Recent News for Seasonal Care
Article
Stay Cool: Helping Horses Adjust in Extreme Heat
August 04, 2006
The heat wave that swept across the U.S. this week broke temperature records and strained power grids as people cranked up the air conditioning in an attempt to keep cool. Horses also suffered in the extreme temperatures, prompting a shut-down a... Read More
Article
Heat Stress Prevention
April 13, 2006
Editor's Note: Dr. Godman, DVM, MS, graduated from Auburn's vet school 1993 and received his Masters at University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center. He currently works for the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority. Nice... Read More
Article
Failure to Sweat
April 01, 2006
A horse in motion is a striking image: Vigorous, powerful, animated. In your mind's eye you can imagine his ears pricked forward, nostrils flared, limbs strumming the ground, streaks of sweat punctuating his rippling muscles. To create... Read More
Article
Winter and Cold Weather Care (Book Excerpt)
January 25, 2006
During winter the horse needs additional forage to create more body heat, clean unfrozen water, and some kind of shelter or windbreak. In some climates he may need blanketing if his winter hair coat is inadequate. Cold weather is not a problem if... Read More
Article
Equine Winter Nutrition
December 01, 2005
Come the days of long shadows, when the sun lies low in the sky, jeweled leaves crumble and fade away, and the wind's crispness hints of the cold, gray days on the way. The pasture dies down. It's time to start getting extra fuel into your... Read More
Article
Ward Off Winter
November 01, 2005
If you live where you have changing seasons, winter is a challenge. While you might be partial to winter weather and the recreational pleasures it provides, you probably also appreciate the many problems it creates for you at the... Read More
Article
New Turfway Surface Well Received, But Test Comes This Winter
October 17, 2005
The Polytrack experiment at Turfway Park was deemed a success--especially for safety reasons--at the conclusion of the 22-day summer/fall meet, though the Northern Kentucky racetrack expects to get a more accurate picture of the synthetic surfac... Read More
Article
Blanketing Q&A
October 01, 2005
Crisp fall air signals a perennial dilemma for many horse owners: To blanket or not to blanket? ... Read More
Article
Drinking Water Temperature (Book Excerpt)
September 28, 2005
If during cold weather horses have only warm water available, they will drink a greater volume per day than if they have only icy cold water available. But if they have a choice between warm and icy water simultaneously ... Read More
Article
Waterers That Work in Winter
January 01, 2005
Fresh water is important to horses all year, especially in winter. Some waterers are designed to remain functional in cold weather--with an insulated tank or bowl, a heater, or a combination of a heating unit and insulation. Following are some o... Read More
Article
Horses Need Special Winter Care Too
December 28, 2004
From the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Extension/CEPS Most animals that live outside need special care during cold months, and horses are no exception. Maintenance of the hooves is as... Read More
Article
Water Access in Winter
December 07, 2004
Make sure horses have good access to water and are drinking. They drink less during cold or wet weather, but still need an adequate supply or they may become impacted. ... Read More
Article
Winter Respiratory Health
December 01, 2004
Editor's Note: This excerpt is from Chapter 7 of Care & Management of Horses by Heather Smith Thomas. The book is available from <A href="http://www.exclusivelyequine.com/ViewProduct.aspx?productID=B11-1086(BHP)"... Read More
Article
Blankets and Blanketing
November 22, 2004
Most outdoor horses are better off without blankets, but a blanket can help keep a horse comfortable when trailering, during a severe winter storm, or when a horse is sick and having trouble staying warm. A clipped horse will need a blanket in cold w... Read More
Article
Feeding in Winter
November 16, 2004
A horse's nutrient requirements increase with cold weather; he needs more calories to generate heat to keep warm. Mature horses in good condition usually don't need grain, however, if they have good winter pasture or grass hay. A little alfalfa hay... Read More
Article
Fall and Winter Bring Forage Risks
November 10, 2004
Now that we've had our first frost in Central Kentucky (and many areas have had more than that), your pastures might be higher in carbohydrates and thus more dangerous for laminitic and/or metabolically challenged horses (such as Cushingoid... Read More
Article
Winter Riding
November 03, 2004
Give your horse longer warm-up and cooling-out time in cold weather to prevent tendon injury. Frozen ground, cold temperatures, and stiff tendons (not warmed up) can result in damage or even a bowed tendon. ... Read More
Article
Winter Skin Problems
October 27, 2004
Some of the skin problems that can plague a horse in winter are ringworm, lice, and mites. Ringworm is a skin disease caused by a fungus, and many kinds are contagious to other animals and to humans.... Read More
Article
Horse Care in the Fall
September 28, 2004
Fall deworming is important; winter is usually when internal parasites do the most damage and rob the horse of vital nutrients. By fall the worm eggs and larvae eaten during spring and summer have matured and are living in the digestive tract unless ... Read More
Article
Prepare for Winter Now
September 01, 2004
Summer might still be going strong where you are, but we all know that sooner or later winter will be on its way, bringing shorter days, colder temperatures, and in many regions, snow and ice. For horse owners, winter is a true test of one's... Read More
Article
Heat Stress in Horses
July 01, 2003
Beneath your helmet, your head feels hot and sweat drips off your face as you ride. Your horse's neck is soaked, and your reins are slippery and lathered. The more you call for an effort from your horse, the more sluggish he seems. Despite movin... Read More
Article
West Nile Virus Found in Overwintering Mosquito in Pennsylvania
February 26, 2003
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Lehigh County West Nile virus (WNV) personnel detected WNV in a Catasaqua Borough mosquito pool. The West Nile virus workers were collecting samples to determine the status of the... Read More
Article
Ice, Snow, Cold Hit Horse Country Hard
February 19, 2003
From Kentucky up through New York, the recent winter storm’s ice and snow has caused major problems for horse owners and those in the horse business. In Kentucky, an inch or more of ice coated every surface starting Feb. 16, causing power lines... Read More
Article
Sallee On the Road, Barely
February 18, 2003
Robert Maxwell, owner of Sallee Van company in Lexington, said generators are keeping the phones, lights, and a little heat on in the office, but downed trees are keeping larger trucks in the parking lot. "We can’t get the big trucks of... Read More
Article
Ice Storm Disrupts Veterinary Services in Kentucky
February 18, 2003
Despite the disaster of ice, snow, and cold weather, all three of the major veterinary clinics in Central Kentucky are up and running, although Hagyard-Davidson-McGee is on emergency power. Dr. Doug Byars, head of the medicine clinic at... Read More
