Reading Time: 3 minutes In horses, as in humans, the immune system is a powerful biological force. Most of the time, it works so effectively that its true value is often overlooked, even minimized. The traditional view of an immune system is as an army poised for the simple eradication of pathogens. While accurate, this description vastly oversimplifies immunity. […] Read more
A horse’s immune system can’t be taken for granted
Our understanding of the immune system has evolved past the war-on-germs analogy
Just because the horse has no limp doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem
Horse Health: Horses are far too good at disguising foot pain but sore hoofs can lead to a host of problems
Reading Time: 3 minutes As animals of prey, horses are adept at masking pain, especially foot pain. Foot pain matters deeply to the physical health and psychic well-being of the horse that, at a primal level, relies on flight for a sense of safety. Unfortunately, for many horses with generalized foot pain, their discomfort goes unrecognized, is poorly understood […] Read more
There are several keys to getting a yearling on the proper path
Horse Health: Sound nutrition, plenty of exercise and social interactions are the foundation for the horse’s future
Reading Time: 4 minutes As the equine version of an early teenager, the yearling is a bit of a peculiarity within the modern-day horse world. Yearlings generally appear and act physically ungainly, have a naive mindset and are often emotionally raw. So pressure and haste are often placed upon the yearling to be more than it is and to […] Read more
Transitioning the shod horse to barefoot can be challenging
Start with a hoof assessment and look for problems that may have gone unnoticed
Reading Time: 4 minutes Horse owners decide to transition their horses from shod to barefoot for a number of reasons — curiosity, cost, research, friends, frustrating lamenesses, and unfortunately at times a death sentence due to a diagnosis of intractable navicular disease or laminitis. But the journey towards barefooting is often not without its challenges — yet this is […] Read more
The decision to end a horse’s life is often an agonizing process
Horse Health: One of the hardest decisions for a horse owner can also be the best for the welfare of the animal
Reading Time: 4 minutes The term ‘euthanasia’ comes from the Greek words meaning a ‘good death’ and is the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. At times the decision to euthanize a horse is clearly obvious. This can occur when a horse has a severe injury or an unrelenting and non-responsive illness such as […] Read more
Good hoof trimming practices are vital to equine health
Hoofs should be trimmed diligently to prevent a myriad of problems
Reading Time: 3 minutes Whilst there are many husbandry practices that horse owners can take to create positive change in the health of their horse’s hoofs, timely and diligent hoof trimming can bestow one of the biggest benefits in developing and maintaining a sound and healthy hoof. Taking care to maintain the hoofs of a 1,000-pound animal that are […] Read more
Forcing a horse’s head and neck into an unnatural position is harmful
Not allowing a horse to carry itself properly can cause pain, injuries and other problems
Reading Time: 3 minutes A visit to any local equine tack shop will showcase a striking array of tack and accessory tack available to place upon the head of a horse with the promise of improving horsemanship, fashion or a horse’s performance. Many of these devices are potent tools that have the ability to leverage and compound tensile forces […] Read more
Health concerns surrounding glyphosate use are increasing
The herbicide is being linked to chronic inflammation and disease in humans, and that has implications for horses
Reading Time: 3 minutes The implications for the widespread use of glyphosate-based herbicides in our environment has been increasingly mired in controversy despite regulatory assurances of safety. After close to three decades of use, there is a growing body of scientific evidence of unintended biological consequences, including implicating glyphosate use as a contributing factor to the rising incidence of […] Read more
A ‘cresty’ neck is an indicator of illness and should be addressed
Neck fat is associated with several health issues, including laminitis and obesity
Reading Time: 3 minutes The observance of a cresty neck in a horse indicates some level of metabolic sickness and reflects more than just a fat horse. Although the fat or obese horse is burdened with a form of metabolic illness, the appearance of a cresty neck signals further metabolic complications along the continuum of diseases associated with obesity. […] Read more
Mineral deficiency can affect both broodmare and her foal
For a healthy and well-nourished foal, start with a healthy and nourished mare
Reading Time: 3 minutes The physical demands placed upon the body of the broodmare are extraordinary, especially as the number of offspring she is expected to bear increases. These demands and expectations easily position the broodmare as a top performance horse in the horse industry. The broodmare relies on body reserves and nutritional resources to fund a smooth breeding […] Read more
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