Featured Article (January 2005)

Ten Tips to Help Insure Your Horse’s Health During Winter

1. Barns / Sheds

your barn or shed needs to be well ventilated. A cold, well ventilated enclosure is generally a healthier environment than a warm, poorly ventilated area. Ventilation is extremely important for the prevention of respiratory disease. Poor ventilation may lead to upper or lower respiratory tract disease and will enhance the spread of respiratory viruses. Stalls should be cleaned frequently as ammonia can be a respiratory tract irritant.

2. Hay

all hay should be clean and free of molds and dust. Dusty hay is frequently implicated as a causal factor in the development of allergic small airway disease (heaves).

3. Round Bales

If round bales are fed, many veterinarians recommend that the horses receive a botulism vaccination. The organism (Clostridium botulinum) that produces the botulism toxin can proliferate in spoiled foliage or in small mammals that may encompassed in the hay. The vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines in the equine industry.

4. Bedding

much like hay, the bedding should be free of dust and mold. The source of the bedding must be known. If shavings or sawdust is used, pine is the safest material to use as bedding. As an example, black walnut shavings are known to cause severe laminitis (founder). If allergy is a problem, options such as shredded paper may be a viable alternative.

5. Fencing

fence maintenance at this time of year is important as horses are more prone to attempt to graze on the "greener side of the fence", which often leads to injury (laceration and puncture wounds). Several safe fencing options for horse. Board, pole, synthetic boards and high tensile wire are all considered by various horsemen to be safe. Loose wire, particularly barbed wire, is the most common culprit implicated in equine injuries.

6. Pasture

the ultimate in the management of pregnant mares includes removing sources of fescue grass (pastures or hay) during the last 4 months of pregnancy. Many reproductive and pregnancy disorders have been attributed to the ingestion of the fungal endophyte that grows on most species of fescue. Unfortunately, fescue grass is difficult to avoid in Virginia. Pastures can be sterilized and planted with a variety of grasses, but over a period of years, fescue will re-establish itself in the pasture. Maintaining mares on a dry lot and feeding a known type of hay may be the best management alternative for those raising foals.

7. Deworming

in the late fall and winter after several hard frosts, deworm all your horses with a product that includes a medication to target Bots (Gastrophilus spp.) with one designed to eliminate tape worm (Anoplocephala spp.) infestation. Both of these parasites do not have a significant life cycle outside the host at this time of year. Most parasitologists now recommend that deworming for other internal parasites should be based solely on the results of a fecal flotation, not by the calendar.

8. Vaccination

The late winter is the time to plan a vaccination schedule which will target several diseases that are transmitted by insects. Vaccination prior to the emergence of insects is highly recommended. Of particular concern are West Nile Virus, Potomac Horse Fever, Eastern and Western Encephalitis. Recommendations for the appropriate vaccination protocol for your horse(s) can be made by your veterinarian based on the horse’s intended use and travel plans.

9. Dentistry

frequently overlooked, one should always have their veterinarian check their horses’ teeth 1-2 times a year. Tooth problems can cause decreased feed efficiency, impaction colic, jaw problems (TMJ) and sinusitis.

10. Water

provide clean, fresh water especially during the cold times of the year to encourage your horse to drink. A salt block should be available to your horse(s) and if you are concerned about decreased water intake, a table spoon of salt added to the grain will encourage water intake. All veterinary clinics see many more horses with colic attributed to colon impaction from decreased water intake during the colder months of the year.