Elite Equine Care

24/11/2024

22/11/2024

Fascinating to see how the hoof develops and matures over the first 12 months of a foals life.

No foot, no horse as the saying goes 🐴 it’s imperative to keep your young stock’s feet checked by a farrier on a regular basis, as changes happen quickly.

21/11/2024

Frosty Grass & Laminitis Risk...

Frosty mornings may look beautiful, but for our laminitis prone horses and ponies, they bring hidden dangers. While it’s tempting to believe melted frost means safe grazing, that’s not the full story. Here's what you need to know:

🌱 Sugar Build Up:
On bright, sunny days, grass produces sugars through photosynthesis, storing them overnight. When temperatures drop below 5°C, grass respiration (which uses those sugars) halts, leaving sugar levels dangerously high for laminitics.

⚠️ Management Tips:
Avoid grazing during bright, cold spells until overnight temps stay above 5°C or cloudy weather returns.
Feed low NSC hay (under 10%). Soak to reduce sugars effectively.
Offer slightly warm drinking water to encourage hydration and prevent impaction colic.

❄️ Additional Risk Factors:
Hard ground sensitivity - Use hoof boots for protection and circulation.
PPID horses - Rug appropriately as they struggle to regulate body temperature.
For good-doers - balance warmth and weight loss by monitoring rugs carefully.

💡 Diet Adjustments:
Limit hard feed and focus on fibre.
Balance the diet with a broad spectrum supplement or balancer to provide essential nutrients.

Remember, a little extra care now helps protect your horse from the risks of frosty weather.

20/11/2024

An early start on a beautiful crisp frosty ❄️ morning and look at this glorious sunrise ☀️

19/11/2024

🐴👉 Equine Welfare - Have your say 👈🐴

Whether you’re a leisure rider, professional rider, or someone who just appreciates these fabulous and magnificent creatures, please take five minutes to complete the survey and help contribute towards improving equine welfare ❤️‍🩹

🌟 Have Your Say on Horse Welfare! 🌟

The Sporthorse Welfare Foundation (SWF) has launched a new survey to explore equestrians' views on horse welfare across all levels - from leisure riders to industry professionals. 🐴

By taking part, you'll help shape research-backed policies and ensure horses in sport and leisure enjoy the best care possible.

👉 Click here to take the survey > https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2bC0fCx8gcKGH6S

Your voice matters - join us in creating a welfare-focused future for horses!

Read more about the SWF, their work, and previous study here > https://askanimalweb.com/equestrian-industry-survey-explores-key-views-on-horse-welfare/

13/11/2024

🐴Colic Awareness week 8th-14th November🐴

We are proud to be BHS Vet REACT Colic Champions 🏆
This scheme was set up by The British Horse Society and The School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham. The campaign aims to educate horse owners about a wide range of issues relating to colic, in particular identifying the more subtle, early signs of colic.

More information is available at https://www.bhs.org.uk/horse-care-and-welfare/health-care-management/horse-health/equine-diseases/colic-in-horses/

For more information on colic signs please see our YouTube video:

https://youtu.be/GWgqomNY8ds

10/11/2024

Their blood stained the land, as they served with pride. A duty to their master, they stood side by side. From the sky, to the sea, through a vast open land, together they fought—both animal and man.

They flew through the sky, as messengers on wing dodging bombs and bullets, for salvation to bring. Their wings did strain, till their hearts near burst, they flew day and night, never fearing the worst.

They walked together midst a bomb spangled field, both dog and handler, neither one would yield. The bond and the friendships they shared through war, will live and be remembered for ever more.

Through the sand so fine, they lolloped to the fore they’re the ships of the desert, the Camel Corp. Over hills and through valleys, the line did twine as they carried their loads to the firing line.

Into combat they rode, both man and steed, through the fear of battle, they were a special breed. The mateship of horse and rider was strong made the parting in death, seem so heartless and wrong.

As beasts of burden, they were put to the test, with hearts filled with anguish, they gave their best. They died where they fell, while the others pulled on.

Are they lost in life’s story, can we still hear their song? The theatre of war—hell for animal and man whatever the cost, they cannot understand.

So remember them kindly, as you walk through life, for they too served proudly, to help make things right.

ANIMALS OF WAR POEM BY SANTINA LIZZIO 💜❤️💜❤️💜

09/11/2024

𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐲! 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐮𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫:

🐴Manage grassland well by rotating fields and using hardcore or mud mats where horses usually stand.

🐴Check for mites, they can be a cause or a contributing factor. Both the mites and the mud fever need to be treated. If you think your horse may have mites, ask your vet for advice.

🐴Barrier Creams/waterproof ointments can be used before turnout to protect the legs. Ensure that the skin is clean and dry before application as wet skin can provide the perfect environment for bacteria to grow between the skin and cream.

🐴Don’t wash/scrub legs – it washes off the natural grease and weakens the skin allowing the entry of bacteria. Instead, gently rinse the excess off or brush off the mud when it has dried.

🐴Don’t allow horses to stand in muddy or wet conditions, bring them in to a dry standing area or stable with clean bedding.

🐴Boots and bandages that are fitted or used incorrectly can damage skin and cause an entry point for bacteria.

08/11/2024

What a day... We've had so many comments, messages and emails about our survey results. As one person commented: It's fair to say that the results confirm what many grooms experience.

https://britishgrooms.org.uk/news/790/latest-bga-research-shocking

But what happens next?

What can be done to improve working conditions for grooms, ensure they are employed legally, treated respectfully and paid fairly?

Here at the BGA we're working on a whole host of tools and resources for grooms. We're working with some amazing partners throughout the equine industry, people who want to drive change!

And through our sister organisation Equestrian Employers we're working directly with yards to give them the tools, templates and support they need to be a great employer.

Join us!

04/11/2024

Do you know the difference between banned substances and controlled medications? 🤔

Clean sport is based on the philosophy that a horse should compete on its own merits, without any unfair advantage. It’s also to protect equine welfare because medication can mask issues such as poor fitness, lameness or disease.

The FEI’s prohibited substances list is updated on 1 January each year. It applies to all horses and ponies competing at national and international level, and is divided into two categories…

💊 Banned substances are deemed by the FEI to have no legitimate use in the competition horse and/or have a high potential for abuse. They’re not permitted for use in the competition horse at any time.

💊 Controlled medications are substances deemed by the FEI to have therapeutic value and/or be commonly used in equine medicine. However, they have the potential to affect performance and/or be a welfare risk, and shouldn’t be in your horse’s system at the point of competition.

Check the full list to see if you're compliant 👉 https://bit.ly/FEI_ProhibitedSubstances

If you’re a human athlete, you can check out the human prohibited substances list via the UK Anti-Doping website 👉 https://bit.ly/UKADProhibitedSubstances

📷© British Equestrian / Jon Stroud Media

04/11/2024

HAY SOAKING TRUTHS 🟨💧

I'm still seeing some nutribaloney about soaking hay circulating.

Some Q&As to help...
__________
Q: Does soaking hay strip it of nutrients?
A: Yes - that's the whole point (unless you're soaking for 10-15 mins for respiratory health) - we're long- soaking to reduce BOTH calories (energy) & water soluble carbs (sugar & fructan)
___________
Q: Can we replace the useful nutrients lost e.g. minerals?
A: Yes - that's why we add a balancer or vitamin & mineral supplement to the diet, because soaking may reduce some mineral levels
___________
Q: Do we soak for just sugar reduction?
A: No No No No!!!! For overweight horses & ponies or those with insulin dysregulation we soak hay to reduce calories (energy) as well as water soluble carbs (WSC) = sugar AND fructan!!

(Fructan is not sugar. It's made up of sugar units joined by bonds that are not broken by digestive enzymes, but fermented by gut microbes.

The reason some may get confused about fructan is they either think it's a sugar or they think it doesn't affect insulin response... both are incorrect).
________
Q: Is it safe to test hay for just sugar & starch and then feed it to laminitis / ID / EMS horses & ponies if it's under 12%?
A: Absolutely, categorically NO!! This is really important. Both calories and fructan (WSC) can be highly variable in hay and you could cause laminitis by feeding unsoaked hay of unknown energy (calorie) and WSC content. Furthermore, analysing hay is only an estimation of what that particular sample contained and results should be used with care.
______
Q: Do I need to be worried about soaking hay, about mineral losses??
A: Absolutely not. We just need to balance soaked hay with suitable products. Soaking hay is sometimes the only way we can get unhealthy overweight, laminitis-prone, EMS/ID horses & ponies to lose weight without half-starving them.

I hope this helps to calm the worry about soaking hay and clarify some nutibaloney.

Feel free to share 🐴🍏🟨💧

31/10/2024

Happy Halloween 🎃 👻💀

Isn’t mother nature beautiful 🥰

Have a fantastic day with your horses 🐴

30/10/2024

Soft hands, compared to stiff & fixed hands while riding make a HUGE difference 🫶