Photo via Wikimedia Commons
One of the funniest things to watch is when a horse gets down to roll. And it is one activity that my extra ginormous gelding Mark just seems to love. Every excuse that he can get, he stops. He drops. And he rolls. Let’s just say that it is pretty to see his legs that seem to go on for miles flailing all around in the air.
Something that I’ve noticed is that there are certain times that Mark prefers to get down and roll. If he’s been kept in his stall for bad weather, he pretty much flies out of his stall, canters partway down the pasture and throws himself down on the ground for a good roll. And after he hops up and shakes, he always looks mighty proud of himself.
Another favorite rolling time of Mark’s is after he has had a post-workout bath. And, honestly, I scratch my head at that a little bit. After all of the sweat is washed off and Mark looks fresh as a daisy, only then does he feel the need to go and roll around in the dirt? Is there a reason that horses seem to want to roll after being bathed? Check out this commentary post by Nancy Diehl, VMD over at The Horse to learn more about this eternal question.
And then check out some of the other headlines from this week in Horse Health News presented by Absorbine.
Safely Switching Turnout Times: When the days turn extra hot, many horse owners change up their turnout schedules, switching to overnight turnout from all day turnout. But any change in routine for a horse can be a cause of stress for them, so what are some things that horse owners should consider when flipping their turnout schedule? Learn more! [Equus Magazine]
Hoof Abscesses in Horses: Abscesses always seem to pop up at the worse possible times. And they just tend to come out of nowhere, causing lameness in their wake. But if caught and treated properly, they will generally resolve well. Educate yourself on the causes,and ways to detect, treat and even prevent abscess. [The Horse]
Keeping Horses Hydrated During Travel: A recent collaboration between a number of welfare groups, veterinary organizations and industry bodies has resulted in the development of guidelines on the topic of keeping horses hydrated while they are traveling. The guidelines have even been formalized and published into a guide. [Horsetalk]
Sweat Marks Under the Saddle: Riding in the summer usually means lots of sweat. Which means pulling off lots of sweaty pads after riding. But take note, because you can use sweat and dirt marks under the saddle as one way to testing your saddle’s fit for your horse. Saddle pad impression is only one of the basic tests a horse owner can use to check saddle fit. [The Horse]
