Dr. Peter Huntington

Horse Health

Dr. Peter Huntington received a veterinary degree from the University of Melbourne in 1981 and then worked in equine vet practice in Berwick, Victoria. He joined the Department of Agriculture (Victoria) as the horse specialist veterinary officer.

While with the Department of Agriculture, he conducted research and investigation into the nutrition of horses. Dr. Huntington is an external lecturer and examiner at the University of Melbourne Veterinary Science program and holds numerous other appointments in the horse industry. He is a past president and editor of the Australian Equine Veterinary Association and has been a Trustee of the Australian Horse Industry Council for a number of years. In 1993 he joined Rhone-Poulenc Animal Nutrition (RPAN) as Director of Equine Nutrition to spearhead their horse nutrition division. This commenced a relationship with Kentucky Equine Research (KER) and in 1999, KER established an Australasian operation with Dr. Huntington as Director of Equine Nutrition.

Dr Huntington has visited NZ many times in the last 20 years to consult and lecture about aspects related to horse nutrition and feeding. Dr. Huntington travels widely in Australia and Asia to consult with horse owners and managers on equine nutrition and to lecture on the subject. He is the author of the popular book Horse Sense – The Guide to Horse Care in Australia and New Zealand 2nd edition and is a respected author of many articles and papers on a variety of topics relating to equine nutrition and feeding

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Education Sessions

Grass Affected Horses - Fact or Fiction

3.30pm - 4.15pm Friday, 22nd November | Classroom 2

Grass should be the number 1 feed for many horses and NZ has many high quality pastures which are productive for much of the year, but many NZ horse owners are apprehensive about the effects of grass on their horses. NZ is the only country in the world where a description of 'grass affected' horses is in widespread use in the performance horse community. The issues that can relate to pasture will be outlined, and the pros and cons of feeding grass to horses and ponies in NZ will be discussed. Some solutions for the real problems related to grass consumption with be outlined, and myths about the topic will be discussed and debunked.

Energy Sources for Horses - One type does not suit all horses

11.45am - 12.15pm Saturday, 23rd November | Classroom 1

The old horse feeding slogan 'hay, oats and water' harks back to a simpler time when horses performed free of supplements and prepared feeds. It is a reminder that traditionally, cereal grains have been staple feeds for horses and horses were fueled mainly by forage and grains. Recently, the use of cereals as a major part of horse feed has been questioned by a vocal group, with concern based on the flawed premise that feeding even moderate quantities of carbs will lead to behavior or metabolic disturbances and disease in normal horses. There are some horses that do not tolerate grain, and need high fat and fibre diets. The pros and cons of various types of feed programs will be discussed.

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