Equus Wellness 2023

So much about horse care can be complicated but vaccines are a notable exception. Immunization is an easy, effective and inexpensive way to protect your horse from a variety of diseases. Still, it can be challenging to remember all relevant vaccination recommendations and information. Don’t worry, we are here to help. We’ve compiled basic information about vaccination and vaccines that can give you peace of mind about your horse’s vaccination schedule or help you pinpoint questions that you’ll want to address with your veterinarian. In either case, it’s a chance to make sure vaccinations remain a cornerstone of your equine wellness plan. WHY VACCINATION TIMING MATTERS There is no “wrong” time to give a horse a vaccine, but the timing of immunizations can have a significant influence on the level…

These are needed by all horses and protect against the following diseases: • TETANUS: a paralytic disease caused by the neurotoxin of Clostridium tetani, a spore-forming anaerobic bacterium. C. tetani is ubiquitous in the soil, putting all horses at risk of exposure. Horses typically contract tetanus when the bacteria enter through a puncture wound or deep laceration, but foals can be infected through their umbilical stump and mares via their reproductive tracts following a difficult foaling. Signs include extreme sensitivity to light, sound and touch, followed by rigid paralysis that causes the horse to adopt a classic “sawhorse” stance and protrusion of the third eyelid. • WEST NILE VIRUS (WNV): a flavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes. In horses, infection usually causes little or no illness. However, West Nile infection sometimes triggers…

These vaccines are administered depending on a horse’s risk and protect against the following diseases: • ANTHRAX: systemic infection caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which is found in the soil in some regions. Spores are typically picked up by horses as they graze or through bites from flies carrying the bacteria. Once inside the body, the spores multiply and produce a toxin. Signs include fever and colic, with swelling around a bite site if that was the mode of transmission. Even with prompt antibiotic treatment, anthrax can be fatal. • BOTULISM: neuro-poisoning caused by the toxin secreted by Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which can contaminate feed, water or wounds. Botulism is characterized by progressive paralysis, beginning with the muscles of swallowing. Horses may die from respiratory failure or complications…

Thanks to the internet, horse owners have access to more information about equine nutrition than ever before. Yet, some stubborn misconceptions about feeding persist. To help you ensure your horse’s diet is formulated based on up-to-date and accurate information, we are laying to rest seven of the most common horse-feeding myths. Armed with the truth, you can better identify misinformation you may come across online and do the best by your horse when mealtime rolls around. MYTH #1: Horses must be fed at the same time every day. You don’t have to worry if you’re late delivering your horse’s breakfast. In fact, a little variation in your horse’s feeding schedule can be beneficial. Horses fed on strict schedules are more likely to develop destructive anticipatory behaviors, such as pacing or…

1. COUNT CALORIES IN CONCENTRATES. Sweet feed and other concentrates provide essential calories to horses who truly need them—athletes, pregnant mares and the like. But concentrates fed to an “easy keeper” pleasure horse will only fuel weight gain. Many horses don’t need any grain at all, yet are given a half scoop twice a day so they don’t feel left out at mealtime. This “kindness” only leads to obesity and all its related health problems. If your horse is on the verge of being overweight, cut back his concentrates to a literal handful or none at all. You can provide him a supplement or a ration-balancer product to ensure he’s still getting all the vitamins and minerals he needs. And, of course, make sure he has plenty of hay. 2.…

Many aspects of horse care rely largely on customs and a sense of “It’s always been done this way.” And while it’s never a good idea to let tradition guide your management decisions, nowhere is this attitude more harmful than when it comes to parasite control. In fact, the longtime practice of routinely deworming horses every eight to 12 weeks is putting the health of horses around the world in jeopardy. Here’s why those old practices are so wrong: Each time an anthelmintic (worm-killing) chemical is used, most of the targeted pests in a horse’s gut die, but a few—those least susceptible to the agent—survive. Those remaining parasites go on to reproduce, and when they do, they can pass on their ability to withstand the dewormer to the next generation.…