Horse Care Through the Seasons

Each season brings with it certain needs for equine care and an annual horse health care agenda can help with some of the planning as the months rapidly roll by. Horse owners are good at knowing the value of organizing and preparing ahead to help their horses stay healthy and to budget for the more expensive seasonal needs ahead of time. 
Spring
As crocuses push their way through slushy snow horse owners breathe a sigh of relief that maybe the worst of winter is over and spring is on its way.

In any horse barn the coming of spring launches a flurry of activity in preparation for the coming season and its the perfect opportunity to make sure your horse is healthy and ready to go back into regular work. 
The preseason visit from your veterinarian is an important part of the horses overall health plan. 
The spring horse health exam can be quite different from a midseason exam says Steve Chiasson DVM CVMA. During the riding season veterinarians will often be called to investigate a specific problem that is occurring such as respiratory difficulty at rest or worsening lameness that is affecting performance. But the preseason exam is generally focused on a broader view of your horses health. It is a snapshot in time that takes into account both medical history and potential future plans for your horse activities. And it is incredibly valuable.
The spring checkup should start with a good history of everything that has happened over the winter season. Nobody is more in tune with how things are going than the person who sees the horse every day and thats you says Chiasson. 
The basis of the spring health checkup is a thorough physical exam. This includes an evaluation of cardiovascular respiratory and gastrointestinal function as well as a musculoskeletal evaluation depending on the horses history and type of work he does. 
As part of this checkup and before your spring conditioning program begins in earnest a soundness evaluation by the veterinarian can detect subtle problems before they become more serious down the road. Depending on the horses history and the findings of the physical exam the veterinarian may suggest diagnostic tests that would be of value to you and your horse.
Chiasson explains the three levels of musculoskeletal evaluations that can be done
Pleasure and companion horse every horse should have this level
Casual performance horse for pleasure horses with an