Antioxidants are well known for their health benefits in human nutrition and we are often encouraged to eat foods that are rich in these vital nutrients. Luckily for us, dark chocolate and red wine are potent sources of antioxidants… Of course, moderation is key and nutritionists will likely suggest certain fruits and vegetables as healthier… [Read More]
Are the electrolytes in your pre-mix feed REALLY doing the job?
💡 Did you know? Electrolyte supplements are designed to replace the minerals lost in sweat – sodium, chloride, potassium and magnesium. It’s a particularity hot summer so far and good quality electrolyte supplements are important to replace lost minerals for your #sweatybetty so #shopsmart. 👉 Some commercial electrolyte products contain a lot of filler (e.g. glucose) to improve palatability. This… [Read More]
EVE JARVIS ADVISES ‘COOLING IS CARING WHEN IT COMES TO LEG HEALTH’
Are you doing everything you can to look after your horses’ legs…after all, where would you be without them? What you do after a workout plays a major part in both short term recovery and long term soundness, and taking the heat out of their legs is a key factor. It’s a practice WA Equestrian… [Read More]
Anhidrosis
When exercising, the horse’s working muscles generate heat… The body heats up… The horse sweats… Excess heat is then dissipated through evaporative cooling. As simple as that! Right? Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for all horses. Picture this – it’s a typical Summer’s day in Australia. Hot. Humid. Plagues of flies and other bugs. Cicadas… [Read More]
Antioxidants
The terms “free radicals” and “antioxidants” have become commonplace when discussing equine health and nutrition, but why should we care about them? Well, does your horse eat, breathe, sleep and move around? I’m guessing the answer is – yes! If your horse is engaging in any of the above, then they are undergoing a process… [Read More]
Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage (EIPH)
WHAT IS EIPH? EIPH is defined as bleeding from the lungs of horses during exercise (Hinchcliff et al. 2015). The condition is most frequently identified in Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses performing high-speed exercise, but cases can also occur in horses used for other disciplines such as western performance, eventing, show jumping and polo (Rendle 2016;… [Read More]
Protecting equine muscles
The muscle fibres of a horse are a huge asset to the racing or performance horse. Without them, there’s not much to work with – so as well as building muscle mass, the muscles also need to be protected! Low intensity exercise at an easy pace, allows for oxygen to replenish the muscles as he moves. In… [Read More]
Don’t Forget to Pack the Poultice
One of the most essential items to have in your truck or float when you are out competing is a quality clay poultice. Applied to the horse’s leg, a poultice can reduce inflammation quickly, decrease pain and keep you and your horse in the competition. Travelling, warm-ups, standing in stalls and actually showing or competing… [Read More]