Reading Time: 4 minutes Most horses are blanketed in the winter according to the personal principles of the owner. However, like any other management practice, blanketing horses has its rightful place and proper use. The decision to blanket the horse comes with advantages and disadvantages. First, it is good to know that nature has provided the horse with extremely […] Read more
What to consider when blanketing your horse
Horse Health: The animal’s body condition, nutrition and level of activity can all affect this decision
New test gives definitive diagnosis of tapeworm infestation in horses
Horse Health: But it’s not clear if there’s much, if any, impact on horse health from tapeworm infestations
Reading Time: 3 minutes The existence of tapeworms in horses has rarely been a topic of much concern as the significance of infestation to the health of the horse has for the most part been uncertain. Not only is it difficult to reproduce the complicated life cycle of the tapeworm under study conditions it is also unreliable to gather […] Read more
Horses get arthritis, too, and need special care
Horse Health: Abnormal and repetitive stresses are frequent causes of this source of lameness
Reading Time: 4 minutes Ringbone is one of the most common forms of arthritis diagnosed in the horse and is a “catch-all” term used to describe an osteoarthritis that afflicts the coffin joint (low ringbone) or the pastern joint (high ringbone). Degeneration of the joint interferes with function, mobility and flexibility of the lower limb and ultimately leads to […] Read more
Heat stress and horses
Horse Health: Emergency interventions may be necessary to save overheated animals as heatstroke can occur very quickly
Reading Time: 4 minutes Hot weather poses a unique set of challenges to the physiology of horses that are better equipped to deal with cold weather. Horses naturally benefit from the heat produced as a byproduct of their own digestive processes and muscular activity. However, as temperatures rise beyond approximately 24 C and humidity increases, horses struggle to effectively […] Read more
Care of the nursing foal
Horse Health: Mother Nature, their own mother and human caretakers all have a profound effect on the wellness of young horses
Reading Time: 4 minutes From the time a foal is a week old and healthy until it is weaned, its physical, mental and emotional development is influenced by many caretakers. Mother Nature and Mother Horse are the foal’s primary caretakers, however, human caretakers can also have a substantial influence on the foal’s development. Many events that occur in the […] Read more
Horse euthanasia: When is the ‘right time’ to end suffering
Horse Health: The strong bond most horse owners develop with their equine companions makes this a very difficult choice
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sometimes the decision to euthanize a horse and end suffering is clearly obvious. This can occur when a horse has a severe injury or an unrelenting and non-responsive illness such as laminitis or colic. However, all circumstances are not so straightforward and many times horse owners are confronted with situations of illness, injury or aging […] Read more
Gastric ulcers in horses
Horse Health: This malady is part of a much bigger problem
Reading Time: 4 minutes Recognition and medical treatment of gastric ulcers in horses has been well established for many years now. Initially veterinarians thought ulcers in the digestive tract of the horse were limited to the stomach or gastric mucosa. This was a logical conclusion since the presence of the open ulcers in the stomach could be diagnosed and […] Read more
Pacing, rocking and other worrisome behaviour in horses
Horse Health: Repetitive behaviour isn’t a problem to fix, it’s a sign to look for the root issue
Reading Time: 4 minutes Stereotypic behaviours are repetitive behaviours performed by animals with no obviously discernible function. One of the most commonly recognized stereotypic behaviours is the pacing of polar bears in zoo exhibits. Stereotypic behaviours are also recognized in horses, of which cribbing, weaving and stall walking or pacing are the three most common. Polar bears and horses […] Read more
If you see your horse choking, call a vet right away
Horse Health: The condition in horses refers to the inability to swallow rather than an obstruction of breathing
Reading Time: 3 minutes Whenever the term “choke” is used in horses, it refers to an obstruction or blockage in the esophagus. This is very different than the extreme medical emergency of choking in humans, whereby an obstruction of the airway or trachea has occurred. The choking horse can still breathe — but the choking horse cannot swallow. Choke […] Read more
The many reasons a horse rolls
Horse Health: It’s an eye-catching move, but it’s also completely natural behaviour
Reading Time: 3 minutes Whenever an animal as large as a horse drops to the ground it captures most everyone’s attention. Fortunately the most common reason a horse does drop to the ground is to roll, and rolling is a perfectly natural behaviour for horses. It is both beneficial to their health and an indicator of their health. Horses […] Read more
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