The Importance of Salt for Horses and Ponies
Whether you’re somewhere in the world currently enjoying warmer weather, or contrastingly, at the other end of the spectrum and starting to experience cooler conditions, salt is a crucial part …
Racehorses
An Introduction to Off The Track Thoroughbreds (OTTB)
Among the many breeds and types of horses available to riders, off the track thoroughbreds (OTTB) are a highly popular choice of mount. And for a very good reason! Their …
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TRYPTOPHAN…A helpful or harmful calmer for horses?
Tryptophan is a common ingredient in ‘calming’ products for horses. It is an amino acid which is a precursor to serotonin. This means that tryptophan is one of the building …
TRYPTOPHAN…A helpful or harmful calmer for horses? Read More »
Vitamin B12 for Horses
Injectable vitamin B12 is a common treatment given to horses. One of the primary functions of vitamin B12 is to help make red blood cells, which are important to carry …
Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Recovery
We all want to help support our horse’s recovery post-exercise, a hard event or race. We want to reduce their soreness and help their muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones be …
Laminitis ‘Prevention’- But at what cost?
We all want to do what’s best for our horses. Marketing experts employed by large brands know this. Clever product marketing targets this. That’s why it is common to find …
Selenium- Is your horse actually using the amount on the feed or supplement label?
Selenium is a crucial trace-mineral in the diets of our horses and ponies. It plays many key roles in the body and is particularly important in reproductive health (both mares …
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Promoting bone health and strength in the sales yearling (even after purchase!)
Bone injuries are one of the biggest factors in a horse being unable to realise its full potential on the racetrack. Many factors influence bone strength and density in the …
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The Importance of Protein
Protein- it’s a most crucial component of a horse’s diet, yet is commonly blamed for causing a whole host of problems in horses: Everything from ‘hot behaviour’, to joint problems, …
Horses are meant to MOVE. A LOT…
One of the most significant impacts of modern domestication of horses is the profound reduction in daily physical activity. Even horses who are worked regularly and are in peak fitness …
Heat, Humidity and Horses
Hot, humid weather brings with it some important health considerations in relation to our horses. Heat stress is one of the most commonly recognised conditions associated with heat and humidity. …
Inflammation & Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories in Horses
Inflammation. It’s a word commonly associated with poor health outcomes. Yet a certain amount of inflammation is absolutely crucial to health and wellbeing in our horses. Some inflammation is essential …
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Stress in Horses: Why it isn’t always obvious
When we think of the term ‘stress’, we often think of horses that pace the fence line, shy at non-existent monsters (!), call out incessantly when their paddock mate leaves …
Joint Injections in the Horse- Important Considerations
Injecting joints in horses is a common practice. The term ‘joint injection’ can mean different things to different people. In essence, there are three common types of injectable joint therapies …
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Soy: The Good, Bad and Confusing!
If there’s any horse feed that can cause heated debate about whether or not it is suitable and even valuable for horses- then soy may well take the cake. For …
Feeding The Injured Horse
Injuries in our horses can be frustrating and upsetting occurrences- and more often than not, they tend to occur when our horses are coming along really well. Ironically, although we …
Iodine & Horses
Iodine. It’s an essential trace mineral in our horse’s diets which plays many crucial roles. It is vital as a constituent of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). …
Ulcers in Horses: The importance of understanding how medications work
There’s much interest in ulcers in horses and for very good reason. Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) affects 60-90% of adult horses and 25-50% of foals and weanlings. The condition …
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Tying Up
Tying up is a broad term used to classify a wide variety of muscle disorders which result in the dissolution of muscle cells during exercise. Technically known as ‘exertional rhabdomylosis’ …
Bisphosphonates (Tildren & Osphos): Understanding how they work and their role in bone health
Bisphosphonates are a class of drugs which includes both tildronate and clodronate. They were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2014 for controlling clinical signs associated with navicular syndrome in …
Are we creating resilient racehorses or superficial sales horses?
It’s now that time of year in the Southern Hemisphere where the yearling sales season is gearing up. Understandably, much emphasis is placed on the vendor’s side in realising maximal …
Are we creating resilient racehorses or superficial sales horses? Read More »
The Stabled/Stalled Horse: The Impact of Ammonia and Airway Health
Ammonia- the colourless gas associated with the pungent, eye watering smell when you enter some barns and when you muck out stalls- comes with some profound health effects on the …
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Calming Supplements: Use in the Horse
One of the most often talked about and popular types of supplements on the market are those used with the intention of helping to ‘calm’ the horse. The quality of …
Skeletal Injuries: Considering the Role of Bone Density in the Horse
One of the most significant injury concerns for all athletic horses is that involving the bones and joints. Musculoskeletal injuries are the most common cause of poor performance and wastage …
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Levothyroxine Use in Performance Horses and Racehorses
Levothyroxine, also known as L-thyroxine or T4, is a synthetic form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine, which is normally secreted by the follicular cells of the thyroid gland.
Equine Asthma Syndrome
Equine Asthma Syndrome is a term which encompasses both Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD) and Recurrent Airway Obstruction (ROA)
Clenbuterol: More Than a Bronchodilator
Clenbuterol is a beta-2-adrenoceptor agonist, therapeutically prescribed to horses with inflammatory airway disease (IAD) and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO, commonly known as heaves). It is widely known that the use …
Regumate / Altrenogest and Difficult Mares & Fillies: What Are The Alternatives?
With the rulings of Regumate/Altrenogest use in racing coming under the spotlight around the globe, now is an opportune time to address nutritional and management factors which can contribute to …
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When Supplements actually make the problem worse
Something I see commonly in practice is well meaning owners prescribing supplements to help with a particular health or performance issue in their horse. One of the most commonly misused …
When Supplements actually make the problem worse Read More »
Fillies, Mares, Hormones and Performance
Do you train, own or ride fillies or mares? Have you previously, or do you use altrenogest/Regumate or other synthetic progestin products to ‘control’ their cycles or regulate their behaviour? …