The Habronema larvae are passed in horse manure, when flies feed on the manure they actually take in the microscopic larvae. These larvae develop and when the flies feed on a horse’s wound or around the eyes, lips or other areas of the horse that are moist the larvae moves to the mouth parts of the fly then they get into the small wound that the fly makes as it feeds on the horse and burrow in to the tissue of the horse.

– Overlap layers of bandage by 50 percent to avoid having edges of the wrap material dig into the leg.
– Ensure the bandage is smooth against the horse’s leg to avoid uneven pressure.
– Avoid incorporating frayed bits of padding that contain wrinkles or bunches. These can cause pressure points under a bandage.

“With strangles, about 10 percent of horses don’t fully recover from the disease and can then become persistent carriers.2 Unfortunately, persistent carrier horses don’t show the outward clinical signs that sick horses do.”

“Foals will show interest in feeds early on and, by about two months of age, their mother’s milk will no longer supply all the nutrients needed for optimum growth.” To support smooth, steady growth, suckling foals should be offered one pound of a properly-formulated foal feed per month of age per day, advises Pesta. For example, a 3-month-old would ideally be eating about three pounds of feed per day, in addition to milk and free-choice hay or pasture.

A line of horse heads down the barn aisle looks so wonderful said a friend. I agreed. It’s so much fun to visit with horses over the barn door and give them a quick scratch on the neck. Of course walking past all the horses leading a mare in heat may not be the ideal situation if you prefer a quiet life. At one barn I visited to give lessons every single warmblood in the barn lunged at me with teeth bared as I passed by. That wasn’t fun. Especially as the aisle was narrow. I’m not sure why every horse in that barn behaved that way, but it was certainly dangerous.

“Every one of these horses that has died because of Hendra represents one more compelling reason for horse owners to vaccinate their horses. The risk this disease poses to human health is also very real and it is important that the equine community remains vigilant in protecting horses and people from Hendra,” Dr Poole said.

The horses are evaluated moving in a straight line and around corners, and researchers use four different sensors, as well as reflective equipment, to monitor the horses speed and movements. The effects of shoe versus no shoe are investigated with several variables, including differences in footing/surfaces (e.g. concrete, rubber mat, dirt), direction (using a figure eight pattern), gait, and lead and counter-lead (at a canter).