When to call the vet

I belong to many facebook forums and see people post health issues about their horses.  Some are minor, but others are things you need to call the vet about.  It concerns me people see the vet as the second call not the first. 
I can appreciate individuals bouncing ideas off each other.  There is hundreds of combined years of experience on forums.  I do though feel strongly about calling the vet for serious issues.  That being said what constitutes a serious issue. Here's a list of a few I found when doing research on the topic.

• Any injury with profuse bleeding that won't stop.
• Obvious or suspected fractures.
• Any cut or injury that requires stitches
• Sudden lameness, often accompanied by heat and swelling.
• Respiratory distress. Obvious difficulty in breathing, noisy labored breathing.
• Choking. obvious distress and choking, neck stretched out. Saliva
  and food particles may exit through nostrils.
• Horse having seizures.
• Watery diarrhea. If left untreated, the horse could become severely dehydrated.
• Any apparent eye injury. Lack of treatment or incorrect treatment could mean loss of vision.
• Learn to recognize the signs of colic. Can range from mild belly ache that will pass on its own to excruciating pain caused by a twisted gut that will require surgery.
• Abnormal vital signs, such as elevated pulse that does not return to normal at rest.
• Temperature over 102 usually indicates an infection or disease process.
• Pulse over 80 beats per minute is considered a sign of trouble in a non-exercising horse.
• Elevated respiration rate in a resting horse can be caused by excitement, pain or infection.

One of the most important thing you can do it recognize what your horses norm is.  You know your horse better than anyone.  You will be the first one to recognize when they are not themselves.

Also it is very important to collect all the necessary information before you call the vet.  Those would be:

• Vital signs
• Location of injury if there is on
• A brief description of what happened

If you are unsure on how to take your horses vital signs here is a YouTube video I found which was very informative for someone like me with limited experience in this area.

This is a great topic and there is so much to take away from it. 

For more information on these topics please visit the following websites:
http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/first_aid/emergency102801a/
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/12386/when-should-i-call-the-vet

What you can do to help your vet

I was going through facebook forums like I normally do and found a article I had to share. 

I have always been blessed with horses which were very good for the vet, but I'm guessing not all horses are like mine.  I never thought about how difficult it would be for the vet to effectively exam your horse if they are not  properly exposed to a few simple every days things.

-How is you vet supposed to look in your horses mouth with a light if your horse has never been exposed to a light??

-How can your vet give a shot if your horse kills everyone within 100ft with a syringe??

-If you your horse has colic and the vet can go no where near his back end, how can he help your animal??

-If your horse can't lead or tie, well that's an easy one!!


Trust me this article by Erica Franz over at Equestrian Blog is worth the read and your vet will thank you for it!!

http://www.writingofriding.com/observations/avoid-killing-your-vet/

Improve your fitness level while bonding with your horse

I don't know about you but I think all I do at horse shows is sit and eat when I'm not getting Maddie ready to show.  I even find myself snacking when watching her ride at home. This horse showing mom needs to get healthy again.  I've written before about how to exercise while riding and had found a great article with awesome tips.  Today when doing some more research on the topic I found a wonderful article about how to exercise with your horse on the ground.  Not only did I find these simple exercises to be effective, but also its a great way to connect with your horse on the ground. 

Paul Dufresne give detailed instruction from stretching to jogging.  The bonus is all this is done while spending time with your horse on the ground.  Your developing fitness and bonding with you horse at the same time. 

Because Maddie is the primary rider in our household right now I don't ride all that much.  Only a few times a week just to keep Indie tuned up.  I can honestly say when I'm done I'm really starting to feel my age.  These exercises will help to the stretch before I ride and help prevent injury from not being as in shape as I was years ago riding.

To read the full article and get great tips from Paul Dufresne go to http://www.pkequestrian.com/fitnessarticle.html

What to do in case an emergency happens and you don't have a vet to call

 

I always hear these awful stories about people out trail riding or moving cattle and something happens to one of their horses.  I realized if I had an emergency with my horse in a situation as these I would have no idea what to do.  At home I call the vet, but what if I didn’t have a vet just a phone call away what would I do.

I found an outstanding article with suggestions for when an emergency situation arises with your horse and you don’t have a vet to call.  Cynthia McFarland and Linda Tellington-Jones give great on how to use TTouch for specific scenarios.

Would you know what to do if your horse ties up or colic’s on the trail?  McFarland and Tellington-Jones give step by step instructions on how to effectively do belly lifts to relieve the symptoms until you can reach a vet.  They also give suggestions for shock, injury, gas colic, exhaustion and fatigue. 

I hope the information in this article can help save the life of your horse and give you tools to better prepare you in case of an emergency.

The full article can be found below:

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/training/general/ttouches-for-trail-emergencies/