Rocky Mountain Veterinary Wellness Centre

11/23/2025

In light of the current EHV-1 outbreak, the AAEP and the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) have organized a horse owner education webinar to bring you the most up to date information on this issue.

Next Tuesday, join specialists Lewis R. “Bud” Dinges (Texas Animal Health Commission Executive Director and Texas State Veterinarian), Dr. Krista Estell (AAEP/EDCC) and Dr. Katie Flynn (USEF) for an informative discussion about what EHV-1 is, how to recognize it, and most importantly, how to prevent its spread.

This webinar is FREE, but registration is required. Register here: https://events.zoom.us/ev/AnIoJrASj0vuX7Q_K87mKEjg5bxeMAkqp7fpSoOgVtVm_Zgo1g5m~AiiV7ZQ3bbmlEW2iSkeRTSAfMCYf2QhFMoprr7WRbM_MsiJRcBGT1oLj0Q

*PLEASE NOTE: the attendee limit for this session is capped at 1,000. However, all who register will be emailed a link to an on-demand recording that will become available 24 hours after the live session ends.

11/21/2025

08/16/2025

Hay & Nutritional Needs: Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All 🌾🐴

Not all hay is created equal — and not all horses have the same dietary needs. Two big examples:

1️⃣ Horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS)
For EMS horses, controlling sugar intake is critical to help prevent laminitis and manage insulin regulation. The key number to watch? NSC (Non-Structural Carbohydrates).

-Aim for NSC under 10% to reduce sugar/starch spikes.
-A hay analysis will tell you exactly where your forage falls — looks alone can’t reveal NSC content.

2️⃣ Growing Horses & Young Stock
Young horses have higher mineral demands, especially for bone development. One of the most important ratios to watch is calcium:phosphorus:
• Adult horses: Around 2:1 is ideal.
• Young stock: Can safely go up to 6:1, as long as the minimum phosphorus requirement is met. Too much calcium without adequate phosphorus can cause developmental issues — balance is key!

Takeaway:
The same bale of hay might be perfect for one horse and problematic for another. That’s why forage testing is one of the smartest investments you can make in your horse’s long-term health.

📋 Pro tip: Pair your hay analysis with your horse’s age, workload, and health status to build a feeding plan that truly fits their needs.

08/13/2025

🌾 With hay buying season upon us it’s time to think about the importance of testing your hay!

🐴 Horses are naturally meant to consume a diet based on forages. Pasture and hay should usually make up the majority of the average horse’s diet. When it comes to selecting hay, many people know that good-quality hay smells good, is soft, and has more leaves than stems. But how does this visual inspection match up with the actual amount of nutrients in the hay? How much crude protein or starch is in that bale of hay? To find out, you need to take a sample of hay and do a hay analysis.

A hay analysis will reveal the specific amount of various nutrients that are found in the hay. These days, it is relatively simple to obtain a hay analysis. Using a hay corer, collect samples from 10–20 percent of the bales in a single load (Figure 2). Do not combine loads of hay, even if they are different cuttings from the same field, or the same cutting from different years.

🧑‍🔬Once a sample is collected and placed in a labeled bag, the sample is shipped off to a laboratory for analysis. The results are then sent back in a 1–2-page document.

📊 Results can be hard to interpret as a horse owner but understanding factors such as key nutrient requirements and the moisture levels of the forage you purchase for your horses is ideal!

Please visit https://extension.psu.edu/understanding-a-hay-analysis

To dive into the ins and outs of Hay Analysis and what it all means!