Mar 27, 2012
Is your horse fit enough to carry you? Check out this great article from our fri...
Fitness Matters For Horse And Rider
An article in Horse Journal Editor-in-Chief Cindy Foley’s local paper said 1 in 20 Americans over the age of 50 has artificial knees. The number is expected to increase. Why? Obesity and over-exercise. That made our writer think . . .
Sounds counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? Either way, though, it boils down to we’re wearing out our bodies. It’s the same for our horses, which is why we need to pay close attention to fitness and weight—both the horse’s and ours. More info...

Mar 27, 2012
Medical Advice and Riding into the Golden Sunset in the Golden Years
Dr. Allan Hamilton
As you age, you may hear some doctors say you should give up riding. Being told to give up your horse and your time in the saddle just might not be an option for you though. In this guest blog by Dr. Allan Hamilton, he tells us why we really should keep riding into our Golden Years:

Unfortunately most physicians are not horseback riders or equine aficionados. If they were then their response to every new diagnosis they made would not be to automatically prohibit the patient from riding. Seems like every ailment they find always ends in advice to stop riding. Got a cold? Stop riding. Hurt your back? Stop riding. Knee bothering you? Stop riding. Got a rash? Stop riding. More info...

Mar 27, 2012
How much does your horse trust you? Strengthen your relationship with your horse...
Build Trust with Your Horse using TTouch with Linda Tellington-Jones
If a safe, adventurous ride is what you want — and who doesn’t? — one of the most valuable things you can do is to build trust with your horse. Linda Tellington-Jones, creator of TTouch, explains how.

This bond of trust flows both ways. When you build trust with your horse and the horse trusts your leadership, he becomes a willing partner that gives 100 percent.

When you trust your horse, you give him the direction and guidance he needs to feel confident and perform to the best of his ability. When you build trust with your horse, your confidence builds too. Trust becomes an endless circle that builds on itself and becomes stronger over time.

“I once read about Native Americans training their horses at night, because it develops ultimate trust between human and horse,” notes Linda-Tellington-Jones, creator of TTouch.

“I trained my great endurance mare, Bint Gulida, at night and we had a connection that was truly deep. She trusted me in every situation, including winning the Jim Shoulders 100 Mile Endurance Ride in 1961 when we finished almost six hours before the second-place finisher. More info...

Mar 15, 2012
The Pre-Purchase Exam: Detect Horse Lamess and More
Amy Herdy



For most people, the horse ownership journey starts with a pre-purchase exam, but what exactly does this entail?

In this article from LEGISequine.com by Dr. Douglas Novick, an equine veterinarian, he shares some important information you should know about what to expect:

A pre-purchase exam is a complete physical and lameness evaluation performed by an equine veterinarian for a potential buyer of a horse. The purpose is to determine what, if any, health or lameness problems the horse has today and what problems it may develop in the future.
More info...

Feb 21, 2012
Managing Severe Colic in the Field (AAEP 2011)
Horse Health
According to a recent poll on TheHorse.com, nearly 49% of respondents named colic as their most feared horse health emergency, and for a good reason. While some cases resolve without incident, others prove deadly. Colic surgery is an option for owners in some severe colic cases, but what if referral isn't possible?

David Freeman, MVB, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, professor and interim chair of Large Animal Surgery at the University of Florida, provided some insight on treating severe cases in the field during a presentation at the 2011 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Nov. 18-22 in San Antonio, Texas.
More info...

Jan 20, 2012
Inside the Broodmare’s Belly…
- Lactation demands a lot from a broodmare! Are you anxiously awaiting that first foal of the spring?
Are you anxiously awaiting that first foal of the spring? Do you have the foaling stall ready, the vet on speed dial, and the video camera on the battery charger? While you’ve been busy prepping, here are some of the amazing changes that have taken place (or are about to take place) in your mare:

6 Month Mark: During 2nd half of pregnancy, 60 – 65% of fetal growth occurs!
Energy requirements of the mare go up almost 30% over a normal maintenance horse – from 16.7 Mcal DE per day to 21.4 Mcal DE per day.
Her protein requirements will increase 32%, and vitamin and mineral requirements also increase significantly during this time.
The mare needs to be receiving adequate calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, zinc, manganese and selenium to provide minerals for the development of the foal and to build the foals own trace mineral reserves. Trace minerals are also critical for immune support.
Adequate protein/amino acid intake is essential – lysine, methionine and threonine, the first 3 limiting essential amino acids, need to sufficient in the diet for placental and fetal development. More info...

Jan 13, 2012
Nutrient Deficiencies in Horse Feed Diets
National Academy of Science.
Horses, like all animals, have a range of nutrient requirements to meet their daily needs. These are spelled out as minimum nutrient requirements in the Nutrient Requirements of Horses, 6th Edition, published by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Science.

If these minimum requirements are not met, the horse may experience deficiency symptoms. The severity of the deficiency symptoms may depend on the degree of the deficiency and the time period over which the deficiency exists.

A sub-clinicaldeficiency may be the result of a small deficiency over a period of time.
Subclinical deficiencies may also result in decreased immune response, decreased reproductive efficiency and decreased performance.
A clinical deficiency is present when there are readily observed or measured symptoms. More info...

Jan 12, 2012
What about your horse's health makes you worry? If your horse has problems breat...
Lung Sounds
Just as lung sounds can reveal a lot about our own health status, the noises your horse makes when he breathes can be quite telling. Horses with advanced respiratory distress emit rasps and wheezes audible to your unaided ear. To hear the more subtle sounds of brewing trouble, however, you'll need a stethoscope and a certain proficiency in using it. Practice often when your horse is healthy, so you will be able to recognize abnormal noises when they do occur. An inexpensive stethoscope designed for listening to adult lungs (available at most drugstores) is best for listening to your horse's lungs. More expensive canine or pediatric stethoscopes won't pick up the low-frequency sounds of normal equine respiration. More info...

Jan 10, 2012
How to Listen to Your Horse's Lungs
Horse Health


Just as lung sounds can reveal a lot about our own health status, the noises your horse makes when he breathes can be quite telling. Horses with advanced respiratory distress emit rasps and wheezes audible to your unaided ear. To hear the more subtle sounds of brewing trouble, however, you'll need a stethoscope and a certain proficiency in using it.

Practice often when your horse is healthy, so you will be able to recognize abnormal noises when they do occur. An inexpensive stethoscope designed for listening to adult lungs (available at most drugstores) is best for listening to your horse's lungs. More expensive canine or pediatric stethoscopes won't pick up the low-frequency sounds of normal equine respiration. | More info...

Jan 10, 2012
Does Equine Hoof Shape Have an Effect on Soundness?
Hoof Health
Could it be? A potential predisposing factor for lameness that can be seen with our very eyes? According to one British researcher, this dream could be a reality. A recent study revealed that certain hoof shapes and characteristics can be associated with chronic lameness, while others point to a sound horse.

"Despite being widely accepted that abnormal foot conformation may be associated with lameness, there is a paucity of evidence-based information concerning foot size and shape and lameness; the purpose of this study was to photographically document the foot shape and external hoof characteristics of lame and nonlame horses," said Sue Dyson, MA, VetMB, PhD, DEO, FRCVS, head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, England. Dyson presented her study at the 12th Congress of The World Equine Veterinary Association, held Nov. 2-6, 2011, in Hyderabad, India.



Read more: http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19421#ixzz1j5ZuA5nq More info...