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Horse DiseasesThe horse has long been part of man's history. From the first wild horses tamed by Native Americans to the different varieties of domestic horses available today, they have played a valuable part in our lives. There are common horse diseases that can affect any horse, regardless of the breed. Having some knowledge of these diseases will assist any horse owner in keeping her horses as healthy as possible.
Eye Infections
Healthy Horse EyeAlthough eye infections and injury often occur with horses that are out in pastures, any horse can injure an eye and get a resulting infection. Signs of eye problems include torn eyelids, running tears or swollen red eyes and eyelids.
Grease Heels
Horse with Grease HeelsGrease heels is a common disease that appears on the lower legs of the horse. Scaly patches cover red inflamed skin. Matted wet hair covers the scaly patches. Also called mud fever or scratches, this condition is caused by wet muddy areas of ground that the horse may be walking through consistently. It is frequently seen in spring when there is a great deal of rain.
Colic
Horse with ColicColic in horses has no known cause. The basic definition of this horse disease is that colic is a sign of a stomach ache. This pain in the horse's abdomen is called spasmodic colic and can exist to varying degrees from moderate gaseous buildup to serious twisted intestines.
Heaves
Heaves is the horse version of the human chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This common disease affects the horse's ability to breathe and is caused by mold spores in old and dirty hay and straw. It is why clean stalls are so important. Symptoms include wheezing and labored breathing.
Rain Rot
This disease is the same as the grease heel disease except for the location of it on the horse's body. It is caused by the same wet conditions but appears on the horse's shoulders, haunches or back. Matted hair covers the scaly patches in the same way as the grease heel.
Swamp Fever
Horse FlyThe horse disease swamp fever is caused by insects that bite, such as the mosquito and the horse fly. The horse becomes weak and disoriented. He can sometimes get small sores on the tongue and will have a fever. After recovery, the horse will still remain a carrier of this disease. Swamp fever is also known as Equine Infectious Anemia.
Thrush
Thrush is another disease that affects a horse's hooves. It can cripple a horse when left unchecked. Prevalent in rainy climates, thrush is found in the cleft of the hooves. It is black in color and smells horrible when scraped out. Routine cleaning of the horse's hooves will help the horse owner discover and control thrush.
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