HEALTH & EDUCATION

We all want the best care possible for our horses. The Heath & Education section covers both Learning Institutions, Organizations as well as many sources for equine assistance including Veterinarians and Farriers.

For those who want a to formally study horses, the Education section includes College Riding, Equine Studies, and Veterinary Schools. Learn about the wide variety of horses in the Horse Breeds section. Supplements and Treatments Therapy are also included in the section.

Everyone can learn from Fine Art and there are some specialty Museums that might surprise you.

Horses as a therapy partner enrich the lives of the disabled. These facilities are listed in our Therapeutic Riding section. To help children and young adults build confidence and grow emotionally, please see the resources available on the Youth Outreach page.

Looking for a place to keep your horse? You can find it in the Horse Boarding section. Traveling? Find a Shipping company or Horse Sitting service if your horse is staying home!

Want to stay up to date with the latest training clinics or professional conferences? Take a look at our Calendar of Events for Health & Education for the dates and locations of upcoming events.

Do we need to add more? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!

There’s an increasing variety of horse feeds available, but while choice is a good thing, selecting the right feed, or blend of feeds among the options available can be confusing.

This guide looks specifically at balancers to give you an insight into what they are, how to use them and their benefits, so that you can make an informed choice.

What are balancers?

Balancers are small, nutrient dense feeds (often pellets) formulated to provide a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals and quality protein alongside a negligible level of energy (calories). Depending on the horse feed balancer you choose, they may also contain added functional ingredients such as probiotic live yeast or glucosamine.

by Sally Flis, Ph.D., Feed and Crop Support Specialist, Dairy One

Chemical analysis of your hay or hay you are going to purchase is an important part of feeding it, but there is quite a bit you can get from a physical inspection of the hay that will give you an idea of the quality of the hay.

There are 6 things to look at when doing a physical inspection of a hay lot: color, smell, maturity, moisture, leafiness, and weed presence. It is best to open up a bale and dig through it when doing the physical evaluation. If that is not possible then make sure to reach into the bale as far as you can for a sample. Roam around the bales in the lot to see how similar they all are.

Color – A bright green hay indicates that a hay was cut at a relatively early stage of maturity; rapidly and properly cured, with no damage from rain, molds, or overheating during storage. Light green or faded hay is often due to sun bleaching and is generally not a concern for quality.

Colors in hay that should be avoided are: Yellow – stems and seed heads in over mature hay will be yellow; Brown – can be over mature hay or heat damage; Black – rain or heat damaged; and Grey or White – heat damage or mold growth.

Smell – Avoid hay with musty or moldy smells. This hay can be less palatable and can indicate other quality problems. This can come from poorly cured hay, rain damage, or poor storage. Hay should not be purchased or fed if you can see mold when you open the bale.

Health & Education

Small but Mighty! See the Benefits of Feed Balancers

What are balancers?

Is My Hay Green Enough?