For
Christmas I bought Basil a treat ... a Horselyx
. I chose the respiratory one as I hoped
it would help support his lungs and breathing as he does have some sort of
pollen allergy. He did love it and as he
is a crib biter/wind sucker I thought it might be a good distraction for him.
According
to the website the lick contains:
- Menthol
- Eucalyptus
- Aniseed
These
will 'help keep the airways clear of mucus, which will help the horse breathe
more easily'
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Selenium
- Chelated Copper
- Zinc
These
'support and maintain a healthy immune system, which maximises the ability to
support and aid healthy lung function'
These
are for 'healthy hooves'
- Oil for a 'healthy skin and coat'
It
does not contain any artificial colours, preservatives or hardeners. However, this is what it did to Basil's teeth
...
...
his teeth are usually nice and clean and relatively white! Basil isn't in 24 hours so he only had access
overnight to his lick and obviously also spent some time eating his hay and sleeping. As you can imagine I was
horrified by what happened to his teeth, having looked into it further I
discovered that the licks are made up of molasses (I probably should have
checked beforehand). I know in themselves molasses are not necessarily bad for
your horse BUT having the sticky layer on their teeth can't be a good thing!
Did you see last week's video 'One Day in February' on my You Tube channel?
Horse Life and
Love. Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.
Until next time!
Jo
What
are they
Windgalls
are swellings of the digital tendon
sheath. The swelling is due
to the production of excess synovial fluid if the tendon is damaged.
Signs
- Soft, round fluid filled swelling just above the fetlock
- Usually both legs will be affected, can be fore or hindlegs
- Swelling is usually easily moved if pressed
- Often no lameness
- Maybe no heat
- Maybe no pain
- The swelling can increase after stable rest but reduce after
exercise
Causes
Concussion
or hard work can cause over extension or overflexion of the tendon. Incorrectly trimmed feet will cause an
imbalance which can lead to damage to the tendon sheath. Alternatively, trapping a leg can cause the
same damage.
Diagnosis
If
horse is lame the vet should be called to ensure no more serious damage has
been done to the tendon or fetlock.
Treatment
Reducing
work and/or work on hard or uneven surfaces will reduce the strain on the
tendon. Rest and inactivity is likely to
temporarily increase the size as the fluid builds up. Although a little unsightly, established
windgalls rarely cause further problems.
Prevention
Ensuring
horses are not over worked on hard ground or to the extent which may cause
damage to the tendon. Regular foot
trimming by experienced trained farrier taking in to account the horse's
conformation.
Did you see Wednesday's video 'One Day in February!' on my You Tube channel?
Horse Life and
Love. Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.
Until next time!
Jo
Have you seen yesterday's video 'One Day in February' on my You Tube channel?
Horse Life and
Love. Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.
Until next time!
Jo
Morgan's
are one of the most easily recognisable breeds.
Their graceful necks and high set tails make them incredibly beautiful! They are descended from a 14hh bay stallion
born in 1789 in the US and are named after their founder Justin Morgan.
They
have great personality and stamina, are athletic and long lived.
History
Justin
Morgan owned a stallion called Figure, although his breeding is unknown, it
became obvious that his progeny inherited his characteristics. Their strength, stamina and versatility made
them popular. Thus the breed was born!
Figure
was used to clear land, pulling logs but also under saddle and in races. His progeny became popular for working in the
fields and under saddle in addition to pulling stage coaches. Morgan horses were used in the city and on
ranches!
Morgan's were used during the 19th century as
coach horses and as cavalry horses during the American Civil War. They were also popular horses for harness
racing and general riding. During the
19th and 20th centuries they were exported to England where they influenced the
breeding of the Hackney. In 1907 the US
Morgan Horse Farm was established to improve the breed and the first breed
registry was established in 1909.
Characteristics
Height: 14hh - 16hh
Colour: Chestnut, bay, black and brown.
Conformation: An expressive head with a broad forehead and
large eyes. The neck is arched and the
withers well defined. The back is short and hindquarters
strong. The tail is set high and carried
and the legs strong.
Temperament:
Well mannered, reliable and versatile.
Used
for general riding, driving and showing. Also for dressage, showjumping, endurance and
cutting.
The
British Morgan Horse Society was founded in 1975.
Their website: http://www.morganhorse.org.uk/
Have you seen last week's video 'My 2017 First Aid Cupboard' on my You Tube channel?
Horse Life and Love. Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.
You can also follow me on Facebook and
Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.
Until next time!
Jo
What
is it
Horses
naturally lose weight in the winter when the grass is poor and put on weight in
the spring and summer. This is as it
should be!
However,
it is important to monitor a horses weight to ensure they are not overweight
or obese but also not too thin.
Body scoring and/or weigh tapes are a good way of doing this.
Horses
can lose weight for a number of reasons and these should be considered and if
necessary the vet consulted.
Signs
- Body score under 3
- Protruding ribs
- Protruding back bone
- Dropping food when eating (quidding) may suggest teeth
problems
Causes
- Stress
- Poor diet or poor quality diet
- Worms
- Insufficient food for work done and/or age etc.
- Tooth problems
- Cold - horses use energy to keep warm, thus use up calories
- Chronic illness or disease
- Bullying (ie: not being allowed to hay in field)
Diagnosis
If
the weight loss is sudden Call the Vet.
They will be able to conduct blood tests to identify any health issues
which may be the cause. You may wish to
talk to your vet anyway for advice.
Treatment
This
will depend upon cause of weight loss but may include some or all of the
following:
- Worming
- Visit from a qualified Equine Dental Technician
- Assess horses feeding requirements - see my
blog for some guidance
- Increased roughage
- Increased protein
- Feed sugarbeet
- Add oil to feed
- A rug
Prevention
- As mentioned above a horses weight should be monitored
regularly with weigh tapes and body condition scoring.
- Feed according to work done - as work is increased follow
with an increase in feed.
- Use regular worm counts and worm when necessary.
- Regular visits from a Dental Technician will help keep a
horses teeth in good condition.
- Allow a horse to be a
horse to reduce stress, plenty of turnout and trickle feeding!
It
is important to remember that, as I mentioned at the beginning of my blog,
horses do and should lose weight in the winter - this is the natural way of
things - allowing them the capacity to put weight on when the grass shoots in
the spring. However, excessive weight
loss should be addressed.
In
winter 2014/15 Chesney became very thin and had blood tests. It took well over a year for him to return to
a healthy weight.
Have you seen Wednesday's video 'My 2017 First Aid Cupboard' on my You Tube channel?
Horse Life and
Love. Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.
Until next time!
Jo
