Preventative Care for your Equine Companion
An important component in keeping your horse healthy and happy is staying current on preventative care.
Preventative care for horses can include veterinary care, farrier care, feed supplements (if needed), and additional equine services (like chiropractic work or massage).
Don’t forget about first aid! You’ll want to have a fully-stocked first aid kit on-hand at all times. As a responsible horse owner, you also should be aware of equine biosecurity measures at the federal, state, and local levels.
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Vet Care
Most horses are seen by their vets on at least an annual basis.
Your vet should perform a physical exam on your horse, advise you about any necessary vaccines, check fecal counts and/or administer a dewormer (typically every 6 months), and answer any health-related questions you may have.
Vaccines vary depending on the age, use, and location of your horse.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) classifies vaccines as either core or risk-based. Every horse should have core vaccines, every year. Risk-based vaccines may be recommended depending on your horse’s age, chances of exposure, or travel schedule.
Your vet can help you decide which risk-based vaccines are appropriate for your unique circumstances.
Core Vaccines:
- Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE) / Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE)
- Tetanus
- Rabies
- West Nile Virus
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Risk-Based Vaccines:
- Anthrax
- Botulism
- Potomac Horse Fever
- Equine Herpesvirus (Rhinopneumonitis)
- Equine Influenza
- Equine Viral Arteritis
- Leptospirosis
- Rotavirus
- Strangles
- Snake Bite
If you plan to travel with your horse, a negative Coggins test may be required. This test is for Equine Infectious Anemia, a highly transmissible viral disease. You may also need a Health Certificate for travel, especially if you are crossing state lines.
Dental Care
Part of the vet’s physical exam should include checking your horse’s teeth. As your horse ages, their teeth will wear down, sometimes unevenly.
Getting your horse’s teeth “floated” (i.e. filed down and adjusted) is a common preventative measure.
While there are professionals out there who are more than capable of doing a fantastic job with your horse’s teeth, it is advisable to have a licensed veterinarian perform this task. Your horse should be sedated for the procedure.
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Farrier Care
Regular farrier care is also an important part of horse care. The word “regular” is essential—you will want to set up a schedule with your farrier and stick to it. Going too long between trims can put additional strain on tendons, ligaments, and bones, and may cause or contribute to lameness.
A general guideline is to have your horse’s hooves trimmed every 6-8 weeks.
Some horses may require shoes for extra support, to minimize excessive wear, or to correct an issue. If your horse has poor quality hooves, they may benefit from a nutritional supplement with biotin, or a topical hoof moisturizer.
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Need some help finding a farrier? Check out this article!
Bodywork
Did you know horses can benefit from massage and chiropractic work?
One of the few accredited equine massage schools is the Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure & Massage. Some equine professionals will also be certified as Equine Therapeutic Massage Therapists.
Ongoing bodywork can help alleviate muscle soreness, misalignments, and other strains. Discuss the proper cadence with your provider, but monthly or quarterly visits are common.
If you want to learn more about other bodywork techniques like Reiki, check out the Energy Healing for Horses online course from Debbie Bell.
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Supplements:
In addition to regular vet and farrier care, some horses may benefit from nutritional supplements.
A few common issues, and products, used to combat them include:
- Ulcers: Stomach ulcers can be a big problem in horses. Generally caused by stress, there are many steps you can take to help minimize the changes of your horse developing ulcers.
- One successful product used to treat ulcers is GastroGard.
- UlcerGard is designed to prevent ulcers during stressful situations, like hauling, or showing.
- Hoof, skin, or coat: Biotin can help strengthen the hoof and facilitate a healthy, shiny coat.
- Joint supplements: Older horses, or horses in intense work can benefit from joint supplements. Look for glucosamine HCl and chondroitin, known to be effective ingredients.
- Weight gain supplements: High-fat topdresses such as vegetable oil, rice bran, beet pulp, and flax seed can help add weight to your horse.
- Topline supplements: Adding muscle isn’t the same as adding fat. To build muscle, you want a supplement high in protein. Not all protein is created equal, though. Adding amino acids in the correct balance will help build muscle, including along the topline.
- Senior supplements: Senior horses can benefit from a comprehensive supplement designed to address multiple issues, such as joint health, discomfort, inflammation, and stress.
Senior horse feed. Source: Canva
Biosecurity:
Biosecurity is an important preventative measure for horses, as well as humans. We need to work together to limit the risk and spread of disease.
For example:
- Many barns will have strict rules about horses coming onto the property.
- New horses may be quarantined for a set amount of time, in a separate area, before being allowed to interact with the rest of the herd.
- Show facilities may disinfect stalls between occupants.
- States require a negative Coggins test and certificate of health from your vet before crossing borders.
- Whenever possible, don’t share equipment (e.g. buckets, grooming supplies) between horses.
While preventative care is important, things do happen.
It’s best to be prepared with a fully-stocked first aid kit for your horse. (You should have one too! We’re just focusing on the equine version for these purposes).
First Aid for Horses
Similar to human first aid kits, your equine first aid kit should include a variety of items to address a range of incidents.
It can be helpful to create a first aid kit specific to your horse. Some horses may be more prone to rain rot, while others may be allergic to fly bites and break out in hives. You can start with a generic kit and customize it as you learn what your specific horse needs.
Remember, some of the recommended items have expiration dates!
Take an inventory of your first aid kit at a minimum annually. Discard what has expired and replace it.
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A first aid kit isn’t useful unless you know what to do in an emergency. Start with a reputable horse first aid book, and familiarize yourself with best practices.
As you spend more time around horses, you will learn how to respond to various illnesses and injuries. Spend some time learning what can go wrong and what the basic steps are to increase your ability to respond in case of an emergency.
A well-stocked first-aid kit is only the first step in preparing for emergencies. Time, experience, and practice will help you learn what to do in a particular situation. Always ask for help if you are uncertain how to properly use an item. If you are in doubt, consult your veterinarian!
Pro Tip: An important, often overlooked piece of safety equipment for your horse, is a stall sign.
You want your phone number and your vet’s contact info prominently posted so it is easy to find in case of an emergency.
The Basics: Common Horse Illnesses/Injuries
Four of the most common injuries you may encounter include wounds (cuts, abrasions, or punctures), eye injuries, lameness, and colic.
For superficial cuts, scrapes, or lacerations that you can treat yourself, first thoroughly clean the area.
- Betadine diluted in warm water works well for this.
- An ointment with silver sulfadiazine or triple antibiotic can be effective.
- Use caution with wound sprays, as they could delay healing.
Puncture wounds or cuts which penetrate the entire skin thickness should involve your vet.
- Deep cuts on the lower legs, neck, or face require veterinary attention.
In case of an eye injury, do not attempt to treat it yourself—consult your vet immediately.
Lameness is a generic term for pain that affects the ability to move comfortably.
Sometimes lameness is very obvious (e.g. visible limping or refusing to put weight on a leg) while other times it will take a more trained eye to identify.
Sources could range from incredibly complex issues to something relatively easy to treat.
Regardless of cause, it is generally advisable to restrict the horse’s movement to avoid further injury (stall rest and hand-walking), cold-hose the affected area, and call your vet to help identify the problem and advise a treatment plan.
Want to learn more about lameness? Check out this beginners guide to lameness terminology.
The most common illness in horses is colic.
Colic, defined simply as abdominal pain, is really a clinical symptom.
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The main types of colic include:
Impaction Colic: When feed builds up in part of the gut and stops moving. This type of colic can be caused by dehydration, dry feed, a blocked digestive tract, or poor chewing.
Non-strangulating obstructions can be treated medically
Strangulating obstruction lesions, which cause a twist in the intestine, would require emergency surgery.
Gas Colic: The colon is full of microbes. Sometimes, these microbes produce excess gas. This is the most common type of colic and can be treated medically.
Functional obstructions cause the gut to not move as it should, but there is no physical obstruction. Inflammation of the intestine, such as colitis or enteritis, falls under this category.
Signs of colic include:
- Lack of or infrequent defecation
- Lack of normal gut noises
- Pawing
- Looking or biting at the flank
- Rolling or trying to lay down
- Poor appetite
- Sweating
- High pulse
- Stretching out, but not urinating
Causes of colic include:
- Ingesting sand, which can build up in the intestine and cause sand colic, a type of impaction colic
- Dehydration or poor chewing
- For example, alfalfa cubes can cause impaction colic if they are not soaked before feeding
- Abrupt changes in feed.
- Always make gradual changes to your horse’s diet, whether you are adding a new supplement, changing hay sources, or switching grains. A 10% change per day is a good rule of thumb
- Ingesting something they shouldn’t, like moldy hay or grain
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Equine Emergency Facts:
- Did you know that horses can’t throw up?
Always inspect what you are feeding to make sure it is not likely to make your horse sick.
- Remember, your horse picks up on your emotions.
It is extra important to try to remain calm in an emergency so you can keep your horse calm. If you cannot do this, leave the area and make yourself useful by calling the vet, getting necessary supplies, or providing assistance from a distance.
- Lacerations are the most common equine emergency, followed by colic and lameness.
- Did you know an average horse has 40 liters of blood?
An animal can lose 10% of their blood volume before showing signs of shock. 4 liters is a lot of blood—so while that quantity may be scary, putting it into context may help to keep calm in an emergency situation.
Parting Thoughts
The old saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly resonates with horse owners. It’s always easier to deal with emergencies if you are prepared! From a barn safety plan to a fully-stocked first aid kit, there are many actions you can take to keep you and your horse safe through a variety of situations.
P.S. Enjoy this article? Trot on over to:
- Horse Insurance: What, Why, & How Much
- Horse Lameness Lingo: Simple Beginner’s Glossary
- 5 Simple Tips to Help An Abused Horse
- Sand Colic: How to Protect Your Horse
- Equine End-of-Life: What Happens When Horses Die
- How to Adopt a Wild Donkey: A Helpful Beginner’s Guide
Sources:
Vaccination Program for Horses
Caring For Your Horse’s Hooves
Guidelines for Equine Emergencies
