Blogs

You are all familiar with my daughter's favorite horse, Moon Light Willy. He has been the source of more than one blog post on EquiMed. A couple of weeks ago, Wilbur (his barn name) had a minor colic.

The warm days of spring signal a return to the saddle for many horse owners.  Tack that was used sporadically through the winter is oiled, coats begin to gleam, and muscles begin to ache.  Spring brings long days, great riding weather, and a host of equine hazards.  Sugars lurk in the spring grass, viruses hide in the bloodstreams of swarms of mosquitoes, and our hemisphere tilts

I was just asked to join a cause to stop the re-opening of slaughter houses in the U.S. and here is my response. I welcome yours.

With my second year of college soon coming to an end, I look back at what I have done so far...pre-vet club, foal watch, livestock show team, beef unit employee, and not to mention countless hours studying for tests and exams!  Each one of these activities has thoroughly enhanced to my journey as a pre-vet student and confirmed my ultimate dream of becoming a large animal veterinarian.

I am absolutely fascinated by the study of equine conformation. I have read oodles of books on the subject and have even paid professionals to come to my ranch and teach me using my own animals. All of this has been really helpful but it is possible to take things one step further.

Maybe with our job the title should have been even more crazy than when we started.

I have never met a farrier who doesn't want to do the best for the horses we care for however, some of the owners unwittingly make it really hard. Here are some of that things that stop us doing our best.

With warmer weather increasing and summer approaching, the topic of equine electrolytes becomes very relevant. Electrolytes are mineral salts that create the electrical current in the horse and are necessary for a variety of biological processes, including:

Looking through and examining the many types of equine feed available in today’s market can be an overwhelming and frustrating experience. Textured, processed, complete, what does it all mean? In order to pick out the best and correct feed for your horse’s nutritional needs, a basic understanding of the terms used to define commercial equine feed is crucial.

Vitamins in the horse’s body serve as antioxidants and are necessary for several metabolic processes, often acting as catalysts in biochemical reactions. Unlike minerals, which are inorganic, vitamins are organic compounds that can be classified as either water- or fat-soluble, depending on how they are absorbed and stored within the body.

Minerals are inorganic molecules, also called elements, which are derived from the earth. Minerals can be incorporated into living tissue (organic) but eventually return to earth in the inorganic form when excreted by the horse, or as ash once the animal is buried or cremated.

Feeding horses with a selective palate can become a frustrating matter, but horses that become particular about what they want in their feed tub are not uncommon. Horses that compete and train at levels that expend great amounts of energy can have trouble consuming enough feed to meet energy (calorie) demands. Older and recuperating horses also tend to back off their feed as well.