Horse Health

Top Tips to a Happy and Healthy Horse

Maintaining good horse health care habits is vital to the overall condition of your horse.

It is even more vital if you are actively showing your horse on a regular basis through the year. To meet the physical demands of a show, you must maintain an optimal horse health status.

There are many aspects of your horse's health that you must keep in mind when caring for your horse.

Anatomy

A basic understanding of horse anatomy will not only help you understand certain health conditions or injuries, it will also help you communicate with equine professionals such as your veterinarian or ferrier. You will also have a better ability to recognize certain warning signs for emergency situations such as colic.

Nutrition

Proper diet will help keep your horse in prime condition. Horse nutrition is a little more complicated to understand, but have an understanding of the basics is ideal for any horse owner. Properly feeding your horse will keep him/her at a healthy weight for showing. After all, it can be quite difficult for an overweight or underweight horse to give you 100% in the show ring.

It can also reduce the risk for digestive problems such as horse colic.

Disease

Equine disease affects many horses. Understanding equine anatomy and nutrition can help play a part in your understanding of disease and pathological processes. Disease can affect any anatomical system in your horse. From respiratory to reproductive to neurological.

Having your vet diagnose your horse early on in the disease process may save his/her life. Your vet will also be able to provide you with information on recommended equine vaccines to prevent the spread of disease.

Please sign up for your FREE copy of "All-Arounder Magazine". It's packed full of helpful horse show news, information, tips and horse keeping advice. Our magazine contains information exclusive to readers only! Sign up NOW and you'll also receive a FREE printable Horse Show Checklist!

Email

Name

Then

Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you The All-Arounder.

Injury

In the horse world, horse injury is not uncommon. I have personally seen horses shatter bones while playing on a lunge line. These injuries are near impossible to prevent. Even if you keep your horse in a stall on a regular basis, injury can still occur in the stall.

Injury can be very subtle in the early stages and a careful monitoring of your horse's condition on a daily basis can prevent cause to make the injury worse. Simple signs to look for are any new developments of swelling or heat and being watchful of any changes in your horse's mood or personality.

Treatment

When addressing horse health and care, there are some preventative measures you can take. For example, getting your horse vaccinated on a regular basis can help prevent the transmission of certain disease. Equine vaccines are typically done on an annual basis 1-2 times per year.

If you travel with your horse regularly, you will also need to have blood drawn for a Coggins test. A negative test is required before transporting your horse almost anywhere, especially a horse show.

When dealing with an injury to your horse there are also a variety of equine therapy options available. Just as alternative medicine is on the rise for people, so too are some methods of treatment for your horse. Chiropractic care and acupuncture are a couple of examples of services available to horse owners these days.

Articles

To further help your understanding of the topics discussed above, I have a collection of veterinary articles that will help as you stay informed on horse health care. These articles are offered from a variety of authors on a variety of topics.

If you have a topic or a question you would like answered, please visit our "Contact Us" page and let us know how we can help.

Return From Horse Health to Horse Show Home Page