Welcome to e-Tips!
Welcome to the February 2010 e-Tips brought to you by My Horse University and eXtension/horses. This is the time of year when you may experience more problems with respiratory disease in your barn. Horses shut in tight barns, an increase in horse traffic for the breeding season, and horses brought in for tune up in preparation for the upcoming show season, all provide avenues for respiratory disease to take hold. It is often difficult for a horse owner to decide whether a horse’s runny nose, coughing, or wheezing merits a veterinary visit or can afford a “wait and see” approach.
No one wants a vet bill for what turns out to be the equine equivalent of the common cold, but you also don’t want to risk letting something serious go unchecked. This month, our e-Tips article will discuss three common respiratory diseases. In addition, Dr. Hal Schott, an equine veterinarian at Michigan State University, will present a FREE live webcast on Respiratory Disease: Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention on Tuesday night, February 16th at 7 PM EST. Register now to save your spot!
Did you know...?
Common Equine Respiratory Diseases
Adapted from the the upcoming Online Horse Health Course
My Horse University
Respiratory diseases are extremely common illnesses that limit performance horses, probably second only to lameness.  Respiratory diseases can be viral, bacterial, immune mediated (allergies), or mechanical in nature. They can be transient or chronic, serious or inconsequential. Some are highly contagious while others are limited to the affected individual horse.While some diseases can affect both the entire respiratory system, most are categorized as either upper airway disorders or lower airway disorders. Disorders of the upper airways are generally mechanical in nature while those of the lower airway are often the result of infection. This article will provide you with an overview as well as treatment and prevention strategies for three common respiratory diseases: equine influenza (flu), strangles, and heaves. Read on...
Click here for additional resources on equine respiratory diseases...
This Month's e-Tips
Good management can help lower your horse’s risk to respiratory disease. Follow these simple tips for improving your horse’s health:
- Keep horses outside as much as possible – but provide shelter from wind and rain.
- Provide good ventilation when housing horses indoors.
- Use low dust bedding in stalls.
- Keep stalls clean and free of ammonia build-up.
- Work with your veterinarian to develop a vaccination program for your horse.
- Ensure your hay is fresh and clean.
- Quarantine new horses.
Question of the Month
________ colic is when a firm mass of feed or foreign material blocks the intestine:
a) Displacement
b) Impaction
c) Gas
d) Spasmodic
e) None of the above
Click here for the answer!
Photo of the Month
 |
|
I had to wait 50-odd years to get a horse of my own but my Tennessee Walking Horse/Spotted Saddle Horse, Dancer (Evil's Moonlight Dancer), was well worth the wait. He's been an incredibly patient and forgiving teacher as I have worked to relearn and improve my riding skills after a hiatus of many years, and I love the big boy to pieces. Of course I wouldn't dream of spoiling him, but for his 14th birthday we threw a little party for him at the barn, with carrot-and-apple pizza and flaxseed-and-oat cake. In this photo, he is nibbling one of the carrot "candles" from his cake.
Picture submitted by Denise Anderson, Bowling Green, KY.
|
Want your extraordinary equine featured in the next Photo of the Month?
Send your photo along with your name and a little background info to info@myhorseuniversity.com and we'll also feature your horse on our brand new Facebook page!
Write "Photo of the Month" in the subject line.
|
February 2010
In This Issue
Gold Sponsor
Purina Mills is a proud sponsor of My Horse University and eXtension.
News & Updates
FREE Live Webcast
Respiratory Disease: Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention
Dr. Hal Schott
February 16, 2010
7:00 PM EST
Energy Basics
Purina Free Webinar
February 2, 2010
6:00-7:30 PM CST and
February 9, 2010
9:00-10:30 PM CST
Horsin' Around 2010
RB Warren Arena
UNL Animal Science
Lincoln, NE
February 6, 2010
Mare/Foal Management Workshop
Texas A&M University
February 24, 2010
Horse Management 101 Workshop
Texas A&M University
February 25, 2010
From Our Farm to Yours
Purina Free Webinar
March 2, 2010
6:00-7:30 PM CST and
March 16, 2010
9:00-10:30 PM CST
American Youth Horse Council Symposium
Lexington, KY
March 19, 2010
CT Horse Symposium
Storrs, CT
March 27, 2010
Purina Horse Owner's Workshops
Various dates and locations
MHU is now on Facebook!
Become our fan to be the first to hear about upcoming events and new products.
Trail Riding 101
New My Horse University
short course
Ask the Experts
eXtension invites you to Ask the Experts your horse-related questions.
Free Horse Learning Lessons
eXtension's team of horse experts have developed specialized lessons on various topics.
Online Horse Management Courses
Take an online course from My Horse University! eXtension HorseQuest participants can receive a 10% discount by entering the coupon code HQ1 when registering for a course.
|
