Do you know what is in your horse's bedding? Creative Commons Photo
There is just something about a freshly bedded stall that makes you feel a sense of accomplishment. After carefully and meticulously mucking, adding some nice new bedding just adds a finishing touch. I personally use pine pelleted bedding, and I just love the “pine fresh” aroma that the stalls get once I toss a fresh bag into each of them.
Interestingly enough, I tend to notice that the stalls are just a little more tidy on days right after I add fresh bedding into them. I don’t know if the horses are a little more settled because they can tell that their stalls are extra clean, or maybe they just like the “pine fresh” aroma like I do — I call it stall-a-therapy.
Have you ever stopped to consider what is in your horse’s bedding? How can you be sure that it is safe for your horse? Head over to Equus to check out some advice from Dr. Jim Latham, DVM on what types of bedding materials should be avoided, as well as tips on how to make sure to pick out suitable stall bedding for your horse. Check out what he has to say here.
And then read up on some of the other headlines from this week in horse health news, presented by Absorbine:
Are you Crash Ready? While no one wants to plan for something bad to happen, it can be helpful to plan ahead in case the unexpected strikes. Have you ever thought about what you would do if you were involved in an accident while trailering your horses? Consider having a plan in place in case a collision does happen, and you can also take steps to try to avoid one in the first place. [The Horse]
Keep Ammonia Away: Increased stall time during the winter months means that you are inevitably spending more time keeping your horse’s stall clean. While keeping manure piles picked is the most obvious order of business, it is also important to tidy up wet spots. Urine spots produce ammonia, which must be addressed to keep your horse’s environment healthy. Check out some tips for keeping ammonia under control. [Horse Channel]
Why is Hydration for Horses Important During Winter? Does your horse drink less when the weather turns cold? Check out this podcast by Dr. Nancy Loving in which she discusses the risks that horses face when they do not say hydrated during cold weather. [The Horse]
New Bone Repair Technique: A new technology for bone repair called HydroxyColl has recently been used in the jaw reconstruction surgery of a 2-year-old racehorse. The techonology is actually a combination of collagen and hydroxyapatite, which functions by acting as a bone graft substitute, allowing tissue to regenerate in an area. [Horsetalk]
Rutgers Horse Management Seminar: A seminar has been scheduled on the topic of “Grazing Rewards and Concerns: How and Why to Manage Your Pastures” on Feb. 8 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Rutgers Cook Campus Center. To obtain additional information, contact Carey Williams at [email protected]. [The Horse]
