Archive for the ‘Horse’ Category

Signs of a Healthy Foal

Thursday, April 27th, 2023

Signs of a Healthy Foal: photo of a spotted foal in a meadowSigns of a Healthy Foal: Chances are your foal will sail through the baby stage with flying colors, especially if it’s normal at birth and good management practices are in place at your farm. However, even under the best circumstances, it’s possible that your youngster could fall prey to one or more problems that can affect foals. How does a healthy newborn foal appear?

Healthy newborn foals should:

  • Assume a sternal position (be able to sit up on his chest) within minutes of delivery.
  • Breathe easily, slowing from an initial high of about 70 breaths per minute to 40 to 60 minutes within 15 minutes of birth.
  • Have red or at least pink mucous membranes, indicating adequate oxygen is reaching the tissues.
  • Display a strong suckle reflex within two to 20 minutes of birth.
  • Appear alert and display an affinity for the dam.
  • Be able to stand within two hours and nurse within three hours.

If your foal fails to meet these criteria, he may already be suffering from a serious condition and needs the prompt attention of a veterinarian. Good observation coupled with prompt action gives you the best opportunity to help your foal avoid a setback.

Make every effort to maximize the chances of your foal’s continued good health. These good management practices can make the difference between a healthy foal and a sick one:

  • A well-ventilated, clean foaling environment.
  • Good farm and stable hygiene and parasite control.
  • Sound nutrition, current vaccinations and regular deworming of all equine residents.
  • Plenty of fresh air and room to exercise for the foal as well as commencement of a regular vaccination and deworming program.

Our Foal Health Watch Guide describes signs of a variety of common ailments that can occur during the first 6 months of a foal’s life. In most cases, even if the problem is not life-threatening, you will still want your veterinarian to confirm the diagnosis and direct you in the most effective treatment. Please keep in mind this guide lists signs that are frequently observed with certain foal disorders, but not all foals display the same signs or to the same degree. A foal’s condition can deteriorate very rapidly, so don’t wait until your sick baby shows all the signs before acting and calling your veterinarian.

Learn more about Foal Health from Nutrena.

Visit Kissimmee Valley Feed to purchase horse feed and optimize you horse’s health!

Spring and Summer Horse Health Tips

Saturday, March 11th, 2023

Spring and Summer Horse Health Tips

Spring and Summer Horse Health Tips

Our experts have gotten together to provide some information and tips on how to keep your horse healthy and comfortable in the ever-changing seasons. When spring and summer arrive, so do hot temperatures! You can’t forget the new plants, allergies, insects, and pests.

Here are a few compiled some tidbits to help you avoid some complications:

  • In the spring and early summer, make the transition from hay to pasture feeding slowly. While spring sprouts are lower in sugar and starch, horses crave fresh and will overeat which is especially dangerous to overweight horses, or those that have experienced insulin-resistant laminitis.
  • It is very important to maintain regular vaccinations, deworming, and dental exams. Check with your veterinarian about seasonal vaccinations. Keep a detailed calendar of when your horse needs to be wormed. Also checking with your vet or equine dentist to establish a regular float schedule is very important to your horse’s health.
  • Always make sure there is fresh, clean, ample supply of water. Different things will affect the amount of water your horse needs including outside temperature, workload, feed, size, and health.

We hope you have learned some useful tips about spring and summer horse health. If you have any questions, feel free to contact our store!

Seasonal Diet Changes for Horses

Tuesday, November 8th, 2022

Seasonal Diet Changes for HorsesSeasonal Diet Changes for Horses: Pasture quality fluctuates with every season, but the shift in quality from summer to fall is significant.

During the fall, there are often warm, sunny days and cool nights. Pasture plants manufacture sugars in the presence of water, carbon dioxide and sunshine. They then use those sugars to fuel growth during the night. However, when nighttime temperatures drop in the autumn, it becomes too chilly for plants to grow and the sugars are stored for later use.  This leads to a concentration of stored sugars in the plants. In turn, it may increase the risk of digestive upset or laminitis in some horses.

Horses at most risk are those that are significantly overweight or those that have trouble managing normal blood sugar levels and are sensitive to sugar content in the diet.

Changing seasons also mean drastic swings in weather conditions and temperatures.  This, combined with a major diet adjustment of moving from pasture to hay, can increase the chance of digestive disturbances.

While not scientifically proven, many horse owners and veterinarians have experienced what appears to be an association between changes in barometric pressure and the incidence of colic episodes in horses. A dramatic drop in temperature often causes horses to drink less water. At the same time, horse owners will often increase the amount of hay fed to help horses stay warm.  More hay and less water consumption together may lead to impaction colic.

Hay:

As we move into fall and winter, hay becomes the major forage source for many horses.  Switching from pasture to hay or getting a new supply of hay represents as big a change to the horse as a change in grain. These significant dietary adjustments should ideally be made gradually to decrease the risk of digestive upset.

Horses should be fed good-quality hay to maximize nutrition and minimize potential digestive problems. Good-quality hay, of any variety, will be clean and have a high leaf-to-stem ratio, small-diameter stems. In addition, few seed heads or blooms, a fresh smell and appearance, and a bright color (faded, yellow or brown color may indicate aged hay or poor storage conditions). The maturity of the plant at harvest determines the hay quality more than any other factor. Young, leafy, immature plants contain more protein, energy, and minerals than older plants with thicker stems.  Also, as a plant matures, it contains more indigestible fiber (lignin). This reduces nutrient availability. Lower-quality hay must be supplemented with higher-quality feed to maintain horses’ good condition and health.

Fall is a season of transition and an important time to evaluate the quality of forage available for your horse and whether the grain ration is appropriate and adequate to meet your horse’s nutrient requirements. When winter arrives, horses must be in good condition to be able to withstand colder temperatures. Adjusting grain rations in the early fall will prevent weight loss due to lower-quality forage and, if horses need to gain weight, there is still time for a thinner horse to gain some before the cold weather really sets in.

For help dealing with Seasonal Diet Changes for Horses, visit Kissimmee Valley Feed!

Fall Maintenance for Healthy Winter Horses

Monday, October 31st, 2022

For example, here are some steps to take around the barn:

  • Stock up on quality hay and store it in a dry place
  • Outdoor hoses and water lines need to be drained or winterized
  • Installed and check water tank heaters
  • Fences and gates should be repaired, and high-traffic areas might need to be rebuilt or topped off to help manage mud in the coming months
  • Move all medications, chemicals, and other liquids to a frost-proof area
  • Give all barn areas a thorough cleaning
  • Check over winter blankets and make any needed repairs or replacements
  • Clean and store any sheets, flymasks, or tack that won’t be used
  • Have your horse trailer serviced and park it out of the way

In conclusion, Kissimmee Valley Feed has a wonderful selection of horse hay, feeds and supplements to keep them at their best, no matter the season.

Article Source: Fall Maintenance for Healthy Winter Horses from Kentucky Equine Research

July 4th Pet Safety Tips

Thursday, June 23rd, 2022

Follow these July 4th Pet Safety Tips for a safe and successful holiday celebration. Did you know that more pets go missing over the Fourth of July weekend than any other time of the year?

 July 4th Pet Safety Tips

Cats

  • Keep your cat indoors.
    Close all windows and curtains and switch on music or the television to drown out the noise.
  • Leave your cat to take refuge in a corner if it wishes. Do not try to tempt it out as this could cause more stress.
  • Microchip your cat. Ensure it can be returned to you.

Dogs

  • Exercise your dog during the day.
  • Never walk your dog during fireworks.
  • Keep your dog indoors, close the curtains and play music to drown out the noise.
  • Let your dog hide if it wants to take refuge under furniture or in a corner.
  • Make sure your dog is wearing a collar and tag and is microchipped. In addition, they are wearing identification tags in case it bolts and becomes lost.
  • Keep dogs leashed if you take them outside the home.
  • Use caution when in or around crowds or people your dog doesn’t know
  • Remember, dogs get very excited during horseplay in and out of the water and have a tendency to bite when excited.
  • Use caution when picnicking and barbecuing. Many small children are bitten while walking around with food in their hands.
  • Protect your dog from other dogs that may be loose, keep them at a distance, many bites occur while animal owners are trying to break up a dog fight.
  • If it is hot, give your pet lots of water – indoors or out
  • Never leave your dog locked in cars – the hot summer sun can raise temperatures to 120 degrees inside your car, even with windows rolled down.
  • Prevent sunburns – keep four-legged friends out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., peak skin damaging hours. Otherwise rub sunblock on unprotected areas such as the skin around lips and tips of noses and ears, especially on fair-colored pets.
  • Provide plenty of shelter. Do not leave animals alone outside on hot days, even in the shade. Shade moves throughout the day. Keep pets under a cool shelter or inside during peak hours when possible.
  • Watch out for heatstroke – symptoms of pet heatstroke include panting, staring, high fever, rapid heartbeat, vomiting, collapse, and disobedience, among others. Call a veterinarian immediately. Apply water-soaked towels to hairless areas of the animal’s body to lower its temperature.
  • If you go hiking, pack supplies for your dog as you would for yourself on long hikes – bring extra food and water for your dog on long walks as well as an emergency first aid kit.
  • Keep your pets on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give your pet severe indigestion and diarrhea.
  • Use caution with open flames and fireworks as pets may be burned or could chase the fireworks and become injured.
  • A simple plug-in diffuser that dispenses a dog appeasing pheromone into the room is available at some veterinary practices.
  • Vets prescribe sedatives.
  • Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them.
  • Do not put glow jewelry on your pets, or allow them to play with it.

Small animals

  • Small animals – such as rabbits and guinea pigs – living outside should not be forgotten. They can also become very stressed by the loud noise. Bring small animals indoors or into an outhouse or garden shed to give them extra protection
  • Where the hutch must remain outside cover it in an old thick blanket. This will block out a lot of the light and sound.
  • Whether indoors or outdoors ensure your pets have plenty of extra bedding material to hide in and feel more secure.

Horses

  • Play the radio for them three days BEFORE firework night. Leave the radio on to distract them on the night itself.
  • If you have stable lights, leave them on and they’ll make the firework flashes less extreme.
  • Don’t even think of riding out – yes, people do!
  • If you leave them out, check fences and gates first. Then keep out of the way and just watch from a distance.
  • Try putting cotton wool balls in your horse’s ears but again practice in advance. It’s no good waiting until the bangs start to decide to give it a try.
  • If you do stable your horse, arrange for him/her to be brought in before the end of the school day when bangs are likely to start. You don’t want to be leading when they get a fright.
  • Make sure they have plenty of hay to keep them occupied.
  • If you can keep calm during the bangs and flashes then hang around the stables or go regularly to check them. If you’re likely to be scared/angry, etc yourself, be in the immediate area by all means but keep away from the horses or you’ll only make them worse.
  • DON’T go in the stable with a horse once the fireworks start. I don’t care how calm they seem to be – it just takes an instant for them to change from your cuddly horse to a wild animal that has reverted to survival mode.
  • Never light fireworks near barns or fields, as it is an extreme fire hazard. Fireworks frighten horses. They’ll sometimes run through fences and become lost or injured. They can also injure people when they are startled by the lights and noise.

We hope these July 4th Pet Safety Tips are helpful! Please visit Kissimmee Valley Feed for all your pet needs.

Navigation



Share this page

Calendar

June 2023
No event found!

Quick Info


Main Store
1501 Eastern Ave map

Saint Cloud, FL 34769..

Contact Info

Phone: 407-957-4100
Fax: 407-957-0450

Store Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sat: 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Sunday Closed


Second Store
215 13th Street

St. Cloud, FL 34769

Contact Info

Phone: 407-892-4040

Store Hours

Mon-Fri: 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sat: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday: Closed