Stable: Equine Topic Links

I have read literally thousands of web pages on horse behavior, communication, nutrition and conditioning. Here are the best of the publications I've found...

Note: Some of these are technical, but most are usable by readers with some basic knowledge of animal biology, and some are usable by any horseman, regardless.

Behavior and Communication

What Is Your Horse Saying? (Cheryl Sutor -- Trainer/Instructor)
Quiet Leadership in the Herd (Jorene Downs CEOates Ranch)
Aggression in Horses (petplace.com)
Fear in Horses (petplace.com)
How Herding Instincts Affect Horses' Behavior (petplace.com)
Catch Me If You Can (petplace.com)
Comfortable Quarters for Horses in Research Institutions ()

Physiology, Nutrition and Exercise

Conformation

How to decide if your horse or prospect "measures up" - Horse Conformation Analysis (L.A. Lawrence, former Extension Equine Specialist, Washington State University Extension)

Conformation Clinic - Test your eye for conformation (Tim Finkenbinder, accredited judge with the American Quarter Horse Association, American Paint Horse Association, Palomino Horse Breeders of America and the National Snaffle Bit Association)

Images reflecting some specific comformation terms (Equiandalusian.com)

Reading X-Rays of the foot ("X-Rays, A Crystal Ball?") (thehorse.com)

Assess Your Horse's Condition

Is your horse to thin or too fat? Body Condition Scoring for Your Horse (Craig H. Wood, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Kentucky) (Chart - PDF (Get the reader))

Why monitor your horse's heart rate? (POLAR Equine Heart Monitors)

Monitoring Fitness of Horses by Heart Rate (Freeman, Topliff and Collier, Oklahoma State Cooperative Extension Service)

Improve your horse's condition

Scientific Principles for Conditioning Race and Performance Horses (P.G. Gibbsa, G.D. Potterb, B.D. Nielsenc, D.D. Householderd, and W. Moyere, Texas A&M) PDF (Get the reader)

What's the best way to feed your performance horse?

Feeding the Performance Horse (Larry Lawrence, Washington State University Extension) PDF (Get the reader)

Feeding the Performance Horse (Potter and Gibbs, Texas A&M Equine Science Program) PDF (Get the reader)

Feeding the Arena Performance Horse (Potter and Gibbs, Texas Cooperative Extension) PDF (Get the reader)

Carbohydrate Metabolism in Horses (18-Aug-2003, R. M. Hoffman, Department of Animal & Poultry Sciences,Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA) (Technical article)

Or any horse?

Feeding Management for Horse Owners (North Dakota State University) Includes weight by volume of common foods and a good description of horse digestion.

General Nutrition for Horses (Prince Regency Equine Products)

Nutritional Supplementation for Horses on Pasture in Virginia (C.A. Shea Porr, Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent, Loudoun County Office and K. Crandell, Superintendent, Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center)

Care for the Older Horse: Diet and Health (Sarah L. Ralston, VMD, Ph.D., dACVN, Department of Animal Science, Cook College, Rutgers University)

Your horse needs salt - why? And how do you solve the problem?

Dehydration and Electrolyte Losses in the Sport Horse (Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine)
Selenium

Selenium Toxicity (Dr Peter Gillespie. BVSc MACVS)

Effects of exercise on bones and joints in horses

Effects of Exercise on Bone Density, Growth Parameters and Biochemical Markers of Bone Metabolism in Yearling Quarter Horses (J.C. Henry, S.R Cooper, D.W. Freeman, and J.R. Kropp) (Technical article)

How does exercise intensity and type affect equine distal tarsal subchondral bone thickness?
(R. C. Murray,1 M. V. Branch,1 S. J. Dyson,1 T. D. H. Parkin,1 and A. E. Goodship, Journal of Applied Physiology) (Technical article)

Benefits (or lack therof) of supplements and other treatments

Effectiveness of Oral Joint Supplements (Veterinary Watch)

Oral Joint Supplements - Panacea or Fad? (Stephen Duren, Kentucky Equine Research, in Advances in Equine Nutrition III: V.3 By Joe D. Pagan, Kentucky Equine Research)

Absorption of Hyaluronic Acid in Horses (Serum Hyaluronic Acid Levels in the Horse After Oral and Intravenous Administration, Scott W. Pierce, DVM, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, PO Box 12070, Lexington, KY 40580) (Technical article)

Type of Hyaluronic Acid and Effects (Luke R. Bucci, Ph.D., CNS, CCN and Amy A. Turpin, M.Sc., JOURNAL OF APPLIED NUTRITION, VOLUME 54, NUMBER 1, 2004) (Technical article)

Absorption of Chondroitin Sulfate In Horses (PLASMA CONCENTRATION OF GLUCOSAMINE AND CHONDROITIN SULFATE IN HORSES FOLLOWING AN ORAL DOSE, A Thesis by COURTNEY ANN WELCH, Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE, December 2004) (Technical article)

Glucosamine vs. Glutamine in Horses (ORAL JOINT SUPPLEMENTS – DO THEY WORK?, Dr Peter Gillespie. BVSc MACVS) (Slightly Technical article)

Effectiveness and Dosages for Chondroitin and Glucosamine (Nutrient Requirements of Horses
By National Research Council (U. S.), National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Nutrient Requirements of Horses, National Research Council, Published by National Academies Press, 2007)

Hoof Dressings: What Studies Show (also at The Horse.com; Marcia King reporting on research by Ilka P. Wagner, DVM, owner of Equine Veterinary Services (Texas), and Susan Kempson, BSc, PhD, senior lecturer in Preclinical Veterinary Sciences in the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh and Robert Sigafoos, Certified Journeyman Farrier, chief of farrier services and director of the Applied Polymer Research Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine)

Horse Keeping

Turnout vs. stalls

To Stall or Not To Stall (TheHorse.com) You need a free membership to read the full article, but it's worth the signup

Best Horse Living (Do stalls promote vices and behavior problems in horses?) (By Brenda Forsythe Sappington, M.S., Ph.D., HorseChannel.com)