Health: Preventative
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Emergency Triage: Think Like a Vet
The site of blood running down a horse's leg is enough to
make most of us feel a surge of panic. When a horse has cut himself the most
important thing you can do is stay calm, and follow these triage steps.
Catch the horse and put him in a quiet, calm environment. You
may want to give him... | read »
Health: Preventative
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Ulcers: Should You Be Concerned?
Recent research on equine ulcers has revealed that a large percentage of
performance horses have either colon or stomach ulcers. It's a
little astonishing: studies show that 90 percent of racehorses and 60 percent of
other types of performance horses have been shown to have ulcers. Now new... | read »
Health: Preventative
from the pages of Trail Rider
Joint Care 101
Degenerative joint disease (DJD) is probably the most common cause
of performance-limiting lameness that threatens your trail horse, so it's
important to protect his joints from damage.
Here, we define DJD, explaining how it begins and progresses. Then
we give you strategies to prevent DJD... | read »
Health: Preventative
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Cure the Cinchy Set Back
Three trainers
weigh in on the complicated issue of understanding and working with a horse
that sets back when being cinched. We explore the possible causes, what to do
during a set back episode, and solutions to the problem.
The words "cinchy" or "girthy" have two meanings. Some people... | read »
Health: Preventative
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Equine Insomnia?
A blogger unfamiliar with horses wrote recently on a general community
website asking whether he should be worried about a horse in his neighborhood
that was lying down.
Wive tales aside, horses do sleep lying down. In fact, sometimes they'll even
snore (because of increased pressure on... | read »
Health: Preventative
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Long in the Tooth
Older horses often have their own particular set of health
issues, especially when it comes to dental health. Spend some time watching your
older horse eat. Does he leave partly chewed hay wads lying around? Do you see
him drop grain from his mouth? Is he taking longer to finish his hay? Is... | read »
Health: Preventative
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Best Foot Forward
A horse's feet take quite a beating. When you think about it,
it's amazing that a structure which is basically a thicker version of our own
fingernail can support the weight of a horse and hold up to the varied terrain
they travel over. As tough and adaptable as a horse's hoof is, it's not... | read »
Health: Preventative
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Health Issues for Older Horses
Older horses, like older people, tend to have some health
problems. As our equine preventative health care improves, the lives of our
horses grow longer. Virtually any health issue can be seen with a senior horse,
but some health problems are far more common than others. Here are three issues... | read »
Health: Preventative
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Equine Respiratory Research Has Human Implications
Science Daily reports that a team of researchers from Cornell University of Calgary, and Youngstown State University are working on the link between a horse's complex respiratory system and musculature that propels him during exercise. The research will help the researchers develop breathing... | read »
Health: Preventative
from the pages of Trail Rider
Golden Trails
Your beloved older trail horse has carried you miles on his back,
and you look forward to many more. He's sensible, reliable, and bombproof. You
use him to settle younger, more skittish horses.
Lately though, he seems to be struggling on those harder rides. He
just doesn't seem quite up to... | read »
QUESTION:
We
travel all over with our horses. For years, we’ve heard about equine distemper,
also known as strangles. Please tell us more about the strangles, how to prevent
it, and what to do about it should one of... | read
