Simply Horses

Simply Horses All things horses; educational, amusement, trivia, news, etc. Past President, Horsemen's Council of Illinois. Distinguished Service, Equine Science Society.

Fellow, Equine Science Society. Outstanding Scholar, Southern Illinois University. Past Board Member, BestHorsePractices Summit.

Results of research directed at monitoring indicators of stress/anxiety in horses administered different concentrations ...
05/27/2025

Results of research directed at monitoring indicators of stress/anxiety in horses administered different concentrations of CBD showed no changes. Repeating . . . using CBD as a calmative agent is not supported by scientific evidence.
There are research results suggesting that CBD may help to mitigate chronic pain from arthritis, but this research should be considered at its earliest stages.
Storefronts and online retailers of CBD products aimed at humans have quickly populated the landscape, creating a buyer-beware market where concentration, consistency, and quality of the products are not well regulated and/or enforced in many states (The FDA has approved only one CBD-based drug, Epidiolex, for the treatment of certain seizure disorders. Because CBD is an active ingredient in an approved drug, the FDA prohibits its addition to food and dietary supplements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Individual states, however, have enacted their own laws regarding CBD. Some states allow the sale of CBD-infused foods and supplements, while others have imposed restrictions or bans).
It should come as little surprise to any horseman that a plethora of equine CBD products exist on the nutraceutical market, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that CBD is not approved by the FDA for equine use.
The bioavailability, therapeutic dosage, and clearance dynamics of CBD in horses are unknown, although active investigations are ongoing. Based on a few horse studies and many more human investigations, it appears that the concentration and dosing instructions on many commercial equine CBD supplements deliver doses well below likely therapeutic levels - meaning that using over-the-counter nutraceutical CBD on your horse is a shot in the dark.
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI), Equestrian Canada, American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), Association of Racing Commissioners International (Standardbred racing), and The Jockey Club (Thoroughbred racing) prohibit CBD use in competition horses.
We all know that prohibition during competition does not mean abstention during non-competition periods. Again, CBD efficacy, clearance times, and biodynamics are unknown, but being a fat-soluble compound means that CBD is likely to remain detectable in urine and blood for a considerable period following the last dose.
Look it up:
Cunha, Felisardo, Salamanca, Marchioni, Neto, Chiocchetti. The use of cannabidiol as a novel treatment for oral stereotypic behaviour (crib-biting) in a horse. Vet Anim Sci. 2023 Feb 7;19:100289. doi: 10.1016/j.vas.2023.100289. PMID: 36824298; PMCID: PMC9941357.

Research done at SIUC found that horses on permanent pasture turnout spent 45% (about 11 hours) of their 24-hour day eat...
05/20/2025

Research done at SIUC found that horses on permanent pasture turnout spent 45% (about 11 hours) of their 24-hour day eating and an equal amount of their day either resting or moving around. Since a horse at liberty voluntarily stops eating, one would assume that they feel full at some point.
So many horse owners struggle with the piggy-pig-pigs that overeat. So far, our approach to their management is to find ways to thwart, or at least to slow down, their ability to munch.
But what if we could simply make them feel full? Interestingly, appetite control is not an area of study in equine science circles.

Research on the dynamics of Incretin hormones (like GLP-1 and GIP) released from the gut in response to carbohydrate intake in horses is in its infancy. GLP-1 antagonist drugs (the opposite of Semiglutide, Ozempic, etc.) might one day be a treatment for equine metabolic syndrome and insulin dysregulation-caused laminitis ,but science is many years away from possible implementation.
Stay Tuned.

Until we can teach a horse to use talk buttons to tell us how they feel, research on satiety will be difficult. The few studies to date have concentrated on reactions to feed composition and timing, using metabolic indicators such as Ghrelin and Leptin as measures of better or worse feeding methods (assuming high Ghrelin and Leptin indicate satiety or satisfaction).

If a horse walks away from its hay, or stops grazing, can we assume satiety? If we offer that same horse a special treat, will they still eat it or politely decline (i.e. ‘no thanks, I’m too full for dessert’)?

It can navigate really tough terrain, cross rivers, respond to subtle body weight shifts, and gallop at a maximum of abo...
04/11/2025

It can navigate really tough terrain, cross rivers, respond to subtle body weight shifts, and gallop at a maximum of about 50 mph.
Hmmm. So can a horse.
The difference/attraction? Corleo doesn't need to be fed, doesn't sleep, doesn't p**p, and as long as you have its hydrogen cells filled, doesn't tire.
OK, you have me there.
But does it smell like a horse, or return affection like a horse?
Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kf3655wcfo

While we’re on the subject, here’s a riff on ni***es and gender.As explained in the post below, the default genetic blue...
04/09/2025

While we’re on the subject, here’s a riff on ni***es and gender.

As explained in the post below, the default genetic blueprint for mammalian embryonic development is female (i.e. Eve came first). Male development in any species is stimulated by the action of testosterone at a critical stage of embryonic development. Normally, the SRY gene on the Y chromosome turns on the SOX9 gene (located on chromosome 23 in horses and chromosome 17 in humans – so it is present in both males and females), which oversees the creation of embryonic te**es. The te**es pump out testosterone and BAM! the embryo becomes male. So, creating a male mammal (SRY → SOX9 → te**es → testosterone → androgenization)
requires: a Y chromosome with a functional SRY gene, a functional SOX9 gene, and a body capable of responding appropriately to testosterone.

This means that a lack of testosterone release due to a missing or nonfunctional SRY gene, or a missing or dysfunctional SOX9 gene, or due to an inability of the embryo to respond to testosterone at the appropriate time in its development, are all ways in which a genetically male mammal with an XY chromosome complement can be born with all the external characteristics typical of a female.

Confused yet? Wait, there’s more.

The SRY gene that normally sits on the Y chromosome can sometimes be translocated onto one of the X chromosomes, resulting in a XX genetic female born with all the characteristics of a male. Also, since the SOX9 gene controlling te**is development (and present in the DNA of both sexes) requires activation by the SRY gene on the Y chromosome, if the SOX9 gene is missing in an XY embryo, this creates a female. Conversely, lack of the normal suppression of the SOX9 gene in an XX embryo results in an XX male.

All of these gender jumbles and more happen in humans. But do they also happen in horses? Yes, they do, and although it has not been reported in the scientific literature, I would conjecture that if SRY/SOX9 dysfunction caused an XY female horse, that horse would come with ni***es. Would an XX male horse come with or without ni***es? That little tidbit of trivia remains a mystery.

A horse's innate athletic ability is remarkable amongst the animal kingdom. Among all the many adaptations this species ...
03/29/2025

A horse's innate athletic ability is remarkable amongst the animal kingdom. Among all the many adaptations this species has made to support these abilities, one quite important one has just been uncovered.

Here is the study:
Running a genetic stop sign accelerates oxygen metabolism and energy production in horses. 27 March 2025, Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.adr8589

Imbalance of pressure across the leg/hoof leaves evidence. It affects way-of-going and long-term musculoskeletal health....
03/28/2025

Imbalance of pressure across the leg/hoof leaves evidence. It affects way-of-going and long-term musculoskeletal health. Nothing and no one is perfect, and this horse is no exception - (s)he has issues. Can you see them?

Training your eye to see imbalance and crookedness is not easy, but it can help you to help your horse lead a happier, healthier life.

Early spring is the popular purge-deworming time of year. Unfortunately, a scattershot, blind-faith approach to effectiv...
03/14/2025

Early spring is the popular purge-deworming time of year. Unfortunately, a scattershot, blind-faith approach to effective deworming is no longer viable. You need to get technical to determine a) if your horse(s) really needs deworming and b) if the product(s) you employ effectively attacks the problem you are targeting. That means f***l testing before deworming and at a precise interval afterward.

The reduced effectiveness of various dewormers means judicious use plus more vigilant stable management for parasite prevention.

If you must be careful about what you reach for in the FDA-proven chemical department, shouldn't you be as careful in the neutraceutical alternative department?

Here is the study to which this post refers:
Malsa, J., F. Reigner, M. Riou, A. Gesbert, F. Guegnard, N. Perrot, D. Serreau, G. Fleurance, and G. Salle. 2024. Evaluation of plant commercial feed additives for equine cyathostomin control. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science:105197.

The results of scientific surveys of horse owners regarding their feeding practices, and particularly their use of vario...
02/19/2025

The results of scientific surveys of horse owners regarding their feeding practices, and particularly their use of various nutritional supplements or nutraceuticals give us a good insight into several different aspects of applied human behavior as it relates to owning horses.
Here are three:
The Dunning-Kruger Effect describes the uninformed's tendency to overestimate their knowledge level (i.e. you don't know what you don't know).
The Bandwagon Effect refers to our habit of adopting certain behaviors or beliefs because many other people do the same.
Anchoring Bias describes the human tendency to rely heavily on the first piece of information we are given about a topic and to interpret newer information from the reference point of our anchor instead of seeing it objectively.
Many consumer industries rely on these human tendencies, including the equine supplement and nutraceutical industries.
Supplements and nutraceuticals do not fall under the purview of the FDA. There is no governmental requirement for proof of efficacy and purity. Passing FDA scrutiny for marketing a drug requires a lot of very expensive research and a huge investment of time. If the supplement industry were required to prove their product as safe and effective, there would be far fewer supplements on the market.
Consequently, even if you search for scientific proof of the efficacy of a supplement, you will typically find little rigorous scientific testing, and no watchdog agency ensures that what you buy contains what you think you are buying.
Couple this with inadequate knowledge of the subject matter, being influenced by what others do, and holding the first piece of information as the standard by which all else is measured and you can see that the seller definitely has the upper hand here.
Basically, as they say: 'you pays your money and you takes your chances'.
I have relayed the following piece of information before, but it bears repeating - the majority of Veterinary schools in the US do not require a comprehensive course in nutrition. Many vets learn what they know about nutrition from the same sources that horse owners learn of them.
Your most informed and knowledgeable source of equine nutritional and supplement information is an equine nutritionist (notice that this is the least consulted source).
References:
Veterinary Record Open (2016) 3(1)
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2017) 59:34-39
Irish Veterinary Journal (2018) 71:4
Journal of Animal Science (2022) 100 (Supl:3); 262

Wherever there is competition, there will be cheaters. This is just one example, and should not be used to condemn horse...
02/07/2025

Wherever there is competition, there will be cheaters. This is just one example, and should not be used to condemn horse racing.

A 24-hour behavior observation study that my research team completed many years ago saw this compensatory eating. Even w...
01/28/2025

A 24-hour behavior observation study that my research team completed many years ago saw this compensatory eating. Even when horses that were confined 12 hrs/day had hay in front of them all the time, when they were turned out to pasture - regardless of the time of day or night that occurred - they would spend significantly more time grazing than the horses on 24/7 pasture turnout.

Beware, I am debunking another crazy meme flying around the internet. I have been aware of this one and shoving it to th...
01/17/2025

Beware, I am debunking another crazy meme flying around the internet. I have been aware of this one and shoving it to the back burner for far too long (Thank you, Judy Levi, for moving it back to the front). Meanwhile, it has grown legs - not that my efforts could have prevented or even slowed this. The strongest misinformation is that which appeals to our emotions. By that measure, this one's a doozy.
Since I don't want to give these misinformation-memes further exposure on my FB page, you will find them (for reference) under the first comments section.
Experts on fighting disinformation say that using facts is not a terribly effective countermeasure. I find that very sad and extremely disturbing. Nonetheless, here I present the facts for you to ponder.
Let me be clear. I am not arguing that a human interacting with a horse does not experience lowered heart rate (they do) or higher heart rate variability (they do, and that is good), or lowered blood pressure (ditto), or report an increased feeling of calmness and wellbeing (this is well documented).
I am saying that the well documented positive physical and mental reactions to interacting with a horse are extremely unlikely to be caused by the comingling ('coherence' in the terms of HeartMath practitioners of 'Energy Medicine') of the minor electromagnetic fields generated by human and horse hearts. Furthermore, there is NO scientific proof – zero - zilch – nada – zippo – of this 'heart-to-heart' field convergence.
In the end, you can believe what you choose to believe. I believe we should resist pseudoscience, flimflam, misinformation and outright propaganda. It is bad now and it will only get worse with the advance of AI. Practice healthy skepticism or fall prey to all manner of manipulation.

Have a Great Day! Go hug a horse – it helps.

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