Horsecare & Health
Westgate Labs celebrate 25 years of Improving the Way Horses are Wormed.
Postal worm egg count specialists, Westgate Labs, was started by husband-and-wife duo David and Gillian Booth back in 1999. The tiny business set out with a huge mission to improve the knowledge and practice of horse worming in the UK, from their farm in Northumberland. David recollects: “It was the most exciting of times, making…
Read MoreEquine Massage – What is it?
A horse’s body works really hard. It has over 200 bones, 700 muscles and can gallop at up to 45 miles an hour. It’s lungs can take in 60 litres of air. It is a well adapted machine, a herd animal that can roam up to 20 miles in a day eating vegetation and avoiding…
Read MoreGuidance for the recent outbreaks of Equine Flu and other contagious diseases.
As of the 13th February 2019 the British Horseracing Authority decided to resume racing. Thousands of samples where taken and tested by the Animal Health Trust and they are cautiously optimistic that the current outbreak of equine flu is relatively contained to a small number of cases. The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) continues to closely…
Read MoreInformation about tetanus, flu, EVA, EVH and Ringworm
What are Vaccinations? Prevention is ultimately better than cure and vaccinations play an important role in preventing disease in horses. Vaccinations are used to: • reduce the risk of a disease outbreak occurring • reduce the spread of disease in the event of an outbreak • decrease the severity of illness in affected animals. Vaccinations…
Read MoreThinking about fitness – an article by Sam Goss
When you are thinking of going out and about with your horse, you really need to make sure that he or she has been working and is fit enough otherwise you can cause injuries like a damaged tendon or sprained ligament, or simply a gall or pulled muscle. We need to think about their bodies…
Read MoreGetting ready for the lighter Evenings
Sam Goss entered the following article for the recent Hereford Equestrian blogging competition and won the runner up prize jointly with Ceri Belli. Here is Sam’s entry which was written before Christmas. Sam will regularly blog for Hereford Equestrian during 2019 and I’m sure you will find her articles very useful. Getting ready for the…
Read MoreHorse health professionals rally to determine best practice as “Equitape” horse wormer to be discontinued from October 2018.
From October 2018 the wormer brand, Equitape®, commonly used to treat tapeworm infection will be discontinued from sale in the UK. This wormer is the only licenced product for horses containing praziquantel as a single active ingredient. Going forward, it will only be available in ‘combination wormers’ also containing either ivermectin or moxidectin, the drugs…
Read MoreDanger of Acorns Poisoning Horses
Horses can die if they eat a lot of acorns due to a toxin called tannins. Whilst most horses don’t usually bother eating acorns especially if there is adequate forage available, sometimes they will eat them. Other parts of oak trees are also toxic including the leaves if eaten in large quantities and this can…
Read MoreUse of Cryotherapy in the Equine Athlete
Immediately after an injury an inflammatory response begins with the migration of white blood cells called neutrophils and macrophages to the site of injury. Along with these cells inflammatory mediators also rush in. These inflammatory mediators increase the permeability of capillary walls allowing oedema to develop. Oedema is often visible as a swelling or puffiness…
Read MoreUnderstanding Collection and Why We Ask For It.
In true collection, the horse is required to shift his centre of gravity to the hind limbs, which should be well placed under the body. In doing so the pelvis tucks under, the spine raises and the horse has the freedom to ‘lift’ through the withers and out of the base of the neck. The…
Read MoreWhich GP saddles for Welsh Cobs and Native Breeds?
The Horse Boutique are often asked which GP saddles are particularly well suited for Welsh cobs and other native breeds, so have written an article with three great recommendations all currently in stock at the Horse Boutique. For further details about their quality new and used saddles, do please call their proprietor, Michael Burleigh, Master Saddler and…
Read MoreColic
In a bid to prevent colic reaching critical stages, The British Horse Society and The University of Nottingham have launched REACT Now to Beat Colic. A comprehensive library of new resources has been produced to support horse owners about the wide range of issues relating to colic, in particular the steps that can be taken…
Read MoreTime to Worm? Think worm count first!
How to plan a targeted worm control programme based on tests. It’s the time of year for planning our horse’s parasite control, putting in place measures to ensure their wellbeing is covered for the year ahead with no unwelcome passengers. This no longer means developing a regular chemical programme – The British Veterinary Association and…
Read MoreMud Fever
At this time of year there is no shortage of rain and mud within the three counties in which we reside. For many reasons it is advisable to maintain some degree of field turnout during the winter months. Many of you will be familiar with Mud Fever or ‘pastern dermatitis’ as an irritation of…
Read MorePreventing Back Pain in Horses
By Mel Betts, McTimoney Animal Practitioner. Back pain in ridden horses is a common issue. As riders we sit on the weakest point of a horse’s back and then ask it to perform tasks it was never really designed to do! So how can we prevent them becoming sore? Correct tack fitting and good farriery…
Read MoreHay or Haylage? The Feed Debate, by Lucy Harris
Hay and Haylage; what is the difference? Hay is completely dried. Haylage is semi-dried. One is baled, the other is wrapped. But are these the only differences between hay and haylage? How do these differences affect the nutritional value? Can they have differing influence on horses’ performance, health and wellbeing? Time to find out. The…
Read MoreColic
This article was written by Three Counties Equine Hospital & is reproduced with their permission. www.tceh.co.uk What is Colic? Not only does the mere mention of the word “colic” send many owners into immediate panic, it can also be one of the most challenging of conditions for vets to diagnose and treat. Colic isn’t a…
Read MoreHas My Horse Got a Sore Back?
Every day, we ask our horses to perform tasks which put stress and strain on muscles really only ever designed to eat grass and roam at will. However, because horses are ‘prey’ animals they have cleverly developed to hide signs of pain and discomfort which may make them more vulnerable to a predator on the…
Read MoreEquine Cushings Disease (ECD)
ECD is a condition that mainly affects middle aged to older horses and ponies caused by an abnormality of the pituarity gland leading to overproduction of hormones and cortisol. This leads to the classic signs associated with the disease such as a long curly coat, lethargy, laminitis, weight loss, increased drinking and secondary infections.
Read MoreDigital Infrared Thermal Imaging
DITI (Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging) is a non-invasive diagnostic test of physiology that has evolved over the last 20 years. DITI has been recognised as a useful tool in the early identification of musculoskeletal and neurological injuries, especially non-specific (and difficult to diagnose) lameness. The ability to detect inflammatory and neurological processes at an early…
Read MoreBeau – A Canker Case History
Nicola Battersby is a happily married mother of two and the proud accidental owner of a 16.2hh KWPN Gelding by Corland called Beau that she bought in March 2010. Initially Nicola was looking for a horse to do some dressage on, but fell in love with the unbroken 4 year old grey gelding when she…
Read MoreWinter Care of the Horse or Pony: Common Conditions & Disorders
Under normal circumstances the horse’s skin and protective coat form effective barriers against the winter elements. However, in very wet and muddy conditions this natural barrier can often be compromised and infectious agents (pathogens) gain entry and cause infection. This can result in the relatively common bacterial infections: rain scald, mud fever and hunting dermatitis.…
Read MoreSustainable worming and the value of worm egg counts
Worming has changed over the past 50 years since broad spectrum wormers were introduced in the 1960’s. Back then the main worm being targeted was the large redworm (strongylus vulgaris). This parasite can cause damage to blood vessels that can lead to fatal colic. However over the past 50 years this parasite has become uncommon…
Read MoreGoing barefoot – a new approach to healing
An article by Angela Corner AANHCP Certified Practitioner Most alternative therapies can equally be described as natural therapies – side stepping the use of drugs or surgery to aid problems using natural, non-invasive methods. In other words working with natures own healing powers as opposed to bull dozing nature out of the way in favour…
Read MoreGoing Barefoot – can anyone do it?
An article by Angela Corner – AANHCP Certified Practitioner You’ve read about it, agonised over it, trawled the internet and talked to horsy friends, your farrier and maybe even the vet but you’ve finally decided to take the shoes off your horse and try going barefoot. It’s a big step – all those centuries of…
Read MoreRagwort
Horses die a painful death if poisoned by ragwort. You’ve seen the plant – it has a yellow ‘flower’ on a long green stem and is often seen in abundance on the side of roads, but is it also in your paddocks! If so, you need to pull it up straight away! Read on…. This…
Read MoreLaminitis Trust
The purpose of the Laminitis Trust is to raise money for laminitis research. They provide a lot of helpful information if you have a horse or pony suffering from laminitis. Visit their website here: www.laminitis.org/
Read MoreClaire Gilbert MA, VetMB, MRCVS looks at the causes and implications of Laminitis
This article can be seen on the Three Counties Equine Hospital Website: http://www.equinehealthonline.co.uk/browser/index.php?lang=eng&practice=74&cat=005&article=000328
Read MoreArticle on Laminitis
Here are some useful links to information on laminitis: www.laminitis.org/laminitis.html http://www.equinehealthonline.co.uk/browser/index.php?lang=eng&practice=74&cat=005&article=000328 http://www.beva.org.uk/useful-info/HorseOwner/GuidanceHorseOwners/Laminitis
Read MoreMud Fever
An article produced by Three Counties Equine Hospital Mud fever is a common skin condition caused by the soil bacterium Dermatophilus congolensis. The bacterium penetrates skin damaged by abrasion and /or wet conditions. The lower legs – at the back of the pastern, are typically affected. When present on the neck and back, the infection…
Read MoreThe Rules of Feeding
Feeding – An art or a science? – Or both! Firstly, do you know the rules of feeding and why they are rules? Below the rules, I have listed a few facts you may not know and which may surprise you! The Rules: Feed little & often The horse has a very small stomach –…
Read MoreStrangles
Strangles is a disease which all horse owners dread and it can kill. If you suspect your horse may have strangles, you should contact your vet immediately and isolate your horse. More information can be read on the Animal Health Trust’s dedicated strangles website: http://www.strangles.org/ Click here to see what STEPS should be taken in…
Read MoreBreeding from your Mare
So, you want to breed from your mare? An article by David & Serena Pincus The decision to breed your own foal from your mare is not a simple decision. There are many factors that need to be considered carefully before ‘jumping in with both feet’ into this new venture. We wrote this article as…
Read MoreThe Importance of warming up your horse
by Emily Wilton BSc(Hons), Dip. MCAM Proper warm up is essential to keeping your horse fit and muscle tone elastic. Warming up and cooling down will help to minimize muscle stiffness and loss of range of motion. This will also help to prevent injury such as to tendons or muscles and help prepare the horse…
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