Using ten muscles, a horse can rotate each ear independently, up to 180 degrees, to locate, funnel, and magnify sounds. This allows the horse to position itself towards the sound that is making the noise. Horses hear sounds over a wider range of frequencies than we do. Do horses have Read more…
The distal equine limb is mostly bone with some tendons, ligaments and neurovascular structures between the skin and bone. Most soft tissue structures can be palpated by pressing them against the bone. With tendons and ligaments you should press fairly hard but with vessels and nerves a softer touch will Read more…
To find the horse’s pulse you can either feel under the jaw or behind the left elbow. A common mistake when taking a horse’s pulse is to double count (lub – dub is only one beat). Practice taking your horse’s pulse regularly at a time when they are quiet and Read more…
28 to 40 beats per minute. Normal adult horses have a heart rate of 28 to 40 beats per minute. What is a horse’s heart rate at rest? The HR of an adult horse at rest averages 36-48 beats per minute, (BPM) and a pulse rate of 50 BPM or Read more…
Hoof rings, also called growth rings, are generally the result of seasonal diet changes, especially in horses with a forage-heavy diet. As the nutrient content in grass increases, cellular production shifts and causes slight color variations in the hoof wall. There is minimal change in the texture of the hooves. Read more…
Streptococcus equi, also known as “strangles,” is a bacterial infection that can result in severe enlargement of the retropharyngeal lymph nodes. This type of swelling may be seen and felt just behind the mandible. Horses with strangles will run a fever and may develop thick nasal discharge. Why does my Read more…
Horses that experience iron overload may become laminitic and experience other chronic health problems. Research shows that excess iron consumption is particularly problematic for horses that have metabolic concerns such as being overweight, insulin resistance or Equine Cushing’s disease. What are the symptoms of too much iron supplements? Late symptoms Read more…
The small colon is approximately 3 m long, contains sacculations, and is the portion of the intestinal tract in which fecal balls are formed. The last portion of the horse’s GI tract is the rectum, which begins at the pelvic inlet and ends at the anus. Can a horse live Read more…
According to the National Research Council (NRC 2007), the iron requirement for a mature horse is 40 mg/kg of diet or 400 mg per day. This is increased to 50 mg/kg of diet or 500 mg per day for growing foals and lactating mares. Does my horse need an iron Read more…
Lobation varies greatly among species: the horse has a single right lobe and a single left lobe; the human has two lobes on the left and three on the right; the monkey, dog, cat, and raccoon have three left lobes and four right lobes; and the mouse, rat, and hamster Read more…