Each horse owns a total of eight splint bones: one along the inside and one along the outside of each of the four limbs. Each splint bone is attached to the adjacent cannon bone (the third metacarpal bone or MC3 Read more…
Type of horse stables With box stalls for an average size riding horse the minimum measurements of the stall should be at least 3×3 meters to 3,6×3,6 meters. This is only the minimum standard and it is recommended that you Read more…
Forage is the most important dietary ingredient for horses. The digestive system of the horse is designed to digest forage. There are many types and physical forms of forage. All forages fed to horses should be of good quality. Do Read more…
Full thickness gastric rupture is a fatal cause and complication of equine colic, with a reported prevalence of 1% to 8% (1–3). Gastric rupture is caused by loss of tissue integrity due to severe gastric ulceration and perforation, localized infarction, Read more…
Colic is the leading medical cause of death in horses. Technically, colic refers to pain in a horse’s abdomen, although colic episodes typically reflect conditions of the colon. Can colic in horses be fatal? Colic is a serious problem in Read more…
While horses can’t fix unhealthily high blood pressure on their own, they can help you make improvements to your blood pressure. Does horse riding lower BP? Lowering blood pressure. One of the benefits of regular exercise is lowered blood pressure; Read more…
Prevention Remove droppings from the pasture 3-4 times per week. Avoid overgrazing your fields with too many horses. Alternate grazing every year for mares and foals where possible. Worm foals proactively every 6-8 weeks until 6 months old. Worm count Read more…
Inguinal hernias of foals are usually congenital and are considered to be hereditary. Can a hernia be hereditary? One of the most common questions about hernias we are asked is whether they are hereditary, and if there is a possibility Read more…
Following surgery the horse will need 1-3 months of confinement (stall rest, confinement to a small pen or small trap). Younger horses with smaller hernias will need less confinement following surgery, than older larger horses with large hernia. How long Read more…
Most commonly, the cause is an area of diseased gut, which becomes leaky (often due to colic) when natural defences are impaired and allows bacteria to seep out. Peritonitis can also develop as a result of a tumour, or an Read more…