Cheval Health & First Aid

Lest we Forget

Remembrance Day is a day for us to remember and thank those who have fought for our freedom.

Take a moment today to bow your head in silence and give thanks, remembering the brave souls who made sacrifices.

Also, remember those brave animal soldiers who selflessly stood bravely beside the soldiers.

Thank you for your service.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae

Join us for a half-day fundamentals program via ONLINE!
You will learn via live-stream interactive video with a PowerPoint and demonstrations via live-stream video from the instructor.
We will take you through all the essentials - from health and prevention, learn to take vital signs, recognize pain in the horse, detect colic, and lots of bandaging in realistic scenarios!
4hr - online - $99- includes manual, equine vitals card and certification of completion.

To register:
https://chevalhealthandfirstaid.ca/courses/ola/services/equine-fundamentals-first-aid

Wellness Wednesday.💪🐴

Let's talk about the horses skin. I have found that this topic doesn't get talked about much. BUT it is a very important part of the horses body.

🤔Did you know the skin is the largest organ in the body❓

So today I am making a post about the skin, I have colored a simple diagram of what the skin consist of. The skin has and does so much, so today we will cover the basic and what is most important. In these info graphs you will find a simple explanation. In the post description I will go over in a bit more details on what things are and do.

🔹️Pore: are tiny openings in the skin that allows fluids & gasses to pass. They play a vital role in skin health such as lubricating the skin, removing toxins, transporting molecules & ions & help regulate body temperature.

🔹️Hair (Coat): protects its skin from environmental hazards such a UV, wind/cold, insects, & helps regulate body temperature. Some other important function is it creates natural oils that make the coat repel water and helps reflect sunlight.

🔹️Epidermis: is the top layer which protects the body & gives the skin its color. It has several layers of cells, including keratinocytes, melanocytes, & Merkel cells. Merkel cells allow to feel gentle touch. The epidermis also helps keep the skin hydrated, protect from bacteria & other germs. The epidermis it's self has 5 layers.

🔹️Nerve endings: they are specialized structures that detect sensation like pain, temperature & pressure. They are found in the epidermis & dermis.

🔹️Dermis: is the middle layer of the skin that provides structure & support to the skin. It's made up of connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves & glands. It also contains sweat glands that helps the horses body to cool down & regulate temperature. It also produces oil & sweat that helps flush out toxins.

🔹️Hypodermis: is the bottom layer of the skin. It's functions are storing energy, connecting the dermis layer to the muscles & bones, insulating & protecting the body from harm. As the horse gets older the hypodermis decreases in size.

🔹️Subcutaneous fat: is a layer of the fat that's stored between the dermis & muscles. It allows protection to the muscles and bones from impact by creating a cushion. It also helps with temperature regulation, is a source of energy & hormone metabolism & structural support.

🔹️Apocrine sweat glands: are the primary sweat glands, producing sweat that helps cool them down. Other types, are the Eccrine sweat glands, they secrete sweat directly onto the skin & are located in the frog.

🔹️Blood vessel: supply nutrients to the epidermis & help regulate body temperature. Grooming increases the blood flow to the skin, which can strengthen the skin barrier & help prevent infection & fungus growth.

🔹️Hair bulb: is the deepest part of the hair follicle, where cells produce the hair shaft.

🔹️Hair follicle: is a tubular structure that produces, attaches & supports the hair shaft. Ringworms & dermatophilus can affect the hair follicles.

🔹️Motor nerve: stimulates the muscles & glands in the skin to perform actions. For example, twitching when a fly lands on them, or make the sweat glands produce sweat.

🔹️Arrector pili muscle: is a small muscle that causes hair to stand up. The arrector pili muscle helps keep them warm in cold weather.

As you can see the SKIN does so much❗️
Who would of guessed so much goes on in this tiny organ!