I find it interesting, seeing so many rectangular or square shaped paddocks. Owners can be so engrossed in the science behind their horse’s well being, they overlook the simple problems.
Many don’t think their horse can get trapped in a 90-degree corner. Even though this is where 90% of horse injuries at pasture occur. It’s easy to miss paddock shapes, while obsessing over nutrition, or the early stages of hoof damage.
So I’m beginning a series of free simple tips. They’re all mercifully short. Just one of these might change your horseback life immeasurably.
If you have any simple tips to add along the way, I want to hear them. Please, please comment below!
looking forward to your simple tips…never hurts to be reminded, or learn new ideas
iam new at this so i take all the advice i can get
My 24 yr old arabian mare has what has been diagnosed as white line disease in three of her hoofs, My farrier has suggested using a mixture of betadine (iodine) and perioxide in the holes and cracks to get rid of the condition. I have been doing this every other day for 4 weeks and still each time I clean out the affected areas, I find more of the white powdery infction. Do you have any suggestions? My mare has always had toe cracks even though when I was showing her, she was shod.The condition had not previously been diagnosed, by any of the previous farriers, so I just tried to keep her hoofs as clean daily as possible , to no avail.
She looks great other than her hoof cracks, but a horse without good hoofs is not very ridable, but even more important, the condition must be somewhat painful for her. I have owned my mare since she was 8 months of age.
Please help with your advice.
I await your reply.
Thanks very much, Patricia
have you tried Tea Tree oil, or something natural like this……it’s one of those things, works for some and not for others!
my barefoot specialist told me neat apple cider vinegar 🙂
My horse has the same problem. It was an extremely wet season. My farrier said to use bleach and iodine. I use a hoof dressing also. However she still has it.
Agree with Caryn… also cut out as much sugar as possible from her feed (grass/hay excepted) if you use hard feed keep it very simple – no grains and no molassed feed, and add Magnesium Oxide to her diet daily.
I use Purishield Wound Spray or Save-a-hoof spray, can be purchased at HorsehealthUSA.com.. Also give my horses biotin supplement… Brookside Biotin Powder can be purchased at Valleyvet.com or Glanzen3 can be purchased at Smartpak Equine..
There is a product for human toenail fungal infections called Loceryl containing amorolfine, which is a fungicide that penetrates through the nail – no other products do this. I would give that a try on the hooves.
I use Listerine when I clean out Skys hoofs.I put it in a spray bottle and spray’ he has not thrush in about a yr. 😛
Diane
do you dilute Listerine?
We just got 2 quarter horses the one we call Jazzy is 17 months old she is a bay color, and Reba is 19 yrs. old and she is also a bay and she might possibly be pregnant. We are new to this scene but we my daughter 9yrs. old Bethany, loves her horse but she is sort of afraid she tends to rear up sometimes with my husband and he always seems to calm her down I call him the animal whisperer he is also learning but he is always kind to our animals. Any tips we be very helpful. Thank You, Jan
I am curious at how you came across these horses. Most people that are new to horses find a great well trained middle age horse that is safe around kids.Jazzy is to young to be safe around a 9 year old. A pregnant mare can be unpredictable and her foal will require a lot of training. My only advice is to find a great vet and a professional horse trainer. It could get expensive.
Depending on why and when she rears will depend on the advice anyone can give Jan – more info? 🙂
Use all natural products from Zephyrs Garden. Totally the best ever!
What about making your own mix of tea tree essential oil and water? You could dilute it in a carrier oil, like linseed or something else good for hooves. Check online for a guide how strong to make the solution. Horse hooves are thicker than human nails! I have used it on ringworm (on a human) and for painful braces (also a human) and on sick tropical fish (in the water “Melafix” product). It is germicidal and antifungal as well as a bit analgesic, smells strongly kind of like muscle rub. I’m guessing you can apply it straight, as a human would for nail fungus.
Huh. I wish I could worry about my horses paddock corners, but shes living by herself at the moment. Her paddock mate passed away late last year and I’m desperately searching for a friend for her. Ahh, simple pleasures…
Hello Zoe, have you thought about re homing a companion animal from a rescue centre? Places such as Bransby Horses or Redwings have a range of horses and donkeys that have been restored to full health and need new homes.The equines continues to belong to the rescue centre but are placed on long term full loan. There is a minimum donation required , to help them with the costs of the rescue and rehabiataion work but this is a fraction of the price of buying a new animal. There is always help and advice on hand and support if any health issues arise.Do please give it some thought.
Where are you located? Trying to find a new home fo my 10 year ol quarterhorse mare.
to a avoid 90 degree corners you can just put a wire across the corner like this \ i think it makes the corners all 45
standing on the out side looking in gives great oppurtunitys to learn through anthers eyes
To solve a mosquito problem, encourage natural predators to take up residence on your farm. Birds, bats, fish, dragonflies, frogs and other predators eat mosquito eggs, larvae and adults. Keep any ponds and other natural waterways clean, and plant shrubs and trees that will offer food and shelter to them.
Also, install fans in barns/stables. Mosquitoes find their hosts by detecting heat and carbon dioxide, and they prefer still air. Setting up fans in your barn will address both issues, first by dispersing the heat and carbon dioxide horses respire, and also by creating breezes that discourage the insects from flying.
Wire of any kind does not belong in a pasture!!! Very bad advice. Use a wood rail
to “cut” the corner. My friends horse severed his extensor tendon (hind) on an old, not hot, hotwire that was on the top of a fence. He recovered but it took a year.
Horses and wire = trouble.
Do not mess around with home remedies for white line disease. It is serious.
Get a vet to do a treatment. High maintenance but it works.
To Deedee about no wire fence; Depends on horse and how raised. Friend purchased horse from place that had no wood fences in sight. Owner said he was always eating way out (even treated) of wood rails. Put up panel fence and one hot wire and was end of problem. Friend liked horse so we ended up putting three strands hot wire on inside of rails to keep in. Didn’t need the wire hot, just need wire. I think we could have even used clothes line. He did eat some of the tree, too.
I have been riding horses since I was 12 years old I never owned them but I cleaned stabls and rode horses in for a trainer/farrier he would buy, retrain or break and resell horses and farriered local race/riding horses and I would
help him his horse feet were always in excellent condition some horse came in with similar problems as rechaels whiteline disease seedy toe cracks right up the wall all we ever used was stockholm tar everyday clean out the hooves and paint with stockholm tar it is an antiseptic and has been use since the vikings to preserve horses feet.it must be used everyday 😀 with regular triming your horse feet will be good in 6-8 weeks
Sorry I meant Patricia not recheal 😳