EQUINE CARE

Most of us with horses feel that they are magical creatures. They still need some TLC!

• Integrative Care for health and performance: Acupuncture, Manual Manipulations (Chiropractic), Herbal medications.
• Laser Therapy
• Annual Exams and Vaccinations
• Surgery: Laceration repair, castrations
• Dentistry
• Rehabilitation

Recommended Vaccinations

Horses are at risk to many preventable diseases. We recommend a group of CORE vaccinations. Core vaccinations are those that every horse should have. We have met horses that have truly horrible vaccination reactions. These horses then are managed in different ways.

Core Vaccinations: These are given yearly to booster the horse's immunity

• Tetanus
• Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis (EEE & WEE)
• West Nile Virus
• Rabies

There are other vaccines available. These are given depending on the lifestyle of a particular horse. Horses that travel often for showing or competition have different needs than those that are more homebodies

• Equine Influenza: Given every 4-6 months
• Rhinopneumonitis (EVH): Given every 4 months during times of stress or competition
• Strangles: Every 6-12 months
• Potomac Horse Fever: Every 6-12 months

Most horses only need the vaccines in the core grouping.

Wellness Exams and Our Equine Wellness Programs

We like to perform a comprehensive tooth to tail exam every six months (at least every 12 months). Horses age at different rate and much faster than humans do. Horses that are 10-13 years of age are between 43 and 51 in human years! These aging changes can add up to problems much faster than you might expect.

A complete physical exam includes

• Listening to your history of what has happened since we saw you last.
• Thorough visual exam: We are looking for changes, swellings in joints, muscle atrophy, postural changes, hair changes
• Eye exam
• Check the teeth by palpation and visually looking at the teeth
• Listening to the heart and lungs
• Listening for gut sounds
• Body Temp
• Looking at the hoof and the bottom of the foot
• Dr. Roster usually checks for body pain using Acupuncture points and motion palpation
• Watching the horse move to and away in a straight line.

All this comes together to make a picture for us. Some of this list is very obvious, like listening to the heart and gut sounds. Many changes are very subtly. Horses that have some chronic diseases can have many changes that come slowly so you don't notice them. It takes another set of eyes to assess these changes.

We have many Wellness plans available for every life stage of your horse.

Diet and Nutritional Consultation

Nutrition is VITAL to a horse's well being. You can't turn around without someone telling you they KNOW how to feed a horse. We are here to provide you with the knowledge and support you need to feed your horse optimally.

We are available for:

• Complete diet consultation
• Hay testing: why do it, where to have it done and what to do with the information
• Help with supplementation
• Feed allergies: Testing and ration development

Dentistry

Horses have constantly erupting teeth as adults. This means their teeth are always growing into the mouth. Their bottom jaw is more narrow than their top jaw and they chew in a figure 8 circular motion. This normal wear creates "points" on the outsides of the top cheek teeth and on the insides of the bottom teeth. These points are sharp and can dig into the soft cheeks and tongue, causing chewing problems and pain.

Most horses need to have their teeth floated once a year, some horses more often.

Horses can have broken teeth that allows the opposing tooth to grow longer, pushing on the the other teeth

Signs your horse is having tooth pain:

• Dropping feed, especially smaller feed stuff like grain
• Quidding: Wadding the feed up and dropping these wads out of the mouth
• Resistance under saddle: Not willing to turn one or both directions
• Tossing their head when bridled

Deworming