Age often equals wisdom, but if you have a golden oldie (say, 15 or older), it might take more effort to keep him going.

Find where your horse belongs athletically -- you’re in it for the long haul, so you should have appropriate expectations.

By Andrea Caudill in The American Quarter Horse Journal

Dr. Alan Ruggles, a partner and surgeon at the renowned Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, has several suggestions in mind when maintaining an older horse, or keeping a horse sound and healthy as he ages.

• Find where your horse belongs athletically and don’t try to do too much with him. Bear in mind that you’re in it for the long haul, so you should have appropriate expectations.
• Don’t be averse to giving him some time off now and again. Time off doesn’t have to be an absence of any activity, but try to avoid prolonged stall rest without any pasture or light exercise. Think about what the horse is like in nature and allow him to do that when he’s having his time off.
• For the horse’s general health and well-being, have at least yearly evaluations by your veterinarian to check for things that might not be obvious to you. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s always important to maintain the health of your horse’s mouth.

Proper dental care has its rewards. Your horse will be more comfortable and may even live longer.

From the American Association of Equine Practitioners

Routine dental care is essential to your horse’s health. Periodic examination, corrections and regular maintenance are especially necessary for a number of reasons:

• We have modified the horse’s diet and eating patterns through domestication and confinement.
• We demand more from our performance horses (beginning at a younger age) than ever before.
• We often select breeding animals without regard to dental considerations.

Proper dental care has its rewards. Your horse will be more comfortable, will utilize feed more efficiently, may perform better and may even live longer.

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Get up close and personal with white line disease.

The mainstay of white line disease treatment is hoof-wall resection, where a skilled farrier cuts away all three layers of the hoof wall to remove the infected material.

By Holly Clanahan in America’s Horse

To understand the basics of white line disease, it’s helpful to know a bit about equine anatomy.

• The hoof wall – the outermost surface of the hoof – has three layers.
• The external layer consists of the smooth, shiny covering that most of us think of when we think “hoof.”
• It’s within the next two layers of hoof wall that white line disease usually occurs, making the name a misnomer. The white line lies just inside the hoof wall and is not affected by its eponymous disease.

White line disease, or WLD, is characterized by an invasion of bacteria and fungi that destroy hoof-wall tissue. But first, there has to be an opening for these organisms to get in, says Dr. Stephen E. O’Grady, who is both a veterinarian and a farrier. A crack or separation in the hoof wall – which can be caused by mechanical factors such as long toes or a club foot – has to open the way for an opportunistic infection.

Read the rest of this entry »

Veterinarians have made some surprising discoveries concerning older horses and colic surgery.

With the increase in equine lifetime longevity comes an increase in the opportunity for colic.

From the Equine Veterinary Journal

Just like their human counterparts, horses are living longer. Advances in equine health care and nutrition mean that horses are also able to have active, useful lives well into their advanced years. With the increase in longevity comes an increase in the opportunity for colic.

Veterinarians at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine New Bolton Center studied the responses of mature and aged patients presented at the hospital with symptoms of colic and treated surgically for the condition. The goal of the research study was to give owners more accurate information on the likelihood of survival and complications that they might encounter with older horses following colic surgery.
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Disposing of a deceased horse is not easy or inexpensive.

Even at the difficult time of your horse's death, to be a responsible horse owner means to dispose of the body in an environmentally friendly manner.

By Becky Newell in America’s Horse magazine

When people talk about being responsible horse owners, the disposal of a deceased horse is the segment of “Horse 101” that we like to think will never happen. But what can you do with the 1,200-pound body of your deceased equine loved one?

• Read the rest of this entry »

Five problems you should always call the vet for.

While mild colic can just be sand in the gut, if it isn’t and is allowed to go on, the result can be lethal.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

Most horse owners don’t call a veterinarian for every little scrape on their horses. Most horse owners can handle cuts, bruises and bumps with supplies they have on hand.

Dr. Julie Dechant, an assistant professor in the clinical equine surgical emergency and critical care portion of the University of California-Davis, offers five examples of injuries that need immediate veterinary care. Don’t try to handle these on your own. Get help right away.

Read the rest of this entry »

Do you know how to keep your horse healthy when you’re traveling in extreme heat this summer?

“Over-hydration” is virtually never a problem, as horses tend to regulate their own intake, but you can go overboard on the electrolytes.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

This is the last of a two-part series. Need to review Part 1?

Horse Care

Regardless of how prepared you are, there is always the chance that the horses you are transporting will, for whatever reason, have difficulty during the trip. It is imperative that you know how to determine if your horse is uncomfortable.

• In most instances, a horse’s eyes are bright and his ears are forward. If that’s not the case, determine what the problem might be.
• A horse can show stress or worry with forehead wrinkles. In extreme instances, he will even shake as a result of stress.
• A more extreme method of reflecting his discomfort is manifested in fidgety behavior, such as kicking the sides of the trailer, weaving back and forth, or stamping a lot.
• Try to keep hay in front of the horse most of the time. The hay gives the horse something to do while he is riding and helps keep him content. A horse that is eating during the trip will be more apt to drink once you get to your destination.
• Bring your own hay. Types of hay vary from region to region. If you bring hay with you, you don’t have to worry that your horse won’t eat because of the change.
• “Over-hydration” is virtually never a problem, as horses tend to regulate their own intake, but you can go overboard on the electrolytes. It won’t hurt the horse, but you can waste your money that way.

Read the rest of this entry »

Do you know how to keep your horse healthy when you’re traveling in extreme heat?

When hauling your horse in the summer heat, make sure your trailer is clean and well-ventilated.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

There may be no more debilitating weather condition than extreme heat for man or beast. It drains energy, creates fatigue and can even cause certain organs of the body to malfunction or shut down.

Read the rest of this entry »

Fly season is already in full force. Keep the flies away with these helpful tips from AQHA Corporate Partner Farnam.

AQHA Corporate Partner Farnam suggests that horse owners read all labels on their fly control products before use and apply according to label directions.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Farnam

Why Fight Flies?

Fly control keeps your horse comfortable. But that’s not the reason to minimize flies.

Flies and other biting insect pose a major health threat to your horse and you. Flies carry a number of dangerous diseases that become more of a problem as fly populations increase.

Flies live, feed and breed filth, where germs, bacteria and communicable diseases thrive. Good hygiene is critical to keeping flies and other filthy problems under control.

Read the rest of this entry »

Immunostimulants boost the immune system to fight disease.

Immunostimulant therapy begun before a young horse leaves home will help him fend off disease.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

This is the last of a two-part series. Need to review Part 1?

Sales and Training

Young horses are faced with formidable challenges to their immune systems when they leave the farm for the first time to travel to sales, training centers or racetracks, putting them at high risk for illness.

• Their naïve immune systems encounter pathogens to which they previously have not been exposed
• The first trip on a trailer usually is stressful emotionally and physically
• The pace at sales often is hectic and grueling for youngsters
• Training is stressful and physically demanding
• The large horse population and high traffic in and out of sales, training centers and racetracks facilitates the spread of disease.

Read the rest of this entry »

Immunostimulants boost the immune system to fight disease.

Sending a young horse to a training stable can be a stressful event. Immunostimulants can fortify a horse's immune system and help it avoid stress-induced illness.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

For years, veterinarians have been concerned about the overuse of antibiotics. Immunostimulants might help turn the use of drugs in some situations toward more natural ways to fight disease. As preventives, immunostimulants can fortify the immune system to help horses avoid becoming ill.

Read the rest of this entry »

A study shows high rate of potentially painful stomach ulcers.

Stress often triggers ulcers, which can develop very quickly. To prevent stomach ulcers, Dr. April Knudson recommends Ulcergard.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Merial

A nationwide series of more than 160 gastroscopy events showed 60 percent of horses had stomach ulcers.

Read the rest of this entry »