Equusfeed Italia

21/02/2026

Promemoria per le ultime bordate dell'inverno ❄️

How Horses Keep Warm in the Winter

Image courtesy of World Horse Welfare

Please note, donkeys are different than horses.

12/02/2026

L'importanza del foraggio in parole semplici 🌱☘️

09/02/2026

L'umiltà di sapere di non sapere mai tutto. In particolare riguardo ai cavalli 🐴

Changing your mind about your horse’s needs is not a failure. It is evolution.

There is courage in looking at your horse, really looking, and admitting that what you once believed may no longer be true. It takes humility to soften your grip on certainty, to let go of old stories, methods, or labels, and to listen again with fresh eyes and an open heart.

We are all learning as we go. Our understanding of horses grows as our own awareness grows. What you knew yesterday was shaped by your experience, your influences, your nervous system, and the information available to you at the time. When you know better, you are allowed to think differently. You are allowed to change.

Sometimes that change looks like rethinking their feed, their living environment, their training, or how much choice you give them. Sometimes it is as simple as slowing down, noticing more, and trusting what your horse is showing you instead of what you were taught they should show.

Your horse does not need you to be perfect. They need you to be present, curious, and willing to adjust. Every time you shift, reflect, and evolve, you create more space for them to feel seen and safe.

Growth in horsemanship is not a straight line. It is a series of gentle course corrections, deepening layers of understanding, and a growing sensitivity to the living being in front of you.

When you change your mind in their favour, you are not abandoning your principles. You are refining them.

And in that evolution, your horse feels it. They feel the difference in your energy, your patience, your listening, and your respect. They feel that you are learning with them, not over them.

That is not failure. That is the heart of conscious horsemanship.

07/02/2026

✅ Da leggere per saperne di più sul benessere e la salute dei nostri cavalli 🐴

04/02/2026

Interessante ricerca sulle andature ⤵️

A recently published study examined how three different European horse breeds move, using modern IoT sensor technology to measure their gaits.
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The study used inertial measurement units (IMUs), which are small sensors attached to horses, to precisely measure movement patterns that the human eye cannot detect.

Previous studies often looked at fewer than 10 horses per breed or used older technology that couldn't capture detailed information.

This research analysed 403 horses with more technically advanced sensors, allowing researchers to measure tiny differences in how horses move, such as suspension time at trot (measured in milliseconds).

The objective gait data from this study could advance technological applications in equine science.

For example, Franches-Montagnes breeders have debated whether to introduce Warmblood horses to "improve" movement quality. This study, however, shows that Franches-Montagnes horses already move comparably to Warmbloods in many ways, with their faster stride frequency being a natural trait linked to their history as carriage horses rather than a weakness.
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The study also identified which parameters best represent each breed's ideal: suspension duration and horizontal efficiency for Franches-Montagnes in driving competitions, vertical range of motion and forelimb protraction for Lusitanos in dressage, and stride length with ground coverage for Warmbloods in sport horse disciplines.

Furthermore, these measurable traits could help advance genetic research, potentially leading to DNA tests for movement quality similar to the DMRT3 "gait keeper" gene test.

A specific mutation in this gene creates a shortened protein that affects neurons in the spinal cord responsible for coordinating leg movements. Horses with two copies of the mutation can perform lateral gaits like pace or special four-beat ambling gaits such as the tölt in Icelandic horses.

📑 Upwards or onwards? Assessment of objective gait quality parameters in three European horse breeds at walk and trot. AI Gmel, EH Haraldsdóttir, TV Rosa, LP Lamas, M Neuditschko, MA Weishaupt.

26/01/2026

Anche i cavalli, oltre ai cani, provano l'ansia da separazione?

What we label as “separation anxiety” in horses is not a flaw in character, a lack of confidence, or disobedience. At its core, it is an adaptive survival response in a highly social prey species.

Horses evolved to live in groups where safety is shared. Proximity to others means more eyes scanning, faster detection of threat, and greater chances of survival. From an evolutionary and neurobiological perspective, sudden isolation does not register as a neutral event. It can register as loss of protection. When a horse becomes distressed on separation, the autonomic nervous system is not malfunctioning. It is doing what it was designed to do.

This response is largely physiological, not cognitive. The moment perceived safety drops, sympathetic arousal can rise, vagal tone can decrease, and the stress axis (HPA axis) can activate. Heart rate increases, breathing changes, muscle tone rises, attention narrows, and the drive to reunite becomes urgent. In social mammals, proximity to familiar companions is also associated with social buffering effects, including lower cortisol levels and greater nervous system stability. Research in horses shows synchronisation of heart rates and emotional states within bonded pairs and herds. This is not sentimentality. It is biology.

Early experience matters. How foals are weaned, how separations are introduced, whether attachment figures disappear abruptly or predictably, and whether the nervous system learns that distance can be tolerated and safety reliably returns, all shape later responses. Trauma, sudden losses, repeated forced isolation, or inconsistent handling can sensitise this system further. What looks like “over-attachment” is often a nervous system that never learned that connection can stretch without becoming life-threatening.

At the same time, not all horses respond identically. Genetics, temperament, breed tendencies, and individual neurobiology all influence separation thresholds. Some horses are naturally more exploratory and flexible, others more vigilant and proximity-seeking. Variation is normal in any species. Distress on separation is not always trauma-based, but it is always state-based.

Herd dynamics also play a role. Certain individuals provide powerful regulatory cues to others. Their presence can lower arousal, stabilise attention, and create a felt sense of safety. Removing such a companion does not only remove “company.” It removes a source of nervous-system regulation. The resulting agitation is not psychological dependence in a human sense, but loss of social buffering in a prey nervous system.

This is where many conventional approaches go wrong. Forcing stillness, flooding with prolonged isolation, or punishing attempts to reconnect may reduce outward behaviour, but they do not necessarily restore regulation. Suppressed expression is not the same as a settled nervous system. Overwhelm can lead to shutdown or to patterns that resemble learned helplessness. The body may become quiet, but the alarm has not been resolved.

This does not mean that separation tolerance is unnecessary or that training is irrelevant. Horses must sometimes cope with distance for veterinary care, transport, emergencies, and practical management. The distinction lies in how that capacity is built. Evidence from learning theory and neuroscience supports gradual exposure that stays within the horse’s window of tolerance, where arousal can rise without tipping into panic, and where the horse can still breathe, orient, respond, and recover, rather than abrupt flooding that overwhelms the system.

True independence in a social prey animal is not created by proving that isolation must be endured. It develops when the nervous system repeatedly experiences that separation is survivable, temporary, and safe. Regulation comes before resilience. A horse that can pause, soften, and think when alone is not one that has been forced to “toughen up.” It is one whose body has learned, through experience, that aloneness does not equal danger.

When we view separation distress through this lens, it stops being a behavioural problem to suppress and becomes a biological system to support. Independence is no longer something imposed. It is something that emerges when safety is felt, not when fear is overridden.

19/01/2026

Una ricerca scientifica conferma quanto già noto a tutte le donne e a tutti gli uomini di cavalli 🐴

Do Human Emotional Odours Shape Equine Reactions?

A recent study published in PLOS One by Plotine Jardat and her colleagues reveals that human sweat produced during fear makes horses more apprehensive and distant, whereas odours associated with joy do not significantly alter their behaviour.

To investigate this, researchers collected sweat samples on cotton pads from 30 adults (predominantly female) following twenty-minute sessions designed to induce specific emotions.

Fear was elicited through watching sinister horror clips, while joy was prompted by watching comedies & musical performances.

To ensure the purity of the samples, participants followed strict protocols prohibiting the consumption of spicy foods and alcohol, as well as the use of deodorant.

The research team selected pads from the 14 most intense responders. These pads were then fitted into Lycra muzzles at the nostrils of 43 young Welsh horses that were randomly assigned to fear, joy, or control groups, the latter of which used unexposed pads.

The experiments took place in a zoned arena, where a calm companion horse was present to minimise separation distress.

The horses underwent various tasks, including grooming sessions, voluntary free approach tests, a startle test involving a sudden umbrella, and interactions with a novel object.

Researchers measured heart rates using Polar monitors and tracked changes in salivary cortisol.

Blinded coders then analysed the data using Generalised Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Tukey post-hoc tests to identify behavioural patterns.

Horses exposed to fear odours interacted with humans significantly less, touching them 40% less frequently than those in the other groups.

This group also displayed heightened vigilance toward novel objects, higher startle scores, and elevated peak heart rates during unexpected events.

While grooming interactions and physical contact with novel objects decreased slightly, the joy group performed similarly to the control group.

📑 Human emotional odours influence horses’ behaviour and physiology. Plotine Jardat, plotine.jardat@ifce.fr; Léa Lansade, lea.lansade@inrae.fr

16/01/2026

📑 🤝 PARITA' DI GENERE, IL NOSTRO IMPEGNO È CERTIFICATO

I valori di rispetto, inclusività, valorizzazione delle diversità e work-life balance rappresentano da sempre l’aspetto fondante dell’identità di - la nostra casa madre - e guidano ogni nostra scelta organizzativa e culturale. In questa visione si inserisce l’ottenimento della certificazione sulla parità di genere secondo lo standard UNI PdR 125:2022, un riconoscimento che ci rende orgogliosi del percorso fatto e attesta un impegno concreto, strutturato e misurabile.

La nostra policy aziendale coinvolge tutto il perimetro organizzativo, dal personale ai collaboratori e ai candidati, e orienta ogni fase del rapporto professionale secondo criteri oggettivi, trasparenti e basati sulle pari opportunità.

La certificazione valorizza anche il lavoro svolto sul piano culturale attraverso formazione continua su inclusione, leadership femminile, adozione di un linguaggio rispettoso e politiche HR e retributive orientate all’equità.

Particolare attenzione è riservata al bilanciamento tra vita e lavoro e al sostegno alla genitorialità, riconosciuti come elementi centrali di un ambiente professionale sano e inclusivo.

La certificazione UNI PdR 125:2022 conferma come la nostra visione d’impresa metta le persone al centro e consideri la parità di genere un valore strutturale non negoziabile.

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Gender equality: our commitment is certified
The values of respect, inclusiveness, diversity and work-life balance have always been fundamental to Italfeed’s identity and guide all our organisational and cultural choices. This vision is reflected in the achievement of the Certificazione sulla parità di genere, the Italian gender equality certification issued in accordance with the UNI PdR 125:2022 standard, a recognition that makes us proud of the progress achieved and attests to our concrete, structured and measurable commitment.

Our company policy applies to the entire organisation, including employees, collaborators and candidates, and guides every stage of the professional relationship according to objective and transparent criteria based on equal opportunities.

The certification also recognises the work carried out at a cultural level through continuous training on inclusion, female leadership, the adoption of respectful language, and HR and remuneration policies oriented towards fairness.

Particular attention is given to work-life balance and parenting support, recognised as central elements of a healthy and inclusive professional environment.

The UNI PdR 125:2022 certification confirms that our corporate vision places people at the centre and considers gender equality a non-negotiable structural value.

03/01/2026

Visita di "idoneità sportiva" obbligatoria dal 1 gennaio 2026

https://www.anmvioggi.it/in-evidenza/77911-visita-veterinaria-cavallo-atleta.html?fbclid=IwdGRjcAPGEhZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeo8xv26woIfPxBnJ_gW8H9zuAQ9iRJ-3yIYHcuifXsBZj5CIuXwffvYvK5gI_aem_ieRp73HNX6Yy-OZJWfbWJw

Dal 1° gennaio 2026, sarà obbligatorio il certificato di idoneità sportiva per ogni cavallo atleta.  Il decreto firmato dai Ministri Abodi e Schi

30/12/2025

I cavalli ci "leggono" molto più a fondo di quanto pensiamo 🤎

✨ New Research: Your Emotions Don’t Stop at the Arena Gate ✨

A new study just confirmed what many horse people have long suspected — horses don’t just read our emotions… they catch them.

Researchers showed horses videos of humans expressing fear, joy, or neutral emotions and measured the horses’ reactions through:

Facial expressions

Heart rate

Eye temperature (a stress indicator)

Posture

Which eye they used to look (linked to emotional processing)

What happened?

🐴 Joyful humans = positive reactions
Horses looked longer with their right eye (associated with positive emotion) and showed more relaxed but engaged facial expressions.

🐴 Fearful humans = stress responses
Horses showed more alert postures, increased ear movement, blowing, eye‑wrinkling, higher heart rates, and greater changes in eye temperature — all signs of emotional tension.

In short: horses mirrored the emotional tone of the humans they watched.

💡 Takeaway for riders, handlers, and trainers:
Your emotional state matters. Horses are incredibly attuned to us — not just our body language, but our expressions, tone, and even physiological cues we don’t realize we’re giving off.

If you’re anxious, they feel it.
If you’re joyful, they feel that too.

Be the calm, confident presence your horse can trust.

Study: Jardat et al., Scientific Reports (2025)
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-98794-3

30/10/2025

🎉🇮🇹 FORZA NOEMI E IDEAL 🇮🇹🎉
La junior Noemi Antonelli e Ideal de Alcame sono stati selezionati per rappresentare l'Italia a squadre in Francia al Campionato europeo del Cavallo iberico 🐴 dal 12 al 16 novembre. Scenderanno nel rettangolo di Le Mans, nelle riprese Carmencita (Kur) e Golegà (Livello F), il 13 e il 14.

La loro storia è davvero speciale ❤️. Ideal ha 12 anni, ed è un Pura razza lusitana. Il severo addestramento prematuro cui è stato sottoposto in Portogallo gli aveva causato un forte stress fisico e mentale ma poi ha incontrato Noemi, allieva del Circolo Ippico Boscovivo di Sarroch, in Sardegna, che ha saputo guadagnarsi la sua fiducia intraprendendo un percorso lunghissimo ripartendo dalle basi.

“Ora Idy e io siamo insieme da quattro anni e abbiamo raggiunto traguardi che inizialmente sembravano impossibili. La nostra è una storia di amore, dedizione e passione”, racconta Noemi. 💪✨
Da tre anni Ideal è sostenuto dai nostri integratori Equusfeed e ne siamo molto orgogliosi 🌟

Tutto lo staff Equusfeed augura a Noemi e Ideal un buon viaggio dalla Sardegna e un grande in bocca al lupo 🍀 per la trasferta internazionale, che seguiremo tifando Italia 🇮🇹👏

Valeria Ferrari Candotti