Basic Equine Care

Vickie Newell, DVM
Greystone Veterinary Service
PO Box 1451
Clemmons, NC 27012
(336) 724-4001

Feeding
Water
Grooming
Preventative Medicine
Farrier
Age Determination
First Aid Basics
First Aid Kit

Feeding is a critical aspect of horse care. When feeding your horse, you must take into consideration many factors: size, temperament, and amount of exercise. A horse that is stabled and exercised regularly will require additional concentrated feed as compared to a horse living on pasture. A horse has a remarkably small stomach, nature's intention being that he should have a small amount of food in him all the time, but never a lot at one time. As a result, the natural method is to eat a little at a time throughout most of the day and night. We should try and imitate nature with our own feed programs. Providing roughage, or hay, is a vital part of a feed program. A 1000-pound horse should consume 15-17.5 pounds of hay per day and this amount should be increased in cold weather. Salt is also essential for a healthy diet and should be provided 'free choice' throughout the year, especially in hot temperatures when electrolytes are lost during sweating.

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Water is also essential to proper horse care. Horses should have a constant supply of clean, fresh water available to them both in the stable and in pasture. On average, a horse should consume 5-10 gallons of water per day. During cold weather, horses should be encouraged to drink more water and this is accomplished by warming water to 45-65°F before offering to the horse.

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Grooming is one of the most important parts of the daily routine for a horse owner. While a good brushing is essential to maintain a bright and healthy coat, it is also the best time to inspect your horse for any injuries or detect any signs of sickness.

As you groom, there are a few simple things you can look at to get an idea of a horse's general health, including:
· Alert with ears 'pricking' forward and back
· Bright, shiny eye with salmon pink membranes
· Coat glossy and lying flat
· At rest, no visible signs of sweating except in very hot weather
· Easting well and chewing normally · Body well filled out but not grossly overweight
· Limbs free from swellings or heat (smooth and cool to the touch)
· Standing evenly on all four feet. Resting a hind (but not a fore) foot is normal

Horses should be curried and brushed vigorously every day to promote a healthy, shiny coat. You must also pick out their feet each day, to remove rocks and other debris that may lodge in the sensitive parts of the hoof. Keeping hooves picked out also prevents a condition known as thrush, which can lead to lameness.

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Preventative medicine involves the regular vaccination and check up of your horse by a veterinarian. The vaccination record included in the handout will help you manage your horse's vaccination and routine health checks.

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Farriers provide a very important service to the horse owner, as they are responsible for taking care of the horse's hooves. Shod or unshod, in order to stay sound, a horse should be seen by a farrier about every 4-6 weeks. In the unshod horse, the rate of hoof wear should equal the rate of growth. For horses who are shod, the hoof wall grows faster than it wears down because of the protection from the shoe. As a result, the shoes must be removed periodically to trim back the growing hoof wall.

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Age determination can be estimated by inspecting a horse's teeth. Horses' teeth age and wear at a very predictable rate over time. As a result, we can approximate a horse's age by examining the front teeth, or incisors. The upper corner incisor (UCI) is used most often to determine age.

Age categories:
· Under 5 years: This age group has a deciduous upper corner incisor from 8 months to 4 ½ years.
· 5-9 years: Age group 5-9 has a UCI that progressively changes from wider than tall to square.
· 10-14 years: Age group 10-14 has a UCI that is square to slightly taller than wide in shape.
· 15-20 years: Age category 15-20 has a UCI that is taller than wide.

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First aid basics:

Abrasions:
Mild: clean with water and a gentle soap, cover with furazone ointment, keep clear of crusts
Severe: clean with water and a gentle soap, apply furazone, petroleum jelly, or lanolin and bandage

Bleeding Wounds:
Rx: apply direct pressure with a pad of cloth or 4x4 gauze sponge, hold in place with Kling or a tight bandage.
If there is any leakage around the bandage, apply another layer of 4x4's and Kling, do not remove initial bandage. Do not use a tourniquet.

Colds: All respiratory infections are potentially contagious and are transmitted by direct contact, airborne secretions, and contaminated water troughs.
Rx: Isolate the horse with separate feed and water containers, allow for complete rest 7-10 days after all signs disappear, keep in draft free shelter, keep warm in cold weather, dampen hay and grain to decrease dust, do not feed from overhead mangers.

Colic:
Def: anything causing abdominal pain
Signs: lack of appetite, unusual behavior (such as biting at flank, kicking at the abdomen, lying down, rolling, anxious, pawing) sweating, increased pulse and respiratory rate, abnormal mucosal color and abnormal gut sounds.
Rx: Hot bran mash, keep calm and relaxed. If the horse will stand quietly, allow him to rest. If he is down and rolling, walk him. Try to get parameters, call veterinarian. If signs spontaneously resolve, decrease grain ration.

Lacerations:
Small and not deep: Clip hair, flush debris with a warm saline solution, was with betadine scrub, apply nitrofurazone
Deep (suturable): Clip hair, flush liberally with warm saline solution and betadine scrub. DO NOT apply any ointments, apply a light bandage to keep the area clean until the veterinarian arrives. Control bleeding as necessary. To minimize infection, wounds should be sutured within 6 hours. Tetanus protection necessary.

Sprains, strains, splints and bowed tendons:
Def: Involve a stretching with or without a partial rupture of ligaments or tendons, without a dislocation or fracture.
Rx: confine to stall, initially use cold water or ice packs, place support bandage on the affected leg and the opposite leg. Call your veterinarian for specific treatment.

Tying-up:
Signs: The back and loin muscles are very rigid and painful, sweating, stiffness behind when walking, mild colic signs, may have coffee colored urine.
Rx: Should be aimed at restoring electrolyte balance (add to drinking water), absolute rest. May be a symptom of a serious problem, consult your veterinarian.

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First aid kit:

· Mild surgical soap (Betadine)
· One pound roll of cotton for cleaning wounds
· Nitrofurazone powder or spray
· Nitrofurazone ointment
· Petroleum jelly
· SWAT cream to be used around wounds
· Antibiotic eye ointment
· Thrush medication
· 4 sheets of sheet cotton or other padding to be used under bandages
· 2 one-inch rolls adhesive or masking tape 4 four-inch Vetrap bandages
· Elasticon three-inch roll
· Mild linament or DMSO
· Small scissors to clip hair around wounds or to trim dead edges if the wound is not to be sutured
· Twitch
· 3x3 square gauze
· Telfa pads
· Kling 4-inch roll
· Epsom salts

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