http://www.calmhealthyhorses.com/

Calm Healthy Horses, Rangiora (2026)

31/08/2026

Drought-Breaking Rain: When the Grass Greens Up!

A friendly heads-up for horse owners in drought-affected areas of the UK or anywhere grass has been grazed short and subjected to conditions that cause it to shoot away.

We’re used to it down-under as most regions of NZ and Australia experience these conditions including droughts annually. Horse owners are aware of the potential consequences, especially for horses that are not receiving daily feeds containing good broad-spectrum minerals, vitamins and salt.

After drought-breaking rain, dormant pasture can suddenly ‘green up’. Fresh green shoots containing high levels of potassium and nitrate nitrogen appear – they are particularly potent wherever prolonged drought has caused cracks in the ground. Of course the horses go for them.

Nitrate levels tend to be at their highest overnight and in the mornings. Inconveniently opposite to sugar levels!

The lower parts of stems are most likely to have the highest nitrate levels.

Make sure horses have a bellyful of hay BEFORE turnout on any new grass.

Having evolved in very low nitrogen environments, horses are not adapted to handle high levels of nitrates in their diet. They have a different layout of the digestive tract to ruminant cattle, but it is important to note how careful farmers are with all their livestock when it comes to nitrates following drought breaking rains.

This is a time to check whether the horse’s usual diet genuinely provides adequate broad-spectrum vitamins and minerals, including sodium, magnesium and calcium.

Many horses receive forage and only a token bucket feed, which may not supply the full amount of priority nutrients that the owner assumes it does and a lot of people still rely solely on a salt lick to meet their horse’s daily sodium requirements.

So ensure your bucket feeds contain adequate salt. Sodium, calcium & magnesium are essential for normal hydration, electrolyte balance, nerve and muscle function.

In the absence of sufficient sodium, nitrates in effect rob the horse of positively charged calcium & magnesium which latch on the negatively charged nitrates for excretion in the urine. This can result in some of the more extreme 'behaviours' & 'gait abnormalities' and is when additional supplementation is warranted.

These nutrients are not a substitute for controlling access to new grass, but a properly nourished horse is way better supported during periods of sudden grass growth.

Plus, if this new green grass is all the horses have to eat, FIBRE in the form of HAY will also need to be supplemented, including when grazing muzzles are employed.

How any individual horse will be affected depends on his metabolic status at the time.

This is why horses can be affected in different ways:
Digestive disturbances** – loud gut sounds, loose manure, colic
Frequent urination, oedemas
Anxiety, spookiness, over-reactiveness
Stiffness, various gait abnormalities like locking stifles
‘Footiness’, laminitis
Increased sensitivity, head-shaking, respiratory issues

Best advice: If your horse is not behaving normally, DON’T GET ON!

Where possible, keep horses OFF emerging green shoots by using a grass-free track or yard, or sectioning them off with temporary fencing as best you can where they can live on hay.

Ideally, grass needs to be more mature and stalky before it is suitable grazing for horses.

Brand-new green grass isn’t always safe.

For nutritional help in your situation, please complete our Enquiry Form:https://www.wixforms.com/f/7424581212632515616

**Refer to the NRC Mineral Tolerance of Animals – page 456: “Non-ruminant animals (including horses) have NO requirement for nitrates at all,” and a toxic effect of acute nitrate levels is generally severe gastritis.

27/08/2026

It’s wonderful to see our UK representative, Sue Dawson, enjoying the TREC Championships with her horse, Gandhi.

This is what everyone who contacts Calm Healthy Horses ultimately wants: a horse who feels well, is enjoyable to handle and is a pleasure to ride.

But Sue’s horses weren’t always “right”. Between them, her three horses experienced multiple issues, including head-shaking, undesirable behaviour, PSSM and EMS.

Although Sue rents her grazing, she has been able to create a small-scale track where she can control their grass intake and provide plenty of hay alongside a simple, high-quality bucket feed.

By consistently putting the Calm Healthy Horses nutritional and management principles into practice, Sue has helped bring her horses back to good health—and to where they can be thoroughly enjoyed once again.

Unfortunately, many owners who rent grazing have little or no control over their horses’ grass intake. Some aren’t even permitted to feed hay in the field. Sue’s experience shows what can be achieved when owners are given the opportunity to create a more suitable environment for their horses.
Well done, Sue!

What is your greatest challenge with keeping your horse?

And if your horse is “not quite right” and you would like help with practical dietary and management adjustments, please contact us via our Enquiry Form:
https://www.wixforms.com/f/7424581212632515616

21/08/2026

‘Moody’ Mares?

When ‘hormonal’ behaviours interfere with everyday handling and riding.

Natural day length is the primary determining factor when it comes to cycling hence mares are fertile and receptive to breeding during spring, summer and early autumn.

What is normal for a mare in heat?

It is normal for mares to be noticeably ‘hormonal’ for several days coming up to the peak oestrogen phase of their cycle – squealing at other horses, urinating, ‘winking’ and generally not being as sociable.

NOT normal is for these behaviours to escalate to ‘next level’- 'cranky', ‘moody’ and not always pleasant to be around.
Squealing accompanied by striking/front footing/lashing out at other horses (a good reason never to let horses sniff noses while you are leading or riding them and especially make sure they CANNOT do it over a wire fence!).

These are the ‘behaviours’ that put people off owning mares at all and which really do interfere with everyday handling and riding.

Back around 2005 our property was riddled with clover. At that time we were blissfully unaware.

All spring, every spring ALL seven mares were ‘very hormonal’ – prolonged ‘raging seasons’ with associated objectionable behaviours. To the point we had three of the mare’s ovaries scanned for cysts at the nearest vet hospital. They all came up clear.

But since changing properties and management which eliminated clovers and lucerne/alfalfa from their diet we cannot believe the difference in these same mares.

We have hardly ever observed them coming into season in the last 18 years. They do but it is barely noticeable and never an issue. They are all in their 20’s now.

The geldings used to also be affected and would ‘behave like stallions’, hounding the mares relentlessly and even mounting them - to the point we had to keep them separate.

What is it that causes mares, and sometimes geldings, to become uncharacteristically ‘hormonal’?

The major culprits are phyto-estrogens which are plant derived ‘hormonally active compounds’ which can disrupt normal cycling of mares and can interfere with conception.

In the forage world, the plants highest in phytoestrogens are red clover, subterranean clover and alfalfa.

Whether any individual will be affected or not depends on the quantities consumed.

If your horse is grazing a paddock with clover plus is being fed chaff and hay that contain lucerne/alfalfa or clover, then the cumulative effect can be enough to cause problems.

If your mare is prone to being overtly hormonal then take steps NOW to eliminate these legumes from her diet. In our experience it takes several cycles to completely return to normal.

Obviously by far the best strategy is to remove the cause – eliminate clovers and lucerne from the diet.

For a feeding strategy to avoid issues cropping up in your horses, please contact us via the Enquiry Form. Here is the link: https://www.wixforms.com/f/7424581212632515616

Photo Cathy Dee Photographer

17/08/2026

What To Do About Clover

Whether your pasture is intended for grazing or growing hay, NOW is the time to take steps to ensure they are CLOVER-FREE.

Here is an option to using broadleaf sprays.

Clover causes numerous issues for the horse’s 'mono-gastric' style digestive system because:

- it is high in Nitrogen ** - converted to urea in the liver and excreted in urine, causing frequent urination (that can leave 'burn' patches on the grass).
- it contains phyto-estrogens (hormonally active compounds) which cause 'hormonal behaviours and interfere with normal cycling of mares and their ability to conceive.
- Fluorescing (photodynamic) pigments which cause ‘photosensitization’ – the underlying cause of mud-fever and sun-burn.
- Potassium – white clover we had analyzed was 3% potassium, contributing to numerous ‘grass-affected’ issues. Horses do better when potassium levels are closer to 1%.
- Starch – clovers store sugars as starch adding to laminitis risk for EMS horses & ponies.

Hence there are significant benefits to be had from eliminating clover from your pastures.

There are two options: Using a broadleaf spray OR applying just the right amount of nitrogen to your paddocks/fields. Or both.

Clover’s presence indicates a nitrogen deficiency in the soil. Clover’s ability to fix nitrogen from the air allows it to thrive in these conditions, outcompeting grass that requires nitrogen to grow.

Hence adding SOME nitrogen to the paddocks will encourage the growth of grasses while discouraging the growth of clovers.

The right time to do this is early Spring and/or Autumn.

Make sure you use the ‘ammonium sulfate’ form of nitrogen NOT urea or chicken/poulfert, NOT NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorous. Potassium)

Ammonium Sulfate is a combination of nitrogen and sulfur, also beneficial for grass growth, while urea is a concentrated form of nitrogen.

Talk to your agricultural contractor regarding what rate per/ha to apply and to get a quote.

If you want to be sure you don’t have any clover THIS YEAR, do both – add nitrogen to the soil now and when the clover starts to grow go over the paddocks with a broadleaf spray which will knock it back within a few weeks.

** Horses have a ‘mono-gastric-style’ digestive system which is not adapted to handle high nitrogen diets like sheep and cattle.

White Clover CHH had analysed:
Nitrogen: 4.7%DM, when horses need closer to 1%, Crude Protein was 29% when horses need around 12%.
Dry Matter: 14.8% of which 28.4% was fibre – a mere 4.2% - VERY unsuitable for horses.
** Reference: NRC Mineral Tolerance of Animals 2005

For help with your horse in your situation please contact us via the Enquiry Form: https://www.wixforms.com/f/7424581212632515616

12/08/2026

When Workable Adjustments Add up to a Big Difference

Mid July, Erin contacted us about her 7 year old TB Fancy, who had become easily agitated!

Over the previous 6 months he was easily agitated and more and more spooky, explosive, herd-bound, anxious, plus he seemed to have ‘sacro-iliac’ issues.

He was anxious, head-shaking (when stressed), unpredictable, very itchy on his neck, shoulders, face and dock, and had a weepy eye.

Erin had his teeth, saddle, body checked by osteo, and put him on various supplements - nothing was making any difference.

This was because the real problem was the long, lush mix of rye, with heaps of clover, kikuyu, paspalum & cocksfoot he was grazing!
This was rented grazing which meant getting him completely off that grass wasn’t possible.

Erin looked at what she COULD do.
Luckily there was an option to graze with the other group of horses who went onto paddocks AFTER the main group had grazed it down.
Although not ideal, this move meant he was consuming LESS unsuitable forage AND was eating HAY every day.

GrazeEzy was introduced his XtraCal was doubled.

Within 3 weeks: - “Just thought I'd send you a quick update. We are I think 2 and a half weeks into the supplements and in the restricted grass herd and he has gone completely back to his normal cool and calm self!

He's been improving each day with his attitude, itchiness, weepy eye and behaviour while ridden”.

A great example of how some simple changes to his management and daily feed made all the difference!

For guidance with making improvements to your horse’s management please contact us via the Enquiry Form.
Here is the link: https://www.wixforms.com/f/7424581212632515616

08/08/2026

1. WHY DOES pH MATTER?

Because the horse’s physiology only functions as it should when the pH of blood and body fluids is maintained at 7.365 – very slightly alkaline.

Because potassium is a positively charged ion and is so abundant in the horse’s diet, we need to be mindful of our horse’s TOTAL potassium intake.

Self-regulating mechanisms in the bloodstream work constantly to maintain an EQUAL number of POSITIVELY charged ions as NEGATIVELY charged ones – a state of ‘Electrical neutrality’ which is a neutral pH (7). This is the state of equilibrium required for normal nerve function.

Immature green grass is high (2-4%) in potassium and therefore has an alkalizing effect on the horse’s blood and body fluids.

When you analyse this forage, the DCAD – the Dietary Cation (+ve) Anion (-ve) Difference is high. This is reflected in a higher than normal urine pH.

Because of the emphasis on sugars and starches this is not deemed to matter, so unfortunately minerals & DCAD are often not requested in Forage Analyses.

High internal pH disturbs calcium levels in the blood - this is serious because calcium ions are responsible for ‘CONTROLLING THE EXCITABILITY OF NEURONS’.

In our CHH experience over many years, we have consistently observed that the vast majority of pasture-fed horses, including those with laminitis or head-flicking have a high urine pH. Only a very small proportion of horses show acidic (8). Urine pH reflects internal pH of blood and body fluids.

The body goes into ‘panic mode’ in order to correct pH – when insufficient ‘buffer’, in this case negatively charged minerals, are available, the lungs kick into gear to lower blood pH by slowing down breathing – an over-looked cause of respiratory issues.

The horses’ daily requirement for potassium is around 25-40g per day. When out grazing green grass containing 2-4% potassium, daily intake can easily exceed hundreds of grams.

The horses’ kidneys are very efficient at excreting this excess potassium. The lungs play an important role too but in situations where horses graze green pastures all year round, they never get on top of it.

Think of it this way: - you cannot empty a swimming pool out one end while the hose is running in at the other end.

Over time the horse's compensatory mechanisms tire out and acid-base imbalances develop. Another way of saying 'the metabolism copes until it doesn't'.

When there is a dry spell, or a drought, and the grass dries off, potassium levels drop right down, the compensatory mechanisms get a rest and EVERYBODY notices their horses are so much calmer, and that they move and behave so much better.

The metabolism of the feral horse gets such a rest every long, hard winter when food becomes scarce for 4-6 months.

HOW TO BE MINDFUL OF POTASSIUM INTAKE – to prevent unnecessary stress on their metabolism with chronically high levels.

- Be aware that when your horse’s predominant forage consists of short or immature green grass, his metabolism is already in overload.

BEST NOT TO ADD more high potassium forages and feeds:

-Lucerne/alfalfa, clover hay, soy-bean meal, copra, herbs, molasses, sea-weeds/kelp. All have potassium levels of 2% or over.

INSTEAD CHOOSE FROM the following items where potassium levels are closer to 1%**:

-Plain grass hay, late-cut for horses with issues, linseed/flaxseed, chia, sunflower seeds, hulls, husks, grains (except for EMS, laminitis)
-Always add salt to feeds instead of relying on a salt lick.

Then you are making it easy for the horse to keep his pH where it should be - at 7.365.

Litmus strips for testing urine pH are available from Amazon or some pharmacies, Animates aquarium section, or can be supplied FOC with NZ website orders of GrazeEzy if you make a note with your order.

**NRC Mineral Tolerances of Animals 2nd Revised Edition

For help to check if your horse’s diet has an acceptable potassium content please contact us via the Enquiry Form so we have all the info needed.
Here is the link: https://www.wixforms.com/f/7424581212632515616

03/08/2026

Hind-gut Acidosis?? Or not...

While we are on the subject of the internal environment of the intestinal tract….

In the last post we talked about the role of the Vagus nerve in maintaining optimal gut motility and how changes to the rate of passage of the food alter the internal environment of the digestive tract and affect the resident microbial populations.

Another critical aspect is the effect of the horse’s forage on the pH of the hind-gut environment. It is critical that the pH of body fluids be maintained within a very narrow range to permit normal function of the horse’s metabolism. (A pH reading of 7 indicates neutral whereas values below 7 are considered acidic and those above 7 are referred to as ‘basic’ or ‘alkaline’).

Hind-gut microbes work best when the pH of their environment, remains close to 6.7 (slightly acidic).

However the pH of the hind-gut environment is prone to varying with the type and quantity of feed (as does urine pH).

It is common knowledge that the over-feeding of sugars, carbs and starches, can cause a significant drop in the pH of the hind-gut, resulting in ‘hind-gut acidosis’.

The hind-gut environment of stabled, grain-fed performance horses can easily slip into a more acidic state. Since owners these days are very ‘sugar and starch conscious’, the over-feeding of these items is not common in recreational horses.

While sugars and carbs have an ‘acidifying’ effect, immature, green grasses and legumes like lucerne/clovers have an ‘alkaliing’ effect.

We have consistently observed that when manure goes soft or ‘sloppy’, often coinciding with a surge of grass growth, on checking the manure pH it is quite HIGH. As in this example when little Star in the photo managed to do the ‘commando belly-crawl’ under the fence one night and escape out onto green forage!

The other recent example is the high pH of the Faecal Water when Priya had FWS. (See Post June 30th)

Predictably Star’s manure went ‘sloppy’ very quickly. You can see the pH of the manure shows no sign of acidosis, it is in fact the other way – it is somewhere between 8-9 which is too alkaline.

After two days back on his hay forage, Star’s faecal pH had dropped back down to what it should be – close to 7 and his manures had firmed up.

More about the cause and why it matters, coming up.

If you would like suggestions to help prevent issues coming up from Spring and Autumn grass please contact us via the Enquiry Form.

Here is the link: https://www.wixforms.com/f/7424581212632515616

29/07/2026

An Overlooked Aspect of Digestion – The Vagus Nerve

Most horse owners know that a healthy gut is essential.
With spring just around the corner, and Autumn in the UK, digestive problems are on the doorstep - loose manure, faecal water, bloating, loud gut noises, diarrhea and even colic.

Many people reach for prebiotics and probiotics to support the gut flora. This is good thinking as they can certainly help... but only when the gut provides a healthy environment for those microbes to live in.

One of the most overlooked factors is the vagus nerve.

This is one of the body's major nerves. It links the brain and the digestive tract, helping control digestion, gut motility, heart rate, breathing and even inflammation. Being part of the autonomic nervous system, it also plays an important role in how horses cope with stress and pressure.

So what upsets the vagus nerve?

Two common nutritional problems:

1. Deficiencies of Vitamins from lack of fibre for fermentation
The microbes in the hindgut rely on a constant stream of fibre. As they ferment it, they produce B vitamins that enable nerve cells and every other cell in the body to produce energy.

Lack of energy leaves the vagus nerve 'only running on 2 cylinders instead of 4' and the smooth muscles of the digestive tract become sluggish, failing to push the food through at the right rate, causing over-fermentation and the commonly heard 'loud gut noises'. Thereby changing the internal environment (the soup’) in which the microbes reside.

2. Pasture mineral imbalances
Lush pasture can create imbalances in minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and chloride. Keeping these minerals in equilibrium is essential for normal nerve and muscle function, including the muscles that keep the digestive tract moving the way it should.

Disturbances to electrolyte balances can cause spasms and abdominal discomfort.

Things you can do – any small improvements add up to a better result

Feed the horse in a way that supports the vagus nerve and creates the best possible environment for microbial populations:

• Make sure high-fibre forage dominates your horse’s diet – mature grass or hay.
• Have a ‘long rotation’ for horse paddocks so grass is always as mature as possible.
• Make your own hay where practical
• Do what you can to reduce lush grass intake and increase hay.
• Add extra fibre to daily feeds with chaff and other high fibre options.
• Add salt to feeds – sodium is lacking in all forage
• Make sure your daily multi vit & min supplement does contain ALL the B Vitamins
• Use tracks or dry lots where appropriate.
• Minimise forage restriction eg grazing muzzles as these severely reduce fibre intake. Make sure the horse gets plenty of hay the rest of the day.

When the digestive tract functions properly, the gut microbes are happy, digestion improves, and horses are calmer, healthier and more resilient.

If you'd like help preparing your horse for the spring grass in NZ or Australia or autumn grass in the UK, feel free to contact us via our Enquiry Form.
Here is the link: https://www.wixforms.com/f/7424581212632515616

22/07/2026

CHAFF – for horses with Grass-Related Issues

There are some innovative, excellent chaff options available these days.
They add variety to the horse’s diet and increase palatability.

MOST are suitable for MOST horses but not always for horses with GRASS-RELATED issues.
Here is some information to help you choose.

Chaff is a beneficial component of daily feeds because it:

- adds all important fibre to the diet
- ensures all feed items are properly chewed especially those already ground up like beet, mashes, crushed/micronized linseed, copra, rice bran
- bolsters saliva production which buffers gastric juices keeping them at optimum acidity.
- dilutes concentrates thereby slowing down their ingestion and digestion

The only time chaff isn’t ideal is when horses have poor dentition, usually elderly horses. We don’t want them swallowing pieces that haven’t been thoroughly masticated.

WHAT SORT OF CHAFF IS BEST FOR YOUR HORSE?

This depends on how his metabolism is coping, ie whether he has any grass-related issues. If he does, then consider the following:

LUCERNE CHAFF

While lucerne chaff is fine for horses WITHOUT any grass-related issues, avoid lucerne chaff when there are issues.
When there is short or lush GREEN grass, especially cool season grasses (rye, timothy, cocksfoot, bromes) and especially when there is also clovers present you know their metabolism is already in potassium and nitrogen over-load. Best choose a NON-GREEN grass or cereal chaff which is low in these nutrients.

What about when they have ulcers? – there are alternative ways to buffer stomach acid which don’t add to the load on the horse’s metabolism with more potassium and nitrogen (eg SOS and/or the acidbuf in GrazeEzy).

MIXED GRASS CHAFFS

Here in NZ we have ‘Meadow’ chaff. Be aware the word ‘Meadow’ is a very broad term. It basically means ‘whatever was in the paddock at the time’ and therefore could contain anything including clover. The presence of clover will make a difference to sensitive horses.

Some brands actually say on the bag that they contain red clover and other legumes. Avoid these for horses ‘with grass-related issues’ as this chaff will be higher in potassium and nitrogen and add to their metabolic load.

Colour is indicative - ‘Meadow’ chaff that is gold/pale green in colour will be OK.

TIMOTHY chaff is not necessarily suited for EMS, laminitis prone horses/ponies. We had some analysed and NSCs were 27% which is up there with oaten chaff.
Cereal chaffs (oaten or wheaten) are reliable because we KNOW THERE IS NO CLOVER in there.

CEREAL CHAFFS

Are much lower in potassium and nitrogen than lucerne or grass chaffs so suit horses with grass-related issues.

For EMS, laminitis prone horses and ponies choose OAT STRAW chaff where possible – it is the most ideal and is oat free so much lower NSCs than Oaten or Grass Chaffs.

OATEN chaff is ideal for most horses including those with issues eg Head-Shaking or gait abnormalities. Oaten chaff is high NSC’s (around 25%) but the oats don’t make a difference to these horses and they enjoy it.

WHEATEN chaff is readily available in Australia and makes a great option for horses with grass-related issues including EMS & Laminitis prone individuals.

There are some excellent Chaff mixes available – choose one that suits your horse’s metabolism.

For help with your horse in your situation contact us via the Enquiry Form so we have all the info needed.
Here is the link: https://www.wixforms.com/f/7424581212632515616

14/07/2026

Simple changes turned around a ‘difficult’ horse like Mr Darcy

A good example of how the ‘forage and feed’ were the problem – not the horse!

"Mr Darcy had a few homes with varying degrees of success and unsuccess before he reached me at 6 years old.

I wasn't in the market for a horse after 12 years out of the saddle but Mr Darcy was in the market for his human, I fell for it.

He's been through waves of being an ok but green OTTB to ride too - to be perfectly frank I thought back then he was a dog with some dirty tricks, reactive with extreme moods, and this was despite chiropractors, ulcer treatment.. etc etc.

The final straw -

Here I was sitting on the ground with a cracked helmet after the 13th dumping in 2.5 years - it was time to make some big calls.

I called the vet and we thoroughly x-rayed, ultra-sounded and lameness checked.

Nerve blocks were deemed unsafe by his vet because he was such a reactive horse. We found a tight hip on flexion... that's all!

Looking back at the times when Darcy had been reasonable were when he was on limited grass but he would still spin out!

I called Jenny

If I'm going to try ‘no grass’ I need a pro.

The next day Jenny arrived, met Mr Darcy, checked his hay and chose a clover-free, old grass paddock and talked about a potential spring paddock plan.

NO GREEN GRASS... Just hay and Jenny's simple feed regime and few products, "trust me" she said he'll be great.

Well I had nothing to lose and somehow had to find a nerve or two to get back on him at some stage....

Three weeks later I have THE horse I had a gut feeling I had all along but he was never this happy, playful and loving.

Now I'm out trail riding, doing rivers, hills, farmland and beaches!

He plays, his confidence is growing, he is sound and his movement is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

His attitude is positive no matter what we do, ask of him or what day of the week it is.

He is easy to handle and turning out to be quite the comedian and water baby.

The joy has returned better than I’d ever hoped for.

He looks fantastic too and to be honest I still can't work out how this seems so simple, non-costly and effective.

Mr Darcy's world has changed forever, here's to more adventures with my buddy."

Thankyou Charlotte for sharing!

For help with your horse please contact us via the Enquiry Form so we have all the info needed.
Here is the link: https://www.wixforms.com/f/7424581212632515616

Calm Healthy Horses

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