Posts Tagged ‘veterinarian’

What do you do when your horse is sick? Do you run and grab every homeopathic remedy, feed supplement, drug, new horse feed, and bodywork manual on your shelves? Do you drive your horse straight the vet and hope the bill isn’t going to kill you? Do you call up every horse-loving friend you have and ask for advice?

In short, do you throw everything but the kitchen sink at your horse and hope that SOMETHING works?

Horse Health Care: The Beauty of One Thing at a Time

When I first began working with holistic veterinarian Dr. Madalyn Ward and learning about subjects like herbs, homeopathy, nutrition, and bodywork, one of the first lessons she taught me is this:

“When treating a horse for any condition, try one thing at a time otherwise you won’t know what works and what doesn’t.”

That’s a really hard lesson for horse owners to learn, especially when it comes to their own horses. We all hate seeing our horses in pain, whether it be from hurting hooves, an ouchy ulcer, or an oozing abscess. We want it fixed and we want it fixed now!

But often times throwing every remedy but the kitchen sink at your horse only confuses the situation… and ends up costing you more money.

A Weight Loss Example

For instance, suppose your horse is losing weight this winter. This could happen for a number of reasons, including:

• he’s not getting enough food
• he’s not digesting his food well because of ulcers or other issues
• he’s shivering off all the calories you feed him
• he’s not getting the right kind of food
• he’s in with a group of horses who move him around too much

This is just a short list. There are all kinds of other reasons in the horse health care sphere that could explain why he is losing weight, but this covers the basics.

So everyday you go out to feed this horse and he’s cold, he’s lost weight, he’s shivering, and he looks totally miserable. I’ve known people who react by doing all the following:

• blanket the horse
• feed him more grain AND more hay
• add beet pulp and corn oil to his diet
• stop riding him
• move him away from other horses
• put him on Stomach Soother or Succeed in case he has an ulcer

Wow, that’s a lot of “doing”! It does cover a lot of horse health issues in a “just in case” kind of way, but it’s a costly way to do things. Instead of doing all of the above, it makes more sense to figure out why the horse is losing weight, then make one or two changes at a time and see what happens. You can ask yourself some questions to help you figure out what’s going on. Here are some examples.

1. Is the horse being pushed off his feed or moved around all the time by other horses?

If this is case, then putting him in with another gentle horse who shares well can help your horse get more feed and conserve more energy. Often times, older horses or horses with a quiet disposition make good companions.

2. Does the horse eat his feed well or does he take breaks in-between to just stand or to lie down?

This usually indicates an ulcer of some kind. If this is the case, you can try adding a natural ulcer supplement like Succeed or Stomach Soother to his diet to see if this helps. Acidophilus, bifidus, and enzymes are also good options.

3. Has he had his teeth floated recently?

If it has been more than a year since he’s had a float, you might consider taking him into the equine dentist. A horse with sharp points and hooks on his teeth is likely to develop ulcers in his mouth, making eating painful. This often accounts for weight loss.

4. Does he shiver in the cold?

If so, add fiber rather than grain to his diet. Fiber is digested in a horse’s hindgut and produces a lot more warmth than grain, which is digested in the small intestine. If your horse is quite thin, putting a blanket on AND adding more hay to his diet is probably a good combination.

5. Is he in pain?

If you have ever had to deal with an abscessed tooth, migraine headaches, or any other kind of chronic painful conditions, then you know that pain can eat up your body’s physical resources faster than running a marathon. If your horse is in undiagnosed pain, he may be using up all his calories just to deal with pain. If your horse has a stoic personality, he may not tell you he is in pain (learn more about horse personality types on the Horse Harmony website). Consider taking your horse to the vet to get a once-over before making a decision about what and how to remedy the situation.

Horse Health Care and the Conservative Approach

In an article of this length, it’s not possible to cover all the questions that you might have to ask yourself about your horse to figure out what’s wrong, but you get the picture. If you have a hard time figuring out what’s going on in your horse’s body and brain, check out these two websites:

Holistic Horsekeeping (has a wealth of horse health care resources)

Herbs and Animals (a great animal communication site)

Stephanie Yeh is a zen cowgirl obsessed about horses, healing, natural remedies, herbs, magic, MLM, and more. Check out natural horse care tips, ways to fund your horse obsession, natural health products, and more on her blog ( http://zencowgirl.blogspot.com ). Get her free ebook for wacky horses and humans, and order XanGo mangosteen products on her website ( http://www.mangosteengood.com ).

Author: Stephanie H. Yeh
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Smiling shark

He’s been your equine partner for years now. You’ve perhaps ridden in
shows, through trails or even relocated across the country with your
horse. You’ve been friends a long time, and it may be hard to admit, but
you’ve noticed your horse is slowing down.

Don’t lose heart. Just like with people, advances in health care and
nutrition are helping horses live longer, more productive lives, well into
their senior years. But older horses do take a little extra care. Here’s a
few ways to keep your aging buddy doing his best.

1. Give him light, consistent work. Your horse may not be able to keep
up a workout routine for competitions, but he’s probably not ready to
retire either. Keep him at a reasonable fitness level and he’ll feel and
perform like a younger horse. The worst thing to do is let him get out of
shape and then ride him hard some weekend when he hasn’t been
ridden for months. That’s not fair to him and may spell trouble for you
later.

2. Make sure your horse has regular vet check-ups. Don’t neglect the vet
check-up even if your horse isn’t around many other horses anymore.
Keep him up-to-date on vaccinations, like any horse, and make sure
your vet begins looking for signs of arthritis or soundness issues.
Sometimes cortisone shots given early can not only provide relief for
aching joints, but can prevent further inflammation and stiffness later on.

Continued deworming is also important for the older horse. Horses more
than 20 years old may have intestinal scarring from worm damage that
occurred before modern larvicidal dewormers were available.

Have your veterinarian check your horse’s teeth at least once a year.
The older a horse gets, the more likely his teeth will be worn into sharp
points. They may even be wearing out completely.

3. Consider a senior feed. Older horses do not absorb as many
nutrients from their food as younger horses. Couple that with worn-out,
missing or damaged teeth, and many older horses have difficulty
keeping weight on, especially through the winter months. Several senior
feeds on the market today offer alfalfa-based pellets that are easy for
older horses to chew, swallow and digest.

Many times older horses choose to eat very little hay. The senior feed is
designed to cover all roughage requirements for the horse as well as
provide the ideal vitamin and mineral balance for the older horse. Also,
don’t feed your senior buddy with a younger, more aggressive horse.
You want to make sure he doesn’t have to fight for his fair share.

4. Consider feed supplements. If you’ve never used a feed supplement,
now may be the time. Talk to your veterinarian about what kind of
supplement might be best for your horse. Biotin is great for hooves and
coat. Other supplements can help with energy. Of course, glucosiamine
is the standard supplement to keep joints healthy and lubricated.

5. Give him attention. It’s easy to forget about a horse you can’t use as
much anymore, but if you can’t use him, maybe you should loan his
services to someone who can. Many older, experienced show horses
are great lesson horses. He could give a neighbor’s child a few lessons
a week or stand still while you teach children how to properly groom a
horse. He might be a great mount for a beginner rider, or an adult who
doesn’t want any surprises. You could still take him on the occasional
leisurely ride. Just don’t leave him untouched in a stall for days. At the
very least, give him a buddy and plenty of turnout time.

It may take a little extra time and money to care for your older horse, but
when you think back to all the years he’s given, you’ll probably agree
he’s worth it. With the proper care, many horses are living sound,
productive lives well into their 20s.

Diane Samson is a writer with The Lieurance Group, a freelance writers cooperative in Kansas City, Missouri. Samson can provide writing, reporting and editing services for magazines, newspapers, corporate communications and especially animal publications. Find out more about her writing services at http://www.lieurancegroup.blogspot.com. or email her at: dianesamson@birch.net

Author: Diane Samson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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There are great pleasures in owning horses and there are some not so pleasant chores that need to be done. Some people opt to have their veterinarians handle the chore of sheath/udder cleaning, which is fine. However, you need to make sure your horse is taught to accept the cleaning process before the vet arrives. Most mare owners decide to take on udder cleaning themselves, as udders are simple to maintain. Alternately, gelding owners can have a more daunting task.

You may want the veterinarian to start you out or at least give you guidelines on sheath cleaning such as the frequency, best cleanser to use or tricks he may have to make this job and maintenance between cleanings easier. If you wonder about the importance of such a task, I have heard stories of horses that have gotten urinary infections, maggot infestations, and sheath infections from neglect. Therefore, it may seem tedious, but it can save you a lot of real agony if you let it go unchecked.

If you have already tried this task to no avail then try these exercises to get your horse accepting the procedure. You will want to take your horse to an enclosed area, such as a round pen or arena. You can stay in his stall if it is free of any protrusions that your horse could get hurt on. What you are going to do is sack out your horse with your hand. You can do this with the halter on if you feel you have enough control or a bridle with a full cheek snaffle and continuous rope reins if you need more control.

Start by approaching your horse and rubbing his face and then walk away making a ‘V’ shape in front of him. Turn back around and have your horse take at least one step toward you. Continue this approach and retreat technique continuing down your horses’ sides. When you get to and beyond the horse’s shoulder, you should keep the horse’s head facing the same side you are on. This way if the horse tries to kick you can bring his nose toward you with the lead rope or rein and that will take his hip away from you. Alternate sides and go over every inch of your horses’ body, saving the problem area for last. Always keep yourself in a safe position to avoid being kicked if your horse should have a strong reaction.

If you find other places your horse is not comfortable with you touching, you will want to stay working on that point until he is. You will run your hand over the area as quickly as you can without frightening the horse, but fast enough that your hand is gone before the horse reacts. Then you will gradually slow your hand down on each approach until the horse is good with your hand resting on the spot. If you cannot get to the spot then run your hand to the point you think he will leave and take your hand off just before that. Then gradually get closer each approach.

When your horse is comfortable with being touched everywhere but the sheath/udder area, you are ready to start working this area. You will treat it the same way as you did the rest of the horse but with extreme caution as you will be an easy target for kicking. If your horse is a bad kicker, you will want to work on more exercises that address the kicking before continuing with this exercise.

We will start on the left side of the horse. You will take the rein/lead in your left hand and as much as possible, keep your body by the horse’s shoulder as if to mount. This will keep you the safest if the horse decides to kick out to the side. You will bring your horses’ head as much to the left with the left hand as you can without the horse stepping to the right with its hip. You will then take your right hand, begin sacking out the belly area, and work back to the sheath/udder. Do not try to leave your hand there if the horse is not comfortable. Do as before and take your hand away before the horse reacts and slowly build up the amount of time you leave your hand at the sheath/udder.

When the horse is comfortable with your hand, you can introduce the water. Make sure it is warm water to start; we do not want to surprise the horse with cold water at this point. If you will be using gloves and sponge, introduce these as you did your hand. Never assume the horse will be good with them because he was good with your hand. Always keep yourself in a safe position when introducing something new. For the sheath, you will want to introduce the water to the inside and outside of the sheath. Some horses will be fine until you try to clean the inside so be sure to keep the horses’ head to the side you are on and keep yourself up by the shoulder as much as possible.

When the horse is comfortable with being touched in this area by water and your hand, you can either continue and complete the washing lessons or leave the rest to the veterinarian. If you choose to clean your horses’ sheath, it may be a good idea to have your vet go over all the details and possibly show you how to get the sheath completely clean.

When the horse accepts the water, you can introduce the cleanser. Again, do not just dive in; only do as much at one time as the horse is comfortable with adding a little more each time. As soon as your horse understands you are not going to hurt him, he should relax. There are many good sheath-cleaning products on the market or you can simply cover your gloved hand with baby oil and slowly work your way into the sheath applying the oil liberally as you go. The baby oil will help loosen any caked on dirt and debris and can be left without washing off. Alternatively, you can allow it to set for a few minutes then use a bucket of warm water and sheath cleaner to wash it out. Then get a bucket or hose with warm water and rinse it well. Be sure to purchase a cleanser that will not irritate the horse if you cannot get it completely rinsed.

Whether you take on the task yourself or call the veterinarian, it is you responsibility to learn how often your horse needs to be cleaned. Each horse is different but try to have it done at least four times a year; some need it done once a month. If you will provide your horse with this service you will not only add to his comfort and health, you will also have a happier partner.

Jodi Wilson is a recognized authority on the subject of horse training and has spent almost 30 years developing training techniques and solutions for horse owners no matter the discipline or breed.

Jodi is an Accredited Josh Lyons trainer, and is Certified in John Lyons training techniques. Her website, http://Jodi-Wilson.com, provides a wealth of information to improve the relationship between horse and rider. Jodi is also available for clinics and demonstrations as well as lessons, apprenticeships, and horse training.

Jodi has trained and competed in Reining, Sorting, Jumping, Dressage, English and Western Pleasure, Trail and Problem Solving.

Author: Jodi M Wilson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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When you look at horses for sale, you may be looking for a horse that will be good with the kids. You might be looking for a horse that you can bring into the racing world. But some of you will be looking for something more specific; those of you who have seen barrel racing at rodeos or even on television events might be thinking that barrel horses may be a great option.

Contrary to what some people believe, not every horse is an ideal candidate for barrel racing. Though there are fewer particulars than there are when looking for a Thoroughbred that will be a winner on the race track, there are a number of different characteristics that will be found in great barrel horses. Temperament can play a role in the success of barrel horses just as much as the horse’s skills, character, training and lineage.

You read that right – even with barrel horses, you’ll find that one of the major considerations that many buyers have is the lineage of the horse. A barrel horse’s bloodlines can help to identify how successful past generations in the line were, what the horse was bred for and can provide a sense of what the horse will be able to accomplish during the race.

Of course, more than the bloodlines, most buyers find that, with barrel horses, it is about the build and health of the horse. A good barrel horse has legs that are straight, and if you’re buying a horse that’s already been raced, you will want to be sure that its legs are free of any bumps or external scars. It’s important to be sure that the horse’s hooves are healthy, that its back is strong and that the horse is flexible and athletic.

To some extent, you will be able to tell whether or not horses for sale are healthy based on looks, however, before you make a commitment to making a purchase it is usually a good idea to have a veterinarian check to make sure that there’s nothing underlying that cannot be seen by the human eye.

If barrel horses have been worked with by trainers to get them ready for the sport, you will want to gather information about the trainers and their experience. The trainers, much like the horse’s lineage, can tell you a lot about whether the horse that you are looking at is going to be ideal when you’re looking for barrel horses that you will be able to take around the country to ride at events with the hopes of – someday – competing in some of the sports’ biggest competitions.

On the other hand, if you only plan to participate in a race or two during the local rodeo season, you’re likely to find that you are looking for a very different horse. Yes, the animal’s health and build will still be important to you, but you won’t want to focus as much on professionally trained barrel horses. Choosing a horse that is good for overall riding as well as barrel racing can, quite possibly, save you $20,000 or more.

In either case, you are going to want to focus more on the health and build of the horse than on the coloring and markings – characteristics that those who are looking for a horse for afternoon rides can focus on a bit more. When you are looking at horses for sale and trying to find barrel horses, you’ll want to focus your attention on Quarter Horses which are great at running at high speeds in short bursts, or, if you prefer, Pintos and Paints.

Whichever horse you choose as your barrel horse, it is important to recognize that you won’t just be heading into the ring to compete. In order to keep barrel horses ready – and to get them ready if they haven’t previously been used for barrel racing – you are going to need to focus on building the horse’s lung capacity with long trotting on a regular basis. A good goal to set for barrel horses that you are conditioning is the ability to keep a fast pace for six to eight miles at least three days a week.

To that end, keep in mind that conditioning barrel horses is not just exercise for them; it’s also exercise for you.

Philipe Wiskell is a writer for HorseClicks.com, popular classifieds of barrel racing horses for sale, horse farms and used trailers.

Author: Philip Wiskell
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Owning a horse takes on a whole new set of responsibilities that leasing and lessons did not have.

I find that this is the most overlooked part of horse ownership, and I see it daily in the horse world. Horses can be expensive, even when they live with you as opposed to being boarded out.

They are living, breathing creatures whose very lives are completely dependent upon YOU for survival. I cannot state this enough, especially having gone through years of watching people get them and dispose of them when no longer needed or wanted.

If you have any indications that you may not be able to keep up the commitments, I ask that you keep your lease horse and read no further. I’m not trying to be harsh, but this next step requires you to do some soul searching. It’s not really about the money.

Since you are still reading, let’s take a good hard look at the real cost of horse ownership.

There are many articles on this subject, but three factors to keeping costs down are:

Buy a sound, healthy, happy, trained, quiet horse that has passed a battery of veterinarian testing and professional trainer/coach approval.

Keep the horse in a place that is safe and free from hazards.

Research and read everything you can about horses: skeleton and structure, feed and nutrition, care and grooming, feet and maintenance. The riding is up to you and your coach.

Costs for owning a horse go through the roof when these above principles are neglected or passed by. If I wrote down all the people I know right now, whose horses are out of commission, the reasons would be because of at least one of the above principles.

The Cost of a Good Horse

Horse prices vary around the world, so we will use North American averages. Let’s look at a few of the necessities of a first horse and the price for it.

Sound, healthy, vetted clean, not too young or old (7-13)
Well mannered, trailers nicely, can be clipped and bathed
Has basic training levels down well: stop, go, turns, cues lightly, trained mouth
Has registration papers
May have competed at entry level

Price for this horse: $5,000. Price for this pony: $3500 – 5000.

Now let’s add some frills:

Horse has been in many shows and pinned in ‘A’ circuits – Add $2000 and up

Horse is discipline specific; jumping, hunter, reining, breed classes – Add $2,000 (smaller levels) to $15,000 (medium levels) to anything over $50,000 (higher levels)

Breeding: purebred or reasonable bloodlines – Add $2,000 and up. For the top bloodlines – Add $5,000 and up. Poor bloodlines can drop the price of a horse.

Horse has level 3 and 4 dressage – Add $25,000 and up

Horse is a proven broodmare – Add $2000 and up

Horse comes from a notable trainer – Add $3000 and up.

Costs vary with every horse, but these are generalities. When it comes to the price of a horse, it’s not always the quality or training. Market value is what someone will pay, and if no one will pay $50,000 for a well-bred hunter, you won’t sell it. It’s very simple.

Good ponies are worth their weight in gold, so you may have to spend more for a winning pony, but if the pony is young enough, you will recoup every dollar and sometimes more.

The price of horses also is dictated by the economic climate. As of the writing of this article, July 2008, you don’t even have to pay for a horse these days. Auctions have been selling them from $20 to $200; half of the value of meat. Check out this site for the truth on auction horses and the current auction prices: fuglyhorseoftheday.com

Speaking of Auctions

Can you get a good horse at an auction? Absolutely, but it relies on 50% – skill and 50% – luck. There are more bad reasons for horses being at an auction than good reasons.

Should you try an auction? As a first time buyer, absolutely not, unless you bring someone skilled, and even then it’s still 50% luck. If it’s your first horse, it would be heartbreaking to bring the horse home and a week later have a vet tell you the horse is unserviceable for life. We will have more on auctions in a future article.

Cost of Ownership

Boarding

Keeping your horse at a stable varies immensely. Let’s look at the monthly variants:

Backyard, no barn, reasonable feeding, full care, shelter, no arenas – $150 – $350
Private small facility, good care/feed, stalls, turnout, arenas (outdoor) – $300 – $550
Self board, you do everything, pay for all feed, clean stalls – $150 – $350
Quality barn, come competitors, excellent care, instructors, indoor arena – $550 – $700
Competition barn, discipline specific, best of everything, trainers, coaches $700 – $1,500 (plus frills)

Keeping your horse in your back yard depends on the amenities and outbuildings you have. Lets start with the buildings you may have to build (based on averages only):

Outside shelter/run-in, 14′x14′, open 2 sides: $350 – $600 (untreated or treated lumber), if someone else build it: $1,000 +
Small barn, 2 stalls, hay storage, concrete floor, one storey, ‘traditional’ building style, around 36×40: You build-$35,00. They build: $45,000
Hay storage shed: $400-600.
Shavings and bedding shed: $400-600.
Fencing, corral 40′ x 100′: Wood 3 rail painted – $16,000. Bayco high-tensile horse wire at 5 strands: $17,000. Metal: $65,000.
Fencing, pasture: wood, untreated unpainted – $60 per every 10 feet.
*Please note the absence of barbwire pricing. Barbwire has no business around horses. I have a saying: “That horse never died before.”

Building anything on a property only increases the property value, if done well. Anything less becomes a safety issue, which we talk about later.

Training and Lessons
Lesson, one hour, qualified instructor: $30 – 50/hour
Training, one month, qualified trainer: $1,000/month

Feeding

Grain for one 1100 pound horse: $35 – 50/month
Hay for same horse: Grass/orchard hay: $110-150/month. Timothy: $120-170/month. Alfalfa mix: $120-170/month. (pure alfalfa is for cattle. More on that in future articles, or see Kathryn Watts, Marijke van de Water).

Average 50 lb. bale cost: orchard $5-12. Timothy: $12-18. Alfalfa mix: $16-24.

Hay will rise substantially in the next 2 years from the cost of fuel and the depletion of farmland for corn crops. Drought and economy also play a role in the variable feed pricing.

Worming
Every 2-3 months: $20 each time

Vet Care
Call out (before they do anything) $65-85
Average one hour visit with no return or emergency: $250-350
Vaccinations: $120/year

Feet
Trim, all 4: $30-45
Shoes, general all-purpose set of 4: $220-280
Shoes, 2 fronts: $90-140
Specialty shoes, all 4: $280-450

Trims average every 4-6 weeks for optimum health. Shoes the same.

Bedding
Per month: Shavings: $40-65. Pellets: $50-85. Straw: $25-50.

Equipment
Saddles
English, medium quality. Dressage: $1,700 – 3000. Hunt seat/all purpose: $1500 – 3000.
English, used, good quality: Dressage: $700-2500. Hunt seat/all purpose: $400-1600
Western, medium quality, all purpose trail: $1800-2400.
Western, good quality used: $800-2200

Bridles
English with bit: $85-125
Western with bit: $70-110

Halters
Web traditional: $25-55
Rope: $14-29
Leather: $50-120
Lead ropes: $12-30

Grooming Equipment
Brushes, combs, picks, misc: $30-100

Misc: saddle blankets, horse blankets, boots, wraps, first aid, tack cleaning supplies, sprays, bandages: $200-600/year.

Hauling
Average 100 mile trip: $1 to $2.50/mile

Insurance
This cost varies too greatly to make sense or put it on the site.

Total Equine Costs/Averages for One Year
Recreational horse at home (after building): $1800
Boarded recreational horse $7000
Boarded competition horse $15,000

It costs the same to board and feed a bad horse as it does a good horse. The initial price of the horse is the easy part.

Author: April Reeves
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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