Laminitis is a painful, disabling, common and costly disease of the horse and pony with many causes; the digestive and metabolic forms are linked to equine nutrition. Laminitis has major economic and welfare implications and can affect any member of the equine family (horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules). Equine laminitis is a systemic disease, often linked to hindgut disturbances; its final manifestation is inflammation of the lamina of the hoof, and downward rotation of the coffin bone. Treatment of laminitis is difficult because clinical signs of laminitis are apparent only after laminar tissues have undergone inflammatory and degenerative changes. There are a myriad of different problems that can cause laminitis or increase the potential for it to occur. Nearly half of all reported cases of laminitis in the US occur in horses at pasture, specifically lush spring pasture

Bringing horses back into work after a winter vacation needs to be done gradually, you can start the horse back into work at a lower level and increase the length and intensity of workouts. At the same time you must adjust the horse's feed as needed to address present body condition (too thin or too fat) as well as nutrient requirements for the increased work. It doesn’t matter what your horse’s level of fitness was when you stopped riding by the end of three or more months of inactivity, all conditioning your horse had is essentially lost.

The goal of any breeding program is to produce strong sound foals. To do this there are several factors involved including genetics, environment and nutrition. Nutrition is a critical piece of any successful breeding operation and must be considered at every level.

Winter is an inherently challenging season when it comes to feeding and taking care of your horse. There are unique nutritional concerns, extra energy needs that can make this time of year especially tricky. As a horse owner and lover, you want the best for your equine companion – so how do you know their additional needs during cold temperatures?