Muddy winter and horse health focus of Whanganui talk by vet Wilna Labuschagne

Wilna Labuschagne gives a talk about horse health at Wanganui Veterinary Services. Photo / Tom Dinwiddie

There are a lot of people who would like to find a drier place for their horses in this muddy winter, equine vet Wilna Labuschagne heard at her Whanganui talk.

She is new to Wanganui Veterinary Services, loves working with horses, and for the price of a gold coin she gave an evening talk on June 20. About 60 people came along for "An Equine Evening with Wilna".

She first talked about hoof abscesses, before an interval and prize draw. Her next topic was mud fever. It's a common and frustrating problem for horse owners, especially in winter.

When horses stand about in muddy paddocks, with skin constantly wet, they can't fight off some of the common soil bacteria and get infections just above the hoof.

The infections are hard to get rid of, have unsightly scabs and can make the horse lame or sore. Having horses standing around on wet paddocks also damages soils by pugging.

"The majority of clients at this time of year would say 'I wish I could keep my horse out of the mud but I don't know where to put him'," she said.

Stables are one possibility, but some horses can't tolerate them. An addition of omega-3 oils to their diets - from oils such as canola and flaxseed - can help, provided the horse is not prone to being overweight.

Whanganui has a really big horse community, Labuschagne said.

"The horse owners come from all different walks of life and if you want to be involved, you can be."

She answered "a nice range" of questions after her talk, and said she was used to public speaking because she is a former high school teacher. She likes meeting people and providing general information that helps keep horses well.

People asked for more talks, and she is provisionally giving another one at 7pm on July 18. It will be for people who breed their own horses, on a small scale.

It will be about getting mares ready for foaling - "what's normal, what to expect and what you should have in your first aid kit".