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Robert Carsel Horsemanship, Lawrence County, MO (2026)

05/22/2026

What to Consider When Feeding Your Horse Nutritional Supplements

Nutritional supplements don’t replace a high-quality diet and appropriate feeding program, yet many owners use multiple products daily. During his presentation at the 2026 EquiSUMMIT Equine Nutrition & Health Conference, hosted by Kemin Industries, Randel Raub, PhD, of Kent Nutrition, raised several important questions for owners to consider when choosing nutritional supplements.

Who Regulates Equine Nutritional Supplements?
Unlike drugs used to treat or prevent specific health conditions, the industry defines dietary supplements as substances for oral consumption intended for specific benefits other than provision of nutrients beyond normal nutritional needs.

“Nutraceutical supplements, however, are sold under the premise of being a dietary supplement, but for the expressed intent of preventing or treating disease … but that definition now makes them sound like drugs, but unlike drugs these products are not regulated by the FDA,” explained Raub.

In humans the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) regulates manufacturing operations such as quality control and manufacturing standards. The DSHEA does not apply to animal dietary supplements. Instead, the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC), an industry organization, provides some guidelines to animal supplement manufacturers regarding safety and efficacy; however it has no regulatory authority over the manufacturers. Companies that meet NASC standards can use its quality seal on product packaging and advertising.

“NASC is essentially trying to improve the quality and integrity of nutritional supplements and work with government officials that try to create an environment that is fair, reasonable, responsible, and nationally consistent,” Raub said.

How Many Supplements Does Your Horse Need?
“There is no lack of supplements available to consumers, and they are marketed under a lot of different premises and promises,” said Raub. “Oftentimes owners oversupplement, resulting in the most expensive urine and manure on the planet.”

In 2008, researchers looked at feeding management practices of top-level eventing horses. They found owners were oversupplementing to the detriment of performance.

“There is a bell curve ranging from deficient to optimal to toxic,” said Raub. “Each supplement typically has a laundry list of other ingredients, and when you start stacking supplements you can get a toxic situation.”

Electrolytes, for example, can be important, especially for horses exercising in hot, humid environments. Some of these products, however, contain excessive added sugars. If the electrolyte supplement you use does not utilize slow-release technology, the horse might respond to a sudden increase in electrolytes by excreting some of them. Repeated electrolyte use over time can exacerbate gastric ulcers, so the form and timing of administration are also important factors to consider, said Raub. Talk to your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist about which electrolyte supplement is appropriate for your horse.

Is Your Supplement Cost-Effective?
Using biotin as an example, Raub presented three distinct products:

Product A, which costs $95.99 for 11 pounds; Product B, costing $64.99 for 9.3 pounds; and Product C costing $140 for 1 pound.

Raub recommended considering cost per day per active ingredient when selecting a product. In looking at these options, he found the cost per day per active ingredient was $2.35, $1.09, and $0.75, respectively. “So even though the third supplement is expensive for a small amount, it only contains seven ingredients and is only given at small amounts,” he said. “The initial price doesn’t tell you anything.”

He also warned that some water-based supplements contain mostly water with only small amounts of active ingredients and recommended choosing non-water-based alternatives when possible.

Take-Home Message
Regulatory oversight of equine nutritional supplements remains limited. When buying a supplement for your horse, “look for a guaranteed analysis, which is different than label claims,” said Raub. For example, “if it is a biotin supplement, make sure it has biotin on the ingredient list, not just claims or advertising about biotin.”

Avoid excessive supplementation, which can be detrimental to your horse, Raub said. The better the quality and management of the feeding program, the less reliant owners need to be on supplements.

The Horse

05/20/2026

How Does Geography Influence Equine Asthma?

Researchers recently found regional differences in the fungi present in the lower airways of asthmatic horses, adding to growing evidence that environmental fungal exposure influences airway inflammation and respiratory disease.

The researchers evaluated bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from horses presented to veterinarians for poor performance or respiratory signs across several U.S. ecoregions. They found that neutrophil and eosinophil (types of white blood cells) proportions differed by region, while fungal genera such as Aspergillus, Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Epicoccum also varied geographically. The researchers studied horses in Six ecoregions of North America: Northern Forests, Eastern Temperate Forests, Great Plains, North American Desserts, and Mediterranean California.

The authors noted fungal exposure has long been implicated in equine asthma and inhaling environmental dust particles and mold plays a central role in the disease process.

Managing Dust and Fungal Exposure on Horse Farms
Kathleen Ivester, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, a researcher at Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana, said current management recommendations continue to focus on reducing dust and improving ventilation on horse farms. She said the regional differences in fungal types reaching horses’ lower airways of horses “might be due to differences in the fungi present in the ambient environment or differences in the fungi released from bedding, hay, or other feed stuffs specific to those regions.”

Ivester added that regional differences in hay production, harvest conditions, and storage methods likely contribute to those exposures. Even good-quality hay can expose horses to fungal spores and fragments, she explained. Feeding your horse hay outside or in well-ventilated areas, steaming hay, or feeding a pelleted forage can help reduce risk. She also noted that large round bales generally release more dust and fungi than high-quality square bales.

Owners should also avoid bedding with visible mold contamination or a musty odor. If using straw bedding, Ivester recommended inspecting it for mold.

Barn Chores and Equine Asthma
Routine barn chores can temporarily increase airborne dust levels, including fungal spores.

“Resuspension of settled dust particles can increase the airborne concentration of particulate matter, including fungal spores, for several hours,” Ivester said. “If possible, activities such as sweeping and mucking out should be performed when horses are not in the barn, particularly those horses that have been diagnosed with asthma.”

For horse owners concerned about environmental exposure, Ivester said measuring dust particles can provide a useful practical indicator, even though direct fungal testing often involves specialized laboratory techniques. “We have developed a real-time monitor to measure dust, designed to be worn on a halter,” she said. “This monitor allows measurement of dust levels in the breathing zone of the horse, providing the best estimate of the amount of dust the horse is exposed to. We hope to make this monitor commercially available in the future, and we are actively using it in our own research.” She added that measuring to identify high-dust activities can provide a good marker for inhaled fungi exposure.

Take-Home Message
Researchers identified regional differences in the fungi found in the lower airways of horses with asthma, suggesting geography and environmental exposure could influence airway inflammation. Until researchers can make region-specific recommendations, reducing dust through good ventilation, careful hay and bedding management, and minimizing airborne particles in the barn remain key strategies for managing equine asthma.

The Horse

05/20/2026

One man and one horse can get a lot done quickly- if they do it slow!

05/18/2026

Equine Health Emergencies: Plan Ahead for Best Outcomes

If you’ve been around horses long enough, chances are you, or someone you know, has had a medical emergency with a horse. Every horse owner will face an equine health emergency at some point, whether big or small. Proper preparation—from first-aid supplies to advanced planning—is key to diffusing a difficult situation.

Know Your Horse
“Understanding your horse is crucial,” says Amy Lawyer, PhD, department chair of Equine Administration and Equine Industry Programs at the University of Louisville, in Kentucky.

This involves recognizing what is normal and abnormal for your horse, as well as knowing how to communicate that to your veterinarian and care team, says Lawyer. Don’t hesitate to contact your vet; many injuries and illnesses must be addressed by professionals. Preparation, awareness of key clinical signs, and clear communication will help you address the issue effectively.

From colic to laminitis, know what to look for by educating yourself, says Lawyer. Veterinary clinic presentations, educational events at universities and extension offices, online videos produced by professionals affiliated with equine practitioners, veterinarian-approved articles on trustworthy websites (such as TheHorse.com), and your own veterinarian can be great resources for further education. Know your horse’s normal vital signs and be comfortable taking them (TheHorse.com/VitalSigns). Use calm moments to practice the following with knowledgeable guidance:

* Heart rate To find your horse’s pulse, feel for it in the lingual artery under the jaw, where it crosses the bone, or listen with a stethoscope on the left side where the girth typically sits. A normal range falls between 28 and 44 beats per minute.
* Temperature To take your horse’s temperature, lubricate a digital thermometer, insert into the re**um, and wait until it beeps. Be sure to hold the thermometer in place or use string to attach a clip and clip it to the horse’s tail. This will help keep track of the thermometer if it falls out or prevent it from being drawn into the horse. A normal range falls between 99-101° F.
* Respiration Check your horse’s respiratory rate by observing the flank or nostrils, or by using a stethoscope. The normal respiratory range falls between 10 and 24 breaths per minute.
* Hydration Gently pinch the horse’s skin along the neck/shoulder to assess hydration; after releasing it, the skin should return to normal within approximately two seconds.
* Gums The horse’s mucous membranes should appear pink and moist. To test capillary refill, press the gums with a finger; the color should return within approximately two seconds.

Your veterinarian(s) could be crucial in an emergency. In addition to knowing your horse well, establishing a strong connection with them ensures cohesive care.

“Build a relationship with your veterinarian so in the event of an emergency, they are already familiar with you and your horse and can assist you as effectively as possible,” says Chelsie Huseman, PhD, an associate professor and extension horse specialist at Texas A&M University, in College Station.

Stock Up on Horse Health Emergency Supplies
Have a set of emergency supplies on hand, stored in one location, such as a plastic tote with lid. Our experts recommend including the following items:
* Stethoscope
* Digital thermometer
* First-aid scissors
* Banamine® (flunixin meglumine) and Bute (phenylbutazone): Lawyer recommends writing dosages on the bottle or tube: “Often, you see milligrams per kilogram, and it can be hard to do that calculation in an emergency situation.”
* Antimicrobial scrub such as Hibiclens (chlorhexidine)
* Antibacterial ointment such as Neosporin
* Cold pack
* Sterile gauze pads
* Cotton sheet wraps
* Standing wraps and pillow wraps
* Cohesive bandages (Vetrap/CoFlex), porous elastic adhesive cloth tape (Elastikon)
* Emergency info tags for halter or mane/tail in case of natural disasters/evacuation
* Duct tape
* Diapers, which “make a great nonstick absorbent padding,” notes Huseman.
* Saline solution
* Latex gloves
* Flashlight or headlamp
* Clean, lint-free towels
* Epsom salts
* Poultice pads such as Animalintex
* Wire cutters
* Extra halters and lead ropes
* A twitch: While some might not like the idea of using a twitch, it is good to have one. “When the horse’s life is on the line and you also need to protect yourself, a twitch can be a useful tool,” notes Lawyer.

By working ahead of time to build a positive relationship with your veterinary team and acquiring the knowledge to confidently act, you will be better prepared for emergencies.“Every first-aid kit needs Bute and Banamine, but these medications require a couple of things,” notes Huseman. “First, you must have a relationship with your vet to obtain these, as they are prescription medications, and second, you need to have the skills to administer those medications.”

Indeed, “to handle all of these items, you must have specific skills,” says Lawyer, who recommends working with your vet to learn proper techniques and dosages. It is better to become confident with techniques without the pressure of an emergency.
“You can learn through reading or online, but applying that knowledge takes some skill,” Huseman says. “I encourage horse owners to spend a day or two shadowing their veterinarian.”

In situations that could pose a danger to the people involved, such as a neurologic horse struggling to stand, Lawyer notes it’s important to recognize that human life takes precedence over the life of the horse.

Plan Ahead for Equine Health Emergencies
Lawyer advises horse owners to meet with the barn owner, manager, and others who care for their horses to discuss what to do in an emergency. Be sure to note who has the authority to make decisions about your horse in your absence and what your budget is for care. If something goes wrong and you can’t be reached, those who care for the horse must know how to decide, including directives for catastrophic care such as whether you’d choose to send a horse to colic surgery. Some barns provide a document for owners to indicate what measures they would elect on behalf of their horses in the event they are unreachable. While difficult to think about, making these arrangements ahead of time will help when minutes count.

“If there were a situation in which you were not available to provide care, think about what paperwork would provide quick and clear guidelines,” says Huseman. “Print this out and save it in a folder at the barn. Even consider asking your vet for a copy of your horse’s medical records.”

Keep this paperwork for your horse accessible, including:
* Contact information for the veterinarian, including after-hours phone numbers and a second or even third veterinary clinic to try in the event practitioners at your clinic are unavailable
* Any medications given to your horse, including dosages
* Negative Coggins test, vaccination records, and any other relevant paperwork
* Insurance basics, including the type of coverage, policy number, and the company’s contact information (more on this in a moment)
* Contact numbers for individuals who can act on your behalf, such as a spouse, close friend, or trainer (Be sure to let them know they are listed as contacts.)
* Any other critical information
Be sure to provide equine insurance information to those who care for any insured horse. “Many insurance policies have stipulations about reporting,” says Lawyer. “Unfortunately, if every step isn’t fulfilled the way it should be, they may deny the claim.”

Huseman says this could include notifying the insurance company before a major procedure, such as colic surgery. She recommends deciding on your maximum budget for veterinary intervention, even considering building equine emergency costs into your personal emergency fund or a separate account.

Transportation in an Emergency
Some emergencies require transporting the horse to a clinic. Lawyer highlights key considerations for making this possible under difficult circumstances:

* Training your horse in advance to easily load in the trailer.
* Having a plan for transport: This might be keeping your own truck and trailer accessible, connecting with a local horse hauler so you have a working relationship, or maintaining personal connections with other horse owners who can help you.
* Knowing the location of equine veterinary referral centers in your area.

“An issue I often encounter in my role in equine extension is horse owners who don’t own a trailer; this can be tricky, particularly in an emergency situation,” notes Huseman. “Horse owners without their own transportation need to have plans in place.” Plan ahead so you’re not caught unprepared in an emergency.

What Constitutes an Emergency?
Depending on the level of experience, one horseperson’s idea of an emergency might be different from another person’s. But there are common problems that, depending on their severity, are emergencies on everyone’s list. These could include the following medical emergencies:
* Colic
* Lameness or leg injuries
* Hoof issues (abscesses, laminitis)
* Lacerations and other wounds
* Choking
* Eye injuries
* Allergic reactions or anaphylaxis
* Dystocia (difficult birth)
* Heatstroke or dehydration
* Toxicity or poisoning
* Temperature over 105 F
There are also plenty of nonmedical emergency situations. These include:
* Barn fire
* Escaped or loose horse
* Natural disasters (floods, tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes)
* Trailer accidents or breakdowns
* Horse getting cast or stuck (mud, fence, stall, trailer)
* Theft or vandalism
* Power outage (affecting water pumps, lighting, and security systems)
* Equipment failure (broken fences, stall doors, waterers, tack, etc.)

Preparation Is Key
“Educate yourself so you are prepared,” says Lawyer. “Having a plan and know how reduces stress in emergencies. When you have thought through and planned for worst-case scenarios ahead of time, you often have better outcomes.”

The Horse

05/16/2026

Trying something new with the mini zebu. Meg is such a big part of this place, hoping to make more just like her later this year with a litter of pups!

05/15/2026

Getting Ahead of Thrush

Thrush, an infection of the horse’s hoof tissue known for the black, necrotic (dead), stinky material it causes, is one of the most common hoof issues horse owners encounter. According to the 2020 American Farriers Journal Farrier Business Practices survey, more than half of farriers see a case of thrush each week during the year. Another 20% see thrush monthly, while 8% only deal with it a few times a year. For some farriers, thrush is only a seasonal concern when rains create persistent muddy conditions.

“Thrush thrives in dark, damp, warm environments,” explains Mike Isles, CF, APF-I, owner of MFI Farrier Service, near Saratoga, New York. “The bottom of the horse’s hoof is a petri dish for thrush.”

The hoof’s underside doesn’t get much light because it’s in constant contact with the ground, which is a natural host for millions of microorganisms. When mud, muck, and manure pack into the hoof and remain there, anaerobic bacteria can flourish, infecting the frog tissue and eating away at it.

Unsanitary living conditions and excessive hoof dampness are primarily to blame for thrush, so keeping the hooves clean and giving the hoof time to dry is essential.

“The biggest thing with thrush is to clean out the horse’s feet,” says Isles. “Ideally, once a day, but at least whenever you see your horse, especially if you’re using a topical treatment for thrush. Medication needs to get on the tissue, and if the hoof isn’t clean, the dirt is just soaking up the treatment.”

Thrush might sound like a straightforward condition that can be remedied with good horsekeeping skills. But mud, dirt, and manure are not the only culprits.

“Thrush is a bit of an enigma,” says Steve Kraus, CJF, head of farrier services at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, in Ithaca, New York. “It’s interesting because some horses can live in terrible conditions and never develop it, while horses in good conditions can. So, thrush is not necessarily caused by bad health care or bad conditions but aggravated by it.”

Horses that have compromised immune systems are susceptible to thrush, says Kraus. Horses with genetically weak hooves or horses that have an inability to absorb key trace minerals such as zinc, which is needed for healthy hoof tissues, might also be more likely to develop thrush, he added.

A Deeper Look at Thrush

Despite the frog’s small size, it plays a critical role in keeping horses sound. A healthy frog absorbs concussion and helps with load bearing. In healthy hooves frog tissue expands and contracts with each step, pushing dirt and debris out of the collateral sulci—the grooves on either side of the frog.

Thrush develops in any part of the sulci (the central sulcus—the groove in the center of the frog toward the heel—or the collateral sulci) when there is chronic tearing of the frog tissue, which allows anaerobic bacteria to invade, Kraus explains. Uneven hoof loading created by unbalanced conformation damages the frog tissue. A horse with an upright club foot or contracted heels can develop thrush because the deeper sulci collect more debris than those in a hoof with a flatter angle. A steep hoof angle is also likely to develop thrush due to the frog atrophying from lack of stimulation, he adds.

“I think you’re more likely to see thrush in horses with poor conformation,” says Kraus. “For instance, a horse that toes out lands on the lateral toe and then loads a medial heel, tearing the frog tissue with each step. That leaves an opening for an invasion of microorganisms. A healthy foot that loads the heel properly and stimulates good frog pressure doesn’t do that.”

Kraus also points out that thrush is distinct from another type of hoof infection called canker. While thrush is a destructive, necrotic process (the bacteria kill the tissue), canker is a proliferative process whereby bacteria cause abnormal growth of the horn, the hard, outer layer of the hoof.

Treating Thrush
Thrush can be mild, moderate, or severe. Knowing what to look for and treating at the first signs of infection is critical for preventing it from progressing further.

“My new farrier was great about showing me what to look for and how to treat it,” says New Jersey-based horse owner Heather Wallace. Her gelding battled thrush and white line disease (another type of opportunistic infection, whether bacterial or fungal, of the area just in front of the epidermal laminae, which connect the hoof wall to the coffin bone) for two years despite living in a dry lot with a sand base.

Conversely, a hoof with thrush has a gooey look to it with pitting or pockets in the frog. Thrush can also cause a frog to disintegrate and create the unmistakable odor horse owners notice when caring for affected horses’ feet.

“In the early stages of thrush, it can be challenging to identify because a pocket of thrush can look like a pocket of mud, dirt or debris,” Isles says. “In some cases, a horse will be sensitive to the hoof pick, and if the owner is really digging into the hoof, it might bleed.”

Even if you’re unsure about whether your horse has thrush, Isles recommends using a topical thrush treatment product of your choice and pointing out the condition on your next farrier visit.

“If the frogs appear too soft, or the heels look like they might be thrushy, I hit it hard for a few days (with a topical treatment),” Wallace says.

There are many topical options from which to choose. An effective one has active ingredients mixed with a stain so it sticks to the tissue, says Kraus. He prefers povidone-iodine products and recommends applying them once or twice a week in mild to moderate cases.

It is not uncommon to hear someone suggest using bleach (sodium hypochlorite), but beware because it can do more harm than good.

“Bleach kills the microorganisms, but it burns the tissue; you can do more damage to the tissue,” he explains. “However, chlorine dioxide, a stabilized version of chlorine, is a bacterial killer just like bleach but doesn’t harm tissue, and that is available under multiple brand names.”

In moderate to severe thrush cases, farriers might use copper sulfate as a treatment, but they must do it carefully. The Environmental Protection Agency1and the National Pesticide Information Center2 caution users about health risks associated with the product.

Wallace says it took trial and error to find products that worked best for her horse.

“I use iodine from time to time but found that applying Absorbine Hooflex Thrush Remedy every few days is a great preventative,” she says. “If the frogs appear too soft, or the heels look like they might be thrushy, I’ll use Dry Cow (mastitis treatment ointment) instead and hit it hard for a few days.”

While Wallace’s horse lives in a dry pasture, it has been an extremely wet year that has made even the driest lots muddy, so thrush is rampant, requiring frequent applications of topical treatments. Her efforts are paying off. During a recent visit, her farrier complimented her on her horse’s progress.

“Routine has made the biggest difference,” she says, but it was a hurdle at first. She hired someone to pick his hooves and apply the treatment when she can’t be there. “The most frustrating thing is that no matter how hard I work, if I treat the thrush and it goes away, there’s always a chance it comes back.”

When Thrush Progresses
In most cases a combination of routine farriery and topical treatment based on the individual horse’s needs can be enough to cure thrush. But in some scenarios it becomes a complicated situation of bacterial infection invading sensitive tissues within the hoof. In these cases working with a veterinarian is necessary.

Take-Home Message
Luckily, horse owners can manage most cases of thrush with topical treatments and routine farrier care. But in some situations more intervention might be necessary. Owners dealing with thrush in their horses’ feet should contact a veterinarian if it doesn’t clear up easily.

05/15/2026

Clinic in Marshfield Mo teaching with Jessica Rezak, ground work isn’t just for horses. Put in the work and get that muscle memory built up.

05/14/2026

Friends with drinking problems- it’s our time to shine! H✌️O 😎

05/14/2026

Friends with drinking problems- it’s our time to shine! Stay hydrated 😎 H✌️O

05/14/2026

What do you expect from a horse trainer?

05/13/2026

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