Buckle up, humans. This week I’m bringing all my snark to the table for a tough talk about vaccines. I know you can get vaccines from a lot of different places, but there’s only one place you should get them from: your veterinarian.

The Obvious

Let’s start with the obvious reason. It’s a shot containing advanced technology to save your horse from horrible diseases. The best person to give you guidance on how this powerful tool fits into your horse’s life is a veterinarian. Not every horse needs every possible vaccine, and some need all the possible vaccines. Old and young horses need more. Show horses need them at specific times to give them the best protection while not stressing their immune systems. Sensitive horses need special timing so they can be protected from these diseases without causing their delicate immune systems to go all whack-a-doo. There’s a lot involved, and if you think you can understand all that goes into the decision because you got your Facebook Medical Degree, you’re wrong. Ten out of ten people who decide they can “do their own vaccines because they don’t need a dang vet.” do them wrong. Don’t be one of the ten.

They’re fragile!

Holy persnickety! Vaccines like it cold, but not too cold, and don’t shake, but maybe a little agitation. I mean, there’s a reason diseases like Polio have been tough to eradicate. You can’t take a vaccine just anywhere without having the perfect conditions for its happiness. They make cats look like a walk in the park when it comes to pickiness. Vaccines come to veterinarians through very specific distribution networks where they are monitored each step of the way. They are only shipped to us on certain days, and when they arrive, they are immediately placed in a fridge that is also temperature monitored. How many of you have a fridge thermometer? No really, how many?

Those vaccines are then treated with the delicacy they expect. Kept cold, but not too cold, until the moment they are delivered into your horse. Think about the supply chain of your nearest big box store that might have ‘tractor’ or ‘rural’ in the name. Do you honestly think that happens there? Because 15 minutes sitting on a loading dock in the sunshine will kill the vaccine, and you’ll never know that your horse isn’t actually vaccinated.

Invested in your horse

Sometimes my Docs don’t sleep so well. They sit at the clinic deep in veterinary reading material, talking with experts in the field. Worrying themselves something awful. You know why? They’re worried about your horse. They’re concerned about a sick horse that they are trying incredibly hard to fix, and Mother Nature is thwarting their every effort. This is who you want researching vaccine technology, managing your horse’s vaccine supply chain, helping you pick the best time and combination, and being there on that rare occasion something goes wrong with a vaccine. Speaking of going wrong, did you know the vaccine companies will pay for treatment if your horse gets a disease your veterinarian vaccinated for? They don’t do that if you buy them elsewhere because they know that vaccine is likely to have been handled incorrectly and compromised along the way.

You know what else your veterinarian will do that the box store won’t do? Keep you on schedule with your vaccines. Everyone has good intentions about vaccinating every six months, but how many times has it really been more like 9 months? A year? More? Trust me, across the local horse spectrum, horses are needlessly put at risk with good intentions a LOT. My docs have a team of people who work every day to keep all of your horses current on vaccines. It’s a good team to have in your corner.

Invest in your Veterinarian

It’s 10pm, it’s still hot outside, the humidity is 1,000%, the mosquitos are biting, and your horse is sick. Having a great relationship with your veterinarian ensures you have one available to answer the phone when you call. That’s a harsh statement from this wise cat. Equine veterinarians are in trouble. Mounting student debt loads, and changing lifestyles mean there are fewer, and fewer, and fewer equine veterinarians entering the field. Don’t even get me started with how many are leaving every.single.day. It’s terrifying.

Making sure you have a relationship with a veterinarian for the routine care of your horse is the best way to keep a veterinarian available for all those emergencies. And you know horses have a lot of them. They are the most suicidal animals on the planet except for love bugs.

It’s also a really good idea for your veterinarian to have a good history of you, your farm, your horse’s lifestyle, and all the other things that factor into the health of your horse. That all happens during routine care appointments. My Docs also find all kinds of minor things that can be dealt with quickly and easily during routine appointments. That saves you money, and prevents needless suffering for your horse.

I have this conversation all the time as people scratch my chin, or give me a pet on the front porch. Vaccines are incredibly important. They are the basis of good healthcare for your horse. Don’t take chances with them. Call my Docs.

Until next week,
Tony

P.S. If you want to get into the science of vaccines and really fill your head full of knowledge, check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyVbduPeqnA&t=7s from one of our Vaccine Seminars. As you’ll find out, the more you know about the things we vaccinate for, the more eager you’ll be to stay on top of things!

While I was doing my weekend reading, I came across an article about clipping horses. We usually talk about full body clipping and when it’s time to clip, how to clip, and what parts to clip.  However, this time I wanted to talk to you about how clipping might affect your horse, and the pros and cons of clipping.

 Whiskers

Did you know that in some countries in Europe it is actually illegal to clip your horse’s muzzle? Personally, I think it should be illegal everywhere. I cannot imagine getting around without my whiskers. They help me so much when I am out exploring in dark places. They keep me from bumping into walls at night and they help me judge distances.  If you have ever been to the clinic, you have probably met Teenie Cat, my boss. Teenie is completely blind, she relies solely on her whiskers to get around the clinic.

 Your horse’s whiskers serve a similar purpose to cat whiskers. Your horse’s whiskers on his muzzle and around his eyes allow him to recognize space and judge distance. They also help him to find every single piece of grain he may drop. If you’ve ever watched a horse drink water you may have noticed that the first thing to touch the water is their whiskers. This is so they know exactly how deep they need to submerge their mouths to drink.  Whiskers help your horse distinguish a blade of grass from a leaf. They allow them to explore new surroundings and familiarize themselves with potential hazards.

 If I have learned anything during in my time here at the clinic, it is that horses like to injure their eyes, A LOT! And they have whiskers that surround their eyes, yet they somehow still manage to injure themselves.  Can you imagine if they didn’t have those whiskers? I don’t even want to think about the damage they could cause. 

 Now imagine trimming or clipping your horse’s whiskers, then taking him to a new place and expecting him not to get injured.  That is just a recipe for disaster.  I can understand why it has become illegal in some places.  You want your horse to eat and drink normally but then you clip off his whiskers and expect him to find his feed and water as usual.  That would be like my minions clipping my whiskers and expecting me to navigate my surroundings as usual. I’d be running into walls, misjudging my steps, and not noticing things in the grass that could poke me in the eye.  So, maybe don’t take your horse’s whiskers away either.  I promise you, no judge can tell your horse isn’t freshly shaved.

 Ears

Boy oh boy, do we see a plethora of ear problems this time of year.  Those bugs just wreak havoc on your poor horse’s ears. Hopefully, you are one of the lucky ones who has not had to deal with ear problems with your horse. If you have, you know what I’m talking about. Your once sweet, adorable, well-behaved horse suddenly won’t let you put his halter or bridle on. You’ve had your horse for years and this has never been a problem, so why now? Or maybe your horse’s ear is sitting sideways on his head and seems to be broken. Worse yet, you notice that your horse’s ear is swollen shut.

 The Florida summers and Florida bugs are ruthless. My docs have had several reports of ticks being found in horse’s ears. The gnats are even worse if your horse is allergic.  You may have noticed your horse scratching his ears like a dog or rubbing on a tree.  All this trauma to his ears can lead to the development of a hematoma, or abscess of his ears.  The only natural protection your horse’s ears have against the environment and bugs is the hair in their ears.  In my ever-so-humble opinion, you should not clip your horse’s ears. Maybe you don’t clip your horse’s ears, but you may still notice that they have itchy ears. Can you imagine how much worse the damage could be if you clipped away the ear hair and exposed the sensitive skin to the elements?

 Perhaps you feel you must clip your horse’s ears. Maybe the show you’re going to requires it, or maybe your horse has an injury. Whatever the reason, if you find yourself clipping your horse’s ears, remember that in doing so your horse become more vulnerable to bug irritation and environmental irritants.  Please provide protection for them in the form of a fly mask with ears attached or a fly bonnet while riding.  Around here, we also love the EquiShield product called IBH Salve.  A little dab of that in both ears and the bugs will stay away for days.  Believe you me, you do not want to deal with a horse who has an ear hematoma or abscess. Those things are nasty and take FOREVER to heal.  Save yourself the time and hassle of clipping all while protecting your horse’s ears from the outside world and just don’t do it. 

 Legs

Similar to your horse’s ears, your horse has natural protection on his legs in the form of hair.  Hair on your horse’s legs is going to protect them from trauma, from bugs, and from foliage with thorns or other chemicals that may sting your horse, like Stinging Nettle.  Some horses have long feathers on their lower legs which can also prove to be a challenge in Florida. The hot, humid, rainy weather is just a recipe for bacteria to proliferate in those long feathers.  This makes the debate of to clip or not to clip a little gray.

 For horses who spend the majority of their time outside, leaving a little extra on top is preferable. However, you may decide to clip your horses legs if your horse is in a situation where he is getting his legs washed often, is allowed ample time to dry and spends the most of his time stalled. A nice, tidy trim is never a wrong answer. Keeping long leg feathers trimmed nice and neatly will help allow your horse’s legs to dry and help prevent bacterial infections. 

 If your horse already has short hair, I recommend just trimming the long hairs around the coronary band and fetlock while leaving the remainder of the leg alone.  Every time you clip your horse’s legs you are risking micro trauma to the skin which can lead to further problems, such as cellulitis.  If you haven’t yet, go read my blog on cellulitis. It’s not a pretty thing. Clipping or not clipping your horse’s legs is up to you. Neither answer is right or wrong, it’s ultimately what’s best for your horse.

 Body

Body clipping could be a separate blog in and of itself, so we will touch on it lightly here, but keep an eye out for tips and tricks for body clipping in the near future.  By this time of year, your horse should be completely shed out and have a nice thin hair coat. If not, call my docs, and they will assess your horse and try to determine why he is not shedding completely. If your horse has not shed completely, I highly recommend a full body clip. It is way too hot this time of year to have a winter coat on. Yes, for the most part your horse’s coat acts as an insulator from the extreme heat, the sun, bugs, etc. However, too much coat is dangerous and puts your horse at risk for overheating. If your horse is having difficulty sweating, you may also want to consider getting some of that extra hair off. Reducing a thick hair coat will allow your horse to dissipate the heat easier and reduces the risk of overheating. A haircut to help with heat reduction does not have to be pretty, it just has to be functional.  Getting the hair off your horse’s neck, chest and underside alone can sometimes be enough and still allows them to have some coat present for protection. 

 No matter what side of the fence you are on when it comes to clipping, I recommend you chat with my docs about what is best for your horse and the situation they are in before you clip them. Remember, clipping is not without its consequences, especially the whiskers, so think before you clip!

 Until next week,

~Tony 

P.S. You know, my humans have a great podcast where you can learn just about everything you ever wanted to know about your horse, and then some. Make sure to check it out here. They are also busy filiming this or that and interfering with my nap times, and you can find those videos on our YourTube page here. 

During a rainy spell this past weekend I went down a rabbit hole, metaphorically of course. Usually I go for actual rabbit holes. I am a top line predator after all. However, my real life rabbit adventures are generally frowned upon by my staff. Anyway, about that rabbit hole. It involved saddles and saddle fit. Want the TLDR (too long didn’t read)? There’s a whole lot that goes into saddle fit!

Western or English

This is going to be short. There is basically no information on Western saddle fit. What there is, has been extrapolated from English saddle fit. Based on what I could find you should be aware of how the ends of the bars sit on your horse. It may be too narrow or too wide up front, and there may be more pressure on one side or the other. This could be due to defects in the human. Yep that’s right. You probably don’t ride straight. And don’t try to fix your saddle by just adding a thicker pad. Western or English, that’s never the right answer. It does seem, based on my limited feline understanding, that the design of Western saddles is more forgiving to horse anatomy. Take that with a big ol’ grain of salt, because this cat certainly isn’t getting saddled up for a ride with any kind of saddle.

Pinching, poking, constricting

These are not words you want associated with a saddle which you strap to your precious horse’s back, which you then climb upon, and then ask said horse to do stuff. It seems reasonable that a horse’s reaction to any of those things would be to remove the pinching, poking, or constricting thing as quickly as possible. This does sometimes happen, but more often those tolerant souls try their hardest to do what you humans ask while wearing ill-fitting tack. Anyway, how to check your saddle for fit. This is going to be the basic feline understanding of the process. I strongly recommend you find a saddle fit professional, and take a trip down your very own metaphorical rabbit hole, to get the best fit for you and your horse.

There are some things you can do to your saddle to see if a professional should be called ASAP. Start by holding your saddle with the cantle resting on your hip. Grab the front and crunch your saddle front to back. Much like me when one of the Docs asks me to get off the top of the truck, nothing should happen. Next put the saddle on your horse with the girth tightened. ProTip: you should not need your girth tight enough to cut your horse in half for your saddle to stay on. With the saddle on your horse, grab front and back, push it away, and pull it towards you. There should be some motion, but not a ton. Here’s a few more things that should cause a whole lot of nothing: while holding the front and back of the saddle push it away, and pull it towards you, try to twist the saddle, and push down. If anything dramatic happens, don’t ride in this saddle, call a saddle professional ASAP. For more nuanced saddle stuff, I recommend a good fitter. However, I have linked a pretty good article at the end of this blog that covers a whole lot of stuff.

The human element

For simplicity, I’m going to continue on from the point of your saddle fits your horse. That leaves us with you, the human. You humans have some issues. For one, you are very rarely symmetrical, which means you don’t sit in a saddle straight, which means it might just be you, and not your horse, or your saddle that are crooked. Crazy talk, I know. Have someone film you riding with lots of straight towards, and away shots. I promise you, you will develop a whole new appreciation for your crookedness. If in doubt that it’s you, have someone else ride your horse with your saddle. While the saddle may still slip, it will likely slip in different ways with this other crooked human. I won’t give you humans all the credit for crookedness. Sometimes it’s the horse, usually as a result of some crooked human. If in doubt, have one of my amazing Docs evaluate your horse. Not only can they identify potential problems, they have solutions. For you humans, I’m going to plug Centaur Rehab. Tonya Olsen is a master at helping humans figure out where they’re twisted and turned, and finding solutions. Ask any of my Docs about Tonya’s amazing skills. They’ve all ridden with her.

Extra bits

Don’t forget all those extra things you attach to a saddle. Girths being the most common, and most necessary. It seems horses are as picky about girths, as cats are about cat beds. There are a ton of options out there. If your horse isn’t happy when you’re girthing up, try another version. The most important thing about a girth is that it buckles straight to the billets. If there’s an angle, change your girth, or saddle location. That angle will cause the saddle to do bad things, and increase the pressure at the buckle, which your horse may object to. A breast plate is generally not necessary for a well-fitted saddle. However, in some situations they are necessary. If you use one, consider one that attaches to the pommel and the billets, to minimize pressure in any one location. Look for one with elastic inserts as well. This will put some give into the breast plate, and make it more comfortable for your horse.

Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. This was an extensive rabbit hole. If you would like to follow me down it, I recommend starting at “Evaluating the suitability of an English saddle for a horse and rider combination,” authors
A. Bondi, S. Norton, L. Pearman, S. Dyson, and published in the August 2019 Equine Veterinary Education Journal. The Saddle Research Trust is also an excellent resource. Don’t want to read any of it? Check with any of my Docs for help sourcing a qualified saddle professional, and evaluating your horse.

This Florida cat knows better than to try to reason with hurricane season, and so should you. This week, there is talk of watching the tropics, so I decided to bring up an important component protecting your horse in times of natural disasters or other adverse events – microchip identification.

If you love your horse as much as most of the owners that come to my clinic, you want to do everything you can to protect him.  While there are things we can’t control about our horses’ health, providing a safe and reliable means of identifying them is sooo easy to do. A microchip is a solid way of proving ownership, not only in severe weather events where horses could go missing, but also in situations of theft or ownership disputes. In addition, many breed registries and show organizations require microchips nowadays.

What it is:

A microchip is a tiny device about the size of a grain of rice that is implanted into your horse’s neck, under his mane, with a needle. The chip contains a 15-digit numerical code that is unique to your horse. It’s like the VIN number your car has, but for your horse. The number can’t be changed and is a reliable way to identify a horse. Once it’s inserted, anyone with a microchip scanner can read the number and look up the registration information to find out how to contact the owner.

Why it’s useful:

Microchips are a better method of identification than lip tattoos or brands. Have you tried deciphering a thoroughbred’s lip tattoo? It can be a guessing game, especially as the horse gets older. Brands can also be difficult to read, and they’re not usually unique to individual horses. Also, both can be altered.  

Microchips are very common in dogs and cats, it’s often part of the routine healthcare performed when getting a new pet. There are many, many stories of lost or stolen pets being reunited with their families thanks to a chip, sometimes even years after going missing. While horses don’t wander off as often as we cats do, in the case of natural disasters or weather events, horses may have to be left outside and recovered after the danger has passed. They may end up a distance away from home. Rescuers attempting to reunite a displaced horse with its owner have quite a challenge. Think about how many bay geldings you know – I bet it’s a lot. But any horse with a microchip can be quickly and easily returned to its owner.

A microchip can be a great way of protecting your interests if you are buying or selling horses. A vet doing a pre-purchase exam on a horse can also make sure they have been presented with the correct horse to examine, protecting you as the buyer from potential fraud. On the other hand, when you sell a horse there is always some uncertainty about where your horse will wind up in the future. Equine rescue groups working with horses that have fallen on hard times can trace back the horse’s identification and potentially reunite them with a previous owner. Microchips can also be used to solve disputes about horse ownership. If you have a record of a horse’s microchip that lists you as the legal owner, you have a much stronger case to prove the horse is yours. Organizations such as the Equine Rescue Network are working to supply microchip scanners and volunteers to scan horses at auctions that may ship horses for slaughter. If the horse is microchipped, there is a chance the previous owner of a stolen or slaughter-bound horse may be able to be reached.

As if all those reasons weren’t enough, many major breed registries and show organizations now require horses be microchipped with the 15-digit International Organization of Standardization (ISO) chips for identification. These include, just to name a few, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the Jockey Club, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) and the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover.

How it’s done:

It’s really not a big deal to put it in. Really, it’s downright easy. I have one myself, and I didn’t even feel the need to bite the vet when she did it.

In horses, the microchip is implanted in the nuchal ligament on the left side of the neck, halfway between the poll and the withers, just below the base of the mane. My docs will do a sterile prep to make sure things are nice and clean, and then use a thingy that looks like a syringe and needle to put in the chip. It’s super quick and doesn’t take much longer than giving a vaccine. Depending on your horse’s personality, he may prefer a bit of sedation or some local anesthetic over the injection site. The chip is tiny and inert, so the vast majority of horses have no reaction to it, though a few might have a small swelling for a few days after insertion. The benefit of microchipping your horse definitely outweighs any risk.

After it’s in, my doc will wave a little hand-held scanner over your horse’s neck and make sure it reads the chip and then Presto! your horse is legit. Here’s a video of the insertion part of the process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkwHe7t-VKY

My docs will make sure to use to use the approved ISO-compatible chips and record the number in your horse’s medical records. Then it’s up to you to register the code with your contact info and give the number to any breed registries or show organizations you belong to.

And what does this peace of mind cost? Hundreds? Thousands? Nope, it’s usually around $50 – $75 for the chip and the implantation, plus a little extra if your horse needs sedation or a farm call. Microchips usually last at least 25 years, so if that isn’t a good deal, I don’t know what is!

Here’s what it does:

• Provides permanent identification that can’t be separated from your horse or changed
• Helps recovery of your horse during a disaster
• Helps prevent theft and fraud
• Provides accurate identification for sales documentation
• Provides accuracy for competitions and breed registries (and is often required)

Here’s what it doesn’t do:

• It’s not a GPS tracker for your horse. You won’t be able to follow the chip to find his real-time location. (There are other devices that can do that though)
• The microchip itself stores only the horse’s identification number. Your contact info and info you enter about your horse is stored through the online registry when you register the chip. That’s why the registration after the chip is implanted is critical. Failing to register the chip, update your contact info, or transfer records basically renders the chip useless.
• There is no power supply (none is needed)
• Unlike in cats and dogs, microchips implanted in the nuchal ligament generally do not migrate away from the implantation site.
• Chips are not a fail-safe that your horse will never end up in a bad situation. Slaughterhouses and auctions don’t routinely scan horses for microchips. Though like I said, equine rescue organizations are working to make this more commonplace.

So, don’t wait until you are facing a situation where a chip could have helped you, because then it is too late. Microchip implantation is simple, safe, simple, and inexpensive. It’s an easy way to protect your horse that will last his entire life.

Until next week,

Tony

P.S. This is one part of disaster prep for your farm, but with hurricane season picking up, you might want to look over some of my other sage advice on this topic! You can click on the magnifying glass at the top of the page and type “hurricane prep” into the search bar and it will show you all my blogs on this topic. Tired of reading? Click here to listen to my doc’s podcast on emergency preparation. You might have to scroll down the list to find it, but I bet you’ll find some other ones you want to listen to, so it’s all good