A rig behaves like a stallion and, potentially, may be fertile. Their behaviour is unpredictable and they can be dangerous to handle so they should be castrated. Some geldings still show stallion-like behaviour despite being fully castrated; they are called “false rigs”. What is a rig gelding? A rig is Read more…
Rig: A male horse which has a testicle that has not descended into the scrotum. Gelding of a rig requires a surgical operation. What does it mean if a horse is a rig? A rig is an entire male horse with no signs of external testicles so appears to be Read more…
blinders. What are blinders? Blinders are also referred to as blinkers or winkers, and they’re usually made of leather or plastic. They fit on to the horse’s bridle or halter, or onto a hood. There are many different types, but they usually sit to the side and rear of the Read more…
Infertile mares are presented for three common problems: (1) accumulation of intra-uterine fluid during or immediately after estrus; (2) long standing infection and/or chronic inflammation; or (3) irregular or no estrous cycles. By defining the problem, diagnostics can be chosen to determine the cause. What does infertile mean for a Read more…
Cryptorchid horses usually exhibit standard stallion behavior, but visibly/palpably lack one or both scrotal testicles. Immature horses may be undetected until they are examined just prior to routine castration. Mature horses with no detectable testes that behave like stallions may be a: Bilateral cryptorchid. How do you tell if a Read more…
Other horses may be placed in equine rescue, rehabilitation or retirement facilities. Some are euthanized by a veterinarian at the owner’s request. What happens to the others? Humane slaughter is one option. What happens to horses when they go to slaughter? Slaughter is a brutal and terrifying end for horses, Read more…
Your Horse May Be Sleeping Younger horses tend to spend more time lying down and sleeping than older horses, but other factors such as feeding and turnout management can also influence how much time a horse spends sleeping while lying down. Why does my old horse keep laying down? Why Read more…
Horses eat large quantities of hay and grass as their main source of food. In fact, horses should eat about 15-20 pounds or 1-2% of their body weight in hay every day, so make sure that your horse always has plenty of hay to chew on. Make sure that the Read more…
In the wild, horses roam, looking for food and cover distances from 5 to 12 km each day. While they walk around, they take a mouthful of grass every now and then. Look at a horse in the field. You will see him walk and eat at the same time. Read more…
A grain‐based meal should be fed within an hour of completing exercise. Once the horse has returned to a near normal respiration rate and started to cool down the meal can be fed. If the horse has completed its exercise for the day it can be fed its normal morning Read more…