Author Archives: Gayle R.

Replacing Hay with Complete Horse Feed

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Gayle R.

A large boarding barn asked me to stop out and review their feed program as they were going to be making a change. The farm has over 100 horses in their care, and wanted to review the proposed change prior …

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Posted in Feed Costs, Hay/Pasture
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“It Must Be the Pellets!”

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Gayle R.

A couple weeks ago, I transitioned a large breeding farm from textured feed to pellets. Despite the farm manager’s reluctance, the feed program was changed. The horses were doing well and everyone seemed pleased. Late one afternoon I received a frantic …

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Posted in Care and Management, Colic
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Is it the Feed, or Something Else?

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Gayle R.

A farm owner recently called me and asked if I could come out and evaluate his feeding program. The farm was experiencing an increase in colic and choke, which the owner felt was feed related. As we reviewed the horses, their …

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6 Comments

Posted in Care and Management, Feeding Management
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All Flakes of Hay are Not Created Equal

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Gayle R.

I was called out to farm to review a horse that had started to lose weight.  The owner explained to me that the horse had been diagnosed with ulcers, so her vet recommended alfalfa hay. She purchased some nice quality second cutting, …

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5 Comments

Posted in Feed Costs, Feeding Management, Hay/Pasture
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The Price of Horse Hay

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Gayle R.

I received a phone call from a farm manager, asking who I purchased my hay from. I told him my hay supplier had excellent quality forage with good protein levels and averaged 1Mcal per pound. I gave him the phone …

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9 Comments

Posted in Hay/Pasture
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Weight a Minute!

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Gayle R.

I received a call from a customer that had just recently transitioned her farm from a mill mix to Safe Choice.  We had delivered 4 tons of bulk feed to her farm.  She was very upset that after 3 weeks …

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Posted in Feed Costs, Feeding Management
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Ration Balancers vs Regular Horse Feeds

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Gayle R.

I recently received a call from a horse owner that said she needed to put her horse on a diet. Her 1000 pound mare is a body condition score of 7. Her vet had recommended she put the mare on …

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3 Comments

Posted in Changing Horse Feed, Feed Costs, Supplements, Weight Control
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Balanced Mineral Supplements for Horses

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Gayle R.

I had stopped at one of my large training barns to check on their horses diets, as they had just returned from a recent show circuit. The owner said the horses were doing well, but he was going to tweak …

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Posted in Horse Feed, Horse Nutrition, Supplements
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Feeding Schedules for Horses

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Gayle R.

A few months ago, I received a call from a farm that was experiencing numerous cases of colic. They were concerned that their grain was the cause of the problem and asked me to visit their farm. When I arrived …

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25 Comments

Posted in Care and Management, Changing Horse Feed, Colic, Feeding Management, How To
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Warm Mashes for Senior Horses

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Gayle R.

I received an email from one of my clients asking for a recipe for a “Safe Warm Mash” for her senior horse.   She thought a bran mash would be a good choice, but was unsure as to ingredients or cooking …

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12 Comments

Posted in Care and Management, Changing Horse Feed, Feeding Management, Horse Feed, Senior Horses
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