Summer

Outdoor Riding in Wildfire Season: Protecting Horses and Riders

Updated:

July 23, 2026

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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…

Poison in the Pasture - Plants Toxic to Horses

Updated:

July 22, 2026

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"My horse is smart enough not to eat toxic plants" - This is a comment I often hear during property visits focused on responsible manure and pasture practices. While it’s true that horses generally avoid undesirable or toxic plants when there’s ample healthy forage available, issues tend to surface when pastures are overgrazed and food choices become limited. That’s when horses may resort to eating weeds or harmful plants. It’s essential for horse owners to recognize which plants pose a threat and to understand how to control their presence in grazing areas.

Sweet Itch… Flaxseed Can Help

Updated:

July 10, 2026

Dr. Wendy Pearson PhD, Veterinary Toxicology, seasonal pruritus, sweet itch, Type 1 allergic response insect bites, omega-3 fat, Culicoides extract, horse health, full fly sheet horse, fly mask horse

Recurrent Seasonal Pruritus (commonly known as Sweet Itch) is the most common allergic skin condition in horses. Horses with sweet itch experience intense itching along the abdomen, the back, mane, and tail.

Horse Pasture Management During Drought

Updated:

July 8, 2026

Horse grazing in a managed pasture during drought conditions on a Canadian horse farm

Some weather experts consider drought to be any time in which precipitation falls by 25 percent below average. On a horse farm with seasonal hay and pasture production, this requires attention to the amount of snowfall prior to the growing season and to the rain that falls prior to and during the growing season.

Extending the Competitive Career of the Senior Horse

Updated:

June 25, 2026

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There comes a time when even the horse that has carried you to countless victories begins to show signs of age. For many riders, accepting that a trusted competition partner is becoming a senior can be difficult. Yet with modern advances in veterinary medicine and improved management practices, many horses now continue to perform successfully into their late teens and even their twenties. This is particularly true in disciplines such as dressage and show jumping, where years of training and experience are essential to reaching the highest levels of competition.

Horse Respiratory Diseases: Prevention and Performance

Updated:

June 23, 2026

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A healthy respiratory system is essential to every horse's well-being and athletic performance. Like humans, horses rely on their lungs and airways to deliver oxygen throughout the body, but the demands placed on their respiratory system increase dramatically during exercise. Efficient oxygen exchange allows working muscles to perform, while the respiratory tract also serves as an important defence system by filtering and removing dust, bacteria, ammonia, and other airborne irritants. Although mucus, coughing, sneezing, and nasal discharge help clear the airways, excessive amounts of these signs may indicate an underlying respiratory problem.

When the Rider is Hot, the Horse is Hotter

Updated:

June 19, 2026

Teresa Pitman, Prof. Michael Lindinger, University of Guelph, Equine Guelph, horse heat stress, overheating horses, horse hydration, equine hydration, horse cooling techniques, cooling horses in summer, horse sweating, electrolyte supplementation for horses, horse electrolytes, summer horse care, riding in hot weather, horse exercise safety, equine health, horse wellness, heat acclimatization in horses, preventing heat stress in horses, horse body temperature, equine physiology, horse sweating and hydration

A hot humid day. One rider. One horse. Both are exercising at a moderate level. Who is more likely to overheat? It might surprise you to learn that your horse gets hotter much faster than you and is more susceptible to the negative effects of heat stress. Prof. Michael Lindinger, an animal and exercise physiologist at the University of Guelph, explains: “It only takes 17 minutes of moderate intensity exercise in hot, humid weather to raise a horse’s temperature to dangerous levels. That’s three to ten times faster than in humans. Horses feel the heat much worse than we do.”

Tackling Dewormer Resistance in Equine Parasites

Updated:

June 18, 2026

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Parasite prevention remains a vital part of maintaining horse health—but gone are the days when you could rely on a routine deworming every eight weeks with the same product.

Flies Affecting Horses: Buzzing and Biting

Updated:

June 16, 2026

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How flies spread parasites and disease - Flies are the bane of many horses’ existence from spring through autumn. In Canada, horse-biting flies include gnats (no-see-ums), black flies, stable flies, deer flies, horse flies, and mosquitoes, all of which create painful sores. Non-biting flies include house flies, eye gnats, face flies, bot flies, and warble flies, and can be just as irritating. It’s not just buzzing and biting that’s worrisome; flies may transmit parasites and diseases, can cause a horse’s immune system to overreact, and some use horses as hosts, all of which impact horse health. Preventing horses from being bitten is key. Before diving into solutions, here’s a summary of the damage that flies can inflict on Canada’s horses.

Understanding Electrolyte Loss in Active Horses

Updated:

June 9, 2026

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As horses exercise, their core body temperature climbs. To prevent overheating, the body relies heavily on sweat evaporation to cool down. Sweating is essential during physical activity, but it leads to the loss of both water and vital electrolytes. These include sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium—key minerals that support nerve function, hydration, and muscle activity. Without proper replenishment, electrolyte depletion can impair performance and compromise your horse’s well-being. Supporting your horse’s recovery means restoring both water and electrolyte levels in appropriate proportions.