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Extension > Agriculture > Livestock > Horse > Horse health

Horse health

• Alternate feed options

  Pros and cons of common forage alternatives

• Arthritis in the knee

  Damaged cartilage is difficult to treat.

• Bone scans

  A bone scan uses radioactive tracers to detect areas of bone injury.

• Bowed tendons

  “Bowed tendon” is the common name for superficial or deep digital flexor tendonitis.

• Breeding with cooled semen

  Cooled semen is only viable for about 48 hours after collection.

• Care of the new born foal

  Caring for your new foal during the first 24 hours

• Care of elderly horses

  The impact of aging on a horse's body systems

• Carpometacarpal syndrome

  A recently-identified form of arthritis mostly seen in Arabian horses

• Club feet in foals

  Diagnosis and management

• Colic examinations

  What to expect when your veterinarian arrives to examine a colic

• Colic: public enemy #1

  Basic types of colic, standard treatments, potential complications

• Common hoof problems

  How to avoid common hoof problems like hoof cracks, thrush, and hot nail

• Complications after colic

  Most colic episodes resolve fine, but released toxins are a risk.

• Crooked legs in foals

  An overview of the leg deformities seen in newborn foals

• Equine back pain

  Can be related to a variety of problems

• Equine dentistry

  Floating teeth should be part of every horse's routine veterinary care.

• Equine first aid

  What to have in your first aid kit and how to use it

• Equine genetic diseases

  New research has tremendous potential for preventing and treating diseases with heritable risk factors.

• Equine gastric ulcer syndrome

  The two types of gastric ulcers, their signs and treatments

• Equine glaucoma

  Glaucoma is due to a rise in the pressure inside the eye

• Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1)

  Signs, treatment, and prevention

• Equine joint infections

  Causes, diagnosis, and treatment of joint infections in horses

• Equine malignant hyperthermia (EMH)

  Can cause typing up or death when affected horses are subjected to anesthesia

• Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM)

  Diagnosis and treatment of horses with EPM

• Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU)

  One of the most common eye conditions in horses

• Equine vaccinations and deworming

  Core vaccinations, vaccinations recommended for certain situations, deworming programs

• Founder

  Founder, or laminitis, is an inflammation of the tissues that connect the hoof wall to the coffin bone.

• Gastrointestinal parasites

  Round worm, tapeworm, stomach bots, pinworm, threadworm

• Glycogen branching enzyme deficiency (GBED)

  GBED is a significant cause of second and third trimester abortion.

• Hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA)

  A genetic skin disease found in the Quarter Horse

• Hoof abscess

  Causes, diagnosis, and treatment of hoof abscess in horses

• Hot weather and infectious diseases

  Hot weather brings an increased risk of infectious diseases to horses.

• Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP)

  May affect 4.4% of the Quarter Horse breed.

• Importance of colostrum

  Colostrum is critical to the health and well-being of the newborn foal.

• Injection of the coffin joint to treat the navicular area

  Navicular syndrome is a common cause of lameness in horses.

• Insulin resistance in horses

  It can only be managed through diet and exercise.

• Is my horse too fat?

  A body condition scoring system helps you assess your horse's weight.

• Junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB)

  A fatal disorder in Belgian foals and American Saddlebreds

• Joint supplements

  Joint supplements reduce inflammation and cartilage degradation.

• Know your horse

  This will help you detect a potential problem as early as possible.

• Management of premature and twin foals

  Foals born prior to 340 days are considered premature.

• Optimal vs maximal growth

  Feeding a young horse to grow at the maximum rate possible is undesirable.

• Overo lethal white syndrome (OLWS)

  OLWS are born alive with blue eyes and a white coat.

• Parasite control information

  How can I tell if my parasite control program is working?

• Parasite control options

  Options include targeted dosing, strategic dosing, interval dosing, and daily deworming.

• Performance evaluation

  What to expect during a performance evaluation with a vet

• Polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM)

  PSSM is subdivided into type 1 and type 2.

• Prepare your mare for breeding season

  The critical things to assess for optimal fertility

• Preventing and treating colic

  Nine steps that will help reduce the risk of colic in horses

• Purpura hemorrhagica: a dangerous sequel to strangles

  An inflammation of the blood vessels

• The risk of administering intramuscular banamine

  Banamine is an anti-inflammatory agent

• Roarers

  A condition that critically decreases airflow during exercise

• Salmonella in horses

  Most equine infections are caused by S. Typhimurium.

• Scratches

  Most commonly found in horses exposed to moisture for long periods of time.

• Seasonal pasture myopathy cause identified

  Seeds from the box elder tree causes SPM in North America and likely Europe.

• Serious equine dental issues

  Learn common signs of possible dental pain and disease

• Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)

  A fatal immunodeficiency of Arabian foals

• Splints and bucked shins

  Treatments include rest and anti-inflammatory drugs.

• Spring pasture, fructans, and founder

  Ponies and overweight horses are susceptible to fructans.

• Strangles

  Strangles is a highly contagious bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus equi.

• Ticks and horses: What diseases affect my horse?

  Look for signs of anaplasmosis and Lyme disease.

• Tying-up gene found

  Researchers have found the gene mutation that is responsible for one type of tying-up.

• When to call the vet: breeding and foaling problems

  Things you should check for after each use

• When to call the vet: colic, wounds and lameness

  Signs your horse may need veterinary attention

• When to call the vet: nervous system problems

  Abnormal behavior to look out for

• Why is my performance horse lame?

  Your horse's occupation makes it prone to particular types of injuries.