​Did you know that horses can sleep standing up??! 
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It is a remarkable feat that they can do because of the way their front and hind legs are built. Horses are prey animals and they need to be able to start running in an instant if there is a threat, such as a tiger in the bushes! It takes too long for them to get to their feet when they have been lying down. For survival, they have been blessed with the ability to sleep standing up!

Horses have what is called a stay apparatus. This consists of ligaments, tendons and muscles that are designed to stabilize the joints in the limbs in a standing position. The stay apparatus allows horses to sleep standing up with a minimum of muscular activity. They use the stay apparatus with three of their limbs and rest the fourth limb. In addition, in the hind limb, there is a connection between the stifle (knee) and the hock called the reciprocal apparatus. When the stifle is locked into position, the hock is also in a fixed position. Horses that are in a standing position have the advantage of a quick escape if threatened. Also, in a standing position they avoid the cardiorespiratory compromise that happens when they are lying down.

Four resting states have been identified in horses. They are idling, resting, drowsing and sleeping. Idling is a passive waiting between activities. Resting occurs in a standing position or when lying down. A horse that is drowsing stands with its eyelids partly open and its head hanging partway down. This is the only form of sleep that occurs when standing, and is a slow-wave sleep (SWS) that allows some muscular tone to be retained. Sleeping occurs when horses are lying down and this is when they experience rapid eye movement or REM sleep. 
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Most horses sleep between 8:00 pm and 5:00 am, but they also often sleep in the first two hours after midday. Human activities and demands often interfere with these natural body rhythms and deny horses their afternoon naps!! 

A BIG thank you to the riders and their families for the amazing Halloween on Horseback event hosted by Wendon Hills Equestrian Centre! You are such an amazing group and PARD is very grateful for your ongoing support!

What we know as “mud fever” is part of a complex syndrome called Equine Pastern Dermatitis. This condition can develop when the skin of the lower leg is exposed to continuing wet conditions. It can also be related to allergies to biting insects or contact irritants. Even sunburn damage of white areas involving the lower leg can lead to this condition. There are many complicating factors such as bacterial and fungal organisms, and even mites (they look like little tiny crabs under the microscope!) that can make the problem worse.
Prevention starts with pasture and paddock management. It is very important to have horses in pastures or paddocks that have well-drained soil, not on wetlands or in boggy areas that are continuously wet. In areas where horses congregate, like at feeders or watering troughs or at entrances and exits from fields it can be helpful to stabilize the area with a layer of crusher-run gravel, shale or other aggregate. It can also be helpful to raise these areas slightly to encourage drainage. As they say, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”!
Management during the wet seasons, which are Spring and Fall, involves keeping the lower leg areas clean and dry. This is where good grooming techniques come in. We all brush our horses at PARD before we ride, but there is a lot of time in between when we are not riding. The boys are checked regularly and they are groomed, and even ridden or exercised, by our wonderful PARD volunteers. Due to Covid-19 restrictions this has been done primarily by Board members and a very small number of select volunteers who are allowed to be on the property. During our program season, usually from June to September, our boys are looked after by many more volunteers and even some of the riders. We cannot thank our dedicated horse lovers enough!
Mud fever can start with tiny scabs on the skin that have pus under them. There can sometimes be patchy hair loss as well. When it progresses, there can be larger areas of thickened infected skin that can be more difficult to treat. Early diagnosis and treatment is very important.
Treatment of Equine Pastern Dermatitis (mud fever) involves sorting out the cause and treating appropriately. The PARD boys have an excellent veterinarian who comes to the farm when they need preventive health care, and also if they have any medical problems. We even have two veterinarians on the Board of Directors! The health of our boys is important to all of us. Treating mud fever involves cleaning & drying the affected areas, and applying topical therapy to deal with infection and inflammation. In severe cases there is sometimes a need to use injectable medications such as antibiotics and medications to deal with inflammation or allergy. Our PARD veterinarian can sort out the best treatment plan.
There are also conditions that can affect the foot in wet environments, like Thrush, but we will deal with those when we take a closer look at the foot and associated problems that can occur in a future newsletter. ​