Spring is upon us and so is the prevalence of gas colic. Equine Guelph is sharing many strategies to prevent it.   First, Equine Guelph recommends that every horse owner refers to its FREE Colic Risk Rater Tool (www.equineguelph.ca/colictool) to help them assess their management practices, such as introducing new feeds slowly to reduce their colic risk.  An…

With many horses seeing their exercise schedules suddenly reduced or eliminated, questions have cropped up if this creates a higher risk of colic.  Our National Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Equines is clear: Horses must have some form of exercise or turnout unless under stall rest for medical reasons or severe environmental conditions make this…

The Colic Risk Rater healthcare tool was performed by over 100 students in the winter 2018 offering of Equine Guelph’s Gut Health & Colic course.  Feedback indicates participants were keen to learn the simple management changes that could reduce their chances of colic.  Many were surprised to learn that approximately 80% of colic episodes may…

Winter can make the most mundane tasks challenging. This reality is clearly illustrated when it comes to watering animals. For as long as man has worked alongside horses and livestock, there have been different watering methods and their seasonal variations. Fresh, clean water is critical to good health, and freezing temperatures can make providing this…

Early diagnosis of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is an important area of study especially considering one of the first signs can be laminitis, a serious and sometimes life-ending condition. Catching EMS in its initial stages can facilitate early intervention with an appropriate exercise and diet plan to reduce the chances of laminitis developing. In a…

The sun is shining, birds are singing, flowers are blooming and the temptation is to launch full-on into your horse-training endeavours. You may have kept fit throughout the winter on the ski slopes or at the gym but what about your horse? Unless you had access to an indoor arena or migrated south for a…