Many of us grew up watching “Lassie”. The poor collie kept busy leading rescuers to accident-prone Timmy after he fell down cliffs, got stuck in quicksand or ended up in abandoned mine shafts.

Several million years ago horses grazed on plants that would be the basis of an amazing ointment. Known as icthammol, black ointment or drawing salve, it is used to treat wounds, skin conditions and abscesses affecting descendants of these early horses.

The most important nutrient, water, is also the most neglected.
Horse owners worry about protein, carbohydrates and energy, but few think about the water.
A horse can live several weeks without food, but will die in five to six days without water.

Caelan (a warmblood) is a weanling with a challenge.
Every full sister and brother acquired developmental orthopedic disease (DOD).
DOD is the term used to describe musculoskeletal problems in growing horses.

There are some people who are given a gift…the ability to interact with horses. These special few know instinctively what a horse needs, and how to get a horse to respond in a manner totally foreign to the horse. When asked, “Why did you do it that way?”, they have no answer.

Horse owners joke about wrapping horses in “bubble-wrap” to protect them from injury. Unfortunately we can’t, so we have to deal with the resulting wounds when our beloved steeds do damage to themselves.
Before slathering, spraying and daubing on the many wound treatments available, several steps must be taken.

“Do you give your own vaccinations?”

It’s a question I get asked frequently, and the answer is, “No”.

I could, but if I call my vet at 7 am on a Sunday morning with an emergency, she will be more receptive to coming out if she knows me and my horse.

Within your horse may be invaders that can cause illness. These organisms are dependent on him for sustenance and life. Your horse is their “host”.
Examples of these unwanted guests are intestinal parasites, bacterial or viral infection. Many of these ailments can be passed from horse to horse.