From everyday care, training and equestrian events... Horse Bits Magazine provides you with the information you need. Let us be your magazine of choice for advice, local events and training tips.
Growing up on a small Belgian farm in upstate New York, there were many things I looked forward to each year with the horses: logging, trail rides, wagon rides and hooking up the sleigh in the winter. However, there was one time of the year that was most exciting- foaling season. As I grew older (and started paying attention to more things), I realized if we had had a stud colt born that year, there was talk of “Jeb”. For the longest time, my younger self always thought that it was a possible name for our foal. But that was definitely not the case. From there, I found out that it was a deadly condition, and the intention was to minimize it, if not erase it, from the Belgian bloodline. But that is where my knowledge ended, so recently I did some digging…
The cold, dry air in winter leads to a major cause of delayed healing, which is the dehydration of exposed tissue. A moist environment is important for cells to migrate across the wound and for white cells to do their work cleaning up the wound. Suturing wounds that warrant it, and keeping other wounds covered with a protective salve, will guard against dehydration.
Horses are nearly four times more likely to contract rabies than dogs.1-3 Across the U.S., the majority of horses are not vaccinated for rabies and often have a higher risk of exposure than dogs.4
While it’s likely Fido is vaccinated against this fatal disease, the question looms – is your horse protected?
Horse Bits Magazine is publication of Canastota Publishing Co. For more information about the magazine call (315) 697-9010.