KZ Equine Plus

07/01/2025

The Blackburn Effect ~ Article written by Frank Holmes for the Today's Horse Magazine, Breeders Edition 2010. Photos are courtesy of Ted A Ressler and Carolyn Ressler. Also, one of few pictures of Blackburn from 1956.

07/01/2025

02/01/2025

Did you know?

In a natural environment, horses will typically eat about 16-18 hours per day.

While “meal feeding” is the common practice among horse owners, it’s important to take into consideration the amount of time between meals when there is no access to food.

It’s been suggested that at 6 hours without food passing through the stomach, reddening of the stomach lining can begin, and at 18 hours, full blown bleeding lesions can be found (ulcers).

No one (hopefully) is letting their horse go 18 hours without something to eat.

However, let’s say hay is given at 7pm and it’s finished by 10pm, then it’s given again at 7am. That’s 9 hours per night, every night, of an empty stomach. Reddening can occur at 6 hours. Imagine applying an abrasive/irritating lotion to the same spot on your arm, every night, for a year, rubbing it in for good measure. Over time that spot would worsen from a minor surface burn to a painful open wound.

It’s recommended that horses not go more than 4 hours without long stem forage passing through the gut. In the situation where free choice access isn’t a viable option (management issues, obese horse, etc), consider utilizing slow feeders to help slow down consumption and drag out the time between feedings. For older horses with bad teeth, offering more frequent meals or finely chopped forage can help reduce time between meals.

31/12/2024

Here is to another year of adventures! Happy New Year!!

31/12/2024

Little Poco Joe -Ridley

31/12/2024

AQHA Blondys Poco Blkburn

31/12/2024

Took a few recent trips to Win-Seek Fallen Pines Center with some friends to do some practice and training. Freya, Katara, and Ridley worked around obstacles impressively for their first time on a man made course including a swing bridge, step ups, step downs, trenches etc.

24/12/2024

Merry Christmas!!!

04/12/2024

-Ridley, one of the best horses I've had the pleasure of owning. He doesnt know it yet but in the next few weeks, he's going to learn how to neck rein 😊

09/11/2024

Bindi, Katara, and Freya are aware of the individual responsible for delivering food 😅
My 3 foundation girls 🥰