The Equestrian Blog

Is now the time to lavish attention on your horse?

How Grooming and Pampering Your Horse a little, can go a long way.

When money is tight and costs are rising horse owners can be put under tremendous financial pressure. Often cutting corners on the quality of hard feed, giving smaller hay nets, turning out for longer on already poached paddocks, fooling themselves into believing that those small grass shoots have the same nutritional value as rich spring grass... read more

Navicular in Horses & Barefoot Riding

We've just completed the Navicular in Horses section on the main site and while doing so we had to go back over the treatment and care of our own horse Bramble, who we lost because of navicular and arthritis a few years ago.

One of the things we looked at was unshod or barefoot horses in relation to navicular treatments and we've been so surprised and impressed with some of the things we've found, that we just had to mention it here.

One item details the story of a 22 yr old 16.2hh, ID x TB called Ghost, who jumps barefoot despite being formerly diagnosed with navicular...  

He had flat feet, a twisted foot, weak digital cushions and prolapsed frogs but Ghost is now back in full work, doing what he loves best - jumping and competing. More about him here.

You'll have to read the full navicular section to appreciate the facts but if barefoot horses can recover and ride over ground like that in their video of the hack on Exmoor, then it's got to be worth considering.

Of course the old adage of 'Horse for Courses' applies here as well as in most other things.

Barefoot may not suit all horses but we're definitely thinking about it for our horses and we'll be looking to include a section on going barefoot within the main site.

New Research on Cause of Horse Sarcoids

A UK vet may have linked common face flies to the spread of sarcoids, one of the most commonly encountered equine problems.

Jeremy Kemp-Symonds, MRCVS, a PhD student at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket presented study results during the clinical research sessions at the 46th Congress of the British Equine Veterinary Association, held in Edinburgh, Scotland, Sept. 12-15, 2007

According to Kemp-Symonds, Musca autumnalis face flies feed on lachrymal (tearduct), oral, and nasal discharges, and wound secretions. "M. autumnalis is closely associated with predilection sites for sarcoids, and it's an important vector of veterinary diseases," he added.

The researchers collected and froze more than 500 M. autumnalis flies infesting six sarcoid-affected Thoroughbred or Thoroughbred-cross horses from the Wye Valley area (the border of England and Wales). They ran a type of DNA assay called a polymerase chain reaction test on the flies and on tissue from sarcoid-infected horses.

"Ninety-eight percent were coming back positive for BPV-1 and BPV-2 (bovine papillomaviruses)"  These papillomaviruses are commonly accepted as the causative agent of the equine sarcoid.

It seems summer fly control may be even more important than horse owners thought. Will we be seeing even more horse fly masks this year ?

Read the full story on horse or equine sarcoids here......

Dr Ray Smith leads the way

If only our doctor's were as good as Dr Ray Smith and had the time and patience he has.

Check out his fantastic reviews, his clients comments are outstanding.

Yesterday My horse was killed when it ran out on to the road and my other mare was in a right state like I was.

Ray came out calmed my mare down gave me some solace and comfort as I was distrought and he helped me arrange things today.

Ray travelled out to me on two days and did not charge me he told me at a time like this us Horse people look after each other like in in a herd and would not take any money despite my insistance

I have never met any one so kind and uderstanding and helpful as him.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart
Mandy

He is without doubt a person with an exceptional talent, he has an amazing calming influence on you and your horse, his results are spectacular.

Read about Ray and comments from some of his clients here   

See how Rays local riding page has worked for him by people leaving honest comments on his work. You too could ask your clients to leave comments and tell eveyone how grt your equestrian business or service is.