There is an increased occurrence of the itchy horse during the spring and summer months, which is associated with seasonal allergies. While there is no published data on the number of allergies in horses, it would appear that their numbers are rising and parallel similar findings in humans and dogs. The most obvious symptom of
The seasonally ‘itchy’ horse
Horse Health: It’s not just humans that suffer through allergy season
Forging the frog of the equine foot
Horse Health: This structure must be nurtured naturally for horse health
So much detriment comes to the horse when their feet are not comfortable. The robust development and expression of the back half of the horse’s hoof and by association, the frog, plays a major role in cushioning a comfortable landing of the equine foot. The weak or “sick” frog has become so common amongst the
Shwetz: The equine weekend warrior
Overdoing it on the weekend is not only applicable to humans
“Weekend warrior syndrome” is a modern-day term used to describe what happens when a person is too busy during the work week to exercise, leading them to physically overextend themselves on the weekend. Humans aren’t the only ones to experience the phenomena. While most human weekend warriors expect to pay for their exercise spurt with achy muscles,
Care required when introducing the horse to spring pastures
Horse Health: Too-rich forage before acclimation can lead to discomfort and health issues
It is tempting to allow horses unlimited access to springtime pastures as soon as the grass turns green, particularly after a long winter. Yet mindful management of this transition in a domestic environment is crucial to the well-being of the horse. In natural rangeland conditions the new spring grasses are covered with a dry forage
Donkeys have unique needs
Horse Health: These long-eared characters were built for harsh environments
The long-eared donkey is enjoying a popularity as the equine of choice, either as a pet, a companion for recreation or perhaps even as a performance animal. Aside from their characteristic long ears, the donkey does share many commonalities with their close brethren, the horse, however, there are some unique considerations for the health and
Emotional health an important issue for horses
Horse Health: These complex emotional creatures have a subtle language of their own to express their feelings
The emotional state of the horse is deeply involved in all matters of the equine’s world. When investigated, the emotional health of the horse exists in strong relationship to outcomes of their physical health, their behaviour, and their performance. Most equine owners, caretakers and professionals would readily acknowledge the rich emotional world of the horse,
Take the two-week grain-free challenge
Horse Health: Sometimes saying no is the best way to express affection to your horse
Even though a ‘two-week grain-free challenge’ may be anxiety inducing to a number of horse owners its implementation generally yields valuable realizations and surprisingly beneficial results for both horse and human. Humans often equate food with love and unknowingly project these feelings on to their animal family — the cats, the dogs and the horses. Depending on the
How does a horse stay warm in the winter?
Horse Health: The natural coping mechanisms of horses should be encouraged rather than suppressed
The horse is remarkably adapted and adept at staying warm as the winter season arises and temperatures plunge into the double digits. In order to satisfy its body’s needs for generating warmth the horse requires resources to do so. If the horse’s environment and circumstance do not meet the requirements of the horse to physiologically thermoregulate and generate
Forage the key to healthy horse diet
Horse Health: Marketing campaigns plant doubts about importance of natural diet
Horses both need forage and horses need to forage. Both aspects are equally nourishing to the horse and both aspects are necessary to fully satisfy the physical, emotional and mental contentment of the horse. Forage comes without a feed label and receives very little marketing attention when held in comparison to the enterprising sales campaigns that market designer
The nose knows: the sense of smell in horses
Horse Health: This often-overlooked sensory system is a major contributor to horse well-being
Despite horses being described as one of the most perceptive of all animals, research on equine sensory abilities is limited and has mainly focused on hearing and vision. Although olfaction, or the sense of smell, has only been studied sparsely, the highly developed and sophisticated anatomy of the olfactory system in the horse with its long nose,
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
