Argamak Stud

Hess et al. (1) conducted an interesting supplementation trial on horses during an endurance race with an international group*. They found that electrolytes with high Sodium and without Potassium, combined with a higher Calcium feed were advantageous to the horses and potentially decreases pull rates. Clinical signs that are typically seen in horses when they [...]

The dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) of a feed can be used to characterize large animal diets. DCAD (also known as DCAB or dietary cation-anion balance) of the diet is a major determinant of blood SID as the strong ions enter the blood from the digestive tract (Riond 2000). DCAD is the difference between the strong [...]

Here is an abstract of research from Northern Arizona University finding that stallions were faster than both mares and geldings. Looking at the results for Thoroughbred, the stallions were lengths ahead of the mares at the 1600m (or less) races and there was twice as much difference between them at races over 1600m. Do racehorses [...]

The type of feed the horse eats is what determines what fuel is available for the horse to use during exercise. So it is important to figure out the optimal diet for your horses. Although there has been research showing the benefits of fat supplementation over feeding grain in equine diets, many people still prefer [...]

A Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Feeding and Daily Variation on Plasma Acid-Base Status in Resting Horses A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Guelph by KERRI JO SMITHURST, 2003 Conclusions: Daily variation in the measured blood constituents identified in this study was due to either feeding or [...]

LITERATURE REVIEW by Kerri-Jo Smithurst, University of Guelph A Summary of the Effects of Feeding and Daily Variation on Acid-Base Status in Resting Horses Plasma acid-base state affects, and may also be a reflection of, the health of equine athletes. The physicochemical model, as developed by Stewart (1981), defines the blood constituents that effect or [...]

Kerri-Jo Smithurst, Department of Human Biology, University of Guelph, September 2002 Abstract: Track racing relies heavily on the horse’s anaerobic metabolism to produce the speeds necessary to win. One widely accepted theory is that a major limiting factor to high intensity exercise is the production of lactic acid in the muscles. This paper examines the [...]