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Tag Archives: clean animal environments
Dust-Free Bedding Helps Young Horsewoman Help Her Horse
Young rider Abby North finds dust-free bedding to help her horse
“Where are tomorrow’s true horsemen?” is a lament often uttered at horsey gatherings. Some worry that young people don’t take the care and knowledge part of horse ownership seriously.
Fourteen-year-old Abby North contradicts those concerns. She takes complete care of her 8-year-old Off The Track Thoroughbred, Raven, even when the going gets rough.
And the going got rough In November of 2023. That’s when Raven returned from a hunter/jumper competition with a virus. His stablemate, Abby’s mom’s horse, caught the virus, too, but recovered promptly.
Raven did not.
“He had a runny nose, very thick yellow discharge and he kept coughing when I rode him,” explains Abby. “I could ride him, but he just wasn’t himself. Then he just spiraled.” The symptoms got worse as he sunk into pneumonia.
Raven is a normally energetic Thoroughbred who likes to work. “When he’s not happy, [ … ]
Equine Disease Prevention — What’s The Deal with Disinfectants?
COVID taught us the importance of doing everything possible to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.
Making sense of disinfectant claims can be confusing!
Along with that, advertising claims about cleaners, sanitizers and disinfectants spread as quickly as COVID.
COVID may be relatively under control now, but EHV-1, strangles and influenza are among the bacteria and virus-borne diseases we worry about for our horses and pets. Especially when traveling to shows and exhibitions where contact with other people, horses and animals is a risky reality.
Making sense of claims about what cleaners, sanitizers and disinfectant products actually do continues to be a challenge for us horse and pet owners.
Thankfully, the Environment Protection Agency has a helpful information. This includes what to look for in products for both effectiveness and safety for humans and animals. The EPA tests and regulates products that “sanitize” or “disinfect.”
Definitions and Distinctions
Per the EPA, “sanitize” means to “kill [ … ]
What does “clean” mean in our horse’s environment?
Horses count on their humans to keep their environment truly clean.
Tuesday, March 19 is the first day of spring and the topic of “spring cleaning” will likely be in surround-sound mode.
For horse owners, it’s a great time to think about what “clean” means in the context of our horses’ environment and their health.
Clean Air
Clean air is critical to horse’s health, happiness and performance. But it’s challenging to maintain in the equine environment, especially in the horse’s breathing zone.
Our horses’ lungs function as air filters. But the stabled environment is loaded with microscopic particles that can clog those filters.
Even before these bits of mold, mites and various allergens – aka “respirable dust” — get into the lungs, they can settle in the lining of the upper respiratory tract. There, they cause irritation that triggers mucus and inflammation. And that restricts the flow of oxygen in [ … ]
Posted in Healthy Environments
Also tagged equine disease prevention, safe disinfectants
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