Each season brings with it certain needs for equine care, and an annual horse health care agenda can help with some of the planning as the months rapidly roll by. Horse owners are good at knowing the value of organizing and preparing ahead to help their horses stay healthy, and to budget for the more expensive seasonal needs ahead of time.

For over 100 years, 4-H Canada has been one of the most highly respected and widely known youth organizations in the country, offering activities and projects to nurture members’ talents and abilities, and developing leaders who impact their communities. Its core values embodied in its pledge define the profile of 4-H at every level.

Creators of Functional Art - Two of the most intriguing questions about our relationship with horses are when were they first domesticated, and when were they first ridden. We will never know for sure, but some of the most fascinating evidence comes from the ancient Botai culture in northern Kazakhstan. Almost 6,000 years ago, the people living in a community of villages were foragers and hunter/gatherers. While the abundant wild horses were a staple part of their diet, the Botai came to see the horses as valuable working stock.

Can you get a disease from your horse? Yes, but the good news is that direct horse-to-human disease transmission is rare. Here’s a quick refresher on some bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral diseases that can potentially be transmitted to us directly from the equines in our lives. This list does not include diseases like West Nile virus that can be passed indirectly from horses to humans, for example through an insect bite.

Protecting Horses and Humans - With the current COVID-19 pandemic and Canadians’ alarm over how quickly a virus can spread across countries and continents, there is an understandable reaction to protect against infection from any and all viruses and pathogens. By extension, it is also essential that there is a level of biosecurity on your farm or acreage to protect horses against agents of disease.