Category: Horse

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Four Essential Keys to Keeping Horses Healthy & Happy

Four Essential Keys to Keeping Horses Healthy & Happy

Horses are wonderful companions that can bring us so much joy. But along with the pleasure comes the responsibility of caring for them. Looking after a horse is more than just providing food and water. There are four essential keys to keeping horses healthy and happy. This claim is supported by research conducted in Germany and Scotland back in 2021.

The four essential keys are:

  • Social Contact
  • Social Companionship
  • Free Movement
  • Access to roughage

Researchers examined 38 studies that examined what occurs to horses when one or more of the four items on the list are restricted. The findings and their consequences for how we keep horses are interesting, as are the conclusions themselves. To access the complete study, CLICK HERE.

SOCIAL CONTACT

Horses are naturally herd animals and they thrive on interaction with other horses or even other animals. In a natural setting, they live in large groups, with about 200–400 horses comprising a herd. This size herd is large enough to sustain healthy genetic diversity. It may be divided into smaller family groups for daily activity within the full herd structure with a stallion and a group of mares and foals, as well as small bachelor groups of young colts. 

 SOCIAL COMPANIONSHIP

About one third of all horses form stable social bonds with members of their subgroup. Bonded animals mutually protect each other and their offspring, as well as protecting resources such as food, water and resting places.

FREE MOVEMENT

Horses are naturally active animals that need space to move about freely. Under natural conditions, they travel up to 50 km daily.  They need regular exercise to maintain good circulation and prevent stiffness in their joints. It also contributes to their mental well-being. Regular exercise keeps them active and engaged, which reduces stress and promotes a positive attitude.

ACCESS TO ROUGHAGE

In nature, horses feed on grass for 12 to 16 h per day.  Their digestive system is designed for grazing on grass or hay throughout the day. Access to quality hay ensures they receive enough fiber and nutrients needed for their optimal health.

CONCLUSION

All animals have requirements that are essential for their welfare. And when these basic needs are not met, the animal suffers. By understanding these four essential keys, you will be well on your way to keeping your horse healthy and happy.

 

References:

https://www.doctorramey.com/the-horses-four-basic-needs/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8235049/#app1-animals-11-01798

Image by Ralf Siebeck from Pixabay

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Seedy Toe: How to Provide First Aid for Your Horse

Seedy Toe: How to Provide First Aid for Your Horse

Seedy toe is a common fungal based problem that is often indicated by low copper levels in the body. Generally seems to occur more on sandy soils, and when it’s wet. 

Addressing the nutritional issues will help to reduce the severity and number of times you have to battle with this painful problem. 

Depending on the conditions where the horse is kept, you may need a different combination of supplements to adequately restore the correct balance for your horse.

Equine Amino is a great boost to the minerals to build good quality keratin. This is the primary building block for healthy hooves, so if a horse has problems with seedy toe it’s a great addition to the diet.

Combined with regular trims, adequate copper and zinc and a low sugar diet it can help with quicker hoof recovery.

After the farrier has cleaned the area out, then it’s up to you to continue treatment between trims to ensure the area stays free of the fungus. 

At least once a week, use your hoof pick to clean the hoof out, and the hoof knife to pick out any remaining debris. Then apply a few drops of Thrush Buster into the hole, or around the edges of the area that’s been cut back. 

Hold the foot up until it soaks in. 

DON’T cut further into the hoof than your farrier has. They will know how far can be safely trimmed without causing injury.

CONCLUSION

Taking the time to properly inspect and clean your horse’s hooves regularly will help you identify any issues early and minimize the severity of any resulting problems. By following the simple tips mentioned in this article, you can help ensure that your horse will stay healthy and happy for years to come.

Image by JackieLou DL from Pixabay

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Why Is Feeding Before a Ride Beneficial?

Why Is Feeding Before a Ride Beneficial?

Horseback riding is a fun and exhilarating experience. However, before you jump on a horse and go for a ride, you should always feed them. Here’s a look at why feeding your horse before a ride can be beneficial.

The Benefits of feeding a horse before a ride

  • It provides energy and sustenance, which can help to prevent fatigue.
  • It also helps to build a bond between the horse and rider.
  • And most important, it helps in preventing acid burns and ulcers and other digestive issues.

The Digestive Process

The stomach of a horse has a glandular and non-glandular portion. Acid sits on the glandular portion of the stomach which is below the non-glandular section. These acids splash up when a horse moves with an empty stomach. 

 The Risks associated with not feeding a horse before a ride

  • The splashing of stomach acid up can cause burns and ulcers in the non-glandular portion of the stomach 
  • Horses can become weak and tired.

Tips for pre-ride feeding

  • Feed your horse with forage before you ride. It can help to create an acid cap in their stomach that helps prevent the splashing of stomach acid up into the non-glandular portion of the stomach.
  • Provide them with quality fiber. Fiber can aid in the prevention of ulcers. https://myhorsesupplies.com.au/product/the-moulin-blend/

How much forage should you feed a horse before riding?

  • 2 kgs – 2 hours without forage
  • 1-2 kgs – Half an hour to 2 hours without forage
  • 250-500g – whilst being tacked up

Remember, every horse is different and some may need more or less hay than others. It’s important to get to know your horse and their individual nutritional needs.

Conclusion: 

Feeding a horse before a ride can provide many benefits that make the experience more enjoyable for both horse and rider.

Image by BARBARA808 from Pixabay

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Rugging Horses in Winter

Rugging horses

Rugging horses can be a valuable asset when the weather turns cold. 

Horses that are well-nourished and kept warm in cold weather are less likely to suffer from illness or injury.

Some people also keep rugs around their horses’ stalls to help them stay comfortable and dry. 

But before deciding to rug your horse there are some important factors to consider first. 

Factors to consider when rugging a horse

  • Horses are very adaptable to different climates

The horse is a warm-blooded animal. It tries to keep its central (core) temperature close to 38°C irrespective of what the environmental conditions around it are. So, horses can be active all year round, and their activity does not decrease when it’s cold or hot.

But the disadvantage is that it must take in a lot more energy to generate the heat to keep the body at the optimal temperature. And it must use energy to cool itself down when the weather is hot.

Environment also plays a large part in the rugging decision. If horses are in large paddocks that have a variety of undulation they then have the ability to move into warmer or less windy locations by choice. In those situations rugs will often not be needed at all as the horses can regulate themselves.

Wind shelter is the most effective element for allowing horses to regulate their own conditions.

  • Don’t rug horses based on how cold you feel!

In general, horses are comfortable between 5-25℃, whilst humans are comfortable between 25-30℃. That means that we feel cold before horses do, but horses feel hot before we do.

Outside of the horse’s thermoneutral zones (5-25℃) is when the horse must use other means to keep warm or cool.

  • Rugs can prevent sunlight from reaching the skin which is necessary for the generation of Vitamin D.

An hour a day exposure without a rug should be enough.

  • It is best to start with lighter rugs and move to thicker rugs as it gets colder.

Especially because over rugging may cause your horse to be too hot and sweaty. Sweating causes the skin to become hyper-hydrated and more prone to damage and infection.

  • Older horses, young horses, thin horses and clipped horses will need rugs first

Young horses are smaller and often have less body fat and will lose heat more rapidly. Older horses can have a reduced ability to control their body temperature. Thin horses may not have enough body fat to insulate against the cold weather. Clipped horses have a shorter coat which may have less ability to retain heat.

  • Weather, breed, coat, diet and shelter also have a contributing factor 

Horses in small enclosures without access to windbreak shelters will need thicker rugs as the temperature drops.

Tip: Some horses cope better with cold than others. So whilst there are general rules, it’s still important to observe the individual horse.

How to determine your horse’s temperature?

A good spot to determine is by placing your hand under the rug behind the withers. If it feels cold then you may want to consider a thicker rug. If it feels damp then you may want to consider removing the rug as it’s likely your horse is too warm. 

Conclusion

 It is evident that horses can be rugged during the winter months with the proper care. By following a few simple tips, horse owners can help their horses stay healthy and comfortable during the cold weather.

 

Reference sites

https://www.facebook.com/ponyclubaustralia/ 

https://horsesandpeople.com.au/the-science-of-rugging…/ 

Image by Penny from Pixabay

Posted on by — Leave a comment

What is the purpose of amino acids?

Amino acids

Amino acids are the basic unit of proteins. Proteins are important for the growth and development of horses. The body uses amino acids to create new proteins, rebuild old proteins, and perform other essential functions.

Amino acids are needed to make much more than muscle. Enzymes, antibodies, hemoglobin, cellular receptors, cytokines and many hormones are all synthesized from amino acids.

Types of amino acids

There are 20 types of amino acids that make up a protein. Amino acids can be classified as essential or nonessential. An essential amino acid is one which has to come from the intake, as the other type, non-essential amino acids can be manufactured by the horse. All limiting amino acids are also essential amino acids.

Some amino acids are more important than others for horse health. The three essential amino acids that are most important for horses are lysine, methionine, and threonine.

Lysine is important for the growth and development of horses. It is especially important for the growth of muscle tissue. Lysine is also essential for the production of collagen, a protein that is found in connective tissue. Horses that do not get enough lysine may be prone to muscle weakness and injuries.

Methionine is important for the health of skin and hair coat. It helps keep skin healthy by providing sulfur, which is needed for the production of collagen. Methionine deficiency will show up as poor hoof quality, poor coat, reduced muscle mass and impaired performance.

Threonine is important for maintaining a healthy immune system and helping the body turn food into energy.

What are some common sources of amino acids for horses?

There are many different sources of amino acids for horses. Some common sources include seeds, grains, peas, beet pulp, and soy. 

Peas, beet pulp and soy are the best lysine sources. Grains and seeds are the best sources of methionine.

Amino acids can become depleted where dietary sources are too low, or the horse is not absorbing adequate levels for other reasons.

In these cases supplementing amino acids can correct these deficiencies.

How to supplement amino acids

Supplements can help with protein deficient diets.

 Dr Kellon recommends per day:

10 – 20 g lysine

5 – 10 g methionine

2 – 4 g threonine

36 g Equine Amino will provide the full complement of these amino acids; 20 g lysine, 10 g methionine and 4 g threonine.

https://myhorsesupplies.com.au/product/equine-amino/

In conclusion, amino acids are important for horses because they help with muscle development and repair, energy production, and immune system function. By ensuring that your horse has a balanced diet that includes amino acids, you can help keep them healthy and performing at their best.

Reference: 

https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/tag/amino-acids/

Image by LJNovaScotia from Pixabay

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Is Salt Really important?

Is Salt really Important?

Salt is a common additive to horse feed and water, but does it have any benefits?

The benefits of salt for horses

  • Maintain good health
  • Improves performance
  • Protect your horse from the heat
  • Protects from dehydration
  • The sodium in salt is important in regulating blood pressure and maintaining normal blood volume
  • Reduces the risk of heat stroke when exercising

How much salt should a horse have?

The average horse (weighs about 450kg) has a basic salt (sodium chloride) requirement of approximately 1 oz/day.

They may also need 1 ounce of plain salt daily in cool weather, up to 3 or 4 when sweating. 

The best way to determine how much salt your horse needs is to talk to your veterinarian or equine nutritionist.

Which is better: loose, coarse salt or salt block?

Horses prefer loose, coarse salt. Horses can and do lick salt blocks but may not be enough especially if they are sweating a lot due to exercise or work.

When should a horse get salt?

Horses need salt daily but the amount will depend on their level of activity. Their sodium requirement may increase when sweating. In fact, according to Dr. Kellon, when sweating heavily for an hour, the sodium requirement goes up 500%.

It does no good to give extra salt/electrolytes several hours before work because they will end up in the urine. When exercising your horse, you can give the first hour’s dose within 30 minutes of starting exercise and the rest during or after exercise.

How can you tell if a horse needs more salt?

  • Sweating a lot, or working hard
  • Signs of dehydration
  • Reduced performance
  • Muscle cramping

Conclusion: 

Salt is an essential mineral for horses. It helps regulate the amount of water in their body, maintain normal blood pressure, and keep their muscles and nerves functioning properly. Horses that don’t get enough salt may develop dehydration, muscle cramps, or nerve problems.

 

Reference:

https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/tag/salt/

Image by Marek from Pixabay
Image by Rebecca Scholz from Pixabay

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Deworming Strategy

Deworming horses

Parasites are a common problem in horses. They can cause serious health conditions. Deworming is a good preventative measure for horses. It can help control these parasites and improve their health. 

There are many different deworming strategies available. One common way is deworming by fecal egg count (FEC). You might have already tried using it. But what are the factors that we need to know and consider in deworming by FEC?

Facts about fecal egg count (FEC)

  1. The effect of deworming by FEC is primarily to minimize environmental contamination, not to optimally protect the individual.
  2. FECs have limited capacity to detect parasites.
    •  they only reflect adults that are actively laying eggs at the time of the test
    • egg-laying activity may vary seasonally
    • tapes often missed because eggs are laid in packets/segments, not evenly mixed in the manure
    • can’t detect tissue forms or immature stages in the lumen but these can be the most harmful for the host
    • bots missed
    • pinworms missed (lay their eggs on the perianal skin)
    • Strongyloides in adults not detected
  3. FECs have technical limitations.
    • Samples sent through the mail are useless. 
    • Samples not collected as soon as they are passed then kept cold are likely inaccurate.
  4. There is growing evidence that the practice of only deworming by FEC is leading to reemergence of Strongylus vulgaris – “bloodworms.” These are the large Strongyles which do significant damage to the intestine and arterial system when they are migrating. 

Deworming Resistance

Resistance can develop when the parasites that are treated with deworming agents become resistant to the drugs.

According to parasitologists the major way resistance develops is underdosing. What doesn’t kill them makes them stronger. Frequent exposure can cause a dewormer to go from a 20% failure rate to 80% or higher. 

It’s also true they can’t be fully resistant to a drug they have never been exposed to.

Deworming Products

It’s wise not to attempt to deworm your horse with drugs that are known to have widespread resistance. This includes as follows:

  • Ivermectin
  • Moxidectin
  • Pyrantel
  • Fenbendazole
  • Albendazole

Deworming Schedule

How often does a horse need to be dewormed? The best way is to speak to your vet about developing a program that is optimal for your individual horse.

 

Deworming is an important part of horse care. A strategic deworming plan can help to protect your horse from parasites and keep them healthy. There are many different deworming products on the market, so be sure to talk to your veterinarian about which one is best for your horse.

Recommended Product:

https://myhorsesupplies.com.au/product/diamond-x-vpc-gut-health-prebiotic/

 

Reference: 

https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/2022/07/05/deworming-strategy/

Image by Manfred Richter from Pixabay

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Ban on Removing Whiskers

Ban on Removing Horse Whiskers

Equestrian Australia has banned the trimming of sensory hairs effective from 1st July 2022. 

The FEI banned the trimming of whiskers as of 1st July 2021. Following the FEI ruling, the Equestrian Australia board voted to implement the same ban for all National EA events and disciplines.

Reasons for Ban 

  • Equestrian Australia advises that sensory hairs located around the mouth, nose and eyes are an important sensory organ for the horse and should not be removed for cosmetic purposes.  
  • Removing whiskers reduces the horse’s sensory ability. It can disrupt a horse’s natural behavior and communication.
  • The FEI has warned that the practice of removing whiskers can cause horses to develop skin lesions and other health problems.

Exemption to the rule:  Sensory hairs that have been removed by a veterinarian to prevent pain or discomfort for the horse.

What are horse whiskers?

Whiskers/sensory hairs are a coarse hair-like structure. Found around the horse’s eyes and muzzle. They are long, stiff hairs that protrude from the face of a horse.

Why is it different from regular hair?

These amazing sensory hairs have their own nerve and blood supply. Their follicles are deeper and larger than other hair follicles. And with a richer blood supply and a connection to far more nerves than regular hairs.

Functions of horse whiskers

The whiskers on a horse play an important role in their sensory awareness system. Whiskers are incredibly sensitive to touch, even if it’s something as subtle as air movements. 

  • It helps horses navigate their surroundings. 
  • The length of the whiskers determines the safe distance from unfamiliar objects, compensating for the blind spots a horse has in front of its face and underneath its nose. 
  • They also enable the horse to understand unfamiliar characteristics of food or detect small inedible objects. 
  • The whiskers, present on both upper and lower eyelids, provide an automatic blink response when they encounter something like a fly or contact with an object which helps protect the eye itself.
  • Due to the whiskers having a good nerve supply, one study has even suggested that horses may be capable of picking up vibrational energy through their whiskers, which might help them detect sound frequencies. Or feel the energy in an electric fence without touching it.

Impact of the Ban 

You will not be permitted to compete in EA events if your horse’s whiskers have been clipped or shaved (unless for veterinary reasons).

Conclusion

While the whiskers may seem like insignificant hairs, whiskers are important for horses’ safety and should not be removed without good reason.

For more info, visit Equestrian Australia website or click the link below.

https://www.equestriaorg.au/content/sensory-hairs

Image by rihaij from Pixabay

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Laminitis for Horses from too High Grain Diet

Laminitis from too high grain

As we all know diet and exercise plays a vital part to be healthy, not only for humans but for horses as well. And you would agree that sometimes balancing diet and exercise is easier said than done. Laminitis for horses can occur when overfeeding grains during low activity times.

This balancing is especially important in cold weather. Horses tend to stay at their stable, get less work or be sedentary while eating more. 

According to Dr. Kellon, horses normally have to spend calories in winter. It helps to maintain their normal body temperature. And hay is the first good choice to feed because it is fermented in the hind gut which generates heat. But since hay is also low in calories, dense sources like grains may be a good addition if they are using too much energy.

Grains are an easily available source of calories. There are people that tend to feed their horse grains for a variety of other reasons. Including admirable ones, such as trying to make the horse happy.  But the fact is the more you push grain into your horse, the more likely the horse is to develop a problem. Why?

Here’s the reasons grain can be a problem:

  1. Overfeeding them with grains may result in overweight horses. Especially horses with less regular work or exercise to burn calories. Overweight horses have a higher percentage of insulin problems. And insulin problems may cause laminitis.
  2. Grains naturally contain higher levels of sugar and starch.
  3. High-grain diets have been also associated with all sorts of other problems, even behavioural problems. 

Follow the recommended feeding rates to control the intake of sugar and starch. Taking into consideration their level of activity. Make sure also that you keep your grain secure with latches on doors and secure tops on storage bins. This helps to prevent accidental access and overeating. These cautions will help to prevent laminitis development and other problems.

Helpful tip: Allow your horse to lose weight or maintain a body score of around 2.5/5 during winter. That allows their systems enough capacity to cope with seasonal fluctuations in grass sugar levels in spring. And prevent them from laminitis development as well.

Hay and Grains sometimes won’t work so well for horses with metabolic problems. A fat supplement can be helpful since all the horse needs is extra calories and fat supplies. That is 5 times the calories of average grass hay and triple that of plain oats.

Product Recommendation:

Australian Equine Gold – My Horse Supplies is made from 100% Camelina oil. And contains a great balance of omegas 3, 6 and 9 providing a rich source of beneficial fatty acid. https://myhorsesupplies.com.au/product/australian-equine-gold/

Image by Ebowalker from Pixabay

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Eating Dirt and Sand

Horses naturally eat quite a bit of soil. Under normal circumstances there is sufficient fibre moving through their gut to move the sand and dirt through their gut and out in their manure… so normally it won’t accumulate too much. During drought however, due to grazing very close to virtually bare ground the amount of soil they eat increases, while often the amount of fibre they have to eat is reduced. So drought is a double whammy… more sand and dirt in their gut and less fibre to carry it through. This situation often results in accumulation of sand and dirt, which can cause irritation of the gastrointestinal tract and result in colic or diarrhoea.

A simple home test for the level of sand is the glove test. Using big clear gloves (vet rectal exam gloves are good), put several lumps of manure in the glove with plenty of water. Massage the glove until the manure is all broken up, then hang the glove to allow it to settle. Check the fingers of the glove to see how much sand falls to the bottom. If you don’t have gloves, you can do the same with a clear plastic bag, tipping it so one corner is at the bottom when leaving it to settle.
If there’s less than 1 teaspoon in total then generally there’s no need for concern. If more than that, do another test in a couple of days to confirm the results, then check with your vet if you need to take additional action.

The best way to clear sand and dirt from a horse’s gut is to feed lots and lots of hay. During a drought this isn’t always possible as hay supplies get shorter and shorter. An alternative and also quite effective way of clearing it is to feed psyllium husk. Psyllium husk is a fibre that absorbs water in the gut and turns into a really sticky goo that will stick to the sand and dirt and move it out of the gut.
Epsom salts will increase the cleaning action by attracting even more water to the intestines as it passes through.

We found an interesting research paper here showing significant sand and dirt accumulation being successfully shifted in 4 days using a combination of psyllium husk and Epsom salts. The action of the 2 together appeared to be significantly better than either by themselves. Care needs to be taken though to limit the use of Epsom salts to short periods as it can have an irritant effect on the gut with prolonged use.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023318302648?via%3Dihub&fbclid=IwAR1nkpdKa7Klyfw1OG81oj3Ai0V-yKp5EKvgdA9vfuFWsyTifuLmNVjjwnc

The study was primarily testing with nasogastric tubing however does state that previous studies have shown there didn’t appear to be a significant difference in effect between tubing or feeding. Recommended feeding rate from our vet is 50 grams per 100 kg of bodyweight of psyllium husk and 10g per 100kg of Epsom salts per day, for maximum 5 days at a time.

Feed it in a single meal, for 5 days in a row, mixed with something your horse loves the taste of. Make the feed very slightly damp then put in the psyllium and Epsom salts and mix it around. Don’t make it too wet as many horses don’t like the taste and/or texture of wet psyllium. If your horse was showing signs of sand or dirt accumulation (mild colic or diarrhoea), give the horse a break for 5 days and then repeat the 5 day treatment.