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In recent years, animal physiotherapy, including massage and magnetic therapy, has grown in popularity as a way to support the musculoskeletal health of horses. These therapies aim to prevent injuries, promote recovery, and enhance performance, making them a staple for owners and trainers seeking optimal care for their equine partners. Massage, defined as the manipulation of soft tissues, offers a range of benefits including injury prevention, relaxation, fatigue recovery, and increased mobility (Hemmings, 2001). By improving flexibility and reducing musculoskeletal pain, massage can significantly enhance a horse's performance (Gellman, 1998). While manual massage techniques have long been the traditional approach, advancements in technology have introduced electrical modalities, expanding the options for therapeutic intervention. The Benefits of Equine Massage Massage isn’t just a luxury — it’s a powerful tool to promote a horse's physical and mental well-being. Here's a closer look at its key benefits: 1. Improved Flexibility and Relaxation Tension in the muscles and soft tissues is one of the most common causes of poor performance in horses. Tension can manifest in various ways, such as stiffness, shortened stride length, or behavioural issues like hollowness, bucking, or even rearing. Regular massage helps release this tension, promoting relaxation and improving back flexibility. By maintaining a healthy, supple back, horses are better equipped to perform to their full potential. 2. Enhanced Blood Flow and Circulation Massage stimulates blood flow to the treated areas, promoting vasodilation — the widening of blood vessels. This increased circulation brings an enhanced supply of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, which is crucial for maintaining muscle health. Post-exercise, massage aids in flushing out metabolic waste products like lactic acid, which can otherwise contribute to soreness and fatigue. 3. Reduction in Injury Risk By keeping muscles pliable, soft, and free of adhesions, massage reduces the risk of strains or tears. Regular massage sessions with a qualified therapist can also highlight any musculature changes, and allow you to identify any potential problems.  4. Behavioural and Psychological Benefits Massage doesn’t just address physical issues. The release of endorphins during massage sessions provides a sense of relaxation and comfort, making it an effective tool for managing stress, but also giving the horse a 'feel-good' sensation.  When to Use Massage Incorporating massage into your horse's routine can be beneficial in various scenarios. Here are some practical applications: For horses on box rest: Massage helps maintain circulation and prevent muscle atrophy during periods of restricted movement. After exercise: Helps with muscle recovery by removing toxins and promoting repair. Before exercise: Serves as a valuable part of a warm-up routine, increasing circulation and encouraging relaxation to prepare muscles for activity. After travelling: Helps to alleviate stiffness and discomfort caused by prolonged periods of standing in a trailer or lorry. On rest days: Supports overall maintenance and recovery, ensuring muscles remain supple. As a reward: A relaxing massage can be a great way to bond with your horse. Manual vs. Technology-Assisted Massage Traditional massage techniques, performed manually, remain widely practised and effective. However, the introduction of electrical modalities, such as massage pads or handheld devices, has made equine massage more accessible and consistent. These tools can target specific areas, provide adjustable intensity, and are convenient for use both at home and on the go. These do not replace the roles of qualified therapists, but can assist in between sessions and potentially prolong the time between sessions depending on the horse.  Conclusion Equine massage is a versatile, science-backed practice that contributes to your horse’s overall health and performance. By integrating massage into your care routine, you can help reduce the risk of injuries, improve flexibility, and enhance relaxation — all while strengthening your bond with your horse. Whether you choose manual techniques or technology-assisted options, regular massage offers an investment in your horse's long-term well-being. If you’re new to equine massage, consider consulting a certified veterinary physiotherapist to develop a programme tailored to your horse’s specific needs. With consistent care, you’ll likely see the benefits reflected not just in their physical health, but in their performance and temperament as well.

An introduction to Laminitis What is laminitis? Equine laminitis is a painful condition of the feet affecting horses and ponies. It is the most common cause of lameness in the UK. The lameness ranges from being barely noticeable to severe. Laminitis involves inflammation in the sensitive tissues of the foot (laminae). These tissues connect the lowest bone within the hoof (pedal bone) to the hoof wall. As the condition develops, this connection starts to weaken, causing the pedal bone to rotate and point towards the sole (sinking). There are two types of laminitis: acute and chronic. Acute laminitis Early stages of the condition Considered a vet emergency Clinical signs present but pedal bone hasn’t moved Can be treated to prevent it becoming chronic Chronic laminitis Later stages of the condition Pedal bone has moved within the hoof Ongoing foot problems are more likely such as lameness and foot abscesses What causes laminitis? Laminitis arises when the blood flow to the foot is interrupted. This results in certain areas not receiving sufficient blood but blood carries oxygen and vital nutrients. Therefore, cells in the foot become damaged which causes inflammation and pain. Laminitis is a complex condition with several possible causes. About 90% of laminitis cases are caused by underlying hormonal (endocrine) disease ‐ mainly Cushing’s Disease and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). The remaining 10% may be caused by: carbohydrate overload eg if your horse gets into the feed-room; toxaemia, due to toxins released by bacteria during some illnesses such as colic, diarrhoea, liver or respiratory disease, or from a retained placenta after foaling; concussion, perhaps due to working on hard surfaces; excessive weight bearing, when lameness in one limb causes the horse to carry too much weight on other limbs. What are the clinical signs of laminitis? Laminitis can affect all four feet, but most commonly affects the front. The typical stance is with the affected horse standing with his hind-legs well underneath his body and leaning back to take weight of his front toes. He may also have hot feet with a strong (digital) pulse felt at the back of his fetlock. Other possible indicators are: signs of pain such as reluctance to move, facial tension, and a lack of interest in his surroundings; general stiffness; or weight shifting while at rest. He may also have a ‘pottery’ walk caused by placing the heel down before the toe, or lameness that is exaggerated on a hard surface. How can I prevent laminitis? Laminitis may be prevented by ensuring your horse is of correct weight and body condition score. Feed him an appropriate diet with sufficient exercise to prevent weight increases. Latest research suggests avoiding diets containing too much sugar (including molasses) which affects insulin levels. Monitor for underlying metabolic conditions and causes of laminitis, such as Cushing’s Disease and EMS. For horses with a past history of laminitis, it is essential that you follow the advice from your vet, farrier and nutritionist to manage your horse effectively. How is laminitis treated? There is no cure for laminitis, but early treatment and management will improve the chances of recovery. Your vet should be called early on in all cases of laminitis. Box rest is necessary to minimise movement and prevent further damage until your horse becomes sound. Pain‐relieving medication can be administered, such as phenylbutazone (bute). X‐rays will check for pedal bone movement and daily monitoring of foot temperature and digital pulse is advisable. Feet may be trimmed appropriately or shod with special shoes to alleviate pressure and prevent further damage. Try to eliminate recurrence of laminitis by reducing grass intake and feeding an appropriate diet, read more about feeding the laminitis prone horse. Did you know? Restricting access to fresh grass can have a negative impact on the level of vitamin C in horse's systems as they use grass to generate vitamin C. Supplementing vitamin C in the diet is therefore beneficial for horses and ponies on a restricted grass diet. What is the prognosis of laminitis? Horses can recover from episodes of acute laminitis and, if treated promptly and effectively, chronic laminitis can be avoided. It is essential to act quickly and work alongside your vet, farrier and nutritionist to improve the prognosis. Hoof damage may cause ongoing problems which need to be managed accordingly. Horses that have suffered one attack of laminitis are more susceptible to suffering laminitis in the future, so careful monitoring and good management is key. With a timely diagnosis, prompt and appropriate treatment, and effective management, it is possible for horses to return to their former use and have a good quality of life. Thank you to vet, Rachel Harrison-Osborne of Wendover Heights Veterinary Centre, for her input to this article. Helpful resources https://www.laminitisclinic.org https://www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk https://www.laminitis.org/laminitis.htm https://www.thelaminitissite.org/laminitis.htm https://www.bhs.org.uk/welfare

  Dietary management for EMS or Cushing's Disease For a pony or horse suspected of having Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) or diagnosed with Cushings Syndrome, diet and exercise management is essential. Try and keep them fit with a target body condition score of 5 (out of 9) on the Henneke Body Condition Scale for horses. Feed little and often, and encourage them to eat slowly, to avoid large peaks and troughs in blood glucose and insulin – keep meal sizes small (less than 1kg for ponies, 2kg for horses). Manage the diet to ensure a low starch and sugar content – the target is below 10% total starch and sugar in the overall diet: Use feeds that are high in fibre and low in starch and sugar – Laminitis Trust approved main meals are a good indication of these nutritional parameters. Feed low sugar forage Hay and haylage can contain up to 10-15% sugar (they contain little starch). The sugar content can be checked by feed analysis, or alternatively the forage can be soaked. 12-16 hours soaking will deplete the sugar content by half. (However in warm weather reduce this significantly to prevent the soaking water becoming foul and smelly.) Soaking haylage may seem counter intuitive given it is already moist, but the purpose of soaking is to remove readily soluble sugars from the material, which will not happen otherwise. (Steaming doesn’t reduce the sugar content by as much as soaking) Ensure the diet is fully balanced and contains plenty of antioxidants

Feed management of the competition horse with Cushing's Disease The main challenges for the competition horse with Cushing's Disease are ensuring your horse has sufficient energy, strength and endurance to compete whilst reducing the risk of complications caused by Cushing's Disease  (PPID).  Pergolide, the main medicine used to treat Cushings Disease is not permitted in competition and there is a need for a withdrawn period before competing – this makes managing the diet even more crucial.  Managing a much increased risk of laminitis whilst feeding for competition:  Managing the laminitis is achieved via a high fibre / very low starch and sugar diet. However very low starch and sugar diets have been associated with a drop in performance / top line  in high performance horses. By low starch and sugar we are talking about 10-12% total starch and sugar in the overall diet. This means: Feeding soaked hay rather than haylage. Haylage can be higher than 10% sugar; soaking hay reduces its soluble sugar content.  Soak for 6-12 hours – 12 hours can reduce the sugar by up to 50% but may not be practical in warm weather) Hard feed: Feed several small meals to avoid any large peaks in glucose and insulin There are few very low starch and sugar hard feeds, but they do exist. Or: use a feed balancer – these are generally low in starch and sugar and are well supplemented with vitamins and minerals, but as your horse’s work intensity increases, or if he needs more condition, additional supplementation of energy would be required. Supplementing Vitamin B12 before and after competition helps to increase energy levels. Managing weight loss/muscle tone A rich supply of amino acids from quality protein sources would help with this.  Standard commercially available conditioning feeds can be 20-30% starch and sugar so are best avoided. Supporting the immune system PPID results in increased circulating levels of the stress hormone cortisol.  This depresses the immune system (as well as increasing the risk of laminitis).  To provide extra support to the immune system, feeding high doses of antioxidants is recommended.  Vitamin E and Selenium supplements are the best known for this –  avoid any herb-based products in case of potential interactions with the Pergolide and any other medications the horse might be receiving. Boosting the diet with Vitamin C is a useful respiratory supplement and will help support the immune system.

What are the challenges of feeding a laminitis prone or overweight horse? We understand that when you have a horse or pony that is prone to laminitis – such as one that easily gains weight or has had laminitis before – managing his diet and alleviating boredom is priority. Dietary guidance is readily available. This includes restricting or removing grazing time, turning out at night, reducing the soluble carbohydrate content of the diet, or implementing a weight loss programme with limited amounts of feed and increased exercise. In practice, however, this means a laminitis-prone horse spends more time indoors without much to eat.  As an example, an overweight pony on a restricted diet could receive, per day, as little as 2 slices of hay, a scoop of balancer and a scoop of feed specifically formulated for laminitis. Such meagre portions may be effective against laminitis, but this routine can mean long periods without food. This can lead to behavioural problems linked with boredom or result in gastric health issues.  Horses are grazers which mean they are born snackers! They are designed to eat 24/7. So, how can we manage laminitis and weight and still ensure our horses get the grazing time they need?  Vitamunch offers a healthy snack for laminitis and weight management Brighten up the life of your overweight or laminitis-prone horse or pony with Vitamunch – the healthy equine snack with added benefits. Our range of Vitamunch healthy snacks offer a unique solution to ensuring your laminitis-prone horse has access to food over longer periods of the day and night. If your horse is at risk of laminitis, then adding Vitamunch to his feeding regime can help, because: the quality-assured, high fibre, low calorie, low sugar composition with added vitamins and minerals complies with published dietary recommendations for laminitic horses; the timothy fibre base of Vitamunch is beneficial for horse’s digestive system; Vitamunch snacks are eaten slowly because the compressed form encourages nibbling, and when fed in the innovative Munch Net, eating time is extended even further; portion control is easy since each Vitamunch snack weighs just 1kg Struggling to get your horse or pony to eat their medication? Our horses and ponies seem to be great at sniffing out anything different in their feeds, especially if they are receiving small portions for weight reasons. Simply Irresistible is designed to disguise medications and supplements, and contains a probiotic too, to help support the digestive system. Not sure your horse is getting everything they need? Generally, a good quality diet of fibre and hard feed is usually sufficient to meet your horse’s daily nutritional needs. However if your horse is a good doer on a restricted diet, there’s a chance they might not be getting everything they need. A multivitamin, such as Simply Sunshine, could help fill the gaps to support a balanced diet.

Equine Nutritionist, Ruth Bishop BSc (Hons) Dip EqSc considers some good general principles of the nutritional management of the competition horse, looking at how to feed your horse before, during and after an event. Feeding and nutrition have important supporting roles as one component of your management “tool box”, alongside training, veterinary monitoring, good farriery, physiotherapy, sports psychology and the like. It requires both long term and short term strategies: long term its about finding a combination of forage, feeds and supplements that work for your horse, whilst short-term competition-day feed tactics can help ensure the best performance on the day, and help recovery afterwards. Horses are of course individuals – the way they hold condition, their temperament, and the work and training level they are at are unique to each. However what and when you feed your horse influences all of these – as well as their basic health. As a horse’s workload increases, many physiological changes take place, from increased blood flow to the tissues, increased tissue damage (often at a microscopic level) that requires ongoing repair, and changes in bone density. All these mean that the horse requires an increased plane of nutrition: not only in terms of energy, but also in relation to amino acids, vitamins and minerals. It’s also a paradox of feeding that the harder we work horses, the more we challenge the natural function of the digestive tract by feeding against its design. Inner health is key The digestive tract as a whole is a huge organ that accounts for about 15% of a horse’s total weight when full, and is designed for the evolutionary horse that roamed plains, constantly eating fibrous feedstuffs. This means they have a relatively small stomach and small intestine, followed by a large fibre-fermenting hindgut. Given its size, ensuring the digestive tract functions correctly is essential for health and behaviour. The challenge with competition horse is that we often want and need to feed them differently to free roaming grazing animals, with small discrete meals and restricted forage. For the competition horse, forage, and more importantly, the fibre it supplies, are essential for inner health as the large intestine comprises approximately two thirds of the digestive tract. Changes to the diet or restricted forage can affect hindgut function and may cause colic or other digestive upset. Forage and fibre can also help to protect against gastric ulcers. Horses have evolved to consume ad lib fibre and so its relatively small stomach produces gastric acid continuously to begin the digestive process. However saliva is only produced when chewing, so that if there is a gap between feeds, acid builds up in the stomach with the result that it can reach unprotected parts of the stomach, causing ulcers. Since fibre takes longer to chew than compound feeds, it reduces the time for that acid to build up. Fibre is also thought to produce a fibrous “matrix” within the stomach that prevents gastric acid from “splashing” into unprotected parts of the stomach. Increasing the length of time a horse spends eating fibre via short or long chopped fibre sources reduces the risk of gastric ulcers. The importance of good forage Given that it forms the largest part of many horse’s diets, forage is often taken for granted as an inert base to the diet, contributing bulk but not much else. As a result it receives little attention in terms of understanding its quality and contribution to the diet. There are many kinds of forage available e.g. grass, hay, haylage, and each is inherently variable in their moisture energy and protein contents, and so can have a major impact on a competition horse. Additionally a concern with hay is its potential dust content in relation to respiratory irritation and disease. Haylage is largely dust-free, but is consumed faster than hay, and can be nutritionally richer, which may not make it the ideal replacement in every case. Another challenge with haylage can be portion control – large bales or compressed small bales and variable moisture contents make it difficult to measure the precise amount of fibre the horse receives. These considerations are especially important in relation to the fine-tuned diets of competition horses, such that all competition diets should begin with a forage plan. Consider which forage; how much (little or large) does your horse work best off; can you source quality and consistent material; does this provide a decent base level of fibre (e.g. at least 50% of intake) and if not how other sources of fibre can be incorporated into the diet to help support digestive health. Power, control and condition Another main feeding challenge is maintaining the balance between power, control and condition, especially as work intensity increases. Generally one of three things happens – You increase the feed rate as the amount of work increases but this negatively affects the horse’s behaviour As work rate increases or the competition season gets going, your horse drops condition. This is difficult to replace with increased feed because it has an adverse affect on his behaviour. You have a good doer who although you want to feed more to support more work, just gets bigger. With modern feeds there are plenty of options in the balance of energy sources to help manage each of these scenarios. Energy sources available to horses from their feed and forage are: Fibre: fermentable in the hindgut, made up of plant cellulose, hemicellulose and pectins. The nature of the fibre affects the speed at which the microbes in the hindgut break it down and therefore its energy content. Starch and sugar (also known as non-structural carbohydrates): these are digested by enzymes in the small intestine and are rapidly available. Oil: Horses can digest and utilise oil well as an energy source. Nutritionists recommend that for every 100mls added, extra Vitamin E is added to the diet to help cope with the added free radicals such high oil produces. Competition day itself Whilst competition day is what you have been building up for, it also represent a massive change in daily routine for the horse with added travel and excitement. There is much debate as to what to feed on competition day. It’s tempting to withhold forage on the way there to keep the horse light, but the current consensus is that feeding concentrates less than 5 hours before a competition is not beneficial. This is because not only does it take several hours to digest and process a meal, but the horse has already got stored in its muscles the energy needed for the day ahead. Competition day management should therefore be focused on health – so provide plenty of water, and in terms of actual feed, feeding small amounts of forage in the morning allows the horse to chew, provides fibre into the delicate stomach and hindgut, and has a lesser metabolic impact than a starchy meal. In summary, when feeding the competition horse, little should be left to chance. Day to day digestive health is paramount, but so is making sure the overall diet is calculated and fine-tuned for the individual. Competition day management is also important to get the best out of the horse on the day. Munch Fibre Blocks provide a convenient way to feed quality forage before, during and after competition. The compressed 1kg blocks of timothy grass, each with added vitamins, minerals and herbs are sealed in packs which can be stored without opening ready for use at any time. Restricted forage? For competition horses that keep their condition well and for whom forage and other feeds are restricted, feeding munch™ blocks provides a low energy, portion-controlled way of providing high quality fibre together with vitamins and minerals in the diet. Each munch™ block weighs 1kg and when fed in the unique munch net can last over an hour. For haylage based diets that tend to be eaten more quickly than hay, a munch™ block offers a consistent, high fibre, low energy, long-lasting addition for horses standing in for long periods of time. On competition day, munch™ blocks provides a perfect fit on competition day. It makes the ideal morning fibre “chaser” to keep the digestive system healthy ahead of the day’s work; it can provide a boredom breaker for long periods waiting in the lorry or trailer, or on late running days. Fortified with additional vitamins and minerals it provides additional nutritional support on the day, and the compact, packaged form mean it fits well into any travelling situation with minimal mess; Find out more about the full munch™ range of healthy snacks with added benefits. Feeding Post Competition After the competition is over, feeding and nutrition tactics should focus on rehydration and replacement of energy reserves and nutrients. The effort of competing together with the excitement of the day mean the horse has used up muscle energy reserves – how much or little depends on the intensity of the effort. Fast or intense work efforts such as cross country, polo, endurance, show jumping or point-to-pointing utilise muscle glycogen stores, which provide instant energy during work, but once used up take 72 hours to restore. (Less intense work efforts are unlikely to have used up muscle glycogen however). After sweating Generally, after the competition, offer plenty of water plus electrolytes after exercise, taking care for it not to be too cold or for the horse to drink too much in one go. When it is particularly hot or humid or the horse is competing in particularly hard work the horse may need an electrolyte replacer added to its feed or water. Also offer plenty of forage for the horse to nibble at. A small hard (concentrate) feed, once the horse is cool and relaxed, will begin to replenish lost glycogen stores or bodyweight. Electrolytes, principally sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium, are responsible for the correct function of nerves and muscles. They also help maintain normal hydration and are integral in maintaining the functioning of the digestive system, and the other vital organs. One litre of horse sweat contains around 3.5g of sodium, 6g of chloride, 1.2g of potassium and 0.1g of calcium

The digestive system of the modern horse The evolutionary horse was constantly on the move, covering large distances across grassy plains, browsing and foraging as it went. The digestive system of the modern horse is still that which evolved to serve the lifestyle of little-and-often feeding. As such there remains an intrinsic need to eat for the majority of the day in horses today. The digestive tract is huge and accounts for about 15% of a horse’s total weight when full. The process of digestion breaks down the feedstuffs a horse eats into various sub-units that can be digested, absorbed and utilised by the individual cells of the body. Principally the horse operates a dual system of digestion – a foregut that digests simple carbohydrate sources, proteins and oils, and a large hindgut for digesting fibre. The digestive system from start to finish: The Mouth Food is taken into the mouth either by the lips, or, in the case of forage, torn by the incisor teeth. The horse is able to use its lips to deftly select (or otherwise) its preferences – we all know plenty of horses that can pick out the bits they don’t like from their feed. The dental arcade of the horse consists of sharp biting teeth at the front, the incisors, followed further up the jaw by the chewing and grinding teeth of the premolars and molars. The rhythmical chomping sound that horses make when chewing is one of the signs of a contented horse. Chewing and grinding break the food down into tiny particles for mixing with saliva. The more chewing, the smaller the particles, and the more mixing with saliva, which then lubricates the bolus of food that passes down to the stomach. Chewing time is longer for hay than compound feeds – per kilo of hay a horse produces typically 6 litres of saliva, compared to only about 2 litres for the equivalent weight of compound. The Stomach The stomach is small in comparison to the rest of the digestive tract, holding typically 9-15 litres, accounting for about 10% of the digestive capacity, and as it works best when approximately two thirds full, its active capacity is therefore less. This relatively small size of the stomach reflects the little and often way a horse evolved to receive its food. A large stomach isn’t necessary when food is constant. A quirk of this design however is that the stomach produces acid continuously regardless of whether food is there or not. This is in contrast to the mouth, which only produces saliva when the horse chews. This continual production of gastric acid is thought to lie behind the development of certain stereotypical behaviours and also gastric ulcers in horses that spend periods without access to food, that then produce only limited amounts of any acid-buffering saliva. The Small Intestine Like the stomach, the small intestine is relatively small compared to the total digestive capacity of the horse, again reflecting the little and often, high fibre diet of the horse. The small intestine is a narrow tube of about 25 metres in length and comprises about 20% of the horses digestive capacity. Starches, sugar, protein and oils are digested here, as are minerals, trace elements and vitamins A, D and E. Depending on the diet, food particles can pass through the small intestine typically between 45 minutes and two hours. Again its size reflects the evolutionary need -to digest the naturally low or moderate amounts of soluble carbohydrates, protein etc., in a mainly fibrous diet. The large Intestine Animals cannot digest fibre by themselves – they do so in a symbiotic relationship with microbes, whereby fibre is broken down by microbial fermentation. In the horse, this fermentation takes place in the large intestine or hindgut. This comprises about two-thirds of the whole digestive tract, and can hold about 30 gallons (about 100 litres) of water and food. Here the microbes ferment fibre, together with any starches, sugars, oils and proteins that have by-passed the small intestine. In horses on a principally forage diet, feedstuffs can stay in the hindgut for as long as 48 hours. Absorbed from the hindgut are the volatile fatty acids and B vitamins generated by the microbial fermentation of fibre, plus water and some minerals, notably phosphorous. The microbial population adapts to match the kind of diet it receives. Any sudden changes to the horse’s overall diet will not give the microbes time to adapt and can cause digestive upset. Such changes are usually the result of sudden drops in fibre or forage intake, or from large excesses of starch and sugar arriving from the small intestine, for instance if hard feed intake is increased suddenly.

As winter rolls in, the sight of waterlogged fields and thick mud oozing over your boots is all too familiar for horse owners. If your horse suffers from mud fever, these conditions can be even more daunting. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to protect your equine friend. Here's your guide to understanding and preventing mud fever. What is Mud Fever? Mud fever is a common skin complaint that generally arises during winter and early spring. It typically affects the pastern and heel area, causing painful sores and scabs. However, it can extend to the upper legs, belly, and in rare cases, even the neck, where it’s referred to as rain scald. Severe cases may lead to lameness, swelling, and long-term skin damage. What causes Mud Fever? Mud fever is caused by a bacterial infection, most commonly by Dermatophilus congolensis. Under normal conditions, a horse’s skin acts as a strong barrier against harmful bacteria. However, constant exposure to wet and muddy environments weakens this barrier. Here’s how it is believed to happen: Skin Damage: Abrasive grit from wet soil compromises the skin’s outer layer. Prolonged Dampness: Continuous moisture softens and breaks down the skin, making it easier for bacteria to penetrate. Horses with white legs are more susceptible due to the sensitive nature of lighter skin. However, mud fever can affect any horse, regardless of breed or age. Preventing Mud Fever The best way to deal with mud fever is to prevent it. Follow these practical tips to keep your horse safe this winter: 1. Maintain Your Paddocks Rotational Grazing: Rotate paddocks to prevent overuse and poaching. Improved Drainage: Add hardcore or gravel to high-traffic areas like gateways to improve footing and drainage. Fencing: Use electric fencing to keep horses out of the deepest mud. 2. Groom Smarter Avoid Over-Washing: Resist the urge to hose your horse’s legs daily. Instead, allow mud to dry and brush it off with a soft-bristled brush. Dry Thoroughly: If you must rinse, ensure the legs are dried completely with a clean towel to prevent lingering moisture. 3. Protect the Skin Barrier Creams: Apply a barrier cream to form a protective layer against mud. Many horse owners swear by Sudocrem® or similar nappy rash creams. Turnout Boots: Breathable turnout boots are excellent for shielding legs from mud and moisture. They provide an extra layer of protection while allowing the skin to breathe. What if Your Horse Has Mud Fever? If prevention fails and your horse develops mud fever, early treatment is essential: Keep Them Dry: Remove your horse from muddy environments as much as possible. Clip the Area: Carefully trim hair around the affected region to allow better access and airflow. Soften and Remove Scabs: Apply an antibacterial cream to soften scabs before gently removing them. Clean and Protect: Clean the area with a mild antibacterial wash and apply a protective cream. If symptoms persist or worsen, or you are in any way concerned, always consult your veterinarian immediately. Severe cases may require more intensive treatment, such as antibiotics or skin grafts. Looking for Extra Protection? Why not try our Equi-Chaps Close Contact Chaps? These breathable turnout boots are designed to protect your horse’s legs from mud, wet, and cold, acting as a second skin. With four-way stretch for a close fit, while allowing freedom of movement, they provide comfort and practicality, making them an excellent choice for winter turnout. Key Features: Covers from knee/hock to below the coronet band. Suitable for both front and hind legs. Keeps mud and moisture out while allowing skin to breathe. Conclusion Mud fever can be painful and frustrating, but with proper paddock management, smart grooming, and protective measures, you can minimise the risks. Stay vigilant this winter and give your horse the care they need to stay happy and healthy. Protect their legs, prevent mud fever, and enjoy a stress-free season!

When considering boots for our horses, whether they are tendon boots, brushing boots, schooling boots or cross country boots, most horse owners are now aware that the ‘modern’ horse boot should be breathable, but do we really understand the importance of choosing a breathable boot for our horses? Firstly we must consider the horse’s leg. The horse’s leg is made of many bones, joints and muscles with a complex structure of tendons and ligaments that support the weight of the horse’s body. Because of the workload often put upon them, tendons and ligaments are frequent sites of injury and disease. What is heat in the leg? As tendons and ligaments continually extend and contract to allow the horse to move, they create heat as a ‘by-product’. This is a natural process. However by design, horses tendons operate near failure limits when exercising – there’s a fine balance! Temperature and Tendon Damage Work by Alan Wilson and Allen Goodship (1994) at the University of Bristol showed that the temperature inside the tendons of horses galloping without boots on could reach 45°C. This is only second highest to muscle temperatures. The tendon temperatures are very high not only because of heat production within the tendons, but because they have a relatively poor blood supply, which in any other tissue would help remove heat. Are these Temperatures of Concern? In 1997 the same group published the results of a scientific study in which they showed that isolated tendon cells in culture were sensitive to heating. When the tendon cells were heated for 10 minutes at 45°C, around 10% died, but when they were heated to 48°C for 10 minutes then around 80% died. These results were also confirmed by a more recent study of equine tendon cells in Japan (Hosaka et al. 2006). This study also showed that the higher the temperature, the more tendon cells that died and that inflammatory mediators were released after heating. Inflammatory mediators are chemicals and hormones within the body that cause inflammation (heat, swelling, pain) and tissue damage. If tendon core (central) temperatures can reach 45°C during a few minutes galloping without boots, it is almost certain that they will get even hotter when boots are being worn. What happens when you use boots on your horses legs? The fact that the lower leg gets hot during exercise and even hotter when boots are used presents another potential problem: sweating. When boots are removed the leg underneath is often wet from sweat. When skin is in contact with moisture for a long time it becomes hyper-hydrated; this is the effect you see if you stay in the bath for too long. Wet skin cannot “breathe” normally, and it becomes more permeable allowing greater absorption of anything on the skin. Wet skin is also more susceptible to mechanical damage, with an increased risk of abrasions and grazing. Finally, wet skin is also more susceptible to bacterial or fungal attack and hence a potentially increased risk of conditions such as mud fever, caused by the bacterium Dermatophilus congolensis. Considerations: Many boots claim to be breathable, however some boots are more breathable than others. Materials and Boot Structure You may like to ask yourself, do the boots you currently use leave your horse’s legs hot after exercise, are the legs sweaty? Look closely at the materials used next to your horse’s skin. Consider the thickness and padding around the leg. Do they look well ventilated? How do they allow the heat to escape from the leg? Do they have a hard outer shell or rigid panels that cover a large area? You might want to do some research on the materials used within the boot you are using too!   Choose the Right Boot for the Job Primarily horse boots are worn to protect the horse’s legs from penetration or concussion injuries during exercise or turnout. But do think carefully about wearing the right boot for the activity you are doing. Often a highly protective boot isn’t necessary for low level schooling and will often be bulky and heavy and without allowing the horse’s leg to breathe. Limit Time on the Leg It’s important to make sure boots are used only during the period of actual exercise and not left on for long periods when the horse is not active, especially after exercise. Removing boots soon after exercise and cooling the legs is advisable. Our Standards When developing our Boots, Wraps and Chaps not only do we source advanced technical fabrics with breathable properties, but we actually test these factors in a laboratory. See our Boot Testing Methods. Our Tri-Zone Range features brushing boots, all the way to breathable cross country boots. Tested in an independent laboratory to ensure that they are not only providing lightweight, flexible protection, but that they are also importantly, breathable too! Our Stretch & Flex leg wraps were one of the first ‘breathable boots’ on the market. Made from an actively breathable fabric called Stomatex®, Stretch & Flex are designed to offer comfortable, flexible support for dressage schooling, flatwork and light hacking. Stomatex® is made of a special type of Neoprene which repels external water, while actively pumping moisture away from the skin through tiny pores in the fabric. Originally developed for human athletes, Stomatex® was designed to provide four-way stretch, to enable use around mobile joints, plus excellent support for active limbs, and an outstanding ability to keep the skin dry, so it could be worn comfortably for many hours. Conclusion: It is important to choose boots or bandages that allow a good rate of heat loss, and consider the length of time boots and bandages are worn by the horse. Extracts taken from: The Pros & Cons of Equine Boots by Dr David Marlin www.drdavidmarlin.com

Animal physiotherapy including Massage and Magnetic use, has become increasingly popular for the maintenance of horses in recent years, but do we really know which product is best suited to use on our horses and when?

The Horse’s Hock Joint “The horse’s hock is a complex joint, and plays a major part in the generation of power to jump and gallop, as well as to “sit” in advanced dressage movements. As such, hocks are prone to both degeneration and injury.” Natalie McGoldrick MRCVS The horses hock joint is complex, but important and as most things with horses, can pose multiple problems to our horses working lives. We look into the anatomy of the joint, as well as the common problems associated with it, how they are diagnosed and finally, how they are treated. Horse's Hock anatomy The horse’s hock joint is one of the hardest working of all the joints, and plays a critical role especially in performance horses. It is also one of the most complicated. The horse’s hock is made up of 10 bones and 4 joints supported by several ligaments. The largest joint is the tarso crural joint (TCJ), which forms the upper part of the hock and has a ball and socket mechanism. The TCJ has the greatest range of movement and is known as a high motion joint. The other 3 joints, the proximal intertarsal (PIT), distal intertarsal (DIT) and tarsometatarsal (TMT), act as shock absorbers and are low motion joints. The lower joints – and particularly the DIT and TMT - are the most common sources of lameness in horses because they are under significant stress in a working horse. Common problems of horse’s hock joint Horse lameness is often caused by inflammatory changes that interfere with the normal structure and function of the horse’s hock. Problems can develop gradually so early signs may be as subtle as loss of performance. Other symptoms include: intermittent lameness with or without heat or swelling initial stiffness that improves during warm-up resistance to going downhill soreness in lower back muscles as a result of overcompensating for the hocks Potential horse hock joint problems include: capped hock thoroughpin (puffy swellings similar to windgalls seen around the fetlocks) bog spavin (not a condition as such but caused by an inflamed joint) bone spavin and most commonly, osteochondritis dessecans (OCD) and osteoarthritis (OA) i.e. arthritis of the bone. Osteochondritis dessecans (OCD) OCD and OA are progressive conditions, which mean they tend to worsen over time. They both affect the bone and cartilage causing inflammation and pain. In OCD, abnormalities of the bone and cartilage may result in small fragments breaking off and floating around inside the joint which also cause inflammation. OCD may arise due to rapid growth – it’s often seen in young horses and in foals less than a year old – or due to nutritional issues, genetics, hormonal imbalances or due to trauma relating to exercise. Osteoarthritis (OA) OA arises because the inflamed bone produces additional bone and arises in the lower hock. This process of new bone formation causes restricted movement in the joint, alongside pain and lameness. Horses undergoing high-intensity exercise or those with poor conformation, such as straight, sickle or cow hocks, are more prone to developing hock problems such as OA, though it can also arise in horses doing little work. Diagnosis of OCD and OA of the Horse’s Hock Joint Your vet can perform a number of tests to diagnose hock problems, including flexion tests and X-rays. Natalie McGoldrick MRCVS of South Coast Equine Vets says,”The horse’s hock is a complex joint, and plays a major part in the generation of power to jump and gallop, as well as to sit in advanced dressage movements. Hocks are prone to both degeneration and injury.Probably the most common hock issue is arthritis; this can present subtlety as a small drop in performance, up to signs as obvious as moderate to severe lameness. It is rare to see hock arthritis other than in the lower two hock joints. The hock is also very exposed. It is a common joint to bear the full force of a kick from another horse, or to be badly wounded if a horse kicks through fencing. I always advise for any hock wounds or swellings to be seen as a matter of urgency, especially if combined with lameness. Treatment of OA of the Hock Joint For OA in the horse’s hock joint, the usual course of action from your vet is the injection of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as corticosteroids, directly into the hock joint (intra-articular injections). Your horse will need to have a couple of days rest afterwards and then slowly ease back into work. The benefits of these injections may range from a few weeks to a year or longer. For cases that don’t respond to the conventional steroids, hydrogels may be injected with the aim of reducing pain, conserving cartilage and improving joint mobility. For cases of OCD, treatment is usually surgical removal of the abnormal bone and cartilage though factors need to be considered such as the severity of lameness, location of OCD and age of the horse. There are also non-prescription joint supplements available which may promote healthy cartilage and are preventative rather than therapeutic. Use of alternative therapies such as massage, magnetic and heat can also help keep surrounding muscle tissue healthy, as many horses may begin to compensate elsewhere in their bodies. Read more on managing a horse with hock arthritis from a physiotherapists perspective here.  Products to help:  Magnetic Chaps Stable Chaps Massage Mitt Hotspot

It may seem like you have tried everything you can to help your horse who head shakes, but nothing seems to be helping? Here’s a story to keep you going and encourage you not to give up! Take a read about Kyle and Vin’s journey. Kyles Story I bought my RPSI gelding, Vin, back in 2012 when he was an 8 year old. He had previously done some fox hunting and low level dressage. During the first few months of owning him, he started to exhibit a head toss during exercise, which would increase as we worked more. At first, my trainer and I thought it might be him avoiding contact or staying in frame for collected dressage work, so we spent time building muscle, top line, balance, etc… When that didn’t alleviate anything we went the martingale route (which I’m ashamed of now, knowing he was dealing with something he literally couldn’t control) which would allow us to work but he’d still rail against the straps during our entire ride. It was about a year into it when I started reading about products to help with this. One of the first hits we got was the Muzzle Net from Equilibrium Products. Both my trainer and I looked at it, and both agreed there was no way it was that simple and moved on to the next product. We began with antihistamines, since he’d often rub his nose on his legs when it got the worst. When that didn’t solve anything we tried Equiwinner patches. After losing patch after patch in the pasture and not knowing how long he kept it on we decided to forgo that. We purchased all kinds of sun protection contraptions, all with no results. Then we moved on to using magnesium, which we did see a small improvement with. The head toss would still be there but would take a few more minutes into work to present itself. During this “stage” in our experiments, I went ahead and ordered the Muzzle Net from Equilibrium. Both my trainer and I shook our heads the day I was bridling him up and attaching it, but we were also at our literal wits end on what to try. That very first ride with the net we had almost ZERO toss. He was finally able to relax, release some tension at the poll and seemed to just “breathe”. We both kicked ourselves for not trying this months/years earlier.  The magnesium/net combo helped for a few years, or at least calmed it enough for us to compete in jumping and dressage at a low level. As Vin got a bit older, his shaking progressed some and got back to the point where it was almost too violent for me to ride him. His tosses when he got going were so large that he’d throw his front legs off the ground at times. I found a study online that utilized injectable dexamethasone administered orally, which seemed a little scary, but at this point I was considering just retiring him out to pasture so we gave it a shot. We spoke to our vet, which understandably was pretty cautious and moved forward. Within the first couple months we saw AMAZING improvement. By pulse #4 we had no toss/irritation as long as we continued to ride with the Muzzle Net. Since then, we can get by with pulsing only when his symptoms present themselves and usually only 1 to 2 times per year. It’s literally saved him for us.

Margaret Donnelly, Timmy’s owner and founder of Equilibrium Products talks about what it’s like having a horse that frantically tosses their head, how she solved the problem and how helping her horse, she actually managed to help so many other horses too. I bought Timmy as an un-backed two year old in Ireland. I just fell in love with him – he was such a classy horse! He was backed as a 3/4 year old, and from day one, he was always a fantastic horse for hacking. As a 5 year old, it started becoming clear that he had developed a violent reaction when ridden for probably about the first 10 minutes, where he was tossing his head, trying to strike his nose with his front leg, rearing up, he was snorting continually – literally just one day, completely out of the blue! I remember hacking him out one day that wasn’t too hot or with too many flies, but he got so bad, that I actually got off and put my jacket over his head to calm him down – and that gave him instant relief! One of the other things I noticed, is that when I had him tied up, what he liked to do was rub the end of his nose against the old, traditional brick stables, which seemed to settle him! He would also often try hide his face from any wind or anything like that. He would try tuck it under my arm or something like that to shield it. So working in product development for all of my career, I was used to having a problem, and trying to solve it. Knowing a little bit about sewing as well, I got out my sewing machine and started making a few things for him. After a few weeks of trying different things, I found this very rough mesh that basically, with a close fit, worked the best for him. I noticed he liked to wriggle his nose against it, so it almost provided like a little scratching pad for him. So I found a solution for my horse, I was so delighted! I was being faced with having this fabulous horse that I fell in love with as a two year old, and having to put him down as a 5 year old because the head tossing behaviour had become so violent. No one wants to make that decision. As it was though, he went on to be a fabulous dressage horse, who didn’t really ever miss a Regional Championships. He got to the National Championships and was placed 10th – just got in the ribbons!  Then, more people got to know about this and asked me what was on Timmy’s nose… Although it was quite subtle, which I liked. The design also allowed saliva to escape so it was comfortable to wear, easy to wash and could stay on the bridle all the time, so it was quite easy. I’m always one for keeping things simple, for both horse and owner! I had someone else on my yard say they also had a horse showing the same behaviour, could I make her a Muzzle Net too… turns out, she was also having lessons with someone who had a Grand Prix horse who was also a horse doing the same thing, could I make them one? At the time I was working full time in London, coming back every evening and making more and more Muzzle Nets, and I thought, there’s actually more horses showing this behaviour than I realised – I originally felt very isolated because I thought I was one of the few people who had experienced this! What I decided to do from there was contact the Royal Veterinary College, and they put me in touch with De Montford University and Dr. D. Mills, who was designing a survey to determine if there was a correlation between breeds, ages, background, training, feed, or some sort of pattern of horses across the UK that were showing this head shaking behaviour. I contacted Dr Mills, and at the time, he and his PHD student Katy Taylor were actually trying to test potential products that might reduce the frequency of the head shaking behaviour. I showed him the Muzzle Net and he said, he thought that actually from the feedback from the panel and observations, he felt the Muzzle Net might have a good chance of helping a lot of horses. It went into the clinical trial and was tested against a number of other products, but the Muzzle Net was the most effective of them all. It didn’t help everybody. But it did indicate that 79% horses showed a decrease in the frequency of the head shaking behaviour. In fact, 50% of the horses showed a 100% improvement, which was incredible. The Net Relief Muzzle Net I was at work one day, and I had a friend who was helping me with orders for Net Relief Muzzle Net. She rang me to say the phone had been going mad for the Muzzle Net with people wanting to know where they could get it from, because Horse & Hound had done an article on it. I was working just off Oxford Street in London and I ran down to try find a Horse & Hound somewhere in the middle of London – going into every WHSmiths looking for it. Eventually I got it, and there was a tiny article, about an eighth of a page, showing a picture of Timmy with his Muzzle Net on! This made it clear that Timmy wasn’t in such a small minority, and this was a product that lots of people had been waiting on. The reason Horse & Hound had written the article, was because British Dressage had allowed the Muzzle Net to be used in competition, with written dispensation from the vet. It was a break-though! The letters we’ve had since then to now have been fantastic. We even had one owner in Canada thanking us, saying ‘Thank you for giving me my horse back’, which makes me feel very emotional.

Kissing Spine in horses seems to be all too common today with so many diagnosed. We caught up with Clara Kavanagh about her horse Chili, who is currently in rehabilitation following ‘the ligament snip’, as she explains his symptoms & diagnosis, her decision and the recovery!  The Early Days “I started looking for my ‘dream horse’ last summer, this was a very exciting time for me as I had only ever been able to beg, borrow and lease ponies/horses in my childhood up until I finished my degree in Equine Management. I purchased Chili in August 2018, he is a 6 year old Thoroughbred. I always thought about buying a racehorse and retraining them for a new career. Chili was last raced in June 2018 under the name Farrier Fury. I knew Chili was the right horse for me as he had such a great temperament and once I got him home he was brought on very slowly and took to his new career like a duck to water. He has always acted like an absolute gentleman wherever I brought him! The plan was to gently start him over the winter with a goal to compete in our Riding Club Dressage Spring league and do some Retraining Racehorse to Riding horse classes in the summer of 2019.” The Start of Our Setbacks “Chili unfortunately got a stone bruise in February which I thought would be our only hiccup. However this was only the beginning of our setbacks. One day I went to tack him up for a short hack and noticed he was unusually girthy, and he was very grumpy, which isn’t like him at all. I called the physio to come take a look at him. The physio was concerned that he was showing a lot of stiffness over his back and sacroiliac region, the first thing that came to mind for me was Kissing Spine.  His whole temperament had changed, it was hard for me as it was like I was losing my best friend. I was worried about Chili, so I rang our local vet. I had the vet out to give Chili a once over, the vet gave us advice to continue light work. I had people telling me that I must be imagining something was wrong or that I was silly spending money for the physio and vet to come out just because I had a gut feeling. I was starting to think, they might be right or I might be a hypochondriac the way I was worrying because even though the vet gave him a once over I knew something wasn’t right with him. I wanted to get a second opinion, so I rang Troytown Greyabbey Equine Hospital and spoke to their lameness/orthopaedic specialist and explained my concerns.  So I booked him in for an appointment the following week. Diagnosis Chili spent about two hours having a full lameness diagnostic done which consisted of a trot up, lunging, flexion tests and x-rays. On seeing the X-rays it confirmed my fears, it was Kissing Spine, he had four processes touching. The vet confirmed that the kissing spine had most likely resulted from his racing career and his back conformation. Our choice was to have surgery (Interspinous Ligament Desmotomy, aka ‘The Ligament Snip’) or to medicate via corticosteroid injections. Chili also turned out to have a bone chip on his near hind fetlock however it causes him no issues! I brought him back to the hospital for bone scintigraphy scans, this helped me decide that the surgical route would be in Chili’s best interest as he was still a young horse and he would benefit the most from the ligament snip. The specialist vet was optimistic that if the surgery and rehab was successful Chili would be more than capable of returning to a competitive career with a rehab time of 6-8 weeks. This meant there was a small glimmer of hope for us, so I booked Chili in for surgery. Chili spent 4 days at the Equine Hospital, the surgery went very well, and Chili began intensive hand walking by the nurses the day after surgery. I brought Chili home on 26th of April and have been continuing to hand walk him for 30 minutes twice daily. Chili has since had a check up at Troytown Greyabbey to remove the stitches and the vet could not be happier with his progress.  He has been an absolute pleasure to rehab so far, he really is my dream horse! My advice to any horse owners that may be going through the same challenges as Chili and I faced would be to always trust your gut, you alone know you’re horse well enough to make the right choice regarding what is best for them. If in doubt don’t be afraid to ask for help or a second opinion. I dread to think how long Chili might have continued to soldier on in pain had I not trusted my gut. I would highly recommend the Equilibrium Massage Pad to any horse owner. It is very easy to incorporate into your everyday routine warm-up/warm down and it has made a big difference to Chili! It was comforting to know that the massage pad kept him relaxed! Chili is now starting week 4, he has started long reining in walk this week and will incorporate work in a Pessoa once the incision points on his back have had more time to heal. Our Physio has also been out this week to release any tension and do some laser therapy. I have been using Massage Pad and Magnetic Rug daily since the operation and it is honestly like having my best friend back! He is much more relaxed in himself and I have Troytown Greyabbey and Equilibrium Products to thank for that! Chili has another 4 weeks at least until he can begin work back under saddle but its a big step in the right direction!”  

Does your horse has any unusual lumps, bumps rashes or bald patches? How do you know what skin condition it is? Understanding horse skin conditions can be confusing and frustrating to know how to treat them. Skin irritations can develop at any time of year, but each season can create a problem for sensitive horses. We look at 6 of the most common skin conditions, advice on recognising them and the treatments available. Mud Fever/Pastern Dermatitis By far the most common skin condition, especially during the winter months, is mud fever, or pastern dermatitis.  This is a dermatitis involving the skin on the back of the pastern, fetlocks, and further up the leg. It requires moisture to become established, which is why it is often called “mud fever”. However, it is also commonly seen during the summer months, due to the early morning dew, followed by hot sun. Horses with white legs appear to be very susceptible. In these cases, you will often see the dermatitis extending all of the way up the horse’s white “sock”.  It is mainly caused by the bacteria, Dermatophilus congolensis. Treatment Treatment involves keeping the legs as clean and dry as possible, and clipping the hair is also helpful. If the legs are swollen, a vet must be consulted, as this usually indicates infection, which will need antibiotics. The legs are often very sore, and once the area is clipped and cleaned, applying a soothing topical cream will aid comfort. Occasionally severe pastern dermatitis, especially during the summer months, in areas with pink skin (white socks) may be an indicator of a more severe underlying problem. It could indicate liver disease, or an immune mediated disease, so, if in doubt, speak to your vet. Rain Scald Rain scald is basically mud fever, but on a horse’s back. As with mud fever, this is caused by the bacteria, Dermatophilus congolensis, and is due to the horse’s back being exposed to prolonged periods of wet weather.  Treatment is to keep the area clean and dry, and will often require a period of stabling to resolve. Leg Mites An extremely common condition seen in horses with lots of feather, is leg mites, or “Chorioptes equi”. This condition is easily identified, as the horse normally “stamps” its legs on the ground, bites at its legs, or tries to find gate posts or low fencing to rub the backs of its legs on.  The mites irritate the skin, and this, combined with the horse rubbing the skin, can result in infection. Treatment If not treated promptly (often with ivermectin injections), flies can be attracted to the hair and damp skin, resulting in maggot infestations during the summer months. Keeping the legs clipped, and changing bedding frequently, will minimize the risk of leg mites. Allergic/Urticarial Reactions Horses can present with raised patches of varying sizes over their bodies, due to various allergic reactions. The horse may have: eaten something. rolled in something. or been stung by something that he/she is allergic to. If there are just a few lumps, and the source is removed, then these should resolve on their own. If your horse is covered in raised patches, especially if these are anywhere near the head, then your vet should be called.  Steroids, administered by a vet, will normally result in rapid resolution of the reaction. Unfortunately, anti-histamines rarely work well in horses. Sweet Itch Sweet Itch is a specific type of allergic reaction, as it presents in a very specific way readily recognized by most horse owners. Sweet itch is hypersensitivity to the biting midge, Culicoides. The disease can start at any age, and usually worsens with each consecutive summer. Pruritus (itching) usually occurs at the sites where the midge feeds, so the mane and tail, and often the back. Treatment The best way to treat and manage Sweet Itch, is by removing the horse from the source. This means stabling the horse at dawn and dusk (normally around 5pm-8am) and keeping the horse well covered with a light ear to tail rug when turned out, to try and prevent the midges from biting.  Keeping the horse in an electrified paddock, where he can’t itch, will prevent the rubbing, but won’t help the horse’s comfort. In some cases, your vet will prescribe steroids, but the risk of steroid induced laminitis must be considered.  Good fly/midge repellants are essential. The skin is usually hot and sore, so applying soothing creams and gels will aid comfort. The skin can very easily become infected due to rubbing, so Sweet Itch treatment will nearly always involve your vet. Sun Burn Horses with pink noses/white faces can suffer from sun burn, just as we can. Any areas of pink skin must be kept covered up, either with a well fitted fly mask with nose cover, or sun block, or both.  Fly masks are easily removed by some horses, so ensure you buy one that both fits well, and is of good quality, to avoid rubbing. Treatment Sun burn can be relieved using cooling/soothing gels and in the worst cases, oral anti-inflammatories. Apparent sun burn on a pink nose may also be a sign of underlying disease, so consult your vet if it does not resolve quickly.

The Benefits of Cold Application on Horses The main purpose of cold therapies is to constrict the capillaries and reduce blood flow to the area. This is known as vasoconstriction. This can help to: – Reduce haemorrhage (blood loss, which can lead to bruising)– reduced blood flow means fewer white blood cells, which in turn helps to reduce the inflammatory response– nerve fibre conduction falls, this reduces pain perception (based on the pain gate theory)– ice with compression can help prevent fluid leakage from damaged tissue When should I use it? Cold is most suited to use for acute conditions (meaning they haven’t been there very long). Such as:– A new injury; a knock, bump or kick– New swelling in a tendon– Bites and stings– Burns– Muscle strain– After exercise to aid recovery During strenuous exercise the tendons of the horses’ legs can increase to a level where damage may occur. If the horse is wearing boots this can be especially dangerous as it is harder for the heat to escape and therefore for the legs to cool down. Using cold therapy after strenuous exercise can help prevent further temperature increase of the tendons and help aid recovery. When a muscle is worked tiny tears in the muscle fibres occur. If left untreated post exercise this can cause a delayed onset of muscle soreness that can be uncomfortable and may make your horse feel stiff and sensitive. If left untreated long term this can lead to muscle knots and trigger points. One of the best ways to prevent this is to cool the main muscle groups involved in exercise (will be dependent on what exercises you have done with your horse) and to stretch the muscles later that day and the following morning. Where can I apply it? Cold can be applied almost anywhere it is needed, as long as you can keep it in place for the required treatment time. Cold is most commonly used on the lower limb after exercise to prevent tendons heating further after they have been worked. It can also be used anywhere over the body for bites, kicks, knocks and bruises. When applying cold it is important to keep checking the temperature of the cold pack. This is because as it starts to increase in temperature it will no longer have the desired effect. The time this takes will vary, depending on what applicator is used. It is important to always have material between an ice pack and your horses’ skin to prevent ice burns. When should I NOT use it? Cold can have an adverse effect if used:– before exercise, as it can increase the risk of muscle or tendon strains– if left on too applicators can warm up and start to have the opposite effect

Poll Injuries from Horses Pulling Back, from a Veterinary Physiotherapists point of view:   It is inevitable that most horses will be tied up from time to time, whether on the yard, in their stable, or in a lorry or trailer. Some horses will be more comfortable with this than others. I’m sure we can all think of a time where our horse has pulled back to the point where a head collar, or a lead rope has released and they have broken free. It is also likely most of us can think of a time where a horse has pulled back and they haven’t broken free but have panicked and put a considerable amount of force against their poll, their neck and their back. As a physiotherapist, I am often called to horses that have suddenly become head shy, difficult to tack up and groom and have also become more resistant to the contact in ridden work. The onset of a majority of these cases can be traced back to an incident where the horse has pulled back whilst being tied up. These horses often present with reduced range of motion in the poll and tension in the muscles around this area. The structures commonly affected are the splenius muscle, occipitohyoid muscle, the nuchal ligament and the atlanto-occipital joint. In more severe cases, muscle strains can be seen along the length of the neck and into the back. The hind quarters may present strains too, especially if the horse didn’t manage to break free and they may have slipped with their hind legs. In a survey of 5615 respondents*, 75% of head collar injuries occurred when tied up, and injuries ranged from cuts, all the way to fractures. In a worst case scenario, pulling back in a head collar that doesn’t break can lead to poll fracture which can be career changing for a horse. Obviously this is something that we all want to avoid and so this is definitely a situation where prevention is better than cure. This is why I would always recommend using a head collar or lead rope that will break away and release before causing extensive damage to your horse. *Survey of 5615 respondents, Dr David Marlin, October 2019. Victoria Boakes, Veterinary Physiotherapist  Vicky studied Equine Sports Science at the University of Lincoln and went on to complete a 2 year Post-Graduate course, CEPT, to become a Veterinary Physiotherapist. With many years experience treating both equine and canine clients, Vicky has a particular interest in equine performance therapy. 

It's not very often we get a heatwave - so it's quite likely that our horses will struggle to cope with the warmer weather, as we might be too! Here’s just a few tips we've put together to help keep your horses cool and healthy throughout the warmer days:  In or Out Depending on your stable – it might be warmer and stuffier indoors than it is in your horses’ field with some natural shade and a small breeze. Of course, this entirely depends on your set up, but you might want to weigh up the pros and cons of both. If your horse is out, you might want to consider a fly mask with UV protection, such as the Field Relief Max, or if they have a pink nose a Field Relief Muzzle Protector will help protect against sunburn.  Riding While we don’t want to miss out on riding time, you might need to be conscious of when it starts getting too hot to ride. Generally, early in the morning will work best, so rise and shine early to beat that heat! As always, breathable boots such as the Tri-Zone All Sports Boots are a top choice, particularly in the summer months. We all know the risks of overheating legs, so getting a decent set of lightweight and breathable boots should pay off in the long run. If you do find yourself riding when it’s warm – wet your horse before you start as the evaporation of the water will help keep the horse cooler for longer. Cooling Off Continually hose your horse off or keep reapplying cold water to reduce their temperature. It’s advisable to keep re-applying water, rather than stopping to scrape the water off. Our Hot & Cold Pouches can be used to help cool legs after exercise, or as a general cooling aid to the body.  Keeping occupied in the stable If you do bring your horse in out of the sun, our Munch Blocks are a perfect healthy boredom breaker, which are high in fibre and low in sugar so that they are suitable for all horses and ponies. It can be an easy way to slow down their eating if they are on a restricted diet when fed with our Munch Net, or if you're wanting to increase your horses water intake, you can soak your munch block too!  Keeping cool in the field There is some evidence to suggest that turning out with a wet cotton or polyester fly sheet could keep your horse cooler - find out more here. Our Field Relief Fly Rug is designed with a lightweight mesh but is also light coloured to not only help keep horses cool, but to repel the flies too!

Caring for horses in winter can be tough! We’ve put together a few tips on how to look after your horses living out 24/7 or those who are just turned out for a period of time. Turning your horse out in the snow. Some horse owners may decide not to turn out in the snow due to the risks. While fresh snow is fine for most horses, compact, icy snow can certainly cause a problem. As snow starts to melt, it can also cause the field to become incredibly wet and slippery. Here’s a few tips for dealing with the snow: Using grit or sand on areas which are likely to get slippery, i.e., gateways and tracks. Vaseline or similar under their feet can help prevent snow balling up and compressing in their feet. Keep a hoof pick at the field to clear their feet as much as possible. Make sure they have enough to eat. While horses will certainly browse for grass under the snow, eating forage will help ‘ignite’ their internal heating system to keep them warm. A warm settled horse is less likely to run around in the snow and wet. If your horse does tend to, a protective turnout chap might help. As the snow melts and the field becomes increasingly wet, you might want to think about shielding your horses’ legs from the elements. Using a breathable turnout chap can help create a barrier to keep skin healthy until the field has dried up a bit.  Leg protection for horses on limited turnout. While this might apply for ‘field hooligans’ who live out 24/7, horses on limited turnout in winter may be ‘fresh’ and exuberant. We know their legs are precious and easily injured. Using a protective turnout boot, such as our Hardy Chaps, will help reduce the impact of any potential injuries. They also provide some protection against the elements too, keeping legs drier and less muddy. Leg protection for horses living out 24/7. There are 2 main considerations you may want to use turnout boots or chaps for when your horse is turned out all the time. Skin protection and health. Being out in the wet and cold (and snow!) takes a toll on skin. There are arguments for and against feathers, which may provide a natural barrier for some horses. Using a breathable turnout boot, such as the Close Contact Chaps, to keep legs drier with the majority of mud off to keep skin healthier. This may be of benefit for horses prone to Mud Fever. Stiffness. Especially for the golden oldies out there. While we don’t want to wrap them up in cotton wool, stiff joints can be tough for horses living out. Using a turnout chap to keep the legs warm and dry, such as our Hardy Chaps, can help those stiff achy joints. Access to water, especially for horses living out 24/7. If you horse is just out for the day, you can break the ice on their water and that should last them in the normal UK winter temperatures. However, if your horse is living out 24/7, their water could potentially be frozen overnight… Using a tennis ball or a plastic bottle with water and salt in it will help keep the water moving. This helps to prevent it freezing. Other things to consider: Don't just break it, take the ice out. Using a bigger trough will reduce the likelihood of freezing over.  Other things to think about for your horse in the field: If they are out 24/7, make sure you check their rugs twice a day. Additional forage. They might need a bit of extra help or something to keep them busy if the grass is limited. Munch blocks are perfect for a fibre boost and contain added vitamins and minerals. If they aren’t getting regular hard feed, they may need a multivitamin. Essential vitamins and minerals help maintain healthy skin, bones, muscles, and digestion.  Is your horse in the stable overnight? Read our blog here about caring for your stabled horse in the winter.  Find out more about our Simply Nutrition range here. Find out more about our turnout boots here.

We look into the benefits of massage for horse riders, used alongside heat, to target the four main areas horse riders tend to commonly suffer with Hannah Donnelly, Chartered Physiotherapist BSc (Hons).