The auction is split into two groups:

• Young Talents: Bidding open from December 20–22
• Ridden Horses: Bidding open from December 20–23

Whether you’re a professional rider, ambitious amateur, or thoughtful supporter of someone in the horse world, the SLF X-Mas Auction offers a rare opportunity to find that perfect and original equestrian gift, wrapped in talent, delivered with pedigree and promise.

A Trusted Source for Showjumping Talent

Founded by Dutch Olympian Harrie Smolders, breeder and rider Walter Lelie, and renowned dealer Niels Fabrie, the SLF Auction has become a go-to destination for acquiring top-caliber jumping horses, foals, and embryos. Every collection is carefully curated with one motto in mind:
“Only the Best of the Best for the SLF Auction.” No quality? No auction!

Their online platform, www.slf.auction, makes it easy for buyers from around the world to discover exceptional horses backed by expertise, transparency, and vision. With regular auctions throughout the year, SLF serves the sport at every level, from proven competitors to future stars.

A Collection Full of Possibilities

“This collection once again offers quality at all levels, from exciting young talents to experienced competition horses,” says co-founder Walter Lelie. “There’s also great diversity in type and rideability, making this edition especially appealing to the American market and ambitious amateurs.”

Lelie emphasizes the strength of the free-jumping group in particular: “We believe that the very best horses of their age group are included in this auction. All the well-known bloodlines are represented, and each horse was selected to match the right rider or program.”

Previous SLF auctions have already produced success stories like My Lady van de Krekel (ridden by Philip McGuane), Eye of a Tiger (ridden by Eveline Putters), Simba de Vink (Evan Collucho), and Day Dream (Anni Roslin).

The Gift of a Future Champion

SLF’s Christmas collection is not only a celebration of breeding and sport, it’s a chance to invest in a meaningful, memorable gift that could shape the future of a rider’s career. Every horse is vet-checked, presented with full video, and carefully described, offering full confidence for online buyers.

Looking for a last-minute Christmas present with real impact?
Give the gift of horsepower. Visit www.slf.auction to view the full collection and register to bid.

This is advertorial content. The editorial staff of The Chronicle of the Horse had no role in this article’s creation. 

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The most common diagnosed myopathies are sporadic and recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis, polysaccharide storage myopathy, and myofibrillar myopathy. Thoughtful management strategies, including careful attention to nutrition and exercise requirements, relieve clinical signs of disease entirely in some horses, allowing them to perform comfortably.

Recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) is an abnormality in muscle contraction brought about by excitement and exercise. Two forms of RER have been documented, sporadic and recurrent. Horses that experience an occasional episode of RER are diagnosed with the sporadic form, whereas horses with frequent episodes have the recurrent form. While horses of racing breeds, such as Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds, are primarily affected, other horses may be. Because Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds are often repurposed after a racing career, it is not unusual for sport horses with this breeding to be affected.

RER is characterized by classic tying-up signs: muscle stiffness and pain, muscle tremors, reluctance to move, shortened hind limb stride, anxiety, and elevated heart rate or respiratory rate after exercise. To confirm a diagnosis of RER, a blood sample and muscle biopsy should be collected. Two enzymes, creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate transaminase (AST), are released into the bloodstream within hours of muscle damage. If circulating levels of these two enzymes are markedly increased, which can be determined through simple blood tests, RER can be validated. Muscle biopsy is useful in determining which form of RER a horse might have.

Polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) is characterized by an overabundance of abnormal glycogen in skeletal muscle as observed on biopsy. Affected horses are able to use glycogen to fuel muscular effort just as normal horses do. However, PSSM horses pull glucose from the bloodstream and deposit it into muscle tissue more quickly than normal horses, thereby creating a surplus. Two types of PSSM are observed, PSSM1 and PSSM2, but horses are generally managed the same.

PSSM1 primarily affects Quarter Horses, Paints, Appaloosas, and crossbreds, and horses with draft breeding; PSSM 2 typically affects Quarter Horse and related breeds, other light breeds (Arabians, Morgans, Standardbreds), and some Warmbloods.

Horses with PSSM will often show clinical signs, such as sweating, stretching as if to urinate, rolling or pawing following exercise, and an unwillingness to move just following the onset of exercise. Diagnosis is confirmed through genetic testing or muscle biopsy.

Myofibrillar myopathy (MFM) is a disorder defined by specific microscopic findings on muscle biopsy, including muscle fiber misalignment. Unlike RER and PSSM, MFM in Warmbloods is characterized by lack of stamina, unwillingness to go forward, inability to collect, abnormal canter transitions, and insufficient strength to maintain a normal canter. In Arabians, history of intermittent elevations in serum CK activity after exercise that follows a week or more of rest and traditional signs of tying-up (pain, reluctance to move, sweating) might be observed. Definitive diagnosis can be made through muscle biopsy.

Nutritional Strategies

Formulating diets for horses diagnosed with these myopathies takes careful forethought. Many horses can be managed successfully when a suitable diet and other management considerations are in place. The specific disease dictates the most effective nutritional management strategies.

Good-quality grass or grass-legume hay is acceptable for horses with RER and MFM, and should be fed at 1.5-2% of body weight. For those that are idle or perform minimal exercise, a grass hay may be sufficient. Anecdotal reports suggest some horses fed alfalfa may have more frequent episodes of tying-up, so alfalfa should be avoided on an individual basis. Horses predisposed to gastric ulcers may benefit from alfalfa hay.

Because they are typically easy keepers, horses with PSSM should be given hay with less than 12% nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC). Higher levels of NSC may cause problems in sensitive horses. Sourcing appropriate hay for PSSM horses will likely require forage analysis, which can be performed by a reputable forage-testing lab. Limiting pasture intake is often necessary through the use of a grazing muzzle or drylot.

Choosing an appropriate concentrate for horses predisposed or diagnosed with a myopathy is an important aspect of nutritional management. How those horses with sporadic RER should be fed depends on the energy requirement as well as the quality and quantity of forage. If low amounts of concentrate are required (less than 6 lb or 3 kg/day), supplemental protein, vitamins, and minerals may be required in the form of a ration balancer. Underweight horses might benefit from stabilized rice bran (1-2 lb or 0.5-0.9 kg /day).

For horses with chronic RER, concentrates should contain 12-18% NSC and 10-13% fat; these feeds often contain alternative energy sources such as highly digestible fiber (beet pulp, soy hulls).

Low-starch, high-fat feeds with less than 15% NSC are appropriate for PSSM horses. If more calories are needed because of low concentrate intake (less than 4.5 lb or 2 kg/d), fat can be included in the diet. Vegetable oil or stabilized rice bran is often useful in this scenario. A balancer pellet may be necessary to satisfy protein, vitamin, and mineral requirements.

Although Warmbloods are often fed low-NSC, high-fat diets, horses with MFM do not necessary need these diets, as fat, a potential source of oxidative stress, may not benefit them. Endurance Arabians are often fed high-fat diets as they depend on fat oxidation during exercise, but MFM in Arabians is related to oxidative stress, so extremely high fat intake may be counterproductive. A concentrate for a horse diagnosed with MFM should include higher levels of protein (12-14%), including high-quality amino acids, and moderate levels of NSC (20-30%) and fat (4-8%).

Nutritional supplementation is often key for horses diagnosed with a myopathy. All seem to benefit from antioxidant supplementation in the form of natural-source vitamin E and coenzyme Q10. Nano-E and Nano-Q10 are high-quality, research-proven antioxidants. Because performance horses sweat frequently, a research-proven electrolyte should be offered daily. For horses diagnosed with MFM, the high-quality amino acid supplement MFM Pellet should be offered in conjunction with antioxidant therapy.

Remember, significant changes in the diet should be made over a period of a few weeks. By switching gradually from one diet to another, the horse’s gastrointestinal tract is given adequate time to acclimate to the new feedstuffs. If done hurriedly, problems such as colic may occur. Give the new diet sufficient time to work. Realistic timelines for recovery depend on the diagnosis, severity of disease, adherence to the recommended diet, and the individual horse.

Management of exercise is an integral part of the treatment plan and should be discussed with the veterinarian charged with treating the horse. If at all possible, horses diagnosed with myopathies should have access to daily turnout with only limited time allotted to stall confinement. Formal work such as trail riding, longeing, driving, or arena exercise is encouraged. In fact, some horses cannot ward off future problems with diet alone, showing improvement only when daily exercise is provided.

Take a deeper dive into myopathies and their management by having a look at the technical bulletin Nutritional Considerations for Horses with Myopathies.  

If you’d like a more in-depth analysis of your horse’s diet, click here. Nutrition advisors at Kentucky Equine Research offer practical, science-based insights tailored to the unique challenges faced by performance horses. You’ll always receive a personalized response, never a canned or AI-generated reply, crafted by real experts drawing on nearly 40 years of innovative research.

The post Muscle Problems in Equine Athletes: Making the Most of Nutrition appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

As the year-end holidays approach, The Chronicle of the Horse is pleased to share this curated guide featuring a selection of products designed to delight both you and your horse. Click here to view.

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In this guide, explore the brand’s story and discover its exclusive products. Since 1980, WeatherBeeta has been setting the standard for innovation, comfort, and durability — crafting premium horse blankets and dog coats that let horses and dogs move freely, stay protected, and look their best all season long. Click here to view the 2025 WeatherBeeta Guide.

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In this new Fashion and Tack Digital Guide, explore your favorite brands, discover the latest equestrian fashion innovations, and get inspired with stylish outfit ideas for every occasion. Click here to view the 2025 Fashion & Tack Guide.

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Take, for example, the focus on nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) in a horse’s ration.

“Our technical team frequently fields questions from horse owners concerned about the NSC level of supplements they’re feeding,” said Ashley Fowler, Ph.D., a nutritionist at Kentucky Equine Research. “While I appreciate the attention to detail by these owners, focusing on supplements distracts from the big picture.”

When evaluating NSC levels, start with the most substantial components of the diet: forage and feed. These components can contribute substantial amounts of NSCs, often more than expected. For instance, NSC content of grass hays can range from 7% to 18% or more, according to hay analysis databases. Add in daily fluctuations in intake—potentially 5 to 10 pounds if the hay isn’t weighed—and NSC intake can vary significantly from day to day.

“When evaluating NSCs in the diet, keep supplement contributions in perspective. Think about both the concentration of NSC and the amount fed of each diet component to get a better idea of the total amount of NSC consumed. Many horses benefit from targeted supplementation to fill nutritional gaps and provide essential support,” explained Fowler.

Follow this step-by-step guide to evaluate the NSC content of any horse’s ration. 

Step 1.  Consider Forage Sources: Hay and Pasture

For most horses, forage contributes the majority of both calories and NSCs to the diet. However, many factors influence a forage’s NSC content, including plant species, maturity, growing conditions, and time of harvest, making it difficult to estimate without testing.

Because forage comprises such a large portion of the diet, understanding its NSC content is essential. For horses particularly sensitive to NSCs, each new load of hay should be tested by a reputable laboratory. The results will help determine whether soaking the hay to reduce NSC content is necessary.

Get the most out of forage:

• Choose an appropriate forage type or mix based on the horse’s energy needs.
• Test hay by submitting representative samples to a reputable laboratory.
• Resist the urge to feed hay by the flake. Weigh the hay before feeding.
• If the horse leaves a significant amount of hay, weigh the leftover and subtract it from the amount fed to determine actual intake.

Owners of horses sensitive to NSCs often need to restrict pasture intake. If grazing is permitted, both pasture quality and the amount of access can significantly influence total NSC consumption.

Sugar levels in grass fluctuate with season, weather, and time of day. In spring and fall, when days are warm and nights are cool, sugar content tends to be higher. Sugar content is often greater in the afternoon and evening compared to the morning, as plants photosynthesize and produce sugars throughout the day. Drought-stressed pastures can also pose a risk, as plants accumulate sugars in their leaves as a defense mechanism.

Some metabolic horses maintain their weight easily when fed forage alone. Stored forages lack the vitamin and omega-3 content of fresh grass and typically do not provide enough trace minerals to meet nutritional needs. They benefit from additional vitamin E, trace minerals, and omega-3 supplementation.

Step 2.  Evaluate Feed

Metabolic horses and easy keepers have distinct feeding requirements influenced by activity level, age, and target body weight. These needs shift if a horse must gain or lose weight to reach optimal body condition. For active horses, the diet should include appropriate energy sources, along with high-quality protein to support both energy demands and muscle maintenance.

Considerations for selecting and using a feed:

• Choose a feed appropriate for the horse (e.g., stage of life, work intensity), as feeds are formulated to satisfy specific nutrient requirements.
• Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for intake, taking care to feed by weight, not volume.
• If the horse leaves a significant amount of feed, weigh the leftover and subtract it from the amount fed to determine actual intake.

Step 3.  Analyze Supplements

Many supplements contain few, if any, ingredients with high concentrations of NSCs, so they have minimal impact on sugar and starch intake. A few exceptions are, however, worth noting. Some flavored electrolytes and commercial treats include enough added sugar to meaningfully increase NSC intake, especially when fed in larger quantities. In these cases, read labels carefully and factor these products into the overall diet evaluation, just as you would with forage and feed.

When reading supplement labels, focus on the actual amount of each ingredient per serving, not just whether an ingredient appears on the list. For example, dextrose isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker. Manufacturers often use it as a carrier for powdered nutrients or as a flavoring to improve palatability, since many nutrients have a naturally bitter taste.

Compared to the 15 to 25 pounds of forage a horse may consume daily, a supplement fed at 15 to 120 grams (0.03 to 0.25 pounds) contributes very little sugar, even if it contains some dextrose. Think of your horse’s total diet as a full dinner plate; in most cases, the sugar from supplements amounts to just a few crumbs on the edge.

Supplements for Metabolic Horses and Easy Keepers

Natural Vitamin E: Fresh green grass usually contains high concentrations of vitamin E, but horses fed primarily hay-based diets require supplementation to meet their needs. Vitamin E plays a key role in supporting immune function and providing antioxidant protection, especially important for metabolic horses.

Vitamin and Mineral Supplement: These supplements provide a concentrated, low-intake source of essential nutrients, which are ideal for horses that maintain weight when fed forage alone. Adding a balanced vitamin and mineral supplement helps ensure all daily requirements are met without excess calories.

Hindgut Defense: Pasture-associated laminitis can result from sudden drops in hindgut pH, triggered by rapid fermentation of fructans and excessive NSCs. During spring and fall, horses at risk may benefit from a time-released hindgut buffer. Kentucky Equine Research offers the only time-released buffer currently available for horses.

Glucose Support: Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids improve glucose clearance and reduce inflammation. Look for a marine-derived source, as horses cannot efficiently convert plant-based omega-3s into the active forms needed for metabolic support.

Hoof Supplement: Horses fed restricted diets, especially those recovering from laminitis, may require additional nutrients to support hoof health. Choose a research-backed supplement containing biotin, methionine, iodine, and chelated zinc at levels proven to improve hoof quality and promote growth.

If you’d like a more in-depth analysis of your horse’s diet, click here. Nutrition advisors at Kentucky Equine Research offer practical, science-based insights tailored to the unique challenges faced by performance horses. You’ll always receive a personalized response crafted by real experts drawing on nearly 40 years of innovative research, never a canned or AI-generated reply.

This is advertorial content. The editorial staff of The Chronicle of the Horse had no role in this article’s creation.

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Electrolytes are typically offered reactively after sweaty training or competition rides, especially in extreme temperatures, or after signs of dehydration, fatigue, or muscle cramping appear. By this time, however, electrolyte imbalances have likely already hindered athleticism and delayed recovery. Many owners do not realize how quickly electrolyte depletion occurs and how detrimental it can be to overall well-being.

Horses in consistent work, even light exercise in cool environments, require daily electrolyte supplementation to satisfy baseline requirements. Inadequate electrolyte balance can lead to subtle but serious hydration and muscle problems, both of which affect performance.

Electrolyte Imbalances: Subtle Signs

Signs of electrolyte imbalances are often subtle or misattributed to other issues. These signs include:

• Fatigue or lack of energy,
• Sluggish performance or slow recovery,
• Muscle tightness, cramps, or tremors,
• Reduced, patchy, or delayed sweating, including anhidrosis,
• Excessive thirst, dehydration, or poor water intake, and
• Tying-up, known also as exertional rhabdomyolysis.

Indications of electrolyte imbalances do not appear only in hardworking horses; they often show up in light to moderately exercised horses when electrolyte needs are unfulfilled. Daily electrolyte supplementation is one of the simplest ways to avoid deficiencies.

Daily Losses: More Than Just Sweat

Electrolyte losses that occur through sweat are easy for horse owners to visualize, but electrolytes are also lost through less obvious routes: urination, defecation, respiration, and salivation.

While the main goal of electrolyte replenishment with exercising horses is to replace significant losses from sweat, it is important to not depend on a horse’s sweat pattern to determine electrolyte loss. A sweat pattern refers to the amount of sweating that occurs in different areas of a horse’s body, which can vary between individuals and be influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity, points of contact with tack or other equipment, and disposition. High-strung or nervous horses will often have an increased sweat response to certain situations.

Supplementing by assessing sweat pattern may underestimate a horse’s actual electrolyte loss. Sweat evaporates quickly, especially during work and cooldown. Even exercise that leaves no visible sweat will increase electrolyte requirements due to shifts in fluid balance, muscle activity, and drinking or urination behavior. Just a few days of regular work without appropriate electrolyte replenishment can dull performance and slow recovery.

Sodium is Often Deficient

Sodium is the most critical electrolyte and is often the electrolyte most deficient in equine diets. In fact, 60-70% of horses are chronically deficient in sodium. Contrary to popular belief, voluntary intake from salt blocks is usually not enough to meet maintenance requirements for most horses. Regardless of workload, horses require a minimum of 1-2 oz (2-4 tablespoons) of plain salt (sodium chloride) daily just to replace basic sodium and chloride losses. Exercising horses lightly in moderate temperatures can increase requirements to 2-4 oz of salt per day.

Other Electrolytes Support Muscle Function

While salt makes up a significant portion of these losses, other electrolytes are also drained, including potassium, important for nerve and muscle function. Magnesium and calcium, vital for muscle contraction and relaxation, also diminish, but the amounts and ratios differ based on the type and duration of exercise. Prolonged low-intensity exercise (e.g., trail, endurance, ranch work) can increase magnesium and calcium losses. Potassium, magnesium, or calcium losses are more commonly associated with muscle fatigue, cramping, or spasms, and even tying-up.

General guidelines recommend using salt alone for horses at maintenance, but adding additional electrolytes even for light workloads, especially in hot or humid conditions. Consistently exercised horses (30-60 min/day) should consume both salt and additional electrolytes daily, gradually increasing as exercise intensity, heat, and humidity rise.

Advantage of Slow-Release Technology

Osmolality refers to the delicate balance between water and electrolytes in the body. In horses, an equal concentration of water and electrolytes, called an isotonic state, is favored.

Large or sudden intakes of electrolytes or water can disrupt this balance, upset the digestive system, and change electrolyte excretion and retention rates. When large amounts of electrolytes are consumed, concentration of electrolytes into the gastrointestinal system can spike rapidly, drawing water into it to dilute the solution. When this happens, dehydration and diarrhea often result.

Further, large amounts of electrolytes can irritate the sensitive gastrointestinal lining, increasing the risk of ulcers, aggravating established ulcers, and causing sudden spikes in blood electrolyte levels. This can overwhelm the absorption capacity of the intestine and trigger the kidneys to increase urinary excretion, leading to “electrolyte dumping,” a term for rapid excretion of electrolytes. Dumping wastes valuable electrolytes at times when they are needed most by horses.

Encapsulation technology allows for a slow release of electrolytes over several hours, matching the natural absorption rate to maximize utilization, prevent waste, and promote consistent hydration. This steady delivery:

• Prevents sharp fluctuations in blood electrolyte levels, reducing the risk of osmotic shifts that result in fluid imbalances and electrolyte dumping,
• Avoids overwhelming the digestive system or kidneys, diminishing the likelihood of digestive upset or overexcretion, and
• Enhances electrolyte absorption and retention, encouraging sustained hydration.

Compared to other electrolytes, a slow-release electrolyte offers a safer, physiologically optimal alternative. By gradually delivering electrolytes, the gut and bloodstream can consistently maintain proper electrolyte and fluid balance. This allows for sustained absorption of electrolytes, ensuring they are available for proper muscle metabolism and performance recovery.

Rather than reactively offering electrolytes after depletion, daily supplementation of slow-release electrolytes allows for a proactive approach to maintain hydration and electrolyte availability, especially during sustained work or variable environmental conditions.

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