Better Balance

Help yourself stay relaxed and balanced over the center of your horse by using your rein hand as a balancing “sight guide.” Hold your reins just above the center of the mane line, and point your thumb toward the space between your horse’s ears. This aligns your body with your horse’s body for good balance. With mosquitos carrying the zika virus, it’s important to protect yourself when you go for a ride. Begin by avoiding peak mosquito hours. If you have to ride when the bugs are buzzing, keep a pack of Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin Towelettes in the barn, so you can wipe down any exposed skin before you hit the trails.

Eight packets for $14.99;

Is equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) different from uveitis?

ERU, also known as moon blindness, occurs repeatedly over the life of the

And leptospirosis is a major trigger?

ERU is a disease with many involved factors. Genetics, auto-immune responses, and an initial trigger all play roles. While there are many potential triggers, research to date indicates the number- one trigger is leptospiral organisms, representing 70 percent of ERU cases. but they also tend to lose their sight faster than do other horses and have a higher risk of going blind in both eyes.

What can I do to prevent uveitis, and what treatments are available?

Until now, preventive options have been limited, but last fall Zoetis introduced the first and only approved equine leptospirosis vaccine for the prevention of disease in healthy horses (see box). Unfortunately, once a horse has clinical signs of uveitis, the only option is treating those symptoms, which is challenging. There is no cure for ERU. Your veterinarian can work to control an active uveitis episode using topical corticosteroids, atropine, and systemic nonsteroidal medications. With each episode of uveitis, however, more damage to the eye is done, and prevention of these recurring episodes is nearly impossible once the inflammatory process has been initiated. Cyclosporine implants and vitrectomy (removal of the vitreous sac) are more sophisticated procedures with higher expenses and variable outcomes.

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