First Aid

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When a horse shows subtle signs of lameness or discomfort but no clear veterinary diagnosis, it can be discouraging and costly for owners. These vague issues are unfortunately common and often leave owners uncertain about the next step. This article outlines key principles to guide you through such cases, using the example of Remy — a mare who arrived with back pain and bucking behaviour but no definitive medical findings.

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In an ideal world, every senior horse would pass away naturally and peacefully, having enjoyed a good quality of life with minimal suffering. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, which is why we must be prepared.

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While one can’t plan for every form of disaster, it’s important to familiarize yourself with any potential risks that could occur in your area and plan for them accordingly. Planning ahead can allow horse owners the opportunity to stay composed and act quickly in an emergency situation.

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Is it hot enough for you? If you feel suppressed by repeated days of hot and humid weather, you can be sure that your horse feels worse.

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Not much can gross out a horse person. We happily pick out hoofs, observe the quality of manure, scrape bot eggs off our horses’ legs, and get a weird sense of satisfaction from an expressed abscess. But ticks… ticks are just nasty.

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Every horse owner should be familiar with his or her horse’s “normal” vital signs. Knowing your horse’s healthy, resting temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, capillary refill time, and gut sounds will help you realize when he is unwell. Additionally, in the event of illness or injury to your horse, being able to check and report his vital signs can help indicate to your veterinarian the horse’s present condition.

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Immobilization or stall rest is sometimes necessary for a horse's injury to heal, especially in cases of severe tissue damage (such as tendon or ligament damage and fractures), but other times keeping horses moving is actually a better approach. The key is choosing the right exercise for the type and location of the injury. We cannot just tell horses, for example, to engage their core. We have to design exercises that achieve the desired result.

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Hydrotherapy, the use of water to treat medical conditions, was first practiced by ancient Egyptians, and pools, saunas, baths, and tanks have historically been used to treat health concerns from arthritis to inulcers. Muscles have to work harder to move in water than on land, while the buoyancy of water reduces weight-bearing on bones, joints, and soft tissues, and the pressure exerted by water reduces swelling and inflammation.

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Electrotherapy, directing small currents of electricity through the skin for medical treatment, has been widely used in human sports medicine and rehabilitation to treat injuries and optimize performance. Various modalities have made their way into sport horse medicine and rehabilitation. Electrotherapies are built around energy sources that range from acoustics to vibrations.

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Equine sports medicine and rehabilitation is a comparatively new veterinary specialty. Sarah le Jeune, DVM, DACVS, DECVS, DACVSMR, certified equine acupuncturist, and Jessica Morgan, DVM, PhD, DACVSMR, both specialty clinicians at the UC Davis veterinary hospital, provided some insights into this topic.

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