HEALTH & EDUCATION

Health & Education

We all want the best care possible for our horses. The Heath & Education section covers both Learning Institutions, Organizations as well as many sources for equine assistance including Veterinarians and Farriers.

For those who want a to formally study horses, the Education section includes College Riding, Equine Studies, and Veterinary Schools. Learn about the wide variety of horses in the Horse Breeds section. Supplements and Treatments Therapy are also included in the section.

Everyone can learn from Fine Art and there are some specialty Museums that might surprise you.

Horses as a therapy partner enrich the lives of the disabled. These facilities are listed in our Therapeutic Riding section. To help children and young adults build confidence and grow emotionally, please see the resources available on the Youth Outreach page.

Looking for a place to keep your horse? You can find it in the Horse Boarding section. Traveling? Find a Shipping company or Horse Sitting service if your horse is staying home!

Want to stay up to date with the latest training clinics or professional conferences? Take a look at our Calendar of Events for Health & Education for the dates and locations of upcoming events.

Do we need to add more? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!

Understanding horse arthritis treatment and horse joint health

Thoroughbred mare, Tiz Cha Cha, never traveled balanced to the left. When she would collect in dressage or frame over a jump, she would become aggressive with ears pinned, relentlessly throw her head or rear up dangerously. Her behavior was chalked up to being a “hot” off-the-track Thoroughbred; however, a series of X-rays revealed what the human eye could not see -- a C1 fracture of the vertebrae, nearest the poll, causing her significant pain from bone-on-bone contact and arthritis.

What is equine osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease?

Equine degenerative joint disease (DJD) is often referred to as equine osteoarthritis (OA). This chronic disease causes degeneration of the joints and results in pain, inflammation and reduced flexibility. Any joint in a horse’s body can be affected, and all horses regardless of age, breed or discipline can be impacted. It is estimated that OA is responsible for up to 60 percent of all lameness in horses.

Do different equine sports affect specific joints?

Although any horse in any discipline can be affected by OA, there are common themes and joint problems that occur in the varying equine sports. Such as for cutting and reining horses, who have greater impact on their hocks and stifles causing them to have heightened OA risk to these joints. Additionally, hunter jumpers are more likely to have front limb lameness in the coffin or fetlock joints. Any joint that is more significantly used on a horse increases its likelihood for developing OA.

by Sandra Beaulieu

I believe that riding horses is similar to playing golf. It requires patience, body control, and the ability to focus. However, there is one big difference ... the golf club isn’t alive! There really isn’t much else that compares to riding a horse. Ballroom dancing is similar, perhaps more so if you imagine a partner who speaks a different language. Riding horses requires us to learn their language, adjust our natural reactions, and develop feel and timing.

When training a horse, you are dealing with an emotional animal that is so aware of body language it is as if he can read your mind. Music connects with humans on an emotional level and can affect us strongly. If we are affected in a positive way—our mood brightens or our energy is balanced—then the horse will feel the benefits of that as well.

Music can also improve the way we progress through the Training Scale—the six classical building blocks of horse training: rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness, and collection. Rhythm and tempo are at the “base” of the Training Scale, with the other building blocks progressively “stacked” upon them. Perhaps you have a young horse that is learning how to maintain a steady trot, or you are a beginner rider that is learning how to post. In these cases, music can regulate your body, helping you focus on a metronome-like beat in a fun way.

by Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

When we can offer a safe, caring home to a severely neglected horse, everyone in the horse world cheers. If you have recently adopted a rescue horse, let me first commend you for your actions. Saving a horse that is in desperate need of care and nursing him back to health can be one of the most gratifying experiences a horse owner can have. But you must be committed to giving him a lot of time and attention. The transition period is critical. He'll need to be moved in and out of pasture throughout the day, fed hay nearly every couple of hours, and given frequent supplemental meals until he gets to where he can hold his own.

If your horse is very thin due to starvation, you will want to proceed slowly and with caution, giving his body a chance to adjust to change with each step. Some horses are in such poor condition they are unable to eat. In this extreme situation, your veterinarian will use a stomach tube to feed the horse. This is a short term procedure with the goal of getting your horse interested in eating again.

Ulcers can complicate the rehabilitation process. Retired race horses almost invariably have ulcers. Your veterinarian may prescribe an ulcer medication, but this can only be used for a month or so. The three long term components of healing an ulcer are: chewing on hay or pasture at all times, plenty of water, and reduction in stress.

by T. Creamer, Director of Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue, Inc.

Collaboration means success.

We can’t have all things in common, but we can have some things where we are in accord.
The deep, abiding love of horses – the value of the horse and the hope we can make more horsemen and women better . . .these are things we can build partnerships upon.

So when we were invited, at no cost to Heart of Phoenix, to take part in the Josh Lyons- Josh Lyons/Lyons Legacy – Trainer’s Clinic last week, we were incredibly thankful because it meant that message of “Let’s Help Horses and Horse People” had connected with the industry insiders, but we also felt that it proved the industry is looking to work toward an amazing tomorrow for horses!
We are, too.

Equine Disaster Preparation and Response

by Kelly Melvin, Graduate Research Assistant
Jennie Ivey, PhD, PAS, Assistant Professor and Extension Equine Specialist, Department of Animal Science, Univ. of Tennessee

In light of recent flooding, wildfires, and other natural disasters in the United States, there has been increased concern regarding how to prepare horse farms for various natural disaster situations. Being prepared before disasters occur is the best way to increase your animal’s chance of survival and safety.

Before a Disaster Hits

Do you have an updated yearly plan of action for emergency situations? Having a plan of action before a disaster hits can help reduce both human and animal stress, increase survival, and minimize damages. Always heed evacuation notices to keep you and your family safe.

by Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

Colostrum -- you know it as the mare's first milk. It is a complex fluid, rich in nutrients and immune-regulating compounds, all designed to give the newborn foal the immune support he needs to thrive. Unlike humans, who are born with an initial level of immunity, newborn horses do not benefit from any placental transfer of immunoglobulins; therefore they must consume colostrum in the first few hours of life in order to survive.

It is fascinating to note that animal species can be divided into three classes based on the way immunoglobulins are transferred to newborns.[i] (1) via placental transfer to the fetus before birth (primates, including humans, rabbits, and guinea pigs); (2) through both placental transfer and through mammary gland secretion of colostrum (rats, mice, cats, and dogs); (3) strictly from mammary secretions (ungulates such as horses, pigs, cows, sheep, and goats). Though human babies absorb only a very small amount of immunoglobulins from the small intestine, the presence of immunoglobulins throughout the gastrointestinal tract will bind bacteria, toxins, and other macromolecules, inhibiting their ability to be absorbed into the blood stream, thereby improving the immune response.[ii]

But does colostrum benefit adult horses?

I was skeptical at first. After all, immunoglobulins found in colostrum are very large proteins, far too large to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream at an advanced age. Even newborn foals are best able to absorb these macromolecules only within the first 6 to 8 hours of life. After that, the intestinal cells gradually stop absorbing immunoglobulins -a process known as "closure."[iii] I reasoned that in adult animals, these proteins must be digested, starting in the stomach and later in the small intestine, resulting in pieces of the original - certainly not the entire immunoglobulin. Well, it turns out that I was only partially correct.

You see, while most of the proteins do end up being degraded by digestive enzymes, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Aarhus University in Denmark, and the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, revealed that some portion of these large molecules is actually transported across the intestinal lining intact, remaining capable of binding to an antigen.[iv] That means supplementing colostrum to adults actually does have an impact on health. Furthermore, colostrum contains more than just immunoglobulins. It protects overall wellbeing by providing a wide range of factors including lactoferrin, oligosaccharides, peptides, leukocytes, and growth factors.[v]

by Joyce Harman, DVM, MRCVS

PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) therapies, the new “in” thing?

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) is one of the latest things in the horse world (and small animals too). Or is it? Actually, the equipment and techniques have been around for 70 years or more. Back then not much was known about how the devices worked, and what they really did in the body. Even when I finished veterinary school (back in 1984) the “Blue Boot” was a semi-portable, but expensive and cumbersome unit being used to heal non-union fractures.

The science and the devices have come a long way since then. Compact portable and affordable units are available as well as large units designed for use on the whole body. Units now can have many adjustments and come in all sizes and cost levels.

The good thing is that most PEMF devices do work and are a positive form of therapy that can be done by the animal’s owner.

What is PEMF?

The body is an electrical machine, with nerves conducting electricity to every cell. PEMF can enhance the transmission of the internal electrical charges that keep the cells running. Inside each cell there are many metabolic processes happening that all require cellular energy to fuel them. The PEMF wave improves the internal cellular energy.

by Valley Vet Supply

It’s time for spring deworming – have answers to any FAQs with this article.

Equine deworming is a critical part of overall equine wellness. It’s also a rather technical part of your horse’s wellness program. With this in mind, by working with our veterinarians and founders, Drs. Arnold Nagely and Ray Shultz, we bring you a comprehensive Q&A about all things equine deworming.

Q: What risks do parasites present to horses?
Parasites rob horses of nutrition, energy and overall wellness. When left untreated, parasites can cause critical damage to a horse’s vital organs, impair their growth, hinder their performance and even cause colic.

Q: When is the best time to deworm my horse?
American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) parasite control guidelines recommend deworming when parasite levels can be at their highest, during the spring and fall. Treatment for bots and tapeworms should be timed to coincide with the end of the fly season for bots and the end of pasture season for tapeworms, typically late fall or early winter. For best control, look to ivermectin/praziquantel or moxidectin/praziquantel deworming combinations.

The Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) has seen a rise in the diagnosis of equine enteric coronavirus cases since initial outbreaks were investigated starting in 2010. The AHDC Veterinary Support Services veterinarians are attributing this increase in equine enteric coronavirus in our area of the Northeast to improved awareness of the disease and therefore diagnostic submissions. Since 2013, nearly 2000 samples have been submitted to the AHDC for equine coronavirus testing, of which approximately 18% have tested positive.

Overview

Coronaviruses comprise a large group of RNA viruses that can cause both respiratory and enteric signs of disease in various species. They are further grouped based on genetic and serologic differences into alpha, beta and gamma coronaviruses. The equine coronavirus, a beta coronavirus, has been recently isolated from a number of outbreaks across the United States, Europe and Japan, with its rising incidence being associated with increased awareness and testing. Equine coronavirus manifests as an enteric disease in the horse. Seroprevalence of equine coronavirus in the Unites States has been estimated at 9.3% (Kooijman et al., 2017).