May 19th, 2008 
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Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) is also known by the term “swamp fever.” The disease is also referred to as “equine AIDS” because the virus that causes it is closely related to the human HIV virus. That being the case, how can you tell if your horse has it? And do we humans need to be concerned about coming down with a deadly disease if one of our horses has swamp fever?
The short answer is no. It’s true that Equine Infectious Anemia is viral disease. And it is transmitted by the blood of infected horses. However, humans cannot get the disease. But horses can. And when they do, it’s not pretty.
EIA…Bad Stuff
EIA comes in three different flavors, but the most acute form of the disease will show up in the form of high fever, severe anemia, weakness, swelling of the lower abdomen and legs, weak pulse, irregular heartbeat,…you get the idea. There are a lot of horse diseases out there, but this one is bad stuff.
As a matter of fact, one of my veterinary manuals says “The mortality rate is high. Sudden death may be the first indication.” Oh, and once a horse becomes infected, he’s infected permanently. He either has to be put down or quarantined 200 yards from any other horse for life.
How Horses Get EIA
The blame for this awful disease can be laid directly at bloodsucking insects like the common horsefly.
Horseflies are big. Really big. And they bite really hard as they try to make a meal out of your horse’s blood. Most horses won’t stand for this painful bite. They’ll shake their heads, flick their tales, and do pretty much whatever it force the horsefly to shove off.
So the unwilling horsefly reluctantly removes his proboscis out of your horse and takes his business elsewhere. And therein lies the problem.
The horsefly carries the EIA virus around to the other horses in the area. So his chow time may begin on one horse who is already infected. Then he may finish on one who isn’t. That’s how the horsefly transmits the EIA virus from one horse to another.
Thankfully, the disease is extremely rare in the United States and in other countries where animal health is taken seriously. However, that doesn’t mean EIA is no big deal. It most assuredly is a big deal.
So big, in fact, that most states have laws on their books requiring documented proof that your horse is EIA-free before you can transport him across state lines. And almost every horse sale transaction requires the same proof.
The Test Your Horse Needs To Fail
So how can you prove your horse is not infected with EIA? Your vet will need to perform something called a Coggins Test.
The Coggins Test was developed in the early 1960’s by a veterinarian named Leroy Coggins (image that!). The test basically detects the presence of certain antibodies in your horse’s bloodstream. If they’re within an acceptable level, your horse is fine. Otherwise, he is said to be “EIA-positive.” Again, thankfully, very few American horses are.
A Coggins Test is quick, and relatively cheap. Any equine vet can do it. It’s just a matter of drawing a blood sample and running a few chemical tests on it. Very simple.
Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of a Coggins Test. Most horse owners haven’t. But it is very important that you get your horse tested (and hope it comes back negative). And it’s absolutely crucial to check for it if you’re buying a horse.
I know I’d pay a little extra for the peace of mind knowing my next horse is EIA-free.
Yours For Better Horse Care,
Sierra Lynch
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Help answer the question about Horse
How do you check a horse to see if he has founder?I think my four year old paint horse has founder but I'm not sure. My Thoroughbred mare had it last year but my friend noticed it right away. How can I tell if my paint horse has founder?
Founder is when a horse gets too fat.
About Author
Sierra Lynch makes it easy to keep your horse
healthy and happy. With over 16 years experience riding and
caring for horses, Sierra will make sure your horse is always
ready to ride. Visit Sierra on the web at Horse IQ
http://www.horseiq.com
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That’s amazing! It always seem easier to draw on the computer then on paper. Really now, to color like that makes me curious, though everyone’s style of art is different.
together we exist together we suffer and forever we will recreate each other…. i witnessed a very magical moment just now…. thank you.
Paris Lo in las vegas
dude, you own! this looks identical to a photograph
please look at these websites! i promise they will be worth youre time!!!!!!!!!
http://www.rollingrockrescue.comAvailHorses.htm
http://www.rersi.org/horses.htm
http://www.cmvhr.org/horsesadoptioninformation.html
http://www.rescueahorse.com/adoption.htm
http://www.heavencanwaitequinerescue.org/available.html
awesome stuff man,….ama practice hard to get to yo level!
I always loved horses, but was only able to ride trails occasionally as a child, and took lessons for a very short time. I bought a horse when I was about 30, and that was a disaster, as the horse was, "hot". My daughter also picked up the love of horses, and wanted to ride, or buy a pony. We did buy a pony, but didn't know that much about horses. The kids enjoyed riding her, but she soon became unmanageable, because adults could not ride her. Finally, after selling the pony, my daughter (still intent on the whole horse thing), decided to take lessons. This helped her to learn the basics about riding, basics about horses, do a little showing, etc. I still was uncomfortable bridling a horse, saddling a horse, etc.
The best thing to do is find a barn with a very good trainer. You might even like to watch some of the lessons they are giving other people. Do a little checking to find out who is considered good. A person giving lessons can simply have a horse ready for you to ride, give you a lesson while they are talking to other people, and pay little attention to you, or your actual progress. Find someone who is interested in teaching you about riding, fundamentals of bridling, saddling, and horse safety. Often, a smaller private barn will provide a little more hands-on time, than a larger barn that has a production line of people going through, lesson after lesson. They are not necessarily "bad", but you may not learn as much with them, as someone who can spend a little time with you. Also make sure they are a good rider. Have they been showing their horses, or do their students show at shows other than just their own barn shows? This is not a necessity, but it might show that they are interested in getting better in order to be good enough to do well at shows. You would do well to do anywhere from 6 months of lessons to even a couple of years of lessons with a good trainer, before buying a horse. This does a lot of things for you, including allowing you to ride more than one horse, which is very good for you. Then, if you do decide to buy a horse, make sure you have a very experienced person helping you make your decision, because you can get a horse that is not trained well, too much horse for you, or simply of ill health, which is very difficult to discern. Never purchase a horse without a VET CHECK. The money spent on a vet check can save you more than you might even spend on the horse, and lots of heartache, if the horse is not even rideable, and you have to resell it, perhaps with no success. Get to know horse people, and consider joining a 4H club, because the people in these clubs are usually very helpful, and know quite a lot. These are usually good contacts. Good luck.
Welcome to the worked of riding! And good for you for having a professional out there ready to help as soon as you get your new horse!
Horses can carry up to 20% of their own body weight without having any ill impact. For example a 1,500 lb horse should be able to carry a 300lb human. If a 350lb human rides him though that is where the trouble comes in. One ride even can do irreversable damage to their spine and back muscles.
A great first horse for you all would be a draft horse. They are usually gentol, smart, and safe which is exactly what you want from a first horse. Look for a Clydesdale, Percheron, etc that has been broke to ride (that is key because a lot of people just drive draft horses).
You can do an advanced search and put in that you want your horse to be over 16 hh (you guys are so tall that you need something at least that tall or you will look silly) and how ever heavy it needs to be. Hope that helps and good luck.
it’s almost like a photo
great painting 
HOLY CRAP! Comparing this to the original picture, they’re identical!
I think the whole breed preference is almost like racism. Every horse is an individual just as people are. Not all arabians are smart, not all drafts are calm, and not all Quarter horses are perfect for ranch work.
When looking for a first horse, look at the horse's training – does it do what you want it to do? If not, how much time, money, etc will it take to get it there? Then how is the horse's conformation? It may be the best trained horse in the world, but if it's not built to do what you want it to do, it's going to have physical problems down the road. Next, is the personality. Do you get along with this horse? I've known some really great horses, that I jsut did not like. We couldn't connect, and thus could never really reach our potential. I've had to resell several horses, do to conflict of personality. Other personality traits you should look at is how personable is this horse? Do you feel safe having friends or family around it, or is it a one person horse? Just some things to keep in mind…
I would love to recommend a breed (I have a favorite just like anyone else) but there are always going to be exceptions to the rule. So look at the individual, not the breed, and you might be surprised by finding the perfect horse in a breed you weren't expecting.
It is always a good idea to isolate any horses that have come into contact with the infected horse, since the signs of the disease often manifest themselves days to weeks after the initial infection.
Your veterinarian can perform a swab of the nasal passages, throat, or abscess of the suspect animal in order to test for the Streptococcus equi bacteria.
I hope this helps =)
I would also drive him backwards or away from me. I don't care if he follows to the gate, but once we reach it…they need to stay back.
I would step aggressively towards the other horse and tell him to back off. I would turn my horse around so I was facing horse number 2. I would stomp, wave my hands and use an agressive tone. If that didn't work…then I would have a crop the next time and move him off with that. Again…I don't care if they follow towards the gate…but they need to learn to stay back from the gate.
I don't recommend 'touching' another horse without that owner's knowledge or say so. That would make me incredibly angry if it was mine. I may tell you to go ahead and smack if you needed to…but if you did it without my permission…I would be mad. Same goes for giving my horse treats without my say so…
Find the owner of the second horse and talk to them about they would like you to handle this. Until then…you need to try and back the horse off…without touching it.
Just my opinion…
i use photoshop
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Sorry. I don't know what to tell you. You seem to have a good argument in your favor, but there must be something that your parents a afraid of. And by afraid I don't mean that they are scared of anything, just maybe if they say that they know you're mature enough and so on, maybe they're are just worried that it will come down to them being the ones to take care of it in the end. Sometimes parents have a way with saying one thing, but really meaning another. I know…I am one. I think if you give them time, and really present your side of it, you may be able to get their approval. It just might take more time than you are willing to wait. I would definately try to find out the real reason that they changed their minds. They might just have a good one.
You’re an amazing artist both painting and music wise. keep it up ^ ^
You mentioned that you'll be taking a gap year. Spend that year immersed in the horse world… mostly.
During your lessons, (especially if they're group ones, like mine) think about things that you can improve. For example-when you're warming up at the walk, see how far you can stretch your heels down. And at the trot and canter, drop your stirrups for one lap and pick them back up for another. This increases your leg strength and balance, and it helps you practice picking up a lost stirrup at the more jostling gaits.
Don't just stick to the discipline you're riding now. Find lessons in Western, if you're riding English now (and vice versa). Spend some time learning about every nook and cranny of the riding styles out there- even if it's just a lesson or two or if it's just reading about it in a book. This way your that much more knowledgeable about different riding styles, horsemanship, training methods, and riding in general.
See if you can spend time with a trainer. You can learn about different training methods and hopefully pick up things that you can use later on. Many professional riders also train to keep up the bills before they get that "breakout" ride.
See if you can get a job as a groom at a well known showing barn in your area. This way, you can be in the competition environment and gain the mindset. You'll also gain contacts and references for later. But I'm assuming you know that this pays… nothing.
Which brings me to my last (almost xD) point. Find a job in retail, etc. that you know a little bit about. Even if you work part time, it helps bring in the money. I would even go so far as to recommend that you save everything that you get from that job.
OK. Last thing- SAVE. I know it's so obvious, but it's necessary. Eat mac and cheese and ramen noodles. Don't buy new clothes. Live at home. Go to the extreme. If you're buying a horse 6 months before you go to college, you've got a double whammy of new costs coming your way.
I told you everything that I could think of because you didn't mention what you want to go into. Pro rider? Trainer?
Wow. All this talk about horses makes me want to take a gap year myself. Hmm… Might have to consider it.