Assessing worm burdens with diagnostics
Diagnostic-led treatment utilises faecal egg counts (FECs) and antibody tests (either via saliva or blood), preferably with a year...
31 January 2024
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ActivitiesBe inspired - top tips from experts and equestrian champions on a variety of riding disciplines.
HealthExplore insightful articles about horse health and wellbeing.
OwnershipExpand your knowledge with reliable advice on horsecare and management.
Diagnostic-led treatment utilises faecal egg counts (FECs) and antibody tests (either via saliva or blood), preferably with a year...
31 January 2024
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A brief explanation of what resistance is, why it matters for horse owners, and how it can be managed by using wormers correctly a...
23 May 2023
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Polework is a fun and different way to exercise both horse and rider. It involves setting out variations of poles on the ground to...
10 August 2022
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Polework is a fun and different way to exercise both horse and rider. It involves setting out variations of poles on the ground to...
10 August 2022
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Keeping your horses on light sandy soil can mean less mud in the winter and easier paddock maintenance come the spring but with it...
13 July 2022
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The fetlock is a hard-working, high motion hinge joint. It is the meeting point of the cannon bone, proximal sesamoid bones and th...
20 June 2022
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Transporting horses safely needs careful planning. Not only do you need a suitable trailer or horsebox but you also need the appro...
15 June 2022
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OK so it’s probably not on the top of your list of favourite horse-related jobs but don’t under-estimate the importanc...
18 April 2022
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The horse’s knee which is also referred to as the carpus, is equivalent to the human wrist. With nine bones forming three jo...
15 April 2022
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It can be distressing to see a severely lame horse and there are several reasons why your equine friend may not be placing weight ...
14 April 2022
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Your horse’s stifle is the equivalent of the human knee. It is a powerful joint enabling the limb to flex and extend to prop...
11 March 2022
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Quality of Life is an important consideration for any equine, whatever their age, health or circumstances.
20 December 2021
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Retraining a racehorse to become a leisure or competition horse can be very rewarding and enjoyable.
02 December 2021
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Retraining a racehorse to become a leisure or competition horse can be very rewarding and enjoyable.
02 December 2021
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Some of the most common reasons for box rest are musculoskeletal problems, laminitis or post-surgical recovery. The most important...
01 December 2021
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Buying a pony is a huge undertaking and getting it wrong can cause massive headaches. Over the years I have bought many ponies an...
01 December 2021
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Alongside the pleasures and rewards of horse ownership there are inevitably some hard times, and none more so than having to say g...
29 November 2021
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Abbie Burbidge explains why The Pony Club is so important to her life and her career with horses
23 November 2021
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The word biosecurity may sound complicated but in fact it is simply a set of management practices to help keep horses safe from di...
22 November 2021
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Horse emergencies needing speedy first aid come in many forms but finding your horse with a bleeding, gaping wound has to be up th...
03 November 2021
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In the 15th century the Spanish Conquistadors colonised the Americas taking with them a style of riding which evolved to suit the ...
08 October 2021
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Choke is the obstruction of oesophagus – usually by food. It can be frightening to witness but thankfully many cases of chok...
03 June 2021
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Buying a horse involves determination, dedication, and often a liberal helping of heartache.
06 May 2021
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Get to grips with some of the common terms used to explain worms and worm control with our HorseDialog jargon buster
25 September 2020
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Cold damp weather, gloomy grey skies, restricted daylight and too much mud can make a typical winter in the UK a bit of a turn off...
25 September 2020
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Some respiratory diseases can be caused by parasites. Parasites are organisms that live on or within a host. Worms are the most co...
18 September 2020
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Viral and bacterial respiratory diseases are highly contagious and can pass rapidly from horse to horse, especially in a yard envi...
18 September 2020
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With the hay making season upon us, now is a good time to brush up on your knowledge of forage. Understanding the different types ...
15 July 2020
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Grass is the most natural feed for horses and our equine friends usually love nothing more than mooching about in the field with t...
29 June 2020
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If you are planning to bring your horse back into work after time off during lockdown it pays to be prepared and to take things sl...
15 June 2020
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Whether animal or human, blood is essential. It’s an ingenious transport system, transferring oxygen from the lungs to all t...
23 April 2020
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Thick and lustrous, long and flowing, or fine and wispy and soft as silk, your horse’s tail is not just a spectacular fly sw...
14 February 2020
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Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is a rare but serious neurological disease caused by a type of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV), ...
14 February 2020
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Your horse’s kidneys do a phenomenal job, processing around 45 litres of blood twice each hour, to filter out waste and reta...
16 December 2019
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Now is the time to give your horse a short back and sides to remove that woolly winter coat and help keep him cool when he’s...
16 December 2019
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It’s wet, it’s persistently muddy, your horse is permanently filthy, and you have forgotten what it’s like to be...
16 December 2019
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Equine Atypical Myopathy is a potentially fatal muscle disease in horses and mostly occurs in the autumn and spring.
15 October 2019
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EHV vaccination helps reduce the severity and spread of the respiratory disease and frequency of abortion disease. Reducing the sp...
02 August 2019
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Listen to the second in our series of four essential-listening EHV awareness vlogs from Professor Josh Slater, European Veterinary...
02 August 2019
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In the final of our series of four essential-listening EHV awareness vlogs Professor Josh Slater, European Veterinary Specialist i...
02 August 2019
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Equine Herpes Virus, commonly referred to as EHV, is a potentially serious contagious disease threat that every horse owner should...
22 July 2019
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On average a horse’s brain is the size of a large orange but weighs significantly more at roughly 623g and it is around half...
19 July 2019
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Bots can be irritating for your horse and the onset of winter is usually the best time for you to get these pesky parasites under ...
04 June 2019
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Your horse’s feet have a very tough job. Not only do they have to bear the weight of the horse over a relatively small surfa...
04 June 2019
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We all love big-hearted horses – believing them to be kind, bold steadfast and willing to try their best with whatever the r...
04 June 2019
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Your horse’s liver is big and very clever: it is your horse’s largest internal organ, weighing around 5kg and is thoug...
04 June 2019
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Summer’s on its way, with the promise of warm weather, longer days, bright early mornings and balmy evening rides. We can tu...
16 May 2019
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The recent outbreak of equine flu in the UK this winter is a stark reminder of the importance of good equine biosecurity to minimi...
05 March 2019
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The bad news is that winter is fast approaching but the good news is that by following our six top tips you should be ready to tac...
20 November 2018
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Whether it's your first dressage test or you've been riding for a while these useful tips should help every rider. Hopefully, thes...
06 November 2018
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Our latest HorseDialog guest blogger Dr Aoife Byrne is an equine vet and an intrepid side saddle rider. Here she explains the hist...
06 November 2018
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Saddle up and learn about the history of the horse saddle. Several thousand years ago our ancestors worked out that a saddle of so...
06 November 2018
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Has your horse suddenly started behaving like a heavy metal music fan, shaking his head like a Deep Purple devotee whenever you ri...
13 July 2018
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The term ‘Equine Asthma’ encompasses the conditions IAD (inflammatory airway disease), RAO (recurrent airway obstructi...
13 July 2018
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The horse’s respiratory system is extremely efficient but also highly sensitive and susceptible to many diseases. Infectious...
13 July 2018
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The top 5 places to ride your horse in the UK this summer.
05 June 2018
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Why are some horses affected and not others if they are all living in the same environment? In this blog post, we take a look at t...
29 May 2018
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What should your horse's respiratory rate be? Your horse’s resting breathing rate should be around 8-12 breaths per minute
05 May 2018
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Our guest blogger Chris Pearce, who is a Recognised Veterinary Specialist in Equine Dentistry translates some common dental terms
01 May 2018
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Our guest blogger Chris Pearce, who is a Recognised Veterinary Specialist in Equine Dentistry translates some common dental terms
01 May 2018
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As prey animals horses have evolved to be on the constant look out for danger. Their eyes are large and laterally positioned, prov
01 May 2018
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We've come up with a list with six ways to prevent laminitis in horses. If your horse could write you a ‘to do’ list, ...
17 April 2018
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Our guest blogger Clare Barfoot, who is a registered nutritionist, member of the prestigious Laminitis Consortium and Research and
17 April 2018
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Viral and bacterial respiratory infection can easily be spread by direct ‘nose to nose’ contact with infected horses. ...
17 April 2018
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A healthy immune system is the most important weapon in your horse’s armoury against disease and infection and as a responsi...
17 April 2018
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Palpation of your horse's digital pulse in your horse’s lower leg can be useful to detect if there is inflammation in the feet,
06 April 2018
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Wondering how to assess the colour of your horse’s mucous membranes? Your horse’s mucous membranes (gums) should be mo...
16 March 2018
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Knowing your horse’s ideal weight and being able to check it regularly to spot any loss or gain can help you keep an eye on ...
16 March 2018
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What should your horse's temperature be? Your horse’s resting temperature should be between 99-101°F / 37.2-38.3°C...
07 March 2018
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What should your horse’s heart rate be? Your horse’s resting pulse should be 28-44 beats per minute. As with humans so...
07 March 2018
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How can I prevent mud fever? For the most part it’s all about keeping the legs clean and dry: Avoid muddy paddocks Try cr......
23 February 2018
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How do I treat mud fever? If you think your horse may have mud fever it’s always best to speak to your vet. Every case is di...
23 February 2018
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What is mud fever you ask? Mud fever is enough to make any horse owner hot under the collar. It’s a persistent skin problem,...
19 February 2018
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To make things easier for you and your horse we have 11 horse care hacks to help you through winter: Invest in a good set o...
20 December 2017
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Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as arthritis or degenerative joint disease (DJD), is one of the most common causes of lameness in ...
20 December 2017
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Do you weigh a horse before worming? The answer is yes. A report from the British Riding Club has found that 44% of horse owners d...
18 October 2017
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What can you tell me about horse's teeth? The horse has a highly efficient grazing and grinding machine in the form of up to ...
08 September 2017
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Do all horses need an equine passport? All horses and ponies in the UK must have an equine passport, even if they never leave the...
31 August 2017
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When horses communicate, although they may not be able to speak, they are very capable communicators and if we take the time to ob...
31 August 2017
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Tapeworms are the biggest worms to affect horses in this country. While the most common type can grow up to 20cm long, there is a ...
19 July 2017
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How do I worm a horse? HorseDialog’s guest vlogger Ben Gaskell, a vet in North Yorkshire, shows us how to worm a horse prop...
13 July 2017
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Summer can be a lovely time for horse-riding, but high temperatures carry health risks for your horse. Hot weather can lead to deh...
06 July 2017
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Perhaps you have bred a horse or bought an unnamed youngster. Or maybe you just want to give your new horse a nickname? Whatever y...
06 July 2017
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It’s generally agreed that horses are good for your health and good for your soul, even if sometimes they are not so helpful...
05 June 2017
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Some horse owners choose to vaccinate their horses for other equine diseases as well as tetanus and equine influenza.
03 June 2017
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Flies are not only annoying they are also a health risk to our horses. While it’s bad news that they are inevitable during t...
02 June 2017
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It’s surprisingly common, but easy to miss. Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) can cause your horse serious pain and can a...
09 May 2017
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Photo courtesy of Liz Knowler © Liz Knowler 2017 Keep it interesting and set exercises to improve you and your horse each ti...
05 May 2017
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Photo courtesy of Liz Knowler © Liz Knowler 2017 Doing fittening work on suitable grass tracks will replicate the conditio...
05 May 2017
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Do pregnant mares need special care? You will need to be extremely vigilant for signs of potential health problems throughout the...
01 May 2017
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Celebrating show jumping Show jumping has always had great spectator appeal. It reached a peak in the days of BBC Grandstand in...
01 May 2017
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Be black and white with your training so that your horse understands what you want as a rider. Always be methodica...
04 April 2017
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The ultimate sporting test Eventing, which is also known as Horse Trials, combines dressage, show jumping and cross country in ...
04 April 2017
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Your horse’s feet have a very tough job. Not only do they have to bear the weight of the horse over a relatively small surfa...
03 April 2017
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6 Common Horse Hoof Care Ailments Thrush This is a bacterial infection most often caused by a consistently damp environme...
03 April 2017
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While the grass may be struggling to flourish in many parts of the country because of the hot arid conditions the reverse is true ...
14 March 2017
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Preparing the Thoroughbred for yearling sales: what goes on behind the scenes?
14 March 2017
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Be Aware Of The Signs Of Equine Laminitis. If you believe equine laminitis only happens to fat little ‘Thelwell’ ponie...
14 March 2017
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While the grass may be struggling to flourish in many parts of the country because of the hot arid conditions the reverse is true ...
14 March 2017
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Horse tack is expensive, but caring for it properly means it will last you much longer, even if you’re spending long days in...
14 March 2017
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The Three Main Causes of Equine Laminitis. Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS). This is when laminitis occurs as a seco...
13 March 2017
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Vaccinations are essential to help protect your horse from diseases. The vaccinations you are probably most familiar with are teta...
24 February 2017
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Vaccinations are essential to help protect your horse from diseases such as equine influenza. The vaccinations you are probably mo...
15 February 2017
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Combating horse colic The horse’s digestive tract is very sensitive and it’s remarkably long, at more than 30 metres f...
13 February 2017
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Human or animal, we all enjoy a treat once in a while, and we enjoy treating others too. It’s natural to want to share a tas...
07 February 2017
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The longest living horse on record is thought to be Old Billy, a barge horse from Manchester who died in 1822 at the astonishing a...
07 February 2017
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What is dressage? Olympic gold medal winner Charlotte Dujardin’s exquisite partnership with the magnificent Valegro has capt...
20 January 2017
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