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| Give Your Horse a Spring Tune-Up for a Healthy Riding Season |
The blooming flowers and budding trees are telling us spring has sprung. But for those with horses, a sure sign of the changing season is seeing the vet's truck pulling up the barn driveway. Spring is the perfect time for your horse's yearly checkup to ensure he's in tip-top shape before the riding season gets underway. This annual exam covers everything from vaccinations to deworming, plus preventative care to support your horse's health all year long.
Why the Spring Vet Visit Matters
"Spring is an ideal time to schedule your horse’s annual vet checkup to make sure he’s in tip-top health for the busy riding season ahead," says Dr. Rae Birr, an equine veterinarian. The spring checkup assesses how your horse fared over the winter and sets him up for success as the weather warms.
"Many of us come out of cold temperatures into spring," Dr. Birr explains. "The internal parasites wake up inside our horses in the spring too, and it’s a prime time to reduce the parasite load for our horses and pastures."
Spring is also right before peak mosquito season in many areas. Many horse vaccines protect against diseases spread by mosquito bites.
"Vaccinating just before mosquito season gives the horses the best protection," notes Dr. Birr.
The specific timing of your spring horse health checkup depends on your region's climate. Year-round warmer areas may use different benchmarks to schedule annual vet visits. Your veterinarian can advise you on the ideal timing for your horse and location.
Topics Covered in the Spring Checkup
Your vet will assess multiple aspects of your horse's health and make recommendations to keep him happy and healthy through the upcoming riding season and beyond. Areas covered include:
- Vaccinations: Review which diseases your horse needs protection from.
- Deworming: Check for parasites and suggest a customized control plan.
- Overall health: Give your horse a head-to-hoof physical exam.
- Winter recovery: See how your horse fared over the colder months.
Let's explore what's involved in these checkup elements your vet will evaluate.
Vaccinate Your Horse Against Dangerous Diseases
Vaccinating your horse is like getting your own flu shot—it protects your four-legged friend against serious and potentially fatal diseases. Your vet will suggest the ideal vaccination plan based on your horse's lifestyle and risk factors.
The Core Vaccines All Horses Need
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) outlines core vaccines all horses should receive as a baseline:
- Rabies: Rabies is almost 100% fatal once symptoms appear. There is no cure.
- Tetanus: Tetanus bacteria live in the soil and can enter wounds. Tetanus attacks the nervous system.
- Encephalitis (Eastern and Western types): Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain caused by viruses spread by mosquitoes.
- West Nile Virus: West Nile is another mosquito-borne disease that affects the nervous system.
"Just as people get vaccinated to protect us from serious diseases, our horses can get a number of diseases that can be prevented or, at least, kept from being deadly," Dr. Birr explains. Getting these core vaccines is critical to safeguard your horse's health.
Added Protection as Needed
Depending on your horse's lifestyle and risk factors, your vet may suggest additional vaccinations for diseases such as:
- Equine influenza
- Equine rhinopneumonitis
- Strangles
- Potomac horse fever
- Botulism
"Will you go to shows? Will you go to a camp? Will you move to a different boarding barn?" asks Dr. Birr. "Additional vaccinations may be recommended."
Let your vet know how you plan to use your horse over the next year so she can determine if added protection makes sense. Horses who travel and mingle with other equines may benefit from extra vaccines.
Tailoring the Vaccine Plan to Your Horse
While most horses can handle their recommended vaccines, reactions are possible. "Some horses are allergic to a particular vaccine, or they might have an underlying issue like Cushing’s disease or laminitis that can make them not respond well to vaccinations," Dr. Birr explains.
Your vet will evaluate your horse as an individual and work with you to create a customized vaccine strategy that protects him while minimizing risks. She knows your horse's unique health status to suggest the ideal vaccination approach.
Control Parasites Through Smart Deworming
Internal parasites, commonly called worms, can damage your horse's system and drain his strength if left unchecked. That's why an effective deworming strategy is key.
"Intestinal parasites can cause damage to your horse’s digestive system and other parts of the body," warns Dr. Birr. Complications include:
- Weight loss
- Nutrient absorption problems
- Colic
Fortunately, most horses only need deworming treatment one or two times per year. Your vet will run tests and evaluate your individual horse's needs to put together the perfect parasite control plan.
Deworm Smarter, Not More
In the past, experts recommended deworming every four to eight weeks. But this actually backfired. “We now know that this procedure created super-worms that are resistant to our dewormers,” shares Dr. Birr. When overused, dewormers become ineffective.
Today’s approach is sustainable deworming customized to each horse. Through manure tests, your vet determines how prone your horse is to worms. She then suggests treatments timed strategically for maximum effect. This precise method keeps worms under control without creating resistance.
“Some horses will need more frequent deworming than others,” notes Dr. Birr. Work with your vet to tailor the ideal schedule for your horse.
Good Stable Hygiene Controls Parasites
Your deworming plan is just one piece of the puzzle. Proper stable and pasture management is critical to manage worms.
“In the end, deworming is just a part of good parasite control,” Dr. Birr states. “Picking up and safely disposing of manure from stalls, paddocks and pastures is an even bigger way to help control worms in your horse and where he lives. We can’t rely on dewormers to do it all!”
By pairing smart deworming treatment with robust stable hygiene practices, you set your horse up for health.
Assess How Your Horse Came Through Winter
A key aspect of the spring vet visit is an overall physical health assessment after the stresses of winter. Your vet will check everything stem to stern.
She’ll listen closely to your horse's heart and lungs for any underlying issues. Breathing sounds can hint at health conditions.
Checking your horse’s winter weight changes is also useful. Did he lose or gain dramatically? What does his body condition score look like heading into spring? The scoring system evaluates areas like your horse's neck, withers, shoulders, and hindquarters on a scale of 1 to 9 to assess fat deposits.
Monitoring weight guides nutrition adjustments and ensures your horse heads into riding season strong and energized. mus
Your vet will also evaluate your horse's dental health. Can he comfortably chew and digest feed? Dental troubles can cause behavior changes and weight loss. Assessment and treatment set your horse up for healthy eating.
"Additional vaccinations may be recommended," notes Dr. Birr. "It is rarely necessary to give horses every available vaccine, and sometimes [even] dangerous to give too many, so be sure to consult with your vet."
Your horse's hooves will get checked over too. Underlying issues like thrush must be treated now so your horse moves soundly and pain-free all year.
"Your vet can do tests on small amounts of manure and determine how well your horse can fight off worms," says Dr. Birr. "There are also tests to determine that a certain deworming treatment is working well."
Together with your vet, you can spot potential concerns early and take action for your horse's wellbeing. Consistent care now means you'll be out riding happy and healthy all season long.
Plan a Spring Tune-Up for Your Horse's Health
The spring vet checkup sets up your horse for success as the weather warms up. Schedule your visit about 4-6 weeks before your riding season kicks off. This gives time for vaccines to fully protect your horse before prime disease-carrying mosquito conditions hit.
Your vet will assess all aspects of your horse's health and offer tips to support wellness year-round. Be ready to discuss your typical riding and travel plans so she can make sure your horse has ideal disease protection.
Consistent spring checkups catch minor issues before they become major. They also give your vet insight into changes from year to year to tweak care plans accordingly. Investing in preventative care now pays off all season through happy rides with your thriving horse.