Just as my rescue mare Mindi got back on her feet, a tick-borne disease threatened to knock her down again.
This poor horse,” I muttered to myself while texting my veterinarian about Mindi ---again. The past four months had been a roller coaster ride as we worked to restore my petite mare to health. Our veterinarian, Maral Avetian, VMD, had seen Mindi multiple times for issues related to her previous starvation and neglect. But we had had a month of steady improvement (and zero veterinarian visits), and I truly thought that she was out of the woods.
As I keyed in the message relaying her signs to Avetian, Mindi moved hesitantly and painfully around her pasture. She had been fine when I checked on her the night before, but this morning she had considerable swelling in her hind legs. As most horse owners do, I went through a mental checklist of possible causes and treatments.
I didn’t think it was regular stocking up---a harmless pooling of fluid in a horse’s lower legs related to inactivity ---because Mindi’s swelling was much more severe than any case I had ever seen. Also, stocking up is far more likely to occur in horses confined to stalls rather than on pasture, where they can engage in at least moderate exercise.
Mindi had enjoyed plenty of turnout over the past few days. The weather had been so mild that I had been able to extend my usual autumn 24-hour turnout schedule into the holiday season. So, the previous day, December 22, 2015, she had been turned out all day and all night. I checked her for any cuts or scratches and there were none, nor did I find any bumps or marks. I ran my hands up and down each leg and, although they seemed sensitive, I didn’t notice any sore spots that would have indicated trauma. Without any other options, I brought her into her stall, snapped a picture and waited for Avetian to arrive.
Rehomed and rehabbed
Esta historia es de la edición February 2018 de Equus.
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Esta historia es de la edición February 2018 de Equus.
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PROGRESS AND STRUGGLE IN SENIOR HORSE CARE
A study from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University confirms what many dedicated horse owners have long known: Caring for a geriatric horse with a chronic health condition can be a significant physical and emotional burden.
THREE WAYS TO PREVENT BLANKET INJURIES
Of all the things your horse could injure himself with, his blanket seems an unlikely candidate. But don’t rule it out. Blanket mishaps do happen and they can be serious. Here are three things you can do to avoid them:
PUT AN END TO BARN DRAMA
While it’s impossible to prevent all discord at the barn, conflict resolution techniques can help solve problems, restore calm and enable everyone to enjoy their horses.
The turning point
You don’t always get the horse you want, but sometimes you get the one you need.
A FOREVER HOME
How a Facebook post led to a midnight rescue and an unexpected partnership
Nice work if you can get it
A career focused on horses is not for the faint of heart but the rewards are many and can last a lifetime.
MAKE WINTER EASIER FOR YOUR OLD HORSE
The season ahead may be hard on aging horses in cold climates but with some planning and preparation you can help yours sail through until spring.
7 THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT TETANUS
With modern vaccines and wound management practices, tetanus is almost a thing of the past. But the threat persists, so it’s wise to remember which horses are most at risk and why.
THE FIRST AMERICAN “SPORT HORSE” BREED
The very name of the American Standardbred reflects the performance requirement established at the inception of the breed. Here’s how genetics, conformation and training came together to create horses that could trot a mile in 2:30 or less, or pace it in 2:00 flat.
THE 6 WAYS HORSES LEARN
You’ll be more successful in teaching your horse new skills or maneuvers if your lessons, timing and tasks are aligned with his natural modes of acquiring information.
