Category: Health

Internal parasites are small organisms that live a portion of their life cycle in a host animal. They live in internal organs, body cavities, and tissues while gaining their nutritive source by feeding on the host animal. The horse is affected by many different species of parasites. The nature and extent of damage varies with the parasite.

Parasite infestation causes loss of nutrients or blood from the host, resulting in serious medical problems. Horses heavily burdened with parasites will have …

Proper Way to Bandage the Forearm

Wounds on a horse’s forearm are difficult to bandage because of the forearm’s shape. The tapering of the forearm will cause the bandage to slip off.

Numbers correspond to leg drawings above. Note all hand positions.

1. Make sure the leg is cleaned, dried, and ready for routine dressing.
2. Apply two or three long strips of adhesive tape vertically;
3. Apply medicated gauze pad and wrap with flexible bandage such as Kling Gauze, starting in the

Proper Way to Bandage a Knee

It is more difficult to apply bandaging over the knees and hocks. Care must be taken to not place pressure on the bony prominences located just under the skin of these joints. Otherwise the horse will have bandage sores.

Numbers correspond to leg drawings above. Note all hand positions.

1) Apply medicated gauze pad, and take two or three wraps with flexible wrap such as Kling Gauze above the knee.
2-5) Wrap a figure …

Proper Way to Bandage a Hock 

It is more difficult to apply bandaging over the knees and hocks. Care must be taken to not place pressure on the bony prominences located just under the skin of these joints. Otherwise the horse will have bandage sores.

Do not cover the point of the hock and the bony protrusion on the inside of the leg right above the hock.
Numbers correspond to leg drawings above. Note all hand positions.
1) Apply medicated …

Wounds require immediate attention and first aid treatment. The seriousness of a wound depends on the location, depth, type of cut or tear, amount of tissue damaged, and type of tissue affected. Serious wounds should be treated by a veterinarian. All cuts and tears should be cleaned thoroughly and all …

What is an ectoparasite? An ectoparasite is a parasite that lives on the skin surface of an animal–in this case, the horse. The primary ectoparasites of horses are houseflies, stable flies, mosquitoes, and, to a lesser extent, horse and deer flies.

Housefly 

The common housefly (Musca domestica) is by far the most common pest for horses. Houseflies are a nuisance as well as carriers of disease to humans and horses. A housefly in two weeks time may lay more than …

Equine Vital Signs

Temperature, pulse, and respiration ( TPR) are the basic physiological parameters every horse owner or care provider should know if he or she wants to take proper care of a horse. These three vital signs are very important and can greatly help you and your veterinarian when you think your horse might be sick. Just knowing the normal values for these three vital signs can provide great insight about your horse’s physiological state.

There is a plethora of commercially available protective shipping gear for equine legs– everything from a simple fabric-fastening wrap for the cannon bone area to a full-length leg cover that is molded to go over the hock or knee. The individual horse’s needs should be taken into account before choosing which type to use.

Commercial “pillow” or “quilted” wraps that are the appropriate length for the leg and provide thick padding are most commonly used for shipping. The material should …

The standing bandage is used on many performance horses during performances or for standing for half or all of a day. The wrap should be snug, clean, and wrinkle-free.

The main functions of standing bandages are to provide protection and support and to cover various leg sweats, paints, liniments, or poultices. The support can help reduce any “stocking up” or wind puffs, but the actual support that is provided to the tendons and other leg structures is not as much …

How to vaccinate

Giving an injection for the first time can be a little nerve-racking, but with practice it gets easier. Horses feel far less pain then humans do from shots. Most vaccines are given intramuscularly (IM) in the neck or hip. Injections can also be given subcutaneously (SQ) or intravenously (IV). Subcutaneous injections are given under the skin but not in the muscle. Intravenous injections are given directly into a vein.

In preparation to administer an injection, do the …