Pet Medicine

Provide your horses with a clean and safe environment. The floor of their shelter should be free of ice, snow or mud.

Ice can make walking hard and hazardous for horses, as it can be very slippery. Slipping on ice might cause traumatic injuries like bruises, sprains and lacerations. To avoid this, keep the walkways and paths shoveled and salted or sanded.

Snow can hide likely ditches, rocks or other obstacles on the road that can make your horse trip. Not only is it difficult to walk trough, it also causes blockages to pathways and doorways. Ensure that no drifts block these paths, as you never know when you will have to pass by it in an emergency.

It is in wet and cold season that fungal bacteria build up the most, which might cause skin infection in the lower leg of a horse, a condition referred to as ’scratches’. Horses that are out for long periods in rain or sleet fall with no chance to dry their thick winter coats can suffer rain rot, another skin infection.

Provide their shelters with a wind-break. A three-sided lean-to can offer adequate protection from the most of wind, snow and ice, but cannot keep out the cold. Do your best to provide your horses a warmer environment. If possible, take them indoors to enclosed boarding facilities.

Increase the hay intake of your horse. Digestion can produce heat that allows horses to stay warmer. Make sure that the hay they consume provides most nutritional benefits to sustain healthy body weight through the winter season.

Provide fresh water for your horse regularly. Ensuring adequate water intake in winter can be difficult, as some horses don’t like to drink cold water, making their intake diminish, or that the water gets too frozen to drink at all. Decreased water consumption can lead to dehydration and impaction colic. Give them warm water at every feeding time. If the water surface keeps getting icy, consider installing a stock tank heater to keep them warm. Use rubber water buckets instead of plastic ones, as the latter are most likely to crack if they get frozen.

Provide your horses a durable blanket, if you think they are not getting enough warmth. Blankets should be well-maintained and fits your horse properly. Conduct daily grooming to ensure that there is no chaffing and irritation on your horse’s skin. Daily grooming keeps the horse’s coat clean and comfortable under the blanket.

Maintain proper hoof care. There is a possible danger of chipping or cracking if your horse is unshod, as ice may build up in their hooves as well as mud and manure. Keep the hooves clipped to hold less snow and provide better grip on slippery ground.

The Grand National is the Super bowl of horse racing, well sort of. It is one of the most esteemed races in the world; it is steeped in rich history, and you have to be the best to compete. Only the best horses ages 6 years and up are allowed to participate. It is held at the same time each year, in early April, and it is what all horse owners and jockeys train for. This race has been held since 1939 on the record some say 1937; that is up for debate by those who know.

The Grand National is considered to be one of the toughest races in the world. There have been many horses lives lost and one jockey in over the years the race has been run. The course has 16 fences to be jumped; “the chair” and “the waterfall” are also jumps that the horses must make. The latter two are only jumped one time during the total race which is done in a two set series.

The race is done in a two set series so all but two of the jumps must be made twice. There are drop fences in which the horse will land on lower ground than they started on, and also fences where they will land higher on the ground then where they jumped from. The horse has no way to know this about these jumps until they are air borne. This is to test the abilities of the horses.

There is an area in the course about half way through that has a difficult jump with an immediate 90 degree turn in it. This tests the ability of the jockey and the horse to communicate and keep up pace with the course. Then comes the long race to the finish of this 4.5 mile track which is when you can see the wear on the horse.

The track is very intense for the horses and their riders. They both must be in top form for this race. Endurance is also a must as it is a long race at 4.5 miles with rigorous jumps and race track curves. You can often see the strain on the horses as they race to the finish, which is always exciting, and not always predictable.

There are some good old stories and tales about the Grand National that include when the 1st race actually was, some say it was in 1837, while others disagree, and during the war they had to close the course and the race was held at Gatwick Racecourse, on the site of the current Gatwick Airport.

There have been many records set at this racetrack in Liverpool like the oldest winning horse at age 15, the youngest winning jockey at age 17, and fastest winning time at 8m 47.8s, Mr. Frisk in 1990. There are many great stats and stories about this race and track. The most winning horse was Red Rum who won 3 races in 1973, 1974, and 1977.

Some have a way of deciding which horse is the favorite by the stats, and there are some that just pick a favorite by the sound of the name, the look of the horse, or whatever else stands out to them. This is a special day for all concerned especially for the horses.