Facial expressions are commonly used to assess pain and other emotional states in humans, but can the same be said for horses?  Researchers have been trying to streamline an effective and accurate way to detect pain in horses.  Grimace scales have been designed by monitoring the appearance of facial changes from individual or a combination of muscles of the face.  These grimace scales are species-specific, and are said to be more advantageous than other methods generally used to detect pain in animals.

How much time do you regularly spend grooming your horse?  It probably varies depending on the day, how dirty your horse is, how much time you have, etc.  On average though riders tend to spend around 10-20 minutes grooming their horse before and after riding. If you add that time up over the course of a month of daily grooming that equals 8+ hours of grooming time spent with your horse.  Why not make that quality time with your horse more productive in order to deepen your bond and create a lasting partnership?

As we all know, living through Minnesota winters can be somewhat challenging due to the cold and snow (or wet as we've seen this year).  And our horses often experience more of Mother Nature’s wrath from being outside more than we are.  To keep our horses warm and dry we often bundle them up in a turnout blanket.  There are many factors, however, to consider when deciding whether to blanket your horse or not.  Certain horses under certain conditions may benefit from the additional protection that a blanket can provide.

In recent weeks, Dr. Kyla has limited the number of barns that she travels to due to the EHV-1 outbreak, and has been using biosecurity measures to deter the spread of the disease between horses, as we mentionedhere. We've heard questions from horse owners across the state about the spread of the disease and the status of the horses that have been tested. In an effort to make it easier for you to find accurate and current information about EHV-1 in Minnesota, we've compiled some links to helpful articles, handouts, and videos on the web.

The winter was LONG. We are so happy it's springtime! And we think our horse friends are happy, too. We've found lots of images of "horse smiles" on Pinterest, and it got us thinking about all the wonderful client horses we know and love.

Does chiropractic with Dr. Kyla make your horse happy? 

Do your horses "smile"? 

Have you ever caught a horse mid-yawn or whinny on your camera? 

Animal Connections wants to see happy horses on our Pinterest feed!

EHV-1, or equine herpesvirus 1,is currently a hot topic here in Minnesota. In March 2014, several horses in Minnesota and western Wisconsin have shown neurologic signs of the disease, and some have been euthanized.  This outbreak of the disease has roots in the barrel racing scene, at a competition in Winona, MN in early March.  Cases have appeared in Hennepin, Chisago, Dakota, and Wright County in MN, as well as Burnett and Polk County in WI. Information is still emerging, but several of the horses who have been euthanized have connections to the barrel horse world.