ASKHQ: TYING-UP

Q: My horse recently experienced an episode where he tied-up. I’d like to know if I can improve his diet in some way to make his muscles function a little better. What principles should I follow for doing this? A: Tying-up, the common name for exertional rhabdomyolysis, is a broad term used to describe a wide…

BylizzieMarch 24, 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 Channel Horse Health

WEANING – CAN WE MAKE IT LESS STRESSFUL?

Sport and pleasure horses are typically artificially weaned at around six months of age. Whether weaning is done abruptly or more gradually, in all cases, this ‘artificial’ weaning occurs when the foal is still closely bonded to his mother. During this period, weanlings commonly experience increased distress behaviours, including decreased eating and sleeping, reduced play, weight…

BylizzieFebruary 20, 20250Comments

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ASKHQ: THRUSH

Q: What is the best way to deal with thrush? A: Thrush is a bacterial/fungal issue, and the main cause is poor hoof hygiene. Contributing factors include poor stable management, especially dirty and wet beds, and not regularly picking the horse’s feet out. Other factors can include poor hoof conformation, such as more upright, boxy…

BylizzieFebruary 17, 20250Comments

Horse Health

MAKE IT LAST – HOW TO MAXIMISE HAY USAGE AND AVOID WASTAGE

Text: Hannah Botha, MSc How can you stretch your hay further, and what options are there to reduce waste? Hannah Botha from Epol talks us through her top tips for lowering forage wastage. Tip 1: Ensure you are feeding the correct amount Forage should be the foundation of every horse's ration, and ensuring that it is provided…

BylizzieFebruary 14, 20250Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health

MAKING YOUR HAY COUNT – WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH FINANCIALLY

Text: Hannah Botha, MSc Equine Science With ever-increasing prices, we are all looking for ways to cut costs, but one area that we should never skimp on is our horse's hay supply. Forage is a vital part of the horse's diet, as it provides a valuable portion of the daily energy requirements and is essentially what the…

BylizzieFebruary 10, 20250Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health

MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE

Text: Shelley Wolhuter Horses are designed to move. In fact, when it comes to horses, movement really is medicine. In the wild, horses have been known to cover an average of 40km daily. Different terrains and climates would affect this average, but regardless, that distance is still rather impressive! Living as Mother Nature intended offers certain…

BylizzieFebruary 6, 20250Comments

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ASKHQ: ROOIBOS

Q: Why do people feed their horses rooibos? A: Rooibos (Aspalathus Linearis) is unique to South Africa and has always been known to be healthy. However, the benefits of rooibos have far surpassed anyone’s expectations! Initially rooibos was only used in tea, and whilst it is still used in tea today, the uses of rooibos are now…

BylizzieFebruary 1, 20250Comments

Horse Health Horse Training

MANAGING AN ATHLETE – TOP TIPS FOR CARING FOR YOUR HORSE AT AN EVENT

With the Olympics occupying our screens and closer to home, the upcoming World Cup Qualifier down in Shongweni, here at HQ, we’ve been pondering what it takes to optimally care for your horse at an event. Here are a few of our top tips: 1. Transport While in the box, horses are constantly using their…

BylizzieJanuary 25, 20250Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health

PELVIC PROBLEMS – UNDERSTANDING SACROILIAC DISEASE IN HORSES

Sacroiliac disease is a relatively common condition that affects the sacroiliac (SI) region in horses. The sacroiliac joints, located where the spine meets the pelvis, play a crucial role in the horse’s locomotion and ability to carry weight. Damage and dysfunction in the joints and the region generally can give rise to obvious pain and…

BylizzieDecember 14, 20240Comments

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