This Week in Horse Health News Presented by Absorbine

The three amigos don't like it when you try to break up their fiesta. The three amigos don't like it when you try to break up their fiesta.

I find that I’m comfortable with people and surroundings that are familiar to me — and my horses tend to share that sentiment. It seems to be a pretty big “to do” every time I pull someone out to go for a ride or to trailer out somewhere. I guess my three geldings are pretty attached to comfortable with each other, since they are the only equines on the property.

Farrier day always turns out to be a big production. Whenever I pull Ripley out of his stall and walk him up to the hay barn for his pedicure, Mark and Rufus go a little cray-cray. I hear them down in their stalls. Whinnying. Pawing at the kickboard. And, in general, just being jerks.
As the lead horse of the group, I guess Ripley is kind of like their security blanket — take him away and the kids go into panic mode. Changes in their surroundings can really stress horses out. Head on over to EquiMed to pick up some tips on how to manage your horse’s stress level when you are changing their surroundings.
And then check out some other headlines from this week in Horse Health News presented by Absorbine:
Assessing Hay Quality: With temperatures dropping and green grass becoming harder to come by in the northern half of the U.S., hay is becoming a bigger part of the diet for many horses. When assessing your horse’s hay, you can tell a lot by simply observing — What does the color look like? How does it smell? Is it dusty? TheHorse.com has a full list of what you should be looking for when it comes to hay. [The Horse]
Horse Paddock Pollution Threat: Planning on keeping your horse confined to a smaller pasture or paddock over the winter season? Scientists in Sweden have studied how equine waste concentrated in a small area can impact waterways. [Horsetalk]
Elastic Rein Inserts Effectiveness: After conducting research on commercially available elastic rein inserts, scientists from the UK have determined that they may interfere with effective communication with your horse. When applying pressure to slow a horse from a trot to a walk, it took three times as long for the pressure to be released from elastic reins versus traditional reins. [The Horse]
Parasites’ Trojan Horse Tactic: Researchers have identified a new method parasites use to suppress the immune response of horses. In light of this discovery, new strategies and treatment options may be developed to treat infections caused by parasitic worms. [Horsetalk]
The Good Ride: How well do you know your trailer? How a trailer was built and how it has been maintained have a strong influence on its safety and reliability. Header over to The Horse to brush up on your trailer ABC’s. [The Horse]
Seeking Foal Sitters: Looking to donate to a good cause and get your foal fix? Consider volunteering as a foal sitter at the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during foaling season. Two foal sitters are assigned to each of three daily shifts, and volunteers must be at least 16 years of age. Registration takes place in December, with orientation to take place in January. If interested, please contact [email protected]. [The Horse]
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