Posts Tagged ‘Vet’

Our vet thinks that my horse is part walking horse, but I have seen racking horses that look like mine. I love gaited horses and wondered if it was possible to teach her how to gait. Her coat looks chocolate colored and she has white on her stomach and legs. She also has a very smooth trot.

Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about horses that have been left neglected and starving due to gas prices, costs backyard breeding and other factors. As I thought of this, I realized that many people do not really sit and think about all that is involved in owning a horse. First of all, a horse is not a dog or a cat. You can not keep a horse in your house. A horse is generally kept in some sort of barn.

Second, there are completely different expenses with a horse. When your dog, cat, gerbil, hamster, or what have you gets sick, you put it in a carrying cage and take it to the vet. This is not the case with horses. Either the vet has to come to you and charges for a vet call or you have to load the horse into a trailer and truck the horse to the equine hospital. In order to do this, you must make sure you have certain supplies to be able to safely trailer the horse. You will need a lead rope, halter and probably a blanket to truck the horse. If you do not own your own trailer, you will have to pay someone to ship the horse to the veterinary clinic.

Third, There is certain protective equipment a horse needs which other animals don’t. Things such as leg wraps, fly masks, and protective boots just to name a few. Also, a horse needs to have his horses professionally done by a farrier. Many horses also need some sort of shoes whether they are weighed shoes or protective plates. Some horses need corrective shoeing. You can not clip a horse’s nails like you do a dog or cat. Now, you have a shoeing bill.

Further, when you walk your dog, you can wear whatever you want, however, this is not the case with riding or working a horse. You will have to have certain types of riding apparel to ride your horse. This includes boots, jods, gloves and protective helmets. All of these items are strictly for the protection of you and your horse. Again, there are other types of equipment that are necessary such as lunge lines, bitting rigs, bridles, carts etc. All of these things can get very costly.

These ideas are just food for thought when considering buying a horse. We did not cover the cost of feed, bedding and monthly board. I also did not cover costs incurred in breeding horses. Those will be covered at a later date. Before, you consider buying a horse, research very carefully all that is involved in the cost and care of owning a horse. Research at your local library, talk to people, and go to some local barns to get some general ideas.

Horse ownership is a very serious commitment as you can not take the horse to the local humane society if you decide it isn’t going to work out. Maybe if more people would take the time to really consider the true costs of owning a horse, there wouldn’t be so many horses starving and the need for so many rescue horse associations. We all love these animals, but owning a horse is a very serious decision and much thought should go into it.

Nina Kraus

Author: Nina Kraus
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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My horse is getting a wolf tooth out on Wednesday. I won’t be able to ride her Wednesday through Saturday; What is the usual amount of bitlessness after this procedure? Her dentist said 2 days, but her vet said closer to 6. In your experiences, how long are horses’ mouths tender after having teeth pulled? Thanks.

My horse has been diagnosed with mild osteoarthiritis and degenerative joint disease in his right stifle. The vet recommended additional screening at a surgical clinic and starting him on bute and cosequin ASU. I need to call the vet and get further clarification on her recommendations. Does anyone have experience with this, and had any luck with supplements, remedies, shots that helped. Will I be able to ride him again? He is an 18 year old thoroughbred. thanks!

There are great pleasures in owning horses and there are some not so pleasant chores that need to be done. Some people opt to have their veterinarians handle the chore of sheath/udder cleaning, which is fine. However, you need to make sure your horse is taught to accept the cleaning process before the vet arrives. Most mare owners decide to take on udder cleaning themselves, as udders are simple to maintain. Alternately, gelding owners can have a more daunting task.

You may want the veterinarian to start you out or at least give you guidelines on sheath cleaning such as the frequency, best cleanser to use or tricks he may have to make this job and maintenance between cleanings easier. If you wonder about the importance of such a task, I have heard stories of horses that have gotten urinary infections, maggot infestations, and sheath infections from neglect. Therefore, it may seem tedious, but it can save you a lot of real agony if you let it go unchecked.

If you have already tried this task to no avail then try these exercises to get your horse accepting the procedure. You will want to take your horse to an enclosed area, such as a round pen or arena. You can stay in his stall if it is free of any protrusions that your horse could get hurt on. What you are going to do is sack out your horse with your hand. You can do this with the halter on if you feel you have enough control or a bridle with a full cheek snaffle and continuous rope reins if you need more control.

Start by approaching your horse and rubbing his face and then walk away making a ‘V’ shape in front of him. Turn back around and have your horse take at least one step toward you. Continue this approach and retreat technique continuing down your horses’ sides. When you get to and beyond the horse’s shoulder, you should keep the horse’s head facing the same side you are on. This way if the horse tries to kick you can bring his nose toward you with the lead rope or rein and that will take his hip away from you. Alternate sides and go over every inch of your horses’ body, saving the problem area for last. Always keep yourself in a safe position to avoid being kicked if your horse should have a strong reaction.

If you find other places your horse is not comfortable with you touching, you will want to stay working on that point until he is. You will run your hand over the area as quickly as you can without frightening the horse, but fast enough that your hand is gone before the horse reacts. Then you will gradually slow your hand down on each approach until the horse is good with your hand resting on the spot. If you cannot get to the spot then run your hand to the point you think he will leave and take your hand off just before that. Then gradually get closer each approach.

When your horse is comfortable with being touched everywhere but the sheath/udder area, you are ready to start working this area. You will treat it the same way as you did the rest of the horse but with extreme caution as you will be an easy target for kicking. If your horse is a bad kicker, you will want to work on more exercises that address the kicking before continuing with this exercise.

We will start on the left side of the horse. You will take the rein/lead in your left hand and as much as possible, keep your body by the horse’s shoulder as if to mount. This will keep you the safest if the horse decides to kick out to the side. You will bring your horses’ head as much to the left with the left hand as you can without the horse stepping to the right with its hip. You will then take your right hand, begin sacking out the belly area, and work back to the sheath/udder. Do not try to leave your hand there if the horse is not comfortable. Do as before and take your hand away before the horse reacts and slowly build up the amount of time you leave your hand at the sheath/udder.

When the horse is comfortable with your hand, you can introduce the water. Make sure it is warm water to start; we do not want to surprise the horse with cold water at this point. If you will be using gloves and sponge, introduce these as you did your hand. Never assume the horse will be good with them because he was good with your hand. Always keep yourself in a safe position when introducing something new. For the sheath, you will want to introduce the water to the inside and outside of the sheath. Some horses will be fine until you try to clean the inside so be sure to keep the horses’ head to the side you are on and keep yourself up by the shoulder as much as possible.

When the horse is comfortable with being touched in this area by water and your hand, you can either continue and complete the washing lessons or leave the rest to the veterinarian. If you choose to clean your horses’ sheath, it may be a good idea to have your vet go over all the details and possibly show you how to get the sheath completely clean.

When the horse accepts the water, you can introduce the cleanser. Again, do not just dive in; only do as much at one time as the horse is comfortable with adding a little more each time. As soon as your horse understands you are not going to hurt him, he should relax. There are many good sheath-cleaning products on the market or you can simply cover your gloved hand with baby oil and slowly work your way into the sheath applying the oil liberally as you go. The baby oil will help loosen any caked on dirt and debris and can be left without washing off. Alternatively, you can allow it to set for a few minutes then use a bucket of warm water and sheath cleaner to wash it out. Then get a bucket or hose with warm water and rinse it well. Be sure to purchase a cleanser that will not irritate the horse if you cannot get it completely rinsed.

Whether you take on the task yourself or call the veterinarian, it is you responsibility to learn how often your horse needs to be cleaned. Each horse is different but try to have it done at least four times a year; some need it done once a month. If you will provide your horse with this service you will not only add to his comfort and health, you will also have a happier partner.

Jodi Wilson is a recognized authority on the subject of horse training and has spent almost 30 years developing training techniques and solutions for horse owners no matter the discipline or breed.

Jodi is an Accredited Josh Lyons trainer, and is Certified in John Lyons training techniques. Her website, http://Jodi-Wilson.com, provides a wealth of information to improve the relationship between horse and rider. Jodi is also available for clinics and demonstrations as well as lessons, apprenticeships, and horse training.

Jodi has trained and competed in Reining, Sorting, Jumping, Dressage, English and Western Pleasure, Trail and Problem Solving.

Author: Jodi M Wilson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: PCB Prototype & Manufacturing

My friend trains show jumping horses. Recently he has discovered his top horse wasn’t eating at all. He figured it out after a while the horse had been eating nothing but leaves from a adjoining field. He wont eat anything now expect leaves and refuses a horses normal diet.He gets violent if you refuse him leaves.The vet says he wont last long but he’s still with us.

I’ve been wanting to buy a horse for ages now. I am going to spend a bout a year and try to get my money situated and stuff, but in the mean time I am looking at the options and what to expect with horse ownership. I’d like to know about the vaccines and stuff like that. There are allot of draft horses I want. What beautiful animals! I know I will need to have a vet check the horse out.

I’m trying to save up for a miniature horse. What I’m planning on doing is I know lots of 5 to 8 year olds and I would let them ride my pony and it would cost 10$ for a half an hour. So how much will a miniature horse cost per year? That includes vet, farrier, tack, grooming supplies, etc.

PS
I live in washington so will that affect the cost?