Reading Time: 3 minutes The clinical symptoms of slowly advancing dental disease in the older horse are not always overtly obvious, can be quite subtle and may even be discounted as ‘just’ a sign of old age. And so it is that owners and caretakers of an older horse can be taken by surprise when their horse — who […] Read more
How dental disease can cause weight loss in horses
Dramatic weight loss can often occur when horses can no longer properly chew their feed
The topline tells the tale of a horse’s overall health
It’s one of the clearest and widest indicators of well-being — or problematic issues
Reading Time: 4 minutes Multiple aspects of a horse’s health, lifestyle and environment dovetail together and contribute to the appearance of its topline. An esthetically pleasing topline in a horse at any age is a testament to the alignment of a good many conditions and circumstances which are supportive of the horse’s health and well-being. The opposite is equally […] Read more
Factors to consider when your horse has the trots
A horse with diarrhea can suffer serious health consequences if it’s a serious case
Reading Time: 3 minutes Diarrhea in the horse describes a symptom with a wide variety of causes and presentations where for various reasons the intestinal tract does not complete absorption of electrolytes and water. As the water content of the feces increases the normal grouping of well-formed fecal balls lose their individual ‘ball’ shape and the fecal matter becomes […] Read more
What to watch for with a physically immature horse
Be mindful of the young horse’s developmental stages to protect its future health
Reading Time: 3 minutes Given the increasingly common occurrence of arthritis in today’s horses, it is worthwhile to consider the choices that are made in a young horse’s life that are large contributors to the outcome of that horse’s soundness over its lifetime. Oftentimes arthritis is viewed as a condition of the aging horse, mostly because the outward clinical […] Read more
What to consider when horses display undesirable behaviour
Is the horse in pain? Training? Maybe both? Maybe more? You need to find out
Reading Time: 3 minutes Any time undesirable behaviour or resistance arises in the horse it demands a unique type of ‘listening’ to identify what the horse is attempting to convey. Horses are transparent in their behaviours and often act in an attempt to simply feel better and seek relief from discomfort. Identifying the root cause of the discomfort can […] Read more
IR/EMS/PPID in horses = OMG
Without proper management, horses can develop one of a number of diseases
Reading Time: 4 minutes The alphabet soup grouping of acronyms IR (insulin resistance), EMS (equine metabolic syndrome), and PPID (pituitary pars intermediare dysfunction also known as Cushing’s syndrome) represent an increasingly common and growing incidence of illnesses in horses between the ages of five and 15 years. Despite their separate labels these illnesses share many similarities in metabolic hormone […] Read more
Considerations before breeding a horse
This is not a project that should be simply taken on at an impulse. It requires planning, patience and commitment
Reading Time: 3 minutes Foals are adorable and the idea of raising a foal can be tempting — very tempting. The reasons why owners breed a horse is often a combination of emotional gratification, performance expectations, and economic gain. Yet none of these outcomes are ‘for certain’ and so the eventual outcome of the foal as it becomes an […] Read more
Horse owners need to be aware of new drug rules
You now need a prescription for all antimicrobials and a relationship with a veterinarian
Reading Time: 3 minutes First of all, the idea of veterinary oversight regarding the use of antibiotics in animals is nothing new. However, as of Dec. 1, animal owners now need the involvement of a veterinarian for purchase of all antimicrobials for animal health to ensure their prudent use. New federal regulations will require all antimicrobials used in animals […] Read more
West Nile virus numbers spiked again this summer
The number of cases of this disease in horses rises and falls depending on a complex interplay of factors
Reading Time: 3 minutes Since the first horse was detected with West Nile virus in Canada in 2002, the prevalence of the disease has cycled annually through peaks and troughs. The number of cases in horses initially peaked in 2003 following its introduction, with many fewer cases reported until 2007 when the incidence of the disease spiked once again. […] Read more
Some points to consider when shopping for horse hay
Our own senses are wonderful tools — choose hay that is as fine stemmed, green, and as leafy as possible
Reading Time: 4 minutes Hay selection is an important aspect of horse ownership. The type and quality of hay the horse eats can make a big difference in its overall nutrition, and its value in a horse’s diet is unquestionable. The extra dollars spent on sourcing good-quality hay and its proper storage is invariably cost effective on many levels […] Read more
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