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Racehorses, polo ponies, eventers, jumpers, endurance horses and upper level dressage horses in daily training are considered to be in heavy work. Their total weekly work time may not be any greater than a horse in moderate work, but these disciplines require athletic performance at the highest level and therefore have the highest energy demands. For instance, 90 minutes of...

A splint is a strain or tear of the ligaments that bind the splint bone to the cannon bone and usually leads to swelling, inflammation and lameness to the affected leg. Splints are usually caused by direct trauma to the cannon bone area, with the concussive force from working on hard ground, orthopedic developmental disease, or poor shoeing. Overworking young...

With Dr. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc Guelph.    

How Do Horses Stay Cool During Work and Exercise?       Thermoregulatory mechanisms in the horse are very important during exercise and work. Heat production occurs with the metabolism of fuels for exercise. Thoroughbred racehorses produce enough heat to increase their body temperature 3.25º C to 5.42º C. As in human athletes, the equine athlete’s thermoregulatory system utilizes convection,...

What it is and How to Heal Them   A bowed tendon is the horsemen’s term for tendinitis; meaning strained, inflamed or torn tendon. The injury can be severe and chronic. A damaged tendon that is not properly treated and allowed the necessary time to heal can leave a horse unsound for life. Tendon injuries can occur in any leg,...

A horse’s performance is dependent on a number of factors, including health, nutrition, and environmental temperature. Energy is defined as the capacity to do work. The amount of energy available for muscular work is the most important factor in a horse’s performance. Athletic performance requires the efficient utilization of large amounts of energy transformed by metabolic pathways from chemical to...

  One of the causes of gastric ulceration is thought to be the acid contents of the lower part of the stomach (the lining of which has evolved to cope with that environment) splashing upwards against the top half, where acid is not supposed to be. In a hay-fed horse the fibre floats like a mat on top of this...

Courtesy of: EqWest Equine Veterinary Clinic,Lamerton, Tavistock,Devon, PL19 8QA