Category: Horse Care

Aoife Hand, a fourth year student of Veterinary Medicine in UCD, undertook some research earlier in 2016 in the area of equine welfare, funded by a bursary from the charity World Horse Welfare. We’re delighted that Aoife has allowed us to publish her findings here on HorsePlay, as there’s a huge amount of really useful information […]

New research on equine grass sickness (EGS), published as a free special collection in the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) this month (http://bit.ly/2dC7Drr), has improved our understanding of this devastating disease. Four separate studies are included, reporting novel risk factors for the disease, identifying key differences between EGS and botulism (questioning the hypothesis that EGS is […]

New data from this year’s National Equine Health Survey (NEHS) has shown that almost a third of horse owners are using the wrong wormer or one to which there is widespread resistance, when they treat their horse for encysted small redworm. The figures are similar to last year’s results and confirm that there is still […]

Zoetis has launched a sensational new horse healthcare and management app. HorseDialog not only allows you to keep your horse’s records, care and exercise schedules at your fingertips but also helps you and your vet to work together to monitor your horse’s health routine. HorseDialog is a highly intuitive app that can be linked to […]

Over the years bitting methods have changed as we understand more about our equine friends, their needs, their conformation and above all what makes them tick. Here’s my guide to finding your way around the basic and most common bits on the market and how and why they work. The largest group of bits that […]

With Autumn round the corner and trees clearly displaying their seeds now is the time to identify and deal with the risks of any sycamore trees on or near your horse’s grazing advise vets at the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). Sycamore seeds are toxic and can cause the fatal disease Seasonal Pasture Myopathy (SPM) […]

With the hunting season nearly upon us, thinking about your horse’s fitness is extremely important. A fit and well- conditioned horse will have reduced chance of injury and a higher chance of looking and feeling great at the end of the season. Experts recommend that a period of eight weeks is needed in order for […]

Thanks in part to support from Zoetis, nine intrepid motor biking veterinary specialists from the UK have raised funds to vaccinate hundreds of horses in a remote South African region against African Horse Sickness (AHS). The initiative took place in August as part of the voluntary VETS with HORSEPOWER project, 2016. VETS with HORSEPOWER is […]

If other people on your yard won’t conduct faecal worm egg counts (FWECs) during the summer it doesn’t mean that you should follow the herd, say the worming experts at Zoetis. All horses respond differently to the same circumstances so it’s imperative to assess your horse both independently and as part of the group, when […]

Flies, mosquitoes and midges are not good news for your horse. At best they bring considerable stress and bother, causing lumps, swellings, sores, rashes and itchy skin. They may trigger conjunctivitis and headshaking. At worst they can contaminate wounds or in some countries they can spread diseases, such as West Nile Virus, which can be […]