Schaefer Equine

02/13/2025

02/02/2025

Porch Chats with Dave
Q&A and Demo
Equine Indirect Release
Joanne Gelinas Snow

01/27/2025

**Aiken, SC January 24-26, 2025**
We’ve had a blast these last few days working on great horses for some amazing people. Thank you for inviting us to be part of your horse’s healthcare team!
And a BIG thank you to our gracious hosts Joanne Gelinas Snow and Arthur.

01/22/2025

This Saturday is the drawing!! Get your review in to get your name in the hat!

01/19/2025

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!

01/04/2025

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

12/13/2024

We celebrate them today and everyday

11/21/2024

The Equine Podiatry community lost a great friend and mentor today.
Dr. Matthew Wimer, DVM, CJF was one of the best. He was always willing to share his knowledge and collaborate. His passion for the industry and fun loving spirit were contagious. His big smile lite up a room and he will be missed by many but his spirit will live on within the people he touched.