The fact that you are reading this today means you probably weathered the arctic front that came through, even if you are a bit the worse for wear. I hope everyone was well prepared for the cold. I know I had some pipe heaters to keep my hydrants warm, tank heaters so my horses would drink, and a milk house heater to keep my pool house warm. I also kept hoses in the house so I could fill water tanks from the house when I had to. The old gelding got a waterproof blanket to help him stay warm, and everyone had shelter to get away from the wind. My broodmares and babies fluffed up like I’ve never seen before, and were happy as clams with their hay. They weren’t even bothered by having to trudge through the snow with ice balls in their feet. While the horses may not like the cold any more than we do, they can bear it just as well if not better. As long as they have shelter, plenty of hay, and warm water, horses do really well. Even if circumstances prevent us from making them as comfortable as WE’D like to be. Of course, coming from Minnesota, I felt right at home, even though I moved to Texas to get AWAY from the cold.
That being said, THANK GOODNESS spring seems to have finally arrived! With that being said, we need to start looking forward to preparing for the coming riding season. We want to keep our horses safe and healthy so we can enjoy the coming nice weather as much as possible.
Spring Vaccinations
The obvious thing to do at this time of year is to get your horses vaccinated. For horses that just stay home and don’t meet any other horses, this means getting a Core EQ vaccine, which protects them from Encephalitis, West Nile, Tetanus, and Rabies. For those horses that travel, or are around horses that travel, it’s smart to vaccinate for Influenza and Herpes, the respiratory diseases. This is the time of year that it’s smart to vaccinate because the mosquitoes and flies are just starting to come out, and we want to have protection through the WHOLE fly season. Remember, that while we don’t have established “protective” titers for all of the diseases, we do know that the amount of antibodies a horse produces to a vaccine starts to wane after about 7 months. So horses vaccinated in September of last year won’t necessarily be protected through the whole bug season. Horses that were vaccinated in the fall may want to consider getting boosters to make sure they are adequately protected. And don’t forget your Coggins test for travelling horses! Make sure your last Coggins test was done within the last year, and don’t forget your Health Certificate if you are crossing state lines. It’s better to have a certificate and not need it, then to get stopped and pay a huge fine for not having one!
Worming
As it starts to warm up, the intestinal parasites really start to bloom, just like the rest of the bug population. This time of year we want to start looking for macrolytic lactone dewormers, which include ivermectin and moxidectin. Just remember that moxidectin should NOT be used on ponies or mini horses, as they are more sensitive and may develop neurologic issues. If you really want some information on what your horse has and needs, doing a fecal (plus/minus a fecal egg count) before and two weeks after deworming can tell you how effective your parasite control is.
Dentistry
Don’t forget to have your horse’s teeth checked. Sharp points or broken teeth can have an effect on your ride, even if the bit doesn’t come in contact with the teeth. Mouth pain can show itself in many forms, not just dropping feed. Also, be sure to check your horses for weight loss as winter coats can hide ribs that are starting to show. Getting those teeth floated can help aid in chewing and digestion, and can keep your horse happier in the bridle.
Spring Grass
As the grass starts to turn green again, watch those overweight horses! Springtime is a major concern for overweight horses as the rising sugar content can lead to laminitis issues. NOBODY wants to deal with laminitis, so keeping overweight horses off the grass, or limiting their grass intake by using a dry lot or grazing muzzle can help prevent a painful and heartbreaking episode of laminitis. Even if your horses aren’t overweight, introducing them to grass gradually can help prevent gas colic in horses that haven’t had time to adjust their gut to the grass. Starting with just an hour or two on the grass, and increasing that time by an hour a week can help keep your horse’s guts happy throughout the green grass season.
Foot Abscesses
As usual, spring means rain, which means our poor horses are probably standing in mud more often than not. This predisposes them to foot abscesses, which are like little zits within the hoof capsule. These can be INCREDIBLY painful, because the hoof capsule doesn’t expand but the abscess does. Remember when you were a kid and slammed your finger in the car door? Pretty soon the bruise under the nail would get so painful you couldn’t bend your finger. The only thing that gave you relief would be to puncture the nail and let the pressure out. This same principle applies to foot abscesses. A zit starts growing in the hoof capsule, and once it gets big and painful enough, the horse starts to limp, and oftentimes it can be a significant one. The only way to relieve this pain is to get the abscess to rupture. We do this by giving anti-inflammatories like Bute, so the horse will put weight on the foot, and soaking the foot in warm water and Epsom salts to soften it. Softening the foot provides a path of least resistance for the abscess, and can shorten the time period that the horse is uncomfortable. If you aren’t sure how to treat an abscess, take a look at the Hayes Equine Facebook page, where there are videos on how to apply a soak boot or a foot bandage to keep the foot wet. Remember; DON’T use antibiotics before the abscess ruptures! Antibiotics will shrink an abscess but not cure it, which will ultimately make it take LONGER to rupture.
Check Trailers
Don’t forget to check your trailers before you head to that first trail ride or horse show! Nothing is more heartbreaking than getting to your destination and finding your horse has stuck a foot through a floorboard. So be sure to pull up your mats and check your floorboards for rot or damage that might weaken the boards. Check your lights and brakes to make sure they are fully functioning, and will stop a trailer in an emergency. Review how to properly hook up a trailer so that if something happens to the hitch, there are failsafes in place to help you stop safely. And check those tires to make sure they have enough tread to get through the year. Hot pavement is really hard on tires, and can cause blowouts as you’re travelling down the road.
Fly Prevention
Last but not least, spring brings on the bugs! As we all know, mosquitoes spread West Nile and Encephalitis, and flies spread EIA (what a Coggins test is for). Be sure to get your fly sheets purchased or cleaned and repaired for those horses that are extra sensitive to the bugs. And if your horse gets really itchy in the summer and has to take medication, now is the time to start! We want to get those histamines under control before they get started. Start thinking about what fly sprays you are going to use. Citronella products repel flies longer, while pyrethrin fly sprays kill flies for a short period of time. Leg bands or spot-ons can also be helpful in repelling pests and can be purchased now, before they are needed.
Conditioning
I think we’re all a little out of shape after the winter we’ve had. I know I am. Keep in mind that our horses are out of shape, as well. Come up with a gradual conditioning program that allows your horse to build muscle and strengthen tendons and ligaments without putting overmuch strain on them. Studies have shown that taking an out-of-shape horse and overworking it one time will actually reduce their immune system for a week or more. It’s much better to start with short lunging sessions and gradually making them longer, and then adding in riding time in short intervals that increase in length as the horse gains muscle. This can prevent injury or illness as spring progresses.
With a little extra forethought, we can all have an enjoyable spring where our horses are healthy enough for us to enjoy a little spring riding while the weather is nice. Call your veterinarian if you have any questions about spring prevention or want to schedule an appointment.
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