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You may find that your horses coat has already started shedding, this is triggered by the longer daylight hours and marks the start of the long winter coat loss! This process will continue over the next few months and it's important to provide adequate nutritional support during this time to encourage a healthy and shiny new summer coat.

Often during Spring horses are locked up for extended periods to keep them off the rich grass and the danger of Laminitis at bay. Compared to fresh grass, the nutrient profile of hay can be quite different. This is because some vitamins and fats are fragile and are lost in the curing process or can decline over time. There are some main nutrients that should be considered.

The herb Jiao Gu Lan has a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Because of the herb’s ability as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, it has beneficial effects for horses suffering from Laminitis. It also has a powerful ability to increase blood flow in the hoof due to its ability to modulate nitric oxide.

At Missy's Bucket, we take environmental responsibility seriously. This is why we’ve partnered with Greenfleet, a leading environmental non-profit organisation and Australia’s most trusted source of biodiverse carbon offsets to take practical climate action. 

Springtime Laminitis has started already and it's not even Spring! Here is Zoe of Missy's Bucket talking about some of the key approaches that will help prevent the onset of this terrible disease.

Body Condition Scoring is s system of visual assessment and palpation to determine how much fat and muscle a horse has regardless of body size. It is used to determine whether a horse is underweight, healthy weight or overweight and is not affected by gut contents or pregnancy as live weight would be.

Our horses rely on vitamins and minerals to maintain essential bodily functions and good general health. Just like all living things, they would die without them. So how do we work out what they need and how do we choose a good supplement once we know what’s likely to be missing?

As the days are getting shorter and the temperature plummets, there are a few extra considerations we need to think about when it comes to caring for our horses in cold weather.

Seedy Toe, also known as White Line Disease, is a fungal/bacterial infection that eats into the hoof via the white line, similar to thrush it is often worse in wet conditions. It is accompanied by other common hoof issues like hoof cracks, wall flares, frequent abscessing, flat and thin soles. 

Thrush is the name that we tend to use for any type of fungal or bacterial infection of the horse’s frog. Its characterised by a foul-smelling and often white, grey or black sludgy residue in and around the frog and it can cause significant pain and tenderness in the area.

Adaptogens are natural substances that help the body deal with stress. They increase resistance to stress and decrease sensitivity to stressors which results in protection and prolongs the stress resistance phase.

If we place a high priority on getting the diet as optimal as possible, many of the ailments and diseases that we commonly see in the horse tend to resolve on their own.

The next few months are going to be tough with so many people impacted by financial stress induced by COVID 19. We would like to address how your horse can continue to be fed well, receiving what they need nutritionally, but not cost you a fortune. This is how you can best feed your horse whilst on a tight budget. 

Biotin is one of the most important B vitamins in the horses' diet, particularly for hoof growth and hoof horn quality.

The B vitamins are closely involved with protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism and interactions, therefore they play a very important part in the metabolism of hoof tissue which is highly active and fast-growing.

Mineral Balance Is The Key. Our horses’ coats can suffer in the summer months however there are a few things we can do to help keep that fresh spring coat sleek, smooth and shiny!

Hi, my name is Zoe and I’m the founder of Missy’s Bucket. 

I’m often asked if Missy’s Bucket is stocked at feed stores around the country, and the answer is no that is not an avenue that we have pursued. 

By adding salt to your horse's diet daily, you will avoid dehydration, poor performance and colic. It's cheap insurance!

Vitamin E and Selenium are commonly deficient in the Equine diet and deficiency symptoms are commonly seen in horses. Low levels will also cause a decline in health and performance before symptoms are obvious.

Psyllium (Plantago) Husks are the thin outer coating on Psyllium Seeds and are rich in a form of soluble fibre called mucilage. Large doses of Psyllium Husk form a gel in the intestines and can be used to help horses move sand out of their digestive tract.

Magnesium is often deficient in the Equine diet and because of its importance, and the fact that it is generally a very safe supplement to add to the diet, we recommend it routinely.

Copper is one of the ‘Trace’ minerals required in Equine Nutrition. Even though it is only needed in tiny amounts, it is extremely important for good health and is utilised in 100’s of enzyme systems throughout the horse’s body!