In Australia / Vic / Melbourne there has been a horse flu scare. But what I would really like to know is what does the flu do to a horse. I understand that the horse develops a temperature. Yes I know horses cant talk so they can’t tell us how they are feeling, but what do the experts say about how it affects the infected horse.
Equine influenza is a major virus disease that causes flu like symptoms in horses and is from the group of viruses that causes flu in humans. This is a major viral disease present throughout Europe, North America and parts of Asia.
Most horses exposed to the virus will show signs within a period of 1-5 days.
Equine influenza appears similar to a range of other viral respiratory diseases. Viruses that are responsible for coughs and colds in Australia include Equine Herpesvirus, Equine Rhinovirus and Equine Adenovirus. Most of these viruses produce rather mild signs which include a discharge from the nose and coughing. Equine Influenza produces more severe symptoms with horses developing a fever and a dry hacking cough. Horses become ill and are reluctant to eat or drink for several days but usually recover in 2 to 3 weeks.
The virus can be spread easily from horse to horse as a result of droplets and also from nasal discharge and from things like infected brushes and rugs. The disease is very contagious and there is almost 100% infection rate in a population that has been previously unexposed to the virus.
Because it is a virus, there are no drugs that influence the outcome of the disease. However many horses develop secondary infections with bacteria which can lead to pneumonia and other problems. Good nursing care and if necessary, antibiotics to deal with bacterial illness associated with the disease are important parts of treatment. The most important part of dealing with this illness is effective vaccination. Reasonably effective vaccines are now available featuring the two most important types of this virus but horses need to be vaccinated 2-3 times per year to ensure their immune status.
The most likely way that this disease could be introduced into Australia is through an imported horse and horse owners should be aware of this potential if there are any horses introduced onto farms or into stables. The most likely signs will be the rapid spread of a severe respiratory flu like disease which is more severe than the usual virus problems
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I am looking to donate to a horse charity. Which one will be most benificial to horses AND they can be saved for the amount I am willing to donate? URLs are accepted.
Most all horse charities are good. I do know that United Pegasus Foundation in Southern California is trying to save some horses currently. The owner has about 15 horses he is wanting to send to the slaughterhouse. Helen is currently trying to save the horses from going to slaughter. Because they have 160 horses on their lots, they have no where to put these other horses and so the current owner has agreed to not send the horses to slaughter if he can get $30 per horse per month. They have until September to get the horses. You can contact Helen by phone to talk to her more about what the United Pegasus is doing and she can tell you more about the horses that she is trying to keep from going to slaughter. Or you can check out their website at:
www.unitedpegasus.com
Helen (951) 285-1266
I just checked the website and there has been some changes since I spoke with Helen. They are currently trying to get the slaughter bound horses here in the US by the end of January. It appears there has been an increase in urgency for the horses.
I do check several of the various horse rescue agencies and at this time, I would say that United Pegasus Foundation is the one in most urgent need. The others seem to be hanging in there currently.
I live in Kentucky and am wondering how many horses can 5 acres hold? I am not sure on the ratio between horses per acre? How many horses can stay on 5 acres? Thanks!!!
If you are planning on feeding hay in your pasture then you should be able to hold 20 horses but if you’re looking for pasture that would sustain horses, then 5 acres MIGHT be enough for ONE horse. Remember that their hooves are going to turn over the turf.
You didn’t say if you were going to plant the acreage. You could section it off say in 2 acre parcels and let one grow while the other is feeding your horse then rotate. You’ll also need a watering system for the pasture as well and best works if set in the fencing because under ground pipes with in the ground water sprinklers don’t do well with horses.
Lets say you had a bunch of horses. How many could you keep in a 1 acre paddock for 2 days, moving them to a fresh 1 acre paddock after that time and repeating the process? And how long would it take the pasture to recover afterwards?
In terms of grazing…
The idea is that the horses always have access to good grazing, don’t trample the grass so much that it won’t recuperate and aren’t sitting in their own manure all the time.
I know that people say it is about one acre of good grazing per horse per year. At my old boarding barn the horses were kept off pasture until late spring when it dried up. There were 5 horses and the grass was about 2 ft. high when they were turned out.The pasture was divided into 3 areas 2 were about an acre and a half and the other close to 2 acres but with poorer grazing. In approximately 2 weeks they needed to be put in a new section originally then about a week after they had used all 3 once because the grass wasn’t recuperating fast enough. Now at my own farm we have close to a 2 acre section for my horse and llama and it took them only about a month to clean up the grass in it. Mind you it was getting late in the fall and the grass wasn’t long to begin with.
What ways are there to exercise horses appart from swimming and riding them?
I do an animal course at college and i can’t find any other ways to exercise horses i am not every into horses. Someone please Help!
Thankyouuu
xx
You can lunge them. Lunging is when you attach a long rope, called a lunge line, and the horse walks, trots, canters and does small jumps in a circle.
http://www.cedarridgeequine.com/Lunge.jpg
You can put them on a horse walker, which is when you tie them to a metal thing an it goes round and round.
http://www.guinnessparkfarm.co.uk/gpf-1/resources/images/horseWalker.jpg
You can free lunge, which is lunging without the lunge line. It is usually done in a round pen.
http://www.equine.vt.edu/PicsETClass/FreeLunging.jpg
I hope I helped!
How old are horses when they get sway backs?
Do they have to be OLD old or can they develop one at like the age of 8?
Also what are they caused by?
Btw can you canter a horse that has a slight sway back? Like a sway back in the making?
Even a two year old can develop a swayback under the right conditions. Some breeds are more prone to it, and some horses are born with congenitally weak intervertebral ligament sheathing in the spine. Some horses are born with spinal deformities similar to human scoliosis, kyphosis, and lordosis which involve more complicated defects in the bone and supportive structures.
If you combine any inherent weakness of the ligaments that support the spine with asking the spine to bear weight before the growth plates of the vertebrae are fused, there is a chance that the back will sink and become swayed. Ideally, horses shouldn’t be started under saddle until the age of 4, and yet many are started before they reach the age of two years old.
In a mature horse with no sinking already present, some causes include weakening of supportive ligaments during pregnancy and foaling, or a horse with marginally strong ligaments and muscling being ridden hollow-backed and strung out for years, especially with an unbalanced and heavy rider.
Sometimes the horse’s back may appear swayed when it actually isn’t, as when the dorsal processes of the vertebrae of the withers elongate, so they look like there is a "camel hump" at the withers, making the back seem lower than it actually is. Also, loss of muscling along the topline can make the back appear sunken, especially if the horse also has a large belly. This can happen with nutritional deficiencies and certain metabolic disorders like Cushing’s disease.
Often good nutrition, treatment of metabolic disease, and correct conditioning exercises can improve the appearance of the topline in these horses.
If you have an 8 year old with this appearance developing, I would look into the possibility that there is something nutritional or metabolic going on, and also look at whether he is being worked round, or if he is strung out and hollow backed when he is being ridden. I’d also determine whether it might just be that the withers are getting higher due to elongating bone processes. At only 8, I wouldn’t guess it would be that, but it is possible.
My teacher needs an efficient way to build a fence on a slope. He has horses and doesn’t want too big of gaps for the horses to get out.
You asked this question in the wrong section. This is the rodent section, like in hamsters and rabbits. Try asking again in the appropriate section.
Sorry I can’t be more of a help!
Theres a small town with a bad reputation about 20 minutes from where I live, and every time I’m over that way I see these 2 horses in this tiny quarter- or half-acre pasture with barbed wire (i think) on the fence and it makes me sick. They look so skinny and scraggly, and I want to do something about it. I plan on making it a point to drive over and look just a little closer, but what is real cause to call humane society. And if the poor animals were eventually removed from the practically in-town property, would there be a way for me to take one or both horses to my barn and nurture them. Also, are there grants or funding available in helping with this. Anyone with this kind of experience, I would really appreciate some insight and help in figuring this out. I’ve got 2 horses of my own now, and my first horse died in january, old and skinny, so i know some horses are just skinny. I don’t want to cause problems, I just want what’s best for the animals. Thanks!
humane society!
you will remain anonymous, i called before about 2 dogs, they came the next day and took them.
the lady emailed me to show me they are at a nice home now. also tell them you’d like to care for them, it can be arranged!!
CALL THEM !!
you’ll be glad you did, it’s hard to see it everyday isn’t it!!
I board my horse at a barn about 5 minutes away from my house. There are about 30 horses there; 10 of them are owned by the barn and used for lessons.
Lets see there are about 9 horses that are boarded, 8 horses owned by the owner. 4 of the owners horses any one is allowed to ride pretty much as long as they ask, and 2 of the boarded horses there owner has given permission to the barn owner to let people ride them becuase the owners dont come out often.
No Petfinder please. I am looking to ride this horse as well. Oh, and it needs to be in Sonoma County, CA. Horses for sale and adoption.
Sorry, I ride Western and I am looking for a good all around horse. I want to go into barrel racing or reining, but right now I’m just looking. I want to look around a lot before I decide on anything.
I have found horses on equinenow.com, craigslist also lists horses for sale and you can pick an area close to you.