I lost my beloved mare to pythiosis and hope to increase awareness of this devastating disease so fewer horses will share her fate.
Belle was my dream horse. I’d raised her from birth, and she was one of the prettiest Appaloosas I ever saw. She was intelligent. Sometimes I think she read my mind, and she could give me a look that was almost human.
Sadly, I lost Belle in May 2015 after a 10-month battle with a horrible infection I’d never heard of---pythiosis.
In the spring of 2014 we had abundant rain here in Georgia. Part of our property flooded, and a few weeks later the pond was full of grasses and lily pads. My horses had access to this pond for 25 years. They would stand in the water to escape flies and occasionally roll in it. In July 2014, I found two tiny cuts on Belle’s forearm and belly. Within days, they had grown, and they looked like summer sores---infections that occur when flies deposit stomach worm larvae in open wounds.
This story is from the July 2017 edition of Equus.
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This story is from the July 2017 edition of Equus.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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Of all the things your horse could injure himself with, his blanket seems an unlikely candidate. But don’t rule it out. Blanket mishaps do happen and they can be serious. Here are three things you can do to avoid them:
PUT AN END TO BARN DRAMA
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How a Facebook post led to a midnight rescue and an unexpected partnership
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A career focused on horses is not for the faint of heart but the rewards are many and can last a lifetime.
MAKE WINTER EASIER FOR YOUR OLD HORSE
The season ahead may be hard on aging horses in cold climates but with some planning and preparation you can help yours sail through until spring.
7 THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT TETANUS
With modern vaccines and wound management practices, tetanus is almost a thing of the past. But the threat persists, so it’s wise to remember which horses are most at risk and why.
THE FIRST AMERICAN “SPORT HORSE” BREED
The very name of the American Standardbred reflects the performance requirement established at the inception of the breed. Here’s how genetics, conformation and training came together to create horses that could trot a mile in 2:30 or less, or pace it in 2:00 flat.
THE 6 WAYS HORSES LEARN
You’ll be more successful in teaching your horse new skills or maneuvers if your lessons, timing and tasks are aligned with his natural modes of acquiring information.
