With show season coming up, is it truly harmful to shave/trim a horse’s facial whiskers since they are “connected” to their brain cells? – via HorseChannel.com You’ve asked a fascinating question, as there’s much more to whiskers than meets the…
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Blog Archives
Winter Hydration
I know during the fall and winter it is a lot easier for horses to become dehydrated. Because of the cooler temperatures, they aren’t as inclined to drink their water as they are in the hotter months. This was the…
Posted in Basic Health Care, Seasonal Horse Care
Adjusting to Pasture
I just recently purchased a 15-year-old gelding. He has only been on hay feed, not grass pasture. We’ve had him for almost a week now and have slowly been putting him in the grass pasture. We started at 40 minutes,…
Cannon Crud
What is the fungus horses get on the front of their cannon bones on their back legs and how can I get rid of it? – via HorseChannel.com I believe what you’re referring to is technically called Cannon Dermatitis or…
Fall Vaccinations for Horses
Why do we give shots in spring? Can I have my vet give them in the fall instead? – via HorseChannel.com You can absolutely work with your veterinarian and reserve some vaccinations for the fall rather than give them all…
Storing Equine Medications
Can I keep pain medications like Bute and Banamine in my tack room or will they go bad? It’s not heated or air conditioned, but it’s insulated and we keep it closed up so it doesn’t get quite as hot…
Colic Risk Factors
I’m doing a group project at school about colic, trying to find a solution that we could give horses to help stop it. We would greatly appreciate if you could give us some advice on colic and some things used…
Tagged with: Colic, Digestion, Foregut, Gastric, GI, Hindgut, Stomach
Posted in Barn Skills, Basic Health Care, G.I. Health & Conditions
Posted in Barn Skills, Basic Health Care, G.I. Health & Conditions
Walking a Colicking Horse
I understand walking a colicking horse into exhaustion until the vet gets there is not beneficial at all, but what if a horse desperately wants to roll? – via HorseChannel.com I’m glad that you recognize “walking a horse to death”…
Tagged with: Colic, Digestion, Foregut, Gastric, GI, Hindgut, Stomach
Posted in Barn Skills, Basic Health Care, G.I. Health & Conditions
Posted in Barn Skills, Basic Health Care, G.I. Health & Conditions
Cooling Out Your Horse
I know I’m supposed to cool my horse down completely after every ride. What’s the best way to determine if she’s properly cooled off? – via HorseChannel.com You sound like a knowledgeable and conscientious rider! No doubt you have your…
SmartPak Barn Field Trip, Part 5: Measuring horse height
Download the worksheet to test your knowledge (includes bonus questions not in the video)! How tall is your horse? How many inches are in a hand? Would you know how to safely use a height stick to measure…
SmartPak Barn Field Trip, Part 4: Estimating weight in horses
Download the worksheet to test your knowledge! How much does your horse weigh? Do you know how to figure it out without using a scale? What measurements do you even need to know to calculate your horse’s weight?…
Tagged with: Horses 101, Learn How-To
Posted in Basic Health Care, Horse Health, How To Videos, Videos
Posted in Basic Health Care, Horse Health, How To Videos, Videos
SmartPak Barn Field Trip, Part 3: Assessing body condition score in horses
Download the worksheet to test your knowledge! Would you say your horse is underweight, overweight, or the ideal weight? Do you know how to tell? Knowing how to body condition score a horse is an essential part of…
Tagged with: Horses 101, Learn How-To
Posted in Basic Health Care, Horse Health, How To Videos, Videos
Posted in Basic Health Care, Horse Health, How To Videos, Videos
Eye injuries in horses
There are a lot of horror stories out there about horse eye injuries. So my question is, what should I do if my horse has an eye injury but the vet can’t come out immediately? How do I protect the…
