Horse Health

Acute laminitis refers to the first few days of a laminitis episode during which clinical signs are observed. Laminitis is a painful condition that causes damage to the hoof laminae, which anchor the coffin bone to the hoof wall.

Pasture-associated laminitis (PAL) is a form of insulin-induced laminitis that can occur after horses have grazed on grasses and legumes that are high in hydrolyzable carbohydrates (HC). This condition causes pain and stretching and weakening of the laminae of the...

If your horse is showing signs of acute laminitis, they require emergency veterinary attention and prompt treatment. Laminitis affects the soft structures of the equine hoof, known as the laminae, and can cause significant pain and lameness.

One in ten horses is affected by laminitis each year. This painful condition involves inflammation of the hoof laminae, leading to varying degrees of lameness. Although laminitis affects the hooves, the condition is often initiated by dietary and metabolic factors.

Sucralfate is an FDA-approved drug for use in humans that is used off-label for the treatment of equine gastric and hindgut ulcers. It is typically used in conjunction with omeprazole. Sucralfate (Carafate® Sulcrafate®) helps to protect the lining of the...

Do you struggle with your horse’s stress levels? Horses are creatures of habit and are uneasy when in new environments, changing social groups, or when their routine is disrupted. Stress and anxiety can also be caused by boredom or a...

Equine pastern dermatitis - also known as mud fever or greasy heel - is a reaction or infection that occurs on the skin of the pastern. In mild forms, it is characterized by itchiness, redness and hair loss on the...

If your horse is an easy keeper, sometimes it can seem like they get fat off of air. Some equine breeds are known for being more metabolically efficient than others. These horses may have metabolisms that preferentially favour fat storage....

Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism (NSH) - also known as Big Head Disease - is an uncommon problem in horses that stems from a mineral imbalance. This skeletal condition develops due to a calcium deficiency or an imbalanced ratio of dietary calcium...

Horses involved in endurance riding require appropriate fitness training, careful management, and balanced nutrition to support stamina and recovery. Endurance racing may involve horses covering up to 100 miles or 160 kilometres in a single day. This poses challenges with...

Gastric ulcers are lesions in the horse's stomach that can cause pain, recurrent colic, poor exercise tolerance, weight loss and behavioural changes in your horse. Ulcers in the squamous (upper) region of the stomach form when gastric acids come into...

To blanket or not to blanket? In the colder winter weather, that is the question facing many horse owners. Like blankets, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Whether you should blanket your horse depends on the individual horse and management situation....

Joint wear and tear is a part of every equine athlete's life. As your horse ages, joints naturally become stiff and sore - a process that is accelerated with heavy exercise. Joint injections deliver medication directly to the affected joints.

Up to 90% of horses treated for gastric ulcers with omeprazole can experience a recurrence of ulcers when they stop taking this drug. Horses can develop rebound acid hypersecretion (RAHS) after the discontinuation of omeprazole. Higher levels of stomach acid...

Ponies and horses have different nutritional requirements and need to be fed in different ways. The feeding program you use for your horse may not work for your pony, even if you adjust feeding rates to match body weight. Ponies...

Iodine is an essential trace mineral required by horses and all mammals. It is used to make thyroid hormones that control metabolism in all cells of the body. Forages and grains are typically low in iodine because most soils have...

What are the advantages of steaming or soaking hay before you feed it to your horse? There are pros and cons for each method of preparing hay. Both steaming and soaking are beneficial for reducing dust in hay.

Bartonella is a type of bacteria that can infect humans as well as other mammals, including horses and donkeys. The resulting infection, known as bartonellosis, has been documented in many regions throughout the world.

Kissing spine is a skeletal abnormality in horses in which bony growths on the vertebrae of the spine touch or "kiss". These bony outgrowths are called dorsal spinous processes.

If you have a horse prone to laminitis, deciding what to feed can be stressful. Feeding a diet that is too rich in sugars can make things worse for your horse and lead to flare-ups. But there are some simple...

Winter laminitis is a circulatory condition that causes sore hooves in horses exposed to cold temperatures. Horses affected by winter laminitis have impaired circulation within their hooves, leading to pain and inflammation in the laminae.

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is an infectious disease of the horse’s central nervous system. It is one of the most difficult diseases for veterinarians to diagnose because it often mimics other conditions and has a wide range of symptoms that...

The label on your horse's feed bag provides valuable information to help you make feeding decisions for your horse. Known as the feed tag, this label describes the nutritional composition of your horse's feed and how it is intended to...

Veterinarians report that they are treating more horses for hyperlipidemia, potentially as a result of modern sedentary lifestyles and the feeding of high-carbohydrate diets. This life-threatening condition commonly occurs in ponies, miniature horses, and donkeys with insulin resistance.

Trace minerals are a small component of your horse's overall dietary intake, but they play essential roles in equine well-being and health. These minerals can be provided in your horse's diet in either an organic or inorganic form. Not to...

Kelp is a species of seaweed that is a nutritionally-dense source of protein and trace minerals. It contains the essential mineral iodine, which is important for thyroid function, growth and metabolism.

Physitis is the most common developmental disease that affects the bones of growing horses. This condition involves swelling around the growth plates (physes) of long bones in a young horse’s legs. It can lead to pain, stiffness in the joints,...

Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) is a common developmental disease involving the joints and cartilage of horses. OCD typically develops during the first year of life and can lead to ongoing joint health issues. It is the leading cause of lameness and...

In the last year, over six thousand horse owners from all over North America used Mad Barn to analyze their horses' diets. We looked at diets for weanlings, broodmares, pasture pets, prize-winning racehorses, the odd mule, and everything in between....

Osteoarthritis (also known as Degenerative Joint Disease) involves joint inflammation and progressive degeneration of the cartilage lining. It also involves changes in the bone and soft tissues of the joint. Arthritis is thought to affect more than half of all...