An Appaloosa gelding in Hastings County, Ontario, recently tested positive for equine influenza. The horse was purchased from an auction in Northumberland County and developed a cough and nasal discharge the following day. Four additional horses on the property have been vaccinated for influenza and only developed mild signs.EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. TheEDCCis an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.About Equine InfluenzaEquine influenzais a highly contagious respiratory disease that infects horses, ponies, and other equids, such as donkeys, mules, and zebras. The virus that causes it is spread via saliva and respiratory secretions from infected horses. Horses are commonly exposed via horse-to-horse contact; aerosol transmission from coughing and sneezing; and contact with humans contaminated hands, shoes, or clothes or contaminated tack, buckets, or other equipment.Clinical signs of equine influenza infection can include a high fever (up to 106F); a dry, hacking cough; depression; weakness; anorexia; serous (watery) nasal discharge; and slightly enlarged lymph nodes. Consider monitoring your horses health at shows by taking his temperature daily, which can help you pick up on signs of infection early and take appropriate measures to reduce disease spread.Vaccinationis an important and inexpensive way to protect your horse. US Equestrian requires proof that horses have had an equine influenza vaccination within the six months prior to attending organization-sanctioned competitions or events. Your veterinarian can help you determine what other vaccines your horse might benefit from.In addition to vaccinating, following strictbiosecurity protocolscan help reduce your horses chance of infection and disease. Such measures include quarantining new equine arrivals at barns, disinfecting buckets and equipment, and preventing nose-to-nose contact between horses.

A yearling Quarter Horse colt in the District of Temiskaming, Ontario, recently tested positive for strangles. The horse was purchased from a farm in southern Ontario and was paired with a gelding upon arrival at his new farm. About 10 days later, he developed swollen lymph nodes, nasal discharge, and fever and tested positive forS. equi. He is now under quarantine.EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. TheEDCCis an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.About StranglesStranglesin horses is an infection caused byStreptococcus equisubspeciesequiand spread through direct contact with other equids or contaminated surfaces. Horses that arent showing clinical signs can harbor and spread the bacteria, and recovered horses remain contagious for at least six weeks, with the potential to cause outbreaks long-term.Infected horses can exhibit a variety of clinical signs:FeverSwollen and/or abscessed lymph nodesNasal dischargeCoughing or wheezingMuscle swellingDifficulty swallowingVeterinarians diagnose horses using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing with either a nasal swab, wash, or an abscess sample, and they treat most cases based on clinical signs, implementing antibiotics for severe cases. Overuse of antibiotics can prevent an infected horse from developing immunity. Most horses make a full recovery in three to four weeks.A vaccine is available but not always effective. Biosecurity measures of quarantining new horses at a facility and maintaining high standards of hygiene and disinfecting surfaces can helplower the risk of outbreakorcontain one when it occurs.

Foals are dependent on a milk-based diet for the first 3 4 months of life.| iStockNewborn foals are precocious, active, and grow at an incredible rate. They can stand and gallop within a few hours of birth and gain 11.5 kg (2.2-3.3 lb.) per day during the first month of life. That rapid growth makes early nutrition and care especially criticalso when a broodmare dies, the tragedy deepens if her orphaned foal is not quickly placed on an effective feeding and management program that closely mimics natural nursing. With proper care, orphan foals can still successfully develop into healthy, thriving adults.The first and most important step is getting colostrum into newborn foals within the first two hours of life. This first milk gives foals the antibodies they need to temporarily build up their immune systems to fight disease, but after 18-24 hours they can no longer absorb these antibodies. A foal orphaned without receiving colostrum must be given colostrum from another mare, frozen colostrum or antibody-rich plasma as soon as possible, ideally within 3 12 hours. Foals are dependent on a milk-based diet for the first 3 4 months of life. If orphaned during this time, the short-term, emergency feeding is best addressed by feeding a well-formulated mare milk replacer. If mare milk replacer is not immediately available, choose a nonmedicated kid (goat) or multiple-species milk replacer. Other suitable options in an emergency include unmodified goat milk or low-fat cow milk (2% fat) with 20g/L of dextrose added. Sucrose should not be used because young foals lack enzymes to digest it.Longterm feeding options include use of a nurse mare, induction of lactation in a parous (has foaled at least once in the past) barren mare, or hand raising with an appropriate milk replacer. Securing a substitute nurse mare is the ideal solution for raising an orphan foal. A well-fed lactating mare can effectively support two nursing foals, if the foals receive a high-quality mare-and-foal feed. The appropriate foal feed will help nutritionally support good, steady growth and accustom foals to eating dry feed.When a suitable nurse mare is unavailable, mares milk replacer is necessary for orphan foals and possibly foals whose dams have low milk production. Raising a foal on milk replacer requires intensive and vigilant management. A foals small stomach limits how much it can eat per feeding, but hand feeding more often than every two hours isnt practical for most owners. If high volume intakes are desired, consider an automated system or free-choice feeding.In one study foals orphaned from 12-24 hours postpartum reportedly grew slower in the first two weeks of life compared with mare-nursed peers, but both groups grew at similar rates from two weeks through 50 days. Foals fed 26% more than their recommended intake ate less solid food, drank less water, and experienced diarrhea earlier and for longer duration than those fed milk replacer as recommended or mare-nursed foals. High volume intakes of milk replacer appeared to prolong diarrhea. Foals fed milk replacer do not always develop diarrhea but can experience soft feces.Diarrhea in replacer-fed foals at 1 to 2 weeks of age might or might not reflect feeding mismanagement. Maintaining accurate feed intake records on orphan foals and mixing the replacer accurately are important to success of the program. Normal growth rates occur when milk replacer and good-quality feeds are fed concurrently.To help orphans through the tough early stages of life, review the emergency feeding program developed by thePurina Animal Nutrition Center or talk to a Purina PhD nutritionist for nutritional support.

A 14-year-old Quarter Horse gelding at a boarding facility in Flagler County, Florida, recently tested positive for strangles. The horse developed clinical signs on April 11, including fever, nasal discharge, and cough. He is now recovering, and 14 additional horses are exposed.This is Floridas 14thconfirmed case of strangles in 2025.EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. TheEDCCis an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.About StranglesStranglesin horses is an infection caused byStreptococcus equisubspeciesequiand spread through direct contact with other equids or contaminated surfaces. Horses that arent showing clinical signs can harbor and spread the bacteria, and recovered horses remain contagious for at least six weeks, with the potential to cause outbreaks long-term.Infected horses can exhibit a variety of clinical signs:FeverSwollen and/or abscessed lymph nodesNasal dischargeCoughing or wheezingMuscle swellingDifficulty swallowingVeterinarians diagnose horses using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing with either a nasal swab, wash, or an abscess sample, and they treat most cases based on clinical signs, implementing antibiotics for severe cases. Overuse of antibiotics can prevent an infected horse from developing immunity. Most horses make a full recovery in three to four weeks.A vaccine is available but not always effective. Biosecurity measures of quarantining new horses at a facility and maintaining high standards of hygiene and disinfecting surfaces can helplower the risk of outbreakorcontain one when it occurs.

Maintaining a young horses joint health is crucial for his long-term soundness and performance. Proper nutrition plays a foundational role to maximize skeletal health and development. Incorporating age-appropriate physical conditioning can also improve overall musculoskeletal health. Scheduling regular veterinary check-ups can help your veterinarian diagnose and treat joint disease early, which help slow the progression of osteoarthritis and minimize associated pain. Tune into our live event Thursday, May 8 where one expert will answer listener questions about young horse joint care.Register NowAsk The Horse Live begins on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. EDT Days Hours MinutesAbout the Expert: Charlotte Barton BVetMed, MS, DACVS-LACharlie earned her veterinary degree from the Royal Veterinary College in London, and after completing two internships in the US undertook a surgery residency at Colorado State University. After residency Charlie stayed on at CSU as a postdoctoral fellow and her research interests include cartilage repair techniques and gene therapy.

The Okavango Delta is often quoted as the jewel of Botswana, but what is it that makes it so special both for the animals that live in the area and those of us lucky enough to visit and ride there? Becky from In The Saddle writes: Where is the Okavango Delta? The Okavango Delta covers []The post 2024 Okavango Flood Predictions appeared first on In The Saddle.

Leading gthe Johnson & Perrot Motor Group CCI3* -L after dressage at Ballendenisk International I Emily Young Jamieson with Klaas Jan GBRSold as a 3yo to his current owners who has shown such faith in him under Emilys guidance .

Under threatening skies that provided on and off downpours and even some lightning, nobody could catch Germanys Michael Jung on the second day of dressage at the 2025 Defender Kentucky Three Day Event CCI5*-L at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.Jung has four Olympic gold medals and four Kentucky 5* titles. He continued his almost super-human roll by breaking his own record yesterday with an all-time event low score of 18.6 in the dressage aboard FischerChipmunk FRH, his individual gold medal-winning 2024 Paris Olympics mount.It was the last rider to go, Boyd Martin (USA) on Commando 3 who bore the brunt of a downpour that had held off for the rest of the 5* ridersyet he scored the best mark of the day from the judges, a 26.0, putting them into second place going into cross-country day.I glanced up at the skies in the warmup, and it wasnt looking good, said Martin at the press conference after his ride. It was like a Louisiana typhoon!Despite a torrential downpour during their test, Boyd Martin and Commando 3 scored a 26.0 to move into second. Photo by Mary CageAdmitting weather is something eventers have no control over, he thought the rain may have actually helped the horse keep his head low, even if it was an added distraction. When asked how he felt after his ride, he said, Relieved that I could put some dry underwear on!All three of Martins 5* mounts had excellent scores below 30 (Luke 140 with 27.9 for sixth place, and Fedarman B with 29.8 for eleventh).Ive been working hard with their dressage, he said. To have three horses in the 20s been a huge amount of worknot just for me, but my wife [dressage rider Silva Martin], who rides them when Im away.In third place after a strong ride today going into cross-country was Great Britains Tom McEwen, who rode Brookfield Quality to a 26.2. McEwen won Olympic team gold medals at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.Tom McEwen rode Brookfield Quality to a 26.2. Photo by Mary CageKentucky first-timer Libussa Lbbeke (GER) finished fourth after dressage on Caramia 34 with a score of 27.1 on Friday.The horse is bred by my parents, she said. It was wonderful to ride in that arena. She was listening and trying her best.Libussa Lubbeke and Caramia 34 had a beautiful test, scoring a 27.1. Photo by Mary CageCosequin Lexington CCI4*-SSitting in the lead in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S after dressage is Will Coleman (USA) riding Off the Record, who scored a 21.8a new Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S record.Hes at the tail end of his career at 16 years old, said Coleman after the day wrapped. Hes kind of like mehe thrives on progress and trying to get a little bit better. He still has remarkable work ethic and has proven to be a very trainable horse, even at this old dog age.Will Coleman and Off the Record. Photo by Cindy Lee/MacMillan PhotographyColeman plans to see how he feels after this weekend with the possibility of targeting a 5* in the future.In both second and third place after two days of dressage is Phillip Dutton (USA), who rode Possante today to a 23.1 and Denim yesterday to a 25.6.[Possante is] a pretty stunning horse to have, said Dutton. Theres not too much to do in the dressage; he does it all for me. I was pleased with the way he settled during the last few minutes of the warmup. He took a deep breath and held it all together. He has tons of potential for years to come.Phillip Dutton and Possante. Photo by Cindy Lee/MacMillan PhotographyIn fourth place going into cross-country is Chris Talley (USA) riding FE Marco Polo. The pair scored a 26.8, placing them above dozens of more experienced riders. Talley gives all the credit to this special horse.My horse is 9, said Talley. His owner sent him to me just over two years ago. He went from Training to 4* in just over a year. Hes incredibly special, [and also] kind of emotional like me. This is his first time at Kentucky, [although] I came in 2019. Theres a little bit of pressure with him being young. I was hoping hed reward me, and he did. I wasnt expecting to be sitting up here!Chris Talley and FE Marco Polo. Photo by Cindy Lee/MacMillan Photography2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L Standings After Dressage1.Michael Jung (GER) and FischerChipmunk FRH (18.6)2.Boyd Martin (USA) and Commando 3 (26.0)3. Tom McEwen (GBR) and Brookfield Quality (26.2)4.Libussa Lbbeke (GER) and Caramia 34 (27.1)5. Tim Price (NZL) and Falco (27.8 )6.Boyd Martin (USA) and Luke 140 (27.9)=7. Clarke Johnstone (NZL) and Menlo Park (28.4)=7. Tim Price (NZL) and Jarillo (28.4)9. Tim Price (NZL) and Happy Boy (29.1)10. Monica Spencer (NZL) and Artist (29.3)2025 Cosequin Lexington 4*-S Standings After Dressage1. Will Coleman (USA) and Off The Record (21.8)2. Phillip Dutton (USA) and Possante (23.1)3. Phillip Dutton (USA) and Denim (25.6)4.Chris Talley (USA) and FE Marco Polo (26.8)5. Ariel Grald (USA) and Diara (27.3)6. Molly Duda (USA) and Disco Traveler (27.7)7. Caroline Pamukcu (USA) and HSH Blake (27.9)8. Will Coleman (USA) and Very Dignified (28.0)9.Dana Cooke (CAN) and FE Quatro (28.3)10.Sarah Kuhn (USA) and Mr. Cash van de Start (28.4)For complete dressage scores and updates about the event, visit www.kentuckythreedayevent.com.Find all of our coverageon our2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event landing page.Thanks toCareCredit for our 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event coverage.The post 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event: Dressage Day Two appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Ocala, FL The second-to-last day of A Sudden Impulse at World Equestrian Center Ocala featured some of the most anticipated classes of the show. Headlining the day were the $30,000 NSBA Open Trail Challenge, $25,000 NSBA 3-Year-Old & Over Limited Horse Open & Limited Open Hunter Under Saddle, $10,000 NSBA Senior Ranch Riding, $10,000 NSBA Junior Ranch Riding, $10,000 NSBA Junior Trail, $10,000[...]Read MoreThe post A Sudden Impulse; Friday, April 25 Featured Class Highlights appeared first on World Equestrian Center.