Prairie Wind Ranch

03/01/2024

02/12/2024

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) was founded in 1954 by a group of 11 charter members who saw that together they could direct the focus of equine veterinary medicine.

02/10/2024

⚫ What is Strangles?

Strangles is an upper respiratory infection of horses caused by the bacteria Streptococcus equi equi. It’s characterized by fever, copious creamy nasal discharge and large swollen lymph nodes that abscess under the jaw.

⚫ Is Strangles contagious?

Yes, Strangles is fairly contagious within a herd setting. BUT, horses do have to come in direct contact with the nasal and abscess secretions of an infected horse or through direct fomite transfer such as a persons hands or clothing.

⚫ How can I tell if my horse has Strangles?

In our practice area we truly don’t see a lot of Strangles. More commonly horses with symptoms similar to Strangles have an upper respiratory virus infection like influenza or rhino (Herpes virus) and abscesses around the head are mostly due to Streptococcus equi zooepidemicus, a normal commensal bacteria of horses.

⚫ What do I do if I think my horse has Strangles?

First, isolate your horse from its herd mates and other horses. Then it’s a good idea to try and take you horse’s temperature to gauge if it has a fever. Third, to definitively diagnose Strangles contact your veterinarian so they can obtain a culture to send to the lab to check for the bacteria Step. equi equi.

⚫ Is Strangles a major danger to my horse?

By and large, while Strangles looks nasty, the majority of horses recover on their own in time and develop decent immunity to the infection. If a horse with Strangles is severely sick, then antibiotics may be warranted. In extreme instances the infection can become life-threatening especially if the retropharyngeal lymph nodes at the back of the throat become swollen and cause breathing difficulties.

⚫ How can I prevent my horse from getting Strangles?

Good news! As long as your horse and the people in contact with your horse don’t have direct contact with an infected horse, you’re pretty darn safe. Silent carriers of the bacteria, those that don’t show illness, can exist. If you’re truly worried about exposure to horses If you’re truly worried about exposure to horses that may be carrying Strangles there are vaccines available both intranasal and intramuscular. NEVER GIVE INTRANASAL STRANGLES VACCINE INTRAMUSCULAR.

⚫ Are there long term negative effects from Strangles?

The majority of horses that become infected with Strangles develop immunity to it and never have another issue. A small percentage of horses infected can later in life develop a condition called Bastard Strangles that can make horses quite sick. There is no way of predicting horses that might develop this condition, but fortunately, its not overly common.

02/10/2024

Due to the Strangles situation in MB, we are closed to outside horses for the interim.

01/29/2024

Do you plan ahead a bunch!? My Clinic Schedule is coming together for this year! I am planning them all back to back so they are my main focus for those two months. I have so much for you all to learn, work on, and have fun with. I will bring my special touch to teaching so that you are riding more than sitting on a horse, and learning while doing more than watching everyone else do something.

Video Ad coming out soon along with details and description for each clinic! I hope you find something to fit you and your horse! Let me know if there are any other topics you would like covered! I would appreciate spreading the word and bringing your friends! Hoping for high value, close community, fun clinic culture.
Please save these dates and follow my page to be ready for when the website sign up comes out! I am so excited to serve you all at all these great locations!

Hearthstone Stables - Selkirk
Praire Wind Ranch - Thalberg
Oakview Ranch - Steinbach
Cranberry Hollow Equestrain - Gameland

01/28/2024

Sweater weather!! Fun ride with Kristine Friesen and my hubby. Horses were a little silly. decided out of the blue to lay down in the trail to cool off in the snow.
jogged the entire ride at at a walking pace.
Beautiful scenery!!

12/29/2023

lol

12/06/2023

Looking forward to this next winter training season! Looking for a couple more horses to fill out the roster for the winter! It is a really great time to get a jump on the summer and have your horse get the consistent time that is tough with winter. Here is a testimonial from the owner of two mares I worked with last winter!

Incredible story!!!
He was amazing from beginning to the completion of our session!!
I’ve never met or talked to Justin prior to reaching out to him to set up training sessions for my 2 horses. We ended up putting them into a winter workshop, and I’ll tell you… no regrets at all!
He is truly a man who loves what he does, and loves horses. Not only that, I’ve come to realize that he is a really good person.
Thanks Justin!

Jack Martin L.

Check out the new website at kingskavalry.com!

12/05/2023

The frost on the trees looks so cool with the light behind it.

11/20/2023

I found a stud prospect that will fit perfectly for our program. Therefore some horses need to move in order to buy him. Message to see what’s available. Thanks

10/11/2023

*NEW HOME FOUND*
Looking to rehome "PJ". He is a 9 year old male Huarizo (Alpaca X Llama). He is good at letting you know when strange animals are in the yard. He is hard to catch, but once you have him, he is good to work with. Sheared/toes done in June.
Message for info.

04/22/2023

03/29/2023

We have recently had a couple of people ask for advice on what to look for when buying a horse. In this video, Pat addresses this subject by using one of the...

03/15/2023

We are a dealer for North 40. Message me for available stock.

These bottles are a handy option for the horse trailer when your travelling or in the house for your dogs.
If your interested inquiry with a distributor in your area or check out our website to order

03/15/2023

The Framework of Your Horse:

- Bones 🩻 provide support and elasticity for the horse by absorbing and distributing impact and stress. They are constantly being remodeled so it's important to have proper nutrition and training for them to stay strong.

- Muscles 💪 must be loaded at around 75 percent maximum tension to strengthen, which is why easy exercise like trotting around the ring aimlessly in a less-than-ideal carriage doesn't build the muscling/strength you're looking for.

-Joints 🦵 are found between two bones and assist or restrict movement between them. Joint cartilage doesn't have blood flow: waste is pressed out during work and nutrition is pulled in during relaxation. When this doesn't occur, cartilage can get stiff, weakening the joint and leading to injury.

Connective tisse refers to tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and fascia

- Tendons connect muscle to bone and are shock absorbers to sudden force. They are also used as backup when muscles tire.

- Ligaments help support bones and restrict joint movement when the end of range of motion is reached. When a ligament tears or is overstretched, the affected joint becomes unstable and the surrounding muscles sometimes overcompensate which can lead to injury.

- Fascia is tissue that surrounds the entire body, wrapping around muscles, nerves and organs. If it is strained or damaged it can decrease flexibility and even affect the nervous system, disrupting proprioception and sensory function. Cross training and bodywork can help keep the fascia healthy.

03/12/2023

Have you been missing horse community and looking for some training tips for your horses this spring and Summer? Come on out to Prairie Wind Ranch this Saturday at 11! Accessible to everyone and an easy way get to know some new people and horses. If I get 10 confirmed people I will pick up a Tim's coffee carton. Feel free to bring some appetizers to share if that is something you enjoy!

03/03/2023

This pile of beet pulp came out of a horses esophagus.

Dr. Paton, after having seen several beet pulp chokes in the last two days, felt a reminder is in order.

Beet pulp can be an excellent feed for horses. It is an energy-rich source of digestible fiber. However, it MUST be thoroughly soaked and wet when fed.

Dry beet pulp pellets can easily lodge in the esophagus , quickly swelling and causing choke. This is not like human choke , the airway is not blocked , the horse is able to breathe. Almost every case of choke that we see was caused by the pellets not being adequately soaked or horses breaking into the feed room and gaining access to the dry pellets.

Anatomical problems, such as poor dentition and abnormal esophagus anatomy, can also predispose a horse to choking.

Chokes can predispose horses to aspiration pneumonia, which is caused by feed material going down the trachea and into the lungs. This foreign material in the lungs can cause the horse to develop a secondary bacterial infection.

Finally, a common cause of choke is poor dentition leading to inadequate chewing; be sure to schedule a thorough dental exam following a choking episode.

Chokes are common equine emergencies with potentially serious consequences. Call your veterinarian as soon as you notice signs of choke.