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It doesn’t take long to figure out that ponies are for girls and horsepower is for boys. At least, that’s the way things used to be. But, behold, the times, they are a changing. Forget all the chitchat about Ipads and Angry Birds, THE hot new social renaissance involves a passionate group of geeky, tech-savvy guys and gals, who happen to love the new television series currently featured on Hubworld: “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.”

With websites dedicated to the noble pony pals like Equestria Daily, fans are encouraged to wax rhapsodic about the ponies, their mystical surroundings, friends, alliances and adventures. So, why are a group of guys drawn to an online cartoon that was meant to target 6+ year old girls?

According to several online reports, the combination of beautiful drawings, intriguing story lines and complicated characters makes for  truly compelling story telling. Well, we were keen to get our own take on the ponies appeal, so we dove right into a few episodes on Hubworld.

The first thing you’ll notice when watching “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” is the caliber of production values. Every scene is deliciously designed in candy colored hues, with utterly adorable, hand drawn style ponies, animated in a visually entrancing manner. And, these ponies have incredible story lines. Remarkably upbeat and witty dialogue combined with charming pony performances, make the latest generation of My Little Pony episodes truly not to be missed.

Each episode, we find the ponies proving their honor as they deal with major challenges. Successfully confronting an infestation of adorable but ravenous insects known as Parasprites is a big fan favorite. Upon successfully dealing with invaders and challengers such as these, they meet with the Princess Celestia to review strategies and lessons learned.  Pony reconnaissance, such as it is. So, perhaps that’s part of the appeal. These ponies are both magical and involved in friendly police actions on behalf of the crown. And, even though it’s fairy tale fiction, what’s really interesting is the way the writers have managed to merge real world equine issues such as fly prevention with mystical storytelling. So, there is truly something for everyone from the true pony enthusiast to the person who’s never even met a pony. (One thing to be said about fantasy toy ponies, . . . except for the toy horse cookies and bales of hay, there’s no horse feed bill.)

Now, the thing that makes this tiny phenomenon particularly fascinating is that it’s actually news worthy. We’ve always been proponents of the idea that both boys, girls, men and women should love and enjoy ponies and horses. Yet, except for certain niches like rodeo riding and horse racing, most horses are loved and/or owned by women. Why? Because you can’t build a potentially explosive nitro burning funny horse that goes 250 miles an hour, that’s why. And, you can’t pop a horse into a toy hauler, race out to the dunes and surf the sand with it. Horses and ponies are primarily girl toys, so, in the popular conscience, horses and especially ponies, have become synonymous with the female psyche.

So, the fact that a product, designed to target women, is somehow of interest to men, this is a quandary for some people. We had to ask the question, “why?”

Why Do Increasing Numbers Of Real Men Love “My Little Ponies?”

One of the overwhelming concerns may be that enjoying, “My Little Pony,” products means that a man might be gay. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!) According to BroNYCon’s organizer, Jessica Blank, “Actually, the overwhelming majority are straight.” BroNYCon was created by My Little Pony fans called Bronies—a mash-up of “bro” and “ponies.” There is some debate as to whether the term Bronie applies both to men and women or just men. According to sources, some women prefer to be known as, “Pegasisters.” This group has been the catalyst for other pony-inspired sites and is spearheading a new subculture of artists who enjoy expressing themselves through the My Little Pony fanstyle.

One of the things that we noticed immediately was how adorable the “My Little Pony” horse games, are. You can dress up a pony, create a castle for her, etc. My only complaint is that none of this stuff was around when we were kids. Our ponies had to walk uphill to school, both ways, in the snow, when we were children. Today, ponies are available through a computer, phone or idevice, near you, 24/7!

At the end of the day, whether it’s watching young riders get packed around a 1 1/2 foot high course by real life, tiny pony hunters or an animated series replete with fantasy ponies, absolutely nothing on the planet thrills us like ponies. They are the chocolate bon bons of the horse world. And, if a select group of red blooded young men want to join in the fun, we say, welcome aboard!

Not Just Any Show Pony.

So, it’s another jumping lesson and I’m standing there, listening to my mom and the other horse’s moms and our trainer, (Madame as I call her.) talk about the new show pony in the barn. He’s a perfectly decent, mid size bay pony, nice mover, and Madame announces that he’s cheap cause he’s only $80,000. That a lot of the ponies that have big showing pedigrees are now going for $200,000 to $500,000! Mom, as you can imagine, is shocked. A solid hunter prospect can still be had for $50,000 to $90,000, these days, so, why on earth would anyone pay half a million dollars for a child’s pony? Well, it all comes down to looks, performance and safety for the offspring of these wealthy folks.

To be honest, I recommend you limit your child’s exposure to ponies to the occasional pony party with a reputable pony party company. It will cost you far less than any pony showing ever could.

Number one is cleaning up your property. It may sound simple, but stressing sanitation is the first step in fly control and eliminating flies in house. More importantly, is understanding just what effective sanitation actually involves. All outside trash and manure areas should be kept as clean as possible. Make sure all your garbage cans feature lids that seat tightly and always line them with garbage bags. Garbage cans that are kept clean combined with properly sealed, garbage bags, means a huge decrease in odor, which dramatically reduces attracting flies looking to lay their eggs. Keep garbage as far from stables, kennels and housing as possible. Also, flies and dogs can be notorious bed fellows, if you don’t keep your dog’s area routinely picked up. If you spot flies on dogs on your property, it’s time to get extremely aggressive with your canine’s sanitation.

Weekly garbage and manure disposal is critical to fly prevention , as house flies require a minimum of eight days to emerge from their cocoon or pupae. Keeping fly breeding materials such as rotting hay, loose straw, leaves, wet manure and mulch either down to a minimum or covered with black plastic is critical. The plastic encourages the materials to warm up, which in turn destroys fly larvae. If necessary, consider investing in a utility trailer, dump trailer or landscape trailer to enable the easy transport and removal of fly friendly materials. If you operate a major livestock or boarding facility, you might wish to consider a heavy duty trailer, as well. Remember, fly breeding is always centered around moist manure, vegetation or rotting organic matter. Be careful about leaving horse feed like beet pulp out to soak prior to feeding your livestock. Consider using alfalfa hay rather than alfalfa cubes or alfalfa pellets for horses. Alfalfa hay is felt to be the least attractive to flies, of the three choices.  And, understanding how to get rid of flies means really understanding how flies live and interact with the ecosystem, feed and waste by products found on your property.
Spreading potential breeding materials out thinly so that they can dry out, also discourages completion of the fly’s development. This is because flies require very specific moisture and warmth ratios in the materials the pupaes are maturing in. And, swift disposal of any road kill near your property will help keep quick fly infestations from having a chance to develop.

Weed control is another critical component in fly control. Flies need somewhere to rest as well as to escape from extreme temperatures. Tall grasses and weeds provide the perfect fly haven. By eliminating weeds and maintaining closely cropped lawns and fields, flies can often be encouraged to rest and get cooled down, elsewhere.

Understanding The Difference
Between Fighting Adult Flies & Discouraging Fly Reproduction.

When you’re struggling with a fly infestation, bear in mind, you’re targeting the 10% of the population that’s in the adult fly stage. Standard spraying can leave a toxic residue, is rarely effective for very long and does little to address your real problem. You’re surrounded by another 90% that’s in various stages of the larvae and pupae stage, so, your problems have only just begun. Effective fly control starts with eliminating flies while they are in the process of transforming from larvae to full grown adult fly. Before they emerge from the cocoon. Interestingly enough, only 2 to 4% of flies ever actually make it to adulthood. That’s because they are attacked, in the pupae stage by a naturally occurring, fly killer predator that’s harmless to people and animals. These insects are known as fly parasites, fly predators or beneficial insects and they use the metamorphosing fly’s body as a nest. What allows fly infestations to occur is that flies breed nine times as quickly as fly parasites. So, the next phase in pro-active, organic pest control is spreading these fly predator species around your property to increase the ratio of fly parasites to fly pest species. Doing this gives these beneficial insects the opportunity to kill off more of the imminent fly population that is waiting to emerge from their cocoons. You should begin doing this as soon as the temperature hits the 60-65 degree mark.

Now, while strategic use of beneficial insects such as fly parasites is critical (Check out
this fly predators review) to keeping fly populations tamped down, comprehensive fly control may also require the use of fly traps. It’s important to understand which kind of fly trap will affect which kind of fly pests and how best to use them.

Fly Traps: Which
Fly Trap To Use Where & When.

The most common kind of trap, the attractant trap, is used to target the most pervasive of flying pests: House Flies. There are many popular brands and the majority use a non-poisonous attractant to draw the flies in. Most are effective to a radius of 100-150 feet. These traps should be used to draw the flies away from the areas where you keep livestock, pets, etc. Sticky traps, on the other hand, can be hung in barns and stables as they don’t encourage flies, getting rid of the ones who just happen to be around.

House Fly traps are of no value in trapping Biting Stable Flies or Deer or Horse Flies. These pests are captivated by flies traps featuring visual lures. For best results, keep the traps at least 10 ft. away from livestock and pet areas. Post them where the sun beats down the most, but no more than 4 ft. off the ground. For field and pasture pests, place each fly trap a good fifty to one hundred feet apart and out of reach of animals. (They’re non-toxic but unbelievably sticky.)Killing Horse and Deer Flies involves uniquely specialized traps, designed to exploit the pests upward flight patterns. Blue Blow Flies (also known as the blue green fly) breed almost exclusively in decaying animal matter. Female flies may lay hundreds of eggs during their lifetimes. The eggs require 90% relative humidity to hatch. If enough moisture is present, hatching occurs almost immediately.The larvae grow rapidly and, when mature, often crawl many feet to pupate in drier places, either in the soil or in crevices of buildings. New adults emerge in 2-3 weeks. They can have several generations per season. Blue Blow Flies or blue flies are seldom a major pest, but their search for overwintering sites in your barn may cause some concern. Proper disposal of deceased animals will help keep numbers down.

The adult Green Bottle Flies (Also known as green flies) are shiny metallic green to bronze. Medium-sized, these stout flies are 1/4”-1/2” long. The thorax has 3 cross-grooves and black bristle-like hairs. The antennae and legs are black. The wings are clear with light brown veins.

Female Green Bottle Flies lay up to 180 eggs on carrion, dead fish, manure, unprotected wounds, or garbage. The larvae attain full size in 2-10 days, drop to the soil, and burrow shallowly before pupating. There are up to 8 generations a year, the last overwintering as larvae in the soil. The Green Bottle Fly is not as attracted to the smell of fresh meat as is the Blue Bottle Fly. It is also less likely to enter homes. It is often found near dog feces, manure, and garbage cans.

Perennial Solutions: Flies, How To Get Rid Of The Problem For Good.

It happens every year. Just as the weather starts to warm up a bit, there they are. Spring’s first fly swarm. Just why is that? Because you didn’t invest in increasing the ratio of beneficial bugs who kill the pests while they were utterly vulnerable. But, it’s never too late to get going. Implement your poison fly bait, install your sticky fly traps and odor lures and distribute the beneficial fly predators throughout your property. And, forget the fly spray! It not only stinks and barely works against the bad insects, it clobbers the good insects you just spent time spreading around! Most insect repellent and insecticides are indiscriminate and will destroy your beneficial insects along with the flying pests, which could create an even bigger fly problem. And, those good bugs are going to help keep the problem in check going forward, so, you need as many of them around as possible. Remember, poison fly bait is of no interest to the beneficial bugs and won’t harm them, so they can keep working. With this proven strategy, you’ll kill the adult pest flies, get rid of the cocooned larvae just waiting to spread their wings and you’ve gained the upper hand in the fly control wars.

Never forget that eliminating pest spray means saving the beneficial bugs who are working for you for free, i.e., the naturally occurring dung beetles and mites on your property. Combined with the fly parasites you’ve purchased, great sanitation & gardening routines, the right fly traps and poison fly bait, you might become the town’s resident expert on pest control products &  how to get rid of flies! Just wait and see if your neighbors don’t start coming to you for pest control advice.

Rand Sentry Energy

Toy Hauler

There are several different sources of omega 3 oils available to add as a supplement to horse feed. As the name suggests, these nutrients are essential addtions to the equine diet as they can’t be synthesised by the horse himself.

The health benefits of feeding an equine omega 3 oil supplement mean that your horse may remain active and working well into his 20s or even 30s, without the need for pain relief medication.

Some experts claim that the best source of omega 3 oils for horses is linseed (or flax) oil, whilst others maintain that marine oils are the best type to feed to a horse or pony.

Although cod liver oil and other fish oils are widely available, horses are naturally vegetarian and it is thought by some experts that fish oils are an unnatural food for horses; the Omega-3 found in cod-liver oil is a different type to the Omega-3 in Linseed Oil. Sunflower oil is also a popular equestrian EFA supplement.

Fat is scarce in an equine’s natural foods and it might not seem natural to feed it to horses, but it has been proven that a horse must obtain “good fats” or “healing fats” in order to be healthy. Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids or oils are good fats.

The Omega-3 fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have now been linked to a wide-range of horse health benefits. Research has indicated that increased levels of EPA & DHA supplied in Omega-3 oils may help to maintain pain-free, supple and mobile joints in horses and ponies.

These two important nutrients have also been identified as being extremely beneficial in helping to maintain a healthy heart and good circulation.

Adding Omega-3′s to enhance horse nutrition may not be all that new. Linseed has been fed to horses for centuries in the form of linseed jelly – so perhaps the old ways are the best.

Evidence suggests that many horses on high-grain diets, with joint problems, dull coats or with allergic skin conditions are likely to benefit from a supplement of Omega-3 oil in their feed.

Horses have been shown to be able to digest and use up as much as 20% or more of their diet , by weight, as oil. Oil should be gradually introduced as a feed supplement into your horse or pony’s diet over a 2 or 3 week period.

•             Helps your horse’s joints and connective tissues to heal and recover from the stress of exercise – this improves the recovery rate after training and competition.

•             Promotes a healthy, glossy coat

•             Stronger and faster growing feet useful for horses and ponies prone to laminitis and those with slow growing feet or with feet that are difficult to keep shoes on.

•             Boosts the horse’s immune system

•             Good for respiratory system

•             Can help calm the temperament of excitable horses.

•             Maintains supple joints

•             Assists the correct development of the equine nervous system, brain, muscles and skeleton

•             Repairs & maintains cellular walls

•             Anti-inflammatory – can act like “Bute”

•             Aids wound healing

•             Supports a healthy heart and blood circulation

•             Has anti-allergic properties.

•             Encourages a strong metabolism

•             Sources of Omega 3 oils and Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

•             Linseed oil

•             Cod liver oil

•             Fish oils

•             Hemp seed oil

•             Sesame oil

•             Sunflower oil

•             Evening primrose oil

•             Soya bean oil

•             Grass and hay

•             Walnuts

•             Canola seeds

Global Web Directory, Articles and Press Releases at BigRockWebDirectory.com

Spalding Labs Fly Predators have long been a mainstay of equestrian facilities, livestock operations and professional dog kennels, intent on controlling fly infestations by stopping fly reproduction in its tracks. Fly Predators are tiny, flying wasps  (known as beneficial bugs) that seek out pupating fly larvae to lay their eggs in. This process kills the fly larvae, preventing it from ever reaching adulthood and therefore helping to stop fly infestations before they start. Fly Predators are virtually invisible,  given their low flying patterns and are absolutely harmless to people, pets and animals. By beginning a pest control effort as early as possible in the season, dog owners should see dramatic decreases in the number of grown flies harassing their dogs. In many instances, flies virtually disappear. With a 35 year history providing fly control and relief to large animal operations, Spalding Labs felt it was time to give the individual pet owner the same options.

Dog owners will find using fly predators unbelievably simple. Once they receive their shipment, they wait to see that a few of the fly predators have begun hatching and then they just spread them around their property. It’s like shaking potato chips out of a bag. Now, for dog owners who have already begun to have issues with flies, either from their own dogs or their neighbors, Spalding Labs has recently added fly traps to their mix of fly control offerings. By offering a combination of sophisticated sticky traps and odor lures, dog owners will now be able to minimize the impact of fly pests on their pets, as they allow the fly predators to hatch and begin to stop the next wave of fly larvae from making it to adulthood.

“With Fly Predators and our new, USDA tested Fly Trap products, Dog owners will now be able to curtail fly infestations without subjecting their beloved pets to the toxic side effects of so many standard fly control products,” said Tom Spalding, Spalding Lab’s CEO. “Spalding Labs new expansion into the individual dog owner market was carefully planned to make sure that dog owners could be carefully educated, both through our online materials and the trained expertise of our customer representatives.”

Spalding Labs-Ahead Of Its Time In Providing Organic Fly Control Solutions.

With the growing concern over the impact of toxic pest control products, both on the environment and the direct effect on their pets, individual dog owners have been turning to Spalding Labs more frequently than ever. Long considered an insider secret by veterinarians, professional dog breeders and dog care kennels, Spalding Labs fly predators are perhaps one of the most intrinsically organic pest control products available today. Beneficial insects such as the species found in fly predators occur naturally in most surroundings. However, they simply don’t breed at the same pace as flies, which is why adding a modest amount of these carefully selected beneficial bugs puts the balance back in the dog owners favor.

Fly Predators eliminate the next generation of pest flies by means of natural biological control. Unlike pesticide sprays that only affect adult flies (who likely have already laid hundreds of eggs, insuring more flies in 10 days) Fly Predators target the pest fly pupa (cocoon) stage-killing the immature flies before they can bother you and your animals or reproduce to start the cycle again.

By Fly Predators, dog owners can completely avoid any of the potential adverse side effects associated with pesticides. Just reading the warning label on almost any fly pesticide or repellent is perhaps the best advertisement for biological control. By contrast there is no warning label for the species in Fly Predators. Spalding Labs Fly Predators have enjoyed 35 years of commercial use with no known adverse effects.

“This is a great product. I must say it has been a blessing. Most of the flies are gone. It was one of the best products I have ever won at a dog show,” stated Christina, of Irvine, Kentucky. According to Colvin of Pete Minter, Alaska, “We used Fly Predators for the first time, last year. They worked real good controlling flies around our dogs and horses. We had very few flies after we started putting them out at home.”

Spalding Labs customer representatives are happy to discuss each dog owner’s specific situation and the best combination of fly control products for the task. They can be reached 5 AM till 6 PM, PST. Call them today at 1-888-880-1579 for more information.

Spalding Labs Is A Sponsor Of Equilinktimes.

Rand Sentry Energy

In your trailer’s front section, (commonly known as the tongue area,) you’ll observe a breakaway switch (figure #1) and/or a small battery (figure #2). These two components work together as your backup, emergency system. Should your trailer become disengaged from the tow rig, your emergency system will trigger the brakes, automatically. Once the break-away switch plunger is snatched out, the breakaway switch is activated. This switch sends current to the your braking system, activating the brakes, stopping the unhooked trailer as quickly as possible.

How best to determine that your car hauler or 5th wheeler ‘s break-away system is truly working correctly? Start with a simple test that we recommend you incorporate into your preparation routine, every time you travel. Number one, start by pulling the emergency plunger switch from its receptacle. (figure #3). Find a wheel with a braking drum and touch any available screw driver to that brake drum. (figure #4). Should the screw driver react as if you’re touching a magnet, you have just confirmed that your emergency break-away system and battery are working properly. Bottom line, regardless of whether it’s an RV, car trailer or fifth wheeler, your trailer’s brakes are comprised of an electromagnetic, braking engagement system. When a current is relayed to the braking magnet, the magnet’s surface interfaces with the brake drum, magnetizing the drum. As we’re focusing on magnetizing drums, it’s critical to understand that with many years of use, your trailer’s brake drums may ultimately become permanently, magnetized.

Once this happens, it’s essential to be able to separate this problem from brake shoe, brake cluster and brake adjustment problems. This can eliminate unnecessary diagnostic or part replacement, expenses.  Not to mention the potential agony of having your system stripped down. The minute you feel that your trailer RV or car hauler’s braking system isn’t up to snuff or reacting correctly, the first step is to immediately disengage the trailer’s electrical connectors, (figure #5), from the towing rig.

Next, take a screw driver and touch it to the brake drum. If the screw driver is drawn to the brake drum as if it were a magnet, your drums are now magnetized and are going to have to be replaced. (figure #6).

Folks are very curious about a brake’s internal configuration and what prompts this issue. Bottom line, it’s pretty much like the effect created when two magnets repel one another. They’re expected to attract one another, so, clearly something is out of sorts. Here, you’ve got an electro-magnet, prompting the braking system with its strong magnetic current. It dominates the drum with its stronger magnetic pull, but, cannot work properly if the drum starts repelling it, no matter how modestly. When the electro magnet and the drum are working correctly, you can set the brake control head to its highest power, without locking the brakes. Once a drum becomes magnetized, the brake magnet can no longer interact correctly with the brake drum’s surface. This leaves you with brakes that feel slightly engaged, yet will not brake at full power.

Always be conservative about your trailer brakes. Check them annually. Spring’s a great time for

RV Trailer owners, keen to get their gear ship-shape for the upcoming year of trailer fun. Contact your trailer’s manufacturer for safety instructions specific to your equipment. All reputable manufacturers should offer materials designed specifically to help you stay compliant and as safe as possible.

Mosquito Torpedoes

For horse owners there are two big advantages to Mosquito Torpedos; they’re approved by the EPA for animal drinking water (dunks are not) and they sink to the bottom so they don’t become snack food. They also don’t cloud the water, or have particles floating on the surface as hardware store Bti dunks do. These have been widely used for years by the professionals of mosquito control, FEMA, DOD and County Mosquito Abatement Districts (aka Vector Control), but not widely available in retail. And, now, you can get them from the folks at Spalding Labs.

The active ingredient in Mosquito Torpedoes (S-Methoprene) is an IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) that affect mosquitoes at every life stage prior to emergence eliminating their ability to develop to the next stage thus never becoming adults. This organic approach to mosquito control is why Spalding Labs elected to start offering them. The ingredient is very specific to Mosquitoes and does not harm any creature with a spine. So it’s safe for people, livestock, fish, frogs, birds, etc. Torpedoes are approved for use in stock tanks in the US. In many tropical countries with severe mosquito (and hence malaria) problems they are used in human drinking water.

One little Mosquito Torpedo will provide protection for 60 days in up 100 square feet of water 2 feet deep (1500 gallons). If your pond is larger put two or more Torpedoes in. If you put them in a smaller tank, such as a horse trough, bird bath or a smaller pond the Mosquito Torpedo will last much longer, perhaps all summer. The Mosquito Torpedo gets smaller as it slowly releases S-Methoprene. If you can still see it, it’s providing protection. Another advantage over hardware store dunks it that the pond or tank can dry out, and if the Mosquito Torpedo is still present, it will start protecting again when the tank or pond refills.

Five Mosquito Torpedoes come per package for $8.99. Survey all the locations on your property and get enough to protect every one. Prevent mosquitoes from starting by using Mosquito Torpedoes before mosquitoes are a problem. Contact Spalding Labs today and order your Mosquito Torpedoes before the little buggers can start getting a bite out of your horses.

Spalding Labs Is an Equilinktimes.com and Equilink.com sponsor.

Horse Feed

Red Toy Hauler Trailer From Carson Trailers

So, have you ever asked yourself what those trailers are, sitting around your barn, that clearly aren’t horse trailers? Yes, there are different types, all designed for different applications. Some are toy hauler trailers, designed to haul things like your brother’s ATV or sand buggy. There are dump trailers that your barn workers are using to load and haul manure, bedding, dirt and the like from one place to another, on your facility. And, of course the RV sport trailers, which many of you sleep in overnight when you’re at an away horse show. Carson Trailer is a leading manufacturer of these kinds of quality trailers. Each trailer is constructed with care, using the best materials available. They offer work trailers, cargo and car haulers as well as a full line of sport trailers. It’s their wish to provide first rate products while still offering excellent value.

Carson offers great flexibility. They’ll let you design just the RV trailer, Car Hauler, (whatever you need) using  their long list of options. You can choose exterior colors and a floor plan suitable for your application. Trailers with interiors come with choices of fabric color, cabinet finish, furnishings, size and floor plan. Your Carson Trailer dealer will help you build just what you want and help get it delivered fast.

Check out the Carson Trailer website today and make a game of learning and identifying the trailers you see around the barn. Oh, is that one a utility trailer or a flatbed trailer? A heavy duty trailer or a landscape trailer ? It’s time to start learning, girls, because, some day, you’re going to be buying a trailer and the more you learn now, the better off you’ll be then.

Carson operates five manufacturing plants encompassing more than 22 acres. Materials are purchased in large quantities allowing them to provide more than competitive pricing. Service is available at many locations throughout the West. To find a dealer near you please check out their Dealer Finder Page and search by state or zip code.

Carson Trailer Is An Equilinktimes.com & Equilink.com sponsor.

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Spalding Labs

Triple Crown Horse Feed Options

There is an epidemic rising within our equine population that is similar to what is happening with our human populace – obesity. Better quality nutritional products and pasture management over the years has made it easier for horses to get fat and stay that way. Also, many horses get little to no exercise on a daily basis. Overweight horses are prone to many disorders including organ failure, intolerance to exercise, higher oxygen requirements, problem pregnancies, developmental orthopedic disease and laminitis. It is also speculated that a horse or pony that has been hefty for most of its life will be predisposed to developing Cushing’s Disease as a geriatric, where a tumor or enlargement on the pituitary gland causes a dysfunctional metabolism.

Horses of all ages that are fat can become insulin resistant, meaning when any amount of starch or sugar (soluble carbohydrates) is consumed, the horse will not be responsive to the effects of insulin, the hormone responsible for storing the starch and sugar in the cells. As the body’s cells become less and less sensitive to insulin, the body responds simply by producing more and more insulin. These higher levels serve to regulate blood glucose for a while, but eventually the body’s cells fail to respond even to these increasing levels of insulin, which eventually leads to total failure of the insulin-producing cells. This condition is similar to Diabetes, one of the most common problems for humans that are chronically overweight, but for a long time it was thought that the problem did not exist in the equine world. That view point may be changing as the veterinary and research communities identify more and more horses that seem to be suffering from various stages of insulin resistance, the early stages of what will eventually lead to a condition similar to that seen in humans: Adult-Onset or Type II Diabetes.

All horses can develop insulin resistance, but certain breeds are more predisposed to the condition. Cold blooded and pony breeds seem to pick up weight the easiest and therefore these breeds should be monitored and managed for proper body condition early in their lives. It is easier to prevent insulin resistance than to deal with a horse that already is insulin resistant and will have to be treated as such for the remainder of its’ life. These horses usually have fat deposits that are a result of the body’s inability to use glucose, which is inappropriately stored as fat. It has been theorized that this fat storage ability may have helped these easy keepers to outlive their skinny herd mates. The ability to store fat while surviving on minimal amounts of feed is advantageous to a horse when there is drought or famine. Additionally, fatter horses would have survived better and reproduced, so the genetics of these horses may have been selected for over those of other non-insulin resistant horses.

So what do we do to prevent our horses from becoming insulin resistant? More exercise is first on the list. Insulin resistance is reduced by exercise and any amount or increase will be useful. Also, start thinking of horse feed options for the domestic horse that more closely resemble what a wild horse would eat; leaves, sticks, grasses, bark, dirt, and basically all low quality forages and roughages. That type of diet is fine for a wild horse that does not have to do much but roam and out sprint predators from time to time, but won’t work for a high-class dressage horse, reining horse or even a recreational trail riding horse that requires a much more balanced diet. But the premise does have some merit – sometimes less is more! The first place to fine tune your feeding program is by being more conscious of the forages and pastures being fed to your horses. If you have a horse you suspect is or could become insulin resistant, select forages that have been analyzed and are known to contain low levels of sugar. Look for forages with lower calorie levels. This type of forage is actually better for the insulin resistant horse because they can eat more of it without gaining too much weight. They don’t require super high quality forages. You can always supply horse supplements with additional protein, vitamins and minerals if need be. Remember – the forage is the basis of the diet.

Same for pasture – don’t let the horse graze unrestricted on pasture, especially during bright sunlight when the plants are photosynthesizing. This is when the sugar content in the leaves and stems are the highest (the plant uses the sugar for energy while trying to grow). Limit grazing time to overnight or employ the use of a grazing muzzle (muzzle with small holes through which the horse can consume small amounts of grass) or a dry lot. This is preferable to subjecting the horse to a stall on a continuous basis.

It is imperative that the insulin resistant or prone horse be fed low sugar and starch concentrates and supplements. May new and innovative horse nutrition products are now available that contain more fiber and fat as their main source of energy. However, products selected for the insulin resistant horse should contain as little fat as possible. These horses already have impaired fat metabolism due to the high levels of insulin they secrete (insulin suppresses fat metabolism and supports fat deposition). Many insulin resistant horses will exhibit heat in their hooves if they are fed rations that contain added levels of fat (sign of the beginning stages of laminitis), so stick to a product that supplies protein, vitamins and minerals with high levels of fiber and lower fat.

With careful management and product selection, insulin resistant horses can live long healthy lives. The key is to feed these horses less starch, sugar, calories, and fat, supplement for protein vitamins and minerals, and increase exercise.

Triple Crown is an Equilinktimes.com & Equilink.com sponsor.