Equus

An annual index turns EQUUS issues into a valuable reference library

Equus1 min read
Equus
CONTENT DIRECTOR Laurie Prinz CONTENT MANAGER Christine Barakat CONTENT SPECIALIST Laurel Scott CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Deb Bennett, PhD; Laura Hillenbrand CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Eliza R.L. McGraw; Tom Moates DIRECTOR OF ART AND PRODUCTION Philip Cooper E
Equus7 min readChemistry
The HOWS And WHYS Of Equine Vaccination
So much about horse care can be complicated but vaccines are a notable exception. Immunization is an easy, effective and inexpensive way to protect your horse from a variety of diseases. Still, it can be challenging to remember all relevant vaccinati
Equus1 min read
Core Vaccines
These are needed by all horses and protect against the following diseases: • TETANUS: a paralytic disease caused by the neurotoxin of Clostridium tetani, a spore-forming anaerobic bacterium. C. tetani is ubiquitous in the soil, putting all horses at
Equus2 min read
Risk-based Vaccines
These vaccines are administered depending on a horse’s risk and protect against the following diseases: • ANTHRAX: systemic infection caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which is found in the soil in some regions. Spores are typ
Equus6 min readDiet & Nutrition
7 Myths About EQUINE NUTRITION
Thanks to the internet, horse owners have access to more information about equine nutrition than ever before. Yet, some stubborn misconceptions about feeding persist. To help you ensure your horse’s diet is formulated based on up-to-date and accurate
Equus2 min readDiet & Nutrition
4 Ways To Keep Your Horse From Getting Fat
1. COUNT CALORIES IN CONCENTRATES. Sweet feed and other concentrates provide essential calories to horses who truly need them—athletes, pregnant mares and the like. But concentrates fed to an “easy keeper” pleasure horse will only fuel weight gain. M
Equus4 min readChemistry
The Right Approach To PARASITE CONTROL
Many aspects of horse care rely largely on customs and a sense of “It’s always been done this way.” And while it’s never a good idea to let tradition guide your management decisions, nowhere is this attitude more harmful than when it comes to parasit
Equus1 min read
The Arsenal: Deworming Agents
The products most commonly used to deworm horses fall into three major categories: Avermectins and milbemycins (referred to collectively as macrocyclic lactones) are still largely effective against a wide range of parasites, but resistance, especiall
Equus2 min read
The Targets: Internal Parasites Affecting Horses
When working with your veterinarian to develop an individualized parasite control program for your horses, it’s good to know which organisms you are targeting. • Small strongyles (cyathostomins) include more than 40 species of these worms can affect
Equus5 min read
The DOS AND DON’TS Of Managing For Healthy Joints
An unbalanced hoof puts stress on all the joints above it. Whether it’s chronic long toes and low heels or overgrowth resulting from inconsistently scheduled trims, slipshod or infrequent farriery care contributes directly to the development of arthr
Equus2 min read
6 Rules For Keeping Your Horse Sound
When it comes to preventing lameness there are no guarantees, but if you adhere to these guidelines you can reduce your horse’s risk of unsoundness: A well-designed and faithfully executed fitness program will not only help your horse perform better,
Equus5 min read
Manage Your Horse For DIGESTIVE HEALTH
For such a big animal, the horse has a surprisingly delicate digestive system. So much so that you’ll want to make protecting it a priority. A good place to start is by asking yourself a few question about your current management practices. This bit
Equus2 min read
Ulcer Diagnosis And Treatment
In one sense, ulcer diagnosis in horses can be fairly straightforward: During an endoscopic exam, a veterinarian passes a small, flexible tube with a camera in the end through a horse’s esophagus to his stomach. This camera relays real-time images to
Equus1 min readDiet & Nutrition
Probiotics And Prebiotics
A healthy equine gut is a thriving, well-balanced community of various microbes digesting food and absorbing nutrients. Some of these microorganisms even create necessary nutrients as well. Many factors in a horse’s life—including the stresses of tra
Equus1 min read
First Response
A collection of articles previously published in EQUUS magazine ■
Equus3 min read
Laminitis
Laminitis—the inflammation of the sensitive laminae inside the hoof wall—is a frightening disorder. Excruciatingly painful, laminitis can weaken the laminae and allow the coffin bone inside the hoof to sink and/or rotate downward, causing permanent d
Equus3 min read
Colic
Colic—a catchall term for any abdominal pain—is not a possibility to take lightly. At best, the source of the discomfort might be a slight accumulation of gas or a mild impaction that passes on its own. More severe blockages might be caused by ingest
Equus3 min read
Heaves Flare-up
Your horse’s heaves have been under control for months. By paying careful attention to his environment you’ve kept him breathing freely, even without medication. But a single dusty flake of hay, missed during the rush of evening feeding, was enough t
Equus4 min read
Large Laceration
If there’s a single protruding nail in a pasture fence, some member of the herd always seems to find it. It can be alarming when your horse shows up bleeding at the gate, but keep in mind that many of the largest equine wounds will heal without compl
Equus2 min read
Choke
Choke can look alarming, especially if you’ve never seen it before. When a wad of poorly chewed feed or a big chunk of apple gets stuck in a horse’s esophagus, the muscles may spasm and clamp it in place, causing him to cough, gag and produce prodigi
Equus3 min read
Scratches
Scratches is the common term for pastern dermatitis, an inflammation of the skin that develops between the heels and the fetlocks. Affected areas become scabby and crusty, sometimes oozing clear or yellowish serum. Usually the result of repeated wett
Equus3 min read
Heat Exhaustion
Summertime is prime time for all manner of equestrian fun. But while you’re enjoying trail rides, horse shows and other events, remember to keep tabs on your horse’s well-being, especially on the hottest days. By the time you’re ready to seek respite
Equus3 min read
Runny Nose
Asnotty nose isn’t the most pleasant thing to discover when you bring your horse in for a ride. But before you reach for the rag to wipe his nose clean, take a few minutes to inspect the discharge—and to give him a thorough once-over, too. Chances ar
Equus3 min read
Rainrot
Often, the first signs of rainrot arise just hours after a horse is brought in from the rain: Tufts of hair begin to stand upright in patches over his back, sometimes following the contours of the “drip line” where water runs off his body. Or the tuf
Equus4 min read
Loose Shoe
When a horse’s shoe comes loose the signs can be subtle or dramatic. A twisted or dangling shoe will be hard to miss, but if a sprung shoe pretty much stays in place, the only clue might be a slight sliding sound as the affected hoof hits hard ground
Equus3 min read
Tying Up
Bringing a horse back into condition after some time off must be done carefully: He needs to work up a sweat to increase fitness, but too much exertion increases the risk of several serious complications, including tying up. Tying up—technically call
Equus2 min read
Fly Spray Myths Debunked
You might think the more fly spray you apply to your horse, the greater the protection against bugs you’ll provide. This is not the case, however. In fact, applying too much fly spray can be harmful. Exposure to excessive amounts of insecticide can c

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