Health & Education
We all want the best care possible for our horses. The Heath & Education section covers both Learning Institutions, Organizations as well as many sources for equine assistance including Veterinarians and Farriers.
For those who want a to formally study horses, the Education section includes College Riding, Equine Studies, and Veterinary Schools. Learn about the wide variety of horses in the Horse Breeds section. Supplements and Treatments Therapy are also included in the section.
Everyone can learn from Fine Art and there are some specialty Museums that might surprise you.
Horses as a therapy partner enrich the lives of the disabled. These facilities are listed in our Therapeutic Riding section. To help children and young adults build confidence and grow emotionally, please see the resources available on the Youth Outreach page.
Looking for a place to keep your horse? You can find it in the Horse Boarding section. Traveling? Find a Shipping company or Horse Sitting service if your horse is staying home!
Want to stay up to date with the latest training clinics or professional conferences? Take a look at our Calendar of Events for Health & Education for the dates and locations of upcoming events.
Do we need to add more? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!
Despite veterinary experts inundating horse owners with information on the link between obesity, equine metabolic syndrome, and laminitis, overconditioning and subsequent obesity are prominent welfare issues. An estimated 50% of horses are classified as overweight, with up to 30% of those considered obese. This problem, however, is not restricted to sedentary horses but is widespread, even among elite performance horses.
In a recent study, nutritionists at North Carolina State University evaluated the body condition scores (BCS) of 377 elite ponies competing at a national hunter competition.* The same two evaluators also assigned a cresty neck score (CNS) to the same ponies.
“The standard nine-point Henneke BCS scale was used, where a BCS of 5 was considered ideal and a BCS greater than 6 was considered overweight. For the five-point CNS, a ‘cresty neck’ was defined as a score of more than 2.5,” explained Ashley Fowler, Ph.D., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research.
“A cresty neck is characterized by fat accumulation along the top of the neck. Studies have found that a cresty neck increases the risk for metabolic issues, such as insulin resistance. Some horses may have a cresty neck without being considered fat or extremely fat (BCS higher than 7), so measuring both BCS and CNS is important,” explained Fowler.
The average BCS of the ponies was 6.7, which is considered overweight. No pony was designated as thin as all ponies had a BCS of more than 5. The average CNS was 2.8, meaning, as a group, the ponies did have cresty necks.
“In total, 93% of the ponies were overweight, with 35.5% of those having a BCS greater than 7,” summarized Fowler.
According to the nutritionists conducting the study, “This is of concern considering the vast amount of evidence to suggest that overweight equids are at a higher risk of disease. Animals with a body condition score of 7 or higher and/or regional adiposity (such as a cresty neck) have a 3-5 times higher risk of developing laminitis.”
Potential reasons explaining the tendency towards obesity include the following:
- Impression by owners that overconditioned animals perform better than underconditioned animals;
- Peer pressure from other owners can affect how individuals approach their own horse’s adiposity and weight-loss efforts;
- Owners are not skilled at evaluating BCS, with studies showing they often do not recognize their horse is overweight or obese; and
- Studies show that even judges “prefer” overweight horses to lean (but not thin) ones.
Read more: Obese Equine Athletes: Are These “Unhealthy” Healthy Horses?
Whether you are building from scratch or renovating, keeping biosecurity in mind can help reduce the risk of introducing or spreading disease on your property.
When building:
- Select smooth, non-porous, durable materials as they are easy to clean and disinfect; there are a wide variety of materials to choose from depending on the intended use (e.g. metal, vinyl coated metal, polymer coated wood, sealed concrete and some plastics).
- Seal wooden surfaces with non-toxic marine grade enamel paint or urethane, again for easy cleaning and disinfecting. Avoid sealing surfaces that horses may chew on.
- Choose building materials that will not shatter or splinter if a horse kicks them and will not degrade on continued exposure to sunlight, water, and products used for cleaning and disinfecting.
- Plan for a sufficient number of taps and sinks for cleaning and hand washing and ensure adequate subsurface drainage to remove waste water and storm water.
- Always check with the product manufacturer that paints, sealers, cleaners and disinfectants are approved for use in livestock buildings.
Before you build or renovate consider:
- Geography: areas less densely populated with horses and livestock can reduce risk of exposure to pathogens.
- Topography: Slope of land and type of soil affects drainage, pasture quality, footing for horses and ease of building. Trees and hills can provide protection from the sun and influence wind patterns and ventilation. Ponds and streams can be an attractant for wildlife, pests and affect drainage.
- Layout: Plan for the number of horses to be housed and potential expansion. Consider separating horses that are at higher risk of disease exposure (such as horses that are frequently travelling to other farms or facilities) from horses at lower risk (those that rarely leave the property). Minimize the chance of contamination of feed, water and clean bedding from manure and wash water.
- Traffic Flow: Reduce the risk of spreading pathogens by controlling the movement of people, horses, equipment and material on the farm or facility. Also, review section six and seven on movement of horses and access management in the National Farm and Facility Level Biosecurity Standard for the Equine Sector.
by Eleanor Kellon, VMD
Both owners and professionals seem to fall into two groups, those who espouse forage only (hay, pasture) and those who focus on the commercial grain they feed. Both are wrong.
FOUNDATION OF EVERY HORSE'S DIET
It's true that the foundation of every horse's diet should be forage. The more work the horse does, the more calories they need and horses doing very physically demanding work often cannot get all the carbohydrates they need to maintain muscle glucose stores (glycogen) with forage alone. That is where concentrated carbohydrate sources come in. However, no horse needs grain for anything else.
WHAT IS HAY
Hay is simply dried grass. It has lower calories and lower carbohydrates than live grass because it continues to metabolize those until water reaches a critical low level and stops enzyme activity.
HAY'S PROTEIN
Hay is the horse's major source of protein. Good quality grass hay contains 8 to 12% protein yielding 362 to 545 grams of protein in 10 pounds. In contrast, 5 lbs of a 10% protein grain has 227 grams. Forage is the major source of protein.
HAY'S VITAMINS
When hay is cured, it rapidly loses vitamins C, E and, over time, the vitamin A precursor carotene. However, it is an excellent source of vitamin D and all the B vitamins are preserved in their biologically activated form.
HAY'S FAT
There is no dietary requirement for fat other than the essential fatty acids which the body cannot manufacture. This hasn't been studied in horses but in other species, alpha-linoleic and linolenic acid, omega-6, and omega-3. Live grass is a rich supply of both but cured hay loses its omega-3 and this needs to be replaced with flax or Chia seed. Grains and all the common vegetable oils are low in omega-3 and high in omega-6.
HAY'S ESSENTIAL MINERALS
Hay or grass contains all the nutritionally essential minerals, although not necessarily in the correct minimum amounts or ratios. Grains are not inherently balanced either but manufacturers can add what is needed to help meet minimum levels. What they cannot do is correct imbalances in the hay and for most horses that leaves the bulk of the diet unbalanced.
HAY ANALYSIS
Hay analysis is the ideal way to find out what needs to be added to the diet to balance hay. You can also reach out to your local agricultural extension agent or the state agriculture department to get average figures for where the hay was grown.
CONCLUSION
If horses were still roaming over hundreds of miles eating a wide variety of vegetation we wouldn't have to consider the imbalances created by the exact same diet for months or even years. It takes a little effort to get the diet maximized but well worth the effort.
This article originally appeared on Uckele Nutrition and is published here with permission.
There are lots of good articles in our section on Health & Education.
From Certified Horsemanship Association.
This is a sample lesson of Western Turn Backs for horseback riding students demonstrating the 15 minute lesson format used by participants during a Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) riding instructor certification. Visit www.CHA.horse to find a clinic to attend near you.
Read more: Sample Lesson: Western Turnbacks with Tara Reimer (2:29)
Certified Horsemanship Association Instructor Dale Rudin explains reading horse behavior and how the horse communicates through body language in this educational tip by Certified Horsemanship Association
Courtesy of Damrock Farm
Today, I am going to talk about twin pregnancies and why responsible breeders do not let them continue past 14-16 days post breeding. We had three mares bred this year and that we ended up with three sets of twins. Some might say we hit the jackpot, 6 for the price of 3. But no, it's the furthest thing from the jackpot that is possible as far as I am concerned. And, I'm going to tell you why after receiving a couple of messages asking why we don't just let the mare have twins.
We got lucky on the first two twin reductions, keeping the second foal. Not so with the third. Our mare, Mula, did as we feared and aborted the second foal along with the one we were trying to remove. Not a surprise, but definitely a disappointment. They were just too close not to damage both in the quest to remove only one.
For those of you who are questioning why we don't leave well enough alone, here are the facts. Mares are not made to carry two babies, plain and simple. It's VERY rarely successful. Sure, you occasionally see pictures of cute twin babies that the owners did not know were there and were born healthy enough to stay alive. In most cases, they only stay alive with lots of extra care and huge financial investment. In reality, the numbers of twins who survive to get their pictures plastered all over Facebook is only a small percentage of those who are produced. In most cases, either one or both foals will die, despite heroic measures. It is also extremely risky for a mare to try and deliver twin foals, putting her own life, as well as the foals, at high risk.
The answer is to reduce the pregnancy to one viable fetus, leading to one healthy foal and a normal delivery for the mare carrying it. Is reduction a perfect science? Absolutely not. Should it be done? In my opinion, absolutely yes! Most times, if a mare gets pregnant with twins and it's either not discovered or the owner elects to try to "let nature take its course" both foals will be aborted naturally by the mare, hopefully before they are big enough to injure the mare in the process. If they survive until normal delivery time, usually one or both of the foals will die and the mare is at great risk of death or serious injury herself trying to deliver them.
In today's episode, Dr. Colton Thacker shares his knowledge of ultrasound and imaging. Dr. Thacker will discuss his experiences working at yearling sales and how he uses his expertise in imaging to evaluate potential purchases for his clients. He will also share his insights regarding the value of imaging during lameness exams and how ultrasound can help pinpoint the root cause of lameness in horses.
Dr. Scott Weese, University of Guelph Researcher, outlines best practices for Horse Farm Infection Control.
Read more: Infection Disease Control tips for Horse Farms - Dr. Scott Weese (15:62)
Welcome to the Equine Biosecurity Risk Calculator. The Calculator is an educational resource of Equine Guelph (University of Guelph) developed in partnership with Colorado State University and the American Association of Equine Practitioners. This tool provides information on equine health, infectious disease and infectious disease control.
CALCULATE THE BIOSECURITY RISK ON YOUR FARM
Is Your Farm at Risk?
Complete the questionnaire and find out how your farm rates - plus learn ways to improve the areas that are at risk. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Please choose the answer(s) that best reflects your farm.
Information presented is for educational purposes only. It should not be used for the diagnosis or management of disease, and should never replace information from your veterinarian.
Featured Resources
Protect Your Horse From Infectious Diseases with our Biosecurity Short Course. A great training program for you and your staff.
The Basics of Infection Control This unique 'whiteboard video' is all about the basics and answers: What are the differences between bacteria and viruses? How are they spread? What can you do to prevent them?
Infection Control Resources Learn what Training Centres and Racetracks are using
Additional Resources
WEB Resources
- Equine Biosecurity Policies & Best Practices Guide (Alberta Equestrian Federation)
- Equine Guelph Education Programs FAAST - Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Ontario Equine Industry
- FAAST Antimicrobial Stewardship in Neonatal Management for Farmed Animal Species
- Horse Management and Biosecurity Check
- Vaccination Equi-Planner Tool
- Worms and Germs Blog (information on equine infectious disease)
MEDIA Resources
PDF Resources:
- Biosecurity - Access Management
- Biosecurity - Cleaning Infosheet
- Biosecurity Education and Training
- Biosecurity - Hand Hygiene Infosheet
- Biosecurity - If your horse is sick Infosheet
- Biosecurity - Traveling Horse Infosheet
- Biosecurity - When & How to Isolate
- Equine Biosecurity Poster
- Facility Design with Biosecurity in Mind
- Farm specific Biosecurity Plan
- Horse Events: Biosecurity guidelines for organizers and competitors
- Horse Health Check
- Horse Health Check (diagram)
- Horse Owners Info Sheet
- National Farm-level Biosecurity Standard
Equine Guelph thanks: Dr. Josie Traub-Dargatz and Dr. Alanna Kirby, Colorado State University, for providing content and Dr. Scott Weese, Ontario Veterinary College, for reviewing content and the American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation (AAEP Foundation) for their support.
This article originally appeared on Equine Guelph and is published here with permission.
You can find more informative articles in our section on Health & Education.
- Why the Sudden Behavior Change in My Horse?
- Horse Sense & Soldiers with Monty Roberts (50:59)
- Hydrolyzable Carbohydrates and the Metabolic Horse
- Rood & Riddle Stallside Podcast - 0:03 / 27:14 • Intro The Most Interesting Guest so Far with Dr Bart Barber - Episode 50!
- Catching the Horse in a Paddock with Teresa Kackert (5:29)
- Equine Guelph Declares February Colic Prevention Education Month
- The History Of Equine Slaughter In The United States (Part 2 In A Series)
- Rood & Riddle Stallside Podcast - The PET Scan, Old Technology, New Applications with Dr Katie Garrett and Dr Jose Bras (33:01)
- To Shoe or Not to Shoe? An Excerpt from Shoeing the Modern Horse
- Rood & Riddle Stallside Podcast - The Time is Right for Your Barren Mare’s Check up with Dr Pete Sheerin (37:37)
- Ten Tips for Lunging Your Horse
- 5 Tips to Help You Train Your Horse
- Stem Cells Under Investigation as a Possible Future Treatment for Equine Asthma
- Fitness for the Pregnant Rider - an excerpt from "Ultimate Exercise Routines for Riders"
- Published: Canagliflozin for Control of Refractory Equine Hyperinsulinemia and Laminitis
- Building Your Horse’s Confidence
- Help Nix the Culex Mosquito that Transmits 3 of 5 Core Equine Diseases
- Communication Between Human and Horse
- Research into Development of the Foal’s Gut Could Advance Treatment of Critical Cases of Diarrhea
- Mosquitoes Undeterred by Drought – 4 Tips to Protect Your Horse