Horses For Life

1. What is the best nutrition plan for my horse?

2. What equine diseases are epademic in my are, and what are your vaccination reccomendations against them?

3. Can you give me some guidence on equine first-aid basics?

4. I'd like to deworm my horse myself. What deworming program should I use? (Optional)

5. Are my horses hoove's in good condition? How often should my farrier visit?

6. Does my horse need any dental work? How often should his teeth be floated?

7. Can you reveiw general horsekeeping practices: Are my pastures safe for horses; and do you think I'm providing enough shelter from the weather? Does my barn provide safe horse housing? (Optional)

8. What are tips for combating insects that bite and sting horses?

9. Based on my current riding schedule, am I providing enough excercise? Too much excercise?

10. Based on my horses current age, what are some issues to be on the lookout for?

11. How often do you want me to schedule vet checkups? Once a year? Twice a year? More Often?

12. Do you think my horse is in good health?

Here's a list of emergencies that require urgent veternary care:

1. Sighns of colic

2. Non-weight bearing lameness

3. Neurological disorders: seizures/paralysis/ loss of coordination

4. Laminitis

Here are tips on how to spot a cut that needs urgent vetinary care:

1. Excessive bleeding

2. Skin has been completly penetrated

3. Any wound below the knee or hock

4. Any wound occuring near a joint

5. Punctured wounds

6. A severely contaminated wound

7. Discomfort or Laminitis associated with any wound

8. Wounds or swelling near the eye

9. Any penetrating object within the hoof (e.g nail): consult your vetinarian before removing the object

Look carefully to assess the following in your horse:

1. Alert and responsive to enviroment.

2.Good body condition.

3. Shiny hair coat

4. Eating with a healthy appetite.

5. Passing manure and urinating normally.

6. Moving comftorably without lameness.

7. Tempeture is between 99 and 101 degrees farenheit.

8. Pulse is normal- Between 24 and 48 beats per minute.

9. Respiration is normal- Between 12 and 24 breaths per minute.

10. Capillary refill time is normal- Normal values less then 2 seconds * Check Gums, Gums should be moist and pink too.

1. Encephalomyelitis-Given annually in the spring

2. West Nile- Annual Booster also given prior to expected risk; may vaccinate up to every 4 months depending upon risk

3. Tetanus Toxoid- Annual booster, also given at the time of surgery or injury if the last administered was longer than 6 months previous.

4. Equine Influenza- There are different forms of this vaccine: Inactivated injectable vaccine is given annually with boosters every 3 to 4 months depending upon likely explosure; Intransal modified live virus is given every 6 months.

5. Rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1 and EHV-4) - There are different forms of vaccines; injectable and intransal. The vaccine are considered optional depending upon risk. Boosters are given either semi-annually if elected, or up to every 3 to 4 months if risk is high.

1. Strangles - Semi-annually if risk is high. Injectable and intransal vaccines are available.

2. Rabies- Optional, Semi-annually.

3. Potomac Horse Fever - Optional, Semi-annually. 

4. Botulism- Consult your vet.

5. Equine Viral Arteritis - Consult your vet.

1. Horses need to consume dailey between 1.5% and 2.5% of their total weight; desighned for non-stop grazing horses.

2. For an average 1,000lb horse with no access to a quality pasture, this means 15 to 25 pounds of hay daily.

3. If adding grain to your horses diet, don't feed more than 3lb's of grain per serving or more than 8lb's per day.

4. Alfalfa hay has the highest level of protein, as much as 28 percent in some cases.

5. Grass hays typicaly have low levels of crude protein, as little as 6 to 8 percent.

6. As excercise levels increase, so does his caloric needs.

1. Competent farrier skills.

2. Horsemanship skills.

3. Communicates well.

4. Professionalism.

5. Availability for routine service.

6. Good personality and attitude.

7. Appropriate fees.

Mild Signs

1. Poor appetite.

2. Appoaching water without drinking.

3. Depression/Lethargy

4. Reduced digestive sounds

5. Reduced manure piles.

6. Pawing or pacing.

7. Turning to look at flank

Moderate Signs

1. Kicking or biting at abdomen.

2. Lying down repeatedly.

3. Posturing to urinate with out doing so.

4. Sitting in a dog like position.

5.  Sweating.

6. Lip Curling.

Severe Signs

1. Elevated heart rate (Greater than 52 beats per minute)

2. Rapid respiration or flared nostrils.

3. Abscence od digestive sounds.

4. Cool exremities.

5. Rolling, especially violent rolling.

1. Shifting weight (From forelimbs to hind limbs or vice versa)

2. Reluctance to walk, lying down more frequently or slow to rise.

3. Change in nature: either quieter than normal or agitated.

4. Appeteite loss.

 Use your hands to palpate your horses limbs for areas of heat, swelling or tenderness, and become practiced at feeling for digital pulses. A bounding pulse can indictate inflammation inside the hoof or leg. Evaluate your horse in motion. Walk and trot your horse on various ground surfaces. Observe your horse as he travels on the straight away as well as circling in both directions. Closely observe the following chanes in gait:

1. Shortening in stride.

2. Head bobbing.

3. Uneven or irregular placement of hooves.

4. Stiff/ Stilted way of going.

5. Asymmetrical body movement (e.g. Dropping a hip)

6. Change in attitude or poor work ethic.

7. Frequent stumblings or clumsiness.

8. Rough transitions.

9. Favoring one side over another; resistant to picking up one lead.

10. Refusals

11. Any noticeable decline in performance level.

 Most vets recommend a yearly oral examine and routine floating of the horse teeth. If you suspect that your horse is expeirencing mouth pain or a dental problem, these are the signs to look for:

1. Loss of feed from mouth while eating or difficulty chewing.

2. Excessive salvation.

3. Tossing head while being ridden, fighting the bit or change in overall performance.

4. Foul odor from mouth.

5. Large undigested feed particles in manure.

6. Loss of body condition.

1. Absorbent sheets of cotton.

2. Cotton balls.

3. Adhesive tape.

4. Clean sponges.

5. Disinfectant or antiseptic solution for cleaning wounds.

6. Epsom Salts (For Soaking hooves with sores or absesses

7. Gauze roll.

8. Gaze squares.

9. Saline solution for cleaning wounds.

10. Scissors.

11. A Vetinary thermoneter.

12. Several rolls of stretchy bandage.

13. Wound spray; powder or gel.

14. A book on equine first-aid.