Preparing Your Horse for Severe Wet Weather: What to Expect and How to Respond

Heavy rain brings numerous health hazards: flooded paddocks, horses cut off from each other or trapped in floodwaters, loss of shelter, contaminated drinking water, downed fences and tangled wire, an increase in biting insects, and skin problems. These conditions create significant demands and stress for both our horses and ourselves. Let's explore some of these hazards and ways to mitigate them.

Grasses with oxalate levels greater than 0.5% (i.e., 5g of oxalate/kg of grass) are hazardous and can lead to calcium deficiency, osteoporosis, osteodystrophia fibrosa (ODF), nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (NSH), and 'bighead'.

There's something truly mesmerising about a horse with a sleek and shiny coat. It's a sign of health and vitality, and it's one of the most beautiful sights in the equine world. However, achieving and maintaining that glossy coat requires understanding and care.

Laminitis is an acutely painful and disabling condition that occurs where the lamellae (the delicate folds of tissue that attach the pedal bone to the inside of the hoof wall) become inflamed and may eventually tear apart. The result is partial or total destruction of the strong bond that supports the horses body weight by anchoring the inner wall of the hoof to the pedal bone (the furthest extent of the leg).