The best way to learn how to teach your horse to lay down is to observe its natural lay-down activities. Train the horse to lower its head and attempt to sniff the ground. This way, all the horse’s four feet contract together before breaking down on two knees. Then, the Read more…
However, unlike mosquitoes, which puncture their victim’s skin and suck blood through their mouthparts, horse flies are equipped with slicing stylets. Using these tiny blades, horse flies cut open their victim’s flesh and drink from the blood that pools in the wound. Are horseflies attracted to blood? Horseflies are a Read more…
Shivering. Horses, like people, shiver when they’re cold. If your horse is shivering and is clearly uncomfortable, then she’s probably too cold. A tucked tail can also indicate that a horse is trying to warm up. How do I know if my horse has a cold? The first sign of Read more…
Your horse is an athlete and just like human athletes (and non-athletes too!) their muscles need attention to remain healthy. A horse’s muscles can become tight, stiff, sore, strained or even develop tears. Stretching the muscles is an important part of maintaining overall muscle health. Is it good to stretch Read more…
Horse owners can control the infestation of their horses by use of a bot knife to remove the bot eggs from the hair on a daily basis during the fly season. In addition, modern dewormers containing ivermectin are efficient at killing the larvae that reach the stomach. How do you Read more…
Bot flies carry diseases that can seriously harm your horse’s health and performance. Read on for how to protect your horse. Flies are a common part of most stables, often swatted at but rarely hit. They are a pest poorly tolerated by horse and owner. Are bots bad for horses? Read more…
bot flies. Horse bot flies (subfamily Gasterophilinae) include species of Gasterophilus, a serious horse pest. The adult horse fly, often known as a gad fly, deposits between about 400 and 500 eggs (nits) on the horse’s forelegs, nose, lips, and body. Can horse bot flies infect humans? Can a horse Read more…
The eggs are small, round, and yellow-orange in color, and are attached to the hairs of the horse’s body by the adult botfly. They are easily identifiable on the legs of a dark-colored horse. The horse then licks or bites the spot where the eggs are and subsequently ingests them. Read more…
What causes canker? Infection is most commonly associated with bacterial and sometimes fungal invasion of the epidermal horn of the foot, starting around the frog and extending to the sole and wall. In advanced cases infection may enter the underlying sensitive laminae of the hoof. How do you prevent cankers Read more…
But you can also take the “prevention is the best cure” route by spraying your horse with insect spray to deter bot flies from landing on your horse, using a fly sheet, and scraping the bot fly eggs off every day with a bot egg knife or grooming stone. What Read more…