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, 19:03, 24 June 2008When you own horses, you already know that there is a lot of stuff you need to be aware of, and a lot of different conditions that you have to be sure to watch for and to treat for. One of the problem
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== Summertime Heat and your Horse ==
When you own horses, you already know that there is a lot of stuff you need to be aware of, and a lot of different conditions that you have to be sure to watch for and to treat for. One of the problems with owning horses is that you can only do so much for them to get them out of the weather. With a dog or a cat, you can take them inside when it is very hot or very cold, but with a horse, you have to make decisions based on what you can do, and usually you only have a barn to take them into. That said, you always have to be aware of how the weather is affecting your animals, and along with other things, you have to be sure that you are watching for heat stress in your horse.
Like other animals, horses can be affected by the extremely hot weather. You want to be sure that your horse always has plenty of shade, and plenty of water, but sometimes this isn’t enough. If you are living somewhere that it is very hot, you have to be sure to take precautions so that your horse isn’t affected by heat stress. There are several things that you can do to make sure that your horse handles the heat as well as he can.
No matter what the temperature is, working is going to make a horse hotter because working makes them use all of their muscles and expand more energy. If your horse is working, he is going to get hotter. Therefore, on very hot days, you have to be sure that you are resting your horse. It is fine to turn him out to pasture, because chances are that he won’t work any harder than he should. However, you are going to want to avoid riding him or making him do any work on very hot days.
Like all other animals, horses need to have fresh and safe water that is there for them at all times. You have to be sure that you are refilling your horse’s water, and that it is kept cool. Warm water isn’t going to be as good for him as cool water will be.
Remember that your horse depends on you to protect him from the heat. Be sure that you have done your research so that you know what the best ways are to keep your horse cool and safe when it is hot outside, and be sure that you follow through with these things so that your horse remains healthy.
== Healthy Foods for Healthy Horses. ==
Like any animal that you own it is very important that you are providing your horse with all of the nutrition that is necessary for good growth and good development. A horse is something that you invest a great deal of time and energy in, and it is something that is going to be very loving and loyal to you. This means that you have to be sure to provide your horse with not just adequate nutrition, but excellent nutrition.
Remember that having a good horse feed is something that is important. You want to research your particular breed of horses and see what kind of diet they will do best on. Another thing to keep in mind is not only what kind of breed of horse you have, but what their lives are like. Are they racing horses, or working horses, or are they just horses that you keep as pets to ride. Do you show them, or are they simply farm horses? These are all important questions to ask, because the answers to these questions will help you figure out what the best diet is to give your horse.
After you have determined what your expectations are for your horse, and what kind of lives your horses are going to be leading, you can pick out a great feed that is going to bring out the best in them, while giving them great nutrition. There are many places to buy horse food, so you have to be sure that you have a feed dealer that you can trust that will help you make great decisions about what is best to feed your horse. Then you can be sure that you have a good supply of food.
Also, remember that depending on what your horse is doing in his life, the different seasons are going to act differently upon his body. It might become important that you switch his feed or change what you are giving him as far as amounts go, during the different seasons. This is also a question you are going to want to discuss with your vet, and make sure that you are doing what is right for your horse.
An important part of both training your horse and bonding with your horse is what you are giving him for snacks. He will come to love the snacks that you give him, as long as they taste good and are good for him. This means that you should keep a great supply of the snacks that you know your horse loves on hand, and be sure to talk to your vet about what is appropriate for your horse as well.
== Fashion Statement? Horse’s Shoes ==
A horse’s shoe is something that is, of course, put onto their feet. The process doesn’t hurt the horse, because the shoes are attached to the hooves of the horses, and in this manner it doesn’t cause the horse any pain because the horse’s hooves don’t have feeling. They are kind of like our fingernails. The shoes are attached to the hooves, and then they act as the bottoms of the feet.
It is important that you realize just how vital a horse’s shoes are to their lives. In today’s day and age, there is a lot of stuff that can make a horse sick or injured, and a lot of it is going to be found where they are walking. No matter what surface they are walking on, there is going to be germs and other things that can get into their feet and cause them sickness. Also, no matter what your horse is doing for you, they are going to be working hard, and this might cause an un shoed horse to have a cracked hoof or another foot injury.
You should know that if your horse gets a foot injury or an illness in their foot, your likelihood of saving them is not good. Foot injuries are very bad for horses, and if they are too badly injured they are going to have to be put down. Because of this, it is very important that you take all of the precautions necessary to make sure that your horse has the proper shoes and that they are well taken care of.
If you are interested in learning more about your horse’s shoes, you need to be sure that you are contacted someone who can help you out. This is not something that you should be thinking you can take care of on your own, because a horse’s shoe is the best defense that he has against dying young. Because of how important shoes are to a horse’s health, it is never something you should attempt on your own. Be sure that you are finding a vet and someone who can help you with your horse’s shoes, and be sure that you know as much as you can about horse’s health before you get a horse. Remember to have your horse’s feet cared for often, and you will find that you horse will live a longer and happier life in general.
== Equine Colic and your Horse ==
If you have had a horse, chances are that you have heard of the term equine colic before. You have probably done some research into this term, and you have found that when you are talking about equine colic, you are talking about a sign or symptom, and not really an actual diagnosis. The term colic in horses refers to any different type of abdominal pain, and this is usually the result of some other sickness in your horse. So, if your horse is exhibiting equine colic, it means that something else is wrong with him. Some of the things that might be wrong with your horse are small problems that will pass on their own, but some of them might be more serious complications that could require surgery and, if left untreated, could result in the death of your horse.
If you choose to go with surgery you are going to find that it is usually very expensive. This is why colic results in death of so many horses, because sometimes you are not able to know what is wrong with your horse and you don’t get it treated. You have to be sure that you recognize the symptoms so that you and your vet can make a good decision regarding whether or not to do surgery.
There are several symptoms that are associated with equine colic, and it is important that you and anyone else who is working with your horses recognize these symptoms. Because of the wide variety of things that might be wrong with your horse, it is important that the colic is recognized right away and diagnosed so it can be treated.
Some of the symptoms include a horse’s reluctance to eat anything, which is going to indicate a problem. If your horse doesn’t eat, you need to talk to a vet. Also, if the horse is looking at their side, or even turning or nipping at their sides, it might indicate that they are trying to solve their own problems. If your horse is kicking at their abdomen, or pawing their front legs or stomping their feet, this is also indicating that there is pain in your horse and he doesn’t know what to do about it. If your horse looks like he is stretching abnormally while he is trying to go to the bathroom, there is also a problem. If your horse lies down and rolls and thrashes and then does not get up and shake off right away, this is indicating that there is a big problem with your horse. Also, if your horse is sweating after light exercise, curling his lip excessively, has cool extremities, lacks bowel movements, or has a higher pulse or respiratory rate, this is going to indicate that there is something wrong with your horse. See a vet immediately for treatment of colic.
== Alternative Medical Care for your Horse ==
If you are looking to keep your horse happy and healthy, you might be looking into several different types of horse care. There are plenty of alternative medical care faculties besides for the normal, run of the mill vet. You might be considering several of these other therapies for your horse, for whatever reason. If you are interested in these, it is usually best to ask your vet what they feel about them, and then be sure to do some research. Usually the alternative medical care is given in cases where the horse’s life is not at stake because this is a situation in which the alternative care is helping your horse to have a better life, and not necessarily trying to save its life. There are some situations in which you might want to explore alternative care if your horse has been in an accident and your vet has said the best thing to do is to put the horse down. However, the most popular alternative care is care that you wouldn’t normally associate with horse care.
Like humans, horses have muscles that work very hard. In recent times, a movement has begun where people have gotten trained in animal massage and acupuncture. The idea is that these things can help human muscles in a variety of ways, so it might be a good idea to try them out on animals as well. You might find that with both of these your horse is generally more happy, because they are often helping your horse with things that your horse might not even know are wrong, and things that you might not be able to tell bug your horse or cause it discomfort.
With these therapies, it is important that you contact someone who has been trained in them, and someone who can do this very well, and who has done it for many other animals. This is a relatively new area, so you want to make sure that you are getting the best of the best, and that you aren’t running into problems by having someone who is not professional at what they do.
In other situations, ones that are more serious, a decision to explore alternative therapies is something that should be made between you and your family and your vet. There are alternative therapies that might help your animal if your vet has said there is no hope because of injury or sickness, but you always have to keep your animal’s best interest at heart and make sure that they aren’t going to suffer needlessly.
== Healthy Horse Weight ==
There are many things that you have to be concerned with when you are raising animals. In general, animals should always follow certain paths and should do certain things, and as an animal owner you have to be sure that you are watching for these things and taking steps to correct things that might be going wrong. You want to be sure that you are doing whatever you can to insure that your animal is being raised healthily, and being raised in a way that makes him into the best animal you can have. A horse is something that you have to pay close attention to, because there are so many things that could go wrong. If you haven’t been around horses, you should get some horse books and read up on them because if you don’t’ know what things to watch out for, you might not be able to tell when something is wrong.
A horse’s weight is going to be an indication of how healthy they are. There are different breeds of horses, and different sizes as well, but whenever you have a horse at your home, you should find out what their ideal weight is, and then you should make a habit of weighing your horse about once a week or so. If your horse has any change in their weight, you might be looking at some kind of problem. If a horse drops a lot of weight in a week, it is going to mean that something is wrong, and you are going to want to seek vet attention right away.
With horses, sicknesses can happen very fast, and they can get too ill to save before you even have noticed that anything is wrong. Even a small amount of weight change during a week can indicate a problem before the problem is full blown, so if you are weighing your horse on a regular basis, you’ll be able to tell if there is a problem maybe even before you would be able to tell otherwise. If you are able to weight your horse regularly, you are going to have a much better chance of catching anything that goes wrong, and in this way you could actually save your horse’s life. It is very important to have a horse scale that you can have in your barn so that you can check your horse’s weight periodically. You should weigh him more often if you think there might be a problem.
== Keeping your Horse Safe when Riding ==
One of the best parts about owning a horse is getting to ride it. Horses that are well trained and happy are great to ride, and for the most part horses enjoy being ridden as well. You are going to want to spend lots of time working with your horse to make sure that he understands what you want and how it feels when you ride him. You are also going to want to spend a lot of time just being with your horse, because bonding is a great way to make your rides even smoother. However, while you are riding your horse, there are several things that you are going to want to do to make sure that he stays safe and healthy so that you can continue to ride him for a long time to come.
One thing that you have to be sure of when you are riding your horse, is that you are never asking too much of him. You have to be sure that he is always comfortable doing what you ask him to do, and you have to be sure that you are comfortable with what he does. This is very important, because if you are not comfortable you are going to find that both you and your horse might be forced to take chances, and this is not going to be good for either of you. It can be very dangerous, and so you want to be sure that you never have a horse do something he isn’t comfortable with.
When you are riding your horse, you are going to want to be sure to always only use the things that are sanctioned for use with horses. Be sure that the equipment you are using is strong and isn’t going to fall apart, and make sure that you are able to attach the saddle and the other pieces to him so that you know they are done correctly and aren’t going to hurt him at all.
The last thing that you need to do when you are riding your horse to make sure that he stays safe is to always be careful where you are going, and to always watch the terrain to make sure that you aren’t doing anything that might be dangerous for your horse. You always want to be sure you aren’t leading your horse somewhere that he could hurt himself.
== Horses and the West Nile Threat ==
West Nile Virus is a very real danger for most mammals, including humans. If you have a horse, you could be at even more risk, since farm animals are very susceptible to this disease. In most cases, the West Nile virus is transmitted through mosquito bites, and in many cases, this disease is fatal. As your horse’s caregiver, it is your responsibility to protect your horse from the West Nile virus and to treat your horse is he or she becomes infected. Remember, owning a horse is a huge responsibility. Horses are just like children—they often cannot care for themselves, so it is your job to provide your horse with everything he or she needs, including treatment when sick.
First, consider vaccinating your horse to prevent West Nile virus. The vaccination for this disease was released in 2003 and can really protect horses, especially those at a high risk for contracting West Nile virus. There are some downfalls as well, however, such as the cost. By talking to your vet, you can learn how often your horse will need the shot and how much it will cost. If you have insurance for your horse, these costs may be covered.
Killing the mosquitoes found in your neighborhood is also a crucial way to protect your horse from developing West Nile virus. To do this without introducing harmful chemicals into the environment, discourage mosquitoes from breeding in the first place. Remove trash and other places where standing water is a problem, and talk to your vet about natural mosquito repellents. Fans also help to deter the mosquito population, and at the very least, don’t turn on lights in the bard or stables after the sun has gone down when possible.
Remember to protect yourself as well. Humans can also get the West Nile virus, and so if you take care of your horse, it is crucial to recognize this danger. Wearing long clothing and using bug spray, especially in the evening, can prevent mosquitoes from biting. You can also put up screens in the doors to the barn if the problem is very bad.
Mosquitoes are most active dusk to dawn, and so your horse will have less of a chance of being bitten if you stay inside during the evening and night. Although a night ride may be fun, if the mosquito population in your area is high, it is best to stay indoors. If you are unsure about how to prevent mosquito bites and your horse seems to have an abundance of them, talk to you vet. Keeping your horse safe should be a number one priority.
== Hormones and Drugs for Stallions ==
Knowing what to give your stallions when it comes to hormones and drugs is very important. You are going to want to know several things before you get started dealing with your stallions and hormones or other drugs, so you should be talking to a vet or another horse expert to see what they have to say about these things before you start. Hormones and other drugs can be very useful, but also unnatural and dangerous, so consider your options carefully.
First of all, it is important for you to think about what are good hormones and other drugs, and what are bad. If you are considering using hormones and drugs so that your horses are stronger or faster for racing or working, you should know that this is very dangerous to do and is going to have the potential of making your horse sick or even killing your horse. Also, if you are involved in horse racing, giving your horse drugs of any kind is usually illegal anyway.
However, there are good hormones and drugs that you might consider giving your stallion for many different reasons other than simply making them faster and stronger.
First, there are hormones and drugs that you can give your horses that will help them to replace something in their body that they aren’t getting from what you are feeding them. If you know that your feed has some kind of deficiency, you are going to want to consider giving them hormones or drugs to replace these. Talk to your vet first, to determine what is good for your horse, and if you can, you should change your food before you give your animals drugs to replace things. These types of hormones work in the same way that many supplements for humans work.
Also, you might sometimes need to give your stallion’s hormones or other drugs in order to keep them healthy. This should always be at the discretion of your vet, and you have to make sure that you understand why your horse is being given these drugs.
If your horse has a condition that requires you give him hormones or other drugs on a regular basis, you might want to learn how to do this yourself so that you can do it without a vet trip. Make sure that your vet shows you the proper technique, and be sure that you know exactly what you are doing before you do it.
== When your Mare has a Foul ==
Helping a mare through pregnancy can be any extremely rewarding experience, but remember that it is also a lot of hard work. If you’ve decided to allow your mare to become pregnant, make sure that you can be responsible for this medical condition, as well as an extra life. Breeding horses is a great career if you have the time and effort.
First and foremost, mares are pregnant longer than women. In general, a mare will carry her foul for about 11 months. During this time, care and regular checkups from a vet are crucial. You may even want to find a vet specializing in this particular field. As your mare’s due date approaches, make sure to keep a watchful eye. Keep your vet’s number on hand and call whenever the horse goes into labor so that the vet can arrive to help with the birth. In some cases, a vet may not be needed, but if you are inexperienced, or if the birth takes longer than a half hour, you vet should come to help with the birth.
Cleanliness is important. You don’t have to hose out the entire barn and use a disinfectant, but make sure that you can clean bedding in a clean stall available for your mare. Also, it is important to tie up the horse’s tail so that it doesn’t get in the way. Don’t tie this too tightly, and leave it free was soon as the birth is over. Of course, after the birth, rinse the mare’s hindquarters and remove any soiled bedding, replacing it with fresh bedding.
If you see anything unusual going on with the birth, it is best to call you vet right away. Remember, a horse birth will look very different from a human birth, so before you mare goes into labor, make sure that you talk to your vet about what to expect. Afterwards, it is also important to let the mare care for the foul. Instinct will lead a mare to do the proper things for her new baby, and interfering may confuse or anger the horse. Keep your distance, and if you think something may be wrong, call the vet.
You new addition to the family should be walking and drinking milk from the mare rather quickly. Remember, this is a very tender time in both horses’ lives. Keeping them away from other animals for the first week or two may be a good idea. Afterwards, it is best to talk to your vet about the vaccinations and special food your foul may need to grow strong and healthy.
== White Line Disease ==
== White Line Disease ==