Do horses feel the cold?
Horses have the same mechanism for keeping warm or cooling down that humans have. When we get too hot, the blood vessels in our...
Testing times: blood tests for horses
Your horse may need a blood test any number of reasons. Vets take blood samples from sick horses, including those with diarrhoea, a high...
Prevention is better than cure: vaccinations for horses
Here in New Zealand, we are very lucky that we don’t have many of the terrible diseases, such as rabies, that can affect horses...
What’s that lump?
If you have horses, you will almost certainly discover a strange lump or bump on his leg one day. But should you rush to...
Winter skin problems
Winter is here and with it are cold, wet and muddy conditions. Anyone who is involved with caring for horses will know that winter...
Knowing the enemy: viruses v bacteria
In my experience, horse owners worry about a lot of things, and especially disease caused by bacteria and viruses – but I don’t think...
Winter care for golden oldies
Just like us, as horses age they find cold weather more difficult to cope with. Horses in their early 20s and older can have...
10 signs of good health in your horse
1. Temperature, pulse and respiration
These are a good place to start. Your horse’s normal heart rate is 28-44 beats per minute. If you don’t have...
Worming: A targeted programme
There have been a lot of studies on worms, the diseases they cause and the drugs we use against them. Most horse owners will...
Cushings: a testing time
The disease once referred to as Cushings, is now officially called Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfuction. It's quite a mouthful, so it's shortened to...
