Forefront Performance Horses

05/30/2026

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to alll of my barn mamas!!

04/30/2026

It’s that time!!! Another great chat about equine health 🙌🏻
This time, let’s demystify Deworming 🪄🪱

FIRST ➡️ you have literally no idea what kind of parasite load you’re dealing with until you perform an Equine F***l Egg Count.

Yeah, you can guess, but before you reach for a tube at the local TSC, you need data.

A f***l egg count (FEC) tells you:
• If your horse even needs deworming
• What level of parasite shedding they have (low, moderate, high)
• How effective your current program is

👉 Most adult horses are low shedders and do NOT need frequent deworming. Imagine that!

💊 Here are the most common types of dewormers and what they target 🎯

Here’s the simple breakdown (this is where most people get lost):

🔹 Ivermectin
• Broad-spectrum parasite control
• Targets strongyles, bots
• Common + effective, but resistance is growing

🔹 Moxidectin (Quest)
• Similar to ivermectin, but stronger
• Targets encysted small strongyles
• Use carefully (not for young/underweight horses)

🔹 Fenbendazole (Panacur)
• Used for specific cases (like larval stages)
• Resistance is VERY common in strongyles

🔹 Pyrantel (Strongid)
• Targets roundworms and some strongyles
• Also used in daily deworming programs

🔹 Praziquantel (included in Ivermectin Gold / Quest Plus)
• Specifically for tapeworms
• Usually combined with ivermectin or moxidectin

🔁 Rotational deworming…is it bible?

🚫 Old mindset: Rotate dewormers every 6–8 weeks
✅ Modern approach: Deworm based on need + effectiveness

Here’s what actually matters:
• Treat high shedders more frequently
• Treat low shedders minimally (sometimes 1–2x/year)
• Use FEC reduction tests to confirm your dewormer works
• Time treatments seasonally (not blindly rotating)

📅 Strategic Timing Matters

Instead of rotating randomly, think seasonally + biologically:

• Spring: Target strongyles (based on FEC)
• Late Fall/Winter: Treat bots + tapeworms (ivermectin + praziquantel)
• Encysted larvae (if needed): Moxidectin (strategic use only)

👉 Over-deworming = resistance
👉 Under-deworming = parasite burden

Balance is everything.

👀 What to Watch For

Even with a plan, always stay observant:
• Weight loss or poor condition
• Dull coat
• Loose manure
• Pot belly (especially in young horses)
• Tail rubbing (possible pinworms)

These don’t always mean parasites—but they’re clues.

🧠 The Takeaway

Deworming isn’t a schedule, it’s a strategy.
Test → Target → Verify → Adjust

Work with your veterinarian to build a program tailored to your horses, your land, and your management.

04/07/2026

Time for a tough chat…Fixed Formula vs. Least Cost Formulas…YOU SHOULD KNOW!
“Fixed Formula” Horse Feed
🧐What does that REALLY mean?🧐

“I’ve fed this for years—it’s always been the same.”
👉 Maybe… maybe not 👀

🧾 What is a “fixed formula” feed?

A fixed formula means:
👉 The ingredients and ratios stay consistent from batch to batch. What you see is what you get. Consistency, dependability, and steady trust.

So:
✔️ Same ingredients
✔️ Same nutrient profile
✔️ Same NSC (generally)

🔄 What is a “least-cost” formula?

‼️ MOST ‼️ commercial feeds are actually:

👉 Least-cost formulated

That means:
• The company can swap ingredients
• Based on price + availability

So one batch might use:
• More corn
• Less beet pulp
• Different byproducts

👉 Even though the BAG looks identical, that little white sewn on paper tag CHANGES ALL THE TIME!

⚠️ Why this matters (especially for your horses)

For some horses, consistency is everything:

• Easy keepers
• Equine Metabolic Syndrome
• Cushing’s Disease (PPID)
• Ulcer-prone horses
• Horses sensitive to diet changes

👉 Ingredient swings =
⚠️ Digestive upset
⚠️ Behavior changes
⚠️ Metabolic flare-ups

🧠 Here’s the part most people don’t know:

👉 sometimes the tag gives it away, but sometimes you have to research to discover fixed or least-cost formulas.

You have to:
✔️ Ask the company
✔️ Or dig into how they formulate

🥕 Feeds that are typically MORE consistent

(Not always “perfect”—but more controlled)

✔️ Ration balancers
✔️ Higher-end, research-backed brands
✔️ Feeds that openly state “fixed formula”

👉 These are designed to be predictable

⚠️ Feeds more likely to vary

• Textured/sweet feeds
• Lower-cost feeds
• Feeds heavy in grain byproducts

👉 These are more often least-cost formulated

Why this matters MORE than you think:

“I only go through a couple bags a month… it shouldn’t matter, right?”

👉 This is exactly where it matters MOST.

⚠️ Here’s what’s actually happening:

If you’re feeding a least-cost formula and buying:
➡️ 1–2 bags at a time
➡️ Every couple weeks

You could be feeding:
❗ A slightly different formula
❗ Every single time you restock

🔄 That means your horse is constantly adjusting to:

• Different starch levels
• Different sugar content
• Different ingredients
• Different digestibility

👉 Even though YOU didn’t change anything

🧠 Why that’s a problem

Horses thrive on consistency.

When the feed keeps changing:
• Gut bacteria get disrupted
• Digestion becomes less efficient
You can see subtle (or not-so-subtle) changes in
• manure
• behavior
• body condition

🚨 For some horses, this is a BIG deal:

• Easy keepers
• Equine Metabolic Syndrome
• Cushing’s Disease (PPID)
• Ulcer-prone horses

👉 Even small changes can:
⚠️ Trigger laminitis
⚠️ Cause flare-ups
⚠️ Lead to inconsistency in weight/energy

💡 Real-life example:

You finally have your horse:
✔️ Looking great
✔️ Feeling great
✔️ Diet dialed in

Then suddenly:
• Off their feed
• Loose manure
• Colic

👉 You didn’t change the feed…
…but the feed changed

🧠 The kicker:

👉 You’re essentially doing a mini feed transition every time you open a new bag

…and you don’t even know it.

🎯 Simple takeaway:

“If the formula changes… your horse’s diet is changing.”

💡 Real talk:

👉 Same bag ≠ same feed
👉 Consistency matters more than brand loyalty

04/06/2026

How to ACTUALLY Read a Horse Feed Tag…
Step by step, like a pro!

“It says ‘complete feed’ and ‘low starch’… so it’s good… right?” 🤔

Not so fast.

Feed promotion is designed to sell feed.
PERIOD T.
I get it, it’s pretty, it’s mass produced, it’s fed by your favorite trainer…none of that matters or is necessarily helpful.

Let me show you how to understand any feed tag like a pro 👇

🧾 Step 1: Ignore the front of the bag

Pretty words and that sparkling majestic horse on the bag don’t feed your horse.

❌ “Low starch”
❌ “Performance”
❌ “Healthy coat”
❌ “Colic prevention”

👉 These are marketing terms, not nutrition facts.

🔍 Step 2: Find the Guaranteed Analysis

This is where the real information lives.
Insider tip ‼️ the guaranteed analysis is generally printed on a little white paper tag, sewn into the bottom of the bag….BUT….some bags actually have it printed on their bag. What!? Well, generally the bags that have stand alone printed tags are not “fixed formula” feeds, and your actual printed bags tend to lean more on the “fixed formula” side of things. This matters…and trust me, we will get there.
But for now, check your bag and start reading!

You’ll see things like:
• Crude Protein
• Crude Fat
• Crude Fiber

👉 Helpful, yes, basic, yes. We want to see good protein to fat to fiber in quality complete horse feeds, but those three things are definitely not the whole story.

⚠️ Step 3: Look for what’s NOT listed

Here’s the big one…

👉 NSC (sugar + starch) is often NOT on the tag. A feed’s NSC is huge for determining WHAT you’re actually feeding.

So how do you find it? It can be a witch hunt, trust me.

✔️ Check the company website
✔️ Call or email the manufacturer, and ask to speak to their nutritionist
✔️ Look for “ESC + Starch” values

🧠 Step 4: Understand the ingredients list

Ingredients are LISTED BY WEIGHT utilized (highest → lowest)

🚨 First 3 ingredients tell you A LOT

What I like to see:

✔️ Beet pulp
✔️ Alfalfa meal
✔️ Soy hulls
👉 Fiber-based, slower energy

What raises a flag:

❌ Corn
❌ Oats
❌ Molasses
❌Grain byproducts
❌Wheat middlings
❌Corn Distillers grain
👉 Higher sugar/starch content

📊 Step 5: Watch the fiber vs. starch balance

General rule:

👉 Higher fiber = safer, slower energy
👉 Higher starch = faster energy (and more risk for some horses)

🥕 Step 6: Ask—what is this feed FOR?

Not every feed is bad… but it might be wrong for YOUR horse.

Examples:
• Performance feed → not for easy keepers
• Senior feed → not always low sugar
• “Ration balancer” → designed for small amounts only

🚨 Biggest mistake I see:

People choosing feed based on:
❌ Brand name - marketing and influencer fads…feed companies are businesses…they have to make money
❌ What the barn/trainer feeds 😵‍💫
❌ What “looks good”
❌ What’s the most affordable 😖
❌ What so and so’s horse stays “fat” on 😑

Instead of:
✔️ What their horse actually needs.
👋🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 EVERY HORSE IS AN INDIVIDUAL!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

💡 Real talk:

You can feed a “high-end” bag…
…and still be feeding too much sugar.
…and your horse’s top line looks like crap
…and their coat and hooves are junk
…and and and.

🧠 Simple takeaway:

👉 Don’t read the FRONT of the bag
👉 Read what’s inside it

🤍 Need help?

Send me your feed tag. I’m happy to chat, break it down, and discover all the things to help you know what you’re feeding.

04/05/2026

Happy Easter from our happy bunnies to yours!! 🐰🐣💜🩵💛💚🩷🧡

04/04/2026

Are you listening? Believe it or not, your horse is literally a “human whisperer”…

🐴 🗣️ What Your Horse is Trying to Tell You…

Ever feel like your horse is “off”… but you can’t quite put your finger on it?
👉 It might not be training.
👉 It might not be attitude.
👉 It might be vitamins & minerals.

Horses are REALLY good at showing us when something isn’t right… if you know what to look for 👇
Let’s delve into more foundational nutrition and what to look for.

⚖️ MINERAL & VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES — COMMON SIGNS

🧂 Salt deficiency
• Licking dirt, wood, stalls
• Reduced drinking
• Poor performance, fatigue

🦴 Calcium / Phosphorus imbalance
• Weak topline
• Poor growth (young horses)
• Bone/joint issues

✨ Zinc deficiency
• Dull coat
• Slow hoof growth
• Skin issues (crusty, flaky)

🧠 Magnesium deficiency
• Nervous, spooky behavior
• Muscle tightness
• Hard to relax/work through the topline

🩸 Iron deficiency (rare, but possible)
• Lethargy
• Pale gums
• Poor stamina

🌿 Vitamin E deficiency
• Muscle soreness
• Weakness
• Neurological signs in severe cases

⚠️ TOXICITY / OVER-SUPPLEMENTATION SIGNS

🚫 More is NOT better — and this is where a lot of horses struggle today.

🔴 Too much Selenium
• Cracked hooves
• Hair loss (mane/tail thinning)
• Lameness

🔴 Too much Iron (VERY common)
• Blocks absorption of copper & zinc
• Leads to dull coat, weak hooves, poor immune function

🔴 Too much Calcium
• Interferes with other minerals
• Developmental issues in young horses

🔴 Vitamin A toxicity
• Bone abnormalities
• Stiffness
• Reduced appetite

⸻

🧠 THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY

Most issues I see aren’t from a lack of feed…
They’re from IMBALANCE.

➡️ Throwing multiple supplements together
➡️ Feeding without knowing your hay
➡️ Assuming “more = better”

Your horse doesn’t need more stuff…
They need the RIGHT balance.

⸻

🌾 MY FEEDING PHILOSOPHY (and what I see work over & over)

✔️ Forage first
✔️ Simple, consistent base
✔️ Ration balancer OR correctly built program
✔️ Loose salt ALWAYS available
✔️ Add where needed — not just because it’s trendy

⸻

💬 Let’s talk 👇

What is ONE thing your horse has done that made you go…
“Hmm… something’s not right”?

03/31/2026

💪🏻TUESDAY TARGETED EQUINE NUTRITION💪🏻

🐴✨ RATION BALANCERS… 👉🏻and why your horse might need one!

I get asked and told ALL the time…
“Do I need grain?”
“I don’t love the feed my horse has been on.”
“Is my horse getting enough nutrition?”
“What actually is a ration balancer?”

So let’s break it down 👇

🌱 What is a Ration Balancer?

A ration balancer is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and protein WITHOUT the extra calories. Ration balancers are NOT designed to add weight to your horse. They are essentially a gap filler for the nutritional spots where your hay/forage isn’t “complete”.

Think of it as your horse’s daily multivitamin + amino acid support… designed to balance a forage-based diet.

✔️ Low feeding rate (usually 1–2 lbs/day). You cannot add “more” ration balancer hoping to add more calories. If horses need more calories, we then dip into adding fat, digestible fiber, or both.
✔️ Low sugar & starch
✔️ High in essential nutrients
✔️ Supports topline, coat, hooves, and overall health

🌾 How Should It Be Fed?

Ration balancers are designed to be fed WITH forage (hay or pasture) … NOT… as a standalone feed.

👉 Best for:
• Easy keepers
• Horses on full forage diets
• Horses who don’t need extra calories
• Horses needing nutrient support without weight gain

If your horse is holding weight well on hay alone… this is often the missing piece 👏

🐿️ SQUIRREL MOMENT!🐿️
🧂 Now for the “GAP” in ration balancers!
(This Matters!)

No matter what you feed 👉🏻hay, grain, OR a ration balancer… your horse still needs access to:

✔️ Loose salt (plain, preferably non-iodized)
✔️ OR a balanced loose mineral

🤷🏼‍♀️Why loose minerals/loose salt??? I just drop one of those big white blocks in the pasture…

➡️ Did you know? ▶️ Most horses cannot consume enough from a salt block. Wild, right!?
🧂Salt in a compressed block form were originally designed for cattle, which have rough tongues and can rasp off more salt per lick. Giving a horse a salt block, greatly limits their required intake.
Horses have softer tongues, so they:
• Get very small amounts per lick
• Would need to spend hours licking to meet daily needs…1-2 tablespoons a day.

👋🏻👋🏻Back to Ration Balancers!👋🏻👋🏻

➡️ Ration balancers do NOT replace your horse’s daily salt requirement
➡️ Proper salt intake supports hydration, digestion, and overall health.
We will have that discussion soon 🫡

💡 I always recommend offering free choice loose salt. You’ll be surprised how much (or how little) your horse actually needs.

❌ Common Misconceptions

🚫 “It’s not enough feed”
→ It’s NOT meant to be fed like grain. It’s concentrated nutrition. THINK MULTIVITAMIN! 💊 At the recommended feed rate of 1-2lbs a day, based on your horse’s weight, a 50lb bag should pretty much get you through a month. If you’re feeding 6lbs of Ration Balancer a day…you’re literally torturing your horse’s kidneys…making them look like hot garbage…and feel even worse. Key word ▶️ Toxicity!

🚫 “My horse needs a scoop of something”
→ We’re conditioned to feed volume… not nutrition. Stop 🛑 your horse is big, but smaller, meals are better when it comes to horses. Need more calories? Add more little meals. Not more ration balancer.

🚫 “It won’t keep weight on my horse”
→ Correct—and that’s the point. It’s NOT a calorie source. It’s a “multivitamin”, gap filler, tasty way to balance the horse’s normal ration.

🚫 “It’s the same as grain”
→ Not even close. Nope 🙂‍↔️ 👎🏻

🚫 “A ration balancer covers EVERYTHING”
→ It covers a lot, but salt still needs to be provided separately.

🌽 Ration Balancer vs. Concentrate Feed

Let’s simplify this:

👉 Ration Balancer = Nutrition without calories
👉 Concentrate (grain) = Calories WITH some nutrition

Most traditional feeds are designed to provide BOTH energy and nutrients…
But what happens when your horse doesn’t need the calories?

➡️ You either underfeed (and miss nutrients)… I literally see this every single day. “My horse is super fat on the bag of concentrate I’m feeding, so I’m only feeding a handful twice a day.” Nope, you can’t do that. In order for your horse to get everything they need, the commercial concentrates have a recommended feed rate. When the bag says a 1200lb horse needs 6-10lbs of their feed a day…that’s BECAUSE that is the required amount to meet the daily nutritional minimums to maintain body condition. Your easy keeper doesn’t need feed…they need forage and a ration balancer. Period.

➡️ Or (Worse) overfeed (and create weight + metabolic issues). Horses in a deficit won’t magically get better with huge amounts of feed. Remember, we’re feeding animals that thrive on FORAGE!

That’s where ration balancers shine ✨

⸻

💡 My Go-To Approach

I always start with:

🥇 Forage first (hay/pasture/alfalfa pellets/alfalfa cubes)
🥈 Add a ration balancer to fill nutritional gaps
🥉 Add additional, safe calories as needed
And, Provide free choice loose salt or minerals
🏁 ONLY add calories if the horse actually needs them

Simple. Effective. Horse-friendly.

⸻

📌 Popular Ration Balancers You May See:
• Purina Enrich Plus
• Tribute Essential K
• Buckeye Gro ‘N Win
• Triple Crown Balancer
• Nutrena Empower Balance

(All a little different—but same goal!)

💬 If you’re feeding a ration balancer, drop what you use below!

03/26/2026

🫰🏻 THICKKK THURSDAY 🫰🏻Time for a chat about FAT!!!

🌿 Healthy Fats for Horses: What to Feed….annnnnd What to skip! 🌿

Adding fat to a horse’s diet can be a GAME CHANGER when done correctly…let’s break it down.

✨ Weight gain without excess starch
✨ Improved coat & skin
✨ Anti-inflammatory support
✨ Sustained, “cool” energy

But not all fats are created equal—and this is where things get important 👇

We all want to run to the local farm supply store, big box joint, or dolla-rama; and grab a jug of the cheapest veggie oil we can find, add a cup to the feed and feel like we just did something great. Quick fix? Tasty? Blind success?

⸻

🧠 Quick reality check: horses ≠ humans

It’s easy to grab a bottle of vegetable oil and think it’s a simple solution… but:

👉 Horses do NOT have a gallbladder…like not at all.

That means:
• They don’t release large amounts of bile, like we do, at once to combat those fat surges
• They are designed to digest small, steady amounts of fat
• They aren’t designed to or able to process processed oils…so what goes in…comes right back out 💩

So while vegetable oils are:
✔️ Cheap
✔️ Easy

👉 They are not the most natural or digestible option for the horse’s system. Not harmful, but not as effective as we imagine.

🌟 Here are some other, more proven, more digestible, more effective options:
⸻

🥇 BEST: Ground Flax (Flaxseed)

💰 $$ (commercially), $ (bulk and self grind)

✔️ High in Omega-3s (anti-inflammatory)
✔️ Supports coat, skin, and topline
✔️ Highly digestible when ground
✔️ Excellent for gut health

👉 My personal go-to and a staple in my program.

🙋🏼‍♀️ WE’RE FLAX STANS AT FOREFRONT!!

⸻

🥈 Chia Seeds

💰 $$$

✔️ Omega-3 rich
✔️ Supports hydration (forms a gel when soaked)
✔️ Great for skin and digestive support

⚠️ Expensive
⚠️ Lower fat content than flax

👉 A great addition—but often not as cost-effective as flax

⸻

🥉 Copra (Coconut Meal)

💰 $$

✔️ High in fat (cool energy source)
✔️ Low starch & sugar
✔️ Good for weight gain

⚠️ Higher in saturated fat
⚠️ Low in certain nutrients → needs balancing
⚠️ Can be inconsistent depending on source

👉 Useful tool, especially for weight—but should be part of a balanced program

⸻

⚖️ Stabilized Rice Bran

💰 $$

✔️ Higher fat content
✔️ Helpful for adding condition

⚠️ High Omega-6 → can promote inflammation 🙅🏼‍♀️
⚠️ Must be stabilized + balanced

👉 Good short-term tool, not my first long-term choice

⸻

⚖️ Vegetable Oils (Soybean, Corn, etc.)

💰 $

✔️ Easy calories
✔️ Convenient

❌ Highly processed
❌ High Omega-6 (pro-inflammatory)
❌ Not ideal for how horses naturally digest fat

👉 Just because it’s easy… doesn’t mean it’s best.

⸻

🚫 SKIP: Overpriced “Fat Supplements”

💰 $$$

❌ Often just oil + fillers
❌ Expensive for what you’re actually getting
❌ Marketing > nutrition

👉 Always read the ingredient label. You’d be surprised if you actually take the time to break it down. 👀

⸻

🧠 Key Takeaway

Not all fats are equal—and more fat is NOT always better.

👉 Focus on:
🌿 Digestibility
🌿 Omega balance
🌿 Whole-food sources

⸻

💡 My approach:
Forage first → balance minerals → THEN add fat (like flax) if needed

Simple. Effective. Horse-first.

⸻

💬 What are you feeding for fat right now? Have you noticed a difference with different sources?

03/24/2026

Another day, another opportunity to learn…today we continue with the basics of equine nutrition…

🌿 Forage First: The Foundation of Every Healthy Horse 🌿

One of the most important (and often overlooked) truths in equine nutrition is this:

👉 Horses are designed to eat forage… all day… every day. They are forage machines….

Their digestive system depends on a steady flow of fiber to:
✔️ Keep the gut moving
✔️ Buffer stomach acid (ulcer prevention!)
✔️ Support a healthy hindgut
✔️ Maintain a calm, steady metabolism

⸻

🐴 What does “forage first” actually mean?

It means:
🌾 Hay or pasture ALWAYS comes first
🌾 Horses have consistent access to fiber
🌾 Diets are built around forage, not grain or commercial concentrates.

⸻

🌱 Let’s talk about alfalfa, it’s a “hot” topic (no pun intended)👇

Alfalfa pellets and cubes are one of my favorite and most utilized equine nutrition tools, when used correctly. We aren’t always able to have access to consistent alfalfa bales, so we employ the accessibility of pellets, mini-cubes, or cubes. This type of product offers:

✨ Highly digestible fiber
✨ Super High Quality protein for muscle support
✨ Natural buffers for stomach acid
✨ Lower sugar than many “feeds”
✨ Can be soaked = safer + added hydration

⸻

🚫 Myth vs Truth

🚫 “Alfalfa makes horses hot”
✔️ Excess calories make horses hot—not alfalfa…empty starches and carbohydrates make horses hot, fillers make horses hot, quick burn high NSC feeds make horses hot. Not alfalfa.

🚫 “It’s just a cheap hay stretcher”
✔️ It’s actually a nutrient-dense forage source, and one of the best ways to up your protein safely with the biggest nutritional pay-off.

⸻

⚖️ But here’s the part most people miss…LISTEN UP!

Forage alone is NOT a complete diet.

Even the best hay and alfalfa can be:
⬇️ Deficient in key minerals
⬆️ Imbalanced in ratios (especially calcium : phosphorus…which is huge in growing horses)
🧪 Still require added fats

👉 That’s where a free choice loose mineral, ration balancer, and added fat comes in.

At our barn, we use:
✔️ A forage-based diet (free choice locally sourced orchard/timothy hay + alfalfa pellets)
✔️ balance it with a targeted free choice loose mineral or measured ration balancers.
✔️ THEN add supportive and digestible fats like fresh ground flax, chia, or copra.

This allows us to:
✔️ Support hoof, coat, and overall health
✔️ Avoid unnecessary calories from grain
✔️ Feed each horse simply—but correctly
All while maintaining an anti-inflammatory, gut healthy, sustainable energy providing diet.
⸻

🧠 When I love using alfalfa:

✔️ Hard keepers
✔️ Easy keepers
✔️ Horses in work
✔️ Ulcer-prone horses
✔️ As a forage base WITH mineral balancing
✔️ To stretch or replace inconsistent hay or pasture

IT’S GOOD STUFF!!

⸻

💡 Simple. Effective. Horse-first.

Because when the gut is healthy… everything else follows.

💬 Do you feed alfalfa? Pellets, cubes, or hay? And are you balancing your forage?

What works for you? Let’s chat!!