As you head toward the 2009 AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City, here are a few tips to keep your show horses healthy and ready for competition.
The two most common health problems encountered at large horse shows are colic and respiratory disease. Both are brought on by fatigue due to long-distance hauling, barns with poor ventilation, changes in the horse’s daily routine, exposure to sick or subclinical horses, or inadequate water consumption.
Respiratory Diseases
When it comes to protecting your horses from respiratory disease, Mom was right! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Prevention of respiratory disease is a three-fold process – read more!
Colic
Colic is the second major cause of illness at horse shows. In a well managed horse that is on a good parasite control program, colic is most often due to inadequate water consumption, a change in feeding schedule or a change in feed – read more!
Learn more about how to keep your show horse going strong at SmartPak’s AQHA member Web site - smartpakwestern.com/aqha. Remember, AQHA members receive an exclusive five percent off all purchases of SmartPak products. SmartPak products
If you’re in Oklahoma City for the World Show, be sure to stop in at the SmartPak World Show Internet Café, in the Coliseum just behind the horse show office. During the show, SmartPak is also sponsoring the Journal’s Top Story page.
SmartPak Equine is the official supplement feeding system of the American Quarter Horse Association. Their products include SmartSox, AQHA’s official hoof soreness supplement, and SmartTendon, AQHA’s official tendon support supplement.
