Farm Call: Your Questions Answered
Weight Gain Challenges in Horses
March 01, 2012
Q. I have a 24-year-old Quarter Horse mare that was diagnosed with navicular syndrome about 11 years ago. She gained a lot of weight upon retirement, but now she's lost a lot of weight. We're concerned about getting more weight on her. What can we do?
Ringworm Treatment
March 01, 2012
Q. I am almost 100% sure my 5-month-old weanling has ringworm. She has white hairless flaky patches around her eyes and muzzle. It is winter here, so it is very hard to shampoo her entire body. What would you recommend for treatment?
Thrush Prevention
January 01, 2012
Q. We have been getting a lot of rain and flash floods lately. My 13-year-old Paint gelding is out in the pasture year round, but he has a run-in for shelter. How do I treat thrush and how can I keep his feet dry?
Early Pregnancy Loss
January 01, 2012
Q. While my 21-year-old broodmare was being treated for a guttural pouch infection last year, she was successfully bred. Two months later she lost the embryo. Could the guttural pouch infection be the reason?
A Kick to the Throat
December 01, 2011
Q. My horse got kicked in the lower throat area (esophagus) a while ago. Lately his breathing has been vigorous, and he takes deep breaths. I can feel unusual blood flow upon palpation. Should I be worried?
Neck Nuisances
November 22, 2011
Q. My 27-year-old mare has a growth on the right side of her neck that is now the size of a small Nerf football. It's very hard and I assume it is becoming uncomfortable. What do you think this growth is? Is there any way to remove, treat, or shrink it?
Dirty or Shy?
October 10, 2011
Q. I rescued a gelding earlier this year, and I have noticed he has some weird tendencies when urinating. I haven't seen him drop his penis, and when he urinates he just pees and then he starts to walk away while still urinating. Is this normal?
Dirty or Shy?
October 01, 2011
Q. I have noticed my gelding has some weird tendencies when urinating. I haven't seen him drop his penis, so when he urinates he just pees and walks away while still urinating. Could this be a sign of a problem, or is it just odd behavior?
Post-Outbreak Horse Hauling Concerns
September 01, 2011
Q. My horse will be hauled from an unaffected area to a state that was affected by the recent equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) outbreak. Do I need to be concerned? Should I vaccinate? Should I delay the trip? Are there questions I should ask the hauler?
Mysterious Swelling
September 01, 2011
Q. My horse has a swollen 24-inch "vein" on the middle of his underbelly and all the way up to his genitals, which are also swollen. Is there anything I can apply to reduce the swelling? There also was a hard lump near this possibly from a bug bite.
Weight Gain for Older Horses
August 01, 2011
Q. My 25-year-old Thoroughbred has had trouble keeping his weight up after a stroke (he has always been a hard keeper). Ideally, he still needs to gain another 50-100 pounds. Do you have any recommendations?
A Hivey Horse
July 18, 2011
Q. My 5-year-old Quarter Horse mare has suddenly started developing hives/welts over the last few months. My vet says she's highly allergic to Bermuda hay, oats, and several weeds. Do horses of this age get sudden allergies often?
Summer Horse Housing: Barn or Pasture with Shade?
July 06, 2011
Q. I live in Northern Illinois where the summers can be very hot and humid. Where is the best place for a horse during the hottest part of the day--in a barn with fans or outside? We are on a hill, so we usually have a brisk breeze.
Lateral Resistance in a Quarter Horse
June 03, 2011
Q. I have a 13-year-old Quarter Horse gelding that is in good health, and he is usually a pleasure to ride. He does very well with movement one direction, such as sidepassing to the right, but he seems very uncomfortable when I have him sidepass left...
Coggins Test for Equine Infectious Anemia (Swamp Fever)
May 31, 2011
Q. My horse was turned away from a horse show because we didn't have proof of a current negative Coggins test. Is it really that important?
Summer Slim-Down (for a Belgian horse)
May 02, 2011
Q. I have 9-year-old Belgian gelding that I'm trying to slim down for showing this summer, but I do want to make sure he is getting all of his nutritional requirements, especially for the winter. He has free-choice access to pasture, which I know is not good, but we don't have the facilities or time to do scheduled time on pasture. He is pretty idle for a draft horse
Horse Drops Feed
May 02, 2011
Q. My horse has an unusual problem. A dentist has worked on him, but he still drops his oats while trying to eat them. Now he is being fed pellets. I do not know if grazing is a problem for him, but he did drop in weight during the winter. Do you have any idea what the problem might be? If his teeth were in need of treatment for a long period of time, could he have developed a bad way of eating
Lactation: No End in Sight
May 01, 2011
Q. My mare foaled in November 2007 and, to date, still produces enough milk that ... when you squeeze her nipple, a stream occurs. The bag is not extended, but milk is always present. A couple of years ago my veterinarian gave this horse a shot to help
Arytenoid Chondritis (Breathing Problem)
April 01, 2011
Q. I have an 8-year-old Thoroughbred mare that was diagnosed with arytenoid chondritis. What causes arytenoid chondritis, and is it curable? Are there any management changes I can make to keep her comfortable? Is this condition hereditary?
Dirty Mares
March 01, 2011
Q. Are there any new treatments on the horizon for "dirty mares"? I have a mare that is having trouble conceiving and was diagnosed with this problem.
Cryptorchid Colt, Missing Equipment?
February 01, 2011
Q. Q: My mare foaled recently and the colt's testicles and umbilicus are set way back between the hind legs, more than normal. The veterinarian checked him and said he can't feel the penis. He has not seen anything like this before. Any ideas where I could find information about this condition?
Deworming Dilemma
January 31, 2011
Q. My horse lives alone in a two-acre pasture, but he is hauled to a public barn for exercising. Our vet has advised us to cut back on the every-other-month deworming schedule after a manure sample showed he had no worms. How often should we deworm?
Folliculitis in Horses: What to Do?
January 31, 2011
Q. I own a 28-year-old thin mare that I have been treating for folliculitis (inflammation of the hair follicles) with Betadine surgical scrub baths, and she has many bald spots on her rump. What can I use to help grow the hair back quickly?
Corneal Ulcers
January 01, 2011
Q. I was wondering about corneal ulcers in horses. I have a 30-year-old horse that has lost eyesight in one eye from age, and I am treating him now for a corneal ulcer. I read your article on eye problems (November 2010 issue) and was wondering what medications are usually used for treating this problem. I know I am using (antibiotics) neomycin and polymyxin B and bacitracin, zinc ointment, and
Eye Color and Blindness
December 01, 2010
Q. I have a 5-year-old horse that has one blue eye and one brown eye. I have been that told he is going blind in the blue eye and will proceed to go blind in the other within the next couple years. Is it common for a horse with blue eyes to lose sight?
