Steps of Spring Horse Care

horse shows or boarding stables. If your horse will be in any of these situations your veterinarian may recommend vaccination against these viruses in addition to the core vaccines. It is important to remember that there is no single protocol for vaccinating horses and many factors at play when designing a vaccination schedule for the individual horse.
2 Dental Care
Before the riding season is in full swing it is advisable to have your horses teeth checked. Dental abnormalities can greatly affect your horses comfort performance and ability to maintain a healthy weight. If dental issues are addressed before work begins the horse will be happier in the bridle and better able to progress through his training.
An equine dental appointment is so much more than just floating teeth. The entire oral cavity must first be assessed with a thorough oral examination. In order to safely examine the whole mouth and each individual tooth the horse should be sedated for the procedure. The veterinarian will use a dental speculum and various instruments such as mirrors probes and a light source. A sedated oral examination is the only way to reliably detect problems such as sharp points fractured or loose teeth and abnormalities of the horses occlusion bite. Other less common findings include foreign material oral abscesses or tumours. A quick glance in the mouth of an awake horse is simply not sufficient to detect all of these potential problems.
After the oral examination the veterinarian will use a file or a float to level out sharp points and overgrown teeth. This is always done carefully to prevent damaging the teeth or exposing the sensitive pulp cavity inside. Other dental treatments include removing feed caught in abnormal gaps between the teeth removing builtup plaque and extracting loose teeth or fragments that may be a source of pain. Occasionally a veterinarian may recommend taking a series of radiographs of the teeth and skull based on their findings during the oral examination. Radiographs are useful in evaluating the roots of the teeth as well as the surrounding bones and sinuses.
Once your horse has a clean bill of dental health you can feel confident that his mouth will be comfortable as you ramp up your spring riding and training.
With the arrival of warmer weather many horses are turned out on pasture for several months of grazing. While freedom and fresh grass have many health benefits pasture grazing is