General Information
Laminitis (founder) is a painful condition characterized by inflammation of the blood vessel-filled laminae holding the coffin bone to the inside of the hoof. The term laminitis is a technical term used to describe the sudden onset of laminar inflammation, while the term “founder” is a lay term applied to the same condition. All Laminitis cases are not created equal. Depending on the cause of the inflammation, it may present sudden and severe, or slow, mild, and insidious. This later type will sneak up on you. The more severe the laminitis is at its onset, the greater the […]

General Information
Various types of insects can cause skin problems in horses. Problems involving large, easily visible insects, such as deer flies, house flies, stable flies, horn flies, bot flies, mosquitoes and fire ants, are usually obvious. The extent of involvement of very small insects, such as lice, ticks, chiggers, mites and midges (no-see-ums), in skin disease may not be readily apparent and can be deceiving.
Horses can have 2 types of hypersensitivity reactions to insect bites:
Toxic reaction:
The bites of larger insects can cause multiple wheals (welts) over the horse’s body, about 1cm in diameter or larger.

The bites of smaller insects, […]

Early and Middle Pregnancy
In the early months of pregnancy, a mare requires only routine care.
Late pregnancy (During the last month):
Mares confined to a stall or another small area should be regularly given the opportunity for moderate exercise.
Feed the mare a complete balanced ration. Additional nutrition is necessary in the last several months of pregnancy and should include a commercially available Mare and Foal feed or alfalfa hay.

Mares should be taken off ALL fescue grass and hay during the last 90 days of gestation. The endophyte fungus in the fescue causes real and serious complications including thickened placental membranes, weakened […]