The child’s question was innocent, “Why does that horse have spots?” The answer requires some digging beyond genetics. Janet Jones, PhD, discusses dappling as partly genetic but adds some horses develop them with good health and nutrition. Sources: Dapples! Horse Network, August 21, 2024. Link. Jones also talks about growth in horses beyond 4 years of age. The … [Read more...]
Heat exhaustion versus heat stroke in horses (podcast)
Jeanette "Jay" Mero, DVM, outlines the clinical signs of heat exhaustion and stroke in horses in these editions of the podcast. Consider sharing the podcasts with animal owners on social media and in newsletters now as horses are being transported to field activities, local fairs and shows or for rodeo events. Source: Ask the Horse Podcast, July 20, 2119. Link. (2:00) This … [Read more...]
6 things horses appreciate in riders
Horse Speak® founder Sharon Wilsie says horses value certain qualities in riders just as riders seek preferred qualities in their horses. Riding is supposed to be fun; not only for us, but for the horse as well.” – Sharon Wilsie Source: Horse Network, October 5, 2022. Link. We are now in an era of choosing to ride horses because we want and seek a relationship or partnership … [Read more...]
Horses don’t need glasses
Remembering the famous Mr. Ed from reruns of the 1960s television program, Rebecca Berry became curious about horses’ eyesight. She says horses rarely have issues with their eyes focusing light, which is why they don’t need glasses, contacts or a powerful light source. Source: Horse Network, May 17, 2022. Link. Horses are thought to have 20/30 to 20/60 vision. This … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 28, 2022
Last week’s most read posts Asian longhorned ticks are on the move. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, April 7, 2022. Link. =================================== Love is the key to career success: Marcus Buckingham Source: Harvard Business Review, April 15, 2022. Link. (video) Buckingham says you don’t have to love all … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 7, 2022
Last week’s most read AHD posts How to follow up with someone who’s not getting back to you. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, March 31, 2022. Link. =================================== Feral pigs are biological time bombs. Can California stem their ‘exponential’ damage? Source: Los Angeles Times, April 1, … [Read more...]
FAQ: California EHV-1 Outbreak
Despite prevention efforts, disease outbreaks occur. The transfer of animals across geographies and in and out of facilities adds to the risks, regardless of compliance to protocols. Competitive horse events frequently mix horses from a variety of origins. Eighteen horses have been confirmed positive for EHV-1 in southern California’s Riverside County. Some of these horses … [Read more...]
Jingle Bells was not written with yuletide merriment in mind
We’ve been duped, writes Rebecca Berry. The Jingle Bells song, written 164 years ago, was a sleighing song whose original title was One Horse Open Sleigh. But yuletide intentions did not inspire songwriter James Pierpont, rather sleigh races he witnessed. . . . jingling sleigh bells were not festive adornments because having bells was the law. Heavy fines were issued if a … [Read more...]
Regenerative medicine for the equine athlete
Helping equine athletes reach their full potential and maintain optimal health is the goal of sport horse medicine, writes Tori Bilas. Horses can reap the benefits of self-derived biologic treatments well before a serious injury occurs that could derail training or require a lengthy recovery. Regenerative medicine is used to treat or prevent joint disease and soft tissue … [Read more...]
Crack control: Cause and prevention of toe cracks in horses
In an excerpt from The Essential Hoof Book, writers Susan Kauffmann and Christina Cline share information on the toe crack, one of the most common types of hoof crack. . . . toe cracks are most often due to a combination of mechanical stresses in the toe region paired with compromised laminae that cause a lack of good connection between the wall and the coffin bone.” Source: … [Read more...]
Legal guide to horse care for horse owners
There’s more to owning a horse than feed, water and housing. Horse care administration and documentation is also important. By having accurate and available emergency information, by having appropriate vaccination and health policies, by confirming insurance coverage, and by keeping a medication logbook, horse owners, barn owners, and trainers can protect themselves and their … [Read more...]
Titers and other vaccine considerations for horses
David Ramey, DVM, wishes discussions about equine vaccines were easy. Instead of being a simple linear vaccine equation, it has a lot of +/- variables in it. This makes discussions about vaccines fraught with all sorts of nuance and complications, he says. The result is that many throw up their hands rather than talk about them. Not simple, the horse vaccine equation looks … [Read more...]
The problem with overdiagnosis
David Ramey, DVM, believes that overdiagnosis is a growing problem with horse medicine and it is mentioned more and more frequently in human medicine. Otherwise stated, just because a doctor can make, or try to make a diagnosis, doesn’t mean a diagnosis is always necessary. Review Ramey’s thoughts. Then decide for yourself if, when or how overdiagnosis is a possible customer … [Read more...]
Feed the foot: nutrition and equine hoof health
Nutrition affects everything from performance and temperament to growth and metabolic rate of horses. Hoof quality is no exception. Lynn Taylor, PhD, and Ashley Wagner, PhD, shed light on the dos and don’ts of feeding for optimal hoof health. . . . horses’ diets play a crucial role in the quality and durability of the horn that makes up hooves” Source: The Horse, August 2020 … [Read more...]
Managing heat stress in horses
Aubrey Moore reminds us that days with high temperature, plus high humidity put horses at the greatest risk for heat exhaustion. All horses are susceptible to overheating, regardless of their activity. . . . when in doubt, if you’re overheated, they’re overheated.” Source: The Horse Network, August 3, 2020. Link. The Fédération Équestre Internationale recommends continuous … [Read more...]
Dr. Ramey on the equine microbiome
When it comes to the equine microbiome, we don’t really know enough about what’s normal to make strong recommendations or have firm conclusions about what to do when things are abnormal. Happily, horses seem to do pretty well on their own, but there’s certainly a lot more to learn. David Ramey, DVM, discusses the nuances of the equine microbiome with researcher Dr. Carolyn … [Read more...]
Horses: skin care, socialization and going swimming
Horse owners are inquisitive. They work hard to own and nurture horses for what may be relatively few days of riding enjoyment. The articles below help clear up some issues with aggression and ensure horses and riders enjoy time together. Sources: Why horses need social bonds, Horse Network, May 20, 2020. Link. Domestic horses spend more time in aggressive behavior and … [Read more...]
Floating horses’ teeth. Needed or not?
David Ramey, DVM, presents the pros and cons of teeth floating in horses. Getting a horse’s mouth examined periodically, to look for signs of oral disease is a good idea. Floating a horse’s teeth once in a while probably isn’t a bad idea either. But need? Well, that’s a subject for a good bit of discussion.” – David Ramey, DVM Source: Horse Network, April 3, 2020. Link. … [Read more...]
New releases on EQUUS film channel
Got a horse person home from school? The EQUUS film channel offers lots of films covering many topics for horse people - after chores are done. You will need to subscribe after a 7-day trial period. Link. Source: Horse Network. March 20, 2020. Link. … [Read more...]
Stifle surgery and treatments: Guarded prognosis and more doesn’t help
Horses have been observed to have problems with the stifle joint for a long time. In recent years, these joints are getting noticed and treated more, yet remain an uncommon area from which lameness arises. The stile is a big joint and it’s an important one overall. Davey Ramey, DVM, discusses the challenges of stifle surgery, realistic outcomes and therapeutic options that … [Read more...]
Racehorses; from puppy dog to grenade (video)
Liz Brown shares her experience and fears about riding a Thoroughbred at full gallop. Fears aside, she says she still recommends galloping a racehorse if you get the chance. It’s all about the experience. Source: Five things I learned galloping a racehorse, Horse Network. Link. … [Read more...]
Equine workers risk respiratory problems
Not all horse work is done outdoors. Nancy Hoffman discusses the risks to horse people from dust, mold and allergens from hay, bedding and associated dirt. She makes a case for wearing dust masks and reviews the two main categories of masks, their features, functions and benefits. Source: Horse Network, December 2, 2019. Link. Remember, . . . you’re going to be breathing … [Read more...]
A horse’s leg is like a paperclip and other performance horse problems
With concerns surrounding horse deaths at Santa Anita Race Track < link >, horse owners will be ready to consider veterinarian David Ramey’s four biggest problems that affect performance horses. If they can avoid these things, the battle is at least half won, he says. They’re overtrained They’re bored and annoyed Owners assume that performance problems are … [Read more...]
Fungi directly linked to equine inflammatory airway disease (video)
A three-year study found a direct link between fungal particles in the lungs and inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in horses. Eliminating exposure to fungi is critical to IAD prevention. Source: Horse Network, October 2, 2019. Link. In the 700 horse study published by The Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine < link > researchers found that: fungal elements are … [Read more...]
Skinny horse notes
David Ramsey, DVM, brings the skinny horse into perspective. Bottom line, a skinny horse is not getting enough to eat, he says. But there may be some factors that limit the horse’s ability to gain and maintain weight> Owners may simply not know how much to feed the horse. Ramsey says, how much an individual horse needs depends on: Metabolism Horse’s activities … [Read more...]
Mares and the challenges of heat cycles
David Ramey, DVM offers two articles to address heat in mares. Part 1 describes how the heat cycle works. Part 2 discusses many of the different treatments that people use to try to keep their mare’s heat cycle under control. Folks try to keep mares from coming into heat in any number of ways, some of which work, and many of which don’t . . .but still get used. Source: Help! … [Read more...]
Wound cleaning. Get the hose!
David Ramey, DVM, was surprised that there have actually been a number of studies completed on irrigating wounds with tap water. He provides a fun review of why grabbing the garden hose in the stable is good medicine. Source: Horse Network, July 3, 2019. Link. Ramey says he loves it when science supports what most people do anyway. If you’re dealing with a fresh wound, I’d … [Read more...]
Horse sense required for barefoot trimming
David Ramey, DVM, tackles the barefoot trimming fad where horses have shoes removed and hooves trimmed to run barefoot. He says some proponents of barefoot trimming sometimes take a fanatical leap and may assert that shoes for horses are never a good thing, and that they always cause harm. Ramey disagrees for three big reasons: The stated assumption that “barefoot is … [Read more...]
Coprophagia, pica and the funny eating habits of horses
David Ramey, DVM, offers information about horses’ eating habits and the many things they ingest. In the wild, horses eat in 23 of 24 hours during the day. Eating like a horse, indeed. Source: Horse Network, February 2019. Link. Equine nutritionists . . . have found that horses really only seek out energy, water, salt, and fiber. INSIGHTS: Equine veterinary teams as well as … [Read more...]
Treating Type One and Type Two equine wounds (includes video, photos)
Type One wounds, those that heal by first intention, are those that can be sewn up, says David Ramsey, DVM. Normally after a cut, there’s about six hours to reintroduce the edges of the skin to each other. Type Two wounds are healed by second intention because to close the skin granulation and epithelial, cell bridges must form. In the two articles referenced here, Ramsey … [Read more...]