By Monique Warren

​Pawing is an indication something is not okay in the horse’s world. It's body language expressing either 1) mental stress or 2) physical discomfort ranging from anticipation of a treat to painful ulcers. Pain, boredom, frustration, impatience, anxiety, hunger, excess energy and isolation can all be causes of pawing. If the source of mental stress and/or physical pain is not identified and remedied, pawing can eventually become a stereotypy/habit - presenting a whole new set of challenges for both horse and guardian.      

 
​​Horses rarely do anything that doesn’t have a purpose. They don’t have the mental capacity to ponder and carry out acts intended to be annoying.

Read on to learn more about why horses paw, possible solutions, and how the source of pawing can be misconstrued.

By Monique Warren

I’m an err on the side of caution horse guardian; therefore I avoid administering vaccines, sedatives or dewormers at the same time and document information ranging from an individual’s “normal” vital signs to what type and how much of a sedative/tranquilizer produces successful results with no adverse reactions (i.e. sweating or looking like they might fall over!). My records help me determine optimal baselines and doses for each horse, which makes routine care easier on my horses – and me.

​Read on to learn about critical information to keep on hand and what to consider if a combination of tasks/treatments are scheduled in the same visit from your vet - or administered by yourself. 
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By Monique Warren

Winter can be challenging for equines and their guardians. Keeping warm is often a valid concern - yet there are differences in how horses and people cope with lower temperatures.
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Read on to learn common misconceptions about the cold and how to stoke internal body heat while providing a healthier, natural lifestyle for your herd.

By Monique Warren

Let’s face it, in a 24-hour period most of our beloved equines get only one to four hours of mental and/or physical engagement with a human. What they do for the remaining 20-23 hours a day is up to them to figure out (if not provided with opportunities to engage their natural instincts) – and so the boredom and vices set in.
 
Luckily, we've rounded up 11 tips and toys to help beat the boredom blues and provide natural enrichment for horses during their down time - whether they are on stall rest or in a pasture, pen, or paddock.

By Monique Warren

Fecal egg counts derived from fecal flotation tests - are a common method for determining parasite levels in horses, which can then influence how often a particular horse is wormed and what class of wormer to administer. As helpful as this information is - it unfortunately doesn't tell us the whole story. Fecal tests will not identify Pin Worms, Bots or Neck Threadworms. These parasites either do not reside in and/or lay eggs in the digestive tract making it impossible to detect their presence from a fecal sample.

Adult Tapeworms and Ascarids, despite residing in the digestive tract,  can go undetected if adult worms present are not actively shedding eggs at that point in their reproductive cycle. In addition, a fecal egg count cannot reveal evidence of an existing population of Encysted Small Strongyles or Ascarid and Large Strongyle migrating larvae or immature adults within the horse.

Read on to learn about some common equine parasites not revealed by fecal tests, including where they reside and/or reproduce, their life cycle, and why a fecal flotation test is not a be-all end-all detector of potential parasite burdens.
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By Monique Warren

Fly spray is intended to “protect” your horse from flies, but does it pose health risks? Depending on the ingredients, it can be harmful to you and your horse with potential long term adverse side effects. Unsafe ingredients have the potential to enter the bloodstream via skin absorption and/or inhalation. Natural ingredients are not necessarily safe either!
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Read on to learn more about how fly spray enters the bloodstream, three common ingredients that may not be safe and some suggested - and safer - options.

By Monique Warren

Proper identification during an emergency/evacuation can help reunite you with your equine companion(s) as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, we're all being reminded of the power of natural disasters – and how devastating the impacts can be. Post Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, and the wildfires in the west, should remind us we never know when the next fire, flood, hurricane, or earthquake can leave us with only moments to act.