When an owner suspects that a horse might have eaten something poisonous, the veterinarian is generally the first person he or she calls. In addition to treating any health problems, that veterinarian is uniquely suited to investigate the cause
Toxic food sources are one likely explanation for recurrent cases of hind limb polyneuropathy in horses throughout Norway, according to research published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine in February.
Seventy-five horses
To help horse owners identify and control poisonous weeds and plants and understand treatment recommendations for their horses, University of Minnesota Extension recently released a book titled Plants Poisonous or Harmful to Horses in the
The great Australian Thoroughbred racehorse Phar Lap came to the United States to challenge all comers. He died of mysterious causes on April 5, 1932. Last year a group of scientists tested a section of Phar Lap’s hide that was preserved and on
A horse and three ponies have died, and several other equids have been temporarily paralyzed, following the ingestion of contaminated feed in French Guiana (a department of France located on the northern edge of South America), according to the
Two children and their grandparents were killed by carbon monoxide fumes while sleeping inside the living quarters of a horse trailer the night of Oct. 11 (for more on this see
As if hay scarcity and high prices aren?t enough, experts are warning horse owners that imported hay could also hide horse health dangers including seriously low amounts of essential vitamins such as A and E, excessive amounts of selenium, and
High levels of fungal species and mycotoxins (the toxins produced by some fungi) have been identified in equine feeds. This contamination can result in nutrient losses from the food, and it can negatively impact the health and productivity of
The British Horse Society (BHS) has placed a call for volunteers to organize ragwort-pulling parties during its Ragwort Awareness Week to remove the deadly weed where it is growing on, and near to, grazing land. The second BHS
The 2007 growing season’s drought conditions are causing challenges for anyone who handles plants or animals. Horse owners are no exception, and to a list of concerns including a shortage of hay and lack of pasture growth they need to add
A woman who worked at an equestrian facility in College Station, Texas, where 27 horses died last year settled a lawsuit she filed against the stable’s owner, who had accused her o
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin has alerted horse owners to a problem with some alfalfa hay from Michigan and the upper Midwest. The hay is believed to contain hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana), a weed that is toxic to
Present and persistent since the Paleozoic era (250 to 540 million years ago), the plants of the genus Equisetum, commonly known as horsetail, are considered to be living fossils. These widespread, perennial, fern-like plants are found in most temperate areas of the world. They can have detrimental effects on horses if consumed in large quantities (e.g., four to five pounds
Two people police say were hoping to avoid drinking and driving chose instead to head home on horseback, and ended up under arrest anyway.
Culpeper, Va., police officers Lonnie Myers and Tim Chilton heard a disturbance last Thursday aroun
The recall of a batch of milk replacer commonly used for foals is not related to the widespread pet food recalls, according to a report released by the company.
A batch of Unimilk milk replacer was withdrawn after customers reported that th
Alfalfa hay is an excellent, high quality forage for horses, but it has the potential to attract blister beetles–toxic insects that can kill horses if ingested.
Blister beetles cause inflammation and blistering of the skin within hours
Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with
