Giant Hogweed, or Heracleum mantegazzianum is a white flowering plant in the carrot family, which looks similar to a very large hemlock.  It is also known as ‘hogsbane’, ‘giant cow parsnip’ or ‘cartwheel flower’.  It was introduced to Britain by the Victorians as an ornamental plant, and is now ...

The current heat wave is a godsend for most of us after months of dreary, dull weather, but for your horses sudden excessively warm weather can be very detrimental, leading to dehydration or heat stroke if you don’t look after your horses correctly. WATCH OUT FOR HEAT STRESS  If your horse is expose...

What is it about this bright yellow-orange spice that has caused such a stir throughout the human and equine world?  

  The use of Turmeric began in Indian Ayurveda. It harbours many properties which account for its use as one of the earliest food preservatives.  Other traditional Ayurvedic uses...

We all know that we should feed electrolytes after our horse has been sweating a lot, but many people do not know what they are, and why they are important.  Our Nutritionist Olivia Colton MSc explains… What are electrolytes? The science bit! Electrolytes are compounds that when in a solution become...

We often get calls from customers wanting advice regarding their horse snacking on plants in hedgerows - should they do it, and why are they picking out that particular flower? Horses are known to self-select, choosing the herbs and plants that will help with particular ailments that they may have, ...

Show season is well and truly upon us and whatever sphere you like to complete in summer is an ideal time to take your horse out and about.  Heat and busy environments can make shows a stressful place for both you and your horse, so here at Feedmark we are sharing our top tips for successful, stress...

Flying insects are the bane of many horse and owners’ summer months. For some horses, flies and mosquitoes are more than just a general annoyance- horse’s performance can suffer due to lack of concentration, head tossing and stomping; some horses may come out in hives due to insect bites, and even k...

Needing to control the diet is a common issue that we are often quizzed about, as many horses are overweight or require a diet low in sugar and starch. It is very easy to restrict what hay and hard feed our horses receive, and we can tailor these parts of the diet to be ideal for your horse’s needs....

Why does my horse chew wood? Horses eating wood is relatively common, and is usually due to a lack of roughage in the diet. If your horse eats wood, try to ensure they have access to ad-lib forage, or if they are a good doer, trickle feed at least 1.5% of the horse’s bodyweight per day (e.g. feed a ...

What is laminitis?

Laminitis is a painful swelling of the laminae, the delicate soft tissues that hold the pedal bone in place within the hoof. If these tissues are compromised, the pedal bone is not supported correctly within the foot, which may lead to it sinking or rotating. The consequen...

Mares are ‘seasonally polyoestrous’, meaning that they have a season in which they are confined to breeding (not all year round), and they cycle several times within this period. The typical breeding season is between May and October but some mares will cycle outside of these months.

Th...

How many horses do you know that neigh frantically, fence walking and showing signs of extreme stress when their friend is taken away from them?

Many horses suffer from ‘separation anxiety’ – either when they are left on their own, or taken away from their companions. In some cases even if other...