trailBLAZER

How do you deal with a horse that suffers from extreme separation anxiety?

My question pertains to Patrick, my Saddlebred Gelding private rescue. He loves us and he appreciates his home, his buddies, and everything he has here. However, he bonds so remarkably with the other horses that he just about loses his mind when one or all of them are separated, moved, worked or out to pasture. If he cannot see them, he freaks out. He will poop, stomp, fly around the stall, rear, get his foot into the manger or water bucket, and become a wild boy. He repeatedly calls with distress. It is his one not-so-pleasant behavior that remains.

Obviously, I don’t want to punish or reprimand him too forcefully for this nonsense because he has become such an outstanding and well-behaved h [Read More…]

The planning and selection of your horses’ worm control program is one of the most important annual management decisions you make for your horse.

The importance of controlling gastrointestinal worms in the horse cannot be overstated. Worms are responsible for a wide range of clinical syndromes ranging from [Read More…]

What is sweet itch?

This is an intense skin irritation affecting principally the mane and tail regions of the horse. It is caused by a hypersensitivity reaction to the bite of the Culicoides midge. These midges are usually active in the summer months but may be active year-round in tropical regions. The midges are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. [Read More…]

The Breeding Mare. The breeding season is here! Mares are on tour! This year’s foals are hardly dry and across the country, studs are now busy getting their mothers ready for next years crop. In this issue, we will look at the mare and how she gets through this demanding period. [Read More…]

Also known as exertional rhabdomyolysis, Azoturia, Monday morning disease, Set-fast, Paralytic myoglobinuria and Polysaccharide storage myopathy. [Read More…]

Equine Cushings is a syndrome that is being seen more frequently in equine practice. It is a condition of the older horse and with improved care and welfare, horses are living longer. This, with the better recognition of the symptoms, has resulted in an apparent rise in its incidence. [Read More…]

In our focus on various equine health issues, we will try to balance our approach between conventional veterinary wisdom and therapy while also adopting a holistic approach to our problem-solving. Where conventional therapy frequently targets the specific disease or ailment, in holistic medicine, we attempt to address the imbalances that exist to allow various conditions to develop. [Read More…]

The very mention of the word strikes fear in most horse owners. In this issue, we will try to explain what colic is, how it happens, what the main types are and if possible how to prevent the condition. [Read More…]

Laminitis a devastating and common ailment of the horse recognized for centuries but even to this day we struggle with its treatment and prevention. In this issue we look at this condition and examine its causes, manifestations and we will look at how we may help prevent its occurrence. [Read More…]

Just like a dog, gazelle or lion, a horse runs with a chosen lead… which means one front leg will extend out further than the other front leg. For example while the horse is running if the left leg extends out further than the right than they are on the left lead. As we know, this is of great importance in every single event you could do in the horse world, which means it is something we should all know a little more about! [Read More…]