HSF Equine Nutrition

03/17/2026

03/17/2026

Myth: Wheat middlings are filler ingredients. 😖

Fact: While wheat middlings do come from wheat, they are not considered a cereal grain. They are actually the fiber-rich parts of the plant, like bran, germ, and endosperm, not the grain itself! These components are specifically collected for their high nutritional value, not as an afterthought or leftover waste.

Wheat middlings are packed with nutrition, according to the National Research Council for Horses, the nutrient content of wheat middlings is 18.5% protein, 0.67% lysine, 4.5% fat, and 1545 calories/lb (dry matter). In fact, their nutrient profile can be closely compared to that of alfalfa. They also are a natural source of B vitamins such as niacin, thiamine, and riboflavin, and minerals including iron, zinc, and manganese. This makes them an excellent choice for adding energy and nutrition to your horse’s diet, not just filler ( despite what some fear mongering marketing efforts may suggest).

03/07/2026

My favorite expo finds were of course as many branded feed scoops as I could get 😆

I love having these for educational displays as well as for use in my own feed room! Today I weighed them against my scoops (if I had the feed) and so far they were right on 👍🏼

I also love having extra weight tapes on hand, and branded ones are even more fun😆

03/06/2026

I'm super excited to go to the Horse World Expo today! I haven't been in 2 years and am looking forward to it!

Feel free to stop me and grab a card if you see me!

03/05/2026

When the clock springs forward to signal a change in the seasons, your horse’s vaccinations records need an update to help protect against potentially fatal equine diseases. 

03/04/2026

Unpopular opinion:
“Pasture puffs” deserve the same level of care as horses in work.

They may need different care in some ways. Horses in active work may need additional support, such as conditioning programs, saddle fit considerations, or more frequent bodywork depending on their workload.

But that does not change the baseline standard of care every horse deserves.

Feet still need trimming.
Veterinary care still matters.
Pain management still matters.
Nutrition still needs to be balanced.
Turnout, social interaction, and movement still matter.

A horse does not become less deserving of thoughtful care simply because they are not being ridden.

If anything, retirement, injury, or time off can make management details even more important, not less.

A horse’s value is not determined by their workload.

Care should never be performance dependent.

03/03/2026

While we are all looking forward to warm spring days and lush green pasture, the transition from winter hay to spring grass should be planned carefully to mitigate any health risks to your equine. Just because your equine friend is not obese or suffering from a nutritionally related disease, doesn’t mean you should just forget about hay entirely and let your horse eat their fill of spring grass.

Feeding high-quality hay is a good way to satisfy a horse’s urge to chew when they can’t graze and provide essential nutrients at the same time. A mature horse will eat 2-2.5% of its body weight per day; roughage should contribute to at least half of this percentage, but most agree forage should be a minimum of 75% of the horse's diet. Please remember that horses are individuals, so a horse's total nutritive requirements will ultimately depend on their age, stage of development, metabolism and workload.

Take-home message: Before making any changes to your equine companion's diet this spring, consult your veterinarian to determine their current weight/body condition score and to formulate a balanced and nutritious ration that meets your horse’s specific needs!

03/02/2026

Quick clarification because the comments are getting mixed on our last post about cribbing. Wood chewing and cribbing are not the same thing.

Wood chewing is exactly what it sounds like. A horse chews on wood. It can be related to boredom, forage availability, curiosity, mineral deficiency, or management. Increase hay. Increase turnout. Adjust minerals. Sometimes it improves.

Cribbing is different.

Cribbing involves a horse grasping a solid surface, flexing the neck, pulling back, and drawing in air. It is a repetitive, habitual behavior. Research shows it is associated with changes in dopamine pathways in the brain. In simple terms, it creates a "high" for them. That is why it can be so difficult to stop once established.

When someone says, “Minerals fixed my horse’s cribbing,” often what they actually mean is their horse stopped chewing wood.

That does not mean nutrition is irrelevant. Management absolutely matters. Turnout, forage, stress reduction, and gut health all play roles in prevention and reduction of stress behaviors. But true cribbing is not the same as casual wood chewing.

They may look similar from across the fence. They are not the same behavior neurologically. This is not about being right in a comment section.

It is about using the correct language so we can apply the correct solutions.

If we confuse the behaviors, we confuse the management.

Clear definitions lead to better care.

03/02/2026

It's 2026. Where are we at with cribbing research??

Here’s what the latest cribbing research shows.

1) Cribbing isn’t bad behavior.
It’s a stress-coping mechanism, developed by horses in high stress environments or management systems that don’t meet their natural needs. Top contenders for this are early weaning and confinement.

2) It literally affects the brain.
Studies show cribbing is linked to changes in the striatum and dopamine pathways, the same parts of the brain involved in habit formation. That’s one reason cribbing can become nearly permanent once established. Scientists found "cribbing horses blink less often and change up their activities more often than noncribbers." Further proving that cribbing horses have striatums that behave differently that those of non cribbers.

3) There may be a genetic predisposition.
Certain breeds like Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods show higher rates, suggesting some horses are more wired to develop cribbing than others. But no confirmed link has been found directly tying cribbing to a certain gene.

4) The gut and brain are connected.
Cribbing horses have different hindgut microbial communities than non-cribbers, supporting a link between stress, digestion, and brain behavior. This could be due to stress.

5) It isn’t simply about ulcers.
Earlier theories that cribbing was a way to neutralize stomach acid don’t hold up. Research shows no clear direct connection between the behavior and gastric ulcers.

6) Cribbing is associated with other health risks.
Long-term cribbing can wear down teeth, affect eating, and is correlated with increased risk of colic and joint issues.

7) Cribbers can have different learning and sensitivity profiles.
One study tested cribbers and non cribbers on their ability to pick up a new task, touching a card for a food reward. Cribbers were much quicker learners, but also "they take longer than noncribbers to stop trying for that reward, continuing to touch the card well after it no longer leads to a food reward." This study suggests a higher habit formation in cribbers. They also found cribbers to be more sensitive to touch, likely due to how stress and brain function intersect.

8) Management matters more than “fixes.”
Equipment like anti-cribbing collars or toys can reduce the frequency, but the best way to reduce cribbing is to address stressors: more turnout, social contact, and natural feeding patterns. Once it starts, its unlikely to stop, though.

9) Some experimental treatments show promise.
In one case, daily CBD was linked with a dramatic drop in cribbing hours, but this is early data and not yet a standard practice.

10) Horses don’t catch cribbing from each other.
Contrary to popular belief, there’s no strong evidence that one horse “teaches” another to crib... it’s more about shared stress and management conditions.

Bottom line: cribbing isn’t a horse being bad. It’s often the horse’s way of coping with stress or unmet needs. The real solution isn’t suppression, it’s better welfare: turnout, forage, and a life closer to what horses are built for from the beginning to prevent the habit from forming in the first place.

https://thehorse.com/1124690/whats-new-with-equine-cribbing-research/

03/02/2026

It's been a long week, I was struck down by a stomach bug and am only now getting back on my feet😅

I'll be back to posting more soon, and I'm so looking forward to the change in the weather coming up - I have availability if anyone wants to schedule to get ahead of the game before the warmer weather 😊

02/26/2026