Welcome special guests Dr. Sara Mastellar, Associate Professor at The Ohio State University ATI and Dr. Elizabeth Share, 4-H Program Specialist at The Ohio State University! If you've ever seen horses "guarding" hay nets or feed sources, or wondering how best to manage feeding time when horses are fed in groups, tune in for some helpful information. I was fortunate enough to be a collaborator on studies run by Dr.'s Mastellar and Share investigating the effect of meal frequency on horse behavior, and the data was presented at the recent Equine Science Society Symposium in June, 2025. These researchers were gracious enough to take some time to explain how they conducted the study and why, and the all-important results and insights gained from the research. The information learned is useful in the everyday management of horses, especially if you have more than one living in a common space. Tune in for an enjoyable conversation about how real scientific research leads to practical horse management guidelines from those who love horses!

Link to the study abstracts:

--https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2025.105462

Additional studies run concurrently by this group:

--https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skae102.411

--https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2025.105522

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Dr. Mastellar's Profile: https://ati.osu.edu/people/sara-l-mastellar-phd

Dr. Share's Profile: https://ansci.osu.edu/our-people/elizabeth-share-0

Link to the Equine Science Society:

It's officially summer here in North America, and oh how hot it's become! Record high temperatures for the month of June have been set across the eastern half of the United States. How can you help your horse stay cool and hydrated? Should you ride or not? And what about that barn fan? Those are a few of the "hot" topics of this episode, along with how electrolytes actually work to keep a horse (and the human) hydrated. It gets a little science-y, but that's how I roll. I promise to make it fun and easy.

References and Links referenced in this episode:

Marlin, D. and Nankervis, K. 2002. Thermoregulation. In: Equine Exercise Physiology. pp.133-150. Blackwell Science. Oxford, UK.

American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) on Facebook - heat index infographic: https://www.facebook.com/AAEPHorseDocs/posts/hot-tips-for-safe-summer-ridingas-you-enjoy-some-fun-in-the-sun-with-your-favori/828730918649725/

Rutgers University Fact Sheet about How to Take A Horses Temperature, Pulse and Respiration: https://esc.rutgers.edu/fact_sheet/measuring-tpr/

'Tis the season for mud...and often some concerns about hooves that come with it. Diet is a key factor in hoof health, but it can't prevent all problems. In addition to a balanced diet, genetics, environment and farrier care all play into hoof health. In this episode, the focus is on some key nutrients to support hoof health, and answer some questions about biotin (because I know you're thinking about biotin when it comes to hooves!)

We'll discuss some management issues, but for more reading on this topic, check out these fact sheets from the University of California-Davis Center for Equine Health and the University of Minnesota:

https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-horse-hooves

https://extension.umn.edu/horse-health/caring-your-horses-hooves

Cover art photo credit: University of Minnesota Fact Sheet, link above.