To guarantee your horse’s proper health, prioritize a diet rich in high-quality forage, providing 1.5-2% of their body weight daily, along with unlimited fresh water. Limit grains and…
Health & Wellness
Horse Nutrition Basics: What Every Owner Should Know
To guarantee your horse’s health, provide 1.5-2% of their body weight in forage daily, choosing types like alfalfa or grass hay for balanced nutrients. Maintain a 2:1 calcium…
Health & Wellness
When to Rest a Horse vs Call a Vet
When deciding to rest a horse or consult a vet, consider the severity of symptoms. Mild distress like slight lameness may just need rest, but severe issues like…
Health & Wellness
How to Prevent Lameness in Horses
Preventing lameness in horses involves meticulous daily hoof and leg care, including regular hoof inspections and debris removal. Assess the breed’s suitability and conformation for specific disciplines to…
Health & Wellness
Common Causes of Lameness in Horses
You’ll often find lameness in horses is due to musculoskeletal pain from conditions like hoof abscesses, subsolar bruising, navicular syndrome, and laminitis. Acute injuries or chronic issues such…
Health & Wellness
Why Your Horse Is Limping and When to Be Concerned
If your horse is limping, it may be due to conditions like hoof abscesses, injuries, laminitis, or osteoarthritis. Look for signs such as changes in stride, reluctance to…
Health & Wellness
Lameness in Horses: Causes and Treatment Options
Recognizing equine lameness involves spotting abnormal gait, swelling, toe pointing, or head bobbing. Common causes include hoof abscesses, soft tissue injuries, and bone fractures. Treatment options range from…
Health & Wellness
Why Colic Is the Most Serious Horse Health Risk
Colic is a serious health threat for your horse due to its sudden onset and complex causes. Often linked to gastrointestinal disturbances, it can result in severe pain,…
Health & Wellness
Emergency Steps to Take if Your Horse Has Colic
If your horse has colic, first check their heart rate (30-40 bpm) and rectal temperature (99.5-101.5°F). Look for signs like excessive rolling or pawing. Withhold food and water,…
Health & Wellness
How to Recognize Early Signs of Colic in Horses
To recognize early signs of colic in horses, observe behavioral changes like restlessness, flank watching, pawing, and unusual postures. Monitor physical symptoms such as abdominal distension, profuse sweating,…
Health & Wellness
What Causes Colic in Horses and How to Prevent It
Colic in horses stems from digestive disturbances such as abdominal pain and behavioral changes like flank-watching. Risk factors include extended stall confinement, high-grain diets, and insufficient water intake.…
Health & Wellness
Colic in Horses: Symptoms, Causes, and What to Do
You need to quickly recognize colic in horses by observing signs like restlessness, abdominal pawing, or rolling. Causes vary from dietary imbalances and dehydration to poor dental care.…
Health & Wellness
How to Tell if a Horse Has a Fever
To determine if a horse has a fever, use a digital rectal thermometer to check if the temperature exceeds 101.5°F for adults or 102.0°F for foals. Typical signs…
Health & Wellness
Why Your Horse Is Not Eating and What It Means
If your horse isn’t eating, it could signal potential health issues like dental problems, gastrointestinal disturbances, or inadequate water intake. Consider environmental stressors such as confinement or poor…
Health & Wellness
When to Call a Vet for Your Horse
You should call a vet for your horse when you notice signs of distress or abnormal behavior like gastric distress symptoms, lethargy, fever over 101.5°F, or significant bleeding.…