1. Basic Horse Health & Disease Prevention
Kristen M. Wilson
Regional Extension Horse Specialist
“Maryland Cooperative Extension provides equal access programs”

2. Horse Health Management
Horses must be observed at regular intervals
Know personality and normal stimuli responses from each individual animal
Establish normal values for your horse
Record keeping is key
The way horses react to external and internal stimuli, as well as their normal routine, may be quite different.
A healthy horse is bright and alert and quick to respond to outside stimuli
Establish norms by taking the vital signs twice per day (at various times but always when the horse is at rest) for three days and averaging the readings
(Horse Industry Handbook & Cherry Hill)

3. Daily Observation

4. Recognizing Problems
Learn to Recognize Abnormal Behavior

5. Vital Signs Vital Signs
Measurements of a horse’s body function and are good indicators of the horse’s overall health
(Cherry Hill)

6. (Horse Industry Handbook)
Vital Signs
Common vital signs:
Temperature
Pulse
Respiration
Gut Sounds
Mucosal Color/Capillary Refill Time
Skin Pliability
(Horse Industry Handbook)

7. Vital Signs: Temperature
Normal: 100°F or 38°C
Varies: 99.5 – 101.5°F
Exercise, excitement, hot weather, illness and pain will raise the temperature
Shock and very cold weather will decrease temperature
Mercury vs. Digital
Temperature varies in individual horses because of age, sex, time of day, ambient temperature, wind and precipitation, level of intensity of activity, as well as diseased state
(Horse Industry Handbook & Cherry Hill)

8. Temperature (Hill, 1997. Horse Health Care)
Temperature is taken by inserting the thermometer in the anus of the horse at a slightly upward angle
If using mercury, make sure to shake the mercury level down before inserting the thermometer and wait at least two minutes to take the reading
(Hill, Horse Health Care)

9. Normal Resting Pulse Rates
Vital Signs: Pulse
Horse should be calm, rested and relaxed for most accurate results
To determine pulse – gently press fingers against an artery
Count the beats for 30 seconds and multiply by 2
Normal Resting Pulse Rates
(In Beats Per Minute)
2 weeks old up to 100
4 weeks old
Yearling 45 – 60
2 Years 40 – 50
Adult 30 – 40
The maxillary artery, on the inside of the jawbone, is one of the easiest places to find a strong rest.
Use finger tips and not thumb (might pick up own pulse)
(Cherry Hill)

10. Heart Rate
(Hayes, Hands-On Horse Care)

11. A good indicator of foot problems
Digital Pulse
A good indicator of foot problems
(Hill, Horse Health Care)

12. Vital Signs: Respiration
Normal respiration is breaths per minute
To determine watch the nostrils or flanks
Nostrils flare and contract with each breath
The respiration rate should NOT exceed the heart rate
One breath is measured as one inhalation and one exhalation
Fitness of the horse can effect this rate and how quickly the horse returns to normal after physical exercise.
(Horse Industry Handbook)

13. Respiration
(Hill, Horse Health Care)

14. Pulse/Respiration Ratio
Normal Ratio – 4:2 or 2:1
A more significant measure of stress than each of the actual figures alone
Respiration exceeding pulse is an indicator of serious stress
Call vet immediately!!!
Resting Ratio – important aspect to consider when looking at pulse and respiration b/c good indicators of stress
Serious Stress = inversion
(Cherry Hill)

15. Vital Signs: Gut Sounds
Gut sounds can help you diagnose a sick horse
Caused by the normal contracting and relaxing movements of the digestive tract during the digestion process
Place an ear on the flank area or use a stethoscope
Abnormal- Absence of gut sounds!
Horses are unique from other animals because a horse digests its hay and grass in the intestine, whereas other large domestic herbivores digest these materials in the rumen
To become familiar with your horse, spend 5 to 10 minutes for several days in a row listening to his gut both before and after he eats
You want to hear a moderate amount of gurgling, creaking, and swooshing
No sound – contents may have become bound up or impacted
The intestinal modifications within a horse makes it particularly vulnerable to abdominal crisis.
(Cherry Hill)

16. Gut Sounds
(Rose and Hodgson, Manual of Equine Practice)

17. Vital Signs: Mucosal Color
Indicator of blood circulation
Several mucous membranes can be checked: the inner lips and gums, inside the vulva and nostrils –should be moist and pink
Determine capillary refill time by pressing your thumb on the horse’s gum and then releasing it
It should take ~2 seconds for the blood and normal color to return to the area
Normal color is pale to bubble gum pink, moist
(Horse Industry Handbook; Cherry Hill)

18. Capillary Refill Time (Hayes, 1997. Hands-On Horse Care)
By pressing the gums, it will blanch or squeeze the blood temporarily out of the capillaries
Pale or white – horse is suffering from blood loss or circulatory impairment
Red – indicates toxic condition
Grayish blue – shock
If it takes longer than 2 seconds for the capillary refill time, check further for dehydration by doing the pinch test
(Hayes, Hands-On Horse Care)

19. Mucous Membranes-Sick Horse
TOXIC CONDITION – not the pink, moist normal color

20. Vital Signs: Skin Pliability
Test for dehydration
Pinch a fold of skin on your horse’s neck and release it - it should quickly flatten back in place
If the horse is dehydrated - the skin will flatten slowly or tend to stay in a fold
The best indicators of knowing that your horse is well hydrated is that it is drinking plenty of fluids and their manure is moist
If a horse refuses water, it is a good sign that his electrolytes might be imbalanced
Horses will normally get their electrolytes through good quality hay and calcium-phosphorus mineral salt block
(Cherry Hill)

21. Skin Pliability Test
(Hill, Horse Health Care)

22. Other Factors to Consider
Bodily fluids (feces, urine, saliva & sweat)
Body condition and weight
Movement
Hair coat
Hoof condition
Feeding habits
Behaviors
(Horse Industry Handbook)

23. Body Fluids
Profuse sweating is uncommon

24. Normally shiny and generally healthy looking
Hair Coat
Normally shiny and generally healthy looking

25. Body Condition & Weight
BCS - 1
BCS - 5
BCS - 9

26. Henneke Body Scoring System
Six parts of a horse are checked in this system—the neck, withers (where the neck ends and the back begins), shoulder, ribs, loin, and tailhead. When using the Henneke system, you should always make physical contact with these parts, and the kind of touch you use is important. Simply stroking the animal lightly won't provide an accurate idea of the horse's condition; you have to apply pressure to each part in turn.

27. Hoof Condition
Normal – Hard with a slick shiny and slightly waxy appearance, coronary band should feel moist and resilient, frog pliable and intact, sole should be firm, white line should be free of discoloration and hoof should be free of odor.

28. Hoof Care

29. Pick Out Hoofs Daily

30. Feeding Habits & Behavior
Know what your horse’s normal behaviors are
Decreased interest in feed could indicate dental problems and/or health problems
Anything out of the ordinary could be an indication of a health problem

31. Disease Prevention
Equine diseases reduce performance, cause economic and personal losses, lowers morale of workers and often affects farms reputations
Goals
Prevent or minimize exposure to infectious agents
Optimize resistance

32. How Do Diseases Spread? Air Living animals of the same species
Living animals of other species
Dead or sick animals
Feed
Water
Movement of contaminated personnel, equipment and vehicles
Movement of effluent between properties

33. Equine Disease Control Program
Optimize health and nutrition plans for animals
Use rodent, parasite and vector control programs throughout the year
Do not allow horse access to streams and waterways
Contract with a veterinarian and clearly post their contact information

34. Equine Disease Control Program
Communication is key
Limit human access to barns if they are not clientele or workers
Clean and disinfect barns, stalls and equipment regularly
Discard all manure and bedding from stalls that house sick horses

35. Equine Disease Control Program
Become familiar with common diseases that affect horses
Identify symptoms with the onset of a disease
Vaccination Plan
Deworming Plan

36. Common Equine Diseases
Equine Encephalomyelitis (sleeping sickness)
Equine Infectious Anemia
Equine Viral Arteritis
Equine Rhinopneumonitis
Influenza
Potomac Horse Fever
Rabies
West Nile Virus
Strangles
Tetanus (lock jaw)

37. Identifying Symptoms

38. Identifying Symptoms

39. Identifying Symptoms

40. Vaccination Program Vaccines – Usually given twice yearly
Inactivated, modified, or killed forms of bacteria and viruses that are administered to horses so that they acquire immunity to diseases
Usually given twice yearly
Booster shots required for unvaccinated animals

41. Sample Vaccination Schedule
Fall
Tetanus, Influenza, Rhinopneumonitis, Rabies
Spring
EEE, WEE, Potomac Horse Fever, West Nile Virus, Influenza, Rhino, Coggins Test
No vaccine is 100% effective and good management strategies are needed

42. Parasite Control & Management
Management plans should consider internal and external parasites
Consult your veterinarian when establishing a program
Types –
Rotational
Daily
Internal – Ascarids (roundworms), Strongyles, Bots, Pinworms, Strongyloides, Stomach Worms, Tapeworms
External – Flies, Misquitoes, Lice, Ticks, Mites, Gnats

43. Sample Deworming Schedule
Month
Class of Dewormer
January
Ivermectin
March
Oxfendazole
May
Moxidectin
July
Pyrantel Pamoate (double dose) or Ivermectin/Praziquantel
September
Fenendazole
November

44. Summary
Visual inspection of your horse on a daily basis can help prevent illness and/or injury
Important to know normal vital signs
Good management practices can improve your horse’s overall health and prevent diseases from spreading

45. Kristen M. Wilson kswilson@umd.edu 301-596-9478