Horse Feet: Importance Of Taking Good Care Of Them
Posted on 14. Dec, 2008 by in Horse Hoof Health
One of the toughest jobs for the horse owner is to take care of the overall health of the horse. Supervision of horses does not just constitute their health problems, as you also have to pay attention to the overall body of the horse. Horse feet are one of the important parts which have to be maintained by the horse owners. Lack of proper care of the horse feet can lead to lameness.
Horse feet care is an absolute necessity as it helps the horse in ensuring proper performance and better career. For proper care of the feet of the horses, you have to know and learn the basic formation and function of horse foot and all its parts. Normally horse feet are divided into external and internal foot structure. The external foot structure consists of four parts namely, coronet, hoof wall, frog and sole. And the internal foot structure also consists of four parts namely, plantar cushion, coffin bone, sensitive laminae and navicular bone.
Horse feet care consists of some of the important processes that have to be performed on a regular basis.
Routine care is a process where you have to maintain clean and clear feet in your horses. Normally some unwanted organisms capable of spreading diseases concentrate in the horse feet. The diseased bacteria accumulate in the frog region and produces stinking odor and this gradually results in lameness. In such cases hoof picks or fine wired brush is used to clean the area.
Moisture should be maintained in horse feet as it leads to sustain flexibility and avoid cracks in the hoof. Intense wet circumstances can lead to dryness and the natural oils and protective films present in the lower foot region can corrode from regular contact with exterior moisture. So you should dress the hoof applying animal fat or lanolin in the base.
Trimming is very important technique to hold proper shape and size of horse feet. It should be done frequently on regular intervals. Nippers and rasp are basically used for trimming. Trimming is done to keep the pressure on the hoof wall and to remove dead tissue from the sole.
You should also maintain proper angle between the hoof wall and the ground in order to prevent lameness of the horse feet.
When you are nailing the horse shoe be attentive and take care that the nail should not prick the horse feet as this will cause severe injuries and can result in lameness.
Cleanliness, promptness, frequency and utilize of correct remedial measures are some of the most important features of high-quality horse feet care
Horse Arthritis: Symptoms That Suggest Arthritis In Horses
Posted on 14. Dec, 2008 by in Horse Care
Whenever we come across the word arthritis, we think it as a human disease. But it is seen that horses also suffer from a type of arthritis known as horse arthritis. Arthritis may cause lameness in horses, which can end the racing career of horses. After a certain age horses are prone to arthritis, as after the age their bones, muscles and joints start to degrade faster. Horse arthritis commonly affects the leg areas of horses.
Horse arthritis can happen due to many reasons, but the most important and the foremost reason is the degradation of the synovial fluid. The synovial fluid acts as a sort of lubricant between the cartilage and the bones. With the increasing age of the horses, the fluid begins to become light and the cushion between the bone collapses, as a result of which the bone begins to pulverize each other. This causes irritation and soreness in the affected areas.
Horse arthritis can be cured if they are detected in the early stages. We should first come to know the symptoms of arthritis to effectively cure and prevent them. Some common symptoms of horse arthritis have been discussed here.
In the joints you will find puffiness, rigidity, or pain that will last for quite some time.
After a small work or action the joints will start paining.
Legs tend to become inflexible after standing for long.
When the joint is in motion or in use you may hear a grating sound.
Horse arthritis results in swelling of the affected joints.
You will find extreme change in the attitude of the horse, once affected with horse arthritis.
After a normal exercise you will find that horses are limping.
These are the some of the common symptom which you can observe in the horses, and as soon as possible you must take proper remedies or cure. If you find some of these symptoms in your horses, then you should immediately go to veterinarian for check up and after few tests like x-ray or ultrasound, once the horse arthritis is determined, you should start proper treatment.
There are various types of treatments that are implied once horse arthritis is determined. In extreme situation surgery is the best way of treatment.
The most important and the foremost treatment is use of pain relief and anti irritation drugs that can be helpful. Some of the well known drugs are dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), Naproxen and many other, these can be injected directly or can be given orally. But uses of these drugs can cause gastrointestinal ulcers. One of the most powerful and reliable drug is Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminolglycan (PSGAG)) which is injected directly into the joints which reforms the cartilage.
These are some of useful treatments that are really effective against horse arthritis.
Equine Ailments: Some Of The Ailments That Can Attack Your Horses
Posted on 14. Dec, 2008 by in Horse Diseases and Ailments
A large number of ailments are there that can affect any horse, while some may be of very serious nature, and difficult to treat, others are found not to be too serious and can be treated quite easily. Horse owners need to be wary about the common equine ailments that can pose a threat to the health of their horses. Having a basic knowledge of such equine ailments that can attack your horses, helps you to be in a better position to understand, and ensure the better care for your horses.
Some of the well known equine ailments and their effects on horses have been enlisted here:
Arthritis: Arthritis as we all know is an ailment that primarily targets the joints and tends to make them weaker. Of all other equine ailments, this ailment can attack any horse and can cause considerable trouble for their joints. Arthritis can result in the horses becoming lame and are found to cause a lot of pain on the affected joints of the horses. This equine ailment needs to be treated properly to ensure that the horses do not have to suffer much from it.
Anhidrosis: There are a wide range of equine ailments, which may cause trouble for your horse. These ailments tend to be very different with their effects on the horses. One such ailment that is seen to trouble horses, is the ailment called anhidrosis. Horses that are affected with anhidrosis are seen to suffer from a peculiar problem, due to which they are not able to sweat properly. Horses affected with this ailment are seen to pant a lot and have a very high body temperature.
Colitis: The various equine ailments that affect horses are seen to target their different body parts. One such ailment that targets the gastrointestinal system is known as colitis. It is not a very uncommon ailment that is seen to affect the horses, and results in the horses developing diarrhea and signs of dehydration.
Septicemia: Septicemia is another of the several equine ailments that can spell trouble for the horses. Horses, suffering for this ailment have large amounts of bacteria and toxins inside their blood, which could be the cause for other equine ailments like meningitis, pneumonia and diarrhea. It is possible to get treated for this equine ailment, by acting as fast as possible, after it has been detected.
There are many other equine ailments, which could cause trouble for the horses. Timely detection and treatment is found to be of great help in saving the horses from suffering from the harmful effects of several ailments.
Natural Horse Care: The Best Way To Take Care Of Your Horse
Posted on 14. Dec, 2008 by in Natural Horse Care
Horse owners try to ensure fine health for their horses by providing them with excellent health care. They take them to veterinarians on a regular basis, to get the necessary checkups done to ensure that they are in proper health. But it has been found that the best way to take care of a horse is by providing them with natural horse care. Natural horse care ensures that the horses remain in excellent health, and remain free from any kind of problem.
Horses that are maintained and groomed using natural horse care techniques have been found to have a sound health and remain much healthier than other horses. Horses are usually kept confined within the stables by the owners, where they have very little place to move. However this is not the way that horses are supposed to be kept. Natural horse care suggests that the horses should be provided with enough space to move around. They need to be provided with enough space so that they can run around and remain in excellent physical condition. This is why it is recommended that horses be allowed to roam about and be confined in stables only at when they need rest.
Most horse owners think that feeding their horses twice in a day will be sufficient for them, but it may not be true all the time. Horses that are groomed using natural horse care are allowed to graze in the open. This helps the horse to get a feel of its natural food habits, as horses are naturally inclined to graze. Keeping horses in such properties where they have ample supply of grass to graze around and free space to move around helps in their overall health.
Horse owners who follow natural horse care also allow their horses to move along with other horses, as horses prefer the companionship of other horses. Staying alone makes them develop a very bad temperament, while the horses that are allowed to interact with other horses are found to have a very good temperament.
Unlike popular beliefs natural horse care suggests that it is not mandatory to fit the horses with shoes to ride them. It will take some time before the horses get used to running around barefoot, but the benefits that the horses get make it seem to be a wise choice. It is found that it has an overall positive effect on the health of the horse, which is why people who follow natural horse care recommend that the horses be kept barefoot.
It is often said that all things that are allowed to follow nature always have good effects, and this is very much true with natural horse care. A large number of horse owners have taken a liking to natural horse care, and are nowadays seen grooming their horses the natural way.
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Horse Suspensory: An Injury To Horse Suspensory Can Be Very Serious
Posted on 14. Dec, 2008 by in Horse Injuries
There are innumerable joints and ligaments that are found in horses, and they tend to be very important, as an injury to them can lead to serious problems. The horse suspensory ligament is one such important ligament present in the legs of the horses. A serious injury to it can result in making a horse lose its inherent ability to run very fast, thus making them incapable of running well.
The injury of the horse suspensory ligament is found to affect usually those horses which participate in races. As the injury can affect any of the legs, it may spell doom for the racing career of the horse.
The horse suspensory ligament is in fact a muscle that has modified into a ligament. This ligament is built up of different fibers, namely muscle fibers and tendon fibers. A major portion of the fibers that build up the horse suspensory ligament are the tendon fibers. The numbers of muscle fibers building up the suspensory ligament is found to vary from breed to breed.
The sesamoid bone, distal sesamoidian ligaments and the suspensory ligament all together make up the horse suspensory. As horses run the weight of the body is transferred between the legs. The suspensory facilitates this weight transition from one leg to the other, by supporting the fetlock joint. As the weights are transferred from one leg to the other, the injuries to the horse suspensory is increased.
The injury to the horse suspensory is found to heal back on its own. The healing process however takes some time, as there are several steps that the body must complete in order to recuperate from the injury. At first the white blood cells present in the body have to remove the tissue that has been damaged by the injury. Once the tissue has been removed, new tissue needs to be developed by fibroblasts, which then helps regenerate the tissues.
However it is to be understood that although the body would help in rebuilding the horse suspensory, it will not be of the same standards as it was before. It tends to be weaker than before, thereby making it more prone to getting damaged all over again, the next time it is affected with an injury.
Recovery from an injury to the horse suspensory would take a lot of months, during which the horse owners need to take proper care of the horses. They should not be allowed to move too much, and after they have recovered fully, they should be made to do some small exercises before starting running once again.
Horse Illness: Monday Morning Illness
Posted on 14. Dec, 2008 by in Horse Diseases and Ailments
There are many diseases that are seen to affect horses in different parts of the world. Some of these diseases tend to be confined within a particular geographical area, while many others are found to be affecting horses all over the world. It is not possible to find information on all the diseases, and hence horse owners need to take their horses to veterinarians, to find out the nature of the disease that may be affecting their horse. The Monday morning illness is a very common horse illness that is found to affect innumerable horses throughout the world.
This horse illness was initially among those horses that were used for helping people in their work, like carrying loads for them or helping them in drawing a carriage. The horses that were seen to be affected with the illness, usually used to work throughout the week from Monday to Saturday. They were allowed a full day of rest on Sunday, on which day they need to have to do any work. It was noticed that when these horses were taken out to work on Monday, they showed a reluctance to move and also suffered from some symptoms. As this effect was seen in horses on Monday morning, the horse illness came to be called as Monday morning illness.
There are several symptoms that are shown by the horses that are suffering from this particular horse illness. The usual symptoms include development of cramps on the body and stiffness of different muscles. Other symptoms included an irregular breathing pattern and too much sweating. The most marked symptom of this horse illness is that the horses tend to show a general unwillingness to move from their places.
Monday morning illness is found to affect horses in three different forms: sporadic, chronic and recurrent. The sporadic form of this horse illness is noticed in those horses, which had been working without any problem till some time back. The chronic form is seen in those horses, which have been showing the symptoms of the disease for quite some time. Thoroughbred horses and those originating from Arabia are noticed to be mostly suffering from the recurrent variety of the horse illness.
The treatment for different forms of the horse illness is noticed to be quite different. However the best possible way to counteract the Monday morning illness is to make some changes on the diet of the horses. Grass hay and rice bran have been found to be quite effective in treating the illness. Also it is suggested that foods with high fat levels should be avoided, and the horses should be provided with some exercise on a daily basis.
Horse Herbs: Natural Medicines For Horses
Posted on 14. Dec, 2008 by in Horse Vitamins and Supplements
Horse is well-built, physically powerful animal with great endurance and flexibility, and these things help it to travel a long distance. Wild horses have access to a rich diet with different species of herbs. Horses have adapted a wonderful habit of self awareness or self medication; which help them to determine which herbs would be beneficial, and which would be harmful for them. Today horses are domesticated in different parts of the world. There are very few horse owners, who maintain the proper herb diet which are essential for the horses. Due to the inconvenience in getting them, these horse herbs are not provided to the horses in their pasture area.
Horse herbs are small plants with different medicinal properties. The negligence of horse herb nutrition leads to unhealthy and diseased horses. Today, due to the lack of these herbs, many horses are seen suffering from different diseases. Horse herbs help in better breathing behavior and digestion in horses. These herbs are also seen to be quite effective in ensuring the good maintenance of the skin, muscles, tendons and joints. Herbs also are found to be beneficial in improving the immune system of horses.
There are various horse herbs with different components which have highly active elements. Some of these active elements are found to have great medicinal benefits. You should know about all the herbs and their effects on the horses. This will help you to provide the necessary herbs to your horses for their better health and fitness. There are different horse herbs for different purpose.
The different horse herbs required for healthy digestion are Meadowsweet, Calendula, Mint, Licorice, Lemon Balm, Golden Rod, Fenugreek, Celery Seed, Burdock, and Aniseed; the most important one being Aloe Vera. The horse herbs that affect the hormones of horses are Sage, Raspberry, Licorice, Chaste Tree, and Aniseed.
Vervain, Valerian, Poppy, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, and Clover have been found to be quite effective in ensuring better temperament in horses. The horse herbs that help strengthening the bones and joints are Kelp, Nettle, Devils Claw, Comfrey, Clivers, and Buckwheat. Marigold, Celery Seed, Buckwheat, Clivers, Nettle, Vervain, Kelp, and Dandelion have been found to be helpful in muscle therapy.
Echinacea, Garlic, Aniseed, and Marshmallow are those horse herbs that are found to be beneficial in respiratory problems. The herbs that act as immunity stimulators are Echinacea, Garlic, and Radish.
These are some of the most important horse herbs that help in ensuring the fine health of horses. With the intake of these herbs, useful precautions also need to be taken. Proper care should be taken when these herbs are introduced into the diet of the horses. You can also plant some of these horse herbs in your pastures, for the sake of better health of your horses.
Horse Health Problems: Some Common Health Problems That Affect Your Horse
Posted on 14. Dec, 2008 by in Horse Care
Horses are often found to be troubled with horse health problems, now and then. But in spite of this they are forced to work harder and harder day by day. This has a bad affect on their health, and may even lead to their death. Therefore it becomes very important that you should try and gain knowledge about the various health problems and their reasons. The best way to know about horse health problems is to consult the veterinary and find out their remedies.
Horse health problems can affect any part of the body of the horse, starting from its head to its feet.
Feet should be checked on a regular basis as it is possible that some stone or trash can be lodged into cervices. Hoof should be trimmed perfectly the nails on the shoes need to be checked, which penetrate into sensitive areas and cause pain. Throbbing pulse rate and over heated hooves are hint of some horse health problems that may be affecting their feet.
Lower leg should be regularly checked for swellings and heat. This can lead you to know about any tendons and ligament injuries in your horse. In this condition giving your horse a little time to rest and heal, will help in solving its horse health problems.
Joints are often subjected to injuries like lameness. Horse health problems like arthritis and bursitis are also found in the horses. Slip and lock of stifle are also seen in horses. Very small pieces of bone are found floating in the joints due to heavy stressful work at their young age.
Sore backs that are seen in the riding horses, can led to serious horse health problems. Sore back can be suspected by the conditions like flinching or saddling during brushing. Some common diseases subjected to happen in the back are navicular disease and chronic founder.
Over eating can also lead to horse health problems. This can result in laminitis or founder as it is generally called. The after effect is painful irritation in the feet.
Progressive degenerated navicular bone can cause a deadly disease like navicular disease. Particularly the tendons pass over the small navicular bone inside the foot and that result in pain. The starting syndrome is lameness. This disease is incurable, but you can prevent it to get worsen by appropriate treatment and curative trimming and shoeing of the feet.
Tying up or Azoturia is a serious condition where horses stiffens and show their unwillingness to work. This is caused by the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. The best thing here is to coat up your horse with a blanket and call your veterinary.
These are some of the common horse health problems that are seen to affect horses. You should try to ease these problems by taking correct remedial measures.
Horse Ailments: Effecting The Health Of Your Horses
Posted on 14. Dec, 2008 by in Horse Diseases and Ailments
Horse ailments are one of the major problems that are faced by horse owners. In spite of the fact that horses are an intelligent, strong and powerful animal they are prone to various ailments that may affect their health. Some time small ailments can lead to a severe ailment which gradually results in death. Horses are prone to some common horse ailments. So they should be given special attention and care, you should regularly take them to veterinary for check ups.
Horse ailments like aches and pain are often overlooked as unimportant, but these can lead to greater complications. These aches and pain can be easily transmitted to the other horses gradually in the stable or the pasture land. Today there are numerous of horse ailments that can be observed but some of them are common and affect horses regularly. These ailments are caused by different parasites, viruses, bacteria, and fungi and many other factors. These organisms enter the body of the horses in the course of contaminated food and dirty water.
A common parasite sarcocystis neurona helps in a neurological disorder like equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) which is one of the many serious horse ailments. There are some selective drugs that help to cure EPM.
There are various horse ailments that are transmitted by mosquitoes and flies, and are seen to deeply affect their immune system. Anemia is such a horse ailment. The common symptoms of anemia include swollen legs, high fever and mouth hemorrhages. This is a viral ailment so it does not have a definite cure
Equine morbillivirus virus (EMV) is serious ailment that is caused by measles virus. This ailment causes respiratory troubles. This is so devastating that it can cause death within two days of infection. Till now there is no cure for this ailment.
Another horse ailment, which is caused by the impasse in large intestine, is the one called colic. The common symptoms include sweating, kicking at abdomen and mauling. Horses that are seen to suffer from this horse ailment are seen to become restless and motionless. Colic is normal to all horses; it can be prevented by maintaining a proper diet.
Lameness is an ailment that is caused by trauma. Some of the other common horse ailments are sore backs, hair loss, and back problems which are treated easily
These are some of the common horse ailments that can affect your horse. It is quite often said that “Prevention is better than cure”; you must try to come up with measures to prevent your horses from suffering from such ailments.
Horse Eye Health: An Important Concern For Horse Owners
Posted on 14. Dec, 2008 by in Horse Diseases and Ailments
Although horses are very powerful creatures, they are found to be prone to various health related problems. These problems are found to affect various parts of the body of the horses, and horse eyes are also found to have their own share of health problems. Horse eye health is a very important health issue that horse owners need to be careful about. In order to ensure healthy horses, apart from paying attention to the health of their legs, hooves and joints, it is also very important to pay attention to horse eye health.
There are various injuries and infection that are found to affect the eyes of horses. It is often seen that several eye injuries and infections can have very serious effects on horse eye health. When horses are affected by infections in their eyes, they are found to suffer from eye irritations. There are several symptoms that are seen to be prevalent in horses with eye irritations. Constant shedding of tears, partly closed eyelids, purulent release of pus, redness of the eyes, swollen eyelids, and obscurity in the cornea are some of the common symptoms. Horse owners should seek immediate help from veterinarian doctors when noticing such symptoms to ensure excellent horse eye health in their horses.
Eyes being one of the most sensitive parts of the body should be carefully treated. In order to ensure excellent eye health in horses, it is very essential to take proper care and prevented them from developing eye infections. By regularly checking the eyes of the horses, while cleaning them, it is possible to notice whether the horses have any particles in their eyes. If any particles are found to be present, they should be removed immediately from the eyes using a soft cloth.
Horse paddock should be regularly checked for some nails, splinters and even metal anti-cribbing strips which can negatively affect horse eye health. The fencing around the pasture field should also be well maintained. Fencing should not be done by wires as wire fencing can be dangerous for horse eyes. Horses usually rub their heads against the fencing to get rid of any irritation, and barbed wire fencing could in such cases be very harmful. It exposes the horses to serious eye injuries.
While spraying insect repellents over the body of the horses, one has to be careful. Spraying repellents over the eyes can lead to serious eye problems, and thus affect horse eye health. Eye irritations are also seen to result while applying shampoo, skin treatment compounds or conditioners.
In order to ensure excellent horse eye health, horse owners need to exercise a lot of caution. Once the eyes of the horses are affected treating them will definitely prove to be a problem, this is why it is very important to prevent eye injuries and infections.
