Back Problems in Horses: Understanding a Mysterious Part of Equine Anatomy

While back pain is poorly understood in human medicine, equine back pain is even more difficult to comprehend, diagnose and treat.  We start with an animal who can’t tell …

[Continue Reading...]

Bute & Banamine®: Commonly Used & Misused in Horses

“Hey Doc… my horse has been colicky since last night. I gave her some Banamine® and she seemed OK for a while, but now she doesn’t look so good…”  This …

[Continue Reading...]

Camping & Packing with Your Horse: A Veterinarian’s Perspective

The most common veterinary emergencies on the trail are colic, wounds (including rope burns), lameness, and “tying up.” While accidents happen to even the best-prepared, thinking ahead and knowing …

[Continue Reading...]

Care & Management of the Growing Foal (Newborn): Part 1

This is the first of two articles on the young foal from birth to weaning.  The purpose of the first article is to take a short journey from the …

[Continue Reading...]

Care & Management of the Growing Foal (One Week through Weanling): Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, I discussed management and veterinary considerations for the baby foal from birath through one week of age. In this article I continue with …

[Continue Reading...]

Colic Surgery: What Horse Owners Should Know (Revised 2014)

Tonight you must make a quick decision about your very best horse – proceed with emergency colic surgery or put him down (euthanasia). What do you do? Imagine that …

[Continue Reading...]

Colitis, Diarrhea & Intestinal Health in Adult Horses

The equine digestive tract is a complex and fragile system that is easily disrupted.  The intestines (about 80 feet long in an average adult horse) digest and absorb feed, …

[Continue Reading...]

Common Veterinary Tests Used to Diagnose Conditions Causing Colic (CCC’s)

Your horse is showing signs of colic. You have asked us to provide emergency veterinary care, or your local veterinarian has referred you to us for additional diagnostic testing …

[Continue Reading...]

Cushing’s Disease / Syndrome – PPID & EMS: What Horse Owners Should Know

Horse owners are often unaware of problems that affect their horse’s health in less obvious ways.  Endocrine diseases are classic examples.  The endocrine system is the hormonal, regulatory system …

[Continue Reading...]

Deciding When to Use “Risk-Based” Vaccines

Vaccination is one of the most practical and cost-effective means for reducing infectious disease incidence in horses. There are dozens of equine vaccines made by various pharmaceutical companies and …

[Continue Reading...]

Equine Colic (Abdominal Pain): Part 1

It always surprises me when an experienced horse person asks me how I treat “colic.” That question is akin to asking a physician how they treat a “limp.” Equine …

[Continue Reading...]

Equine Colic (Abdominal Pain): Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, I discussed how colic is not a disease but a group of signs shown by a horse experiencing abdominal pain. The signs can …

[Continue Reading...]

Equine Dentistry: Part 1 – The Basics

In the last two decades there has been a revolution in equine dentistry.  Twenty years ago, very little effort was made to care for horse’s teeth.  Basic dental “floating” …

[Continue Reading...]

Equine Dentistry: Part 2 – Performance

There are many different opinions on how effective dental treatments are on equine performance.  There is still much research to be done.  However, recent observation and research may be …

[Continue Reading...]

Equine Gastric Ulcers: What Horse Owners Should Know

In the past 10-15 years, it has become clear how common gastric (stomach) ulcers are in trained horses and in the general horse population. This problem has a huge …

[Continue Reading...]

Equine Infectious Diseases & Prevention

Maximizing your own knowledge of horse health enables you to make intelligent decisions that save you money while providing the best care for your horses. Understanding the fundamentals of …

[Continue Reading...]

Equine Laminitis: Part 1: What is it?

Laminitis (a/k/a “founder”) is a disease of the feet common in equines – horses, donkeys, and mules.  This disease is one of the most heartbreaking and costly to the …

[Continue Reading...]

Equine Laminitis: Part 2: Treatment & Prevention

In Part 1 of this article, I explained what laminitis is and described some current ideas on how it is caused.  I discussed the anatomy of the attachments of …

[Continue Reading...]

Equine Navicular Disease/Chronic Heel Pain: A Common But Misunderstood Problem

The loss of use resulting from chronic lameness (pain in a limb that causes visible change in gait) costs the equine industry hundreds of millions of dollars annually.  Foot …

[Continue Reading...]

Equine Skin Conditions: Part 1

For large animals, horses tend to be very sensitive and also tend to have unique veterinary problems.  Their skin is no different.  Horses have a relatively “thin” skin and …

[Continue Reading...]

Equine Skin Conditions: Part 2

This article discusses skin-related problems that primarily affect horses during the summertime.  Equine skin problems arise more frequently during the summer months for several reasons.  First, horses tend to …

[Continue Reading...]

Equine Wounds: What Horse Owners Should Know

Wounds are one of the most common equine emergencies.  Horses are especially prone to wounding themselves because of their size and speed.  Their often violent flight response means that …

[Continue Reading...]

Handling Equine Emergencies: What Horse Owners Should Know

I define an “equine emergency” as any problem with your horse where a delay of appropriate treatment might endanger their future quality of life or their soundness.  Horses have …

[Continue Reading...]

Horse Breeding: Balancing Breed & Specific Goals with an Emphasis on Soundness

Recent tragic events, like the breakdown of the race horses Eight Belles and Barbaro in highly publicized races, have raised many questions regarding the causes of these tragedies. Many …

[Continue Reading...]

Horse Management During Drought Conditions

Several regions throughout our County are currently experiencing drought conditions. These dry spells pose some unique healthcare and management challenges for horses.   Whether it is stress from heat …

[Continue Reading...]

Horse Owner Self-Help: Knowing When to Call a Veterinarian

Too often I have dealt with cases in which a horse owner or caretaker treated a horse incorrectly for a long period of time.  By the time I was …

[Continue Reading...]

Horsemanship Tip – “Feel”

This is actually not a veterinary tip. It is a horsemanship tip. Nevertheless, it may be the single most important thing I have to say about horsemanship. Ask Yourself: …

[Continue Reading...]

How to Perform Equine Veterinary Treatments Without Drama

Horse owners need not have extensive veterinary knowledge or skills, however it is important for them to be able to perform basic treatments to their horse without drama.  While …

[Continue Reading...]

Lameness & The Lameness Exam: What Horse Owners Should Know (Updated October 2014)

WHAT IS LAMENESS? Lameness is a term used to describe a horse’s change in gait, usually in response to pain somewhere in a limb, but sometimes as a result …

[Continue Reading...]

Maintaining the Health of Older Horses

[Continue Reading...]

Parasite Management In Horses: A New Paradigm

Internal parasites can cause serious disease in horses without leading to external signs obvious to horse owners.  Parasite eggs and worms are tiny or microscopic and rarely visible in …

[Continue Reading...]

Post-Breeding Endometritis: A Common Cause of Reproductive Failure in Mares

Young mares and mares with healthy reproductive tracts usually conceive easily and carry a foal to term without difficulty.  Attempts to get some older mares and mares with reproductive …

[Continue Reading...]

Preventing or Addressing Weight Loss in Horses

Clients often bring horses to our veterinary practice with a complaint of weight loss.  In my approach, I start by determining whether the horse is really underweight.  Whenever I …

[Continue Reading...]

Sand Accumulation in the Colon: A Common Cause of Equine Colic

Most horses live long and healthy lives with small amounts of sand and dirt in their intestine. As they eat, horses naturally pick up small amounts of soil, which …

[Continue Reading...]

Subtle or Hard to Diagnose Equine Lameness: What Horse Owners Should Know

Your performance horse (of any discipline) is not performing up to the level he has before.  Maybe he won’t take a lead, or won’t engage his hindquarters in quite …

[Continue Reading...]

Thal Equine Client Handout: Castration Care

TIMING & PREPARATION Castration is surgical removal of the testicles.  It is performed on colts to modify behavior and to prevent stallion-like body development.  Castration is usually performed before …

[Continue Reading...]

Thal Equine Client Handout: Common Diagnostic Tests for Equine Abdominal Diseases

The purpose of this client handout is to describe some of the actions that I take in trying to determine the cause and severity of your horse’s abdominal illness. …

[Continue Reading...]

Thal Equine Client Handout: Equine Behavioral Workshop

Some Take Home Points from our October 15, 2011 Equine Behavioral Workshop I owe the late and great Ray Hunt a debt of gratitude for first opening my eyes to a …

[Continue Reading...]

Thal Equine Client Handout: Giving Your Horse Oral Medications

The most important part of any oral treatment is seeing that your horse or foal gets the total dose of medicine at the prescribed time for the total number …

[Continue Reading...]

Thal Equine Client Handout: Intramuscular (“IM”) Injections

This handout is intended for clients that are comfortable and willing to administer intramuscular injections and have horses that are relatively well-behaved during this process.  It is only recommended …

[Continue Reading...]

The Equine Eye: What Horse Owners Should Know

The equine eye is a miraculous and delicate organ.  Veterinary problems relating to the horse’s eye are common, and should be recognized and treated appropriately.  There are many types …

[Continue Reading...]

The Equine Hock: What Horse Owners Should Know

The “hock” is a horseman’s term for the tarsus, an anatomic region of the horse’s hind limb.  Horses of all breeds, types, and disciplines can suffer from hock-related lameness …

[Continue Reading...]

The Importance of Pre-Purchase Exams

For horse people, the purchase of a new horse is an exciting time.  Unfortunately, many horses are purchased that are not suitable for their intended use.  This lack of …

[Continue Reading...]

The Late-Term Pregnant Mare, Foaling & Newborn Foal Care

From the last trimester of pregnancy through the foal’s first month is a critical time.  It is extremely important for horse owners to know what to expect.  In this …

[Continue Reading...]

The Use of Complementary or Alternative Therapies: An Equine Veterinarian’s Perspective

[Continue Reading...]

The Value of a Diagnosis

Jake, a 20 year old Hanoverian gelding, showed signs of colic (looking at his side, not eating) and also seemed to be having difficulty urinating (based on his stretching …

[Continue Reading...]

Understanding & Managing the Rising Costs of Equine Veterinary Care

This article addresses a subject that I deal with on a daily basis – the rising cost of providing quality equine veterinary care.  It is a topic many horse …

[Continue Reading...]

Vesicular Stomatitis: What Horse Owners Should Know

Vesicular Stomatitis (“VS”) is a viral disease that affects horses, and less commonly cattle, pigs, llamas, alpacas, and other livestock. We see periodic outbreaks of Vesicular Stomatitis in our …

[Continue Reading...]

What? You are going to ROLL my horse?

Case Report from Thal Equine LLC January 2015   Friday, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, arrived at Thal Equine showing signs of abdominal pain (colic).  He had not responded to …

[Continue Reading...]

Winter Health Care Basics for Horses

Generally, horses are not used as heavily during the winter months, but their proper care is every bit as important as in other seasons.  Winter provides different stresses on …

[Continue Reading...]

Worms vs. Drugs: The Fundamentals

Research over the past 10 years has confirmed that indiscriminate deworming leads to selection for worms resistant to common deworming compounds.  Because of this, “targeted deworming” based on fecal …

[Continue Reading...]