HEALTH & EDUCATION

Health & Education

We all want the best care possible for our horses. The Heath & Education section covers both Learning Institutions, Organizations as well as many sources for equine assistance including Veterinarians and Farriers.

For those who want a to formally study horses, the Education section includes College Riding, Equine Studies, and Veterinary Schools. Learn about the wide variety of horses in the Horse Breeds section. Supplements and Treatments Therapy are also included in the section.

Everyone can learn from Fine Art and there are some specialty Museums that might surprise you.

Horses as a therapy partner enrich the lives of the disabled. These facilities are listed in our Therapeutic Riding section. To help children and young adults build confidence and grow emotionally, please see the resources available on the Youth Outreach page.

Looking for a place to keep your horse? You can find it in the Horse Boarding section. Traveling? Find a Shipping company or Horse Sitting service if your horse is staying home!

Want to stay up to date with the latest training clinics or professional conferences? Take a look at our Calendar of Events for Health & Education for the dates and locations of upcoming events.

Do we need to add more? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!

by Danvers Child CJF

Although farriers advertise their services and clients occasionally respond to those advertisements, the vast majority of farriers establish their business through referrals. It’s the way things work in the horse industry; another owner, a trainer, a veterinarian, or whoever passes along a recommendation, and you call the recommended farrier.

It’s a hit and miss selection process. The person who makes the recommendation awards some value to the farrier, but…. “Is that value truly warranted?” and “Does it apply to your situation?” The fact is that most farriers get recommended due to things disconnected or minimally connected to their craft.

Rather than being selected for their ability, their skill set, or their knowledge base, they’re more often chosen due to concerns related to being personable and friendly, being reasonably priced, being known for not losing shoes, or for showing up on time.

While these are all good and desirable traits, they’re probably not the best selection criteria for the performance side of the job at hand. So people tend to add “experience” to the list. Unfortunately, however, experience sometimes doesn’t match up to skill, knowledge, or talent. The fact is that 20 years of experience can sometimes mean one year’s worth of experience repeated 20 times.

So, keep looking for the good traits, but don’t automatically award credibility for them. And consider adding some other criteria to your selection process. Things you might look for would include:

1. Someone who pursues and/or attains certification.
While certification is not generally required in North America, many motivated farriers will have voluntarily submitted to testing through the American Farriers Association (AFA). Yes, there are many excellent farriers who have not chosen to certify; nevertheless, when “flying blind,” it’s a good idea to look for someone who has earned the AFA’s CF (Certified Farrier) or CJF (Certified Journeyman Farrier) credential.

by Hay and Forage Grower

Horses, as grazers, are different than every other livestock species. Notoriously known for being selective, horses can quickly turn a uniform pasture into a patchwork quilt that often results in overgrazing in some areas and nonutilization in others. Their selection habits are often difficult to explain.

University of Minnesota extension horse specialist Krishona Martinson and her co-workers have invested significant time and resources in researching horse preferences for various classes of forage species. A recent summary of that work highlighted these findings:

Perennial cool-season grasses

• Horse preference is important to realize more uniform grazing of pastures, improved forage utilization, and a reduction in pasture maintenance (clipping or mowing).

Read more: What Horses Like

by Eric Smiley

DNA is the unique genetic fingerprint that makes us who we are. From its use in solving murders to its importance in parent testing in humans and animals, it represents a giant leap forward in science. The way DNA has shaped history fascinates me.

If “you are who you are” and certain things cannot be changed due to your DNA, does that also mean “you do what you do” and that every outcome is predictable?

In certain people, yes.

As a coach, my job is to guide and educate. Do I make a lasting difference? This is a question I expect all teachers ask at the end of a tiring day! Sometimes the answer is unclear; sometimes it is obvious.

Often, I watch my pupils compete and wonder whether I am seeing tangible evidence of anything I have taught them or whether I am merely witnessing what would have happened anyway. This is not me doubting myself; it is me trying to be objective so that I can refine what I do.

I am fascinated by what and how much information the human and equine brains are able to retain. But there is a big difference between the two: one is evolving rapidly in today’s high-tech society, while the other has changed very little in thousands of years.

How is harmony to develop between horse and rider when one has aims and ambitions and the other is happy eating grass? Is it possible to predetermine how both will do on their educational journey?

by Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

As if aging isn’t hard enough! Creaky joints, sagging backs, loose teeth, increased infections, poor digestion, and embarrassing gassiness -- just a few of the problems associated with getting older (for your horse, not you!).

But what was once a given in youth, now turns into a deficiency – vitamin C must now be added to the diet. You see, young horses are able to produce all the vitamin C they need for every-day health. This is why you typically do not see it added to commercially fortified horse feeds.

But as horses get up in years, they are less able to manufacture vitamin C. Decreased liver function is the main reason, but it can also be due to a decline in hindgut microflora and an increased propensity for pituitary dysfunction.

Why is vitamin C so important?

It prevents oxidative damage to your horse’s tissues and organs. In other words, it is an antioxidant. Antioxidants donate electrons to highly volatile, damaging molecules known as free radicals. Free radical production is accelerated during any type of physical or mental stress, muscle and joint inflammation, allergies, illness/injury, or exposure to toxins and pollutants.

But once free radicals receive their missing electron from vitamin C, they are neutralized – calmed down – and are no longer harmful.

by Doug Thal DVM DABVP

Equine parasites are becoming resistant to our de-worming compounds. This blog post addresses why this is a HUGE CONCERN not only for your horse, but for the entire horse industry.

Recently I had to euthanize a world-class 4-year-old Quarter Horse mare, a real tragedy. She had badly damaged intestines, and after 2 colic operations, we decided to put her down. Her problems were partly brought on by a severe infestation of large roundworms (Ascarids). This type of parasite is common in young horses but VERY rare in adults. My first thought when I saw all the large adult parasites at surgery was “Why isn’t this mare being de-wormed?” When I asked the trainer about her parasite control program though, she said she had been wormed every 5 weeks!

While this mare probably had a very rare “immune tolerance” to these parasites, what was most alarming was that the parasites were able to survive in the face of repeated dousing in de-worming chemicals. These worms were resistant to the de-wormers being used!

Laminitis: A Year-Round Concern (photo courtesy of Haygain)

by Becky James, BSc, MSc

Despite a long-standing belief that laminitis is a spring-time disease, a recent study identified that there is no ‘safe’ season: laminitis remains a threat regardless of the time of year. The same study ⁽¹⁾ also revealed that 1 in 10 horses/ponies develop laminitis every year.

When to Worry?

As horse owners, we must remain cautious and not reduce preventive measures when the perceived spring ‘high-risk’ period is over. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of recognizing subtle signs of potentially life-threatening episodes.

This is supported by 2017 study published in the BEVA Equine Veterinary Journal ⁽²⁾ which revealed 45% of owners did not suspect laminitis was the problem prior to veterinary diagnosis, making it critical to recognize the more subtle signs.

by Dr. Eleanor Kellon

Tendons and ligaments play critical roles in the musculoskeletal system. Feed them well and treat them kindly.

Tendons and ligaments are specialized forms of connective tissue. Tendons connect muscle to bone. Ligaments are anchored on bone at both ends. Both are composed of interwoven strands of type I collagen protein in a structure much like a rope. They are built to resist stretch, but both structures do stretch.

Tendons facilitate movement by pulling on bones when a muscle contracts. Stretching that occurs (e.g. when the fetlock drops during weight bearing) has an effect similar to pulling on a rubber band. When the stretch is released, the tendon snaps back to its original length, and this assists the pull of the muscle.

Ligaments are meant to restrict movement. They are able to dissipate their stress because they contain strands of elastin, a protein which can deform then resume its original shape.

Overstretching can damage any tendon or ligament. Fatigue and working in deep footing are further risk factors, as are toe grabs or overly long toes and shoes with bars or heel extensions that delay breakover. Age and PPID (Cushing's disease) also weaken these structures.

by Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

Do you feed your horse flaxseeds? You likely do. Good job! Flaxseeds are a wonderful source of fat, quality protein, water-soluble fiber, and have amazing health benefits. Read on and get all the facts about this excellent whole food.

Flaxseeds are high in fat

The type of fat is what makes them so special. What differentiates flaxseeds from other high fat foods is its fatty acid profile. Most of the fat in flaxseeds is in the form of two polyunsaturated fatty acids -- linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Your horse requires them to be healthy. But his body is not capable of producing them. (The same is true for you!) So, it is up to you to add them to his diet. Consequently, by definition, LA and ALA are referred to as essential fatty acids (EFAs).

by Marcella Gruchalak

Horse shopping is stressful, especially when you don’t bring home the horse you thought you bought.

Horse shopping is an extremely stressful and overwhelming situation. Looking for a horse that’s the perfect fit takes time and plenty of searching. You browse multiple search engines such as Facebook, Google and Craigslist, scanning hundreds of ads daily. Finally, you narrow it down to which horses you’d like to visit. The horses you’ve picked out have a description meeting your qualifications and their videos show healthy, sound moving, sane minded animals.

Regardless of the well written ad, high quality videos and pleasant phone conversation with the current owner, once you’re on site ready to meet and ride the horse, there can be multiple red flags that indicate this horse isn’t what’s advertised.

1. Upon arrival the horse is sweaty. If the horse you’re going to see is sweaty, especially in the area where the saddle sits, this is a good indicator that the horse has been worked before you arrived. The horse may be high energy and the owner may have worked her beforehand to guarantee you a more pleasant ride.

This situation may be the most difficult to bridle (pun intended). Two ways to grapple with this circumstance are to be frank and ask why the horse has sweat marks or to arrive early to prevent it from happening.