José A. Ramos, DVM

29/06/2025

29/06/2025

08/01/2025

Is your horse’s nighttime vision better than your daytime vision?

When comparing equine vision to human vision, the horse has a smaller visible spectrum (see image) which means they see a smaller range of colors than we do. However, horses have a structure in the back of their eye—called the tapetum lucidum—that humans do not have. This enhances vision in low light conditions and allows a horse to see better in the dark than a human does. However, reflections from the tapetum lucidum can also blur images and lead to poor depth perception at night.

Dilation of the pupil allows all species to see better in the dark. This process takes longer in a horse (45 minutes) than it does in humans (25 minutes). So, when a horse is asked to do something in a dark environment, it’s important to allow their vision proper time to fully accommodate.

Overall, the nighttime vision of a horse is better than the nighttime vision of a human. However, the horse’s nighttime vision is NOT better than the daytime vision of a human. Anytime you are asking your horse to function in a dim light situation, give them time to adjust. And if they are fearful, be patient and try to understand how things look from their perspective!
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Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

18/12/2024

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17/12/2024

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03/10/2024

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More to come. In Lone Star Park and Albuquerque area.

02/10/2024

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17/09/2024

Strangles is one of the most commonly contagious diseases of the horse (worldwide) and in 2017 it became a nationally monitored disease. This condition is caused by bacterial infection of "Streptococcus equi subspecies equi" (referred to as "S. equi”), which typically infects the upper airway and lymph nodes of the head and neck and is highly contagious in horse populations—particularly affecting young horses.

Transmission from horse to horse usually involves direct face-to-face contact, or exposure to contaminated feed, water, hands, veterinary instruments or grooming tools. A stall or van recently used to house or transport a horse that is shedding the organism may also be a source of infection.

WATCH OUT FOR ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS!
It is not uncommon for strangles infections to recur on a farm with previous outbreaks of the disease. The primary source of recurrent infections are most likely asymptomatic carrier horses—animals who display no clinical signs but may continue to shed the bacteria for months to even years, serving as a continual source of new infections.

If you suspect a strangles outbreak, be sure to involve your veterinarian right away to determine the diagnosis and the best control practices for your particular farm. Without control and biosecurity measures, a strangles outbreak will ultimately affect all susceptible horses, last longer, and have a greater chance of leading to complications.

**Please note that strangles is a reportable disease in some states.**

To learn more about strangles, visit the Equine Disease Communication Center's website at: https://www.equinediseasecc.org/strangles

And as always, contact your veterinarian for more information as they remain the best source of advice!

26/04/2024

Hot weather puts horses at risk not only for dehydration and heat stress but, just like humans, the skin damage and discomfort that accompany a sunburn. Horse prone to sunburn are also at a higher risk for a cancer called squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) which is associated with UV light exposure.

If your horse has reduced pigmentation (pink eyelids or pink tissue) around the eye, be sure to use a fly mask with greater than 90% UV light protection. Many of these masks are not sold at your local tack store but can be purchased online (examples include Equine Sun Visor, Kensington Uviator, Equivizor, Nag). If a mask advertises UV light protection but does not specify the amount, contact the company that makes the mask to get a definitive answer.
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Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee