NEWS NOTES

Equid Owner Survey Looks at Restrictive Grazing Practices

The University of Kentucky is sponsoring a survey about the restrictive grazing methods equid owners and managers use.

“It’s that time of year. The grass is starting to grow, and many owners will start to think about using restrictive grazing practices, including grazing muzzles, dry lots, strip grazing

and other methods of management,” said Amanda Adams, PhD, an associate professor at the Gluck Equine Research Center and MARS Equestrian Fellow, in Kentucky.

“Understanding the uses of restrictive grazing practices helps us put science-supported answers behind practical questions and challenges. Our goal is to help people help horses. We look forward to sharing the results,” Dr. Adams said.

Morgan Askins, a graduate student working in Dr. Adams’ laboratory, is conducting the survey. As part of Ms. Askins’ doctoral program, she is researching the effect of various forages and management practices of equids, specifically in aged and insulin-dysregulated horses. Better understanding of how to manage body and condition in horses with metabolic diseases, along with dietary management, is critical to helping lower the risk of these equids to develop laminitis. MeV