Arrowhead Professional Horseshoeing LLC

12/24/2024

Merry Christmas to all!

09/07/2024

07/02/2024

03/24/2024

Here's a friendly reminder that there is really no such thing as a vegan. 😎

01/20/2024

FUN FACT FRIDAY! Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice, good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
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Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

12/05/2023

Four Quarter Horses in Texas, located in Waller, Montgomery, Denton and El Paso counties, were confirmed positive for EIA and euthanized.

09/18/2023

Summer and fall are prime time for arbovirus infection as these diseases (which include Eastern Equine Encephalitis [EEE], West Nile Virus [WNV], Western Equine Encephalitis [WEE] and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis [VEE]) are transmitted by many different species of mosquitoes and biting insects.

With more states reporting cases of West Nile Virus (70 cases were reported in August alone), here is your reminder that keeping all horses up to date on vaccinations with the guidance of your veterinarian is the best protection you can offer your equine friends.

Read more and download the arbovirus factsheet on the Equine Disease Communication Center's website at https://tinyurl.com/ukaa3zwv

09/15/2023

Good to know

07/14/2023

Its HOT!

COOL SCIENCE (pun intended)!

An old myth wants us to believe that horses should be walked until they cool completely after exercise, even in the summer. However, a study from 2020 looked at five different ways to cool a horse after exercise: walking, walking with fans, walking with intermittent cold water application, walking with intermittent cold water application and scraping, and stationary with continuous tap water application. As it turns out, the method that resulted in the quickest return to normal body temperature was stationary with continuous tap water application (2 minutes), while walking alone took the longest time for recovery (25 minutes).

Bottom line: enjoy your rides in the sun this summer but remain vigilant for signs of heat stress in your horse. If they look tired, it’s time for a drink, a cool bath, and a break in the shade.
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Brough to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

07/10/2023

https://www.americanfarriers.com/articles/13904

Nominate your farrier or mentor for the 25th annual Farriers Spotlight during Farriers Week, which is from July 10-16. This special week is time to acknowledge the contribution of farriers to the equine industry.