Condition
When An Itch Becomes A Scratch: Supporting Your Dog's Skin & Coat Health
Next time you stroke your dog, take a moment to marvel at their skin and coat. Yes, different dogs have different coat types – from silky to smooth, wiry to fuzzy – but skin and coat condition are closely linked. Not ...
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Sweet Itch In Horses: Management & Prevention
What is Sweet Itch?
Sweet itch, also known as insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) or summer eczema is a type of skin inflammation caused by allergies (allergic dermatitis). Most commonly the allergy is to the saliva o...
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What do I need to know about laminitis?
Recent research in the UK has highlighted that laminitis affects up to 1:10 horses or ponies. This is a really shocking statistic and equates to two or three cases per livery yard per year. A single bout of this excru...
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How To Keep Your Horses Condition Through Winter
For many horse owners, winter poses numerous challenges for horse care. Undoubtedly, one of the most frustrating situations to be in is watching your horse loose condition. To prevent this from happening we first need...
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Is there a 'beta' way to understanding ‘omegas’?
You will definitely have heard of omega-3’s, but how might these be relevant to our equines, and are they effective?
The term ‘essential fatty acid’ describes a group of compounds that are:
Essential – they cannot be...
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Can the type of hay fed influence equine dental health?
Background
Equine dental health is linked with wellbeing. Where diets are high in water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) there is increased risk of peripheral caries in the molar teeth. Because horse teeth continually eru...
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Does obesity awareness help equine caregivers manage their horses’ weight?
Background
Obesity is a significant welfare issue in the UK leisure horse population. Weight management strategies can be impacted by the understanding and awareness of body condition by equine caregivers. How caregiv...
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Does withholding forage feed affect the faecal bacterial microbiota in healthy horses?
Changes in faecal bacteria populations are associated with gastrointestinal disease in a range of species. Horses presenting with colic have been shown to have a decreased diversity and species richness of faecal and ...
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Does Light Therapy Aid Wound healing?
Light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) are commonly used for treating a variety of disorders in horses, including wounds. Despite anecdotal claims that these LEDs shorten healing times, there is a lack of scientific evaluation ...
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Is obesity linked to low grade systemic inflammation in horses?
It is well recognised that human obesity is linked with systemic inflammation and predisposes the individual to multiple diseases. However, it is unproven if obese equines also produce more inflammatory mediators and ...
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How to tell if your horse is in pain from dental disorders
Dental problems can cause significant discomfort and pain in horses. Sadly, many horses do not demonstrate obvious clinical signs of dental pain leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment which could impact welfare an...
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Thoroughbred use, health and owner satisfaction following retirement from racing
Each year a great many Thoroughbred racehorses retire and are rehomed for alternative careers unrelated to racing. Whilst studies investigating racehorse health are frequent, there are few regarding the health of Thor...
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