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We are all used to wives, daughters and girlfriends suffering from PMT, it can be distressing for anyone and is certainly not a subject to be treated lightly. Horses are no different and many mares suffer from hormonal mood swings and the equine equivalent of PMT. To maintain good horse health you want to do all you can to alleviate this to make life safer and more pleasant for everyone.
Many mares can become extremely moody when coming into season. If you are at all concerned you should consult your Vet, certainly if you want to use hormone supplements to help handle the problem. There are many herbal ‘remedies’ that you can use including Vervain, Yarrow, Valerian and Chamomile. Do be aware though that some herbs can lead to positive tests for some prohibited substances – Vervain is one of the main culprits and you should always check with the manufacturer before using if this is likely to be an issue.
Good diet is important as always, make sure your mare has plenty of good slow release carbohydrate energy foods including small quantities of sugar, together with plenty of fibre, starch and oil bearing foods.
If you do decide to go along the hormonal supplement route you must take advice from your vet and the correct handling of these medications is essential. Certainly no one who is pregnant or trying to become pregnant should handle these medications.
Finally spend time with your mare, plenty of exercise and just time spent with her with go along way to steadying those mood swings that can so undermine your horse’s health and sense of well being.
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One of the greatest threats to horse health is Strangles, which is epidemic in the Equine world and causes enormous distress to both horse and rider. Nothing is worse than seeing your horse in pain and distress from this dreadful disease. Research done by the Animal Health Trust has brought about a breakthrough with the development of a blood test to check if a horse has been exposed to Streptococcus Equi, the bacteria which causes Strangles, further developments in their DNA diagnostic test will hopefully reduce the diagnosis time from 72 hours to 24 which can be critical in treatment. You can find out more about these tests and the work of the AHT at www.strangles.org
For your information, the symptoms of Strangles are a pussy discharge from the nostrils and swelling of the lymph glands under the jaw. These swellings can develop into abcesses which can burst and become further infected. Horses suffering from Strangles can develop a fever, stop eating and become depressed.
Strangles is very contagious and spreads rapidly, foals are especially vulnerable – it would be heartbreaking to think of this little chap being infected. All equipment must be thoroughly sterilized and affected horses should be kept isolated as they can spread the disease up to eight or nine months after recovery.
Most horses recover but they must be carefully nurtured and not do any heavy work or training for three or four months. Good horse health depends on your vigilance so do watch out for symptoms of this pernicious disease
Photo courtesy of Taliesin
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I came across an excellent ebook the other day which was drawn to my attention by a fellow rider when discussing training methods to help deal with some of the behavior problems you can encounter with your horse. When you first buy your horse you have to spend some time getting to know each other and it is during this time that you may discover problems that have not been addressed by the previous owner.
Horse Training Success is full of very practical information on how to train your horse into good behavior patterns presented in a step by step fashion that is easy to find your way around. The book is based around real problems presented by real riders of real horses rather than just a theoretical, airy fairy approach which does nothing for you or your horse. Problems such as biting, bolting, kicking and bucking which can cause nasty injuries are dealt with in a no nonsense fashion which will help both you and the horse to get rid of those unpleasant habits. There are a number of practical approaches to the things that make your horse skittish and jumpy like cars, blowing rubbish and other animals, not to mention getting him into a trailer without a fuss. Feeding time can often cause issues, especially if you have a strong willed horse that likes to take control and I was impressed with some of the solutions presented in the book.
The manual doesn’t only deal with horse behavior problems but also with basic training and riding techniques in plain English with no jargon or waffle – invaluable! Phil Tragear has put together an enormous amount of information and shared the benefit of years of experience both in basic horse training as well as problem management. Horse Training Success is one of the best all round manuals I have come across in a very long time.
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The arrival of a new foal is a time of such excitement and joy. The health of your mare and her newborn has to be a prime consideration and you need to be well prepared. Horse health is so dependent on a good regime and this is even more important for a pregnant mare. She needs good food, maybe even some supplements under the guidance of your Vet. You need to help her build up the stamina and strength she is going to need to carry the foal, give birth and then nurture the little one. Your Vet should be your constant source of information and advice, especially if this is the first time you have bred horses, checking your mare regularly to make sure she is OK.
Most times the mare will give birth on her own with little help or intervention from you, and that is as it should be but sometimes you just might have to help. Talking to your vet before hand will help you to know what is normal, and how to spot if things are going wrong. Make sure you have all the things you might need to hand – including the telephone number of the vet!
Once the time comes you should be around, but keep your distance unless you are needed, just enjoy the special moment when the new foal makes his appearance and bonds with his mother. There is nothing quite so special to any equestrian as being there at that moment. It seems to create a special bond between you and the horse when he grows up and you start to ride him. Most times the Mare knows just exactly what to do and gets on with the job in hand, cleaning and nursing the foal through those first moments of life when he is just a little unsteady and unsure.
Just as a word to the wise – if you must take your camera to record the moment, please be careful of the flash, it can frighten a new baby and doesn’t do much for Mum’s equilibrium either. If she is startled she may hurt her foal which would be tragic after all you care of your horse’s health.
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As a species human beings enjoy competition in all its forms whether it be a simple kick around in the park or taking part in a major event, either as part of a team or as an individual. Equestrian Sports fulfil this desire to compete ion every level, either as part of a team or as individual. You can represent yourself, your club or at the very highest level, your Country.
Riding demonstrate the harmony between Rider and Horse in a way that nothing else does. Men and women can both take part on level playing field which is rare in any sporting event. The speed and dexterity with which they and their mounts flash around the course can be quite astounding to a novice. This is the result of many months of training and developing the relationship between the pairing. Before this can be developed you first have to choose the horse you want to ride.
The size of the horse has to be one of the first criteria – what good is it to have a horse that can run like the wind and jump a mile if your feet dangle on the floor or you are too heavy for him. Next comes temperament, you need a horse that you can work with, they have personalities just like people and sometimes personalities clash. If you find that you rub each other up the wrong way it will show in the competition and you will always be fighting to control your mount. That can be disastrous in Dressage for example, where you need to work as one. The precise movements are almost a ballet and any disharmony would be like the orchestra playing out of tune.
In any Equestrian Sport the condition of the horse plays a major part, he needs to be healthy and happy, well fed, watered and groomed so that he is comfortable and ready for the excitement of the competition – after all you want to win a Rosette don’t you?
There are many competitions in the world of Equestrian Sports but there are some that stand head and shoulders above the rest – the Burleigh Horse Trials in the UK where the best three day eventers compete. The National Horse Show in America covers many fields of equestrian endeavour and is held in Palm Beach under the auspices of the National Show Horse Association of America who focus the competitions on good horsemanship.
One of the most popular events in the calendar is the Horse of the Year Show at Olympia, London, which is held in December each year. A huge party atmosphere prevails throughout the show which specializes in Show Jumping but with lots of other competitions thrown in as well. I have many happy memories of competing there, it was like the beginning of Christmas. The ultimate competition is of course, the Olympic Games where Equestrian Sports are one of the oldest categories.
Any competitive rider will love taking part in their chosen branch of Equestrian Sport and so will their horse providing an exciting show for spectators, the buzz is tremendous and if you win….
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There are many types and breeds of horse and pony which can often be confusing to the true Equestrian, never mind the lay person. I felt it might be useful to give a brief description of the differences which will lead on to a more detailed occasional series of articles on each of the different breeds – Horse facts if you like.The principle difference between a horse and a pony is known by most people – above 14.2 hands = horse, below = pony but this is not strictly true as many small breeds are classed as horses because of other characteristics, as they say ‘rules are for guidance’. Stud Books vary in their criteria and each should be judged individually. For example the Fallabella is a miniature horse, not a pony.
Breeds are a slightly more thorny issue, generally a breed is defined as a ‘viable true-breeding population’, such as Andalusian or Percheron. Some newer breeds of horse do not strictly fall into that category yet but are still classified as breeds. It is generally held that most domesticated horses today spring from one of four wild species, the warmblood or forest, the oriental, the draft and the Tarpan, from these have developed the hundreds of different types of horse in the modern world.
In addition to the true breeding type there are also what are called ‘colour breeds’ and the only criteria for inclusion in the Stud Book is adherence to the colour – any foals not conforming will not be eligible, examples are the Palamino and the Buckskin. Some, such as the Appaloosa have a preferred colour but it is not a breed requirement.
Types of horse are different again, the best way to describe it as a group of horses that have similarities of appearance or temperament such as Cobs, Hacks or Sport Horses. There are many ‘types’ whose names come down from history though we rarely use those terms today. Horses were not classified by breed but by type in the past – lovely names such as Destrier, Jennet, Palfrey and Hobby. The Hobby Horse was not always a wooden toy but a lightweight horse, maybe just under the 14.2 hands classification, that was bred in Ireland from Spanish stock. They were highly prized as cavalry mounts employed in light skirmishing, often covering as much as 70 miles a day in a form of guerrilla warfare – a little know horse fact.
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