Equine Health Care
H
aving your horse examined and treated by a trusted
veterinarian is an obligatory part of horse owner-
ship. Horses require routine de-worming and vac-
cinations to remain healthy, boost their immune systems,
and fight off disease. Unfortunately, disease prevention
doesn’t come cheap. Struggling horse owners often view
skipping a vaccine or de-wormer here and there as an easy
way to save a few bucks, but this is one aspect of horse care
you just can’t ignore. Think of it this way: It’s going to be
far less expensive to protect your horse with vaccinations
than to treat the disease itself, or worse, lose the horse.
Get to know your vet
Establish a good working relationship with your vet-
erinarian and make sure he or she is well-informed about
your horses and your financial status. Your vet can then
better determine which vaccinations are appropriate for
your horse, and the limits of your pocketbook in case of an
emergency. If your vet doesn’t know what you can handle
financially, he or she won’t be able to help you make smart
decisions and save money on your horse’s care. As life-
long journalist and horseman Les Sellnow told The Horse,
“Economics and emotions mix when there is an emergen-
cy. This is why it is good to sit down with your veterinarian
in advance and decide the limits of your expenses.”
Educate yourself and plan ahead for the costs of certain
emergency procedures, such as colic surgery, which can
run up a bill of $5,000 to $10,000. Determine whether sur-
gery is even going to be an option in an emergency, before
your emotions take precedence over your bank account.
“If the horse in question is a valuable stallion, brood-
mare, or performance horse, the decision might be an easy
one — do the surgery,” said Sellnow. “But, what about that
trail horse that you bought for $2,500 last year? Can you
justify expenses that might reach $5,000 before all is said
and done? Sometimes the answer is no. And rather than
allowing the horse to suffer during a period of indecision,
it is best to have decided beforehand what the process will
be — surgery or euthanasia.”
Once your veterinarian is familiar with you and your
horse, he or she can also recommend vaccinations that are
1
absolutely necessary in your region or for your horse’s
activity level, and identify those you can do without. Ul-
timately, your vet is going to be your most important re-
source. There should be nothing wrong with sitting down
with him or her and saying up front, “This is where I am
financially, what can I do to spend less? Is this something
my horse absolutely needs?” Equine vets see so many cli-
ents on a daily basis, they may not automatically think to
suggest cutting something out or using a less expensive
product if what they’ve been doing works.
vaccines
Vaccinations will generally set you back anywhere from
$300 to $600 per horse each year, depending on where you
live and how your horse is used. There are various ways
you can try to shave off some of the costs, but approach
with caution, as your horse’s health is not to be taken light-
ly. As a rule, always consult with your veterinarian before
making major decisions about or changes to your horse’s
vaccinations.
Vaccinations vary by geography, number of horses,
amount of travel, and the horse’s purpose. For example,
horses that never leave the farm won’t require as many vac-
cines as competition or breeding horses. Educate yourself
and talk to your vet to find out which diseases are not prev-
alent in your area or that don’t have a good cure rate. You
may find there’s no sense paying to vaccinate your horse
for something it will not be exposed to or cured of any-
way. Vaccinations considered mandatory by veterinarians
are those for rabies, tetanus, Eastern and Western equine
encephalomyelitis, and West Nile virus, but that doesn’t
mean you should skip out on others.
“Potomac horse fever, for instance, varies by geography
and is a late summer/fall disease, so you would want to
 E Q U I N E H E A LT H C A R E
target vaccines for mid-summer to afford the best protec-
tion — there’s no point in vaccinating against the disease in
January,” advises Dr. Christina Cable, equine veterinarian
in Lansing, New York. “The strangles vaccination depends
on your horse’s travel plans and exposure to other horses.
Influenza and rhinopneumonitis are also a must for young
horses (less than five years) if they will be exposed to other
horses via travel. Older, mature horses that do not travel or
are in a closed herd may be able to skip vaccination against
Influenza and rhinopneumonitis.”
Other regional diseases that may not always require vac-
cination are botulism, anthrax, and equine viral arteritis.
Although tetanus is considered to be mandatory, some
vets find it acceptable to administer the vaccine every few
years, with a booster if your horse is found with an open
wound. The American Association of Equine Practitioners
provides useful guidelines and lists of both strongly recom-
mended and risk-based vaccines on its Web site, aaep.org/
vaccination_guidelines.htm. But ultimately, the best way
to determine what you can or cannot cut out of your horse’s
vaccination program is to discuss it with your vet.
Paula Hitzler, manager of the Horse Teaching and Re-
search Center at Michigan State University, oversees the
care of nearly 100 horses. To stay within her prescribed an-
nual budget, she evaluates the necessity of each and every
vaccine.
Anne M. Eberhardt
Your horse may not require some risk-based vaccines.
“I have to be conscious of how much I’m spending and
if I’m getting my money’s worth from a disease control
perspective,” she says. “I try to keep on top of the latest
2
in research — if something is effective that I should start
using or if a disease is becoming a bigger problem in our
area — so I know where I can cut back or expand.”
Hitzler also adds that she doesn’t spend the money to
vaccinate against diseases such as equine protozoal my-
eloencephalitis (EPM), for which a vaccination has not yet
been proven highly effective.
In some cases horse owners save money by taking on
veterinary duties, such as vaccinating, themselves. But this
should only be done under the guidance and direction of a
veterinarian. “Work up a management plan with your vet
that allows you to do as much as you are comfortable with
and have the vet help you gain confidence with new as-
pects, such as administering prescribed injectibles,” advises
Dr. Patricia A. Evans, extension equine specialist at Utah
State University. And if you choose to go the do-it-yourself
route, you MUST pay heed to proper storage and handling
instructions, such as whether to refrigerate or when to use
by, lest the vaccine become inactive or even harmful.
You may also try purchasing your own vaccines at a
lower price than you might pay for the veterinarian to sup-
ply them. Search reputable dealers and trusted Web sites
such as Country Supply or Valley Vet for deals, and if you
are caring for multiple horses or can team up with other
owners, reduce costs by buying in bulk. If you do find a
lower price than what your vet offers, see if he or she will
match it. Also, always ask if generic medications or sup-
plies are available, as those will cost less than brand name
products.
De-worming
De-worming lowers your horse’s parasite burden and
increases your horse’s health and longevity. It reduces the
risk of colic, anemia, and respiratory problems. In short,
it’s another area in which horse owners can’t cut too many
monetary corners. De-worming programs will vary with
horses of different age and lifestyle, but they typically need
to be administered once every eight weeks.
“Most horses should be de-wormed every two months,”
says Cable, “but foals may need to be de-wormed every
month depending on the farm’s parasite burden. Older, ma-
ture horses in a large pasture may be de-wormed less often.
Talk to your veterinarian about each horse’s de-worming
history and the farm’s risk.”
To reduce unnecessary spending on de-wormers, use a
fecal test to determine which horses need treatment for
 E Q U I N E H E A LT H C A R E
which parasites. This approach is becoming increasingly
popular as some parasites are developing a resistance to
de-wormer. Fecal tests run from $10 to $15 and will iden-
tify which horses have higher populations of a parasite, and
therefore should be de-wormed more often. Horses with
lower parasite populations can be de-wormed with less
frequency, saving you money. It’s impossible to remove
parasites completely from your horse’s environment, but if
a fecal test is performed and no parasite eggs are detected,
the horse may not need to be de-wormed, but continue to
be tested on a regular basis.
Purchasing or administering de-wormer yourself may
also provide more financial flexibility. “Everything the vet
uses a horse owner can get online, so there is no need to
have the vet de-worm your horse for you,” says Dr. Kari De
Leeuw, an equine veterinarian in Moss Beach, California.
“Do use trusted brands, because de-wormer is a poison and
you want a reliable company that would take responsibility
if something went wrong.” As with any product, check to
see if the generic brand is available from a reputable dealer,
and buy in bulk. Partner with other small farm or horse
owners to share in the purchase. If you are treating multiple
horses, but shelling out several hundred dollars to buy in
bulk is still a financial burden, consider buying one tube of
de-wormer at a time over the course of a couple months,
saving them until it’s time to de-worm all the horses.
De-worming can get pretty complex once you factor
in various treatment methods, different parasite strains,
and drug resistance. Talk to your veterinarian about your
options, but keep in mind that fast rotation interval de-
worming — alternating classes of de-wormers throughout
Anne M. Eberhardt
the year — will likely cost more than annual rotation or
no rotation. Daily de-worming is cost-effective if treating
a herd with a heavy parasite burden, but the jury is still
out on whether it’s generally the most practical method.
Many horse owners swear by their daily de-wormer, but
veterinarians recommend at least one annual treatment to
go along with it and regular fecal tests to check for effec-
tiveness and signs of resistance. Over time, those costs are
going to add up.
veterinary Visits
Whether your horse is getting vaccinated, having a year-
ly examination, or being treated for illness or injury, you’re
going to rack up some routine expenses. There are a few
ways to reduce those costs, however, without cutting back
3
on your horse’s care.
Generally, most veterinarians have farm call and mileage
charges to travel to treat your horse. If you own or have ac-
cess to a trailer, consider whether the cost of transporting
the horse to the vet will be less than what you would spend
for a farm call. Furthermore, it makes for a happier vet, as
it will save his or her time and effort. Some vets even offer
discounts if you come to them. Do be rational, however,
about what qualifies as an emergency, and whether it can
wait to be taken care of during normal business hours, as
after hour visits often cost more.
Another money-saving practice that many small farm
owners have adopted is that of forming a cooperative with
similar horse owners. “At certain times of the year, owners
with only one or two horses might trailer their horses to one
central location to meet the veterinarian for routine shots
and de-worming,” says Sellnow. “It is a win-win situation.
It will be cheaper to trailer the horse for a few miles than
to pay the farm charge plus mileage to each place. The vet
also wins because he or she can deal with a larger number
Share veterinary fees by forming a cooperative.
of horses at one time and not be saddled with empty travel
time.” This allows you to reduce and share routine charges,
and is ultimately less time-consuming, labor-intensive, and
costly for all involved. If you live near a large training or
boarding facility, find out when the veterinarian does farm
calls there and ask if you can trailer over for vaccines or
treatment on that day.
And finally, when a vet is vaccinating your horse, don’t
be afraid to kill two birds with one stone. Ask him or her to
 E Q U I N E H E A LT H C A R E
perform a quick visual health check, and discuss any other
problems or abnormalities you have recently noticed. The
tough reality is you can’t afford to cut many corners when
it comes to your horse’s health, so make the most of every
exam.
Hoof care
No foot, no horse. It’s a familiar mantra, and one to be
taken literally. Hoof care is another fundamental aspect of
horse ownership where very few corners can be cut. If a
1,200-pound horse is expected to get by on four spindly
legs and fist-sized feet, those tootsies better be in top form.
You can save money, however, by consulting with your far-
rier and educating yourself about your horse’s needs.
As important a cost-saving measure as any is finding
a knowledgeable and trustworthy farrier — because the
lowest-priced will not always be the least expensive in the
scheme of things. Saving money is often more about think-
ing ahead than in the now. Ask your veterinarian for recom-
mendations, talk to trainers and owners you respect, even
take a look at horses shod by a farrier you’re considering.
(Farriers who have obtained voluntary certification through
the American Farriers’s Association have demonstrated a
commitment to their trade and continuing education. A list
Anne M. Eberhardt
Your farrier can tell you if trimming intervals may be
extended during parts of the year.
of these farriers can be found on the AFA’s website: www.
americanfarriers.org.) Spending money on the best farrier
will keep your horse sound and his feet in good shape. If
your money is only buying you a half-decent job, then your
horse’s feet are most likely going to be unbalanced. And
4
the more out-of-balance the feet, the more muscular and
skeletal problems and stress you’re going to encounter on
joints, ligaments, and tendons. Costly physical problems
could snowball, and before you know it your horse needs
a chiropractor, veterinary visits, gel pads … the list goes
on. Educate yourself to differentiate between good and bad
trimming or shoeing before problems arise. The American
Farrier’s Association (www.americanfarriers.org) provides
quality educational literature on hoof care.
Make sure you communicate with your farrier and de-
vise a plan for your horse’s feet based upon the horse’s use,
conformation, environment, and any pre-existing prob-
lems. Horses typically need their hooves trimmed every
four to eight weeks, which is a timespan you should adhere
to. Trying to stretch your dollars by stretching out intervals
between trimmings is unwise, as the resulting chips and
cracks in your horse’s feet will be more costly to correct,
not to mention problems caused by lost or twisted shoes.
“A host of variables come into play and effect hoof
growth: nutrition, environment, usage, and climate are at
the top of the list,” says Danvers Child, AFA Certified Jour-
neyman Farrier and editor of Professional Farrier maga-
zine. “As these variables fluctuate, your horse may benefit
from a shortened or extended maintenance cycle. So, rather
than automatically scheduling your farrier for a six-week
return visit, you’re better off to ask about scheduling. De-
pending on the conditions and the time of year, you may
find that your horse needs to go five weeks at some point
and eight week at other times. Likewise, your horse may
need the protection of shoes at certain times of the year
but do quite well barefoot at other times. … Working with
your farrier to individualize your hoof care program cuts
the waste and frivolous expense associated with more ge-
neric and less effective approaches.”
Shoeing and Trimming
Many fully shod horses are just as usable barefoot —
especially those that spend most of their time in the pas-
ture. If your horse has a good-quality hoof and stays sound
when ridden, consider saving money by just shoeing the
front feet, or none at all. This may not apply, however, to
horses that are consistently ridden on rough surfaces, re-
quire extra traction, or have a heavy workload with a lot of
hoof wear and tear.
“Unless the horse has a pathological condition (such as
founder, or is wearing heart-bar or other supportive shoes),
 E Q U I N E H E A LT H C A R E
or has a job where shoes are necessary (for instance, a po-
lice horse needs extra protection and traction for riding on
pavement, reining horses need sliding plates to do the slid-
ing stop, a pleasure horse that is ridden on sharp gravel
trails) for the horse to safely and effectively do the job,
about 90 percent of pleasure horses can stay sound and
comfortable with a correct trim,” says JC Dill, based on
her thirty years of experience as a horse owner, trainer, and
farrier.
If you’re a seasonal rider, remove your horse’s shoes in
the off-season. If your horse can go barefoot during the
winter, this will also save money on bells and whistles such
as studs or snow pads. Talking to your farrier or veterinari-
an about what’s right for your horse is always the best idea.
They may even come to the conclusion that routine hoof
maintenance can be extended by a week or during parts of
the year when the hoof grows slower. It can’t hurt to ask!
“Saving money on hoof care can be as simple as asking
rather than telling,” says Child. “Instead of telling your far-
rier that your horse needs shoes, consider asking if your
horse needs shoes. Instead of telling your farrier that your
horse needs aluminum rather than steel, consider asking
if you’ll see a significant difference by using one style or
type of shoe as opposed to another. You might be surprised
to find that your horse can do quite well with two shoes
rather than four, that your horse can do very well with
regular trims instead of shoes, or that the added cost of
your horse’s specialty shoes is not giving you a significant
return on your investment.”
Dr. Michael A. Ball, author of Understanding Basic
Horse Care, is a minimalist and believes that less is more,
both for your horse’s feet and your wallet. “There are many
fads and unfortunately many of the things we do to our
horses are not dictated by common sense,” he says. “A
problem might require a special shoe, but using something
just because it is a fad is generally wrong. Your horse (and
its feet) is an individual and should be treated as such.”
If you play an active role in your horse’s care, you may
consider doing some of the routine hoof maintenance, such
as trimming, yourself. Invest in a rasp and ask your farrier
for a few lessons — many are perfectly happy to teach.
Hoof trimming classes are often available at local farrier
schools, schools with agricultural programs, community
colleges, or other agricultural facilities, and will help you
to become more knowledgeable about your horse’s feet
and hoof care and less dependent upon a farrier’s services.
5
For horses that aren’t in heavy competition or prone to
soundness issues, you can learn to perform routine trim-
ming yourself, and have the farrier come out periodically
to check on your work and do more complicated jobs. This
is only advisable, however, with the proper education and
communication with your farrier. Some farriers, Child in-
cluded, still caution against trimming without formal train-
ing, practice, and a thorough study of anatomy. But who
knows, maybe your newfound trimming skills will become
a useful bartering tool among your equestrian friends.
Dental
Equine dental care often goes by the wayside, but it is
important for your horse’s health and even more important
for his comfort and well being. Routine dental care allows
your horse to chew properly and get all the nutrition pos-
sible from feed and hay. Since you spend enough money to
feed your horse, you might as well ensure that the hay is
well-digested and not wasted. The expense of an annual or
semiannual floating (usually under $200) can be offset by
your horse’s ultimate nutritional gain and lowered risk of
colic. A lack of dental care can consequently lead to mouth
sores, a loss of body condition, colic, and more expensive
vet care. The American Association of Equine Practitio-
ners provides further reading about routine dental care on
its Web site, www.aaep.org/dentistry_campaign.htm.
Although veterinarians emphasize yearly oral exams, it
is possible some horses that are not in training, are main-
taining good body condition, and appear to be chewing and
eating properly may be treated on an as-needed basis to
preserve your veterinary budget. This is not recommended
with young horses (between the ages of two and five) still
acquiring their permanent teeth or older horses (late teens
and twenties) prone to more dental problems. As with
most equine health care, however, preventative dentistry
is cheaper than corrective. Use a cooperative with similar
horse owners, as suggested for vaccinations and veterinary
exams, and organize a date and location to have all the
horses’ teeth floated.
Preventive Care: PAY ATTENTION
Thorough preventive care of your horse is not only good
practice, it’s also far cheaper than corrective measures.
For the most part, preventive care costs nothing other than
some of your time. It requires having a working knowledge
of the signs of good (and bad) health, and familiarizing
 E Q U I N E H E A LT H C A R E
yourself with your horse’s every physical trait and person-
ality quirk.
An attentive owner should notice the slightest change in
a horse’s health or behavior indicating something is amiss
before that something becomes a major (and costly) health
problem. If you play an active role in your horse’s daily
care, there are several things to keep an eye on.
First, is your horse eating and drinking? A red flag
should immediately go up if there is a full feed bucket, as
a horse will lose interest in eating during the onset of colic.
Look for changes in the consistency of manure and signs
that your horse has pawed or rolled — another indication
of colic.
“It is very important to familiarize yourself with the
quirks, personalities, habits, and routine behavior of each
of your horses,” advises Ball in Understanding Equine
First Aid. “For example, the mellowing of a typically high-
strung or aggressive horse can be a sign or depression re-
lated to fever or to some degree of pain. A typically calm
mare who starts to act a bit stallion-like could be suffering
from an ovarian tumor. Several neurological diseases can
produce behavioral changes.”
Anne M. Eberhardt
Check pastures and fencelines for safety hazards.
While being alert to your horse’s behavior and condition
can catch an injury or illness before it becomes a costly
affliction, so can a hands-on evaluation. “Start at the nose
and work to the tail,” says Hitzler. “Is there any nasal dis-
charge; if so, what color? Are eyes bright, or is there a
discharge or swelling around the eye? Examine the body
for bumps and scrapes. Is this horse walking soundly or is
there a problem with his gait? Are there any swelling or in-
6
juries on the legs?” If anything comes across as abnormal,
check vital signs such as heart rate, normally 30 to 40 beats
per minute; respiratory rate, normally 8 to 10 breaths per
minute; and body temperature between 99.5 and 101.5 de-
grees Fahrenheit. Upon discovering something that needs
immediate attention, then call your veterinarian.
The power of observation and educating yourself about
what to look for in your horse can be the difference be-
tween fixing a minor problem today and shelling out hun-
dreds of dollars to correct a major one tomorrow. Don’t ig-
nore small problems — a horse having difficulty chewing
most likely has dental issues that can easily be fixed before
weight loss or colic set in, and providing antibiotics for
a small wound can ward off a raging infection. Consider
taking a basic nutrition or first aid course from a school or
vet clinic to further educate yourself about preventive care.
This will help you determine what you can handle on your
own and what you absolutely need a vet for. In the words
of Melissa Kaupke, lifelong horse owner from Tennessee,
“A $10 horse health book could save you from making a
$100 vet call.”
Preventive Measures
Daily steps in your horse’s care and maintenance can be
taken to reduce the chance of injury or illness. And while
keeping your horse safe and healthy may require a bit more
personal time and manual labor, it shouldn’t cost you much
out of pocket.
“Feet should be picked out at least twice a day and evalu-
ated for signs of infection so if treatment is necessary, it
can be started early,” says Ball. “It also pays to keep stalls
clean and extra dry as a mucky stall also can contribute to
foot problems.”
Be sure to provide dry footing if you live in a naturally
wet environment. Wet and soggy ground is conducive to
organisms that cause such ailments as thrush, canker, and
white line disease. Poor stall cleaning techniques and poor
hygiene can also lead to thrush. Another benefit of daily
and thorough stall cleaning is preventing your horse from
having contact with manure, where parasite larvae thrive.
Composting manure before spreading it over fields will
also kill existing larvae and reduce the need to spend mon-
ey on chemical control.
Dr. Julie Wilson of the University of Minnesota provides
several suggestions for reducing the risk of bacterial and
viral disease caused by flies, mosquitoes, and ticks in her
 E Q U I N E H E A LT H C A R E
article “Equine Economics: Optimizing Horse Health and
Management on a Budget.”: Minimize pools of standing
water, clean outdoor water tanks weekly, remove brushy ar-
eas in pastures and along fence lines, and mow tall grass.
Prevent accidents and unnecessary injury to your horse
by regularly walking through pastures, filling in holes and
removing such things as barbed-wire fencing, poisonous
plants, large rocks, and debris. Keep an eye out for sharp
edges, nails, or rust on equipment or around the barn. “Use
appropriate fencing that is attached correctly,” adds Hit-
zler. “Make sure wires are taut and planks aren’t broken.
Don’t keep junk such as old farm equipment in your pas-
tures, or allow sharp protruding objects like broken wood
or bent feeders in your stalls. Anything your horse comes
in contact with should be kept in good order — that avoids
a huge source of problems and expense.”
Along with working to prevent injury and illness among
your horses and around the barn, also consider asking your
vet if his or her practice has a preventive health care pro-
gram you can become a part of, or enroll in a veterinari-
an-recommended wellness program such as Preventicare.
Compensate less frequent veterinary or farrier visits by
Anne M. Eberhardt
more rigorous monitoring of your horses and their envi-
ronment.
Sports Massage Therapy
Think massage therapy and an Olympic-level equine
athlete being rubbed down by a professional therapist may
come to mind. This increasingly popular practice is no
longer a luxury for the wealthy or elite, however, but an
injury-preventing and cost-reducing exercise you can learn
to do yourself.
Renowned equine sports massage therapist Jo-Ann Wil-
son, who has treated horses of all breeds and disciplines —
from Olympic squads to race horses — urges more owners
to practice massage therapy to loosen muscles and reduce
injury of their own horses. Tight muscles equal less blood
flow and oxygen, resulting in less endurance and restricted
movement.
“Muscles are attached to tendons which are attached to
the bone, and over time, if the muscle is tight, the horse’s
bones or joints are going to bear the brunt of the load,” says
Wilson. “The massage technique of “compressions” sepa-
rates muscle fibers, loosens the muscle, relieves tension on
the joint, and results in better strength and performance all
around. The stronger and looser the horse, the less chance
7
of injury and overloading of joints.”
Sports massage therapy may help prevent a range of
physical infirmities and performance flaws from pulled
muscles and bowed tendons to high head carriage and a
shortened stride, all resulting from muscle tightness. Mas-
sage also helps release endorphins, enhance a horse’s
range of motion, and stimulate circulation. Horse owners
can learn the simple compression technique of pushing the
heel of one’s hand onto the muscle in a rhythmical motion
by watching video footage, such as Wilson’s A Course in
Equine Sportsmassage DVD, reading educational material,
A little massage therapy can help prevent injury.
or receiving a tutorial by a trained therapist.
So rather than paying for injections or other professional
services when muscles are tight and joints are sore, prac-
tice a little massage therapy. This can be coupled with a
daily hands-on physical evaluation of your horse, and who
doesn’t like to spend more quality time with their four-
legged friend?
Insurance
No one likes to talk about or deal with equine insurance,
but the bottom line is that it will provide you with some
financial relief if something were to happen to your horse.
It’s best to think not in terms of “How much is insurance
going to cost me?” but rather, “How much is it going to
cost me if my horse injures himself or someone else?”
There are a variety of equine insurance policies such as
mortality, major medical, loss of use, and liability, but a
knowledgeable broker should be able to help you get the
 E Q U I N E H E A LT H C A R E
best insurance for your budget. As a preventive measure,
you will ultimately want to purchase as much as you can
reasonably afford. It’s not within the scope of this book
to address all the ins and outs of equine insurance, but it
will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 8 about horse
ownership.
DO IT YOURSELF
Some of the costs of veterinary exams and treatment
can be offset if you learn to do basic procedures yourself.
Don’t attempt to do things, however, without the advice
and guidance of a professional. One of the first steps you
can take is to become actively interest or involved in the
daily care of a horse needing wound or medical therapy
— observe and learn. Become familiar with horse vitals
and normal behavior. As suggested in the preventive care
section, enroll in a first aid or health care class to better
educate yourself.
One of the biggest cost-savers utilized by farm owners
is education. You can learn to give intramuscular and in-
travenous shots and oral medications, to properly change
bandages, wrap legs, and remove sutures. Make sure to
use washable, reusable materials when changing wraps
Anne M. Eberhardt
Learn basic first aid measures that don’t require a vet.
and bandages. With the help of your veterinarian or other
expert, you can also learn to clean your horse’s sheath.
Furthermore, by feeding, watering, cleaning your horse’s
stall, and turning him out yourself, you can detect subtle
changes and arising problems. This saves on labor costs as
well — a win-win situation.
If you do learn to do some basic veterinary procedures
yourself, make sure you’re not spending extra money while
doing so. Be creative — shop the dollar store or use house-
hold items such as sandwich bags to store medications,
disposable Tupperware to contain needles and sharps, and
wear disposable gloves. Vitamin E cream or Vaseline from
your local drug store can be used on kicks, bites, or hair
loss. Vaseline is also useful to smother and kill external
parasites such as ticks. For horse owners that share a barn
with friends or boarders, consider having everyone pitch
in a few dollars or items to set up a communal first aid kit.
Toss in anything from Bute and vet wrap, to a thermometer
and scissors. Store in a safe place in a container you may
already have, such as a bucket or resealable bin.
Trish Wooldridge, who works with the Bay State Equine
Rescue in Massachusetts, has found that researching herbal
and natural care for horses can lead to significant savings.
“For surface wounds, some digestion issues, and hoof care,
there are a lot of affordable options from nature or a natural
food store that work with horses and are less expensive
than medicines or high end products,” she said. “We had a
pony with highly sensitive skin that was allergic to citro-
nella, so we used a half-ounce of peppermint oil in water
to help keep flies off her in the summer. It worked about as
well as many of the store-brand sprays that would cause
her to break out. Also, the peppermint oil spray was safe
to spray around feed and to clean out dishes to keep the
flies away.”
Do some research and consult with your veterinarian
and farrier about alternative treatments and ways you can
save. The Internet has also become a valuable resource for
buying products and accessing information. Shop around
at reputable Web sites such as SmartPak, Jeffers Equine,
Country Supply, and Valley Vet for more affordable pric-
es than your local feed store. Take advantage of buying
enough product that you receive free shipping. Also, try
to buy the always-less-expensive generic version of every-
thing from bandages to de-wormer. Search for handy basic
horse care instructions, but don’t allow the ’net to take the
place of your vet. Still recognize when a professional is
needed and utilize them accordingly.