Health Centers
Explore our 10 Health Center categories for a complete picture of equine health.
Health Tools
Use these online tools to refine your horse healthcare techniques and knowledge.
Quick Finder
Find it fast! Quick search our Disease and Conditions or Drugs and Medications compendia.
Diseases & Conditions
Drugs & Medications
Recent Articles
Behavior Health Center
Recognizing and Preventing Equine Stereotypies
by EquiMed Staff
April 19, 2023 20:51
Cribbing, weaving and stall walking are common stable vices. Learn the 8 common causes of stereotypies and 8 steps you can take to prevent these destructive …
Learned Helplessness - An Unfortunate Short Cut in Horse Training
by Mark Sellers
February 11, 2021 18:36
Fortunately, the trend is to consider the well-being of the horse during training, and to use techniques that are based on scientifically sound evidence, …
Dealing with the Barn Sour Horse
by Heather Smith Thomas
January 7, 2020 16:16
The barn sour horse gets anxious and difficult to control when away from its barn or herd mates. Understanding the causes and retraining makes a safer and …
Dental Care Health Center
Dental Care for Young Horses
by Heather Smith Thomas
January 8, 2020 17:21
In addition to issues created by feeding of hay and grain instead of grazing for feed, young horses often suffer dental problems during the transition from baby …
Dental Care for Older Horses
by Heather Smith Thomas
February 1, 2019 09:18
Most dental problems in older horses involve teeth wearing out, uneven wear, or just the fact that the teeth are missing. This article provides the horse owner …
Feeding the Toothless Horse
by EquiMed Staff
April 11, 2018 08:36
"When feeding a horse with no teeth or with very severe tooth damage, feed a slurry of complete pelleted feed and/or mashed alfalfa pellets, and add in some …
First Aid Health Center
First Aid for Sprains and Strains in Horses
by Heather Smith Thomas
January 6, 2020 16:27
When a horse has a strain or a sprain, managing pain can help the horse heal without undue pain and stress …
First Aid for the Uncomfortable Horse: Is it Colic or Tying Up …
by Heather Smith Thomas
January 2, 2020 18:09
A horse showing sudden signs of discomfort may need veterinary attention: First, however, you need to determine whether the horse is suffering from colic or …
What's the poop about dogs eating horse poop …
by Mark Sellers
August 12, 2019 16:02
Size does matter when a dogs eats horse poop containing ivermectin, depending on the toxicity level and the size and genetic susceptibility of the dog …
Fitness and Conditioning Health Center
Conditioning the Young Green Horse
by Heather Smith Thomas
February 16, 2020 19:33
Every green horse needs a gradually-increasing fitness program to bring heart, lungs, muscles, tendons and joints to optimum strength before long rides or …
Conditioning a Horse for Work after a Layoff
by Heather Smith Thomas
April 5, 2019 09:50
Gradual conditioning enables the horse's body to adapt and develop the ability to handle more work without pushing him too far at once …
Somber Statistics about Equine-Related Head Injuries
by EquiMed Staff
September 12, 2018 09:14
Few equestrians have had a career riding without suffering from injuries, some serious. Learn more about equine-related injuries and why helmets are protective …
General Care Health Center
"Bute" for Horses has Benefits and Drawbacks
by Heather Smith Thomas
January 3, 2020 15:49
Veterinarians prescribe bute for a number of conditions. Horse owners should be aware of possible side effects from this commonly used anti-inflammatory …
Horse Parasite Control Guidelines
by EquiMed Staff
November 8, 2018 11:24
Read about the many types of parasites that can affect your horse and learn how using the three "arms" of strategic deworming can be an answer to your parasite …
Fever in Horses
by Heather Smith Thomas
November 8, 2018 11:18
Every horse owner should get an idea what their horse’s normal temperature is by taking it daily for a few days …
Healthy Barn Health Center
Importance of Good Ventilation in Horse Barns
by Heather Smith Thomas
July 14, 2019 15:06
Many horses have allergic airway disease or heaves due to improper barn ventilation because of dust and poor-quality air held within the confines of the barn …
Keeping Cool with Barn Misters
by EquiMed Staff
April 23, 2018 19:40
Learn strategies for helping your horses stay cool on hot summer days, and when all else fails, how different kinds of barn misters can help fight off the heat …
Maintaining a Healthy Environment for Your Horse During the Transition …
by EquiMed Staff
April 28, 2017 14:54
Important preparations to make around your horse barn and stable before Jack Frost shows up include repairing fence lines, managing pastures, checking barns and …
Hoof Care Health Center
Do Metal Shoes Contract Horse Heels? – a New Retrospective Study
by Flossie Sellers
November 23, 2020 21:19
A new study evaluated the influence of metal shoeing and other risk factors such as age, access to paddock and breed, on heel contraction in horses …
Hoof Care for a Horse with Laminitis and or Founder
by Doug Butler, PhD, CJF, FWCF
September 11, 2020 16:59
Attention to routine nursing care by the owner is usually the most significant factor in influencing the recovery rate of a horse afflicted with Laminitis and/ …
Hoof Care
How do I identify hoof cracks and what is the best way to care for …
Doug Butler, PhD, CJF, FWCF
How do I identify hoof cracks and what is the best way to care for …
by Doug Butler, PhD, CJF, FWCF
July 20, 2020 18:41
Each crack in a horse's hoof is individual and the results or repairing and stabilizing the hoof crack depend upon the type, location and treatment …
Lameness Health Center
Sidewinder Syndrome in Horses
by Heather Smith Thomas
June 8, 2020 20:09
Sidewinder is a term describing a neurologic older horse with a sudden alteration in gait causing the hindquarters of the horse to list to one side when the …
Tips for Pinpointing Lameness - Which Leg is Lame and Why …
by Heather Smith Thomas
August 24, 2019 15:34
By checking horses' feet and legs daily - during grooming, before and after a ride, and the day after a hard workout - lameness will be apparent at an early …
Horse Conformation - Head, Neck and Shoulders
by Heather Smith Thomas
October 1, 2018 09:14
Conformation of the head and shoulders of your horse is discussed in this article, second in the series by noted author Heather Smith Thomas …
Nutrition Health Center
Teff Hay for Horses
by Heather Smith Thomas
June 26, 2020 16:02
The growing popularity of teff is due to its ability to produce high-quality hay in a relatively short growing season and the fact that when growth is managed …
Nutrition for Mares and Foals: Monitor Their Special Needs
by Heather Smith Thomas
October 7, 2019 17:01
When raising foals, the goal is to optimize health and growth, and this means proper and adequate nutrition, while avoiding extremes that could lead to problems …
Prevent Sand Colic in Horses
by Heather Smith Thomas
June 8, 2019 09:01
When grazing sandy pastures or eating hay off the ground, horses often pick up bits of sand that can lead to a colic hazard …
Reproductive Care Health Center
Horse Dystocia - Dealing with a Difficult Foaling
by Heather Smith Thomas
September 4, 2020 16:51
The term dystocia refers to an abnormal or difficult birth which occurs in approximately 10% of foalings and is more common in mares during their first foaling …
Breeding Soundness Exams for Broodmares
by Heather Smith Thomas
November 8, 2019 17:57
A breeding soundness exam helps prepare for the upcoming breeding season to ensure that a mare that is fertile and able to produce a healthy foal …
Equine Reproductive Maturity in Mares and Stallions
by EquiMed Staff
September 12, 2018 09:17
Dramatic physical and mental changes occur in horses as they transition from playful colt or filly stage to the adolescent stage and on to becoming a stallion …