Taxonomy term

Microchips for Easy and Accurate Equine Temperature Monitoring

Updated:

January 10, 2021

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Horses undertaking strenuous or prolonged exercise in hot and humid environments may produce heat more quickly than they can lose it, putting them at risk of postexercise exertional heat illness. Early detection of the clinical signs of exertional heat illness and adequate treatments are important to prevent severe hyperthermia and irreversible thermal damage.

Managing the Senior Performance Horse

Updated:

January 3, 2021

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When you have finally found the perfect horse to take you to the winner’s circle, it’s tough to realize that he or she might be getting old. Many horses are now competing well into their late teens and early twenties, especially in certain disciplines such as dressage or show jumping where it takes many years of training to reach an elite level of competition. However, from a veterinary perspective, horses are considered geriatric as they reach the age of 15 to 20 years, which is when their physiological functions start to decline. The management of these horses becomes crucial to keep them competing at their best.

Preventing Fall and Winter Colic

Updated:

November 25, 2020

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The fall is a time of lovely colours, family get-togethers and winding down the busy show season. However, fall is often a time of increased colic calls to veterinarians. While not all colic can be prevented, paying attention to your management of the horse can go a long way to decrease the incidence, and the suffering of episodes.

Therapeutic Horseshoeing

Updated:

November 24, 2020

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If you’re lucky, you and your horse see your farrier once every six weeks or so, and these visits involve a simple trim or standard shoeing. If your horse has always been sound and performed well, it is likely that regular, routine care by a qualified farrier is more than sufficient to keep his feet in tip-top shape.

What Is Equine Coronavirus?

Updated:

November 6, 2020

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Coronaviruses are known to cause illness in a variety of species and tend to attack specific organ systems such as the respiratory or gastrointestinal tracts. Genetically, equine coronavirus (ECoV) appears to be a close relative of bovine coronavirus. There is currently no evidence that equine or bovine coronaviruses are likely to be infectious to humans. However, it is always advisable to follow basic biosecurity protocols when handling sick animals.

Understanding Equine Colic

Updated:

October 31, 2020

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Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention - Most horse owners have their own personal stories to tell about colic — but chances are that everyone’s tales about the dreaded disease are different. Episodes of colic can range from a mild case of abdominal pain that resolves with pain medications to a life-threatening event that requires emergency surgical treatment. With such a variable condition, it can be difficult for horse owners to determine the right course of action for their horse’s situation, says Dr. Carolina Duran, a resident in large animal internal medicine at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).

Equine Pain and Welfare App

Updated:

October 28, 2020

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How do you tell if your horse is in pain? You may just know straight away that something is not right. But people are not always able to correctly interpret the signs of pain displayed by horses and donkeys. After all, having evolved as prey animals, it is in their interest not to show signs of pain that might bring them to the attention of a predator looking for its next meal.

Would Your Horse’s Noseband Pass the Pressure Test?

Updated:

October 22, 2020

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If you use a flash or drop noseband, you may be surprised at the results of a recent preliminary equine study. Jayne Peters from Bishop Burton College, UK and her research team investigated three different noseband designs and their effect on rein tension and the force being exerted on the frontal nasal plane of horses whilst being ridden. These findings were presented at the 15th annual International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) conference, August 19, 2019, at the University of Guelph in Ontario.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome and Equine Cushing’s Disease

Updated:

October 11, 2020

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Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and Equine Cushing’s Disease (also known as Pars Pituitary Intermedia Dysfunction, or PPID) are reasonably common conditions we encounter in our horses. This article will deal primarily with EMS, but because PPID can be a cause of increased insulin levels in horses, it needs to be mentioned as well.

Free-Choice Feeding is Not the Answer to Equine Obesity

Updated:

October 5, 2020

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The advice to allow free access to food for an obese horse is doomed to failure. Too much food is how they got that way in the first place. Things like age, metabolic rate, and activity level can influence what calorie requirements are, but it still boils down to too many calories in versus calories burned. The same is true for overweight cats, dogs, and people.