Taxonomy term

climate change horse industry, prepare horse farm for climate change, heat dome horses, rescuing horses disaster, hay shortages, colic horses

Climate change is substantially impacting Canadian horses, horse properties, and their owners. Almost 90 percent of Canadians in recent surveys say they’ve already seen climate change effects in their communities. Horses are increasingly affected by respiratory diseases from wildfire smoke and dust; skin disease and damaged hooves from variable weather; and unforeseen parasites and diseases. Horse owners are struggling to purchase hay, treat unexpected health issues, and adapt to weather-related riding limitations. Meanwhile, property owners are repairing damage from sudden storms, drought, excess water, and wind. So, it’s worth understanding how climate change will affect horses and properties into the future, and what you can do to prepare for these changes.

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For horse owners, one of the most frequent areas of pressing health concern is their animals’ digestive system. Colic, ulcers, diarrhea, and leaky gut syndrome can be a constant affront to the well-being and success of equine athletes.

equine emergency preparedness, horses stuck flooding, preventing barn fire, emergency services horses, help for horses disaster, kevan garecki, bc flooding horses

There’s Far More To It Than You Might Think - In November 2021, my wife and I spent four devastating days in Sumas Prairie, Abbotsford, British Columbia assisting with the rescue and evacuation of animals following the disastrous flooding caused by the “atmospheric river” of torrential rain in mid-November that year. It’s one thing to watch it on the news — it’s surreal to be on the ground in the middle of it.

equine emergency preparedness, horses stuck flooding, preventing barn fire, emergency services horses, help for horses disaster, kevan garecki, bc flooding horses

While one can’t plan for every form of disaster, it’s important to familiarize yourself with any potential risks that could occur in your area and plan for them accordingly. Planning ahead can allow horse owners the opportunity to stay composed and act quickly in an emergency situation.

The Equine Heart, what should my horse's heart rate be, what is a normal rhythm horse heart, equine electrocardiogram, heart rate variability horse

Skipped Beats, Sudden Death… and Why We Shouldn’t Worry Too Much. When you first start examining patients as a veterinary student, you’re very keen to (gently) poke and prod every animal you come across. Realizing you can assess cardiovascular function by palpating peripheral pulses is very empowering!

equine allergies, horse hives, allergy testing horses, allergy shots horses, pastern dermatitis horses, chronic progressive lymphedema horses, ringworm horses, summer sores habronema in horses

A Scratch for Every Itch - Horses scratch for many reasons. They scratch themselves on fences, rub up against posts (and sometimes people), roll on the ground, and groom each other. A natural behaviour usually linked to social bonding, comfort, and relaxation, it can be heightened seasonally by shedding, sweating, or the presence of insects. However, when scratching becomes frequent enough to result in hair loss, broken skin, scabs, or if it disrupts eating or sleeping, it is time to talk to a veterinarian to determine if a skin allergy is to blame so appropriate treatments can be pursued.

over-training horses, overtrain injury horse, preventing injury in horse, am i working my horse too hard, acera insurance, horse insurance for horses

Well-meaning riders are understandably concerned about ensuring their horses are fit enough for their jobs. But in the drive for competitive results, it’s easy to over-practice and over-train horses — by simply doing too much work and not providing enough rest and recovery days in between.

Dust Management horse barns, purdue extension, breathing for horses, respiratory disease equine, roa, dust control horse barn, horse barn renovations, better ventilation horse stable

Better Breathing in the Barn - Why should horse owners be worried about the air quality in their equine facilities? Is there really anything that can be done to improve the quality once the barn is built?

wildfire smoke horses, protect horse smoke inhalation, how to tell if wildfire smoke dangers horses, smoke on a horse farm, air quality index

Canadian equestrians breathe a sigh of relief when long-awaited spring weather finally arrives and the outdoor riding season begins in earnest. Time to fit up our horses and ourselves for trails, competitions, and the pleasure of spending time outdoors, finally free of the layers of winter gear and horse hair that come with the chillier seasons…

how to remove ticks, tick removal horses, preventing tick bits horses, best bug sprays horses, areas to avoid ticks canada, what do ticks look like on horse, grooming horse tick

Not much can gross out a horse person. We happily pick out hoofs, observe the quality of manure, scrape bot eggs off our horses’ legs, and get a weird sense of satisfaction from an expressed abscess. But ticks… ticks are just nasty.

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