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The adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is an excellent guide to horse care. With that in mind, building a team of professionals is essential to creating a program that allows your horse to thrive. Regular appointments with each team member will help catch a developing problem quickly, often avoiding complications. Of course, the needs of a pleasure horse and a performance horse are not the same, just as a yearling has different needs than an aged horse, so your team will vary depending on those needs.

Hoof Care

Museum of Veterinary Anatomy FMVZ USP / Wagner Souza e Silva, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Barefoot or Shoes

Caring for your horse's feet is one of the essential things you can do to keep the horse sound and healthy throughout its life. Regularly picking out the inside of the foot to remove packed dirt, manure, and rocks will help prevent bruising and thrush, a bacterial infection. Keeping the outside of the foot clean is also necessary; mud drying on the hoof can cause cracks.

Consider all significant variables when deciding what is best for your horse's hoof care. An experienced farrier will be able to help navigate through all the options to find a solution that best meets the needs of each horse. The conformation, age of the horse, where it lives, and the job it has all come into play when choosing to trim or shoe a horse.

Changes in the season and weather will also affect the horses' needs. For example, some horses only need shoes when in heavy work, usually in summer, and can be barefoot in their off-season, generally in winter. Additionally, adjust the hoof care and turn out accordingly in extreme wet and dry seasons. Whether shoed or barefoot, it is vital to ensure your horse's feet are monitored and receive regular checks by your equine professional team.

A: Central Sulcus
B: Hoof Wall (side of foot)
C: Bulb
D: Sole

Dental Care

Foraging is an essential part of a horse's life

Horses grind their food as they eat. Similarly to cows and goats, their upper jaw is wider than their lower, however, a horse's jaw has a smaller range of motion. As a result, the teeth are worn unevenly and are more suspectable to sharp points on the edges of their teeth. These jagged points must be tended to ensure a comfortable, healthy life for your horse.

The horse's teeth extend into the sinus cavities and will continue to grow down and change throughout their lives. These changes will impact the required care for the horse. For example, a horse is born with temporary teeth and will shed them until about the age of five. These are commonly referred to as "caps." During this time, it is vital to monitor how these temporary teeth grow in and ultimately fall out.

Please consult your vet and equine dental professional about caring for your horses' specific needs as they age.

Tack (saddle, bridle, and bit fitting)

Proper fitting tack allows our horses to move freely in their natural gates

Working with a saddle fitter as your horse develops and ages will improve the comfort and safety of riding your equine friend. Fitters can utilize techniques such as shimming, modifying the saddle's tree, and changing the amount of flocking to refine the size and shape of your saddle.

Choosing bits and bridles is a complex endeavor. There are many variables, such as the horse's training level, the size of the horse's tongue, the size and shape of the horse's palate, riding discipline, and horse preference.

Supportive Care

Hoof and Body Support Options Available

PEMF

Magnus Magentica

PEMF technology has been used for decades in Europe on both animals and humans to improve health and recovery after injury. The FDA approved PEMF therapy in 1979 for broken bones. Many studies have proven the effectiveness of this technology on soft tissue as well as in improving neurological problems. The Magnus Pro X2 is our choice of PEMF machine because it is FEI compliant. We offer sessions for horses and dogs as well as humans.

Magnus Magnetica | Horse PEMF

EBS offers Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) sessions for your horse, pets, or yourself!

Cold Laser

Respond Laser

Cold laser therapy improves healing time for wounds and tendon and ligament injuries. It works on a cellular level, increasing blood flow, reducing inflammation, and promoting healing by stimulating immune cells. As a result, using a cold laser can help reduce the need for pain relieving medication while treating injuries. In addition, the laser can be beneficial as part of a program to maintain a horse's soundness by reducing muscle tension and facilitating the healing of micro-tears that occur during regular training.

How it Works | Respond Systems

Equine Ice Compression Boots

Game Ready

The dynamic compression of the Game Ready system paired with the cool temperature of the boot helps reduce the occurrence of edemas (excess fluid trapped in the injured tissue) and promotes blood flow by reducing swelling and inflammation. Ice compression can be applied to muscles, ligaments, and tendons to promote healing and alleviate pain of the affected area.

The Pros and Cons of Using a Cold Therapy Machine or Unit (gameready.com)

Game Ready | Cold Therapy Units

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