Information for owners..
Applying a hoof / lower leg bandage
Caring for a hoof or lower leg injury can be a very labour intensive job. Even under the most ideal management conditions, the horse’s lower extremities are regularly exposed to dirt, debris, moisture and manure. Without a properly applied bandage, it will be difficult – if not impossible- to heal many types of foot and lower leg injuries…
Applying hock bandages
A horse uses its hocks in nearly everything that it does-from stopping and standing to walking and galloping. Constant use and a prominently exposed point make hocks vulnerable to stress, fatigue and traumatic injury. Your vet may recommend a hock bandage for any number of situations…
Applying knee bandages
Given the almost constant use they are put to, horse’s knees are vulnerable to stress, fatigue and traumatic injury. It may be that your vet has recommended knee bandage to help heal injury, surgery site or to support weak joints…
Applying pressure bandages
When a horse sustains a serious leg injury, it is sometimes necessary to stabilize the limb and control bleeding and swelling until your vet arrives. A pressure bandage is an effective first aid tool that can be used to accomplish this task…
Applying sweat bandages
When your horse suffers a strain, sprain, or traumatic injury, or is box rested for extended periods, its legs may swell and become warm to the touch. Because inflammation and swelling can damage tissues and cause discomfort, your vet may prescribe a sweat bandage as an aid in reducing fluid build-up in the legs…
Cast care
Your horse has been fitted with a cast to give it the best possible chance of recovery. A cast provides both protection and support and thereby gives the horse’s injury a chance to heal. Because you can’t actually see what what’s happening beneath a cast, caring for a convalescent horse requires careful observation…
Colic
Colic is the number one killer of horses. The good news is that most cases of colic are mild and resolve with simple medical treatment, and sometimes with no medical treatment at all. Less than 10% of all colic cases are severe enough to require surgery or cause the death of the horse…
Cooled semen transport
Today’s breeding technology provides horse owners more options than were available in the past. Artificial insemination and semen preservation techniques make it possible to ship stallion semen to a mare anywhere in the world. But success of transported semen will depend on the careful reproductive management of both stallion and mare…
Dental care
Routine dental care is essential to your horse’s health. Periodic examination, corrections and regular maintenance…
Emergency care
If you own a horse long enough, sooner or later you are likely to confront a medical emergency. There are several behavioral traits that make horses especially accident prone: one is their instinctive flight-or-fight response; another is their dominance hierarchy – the need to establish the pecking order within a herd; and a third is their natural curiosity…
Equine gastric ulcers
Equine gastric ulcers affect up to 90% of racehorses and 60% of show horses. Ulcers are the result of the erosion of the lining of the stomach due to prolonged exposure to the normal acid in the stomach. Unlike ulcers in humans, equine gastric ulcers are not caused by bacteria…
Euthanasia
Difficult though it may be to contemplate, there may come a time when, for humane reasons, you need to consider euthanasia for your horse. Choosing whether, or when, to end an animal’s life may be the hardest decision you ever have to make regarding your horse’s welfare…
Expectant mare
We often think of pregnancy as a delicate and fragile condition. When it comes to horses, this perception is perhaps due to the mare’s relatively poor reproductive performance in comparison to other domestic animals. However, in a natural setting, the mare does comparatively well reproductively…
Foal growth
A healthy foal will grow rapidly, gaining in weight, height and strength almost before your eyes. From birth to age two, a young horse can achieve 90% or more of its full adult size, sometimes putting on as much as 3 pounds per day…
Foaling mare and newborn
Your mare will need a clean, safe quiet place to foal with adequate bedding and a floor that can be readily cleaned and disinfected. A good high bed of straw is necessary as shavings will cling to the wet newborn. Remove manure and soiled bedding promptly, and disinfect thoroughly between foalings…
Immunisation
Few things will help protect your horse from the ravages of some infectious diseases as easily and effectively as immunisation. The vaccines administered by your vet to your horse place a protective barrier between the horse and several diseases such as tetanus, influenza and rhinopheumonitis to name the most common…
Lameness exams
Stress, strain or injury can take a toll on any horse, even with no conformation defects. When lameness occurs, you should contact your vet immediately. A prompt examination can save you time, money and frustration by diagnosing and treating the problem immediately, possibly preventing further damage. The goal of such early examinations is to keep small problems from becoming big ones…
Lameness examination – advice regarding your upcoming appointment.
Maintain your horse in light work until the appointment date unless your veterinary surgeon has advised you otherwise. This ensures that your horse remains lame at the time of admission. It is frustrating when rest results in the horse not being sufficiently lame to allow a lameness examination…
Parasites
Internal parasites or worms are silent killers. They can cause extreme internal damage without you even realising your horse is heavily infected. The effects of internal parasites range from a dull coat to colic and death. Internal parasites lower the horse’s resistance to infection, starve the horse of valuable nutrients and in some cases cause permanent damage to the internal organs…
Pre-purchase examinations
Owning a horse can be a big investment in time, money and emotion. Unfortunately, horses seldom come with money back guarantees. That is why it is so important to investigate all aspects of the horse before you buy. Many horse professionals may be able to help you evaluate such things as ability, behaviour or pedigree and you should seek their advice as necessary…
Passport requirements
Under current legislation, all horses must have a passport. Please bring passports with you at all times. According to EU law, many drugs can only be administered if the section of the horse’s passport that certifies that the animal is not for human consumption has been signed.
Vaccinations
Few things will help protect your horse from the ravages of some infectious diseases as easily and effectively as immunisation. The vaccines administered by your vet to your horse place a protective barrier between the horse and several diseases such as tetanus, influenza and rhinopheumonitis to name the most common.
Sycamore Poisoning
Atypical Myopathy “Sycamore Poisoning” in Horses Atypical myopathy (“Sycamore poisoning”) is a frequently fatal disease of horses caused by eating Sycamore seeds (“helicopters”) or seedlings. The disease results in muscle damage and particularly affects…
Sarcoids
If you would like to get some detailed information on this important topic, we refer you to the following link: www.liv.ac.uk/sarcoids