Lush green meadows, a small herd of horses galloping towards someone calling from afar, the sun shining from a cloudless sky... how beautiful are the images of summer! And what a time for our horses, when they can live as close to their natural state as possible. Nevertheless, grazing time also requires appropriate management, regardless of whether the horses are only out to pasture for a few hours or live on permanent pasture for months at a time.
Before a horse or herd is put out to pasture in spring or summer, there are a few points to consider. Let's assume that the area has already been used as pasture for some time and has not been fertilized, and that it is covered with grass and not weeds or poisonous plants.
First and foremost, the pasture should be properly fenced. Decide for yourself whether to use wooden or plastic posts with wire fencing. You should consider the spacing between the wires of the fence from the horses' perspective. Are there small horses, foals, or even Shetland ponies in the pasture? If so, it is important to install the bottom wire low enough so that your Shetland pony cannot easily break out. And be careful: the little ones are really quick to find a way to escape! If you opt for a fence with wire, be sure to check the electrical circuit to ensure that there is enough power at all levels. To make the bright wire easier for the horses to see, you can also attach flutter tape at certain intervals. With a wooden fence, stability and the right height are important. The wood should not splinter and should be treated with an environmentally friendly product so that it is weather-resistant and prevents the horses from gnawing on it.
The gate to the pasture should be easy to open and always accessible so that a horse can be led in and out at any time. It is best to place the pasture fence device close to the entrance and exit so that you can quickly turn off the power if someone needs to enter the pasture. It is also best to place the device under a protective box. A mason's bucket is sufficient for this. Is there a shelter to protect against too much sun or rain? Or does nature provide protection from the weather in the form of trees and bushes (which should be non-toxic to horses)? Where do the horses get their water from? Is there a water trough and where is the best place to put it?
If you want to be on the safe side, check with your local veterinary office for the current requirements for a pasture.
But your horse should also be prepared for grazing time, even if it only goes out for an hour at a time. The fresh grass, which is rich in protein and sugar, represents a drastic change in diet. The intestines first have to get used to the nutrient density, otherwise problems such as diarrhea, intestinal gas, or colic can occur. Particularly sensitive horses can even develop laminitis. Your horse should therefore be allowed to get used to the lush green grass gradually. It is best to start grazing a few weeks before the actual turnout. Whether you let your horse graze on a lead or have a piece of pasture available for grazing depends on the local conditions. However, the procedure is always the same. For the first few days, allow your horse to graze on the fresh grass for only a few minutes, then gradually increase the time, always making sure that your horse has tolerated grazing well up to that point.
Here we go. The herd should be put together carefully. It is important that the grazing partners get along well and that a stable herd hierarchy is established. After all, you want all the horses to return to the stable healthy and happy.
When the horses arrive at their new terrain, probably quite motivated and still restless, they should know where the pasture boundaries are. If the pasture is not too large, you can lead the horses along the fence once. It is especially important for foals to know where the boundaries are so that they do not run through the wire fence on impulse.
Next, the horses should be familiar with the watering place and have no problems with the shelter. All horses should be released at once so that no one is left holding on to a galloping horse that is following its herd, as the initial exuberance can sometimes be considerable. The horses should not wear halters so that they cannot get caught on anything.
Pasture horses need to be checked daily, preferably in the morning and evening. This allows you to count whether all horses are still together and to identify any injuries. Water and feed must always be available in sufficient quantities. If there is a shortage of pasture grass, additional feed must be provided. If you have an electric fence, don't forget to check the fence energizer or its battery regularly.
Pasture time is wonderful for our horses. However, pasture time also means keeping an eye on a lot of things to ensure that our horses return to the stable safe and sound in the fall.
A must-have in every horse stable: a box containing the most important items for providing first aid or minor treatment to your horse yourself.
Anthrax is an acute, often fatal infectious disease that mainly affects cattle and sheep, but horses are also highly susceptible. The disease gets its name from the "burnt" appearance of the spleen in infected animals. Anthrax is found worldwide and is considered a zoonosis, as it is also dangerous to humans. It is a notifiable animal disease, but is now rarely observed in Germany. The anthrax bacterium is considered one of the most dangerous pathogens and could also be used by terrorists as a biological weapon.
Lens dislocation, medically known as luxatio lentis, is an eye condition in which the lens becomes detached and displaced from its natural position. By obstructing the flow of aqueous humor, this condition can quickly lead to a dangerous increase in intraocular pressure. If not treated in time, it can result in blindness.
The weather is beautiful this weekend and you are going for a long ride on your horse. But right at the start of the first gallop, the horse suddenly becomes very stiff and starts sweating unusually heavily. It hardly wants to move and is pressing its back down. However, these signs seem too severe for simple muscle soreness, especially since you haven't done anything with the horse in the last few days. Avoid any further movement of the horse and always contact a veterinarian immediately in such cases, as the symptoms described above are very painful and may be the first signs of a cross-ties. As this muscle disease occurs frequently after horses have not been worked for one or more days with the same feed ration, it is also known as "holiday sickness" or "Monday morning disease." However, horses that are worked regularly can also fall ill. Young horses of heavy breeds are particularly at risk. This disease was greatly feared in the days when carriage and work horses were heavily used. Today, it only occurs sporadically, mostly in easy-to-feed horses with good nutritional status.
This condition, which has been known since the Middle Ages, is a movement disorder that exclusively affects the hind legs of horses. When the horse is being presented, one or both hind legs are bent excessively and jerkily so that the fetlock almost touches the belly and is then brought down again just as abruptly. The staccato gait is reminiscent of a rooster strutting, which is where the name comes from.
Tooth fractures are relatively common in dogs and are usually caused by playing with stones or sticks, biting, or accidents. This can result in small, sharp chips in the enamel or larger defects that expose the pulp (nerve and blood vessels). If the pulp cavity is exposed, the tooth should be treated as soon as possible to reduce the risk of infection and preserve the tooth. The incisors, canines, and fangs are primarily affected. Young dogs are particularly at risk because their teeth are still developing and are therefore much more unstable than those of adult dogs.
Mycoplasmosis is the most common respiratory disease in rats. Also known as murine respiratory mycoplasmosis (MRM), this disease is caused by a bacterium that is very common in pet rats and is chronic and progressive.
Skin fungal infections are also common in chinchillas. The most common are ringworm and bald patch, which cause changes to the fur and skin of chinchillas. Skin fungal infections are not life-threatening, but can lead to persistent problems due to their contagious nature. Skin fungi can also be transmitted to or from humans to animals, which is referred to as a zoonosis.
Like many other pets, our dogs can also suffer from skin fungus. Skin fungal infections occur mainly in young animals, those with weakened immune systems, or those that have been affected by parasites or other diseases. However, the disease is not only a danger to your dog, as many skin fungi are also transmissible to humans and are therefore zoonoses. Elderly and weakened people are particularly at risk of developing a dangerous fungal infection.
It's wonderful that you're thinking about adopting a dog from abroad, because you want to save a life, and that's great! But please be prepared that your new dog may not immediately show you love and gratitude. You should also ask yourself whether you might want to give one of the many dogs in a US animal shelter a chance. Rescuing a dog from abroad also involves risks and problems.
Surgery describes the treatment of diseases and injuries through mechanical intervention on the body. This usually takes place under various forms of anesthesia (numbing). During the procedure, bodily functions and the depth of anesthesia are monitored using modern equipment.
Gynecology and andrology are separate fields of medicine. Gynecology deals with the female reproductive organs, while andrology deals with the male reproductive organs. Both fields cover diseases of the reproductive organs and reproductive medicine. Obstetrics is a branch of gynecology.
