Reading Time: < 1 minute The Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada is conducting a survey to gauge awareness, implementation, and compliance with the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Equines. The code, released in 2013, is a comprehensive guideline covering basic food and water needs; shelter; freedom of movement; companionship; veterinary and farrier care; husbandry practice; and […] Read more
Horse owners and riders urged to take survey
Survey closes Oct. 31
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
Mane Event heads east and south
After expanding to Red Deer 11 years ago, B.C.-based Mane Event is adding shows in Ontario and Arizona
Reading Time: 3 minutes As organizers of the Mane Event return to Red Deer for the 11th time, the show is jumping to new heights this year. The equine educational expo, which began in Chilliwack, B.C., is now a four-stop tour after expanding both east and south this year — adding shows in London, Ont, and and Scottsdale, Ariz. […] 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
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
Horse owners asked to complete survey on emergency plans
Survey closes Nov. 23
Reading Time: < 1 minute Horse owners are being asked to take a survey on their emergency preparedness so both they and others in the equine sector are better prepared to handle a crisis situation. “The importance of developing an equine emergency structure for Alberta was demonstrated recently with the wildfires in Fort McMurray,” the Alberta Equestrian Federation said in […] Read more
Healthy hooves are the result of many factors
Horse Health: A horse’s lifestyle and diet can make a major difference in hoof health
Reading Time: 3 minutes The hoof responds to everything it experiences in its environment as well as everything going on within the body. Inseparably tied to the body, a sound foot depends on more than a correct trim. This in no way dismisses or diminishes the importance of a proper hoof trim, rather places the trim in its rightful […] Read more
The lowdown on the common lumps and bumps of horses
Horse Health: Often the best treatment is benign neglect until they get better on their own
Reading Time: 4 minutes Over their lifetime, horses present with an array of lumps and bumps on various occasions. At times the lump or bump will seemingly appear suddenly from out of nowhere, or it may develop slowly and remain for years without change. The behaviour and clinical picture of the lump/bump will determine whether it needs further investigation […] Read more
Equine athletes to benefit from new research program
The focus will be on reducing injuries in racehorses, show jumpers, and Western pleasure, rodeo, and draft horses
Reading Time: 2 minutes High-performance equine athletes are like people — they need to be at peak fitness to perform at their maximum. And, as with any athlete, injuries can occur. How to train horses for top performance while avoiding injury is one issue facing the sport horse industry in Alberta that will be studied further thanks to a […] Read more
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