Prevention

Managing the Horse with Heaves

Updated:

October 9, 2019

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Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO, also known as heaves, broken wind, and chronic airway reactivity) is a common respiratory disease of horses characterized by airway narrowing (bronchoconstriction), mucus production, and bronchospasm. The term chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is no longer used to describe this condition in horses, because many aspects of the disease are different from human COPD.

Electroarthrography to Assess Equine Fetlock Health

Updated:

October 3, 2019

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Findings Could Prove Helpful in Diagnosing Fetlock Injuries
One cannot help but get excited about the possibilities for electroarthrography (EAG) as a diagnostic tool after speaking with Ontario Veterinary College researcher, Dr. Mark Hurtig. He is developing a non-invasive way to assess joint cartilage health in fetlocks (the most commonly injured joint in horses). Current technologies to assess fetlock health have their limitations.

Is My Horse Obese and Should I Be Worried About It?

Updated:

August 30, 2019

The ongoing problem of obesity in equines is not a recent one. However, in some industrialized countries, the increase in the number of obese horses and ponies predominantly found in the leisure industry has now become a globally recognized welfare concern.

Approaches to Farrier Care and Laminitis Prevention

Updated:

August 12, 2019

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Farriers need to work closely with horse owners to spot the subtle signs of the painful condition laminitis, a new study in Equine Veterinary Journal reports. During this unique study researchers from the University of Surrey’s School of Psychology and School of Veterinary Medicine conducted in-depth interviews with farriers and horse owners to understand how their relationship and their approach to equine care can help prevent laminitis.

Is Chemotherapy Effective for Treating Equine Lymphoma?

Updated:

July 20, 2019

Cancer isn’t as common for horses as it is for humans and dogs and cats. And because equine cancer symptoms — weight loss, nausea, lethargy, loss of appetite, lameness, skin and coat conditions, among others — often don’t start appearing until the cancer has advanced, it can be hard to reverse its progression. For years, chemotherapy has been veterinarians’ go-to treatment for fighting the disease.

Laminitis More Common Than Previously Thought

Updated:

June 18, 2019

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Recent research suggests that laminitis is as common as colic. The study, led by Dr. Danica Pollard, a Ph.D. student at the Royal Veterinary College, found that one in ten horses or ponies may develop at least one laminitis episode each year.

Licking and Chewing – Submission or Stress?

Updated:

May 24, 2019

what is the function of licking and non-nutritive chewing behaviour in horses?

Horses sometimes lick and chew during training and this has often been interpreted as a sign that the horse is learning or showing “submission” to the trainer. However, a new study suggests that this non-nutritive licking and chewing behaviour is a natural behaviour that is shown after a stressful situation.

Study of Horse and Rider Weights

Updated:

May 24, 2019

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A rider that is too heavy for a horse could cause temporary lameness and signs of pain, according to recent research.The potential health and welfare implications of a high rider:horse bodyweight ratios were explored in a pilot study led by Dr. Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Animal Health Trust’s Centre for Equine Studies, Newmarket in the UK.

The Hard Lives of Sable Island Horses

Updated:

May 10, 2019

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Nowhere in Canada will you find a more unique, self-contained ecosystem than the one found on Sable Island. Nestled in the 42 km arc of sand, 300 kilometers southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, is an array of beaches, dunes, marram grass, wildflowers, shrub-heath, and ponds – which 300 bird species five species of seals, and 500 Sable Island horses call home. These horses came to the island during the dark days of deportation of the Acadian people 250 years ago.

Intense Exercise Can Be Hazardous to Horses

Updated:

May 10, 2019

Intense exercise can be fatal to racehorses, according to a new University of Guelph study. Prof. Peter Physick-Sheard and a team of researchers examined 1,713 cases of racehorse deaths from 2003 to 2015, and found racing was connected to some of the deaths.