Insulin Resistance is a condition that can happen to a horse of any age, however when it occurs in a senior, retired horse, it can be much more challenging to overcome. Diet and exercise are the key elements in correcting this condition. When a horse is not formally exercised, sometimes diet alone is just not enough to help them loose the excess weight, cresty neck and fat pads. I am absolutely thrilled to show off Dawn, a 28 year old TWH mare that has been under my care at Ferrell Hollow Farm for several years. When she came, she had all the classic IR signs and weighed a bit over 1,100 pounds-too much for her frame. This morning I put a weight tape on her and she is a lean 900 pounds!!! She looks and feels fabulous. She gets plenty to eat (forage based) and has paddocks set up to encourage movement in her 24 hour turnouts. I am so pleased :)
Cindy Daigre is the founder and director of Ferrell Hollow Farm, an Equine Retirement facility in Middle Tennessee focusing on the unique concerns of Senior and Special Needs horses. In addition, she provides Equine Nutritional Consultations, has developed a specialized line of Natural Horse & Body Care Products, Herbal Blends and Seed Mixes for Horses, and has written several articles for Natural Horse Magazine. For more information, visit her website at www.ferrellhollowfarm.net or email her at cindy@ferrellhollowfarm.com.
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