This Week in Horse Health News Presented by Absorbine

My boys are going to spend a lot of time in here over the winter. My boys are going to spend a lot of time in here over the winter.

This past weekend was one filled with work here around the farm. With winter on the way, the goal is to get several projects finished up before the cold and mud take over. Painting the barn and run-in shed. Installing new rubber stall mats. And getting some stone dust down in the paddock to help with footing. All projects that need to wrap up — and soon.

My horses spend a good portion of the winter season confined to their large paddock, simply so they do not completely track up their pastures. And when confined to the paddock, they tend to spend even more time hanging out in their large run-in shed. It’s not an uncommon site to find the three of them gathered inside mid-day for group “nap time” — must be nice!

I often wonder if there are cases where we as horse owners over provide for our horses. Personally, I think my own horses are very happy wearing their blankets in the cold. And standing in their run-in when it is windy.

But there are many differing viewpoints on what horses actually require to live healthy lives. Check out a recent commentary article over at The Horse that discusses the topic of providing access to a man-made shelter for your horse.

And then take a look at some of the other headlines from this week in Horse Health News:

Citrus Pulp in Horse Feed: How much do you know about what is in your horse’s feed? In some parts of the world, citrus pulp is now being used as an ingredient in concentrated horse feeds due to its availability and economic feasibility. A group of researchers from the University of Sao Paulo and Middle Tennessee State University have determined that it is safe for horses to ingest when included up to a level of 28 percent in their concentrated feed. [Horsetalk]

What Horse Owners Should Know About Roundworms: While no one really wants to think about a squeamish topic like worms, roundworms are the topic of the day. Four to six inches long. White or gray in color. Able to lay up to 200,000 eggs a day. And most commonly found in horses under the age of 2 that have not yet developed an immunity to the larva. Read up to learn about roundworm management for your horses. [EquiMed]

Researchers Study Equine Influenza Vaccination Schedules: Did you know that there is no globally recognized standard on the interval between influenza vaccinations? Recently, researchers from the Virology Unit at the Irish Equine Centre in Johnstown, Ireland, have worked to evaluate how efficient three different vaccination schedules are — hopefully to gather information in order to establish a global standard. [The Horse]

Survival Chances of Seriously Ill Foals: American researchers have put together a system in order to be able to determine the chances of survival for seriously ill foals. The system uses a list of six different variables to provide the likelihood of a positive outcome for a foal that has been hospitalized. [HorseTalk]

New Bolton Center to Host Equine Sports Medicine Lecture: The University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center will host a lecture on equine sports medicine at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4, at 382 West Street Road, Kennett Square. Both Elizabeth Davidson and Liz Arbittier will speak on topics such as evaluating equine lameness. Due to limited seating, those interested in attending should contact Barbara Belt at [email protected]. [The Horse]

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments