Equi-Health Canada - Eastern Ontario

Source: UMN Equine Extension Program

Planning a pasture Reno? Do it strategically.

Good horse pastures start with smart planning—gate placement, laneways, shared water access, and well-shaped paddocks all make a big difference. 🐴🌿 Be sure to avoid hazards like toxic trees, wet spots, and steep slopes to keep horses safe.

ℹ️ https://extension.umn.edu/horse-pastures-and-facilities/pasture-site-planning

We are in for a bit more rain and muddy pastures, a prime breeding ground for thrush. Learn how to get ahead of it!

Getting Ahead of Thrush Learn about this common hoof condition from farriers and horse owners who have managed it.

Source: American Association of Equine Practitioners

WHAT IS CELLULITIS? 🔎

Cellulitis is a common condition in horses where there is infection/inflammation in the tissues of the limb, most often the distal limb.

WHAT MIGHT YOU NOTICE?
Owners often first notice a leg that suddenly looks and feels “not right.” While the exact signs can vary case to case, rapid-onset limb swelling is a classic sign. Fever is also a sign to watch for with cellulitis. If your horse's temperature is elevated, contact your vet.

DIAGNOSIS:
Because a swollen, painful leg can have different causes, your veterinarian may use a combination of:
• Physical exam and patient history
• Imaging, including ultrasound, to help assess what’s happening in the tissues and whether there are complicating factors.

HOW IS IT TREATED?
There is limited scientific evidence that definitively tells us the single “best” treatment plan for every horse, and more research is needed (especially to support responsible antibiotic use). Your vet may tailor the plan to your horse’s severity, comfort, and response to therapy.

QUICK ACTION MATTERS:
• Cellulitis can be more than “just swelling.” It can become serious, and in rare severe scenarios, cellulitis/lymphangitis has been reported to progress to distal limb ischemia (loss of blood supply) with catastrophic tissue damage.
• Cellulitis can also lead to a condition called lymphangitis where the lymphatic system is affected, so resolution becomes more difficult. Multiple episodes of cellulitis/lymphangitis in the same leg can cause scarring, which makes recurrence more likely and recovery more difficult.

⚠️Cellulitis needs individualized diagnosis and treatment:
• Call your veterinarian promptly if your horse develops sudden, significant lower-leg swelling, heat, pain, or lameness.
• Don’t self-treat with leftover antibiotics. The evidence base is limited, and appropriate antibiotic choices/duration matter for both patient outcomes and antimicrobial stewardship.

Full-time turn out isn’t just forage and forget!

Managing Horses on Full-Time Turnout If you’re considering changing your housing system to 24/7 pasture, you’re not alone. Here are care considerations and tips for making the switch in your horse's turnout.

Noticed swelling at the top of your horse’s throat latch, noisy breathing, or nasal discharge from your horse? Their Gutteral
Pouches may be the culprit.

Guttural Pouch Disease in Horses: Causes, Treatment, & Prognosis | Mad Barn Guttural pouch disease in horses causes noisy breathing, nasal discharge, and jaw swelling. Treatments include saline flushing or surgery.

Equine Evolution was not linear. Previously portrayed as a straight line, horse evolution was actually a complex, multi-branched tree (bush) of species, with many side branches that went extinct.

North American Equine evolution spans over 55 million years, originating in from small, multi-toed forest dwellers like Eohippus into the large, single-toed, grazing Equus (modern horses) of today.

Did you know that their South Pacific Asian ancestors had gills? Fossil remains uncovered in Borneo in 1972 were of an Equidae Eohippus descendent, but the four toes were webbed and the species had a series of small gills. It was believed the gills were needed to allow the equids to dive for nutritionally dense seaweed on the ocean floor following the loss of much of their grazing grasses in a volcanic eruption in the region.

🚨 TIP TUESDAY: “WHEN IS IT AN EMERGENCY?”

Not every issue is an emergency… but some signs mean don’t wait.

🚩 Get to a vet IMMEDIATELY if your dog has:

• Difficulty breathing or excessive panting at rest
• Pale, white, or blue gums
• Collapse, weakness, or inability to stand
• Continuous vomiting or diarrhea (especially with blood)
• Seizures or unresponsiveness
• Bloated or hard abdomen (possible GDV)
• Known toxin ingestion (chocolate, xylitol, meds, etc.)

In an emergency… one of the FASTEST ways to assess your dog is:

👉 Check their gums

Healthy gums should be pink, moist, and slippery

🚨 Call your vet immediately if you see:

• ⚪ Pale / white gums → possible shock or blood loss
• 🔵 Blue / grey gums → oxygen emergency
• 🔴 Bright red gums → heatstroke or toxicity
• 🟡 Yellow gums → possible liver issue
• 🟣 Purple gums → severe oxygen problem

⏱️ This takes seconds — and can tell you EVERYTHING.

👉 Lift the lip, press gently, and look.

Because when your dog can’t tell you what’s wrong…
their gums will.

⏱️ In emergencies, minutes matter.

Your job isn’t to diagnose —
it’s to recognize, respond, and get help fast.

👉 Save this post so you don’t have to think twice in the moment.

Lost horse

LOST HORSE - MONTAGUE TOWNSHIP, ON - March 28, 2026
From: Missy Kay

Missing a chestnut mare horse red and white halter since this morning in Montague township. Last seen around Carrol road and ford road

ORIGINAL POST:
via PM