File photo of wild horses running on grasslands in Nova Scotia’s remote Sable Island National Park Reserve. (Photo by Sarah Medill/Parks Canada/Handout via Reuters)

Wild horses face unruly storms as Fiona nears East Coast

Damages feared to buildings, utilities, crops

Ottawa | Reuters — Shaggy, long-maned wild horses grazing freely on the sandy grasslands of the crescent-shaped Sable Island in the North Atlantic are expected to come under the swipe of a powerful storm forecast to hit Eastern Canada this weekend. Hurricane Fiona, tracking northward after carving a destructive path through the Dominican Republic and […] Read more

calves at play

Play may be important part of animal welfare

Short- and long-term benefits can be realized if animals given opportunity to play

We’ve all seen exuberant play behaviours in various animal species. Puppies roughhouse, fight, gnaw and gnash their teeth. Dogs bow to initiate play. Kid goats leap off structures and butt heads. Kittens chase anything that moves. Foals buck, nipping and kicking at their herd mates. You get the idea. Why it matters: Fostering play in […] Read more

File photo of a roundworm larva. (Dotana/iStock/Getty Images)

Health Canada warns people not to take livestock dewormers

No evidence that drug is effective against COVID-19

“Concerning reports” of people in Canada seeking out veterinary-grade dewormers for personal use have led Health Canada to formally advise against doing so. News reports in Western Canada in the past week have described increased demand from non-farming consumers for veterinary-grade ivermectin, whether at livestock supply retailers or online. While ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug […] Read more


A horse on a property at Goulais River, north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. (Davidfillion/iStock/Getty Images)

Ontario backs ‘horse experience’ businesses for horse upkeep

Trail ride operations, riding schools, others eligible

Ontario horses whose jobs with riding schools, camps and trail rides were lost or cut back during the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for funding toward their upkeep. The province on Thursday announced a $3 million equine hardship program would launch starting Monday (Jan. 18) help “horse experience” businesses cover animal maintenance costs. The program […] Read more

File photo of goats on display at the Hanover Agricultural Fair in Grunthal, Man. in August 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. transport regulators reject ’emotional support animal’ status

Service dog status still protected; 'support' goats, turkeys, others up to airlines

Washington | Reuters — Only trained dogs qualify as service animals on U.S. airlines, as regulators rejected requests to extend legal protections to miniature horses, pigs, turkeys and other species, under final U.S. Transportation Department rules issued Wednesday. Airlines can still choose which other species to allow on board, but the rules issued on Wednesday […] Read more

Harness horse group joins OFA

The Ontario Harness Horse Association (OHHA) has joined the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). The OFA has been the voice of farmers in Ontario for over 80 years. OFA provides 51 localized County Federations of Agriculture for strong leadership and local representation. It includes 31 organizational members and affiliates representing a majority of Ontario’s commodities. […] Read more



Some fairs have cancelled their horse shows to prevent the spread of Strangles across the province.

Respiratory disease causes some fall fairs to cancel horse shows

Strangles can be a problem for horse owners because it spreads easily where animals are mixed

Contagious respiratory disease, also called Strangles, has prompted some fall fairs across Ontario to cancel their horse shows hoping to avoid spreading the disease amongst competitors. Why it matters: Cancelling of the horse shows can create economic loss for agricultural societies across the province. Cancellations have been more localized to southwestern Ontario including Grey-Bruce fairs […] Read more