It is essential for every horse owner to know the disposition and the normal behavior of individual horses under their care and be able to identify when something is not right. Usually, subtle illness signs are easily missed, yet it is vital to detect any disease early enough.
Besides proper feeding and exercise, some aspects of routine health care are required to keep your horses active and healthy throughout their life. Learn the basic routine healthcare needed to keep horses healthy in this post.
Signs of ill health in horses.
As a horse keeper, it is crucial that you regularly monitor any signs of ill health, especially during grooming and feeding times. Common symptoms of the illness include diarrhea, loss of appetite, discharge from the eyes and nose, or coughing and sneezing.
Also, illness can manifest as pale, itchy areas on the body or loss of hair. Complications of the musculoskeletal system are usually seen as reluctance to move, lameness, or head bobbing. If the horse shows these signs for more than two days, it is advisable to bring a veterinary over for medical assessment.
Let’s see the routine healthcare for horses you need to know in the following section;
1. Vaccination.
Vaccination is an essential treatment factor in preventive medication in horses. Vaccinations are provided to boost the immune system against various infections prior to exposure to diseases. Most vaccines are regularly given to horses as the primary defense for serious infections, while others are given based on the locations and prevailing situations.
Consult your veterinarian for the appropriate vaccine for your horses based on the current situation and location. This process should be done with a qualified professional, or if you decide to do it yourself, ensure you are effectively trained.
2. Dental care.
Horse teeth develop and wear out throughout their lives. Sadly, they usually wear down irregularly, leading to edges, hooks, or sharp points that need to be “floated” or trimmed down. Equines require routine dental check-ups at least once every year.
The veterinarian will check inside the mouth for edges or sharp pointed teeth, trimming them using tools like sterilized nippers or files. In cases of hoof trimming, this procedure should be left to a trained professional only.
3. Parasite control.
Every animal that grazes on grass consumes parasites eggs available throughout the surrounding, and horses are not exempted. The real parasite problems for an individual horse depend on the number of horses in the grazing field, age, and size and quality of the pasture.
Horse parasites can cause several intestinal complications, including diarrhea, gastrointestinal upset, and potential colic. The common horse parasites include roundworms, stomach bots, pinworms, and tapeworms.
These worms can lead to blood loss, damage to the digestive tract, and interfere with nutrient absorption.
Usually, intestinal worms are ingested when the animals are grazing from eggs and larvae deposited on the top layer of the soil and grass. To help control parasite menace, all horses should be put on a deworming program consisting of either daily dewormer put on feeds or periodic deworming every 4 to 8 weeks.
It may be a good idea to submit samples of your horse’s feces to your veterinarian for a regular check-up of different types of parasites they may have.
4. Grooming.
Grooming is a significant part of routine horse maintenance. Daily currying and brushing help remove debris and dirt that allows the multiplication of bacteria. During this procedure, you can also assess the overall skin condition for bumps, sores, welts, or infections when they are in the initial stages where maintenance is easy.
Thorough currying is needed to remove dirt, and horses really enjoy it. Bound-up hair on the mane and tail should be untangled every ten to fourteen days for cleaning and brushing. Also, you can use equine shampoo to bathe horses; however, bathing should be minimized to avoid drying out of the coat and skin.
Horses should not be washed during winters since they need to dry to get enough heat to survive the cold seasons.
Conclusion.
Horses are great animals, and they need to be checked routinely for any illness for a longer lifespan. Routine healthcare management you need to observe as a horse keeper includes grooming, parasite control, dental care, and periodic vaccination.
