Morgan Murphy's Blog

Morgan Murphy's Blog

I've loved horses since I went horseback riding at 5 years of age. Now, I live and breath for horses, dedicating my worktime to helping their lives through equine education and enlightenment and my playtime to being with them as much as possible.
  • Equine Hearing Issues - What You Need To Know

    Understanding Equine Hearing Issues Should a horse fail to react to auditory stimuli, such as clapping or a car back-firing, it might be wise to have your veterinarian check him for possible hearing issues. Horses, like humans, may experience hearing...
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  • Cellulitis in Horses

    Morgan Murphy Cellulitis in Horses Swollen legs, lameness and reluctance to move the hind of the body can indicate one of a number of different conditions. However, if these symptoms are accompanied by an extreme, subcutaneous infection with the...
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  • Mud Fever in Horses

    Managing Mud Fever in Horses During fall and winter, pastured horses are often exposed to moist, muddy areas. This can result in something called, "Mud fever," or "Pastern Dermatitis," an infection of the horse's legs. While...
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  • Changing Your Horse’s Diet as Safely as Possible.

    Helping Manage Diet Change In Your Horse Due to changing lifestyles or variations in the feed supply, we may need to make adjustments to our horse’s diet. This could vary from a complete change of forage source in the event a crop failure through...
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  • Blue Green Algae: What to do When the Water Turns Toxic.

    Taking Care Sourcing Drinking Water For Horses Summer may seem months and months way, but when the warmer months approach, there is nothing more refreshing for yourself or your companion animal than a cool drink of water. You would never expect that...
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  • HELP! My Horse Eats Dirt and I’m Really Worried!

    Why might my horse eat dirt? If you're like me, equine nutrition is one of your major concerns when caring for your horse. The role of a good diet can never be underplayed. Great nutrition means a healthier horse and leads to all those things you...
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  • Understanding Equine Hearing Issues

    Understanding Horses and Their Hearing Should a horse fail to react to auditory stimuli, such as clapping or a car back-firing, it might be wise to have your veterinarian check him for possible hearing issues. Horses, like humans, may experience hearing...
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  • Tracking Your Horse's Health.

    Morgan Murphy Tracking Your Horse's Health. Ideally, you know your horse better than anyone else: When he's well and when something is not quite right. Knowing what is normal for your horse will allow you to quickly determine when something...
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  • Managing Equine Nutrition as Pasture Forage Decreases At The End Of The Year

    Feeding Your Horse When The Quality Of Grass Declines As forage growth slows down during the late fall and winter months, horse owners across the country must provide their charges with an appropriate forage alternative to fulfill fiber requirements...
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  • What is Equine Exertional Rhabdomyolysis Syndrome (ERS) in Horses?

    Morgan Murphy Equine Exertional Rhabdomyolysis Syndrome (ERS) or Tying Up in Horses Equine Exertional Rhabdomyolysis Syndrome (ERS), also known as azoturia or, more colloquially, “tying up”, is a condition that affects the muscles of...
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  • Managing Teary Eyes and Ocular Discharge in Horses

    Dealing with Discharge and Teary Eyes in Horses. The horse’s eyes are vulnerable to injury, infection and foreign bodies. As prominent protrusions jutting from the sides of horse’s head, horse eyes are regularly subjected to contact with...
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  • Is there a link between Cribbing and Colic in Horses?

    The Link Between Cribbing and Colic in Horses. Colic is one of those conditions that, as horse people, we dread. Colic can vary from mild, easily resolved cases to severe impaction which can be potentially fatal. As equine caretakers, we strive to...
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  • Can Veterinarians Distinguish Between Responses to Vaccination and Actual Disease?

    Response to equine vaccination or a real disease? Can your veterinarian tell? We've addressed how important it is to have your horse vaccinated, on several previous occasions. Particularly the importance of preventive care when dealing with newly...
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  • Weed Management For Horse Pasture

    Managing Weeds in Your Horse’s Pasture. Pasture weeds can be a real problem, either because of the rate at which they grow and spread or because of their poisonous properties. An effective and well managed weed containment program must be in...
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  • Equine Canker - How to Manage Horse Hoof Health

    Dealing with Equine Canker Issues in Hooves Most horse people have dealt with problems with their horse’s hooves. One of the more unusual conditions that affect the frog, bars, and sole of the foot is called “Canker.” Once thought...
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  • Does Cribbing Help With Stress During Training?

    Why Do Some Horses Crib More Than Others? It’s an undisputed fact: horses crib to deal with stress and loneliness. It is, therefore, little wonder that horses, in especially intensive training, are known to crib more commonly than leisure horses...
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  • Managing A Horse With HYPP

    Guideline for Feeding a Horse with HYPP. (Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis) If you have a horse with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), you should know that your horse requires careful management. Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis, (HYPP) is an inherited...
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  • Common Causes of Lameness in Horses

    Lameness in Horses - Common Causes When we think about our horses becoming lame, we tend to assume they are experiencing problems with their hooves. Our first thought should be to check their feet for nails, injury or infection. A survey of 944,000...
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  • Shade And Horses

    What Sort of Shade Do Horses Prefer? Horses who live outside during hot weather are vulnerable to the elements. Whether it is raining, windy or sunny, it is vital to provide adequate shelter to provide protection from conditions that could result in...
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  • Clipping Your Horse With Confidence

    How to Clip Your Horse with Confidence Clipping can be tricky to get the hang of, confidence for both the clipper and the horse are key to success. In this article we will talk about safely clipping nervous and or green horses. Selecting a blade...
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  • Clipping Horses the Easy Way

    Helpful Tips On Clipping Heading towards fall, we'll soon see temperatures begin dropping. For our horses, this often means transitioning from a slick summer coat to a thicker winter version. This is Mother Nature’s way of insulating horse's...
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  • Do you understand Horse Insurance?

    Horse Insurance: Understanding the Basics. As you know, insurance policies are designed to protect your investments and to help with costs, should the worst happen. As a horse owner, your horse is likely to rate as one of your most valuable possessions...
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  • Saying Goodbye To Your Horse

    Saying Goodbye: Making the right decision for your horse In one of our previous articles we talked about dealing with the loss of your horse. Sadly, discussing the matter with a veterinarian is part of the process for many horse owners. When their...
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  • Do Laminitis Prevention Techniques For Horses and Ponies Work?

    Laminitis Prevention Technique For Horses Veterinarians and laminitis experts have suggested that the rapid chilling of the hooves in the very early stages of the disease has proven to be an effective way of halting the progression of this debilitating...
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  • What is your horse trying to tell you?

    Communicating With Your Horse As a horse owner, you’re probably pretty familiar with the full range of sounds your horse emits: you know when he is shouting for food, you know the noise your mare makes when she is showing off to geldings and...
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