Director's Message - Spring 2020
Director's Message
Modern equine management approaches have largely removed horses from their natural routines of grazing and foraging for food over many hours. Grain and supplements are widely available, and equine diets are not always balanced, despite the best of intentions. In addition, horses are living longer, resulting in an ageing equine population that has its own unique dietary requirements.
It is in every equestrian’s best interest to have a basic understanding of equine nutrition and be able to identify sources of essential vitamins and minerals in a horse’s diet. Dietary deficiencies and excesses can both cause health issues and affect performance. This becomes even more important for the care and management of horses with disorders such as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM).
In this issue of the Horse Report, we collaborated with Dr. Emily Berryhill, an assistant professor of equine internal medicine at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and Summit Equine Nutrition’s Dr. Clair Thunes, a UC Davis alumnus and equine nutritionist, to provide perspectives on important topics in equine nutrition. These include how to feed pregnant mares to prevent selenium deficiency in foals, a look into common endocrine disorders, and information on dietary management for horses with neuromuscular diseases. You can also test your knowledge of equine nutrition in our “10 Things You Might Not Know About Equine Nutrition” feature.
Equine nutrition is a broad subject and these topics are only the tip of the iceberg. We hope that this issue inspires you to learn more about properly balancing your horses’ diets. Be sure to work with your veterinarian and/or equine nutritionist to formulate diets appropriate for your horses’ needs to keep them feeling and performing their best!
Carrie J. Finno, DVM, Ph.D.
CEH Director
Thanks to Our Collaborators
The Horse Report is a collaborative effort and we are grateful to our colleagues for sharing their expertise to ensure the most up-to-date information.
Dr. Emily Berryhill - Dr. Berryhill earned her DVM at UC Davis, where she also completed a large animal internal medicine residency. She is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and is currently an assistant professor in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Berryhill’s research focuses on equine oncology and endocrinology.
Dr. Clair Thunes - Dr. Thunes earned her MS in Animal Science and PhD in Nutrition at UC Davis. She owns and operates Summit Equine Nutrition where she works with a wide range of horses from many disciplines. She is a sought after speaker and published author on many topics related to equine nutrition.