Send your vet to any of my materials on Cushing’s and the use of SBM. I have plenty written and on my podcast (The Horse’s Advocate Podcast).

Next month’s Rounds with Doc T (November 28th, 2022) is on Cushing’s disease in horses.

This report is great news! Thank you for sharing. Would you add how long he has been on the new diet program? I am guessing one year.

I understand that it takes determination to stick to it through a hard winter. However, the reward is a healthy horse. What does your vet think?

Of course, now you are obligated to tell others . . . LOL. Let… Read more

Thanks for this update. It is hard to give excess protein in the diet (at least in humans). 1 pound of SBM raises the total protein to just the minimum, so I don’t believe it is excess protein.

If you bathe the horse, does the odor go away? If not, then where is the smell coming from? If it resolves with bathing, the microbiome (skin?) is… Read more

I have not heard of a bad odor from feeding SBM to any horse.

Usually, an odor comes from bacteria on the skin that has overgrown, such as excessive sweat. But the real culprit is the body’s microbiome, which is not “normal” for the area. The most common cause of body dysbiosis is excessive cleaning with antibacterial soap (or any kind of… Read more

-Is there anything you would add or change about your diet protocol when access to pasture isn’t an option? Such as Vitamin E or continuing SBM indefinitely due to nutrients lost in the drying process of hay? (this is common where I live. Drought ridden area, small property- the pastures have been trodden down to year-round dry lots without a v… Read more

Hey there Kay – Glad you’re here!

@KrissyHumptyDooNT – We have little experience feeding lupins to horses here in America. In AU, its’ use is only for 30 to 40 years. In addition, little research has been done on the bioavailability of the protein in horses making its dosing unclear.

Lupins are a legume like alfalfa, peanut, and soybean. I can tell that feeding sweet lupin… Read more

The gut microbiome and its relationship with our bodies are fundamental to our health—disease results from our body’s immune reaction to this relationship (inflammation). The foods and medicines placed into this gut environment determine the microbiome’s population and the immune response. When correct, health occurs.

Probiotics, like all n… Read more

Thank you for having your horse on a non-inflammatory diet, plus added protein. This diet will help your colt throughout his life.

Soft tissue injury occurs as acute trauma (a direct blow) or a chronic injury from overuse (common in working horses such as racehorses). If from trauma, the injury usually heals quickly, and the diet he is on now… Read more

I am not aware of any treatments for sidebone fractures other than surgery. Surgery may not help, either. Bones need about four months to heal, provided the fractured pieces are immobilized. However, there is a lot of movement in the hoof.

One thing to remember is that “sidebone” is the ossification of the lateral cartilage. What triggers thi… Read more

If the side bones are only seen on radiographs but are not causing a problem, then I wouldn’t worry.

Deposition of bone is a result of forces applied to the bone. These forces create piezoelectric currents that attract calcium and form more bone, which is why all bones are curved and have bumps. I also have “bone spurs” on every knuckle of my… Read more

Please send me some topics that YOU are interested in discussing – Doc T

I’m glad you’re enjoying the nutrition course! Thank you!

Grass, legumes, grass hay, and legume hay are all the same: they all have non-structural carbohydrates (NSC, starch, sugar, fructans) and structural carbohydrates (SC, cellulose, non-digestible fiber). All these definitions complicate things because they are sugars (carbohydrates,… Read more

You’re welcome!

There is no need to adjust the hay right now; however, if you start to see additional body fat, you will need to reduce the amount of hay fed daily. Remember that hay is last summer’s grass, and you should reduce the amount given (or soak it to remove the sugar) through the dormant winter months to mimic nature. This reduction… Read more

Welcome!! Here are some thoughts:

1) as a member, you have access to the nutrition course so dig in!

2) A 17h horse probably weighs about 1200 to 1400 pounds (lb BW). If she has excess body fat and you want to reduce that, feed 1.5% body weight in forage. This rate calculates to be 21 pounds of forage at 1400 lb BW. However, if she is lean at… Read more

Chris – Any changes with Ben with the warmer weather and better grass?

I can understand any hesitation with diagnosing and treating when there is a lack of confidence in vet care or “the system.” However, until making the diagnosis, it is hard to shoot in the dark.

Shedding a lot of parasite eggs is interesting (FEG or fecal egg count). Did you… Read more