Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. 
Dr. Getty announces a new feature, “Research Reflections,” insights on relevant nutrition research and how it impacts your horses’ health, in her bi-monthly newsletter, Forage for Thought. Subscribe for free at www.GettyEquineNutrition.com. The following is the first to be featured: Prebiotics may reduce inflammation in aging horses Researchers from … Read More
Scoops Measure Volume, Not Weight by Juliet M. Getty Ph.D. The directions on most feed bags offer guidelines in terms of the number of pounds (or kg) you should feed. If you use a scoop to measure your horse’s feed, how many pounds are you actually feeding? Are you assuming that … Read More
Learn and Implement “Protective Feeding Guidelines” by Dr. Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. I continually urge horse owners to “feed your horse like a horse.” This means, simply, that a horse fed according to his physiology and instincts will be healthier. Free choice forage is the first line of defense against … Read More
True Causes of Obesity and How to Fix It by Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. Obesity is an epidemic problem with domesticated horses. Although we most easily attribute the problem to overfeeding concentrates combined with too little exercise, the underlying cause is much less apparent. It has to do with … Read More
by Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. When we can offer a safe, caring home to a severely neglected horse, everyone in the horse world cheers. If you have recently adopted a rescue horse, let me first commend you for your actions. Saving a horse that is in desperate need of … Read More
Research Proves Horses Relax and Eat Less With Constant Grass Exposure If you let your horse out to graze on pasture for only a few hours each day, and provide hay the rest of the time, you’ve likely noticed how he approaches the grass like a vacuum cleaner, barely lifting … Read More
By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. Many horses rely entirely on hay for their forage needs. Is hay nutritious? Not very. Hay is dead grass; it no longer contains many of the vitamins, omega 3s and omega 6s it once had as living pasture. It does, however, contain protein, carbohydrates, … Read More
Nutrition for the Final Three Months by Dr. Juliet M. Getty During the first eight months of pregnancy a mare may be fed like any other horse—with a balanced, high quality diet. However, things begin to change rapidly during the final three months of pregnancy. The mare now requires more … Read More
Why Movement is So Important for Horses by Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. Driving through Kentucky recently, I passed breathtaking farms: acres and acres of meticulously manicured pastures, lined with white four-board fences that seemed to travel for miles. What struck me, however, was the barrenness of the fields. Where … Read More
Uses and Misuses of Commonly Used Horse Feeders by Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. Forage is the foundation of every equine’s diet and needs to flow steadily through the digestive tract. Gaps without forage can lead to ulcers, colic, behavioral issues, stall vices, gorging, choke, cribbing and even laminitis. Truly, the … Read More
