Think of it like wearing a belt that’s too tight around your waist: it presses into your skin and muscles, causing discomfort, restricting movement, and potentially causing bruising. Just as you wouldn’t wear a belt so tight that it hurts, it’s crucial not to over-tighten the girth to avoid these issues for the horse. Always ensure the girth is snug, but not excessively tight, to keep the horse comfortable and prevent injury.

03/09/2025

I’ve heard that horses whisper this to each other late at night …

03/07/2025

Know how to.check your horse's pulse, an easy detailed read

The Equine Pulse
Brian S. Burks DVM
Diplomate, ABVP
Board-Certified Equine Specialist

Horse owners should know how to evaluate the basic health parameters of their animals, including temperature, pulse (heart rate), and respiration, better known by the acronym TPR. They also should know how to evaluate capillary refill time to judge the horse’s circulatory health. Checking your horse’s heart rate is an important skill that is often done with a stethoscope. Sometimes a stethoscope may not be readily available when needing to check the pulse rate, or there may be another reason for wanting to check your horse’s pulse. When checking the TPR and pulses, the horse should be at rest and relaxed.

If you have a stethoscope, place it just above the elbow and push under the triceps muscle. One heart-beat has two parts “lub-dub”- so do not double count.

The normal resting heart rate for an adult horse is 28 to 44 beats per minute (bpm). Neonatal foals will be 80-120 bpm. To calculate find the pulse or heartbeat and count for 15 seconds, then multiply by four to get the number of heartbeats each minute. Listening for at least one minute helps determine if the heart rhythm is regular or irregular, or if a murmur is present.

Heart rate and pulse are generally the same (there are a couple of exceptions) so either can be used. The facial artery can be palpated under the jaw, just on the inside of the bone. Either right or left may be used. A rope-like rubbery structure is the facial artery and the pulse can be felt with a light touch. Use your fingers, not your thumb, so that you do not measure your own pulse by mistake.

A pulse is the rhythmic expansion of an artery that can be felt with the fingertips during physical examination. A horse’s pulse can be felt or seen in several places: the facial artery, the radial artery on the inside of the carpus, the jugular pulse, and the digital pulse.

A jugular pulse in the lower neck can be noted in healthy animals, but excessive pulsing or distension of the jugular vein can be seen in horses with heart failure. A pulse may be absent, increased (strong), or decreased (weak)—each of which may indicate a specific type of heart disease or defect.

All horses have a digital pulse, though some people cannot feel it in some horses when it is cold or the horse is relaxed. A “bounding” digital pulse is a sign of increased blood flow to the foot, indicating pain or inflammation in the foot. Generally, an increased pulse in one hoof can indicate a localized problem, like an abscess or a bruise in response to an injury. It may accompany lameness or tenderness. The horse may stand with little weight on the affected limb. The hoof wall may feel warm.

If you find stronger or bounding pulses in two or four hooves, laminitis is a possibility. In fact, bounding digital pulses and hoof pain are often the first signs of laminitis. The horse may shift his weight from foot to foot, or lie down more than normal.

If you are familiar with the feel of the pulse in a normal horse, then you will recognize a bounding pulse–you will feel the blood pump harder and firmer against your thumb and fingers.

Digital pulses can be felt on the lower leg of your horse in the fetlock and pastern area. The pulse comes from the blood flowing through the artery to the hoof. The artery will pulse with each beat of your horse’s heart.
The vein, artery and nerve (VAN) run together in the space between the suspensory ligament and the flexor tendons above the fetlock. The VAN continue distally over the back of the fetlock and into the pastern. As the digital artery crosses over the back and towards the side of the fetlock, you may also be able to feel the pulse at the bulge of the fetlock joint. At this point, the branches of the digital artery are close to the surface and may be easy to feel.

Over the pastern, the extensor branches of the suspensory ligament reach from either side the fetlock down towards the front of the hoof, on a diagonal; they can be seen and felt. The vein, artery and nerve travel in the groove behind these firm ligament structures.

Practice feeling your horse’s pulses when he is happy and healthy, rather than waiting until he is sick. You will be more familiar with what is normal and more easily detect the pulses when it counts. When feeling for the pulse, try different pressures. If you press too lightly you may not be able to detect a pulse. With too much pressure, you may restrict the blood flow and therefore the pulse.

It is important to consider digital pulses in context of the whole horse. A complete physical examination that includes TPR, signs of injury, illness, lameness, or distress.

Check the digital pulse on each leg. This will allow you to notice any differences between limbs, which could indicate a potential issue. This is why it is important to check your horse’s digital pulses when he is well, so you will know what the normal pulse in your horse feels like. Keep in mind that some variation is normal. If your horse exhibits lameness, call your equine veterinarian.

www.foxrunequine.com

(724) 727-3481

03/06/2025

You may have noticed our clinical teams wearing hard hats when treating your horses. This is a move being implemented by equine vets globally to help mitigate the risk of serious head injury.

Statistics show that out of the serious injuries sustained by vets and support staff, most injuries are not caused by the patient itself, but by environmental factors. Examples would be a sudden movement or a kick, either of which result in a loss of balance and then a fall. This can cause injury by colliding with a fence, stable wall, hard surface or equipment, which has the potential to result in a serious head injury.

We fully respect most of our patients are amenable and well-behaved. Yet as prey animals, horses are often at their most vulnerable when sick or injured. So, it is unsurprising that they may react out of character and then purely by accident create a scenario which could lead to a life changing injury.

When our teams wear helmets, it is by no means a reflection on the behaviour of your individual horse or pony, instead our aim is to make the working environment safer for all concerned.