Time to get organized BEFORE travelling! Creative Commons Photo.
On the (very) rare occasion that I’m heading out of town, I get a little stressed out over the thought of leaving my horses in the care of someone other than myself. Being around my horses on a daily basis helps me to be really in tune with them, which means I can generally tell right off the bat if something is not quite right with them.
In order to copy with this stress, I channel my energy into making freakishly detailed instructions and checklists. Even though I know that my horses are in capable hands, there are need to know pieces of information such as my vet’s contact info, my horse’s insurance information, and an emergency contact (just in case I can’t be reached).
Have you considered what information YOU should communicate to your designated horse caretaker, or boarding board manager when you are travelling? Check out this article from Equus Magazine here.
And then make sure to check out some of the other headlines from This Week in Horse Health News, presented by Absorbine:
Treating Gastric Ulcers on a Budget: When I hear the words gastric ulcer, not only am I concerned for my horse’s health, I also start seeing dollar signs flash before my eyes. Want to learn some tips on diagnosing and treating this condition on a budget? Check out this podcast from Dr. Frank Andrews here. [The Horse]
Horse’s Behavior Linked to the Weather: Horses’ moods really do appear to be impacted by outside weather conditions. A team of researchers in Poland conducted a study where factors such as temperature and wind speed appeared to have an influence on making horses less willing to listen to their rider. [Equus Magazine]
Limb Lameness More Common Than Foot Lameness?: Results from Britain’s National Equine Survey indicate that limb lameness is consistently more common than foot lameness in horses. In fact lameness is three times more likely to have a cause of osteoarthritis than issues that originate with the foot. [Horsetalk]
Runny Manure: Does your horse experience changes in the consistency of his or her manure as they seasons change? Or changes that don’t appear to be related to any particular factor at all? Check out this Q&A, with a response written by Dr. Elizabeth Davis on manure changes in your horse, along with advice on what you should do about it. [The Horse]
