The most common feeding errors attributed to developmental orthopedic disease are excessive grain intake, feeding an inappropriate feed for the forage offered, and inadequate fortification. These three scenarios are easily rectified by feeding an appropriate grain mix fortified for the young, growing horse and feeding it at the correct intake.

The topics will include: Colic: Diagnosis and Surgical Decision, Demystifying Anesthesia, Diagnosis and Treatment of EPM, Therapeutic Shoeing for the Performance Horse, and Assisted Reproductive Techniques in the Horse

The greatest advantage of MRI in horses is the ability to detect damage to bones, tendons and ligaments that can’t be diagnosed in any other way. This is particularly true in the horse’s foot, which because of the hoof visualization of the soft tissue structures is limited. Because MRI creates images in multiple slim slices, a 3-dimensional reconstruction can provide the exact location and severity of the injury.

This year’s focus will be on gastrointestinal health and management and will feature presentations on fiber, gastrointestinal health, Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome, the Equine Microbiome, and updates on current Rutgers projects dealing with gastrointestinal health, the microbiome, and metabolism of horses on pasture.

Your horses nutritional requirements will change as the mercury drops. In fact, according to Marsha Hathaway, PhD, University of Minnesota, horses require an additional 1% of energy for each degree below 18 degrees. In order to provide these calories, she explains that it is beneficial to provide more hay as, “there is the heat generated from microbial fermentation of forages that occurs in the hindgut during digestion.”

“Even relatively mild ambient temperatures (e.g. 22°C) where the windows are partially lowered to provide ventilation can still cause an animal to experience hyperthermia (increased body temperature), which is a serious health and welfare issue. Animals that are exposed to the elements on the back of utility trucks may also suffer hyperthermia during hot conditions.”

“The industry as a whole is moving towards microchipping as the preferred method of identification,” said UHC Director Ashley Furst. “Initially, organizations hosting Operation Gelding clinics will be eligible to apply for microchips for Operation Chip. Eventually we hope to expand the program to be able to offer rescue organizations the opportunity to apply for just the chips to be inserted into the horses in their care. Microchipping horses in rescue organizations is one of the best ways to be able to track them through the system, as well as give the industry the ability to reunite them with their owner in the case of a natural disaster.”

Through Equine Affaire’s unique “Ride With A Pro” clinic program you can ride, drive, and have your horse trained in clinics conducted by many of the nation’s foremost coaches, competitors, judges, and horse trainers—for clinic fees designed to fit your budget.

“When it comes to feed and supplements, you can’t expect your horse will need and/or eat the same way they did at 15- now that they’re older,” she said. “In my experience with our older senior horses, they get pickier with their hay. They also tend to sift supplements or NSAIDs from their grain rations.”

Decide on a safe place to keep your livestock before disaster strikes. Think about whether you’ll be able to access your livestock after the event – particularly if it’s prone to flooding