What Routine Care Do Horses Need?!
Horses are big, does this mean their bills are bigger too? What do you even need to DO for a horse, other than call the vet when it’s hurt or sick?
Well, first off, definitely call your vet with any health concerns! Other than that, there are standard routine things that we take care of for our herd, and our own personal horses as well. What routine care do horses need? Let’s jump in!
1. Vet Care
Non-emergency vet care is important! Every year, horses need to get their yearly shots done and their coggins pulled. Yearly shots differ depending on the horses age, but the standard run for an adult horse includes RHINO, West Nile, and Strangles, to name a few. Other shots may be more standard in places where certain diseases tend to be more prevalent. Blood is also drawn yearly for their coggins, which is a very important sheet of paper! Also a proof of ownership, and a requirement in order to travel anywhere with your horse, the coggins has pictures of the horse (originally the vets had to draw the horses markings BY HAND, now they take pictures!), the horses owners name and address, as well as the address the horse is kept. With the pictures, the coggins also has a description of the horse including name, age, breed, color, and markings. The coggins is also proof that the horse is negative for Equine Infectious Anemia, which is a deadly virus that is easily transferred from horse to horse through blood (biting flies, mosquitos) . Unfortunately, in the very rare and unlikely case of a positive coggins, the horse must either be euthanized or remain in isolation for the rest of it’s life. The good news is, this virus is very well under control, and a positive coggins is pretty rare these days!
Eclipse is a perfect gentleman while he gets his yearly shots and coggins. These are vet tech students, who did the horses annual visit under the guidance of a vet!
Here is Jenny getting her teeth floated, while Jagger watches and waits for his turn!
2. Dentist
Just like people, horses need routine dental care too! When horses get a good cleaning, it’s called getting their teeth “floated”. Horses need their teeth floated annually, because their upper jaw is wider than their lower jaw, which causes their teeth to wear unevenly. This can cause sharp edges, hooks, and ridges in their teeth and can cause cuts and sores in the horses mouth, leading to difficulty eating, among other issues. When a horse gets their teeth floated, their dentist will file down the teeth to make them even again, and get rid of the sharp edges and hooks.
3. Hoof Care
Every 4-8 weeks, a horse needs a hoof trim! 4-6 weeks is the average time for a horse with shoes, but a barefoot horse can go up to 8 weeks. Horses hooves continually grow, like our finger nails. The farrier comes out and trims and files the hoof. In the wild, horses hooves wear naturally as they walk around, but, for our domesticated friends, they don’t naturally wear the same since domesticated horses live in pastures and stalls, and are ridden on different terrains. If a horse needs shoes, the farrier nails on new ones after the trim. Farriers can also do corrective shoeing and trimming, if a horse has any hoof problems that need resolved.
Buddy stands patiently while he gets a hoof trim!
There you have it, friends! Another look around while we walk the fence-lines together, looking into some of our routine horse care to keep everyone happy and healthy!