Horse Health

Arthritis is defined as inflammation in one or more joints, which leads to pain and stiffness. The condition is degenerative, meaning it cannot be reversed in most cases and tends to worsen over time. However, there are steps that horse...

Riding and working with horses poses some inherent risk of danger, but the risk is greater when working with an aggressive or moody horse. For this reason, horse owners often look to calming supplements to help make their horse more...

What is the best way to support a horse affected by a ligament injury? Unfortunately, due to the nature of many equine disciplines, a horse’s ligaments are prone to injury. In fact, ligament sprains (along with tendon injuries) are the...

Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis (DSLD) is a chronic condition in horses that affects connective tissue, including the suspensory ligament and other ligaments and tendons. This painful condition commonly leads to debilitating lameness. In horses with DSLD, the suspensory ligament progressively...

Painful hoof abscesses in horses develop when bacterial and fungal organisms enter the hoof structure through a wound or opening and cause infection in the inner tissues. The invading microorganisms and the ensuing immune response generate purulent exudate (pus) which...

Founder is a common cause of lameness in horses. It involves damage to the laminar connection between the hoof wall and the coffin bone. This often leads to rotation and/or sinking of the coffin bone which causes severe pain and...

When it comes to feeding senior horses, there are many factors to consider to support longevity and healthy ageing. Making sure your horse’s core nutritional needs are met and keeping up with routine healthcare are critical to promoting optimal well-being...

Putting weight on a skinny horse can be a difficult and frustrating task. There are many different causes of weight loss in horses and feeding strategies will depend on why your horse is underweight in the first place. Weight loss...

Leaky gut is a digestive issue is horses that occurs as a component of a broader gut health issue such as dysbiosis, inflammatory bowel disease, or gastric ulcers. It is said that 70% of the horse’s immune system resides in...

Podotrochlear Syndrome (also referred to as navicular syndrome or navicular disease) affects the podo­trochlear apparatus (PTA) of the equine foot and typically occurs in the forelimbs. The condition can cause a variable degree of lameness. There is no single cause...

While line disease is a hoof condition that can lead to pain and lameness. This condition affects the equine hoof wall in one or more hooves at a time. White line disease originates as a separation between adjacent layers in...

How much water does your horse need to drink every day to stay healthy and how much do water requirements increase in hot conditions or when working? Ensuring adequate water intake is important for the optimal health and well-being of...

Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP) is a genetic condition in horses that affects how their muscles function and respond to signals from the nervous system. These horses have high levels of potassium in the blood and should be fed low potassium...

De-worming your horse is an important practice to prevent health complications associated with internal parasites. Worms, also known as helminths, are large endoparasites which live within horses and other mammals. In high numbers, they can result in colic, weight loss,...

Equine Heaves is a condition that is characterized by inflamed airways in the lungs. This can lead to a number of associated symptoms such as chronic coughing, excess mucous, poor performance and weight loss. This condition also goes by several...

Potomac Horse Fever (PHF) is a bacterial disease that can result in severe colic, diarrhea, inflammation, depression and laminitis. In serious cases, it can be fatal to the horse. PHF is caused by infection with Neorickettsia risticii and typically affects...

Equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM or EPSM) is a genetic condition in horses that affects how muscle cells partition, generate, and store energy. This can lead to exercise intolerance, stiffness, and an abnormal gait in your horse. After diagnosis, owners...

A hyperactive horse is commonly referred to as a "hot" horse. You may know the feeling of dealing with a hot horse all too well: it can feel like your horse is going to explode at any moment. Luckily, there...

Tying-up in horses is a colloquial term for Exertional Rhabdomyolysis, a condition involving exercise-related muscle cramping and damage. Some horses experience a single episode of tying up whereas others experience recurrent tying-up. During an episode, the affected horse becomes stiff...

Equine stereotypic behaviours are repetitive behaviours involving a constant sequence of movements that have no obvious or apparent function. Examples of common stereotypies include cribbing, wind-sucking, weaving, stall walking and head shaking.

Adequate mineral intake in your horse’s diet is essential for overall well-being and function. Minerals play important roles in supporting tissue structure, enzyme reactions, energy metabolism, and maintaining electrolyte balance. Mineral deficiencies can contribute to poor hoof and coat quality,...

Equine Lyme disease is a growing concern for horses in North America, especially during the summer months when tick bites are more common. Lyme disease is primarily caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacteria that is carried by ixodid,...

Building topline muscle and dealing with topline loss is a common struggle for horse owners. Your horse may have a weak topline due to a variety of factors including nutrition and exercise. Physiological factors such as age or underlying health...

Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH) is a progressive and painful dental condition that occurs in some horses. Primarily affecting senior horses, it typically involves the gradual degeneration of the incisors and canine teeth. Over time, the roots of...

Diarrhea is a common problem in horses as it can be a result of many different causes. It is typically a sign of of disrupted function or motility of the hindgut, including dysbiosis or infection. Diarrhea is defined as the...

Body condition and body weight are two very important metrics for understanding and measuring the health of your horse. Both can be assessed easily and without any expensive equipment. Body weight alone gives us very little insight into how much...

Dealing with a horse that has diarrhea requires careful attention to their feeding plan and to their daily management. In some cases, diarrhea is a temporary annoyance that resolves itself with minimal intervention. Chronic cases in which diarrhea persists for...

Diarrhea can affect horses of all ages, breeds and sizes, resulting in dehydration, weight loss, poor nutrient absorption or electrolyte imbalance. Diarrhea is described as the increased excretion of liquid or semi-solid feces. Cases of equine diarrhea can range in...

Mycotoxins are naturally occurring toxic substances which are produced by mould and fungus in your horse’s hay. Mycotoxins can cause negative effects in horses including colic, gastrointestinal upset, weight loss, feed withdrawal, immune suppression, impaired performance or poor growth.

How do you select the right hay to feed your horse? Certain hays are better depending on your horse’s activity level, health status and nutritional needs. Horses evolved as grazing animals that survive by eating large volumes of fibrous plants....