To estimate your horse’s body temperature without use of a thermometer, use your finger to assess the temperature of the mucous membrane inside the lips, at the corner of the mouth. Compare your estimated reading with a thermometer reading twice on 10 different horses. How do you tell if your Read more…
Weaving is when the horse will walk in place, alternating steps with his front feet and bobbing his head and neck from side to side. When weaving, the horse may appear to be in a trance and over time the behavior can cause strain or injury to the horse’s joints, Read more…
What can be done about it? Increase turn-out and exercise. Match exercise and turn-out with sporting requirements. Use feeding stations around the stall or scatter feed around the stall. Try to reduce predictors of the arrival of food. Introduce a stall mirror if the horse is sociable. How do you Read more…
Research has investigated the use of human non-contact thermometers on different animal species; however, various studies have shown controversial results. No human device has shown to be reliable for measuring horses’ temperature. Can you use an infrared thermometer on a horse? This can be used around the body of the Read more…
Weaving is generally not a very damaging vice over short periods of time, but horses that are consistent weavers may show abnormal hoof wear, and stress on their joints (which can cause lameness). Damage to the stall floor may also occur. What causes horse weaving? Main cause is probably boredom Read more…
Weaving is a behaviour in horses that is classified as a stable vice, in which the horse repetitively sways on its forelegs, shifting its weight back and forth by moving the head and neck side to side. It may also include swaying of the rest of the body and picking Read more…
All warm-blooded mammals – that includes horses and humans, can tolerate a range of temperatures. Each species has a natural comfort zone – this is known as the ‘energy-neutral range’. Horses cope best in dry temperatures between -9 and +15C. Essentially that’s when there are no bugs, no heat and Read more…
To measure your horse’s temperature, use a plastic or digital “oral” or “rectal” thermometer. Oral and rectal thermometers are essentially the same thing. Can you use a human digital thermometer on a horse? However, it is invasive, dangerous and time consuming. Research has investigated the use of human non-contact thermometers Read more…
Extremely high fevers—above 106 degrees—or any fever that goes on for too long can eventually take a physiological toll on a horse. What does an elevated temperature mean in a horse? One of the first things to do when you suspect your horse isn’t feeling well is take his temperature. Read more…
The walk is the slowest and most energy-efficient gait. The walk has a four-beat stride in quadrupeds in which each foot touches the ground at slightly different times. What is the most efficient horse gait? The trot is a very efficient gait that you can use for long-distance traveling. This Read more…