Vitamin D biology in equids is unique and poorly understood. Naturally managed (grazing) horses rely on dietary vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) to provide adequate vitamin D, because endogenous ultraviolet radiation-mediated synthesis of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is ineffective in this species. To test the hypothesis that the management of stabled, nongrazing racehorses is a risk factor for […]

An optimal equine blood fatty acid (FA) profile has not been defined, nor has a general baseline profile been established. Further, there is little information on the clearance rate of FAs in plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) after supplementation ends. Data from 4 studies were compiled to evaluate the baseline FA profile in horses […]

Haylage is often fed to horses around the world and may be an appealing forage choice for certain horses due to its low dust content and lower NSC content when compared with hay of comparable species and maturity. The objective of this study was to determine if there were differences in digestibility and glycemic response […]

Forty years ago, Henneke and coworkers developed a body condition score (BCS) system for horses that is widely used today. This system applies a score of 1 to an emaciated horse and a score of 9 to an extremely obese horse. The system was originally designed to measure BCS in Quarter Horse broodmares, but it […]

The omega-6 fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) has received considerable research attention in other species for its anti-inflammatory properties, largely attributed to the conversion of dietary GLA to dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA). However, there is little to no published research on supplementing GLA to horses. The objective of this study was to determine how varied levels […]

Kentucky (KY), United Kingdom (UK), and Australia (AUS) are major breeding regions for Thoroughbreds. Birth weights (BW) are commonly measured in each region and are perceived as important parameters for assessing foal health and future athletic ability. This study was conducted to evaluate how foal BW is affected by gender, mare age, parity, month of […]

Omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs are essential nutrients for horses. SC-PUFAs (<20 carbon) include α-linolenic acid (ALA, n3), linoleic acid (LA, n6), and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA, n6), while LC-PUFAs (≥20 carbon) include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, n3), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, n3), dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA, n6), and arachidonic acid (AA, n6). Eicosanoids produced from AA tend to be […]

Horses have a slow rate of muscle glycogen repletion relative to other species for unknown reasons. Our aim was to determine the expression of glucose transporters (GLUT) and genes impacting GLUT4 expression and translocation in the gluteal muscle. Five fit Thoroughbred horses performed glycogen-depleting exercises on high-starch (HS, 2869 g starch/day) and low-starch, highfat diets […]

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an essential component of the mitochondrial electron transfer system and a potent antioxidant. The impact of CoQ10 supplementation on mitochondrial capacities and the muscle proteome is largely unknown. This study determined the effect of CoQ10 supplementation on muscle CoQ10 concentrations, antioxidant balance, the proteome, and mitochondrial respiratory capacities. In a randomized […]

Researchers assessed the relationship between plasma and RBC fatty acid composition and incidence and severity of squamous gastric ulcers when altered by short- or long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation. Thirteen fit Thoroughbred horses in training were used in this study. Horses were evaluated by gastroscopy for squamous ulcer score, gastric pH, and blood fatty acid […]