Dear Shaboom and Clyde.

My pony had an accident in the pasture that put out his eye. Will I still be able to ride him?  Melissa, Eugene, OR.

Melissa, Many horses have lost an eye due to an unfortunate accident but have gone on to useful, productive careers. I once met a one eyed horse that was an excellent bulldogging horse in the rodeos. Your pony will need help getting used to his limited vision but with patience he should be okay. Remember to talk to him, especially when approaching his blind side, so you don’t surprise him. He may need a little retraining and he may be a bit limited in the things he can do. However, there is no reason that he cannot be a good saddle pony.

Did You Know

Fun Facts about horses

1.        All adult horses have at least 36 teeth – 12 front teeth (incisors) and 24 cheek teeth (molars). Male horses usually have four extra teeth, called ‘tushes’ or ‘wolf teeth’ (canines).

2.        Horses sometimes wear blinkers in harness to restrict their sideways vision. Blinkers keep a horse from being distracted during the work in hand. It helps them keep their concentration.

3.        The hairs just inside the horse’s ears are for protection. They stop insects, seeds, and dust particles going into the ear and causing damage. Avoid trimming these hairs since they have an important part to play.

4.        Smell is one of the horse’s most important senses. A horse recognizes his friends by their body smell.

5.        Your horse will appreciate a pat when he has faced up to a frightening situation. Timing is important – to be effective the reward must be given the instant the horse performs correctly, so that he connects the pat with his action and bravery.

Keep Your Horse Healthy This Spring.

Spring is almost here and with it comes the responsibility of all horse owners to protect their equine friends from the dangers that come with the warming weather and hatching of insects – disease. The time has come to vaccinate your horses. West Nile and Equine Influenza are only a few of the possible threats.  Different parts of the country have vaccination programs based on specific regional needs. An equine vet should be consulted for the program best suited to your area. Worming is also a concern. A horse should be wormed every 8 weeks or so and it is recommended to alternate the types of wormers used so the pests don’t develop an immunity to worming medication. There are now worming additives that can be fed with your horse’s daily ration, which seem to work well. 

An important tool in keeping your horse healthy is cleanliness. His stall or pen should be cleaned regularly. Worm eggs and larva are often in the manure. It also attracts flies, which can spread illness from horse to horse and even farm to farm. A good insect control plan for your barn is also helpful by keeping the pests to a minimum. Try to avoid standing water in the barnyard, as mosquitoes will use it to reproduce. Cleaning your water troughs regularly or even adding fish will help. The fish have the added advantage of keeping algae levels under control.