Running Free - A Wild Horse Tale

First Horse - Module 3

Module 3 - Horse Health

Veterinarian (a.k.a. Vet)

A veterinarian is like your family practice doctor, but for your horse. They oversee the general health management of your horse. They provide routine vaccinations, dental care, and care for your horse when they are sick or injured. There are specialist veterinarians, and veterinary hospitals for horses as well.

Regular Health Checks

General health maintenance on a horse includes regular health checks by your vet. During these checks the vet will check the teeth, check vital signs, and administer any required vaccinations.

Routine vaccinations typically occur in the spring and fall, and are called Spring Shots and Fall Shots. Spring and Fall Shots vary by region, so you should check with your vet as to what is required for your area. West Nile Vaccine (WNV) is also administered on a routine basis once the initial shot and booster have been given. WNV is typically given in the spring, around April, with the onset of mosquito season based on where you live. Another WNV can be given in August if the mosquito population is deemed to be high.

Deworming is another regular health check. This can also be administered by your vet, but you can actually do it yourself. Deworming is ridding your horse of unwanted internal parasites, which if left untreated can be fatal. The average dewormer is a paste in a tube, and is given every three months or so. To ensure parasite resistance does not increase, it is highly recommended to rotate the three types of deworming active ingredients. There are many brands of dewormers, but only three categories of parasite killing agents.

Farrier

A farrier is a person who trims and puts shoes on horses. The horse's hoof is very similar to your fingernail or toenail. It is constantly growing and needs to be trimmed at regular intervals. This interval is typically every six to eight weeks, but it depends on how fast your horse's hoof grows and the environmental conditions of where your horse lives. The excess hoof is trimmed off by the farrier. Horses in the wild move around enough to wear their hooves down, but domestic horses do not. If a horse's hooves are not trimmed at regular intervals they can become overgrown and curl, or even split; which causes stress and discomfort and even permanent lameness (unable to walk normally).

Most horse owners shoe their horses. The purpose of shoes is to protect the hoof from the wear and tear of workload and poor environmental conditions. It is recommended to shoe your horse during the riding season (spring, summer, and fall) and then allow them to go "barefoot" in the winter, when riding is decreased due to the weather.