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Ashley Griffin

Ashley Griffin

Ashley Griffin currently serves the eXtension Foundation as the Impact Collaborative Program Manager. Prior to this Ashley’s understanding of knowledge strategy and virtual team building enabled her to work with eXtension’s 70+ Communities of Practice and Learning Networks. Previously she provided instructional design support to the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky as an Extension Specialist in the Creative Applications for Learning Environments Lab. From 1996 until February of 2002 she gained practical extension programming experience and delivered …

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Pre-Travel Vehicle and Trailer Check for Hauling Horses

Be Prepared

In addition to preparing the trailer for the horse’s comfort, it is also important to consider the maintenance of all equipment.

Prior to each trip, check the following:

  • Trailer lights and turn signals
  • Trailer brakes
  • Trailer hitch–is it secure?
  • Trailer safety cables
  • Spare trailer and truck tires and tools to change a tire, including tire jack
  • Trailer and truck tires
  • Trailer floorboards.

These checks should be done before you leave home. Finding out that something is wrong …

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Equine Navicular Disease

Navicular disease is an injury of the navicular bone of the front foot. Conformational faults or injury are the most common causes of navicular disease. A straight pastern and shoulder or small hoof will increase the concussion on the navicular bone, causing increased friction between it and the flexor tendon, resulting in injury.

Horses worked on hard surfaces are at greater risk to acquire navicular disease, which usually affects horses in their prime working years (ages 6 to 10). A …

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Horse Breeding Behavior

It is important that horse owners and breeders understand and recognize the basics of equine reproductive behavior for management purposes. This article discusses the main behaviors associated with horse breeding.
An understanding of the basics of reproductive behavior is important. This understanding can lead to management applications that can improve reproductive success. It is important to recognize the behaviors associated with a mare in heat, a mare that is receptive to a stallion, mating, signs of foaling, normal behavior after
…
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Safe Loading Practices for Horses

When loading a horse in a trailer, it is important to recognize and carry out safe loading practices. It is your job to make the loading experience pleasant for the horse and safe for the handler.

Before loading, make sure the horse is wearing a halter that fits properly and will not slip off or break during the loading process. Always lead your horse onto the trailer using a lead rope rather than leading it by the halter. By using …

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Blanketing and Wrapping Horses for Transport

The need for a blanket will depend on the weather conditions, type of trailer, and ventilation available. In a well-ventilated trailer on a warm day, you won’t need to blanket your horse. In some cases, having a heavy blanket on the horse in a poorly ventilated trailer can cause horses to sweat and become overheated, even in cold weather. In general, don’t over-blanket, and keep the air moving inside the trailer so your horse can have a comfortable ride.

It …

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Considerations When Hauling a Horse

Driving

If you are going to take the horse yourself, how well you drive will certainly affect how well your horses travel. Many horses are poor travelers because of the way their owners drive. It is necessary to drive differently when traveling down the road pulling a horse trailer. You need to watch how you stop and start, change lanes, turn corners, and back up. Remember, your horses are in the trailer standing up. Before hauling your first horse, take …

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Wrap or Bandage a Knee

Proper Way to Bandage a Knee

It is more difficult to apply bandaging over the knees and hocks. Care must be taken to not place pressure on the bony prominences located just under the skin of these joints. Otherwise the horse will have bandage sores.

wrapping a horse's knee

Numbers correspond to leg drawings above. Note all hand positions.

1) Apply medicated gauze pad, and take two or three wraps with flexible wrap such as Kling Gauze above the knee.
2-5) Wrap a figure …

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Wrap or Bandage a Hock

Proper Way to Bandage a Hock 

It is more difficult to apply bandaging over the knees and hocks. Care must be taken to not place pressure on the bony prominences located just under the skin of these joints. Otherwise the horse will have bandage sores.

Wrapping a Horse's Hock

Do not cover the point of the hock and the bony protrusion on the inside of the leg right above the hock.
Numbers correspond to leg drawings above. Note all hand positions.
1) Apply medicated …

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How to Administer an Injection in horses

How to vaccinate

Giving an injection for the first time can be a little nerve-racking, but with practice it gets easier. Horses feel far less pain then humans do from shots. Most vaccines are given intramuscularly (IM) in the neck or hip. Injections can also be given subcutaneously (SQ) or intravenously (IV). Subcutaneous injections are given under the skin but not in the muscle. Intravenous injections are given directly into a vein.

In preparation to administer an injection, do the …