grass pasture. Good-quality grass pasture is an excellent source of vitamin E in all natural forms. A horse that is sustaining itself on good-quality grass pasture will be consuming significantly more vitamin E than the NRC requirement. However, because vitamin E is not heat-stable, its levels in hay can decrease Read more…
Type 1 PSSM is a common cause for tie-up signs in Quarter Horses, Paints, Appaloosas, and warmbloods. PSSM can often be managed with diet and exercise changes but there is no cure or medication used to treat it. HYPP is an inherited muscle disease causing an abnormality in how muscle Read more…
The panel includes testing for GBED (glycogen branching enzyme deficiency), HERDA (hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia), HYPP (hyperkalemic periodic paralysis), MH (malignant hyperthermia) and PSSM (polysaccharide storage myopathy). What does HERDA do to horses? HERDA is a genetic disease in quarter horses and appaloosas, especially cutting horses. Signs of HERDA Read more…
Researchers have now named four deceased Quarter Horse stallions that were carriers and produced at least one affected HERDA foal; they are Dry Doc, Doc O’Lena, Great Pine, and Zippo Pine Bar. How do you tell if a horse has the HERDA? Signs of HERDA include stretchy skin, severe skin Read more…
Tying-up can occur during work, or within the rest period immediately following exercise. If a horse ties-up during work, stop further exercise, unsaddle and cool the horse down slowly by walking it for 2-3 minutes to lose heat and work the muscles gently without a load. What to do for Read more…
Morgans are known for having poor health and Acceleration; their Speed and Stamina are average, making them suitable for shorter journeys. Due to their small size, Morgans are extremely agile and maneuverable despite only having Standard handling. This makes them useful in dense forests and narrow mountain trails. Is Morgan Read more…
HERDA has an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance and affects stallions and mares in equal proportions. Research carried out in Dr. Danika Bannasch’s laboratory at the University of California, Davis, identified the mutation causing HERDA. HERDA is caused by a single base change in the gene PPIB (c. Is there Read more…
What does blood horse mean? A blood horse is either a Thoroughbred or a purebred horse, bred especially for racing. What is a purebred horse? The term for any horse or other animal derived from a single breed line is purebred. What are the 3 types of horses? All horse Read more…
A genetic test for the MYH1 mutation can be used to assist with the diagnosis of IMM or nonexertional rhabdomyolysis. Until the discovery of the genetic test, a muscle biopsy was performed. Horses with IMM have clinical signs of atrophy, moderate increases in serum CK activity and lymphocytes in their Read more…
About 60 to 70 percent of horses treated for EPM will improve, and 15 to 25 percent will recover completely. Do horses fully recover from EPM? In fact, 80% to 90% recover completely. Over all 10% to 20% of horses will relapse. Horses that have mild cases tend to have Read more…