Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s considered the equivalent of the Stanley Cup for Clydesdales — and one Alberta farm family has won the honour. Willow Way Farms grabbed the title of Supreme Champion when its mare, Puzzle, was awarded the prize at the World Clydesdale Show, in Madison, Wis. “It was something that a guy always thinks about — […] Read more
Alberta mare tops them all at the World Clydesdale Show
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
Past their best dates need to be adhered to, but they aren’t always obvious
How medications are stored matters a great deal, and manufactured feed doesn’t last forever
Reading Time: 4 minutes Modern horse keeping carries a responsibility of housekeeping that pertains to periodically reviewing the expiry dates of products routinely used in the care of the horse. Most horse owners will immediately consider the expiry dates of drugs and medications, however, there are other items that also carry expiry dates that may be even more relevant […] Read more
Proposed EIA testing policy yields mixed views
Some fear mandatory testing for equine infectious anemia will be too costly for smaller equine events
Reading Time: 2 minutes New federal rules on horse movement and testing for equine infectious anemia could be challenging for some horse shows. “At that point, we can no longer feasibly budget a show at any kind of venue that would hold a larger group of horses,” said Cain Quam, owner and trainer at Quam Performance Horses in Kendal, Sask. […] Read more
New case of equine infectious anemia
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new case of equine infectious anemia has been detected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in Ponoka County, the office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian reported in early July. One case involving one horse in Clearwater County was confirmed in April and another case, also one horse, in Strathcona County in February. Another case […] Read more
There’s a risk when feeding lawn clippings to horses
Horses will often gulp down finely chopped grasses, but it can cause a host of serious problems
Reading Time: 2 minutes Although both lawns and pastures contain predominantly grasses, the feeding of lawn grass ‘clippings’ specifically to horses can create a perfect storm of harm for the horse that is easily overlooked. When a horse grazes it goes through a series of motions, selecting, ripping, and thoroughly chewing the grasses. This process creates a slow and […] Read more
Equine dental care is about health and welfare — not performance
Using dentistry to make a horse perform better can cause all sorts of problems down the road
Reading Time: 3 minutes The terms ‘bit seat’ and ‘performance float’ are often used to indicate a seemingly higher, more sophisticated level of dental care for the performance or sport horse — implying that the horse will perform better with such dentistry. The duty of the equine dental provider is not to make horses perform better — even though […] Read more
Mandatory equine infectious anemia testing being considered
Reading Time: < 1 minute An equine infectious anemia (EIA) working group is proposing improvements to the current program for controlling the federally reportable disease. One of its key recommendations is that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency implement mandatory EIA testing for certain movements of horses in Western Canada. EIA can be difficult to detect, as loss of co-ordination may […] Read more
Fourth case of equine infectious anemia
Reading Time: < 1 minute Another case of equine infectious anemia, the fourth this year, has been confirmed in Alberta by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The horse in Clearwater County (west of Red Deer) had not been displaying any symptoms, but was sampled by a vet to comply with an organized club’s requirements. The Office of the Chief Provincial […] Read more
Shedding offers insights into a horse’s health
This annual event arrives with spring and can be a barometer for certain problems that need investigating
Reading Time: 3 minutes Shedding of a horse’s winter coat is a complex physiological process that can reveal information about the horse’s general health. Many — well actually all — horses look cosmetically ‘messy’ during the shedding period with a thorough shed usually occurring over a six- to eight-week period. This transition period often accompanies the fickle weather of […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
