Entries by Dr Nerida McGilchrist
Feeding before and during competition
We had one of our wonderful FeedXL members contact us recently about the best way to feed during multi-day competitions to reduce the risk of ulcers, maintain appetite and ensure an appropriate calorie intake for the duration of the competition. Here are a few tips: 1. Try to keep your horse’s ration (and water!) as […]
Why isn’t Sulfur included in FeedXL?
Sulfur is a critical part of all proteins and horses need it to create protein, particularly the protein of their hooves and hair! If it’s so important, why isn’t it included in FeedXL you might ask?! We don’t include sulfur in FeedXL because the chance of a deficiency is virtually zero. Forages contain enough sulfur, […]
Vitamin B12 – Do horses need it in their diet?
Here is something (nerdily) interesting… the molecular formula for Vitamin B12. It is the ‘biggest’ of all of the vitamins and yet required in the diet in the smallest amounts. It contains the mineral cobalt which constitutes somewhere around 5% of its weight. The only reason a horse needs cobalt in its diet is to […]
Sugarbeet is more SUPER than I realised!
If you’ve been hanging around FeedXL for a while you will know I LOVE sugarbeet pulp! And last week, while I was doing a consulting job I found another (very important) reason to love beet even more… And that was?! … you ask! It’s protein!! I had not EVER thought about beet protein… in my […]
Allow grazing in the very early morning for horses prone to laminitis
Non-structural carbohydrates are the carbohydrates the plant produces during the process of photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, a plant takes sunlight for energy and uses water and carbon dioxide to create carbohydrates like starch, sugars and fructan. NSC production starts when the sun comes up and finishes for the day when the sun goes down again. So […]
Meet Spotty: A Case Study in Ulcers
Here is an interesting little case for you! Meet Spotty… who isn’t spotty … her full name is Spotlight! Spotty has just joined our little herd of equines and has fitted in beautifully with Popcorn and Poet. I bought her from a friend who wanted to sell her as she was a chronic ‘QLD Itch’ […]
Is Oaten Hay Bad for My Horse’s Teeth?
Oaten hay is commonly fed to horses. Recent research by Jackson et al (2018)1 suggests however that we should be cautious with oaten hay as it may be negatively affecting our horses’ dental health! The Study Dr Kirsten Jackson (https://dentalvet.com.au) and her co-researchers found in a study of 500 Western Australian horses, that oaten hay […]
Galaxy Still Has (BAD!) Ulcers
Ohhh Galaxy… almost 6 months now on a balanced diet and near pristine environment for reducing the risk of ulcers and she STILL has SEVERE ulcers! This little girl had been on 2 months of oral omeprazole treatment before she came to me. She was scoped at the one month mark and had severe squamous […]
Domino and Delingr’s First (Almost) Balanced Diets
OK, time to get serious looking at these diets for these malnourished yearlings! We are almost 4 weeks into the journey with Domino and Delingr, and so far my main priorities re diet have been: Get them used to being hand fed. Even hay seemed foreign to them in the first few days. Get them […]
