Latest News – The Horse

Both science and society have a role in deciding what constitutes an appropriate level of animal welfare and the appropriate use of the horse. While science can determine what type or degree of animal welfare risk exists under specific circumstances, it cannot determine what type or degree of risk is acceptable–that is the question society answers.

After being castrated, my gelding became a different horse and extremely difficult to handle. He pulls away and escapes when being led by hand, and he won’t let the vet near him, especially around his male parts. Any tips on how to handle him?

Some supplements have been shown to benefit equine health and well-being; however other products labeled as “supplements” by unscrupulous manufacturers have not gone through a governmental testing process proving their efficacy. Know what to watch for to help you, and your horse, get a lot more out of your supplement choices.

Stringhalt seems to make horses yank their legs up and halt them there momentarily before taking their next step. This is the outward sign of neurologic disease, sometimes caused by toxicity, sometimes of unknown origin. If time doesn’t cure it, the prognosis is poor. But today researchers are hard at work looking into ways to make horses with the condition safe, happy, and free of clinical signs.

Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of managing a horse following colic surgery. Horse owners should follow basic feeding principles and tailor some elements toward the horse’s specific condition to create an optimal recovery environment.