Expert Horse Health & Wellbeing Advice

A pregnant mare who is sugar sensitive or prone to laminitis needs a different feeding plan than a standard mare mix. Here's what the research says, and how the numbers work out.

A slightly high liver enzyme on routine bloodwork is common and rarely an emergency, but tracking the full pattern over time with your vet, not just one number, is what actually catches hepatic stress early. Supportive herbs like milk thistle and dandelion, alongside good hay and pasture management, can help horses carrying extra liver load.

Sweet itch in horses is a systemic allergic condition driven by eosinophils and IL-5, not just a local skin reaction, which is why antihistamines rarely help. Midge avoidance remains the single most effective management tool, supported by diet and emerging treatments like allergen immunotherapy and an IL-5 vaccine.

Osteoarthritis means permanent cartilage damage, not just joint inflammation, and it can't be reversed once it starts. This article explains the two mechanisms behind it, which horses are at greatest risk, and the early signs worth a vet visit.

Osteoarthritis in horses rarely starts with obvious lameness, so it's often missed early. This article covers six signs to watch for, from a stiff gait and reluctance to roll to resistance under saddle and difficulty chewing.

A mare's nutritional needs change by stage: body condition before breeding, steady feeding through early pregnancy, then more protein, minerals and calories in the last trimester and during lactation, when demand peaks. Getting this timing right supports fertility, foetal growth and milk production.

Body Condition Score is a hands-on way to judge a horse's fat and muscle cover at six key points, and owners and vets often score the same horse differently. Here's how to assess it yourself, step by step.

A horse loses weight for a reason, and finding it comes before changing what is in the bucket. This article builds a feeding plan from the ground up, covering how much forage a horse needs, when concentrates make sense, and how to adjust the ration for common causes of weight loss.

If your horse is too thin, there is always a reason, even when it isn't visible from the outside. Here is the step-by-step process your vet follows, from a clinical exam and manure check through dental work, blood tests and gastroscopy, to find the cause.

A veterinarian walks through the blood values that matter most in a weight-loss workup, from red and white cell counts to liver enzymes, insulin, and ACTH, and explains what each one can reveal about a horse that isn't holding condition.

PPID (equine Cushing's disease) develops when damaged dopamine cells let the pituitary gland overproduce ACTH, driving chronic high cortisol. Here's how to recognise the early signs and how vets confirm it with an ACTH blood test.

Around one in five horses over 15 has PPID, a hormonal condition that changes how the body stores fat, builds muscle and handles sugar. This article explains how to adapt feeding based on body condition, insulin status and age to support a horse alongside medication.

Equimove Balance Pads use an unstable surface to activate a horse's deep core muscles and improve balance. Here is what they are, how to introduce them safely, and an eight-week training schedule backed by peer-reviewed equine research.

Standing on an unstable pad does more than test balance: it wakes up deep spinal muscles, sharpens proprioception, and can settle a tense horse within minutes. Here's the science behind five concrete benefits of balance pad training.

Proprioception is your horse's built-in sense of where its body is in space, and when it's weak, tripping, poor coordination, and injury risk go up. Here's how to spot the signs and train it with simple daily exercises.

Dr. Sue Dyson's Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram gives riders and vets 24 specific behaviors to watch for under saddle, and a score of 8 or more strongly suggests musculoskeletal pain rather than a training issue. Here's how the scale works and what the research behind it actually shows.

A weak core shows up in a horse's posture, movement, and behavior long before it becomes a real problem. Here's how to spot it early, plus the exercises that build it back up.

Equine dental disease is common and closely tied to weight loss, colic risk, and performance under saddle. Here is what the latest research says about spotting it early and how often your horse actually needs a check-up.

The latest research on sport horse nutrition points to forage as the foundation, with fast post-exercise refueling, quality protein, algae-derived DHA, and proper electrolyte replacement supporting muscle repair and recovery. Natural vitamin E and clean-sport-compliant botanicals like boswellia and turmeric add further support during heavy competition schedules.

Every horse passes manure 8 to 12 times a day. Most owners barely notice. That is a gap worth closing. Colour, consistency, frequency, and smell are all direct indicators of what is happening in the digestive tract, and so is what you can sometimes see in it. A change caught early is almost always simpler to deal with than one that has been developing quietly for weeks. Colic & digestion series Read the other articles: Colic: signs and what to do · Gastric ulcers · Horse manure explained 1. Color & Consistency: Your Horse's Health Barometer The ideal horse manure should be moist, neatly formed balls, usually greenish-brown. Easy to pick up, no fuss. But variations can mean problems: Runny or wet manure: Not just messy stalls. It can point toward stress, sudden diet shifts, bacterial or viral infections, or even parasites lurking inside. Have you recently changed their diet or routine? If not, dig deeper. It's time to investigate parasites or gut issues. Dry, pellet-like manure: Warning bells for dehydration, low water intake, or insufficient fiber. Your horse might need more forage or better hydration strategies. Black or reddish manure: This one's serious. Dark or bloody tinged manure indicates internal bleeding. Your horse needs veterinary attention ASAP. 2. Undigested Feed Particles: Why Chewing Matters More Than You Think Spotting grain or hay pieces in manure? Don't brush it off. It often signals: Dental discomfort: Tooth pain or dental issues make chewing difficult, decreasing nutrient absorption. Regular dental check-ups aren't optional. They're essential. Digestive inefficiencies: Your horse might not be digesting nutrients properly. Time to reevaluate feed quality or digestive aids. 3. Manure Frequency: Counting Matters Healthy horses typically drop manure 8-12 times daily. Keep track: Fewer droppings: Watch out. Could indicate dangerous conditions like colic or impaction. Act fast. Your horse might be suffering quietly. Excessive droppings: If your horse seems to poop constantly but maintains poor condition, nutrient absorption might be impaired. Time to check diet composition and digestive health. 4. Odor: Trust Your Nose Horse manure typically has an earthy, mild odor. Here's when you should worry: Strong, foul-smelling manure: Likely a bacterial imbalance or infection like Salmonella. Don't gamble. Call your vet. Sharp, sour smell: Indicates too many rapidly fermenting carbohydrates (grain overload). Adjust feeding gradually and carefully to avoid bigger digestive upsets. 5. Worms in Manure: Parasites Aren't Always Hidden Sometimes, parasites openly declare war: Long, spaghetti-like roundworms (Ascarids): Common in younger horses. They can lead to severe colic or intestinal blockage. Act fast. Tiny rice-like tapeworm segments: Tapeworm infestations increase colic risk by obstructing intestines. Take action immediately. Pinworms (around anus): Causes tail rubbing, irritation. Not life-threatening, but extremely uncomfortable. Solve it with targeted treatments. Strongyles: Often microscopic, but heavy burdens wreak havoc internally. Regular fecal egg count tests are your best weapon here. 6. Parasites and Gut Health: Understanding the Connection Worm infections severely impact gut health. Parasites damage intestinal linings, disrupt beneficial gut bacteria, and hinder nutrient absorption. While deworming treatments are vital for eliminating parasites, they temporarily stress your horse's gut and disrupt natural gut flora. 7. Optimal Worm Management: A Proactive Approach Gone are the days of deworming on a schedule. Why? Because resistance is on the rise. Enter Worm & Co, the expert in equine fecal testing. Research shows that 74% of horses are dewormed unnecessarily. Not only does this harm your horse's gut health. It fuels faster resistance development. That's why Worm & Co promotes a smarter strategy: test before you treat. With Worm & Co, you get: Professional and accurate manure analysis Personalized insights into your horse's parasite load A sustainable worm management plan It's the gold standard for keeping your horse healthy and avoiding unnecessary treatments. 💡 Did you know? Parasite resistance means that formerly reliable treatments like ivermectin and moxidectin don't work as long as they used to. Testing helps you stay one step ahead. How Does Optimal Worm Management Look? Fecal testing 3-4x per year Targeted treatment only when needed Follow-up testing 14 days after treatment Pasture rotation and manure removal With Worm & Co as your guide, you're not guessing. You're leading with knowledge. 8. Gut Health: Your Horse's Defense & Recovery System Maintaining a healthy gut is your horse's greatest shield against parasites: Blocks infestations: Strengthens gut barriers, preventing parasite attachment. Accelerates recovery: A healthy gut heals faster post-infection. Eases deworming side-effects: Reduces stress on the gut, facilitating quick restoration of balance. How Curafyt Supports Your Horse's Gut Health At Curafyt, we know a resilient gut is your horse's best health investment. A strong digestive system prevents issues and accelerates recovery post-deworming. That's why we've crafted targeted supplements to reinforce gut balance, support rapid healing, and build lasting resilience. Meet Guts & Glory: Your Horse's Digestive Hero Our plant-based powerhouse, Guts & Glory, is packed with essential digestive enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics. Designed specifically to restore gut flora, it repairs intestinal lining, fortifies the mucosal barrier, and promotes internal detoxification. This gives your horse the strongest foundation for long-term health, from the inside out. Bottom Line: Your horse's manure is trying to tell you something. Are you listening?With Worm & Co by your side for accurate testing, and Curafyt's Guts & Glory to support gut health, you've got the tools to prevent problems before they start. Let's stop guessing and start listening, because your horse deserves proactive care rooted in knowledge. Support your horse's gut from the inside Guts & Glory helps maintain a healthy hindgut microbiome and digestive function. View Guts & Glory