Equine Health Management: Vaccinations, Parasite Control, and Behavior

Vaccination

Important prevent medicine that stimulates the immune system against infection before exposure of disease.

Foal born to a vaccinated mare

Protected against the most infectious diseases for up to 6 months, so long as the foal consumed the antibody-rich mother's milk.

Maternal immunity

Vaccination should be delayed until maternal immunity has weaned.

Tetanus

Bacterial infection that attacks CNS à lockjaw (tighten muscles)

Encephalomyelitis

Viral infections carried by mosquitoes à inflammation of the CNS

Equine Viral rhinopneumonitis

Infectious herpesvirus à respiratory disease

Influenza

Viral respiratory infection

Potomac Horse Fever

Bacterial disease that is multi-systemic

Rabies

Viral infections

Rotavirus

Viral diarrhea

Strangles

Bacterial infection of the throat

West Nile Virus

Viral infections carried by mosquitos

Strongyles

Anemia, dry coat, diarrhea, general loss of condition

Roundworms

Loss of condition, bowel problems, injury to the lungs

Pinworms

Horse rubs its tail, irritation around the anus, discharge & worms around the anus

Bots

Loss of condition, abdominal pain from large numbers of bots in the gut; diarrhea or constipation

Dental care

Equine teeth grow and wear down throughout life

Floating

Process of filing down sharp edges & uneven surfaces on their teeth to improve chewing & efficiency

Farriers

Specialist in equine hoof care

Vision

Primary detector of danger in horses; poor color vision; can differentiate blue, red, gray.

Hearing

Detect sounds, determine location of the sounds, sensory information.

Tactile sensation

Horses are extremely sensitive.

Horse tail signals

High - alert or excited; Low - sign of exhaustion, fear, pain or submission.

Horse leg signals

Pawing - frustrated; One front leg lifted - mild threat.

Facial expression signals

Snapping - foals showing submission to an older horse.

Horse ears signals

Neutral - ears are held loosely, openings facing forward or outward.

Weaving

Horse stands by the stall door & rhythmically shifts its weight back & forth on its front legs while swinging its head.

Cribbing

Horse bites onto a fixed surface, arches his neck & sucks in air, making a grunting noise à release endorphins.

Walk

4-beat gait, slow, natural flat-footed; Average: 7km per hour.

Trot

2-beat gait, moving its legs in unison in diagonal pairs; Averages: 13km per hour.

Canter (Lope)

Controlled 3-beat gait; Average: 16-27km per hour.

Gallop

Faster, more ground-covering, 3-beat canter; Average: 40-48km per hour.

Pace

Lateral two-beat gait.

Foxtrot

4-beat diagonal gait; Front foot of the diagonal pair lands before the hind.

Paso-fino

Range of smooth intermediate lateral ambling gaits.

Rack or Racking

Lateral gait associated with 5-gaited American Saddlebred.

Running walk

4-beat lateral gait with footfalls in the same sequence as the regular walk.