Equine Mindfulness

02/07/2026

🚨Please remember that forage such as grass hay helps keep your horse(s) warm.

⚠️Today into tomorrow is going to be very cold.

🌾Provide all the hay you can.

🥶Try to stay on top of keeping the waters unfrozen but this will be a huge challenge.

🪫Just in case loose power ~

🪣 💧 Grab any buckets or containers you have and fill with water.

02/03/2026

01/28/2026

❄️The More You Know❄️

01/26/2026

🐴✨ Equine Mindfulness — Now Accepting Clients! ✨🐴
NUTRITION • BEHAVIOR

✅ One-Time Consultation — $175
✅ Annual Program — $475
✅ Barn / Multi-Horse — Custom Quote
✅ Monthly plan requests available

📋 Book here:

https://pci.jotform.com/form/260146311158045

01/26/2026

 🐴✨ Equine Mindfulness — Now Accepting Clients for 2026! ✨🐴

I’m officially accepting new clients for individualized, evidence-based equine nutrition and behavior support.

✅ One-Time Nutrition Consultation — $175
✅ Annual Comprehensive Nutrition Program — $475
✅ Barn / Multi-Horse Programs — Custom Quote
✅ Monthly plan requests available

📋 Client Intake Form:

https://form.jotform.com/260146311158045

🐴Thank you for trusting Equine Mindfulness with your horse’s care.

01/17/2026

The 2026 Equine Mindfulness Nutrition Client Intake & Services form will be available soon; stay posted.

01/17/2026

‼️ “The New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) has quarantined a property in Burlington County after one horse developed the highly infectious equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). The horse, an 18-year-old gelding, developed acute clinical signs on January 7, 2026, and was subsequently humanely euthanized. The two remaining horses on the premises are under quarantine and being monitored for sickness. No recent horse movements have occurred from this herd, making the risk of disease spread from this case very low.”

🦠 Here is a refresher about EHV-1 and EHM.

📖 What is EHV-1?

Equine Herpes Virus type-1 (EHV-1) is a virus that causes respiratory disease, abortion, neonatal death, and neurologic disease. EHV can cause Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM), the neurologic form of herpes.

🤧How is it spread?

EHV-1 is primarily spread by direct horse-to-horse contact by respiratory secretions. However, indirect contact with contaminated equipment and personnel can spread the virus. Following infection, horses may become latent carriers and the virus may be reactivated after stress such as travel and exercise, or high doses of corticosteroids. The incubation period ranges from two to 10 days.

🩺What are the symptoms of EHV-1?

Common symptoms include fever, coughing, lethargy, nasal discharge, and inappetance. Symptoms of the neurologic form include ataxia (incoordination), weakness, difficulty standing, recumbency, loss of tail tone, and difficulty urinating.

💊 What is the treatment for EHV-1 and EHM?

Treatment is primarily supportive care. Patients with EHM may require a sling.

😷How can you protect your horse?

💉 While vaccination can decrease clinical signs and shedding, it does not protect against the neurologic strain.

👃 While at a show, avoid nose-to-nose contact with horses from other barns, and don’t share equipment such as buckets, wheelbarrows, and pitchforks. Wash your hands frequently, and take extra precautions if working with multiple groups of horses.

🌡️ Consider taking your horse's temperature twice a day when traveling. Temperatures greater than 101.5 or any signs of illness should be reported to your veterinarian immediately. And consider quarantining horses returning from horse shows or are new to the farm.

🧬How is EHV-1 diagnosed?

The virus is detected in nasal swabs and blood samples by PCR testing. At Rhinebeck Equine, we offer in-house rapid EHV-1 PCR testing on nasal swabs. Results are available in ~60 minutes.

01/05/2026

Equine Mindfulness | Feeding with Intention 🌾🐴

Why forage access matters for gastric health

Natural Feeding Behavior

Horses are adapted to near-continuous grazing, typically consuming forage for 16–18 hours per day. This pattern supports steady saliva production and natural buffering of stomach acid.

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Modern Feeding Reality

In managed environments, horses are often fed in discrete meals. While practical, the critical factor for gastric health is how long the stomach remains empty between forage availability—not just total daily hay intake.

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Equine Stomach Physiology
• The equine stomach produces acid continuously
• Saliva and fiber help buffer acid and protect the gastric lining
• Without forage, this buffering effect is reduced

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Time Without Forage & Risk
• ~6 hours without forage → gastric mucosal irritation may begin
• Repeated or prolonged fasting → increased risk of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS)

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Common Overnight Example

Hay fed at 7 pm → finished by 10 pm
Next feeding at 7 am
➡️ ~9 hours with no forage overnight
➡️ Repeated nightly exposure may contribute cumulatively to irritation

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Best-Practice Guidance

When feasible, horses should ideally not exceed 4–6 hours without long-stem forage moving through the gut.

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Practical Management Solutions

When free-choice hay isn’t appropriate (easy keepers, metabolic concerns, housing limits):
• Slow feeders to extend eating time
• More frequent forage meals
• Chopped or pelleted forage for seniors or compromised dentition

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Key Takeaway

Mindful feeding supports gastric comfort, digestive health, and overall welfare.
Small, intentional management adjustments can make a meaningful difference.

Based on current equine nutrition and gastric health research (e.g., Andrews et al.; Luthersson et al.; NRC)

01/02/2026

Welcome 2026

08/12/2025

🧂 Salt Information ℹ️

𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭 - 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞?🐴 👅

There’s a widespread belief that horses should be fed loose salt instead of block salt, based on the idea that they can consume loose salt more easily. This belief stems from the fact that salt blocks were originally designed for cattle, who have rougher tongues and can more effectively lick salt from a block.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡?

At the 2025 Equine Science Society Symposium in June, my friend and colleague, Dr. Devan Catalano of Colorado State University, presented new findings that aimed to answer this very question.

🧪 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬

Sixteen mature horses were individually housed and assigned to one of two treatments:

🔹 Loose salt

🔹 Block salt

Each horse remained on one treatment for seven days before switching to the other in a crossover design. The entire study was repeated so that each horse received both treatments twice. Salt consumption was measured by weighing the salt before and after each seven-day period.

📊 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬

The form of salt (loose vs. block) did not significantly impact overall intake. However, individual variability played a major role in which some horses consumed more salt than others, regardless of the form offered. This highlights the wide range of intrinsic motivation among horses to seek out and consume salt.

💡 Interestingly, only 7 of the 16 horses met the recommended daily salt intake of 30 grams per day, suggesting that many horses may not self-regulate adequately when left with free-choice salt alone.

💭 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

These findings suggest that free-choice salt access, whether loose or in a block, may not be sufficient to meet the daily salt needs of many horses. If you’re concerned about intake, top-dressing salt onto feed can help ensure your horse gets enough, but keep in mind this can sometimes reduce palatability of the meal.

📣 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞-𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞

Free choice access to loose salt isn’t necessarily better than a block, but neither may be enough on its own. Monitor your horse’s intake and consider top-dressing if needed to meet their daily requirements.

Cheers,

Dr. DeBoer

Murphy BA, Catalano D. Effect of form on equine salt intake. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2025 May 1;148:105502.

08/08/2025

⚠️FYI🩺🧪

07/31/2025

🔥🐴 Heat & Horses: Facts, Prevention & What Actually Works ☀️💦
Your horse wasn’t built for this. Horses evolved for subzero climates—not 95°F Florida humidity with no wind. One mistake in heat management can turn into a life-threatening crisis within minutes.

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🧬 Scientific Foundations
• Horses maintain core temperature between 99.5–101.5°F, with thermoneutral comfort ending around 86°F. Above that, they rely solely on sweating for cooling—which fails in humidity [1].
• Horses sweat up to 4 gallons per hour, losing electrolytes critical to muscle and nerve function [2].
• Their low surface-area-to-mass ratio (~1:90 m²/kg vs humans ~1:35) makes them poor at dissipating heat [1].
• UC Davis notes: RR >40 bpm, delayed return to baseline HR, dry gums, and reduced gut sounds are early heat stress indicators [3].
• NMSU warns: HR >80, RR >50, or re**al temp >103°F with no drop despite cooling = active heat illness [4].

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🚨 Stages of Heat Injury (TPR Guide)

1️⃣ Heat Stress
Temp: 102.5–104.5°F | HR: 44–60 bpm | RR: 40–60 bpm
Action: Shade, cold hose, airflow, electrolytes

2️⃣ Heat Exhaustion
Temp: 104.5–105.5°F | HR: 60–80 bpm | RR: 60–80 bpm
Action: Aggressive hosing, fan, fluids, call vet

3️⃣ Heat Stroke (Critical)
Temp: ≥106°F | HR: 80–120 bpm | RR: 80+ bpm
Action: Cold immersion or saltwater spa, ice packs, rubbing alcohol, vet immediately
[3,4]

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⚠️ Documented Complications
• Rhabdomyolysis, laminitis, acute renal failure
• GI stasis, colic, endotoxemia
• Neurological injury, seizures, permanent anhidrosis
[1,3,4]

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💊 Medications to AVOID in Heat

🚫 Acepromazine → vasodilation → worsens low BP
🚫 NSAIDs → risk kidney damage when dehydrated
🚫 Diuretics/Thyroid meds → intensify fluid & heat stress
✅ Use vet-supervised fluids, cooling therapies, and antioxidant support

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✅ Proven Supplements for Heat Tolerance

🧂 Electrolytes & Salt
Replaces sweat loss. Loose salt is often better absorbed than blocks. Always offer clean water.
[3,4]

🥜 Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA/DHA)
Studies show supplementation reduces inflammatory load and oxidative stress during heat and work [5]. Feed fish oil or stabilized flax.

🧪 Vitamin E + Selenium
Peer-reviewed data shows that antioxidant supplementation improves muscle function and immune response under heat stress [6,7]. Most horses on hay alone are deficient.

📌 At our clinic, we recommend daily vitamin E (2,000–4,000 IU/day), natural-source selenium (1–3 mg/day depending on diet), and omega-3s to help buffer the inflammatory and metabolic strain of hot weather.

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❌ Myths That Put Horses at Risk
• “Cold water causes colic” → ❌ False. UC Davis confirms cold water is safe and helps recovery [3]
• “Don’t scrape or water traps heat” → ❌ False. Continuous hosing and airflow are what cools [3]
• “He’s sweating, so he’s fine” → ❌ Not necessarily. Monitor TPR, not just sweat
• “Fly sheets help in heat” → ❌ Most trap heat unless specifically engineered mesh
• “He’s acclimated” → ❌ Even Florida-born horses collapse from heat stress
• “Electrolytes fix it all” → ❌ Only if combined with water, airflow, and cooling

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💡 Real Barn Strategy for Florida Heat

✔️ Fans angled downward from above to pull heat out
✔️ Cross-ventilate using aisle fans
✔️ Wet stall walls, bedding, shedrow, and barn aisles
✔️ Build a swamp cooler (fan + ice or alcohol slush)
✔️ Keep ice packs + rubbing alcohol on hand
✔️ Use a cold saltwater spa to cool core temp and reduce systemic inflammation
✔️ Offer cool water (50–65°F) and electrolytes
✔️ Supplement daily with omega-3s, vitamin E, and selenium

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🧠 Internal Support: Equine Immune Boost

Our Equine Immune Boost supports heat resilience and immune recovery by enhancing circulation, lowering inflammation, and supporting antioxidant systems.
Especially useful in:
• Anhidrosis-prone horses
• Metabolic horses under stress
• Performance horses in hot weather
Used daily in our rehab and performance horses.

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📍This month alone, we’ve managed heat exhaustion, metabolic crashes, and anhidrosis cases in Ocala.
We use cold saltwater spa, HBOT, IV ozone, metabolic therapy, and strategic supplementation.

Cooling isn’t optional. Prevention isn’t a luxury.

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💬 Share this post with your barn team. Hang it in the feed room. Save it for emergency reference.



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📚 References
1. Ohmura, H. et al. Heat stress in horses: A literature review. PMC10267279.
2. Mad Barn Nutrition. Heat Stress in Horses: Causes, Signs, and Prevention.
3. UC Davis Center for Equine Health. Keeping Horses Healthy in Hot Weather. https://ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/keeping-horses-healthy-hot-weather
4. New Mexico State University Extension. Recognizing and Treating Heat Stress in Horses. B-711. https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_b/B711
5. Silvestre, A.M. et al. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation reduces oxidative stress in performance horses. PMC8259830.
6. Canadian Journal of Animal Science. Selenium and Vitamin E for Equine Oxidative Balance. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/cjas-2024-0051
7. BMC Veterinary Research. Antioxidant response to vitamin E and Se in horses under stress. https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-022-03411-4