Protect your horse from sunburn

MAKE sure that when you are protecting yourself from those harmful rays that you don’t forget your horse. Horses, especially those with pink skin, need protection from the sun. Here are some tips on preventing sunburn.

  • Keeping a horse entirely out of the sun is impractical and undesirable. However horse owners do need to ensure that horses have access to shade, whether from a run-in shed or a stand of trees. If your horse is prone to sunburn, you may want to consider keeping your horse in during the day.
  • A number of different companies make sun-blocking fly sheets, masks and hoods et cetera. If your horse has a blaze, snip or other white markings on his muzzle, look for a fly mask with a flap that extends down the nose.
  • Sunscreen can be an effective way of protecting skin that is directly exposed to the sun. Make sure to choose a sunscreen formulated specifically for horses and as with any product, read the label and follow application instructions.
  • If your horse does get sunburned, treat it as you would your own: Keep the area clean and protected from further sun exposure.

    • Sound the alarm

    THERE are many different devices available to horse owners which send an alert when a mare is foaling. Greg Broderick’s Ballypatrick stables use a device which is surgically attached to the mare’s vulva. The device consists of a magnet and a transmitter.

    The magnet and transmitter are both sutured into the lips of the vulva (the magnet on one side, the transmitter on the other) and the magnet is inserted into the transmitter, creating a breakable barrier across the vulva.

    When the foal begins to emerge from the birth canal, his front feet will easily pull the magnet out of the transmitter, which sends a signal to a receiver and activates an alarm via telephone. The advantage of this device is that there is very little chance of a false alarm.

    The disadvantages of this device are:

  • The device will only send an alert as the mare is foaling, there is no advance warning so horse owners would need to be nearby the mare.
  • A veterinarian must suture the device onto the vulvar lips (but this procedure is very simple and relatively inexpensive)
  • If there is a dystocia, in some instances this type of device may not activate because the feet might not emerge from the birth canal enough to dislodge the magnet out of the transmitter.

    • Summer worm dose

    WE are coming into summer now and with that comes the next phase of parasite prevention.

    Given the seasonality of equine parasites, a strategic approach to worming can be used to disrupt the seasonal cycle and transmission of parasites by reducing parasite egg output and preventing the build-up of larvae on the pasture. A strategic dosing approach combines the administration of targeted wormers at certain times of the year, along with regular faecal egg counts.

    STARTING POINT

    Start by carrying out a faecal egg count on each of your horses. A faecal egg count will give you an indication as to the adult parasites in each horse by measuring the number of worm eggs in the sample of faeces. The results will alert you to the horses with a significant worm burden (i.e. 200 eggs per gram) and allow you to treat them accordingly, rather than worming all horses unnecessarily. According to Troytown GreyAbbey Equine Veterinary Services over-worming is the single biggest factor in building up a resistant worm population and it is also a waste of money.

    It is also important to bear in mind that problems can arise as a result of abnormal weather patterns. For example, wet, warm summers can lead to early or late peak pasture larval burdens. Faecal egg counts can help determine the need to treat.

    TREATMENT

    The veterinary experts at Greenmount Equine Hospital recommend treating horses with a positive faecal egg count with a broad spectrum wormer that contains Ivermectin. Dugmectin, Equimax and Eqvalan Duo are three general purpose wormers which contain Ivermectin. Dugmectin treats against large strongyles, large roundworms, pinworms, lungworms and bots. Equimax and Eqvalan Duo also contain Praziquantel which makes them effective against all three species of tapeworm found in Ireland with a standard dose.

  • If you are using oral syringes, identify the correct dose before administering it to your horse.
  • Stand at the side of your horse, in front of their shoulder, and open your horse’s mouth. Guide the syringe into the corner of the horse’s mouth and aim it toward the back of the tongue before dispensing the wormer (do not dispense the wormer at the corner or front of the mouth where the horse may just spit it out).
  • It may be necessary to raise the horse’s head briefly to ensure the wormer is swallowed. If administering wormers in the horse’s feed, mix the dose into part of the normal ration and if necessary add succulents to tempt the horse.

    • NOTE: Consult with your veterinarian after you receive the results from the faecal egg count just in case your horses require a more specific worming treatment.

    The wormers mentioned above are just a selection of wormers available on the market, check with your local supplier as to what brands they stock.

    PREVENTION IS PARAMOUNT

    Remove droppings from pasture regularly during the summer months, this is more effective at worm control than the use of anthelmintics. Harrowing fields during a hot dry spell and leaving a field un-grazed for at least two weeks is also effective.

    Letting sheep and cattle graze pastures reduces worm egg burdens.