The heat is on

With the arrival of warmer and sunnier days you need to be aware of the signs of heatstroke in your horse:

• Increased Respiratory Rate - between 40 to 50 breaths per minute, shallow breathing, and breathing that remains elevated after two minutes of rest.

• Increased Heart Rate - a pulse of more than 80 beats per minute that doesn't slow down after two minutes of rest.

• Increased or Absence of Sweating - full-body sweating or, worse, if your horse stops sweating entirely.

• Raised Temperature - a temperature of 41-42 celsius or above.

• Lethargy - signs of depression, disinterest in food, stumbling or collapsing.

To help cool your horse:

• Stop activity - cease any work immediately

• Hose down your horse with cool water (4-10 celsius is ideal) 

• 30-60 seconds of soaking should be followed by a short walk (as walking increases skin blood-flow)

• Offer your horse as much water as he will drink

• Remove your horse from strong sunlight and find shade

• Stand your horse beneath a fan or in a breezy area

If you suspect your horse is suffering from heatstroke, take immediate action and contact your vet if symptoms persist or worsen.

If you would like to make an osteopathic appointment for one of our team (Adam, Gareth or Grace) to treat your horse with regards to injury management and prevention, please give us a call and speak to Nicola our Equine coordinator who will be happy to help. 01270 629933 
  

Take care and be aware

If you’re going to be out and about on the roads this Spring and Summer please ensure you wear reflective clothing and you’re aware of the equine highway code. Before you take a horse on the road, you should:

• Ensure all of your tack fits well and is well maintained
• Make sure you can control the horse you are riding. 
• Never ride a horse without both a saddle and bridle

Before riding off or turning, look behind you to make sure it is safe, then give a clear arm signal. When riding on the road, you should:

·     Keep to the left with both hands on the reins unless you are signalling

·     Keep both feet in the stirrups

·     Not carry another person

·     Not carry anything which might affect your balance or get tangled up with reins

·     Ride your horse near traffic only if you are confident that it will not be spooked.     Remember, large or noisy vehicles can often spook horses

·     Be aware of fast-moving vehicles on rural roads especially near crests of hills or bends

If you would like to make an osteopathic appointment for one of our team (Adam, Gareth or Grace) to treat your horse please give us a call and speak to Erin our Equine coordinator who will be happy to help. 01270 629933 

  

Stay safe and have a great Spring and Summer  

Our Spring Equine Newsletter is now available!

Containing news and valuable information from our practitioners for the upcoming Spring season.

If you have any suggestions for topics you would like covered in the newsletter or to ensure you receive the latest copy emailed to you 'fresh off the press' please do let us know, either by email at:info@weaverhouse.com or call us on 01270 629933 or even come and talk to our friendly Reception team in person!

Have a read of our Spring 2018 newsletter here Spring Equine Newsletter 2018

Spring into Action

It’s that time of the year again when the Equestrian calender kicks off, starting with The Cheltenham Festival this week.

Even if you are not taking part in these major events it’s an ideal time to schedule in a routine osteopathic check for your equine and human family, as it’s important that both horse and rider are in tip top condition for those just as important local events. Please give us a call and speak to Erin who will be happy to assist you with an appointment 01270 629933

Major equestrian events 2018

Event name	Date	Sport	Location
Cheltenham Festival	13-16 March	National Hunt racing	Cheltenham, Glos
Blue Chip Championships	4-8 April	Show jumping	Hartpury, Glos
Grand National Meeting	12-14 April	National Hunt racing	Liverpool
Winter Dressage Championships	11-15 April	Dressage	Hartpury, Glos
Badminton Horse Trials	2-6 May	Eventing	Glos
1,000 and 2,000 Guineas	5-6 May	Flat racing	Newmarket
Royal Windsor Horse Show	9-13 May	Showing/SJ/Dressage/Endurance/Driving	Windsor, Berks
Chatsworth Horse Trials	11-13 May	Eventing	Derbyshire
Houghton International Horse Trials	24-27 May	Eventing	Norfolk
The Derby Meeting [Epsom]	1-2 June	Flat racing	Epsom, Surrey
Bramham Horse Trials	7-10 June	Eventing	West Yorkshire
Bolesworth CSI****	13-17 June	Show jumping	Chester, Cheshire
Royal Ascot	19-23 June	Flat racing	Berkshire

Firework Frenzy - Your Fun, Their Nightmare!

The sound of fireworks can reach 150 decibels! 

Because animals hearing is a lot more sensitive than ours - up to 10 times more sensitive - you can appreciate that it really does affect them. 

Although it doesn't hurt their ears, it does scare them.

Make sure that all animals are micro-chipped too so that should they escape they can be safely returned home. 

What will ease distress?

• Don't take your dogs to fireworks displays. Yes, they like going out and being social, but it's just too overwhelming for them, so leave them at home. 
• Make sure your animals are inside if it's possible to do so. They do tend to panic if they're outside and they might try to escape.
• A simple thing you can do is close the curtains and put the radio on or the TV ... it's an easy distraction.
• It's obviously very difficult with horses, but if you can stable them, and if you can put music on in the stable and shut out the light, it's going to make it a lot easier for the horse during the evening.

It's a very scary thing for them. Fireworks of this scale happen rarely in an animal's life and there's no explanation as to why it's happening.

Enjoy your celebrations but please keep your animals safe over the coming weeks.

Our Winter Newsletter is now available!

Our Winter Newsletter is now available and contains news and valuable information from our practitioners for the upcoming Winter season.

If you have any suggestions for topics you would like covered in the newsletter or to ensure you receive the latest copy emailed to you 'fresh off the press' please do let us know, either by email at:info@weaverhouse.com or call us on 01270 629933 or even come and talk to our friendly Reception team in person!

Have a read of our Winter 2017 newsletter here Winter Newsletter

Hi everyone - well, this year has gone extremely quickly to say the least ! Please click here to download the latest edition of WeaverHouse Equine News !