Frequently Asked Questions
When Should My Horses Get Vaccinations?
For the Central Virginia area, we recommend vaccinating before March 15th and before Sept 15th of each year. Almost all vaccines given to horses are to prevent diseases that are “carried” to them by a flying insect or a carrier animal (vector), so it is more likely to be “delivered” when these vectors are active in warmer weather. As a general rule of thumb, if you are seeing flying insects, you have waited too long.
The vaccine protocol for foals and pregnant mares is different and should be discussed with Dr. Shane.
What vaccinations are generally recommended?
The “basic” vaccination package that we recommend here at James River Equine consists of eight total shots to protect against the following:
Eastern Equine Encephalitis
Western Equine Encephalitis
Tetanus
Rhinopneumonitis (Herpes)
Influenza
Rabies
Potomac Horse Fever
West Nile Virus.
If your horse has never had any of these vaccinations before, he will need a booster set 3-4 weeks after initially receiving them.
Additional vaccinations that we may recommend depending on your particular situation are Strangles vaccine and Botulism if your horse is at high risk for contracting either one of these diseases.
Foals and broodmares require particular vaccination regimens so please contact us if you have specific questions regarding foals and broodmares.
We will be glad to discuss your horse’s particular needs and design a vaccination program that is most appropriate for your horse.
Should I Vaccinate My Own Horse?
NO.
Horse owners are often tempted to take their horse’s health care into their own hands and design their own vaccination program. Many problems can arise when owners cannot locate the appropriate vaccines when they give vaccines at the wrong time, when their animal is sick and will not mount an appropriate response to the vaccine, or when they fail to give the appropriate vaccines. In addition, many owners soon realize that giving shots to their horse is not as easy as it looks and accidents do happen. Most companies that manufacture vaccines only offer help in the event of adverse reactions if a veterinarian gave the vaccine. There is no recourse if an unfortunate reaction occurs from a vaccine if anyone other than a licensed veterinarian gives a vaccine. Also, only vaccines sold to veterinarians are handled in a way that absolutely ensures they stay fresh and cool until they are given to your horse. Owners may also not know the correct procedure for giving shots or the size needle and syringe that is most appropriate. This is why there are veterinarians! Just like human doctors, we are trained to know what vaccines to give, when to give them, and how to give them. We would be more than happy to help you design your vaccination program and get you started on the right path.
How Do I Keep My Horse Cool In The Summer?
The intensely hot summers we can have in Virginia can be hard on horses as well as people. Just like people, horses can become overheated. They try to cool off by sweating and staying in the shade. Dark colored horses will sometimes breathe very fast to blow off heat, much like a dog pants. Horses are obligate nose breathers so they do not hang their tongue out to pant, but will instead flare their nostrils rapidly when panting. The most important thing in keeping cool is to drink lots of water. Dehydration is the first sign of a problem. You can check for dehydration by pinching the skin on the side of the neck and waiting a few seconds to see if it drops back down. If it stays tented up it can mean the horse is low on fluids. When the horse starts to get low on fluids, their intestinal fluid will be absorbed back into the blood to try and maintain hydration. When the intestinal fluid dries out, impaction colic often follows.
Along with plenty of water, a horse beats the heat better with a shady spot. Somewhere out of direct sunlight under the shade trees near a stream is nature’s perfect air-conditioned suite. A three-sided run in shed with lots of air flow is better than standing in a four sided stall with no air flow. A fan aimed at the horse in a stall also helps keep the air moving. Hosing or sponge bathing which cause evaporation cooling is also a great way to cool a horse down. The three things to remember to help your horse (and you) beat the heat are: water, shade, and moving air.
How Do I Keep My Horse Warm In The Winter?
Your horse is very good at keeping himself warm. His huge body mass is virtually impossible to cool down by the outside temperature as long as he is healthy and is growing a long, normal winter coat. This system of keeping warm is only changed when the wind and the wet are combined. Wet weather alone does not make a horse cold, but blowing cold air on a wet hair coat and suddenly you have a freezer.
Should I blanket my horse to keep him warm?
In general no; the reason a blanket is not the answer is that it too can get wet and it presses down the natural air-space between the hairs that form perfect insulation against cold. Blankets also force the skin to not grow a long hair coat as it needs for winter.
Of course, there are notable exceptions to this: If a horse is body clipped for showing or has a skin problem that makes his hair coat less than ideal, a blanket may be in order.
Does my horse need to stay in the barn?
The best place for your horse to beat the cold is to simply have a place for him to escape the wind and the wet if he so desires. A three-sided run-in shed is a great thing to have in the field for your horse to hide in when the weather is frightful. Although many people think a horse has to be in a closed-up barn on a cold, wet winter day, that is really not the case. If your horse is healthy otherwise and in good body weight, it can actually thrive in the cold. They can get out and run around and keep from getting stiff and colicky. They also are protected from dusty winter hay particles that can damage lung tissue with chronic exposure.
What should I feed my horse to keep him warm?
If you want to heat your horse up, feed him an extra flake of alfalfa mix or grass hay. The more he ferments, the warmer he is. It is very rare for a horse to colic on an extra flake of the same hay they are used to eating.
Feeding corn or sweet feed will not increase their temperature any more than eating a candy bar or cold pasta would warm you up. The hindgut of the horse must keep fermenting cellulose and this process produces heat (think beer vat fermentation). It is quite common for a horse to colic in the winter when his well-intentioned owner feeds him an extra big helping of sweet feed or corn in the warm barn locked up in his stall!
How Often Should I Have My Horse’s Teeth Floated?
Your horse’s teeth should be routinely examined twice yearly; usually at the time of Spring vaccinations and again when Fall vaccinations are due.
Teeth should be examined more frequently if your horse has had trouble maintaining weight, is dropping feed, or seems to be having trouble chewing feed, grass, or hay. Teeth may also be examined if you notice any unusual facial swelling.
Examination of the horse’s oral cavity may be as simple as shining a flashlight in the horse’s mouth, or may require sedating the horse and inserting a “mouth speculum”. The mouth speculum allows your vet to keep the horse’s mouth open and get a good thorough look at the back teeth.
It is routine for veterinarians to sedate your horse during a dental float. Sedation eliminates the horse’s anxiety about the procedure and helps the veterinarian work safely in the horse’s mouth. This allows your vet to do the best possible job while keeping you and your horse safe.
How Do I Treat Rain Rot?
The ultimate cure for “rain rot” or “scratches” is to keep your horse out of the rain, wet grass, or mud. Options for treating:
Dry lot or stall: This is not always easy due to either your setup on your farm or your horse’s health. Some horses hate to be in all day or they are not used to it; while others may have a lameness issue that is best treated by being out and moving around.
Clipping the affected area: Getting the skin to dry by body clipping the worst areas or the “feathers” of the legs may be all that is necessary to facilitate rapid drying.
All the bacteria and fungi that cause these problems hate to be dry. Air is their worst enemy. Perhaps knowing this can help you and your vet come up with the best way to treat your particular horse on your particular farm.
What Should I Have In My Horse First Aid Kit?
The minimal supplies to keep in a good first aid kit are the following:
Thermometer (with a string at the end of it)
Stethoscope
Vet Wrap
Roll of Gauze
4×4 Gauze
Leg Cotton
Phenylbutazone Paste (Bute Paste)
Banamine Paste
Ophthalmic Ointment for the Eye
Antibiotic Ointment for Wounds
Betadine Scrub
Of course, additional items are always good to have on hand!