January 6, 2022
Young Friesian horses need attention when it comes to raising young stock, as veterinarian Gerrit Kampman of Veterinary Clinic Den Ham argued his case during the first KFPS College Tour of 2022 on Thursday evening the 6th of January. ‘Most problems in young stock are still caused by worm infestations’, he pointed out. Generic advice about how best to tackle the difficult redworm (strongyles) and the resistant roundworm (ascarids) is not straightforward: ‘You need to make a specific treatment programme together with your veterinarian and keep monitoring by doing egg worm counts (EWCs).
Basis for good foal-raising
Young horses need space and good-quality roughage. ‘Get your feed analysed so that you know what you’ve got’, the veterinarian explains, then adding a few more basic pre-conditions for good foal-raising: ‘Good ventilation is key, cold is okay but a draught isn’t.’ For an equine breed with socks, dry and clean bedding is even more important and he also recommends making contact. ‘Feel with your fingers through the winter coat to find out in what condition they are. You have to feel in order to assess their condition.’
Reduce infection levels with vaccinations
A great help to protect young stock against diseases is the possibility to vaccinate against illnesses such as strangles, EHV, Influenza/Tetanus and Rhino. ‘Horse husbandry is much further developed in Germany and Belgium in this respect. It is a way to reduce infection levels.’ Gerrit predicted that along with the prevailing diseases, climate change will also bring new diseases into the yard. ‘Like the West Nile Virus. It’s not a matter of if, but when it’s coming.’
