Behind the scenes....looking intense

In this blog, you get to see a lot of good research going on and learn about our travels across the country.  But behind all this fun is the hard work that takes place in front of a computer, in meetings and through group efforts that plan and organize our path.  Last week, our Purina Horse Business Group met in St. Louis to set our 3 year plan.  For two days we sequestered ourselves in the Moonrise Hotel, shut off our cell phones (OK only some of us did that) and set our action plan.  We reviewed our current R&D lineup, talked about the future, and discussed challenges to horses, horse owners and the business itself.  The equine industry is different than it was even just 2 years ago and its important that we are all paying attention and determining our next steps.  With this knowledge, we can better set our research priorities.  Our indepth projects literally take years to go from concept, through R&D and finally to a product so it is imperative that we plan, plan, plan and made good choices in what we are developing.  In the room we had 4 equine nutrition PhDs, 1 equine DVM, our horse research manager, our process research manager and 6 marketing folks that cover everything from business leadership to ads, to websites, to sponsorhip to new product offerings, to sales displays, etc.  Of all these brainiacs in the meeting, we collectively own 28 horses!  So it's not all business and numbers and new products; we all have a passion for horses and for creating products that make a difference in the health of the horse and the lives of the people who own them.  For this group, its not just about Purina, its personal. 

Already Finished!

Our research farm is designed to bring innovative new products to market that have been "horse tested and proven" before they ever get to our customers. Our horses get to lead the way, trying innovative products years before they actually hit the retail market. Part of understanding how horses grow and develop is having broodmares and babies, the same way that many of our customers on breeding and foaling operations do. Simply talking and reading about how foals grow and develop holds very little clout in the research world, however if you have been breeding and foaling horses for as long as we have (45 years of breeding registered quarter horses) you get a much better understanding of how young horses grow and develop. I enjoy spring when we have the chance to see how our foals turn out, and get the chance to select and breed for the next year. The long nights of waiting for foals and checking mares seem to go on forever, then all of a sudden its gone until next year. This video clip is from last week when we had our last foal of the year.

Nutritional Support for Lactating Mares

Foals are eating machines that rely on their mother’s milk to help them grow and develop. If you’re not mindful, they can drain a mare of her nutrients leaving her in poor body condition. Mares can lose a significant amount of weight during lactation unless they receive adequate dietary support during this nutritionally demanding time.

The day a foal is born and begins nursing, the mare’s daily protein, energy, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin A requirements nearly double from her early gestation needs. These nutritional demands must be met in order for the mare to maintain body condition, recover from foaling and produce adequate milk.

My 20-year-old mare, Do It Stylish (a.k.a. "Dottie"), with her new foal the day he was born.

Milk production peaks about 30 days after foaling, at which time nutrient levels begin to decline. Less than 30 percent of the energy a foal needs is provided in the milk by the fourth month. A concentrated feed with added oils and high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals can help improve the nutrient content of a mare’s milk and provide an early growth advantage for the foal.

Adequate body condition is the single biggest factor affecting a mare’s reproductive efficiency. Thin mares have more difficulty becoming pregnant and run a higher risk for losing an early pregnancy than mares carrying more body condition. Investing in quality feed and gradually increasing a mare’s dietary intake during gestation and through lactation is a good economic decision overall.

While foals will begin eating dry feed as early as one week of age, mare’s milk is a foal’s primary nutrition source for the first couple months of growth. Quality nutrition is vital to helping the mare produce quality milk for her foal.

The Ugly Truth About Equine Obesity

As we all know, horses tend to overeat on early spring pasture and overindulge, making this an opportune time to discuss the topic of equine obesity. Obesity in horses is a growing problem in the United States as horses are eating more and working less. Sadly, it is a serious issue that is linked to a variety of disease conditions. As horse owners, it is important to recognize the distinction between a fat and fit horse. Most don’t realize that obesity carries risks in horses much like it does in humans. The ugly truth is that obese horses are at greater risk for health problems such as laminitis, insulin resistance and joint issues from supporting excess weight.

According to a Virginia Tech and Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine study from 2007, 51 percent of horses are overweight. Nineteen percent of overweight horses have a body condition of 7 or more, making them medically obese. And nearly one-third of obese horses suffer from insulin resistance. Horse owners can refer to the scoring chart provided by Purina to help accurately assess their horse’s body condition by visiting the following link:
http://horse.purinamills.com/products/BodyConditionsScoringChart/default.aspx

Managing Equine Obesity
Many horse owners have the misconception that simply feeding an overweight horse less will make it lose weight. For horses, as for humans, losing weight is best accomplished through a combination of diet and exercise. This means getting the right amount of calorie-burning exercise and adhering to a diet that provides nutritional balance without empty calories.

It’s easy for well-meaning horse owners to make mistakes when helping their horse reach a healthy weight. For example, the general rule of thumb for forage requirements is 1 to 2 percent of a horse’s body weight, but many people feed free-choice hay or pasture and horses may consume as much as 4 percent of their body weight. At 2 percent of their body weight (20 pounds of hay for a 1,000 pound horse), without exercise, a horse will not lose weight, even when no additional grain or supplement is offered.

However, just scaling back on hay and not providing any sort of nutritional supplement will rob the horse of the protein, vitamins and minerals necessary to maintain muscle mass and overall health. This often causes loss of muscle tone over the topline, poor hair coat and hoof quality, and potentially compromised health.

Weight-Loss Solutions

When it comes to enacting a weight-loss program, many horse owners struggle with the psychology of restricting their horse’s intake – and most horses don’t like it, either. We want to spoil our loved ones, and the easiest way to do that is to give them more of what they enjoy. Cutting back on something horses enjoy can elicit feelings of guilt and neglect, and watching a horse go hungry is heartbreaking. Horses can also develop stable vices when they notice they’re not being fed as much as their stable mates.

A good way to meet weight-loss goals is to reduce the daily ration of grass hay to around 1 to 1.5 percent body weight and supplement with a nutritionally balanced feed. This feed should have less fat and calories than other feeds, but also support muscle mass and overall health with an excellent amino acid balance and a complement of antioxidants and other important nutrients. Purina®Nature’s Essentials® Enrich 32® is a concentrated supplement that provides proper nutrition in a very low 1 to 2 pound feeding rate which ensures a balance of nutrition with very few additional calories. If you’re worried about your horse’s reaction to a lower feeding rate, a full scoop twice daily of Purina®WellSolve W/C® horse feed can be fed with along with 1 percent of body weight in hay, providing more satisfaction in meal size without going overboard on calories.

Lose Weight, Win Big

As you can see, I am passionate about my mission to eliminate equine obesity. My career has taken me around much of the country, and I see overweight horses nearly everywhere I go. That’s why I created a contest called the Largest Loser Equine Edition. This is a challenge for horse owners in the Seattle area to get their horses to a healthy weight in a healthy fashion. Horse owners have 90 days to help their companions meet weight loss goals. The winner is decided by percentage of body weight lost.

At the onset of the contest, competitors attend an educational meeting at the Grange Supply in Issaquah, Wash., about the dangers and health risks of equine obesity on May 3, 2012. They then receive a consultation from me, where we determine a weight-loss feeding regimen. From then on, it’s up to the horse owner – and horse– to stay committed to the weight-loss program and meet their goals. The winner receives five bags of Purina horse feed ($150 value) and a $100 gift card to the Grange Supply!

Do you know an overweight horse in the Seattle area? You can nominate one for the Largest Loser Equine Edition by sending an entry to LargestLoserEquine@gmail.com. Be sure to include a description of why the horse should be entered in the contest. And don’t forget to attach a profile body picture so we can compare the before and after photos. Good luck!

About the Author:

Gina Fresquez is an equine nutrition specialist with Purina Horse Feed. Gina has been with Purina for six years, previously working as an assistant trainer and instructor in Arizona. She has a M.S. degree in animal science and equine nutrition from the University of Arizona.

Weekend at Wellington

As my first post for the Equine Research Blog, I’d like to start by introducing myself, Kimberly James, the new National Sponsorship and Ambassador Manager. I help manage Purina’s relationships with some of the best athletes, horses, events and sanctioning bodies in the equine industry. While our research team creates products to serve the needs of our equine ambassadors and their performance horses, I have the privilege of seeing them in action. And this is what brought me to Wellington, Fla.

Our first order of business was a photo shoot with national ambassador, Chris Hickey, and his KWPN gelding, Witness Hilltop. Chris is the director of training for Hilltop Farm in Colora, Md., and together with Hilltop Farm, represent Purina in the dressage arena and the world of elite sport horse breeding. As many of you can probably attest to with your own horses, one never knows what to expect from our equine friends in front of a lens. I know my horses tend to take to unauthorized dozing and snacking every time I go to snap a picture. Not surprisingly, Witness handled the session like the professional he is, from the flash to the repetitive posing. He is clearly ready for whatever fame has to throw his way. And I should mention Chris was equally dashing and brave in front of the flash!

After the photo shoot, we headed over to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center to catch the USEF National Show Jumping Championships, which also served as a selection trial for the U.S. Jumping Team. Purina national ambassadors, Laura Kraut with Teirra, and Beezie Madden on Simon and Cortes “C,” battled a tough course in round one and two monster courses on day two. Fitness and fuel were large factors for the competing horses as was recovery after jumping. After a demanding day two, all the trial competitors had a day of rest on Friday before heading into Saturday’s final round.On Saturday, we headed over to the International Horse Sport Champions Cup to catch Chris Hickey’s Grand Prix class on Douglas Hilltop. I’ve decided that every Saturday morning should start off with good weather, good coffee and high level performance horses doing what they do best. Douglas looked fantastic, and Chris turned in a class-topping 67.872 percent. There’s a large contrast in the work these horses do within different disciplines, but there are similarities in what it takes to garner success: talent, breeding, training and nutrition. When all this comes together, I can’t help but be incredibly proud of Purina and its role in supporting these athletes and their success.

The final round of the selection trials turned in a stellar performance from Laura Kraut and Teirra with a near clear round catching the last rail of the final jump. Beezie and Simon had a great run as well with just one time fault, and Beezie and Cortes “C” really turned it up with the fastest clear round of the night. While the championship title went to Margie Engle and Reed Kessler in a tie, Laura and Teirra were confirmed to the U.S. Team long list as was Beezie with both Simon and Cortes “C.” We’ll be watching all the Purina riders and their horses as the U.S. Team whittles down to the short list.

Sunday morning we made a quick visit over to our friends at Kiaran McLaughlin Racing who were also wrapping up their stay in Florida for the season. It was my first trip to a top racing barn and what better way than to make introductions with the McLaughlin team! I was very impressed with the meticulous care and training each of the McLaughlin horses receives. Once again I was able to see a shining (and shiny) definition of equine athleticism. This year looks to be another exciting one for Kiaran and his team as they work to capitalize on the potential of their young contenders.

After Florida, I headed home to gear up for my next jaunt and spend some time with my own horses. My hope is to continually provide you with a glimpse into how Purina products are put to the test at some of the most elite competitions in the industry. I look forward to sharing more throughout the year and highlighting the results of our research and development in the field with all of our readers. Purina is sponsoring a great lineup of events throughout 2012 across the country in several disciplines, so stay tuned. It’s a tough job traveling around to events and horse shows, and getting to know the best in the business but someone has to do it. I’m delighted and fortunate to be that person, and hope to provide some insight and behind-the-scenes access to all our blog readers. Until next time, take care and best of luck to you and your equines!

Spring Pasture Concerns

I just spent several days last week at our Animal Care Workshop (an exclusive training event at our farm for dealers and dealer employers), and during my equine digestive physiology talk we discussed how pasture grazing at certain times of the year and environmental conditions can be linked to digestive disturbances. Since this is certainly an issue right now in many parts of the country, it seems like a good time to discuss the question: How do we best manage introducing horses to new spring pastures to minimize the risk of digestive upsets such as laminitis and/or colic?

Horses that are kept on pasture year-round usually adjust to the new grass naturally as it grows, since Mother Nature does a fairly good job of making pasture changes gradually. The risk of problems occurring increases when horses have been confined and fed a hay and grain diet during the winter, and are then abruptly turned out on the lush green pasture in the spring. Further, horses that have been kept up through the winter may overeat when turned out because of the palatability of the lush green foliage. This sudden change in the diet, especially when it includes a rapid influx of starch and fructans (the storage carbohydrates of grasses) into the hindgut, may trigger digestive upset.

There are several ways to prevent or minimize problems when introducing horses to spring pastures. Feeding hay immediately before turn-out may help keep horses from overeating, since they are less likely to overeat on an already full stomach. Restricting grazing time will also help minimize risks. A suggested schedule is: thirty minutes of grazing once or twice a day on the first day of grazing; then increase grazing time by about 10 minutes per day until the horses are grazing 4-6 hours per day total. At this point, they have adapted to the green grass.

If the horse is sensitive to soluble carbohydrates (sugars and starch) due to conditions such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome, Cushing’s Syndrome, Insulin Resistance, or chronic laminitis, grasses tend to be lowest in soluble carbs early in the morning, so it may be helpful to limit grazing time to the hours between 3 and 10 am. Other options to manage these conditions include utilizing a grazing muzzle to limit pasture intake, or some horses may not able be able to tolerate any grazing time at all.

Utah Horse Trainers Challenge at the Utah Horse Expo

Every year about this time, Utah’s best horse trainers have just finished taking part in the Utah Horse Council Trainers Challenge.

This event pits four of the state’s top trainers, selected from an initial pool of applicants who are then whittled down to 10 semi-finalists, against each other to determine whose previously unbroken horse has shown the most development in 60 days. The winner is determined by a combined score of popular vote and judges’ decision. This year’s event culminated at the Utah Horse Expo, this past weekend in South Jordan, Utah.

In the fall before the trainers are selected, unbroken horses are bought and turned out to winter pasture. Come mid-January, the top four trainers draw for their horses and have 60 days to train them to compete in front of the judges and attendees at the Utah Horse Expo.

My job is to put together a proper feeding program that will ensure adequate nutrition for the animals’ growth and development, not to mention the hard work that they will be put through over the 60 days. I am always amazed at the skill and dedication these trainers put forth into this competition!

My favorite success story from last year was Zoey. Though she didn’t win the final competition, trainer Debbie Doneyson displayed remarkable progress during her 60 days with Zoey. Having arrived at Debbie’s farm underweight, Zoey showed dramatic change in her demeanor and body condition by the final competition.

Zoey’s diet needed to be carefully managed to meet her nutritional needs for growth and energy during the 60-day training program. I started Zoey off on free choice grass hay, Purina® Ultium® Growth horse feed and WellSolve® Well-Gel®. Debbie initiated a lot of the groundwork in the first month and when Zoey started putting on weight, we slowly added alfalfa to her diet and increased her workload. The high fat, high fiber diet really helped her put on muscle and improve her body condition so Debbie was able to progress to more advanced training techniques.

As you can see from these before and after photos, Zoey showed a great turnaround with Debbie’s careful training and a diet of Purina® Ultium® Growth horse feed and WellSolve® Well-Gel®. In fact, Debbie did such a great job with Zoey that a Purina employee fell in love with her during the show and purchased her for his farm in Idaho!

Before:


After:


I saw a lot of great progress on this year’s horses and it was exciting to see all of the hard work pay off. Did you make it to the Utah Horse Expo? What did you think about the Trainers Challenge?

About the Author: Yvette Connely is an animal nutrition specialist with Land O’ Lakes Purina Feed, where she oversees dealer account responsibilities and is an equine specialist for the state of Utah. Yvette has worked with Purina for 13 years, previously working as an equine nutrition specialist in Arizona. She has a B.S. degree in equine science from Colorado State University.