Tag: health

Your Horse & You – Care and Safety

Back from the road and it’s always good to be home!
With the wild days of “Wild Horse Tales” (www.HorseTales.org) and all the fabulous stunts the horses and their riders have done over the years – thought we should spend a minute talking about care and safety.
It goes without saying you should know your horse, that you should feed and groom them regularly, have them checked by a vet, and always inspect your tack before and after riding. Maintaining the heath and condition of your horse is important to both of you! Prevention of injury is the most important thing you can do, always. My Dad and I put together a little book about this years ago with his writing and my photos. Still have a few of them for sale if you want to take a look.

If however you do find your self in an emergency and you need to care for an injured horse here are a few tips from our friends at www.animalorthocare.com

4 Tips for Caring for an Injured Horse

Any horse owner who has had to handle an injured horse before will tell you that it can be a challenging ordeal, especially if you have no experience or guidance on the matter. Horses are huge, heavy animals that can do a lot of damage if they fall onto something or accidentally kick an object or person. You don’t want to put yourself in danger or run the risk of worsening the injury by improperly handling or treating the horse, so it’s imperative that you do your research and have the right help on hand to make sure you’re in the best position to provide top-notch care. With that said, here are four things every horse handler should do when they have an injured horse.

 

1. Seek Veterinarian Assistance and Advice

It’s always best to get a professional opinion on an injury, even if you think it might heal on its own. Try to find a vet that has extensive experience in dealing with horses. If the horse with a severely injured leg or its leg needs to be amputated, you may need to consult with a horse prosthetics specialist to restore the animal’s mobility in the long-term. Regardless of what needs to be done, you’ll feel much better knowing that you’re following the advice of a trained and knowledgeable horse vet instead of going it alone.

2. Be Gentle When Cleaning and Treating Wounds

The reaction you’ll get from a horse will vary greatly depending on the horse’s personality, the extent of the injury, and how well you know and handle the animal. However, as a general rule of thumb, you should try to apply no more than 7-15 pounds of pressure per square inch when cleaning wounds. That’s about the amount of pressure generated by a strong spray bottle. Thus, spraying the wound down and gently patting off the water is the best technique.

3. Approach the Injury Carefully and With Help

Handling an injured horse on your own is never a good idea, and it’s also important that you’re careful about how you approach the horse. If you startle the animal, it could further hurt itself with its reaction or it could respond aggressively and injure you or one of your assistants.

4. Allow for Adequate Rest

Last but definitely not least, giving the horse adequate time to rest and heal is essential. Although walking and other forms of physical therapy may eventually be necessary, in the beginning, sufficient rest should be the primary focus.

Keep Close Watch for Troublesome Symptoms

Finally, once you’ve done all of the above, it’s important to follow up with a vet as necessary. If the horse begins showing any signs of infection or other serious symptoms such as fever, fainting, strange behavior, or lethargy, try to have an emergency vet visit organized as soon as possible. Addressing problems as they arise will prevent the horse from having to deal with an injury that is aggravated or worsened due to postponed treatment.

 

 

Happy Horse Day!

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Thinking of taking the leap? Buying a horse?
Here’s a couple notes on basic health and safety;

Essential Equine Equipment for a First Horse
Owning a horse is the most incredible experience. Horses are magnificent creatures with so much to give. They make wonderful pets and if you look after your horse properly, you and he will have many years of enjoyment together.
There are many different types of horse ownership. Some people enjoy competing whereas others are happiest exploring riding trails around their home. But whatever type of horseback riding you are interested in, you will need some essential equipment before you get started. So if this is your first horse, here are a few key pieces of equine equipment you need to invest in;

Halter and Lead Rope
Some horses are so well trained they will follow their owner like a dog. However, these animals are in a minority and most owners need a sturdy halter and lead rope for everyday handling. You can pick up halters in leather, nylon and rope. Leather is the most expensive material, but it will last longer than a cheap nylon or rope halter. Another problem with nylon halters is that they don’t break easily in an emergency, so never turn your horse out wearing a nylon halter. Lead ropes made from braided rope are ideal as they offer plenty of grip.

Tack
If you intend to ride your horse, you will need some tack. Saddles come in a variety of different styles, including western and English. It is very important that a saddle fits properly as an improperly fitting saddle will rub, pinch, and cause serious problems. To avoid this from happening to your horse, always have a saddle professionally fitted where possible. Bridles come in standard sizes. You will also need to choose a bit. Bits from the One Stop Equine range from mild to extra severe, but remember that even a mild bit is painful to the horse when used with rough hands.

Grooming Kit
Horses need regular grooming if their coats are to stay in good condition. Grooming kits usually contain a selection of brushes for mane and tail, a hoof pick, comb and hoof oil. Other useful items include plastic and rubber curry combs, pulling comb to tidy his mane and tail, and a pair of clippers.

Clothing for the Horse
Depending on the climate in your area, you may need some items of seasonal horse clothing. Horses turned out in the winter may need blankets to keep them warm and dry. Clipped horses will definitely need horse blankets, even if there isn’t snow on the ground. Lightweight blankets are perfect for milder weather whereas during cold snaps, a horse will need a thick, heavy denier blanket that contains warm filling. Blankets need to fit properly. Too loose and the horse might get caught up in the straps and too tight and it will rub.

Clothing for the Rider
Riders need clothing too. A safety helmet will protect your head in the event of a fall. Riding breeches and leather boots protect your legs and nether regions from chafing. Gloves are also useful.
Before buying any equine equipment for horse and rider, take advice on sizes and styles, and shop around for the best prices.

Don’t forget your Bucephalus pendant  a great accessory for every rider, reader or writer!556

RIDE ON!!

Stay fit, stay strong – all winter long!

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If you’ve ever been to a Horse Tales “Second Touch” you know that we all learn a bit about grooming, tack, feed and keeping horses healthy.

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Here’s some more simple tips about care for your horse and other critters.
Take care of yourself – it’s cold outside. Warm up, cool down and enjoy the ride!
Be sure to leave your comments on the forum, facebook or here on the blog page.

Routine Health Care Of Horses

As loving owners, our horses mean the world to us, but without the right education looking after them properly isn’t an easy task! Here are a few things every owner should be aware of.

1) Regular Veterinary Check-Ups

It’s a good idea to schedule regular veterinary check-ups to ensure your horses stay fit and healthy, and to get much needed medicine in the event of illness. Most general health inspections should begin with nutrition. Many problems can be traced to a horse’s digestive system, which was made to process large amounts of grass, fiber, and water. A simple diet is best, and horses should get plenty of grass, high quality hay and water when they need it.

2) Food

Make sure your horse has plenty of grass and hay to graze on. Malnutrition can lead to several problems including ulcers, which are common in leaner sport horses. It is generally agreed that horses should eat between 2 and 4 percent of their body weight in hay and feed. It’s advisable to monitor their weight regularly to make sure it remains within healthy limits.

3) Vaccination & Deworming

Horses should be vaccinated and dewormed at regular intervals to prevent deadly viruses and parasite infections. The vaccinations needed can vary depending on the horse’s lifestyle. Deworming is particularly important due to how common parasite infections are, and because they can result in weight loss, colic and other dangerous symptoms.

4) Social Life, Excercise & General Wellbeing

Horses need to be social and around others or they could develop emotional and mental problems. They need regular mental stimulation and should receive adequate exercise to ensure they grow up as healthy as possible. Carefully monitor your horse’s sleeping patterns to make sure they aren’t out of the ordinary as strange sleeping patterns can be a symptom of illness or anxiety.

Unless it is particularly wet and windy outside, horses stand the cold better than hot weather. If they cannot sweat, their bodies may have trouble getting rid of excess heat.

5) Medicines

It’s a good idea to stock up on safe, versatile medicines such as Benadryl (containing diphenhydramine only). Purchasing antihistamines for horses can come in handy to counteract blood pressure problems and allergic reactions that would otherwise harm your animal, but should only be administered when you have approval from a veterinary professional. The right types of antihistamines do not block active histamines, and instead compete with them for the receptor to keep your horses healthy. As an added bonus, you can also safely use antihistamines on household pets, meaning you can keep Fido’s summer-time allergies under control too!

Springtime – Horse Health week!

 

We have spring babies and it always is a good idea to make sure everyone in the barn is healthy and happy. So here are a couple tips from our friends across the pond at NUTReCARE;

Article by Scott Clawson

Equine parasites are, unfortunately, a problem that will persist throughout your horse’s life, and is considered impossible to ever completely get rid of them. However, this does not mean that the problem should be ignored or considered a nonissue.

Horse wormers can come in all types of variations; the multi-purpose wormer Equimax comes in either a syringe to be administered at the back of the horse’s tongue, or in tablet form to be mixed with its feed. As well as the different variations, there are also different methods of treatment. Purge worming is strong dose of wormers, given every 2-3 months, that quickly kills large amounts of worms, and continuous worming is a daily dose that aims to keep the parasites at a constant low level.

The best strategies for de-worming revolve around the idea of parasitic resistance; if a parasite is prevented from taking hold by the same type of horse wormer over a long period of time then the population may develop genetic resistance.

A common tactic is to provide a continuous, low dose of wormer for a couple of months, and then give the horse a purge wormer. This keeps the parasites under a certain threshold, before wiping the population clean and beginning the course again. It should become such a standard in your horse care routine as topping up your dog’s bowl with its daily dose of Iams is to your household pet routine. Another tactic is to worm your horse at strategic points in the year, based on how many parasitic eggs you find in the faeces of your animal. However, it is important to take into account the time of year when the faecal sample is taken and the type of parasite you are watching for, as some eggs may not show up and your results can become unreliable.

A successful horse worming programme is one that has been planned carefully, and it is important that you check with your local vet beforehand. They will ensure that your plan is the best possible for your horse’s age, breed, and geographical location, and can advise you on other areas which can be improved in order to help prevent parasites, such as setting up a science plan or high-quality diet.

Stay Healthy!

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