Reading Time: 3 minutes Lameness has become somewhat of a catch-all term for a broad spectrum of abnormalities in a horse’s movement caused by pain or reduced motion. Though often thought of as a problem of the feet or legs, the roots of many lamenesses are now being discovered to originate elsewhere. These discoveries are important since horse owners […] Read more
Demystifying equine lameness
Horse Health: Overtraining young horses can set the stage for lameness issues later in life
Understanding and controlling the risk of swamp fever
Horses that test positive must be euthanized or quarantined for life
Reading Time: 4 minutes The recent increase in confirmed cases of equine infectious anemia (EIA), also known as swamp fever, in Alberta is a reminder to horse owners that this disease maintains a constant presence in equine populations. Often evidence for infection is noted only after routine surveillance testing for EIA. EIA is a blood-borne and potentially fatal viral […] Read more
Aging horses by their teeth
Horse Health: A method of determining the age of horses by the wear on their teeth has been widely accepted for 130 years
Reading Time: 3 minutes In 1885, Sydney Galvayne published a book in Glasgow outlining a system which claimed to accurately age horses by identifying distinct features of wear on the teeth. Galvayne’s treatise became widely accepted and uncontested amongst horsemen for over a century. The Galvayne name even became memorialized when a distinct groove which travels down the side […] Read more
Bringing the advantages of hydrotherapy to your horse
Horse Health: A soothing and therapeutic relief when dealing with wounds or injuries
Reading Time: 3 minutes One of the most valuable allies in the “doctor’s” kit of every horseman ought to be water — simple, soothing, inexpensive, and most often readily available. The application of water, a.k.a. hydrotherapy, to encourage healing brings plenty of advantages in many equine injuries. In spite of the many advancements in veterinary medicine, hydrotherapy remains a […] Read more
Horses can have allergic reactions, know the symptoms
Horse Health: There are multiple triggers that can cause either skin or respiratory reaction
Reading Time: 3 minutes Horses, just like humans, can and do get allergies. Although allergies in horses are not fully understood, we do know that the root cause lies in the immune system. The body becomes hypersensitive and appears to “overreact” to seemingly innocuous substances called allergens. Histamine, a naturally occurring hormone in the body, reaches overly high levels, […] Read more
Mastering the art of longeing horses
Horse Health: There is more to this form of training than going in circles
Reading Time: 3 minutes At its most basic level, longeing (pronounced lunging) is a seemingly simple exercise. It asks a horse to move in circles around a handler. However, execution of this exercise can be either very beneficial or very detrimental to the horse, depending on “how” it is done. How a horse carries its body as it travels […] Read more
What if my horse needs colic surgery?
Horse Health: The majority of cases can be addressed non-invasively, but sometimes surgery is necessary to save the horse’s life
Reading Time: 3 minutes The chance that your horse might require surgery for colic is low, very low, yet mentally entertaining the possibility and having a game plan could make a difference for you and your horse. The reason for this is simply because a successful outcome to colic surgery is time sensitive. While deciding to do colic surgery […] Read more
Common genetic disorders of the quarter-horse
Horse health: Genetic testing is the only way to know whether the horse is a carrier
Reading Time: 3 minutes The American Quarter Horse Association has recognized the presence of five genetic disorders in the quarter-horse breed. These disorders can also affect horses of quarter-horse ancestry. The effects of genetic disorders range from mild and manageable to severe and terminal. Understanding the prevalence and expression of these genetic disorders better equips quarter-horse owners to make […] Read more
Miniature Horses: not quite the same as a horse
Horse Health: Miniatures are attractive for their personalities and intelligence, but face some unique health problems
Reading Time: 3 minutes Whilst the exact origin of the modern Miniature Horse is unclear, selective breeding of pony stock breeds such as the Shetland pony for a smaller size is most likely. Pony breeds, typically considered an equine under 14.2 hands or 58 inches in height, have been around for hundreds of years. Most of their evolutionary selection […] Read more
Too much practice doesn’t make perfect
Horse health: Like humans, horses are prone to repetitive strain injuries from doing one thing too often
Reading Time: 3 minutes Developing muscle memory through practice is important to learning a skill, yet overuse of muscles repeatedly in one particular way or pattern leads to musculoskeletal and nervous system debilitation. Too much practice can be as equally detrimental to performance as too little practice. “Specialized” movement patterns can become firmly entrenched in the musculoskeletal system, sacrificing […] Read more
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