Your horse is a herd animal and he needs the companionship of other herd animals. Without a herd – even a small one – your horse can’t help but feel stress as his physiology isn’t registering any herd members around. When your horse is stressed due to the lack of …
How can you tell if your horse is too fat or too skinny? A vet or nutritionist will give you a more accurate assessment, but for getting a general idea you’re really using a simple scale of too fat, too skinny and just right. Anything other than ‘just right’ is …
It’s important to know how much your horse weighs because both feed amounts and medication dosages are calculated based on the weight of your horse. The most accurate way to weigh your horse is to use a weighbridge or livestock scale (a big scale the horse walks onto). However, most …
A horse’s height is measured from the ground to the highest point of the withers (orange line in the image below) and is expressed in centimetres or as hands high or hh. The height of a horse isn’t a very absolute number because there are many factors that go into …
Anyone who has ever had their horse stolen can tell you that it takes time and money as well as emotional stress to deal with a crime like horse theft. The biggest mistake a horse owner can make is to think that their horse is “not interesting” to thieves, because …
Having an elderly horse is a wonderful experience and they make terrific companions. When they cannot be ridden any more they absolutely love “salad bar” walks in nature and good long rubbing sessions where they can be completely spoiled with some TLC. If you’ve got a whole herd, they’re wonderful …
What kind of problems do horse owners experience and how should they be addressed? Horses can come with problems and they can develop problems even after many years. Whether the problem is physical or psychological there is always a reason and it’s the job of a responsible horse owner to take the time to get to the root of the problem and not just treat the symptoms.
Some of the most common mistakes made when taking the vital signs of horses are oversights and stem from trying to do things in a rush. When taking the vitals on your horse pay attention and don’t make these easily avoidable mistakes. Having the normal values and behaviour recorded in …
Your horse suddenly getting ill is a very distressing thing. You might notice small signs, like discharge from the eyes or nostrils, a dull coat or hanging the head and not responding to food. Or you might walk into the stables one day and find your horse is bleeding, having a …
Knowing how to take your horse’s vital signs is an essential skill for any owner, handler or rider. Knowing how to measure the vital signs of your horse will allow you to check if your horse is healthy, and give the vet more accurate information over the phone in case of …
When working with horses and taking their vital signs it is recommended to use digital thermometers, because they are faster and do not contain mercury. If you’re using a glass thermometer you should determine if it contains mercury before using it. Glass thermometers can contain coloured alcohol, which is not toxic. Even …
Light forms of restraint can come in handy when you need to treat a horse that doesn’t want to be treated. Some horses won’t phase, no matter what, and others run away as soon as they hear the vet’s car pull up in the car park. If your horse is …
