The horse's motivations to forage and eat are behaviors that horse owners should take into consideration when designing the horse's living environment. In today?s housing of horses, horses are often kept alone in boxes and paddocks and are fed with small amounts of energy-rich roughage. Problems that can arise with a shortened feeding-time and long periods of fasting are behavioral changes like stereotypic behaviors and an increased risk for ulcers. A solution to the short feeding-time is that you are feeding roughage in a small mesh hay net, or a so-called Slow-feed net.

SUMMARYThe riding school horse is the base for the riding school. Riding schools are looking for a suitable horse that meets their demands for exterior, age, education, temperament, price and sustainability. Many different aspects may define the sustainability of the riding school horse; of them is how long life the riding school horse has in riding school activity. Previous studies have shown that the riding schools requirements are 8-12 years life span in the riding school.The purpose of this study was to describe the Swedish riding school horse life span in riding schools and at what age the riding school horses were recruited, disposed and the reasons for disposal. Information about the riding school horse life span in riding schools and reasons for disposal can provide important understanding regarding the importance of health for the riding school horse, riding school economy and profitability in the riding school.

The purpose of this study was to compare less experienced veterinarians? subjective assessments of lameness in horses on the lunge. Previous studies on subjective lameness evaluation have mainly focused on horses trotting in a straight line and the results have shown generally low compliance. With a web-based questionnaire, 43 veterinarians assessed 60 recordings that showed both fore- and hindlimb lameness, interspersed with sound horses that were trotting on the lunge in one direction. The horses showed mild to moderate lameness.

The purpose of this study was to examine vitamin A and E in equine nutrition and especially in relation to forages. A literature review was conducted to examine factors that influence the level of vitamins present in forage, the vitamin A and E requirement of horses, and the absorption of vitamin A and E in horses. The influence of DM level on alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene content in ensiled forage was investigated in a controlled ensiling study using baled silage and haylage. The results from the ensiling study were combined with data of vitamin A and E concentrations collected from literature. Calculations were done to theoretically establish how well the vitamin content in ensiled forage can cover the maintenance requirements of vitamin A and E in horses.

Among researchers it has been established since decades that humans and animals have an internal biological clock that controls certain physiological mechanisms. One example regarding humans is the impairment of lung function during the night, causing the phenomenon ?nocturnal asthma? among asthmatics. Only a few studies concerning respiratory circadian rhythm in horses have been done previously and they showed a daily variation in horses with a chronic or an acute respiratory disease. The technique used in those studies was the conventional technique, which is invasive and less sensitive than the technique used in this study.

Time of harvest affects nutritional value and digestibility of haylage since plants are in different developmental stages. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of plant maturity of haylage cut in June, July and August on digestibility and faecal particle size in horses.Forage and faecal samples used for the analysis of apparent dry matter digestibility (DMd) and particle size distribution in faeces were from a feed-study performed in the autumn of 2009. Twelve horses were used in the study, divided into three groups in a change-over experiment. Each group was fed haylage harvested in June, July or August during three periods. Faecal grab samples were taken from each horse and pooled so that one sample represented one horse during one period.

The horse is an animal that often becomes humanized. Despite domestication, the horse still has a need to interact with other horses, be able to move for the most of the day, and being able to graze. If these needs cannot be fulfilled, the horse can be negatively affected and develop abnormal behaviours. An example of abnormal behaviours is weaving; the horse performs a swinging motion in the front area of the body during a long time. This literature review aims to investigate how different stabling forms (box/stall) affect the incidence of weaving, and also how this behaviour can be prevented or limited.

Horses are herbivores that spend almost all day grazing. While grazing they are infected by different endoparasites through ingestion of infective eggs or larvae on pasture. The most significant equine endoparasites in Sweden are the equine roundworm Parascaris equorum, small (Cyathostominae) and large strongyles (Strongylus spp), the tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata and the pinworm Oxyuris equi. For many years have horses been dewormed on regularly basis, which has resulted in the development of resistance to many anthelmintic classes. Because of the problems with resistance it is since 2007 necessary to have a prescription on anthelmintics and faecal sampling is also recommended.

The horse is a homeothermic animal and to keep a constant body temperature in winter season is important. Acclimatisation is to provide means for a good thermal insulation consisting of skin, hair, and an outer air layer. The skin covers the horses body and it is composed of three main layers where the top layer of the epidermis consists of dead keratinized cells that are constantly being sheed. The dermis is composed of collagen connective tissue that give the skin its strength. The bottom layer with subcutaneous fat provides a thermal insulation and can be used as an energy reserve in cold weather.

The aim of this review is to evaluate the best way to transport the horse. When it comes to transporting horses there are a number of different types of trailers and trucks that you can choose from today. The most common type of trailer is designed for two horses and the horses are transported facing the direction of travel. Studies has been performed to determine if that is the most advantageous direction for the horse to travel in, in terms of balance and levels of stress. Stress is a widely discussed subject and the definition is not fully developed.

Sleep is essential for all mammals and they all have different sleep patterns. Wild horses normally spend 2-8.5% of a 24-hour period in recumbent position while stabled horses lie down 11-20%. To fulfil the need of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep the horse must lie down with support against the ground for the head. The lying behavior can be affected by external stimuli such as age, food intake, bedding materials and if the horses feel safe or not. This study investigates the lying behavior of horses on different bedding materials; wood shavings and filled rubber mats (HIT SoftBed®).

The use of intramuscular injections of procaine penicillin G (bensylpenicillin procaine) in the horse is now and then associated with acute adverse reactions (penicillin-chock). The etiology is not yet clearly understood, but the theories are several. One possibility is that it can be caused by procaine toxicity. Procaine penicillin G is a salt which is quickly dissolved in plasma. Procaine is then metabolized by plasmaesterases to non-toxic metabolites, p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and diethylaminoethanol.

Injuries of the superficial digital flexor tendon are common in racehorses with many reports on different treatment regimes. However there are few studies in riding horses. The purpose of this study was to document the result of conservative treatment of injuries on the superficial digital flexor tendon in riding horses and to find factors that may be important to the outcome. Hospital records from 1999 to 2003 of 17 non-racehorses at ATGs Animal Hospital in Skara with the diagnosis tendonitis of the superficial digital flexor tendon were reviewed. Follow-up information on treatment, convalescence and final outcome was collected.

It is important to ensure and develop the Swedish model for riding schools, since the pupils at a Swedish riding school learn both to ride and to handle horses. There is a pronounced problem of stagnation and in some cases a reduced demand in several of the equine industry sectors including breeding with decreased coverings. The aim of this study was to cast light on how representatives from the horse industry looks at riding schools and their recruitment of horses in the next five years. The research issue was ?Will there be difficulties regarding horse recruitment in 2020 and in that case, what are the consequences?? The results of this work consist mostly of material from a workshop on how the riding school will be affected by reduced breeding in the future.

The aetiology of osteochondrosis (OC) is known to be complex and multifactorial. The occurrence of bone fragments in joints and their connection to osteochondral disease are no exception. In the hock and stifle joint of the horse this type of lesion has generally been considered to be of osteochondral origin, while the process behind these fragments in the fetlock joint has been up for discussion. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and the localisation of OC in Swedish warmblooded horses. In order to do so all radiographs of stifle, hock and fetlock joints performed on Swedish warmblooded horses during the period of 1992-1999 at Regiondjursjukhuset in Helsingborg were examined and the material was divided into two groups.