Horse Care For Beginners

I know that many horse owners started out the same way… loving and caring for ponies. They look back on their pony owning years and a distant far away expression comes over their faces. And, of course, there are few horse owners who don’t have a pony story, some good some not so good.

Horse blankets .. splints? The answer to ”horse blankets & splints” is in the last paragraph. Next question: What do you need for the proper care of your horse?  Besides   such things as horse blankets, saddles, a horse trailer, the right food, clean water, adequate housing and roaming room, a horse brush, treats, careful training, and lots of love [...]

Sunburn in horses   You’ll probably find that knowing your horse is suffering from sunburn is pretty obvious as it shows up in a similar fashion as it does with humans. Reddening, dry skin cracking,, and hot to the touch. Your horse’s sunburn will look just like human sunburn. The skin turns an angry shade [...]

Equine Lordosis or “swayback” is commonly seen in older horses or broodmares. However, relatively few horses have the genetic form of lordosis which causes spinal deviations and curvature.

Many horse owners assume that rain rot (dermatophilosis) is caused by a fungus.   However this is incorrect as dermatophilus congolensis shares characteristics with both fungus’s and bacterias. It is an actinomycetes, which behaves like both bacteria and fungi. Many people believe that the organism is present in soil, however, this has not been proven. The [...]

What to do for horse injuries and wounds. Anyone who owns a horse needs to be prepared for the catastrophic experience of their horse needing treatment for wounds or injuries.. The most common causes of wounds and injuries are from barbed wire, nails, fencing, glass or metal when stabled or paddocked, and obstacles such as [...]

Understanding and Treating Navicular Disease. There are a variety of disorders that can affect your horse, so it is important to have a farm vet that you can call when things go wrong. If you want to provide the very best care, however, your best bet is to simply learn about horse health. When you [...]

The Delicate Subject of Euthanasia and Your Horse. But having recently experienced this situation, with the resultant demise of my true friend and companion, my Percheron Thorobred cross, Midnight (Middie), I felt it should be talked about.

The threat of West Nile virus in horses is not something to be taken lightly, especially if you live in an area with a large mosquito population. The virus is quite dangerous for many birds and mammals, people included. Owning farm animals like horses can put you at even higher risk, since the livestock are very susceptible to the virus.

Before giving your horse drugs or hormones, it’s important that you know and understand the reason for doing so and what the risk or benefit might be. If your veterinarian has recommended drugs or hormones for your horse, you should discuss it thoroughly with the vet and make sure you understand the reasons behind their usage.