I keep my 30-year-old pony at a boarding stable where she’s turned out in a fairly large field with four other horses. Most of the time they seem to peacefully coexist, but when push comes to shove, my pony is…
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Combining Supplements for Weekly Storage
I have a few horses that get a variety of supplements and I like to premeasure and put them into containers so that the barn manager doesn’t have to weight them out each time (and they are supplements not available…
Posted in Ask the Vet, Misc. Topics
How Much Sun Do Horses Need?
I have a 15-year-old TB that raced until 9 years old. He is boarded in upstate New York where there is not much sun. He receives a complete diet (designed by a nutritionist at Cornell) with 2 cups Empower. He…
Posted in Misc. Topics
Putting Weight on a Rescue Horse
I rescued three starved horses, two 12-year-old Percheron geldings and a 23-year-old QH mare. My vet told me to put them on some high fat high fiber, I was also told senior would be the best as its HF-HF, and…
Impaction Colic in horses: how to keep things flowing
“I have a 10 year old Reg Tennessee Walker Mare. She has had impaction twice in the last 6 months. I was able to clear the impaction and she went back to being herself. However, friends have suggested feeding her Metamucil to keep things flowing…”
Tagged with: Ask the Vet, Dewormer, Deworming, Digestion Supplements
Posted in Ask the Vet, Misc. Topics
Posted in Ask the Vet, Misc. Topics
Purchase Examinations for Horses
“I am looking for a horse for pleasant, fun, trail riding. I already own a show jumper, now in foal with a beautiful German Hanoverian Stallion from a long line of Grand Prix Jumpers, and have found a lovely TB mare who is NOT suited for jumping (not a problem, as I am not looking for another jumper.)…”
From AAEP’s Ask the Vet: Feeding Forage When Pony Lacks Teeth
“I have a 28 year old Quarter Pony gelding. He lacks adequate dentition for eating hay. His weight and appetite are good. He is fed senior feed split over 2-3 feedings per day. He also gets one feeding per day of beet pulp. I add a hay extender pellet to his senior feed, but he doesn’t eat it up well. When he tries to eat hay, it just balls up…”
From AAEP’s Ask the Vet: Broodmare Due Any Day
“My Trakehner brood mare is due March 15. She is 11 years old and in good body condition. I would like to know if I need to change her feed ration…”
Sleep Deprivation in Horses
“After I girth my horse, he acts like he falls asleep, then his knees will buckle, and he sort of wakes himself up. OK I know it sounds funny, but the lady I bought him from said he is narcoleptic, not sure of spelling, it’s just one of many issues he has. Can horses really have that disorder, or does he just have some type of nerve there that when pressure is applied, he zones out?”
The Great Electrolyte Debate: You Can Lead a Horse to Water…
“Is it always appropriate to administer electrolytes to a slightly dehydrated horse? I say that if the horse has become dehydrated from not drinking (vs. sweating) then electrolytes by paste or feed aren’t a good idea. Don’t the electrolytes need appropriate amounts of water within the body to “dissolve”? My counterparts say that the horse will naturally drink more (or start drinking) in response to the salt in the electrolytes and voila, hydrated horse.”
Tagged with: Ask the Vet, Electrolyte Supplements
Posted in Ask the Vet, Misc. Topics, Seasonal Horse Care
Posted in Ask the Vet, Misc. Topics, Seasonal Horse Care
How Safe Is Bute Long Term?
“Is it safe to give my 15yr TB Phenylbutazone long term? He has arthritis in the coffin joint. He also had a steroid injection and is on Adequan. He gets 2 grams of bute each day. Thanks! – Dori”
Using Oral Joint Supplements with Injectable Joint Medications
I have a wonderful vet who just put my horse on Adequan which I am very happy about. My only question is can I now stop with oral joint supplements, this can be very costly. Thanks CS, Florida
Tail Chewing in Youngsters
I have about 15 young horses (a mix of weanlings and yearlings) turned out together. They have a large turnout area, but there isn’t much grass, so we provide them with free choice hay from a hay bunker (an alfalfa/grass mix). They also receive fortified grain and have access to salt/mineral blocks. We’ve been breeding horses for many years, and for some reason over the past year we’ve started to have a problem with some of these young horses chewing each other’s tails off…
Turning Out: To Boot or Not to Boot?
Hey Dr. Gray…I have an eight year old Oldenburg who is going through a phase of wanting to cut up his legs in the pasture. They’re not bad, but I don’t want my horse going around with cuts up and down his legs. I’ve been wanting to get him turnout boots, but I wasn’t sure what kind. Any recommendations?…
Night Lights, Night Music
I board in a barn where several people leave the lights on all night and play their radios all night very loud next to their stalls. They seem to think this is comforting to their horses but I have to believe this is disrupting to them. Can you please comment? LD, Louisiana
