June 1, 2011
Equine Health Advisories in the News
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department advises horse owners to be aware of a recent outbreak in the Northwest of Equine Herpes Virus and to assess the health of their own horses before transporting horses or attending shows and rodeos where the disease may be spread. There are no travel restrictions to-date.
Full story
EHV-1 is a common strain of a DNA virus that occurs in horse populations worldwide, a respiratory disease that can cause a pregnant mare to lose her foal, according to the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
Prevention is the key to stopping this disease from spreading, so observe these tips to help protect your own horses:
• Ask your local veterinarian to see if there are reported cases in your area, or in the areas you plan to travel to.
• Keep your horses away from other horses, if possible.
• Don’t share tack, barn supplies, or brushes with other people or use on horses other than your own.
• Keep everything as clean as possible. If you frequently handle other horses for training or farrier work, wash your hands and clothing before working with your own horses.
• If you have attended a show or had your horse in contact with other horses, keep your horse away from your other horses for 10 days after returning back home, and take the horse’s temperature twice daily.
• If you’re planning to travel out of state with horses, call ahead and ask a veterinarian in that state if there are any reported cases in your destination area.
Also, horse owners in the Midwest are being advised to be on the lookout for any symptoms of the West Nile Virus. Recent heavy rains and flooding in this region (see map) are creating large bodies of standing water that are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes that potentially carry the disease.
Common symptoms of the disease in horses include (but are not limited to) loss of appetite, weakness/paralysis of hind limbs, muzzle twitching, impaired vision, loss of coordination, head pressing, aimless wandering, convulsions, inability to swallow, hyper-excitability and coma. Any signs of this disease need to be reported to a licensed veterinarian immediately.
Although vaccination does not prevent horses from contracting the WNV it is a key component in allowing them to fully recover if infected. Primary vaccination of horses involves administration of 2 doses of vaccine 3 to 6 weeks apart. In endemic areas, boosters are required semi-annually or more frequently (every 4 months), depending on risk. Annual revaccination in low-risk areas is best completed in the spring, prior to the onset of peak insect vector season.
By practicing effective mosquito control in your own backyard you can help decrease the potential for spreading the WNV. Regular cleaning of watering troughs, is essential for prevention. Rain barrels and other standing pools of water can be treated with nontoxic, commercially available larvacide dunks that kill mosquito larvae. These can be found at most garden centers.
For more information about West Nile Virus go to this link.
Posted by admin @ 11:38 am
Filed under: horse health, horse illnesses
Tags: EHV virus, horse vaccinations, veterinarian advice, West Nile Virus —
December 29, 2009
Feeding Horses During Blizzards!
We have been buried beneath over two feet of snow in the last month, 15” two weeks ago and 12” last week. Coupled with the other smaller snowstorms and freezing rain episodes, we haven’t really thought too much about riding. So our horses have just been enjoying their shed and hay and haven’t had to tolerate our ideas about moving cows or trail riding. As you (should) know, feeding high quality hay is critically important in these cold winter months and although the chore is certainly more time consuming and a lot less fun in 30” of snow, we owe it to our horses (and all our animals) to be good caretakers.
Of course, when I got back in from feeding one day this weekend, my wife was online looking at a pony she had found that might be suitable for our kids. And later that evening, I found a stud colt that I’m considering purchasing. So as all of you horse owners know, it seems nothing ever diminishes our passion for horses. Horses for sale is truly music to our ears! You can never have just one.
Posted by admin @ 10:09 pm
Filed under: feeding horses in winter, horses for sale
December 10, 2009
Rewarding Your Horse in Training
If you frequent many horse forums these days, you will notice a growing trend in the way people think about training horses. Everyone wants their horse to like them, they’re asking how they can form a bond with their horse, and they’re against correcting a horse for almost any reason, but still have questions like “How can I get my horse to let me catch him? When I go into his stall he turns away and won’t let me halter him.”
In response to the question above, which was recently posted on a horse forum, you’ll see advice like: “Always take treats with you.” or “Spend more time brushing your horse and just hanging out with him, that way he won’t think it’s all about work when you go to catch him.” These answers may help you get the halter on the horse. But they do nothing in training your horse to respond positively to you when you approach him with a halter.
The correct answer for the problem at hand would be to use that halter rope in your hand the next time the horse turns his hind end toward you. Swing it, swish it, pop the horse on the tail end with it. But get him to face you and give you the respect you should be demanding from him. But look out if you post that for an answer on today’s horse forum! You are asking for a flaming, because the current trendy horse owner does not want to hear anything about hitting, swatting, or demanding anything from a horse. We’re just a little too politically correct these days to believe in anything close to corporal punishment.
The real misunderstanding here is that it is not punishment to throw a cotton lead rope at the rear end of a horse that is misbehaving. It’s called training. And a horse trainer who knows horses will confirm that a horse is far better rewarded by the release of pressure than by any little sweet treat you might carry in your pocket. This is the way horses learn, they are programmed to react to situations that please or displease them. Bribing them with sugar cubes might put a band-aid over the issue, and the horse might let you catch him. But training the horse to look to you for direction, to give you the attention you deserve, and to respect your wishes as to where his feet are when you are around him will take you miles beyond just getting the halter on the horse.
When you train a horse, you are setting him up to handle situations that come up in the future. Getting him to respond to you when you approach him, and training him to move his feet where you want them is not accomplished by petting him, brushing him, and giving him lots of treats. You have to train him to respect you.
Now, the actual catching part of it goes something like this: You walk into the corral or stall, the horse turns his hind end to you and faces the corner. You say something to the horse, maybe a “ck-ck-ck” sound to signal he should turn around and look at you or else. And then you swing the end of your halter rope at him. The horse will probably spook (if he doesn’t, you need to swing it harder, maybe kick some of the shavings or dirt on the floor in his direction) anything to get the horse moving. When he does move, his head will come up and start to turn towards you. When that happens, you immediately lower your halter rope, put on a “nice face”, speak softly, and encourage him to continue to look at you and come towards you. You are rewarding his good behavior (facing you) with a release of pressure, and he will recognize this instantly. Any sign of him turning his tail towards you, and you repeat the procedure. Consistency and timing are key, you have to become sweet the minute he looks at you, and become scary monster if he turns his heels towards you. And don’t get close enough to his heels to get kicked. If you do it right, you’ll have the horse coming up to you and putting his face into the halter.
This kind of training is just a foundation for everything you want to do with your horse. It prepares a horse’s mind for riding much better than treats in your pocket. When you ask the horse to whoa when riding, you’re going to do it by applying pressure and then releasing it when he obeys, correct? Or would you reach in your pocket for a treat to offer him so he’ll stop and reach back to take it from you? The simple answer is that releasing the horse from pressure puts a lasting mark in his mind that he will adhere to the rest of his life….even when you’re all out of treats.
Posted by admin @ 4:34 am
Filed under: horse training, horse treats, how to catch a horse
