Horse health library

Horse Transport: Protecting Respiratory Health

A healthy arrival begins before loading and continues after the engine stops. Plan the journey and hand useful observations to the veterinarian without premature reassurance.

Choke in horses: warning signs and prevention

A cough during a meal or feed at the nostrils deserves immediate attention. A practical guide to early recognition, veterinary communication and safer feeding.

Equine Asthma: When Stable Dust Burdens Breathing

A horse’s cough needs interpretation, and its environment needs review. Recognise signs, reduce dust and support veterinary care.

MSD Veterinary Manual · AAEP

New arrival: 21 days before mixing

Keep every new horse in a separate area for 21 days. Monitor temperature, appetite, coughing, nasal discharge and diarrhoea. Use dedicated buckets and grooming equipment, handle resident horses first, and wash hands and clean or change footwear and clothing before leaving the isolation area. UC Davis recommends a 21-day quarantine for new arrivals, while AAEP guidance stresses a written isolation and outbreak-response plan. If illness appears, maintain isolation and ask your veterinarian which tests are needed and when the horse can safely leave quarantine.

Trusted references: UC Davis · AAEP

Horse Hooves: Daily Checks and Timely Professional Care

Gently lift each hoof and remove dirt and stones. Watch for cracks, unusual odour or sensitivity, and agree an appropriate trimming schedule with your farrier. Seek veterinary advice if sudden lameness or clear pain appears.

Forage first

Hay or pasture forms the base of the diet. Most healthy adult horses eat about 1.5–2.5% of their body weight in forage each day. For a 500 kg horse this is roughly 7.5–12.5 kg, adjusted for forage quality and the individual horse.

Horse Water: Measure Intake Before Dehydration

Keep clean water available and check and clean troughs, especially in heat or during work. Water requirements rise with heat and sweating, so do not use one fixed amount for every horse.

Introduce new feed gradually

Avoid abrupt changes in hay or concentrates. Monitor weight and body condition and adjust the ration for work, pregnancy and age. Horses with health problems may need a specialised diet.

Signs of colic

Repeatedly looking at the flank, rolling, reduced manure and refusing feed can be signs of colic. Contact a veterinarian promptly, especially if pain is severe or recurring. Treatment depends on a clinical examination.

Cool the horse and call the vet

If the horse becomes lethargic, breathes heavily or moves abnormally after work in the heat, stop exercise, move it to shade, cool with water, provide ventilation and drinking water, and call a veterinarian if signs persist or are severe.

Vaccines, parasites and teeth

Plan vaccination with your veterinarian according to local disease risks and travel. Arrange appropriate parasite control and regular dental checks. Repeated indiscriminate deworming is not advised; assessment differs between horses and yards.

Early lameness: when should training stop?

One uneven step is not a diagnosis, yet a repeated change during work deserves attention. A calm framework for observation, documentation and timely veterinary assessment.