Equi-Shine by Doctors Choice Supplements

One of the simplest tools for monitoring a senior horse is also one of the most useful: a weight tape.

Use it regularly and under similar conditions each time. The goal isn’t to obsess over one number, it’s to watch for trends over time.

A gradual decrease in weight may be an early sign that your horse’s feeding program, dental health, forage intake, or overall health needs to be reevaluated.

But don’t only watch for weight loss.

As horses age, metabolic changes can also contribute to unexpected weight gain, changes in fat distribution, or the development of noticeable fat pads. A weight tape can help you catch those changes sooner and give you a reason to take a closer look at the overall feeding and management program.

And don’t forget the camera.

Take a simple side-view photo of your horse every few weeks or once a month, ideally standing in the same position and lighting.

Pictures can speak volumes.

Over time, photos can help you notice changes in:
• Overall body condition
• Topline and muscle tone
• Neck crest and fat pads
• Rib coverage
• Belly shape
• Hair coat quality
• General appearance and condition

Sometimes the scale or weight tape only tells part of the story. A photo can show changes you may not notice when you see your horse every day.

Think of your weight tape + monthly photo as a report card for your feeding program.

If the numbers or pictures start trending in the wrong direction, don’t just add or remove feed automatically. Take a closer look at forage, calories, dental health, metabolic health, activity level, and the balance of the entire diet.

Measure it. Photograph it. Track it. Adjust when needed.

📣 UPPER PENINSULA HORSE & DOG OWNERS — JOIN US TOMORROW NIGHT! 🐴🐶

We’re heading to the L’Anse/Baraga area for an evening all about helping your animals live healthier, stronger lives for longer!

Join Dr. Dean Meyer, DVM and Craig Sandmire from Doctors Choice Supplements on Wednesday, October 7th for a practical, educational conversation covering some of the biggest nutrition and health questions facing horse and dog owners.

📍 Baraga County Fairgrounds – Main Building
Pelkie, Michigan
⏰ 7:00 PM EST

🐴 EQUINE TOPICS
• Understanding the metabolic horse
• PPID (Cushing’s) — what owners should know
• Building the nutritional foundation for a healthy life & longevity
• Everyday feeding and management considerations to help your horse thrive

🐶 CANINE TOPICS
• Canine Nutrition Do’s & Don’ts
• Building a strong nutritional foundation
• Common feeding mistakes and simple ways to better support your dog’s overall health

💬 BRING YOUR QUESTIONS!
This is your opportunity to learn, ask questions, and have real conversations about the animals you care for.

🎟 $10 participation fee
Proceeds benefit the Freedom Reins Horse Club, who is generously hosting the evening.

🥤 Snacks & beverages will be provided!

⭐ EVENT-NIGHT SPECIAL:
All Equi-Shine AND Fido-Vite products will be 10% OFF during the event!

Whether you’re managing a senior horse, a metabolic horse, a dog with changing nutritional needs, or you simply want to be more proactive about your animals’ health — we’d love to see you there.

📣 Tag your horse friends, dog friends, barn family, and neighbors in the UP and help us spread the word!

🐴 🐶 Come with questions. Leave with knowledge you can put to work.

Tomorrow - October 7th | 7 PM EST | Pelkie, MI

Hosted by Freedom Reins Horse Club with Doctors Choice Supplements, Equi-Shine & Fido-Vite.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DEJ9W2Mxu/

Senior horses can thrive when their feeding and management programs change with them.

Don't feed based on age alone. Feed the horse in front of you.

-Monitor their weight
-Watch how they eat
-Pay attention to their condition
-And adjust the feeding program as their needs change

🔸Senior Horse Strong - Building the Foundation for Healthy Aging🔸

Dried forage is often the largest part of a horse’s daily ration, yet it is also one of the least understood. Horse owners may know exactly how many pounds of grain they feed and which supplements go into the bucket, but the nutritional value of the hay is often assumed rather than measured.

That is why we encourage a forage-first approach.

A forage analysis gives us a much clearer picture of what the hay is actually contributing so the rest of the ration can be balanced around it.

What We Look at on a Forage Analysis

When evaluating dried forage, there are several key values that help us understand its nutritional quality:

Moisture – The percentage of water present in the forage. This affects storage quality and helps determine the actual concentration of nutrients.

Dry Matter – Everything remaining after water is removed. Nutrient values are often compared on a dry-matter basis so different feeds can be evaluated accurately.

Crude Protein – An estimate of the protein content of the forage. Protein needs vary based on age, workload, growth, reproduction and overall condition.

Calories or Energy – Indicates how much usable energy the forage can provide. This is especially important when feeding easy keepers, hard keepers, performance horses or metabolic horses.

ADF – Acid Detergent Fiber – Represents the less-digestible portion of the plant. As ADF increases, digestibility and available energy generally decrease.

NDF – Neutral Detergent Fiber – Reflects the total structural fiber in the forage and can influence how much a horse is willing or able to consume. Higher NDF values are generally associated with more mature, stemmy forage.

Calcium – Essential for bone health, muscle contraction, nerve function and many other body processes.

Phosphorus – Works closely with calcium and is important for bone, energy metabolism and cellular function. The balance between calcium and phosphorus is especially important.

Magnesium – Supports normal muscle, nerve and enzyme function and is an important part of the overall mineral balance.

Potassium – A major electrolyte that supports fluid balance, muscle contraction and nerve function. Forage is often naturally rich in potassium.

RFV – Relative Feed Value – A comparative index used to estimate forage quality based largely on fiber levels, digestibility and expected intake. It can be useful when comparing forage lots, although it does not tell the complete nutritional story.

NSC – Non-Structural Carbohydrates – Includes sugars and starches that are more rapidly digested than structural fiber. NSC is especially important when managing horses with insulin resistance, metabolic concerns or laminitis risk.

What About Vitamins and Trace Minerals?

One important piece of the feeding puzzle is what we do not assign a dependable nutritional value to in dried forage: vitamins.

Across the feed industry, dried forage is generally not relied upon as a consistent source of vitamins because many vitamins decline rapidly during harvesting, drying and storage. Exposure to light, heat, oxygen and time can significantly reduce vitamin concentrations after forage is cut.

Trace minerals can also vary considerably depending on soil, geographic location, plant species and growing conditions.

That means even a high-quality hay analysis does not automatically equal a completely balanced diet.

A horse may be receiving adequate calories, protein and fiber while still requiring additional vitamins and trace minerals to meet daily nutritional needs.

This Is Where Equi-Shine Pellets Come In

Equi-Shine Pellets are designed to complement a forage-based diet by supplying the vitamins and trace minerals that dried forage cannot be counted on to consistently provide.

Rather than replacing forage, Equi-Shine helps complete the nutritional picture and supports:

-Hoof quality
-Skin and hair coat
-Immune response
-Muscle and metabolic function
-Overall health and longevity

A better feeding program starts with understanding the foundation.

Test the hay. Know what it provides. Then balance what it doesn’t.

FORAGE FIRST

Forage first doesn't mean forage only.

Forage provides the foundation of the diet, but nutritional gaps can still exist, even when you're feeding excellent-quality hay.

Equi-Shine Pellets are designed to complement a forage-based feeding program by supplying balanced vitamins and trace minerals that help support:

-Hoof quality
-Hair coat
-Immune response
-Muscle and metabolic function
-Overall health and longevity

Rather than simply adding more grain and calories, the goal is to support the nutritional gaps left by the forage.

Start with the forage.
Understand what's missing.
Balance accordingly.
Equi-Shine helps complete that.

https://www.drschoicesupplements.com/product/equi-shine-pellet/

As summer winds down and fall routines begin, it's a great time to check in with your veterinarian.

🍂 Fall vaccinations
Discuss your horse's individual risk factors, travel schedule and recommended vaccination program with your veterinarian.

🦷 Dental examination
Don't overlook the connection between dental health and nutrition.

You can purchase premium forage and carefully balance every nutrient in the diet, but your horse still needs to be able to properly chew that feed before the digestive system can efficiently utilize it.

Dental problems may make forage particularly difficult to process and can become increasingly important as horses age.

Don't wait until the middle of winter to discover the horse is losing weight.

🍂 Fall is a great checkpoint:
Vaccinate. Check the teeth. Evaluate the forage. Reassess the diet.

Set your horse up for winter from the inside out.