The most common reason for weight loss is poor teeth. Watch your horse while eating – does he drop a lot of food; does he spit out clumps of partially chewed grass or hay? His teeth or gums may need attention. If your horse is getting up in years, tooth loss may be issue.

“The stable environment invariably presents challenges of dust, mould and proper ventilation,” says Susan Raymond, instructor of Equine Guelph’s Management of the Equine Environment online course.

The hands-on afternoon session will include a shoeing demonstration by Burns during which the two primary methods to glue horse shoes to horses’ hooves—“direct glue” and “indirect glue” methods—will be explained in detail. Burns will then team up with Dr. Pleasant again to present a shoeing and hoof wall repair laboratory. The afternoon session has a limited capacity (40), so early registration is strongly encouraged.

The first thing to know is that a gastroscopy is the most definitive way to diagnose equine stomach ulcers. While your horse might be showing the tell-tale signs of the condition—such as poor body condition, decreased appetite, chronic colicking or poor performance—the only way to know for sure is by performing a gastroscopy. The quicker you know what you’re dealing with, the faster a treatment plan can be made.

Participants reported feeling anxious, depressed and isolated prior to the intervention. Post intervention responses indicated feelings of self- acceptance, increased confidence, gratitude, hope, reduced anxiety and anger, and increased patience.