Tom Schell

whole oats.jpg

Cleaning Up the Equine Diet; Going Natural

1 Comment / Equine Articles / By

The equine diet has become quite complex over the past 10 or so years.  Specialty feeds, complex supplements and other regimens have become the ‘normal’ for most horses, especially those in the competition arena.  On the same side of the coin, we also have an apparent rise in equine health conditions ranging from injuries and joint disease, to metabolic concerns and laminitis.  Considering this, one would have to ask whether if our current approaches are helping or more so hindering our progress?

Cleaning Up the Equine Diet; Going Natural Read More »

The Equine Diet and Picky Eaters; Thoughts and Concerns

Leave a Comment / Equine Articles / By

One of my major concerns, as a veterinarian and researcher, is the inflammatory process and how it can dictate health and soundness.  This process is complex, involving many contributors, but diet is a major player.  As we investigate further the impact of gastrointestinal health on overall health and soundness, certain things begin to fall into place and become more obvious. The first item is diet, what we are feeding and how we define this. The second item of concern is the picky eater, which more than likely we have all encountered at one time or another.  Many owners feel this ‘pickiness’ is often ‘cute’ or a trait for a particular horse….but is there more to it?  Is this actually a symptom or sign of something larger?

The Equine Diet and Picky Eaters; Thoughts and Concerns Read More »

Equine Gastric Ulcers; A new approach for an old problem

Leave a Comment / Equine Articles / By

Stomach ulcers in horses are quite common, actually becoming more of a problem that in the past for our equine patients.  It has been estimated that upwards of 80% of all horses, including sedentary and those in training, exhibit gastric ulcers but not all are clinically evident.  In some studies, it has been demonstrated that just by moving a horse into a barn or training facility, the incidence of stomach ulcers increases beyond 80% and upwards to almost 100%.  Some cases of ulcers are obvious with typical clinical signs, while others are more ‘quiet’ in nature and often only diagnosed incidentally.  The sad part is that for many of these horses, they live a life on constant medications to control the clinical symptoms, which not only is not solving the problem but also costing the owner money and even, based on some studies, potentially inflicting harm.  We need to dig deeper to find better ways of managing this problem.

Equine Gastric Ulcers; A new approach for an old problem Read More »

To Breathe Or Not To Breathe; COPD & I.A.D.

2 Comments / Equine Articles / By

One of the most common equine health conditions impacting the performance horse involves the respiratory tract.  Inhalation of oxygen is vital for energy production and overall cellular health, but in manty equine athletes, they struggle to move air in and out, resulting in decreased performance and quality of life. As horse owners, we rely on pharmaceutical medications such as steroids and bronchodilators, but despite their use, we continue to struggle to gain results and improve life for our equine companions.

To Breathe Or Not To Breathe; COPD & I.A.D. Read More »

Lyme, Anaplasmosis, EPM in the Horse: Relapses, Thoughts and Theories

Leave a Comment / Equine Articles / By

The opposite of health is disease and in the horse, we have many chronic and likewise frustrating health conditions.  Many include lameness as a result of direct joint or soft tissue damage, which continue to inflict pain and lameness on the patient as a normal course of the condition.  In other cases, we deal with the increasing incidence of Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis and EPM, which in an of themselves can be frustrating due to the often high recurrence rate in certain patient groups.  Given this group of chronic diseases, which often come with hefty ongoing medical costs and variable outcomes, we need to step back and really evaluate the conditions and how the patient is responding if we are to come up with better solutions.

Lyme, Anaplasmosis, EPM in the Horse: Relapses, Thoughts and Theories Read More »

Top 5 Equine Conditions that Benefit from Cur-OST

Leave a Comment / Equine Articles / By

The horse is a complex creature, subject to many of the same constraints that we put on ourselves, which in the end impacts their health and performance. Each horse is unique in their personality and constitution, which plays a major role in the exact contributors to their particular health and lameness concerns.  Diet, environment, stress, conformation and other influences each play a part, but in most health conditions, we do have one common denominator, which is inflammation.  In most, the inflammatory response is over expressed and if efforts are put into the equation to balance that response, then health and soundness can be easier to obtain.

Top 5 Equine Conditions that Benefit from Cur-OST Read More »

Stocking Up and Cellulitis in the Horse; A Pain in the Leg

1 Comment / Equine Articles / By

Stocking up is a familiar term to many horse owners and often is used to refer to a horse that exhibits leg swelling.  The exact cause of the swelling can be variable and with this, so can the prescribed treatment course.  The more we understand, often the better we can assist these patients, but it is a complicated problem in the equine industry.

Stocking Up and Cellulitis in the Horse; A Pain in the Leg Read More »

IMG00645.jpg

Disease; Cause or Effect, Acquired or Created

Leave a Comment / Equine Articles / By

Happiness and an end to suffering.  That is the goal for almost all of mankind.  We want it, crave it and desire it on many levels.  Disease occurs on many levels and impacts all of us either directly or indirectly.  The perception of that disease, whether if it affects us our pets or our horses, can vary from person to person.  One may say it is acquired or there is a genetic predisposition to that condition.  On the other side of the coin, another person may say the disease is a reflection of our environment, diet and other factors…essentially implying we created it.  It is all relative, in my opinion, but one thing is for certain and that is that with a complete understanding of what is occurring, we stand a better chance of prevention as well as management.

Disease; Cause or Effect, Acquired or Created Read More »

Carbohydrates; Intakes & Considerations in the Horse

Leave a Comment / Equine Articles / By

When we think of carbohydrates, we think sugar and we also think energy, as the two are often interconnected.  We all need energy and our equine companions are no different, thus carbohydrates are an essential part of the diet, but in excess and dependent on the form ingested, problems can develop and impact overall health.  In order to gain a better understanding of carbohydrates and feeding in the horse, we have to understand some basic principles. Utilized properly, carbohydrates can be a useful means of gaining and sustaining energy needs for every horse.

Carbohydrates; Intakes & Considerations in the Horse Read More »

Fats; Intake & Considerations in the Horse

Leave a Comment / Equine Articles / By

When we think of fats in the horse’s diet, the first few things that come to mind are to improve the shine in a hair coat or to put weight on a horse in need. Although these are both true, there is much more to fats that what meets the eye and thus, a better understanding is needed.  Fats are valuable sources of energy and calories, but there are potentials downfalls as they impact health on many levels, and not every horse is in need.

Fats; Intake & Considerations in the Horse Read More »