When it comes to your horse’s health, prevention is better than cure. Preventative care refers to managing the horse in a way that aims to minimise the likelihood of injury or illness occurring. Preventative care is key to giving your horse a long, happy and healthy life free from pain, and it centres around daily management as well as routine veterinary care. As well as being better for the horse, preventative care can help to keep large and unexpected veterinary bills to a minimum, which is important to many horse owners!
This article provides an overview of preventative equine care, including why it is important for equine welfare, and how horse owners can practise preventative care. It will cover the importance of routine check-ups, vaccination, worming, dentistry and hoof care as well as diet and seasonal care.
Often, the vet is called out in response to a specific symptom or concern. However, it is also a good idea to have your horse given a full check-up on a regular basis. Many health issues, including soft tissue injuries, age-related illness and dental issues start out as minor problems that go unnoticed until they become more serious. Horses, ponies and donkeys can be very good at masking pain, so they can suffer for some time before their human carers realise there is something wrong.
Routine check-ups from your equine vet can allow some problems to be detected early, making them easier to treat and preventing suffering. At Avonvale Equine Vet Practice, we offer a range of “equine MOT’s” - annual check-ups tailored to your horse’s age and workload. Our MOTs offer a detailed examination to ensure your horse is in optimum health, which can help us to identify developing problems early. We have three equine MOT packages to suit riding and leisure horses, veteran horses and performance horses, and each package offers a saving over individually priced package components. Find out more about our equine MOTs and call us on 01295 670 501 to book.
Vaccination is crucial to protecting horses from some very serious diseases. Tetanus and equine influenza (flu) are two examples of diseases that can be avoided - or at least reduced in severity - through vaccination.
Up-to-date vaccinations are usually required for horses that are travelling or competing, so it is important to keep an eye on your horse’s vaccination schedule and avoid the inconvenience and expense of being denied entry to a venue. However, even horses that never leave the yard should be vaccinated against equine influenza and tetanus at a minimum. Very young or old horses are especially susceptible, so it is even more important that they are vaccinated.
Horses are routinely vaccinated against equine influenza and tetanus in the UK. We recommend vaccinating all horses against influenza at least annually (ideally every six months) and against tetanus every other year.
Horses can also be vaccinated against equine herpes virus (EHV), rotavirus and strangles. Some horses may require specific vaccinations to travel abroad, whilst others may be vaccinated or given boosters prior to breeding or during gestation.
Sometimes, horses’ vaccinations are allowed to lapse for one reason or another. This may be because the owner has forgotten, or because they think the horse doesn’t need vaccinating. Therefore, it is a good idea to keep a record of your horse’s vaccination history and take advantage of any annual schemes or reminder services offered by your vet.
Remember the cost of treating a preventable illness is far greater than the cost of vaccination. Furthermore, infectious diseases are detrimental to the horse’s welfare and can be fatal - tetanus is especially lethal.
We can help you keep your horse’s vaccinations up-to-date, and advise you on which vaccinations your horse requires. We can usually offer routine vaccinations as part of our free weekly zone visits scheme, so you can avoid a call-out fee. This scheme is available to our registered clients, and early booking is advisable.
Whether your horse needs their routine vaccinations, or additional jabs for breeding, competition or travel, we are happy to help. Please call our office on 01295 670 501 to speak to a vet.
Worming is another key aspect of effective preventative care. A high worm burden can lead to permanent gut damage and increase the risk of colic. A serious worm burden can be fatal if it is left untreated. Furthermore, there is a growing problem with anthelmintic resistance, which is when parasites become immune to some wormers. This is a serious concern for equine welfare, as we may be unable to treat some parasites in the future. Therefore, it is crucial that worming is carried out effectively.
The best way to do this is through targeted worming, based on regular faecal worm egg counts (FWECs). By doing so, we need only prescribe the drugs required to treat the specific worms found in each horse. This helps to minimise anthelmintic resistance, prolonging the effectiveness of the drugs we currently have available.
We have published a couple of guides on worming, including one on how often to worm a horse, and another on autumn worming.
In addition to targeted worming, there are things you can do to help reduce your horse’s exposure to parasites. Regular removal of manure from paddocks, arenas and stables will help to minimise the presence of parasites, and it will also help to keep flies at bay. Furthermore, avoiding overstocking can also help to keep parasites to a minimum. We have published a guide on how much land a horse needs, which outlines how much space your horse might require in various circumstances, as well as how to effectively manage smaller spaces.
We offer an annual worm control package to our clients, which allows you to worm your horse effectively based on their individual needs. This package is suitable for horses aged two years and older. To sign up to our annual worm control package, please call the office on 01295 670 501.
Dental health is crucial to a horse’s overall comfort and wellbeing, as well as physical health. Not only can a dental problem cause severe discomfort and pain, but it can lead to serious complications if left untreated. Therefore, regular dental check-ups are an essential part of your horse’s routine maintenance. Our equine vets can carry out routine examinations, as well as more complex procedures should they be required.
Symptoms of dental issues are often subtle, and may include dropping food, chewing only on one side, and reluctance to eat. However, behavioural changes, such as resistance to the bit / bridle, headshaking, and even dangerous behaviour like rearing or bolting, can also indicate a dental issue. It is important to understand that even quite serious dental problems do not always result in obvious symptoms, so it is worth having your horse’s teeth examined regularly, regardless of whether there are any symptoms.
See our article on the symptoms of dental problems in horses and donkeys for more information.
At Avonvale Equine Vet Practice, we are dedicated to providing the highest standards of equine dentistry. Our experienced veterinary team perform dentistry to a high standard led by our highly qualified equine dental vet Laura Holmes (BVM&S Cert AVP(ED) MRCVS), who has achieved her Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice with Equine Dentistry postnominal. This required her to complete three modules in the equine dentistry subject area, followed by a practical exam and a synoptic exam.
We recommend that all horses, ponies and donkeys have a routine dental examination every 12 months, unless they are under 5 years old or over 15 years old, in which case they should have a routine dental examination at least every six months. We provide a helpful reminder service to our clients, so they can keep track of their horse’s dental appointments.
Horses’ feet require careful management, and problems affecting the hoof can cause lameness, ridden issues, behavioural problems and more. Musculoskeletal issues that originate with the hoof can affect other parts of the body as the issue worsens and the horse compensates by adjusting their gait and posture to avoid pain or discomfort. Regular routine farrier appointments and good daily management can help prevent a number of common hoof problems in horses, ponies and donkeys.
Your horse should see a registered farrier every 4-6 weeks, regardless of whether or not they are shod. Regular visits from your farrier will help to keep your horse’s hooves in good shape and allow them to spot any developing problems early. Lengthening the time between farrier visits means your horse’s hooves will have grown longer between visits, and minor issues may have worsened.
Managing your horse’s environment so that it is clean and not too wet or dry is also important for equine foot health. The characteristic fluctuations in the British weather mean you may need to adapt your horse’s routine in order to protect the hooves from excessively wet or dry conditions. For example, you may need to apply a topical hoof dressing or adjust your horse’s turnout.
Diet is also important to keeping your horse’s hooves healthy. Laminitis is a common condition affecting the hooves, which is often triggered by a high-starch diet and exacerbated by obesity. We have published a number of articles on laminitis, including a guide on how to prevent laminitis.
Feeding a balanced diet that provides the right nutrients and calories for the individual horse is key to preventing many common ailments, including laminitis, colic, obesity and dental problems. A high-fibre, low-starch / low-sugar diet that includes plenty of roughage (hay) and the right amount of calories for the horse’s age, type and workload can help to keep the horse at a healthy weight, maintain healthy digestion and contribute to good dental and hoof health.
Too often, horses are fed diets that are too high in starch or calories, and too low in fibre. This can lead to obesity, which in turn increases the risk of lameness, soft tissue injuries, laminitis and metabolic diseases. Laminitis can also be triggered by a sudden overload of starch as a result of sugary treats or access to lush grass.
All horses should have constant access to fresh, clean water, which is essential to preventing dehydration and impaction colic. Competition horses may also benefit from being fed electrolytes before or after intense exercise. For more information on preventing dehydration, please see our guide on dehydration in horses.
Britain is known for its highly changeable weather, and some aspects of preventative care become more important during particular seasons. Some diseases are also more prevalent at certain times of year. For example, laminitis can occur all year round, but it is especially prevalent in the spring. Therefore, your horse may need to have restricted turnout or wear a grazing muzzle to reduce grass intake.
Rugging and clipping are two major considerations during the winter months. Many horse owners aren’t sure whether, when or how much to rug / clip their horses. However, the answer is that it depends on the individual requirements of each horse. We have a handy guide to winter horse care, which covers a range of topics including rugging, clipping, turnout and feeding.
By working with your vet, you can implement a preventative care plan for your horse, pony or donkey. By keeping your horse’s vaccinations and dental examinations up-to-date, you can help keep your horse in top health and minimise the risk of small or preventable diseases or injuries becoming major, expensive and distressing for you or your horse.
At Avonvale Equine Vet Practice, we have a range of packages and services designed to help you manage your horse’s health through preventative care. As well as routine vaccinations, equine MOTs, dental check-ups and worming packages, we also offer free weekly zone visits and support, information and guidance to our clients. Whether you want advice on keeping your competition horse hydrated, or support with preventing laminitis in your native pony, we are always happy to help. We can also offer tailored support to commercial yards and competition riders with multiple horses.
For further information about any of our services or commercial enquiries, please call the office on 01295 670 501. To register your horse, pony, donkey or mule with us, please complete our online registration form.
