Author: Jelena Woehr

Most horses can safely eat small amounts of grapes as an occasional treat.  “A few grapes won’t harm a horse, but they are sugary and could be a problem for horses sensitive to sugar,” says Merle DerVartanian, DVM, of Conejo Valley Equine in Thousand Oaks, California.  The best way to feed grapes to horses is by offering fresh, washed grapes cut into small pieces. Processed grape products, like jelly, juice, and raisins, generally contain added sugar and are a less healthful choice for horses than fresh grapes. ,A handful of cold grapes makes a tasty, antioxidant-packed snack after a riding lesson, especially in the summer heat. But can horses eat grapes too? The short answer is yes, in moderation—but fruits should only be fed as treats, never as a primary component of a horse’s diet or as a replacement for forage.   Before introducing any new food into your horse’s diet, always check with your veterinarian.  

If you’ve ever cared for a horse with thrush, you can probably smell it as you read this; the foul odor of a thrushy hoof is unforgettable. Even worse, thrush infections can cause lameness in horses if left untreated.   Thrush develops rapidly in moist conditions. That’s why most equestrians keep a bottle of their favorite thrush remedy on hand at all times. To banish thrush from your barn for good, though, you’ll need to focus on environment and hygiene, not just topical treatment.   To learn more about thrush prevention, care, and treatment, we spoke with Natalie Lord, DVM, a large- and small-animal veterinarian at Four Paws – Cuatro Patas in Austin, Texas, and Karin Floyd Jones, a Tucson, Arizona-based barefoot trimmer at TLC Hoof Trimming. 

Q: My horse sacks out flat on his side and sleeps so soundly I’ve had neighbors knock on the door to ask if he’s OK! Is it normal for a horse to lie down in the middle of the day?   A: Yes, this is probably normal. Sleep deprivation is more concerning than excessive sleeping in horses. If your horse lies down and gets up repeatedly, appearing uncomfortable, assess them for other colic symptoms. But routine naps are generally nothing to worry about—it just means your horse feels safe!  To learn more about when and why horses lie down, we spoke with Katherine Houpt, VMD, PhD, professor emeritus of behavior medicine at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York; and Natalie Lord, DVM, a large and small animal veterinarian at Four Paws – Cuatro Patas, in Austin, Texas. 

Jump to section Traditional Horse Mane Braids Fun Horse Mane Braids Tools for Horse Mane Braiding

As herbivores, horses primarily eat forage like grass and hay, but how much hay does a horse eat? A number of variables, including age, workload, and the type of hay, can affect how much hay your horse should eat.

Hoof boots for horses are an increasingly popular way to protect horses’ hooves, either when riding or around the clock. From competitive endurance horses to pasture pals recovering from laminitis, many horses stand to benefit from a set of well-fitted hoof boots.

Dr. Houpt says it’s important to make sure you’re actually observing cribbing before deciding how to address it.   “Cribbing is when the horse grasps something with its teeth, arches its neck, and aspirates air,” Dr. Houpt says. “Wood chewing is not cribbing. Wood chewing is when your wooden fences gradually disappear.”  Cribbing in horses is a stereotypy or stereotyped behavior. However, this isn’t the same thing as a stereotype in the context of human social groups. In behavioral science, a “stereotypy” is a behavior that is repeated over and over, with no apparent adaptive benefit to the person or animal repeating it. Common stereotypies in horses are pacing, weaving, and, of course, cribbing.  Cribbing affects 2–10% of domestic horses and is rarely seen in wild horses, suggesting it’s linked to how we manage them. ,Q: I’m a novice rider considering adopting a retired racehorse who is a “cribber.” He bites down on the edge of a fence or his stall door, then leans back while making a grunting noise, like he’s gulping air. Some of my friends say they would never own a cribber. Is horse cribbing normal behavior or a serious problem?   A: Cribbing, also called “windsucking” or “crib-biting” in horses, is common, but it’s not normal and can be harmful to the horse. The good news is that lifestyle changes and behavior management may help your horse feel better and crib less.  To learn more about cribbing in horses, we spoke to practicing equine veterinarian Richard L. Stevens, DVM, of Conejo Valley Equine in Thousand Oaks, California; Grey Parks, MS, equine nutritionist at ProTrition in La Vergne, Tennessee; and researcher and animal behavior textbook author Katherine Houpt, VMD, PhD, professor emeritus in behavior medicine at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, who led several studies of cribbing in horses. 

Jump to section Different Face Markings on a Horse How To Make Your Horse’s Face Marking Pop