Articles: Horse Health

Here at the JediHorsemanship ranch, we put a very high priority on the health and wellbeing of our horses, and we know this is important for people who own horses. This is a constant process of research and study on the optimal environment, nutrition and exercise that our furry friends need to become strong and live long, healthy lives. Much of this research involves the equine behavior in their natural environment. In the wild, horses will travel 10-20 miles a day, and will graze for 16 hours a day. Their digestive system is designed to process food continuously. So why do we feed our horses only 2 or 3 times a day? Is this really healthy for them?


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OLYMPIA — Washington horse owners can begin to breathe a little easier, as it appears the recent outbreak of the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus 1 (nEHV-1) has been contained. Concern about this potentially fatal disease of horses spread like wildfire throughout the state in May, causing many organizers to cancel long-planned horseshows, rodeos, trail rides and parades. The state veterinarian believes that sufficient time has elapsed for signs of nEHV-1 to appear in horses exposed at the National Cutting Horse Association Western National Championships in Ogden, Utah, as well as their stable and pasture mates. Dr. Leonard Eldridge is recommending that any horse that has not tested positive, exhibited symptoms or been exposed to a confirmed positive horse be cleared for travel.


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Individual State Information and Confirmed Cases Below is a list of confirmed cases of the EHV-1 on a state-by-state basis as well as links to each report. The horse travel restriction details are also listed below. If you plan on traveling to a show or equine event during May, please check with the event to see if there will be any changes to the event. Most large shows in May have either been cancelled or postponed, and most shows in June are currently scheduled to proceed as scheduled. Most barns and arena's in the heavily affected states are currently disallowing any horses in or out of their facilities until the voluntary quarantine has passed or for an indefinite period of time to determine the extent of the outbreak, and ensure the safety of their horses. The EHV-1 Virus has an incubation time of 2-14 days. The normal quarantine period is about 14 days for EHV-1 to stay alive in the environment. This is why every time a new case pops up in a barn, the quarantine period resets to 14 days. Some vet facilities and state vets use 21 days as a precaution to make sure it is unlikely that any live virus is still in the environment. If the virus has not spread beyond the cutting horses who attended the Utah show, it should be safe to continue with your normal equine events and travel plans on May 27th, 2011.


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Tips To Keep Your Horse Safe The EHV-1 virus will not affect humans, but is highly contagious among horses. Here are some tips you should be aware of for keeping your large furry friends safe during this outbreak. Including some natural options for boosting your horse's immune system. There is no vaccination against the EHV-1 neural virus. The EHV-1 virus has so far only been confirmed in horses that attended the Ogden, Utah Cutting show. No other horses have been affected. If you are concerned that your horse may have been exposed to a horse returning from the Ogden, Utah show. You should isolate the horse 50+ feet from other horses and initiate bio-security measures to ensure the safety of your other horses. Take the horses temperature twice a day for the next 2 weeks. If the temperature rises above 101°F, contact your veterinarian immediately. Normal temperature for your horse is 99°F - 101°F.


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It's going to be cold, should you use a horse blanket? Friday night here in Spokane we're looking at 16 below but you won't see blankets on our horses. They have barns and plenty to eat - the rest is up to them. Horses are made to handle it (so long as you don't body clip them). Blankets actually work against the horses natural mechanisms for staying warm.


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Baby, It’s Cold Outside. There is snow on the ground and ice on the roads. We are certainly feeling the full presence of winter here in the Pacific Northwest. When the mercury drops, we prefer to stay inside where it's warm and cozy, and neglect the fitness and wellbeing of our horses. We often let our horses stay in the stalls and get fat on hay. But is this really good for them? Horses don’t hibernate during the winter. The exercise that you give your horse will have a direct impact on his fitness and performance for shows and other riding events come spring. Here are some tips for exercising and working with your horses during the cold winter months.


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This post is in response to a question we received on our facebook page: what do you recommend for a horse with a minor club foot on the right who also is slightly navicular? I have her in shoes right now because she is tender footed and last winter I could barely ride her because she was lame so much when the ground froze. This year with the shoes staying on and rim snowball pads, things are going well. My farrier trims her every 5-6 weeks. Not all horses can be barefoot can they?


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