As horse owners, keeping our horses sound, comfortable and performing at their best is a top priority. Read more about why cold water therapy...

Looking for a riding boot that combines comfort, function and just the right amount of glamour? Meet the QHP Hailey riding boot...

On Oct. 15, a weanling Paint colt in Marathon County, Wisconsin, tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). The colt developed clinical signs on Oct. 6, including dull mentation, blindness, ataxia, hind-end weakness, and increased recumbency. He is now recovering.The colt is out of a vaccinated dam and was not yet due for vaccination. The case might be related to waning maternal immunity.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.EEE 101Eastern equine encephalomyelitis is caused by the Eastern equine encephalitis virus, for which wild birds are a natural reservoir. Mosquitoes that feed on EEE-infected birds can transmit the virus to humans, horses, and other birds. Horses do not develop high enough levels of these viruses in their blood to be contagious to other animals or humans. Because of the high mortality rate in horses and humans, EEE is regarded as one of the most serious mosquito-borne diseases in the United States.Tips for preventing mosquito-borne diseases include:Avoid mosquito bites: Use insect repellent when outdoors, especially from dusk to dawn.Look for EPA-labeled products containing active ingredients such as DEET, picaridin (KBR3023), or oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane 3,8-diol).Apply more repellent, according to label instructions, if mosquitoes start to bite.Mosquito-proof homes: Fix or install window and door screens, and cover or eliminate empty containers with standing water where mosquitoes can lay eggs.Protect your horses: Veterinarians recommend commercially available licensedvaccines against EEE for all horses in the U.S. Horses should be vaccinated at least annually (recommendations vary in high-risk areas). Its not too late this year to vaccinate your horses.Use approved insect repellents to protect horses.If possible, put horses in stables, stalls, or barns during the prime mosquito exposure hours of dusk and dawn.Eliminate standing water, drain water troughs, and empty buckets at least weekly.Stock water tanks with fish that consume mosquito larvae (contact your local mosquito control for assistance), or use mosquito dunks (soliddonuts ofBacillus thuringiensis israelensis, which are nontoxic to horses) available at hardware stores.

Two horses in Ontario recently tested positive for strangles. The horses live in Oxford County and the District of Sudbury.In Oxford County, a 5-year-old warmblood gelding tested positive for strangles after developing mucopurulent nasal discharge on Oct. 8. The horse was sent for training two months prior to developing clinical signs. He is under quarantine, and six horses have potentially been exposed.In the District of Sudbury, a weanling Quarter Horse filly tested positive for strangles after developing a draining submandibular abscess and fever on Oct. 8. She was purchased from an auction in Western Canada and transported to Ontario. No other horses on the farm are showing clinical 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 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.

Some effective ways to help keep your horse calm and comfortable...

A balanced diet meets the nutritional needs of your performance horse. | Erica LarsonQ: My 8-year-old jumper struggles to build muscle over his topline and seems to fatigue easily during exercise. Can you explain what might cause this? How can I adjust his diet to help improve his condition and energy?A: A balanced dietone that meets the recommended essential nutrient amounts as outlined in the Nutrient Requirements of Horses, 2007is critical to horse health and performance. If your horse seems to have issues with muscle development and low energy levels, an equine nutritionist should evaluate his diet.Because underlying health conditions can cause the same or similar signs, always consult your veterinarian to rule out medical issues.Nutrition for a Performance Horses ToplineTo support topline development feed your horses a balanced diet with emphasis on high-quality protein and adequate digestible energy (calorie) intake. A high-quality protein source means one rich in essential amino acids, particularly lysine, methionine, and threonine. Examples of high-quality protein sources for horses include soybean meal, alfalfa, and whey protein.Foragegenerally hay or pastureshould make up the bulk of a horses diet. However, the quality can vary significantly depending on numerous factors such as plant maturity and forage species. Some forages readily meet the calorie requirements of a working horse when provided at about 2% of the horses body weight daily. Other forages could be lower in calories, which means you need to supply additional digestible energy.Another consideration to make when it comes to calorie supplementation involves the type of calories to add. For example, fats and carbohydrates both provide calories but in different ways. Your horse fatiguing easily might stem from too few calories in the diet or also the wrong type of calories.Calorie Sources for HorsesCarbohydrates supply most of the calories in the horses diet, with fats and proteins contributing as well. Adequate carbohydrate intake supports the energy demands of work and performance.Generally, nutritionists group carbohydrates into one of three categories: hydrolyzable, rapidly fermentable, or structural carbohydrates. The horse breaks hydrolyzable carbohydrates down in the foregut (the stomach and small intestine), digesting them quickly for energy, and digests both rapidly fermentable and structural carbohydrates in the hindgut (the large intestine).Choosing a performance feed that provides supplemental carbohydrates, along with high-quality protein, promotes appropriate energy levels for sport horses. Note that if your horse does not need the full manufacturers recommended amount, you must add a ration balancer to fill any nutrient gaps.Take-Home MessageTo improve your performance horses energy levels and help him build muscle, first work with your veterinarian to rule out health issues. Once you resolve any physical problems, rely on a high-quality forage as the base of your horses diet and add a well-fortified performance feed.Do you have an equine nutrition question? Do you have an equine nutrition question? The Horses editors want to hear from you! Submit your question via the form below. Name(Required) First Last Email(Required) Submit your equine nutrition question below!(Required)CAPTCHA

Learn what electrolytes are, why they're beneficial for your horse and when you should use them.

Signs of pasture asthma, such as difficulty breathing, typically flare in summer. | Photo: iStockPasture-associated severe equine asthma (pasture asthma) is a respiratory disease that affects adult horses housed on pasture in hot, humid climates. The disease is relatively common in the southeastern United States, but it has been reported in other hot, humid locations. Its prevalence is unknown. Potentially life-threatening asthma exacerbations characterized by difficulty breathing and occasional coughing generally begin in summer (July). Fewer horses experience this form of asthma in the spring. Affected horses might have a history of seasonal cough and/or exercise intolerance. Despite continued grazing on the inciting pasture, asthma remission occurs when high temperatures and humidity decrease (October/November).Veterinarians have previously referred to pasture asthma as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heaves, pasture-associated obstructive pulmonary disease, and pasture-associated recurrent airway obstruction. The name asthma is most appropriate because affected horses exhibit clinical features of severe forms of human asthma. Researchers have not yet identified pasture asthmas causative agent, but the seasonality of signs coupled with evidence of improvement when caretakers isolate affected horses from inciting pasture implicates inhaled particulates from the pasture environment.Special Feature: The Ins and Outs of Severe Equine AsthmaThe environmental factors that give rise to pasture asthma differ from those known to elicit severe equine asthma, as originally described in horses housed in dusty indoor environments in cooler climates and/or fed moldy hay. Management recommendations for this latter group of asthmatic horses include pasture turnout and no hay. In contrast, horses with pasture asthma improve within hours to days of being brought into stalls, even in the absence of therapeutic interventions such as bronchodilators and corticosteroids. If owners and veterinarians dont recognize the factors that differentiate pasture asthma from barn-associated asthma, they might follow environmental management recommendations intended for the latter, aggravating horses pasture asthma rather than alleviating it.If a horse is having difficulty breathing while housed on pasture during hot, humid conditions, move him to an indoor environment as distant from the pasture as possible, confirm he does not have a fever, and hose him off. This condition warrants a prompt visit from your veterinarian, who will check that the horse does not have other conditions that cause respiratory distress. Your vet will then document whether respiratory distress improves after administering a bronchodilator and will likely administer corticosteroids. A horses improvement after being isolated from pasture particulates in a stall environment is an important aspect of confirming a pasture asthma diagnosis and identifying the best course of management. A history of asthma exacerbations during hot, humid seasons, followed by remission during the winter can also confirm the condition. Some horses react to inhaled seasonal particulates so severely as to necessitate drastic isolation measures, such as in an air-conditioned stall. These horses might continue to show signs while stalled but are worse on pasture and require intensive environmental and therapeutic management. Indeed, the lynchpin of pasture asthma management is isolation from aeroallergens in the pasture. Owners of affected horses house them and commonly feed good-quality hay (not dusty or moldy) that has been dunked briefly in watersimply spraying with water does not reduce the dust horses inhale when eating hay. Because affected horses airways are overly responsive to inhaled particulates, take additional steps to minimize dust in the indoor environment, such as using low-dust shavings or pelleted or paper bedding and minimizing dust from sweeping (and never using a leaf blower). Avoid using straw bedding and round bales, even during seasonal asthma remission, due to their high mold and dust content. Recognizing mild respiratory compromise and removing affected horses from pasture prior to severe asthma episodes can minimize the need for therapeutic intervention. Again, therapeutic interventions include inhaled and/or systemic corticosteroids and bronchodilators. However, these therapeutics tend to be effective for just a short, transient period in the absence of vigilant environmental management.Horses with pasture asthma generally cannot be ridden during warm seasons due to the severity of their respiratory compromise. Without aggressive environmental management, these animals worsen each year and are eventually euthanized. Vets have noted very rare cases of resolution when horses remain in the same environment. However, moving affected horses to more temperate and continental climates early in the course of the disease gives them the best quality of life, potentially allowing them to return to their prior levels of athletic performance.

With a new season comes lots of exciting new arrivals to the saddlery. Our team have been extremely busy organising the new arrivals!