Does your horse have trouble responding to the bit? Does he hold his head awkwardly at times, or seem to have problems chewing? Does he show unexplained behaviour under saddle or have problems with certain gaits or leads? Or does he toss his head a lot, especially when pressure is applied with his bit or perhaps a hackamore?

Movement of horses is helping to spread the disease - Strangles is one of the most commonly diagnosed infectious diseases of horses. Infection results in significant health and welfare consequences and economic costs. Most affected horses recover; however, about 10 percent remain as carriers, free of clinical signs but capable of spreading the disease.

The Spring 2021 edition of Western College of Veterinary Medicine's Horse Health Lines is hot off the press and available for digital download. Take an inside look into the latest the scientific studies at the University of Saskatchewan's veterinary college, such as the link between caterpillars and cardiac disease in horses, and new treatment options for equine diseases and ailments.

Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU), also known as moon blindness, is the most common cause of blindness in horses worldwide. It affects 2 to 25 percent of horses globally, with 56 percent of affected horses eventually becoming blind. More than 60 percent of affected horses are unable to return to previous levels of work. ERU is most often characterized by repeated episodes of inflammation of the uveal tract of the eye (the middle layer), involving one or both eyes. A subclinical manifestation, known as insidious uveitis, does not present as outwardly painful episodes, and instead is consistent low grade inflammation (not episodic) that causes cumulative damage to the eye. Cumulative damage caused by ERU can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, and eventually blindness. Although not all horses that experience a single episode of uveitis will develop ERU, they are at risk for disease.