Welcome to Fall!
A whole new stock of horse blankets is arriving in the equine department and you can save 10% on any winter blanket with this month’s subscriber coupon! Sizes and styles for every horse and pony in your barn – don’t let your horse be voted “worst dressed” at the stable.
Also new in the equine department – some pretty headstalls and reins, and new supplements.
And of course, it wouldn’t be Autumn without a new sweatshirt, flannel shirt or boots! Cozy styles arriving daily!
Fall is a beautiful season here in northern California, but comes with a few risks for our horses, and ourselves. Two serious horse health threats are common in the fall; Ticks and Pigeon Fever (Dryland Distemper).
While tick season in California goes year-round, it slows during the dry summer months, then adult Western Blacklegged Ticks become more active in the Fall, usually around Halloween. Blacklegged Ticks are known for carrying the pathogens that causes Lyme Disease in both humans and horses. Inspect yourself and your horse after a ride in wooded or tall-grass areas, and apply a repellant spray or wipe to your horses legs and belly before heading out on the trails. A daily tick check will turn up any attached ticks, which should be removed with tweezers. A tick must be attached to the host for some period of time in order to transmit the spirochete that causes Lyme Disease, which is why examining and removing any ticks daily great helps with prevention. Lyme Disease is particularly difficult to diagnose, and can be present without causing noticeable outward symptoms. Learn more about Ticks, Lyme Disease and how to prevent it in this article:
Lyme Disease in Horses (Farnam)
The second Fall disease common in our area of California is Pigeon Fever, also known as Dryland Distemper. This oddly-named disease has no connection to pigeons or any other birds, but the name is derived from the fact that the large abscesses usually infect a horse’s pectoral region (chest), making them look like they have a pigeon’s puffed-up breast. Even the “Fever” part is rare, as infected horses only actually have a fever in 25% of the cases. The cause of Pigeon Fever is a bacterium that is particularly long-lived in soil, and gains entry to a horse’s body through skin wounds, abrasions and mucous membranes. It can be transmitted from horse to horse by flies, or direct contact with an infected horse, or contaminated materials. Fly control, sanitation and meticulous wound care can help to control the transmission of the bacterium, C. pseudotuberculosis. Learn more about preventing Pigeon Fever here:
Pigeon Fever in Horses (Farnam)
Pigeon Fever Fact Sheet (EquineDiseasecc.org)
Insect repellents are in the first line of defense in preventing both of these dangerous health threats. Check out the Rainbow Equine Department for a selection of products that can lessen the exposure to Tick bites, and flies bearing the Pigeon Fever bacterium. Save some money on Farnam and Absorbine Repellents with some of these printable coupons!
Absorbine Coupons
Farnam Coupons
Trivia! All correct entries go into a random drawing for a $15.00 Rainbow Coupon!
Last month’s question was, In the Fall, horses often decrease their water consumption, which puts them at risk of …
June Richmond was the winner with the correct answer that impaction colic is often caused by dehydration!
The October question is, What percentage of horses infected with Pigeon Fever, actually have a fever?