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Horse Health - Taking A Horse To Water

July 1st, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

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The old adage ‘you can take a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink’ is a very true saying.  To maintain your horse in good health you must make sure that he drinks enough and this can be an issue in the warm summer months.

If your horse is out at pasture you must check daily that there is an adequate supply of water.  Most animal rescue calls to organisations such as the ASPCA and the RSPCA regarding horses during the summer months are because they don’t have sufficient water.  A horse is a large animal, they sweat freely when it is warm and need to replace the lost fluid, it is even more important if they have been working hard.

If the weather is particularly warm then you may need to add some electrolytes to the water to help replace lost salts and minerals to ensure good horse health.  This can also be useful when traveling.  Some horses are notoriously fussy about the water they drink, and when away from home they will refuse water if it doesn’t taste right.  If they are used to having electrolytes in their water, the taste will mask the difference in the water and they will be much more likely to take on sufficient fluid.  It is a useful trick to have up your sleeve!

Horse Health - Caring For An Older Horse

July 1st, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Quality of life is as big an issue for the animals we care for as it is for ourselves, it’s never easy on us when we have to watch the animals we love so much get old and infirm. Maintaining good horse health in an older animal can be difficult, it has to be approached in a totally different way. It is very important that you make sure that you’re providing your older horse with the appropriate care. There are many things that you can do to make certain that your elderly horse is capable of enjoying a productive and happy life that he will enjoy for a long time.

It is essential that, when your horse reaches retirement age and you are no longer riding him hard, you turn him out onto good quality pasture where he can spend his retirement. This ought to be an area where he can be with other horses. Horses are social animals and need company, it should also be an area that is big enough for him to wander as he wants. Ideally the pasture should have an area that is sheltered, whether this is a barn or some other structure that the horse can use when it is raining or cold. In other words give your faithful friend a pasture that allows him to choose what he wants to do, and provides the wherewithal for him to do it.

If you spend a lot of time with your horse, you need to still spend time with him when he is older and retired. He will have grown used to your company and will be lonely if you abandon him, thinking a life with no work is enough for him. It isn’t - he still needs your love and affection. Company of some sort is vital to the horse’s well being. You often see older horses pastured with a donkey for company and they do get on well together, but a horse on his own in a field is a sad sight.

Regular visits ensure that your horse’s health needs are met and that he is getting any medical care that he needs. You need to be aware of any changes in his behavior - this can be the first sign of an illness or an injury, If this is the case you need to be sure you are taking care of it at once. An older horse will be more prone to injuries and ailments so make certain that you are watch him carefully and deal with anything that needs to be done as soon as possible.

Your horse has given you many years of service, fun and companionship and to spend a little time and effort on ensuring that his retirement care conforms to good horse health guidelines is the least he deserves.

Horse Health - Avoiding Training Stress

June 16th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Equestrian Sports require a great deal of training for both horse and rider. We are well aware that we get stressed by the ups and downs - but what about your horse?  What do you do to keep the training sessions as stress free as possible.

There are three simple things that I do which make our sessions a great deal more pleasant and productive for both of us.  First and foremost - talk to your horse, tell him when he is doing well and let him know by the tone of your voice how pleased you are.  I keep up a constant stream of conversation, talking my way through the session, which is both calming and relaxing for both us.

Make sure you give yourselves some breaks, training sessions are demanding both mentally and physically and you need to take a breather.  Give your horse lots of encouragement during the break, especially if he has done something well.  In an ideal world you should try to take breaks so that they fall just after a particularly successful moment.

Last but not least, at the end of a session. let yourselves unwind.  Let your horse walk round and stretch on a long rein for a while so that he relaxes slowly and lets go of the mental effort as well as the physical.  None of these take any time at all and will ensure that you and the horse both end the session feeling you have achieved something and you feel better for it.

Horse Health - Tying Your Horse

March 9th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Tying up syndrome can be a major health risk for any horse. Tying up syndrome, or Rhabdomyolysis, is found in horses that are often tied or do not get enough exercise. If you have a horse that will be tied up for any length of time, make sure that you talk to your vet about ways to prevent this and ways to treat it if you horse should develop this distressing condition.

There are three main symptoms you should watch out for, firstly your horse will walk very stiffly. Just think about how you feel after a lengthy journey - your legs will be stiff. Imagine being tied up somewhere and being forced to stay in that position for hours on end with very little scope for movement. The horse will have trouble walking and in severe cases, may not be able to move at all without help. Secondly, the horse will also probably have rear muscles that are hard to the touch and very painful. If you do touch them the horse will certainly react to demonstrate his pain. The last symptom is sweating, which will happen if the pain is very severe.

Tying up your horse for extended periods of time has additional affects on a horse’s health. You horse may develop the so called ‘Monday Morning Disease’ from eating too much when tied up (as he might be over a ‘weekend’) and could easily be injured when starting to exercise. Horses that are tied up too much are also are often unaccustomed to people or to being untied and may not be able to perform well in shows or cope well amongst a group of people or horses.

If the horse has a moderate to severe case of tying up disease, you would recognise it, but mild cases may seem similar to other medical conditions or simply laziness. Only your vet can properly diagnose your horse if there is a problem. Blood tests are most likely to help your vet determine if you horse has tying up syndrome. There are many courses to take if a horse has this medical problem. An Electrolyte imbalance may contribute to tying up syndrome, so it is important to work with a Vet to make certain that your horse is getting appropriate nutrition. If you horse simply has a mild case of the condition, walking him on a hand rein will allow him to loosen up. In more severe cases, medication can be used to relax the horse. If the horse seems to be in pain, the best thing you can do is call your vet promptly. Do not try and force the horse to move, as this can cause injury and extreme pain.

In a nutshell, make sure that you have the time to take care of a horse before you get one. If you don’t, he may spend a lot of time tied up. This is detrimental to the horse’s health and an act of cruelty. I have seen the tragic results of a horse being tied up far too often.

Horse Health – Equine PMT

February 18th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

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.

Horse Health – Strangles, A New Development

February 16th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

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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