Keeping Your Horse Healthy
Preventive maintenance is always the best medicine. To these ends, we recommend the following protocol to keep your horse healthy:
IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULE:
In the Spring: West Nile Virus, Eastern & Western Encephalomyelitis, Tetanus, Influenza and Rhinopnuemonitis.
In the Fall: West Nile Virus, Influenza and Rhinopneumonitis again, and Rabies. An immunization for Streptococcus Equi (Strangles) may be given in early summer.
It should be noted that immunization for Influenza/Rhinopnuemonitis is recommended by many immunologists to be administered every 2 to 3 months. For show horses and horses at a boarding facility, this our recommendation as well.
De-worm your horse every 2 months rotating through 3 different classes of wormers.
We currently recommend 1) Ivermectin, 2) Pyrantel Pamoate, 3) Oxybendazole.
We recommend that you use each wormer twice in a row. (e.g.: January: Pyrantel, March: Pyrantel, May: ivermectin, July: ivermectin)
The only time that you ought to alter this protocol is after a good, hard, first freeze in Winter. At that time we recommend, no matter where you are in your schedule, to de-worm with an ivermectin product.
A Daily Wormer, such as Strongid-C or Strongid C2X are good products, but you still need to deworm with an Ivermectin Product at least twice a year if you are using one of these products.
For some horses that are poor doers, or that may colic a few more times than we are comfortable with, (assuming other causes of reoccuring colic have been ruled out) a daily wormer, or Panacur Powerpac may be a good choice to get the encysted larvae, and other hardy holdouts parasites.
Your horse should see a Qualified Farrier every 6 to 8 weeks, and a Dental Exam every 6 to 12 months.
Feeding psyllium (i.e.: Metamucil... Horse products: Equiaid, Sandblast), while mildly controversial, is recommended to be fed every day, for 7 days, every month. (i.e.: the first week of every month)
Exercise, exercise, exercise... If you have them, you ought to enjoy them, and they ought to enjoy their life too. Exercise is important for us, and it's important for our horses as well. Whether its turn out, riding, or lounging, don't leave it out of your horse’s health care program.
Keeping your horse happy is one way to keep your horse healthy. Giving them the attention and exercise they need is one way to ensure they do stay healthy and happy.
We currently recommend 1) Ivermectin, 2) Pyrantel Pamoate, 3) Oxybendazole.
We recommend that you use each wormer twice in a row. (e.g.: January: Pyrantel, March: Pyrantel, May: ivermectin, July: ivermectin)
The only time that you ought to alter this protocol is after a good, hard, first freeze in Winter. At that time we recommend, no matter where you are in your schedule, to de-worm with an ivermectin product.
A Daily Wormer, such as Strongid-C or Strongid C2X are good products, but you still need to deworm with an Ivermectin Product at least twice a year if you are using one of these products.
For some horses that are poor doers, or that may colic a few more times than we are comfortable with, (assuming other causes of reoccuring colic have been ruled out) a daily wormer, or Panacur Powerpac may be a good choice to get the encysted larvae, and other hardy holdouts parasites.
Your horse should see a Qualified Farrier every 6 to 8 weeks, and a Dental Exam every 6 to 12 months.
Feeding psyllium (i.e.: Metamucil... Horse products: Equiaid, Sandblast), while mildly controversial, is recommended to be fed every day, for 7 days, every month. (i.e.: the first week of every month)
Exercise, exercise, exercise... If you have them, you ought to enjoy them, and they ought to enjoy their life too. Exercise is important for us, and it's important for our horses as well. Whether its turn out, riding, or lounging, don't leave it out of your horse’s health care program.
Keeping your horse happy is one way to keep your horse healthy. Giving them the attention and exercise they need is one way to ensure they do stay healthy and happy.
Helpful Links:
Build a breeding timeline for your mare. Populate a healthcare schedule based on your breeding or foaling date: http://www.foalcare.com/calendar.aspx
Crreate your own custom records for you horse by managing your equine health records online, or print the forms out and keep them in a folder: http://www.foalcare.com/calendar.aspx