https://equinebalancedsupport.com/

Equine Balanced Support, 393 Mt Eve Road, Goshen, NY (2026)

02/22/2026

Saturday I had another great visit with Jen and her herd at 10-42 Police Horse Retirement Home 🩷🩷 And I got to spend a few minutes chilling with my best friend!! He is trying to turn me into a donkey person 🤣

02/21/2026

Immune System Consequences of Vitamin E Deficiency

Vitamin E helps support the equine immune system by protecting immune cells from oxidative damage and supporting normal immune function. When deficiency is present, horses may show increased susceptibility to infections, slower responses to vaccination, and protracted recovery from illness. This effect is especially noteworthy in horses with endocrine disorders such as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, where immune challenges are common.

A compromised immune response because of inadequate vitamin E decreases the horse’s ability to fight off respiratory infections, skin infections, or systemic illnesses, which can be particularly problematic in populations where stress, travel, or environmental challenges are frequent. Ensuring adequate antioxidant support through vitamin E enhances cellular defenses, improves resilience to immune challenges, and contributes to overall health maintenance.

Supplementation may be particularly beneficial when horses are exposed to immunological stressors or when pasture access is limited, helping to provide consistent antioxidant defenses throughout the year.

02/20/2026

Shared Quiet Time and Resting Presence

Sometimes, the most powerful bonding activity is simply being present with your horse in quiet stillness. Horses are incredibly perceptive to energy and intention, not just physical touch. Standing beside your horse in the pasture, watching clouds drift or listening to birds, communicates calm and mutual trust.

Shared quiet time doesn’t require tools or tasks; it’s about presence. Horses that feel safe and unpressured in your company begin to relax, lowering their head, softening their eyes, and breathing more slowly. These subtle signs of relaxation reflect deep trust.

Making time for regular, unstructured companionship teaches your horse that you are not only a source of work and commands, but also a calm companion. This emotional availability strengthens your connection and enhances overall responsiveness in other activities.

02/19/2026

Lameness Is Not the Only Indicator — Pain Can Exist Without Obvious Limping

Many horse owners assume that if their horse isn't limping, then it must not be in pain. However, pain is multidimensional, and many conditions — dental discomfort, back or neck soreness, saddle pressure points, gastrointestinal pain, bit‑related oral pain, or early joint stress — do not necessarily result in visible lameness.

Because these issues don't always affect the limbs directly, gait assessments alone may miss significant discomfort. Studies examining non‑lame horses under ridden conditions have found that many exhibited behavioral signs of pain or reduced performance (reduced impulsion, hollowed back, tension, unwillingness to collect), indicating musculoskeletal or systemic discomfort, even though no obvious lameness was observed.

This underscores the need for comprehensive pain assessment strategies that go beyond simple gait observation. Assessments should include evaluation of posture, rider–horse interaction, responsiveness under saddle, facial expressions, and even static rest behavior. For instance, a horse resistant to bending, hollow‑backed under saddle, or tense in its topline may be exhibiting back or abdominal pain rather than poor training.

Failing to recognize these "hidden" forms of pain can lead to misdiagnosis, inappropriate training methods, worsening of pathology, or a decline in welfare and performance. Therefore, caretakers, trainers, and veterinarians should maintain a high index of suspicion — especially when performance deteriorates without a clear training cause — and use multifaceted assessments to identify and address possible discomfort.

02/18/2026

Grooming Promotes Skin Health and Circulation

Regular grooming does far more than make a horse look clean — it actively supports skin health, blood flow, and general musculoskeletal wellbeing. When you brush or curry a horse, especially using circular motions or firm strokes, you stimulate the skin and underlying tissues. This action helps to distribute natural skin oils along the coat, loosening dirt, dead hair, sweat, and debris that might otherwise clog hair follicles or trap moisture. The friction created by grooming improves circulation near the skin’s surface, delivering nutrients and oxygen to the skin and muscle tissues, which helps maintain healthy skin, fur, and musculature.

In addition, mechanical stimulation during grooming can help improve muscle flexibility and relaxation. For horses that spend significant periods standing or confined, gentle grooming, before or after exercise — or simply as regular care — can aid muscle blood flow and tension release.

Grooming also assists with coat maintenance in all seasons: by removing dust and dead hair, the skin can breathe, and the coat can better perform its natural functions — whether that’s insulation during colder seasons or efficient heat dissipation during warmer ones. Clean hair and skin help prevent skin irritations, hotspots, or fungal outbreaks that can arise when dirt, sweat, or mud builds up under the coat.

In short, consistent grooming isn’t cosmetic fluff — it’s a fundamental component of equine care that helps maintain healthy skin, coat, circulation, and musculature.

02/17/2026

Trail Walks and Nature Exploring

Exploring trails with your horse on foot, rather than mounted, provides a shared experience that cultivates connection and mutual trust. Horses are naturally curious animals, and walking together through new environments allows them to explore at their own pace while relying on your leadership and presence. This calm, unhurried exposure to different textures, sounds, and spaces strengthens your horse’s confidence and reinforces the idea that you are a reliable companion in unfamiliar situations.

Trail walks provide physical exercise that benefits both of you. Horses learn to navigate uneven terrain, crossing logs or shallow water, while you both enjoy the rhythm of walking through woods, fields, or open spaces. These shared moments encourage your horse to seek your presence and follow your cues without the pressure of performance or riding.

Most importantly, trail walks remove the barrier of tack and harness. By engaging in these adventures side by side, your horse learns that your companionship extends beyond work or riding sessions. This shared outdoor exploration enhances your relationship, supporting emotional trust and a sense of partnership rooted in positive experiences.

02/17/2026

Sam (Wellington) and I (Ocala),both got to enjoy some Florida competition fun over the weekend! Congratulations to all the competitors 💕

02/16/2026

Incorporating Treats into Stretching and Physical Therapy

Treats can be a valuable tool for encouraging horses to engage in controlled stretching and postural exercises, particularly as part of physical therapy or warm-up routines. Known as baited stretches, these exercises involve using a treat to guide the horse into specific movements, such as lateral neck bends, chin-to-chest stretches, or poll flexion, that promote flexibility, balance, and range of motion.

Veterinarians and equine physiotherapists often recommend baited stretches to aid in recovery from back soreness, improve topline strength, or support neuromuscular coordination. The key benefit of using treats is that they elicit voluntary participation, allowing the horse to move gently within its own comfort range without force or resistance.

Research supports the use of reward-based stretching as an effective adjunct to equine rehabilitation programs. Horses often show better compliance and improved outcomes when stretches are reinforced with food rewards, particularly when exercises are repeated consistently over time.

Care must be taken to use small, healthy treats and to ensure proper technique — poor form or overreaching can lead to strain rather than benefit. Ideally, baited stretches should be introduced under the guidance of a trained therapist or veterinarian to maximize safety and efficacy.

02/16/2026

🎊 Happy birthday to everyone celebrating this week 🎉

02/12/2026

Grooming Strengthens the Human-Horse Bond

Grooming is not only a tool for physical care but also a powerful way to build trust and connection between horse and handler. When done calmly and consistently, grooming helps develop a horse’s confidence in humans, especially in young or previously mishandled animals. The quiet, repetitive nature of grooming mimics the mutual grooming behavior observed in herds, where horses groom one another to establish social bonds.

This routine interaction allows the horse to associate human touch with relaxation and comfort. Many horses visibly relax during grooming sessions — lowering their heads, sighing, licking, or even dozing off. These behavioral cues reflect a release of tension and the establishment of a safe, familiar relationship.
Grooming also provides positive reinforcement opportunities. Rewarding the horse for standing quietly, lifting feet willingly, or tolerating sensitive areas fosters cooperative behavior and enhances handling safety. Over time, this translates into improved behavior during veterinary exams, farrier visits, and other husbandry tasks.

Importantly, grooming should always be respectful. Rushing, harsh handling, or over-sensitizing certain areas can damage trust. Instead, slow, intentional grooming helps the handler learn the horse’s preferences, thresholds, and emotional state.

In professional and recreational settings alike, grooming becomes an essential means of communication. It is not just about keeping the horse clean — it is about listening with your hands, building familiarity, and deepening the human-equine relationship.

02/11/2026

Foals and Vitamin E Deficiency: Growth and Early Development Concerns

Foals are particularly vulnerable to the effects of vitamin E deficiency because their antioxidant reserves are established gradually after birth. Young horses depend on maternal transfer during gestation and colostral intake after birth for early antioxidant protection. Without sufficient vitamin E, foals may exhibit developmental complications, including poor muscle development, weakness, and susceptibility to muscle disorders resembling nutritional myopathies. Even when selenium status is considered, low vitamin E exacerbates oxidative stress in growing muscle and nerve cells.

White muscle disease — a nutritional myopathy historically linked to selenium and vitamin E deficiency — is one outcome in foals with ineffective antioxidant defense. Affected foals may show stiffness, difficulty suckling, lethargy, or even cardiac involvement when muscle tissues are extensively damaged. Another musculoskeletal concern in vitamin E‑deficient foals is delayed muscle development, which can negatively affect gait, early training readiness, and overall vigor. Because young horses metabolize nutrients rapidly to support growth, marginal vitamin E status can become clinically significant faster than in adult horses.

Ensuring that pregnant mares are nutritionally optimized, with adequate vitamin E, improves colostral content and the early transfer of antioxidants. Continued provision of vitamin E through pasture grass or supplementation during the first months of life helps support the foal’s developing immune system, muscle tone, and neuromuscular function.

02/10/2026

Thiamine (Vitamin B1) and Nervous System / Appetite Support

Thiamine (B1) plays a central role in carbohydrate metabolism and in the proper functioning of the nervous system. As a coenzyme for key metabolic enzymes, thiamine helps convert sugars and starches into usable energy — vital for brain and muscle function. In horses, adequate thiamine supports the smooth transmission of nerve impulses, promotes normal gut motility, and helps maintain appetite and overall metabolic health.

Although severe thiamine deficiency is rare under normal feeding conditions, specific scenarios can increase demand or impair supply. Horses fed high‑grain diets (rich in starch), those undergoing stress, or those with hindgut microbial disturbances may require extra thiamine to meet metabolic needs. Under such conditions, thiamine supplementation supports energy metabolism, helps prevent fatigue, and supports healthy nervous system function.

A healthy appetite is essential for overall health, maintaining gut health, and sustaining body weight. Horses with compromised appetite — whether due to stress, illness, or dietary changes — can benefit from thiamine as part of a balanced feeding strategy. By supporting both metabolism and neurological health, thiamine plays a foundational role in supporting vitality, especially during demanding periods

Equine Balanced Support

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