Posts Tagged ‘Arthritis’

We have an 18 year old barrel horse with arthritis in his right back leg. What is the best thing to give her for this?

Horses, like dogs, are animals that can do considerable harm when they have bad behavior problems. Unlike dogs, however, who can only inflict harm by biting, horse behavior problems which can hurt people include biting, kicking, or striking out when being handled, and rearing, bucking, or bolting when being ridden. So it is important to have a well-trained horse, especially for youngsters or even adults who are new to the sport of horseback riding.

What do you do, then, if your horse has any, or even many, of these bad habits? The first thing to do is have a thorough check-up. Start by pin-pointing when the bad behavior occurs, or what triggers it.

Bad behavior when under saddle:

Misbehavior in horses may indicate that they are in pain and want to be left alone. If your horse misbehaves mostly when under saddle, then the first thing to check is the fit of your saddle. If the saddle does not fit the horse’s back, it can cause pinching and back pain, causing the horse to act out. An expert horse trainer may be able to assist in assessing your saddle and bridle fit, or you may want to hire a professional saddle fitter, because, sad to say, some trainers may not have that expertise.

If the saddle fits good, then check the bit in the horse’s mouth. If the fit looks good, have a veterinarian check your horse’s teeth. There may be a tooth problem that is causing the discomfort.

If your tack checks out OK, then the next step is an overall veterinarian examination to rule out other issues that could be causing pain when your horse is ridden. For example, if there is arthritis in a joint, the extra weight of a saddle and rider may be enough to cause pain.

OK, your tack is not the problem and the horse has no issues that the vet can detect. Then ask a trainer to assess the way you ride. Do you pull excessively on the horse’s mouth? Do you bounce too much in the saddle? Over time, these, too, can cause a horse to say “I’ve had enough!” If the horse is new, maybe he had bad experiences with previous owners and needs to learn that you will not hurt him. All these things need to be well thought out.

But what if your horse misbehaves when not being ridden?

Misbehavior when being handled:

Horses that try to bite or kick at people when they are being groomed, led or otherwise handled may still have pain issues. Again, the first step is a thorough veterinarian examination.

Is the horse grouchy all the time, or just at certain times? If you have a mare, perhaps she bites and kicks only when in heat. Many mares have no symptoms of being in heat, while others let the world know. If your horse has severe symptoms of heat, an ultrasound might be advised to rule out ovarian cysts. If there are none, there is medication, although expensive, which prevents mares from coming into heat.

Does your horse misbehave while being groomed? Again, if the vet check does not reveal a physical problem, perhaps your horse has very sensitive skin. Just be extra gentle in currying and brushing.

Re-training:

When all physical causes of your horse’s bad behavior have been ruled out, then it is time to accept the fact that your horse has training issues. The horse may have been abused by previous owners, or he may simply be a bossy horse who does not accept you as its leader. The horse may have a fearful personality, and behaves badly out of fear. There are numerous possible causes, but to fix them only three things are required: gentleness, firmness and patience.

At this point you may want to find a professional horse trainer. Be very selective! Your horse already has issues. You don’t want a trainer whose methods will only cause more distrust. Anyone can call themselves a horse trainer, so ask around, talk to horse people you trust, and watch any potential trainer work to see how they do the job.

If you have the experience, time and patience to attempt re-training your horse on your own, then invest in some training videos or books. You can borrow ideas from various sources. It can be very rewarding to work one-on-one and develop a strong partnership with your horse.

Pamela Griffin was raised around horses and rode at such a young age that she does not remember learning, although she does have a vague memory of her first fall off a horse! She’s ridden Western, English, and shown in dressage, but currently enjoys the simplicity of riding in the Arizona desert on her Missouri foxtrotter. She writes various articles as an amateur horse owner with years of horse ownership experience.

Author: Pamela Griffin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Know any good books about horse care? I think I may adopt my first horse in a couple of months. I’ve never owned my own horse- just leased. I’m interested in books with a lot of good information and advice!

-Please note, i do not need you to explain basic horse care to me. I already know basic horse care. I’m more interested in finding a book that will help me understand advanced horse care- like arthritis and aging ect.

The nurturing of your mares health is not easy for the untrained eye. The reality of the situation is horses have no ability to tell you what’s wrong with them can they? So the only way the horse owner can provide adequate health care for your equine friend is by using a keen eye.

This is especially true when it comes to equine arthritis and horse arthritis symptoms. So what things can you keep an eye on that could suggest your horse has arthritis?

As it is in humans arthritis is afflicts us more as we age. This problem can afflict younger horses however in the greater scheme of things old age is a factor and definitely if your horse is more then 15 years old.

If your animal is showing any sign of joint pain, swelling, grating sounds from the joint areas, lameness or stiffness then there is a high probability your equine has arthritis and need equine athritis treatment.

One of the more prevelant arthritis pain discovered in equines are caused by joint problems along with rheumatoid arthritis or in simpler terms the narrowing of the joint space. The first port of call for alleviating the pain might be to test out non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and some even use intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections.

Call your veterinarian come up with the most helpful pain treatment alternative for your equine. The veterinarain can mostly likely be able to answer any questions about arthritis pain in your horse that have difficulty about.

Equine joint supplements similar to glucosamine chondroitin (that aid with cartilage regeneration and in the maintaining of existing good joints) are also administered to help with degenerative joint disease.

Of course your vet may have to do various tests to uncover the main cause of joint pain swelling of your equine. This can involve extracting the joint fluid from the troubled joint and unlock the mystery under a microscope. You could be surprised to discover that your horse has gout pseudogout inflammation or perhaps an infection caused by the swelling.

Remember it is best to consult with your veterinarian before treatment begins about the various side effects certain types of treatments might cause and ask about ways you can assist your horse to get well again or have a more comfortable existence if the problem is too bad to heal. Your veterinarian might also have to examine other areas for any soft tissue damage related to the arthritis.

Horse supplements can be purchased easily enough in most towns and perhaps even an online store being your best option for price. In particular if you have to use the treatment on a recurring basis.

In conclusion your horse is just like humans when it comes to arthritis pain with the very same stubborn form of arthritis being osteoarthritis degenerative joint disease and you should get hold of a vet as soon as possible for the best anti-inflammatory drugs to treat the pain.

Stephanie V asked:

Know any good books about horse care? I think I may adopt my first horse in a couple of months. I’ve never owned my own horse- just leased. I’m interested in books with a lot of good information and advice!

-Please note, i do not need you to explain basic horse care to me. I already know basic horse care. I’m more interested in finding a book that will help me understand advanced horse care- like arthritis and aging ect.