Horse Health

MUD MONSTERS – THE IMPACT ON THE HOOVES

With all the rain we have been having in certain areas, you are likely struggling with some wet and downright muddy areas. Continuous exposure to moisture can leave the horse more susceptible to a range of hoof and skin issues. Here we focus on the hoof problems that can result under these challenging conditions. The problem Hooves…

BylizzieMarch 17, 20250Comments

Horse Health

HOME SWEET HOME – CHOOSING A HOOF-FRIENDLY YARD

Text: Christine Pinna While I have come across many extremely well-managed yards that are horse and hoof-friendly and more than willing to accommodate management changes, I have also sadly dealt with many a distressed horse owner who is faced with the opposite scenario. After doing some research and deciding to go barefoot with their horse, they…

BylizzieMarch 16, 20250Comments

Horse Health

CRACKING HOOVES – THEY’RE NO JOKE

Hoof cracks are a common but often overlooked issue in our equine companions. Many of us are guilty of trivialising these issues, with ‘It’ll grow out’ or ‘It’s just because of the nails’, but we need to remember that the hooves are vital living tissues that must be taken care of. As the old and oft-repeated…

BylizzieMarch 13, 20250Comments

Horse Health

FARRIERS AND FOALS: Q&A WITH STEPHEN BLAKEY

As any breeder can attest, foal feet can be tricky, and a good farrier is invaluable in ensuring the best outcome for your youngster. HQ had a chat with Stephen Blakey, a highly recommended farrier with huge experience in working with young stock, to get a quick introduction to the world of foal farriery. Q: How…

BylizzieMarch 12, 20250Comments

Horse Health Horse Training

TO BOOT OR NOT?

The use of boots is becoming an increasingly controversial choice in our sport. Many of us will have heard about the latest research but have chosen to 'stick with what we know' or follow the fashions in our barn. In this article, we're going to take a look at the pros and cons of using boots…

BylizzieMarch 8, 20250Comments

Horse Health

HANDLING HOOVES IN THE WET SEASON

Text: Christine Pinna With the large amounts of summer rain recently arriving, many horse owners will be looking at their horse's hooves while biting their nails and praying for dry weather. But is there something that we, as horse owners, can do to help prevent the inevitable thrush, cracks and chipping that tends to occur in these…

BylizzieMarch 7, 20250Comments

Horse Health

NOTHING SWEET ABOUT SWEET ITCH

Summer seasonal recurrent dermatitis, generally referred to as sweet itch, is a common and debilitating skin disease. It is caused by an allergic reaction to the bite of the Culicoides midge, which is the midge that carries African Horse Sickness (AHS). All horses are bitten by this midge over the course of the year, but just like…

BylizzieMarch 6, 20250Comments

Horse Health

IN SUSPENSE – UNDERSTANDING SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT INJURIES

The suspensory ligament is one of the most common soft tissue structures to be affected by injury in the horse. This ligament plays a significant supportive role in the horse's lower leg, so injury to this structure can prove devastating. The suspensory ligament The horse's suspensory ligament runs from just below the hock or knee and…

BylizzieMarch 5, 20250Comments

Horse Health

WHAT IS FASCIA? AND HOW DO WE KEEP IT HEALTHY?

Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue surrounding, supporting, and holding every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve, and muscle. Yet this tissue does more than just provide structure; it has nerves that make it almost as sensitive as skin, and it is designed to move with the muscles and tissues. Although fascia looks like one…

BylizzieMarch 4, 20250Comments

Horse Health

THE SUMCHI TECHNIQUE – THE INTRODUCTION

“A horse doesn’t care how much you know until he knows how much you care.” — Pat Parelli “Since its original inception, the Sumchi6 massage tool has been demonstrated to have significant effects on deeper tissues of the body, namely layers of fascia. With increasing levels of intensity, the program of strokes appears to generate…

BylizzieMarch 3, 20250Comments

Default
Dark

Horse Health

HQ Newsletter