Recent content by glenruby

As mentioned above, Comfrey contains the same toxins as Ragwort. I have firsthand experience of a herd of horses developing liver disease (two fatal as a result of hepatic encephalopathy) following ingestion of comfrey over a 3 week period. It has also been banned as an oral herbal treatment for...

I wouldn't feed anything with comfrey in it - it contains the same toxins as Ragwort (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) and causes liver disease (the reason it is a banned substance for human consumption in the US).

Feeling Merry - It in no way makes a mockery of UK vets. Its like comparing apples with pears! The standards in Spain and Portugal (in particular) are very different from the UK though. Plus they seriously overproduce vets and this leads to lots of one man bands, poor standards and education and...

Avoid comfrey. It contains the same toxins as ragwort and is therefore toxic to the liver. It should not be fed to horses (or humans for that matter - see the hundreds of case reports of human deaths related to its use). I also wouldn't rate it for external use.

have you ever treated her for mites?

Alec - I would guess it tells you that the market for GB bred NH horses is poor - they are being bred in Ireland. Secondly, the number of decent NH stallions standing in the UK is abysmal - Dunadin, Midnight Legend and Kayf Tara are among the most successful/popular. As a result many British...

Scope or BAL. Time for diagnostics to find out why treatment has failed.

Secondly did the second vet block the suspensory or scan it only? Many suspensors of normal performing horses have changes on ultrasound. Not that unusual as a concurrent injury/incidental finding. After all the first vet blocked the lameness to the fetlock.

Where on his inner forearm? In relation to the chestnut or knee where is the wound. Did it appear likely to be a kick wound? Has there been much swelling or tenderness? If it is a kick and the discomfort persists or worsens then get it x rayed - they don't have to be very lame to have a hairline...

Tensor last or eband - both around the same price and there is no reasonable alternative I'm afraid!

We had our whole herd (30 odd horses) affected by red clover a fair few years ago. We lost 1, had 2 others on a drip (all three were coloured) and any horse with white limbs/face was sore and lame. Certain plants can cause photosensitivity so might be worth walking the field with a plant guide...

It does often cause irritation in horses but most settle down within a few days.

WelshD - and the same drug at those prices in a horse dose? Bearing in mind that the average cost for an injection of antibiotics for a horse (broad spectrum) is about £18 (less for procaine penicillin G), it would work out very very similar.

On a tangent I think a lot of riders (regardless of their weight) have an over inflated opinion of how well and how light they ride. A serious amateur or professional could probably get away with being a bit heavier but the average pleasure rider will not ride "light" enough to make a difference.

Depends, some will say 1/10 is not enough but after this time I would be blocking regardless as if you can see it on the straight and on the lunge both reins and there is a positive flexion test then it is blockable IMO. I would say though, if there was a swelling to the inside of the inside of...