Horse Health Information
Introduction to Horse Health Information
The most economically important domesticated animals are horses and they are found worldwide, fitting into human lives in various ways. The horse is famous in religion, mythology, and art and it also plays an important role in transportation, agriculture, and war and has additionally served as a source of food, fuel, and clothing.
In industrialized economies, horses are used primarily in recreational activities and competitive sports aside from practical
uses in police work, cattle ranching,
search and rescue and other duties where vehicles are impossible. While in Third World economies they serve a much wider role in working pursuits like farming, ranching and means of transportation.
With these numerous horse uses, breeders or horse owners should consider a lot of things in breeding these kinds of animals, health is the most important factor. To keep your horse in top condition you need to have the knowledge on horse health. you can obtain a lot of horse health information by reading books, magazines and searching online web sites for such information. horse owners who are less experienced should consult a veterinarian for all the necessary horse health information you may require!
Horse Diseases and Prevention
Shin soreness/Shin sore
Shin soreness or dorsal metacarpal disease is a condition common to racehorses especially thoroughbreds when first brought in to work. It is mainly severe in younger animals around two years old.
A horse brought into track work for the first time immediately causes different stress to its whole body especially the front aspects of the forelegs. The bones adapt to the new stress and start to change as a reaction to the stress.
| Check the front surface of the cannon bones every day after training. By this regular regime of finger pressing on the shins, the slight pain response will warn the owner and the work should be reduced until his bones have caught up. Resting for a long period of time stops shin soreness but when back to work, the horse will experience shin sore again. It is advise to ease up at the first sign then gradually reapply the pressure of training. Consider also the track before work. Hard tracks and wet tracks result in more impact and slide, therefore a longer compression period of the front part of the bone. |  |
Corneal Ulcers
Corneal ulcers follow injuries to the cornea that progress instead of healing it also decreased tear production. Ulcers that do not heal on time become infected. It appears as dark spots or depressions on the surface of the corneas and visible to the naked eye, however, most of ulcers are seen after the eye has been stained with flourecein.
Horses with corneal ulcers often have blepharospasm or tight shutting of the eye in response to a presence of eye irritant or foreign body on the surface of the cornea and they are extremely sensitive to light.
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Corneal ulcers are dangerous and veterinary attention is needed. Early treatment is best to avoid serious complications or even loss of the eye. Corneal scrapings examined under the microscope will show if the ulcer is infected. |
Topical ophthalmic antibiotic ointment when applied 4 times a day is best for uncomplicated small surface ulcers. Atropine ointment is used to dilate the pupil.
Infected ulcers require intensive antibiotic therapy by subconjunctional injection. Cornea scraping is done to take away the cultures and antibiotics is also given according to the sensitivities.
To prevent this, all painful eye disorders should receive immediate veterinary attention. Foreign body should be removed to prevent corneal damage.
White Line Disease (Seedy toe)
This is a disease caused by bacteria, yeast, or fungus where in the white lines disintegrates as the result of infection. The infection starts at ground level and work its way up the white line to the coronary band. The toe back to the quarter is the region commonly affected. A hollow space between the hoof wall is created by the loss of horn and sole becomes mealy or seedy.
| A deep recess, filled with cheesy material and debris develops between the sole and hoof wall eventually. This disease seldom occurs in barefoot horses on pastures. It is a disease of domestic horse management. The horse with this disease is given limited exercise, bedded in damp wood shavings, kept in a wet stall and exposed to frequent daily wash downs or walk in wet grass. |  |
Special shoeing techniques are required to prevent this disease. All predisposing conditions should be corrected.
Canker
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A chronic infection of the horn tissue of the foot, the canker begins at the frog and progresses slowly to involve the sole and sometimes the wall. This disease is rare and is common in tropical climates. Horses who stand in mud or in bedding soaked with urine and feces may develop canker and those horses that do not receive regular foot care. |
The cankerous horn tissues of the frog loosens readily and when removed has a foul smell, bleeding corium covered with a curdled white discharge.
| Moving the horse to a clean, dry stable or a dry rocky pasture and removing the shoe and thoroughly cleaning the frog is the best treatment. Applying dry agent and bandaging the foot prevents contamination. Veterinary assistance is also a best treatment, because canker often involves the corium. |  |
Foal Heat Diarrhea
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The most common problem affecting foals is diarrhea. Foal heat diarrhea is mild and goes without consequences, while infectious enteritis is serious and often fatal. Foal heat diarrhea occurs from days 6-14, affects almost all newborn foals. Their stool is soft, pasty-yellow and not profuse. The foal may seem unaffected and remains bright and alert and nurses at regular intervals. The diarrhea often lasts fewer than 7 days. |
Diarrhea happens to occur when the mare enters her first heat after foaling, it is therefore believed that the hormones in the mare’s milk caused the diarrhea. This diarrhea also occurs in orphan foals. Foals that are newborn normally eat manure and feedstuffs such as grain and hay, it appears that the indigestion of these substances may upset the flora of the foal’s immature intestinal tract and cause temporary diarrhea.
| Keeping the foal dry and clean around its tail can treat diarrhea. Zinc oxide ointment is applied to prevent scalding of the buttocks. Commercially available laxatives, purgatives and variety of untested equine probiotic products are not recommended, as they will make the diarrhea worse. |  |
Horse Health Maintenance
One aspect of horse health maintenance is shoeing. Shoeing can be expensive, ranging anywhere from $75.00 to $200.00, depending on the kind of shoes, farrier availability and the special needs of your horse. Be sure to include the cost when planning your horse budget. Some owners try to cut corners by taking over the shoeing chore themselves. Unless you’ve gone to farrier school, this is not recommended. Remember the old adage – no hoof, no horse.
