Article relating to horse health issues
There are many reasons why a horse is stalled. Most of them are fallacious. (based on a mistaken belief. synonyms: erroneous, false, untrue, wrong, incorrect, flawed, inaccurate, mistaken, misinformed, misguided). Horses are herd animals. They experience psychological insecurity when removed or isolated from other herd members. This can lead to instability of temperament and the… Read More Horse Health: The Case Against Stalling
Sweet Itch is a seasonal dermatitis condition that has bedeviled horses and their owners for centuries. It is actually a hypersensitivity or allergic reaction to the saliva of Culicoides midges or other biting insects seen mostly in the summer. Related to flea bit dermatitis in dogs, it causes the horse to swell at the site… Read More Horse Health: Sweet Itch
Genetics and breeding for specific traits is a little like playing poker. A face card wins unless someone has two lower cards together. Example Genes for explanatory purposes: Each horse has two genes for each trait. B= Black; Upper case genes are Dominant Genes. They are the face cards in the deck. Any horse with… Read More Understanding the role of genetics in breeding: Made Simple!
A genetically black horse has no agouti pattern genetic modifier which enables the horse to restrict black pigment to certain parts of the coat, notably the legs, mane and tail, allowing the underlying red to show through, resulting in bay coloring. Without this gene, any black pigment present is unrestricted, resulting in a uniformly black… Read More “Rust” on a black horse
Rain Rot or Rain Scald I have seen many cases of Rain scald in horses in Texas – particularly this year (2015) due to the horrendous and constant rain brought about by El Nino in the Pacific. We have been subjected to many more than 40 days and 40 nights of rain this Spring. The… Read More Horse Health: What is Rain Rot?
Sugar has long been used by naturalists and herbalists as an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal treatment for wound care and healing. However, due to our “western medicine” indoctrination, it took an up-close-and-personal experience with it to really make me comfortable with its healing properties. Austin, Texas experienced a tragic flash flood in 2013 that swept away and… Read More Horse Health: Medicinal Sugar
Founder is a term frequently used to describe systemic laminitis. Laminitis usually follows some food-related metabolic disturbance within the horse and results in the partial dysfunction within the hoof. The coffin bone is pulled away from the hoof wall, causing severe pain and lameness. The laminate (tendons) are responsible for flexing and suspension of the… Read More Horse Health: Founder, Laminitis
DSLD is a debilitating syndrome, causing bi-lateral or quadrilateral lameness in horses with no credible history of trauma or injury. First thought to affect only the Peruvian Paso breed, DSLD is now recognized as a problem in many breeds of horses. It is characterized by dropped fetlocks, horizontal pasterns, straight hocks and stifles and bilateral… Read More Horse Health: Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis
A healthy horse’s coat changes in different times of the year. The summer coat is usually short and slick and shiny. It dries quickly and is easy to brush. Winter coat is generally comprised of two types of hair: one short and thick and warm, the other longer to provide an air space insulation against… Read More Horse Health: Cushing’s Disease
The equine botfly uses the horse as an intermediate host for its own reproduction. The botfly lays its eggs during late summer and early fall. They prefer the insides of the front legs, cannon bone, knees, throat and nose of the horse where the animal will rub its nose and mouth to transfer the eggs to… Read More Horse Health: Bots, Botfly