Recycle Week 19th - 25th September
Here is a video on how we can all do our bit to help the planet!!
Equine Welfare Awareness Month – Is your horse fit for purpose?
Whether you ride for pleasure or competition, it is always beneficial to have a well-designed exercise program to work towards. Do not rush! If you do too much too soon, your horse is more likely to sustain an injury.
For an unfit horse, a basic fitness programme should be planned over a period of six to eight weeks, starting with short slow sessions, working up to longer faster periods of work. Each week the length and intensity of the work should increase to improve strength and fitness but remember to incorporate rest days into the timetable too.
You can check how well your horse is coping with the fitness programme by monitoring heart rate and how quickly it recovers to a normal rate after exercise (see image).
After each session of training, you should time how long it takes before your horse’s heart rate returns to a normal rest rate. The fitter your horse gets, the more rapidly it should recover. As a general rule, if your horse does not recover to the required rate after a ten-minute rest period, then the exercise is too hard for its stage of fitness and should be reduced.
Equine Welfare Awareness Month – Lameness
Lameness is a common problem in both pleasure and competition horses and usually occurs due to pain or physical restriction during movement.
The severity of lameness varies and in some horses it may be very subtle and difficult to appreciate and only manifest as a loss of performance or difficulty or resentment in performing some activities.
The causes of lameness are many and varied. Thankfully, many causes of lameness are simple and easily treated, however there are many causes that can result in a horse needing to be retired from riding.
If you feel your horse is lame or not performing well, it is very important to seek veterinary advice.
Happy Friday! 🐎
Can anyone guess what the procedure is being performed below under ultrasound guidance?
💉 ….
Trotting Up for a vet! 🏃♀️
Horses are often trotted up for a vet, did you know this can be influenced by the way the handler is leading?
Here are our top tips on how to do it correctly:
⭐️If you have been asked to handle the horse, whether you are using a head collar or bridle it is important to have control of them
⭐️Do not restrict the horse’s natural movement by holding the lead rope or reins tightly under the horse’s chin
⭐️Allow the horse to have their head so the vet can see any head nods or tilts
⭐️Keep level with the horse’s shoulder
⭐️Use a loose rein/lunge line so the vet can see the horse in a straight line
⭐️Do not pull the horse along, let them walk/trot beside you
⭐️Walk and trot in a straight line
⭐️Maintain a constant even rhythm
If you are not sure how your horse trots up it is worth practicing before you have the need to see a vet 🐴
Equine Weight Management Programme🏇 Dengie Horse Feeds
Exercise 🏋️
Alongside monitoring your horse’s weight, exercise is also key.
Daily exercise will help with weight loss. At least 30 minutes of exercise that makes your horse work (i.e. sweat!) several times a week is required to make a difference. Buying a heart rate monitor can be helpful in “measuring” how hard the horse has worked (aim for 110-170 beats per minute).
Please note: Build up exercise intensity gradually, to avoid risk of injury.
Increasing exercise isn't always possible, for example in horses with laminitis. Please ask your vet for advice if you're not sure.
To sign up, receive a free copy of the booklet and request a weigh-tape, speak to your vet, contact the practice on 01483 811007 or email us at [email protected]
Lots of lumps on this mare’s neck, do you know what diagnostic procedure is being done?…😀 little clue.. it’s soon that time of year again..🗝
Autumn Exercising
Autumn Riding
