Prevention

biosecurity on the horse farm, interprovincial equine event strategies, what is biosecurity?, biosecurity strategies for equine events, how to keep your equine event safe from biosecurity, outbreaks, keeping equids safe at equine events, Maxwell H. Gluck

“Event Cancelled. Quarantine in Effect.” No equine event manager or exhibitor wants to hear these words. However, the growing number of equestrian events, increased interprovincial and international equine movement, and the rising concentration of horses at individual events have all heightened the risk of infectious disease outbreaks and transmission.

hazards horse farm, hazards equine farm, emergency plan horse farm, prevent barn firehazards horse farm, hazards equine farm, emergency plan horse farm, prevent barn fire, prevent horse injury

It often feels like horses are magnets for mishaps. Their injury-prone tendencies can be chalked up to natural instincts—such as their strong flight response, social dynamics within the herd, or simply their innate curiosity that leads them into trouble.

how to remove burrs from a horse's mane, burrs in horse's tail, first aid for burrs

Win the Battle of the Burrs - Discovering your horse with a mane and tail full of burrs can be frustrating — but it’s more than a cosmetic concern. Burrs can cause real discomfort, inflame the skin, and even damage the hair roots. If your horse resists grooming, chances are those pesky burrs clusters are already causing pain by tightening up and pulling the hair every which way. Here’s how to handle the problem with care — and how to stop it from happening in the future.

managing resistant horse parasites, donna foulk, horse parasite control, Small strongyle larvae, horse manure, horse parasites, horse care, Parasite Control Program, horse deworming

Parasite prevention remains a vital part of maintaining horse health—but gone are the days when you could rely on a routine deworming every eight weeks with the same product.

HORSE FARM RATs, keeping rats out of horse stall, rats in equestrian centre, rat control horse barn, proper food storage horse barn, signs of rats, diseases from rats to horses

While horses are the heart of any stable, there’s a hidden menace that can undermine their health, safety, and even the structural integrity of the facilities: rats. These unwelcome intruders pose serious risks to equine operations by spreading disease, destroying property, and contaminating food and bedding. Understanding the threat and implementing robust prevention and control strategies is essential for protecting both animals and infrastructure.

how to prevent a horse dehydration, equine guelph, riding horses in heat, summer horseback riding

As horses exercise, their core body temperature climbs. To prevent overheating, the body relies heavily on sweat evaporation to cool down. Sweating is essential during physical activity, but it leads to the loss of both water and vital electrolytes. These include sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium—key minerals that support nerve function, hydration, and muscle activity. Without proper replenishment, electrolyte depletion can impair performance and compromise your horse’s well-being. Supporting your horse’s recovery means restoring both water and electrolyte levels in appropriate proportions.

toxic plants to horses, toxic weeds to horses, equine laminitus, andrea lawseth, poisonous horse plants, Andrea Lawseth, field horsetail toxic horse, Water hemlock toxic horse, Stork’s bill toxic horse, Johnsongrass toxic horse, pyrrolizidine alkaloids toxic horse. Poisonous plants horses, equine laminitis

"My horse is smart enough not to eat toxic plants" - This is a comment I often hear during property visits focused on responsible manure and pasture practices. While it’s true that horses generally avoid undesirable or toxic plants when there’s ample healthy forage available, issues tend to surface when pastures are overgrazed and food choices become limited. That’s when horses may resort to eating weeds or harmful plants. It’s essential for horse owners to recognize which plants pose a threat and to understand how to control their presence in grazing areas.

wildfire smoke horses, protect horse smoke inhalation, how to tell if wildfire smoke dangers horses, smoke on a horse farm, air quality index

Canadian equestrians breathe a sigh of relief when long-awaited spring weather finally arrives and the outdoor riding season begins in earnest. Time to fit up our horses and ourselves for trails, competitions, and the pleasure of spending time outdoors, finally free of the layers of winter gear and horse hair that come with the chillier seasons…

how to remove ticks, tick removal horses, preventing tick bits horses, best bug sprays horses, areas to avoid ticks canada, what do ticks look like on horse, grooming horse tick

Not much can gross out a horse person. We happily pick out hoofs, observe the quality of manure, scrape bot eggs off our horses’ legs, and get a weird sense of satisfaction from an expressed abscess. But ticks… ticks are just nasty.

equine organic, natural equine, horse organic feed, should i feed my horse natural foods, shelagh niblock, horse evolution

Is ‘natural’ just a label in equine care? In today’s equine industry, the terms natural and organic are commonly used. While "organic" is a regulated label in equine product development and marketing, "natural" is not subject to the same standards. Horse owners must exercise greater caution when selecting "natural" products, as the term can be misleading.

Pages