Equine Balanced Support

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Equine Balanced Support

Transform your horse's health with exercise & nutrition!

12/29/2025

🎊🎉Happy birthday to everyone celebrating this week🎉🎊

12/28/2025

Check out this weeks best sellers!

12/28/2025

The Role of the Hindgut Microbiome in Producing B Vitamins

Unlike some species, horses possess a complex hindgut (cecum and colon) filled with a diverse community of microorganisms capable of fermenting fiber-rich feed. This microbial fermentation does more than produce energy-rich volatile fatty acids — it also synthesizes many B vitamins, such as riboflavin, niacin, biotin, folate (B9), B6, and B12. A healthy hindgut microbiome can therefore meet a significant portion of a horse’s daily B‑vitamin needs.

This system depends heavily on stable gut health. When the hindgut microbes thrive — supported by a forage‑rich, high‑fiber diet and proper feeding management — B‑vitamin production tends to be sufficient. However, disruptions such as abrupt dietary shifts, excessive starch or concentrate feeding, gastrointestinal disturbances, antibiotic use, or stress can disturb microbial balance. When that happens, natural B‑vitamin synthesis may drop, potentially leading to subclinical deficiencies.

Given that B vitamins are water‑soluble and not stored for long, compromised microbial production can leave the horse rapidly dependent on dietary intake. For horses with intense workloads, frequent stress (transport, competition), or digestive challenges, ensuring gut health — and thus B‑vitamin production — becomes a cornerstone of nutritional strategy. In such cases, supplementation may provide a safety net, particularly when forage quality is poor or microbial function is impaired.

12/27/2025

✨ Is your horse getting enough Vitamin E?
Most hay-fed horses aren’t — and that matters more than you might think.

Daily Natural Vitamin E from Equine Balanced Support is bioavailable, potent, and trusted by veterinarians to support:
💪 Muscle function
🧠 Nerve health
🛡️ Immune response

Formulated with d-alpha-tocopherol acetate (the natural form of vitamin E), it’s up to 2x more absorbable than synthetic versions — and ideal for horses on hay-based, pelleted, or confined diets.

Your horse deserves more than “maintenance.”
Let’s feed them for thriving.

📥 Check the comments for more info and where to get it.

12/27/2025

🐴 Is your horse getting the right type of forage?
Feeding a horse isn't just about weight—it's about fiber length!

Learn how to balance long-stem and short-stem forage for optimal health. 🌾🩺

Is Long-Stem Forage or Short-Stem Forage Better for My Horse?

Forages are a vital part of a horse's diet, providing fiber for digestive health. Forages are classified into two categories: long-stem and short-stem. Each type offers distinct advantages.

Long-stem forage, such as hay and pasture grass, comprises longer fibers that encourage chewing and saliva production. This helps maintain proper gut function and reduces the risk of colic or ulcers. Long-stem forages mimic a horse's natural grazing behavior, keeping them occupied and relieving boredom.

Short-stem forage, like hay cubes and pellets, offers similar nutrients but shorter fiber lengths. These are easier to chew and can be a practical option for horses with dental issues or older horses who struggle with traditional hay. However, short-stem forages do not stimulate as much chewing or saliva production, which can impact digestive health over time.

How Much Forage Should a Horse Have Each Day?

Horses should consume at least 1.5% of their body weight in fiber daily, mostly from long-stem sources when possible; there are exceptions for specific health conditions. For a 1,000-pound horse, this equates to 15 pounds of forage per day. By prioritizing long-stem forage, you'll support physical and behavioral health, while short-stem options can be a valuable supplement for horses with special needs.

Striking the right balance ensures your horse thrives, both nutritionally and mentally.

12/27/2025

Grooming Reduces the Risk of Skin Conditions and Parasites

Horses are susceptible to a variety of skin conditions, irritations, and external parasites — particularly in environments where dirt, moisture, or pests are present. Regular grooming helps mitigate these risks in several ways. First, by removing dirt, mud, sweat, old hair, and debris, grooming reduces the moisture and grime that create an ideal environment for fungal or bacterial skin infections, such as rain‑scald, mud fever, or dermatitis.

Second, grooming removes or discourages external parasites. By brushing or using a curry comb, ticks, lice, mites, and other pests are dislodged or prevented from burrowing deeply into the coat and skin. This reduces itching, irritation, and risk of parasite‑borne skin diseases.

Third, regular inspection of skin and coat during grooming provides early detection of any areas of concern — hot spots, bald patches, scabs, bumps, or unusual hair loss — allowing prompt intervention before problems worsen.

Overall, grooming acts as a foundational preventive health care measure — keeping the skin and coat clean, reducing parasite load, and lowering disease risk through early detection and proper hygiene.

12/26/2025

Piloerection: Active Control of Insulation in Horses

Piloerection is the horse's ability to raise the hairs of its coat to adjust insulation in real-time. This physiological process is controlled by tiny muscles called arrector pili at the base of each hair follicle. When activated — often in response to cold temperatures or sudden gusts of wind — these muscles contract, causing the hairs to stand upright. The result is an increase in coat "loft," enhancing the thickness and air-trapping capacity of the coat and thereby boosting its insulating value.

This adaptation allows the horse to respond flexibly to changing weather conditions. Even without growing a thicker coat, a horse can increase its insulation on demand by erecting its existing hair. This is particularly important during sudden cold snaps or when wind chill makes the ambient conditions colder than the thermometer indicates.

However, this mechanism only works effectively if the coat is dry and clean. Wet or matted hair collapses, preventing loft and diminishing the coat's ability to trap warm air. For this reason, blanket use in wet weather or after exercise (when horses sweat) can be critical in protecting thermoregulation.

Though under-discussed, piloerection is a powerful, dynamic adaptation, especially when combined with a thick winter coat. It allows horses to fine-tune their heat retention with little to no energy cost, a vital advantage for grazing animals in open environments.

12/25/2025

Christmas Day at the barn 🤍

The pace slows.
The barn feels softer.
The care continues—just a little more gently.

Today isn’t about doing more.
It’s about tending to what matters.

The animals who rely on us.
The people who stand beside us.
The small moments that often get overlooked in the busy seasons.

A shared cup of coffee.
A peaceful check down the aisle.
A reminder that showing up—consistently and with care—is enough.

Wherever this day finds you, we hope it brings moments of rest, connection, and quiet gratitude.

Merry Christmas from our barn family to yours. 🤍

What’s one small thing that made today feel meaningful for you?

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393 Mt Eve Road
Goshen, NY
10924

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+18456494720

Website

https://equinebalancedsupport.com/

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