Latest News – The Horse

Hurricane Earl isn’t expected to take a swipe at Massachusetts’ east coast until Saturday, but on Tuesday boarding barn operator Dausha Campbell didn’t waste time preparing for the storm’s arrival. “We feel like we’re a great big target,” said Campbell, owner of Serendipity Stables, in Plymouth. “Fortunately, we’re on pretty high ground and

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker announced Wednesday that USDA Risk Management Agency is expanding crop insurance coverage statewide for hay and pasture in the 2011 growing season. Last year, USDA had a pilot program for hay and pasture in only 15 counties. Producers interested in 2011 crop insurance coverage of hay and pasture must sign up by Sept. 30, 2010.

Experts advise: When it comes to respiratory illness in horses, save the gambling for Vegas. Be aware of the major respiratory diseases that horses are susceptible to at each point of their lives (commonly, heaves, Rhodococcus equi, and equine herpesvirus) and use preventive measures, both with management and vaccination, to head them off.

Recurrent colic is typically defined as three or more episodes of transient or prolonged colic occurring over a period of months or upwards of a year. Although a practitioner cannot always determine a definitive etiology without exploratory surgery, many diagnostics are available to help pinpoint the most likely cause of recurrent colic.

At what age is it safe to start introducing a young horse to loading on a trailer? We have no reason to go anywhere just now, but we want to teach him to load before he grows up and has to go somewhere.

In 1998 the USDA estimated approximately 1.4% of the horse population was overweight or obese. A more recent study, however, found the number of overweight or obese horses to be alarmingly higher. Weight management is an important issue in equine medicine, particularly as more details on the underlying mechanisms of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance surface.

A handful of horses graze in a pasture one week; a herd of goats mow down its bushes and weeds the next. This multi-species rotational grazing system has its advantages, but whether they outweigh the disadvantages will depend on your situation, purposes, climate, and forage growth.