Cheval Health & First Aid

Lest we Forget

Remembrance Day is a day for us to remember and thank those who have fought for our freedom.

Take a moment today to bow your head in silence and give thanks, remembering the brave souls who made sacrifices.

Also, remember those brave animal soldiers who selflessly stood bravely beside the soldiers.

Thank you for your service.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae

I am so ecstatic to be a sponsor again for the second year in a row with Horse Expo Reed Deer 2025!

Last year I was a sponsor and one of the guest speaker to speak at the Fedaration stage. Had a blast and met so many great people and some old friends as well.

Unfortunately this year I will not be attending as I will be teaching classes in Whitehorse, Yukon.
I will miss you all! But I have already mark my calendar for next year so I won't miss it.

I absolutely love this event and the organizers! I will keep support you guys!

Happy Valentines Day!! 💝
Hope you get to spend some time with your horse(s) 🐎

A great post and very important!

Let's talk about winter hydration.
Winter hydration is JUST as important as hydration during the hot seasons! Over the years of being in the horse industry, I have found that more horse owners and professionals don't think it's important or a big deal and in which result that more horses have had colic during winter than in the summer. It is easy to overlook hydration in the winter with everything else we are concerned about like, keeping them warm, clearing snow, blanketing, winter chores, ect. Or just simply thinking it’s not as important.
Did you know❓️
Horses typically consume 5-10 gallons (18 – 36 L) of water per day. However, research shows that horses drink up to 14% less water in winter than they do during the warmer months of the year. During the winter months horses require more water to avoid dehydration & colic. In summer horses who has access to pastures have 60 to 80% moisture which contributes to their water intake. Horses on dry feed like hay and grain has less than 15% moisture.
What happens when they don't drink enough❓️
-Dehydration
-Colic
- Poor organ functions
-Poor performance
- Reduced feed intake, which can lead to weight loss and unable to provide the necessary energy to tolerate the cold.
These are just a few things that can happen.
Every horse is vulnerable to this, but senior horses, foals, and sick/injured horses are more prone to be in danger of this.
What can you do❓️
Luckily, there are a few things we can do!
🐴Give electrolytes! When there is insufficient water in the gut, the electrolytes in the blood drive the thirst response and cause the horse to seek out water. Electrolytes are as essential in winter's cold as they are in summer's heat. The best way is to offer it in water, but it can be added to feed.
🐴Offer your horse different levels of temperature of water in buckets. Alot of horses prefer warm water in winter. Kind of like how we like our coffee haha. According to research the best temperature is 8-18oC ( 46.4 – 64.4F) which will increase their water intake by roughly 40% when the outside temperatures are above freezing.
🐴If you give a bucket of water with electrolytes in it, also offer a second bucket with plain water.
🐴 You can add water to their feed.
🐴If feeding feed that requires soaking, for example beetpulp, alfalfa cubs, ect, add extra water.
🐴 Bring them in (barn or sheltered place) and offer them water. Sometimes, horses will want to get out of the cold element. Especially with those picky horses.
🐴 For those picky horses, you can try putting some non sugar apple sauce in the water to entice them to drink.
Help your horse stay hydrated this winter!

And oldy but a good one 🤣

Are your numbers different 🤔

We are almost to the weekend. I thought what better way to distract our minds and take a moment to challenge your brain.

This is an easy one.
What is this and where on the horses body does it come from❓️ 🐴🤔
I will post the picture tomorrow at noon to give people time to answer.

Good luck! 🐎

Join us for a half-day fundamentals program via ONLINE!
You will learn via live-stream interactive video with a PowerPoint and demonstrations via live-stream video from the instructor.
We will take you through all the essentials - from health and prevention, learn to take vital signs, recognize pain in the horse, detect colic, and lots of bandaging in realistic scenarios!
4hr - online - $99- includes manual, equine vitals card and certification of completion.

To register:
https://chevalhealthandfirstaid.ca/courses/ola/services/equine-fundamentals-first-aid

Translated from Latin, of course 🐴

Wellness Wednesday.💪🐴

Let's talk about the horses skin. I have found that this topic doesn't get talked about much. BUT it is a very important part of the horses body.

🤔Did you know the skin is the largest organ in the body❓

So today I am making a post about the skin, I have colored a simple diagram of what the skin consist of. The skin has and does so much, so today we will cover the basic and what is most important. In these info graphs you will find a simple explanation. In the post description I will go over in a bit more details on what things are and do.

🔹️Pore: are tiny openings in the skin that allows fluids & gasses to pass. They play a vital role in skin health such as lubricating the skin, removing toxins, transporting molecules & ions & help regulate body temperature.

🔹️Hair (Coat): protects its skin from environmental hazards such a UV, wind/cold, insects, & helps regulate body temperature. Some other important function is it creates natural oils that make the coat repel water and helps reflect sunlight.

🔹️Epidermis: is the top layer which protects the body & gives the skin its color. It has several layers of cells, including keratinocytes, melanocytes, & Merkel cells. Merkel cells allow to feel gentle touch. The epidermis also helps keep the skin hydrated, protect from bacteria & other germs. The epidermis it's self has 5 layers.

🔹️Nerve endings: they are specialized structures that detect sensation like pain, temperature & pressure. They are found in the epidermis & dermis.

🔹️Dermis: is the middle layer of the skin that provides structure & support to the skin. It's made up of connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves & glands. It also contains sweat glands that helps the horses body to cool down & regulate temperature. It also produces oil & sweat that helps flush out toxins.

🔹️Hypodermis: is the bottom layer of the skin. It's functions are storing energy, connecting the dermis layer to the muscles & bones, insulating & protecting the body from harm. As the horse gets older the hypodermis decreases in size.

🔹️Subcutaneous fat: is a layer of the fat that's stored between the dermis & muscles. It allows protection to the muscles and bones from impact by creating a cushion. It also helps with temperature regulation, is a source of energy & hormone metabolism & structural support.

🔹️Apocrine sweat glands: are the primary sweat glands, producing sweat that helps cool them down. Other types, are the Eccrine sweat glands, they secrete sweat directly onto the skin & are located in the frog.

🔹️Blood vessel: supply nutrients to the epidermis & help regulate body temperature. Grooming increases the blood flow to the skin, which can strengthen the skin barrier & help prevent infection & fungus growth.

🔹️Hair bulb: is the deepest part of the hair follicle, where cells produce the hair shaft.

🔹️Hair follicle: is a tubular structure that produces, attaches & supports the hair shaft. Ringworms & dermatophilus can affect the hair follicles.

🔹️Motor nerve: stimulates the muscles & glands in the skin to perform actions. For example, twitching when a fly lands on them, or make the sweat glands produce sweat.

🔹️Arrector pili muscle: is a small muscle that causes hair to stand up. The arrector pili muscle helps keep them warm in cold weather.

As you can see the SKIN does so much❗️
Who would of guessed so much goes on in this tiny organ!