Whitfield Equine Nutrition LLC

07/24/2026

Thank you to Ohioville Farm & the Ulster County Horse Council for hosting me last Sunday for a fun afternoon of learning, discussion, and (of course) forage appreciation.

What a lively and engaged audience for a presentation about nutrition as a key foundation for equine health & well-being — followed by a body condition scoring workshop & impromptu hay probe demonstration (hard to resist 🙃).

I love presenting to barns & meeting new (or familiar) horse owners & caretakers. Interested in having me speak to your barn, organization, or horse community?

While my educational focus in August & September is preparing for a senior horse seminar series I’m hosting in October (stay tuned), I do have availability for an additional late summer or fall event. Send me a message or email me at [email protected] to chat 🦄

07/19/2026

It is not too late to join me and the Ulster County Horse Council TODAY, Sunday, 7/19 at North Ohioville Farm for a fun afternoon of learning & body condition scoring! This is a great opportunity to get 2 hours of hands-on, independent, unbiased information about feeding your horse(s) 🦄

I am super excited for this! Join me for an afternoon of hands-on learning on Sunday, July 19th from 4-6 pm at Ohioville Farm in beautiful New Paltz, NY. Thank you for hosting me, Ulster County Horse Council!

Registration: $20 per person | Scan the flyer’s QR code or visit the link below to register:

https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLEYT3VG730Q6/checkout/QYKI4L35AWRAPAPFVMA6PYNL

Message me if you have questions. Hope to see you there 😍☀️

07/17/2026

I may be a week late wishing you a happy World Horse Day, but the sentiment rings true everyday 💛

07/10/2026

I am super excited for this! Join me for an afternoon of hands-on learning on Sunday, July 19th from 4-6 pm at Ohioville Farm in beautiful New Paltz, NY. Thank you for hosting me, Ulster County Horse Council!

Registration: $20 per person | Scan the flyer’s QR code or visit the link below to register:

https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLEYT3VG730Q6/checkout/QYKI4L35AWRAPAPFVMA6PYNL

Message me if you have questions. Hope to see you there 😍☀️

07/03/2026

It’s that time of year! As a National Forage Association-certified hay sampler, I am booking hay testing services for NY, NJ, CT, & eastern PA clients ✨

Whether you buy hay from your local farmer, you harvest your own, or your barn works with a hay vendor, tested hay is… the best hay 🌾

Know what you are feeding — and investing in 💸🦄 Whether you have an growing youngster, upper level equine athlete, or retired senior — and particularly if you’re managing a muscle myopathy or metabolic concerns — knowing what’s in your hay is invaluable, and allows for the rest of the diet to be tailored accordingly.

Does a hay test sound unrealistic for your current setup? Let’s talk — even if your hay supply changes frequently or you don’t have control over what hay gets fed, having a “baseline” test can be helpful and prompt good conversation about the integral role of forage in your horse’s overall health and well-being 💚

Send me a message to chat further about having your hay tested — whether as a standalone service or paired with a comprehensive nutrition evaluation ☀️

06/29/2026

While a laboratory test — using a representative core sample — is the only way to know what levels of nutrients your hay contains, we can make some valuable inferences based on visual assessment 🌾

🍃 Evaluating a hay’s leaf-to-stem ratio is a great way to estimate maturity (and associated nutrient density) and is something you can easily do by grabbing a handful of hay. Watch the video & try with your own hay!

While I did not point out seed heads in this video, there were timothy & orchard grass seed heads present in this handful of hay — along with stemminess, seeing an abundance of seed heads in your hay indicates that the hay was allowed to grow longer before being harvested at later maturity.

While a hay test would need to confirm this (some hays don’t read the textbook 📗), later maturity typically translates to higher indigestible fiber but otherwise lower nutrient density — lower levels of protein, digestible energy (calories), minerals, & carbohydrates. For easy-keeper or overweight horses, or those with carbohydrate sensitivities, this can be a positive.

Keep in mind that contrary to popular belief, maturity does not = cutting. In the northeast US, 1st cut grass hays are often harvested at later maturity, but this is not a hard & fast rule. A visual evaluation of maturity (leaf-to-stem ratio & presence of seed heads) + ideally a hay analysis tell us much more about a hay than whether it was 1st, 2nd, or 3rd cutting.

Interested in having your hay tested by a NFTA-certified hay sampler? (NFTA = National Forage Testing Association) Is a hay test difficult because you board or buy hay frequently, but you want to get better at understanding what’s in your hay by visual assessment? Lets talk — there’s always lots to discuss when it comes to forage ☎️😍

06/29/2026

In addition to a calorically-appropriate nutrition plan, what is the single best way to reach or maintain a healthy 5-5.5 body condition for your easy-keeper? Exercise 🙌🕺as shown beautifully by Shetland Pony Mr. Bojangles & Finnegan's Farm, West 😍

How much? Studies have shown that moderate intensity exercise promotes weight loss and improves insulin sensitivity. This typically looks like 3-4 days/week of sessions that include 20-30 min. of trot (+/- canter).

Does this feel like a lot? Start with what you can — even light exercise, when done consistently, can make a difference. A 2018 study (Bamford et al) showed that 5 days/week of 15 min. brisk trot — with walk warmup & cool down on either side — supported weight loss and healthier insulin concentrations.

Work with a qualified equine nutrition professional, your vet — especially if your horse has had laminitis or other soundness concerns — and a trusted trainer to determine what exercise program is appropriate for your individual horse or pony 🦄💜

06/24/2026

Client spotlight ✨ Miss Cinco De Mayo

Christine contacted me this spring about her 18 y.o. mare Cinco, wanting guidance in weight gain without compromising metabolic heath. Initially overweight and diagnosed with insulin dysregulation, Cinco lost weight over the wintertime — but continued to lose more than intended.

Thank you to Christine for allowing me to share these photos — it’s easy to feel bad if a horse in our care loses or gains more weight than intended, but sometimes it happens despite thoughtful daily care — and working with a qualified equine nutrition professional can help lower stress as you navigate the path forward 💛

In Cinco’s case, calories needed to come from:
🌾 fiber: maximizing low-NSC forage
🌟 fat: small meals of a high-calorie, low-NSC senior feed that would add the quantity of calories needed for weight gain AND the amino acids, vitamins, & minerals lacking in forage

While it’s typical not to see weight gain until more than a month into diet changes, with more consistent hay feedings and pasture access approved (at times and durations appropriate for Cinco specifically), it’s been exciting to see visible changes just over a month in 💪

I’m so excited to follow Cinco’s progress and make adjustments as needed in the coming weeks — to support maintenance of a healthy body condition of 5-5.5 — and stronger topline — long-term. Thank you, Christine, for entrusting me with Cinco’s nutrition and being so proactive about making adjustments!

06/19/2026

Client Spotlight ✨ Mr. Bojangles

Finnegan's Farm, West's Amy contacted me wanting to ensure her horses Mr. Bojangles & Ruby Tuesday (keep an eye out for a feature next month!) were getting what they needed nutritionally. “

“Bo” is a 15 y.o. Shetland Pony who, like most small ponies and minis, is an ultra easy-keeper — he easily packs on the excess weight that increases the risk of developing the hallmark features of equine metabolic syndrome: insulin dysregulation, obesity, and laminitis.

🌾 Amy was already diligent about weighing Bo’s hay daily, making sure he didn’t have unlimited access to pasture, and incorporating exercise when possible. Together, we:

- Made sure Bo wasn’t getting extra hay snacks between his weighed feedings 🥕
- Tested hay to ensure calorie & carbohydrate levels were appropriate for him (they were) 🌾
- Started soaking a portion of Bo’s hay as an extra tool for calorie & carbohydrate reduction
- Continued using a slow-feeder hay ball to extend foraging time as long as possible
- Incorporated a ration balancer (+ salt) to supply the supplemental amino acids (protein), vitamins, & minerals that hay lacks 💪
- Added a seaweed-derived calcium gastric buffer to support stomach health
- Started using a grazing muzzle for pasture access planned around environmental conditions conducive to low NSC content in grass

About 45 days later, Bo has reached his target BCS of 5.5 (initial BCS of 6.5), shedding not only his furry winter coat but 30 lbs, as well. Bo continues to be a happy and spunky guy, with a newly balanced diet and ideal body condition that supports long-term health ✨

Thank you, Amy, for entrusting me with Bo’s nutrition and being so on top of diet and management adjustments! 💛

06/19/2026

What do body clipping and nutrition have in common? Both can have a direct impact on quality of life, especially for senior horses with PPID who don’t shed out well in the warm months 💛

My own two horses and donkey stay furry year-round. Both horses — Tiny (17) and Whit (29) — have PPID that is well-managed with medication and nutrition, but they still retain non-shedding coats well into June. PPID can also affect a horse’s ability to thermoregulate effectively.

While my donkey, Lewis (10), doesn’t have a medical reason for his thick summer coat, many donkeys naturally maintain thicker hair year-round 🫏

After clipping, the difference in everyone’s comfort is noticeable. Tiny can exercise without becoming sweaty at a walk, Lewis is quieter and more content throughout the day, and — most relevant to nutrition — Whit maintains a more consistent appetite during 85-90°F heat waves, something that is a challenge during weather extremes and a big priority to manage closely at his age ☀️

A full body clip isn’t the right choice for every horse, particularly when insect protection is a consideration. If your horse or donkey isn’t shedding normally, though, have a conversation with your veterinarian.

Whether your equine friend stays furry due to PPID or not, consider all aspects of management to support health and comfort — from a balanced, forage-centered (but not forage-only) diet tailored on an individual basis, to body clipping when needed to help them stay comfortable during the warmer months.

A special thank you to my clipping fairy Sydney Waltenberg-O'Brien

*While Tiny has PPID and is shown on grass, always work with both your vet & a qualified equine nutrition professional to determine what if any pasture access is safe for your individual horse with endocrine or metabolic concerns.