It's an unfortunate part of horse ownership that you're going to have to treat wounds. Horses are pretty ingenious at finding ways to hurt themselves sometimes. Cuts, scrapes, punctures are are all things we need to be prepared for at any time. Most small wounds can be treated successfully at home with a first-aid kit. But you need to know the difference between what you can safely treat yourself, and what needs to be looked at by a veterinarian. Treating Minor Horse Wounds outlines what minor wounds look like, how to treat them and when you should call the vet for things that can't be safely treated at home.

Suggested Reading

• Horse's Normal Vital Signs
• Health Check
• Colic FAQ

Less than ideal trail conditions may mean you're ring or arena bound at this time of year. That makes it a great time to learn something new. Gymkhana games are a great way to have fun, whether you are riding with a few friends or on your own. One of the most popular games is Pole Bending. Pole Bending isn't just a fun game, it's also a great way to build on your riding skills, honing your rein and leg aids and helping you to learn balance and how it affects your horse. In a schooling situation it's called riding a serpentine, with the biggest difference being it's not a race. This game is easy to set up with a minimum of props. Give it a try next time you ride!

More Gymkhana Games:

• Barrel Racing Basics
• Keyhole Race Basics
• Play Day Games and Activities

How much do you know about horse age and longevity? Take this quiz and test your knowledge. Need to learn more before tackling this quiz? Learn all about horse age, longevity, telling age by teeth, horse age compared to human age and what a horse can do at any age. Take the Horse Age Quiz.

More Quizzes

• Curb or Snaffle?
• Points of the Horse Quiz

Strangles is a rather old fashioned name for a rather common equine respiratory illness. The name comes from the strangled breathing of a horse with badly inflamed glands in its throat. It's somewhat akin to the human 'strep throat' and can make a horse feel pretty miserable. When strangles hits, it tends to go through stables very quickly as it is very easily transmissible. This can shut a barn down for weeks, causing much worry and resulting in loss of income on top of vet bills. If you hear about strangles in a barn near you, you'll want to keep your distance until a few weeks after the last horse has recovered. Strangles isn't a sign of a poorly kept barn. It's just one of those diseases that is hard to control and treat. Rarely is it fatal, although complications are possible. Read this disease profile of Strangles to find out more.

More About Equine Disease and Illness

• Horse Disease and Illness Quiz
• EGUS or Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome
• Anhidrosis In Horses