THRIVE FEED BLOGS

The Quiet Winter Problem Across North America When winter arrives, horse owners focus on blankets, hay, and shelter. But one of the most important winter issues is rarely discussed until something goes wrong. Water. In cold weather, horses often drink less, sometimes far less, and the consequences are entirely predictable. Winter management is not only about warmth. It is about hydration. Horses Commonly Reduce Water Intake in Winter Cold water is less appealing. Frozen troug

The Real Winter Threats for Horses Across North America When people think about winter, they think about temperature. They worry about freezing air. They imagine horses shivering in snow. But in reality, cold air is rarely the primary problem for a healthy horse. The real winter threats are not always the cold. The real threats are wind, wetness, and exposure without choice. Horses Handle Cold Far Better Than Most People Expect A healthy horse with a natural winter coat is ex

Feeding the Winter Furnace Across North America When winter arrives, most people think first about blankets. Experienced horsemen think first about forage. Because the most powerful winter heater a horse possesses is not fabric. It is fermentation. A horse stays warm from the inside out, and the foundation of that warmth is fiber. The Horse’s Real Heater Is the Hindgut Horses are grazing animals designed to process forage continuously. Their digestive tract functions as a slo

Blankets have become a normal part of modern horse care. And they can absolutely be useful. They protect from wind. They reduce rain chill. They help certain horses conserve body heat. But there is a deeper truth that is often missed: Blanketing is not a substitute for hindgut warmth. Because horses are not warmed primarily from the outside. They are warmed from within. The Horse’s True Heater Is Internal Horses are hindgut fermenters. Their caecum and large colon function as

If you ask horse owners what nutrients matter most, you will hear about protein, vitamins, minerals, and energy. But one of the most important nutrients in a horse’s life is often overlooked completely. Salt. After fibre, salt may be one of the most essential and underappreciated nutritional foundations for the modern horse. Salt Drives Thirst, and Thirst Drives Health Water is life. But horses do not always drink enough unless the thirst mechanism is properly supported. Salt

A very common thing people say about horses is: “He’s lazy.” “She just doesn’t want to work.” “He’s stubborn.” But in my experience, the truly lazy horse is rare. Most horses are not lazy. Most horses are coping. The myth of the lazy horse has caused more misunderstanding than almost any other label. Horses Are Designed to Move The horse is not an animal built for idleness. Horses evolved to walk, graze, travel, and respond. Movement is part of their biology. So when a horse

One of the most overlooked truths in horsemanship is this: Horses do not see the world the way humans do. We assume they look forward like we do. We assume they understand obstacles visually the way we do. But equine vision is fundamentally different, and that difference explains a great deal about hesitation, jumping confidence, and spooking. The Horse’s Eyes Are Built for Survival, Not Detail The horse is a prey animal. Its vision evolved not for reading fine detail in fron

Inflammation is one of the most misunderstood forces in modern equine health. People often think of inflammation as swelling after an injury. A cut. A strain. A visible event. But the more common problem in domestic horses is not dramatic inflammation. It is chronic, low-grade, systemic inflammation. Quiet. Persistent. Costly. Inflammation Is a Burden, Not a Crisis A horse can carry inflammation for months or years without obvious outward signs. It does not always limp. It do

One of the great confusions in the modern horse world is the way people talk about energy. Owners want energy. Competitors want energy. Feed companies sell energy. But most people fail to ask the most important question: Is this energy, or is this anxiety? Because they are not the same thing. And horses pay the price when we confuse them. True Energy Is Calm and Sustainable Real equine energy is not frantic. It is not hot. It is not explosive nervous motion. True energy is: S

One of the first things people notice about a horse is its coat. A dull coat. A rough coat. A coat that will not shed properly. Or the opposite, a horse that begins to bloom with softness and shine. Owners often think of coat condition as something cosmetic. But in horses, the coat is rarely just about appearance. The coat is often a mirror of what is happening inside the gut. The Outside Reflects the Inside A horse’s coat is built from nutrients, but those nutrients must fir

If you ask people what a horse needs for health, you will hear about feed, supplements, minerals, protein, and calories. But the most important nutrient in a horse’s life is rarely discussed with the seriousness it deserves. Water. Not as an accessory. As the foundation. Water Is Not Optional, It Is Biology A horse is not fuelled by feed alone. Every biological process in the body depends on water: Digestion Fermentation Circulation Temperature regulation Joint lubrication To

Horses do not speak. They do not explain discomfort. They do not tell you when something feels wrong. But they communicate constantly. And one of the clearest places they communicate is in their eye. The look in a horse’s eye is often the most honest health signal you will ever see. Wellness Has a Presence A healthy horse is not only a horse with good weight or a shiny coat. A healthy horse has a presence. It has softness. It has quiet awareness without tension. When a horse

Horses do not ask for much. They do not want complicated lives. They do not thrive on surprise. They do not seek novelty. What horses crave, at the deepest biological level, is predictability. Routine is one of the greatest gifts you can give a horse. Horses Are Built for Rhythm In nature, horses live by steady patterns: Grazing Moving Resting Drinking Watching the herd Repeating The horse’s nervous system is designed around rhythm. Consistency is safety. Uncertainty is stres

Horse owners often separate two things in their minds: Digestion, and behaviour. They think the gut is one system, and temperament is another. But the horse does not work that way. In horses, the gut is not just a digestive organ. The gut is a nervous system influence. In many ways, it is the horse’s second brain. The Hindgut Is the Centre of the Horse A horse is a hindgut fermenter. That means the horse’s entire biology depends on microbial fermentation of fibre. Most of the

A horse’s digestive system does not suddenly stop working at sixteen. Its instincts do not fade at twenty. Its nature does not disappear. The horse is still the horse. What changes, very often, is the body carrying discomfort. Just like humans. Pain Is a Stress Response Pain is not merely a sore joint. Pain is a full-body stress signal. When a horse lives with chronic discomfort, arthritis, inflammation, or mechanical strain, the nervous system responds. Stress hormones rise.

There is a moment every good horse owner eventually encounters. Nothing dramatic happens. There is no obvious injury. No crisis. Just a feeling. The horse looks the same, but not quite. And if you have been around horses long enough, you know exactly what that means. Because horses rarely shout. They whisper. Horses Communicate Quietly A horse does not sit you down and explain discomfort. It cannot describe digestive unease. It cannot tell you that something feels off. Instea

Laminitis is one of the most feared conditions in horse ownership, and for good reason. It is painful, complex, and often misunderstood. While laminitis can have multiple triggers, one of the most important modern realities is that many cases are linked to metabolic and stress-related physiology rather than simple “bad luck.” To understand laminitis properly, we must understand what happens when the horse’s internal systems are placed under chronic pressure. Stress Is Not Jus

This is one of the most common questions we hear: “My horse looks like a different colour since starting Thrive Feed. What is happening?” First, it is important to say this clearly. Thrive Feed is not a drug, and it does not artificially change a horse’s colour. What owners are usually noticing is something far more natural: The horse is expressing a healthier coat. Coat Colour Is Not Static A horse’s coat is constantly cycling. As old hair sheds and new hair grows, colour ca

No he's not floating the incisors, just putting the hand float inside his mouth. One of the most overlooked foundations of equine health is the horse’s mouth. Before digestion begins in the stomach, before nutrients reach the hindgut, before any feed can do its job, the horse must do something very specific: It must mechanically prepare forage. And that preparation depends entirely on the natural structure of the horse’s teeth. The Horse’s Dentition Is an Evolutionary Tool A

Few issues in the modern horse world are as widespread, as misunderstood, or as quietly devastating as metabolic dysfunction. Terms like “easy keeper,” “fat pony syndrome,” “insulin resistance,” and “laminitis-prone” have become almost normalised in equine life. But the truth is far more confronting: The horse did not create this crisis. Humans did. The Horse Was Not Designed for Modern Feeding Systems The horse is an evolutionary grazing animal. For millions of years, horses