Category: Horse Health

The importance of sterile wound care for horses needs to be highlighted! Whether the wound appears after a session in the field or after lungeing, horse owners need to keep open horse wounds clean. This is a vital step to ensure quality wound healing. Robinson Animal Healthcare have all the answers on why we should prioritise sterile wound care and how to perform it when our horses sustain an injury. *Sponsored content below* Why is Sterile Wound Care Important? One of the major factors in delaying wound healing is the onset…

Here is exactly how to exercise your horse without riding! Boasting multiple benefits, both physically and mentally for your horse, exercise without riding could be the perfect addition to your spring routine. It is suitable for every level and age of horse, reaping rewards of weight loss, increases muscle tone and suppleness, as well as mental stimulation. Plus, adding just one session of non-ridden exercise could transform your horse’s ability and attitude to work. But what non-ridden exercises can we do with our horses? Lunging Lungeing can be an instrumental…

Discover a delicious solution for feeding your horse for healthy weight loss. Learn about the benefits of using sugar beet as a safe and nutritious feed. Feeding your horse for healthy weight loss can be hard, with your chosen regime needing to be rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre. Your chosen diet also needs keep your horse’s stomach full, as well as being low on calories! However, we think we may have found a delicious solution…Sugar Beet! How Does Sugar Beet Aid Healthy Weight Loss? As a root vegetable, sugar…

How does gut health affect your horse’s weight? Gut health can have a huge impact on your horse’s weight and their ability to gain, lose and maintain muscle and fat. Therefore, microbial imbalances in equine gastrointestinal (GI) tract can also have a massive impact on horse’s ability to perform and develop. But how do we know if their is a problem with our horse’s GI microbiome and what can we do to fix it? The Equine GI Microbiome The equine GI microbiome is the heart of gut health! A diverse community…

A horse weigh tape is a grooming kit essential, especially with the rise of equine obesity in the UK. But what is it, how do we use it and why do we all need one? A horse weight tape is essentially a large measuring tape, designed to estimate the weight of your horse instead of their height. Placing it around the circumference of your horse’s girth, the tape should give a rough guide to how much your horse weighs. Why do I need a horse weigh tape? When used in…

Help a horse with breathing problems or just improve respiratory health and condition, with this simple change that could reduce winter coughing bouts and help to improve performance. Amidst a flair-up of respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and nasal discharge, it’s often easy to turn to supplements to alleviate the problem. However, supplements can only go so far as to assist respiratory wellness, especially with environmental factors normally playing a huge role in the onset of symptoms. However, simply swapping out a hay net and placing forage on the floor…

What is the best bedding choice for horse respiratory health? We took a look into some popular bedding materials to find the answer, helping to reduce problematic respiratory symptoms and ensure your horse’s respiratory is peak for optimal performance! Bedding and the dangers to horse respiratory Common bedding types include straw, shavings, sawdust, straw, pellets, peat moss, and recycled paper, each having major positives and drawbacks. Many horse owners will make their bedding choice on factors such as cost, sustainability and access, as well as horse preference and comfort. However,…

The importance of cardiovascular performance in sports horse is often overlooked. However, it plays an integral role in our horse’s strength, stamina, and chance of injury. So, how does the breathing apparatus support such vital aspects of our horse’s potential, and what can we do to help horse respiratory health? Horses are natural athletes with their anatomy made up of a large heart, up to 50% muscle mass and an impressive lung capacity! These three components of the horse’s body play a vital role in performance – the muscles utilised…

This article looks at signs of equine respiratory problems owners should not ignore. Respiratory problems are very common in horses and can have a variety of different causes. From bacterial infection to allergens, compromised respiratory can affect all horses at any life stage. But what are the signs of equine respiratory problems, and when should you call out a vet? Early Signs of Respiratory Problems Most equine respiratory diseases tend to cause similar symptoms in the early stages. This means it can be difficult to diagnose and differentiate problems through a…

Bringing your horse back into work can be a daunting process, filled with uncertainty, adrenaline and nerves. To make sure you are in the best place possible to start a-fresh, we have put together some things you should consider before bringing your horse to work! Routine Get back in the swing of things and establish a routine that works for your own and your horse’s life. If they have been turned out 24/7, introduce periods of stabling. This will also pose the perfect opportunity to scrub off built-up grease, tidy…

Explore the benefits of lavender oil to help your horse sleep! A good night’s sleep is essential for all horses, with sleep deprivation affecting performance and physical and mental health status. So, we’ve investigated some ideas to help your horse sleep right through the night! Lavender Humans have reaped the benefits of lavender for improving sleep quality for years. Lavender is now commonly used in a range of sleep aids and bathing products. However, only in the past few years has it come to light that it may also benefit…

Is your horse sleep deprived? With sleep arguably one of the most beneficial parts of your horse’s routine, how do we know our horses are making the most of their resting time, and should we intervene? How Do Horses Sleep? Horses are known for their ability to sleep while standing up; however, all horses must have a period of sleep while lying down in order to achieve full sleep cycles and, therefore, quality sleep. There are three stages of quality sleep, which horses physiologically need. Stages one and two of…

Horses During Fireworks: Safety and Reducing Stress Horses during fireworks can be an owners worst nightmare. At this festive time of year, having fireworks near animals is almost unavoidable, much to owner’s dismay. Horses and fireworks law is becoming increasingly notice by the wider community though, however we think it’s alway best to be prepared! From the 5th November (Bonfire Night) and onwards, the nation begins celebrating and making the most of the dark skies with bright, loud and rocket fuelled get-togethers. Although, some retail giants have taken on board…

As we head into winter, there are a number of ailments and conditions our horses are prone to. Primary causes for concern are mud rash, thrush and other infections of the lower limbs caused by excessively muddy conditions. It is essential to top up our first aid kits, to be prepared should the worst happen. Robinson Animal Healthcare recommends there should be one non-negotiable first aid product every horse owner should have – Animalintex. What is Animalintex? Animalintex® is the only Veterinary Medicine Directorate (VMD) licensed multi-layered absorbent poultice available…

Routine for horses performance is very important. We all know the importance of routine within our horse’s life, and how it can benefit their mental and physical wellbeing. However, have you ever thought about how you could optimise routine to improve your horse’s performance? Consider these simple suggestions in your horse’s routine! There bound to give your horse new spring in their step and keep you motivated all season long! Prioritise your horse’s sleep We’ve all had a bad night’s sleep, and we all know how trying to tackle the…

It is easy to spot health problems with visible signs, such as wounds or lameness, but how often do we think about what’s going on inside of our horses and how much do we know about equine gut health? With the changes in routine risking major impacts on equine gut health, we called in the help of the leading experts at EquiBiome to give more insight! As Equibiome also launch their revolutionary new test kit on to the market, giving horse owners an accurate insight into the levels of good and…