Learn more about horse health
When you own a horse and decide to take care of it, it is necessary to have a basic knowledge regarding the health of this equine. This basic notion of horse health will allow you to better understand the signs of illness, physiological alerts, etc. and to act as soon as possible. In this article, find out more about the mental health of horses.
Basic identification
Sex
To identify the sex of your horse, you must observe its genitals which are located between the hindquarters. A female has two udders in front of the hindquarters as well as a vulva under the anus. The male has between his two hindquarters a sheath and a penis as well as two testicles. A gelding will not have testicles. Knowing the sex of the horse will allow you to choose the appropriate accessories or sanitary products. You will find these accessories on La Sellerie Française .
The dress
To identify the coat, you must proceed in 4 steps: first identify the basic coat, then the mixtures of hairs, the additions and finally the variegations (spots).
Mandatory periodic care
Vaccination
Vaccination, as with humans, protects the horse from serious diseases and prevents their spread. Every horse has either a vaccination record or an accompanying booklet on which are affixed all the stickers of the vaccines carried out by the veterinarian. Among the mandatory vaccines, there are vaccines against influenza. The horse must receive two injections between 21 and 92 days, and a booster between 150 and 215 days. There are also recommended vaccines such as vaccines against rabies which consist of an injection every year.
Dewormer
Deworming is used to prevent the appearance of internal parasites that are most often lodged in the intestine. These parasites frequently appear in horses or ponies. Horses must then be treated with a dewormer twice a year (in the fall and spring) by various means: integrated into the granules, by oral syringe, by tube. However, deworming poses the problem of destroying the intestinal flora, which takes several months to rebuild properly. For horses that always live in contact with the same congeners, in healthy plots, deworming can only be used on a new member or when changing meadow, stable, etc.
Dental care
The horse's teeth should be checked regularly, to possibly file down teeth that grow without being worn and could eventually injure the horse. It is also recommended to extract certain teeth such as wolf teeth.
The main physiological norms of the horse
Temperature
The normal temperature of an equine fluctuates between 37 and 37.5 for an adult and between 38 and 38.5 for a young. The outside temperature has an impact on the temperature of the horse, but at 38.5 the horse is considered sick. It is good to take the temperature of the horse if you have doubts about its state of health or after a big effort.
Heart rate
The pulse is easy to control. By gently pressing the finger on the inner edge of the mandible. The rhythm varies according to the importance of the effort as well as the age of the equine, it is between 30 and 45 beats per minute and can rise to 180 pulsations after a big effort.
Signs of disease
A horse that remains lying down too much, moves with difficulty, or appears weak should attract attention. One of the fairly recurrent illnesses in horses is colic. It is a sign of intestinal and digestive disorders. Colic is often due to a "blockage". The horse suffering from colic scratches the ground, looks at its sides, remains lying down in an unusual way, lies down and gets up frequently. It loses its appetite and thirst, no longer urinates or passes droppings. Colic can be very serious, so you must walk the horse calmly as soon as you notice signs of colic, and call the veterinarian.