What does "Whole" mean? There are two ways to think about it. One way is to think of a whole food, perhaps a whole grain like whole wheat, for example. The second way of defining a whole food is to think of it as one that is unadulterated or in its natural state; in other words, it has nothing added. There are no preservatives or other chemicals, or fillers in it, so it’s whole in the sense that it is in the state nature intended.

The foundation of your horse’s diet should be a particular whole food, and that is grass—all day and all night, all the time. The horse needs to have forage, grass, flowing through his digestive tract all the time with no gaps, because that’s the way the horse’s digestive system is designed. Grass, then, is the most important whole food. Grass can be a perfect food, as well, especially if it’s from a healthy “whole food” pasture that contains a variety of forages, rather than an  “improved” pasture of, for example, all timothy or all orchard grass.

Hay, on the other hand is NOT a whole food because it is missing much of it originally contained. To overcome these deficiencies, other foods can be added to the diet to round it out, filling in the gaps. The resources below will help you to do that.

Spotlight on Nutrition Books ($14.95)

• Whole Foods & Alternative Feeds

Articles (Free)

• Consider Beet Pulp Instead of Oats!
• Omega 3 Supplements - the Old and the New
• Sources of Magnesium - Including Whole Foods
• Colostrum - An Exceptional Superfood!
• Choose Hemp Instead of Soy!
• Four Directions Amino Acids Can take - The Importance of Feeding Several Protein Sources
• Fruits are Fabulous - Even for Insulin Resistant Horses!
• Non-GMO is NOT Necessarily Safe
• Whole Food Options to Boost Protein Quality
• Chia Seeds - Nature's Tiny Miracle
• Topline Loss - How Nutrition Can Help

Tips (Free)

• Which Ground Flaxseeds Should You Choose - Golden or Brown?
• Garlic May Not Be Worth the Risk
• Turmeric is a Winning Supplement for Insulin Resistance
• Flax, Chia, or Fish Oil - Which is Best for Omega 3s?

Interview Podcasts (Free)

Listen to Dr. Juliet Getty, special guest on Jim Swanner's, "All About Horses" radio program or Monty Roberts' Horsemanship radio as she discusses the following topic(s). Recordings are each 30 minutes in length.

• "Whole Foods - More than Just Hay!" – Interview with Jim Swanner 
• Whole Food Tips for Your Horse's Health - Monty Roberts' Horsemanship Radio 

Forage for Thought Newsletter (Free)

To receive free bi-monthly articles and news to help meet your horse's nutritional needs, consider subscribing to Forage for Thought - Dr. Getty's email newsletter. You may opt-in here - and may unsubscribe at any time.