Posts Tagged ‘Domestic Horses’

We all want to keep our horses as healthy as possible for as long as possible. How to do this is the tricky part.

Fortunately we have a superb source of information available. Studies of wild horses show just how well these amazing animals have adapted to suit their environment. It follows then that by recreating the horse’s natural environment as far as possible you will be promoting his health and well being. One of the most obvious differences between the environment of a wild horse and that of our domestic horse is the amount of space they have available.

Wild horses are free to roam, and typically cover great distances each day. Most domestic horses on the other hand are kept in small paddocks, barely a few strides from one side to the other. The impact of this incarceration on the horse can be significant, both in terms of mental health and physical health.

Boredom:

In a small paddock there is very little to keep the horse occupied, and extreme boredom is a real possibility. This can promote the development of bad habits such as wind sucking, crib biting and the rest. Horses are generally curious, active and intelligent creatures. Being contained in a small square however dulls the senses and it is hardly surprising that such horses invent ways to keep themselves busy.

Musculature:

Horses in the wild typically display enviable condition, being both fat and fit. People often explain this as the result of not having to carry riders. In fact, it is not being ridden that impacts the condition of our domestic horses as much as the restriction of their natural environment. Wandering across distances as great as 30km per day,

every day, builds tremendous stamina in the wild horse, as well as conditioning the musculature. Domestic horses are largely stationary, with infrequent bursts of high energy usage when ridden. This is not the best way to ensure your

remains fit and sound.

Hoof Wear:

The inability to roam means a big impact on hoof wear and the circulatory system. Wild horses wear their hooves naturally. Domestic horses are usually shod. As a result the hoof cannot wear normally, and the mechanics of the hoof action depend upon the skill of the farrier.

Circulation:

The hoof typically plays a large part in assisting the circulation of the horse. In fact it has been said that the horse has five hearts – a cardiac pump and four hooves! Unshod, a horse’s hoof flexes as he walks, with each step drawing blood into the hoof and then forcing it out again along the veins. If the horse’s movement is dramatically reduced, this pumping mechanism is drastically reduced, leading to the pooling of blood in the extremities and decreased blood flow from the hooves.

Feeding Patterns:

In a small paddock a horse typically cannot graze 20 hours a day as he would tend to in the wild. In order to make up for this horses are often fed concentrated feeds. This provides the necessary amount of calories that the horse requires, but falls short in other ways. Firstly, a horse’s digestive system is built to handle a constant flow of fibre. Without this, the horse will feel hungry, even if he is receiving sufficient nutrition in total. There is also evidence that few high-calorie feeds lead to ulcers in the horse. Not surprising, considering the stomach is empty for most of the day. Secondly, concentrated feeds can upset the bacterial balance of the horse gut, leading to complications such as laminitis and colic. There is no doubt that any good horse diet must consist primarily of fibre, and lots of it. A biscuit of hay now and again is not sufficient!

What to Do:

It’s very simple. Provide the maximum amount of space for your horses that you can. If you have large paddock try and ensure that your horse spends as much time there as possible. If you have several small paddocks, open them up and let your horses wander at will. This will provide them with another natural factor – company. Your horses will reward you by being more curious and active, happier, healthier and more fit with less effort. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful result?

Carol Botha is passionate about horses, having been involved in riding and caring for them since she was a toddler. She has participated in numerous equestrian disciplines, and has several years of experience in studying the psychology and behaviour of these wonderful creatures. Read more about horse care and training at [http://www.placeofpets.com]

Author: Carol A Botha
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Colic is the most common cause of pre-mature death in domestic horses. It is also the most frequent cause of major veterinary bills. However, the vast majority of colic cases could be easily prevented through correct management. A study of the existing research into this illness, including case studies covering thousands of cases of horse colic, which has identified the most common causes of colic, is the basis for the following recommendations.

Worming. Ensure that the horse is on a regular deworming schedule. All other horses which share the same pasture should be on a synchronized deworming schedule, to prevent cross-reinfection. If a horse has a heavy infestation of worms to start with (e.g. if it has not been dewormed for a long time), then the actual deworming itself can be dangerous, so one should use a laxative to reduce the worm population prior to starting a deworming schedule. 

Food and Pasture. Horses have evolved to eat and digest throughout the day. Their digestive systems are based on ‘continuous processing’, rather than periodic feedings (such as one finds in people or large carnivores). Consequently, restricting them to feedings only twice or even a few times per day is unnatural and places a strain on their system. The ideal situation is for the horse to spend the majority of its time on pasture, constantly eating and moving. If this is not possible, it should be fed as often as possible so that one comes as close as possible to the ‘continuous processing’ it has evolved for. One should never feed food which has gone off (e.g. moldy, fermented).

Hay before Grain. The horse digestive system is designed for ‘high volume, low calorie’ food such as grass and hay; foods which are ‘low volume, high calorie’ such as grain do not provide the volume they require and can lead to various medical conditions (in particular, ulcers). Consequently, use high-roughage foods in preference to grains, unless there are specific reasons otherwise (e.g. for intensive sports, grain may be necessary).

Furthermore, if one is providing both hay and grain, the hay should be fed first. One reason for this is that by reducing appetite with hay, it is less likely that the horse will ‘bolt’ the grain (see ‘bolting’ below). Another reason is that there is evidence that hay following by grain is digested much better than grain followed by hay.

Soak Pelleted Food. It is advisable to soak pelleted food before feeding to horses. The main reason for this is that pelleted food expands in contact with water, so if a horse ‘bolts’ a large quantity of dry pelleted food, it can rapidly expand to an excessive volume upon contact with fluids in the stomach. By pre-soaking the pellets, the food is expanded before it is eaten. This also reduces the rate at which the horse eats, reduces the risk of choke and ensures that additional water is ingested (for horses that are poor drinkers).

Excessive Feed. Horses sometimes manage to get into the feed stores (e.g. where you store grain or other high-calorie food) and stuff themselves, which can result in colic. It is wise to keep the room with feed locked, so that if a horse gets out of its stable or pasture, it will not be able to get into the feed room.

Bolting. If your horse ‘bolts’ (swallows without chewing) its food, discuss options with your veterinarian. For example, with hay pellets one can pre-soak them in water.

Water. Ensure that the horse has access to water at all times. If for some reason the horse has not had water for some time, provide water in small amounts at first rather than allowing it to drink a large amount at one go (particularly after exercise). Likewise, if a horse has not been drinking for some time (horses often refuse to drink during transport), ensure that when it resumes drinking that it is gradual.

During winter, try to provide warm drinking water. A study by the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Veterinary Medicine determined that this increased water consumption by 40% (warm water compared to near freezing water). As inadequate water consumption is an important cause of colic (impaction colic), providing warm water is advisable. Further, there is strong anecdotal evidence that consumption of large quantities of cold water in a short time (e.g. after exercise or after water deprivation) can cause colic.

Exercise. Colic can be caused by inadequate exercise (e.g. horse spends most of day in stall), excessive exercise (especially if horse is out of condition), or rapid changes in the amount of exercise. Consequently, one should avoid these extremes.

Bedding. Ensure that the horse does not eat its bedding, certainly not in large quantities. If it persists in eating its bedding, change to another bedding type which it does not eat.

Sand and Dirt. Do not feed the horse on sand or dirt surfaces. Avoid stabling the horse on sand or dirt. Do not leave a horse on over-grazed pasture.

Dental Care. Correct and periodic dental care (e.g. annual examination, with work if required) will minimize the risk of horses not chewing their food properly due to dental pain.

Trapped. A horse will sometimes lie down or roll so that its back is against a fence or wall, with the result that it cannot get up. Remaining in this position for a lengthy period risks serious colic (e.g. movement of colon into a dangerous position), so if one sees a ‘trapped’ horse one should quickly move it, taking care to avoid accidental injury to oneself. Likewise, a horse that lies down in a paddock sometimes gets its legs trapped under or in the fence rails and needs to be freed.

Temperature. Extreme temperatures (very high or very low) and rapid temperature changes can cause stress on a horse, particularly those which are weak (old or sick). During extreme weather, consider keeping the horses in their stalls. Alternatively, there are a range of horse jackets to protect from rain and/or cold. These should be used if there are sudden extreme changes in weather or if a horse is weak. In addition, although stables should have good ventilation, they should not be drafty (in general, drafts are more of a risk than simple cold).

Change. Finally, one should be aware that horses do not react well to change or stress. One should minimise these as much as possible; if a period of change or stress is necessary (e.g. long distance transport, changes to feed), one needs to monitor the horse much more closely than normal and take special care of it. The ways in which change can affect a horse negatively are numerous. For example, horses will often stop drinking during periods of stress or if they are moved to another area where the water tastes different. As another example, adding or removing a horse from a herd can upset the herd social dynamics, resulting in considerable stress.

Colic is a complex illness, with many different causes. Currently, there is no management programme which has 100% success in avoiding it. However, following the above guidelines will greatly reduce the risk of colic.

Dr. Stewart is the owner of Horse Care. The above article is an extract from his detailed study at Horse Colic.

Author: Doug M Stewart
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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