What should horse owners who are concerned about bone health be considering?
If you have concerns about bone health, either in the mature performance horse or in the growing horse, we recommend working with your veterinarian. It is critical to consider the horse’s total diet, including forage and concentrated feeds. A correct balance of nutrients – especially minerals – is very important for developing and maintaining healthy bone over the course of a horse’s life. At SmartPak we love the easy-to-use online software from FeedXL (www.FeedXL.com) which helps you identify nutrient deficiencies or excesses, balances mineral ratios, assesses any feed or supplement in your horse’s diet, and more.
Besides diet, there are additional management factors that can influence bone health, such as avoiding excess stall time, providing plenty of turnout, and keeping your horse in a consistent exercise program that’s appropriate for his individual needs.
Lydia F. Gray, DVM, MA SmartPak Staff Veterinarian and Medical Director Dr. Lydia Gray has earned a Bachelor of Science in agriculture, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), and a Master of Arts focusing on interpersonal and organizational communication. After “retiring” from private practice, she put her experience and education to work as the American Association of Equine Practitioner’s first-ever Director of Owner Education. Dr. Gray continues to provide health and nutrition information to horse owners through her position at SmartPak, through publication in more than a dozen general and trade publications, and through presentations around the country. She is the very proud owner of a Trakehner named Newman that she actively competes with in dressage and combined driving. In addition to memberships in the USDF and USEF, Dr. Gray is also a member of the Illinois Dressage and Combined Training Association (IDCTA). She is a USDF “L” Program Graduate and is currently working on her Bronze Medal. Find Dr. Gray on Google+
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