Tag: Horse Care

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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

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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

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Foal Hoof Care: When To Get Help

New Born Foals When to Trim?Many horse owners are curious about the right time for their foal’s first trim. Many believe that hoof care is necessary when the foal is a year old or is starting with its riding training. If you are concerned about the welfare of your foal then waiting a year is a big NO. As hooves get long, break or wear unevenly or not break and wear at all, they can potentially cause leg strain and deviation.

The more your foal matures the more difficult the corrections will be since as it matures, its bones continue to harden and joints formalize. ALL counteractive efforts and trimming to maintain the right shape and function of the leg should be done before your foal reaches a year old.

In fact, the first trim should be at your foul’s 3 to 4 weeks of age considering its legs are fairly normal and straight. If required, early corrections should be implemented to make big adjustments when it comes to correcting a deviated bone column. As majority of foals are born with several deviations, early corrections can help increase success of corrective trimming efforts.

The right hoof trimming can modify and improve minor deviations as well as maintain the right leg structure for foals born with averagely correct legs and hooves. Conversely, neglecting proper trimming can increase deviations to foals with only minor leg deviations and even to foals born with correctly structured legs.

Foals that are born with major leg and hoof deviations will take more than early hoof trimming methods for their deviations to subside. These foals may need surgery or attention from a veterinarian.

What to look for in a “normal” hoof

A freshly born foal will have front hooves that are fairly pointed. The pointy hooves on the front feet help in the positioning and delivery through the birth canal. In addition, they help rip off the placenta during delivery.

The pointed feet become useless after the foal is born. The pointed hoof prevents the foal from breaking directly over the front of the hoof. This complicates the flight path of the foal allowing it to become toed in (pigeon toed) or toed out (splay footed) (See Image Below). Neglecting this issue will allow further wear during break-over thus resulting to more deviations in the future.

Hoof Care Balance and Angles in Foal TrimmingThe ultimate aim of the first trim is to provide a straight break over point on the hoof. This technique will prevent any inward or outward deviation in the leg structure as well as movement pattern. This corrects and reduces additional deviation in the future. The proper first trim can supply a straight and simple break over point for the stride. This fixes minor deviations and provides a straight path for foals having already correct feet and legs needed for maintaining the right bone structure.

Trimming regularly every three to four weeks after the first trim will allow the solidification of the bony column in as correct and straight a line as possible. Remember to start the first trim earlier before your foal is a year old and practice the method throughout the life of your horse to improve its performance and function.

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How Often Should My Horse See the Farrier for Trimming?

FarrierTrimingHoof

All domestic horses require having complete, regular hoof care. Hooves that are unmaintained will result to unpleasant looking and unbalanced hooves which in turn affects the hoof’s internal workings, legs’ tendons and ligaments and mainly the horse’s movement.

So how often should your horse see the farrier for trimming?

It will depend on your horse’s activities as well as the type of riding you do. Generally, most horses should get trimming every eight weeks.

There are horses that require a more frequent farrier visit such as those used for competition. This is because horses used for competition require to have completely balanced feet to ensure they compete at their maximum capability. In addition, having your horse adequately trimmed can reduce risk of injury.

Unshod horses can require regular trimming depending on the surfaces they walk on. These horses can need to be trimmed about three to six weeks as the soft surfaces that these horses walk on do not cause any wear on their hoofs.

Horses that walk on abrasive surfaces wear their feet down more so they tend to need less frequent trimmings. Although this is the case, these horses still require regular trimming in order to maintain the right hoof shape.

The hoofs of ponies and hacks can be left a longer as these horses are ridden only a few times in a week and will have a wear chance that is close to their hoofs’ growth rate. Mostly, they only need some minor trims just to clean their hoofs’ ragged edges.

Horses having fewer activities and not used for riding should not be exempted from trimming. Horses that fall in this category such as brood mares and retired horses still have hoofs that continue to grow as well as have a wear rate that is very low. This is why these horses also require frequent farrier visits.

What To Look For In A Farrier?

To ensure the well being of both you and your horse, you need to choose a certified, professional and experienced farrier. A farrier is someone who is skilled is various hoof cares such as horse shoeing, blacksmithing as well as knowledgeable about the physiology and anatomy of horses’ legs and feet. An unskilled farrier can expose your horse to risk such as injury, lameness and damage which is why it is best you choose a certified farrier.

Certification and training

Certified farriers have acquired extensive trainings, completed standardized and veterinary related exams as well as proved they possess the needed skills required in the farrier profession. As there are no laws that farriers should first be certified, it is your duty to determine if your farrier is skilled and reliable.

Interviewing farriers

Here are a few essential questions you can ask your potential farriers:

1. Where have you studied, apprenticed or learned your skill?

2. Are you a member of the national farrier organization?

3. In which disciplines are you knowledgeable?

4. How do you handle an uncooperative and difficult horse?

5. Can you provide references?

Things To Know About Your Farrier:

1. Find out of your farrier is punctual.

2. Find out the reputation of the school the farrier got the certification from.

3. Know if the farrier is responsive or good in communication. Determine if the farrier can easily be reached, returns calls, keeps you updated about the work as well as shares essential information about your horse’s condition.

4. Determine if he handles his business transaction and clients professionally.

5. Determine if the farrier can work well with others such as your trainers, groomers, veterinarians and riders.

6. Find out if the farrier understands the athletic level and sport of your horse or knows the right care and shoe wear.

7. Know if the farrier is equipped with all the needed supplies for the tasks.

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Where to Start

Do you find yourself wondering how you are going to keep affording your horse obsession?

If you’re looking at getting a horse, I personally don’t recommend it, you’re going to get emotionally attached and spend way too much money.

But if you are like us, it’s way too late and you are already hooked on horses.  That is why we have created My Horse Supplies.

Your horse is an important member of your family and we understand that.  We often find ourselves referring to ours as “the kids” and anyone who is around horses long enough realises they all have unique personalities.

As a horse owner you are always trying to give the best of everything, but accessing all the products for your horse can be a challenge.

What do you really want to be doing when it comes to your horse?  Riding, training and enjoying your time together?  Or going from store to store searching for products and wasting precious time?

We are dedicated to providing what you need to give your horses the life they deserve as an important member of the family.

The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.  ~Sharon Ralls Lemon