Triple Oaks Equine LLC

01/01/2025

Happy New Year. May 2025 bring good health and happiness to everyone.

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving🦃 to everyone.
Stay warm and make sure to check on your animals often during this cold snap.

11/11/2024

Thank you Veterans 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

09/25/2024

The term "fat leg" is pretty self-explanatory, but do you know the difference between stocking up and cellulitis?

Many horses will "stock up" with subcutaneous edema (fluid swelling) in two or more legs (usually the hind limbs). Stocking up generally results from a significant decrease in exercise and usually resolves as the horse starts exercising again.

Lymphangitis (or vasculitis, big leg disease, staph infection, or cellulitis), however, is a bacterial infection and a dramatically different condition. While its causes may vary, it’s easy to spot once it sets in. The swelling will be extreme, hot, very painful to the touch, and the horse will be depressed due to the fever and discomfort.

If you think your equine friend has cellulitis or even if you're not sure, we encourage you to seek professional help promptly. Your horse doctor will make the best treatment recommendations, both to reduce swelling and to address any sort of bacterial infection that might be active or that could occur due to the edema in the soft tissue.

09/13/2024

This is a good reminder to make sure you vaccinate for West Nile, EEE and WEE. The mosquitoes are thick this year.

News Release: Todd County horse tests positive for West Nile virus (WNV) https://www.bah.state.mn.us/Todd-County-horse-tests-positive-for-West-Nile-virus

This is a high-risk time of year for WNV. Talk with your veterinarian about keeping your horses up to date on vaccinations that protect against diseases like WNV.

05/16/2024

If you believe that horses need grain in their diet to meet their nutritional needs, you are not alone. However, horses should get most of their nutrients from a good quality forage source such as grass, hay, hay pellets, or a complete feed.

Horses generally eat between 1.5-2% of their body weight each day, so an average size 1,000 lbs horse should eat 15- 20 lbs of hay daily. To help fill any nutrient gaps such as essential vitamins or minerals, a ration balancer may be beneficial. Depending on breed, body condition, and exercise level, concentrates may be added in to provide additional energy but are often not needed.

When deciding on what to feed your horse, it is best to invest in high quality forages as the foundation of your feeding plan. You can even have your hay tested to see exactly what nutrients it is providing. Please consult with your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist about your horse's diet before making any major changes, and remember that any changes should be made gradually over time to avoid GI upset.
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Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

04/05/2024

Hitting the road with your horse, either for pleasure or for business/competition?

Most horse owners know that a negative Coggins test is a must-have for crossing state lines or entering competitions (or even boarding at someone's barn). But let’s not forget that even homebodies need it!

A "Coggins" is a blood test that checks for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA), a serious blood-borne disease. EIA is transmitted by biting flies, particularly horseflies, so your horse is at risk even it never leaves the property or lives in a closed herd.

The clinical signs of the disease can vary dramatically, from an acute infection to an inapparent form that presents mild to no symptoms. No treatment or vaccine exist for EIA at the moment, and infected horses become lifelong carriers. Therefore, to ensure that large outbreaks of the disease don’t take place, horses that test positive for EIA must be quarantined and isolated for the rest of their life or humanely euthanized.

Get your horse tested annually, regardless of travel plans. To learn more about EIA, consult your veterinarian or visit our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/equine-infectious-anemia

02/08/2024

Our website will be down for a few days while we revamp it. Thank you for your patience.

01/12/2024

As a storm threat of freezing rain and snow marches across the U.S. and Canada ❄️🌨🫧🌬, below are some tips for keeping your horses safe during extreme winter weather events:

1. While lots of hay is ideal for horses to eat to keep warm, now is NOT the time to introduce a round bale if they’ve never had access to one before. It may be more work, but keep throwing them their normal hay source—just more frequently.

2. Similarly, if your horse is not used to being locked up in a stall now is NOT the time. The stress of a major change and the decreased activity can be risk factors for colic. Be sure your animals have access to shelter, hay, and drinkable water but let them move around if they choose to do so.

3. Horses that are thin, older, or fully body clipped are those most at risk in extreme weather.

4. Well fitting blankets are great but be sure horses do not get sweaty under them or that the blankets don’t soak through if snow or rain covered. Wet, cold, and covered is worse that dry, cold, and naked.

5. Some of the highest risk times are when the temperatures hover right around freezing, as that can result in sleet/freezing rain/ice that can make horses wet and therefore colder. Slippery footing is a concern, too.

6. If using electric water heaters, be sure they are functioning and not shocking horses. Take your gloves off and stick your hand in the water (briefly!) to double check.

7. “Trick” your horses into consuming extra water by flavoring a bucket, adding electrolytes to their meals, or soaking their meals in warm water. If you’ve never fed beet pulp before, be sure to add LOTS of warm water. Dry beet pulp is a common source of choke.

8. Tips of ears can be at risk for frostbite. Putting a jumper-style ear bonnet or other ear cover can protect them from wind chills.

Stay safe, friends!

12/26/2023

12/21/2023

Water remains as important for your horse in cold weather as it is in the summer. As a matter of fact, decreased water consumption in the winter is thought to be the primary inducing factor for impaction colic — although there are other predisposing factors such as poor hay quality, lack of exercise, internal parasites and dental problems.

Impaction colic is essentially constipation and most often includes the accumulation of hard, dry f***l material in the colon. The usual signs of impending impaction colic are depression, a decreased appetite, and decreased production and dryness of manure.

Studies demonstrate that you can increase your horse's winter water consumption if you provide access to heated water, but ONLY if that is the only source of water available. As always, if you have any questions about preventing colic in your horse, your local veterinarian remains your best source of information!

12/08/2023

Baby it’s cold outside! ❄️⛄️

Many people think of donkeys as hardy, low-maintenance “small horses.” However, while they have similarities, donkeys are a completely different species and as such have a different physical, mental, and emotional make-up.

As the weather gets colder, it’s important to remember that donkeys are more sensitive to changes in temperature than their equine friends. They don’t grow a winter coat like horses and their hair is less waterproof, so they require shelter from the elements (like a run-in shed or a waterproof blanket). Being stoic animals, they also won’t show signs of discomfort and hypothermia until they are very sick.

Remember that every animal is different depending on age, breed, and other health conditions, so be sure with your primary veterinarian to address any concerns or questions!
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Brough to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.

11/17/2023

Public service announcement: Your horse should eat the same, if not better, after they have their teeth floated. Anything outside of that is abnormal and warrants a recheck.

Additionally, if your lay tooth floater or “equine dentist” is not on this list, they are doing it illegally in the state of Minnesota and THEY ARE DANGEROUS. https://mn.gov/boards/veterinary-medicine/license/equine-teeth-floating.jsp
Edited to add: Veterinarians are not on this list, they don’t need a special license to float teeth. Anyone outside of a veterinarian needs to be on this list to be doing it legally. This list is up to date, I confirmed with the board before posting this.

I’m frustrated. I can’t put tooth back on your horse when too much is taken away. I’m sad. I made an old man cry today when I told him his 24 year old horses teeth were destroyed to the point that he will likely never be able to eat hay in his life again. The person who destroyed the teeth? Not on this list and not a vet. I’m just so done with this being acceptable behavior. Do better by your horse.

Find an actual professional following the rules who likes to do teeth. All the equine vets I know in this area (including myself) float teeth and do them well. Don’t put your horse in someone’s hands that can do irreparable damage.

11/11/2023

THANK YOU VETERANS

11/08/2023

Two unvaccinated calves from Lac Qui Parle County tested positive for the rabies virus in October (Oct. 18 and 25). While the exact origin of the virus is unknown, both animals possibly were bitten by a rabid animal. Three cattle have tested positive for rabies in Minnesota this year.

Talk with your veterinarian about a rabies vaccination for your pets and livestock. If you have questions about suspected or confirmed rabies exposure to domestic animals, call 651-201-6808.

For more information on rabies and rabies prevention, please visit our rabies webpage: https://www.bah.state.mn.us/rabies/

11/07/2023

Are your horses ready for winter?

While this warmer weather is persisting, it is time to get your floats and pre winter work done before the temperatures go below freezing.

We have several appointments available over the next couple of weeks. Call to get on the schedule 763-219-4984.

10/20/2023

We definitely understand! 😅