Grass Sickness in Horses: Degree of Weight Loss and Survival
Horses suffering from equine grass sickness (EGS) present with colic, constipation, and swift, severe weight loss. The underlying cause is damage to the nervous system, especially nerves supplying the...
View ArticleWatery or Lathered: Differences in Horse Sweat
If you’ve spent time riding or driving horses, especially in heat and humidity, you know well the smell and feel of horse sweat. You may have wondered why sweat appears thin and watery at sometimes,...
View ArticleGestational Diabetes in Mares: What's the Skinny?
A small handful of studies suggest that pregnant mares develop signs similar to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in women.
View ArticleUnderstanding Antioxidant Supplements for Horses
To better appreciate how oxygen is both vital and dangerous to a horse’s body and the role antioxidants play in combating “oxidative stress,” take this short, 10-point crash course on understanding...
View ArticleEquine Nutritional Supplements: Understanding Label Claims
Many horse owners now consider nutritional supplements a staple in their horses’ diets. Did you know that choosing supplements should involve more than simply selecting the type of product your horse...
View ArticleImproving Horse Hooves: Four Tips
Seasonal changes can wreak havoc on hoof health, leaving them cracked, split, or tender. Why so? Horse owners can implement a few management strategies to keep hooves in tip-top shape in the summertime.
View ArticleMare Condition May Affect Foal Birth Weight
The “size of the prize” at the time of foaling remains a much-discussed topic among horse breeders. Do horse owners or breeders have any true control over how large the foal will end up being at the...
View ArticleFoals Dribbling Urine: Patent Urachus
A less common, though just as grave, problem among foals is patent urachus, an anomaly that causes urine to leak from the umbilical stump.
View ArticleHome Sweet Home: A Potential Source of Equine Parasites
Small strongyles—short, reddish parasites that live in the lumen of the large intestine—pose a big problem for horses and their owners in many ways.
View ArticleJaw Swelling in Horses: Strangles or Grass Mumps?
Finding unusual swellings in the neck or throat area of a horse often causes an immediate sense of dread and stress in horse owners, as the thought of strangles flit through their minds. As hard as it...
View ArticleTesting Horses for Tapeworms: New Research
A recent study conducted by researchers from the U.K. suggests that saliva can also help detect tapeworm burden in horses.
View ArticleFresh-Baled Hay for Horses
Can freshly baled hay be fed to horses immediately? Must there be a curing period following baling and before feeding?
View ArticleGrazing Muzzles on Pastured Horses Help Control Weight Gain
Although beneficial in many ways, putting horses on 24-hour turnout, which occurs in many parts of the world, is a double-edged sword, according to one research group*.
View ArticleNatural Ways to Protect Horses Against Mosquitoes
Rumor has it that owners can protect their horses against mosquitoes without using chemical sprays or wipes and wrestling with fly sheets. Too good to be true? Maybe.
View ArticleCalming Horses: Recent Tryptophan Research
In a recent study, Australian researchers attempted to show that tryptophan is a safe and effective calming agent in horses. Tryptophan thwarted the researchers, however, showing no calming effect.
View ArticleCauses of Death in Older Horses Examined
Currently, “old age” is frequently reported as a cause of death. In reality, simply being old does not result in loss of life.
View ArticleProtein in Horse Diets: Aim for "Required" Levels
Horses need protein to grow and maintain health, but excess nitrogen from too much dietary protein may affect the environment adversely.
View ArticleSuccessful Weaning of Foals: Keep Them Eating
Weaning a foal is often accompanied by nonstop whinnying, stall- or fence-walking and, worst of all, an unwillingness to eat. Though interest in feed usually returns once the foal has settled, owners...
View ArticleHorsekeeping Tips: Keep Waterers Clean for Horse Health
Horses drink significant quantities of water. If water is too dirty, unpalatable, or foul-smelling, horses will not drink it, leading to dehydration and other health concerns, including colic.
View ArticleEven Short Hauls May Affect Horse Health
Researchers recently studied the effects of short-distance travel on horses.
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