GUT HEALTH

If you are confused about all the various products available to help horses' digestive systems then you are not alone!

Everyday there seems to be more products available all with various claims.

In my opinion the only sure way to know if your horse has stomach ulcers is to have it scoped. Then if it is positive it should be given a course of omeprazole from your veterinarian. During the treatment and certainly afterwards attention needs to be given to optimising their gut health.

Hind gut health is also important and very topical at the moment.

Different products work in different ways and it depends on what issues your horse has as to which product may work best.

Some products purely alter the pH of the gut, others attempt to coat and protect the gut. Then there are ones that feed the good bacteria, some that are toxin binders and so on.

Regardless of what product you feed to your horse, correct management and nutrition is essential to keeping its digestive system in top form. Horses should be turned out daily, ideally in company, have access to hay or grass at all times and never worked on an empty stomach.

More information is on the Horse Health Product Page.

HOOF CARE

The old saying "No Hoof - No Horse" is so true and something never to be forgotten. The Australian climate is particularly harsh on horses feet with the often remarkable variation in moisture content in the environment in short spaces of time. Added to this is the hardness of the surfaces many horses work on and there is little wonder that many horses have problems with their feet.

No matter what the problem is, management can be easier and flare-ups often less frequent and less severe if  hoof integrity is optimum and growth good.

Hoof Gold is a new product showing remarkable results and highly recommended....more.....

JOINT HEALTH

Performance horses work hard and it is best to do whatever is possible to minimise wear and tear on their joints.

This can mean paying attention to the surfaces their are trained on as well as where they compete. It also means slowly preparing them for the work expected of them as their bodies have an amazing ability to adapt to certain environmental conditions.

Good shoeing or trimming is essential as then their legs will be tracking as straight as possible or as closely to how they were born to move.

Correct training is more important for long term soundness than most people realise as through correct training the horses move straighter. This allows their joints to load move evenly and therefore distribute the forces better.

Correct nutrition relative to the horse's work load  is vital so the horse is not carrying too much weight or being over fed and running the risk of injury due to freshness or overworking. 

Horses' muscles need to be healthy and in good condition so the joints are not under abnormal strain.  This is where nutrition, body work , saddle fit and correct work all come together.

Then there are joint protection products and what a lot there are on the market! Many have the similar active ingredients but some such as 4CYTE Epiitalis are quite unique.

BACK CARE

No matter what activity is expected of you horse, is needs a healthy back to function properly. As people know, horses were not designed to be ridden and their backs need care and preparation before they are started under saddle as well as care during their ridden career.

Once under saddle, attention must be made for correct saddle fit.  One common mistake is to make a horse wait until it is older before investing in a decent saddle. By that time damage may already be done to the horse's back or the horse may have learnt some behavioural or positional issues due to being uncomfortable or even sore.

Speciality saddle pads are an area that is expanding rapidly as new materials become available. Pads can be used to help alleviate pressure, to balance saddles or to reduce slipping and movement.  Newer products also help minimise heat build up.

Girths are also an area where there are many options.  Different shapes and materials can make a huge difference. The shape of the girth depends on the horse's conformation as to where its girth groove is in relation to its saddle platform area. Materials can vary from sheepskin covered, fabric, neoprene or leather. Some are elastic, some not and some have an equalizing system.

DR VICTORIA HAMILTON                            Email - vjh@iinet.net.au                                     Phone - 0407 773 582