Training Horses Daily is Not Necessary to Get Good Results
Delegates to the International Society of Equitation Science conference in Rome were told that daily training was not necessary to successfully educate horses.
A Woman and Her Mule in the Backcountry
Today, riders continue to recreate in the wilderness, and teams of mules and horses still lug tools and supplies into the backcountry for trail maintenance and firefighting crews. In fact, the Back Country Horsemen of America (BCHA), a 12,000-person network with volunteers in 31 states, is one of the nation’s most active organizations advocating for…
“Smart Boots” Help Detect Early Lameness in Horses
STEM in the real world of horses: A French company has designed a “smart boot” for horses to detect early signs of lameness. Using sensors, the Ekico tendon boot detects load changes applied on the forelimbs of horses, in order to detect early signs of lameness.
Scientists Refining the Horse Grimace Scale
Horses show facial expressions that express pain, and researchers have used those expressions to create the horse grimace scale (HGS).
New Equine Research: Laminitis is as Common as Colic and is a Year-Round Threat
Despite a longstanding belief that laminitis is a spring-time disease, this study has identified that there is no ‘safe’ season, and laminitis remains a threat across England, Scotland and Wales regardless of the time of year.
Equestrians’ Views Vary on What Constitutes Good, Bad Horse Welfare
Researchers say these differing views have a lot to do with peoples’ personal beliefs and experiences. This indicates that horse welfare is still very subjective, which is why there’s a real need for reliable welfare evaluation tools with objective scoring.
Exercise Crucial in Dieting Horses
The importance of low-intensity exercise for overweight horses on a diet has been shown in fresh research. The University of Melbourne study involved 24 horses and ponies, all of whom were assessed as overweight, with body condition scores of 7 or greater on a nine-point scale.
Back Pain in Horses: Then and Now
For decades—likely even longer—back pain has been causing poor performance, dangerous behavior, and compromised welfare in riding horses. Unfortunately, we haven’t always been so aware of that fact.
New Orthotic Gets Injured Horses Moving Faster
You know those sci-fi animals with bionics and cybernetic implants and stuff? This isn’t that, but it’s pretty cool. The FastTrack, with its high-grade metal, heat-formed pad and “golden dial” lets equine veterinarians choose the movement that’s right for a horse recovering from a soft-tissue injury.
Study Suggests Horses Can Divide Their Attention
In a recent study, researchers showed that horses appear fully capable of dividing their attention, and we can see that in the way they use their ears.