Preparing your broodmare for breeding and pregnancy requires careful planning to ensure she is in optimal condition to carry and deliver a healthy foal. A Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE) provides a health assessment of mares being considered for breeding. Some mares may require advanced reproductive testing to ensure they can conceive and carry a healthy foal to term. Before breeding, your broodmare should have a healthy body condition score (BCS) of between 5 and 6 on the 9-point Henneke scale. Ensure your horse is up to date on deworming and vaccinations, and have your veterinarian perform a comprehensive exam to identify metabolic conditions. Work with a nutritionist to formulate a feeding plan to support your broodmare and the developing foal. After the fifth month of gestation, nutrient requirements for energy and protein increase, and by the seventh month, mineral needs also increase.

Are you considering setting up a track system such as the Paddock Paradise for your horse? Jaime Jackson designed the Paddock Paradise concept based on the lifestyle of the wild and free-roaming American Mustangs living in the U.S. Great Basin. A Paddock Paradise system gives domestic horses an environment resembling their natural habitat

Horses may not require as much sleep as humans, but quality sleep is still vital for your equine's overall health and well-being. Although horses can sleep standing up thanks to their unique stay apparatus, REM sleep is only possible when they are lying down, and their muscles can relax. Many factors can prevent a horse from getting enough quality sleep and lead to signs of sleep deprivation. Factors include pain, injury, health conditions, loud or bright barn environments, and even social hierarchy. While equine sleep disorders are still poorly understood, horse owners should be aware of the signs of sleep deprivation in horses and take action to improve their horse's sleep quality.

You bring your horses in from turnout only to find their legs and hooves coated in mud. You know that mud is bad for your horse, but why and what can you do about it? Hosing down a muddy horse may be an all-too-common experience for equestrians that live in rainy climates, low-lying regions or areas with clay soils. Not only is mud a nuisance to clean, but muddy conditions also increase the risk of injuries, infections and health conditions such as cellulitis or lymphangitis. Tack shops are stocked with products promising to prevent mud-related diseases in horses and there is ample discussions online about whether these products work.

Weaving is a locomotive stereotypic behaviour typically seen in stabled horses. It is estimated that between 3 to 10% of horses kept in stables weave. The expression of this behaviour involves repetitive shifting of body weight from one front leg to the other, combined with a sideways swaying of the head. Occasionally, this repetitive swaying motion involves the hindquarters. Stall weaving serves no function or purpose. This stereotypy may develop when a horse is prevented from walking toward a desired goal, such as a feed or other horses. Horses may begin weaving as a result of stress, frustration, their environment, or an inability to express natural equine behaviours. Over time, weaving can cause hoof and joint problems or lead to weight loss if it interferes with eating behaviour.

Horses can experience a number of different dental issues over their lifetime, impacting their ability to chew and digest their feed. Unaddressed dental issues can affect your horse's health, condition, behaviour and performance. This is why it’s important to have your horse's teeth checked by an experienced veterinarian or equine dentist on a regular basis. Dental problems are the third most common medical problem seen in large animal practices in the U.S.

Is your horse showing signs of girthiness? Also known as girth aversion or cinch sensitivity, horses that are girthy express signs of discomfort when they are being saddled. A girthy horse may respond to having a girth tightened by expressing various behaviors ranging from tossing their head, biting, swishing the tail, stomping their hooves, and moving away from their handler. Such behaviours can be problematic for horse owners, handlers, and grooms to manage. These behaviors could also be a sign of an underlying health problem, such as gastric ulcers.

Unexplained weight loss in your horse is a cause for concern for any horse owner but is often straightforward to diagnose and address. If your horse is losing body condition, it could indicate an undiagnosed health problem or it may be time to consider changes to your horse's feeding and management. Older horses and horses affected by chronic disease are more prone to weight loss than healthy horses. Weight loss may also indicate a gut health issue, dental problem or concern with your horse's social grouping. Horses also lose weight when exposed to extreme weather or when fed a diet that does not provide sufficient dietary energy to match their needs.

Dehydration is a serious problem in competing and working horses, especially during hot weather. Horses competing in endurance racing or engaging in sustained or strenuous activities are at the highest risk of dehydration. Dehydration occurs when a horse loses excessive fluids from sweat, urine, feces, and respiration. If this fluid loss is not offset by water consumption, dehydration can occur.

Does your horse resist going in the trailer or show signs of stress after being unloaded at your destination? You may need to trailer your horse for many reasons, such as seeing a veterinarian, competing, breeding, or for recreational purposes. Trailer stress can make it more difficult to load your horse, increase the dangers of transit, and negatively impact health and performance.

The horse's knee is a complex joint, susceptible to trauma and progressive arthritis - especially in performance horses. Knee (or carpal) lameness is characterized by a shuffling gait, shortened foreleg strides, tripping in front due to not being able to lift the hoof fully off the ground, and swelling or heat on the knee. The causes of knee lameness are varied. It is most often seen in horses that take excessive weight or concussion onto their front legs, such as jumpers, barrel racers, reiners, and cutters.

The internet is full of criticism and judgment about what we do wrong with our horses. We’re often told that we aren’t good enough because we don’t jump high enough, don’t ride well enough, or can’t afford the most expensive horse. But at the end of the day, what matters most is that you have a happy, healthy, willing horse and that you two are both enjoying your time together.