1. What should I do to properly trim or shoe my horse that has a long-toe and a low-heel? Published: July 20, 2010
2. I have a horse that eats bark off trees. Is this bad for him? Published: July 20, 2010
3. Can I feed round oat hay bales free choice to horses this winter? Published: July 20, 2010
4. I have a horse that is somewhat overweight. I have been feeding her hay, a small amount of 10% sweet feed and free pasture grazing. My hay provider will not have more hay for about a month. I do not want to change her diet suddenly. Can I use hay cubes/pellets, or something by the bag, to substitute for the hay nutrients and roughage? Published: July 20, 2010
5. The facility where I am currently boarding my horses has just introduced chickens to the property. They are not free-range chickens, but are housed fairly close to the barn. I am concerned about the potential of lice, West Nile virus, or salmonella contamination from the chickens. Is this a real concern? Published: July 20, 2010
6. When designing stalls, what would work as a good subbase and base on the floor? Would making gravel (1½ to 2 inches) the subbase and stone dust for a base be a good pairing? Published: July 20, 2010
7. When designing stalls, would concrete, then rubber mats, and bedding on top work? Would water pool up on the mats and/or concrete? Published: July 20, 2010
8. I have a 6-year-old mare. I use a folded wool saddle blanket. After I put the saddle on and before I cinch it, I pull the front of the blanket up. I saddled her, and she threw her head around like she was going to bite. I elbowed her, and that ended it. Since then, she looks at me but doesn't do much. I cleaned the pad. The actual cinching has never bothered her. What could cause this? Published: July 20, 2010
9. If you have a horse that has a short, choppy step at the walk and trot, what are some ways to help extend your horse? Published: July 20, 2010
10. I have a 20-year-old mare that has been at the same barn for 10 years. I am scheduled to move her to a new facility at the end of the week, and I am wondering how stressed this will make her? Published: July 20, 2010
11. Do you know of any West Virginia lumber companies that sell wood shavings or sawdust for horse stall bedding? I would rather buy it from a West Virginia company, if possible. Published: July 20, 2010
12. Buttercups are toxic to horses, but I understand that dried plants are not. Can you please comment? Published: July 20, 2010
13. Does a horse's breed figure into body scoring? Some horses are more round by nature, such as Quarter Horses, while others with Thoroughbred or Arabian breeding have more prominent backbones/withers or angular rumps. Published: July 20, 2010
14. Is there a formula or recipe for making an electrolyte supplement to be given to horses during or after events in hot weather? Published: July 20, 2010
15. I just purchased a Missouri Fox Trotter. I noticed a horizontal crack in her hoof the other day with a piece chipped upward in the middle. She is not lame or sensitive to this, except if you push on the affected area. Today, I noticed another one on the other rear hoof not as big, but still a horizontal crack. The crack on the left rear (the original one) is now going vertical up toward the coronet band. Did she kick herself? Or have the rainy conditions outside softened them too much. Is this hereditary, and what do I need to do to prevent it? Published: July 19, 2010
16. I am looking to renovate my horse pastures, and my soil is mostly a clay loam with areas of sand. Right now my pastures have all died due to the lack of moisture. I would like a suggestion on what to plant that will not completely die off with intensive grazing and/or drought. Is there anything that I can plant now that will provide forage for my horses late into fall? Published: June 22, 2010
17. We are setting up horse pasture on land that had previously been used for cows. We probably have 30 to 50 cherry trees along what will be the fence line, a similar number of black walnut, and 5 to 10 black locust. This is over approximately 10 acres. We know that each of these trees poses a different set of risks. Could you advise us on aggressiveness of removal? Published: June 21, 2010
18. Does a horse (12-year-old gelding) vaccinated with strangles intranasal (every six months for four years) that is exposed to a horse with strangles acquire the Strepococcus equi bacteria and shed it? The horse's symptoms are a maximum temperature of 103.8 and a cough for a couple of days. Published: June 21, 2010
19. If a horse is allowed to come and go as it pleases from stall to pasture and back again, will it return to its own stall, or can there be conflict with other horses for a particular stall? Published: June 21, 2010
20. Does hay need a "curing" time before feeding it to horses or is it OK to start feeding the hay that was baled today? Published: June 21, 2010
21. When I first got my horse, she was great about coming in the barn to her stall to be fed. Now, since it has been hot outside, she won't come into the barn when called, even if she isn't going to be ridden. I have tried treats, sweet feed, etc. She comes in the barn when we are not in the barn, for water or to get in a stall out of the sun. I have to find a way to correct this so I can spray her for flies, saddle her, etc. Any suggestions? Published: June 21, 2010
22. I take care of an old farm property with two pastures. One pasture is about one acre with no animals, and the other is about two acres with one horse, two goats, and two miniature horses. There is a major dandelion problem in both pastures, and when the seed blows, it re-seeds the lawn areas around the house with dandelions. Can you recommend a herbicide for the horse pasture areas? I suggested to the owner to have it sprayed and move the animals to the other pasture for a couple of weeks after spraying. Any suggestions? Published: June 21, 2010
23. How many times and at what time interval should I doctor the navel stump of a newborn foal? Published: June 21, 2010
24. I have a seven-year-old Tennessee Walker that recently developed a lump under her jaw by her neck. It is two inches in diameter and soft to the touch. She has all her vaccinations and wormings. She has been very healthy, active and eats well. She does not show signs of stiffness or soreness. Published: June 21, 2010
25. I have a neighbor who put up a speaker next to my horse barn. It was attached to a rodent repeller at 105 decimals and an amplifer which made it louder, and he blasted it at my horses. Is there any research which would pertain to what level of sound would cause horses agitation, aggravation, and stress? Published: June 21, 2010
26. Do bots leave the horse's intestinal tract due to what a horse eats in the spring, or do they have an internal clock that results in them detaching? Published: June 21, 2010
27. What is the best and fastest way to cure buck shins? Published: June 21, 2010
28. Is the second cutting of hay better or higher quality than first-cutting hay? Published: June 21, 2010
29. My farm is located on a state road that is curvy right at the front pasture of my small horse-boarding business. What can I put up to keep vehicles from running through the fence? Published: June 21, 2010
30. The water supply for our horses smells strongly of sulphur. We're wondering if this may affect their intake. Is there a safe agent you can use that cuts the smell to make the water more palatable? Published: June 21, 2010

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