A startling result indicated that 75% of the children surveyed had experienced at least one type of painful incident more than once, yet only 7.3% said they had modified their behavior (e.g., keeping fingers away from the horse’s mouth after having been bitten). “We were quite surprised that these incidents had little impact on children’s behavior around horses,” says Genik. “This implies that the incidents may continue to occur even if they could be prevented – and we know from recent work that many incidents around horses may actually be preventable.”

Improvements to the SafeChoice formulas include updates to guaranteed sugar and starch levels, limitations on variable ingredients, and superior palatability. And with the understanding that each horse is different, the full SafeChoice line gives horse owners the flexibility to choose feeds based on their horses’ individual needs based on age and activity levels.

Restrictive nosebands can exert extremely high forces (up to 95 N) and peak pressures (in excess of 1000 mm Hg) on skin, nerves and bone under the noseband (Casey et al. 2013, Murray et al. 2015, Doherty 2016). These may result in discomfort or pain and injury. The effect of tight nosebands on the underlying structures has not yet been investigated.

The EDCC Disease Alerts app connects directly to the disease alert page, making it easy for users to filter information by disease, location and date. Users have quick access to the disease risk information necessary to make decisions about travel and biosecurity. The app also provides access to disease fact sheets with helpful information about diagnosis and treatment.

Breeders can use genetic testing help produce the Appaloosa coat pattern and characteristics that we all desire while minimizing genetic health risks. Trainers, riders and owners can use Etalon’s genetic tests to better understand their horses’ capabilities and limitations.

Previous studies have found that physiological responses and gait symmetry parameters are negatively affected when horses carry heavy riders, for example when the rider:horse weight ratio increases from 20 – 35% (Stefánsdóttir et al., 2017).

The 12 part course, how to recognize the 24 behaviors indicating pain in the ridden horse, is presented by international equine lameness specialist Dr Sue Dyson. It has been produced by the US’s popular evidence-based online educational resource Equitopia and helps translate Dr Dyson’s extensive research involving six studies and 400 horses, into action.

The AVA identify long working hours, high workloads, poor work-life balance, the attitude of clients and stress about performing euthanasia as prime reasons leading to veterinarian suicide. “It is not just a suicide issue, many in the veterinary profession suffer from high levels of anxiety, depression, stress and burnout, and high personal expectations due to these risk factors,” said Dr Crawford.

The Bahamas does not produce its own hay, and with such incredible human dislocation on the islands, there is no safety net for horses. “These horses need us, and we are prepared to meet their needs in crisis,” said Jennifer Skiff, director of international programs for the Animal Wellness Foundation. “Our plan is to stabilize them, attend to any immediate needs, and to provide food for as long as six months.”