Fear, Anxiety, and Stress (FAS) is experienced by all species, and horse owners know this instinctively. Loud, sudden noises that fireworks create can make your horse feel afraid. One study showed that up to 80% of horses are afraid of fireworks.
A horse’s primary response to fear is to run away – and during the 4th of July Holiday celebrations this running response can lead to problems. Horses are large and move quickly, which leads to a lot of force and impact injuries. Every year our veterinarians treat horses injured by fences or pasture mates as a result of horses responding fearfully to fireworks.
You will need to make a judgement call as to how to manage your horse during fireworks, taking into consideration your horse’s personality and your farm or stable set-up. Some ways to prevent injury include:
Keep your horse in a safe space. Make sure fences are in good repair, and that your horse is in a familiar area.
Make sure your horse has plenty of hay or forage to keep him occupied. A treat puzzle toy or food dispenser may also help keep his mind busy and off the sudden noise.
Keep your horse inside. In a small stall, he will not be able to gain speed, so any collisions will induce less trauma. To some extent, you may also be able to help a horse who is indoors by playing music that will help muffle or drown out the sudden noises that fireworks create. Another way to muffle the noise is to use ear poufs or ear plugs made for horses.
Use a calming supplement – few are scientifically proven to work, though anecdotally seem to help horses. The one with the most research support is Zylkene Equine. Zylkene is a component of milk that is part of the relaxation that occurs when a foal suckles.
Confidence EQ is a synthetic analog of the Equine Appeasing Pheromone (EAP). Pheromones are species-specific chemicals that are secreted by one animal and then inhaled by another. The chemicals have an effect on the behavior of the receiving animal. They are the main way that insects find mates. In this instance, EAP is secreted by a mare as she nurses her foal. EAP enhances calmness, and signals a safe, secure environment.
Consider using a sedative – we recommend Dormosedan Gel® because it has approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so it has been proven effective and is safe for most horses. It takes about 45 minutes to absorb and cause sedation, and lasts for 4-6 hours. Click here to watch a video to learn more about Dormosedan Gel®
Please contact our office in advance so we can help you prepare your herd for July 4. We want everyone to have a safe and happy holiday weekend!
If you’ve been to Hardaway Veterinary Hospital in the past couple of weeks, you may have noticed a few changes in how we interact with you and your pet. We are doing everything we can to help keep our team, our clients, and our pets healthy! Let’s talk about COVID-19 and horses; we have a few resources to share with you.
Being with horses means being outside, and makes it straightforward to follow theCenter for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations to stay at least 6 feet from other people. The reason for this distance is that the COVID-19 virus is thought to mainly spread via direct contact and air droplets from person to person – distance decreases the chance of coming into contact with another person’s droplets. There is no evidence that dogs or horses can catch or spread the virus. However, the virus can survive for a variable period of time on objects – for example, tack, buckets, and manure forks. If shared, these items should be disinfected between uses.
The more we do our part to limit contact with others, the sooner this terrible pandemic will end. Horse events, such as race track meets, shows, and clinics are areas where people congregate in groups and therefore have been appropriately cancelled in many instances. Other changes in routine to help reduce contact and spread include remaining at home, cancelling lessons, and cancelling group trail rides. Of course, if you are sick, stay home!
There is a whole group of viruses called Coronaviruses, of which COVID-19 is one. According to the CDC, “Coronaviruses derive their name from the fact that under electron microscopic examination, each virion is surrounded by a ‘corona,’ or halo.” You may run across information regarding Equine Coronavirus.
While COVID-19 infects humans, and is spread via air droplets, Equine Coronavirus is an enteric disease (one that affects the gut), and does not infect humans. Equine Coronavirus causes colic, diarrhea, fever, and decreased appetite. It is spread from horse to horse via fecal-oral transmission (meaning, a horse eats an infected poop particle from another horse).
We want you to know that the Hardaway Veterinary Hospital team will still be available for your horse if an emergency arises. If your horse colics, has a laceration, or any other problem, we will make sure we can address his or her medical needs. As the weather warms up, spring vaccines will be needed. When the time comes, we are there for you. We want people and animals to stay healthy! Finally, if you haven’t already done so, make a backup plan for your animals in case you or your family fall ill and cannot take care of them. Please reach out if you need assistance.
United Horse Coalition information page(lists resources regarding virus information, biosecurity, tax relief, safety net resources, and event cancellations and updates)
March 1st is National Horse Protection Day. This National Day was established in 2005, and serves to highlight the 150,000 estimated “unwanted” horses in the United States. Here is a link to the official day’s website. Despite horses’ rich history in the United States, and their contributions to the success of our culture, many go unwanted, abused or neglected. National Horse Protection Day is about addressing those issues.
In 2005, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) formulated a definition for an “Unwanted Horse.” This definition includes any horse that an owner no longer wants. Horses may be old, injured, sick, or unmanageable, because of lameness, behavior problems, or poor performance as a race or show horse. But, it also includes horses that are unattractive, unhandled, are the wrong color, or cost too much to care for. An owner’s financial situation could change, and a horse that was wanted yesterday could be unwanted today.
What can you do?
Rescue Groups can always use help financially or physically. Donate money, supplies, or feed. Volunteer to feed, move hay, groom horses, or just ask what they need. You may also foster a horse until the shelter or rescue group can find the horse a home. Of course, if you have the resources to adopt a horse, that is a good way to help a horse long-term
Any of these groups could use your help. Some of these groups provide grants for assistance with hay or medical care for horses.
In your neighborhood
Look around. Who needs your help? Is there an owner who has experienced recent illness or disability? Maybe your neighbor that has trouble right now at the end of winter could use some help applying for a grant from one of the rescues listed above. Maybe she just needs a helping hand with barn chores.
Observe National Horse Protection Day and help a horse!
I think it’s a good time to remind everyone that we should be seeing our farrier all year.
If your horse is still doing his job through the colder months – in the fall for hunters, or through the winter skijoring season, ( Figure 1 ) the activity and the fact that he is wearing shoes will mean that you will need to keep up with a regular shoeing cycle. The typical recommendation is about six weeks, though some special-needs horses may need attention every four weeks.
Figure 1: Skijoring
Horses tend to grow less foot in the winter, and will therefore tolerate a longer interval between trims. If they are barefoot, they may have some natural wear on their slower-growing feet, making them even more tolerant of a gap between trims. Some horses will do fine with an eight week schedule, but stretching the time in between farrier visits is asking for trouble.
Figure 2: An overgrown, neglected foot
A good trim will help reduce flare, keep the bars of the foot maintained, and prevent the white line from stretching. The white line can stretch as the toe gets too long. Waiting longer than eight weeks can also result in an excessively long toe and an imbalanced foot. ( Figure 2 ) A long toe can make laminitis or founder more likely to occur, and worsen it if it does occur. Overgrowth also allows the heels to become underrun. ( Figure 3 )
Figure 3: Underrun heels. Arrows point to wear marks on the heel bulbs caused buy the horse bearing weight abnormally, and asphalt rubbing his heels raw.
A hoof abscess is a lot like an ingrown toenail: it’s super-painful! There is pus within the foot, between the hard capsule of the hoof wall or sole and the soft tissue that lines the outer coffin bone. Abscesses can be scary: a horse that was normal at dinner last night can be severely lame when you check him the next morning. Standing in soft, wet ground with an overgrown foot is a perfect recipe to create an abscess. The wet ground soaks the foot and softens the tissue.
Figure 4: A severely overgrown foot with underrun heels, folded over bars (red arrows), and a compromised white line (black arrows).
Then, cracks develop as the foot bears weight abnormally. If the white line (the junction between the sole and the hoof wall) is stretched or the bars are folded over or hoof cracks develop, ( Figure 4 ) that predisposes a horse to a hoof abscess.
Figure 5: A foot that had to have a large amount of sole removed (arrows) to relieve a subsolar abscess.
Hoof abscesses are treated with soaking until the pus can drain. Sometimes, we have to remove abnormal sole tissue that has the abscess underneath. ( Figure 5 ) The best way to cure an abscess, though is to prevent it with regular trimming!
By Stacie G. Boswell, DVM, DACVS
You can find more helpful hoof care info from EQUUS by clicking HERE
