Horses and Tornadoes

If you’ve lived in Iowa, or anywhere in the Midwest, or just watched the news during the summer, you know that we run the risk of tornadoes. We all know to head for the basement or an interior room as soon as we hear of one coming, but what about your horses? Here are some [...]

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Getting Your Horse Ready for Spring

You can feel it. You can smell it. The snow is pretty much gone. The days are getting warmer. People are beginning to emerge from their houses. It’s spring! Your horse also needs to get ready for spring. Here are a few things you can do to make sure he’s ready: Grab a brush and [...]

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Tips for Winter Hoof Care

During our cold Iowa winters, we deal with snow, ice and mud, which can all be hazardous to your horse. There is a risk of slipping, falling and hoof damage from the slippery, slick surfaces. Here are some tips to keep your horse’s hooves healthy and safe during the winter months. If at all possible, [...]

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Tips on Feeding Your Horse Treats

With the treat industry expanding from  household pets to include horses, there are a few things to watch out for when introducing treats.  Here are some tips on safely giving your horse treats: Discuss your horse’s diet with a nutritionist or your veterinarian to make sure your horse is getting all the nutrition it needs. [...]

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Which Plants Are Toxic To Horses? Alsike Clover

Alsike Clover Alsike clover is found throughout the United States and Canada and typically a short plant, around 1-2 feet tall, with white or purple flowers. It prefers moist soil and tends to grow in places with an adequate amount of rain, usually in roadside ditches, pastures, yards, and anywhere else plants can typically be [...]

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Which Plants Are Toxic To Horses? Poison Hemlock

Poison Hemlock Poison hemlock is a plant that really can’t be missed – it can grow to be over six feet tall, and has purple spots on its hollow stem as its most distinguishing feature. The plant has small clusters of white flowers, and smells like parsnip when it is damaged, as it is a [...]

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Which Plants Are Toxic to Horses? Cherry Trees

Cherry Tree While there are many different varieties of cherry trees and shrubs, both in the wild and planted in landscaping and yards, all are toxic to horses. They can be identified by their white or pink flowers in the spring, and red to purple fruit, and are found all throughout the U.S. The most [...]

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Which Plants Are Toxic to Horses? Azaleas

Azaleas Azaleas are very often found in gardens around this area. They are evergreens that are usually either large shrubs or small trees. Usually you’ll see bright pink flowers, but you can also find some with vibrant purple flowers, which appear on the shrub or tree in the spring. The parts of azaleas which are [...]

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How Much is Too Much?

If you’re fairly certain that your horse has ingested a plant that is toxic, how do you know if what they’ve eaten will affect them? To really know if what they’ve eaten will affect them, you need to find out the species of the plant they’ve eaten. The amount needed to be ingested before a [...]

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What to Do About an Overweight or Underweight Horse

When it comes to weight, horses can be much like us – for some it’s impossible to gain an ounce no matter what or how much they eat, and others gain a lot of weight if they even look at a bag of rich food just right. As we’ve discussed, maintaining a healthy weight and [...]

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