MSEDA News

By Sarah E Coleman

With a new President, a new logo and a revamped website, USEF is rolling into 2017 with a new agenda: involve more people in horse sport by restructuring the membership options, focus on fun and streamline the committee structure.

President Murray Kessler is adamant that in order to survive, US Equestrian must court new members—at the grassroots level. In an effort to push more “average” riders to become US Equestrian members, and entire section of their website is now devoted to what riders (and their family) needs to know as they begin their horsey habit.

In addition, there are a plethora of videos ( currently 50, to be exact) in the new Learning Center covering everything from how to walk a showjumping course to dressage tips to choosing a bridle to managing competition anxiety. With each video, US Equestrian is making a diligent effort to be one of the first places equine enthusiasts, both new and seasoned, stop for information on horses and horse sport. 

Gaining New Members

In statistics he cited at the US Equestrian Annual Meeting held in Lexington in January, Kessler noted that there are an estimated 1.9 million horses in the United States—and only 4 percent of equine owners are US Equestrian members.

While many people view the only perk of being a US Equestrian member as that of accumulating year-end points, Kessler wants to change that, encouraging all equine owners to become US Equestrian members—not just those who compete. To do this, US Equestrian is rolling out a non-compete membership for $25, which grants members access to everything short of the ability to show at sanctioned shows.

True to his mission, US Equestrian now includes a “Start Riding” page on their website that encourages riders to ride, not simply show. This page is an introduction to breeds and disciplines; youth program; stable and farm safety; and a horse classifieds page that reroutes you to equine.com in an effort to help you find your next mount. 

Revamping the Show Scene

The following rules have been proposed or enacted for the 2017 competition year for the eventing discipline:

Read more here. 

EV172 Additional Judges [CHAPTER EV-6 RULES FOR OFFICIALS] EV172
Additional Judges
1. In addition to the Ground Jury, the Organizing Committee may appoint additional judges to judge the Dressage or Jumping Tests. These judges need not remain after completion of their duties.
2. Additional judges for the Dressage Test must be selected from the current roster of Eventing Judges or Dressage Judges of the Federation. In the case of an Advanced Horse Trial, they must be either a Senior (S) Eventing Judge or a Registered (R) or higher Dressage Judge. In the case of an Intermediate Horse Trial, they must be either a Registered (R) or higher Eventing Judge or a recorded (r) or higher Dressage Judge.
3. Additional judges for the Jumping Test must be selected from the current roster of Eventing Judges, Eventing Technical Delegates or Jumper Judges, of the Federation.
4. All additional judges are subject to the same restrictions as the members of the Ground Jury, see EV171.1c, EV171.1d, and EV171.1e with the exception to EV171.1e, that the Course Designer may serve as an additional judge if currently licensed to do so.
5. Guest Cards (see GR1011.16)
The provisions of GR1304 notwithstanding, additional judges may officiate at a competition provided that they do not judge any competitor(s) or horse(s) listed in sections .2-.18 of that rule. There are no restrictions on a Judge if a competitor(s) or horses(s) listed in GR1304.2-.18 participates in the Competition HC.

EV172.2 a) Ground Jury - Duties [CHAPTER EV-6 RULES FOR OFFICIALS]
Ground Jury
2. DUTIES: a. The Ground Jury is ultimately responsible for the judging of the event and for settling all problems that may arise during its jurisdiction. Together with the Technical Delegate, Course Designer and Organizing Committee, it shall endeavor to ensure that all arrangements for the event, including the arenas, courses and obstacles including deformable Cross-Country Jumps, are appropriate. If, after consultation with the Technical Delegate, the Ground Jury is not satisfied with the arrangements or courses, it is authorized to modify them.

Proposed change to take place on April 1, 2017: Safety: Frangible Fences

EV140 Cross-Country Obstacles [CHAPTER SUBCHAPTER EV-3 RULES FOR HORSE TRIALS]
9. FRANGIBLE FENCES Obstacles for which approved frangible technology is appropriate shall be constructed using this technology, or shall be retrofitted using this technology. The Ground Jury for each event must approve the Frangible Technology employed. Information on the appropriate applications of Frangible Technology in cross-country fence construction is available in the USEA Cross-Country Obstacle Design Guidelines. Frangible Technology may be installed only by or under the supervision of Course Designers/course builders who have attended a USEA Seminar on Frangible fence construction.

b. At the Modified Level and above, all frangible oxers, whether using frangible pins, MIM Clips, or any other load relieving devices, shall in all cases have front rails able to be activated by horizontal and vertical downwards forces, as well as horizontal and vertical upwards forces. Additionally, the back rails must at a minimum be able to be activated by horizontal and vertical downwards forces.

Intent:
The USEA Cross-Country Safety and Design Task Force has proposed an extraordinary rule change, which has been further supported unanimously by the USEA Executive Committee. Engineers, cross-country course designers, cross-country builders, eventing officials and professionals have been conducting extensive observational research in person, by video and by photograph of horse and rider impact on oxers constructed with frangible devices. Those involved in this research have determined that when a horse impacts the front rail of a frangible oxer in an upwards and horizontal trajectory there is a high probability that an oxer with a front rail that is either front pinned or reverse pinned will fail to activate the frangible device or it will activate in a less than ideal fashion to reduce the possibility of a rotational fall. With this conclusive evidence the USEA Executive Committee feels that an extraordinary rule change is necessary to help to further protect the safety of eventing horses and riders.

This rule change would require both the front and back rails of frangible oxers using pins, MIM clips or other load bearing devices, be activated by specified forces. To be in compliance with this rule change using present frangible technology, builders must use MIMS on front rails and MIMS or reverse pin on back rails. While current technology is available to meet this standard, the language will also allow for future frangible devices. This is a change that will most likely occur in the near future through the FEI, and it is important for the U.S. to be a leader in regulations that will ultimately protect our national competitors and horses. If this rule passes, the USEA Board of Governors may also be amenable to releasing funds to offset the costs of course builders obtaining replacement frangible devices for oxers not currently meeting this standard at recognized and endorsed competitions thereby lessening the overall burden in implementation.

Read more here.

Extraordinary Rule Change:
EV105 Loss of Qualification/Participation in Horse Trials [CHAPTER Chapter 1 & Appendix 3]
EV105 Loss of Qualifications
For certain levels of competition, horses and riders must meet qualifying requirements. Those requirements are detailed in Appendix 3. Loss of these requirements (qualifications) is outlined below and pertains to any combination of USEF and FEI Events.
1. ESTABLISHMENT OF QUALIFICATION. When a horse and/or rider obtains a Minimum Eligibility Requirement (MER) at a level, then they are “established” (qualified to compete) at that level. This “establishment” does not expire; however, it is important to remember that in all cases, when entering an Event at the CI1* level or above, at least one MER must be obtained in the 12month period prior to the competition.
2. LOSS OF QUALIFICATION (Preliminary/CI* Level and up) Loss of Qualification will occur when penalties have been assessed during the Cross-Country phase of competition as follows:

a. A horse that is eliminated, for disobediences, three times within any 12-month period loses its qualification to compete at the highest level at which an elimination occurs.

b. A horse that falls 2 times in any 12month period loses its qualification Monday, December 12, 2016 1:23 PM EV 105.0 | Tracking #418-16 Page 1 of 8 to compete at the highest level at which a fall occurs.

c. A rider who falls from the same horse 3 times in any 12month period will cause the horse to lose its qualification to compete at the highest level at which a fall occurs.

d. Having lost qualification, a horse may be re-qualified by achieving 2 MERs at the next lower height level within any 6 month period and no sooner than one month following the loss of qualification.

e. Any combination of three total occurrences as outlined in a., b., or c above will result in loss of qualification.

f. A rider who is penalized 2 times in any 12month period for Dangerous Riding loses his/her qualification to compete at the highest level at which a penalty occurs

g. A rider who receives two watch list reports in a 12month period loses qualification to compete at the highest level for which a report was received.

h. Having lost qualification, a rider may be re-qualified by achieving 2 MERs at the next lower height level within any 6month period and no sooner than one month following the loss of qualification.

i. Any combination of two total occurrences as outlined in f. and g. above will result in loss of qualification.

3. At the Advanced, CI3*and CI4* levels, riders subject to the provisions of this rule may request in writing to have their Loss of Qualifications reviewed by the USEF Eventing Credentials Committee.

APPENDIX 3 - PARTICIPATION IN HORSE TRIALS
A competitor and/or a horse may be entered in a Horse Trial without having fulfilled the qualifications noted below, provided the qualifications have been fulfilled at least 10 days before the Cross-Country Test of the competition for which it is needed if the MER has been achieved at a Horse Trial or CIC or at least 24 days if the MER has been achieved at a CCI. At the CI* level and above, at least one MER must be obtained in the twelve month period prior to the competition. e.g. a horse and/or rider who have achieved a MER at a CI3*/CNC3* level of competition and who have not competed for over twelve months must first achieve a MER at the next lowest height level.

1. SECTIONS
1.1 JUNIOR (J) - For the purpose of competing in National Horse Trials competitors may compete as Juniors through the end of the calendar year of their 18th birthday.

1.2 YOUNG RIDER (YR) - Open to competitors from the beginning of the calendar year of their 16th birthday through the end of the calendar year of their 21st birthday.

1.3 AMATEUR (A) The following may participate in Eventing competitions as an Amateur:

a. Any competitor in possession of a valid Amateur card issued by the USEF, or

b. Any Senior USEA member who competes in the Training, Novice or Beginner Novice Level who meets the requirements of Federation GR1306. Individuals declaring such status must present, upon demand, an audited financial statement in support of the claim of eligibility; failure to do so will be deemed a violation. Misrepresentation of eligibility under this provision will subject an individual to disciplinary action under GR1307.6, GR1307.8, GR1308.3 and Chapter 6. Amateur certification under this provision is valid for Eventing competitions only and does not confer Amateur status for participation in any other Breed or Discipline.

1.4 For the purposes of this rule, in differentiating eligibility for Horse and Rider sections, FEI divisions are considered to be one level higher than the equivalent National division, e.g. FEI One Star is one level higher than a Preliminary Horse Trial. A rider who has completed an event at the Advanced Level is not eligible to compete as an Intermediate rider.

1.5 RIDER (R) - Open to competitors who have not completed an event above the next highest level in the 5 years preceding the date of the competition, e.g. a Novice Rider may have completed an event at Training level, but not Preliminary level or higher in the 5 years preceding the date of the competition; a Training Rider may have completed an event at Preliminary level, but not Intermediate level or higher in the 5 years preceding the date of the competition.

1.6 HORSE (H) - Open to competitors of any age, horse may not have completed an event above the next highest level. e.g. a Novice Horse may have completed an event at Training level, but not Preliminary level or higher; a Training Horse may have completed an event at Preliminary level, but not Intermediate level or higher.

1.7 YOUNG HORSE (YH) - Open to competitors of any age, horse may not have competed above the level and meets the following age restrictions:

a. Novice - four or five years of age.
b. Training - four or five years of age.
c. Preliminary - five or six years of age.
d. Intermediate - six or seven years of age.
e. Advanced - six or seven years of age. 1.9 OPEN (O) - Both horse and rider may have competed at any level.

1.10 CHAMPIONSHIP (CH) - open to all qualified riders on qualified horses.

1.11 OTHER - Restricted by breed or other designation as defined by Organizing Committee, approved by the Federation/USEA, and designated in the Omnibus listing

2. DEFINITIONS
2.1 Completion: means having completed the entire Horse Trial with a numerical score.

2.2 Minimum Eligibility Requirement
2.2.1 When achieved at a National Horse Trials an MER is achieved by completing the entire Horse Trial and scoring. -not more than 50 penalty points in the Dressage Test; and - No jumping penalties at obstacles on the Cross Country Test unless specified otherwise, and not more than 90 seconds (36 penalty points) exceeding the optimum time; and - not more than 16 penalties at obstacles in the Jumping Test. -25 penalty points received for Dangerous Riding will not achieve a National Qualifying result. Exceptions to the qualifications noted below may only be approved by the Credentials/Grading Committee.

2.2.2 When achieved at an FEI Competition an MER is achieved by completing the entire Horse Trial and scoring. -not more than 67 penalty points in the Dressage Test; and - No jumping penalties at obstacles on the Cross Country Test unless specified otherwise, and not more than 75 seconds (30 penalty points) exceeding the optimum time for one, two and three star competitions and 100 seconds (40 penalty points) exceeding the optimum time for four star competitions; and - not more than 16 penalties at obstacles in the Jumping Test (see Article 517 of the FEI Eventing Rules).

2.3 Uncategorized Rider: Riders who have not been categorized through proven competence at certain levels of competition i.e. A rider, B riders, etc. by the FEI per Article 520 of the FEI Eventing Rules for the purpose of determining rider eligibility for International Horse Trials and Events). All requirements of the FEI must be achieved as a combination. Where FEI requirements refer to a “CI” this may be satisfied by achieving an MER at a CCI or CIC of the level stated. When multiple Minimum Eligibility Requirements are required, one of the Minimum Eligibility Requirements can be achieved incurring 20 penalties at the obstacles of the Cross Country Test. All USEF requirements do not need to be achieved as a combination.

2.4 Categorized Riders: Riders who have been categorized through proven competence at certain levels of competition A riders, B riders, etc. by the FEI per Article 520 of the FEI Eventing Rules for the purpose of determining rider eligibility for International Horse Trials and Events. Where FEI requirements refer to a “CI” this may be satisfied by achieving an MER at a CCI or CIC of the level stated. When multiple Minimum Eligibility Requirements are required, one of the Minimum Eligibility Requirements can be achieved incurring 20 penalties at the obstacles of the Cross Country Test. All USEF requirements do not need to be achieved as a combination.

3. LEVELS OF HORSE TRIALS AND EVENTS
3.1 BEGINNER NOVICE (B) - Open to competitors of any age, on horses four years of age and older.

3.2 NOVICE (N) - Open to competitors of any age, on horses four years of age or older.

3.3 TRAINING (T) - Open to competitors of any age, on horses four years of age or older.

3.4 MODIFIED (M) – Open to competitors of any age, on horses four years of age or older. The competitor must have obtained an NQR at two Horse Trials at the Training Level or higher.

3.5 PRELIMINARY (P) - Open to competitors from the beginning of the calendar year of their 14th birthday, on horses five years of age or older. The competitor must have obtained an MER at four Horse Trials at the Training Level or higher.

3.6 TRAINING THREE-DAY EVENT- Open to competitors of any age, on horses four years of age or older. Both the competitor and the horse must have obtained ME’s at Four Horse Trials at the Training Level or higher, one of which must be attained as a combination. A competitor established at the Preliminary Level may compete on a horse which has obtained 2 MER’s at the Training Level or higher.

3.7 PRELIMINARY THREE-DAY EVENT- Open to competitors beginning the calendar year of their 14th birthday, on horses five years of age or older. Both the competitor and the horse, though not necessarily as a combination, must have obtained an MER at three Horse Trials at the Preliminary Level or higher, plus an additional MER at the Preliminary Level or higher with no more than 20 Jumping Penalties at obstacles on the Cross Country test.

3.8 INTERMEDIATE (I) - Open to competitors from the beginning of the calendar year of their 16th birthday, on horses six years of age or older. Both the competitor and the horse, though not necessarily as a combination, must have obtained an NQR at three Horse Trials at the Preliminary Level or higher, plus an additional MER at the Preliminary Level or higher with no more than 20 Jumping Penalties at obstacles on the Cross Country test.

3.9 ADVANCED (A)
3.9.1 UNCATEGORIZED RIDERS - Open to competitors from the beginning of the calendar year of their 18th birthday, on horses six years of age or older. Both the competitor and the horse, though not necessarily as a combination, must have obtained a minimum of one MER with no more than 20 Jumping Penalties at obstacles on the Cross Country test, at either a CI 2* or Intermediate Level plus three MERs at the Intermediate Level or higher.

3.9.2 CATEGORIZED RIDERS - Open to competitors from the beginning of the calendar year of their 18th birthday, on horses six years of age or older. Both the competitor and the horse, though not necessarily as a combination, must have obtained a minimum of one MER with no more than 20 Jumping Penalties at obstacles on the Cross Country test, at either a CI 2* or Intermediate Level plus two NQRs at the Intermediate Level or higher.

The changes to the levels of international horse trials and events, categorized and uncategorized riders can be found here. 

While every rider wants to ensure that her horse is as protected as possible during athletic endeavors, the options of what boots, wraps and other leg-protection measures can be daunting.

By Sarah E Coleman

While there are a plethora of equine leg protection options out there, not all of them are right (or safe!) for every application. What might be popular for a reining or working cow horse might not be the best choice for those riding out cross-country, where boots are exposed to water, dirt and debris, which could weigh them down.

Equine leg protection has several different purposes, which are dependent on their design. Some boots are designed to protect horse’s legs while they are being ridden or turned out; other boots are designed to absorb shock from physical activity.

Your horse may be a candidate to wear boots if: 

No matter what boots you decide to use, fit is key: You should be able to fit one finger between the boot and your horse’s leg. If the boot is too lose, it can slip down or gather dirt, causing rubs.

Types of Leg Protection

By Aubri Hostetter of Excel Equine

One of the most common struggles I hear from horse owners is that they always have one or two horses that they are trying to put weight on.  When you feel as though you are doing everything right, such as deworming regularly, getting their teeth done, having great quality hay and feed, and consulting your veterinarian to see if there are any underlying issues, it can be easily frustrating to not notice an improvement in your horse’s body condition.  Sometimes horses are simply hard keepers…just like some people!  One practice that I have seen people have success with is supplementing with rice bran.  There are many advantages to engaging in this feeding practice and a few precautions that need to be taken into consideration as well. 

First, rice bran is the brown layer left from when the rice seed is harvested.  So yes, it is a by-product of rice milling…which just goes to show you that by-products are not bad!  There are many by-products that make great feed ingredients.  These days, there seems to be many negative connotations associated with by-products so I just wanted to clear that up…now back to rice bran!  Being that it is high in fat and fiber, it is a good product for digestive issues related to starch.  Anyone that has horses who are struck with laminitis and colic often knows what I’m talking about.  Some ailments call for a low starch diet, but you still need adequate calories for athletes, lesson horses, hard keepers, etc.  This is where rice bran can come in and be a huge asset to your feeding program.  Rice bran is also very palatable.  Another complaint I hear is that someone has one horse in the barn who is just a picky eater.  If this sounds like one of your horses, trying rice bran could be an effective strategy for getting those that like to turn their noses up from so many things to eat better.  Furthermore, rice bran is high in vitamin E.  For horses exercising heavily, Vitamin E is required in large amounts, and rice bran is a good, available source.  From a cosmetic standpoint, you will likely notice an increase in quality of hair coat and skin condition.  Rice bran will help your horse look slick and shiny for its next big competition.

Now for the precautions…there are several that people need to keep in mind when supplementing with rice bran.  Make sure that you purchase fortified rice bran.  This kind will have added calcium to balance an inverted calcium to phosphorus ratio.  Also buy stabilized rice bran.  If it is not stabilized, then due to the high fat content, it will go rancid quickly unless it is used within about a week.  When feeding, keep in mind to not feed more than 2 lbs of whatever rice bran supplement you are using per day.  It is very high in calories so don’t treat it like you would your regular feed! 

So if you are one of those people out there struggling to find a solution for you skinny animal…this might just be it!  Rice bran can be purchased in pellets or in powder form.  So start taking advantage of the many benefits that a high fat supplement such as rice bran has to offer and enjoy your happier and healthier horse! 

By Sarah E. Coleman

New Year’s resolutions aren’t just for humans. We’re sure our horses are creating their own resolutions, as well—we can only hope they involve being good, not BAD. Here are some of the resolutions we hope our horses are making for 2017:

1. I won’t spook at the mounting block that my human just got on from.
   
2. I won’t refuse to put only one ear forward for selfies, win photos or other candid shots.
   
3.  I will not leave if my rider makes an unplanned dismount.
   
4. I won’t try to eat from my bucket while my human is still hanging it in my stall.
   
5. I won’t pretend to not hear my owner calling me on the coldest day of the year.
6. I won’t roll in burrs when I know my owner is on a short riding timeline.
   
7. I won’t become magically sound when the vet comes out to see me.
   
8.  I won’t strategically step on my owner’s foot when she girths me.
   
9. I won’t come in from the field looking like a mud monster, then refuse to walk through a puddle on the trail.
   
10. I won’t try to jump out of the dressage ring.
    
11. I won’t try to poop on my person’s head when she’s picking out my back feet.
    
12. I won’t immediately shiver when my owner takes off my blanket to brush me and ride.
    
13.   I will not sneeze on my human.
    
14. I won’t pull off my brother’s blanket every.single.day.
    
15. I won’t wipe grass on my owner’s show coat.
    
16. I won’t be dramatic when I have a rock in my shoe.
    
17. I will try to make it out of the show ring before I have to move my bowels.
    
18.  I won’t turn up my nose at the expensive supplements my owner buys.
    
19. I won’t turn feral after three days off.
    
20. I won’t stand by the waterer and act like it’s frozen every 10 minutes in the winter.
    
21. I won’t close one eye and pretend there’s a hair in it just to get out of work.
    
22. I won’t dump over the wheelbarrow every time my stall is cleaned.
    
23.  I won’t pretend I am starving if I am supposed to get ridden around feeding time.
    
24. I won’t bite the farrier’s butt when he is working on my front feet.
    
25. I will not pull my shoes off right after being reset just because I can. 

While many of us have heard the term “canker,” (as in “canker sores” in people), most may not know how it applies to equines. 

Sarah E. Coleman 

While the exact bacteria that causes canker is unknown, canker is an infection in the surface tissues of the hoof that causes rapid overgrowth. While it commonly begins in the frog, it can invade the sole, bars and hoof wall.

The down-and-dirty on equine canker:

-can occur in one foot or multiple feet

-common in draft horses, but can be found in any breed

-not always affiliated with wet, unhygienic hoof conditions; many horses diagnosed with canker are extremely well cared for

-while in its early stages, canker may be mistaken for thrush, but there is a growth of tissue in canker (not a loss of it like with thrush)

-initially it may look like a bunch of granulation tissue in the frog that bleeds easily when touched

-it evolves into a cauliflower-like growth

-left untreated it will eventually involve the majority of the hoof

-a horse may be sound when initially diagnosed with canker, but the condition can become quite painful if not addressed immediatelyt

-there is no one effective treatment

-horses that get equine canker have a guarded prognosis for complete recovery. 

Diagnosis and Treatment

You may have seen horses warming up for shows wearing what looks like colorful Vet Wrap on their bodies, laid out in lines almost mimicking their skeleton. Just what IS this tape and what does it do?

By Sarah E Coleman

The horse world has made some rapid advances in the last two decades: Acupuncture and chiropractic care are more mainstream, and herbal remedies and other techniques now have their place in most veterinarian’s toolboxes. Kenisiotape, one of the newest modalities on the block, is rapidly gaining a following among both riders and equine health professionals. 

Dr. Anna Hichborn Dunlap of Creek Hollow Veterinary Services in Georgetown, Ky., is licensed in chiropractic care, acupuncture, laser therapy and kenisiotaping; she services Kentucky, Georgia, Florida and New York. She began using kenisiotape in 2012, but took a long break from the modality until seeing it used again on Kerri Walsh Jennings at the Rio Olympics.

“There is really no magic or medicine [to kenisiotape] … it’s just a stretchy tape that’s very sticky. The top of the tape has a fabric-like feel and are often lycra/cotton blends, depending on the brand,” she explains. While this may not seem like a modality that would see a lot of benefits, Dr. Dunlap explains that the tape can be used for a variety of issues. “[Kinesotape] is used for pain reduction, physical and mechanical support of joints and muscles, to improve lymphatic and blood circulation, and to help patients of any species with body awareness issues (proprioception).”

The tape is applied directly to the skin or hair, sometimes sticking with the help of spray adhesives. “Tensions are applied across the tape and the degree of tension will vary by the application, like supporting a joint versus a muscle group,” she explains. 

But How Does It Work?

The science behind deworming horses has come a long way, but educating equine owners still has a ways to go.

Sarah E. Coleman 

While some of us are old enough to remember when the veterinarian came to the barn twice a year to “tube worm” the horses (literally, putting a tube into the horse’s stomach and administering the deworming medication), many horse owners have jumped on the fecal test bandwagon to ensure their horses stay healthy—but not nearly enough owners are utilizing this great tool.

Here is a quick refresher on how the world of deworming has changed. 

An Easy Test

Help your horse get a good night’s sleep with the right bedding. 

By Sarah E Coleman

As the weather turns colder, horses in many parts of Kentucky will be spending more time inside. It’s in a farm and horse owner’s best interest to be sure that the type of bedding they are using in the stalls is absorbent, affordable, accessible and comfortable for the horse. 

Straw

Flax

Hay

Shredded Newspaper

By Aubri Hostetter for Excel Equine

Throughout many conversations that I have had with horse owners and professionals, one regularly occurring statement they make is that they do not want their horses to get “hot” on a certain type of feed.  Some are referring to corn making their horses excitable.  Others believe it is high protein that causes undesirable behavior.  Whatever they have heard or seen from their own experiences, there still is much research to be done that is needed to lead to a definitive answer on what dietary components make horses “hot” or not.  Often times, feed is blamed when there are other factors contributing to high strung behavior.  Some of these include environment, level of exercise, and physical pain being experienced by the horse.  Horses are greatly affected by other horses around them, so an anxious stall neighbor could easily impact the other animal.  Furthermore, ulcers are a regularly seen ailment among show horses.  Ulcers would cause pain, which often times results in unruly behavior.  Whatever the true reason for bad behavior, there still are some considerations that can be made regarding feed that can have a positive impact on your horse.

First, an excess amount of calories will inevitably give your horse more energy than it needs…resulting in excitable behavior.  This happens the same way in humans.  We only need to consume enough energy for what we are putting out.   Make sure you are not feeding your horse too much.  Many people tend to over feed grain.  Take a good look at your feeding instructions on the feed tag or consult your local sales rep or nutritionist available through your feed supplier.   Also, there is some research that suggests feeding a lower starch feed will have a calming effect on behavior, but there is still much research that needs to be done in order for this to be definitive.  In addition, there is a rising amount of research being done on the effects of fat in a horse’s diet.  There seems to be a correlation between higher fat levels and calmer behavior.  Higher levels of fat lead to more level blood glucose and insulin levels.  Finally, mimicking how the horse was meant to live most naturally will have a great effect on behavior.  Feeding free choice hay, offering ample turnout time, and feeding frequent, small meals will all help in your horse’s attitude. 

Since so much is still up in the air in regards to research on nutrition and behavior, I’ll just share my personal opinion on the best practices when feeding horses.  It would be a wise choice to offer a free choice, low calorie, grass hay, turn out your horses as much as you can (I know this is not possible for some disciplines), and feed more than twice a day (3-4 small meals) if you are in fact giving grain to your horses.  If you are feeding grain, due to having competition and working horses, go for a grain that has higher fat levels (between 6 and 10 percent).  A higher fat feed will allow you to feed a smaller amount, but still offer an adequate amount of calories.  This is better for the horse’s digestive system and can help you avoid ailments like ulcers.  The better the horse feels, the better the results are that you will have while training.