Equine Integrative Medicine

29/02/2024

Bella is enjoying a bit of EMS training at EFM Center today. We use it a lot to keep injured sport horses fit and strong while they recover, but it is also a great addition to any healthy sport horses training program to improve fitness, strength and performance.

08/12/2023

I am proud to announce that I am now based at the EFM Center here in the Netherlands.

24/11/2022

Somewhat obsessed with these magnificently massive feet on one of my patients today.

A horse’s feet are the basis for soundness. Winter is a wonderful time to focus on getting the balance just right and safeguard their soundness for the future.

23/10/2022

It’s that time of year again. Please keep your horses safe from this devastating toxin.

ATTENTION PLEASE! This post has been generated due to an unprecedented number of horses/donkeys seen by vets across the UK and at Rainbow Equine Hospital and through Rainbow Equine Lab for Atypical Myopathy (Sycamore toxicity).

Prevention strategies, as advised by the RVC Neuromuscular Lab (which leads UK research in this area), include:

Provide supplementary forage in Autumn (not from the ground).
Clear fallen sycamore leaves and seeds from grazing areas or fence away from heavily contaminated areas.
Check neighbouring areas for high risk plants/ seeds as the seeds ‘helicopters’ can travel far in windy conditions.
Limiting grazing time, especially on windy autumnal days, is also helpful.
Check water troughs for contamination with seeds and clean regularly.

16/10/2022

Great video to show some of the important structures in the foot!

22/09/2022

Interesting new research proving a genetic link in horses that develop kissing spines.

Back pain is a common contributor to poor performance in ridden horses and kissing spines are but one underlying factor. The good news is that for the vast majority of horses, we can find a comfortable and functional solution.

The basic principles for treating and preventing back pain is to ensure soundness, good biomechanics (particularly foot balance), saddle fit and adequate strength and fitness for what is being asked of the horse. If we get these basics right, then we can overcome most back problems.

Researchers discovered a connection between Chromosome 25 and the presence of kissing spines in horses.

06/09/2022

There is a shortage of flu vaccines and as such, you temporarily may not need the 6-month booster. Check with your local bodies and show centers.

Further to the update we issued jointly with BEVA - The British Equine Veterinary Association and the British Horseracing Authority on 17 August, it has been confirmed there are distribution problems with doses of equine influenza vaccination.

Our latest update provides further information on what this means for the UK's equine population, including how vaccination recommendations have been temporarily adjusted for leisure and competition horses.

Full update 👉 https://bit.ly/EIupdate2Sept

17/07/2022

We Westerners have only recently started to appreciate the importance of diet in medicine. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, food has been an integral part of medicine for thousands of years.

In Chinese Medicine, summer heat is seen as an external toxin that can have a multitude of negative effects on the body. Watermelon rind is a cooling food with many medicinal properties. I often use it in horses that are prone to excess internal heat, but it also helps to counteract the negative effects of very hot weather.

My Bella has a fire constitution, so runs a bit hot at the best of times. I am treating her with watermelon rind to help her stay cool over the coming days.

12/07/2022

Look at the relief on this big girl’s face when she feels the cool water on her skin. How are you keeping your horses comfortable?

I am loving the heat! But I know a lot of you are suffering so I will share my top tips to help keep you and your horses cool.

1. Cover up: wear a hat and long sleeve clothing to keep the sun off your skin, or try to stay in the shade. White, UV blocking cotton sheets tend to be cooler for the horses than fly rugs if they have to he out in the sun.

2. Don’t stagnate: light exercise that gets the blood flowing (e.g. a short walk) followed by a nice cool shower will make you feel much cooler than just staying still in one place.

3. Use evaporative cooling: hosing your horse and yourself is an excellent way to cool down. In really hot weather (it really isn’t that hot in the UK) I would wet my hair and then put it under a cap. Having a cool head creates a lot of heat loss for the body. I would also hose a horse down both before and after exercise, so that they don’t have to do extra work to create sweat to try to cool down (they are already wet).

It is also extremely important to stay hydrated, so make sure you and your horse have plenty of clean, cool water at hand.

10/07/2022

Most horses and dogs really love their acupuncture sessions. We had a great time this week improving the health and comfort of both species! Video of Jake the greyhound’s treatment in the comments.

27/06/2022

Super proud of Parnie, who gave us many grey hairs and sleepless nights, for recovering so well from a horrific tendon injury. We used regenerative therapies in the form of platelet rich plasma harvested from her own blood to stimulate healing. The farrier did an amazing job getting her comfortable enough to walk in the early stages, and her dedicated owner was meticulous in her rehabilitation.

To come back from something like that at 21 is truly amazing! We are so proud to be on team Parnie!

17/06/2022

Did you know that foals are born without antibodies to fight disease? They get their antibodies from colostrum in the first 12 hours of life. If they don’t get enough colostrum, or the mare’s colostrum isnof poor quality, then foals are at risk for sepsis, joint- and navel-ill.

For uncomplicated births where all milestones are hit (foal out in 20-30 min from onset of stage 2 labour, stand within 1h, nurse within 2h, placenta out within 3h), we recommend a mare and foal checkup at 12-24h after birth. At this exam, both the mare, the foal and the placenta are examined. Blood is taken from the foal to ensure there was adequate transfer of immunity.

The little guy pictured below had more than enough immunity, but if he didn’t we could give him a plasma transfusion to protect him from infection.

Poppy and her ‘Mini Me’ out for the first time…enjoying the early morning sunshine before it got too hot.

Thank you Equine Integrative Medicine Karin Kruger for coming out to check both mares and foals after they were born, very pleased to know they are all doing perfectly, and super proud of Mops and Pops for being such wonderful first time mums.

20/03/2022

With all this beautiful sunshine comes the spring grass, fat horses and laminitis. Don’t get caught out this year. Have a proactive plan in place to manage your horses weight and the sugar content (including that in grass) in their diet.

It can be hard to know if your horse is getting the right amount of calories from their diet, but the best way to tell is by looking at them. Checking and mo...

10/02/2022

Research and technological advances enable better preventative health, but only for those who are paying attention at every stage of a horse’s development.

We have followed our veterinarian through the four seasons and observed his daily practice

02/02/2022

The correct answer is: NEITHER.

Owning a horse is a big investment in terms of money, time and emotion. This is why it’s important to investigate a prospective horse’s overall health and condition through a pre-purchase examination (PPE) conducted by an equine veterinarian.

Pre-purchase exams may vary depending on the situation and the veterinarian who is doing the examination, but the main question you will always need to answer at the beginning is, “what will I be doing with this horse?”
What is my experience level?
What are my goals? (E.g., will I compete?)
Will I board it or will it stay at my farm?
Is this horse going to be sold in the future?

There are no correct (or wrong) answers, it’s all about your personal level of comfort. So don’t be afraid to express your concerns to your veterinarians — keeping an open and honest line of communications is key!

Based on your answers, the veterinarian will then discuss with you how the findings from the PPE might impact your goals from a health standpoint; however, remember that he/she cannot predict the future and there are many factors out of the veterinarian’s control that can affect a horse’s short- and long-term ability to perform. Namely, things like hoof care; use of protective leg gear; fitness and conditioning of the horse; manner of training; experience of the rider; injury; genetic predisposition and more.

So in the end, the veterinarian’s role when doing a pre-purchase examination is not to pass or fail the horse, but simply to find out everything possible about the animal’s physical status. Equipped with that information and based on how much risk you’re willing to assume, the decision to purchase the horse is then totally up to you.

12/01/2022

09/01/2022

✴️ NOW OFFERING PRE-PURCHASE EXAMINATIONS✴️

While enjoying the excitement of buying a new horse or pony, it is prudent to recognize that any new purchase comes with a degree of risk.

Over many years, I have seen friends and clients make good, bad, lucky and unlucky decisions in selecting their next horse. For those who don’t want to rely on luck, there are a few actions that will significantly mitigate the risk. By physically inspecting and trying out the horse and having a veterinary inspection performed, you have the best chance of understanding the future risk for each purchase.

As a recognized specialist vet with 16 years experience as well as an equestrian competitor and horse owner with 25 years experience, Dr Karin Kruger can assist you in determining whether a horse or pony is suitable for you or your child. Call or message 07367596697 to make an appointment.

https://www.facebook.com/581897520/posts/10159397984997521/?d=n

24/12/2021

Wishing all my clients and followers the very best of the season. May you all have a blessed time with your families, horses and friends.

It has been a great privilege to look after your horses this year. Your phenomenal support has enabled me to expand the business and I will be offering many more veterinary services in 2022. Watch this space!

Merry Christmas 🎄🎁

13/12/2021

Fitness, suppleness and strength are the best defense against strain, degeneration and injury.

I love in hand work for suppleness and strength through the horses back. As a very big horse, Bella doesn’t have a naturally balanced trot. If left to her own devices she would much rather stick her head in the air, keep her body rigid and move only her legs! This is why I use a loose pessoa training aid to lunge her in trot. By gently encouraging her head down and giving proprioceptive feedback around the hindquarters, she is encouraged to lift her belly and balance her trot.

How are you improving your horse’s strength and fitness this winter?

23/11/2021

My latest review article on stomach disorders in horses has just been published in the Vet Times.

https://www.vettimes.co.uk/article/equine-gastric-disorders-review/

Karin Kruger BVSc, DipACVIM, MRCVS discusses the diagnosis, management and treatment of such conditions, including gastric ulcer syndrome.

27/10/2021

The beautiful autumn months bring with them a risk of atypical myopathy, a disease with high fatality rate in horses. If you have Sycamore trees and horses in your property then please read this article:

https://bit.ly/3Ckqof1

The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) is reminding horse owners to take steps to minimise the risks of Atypical Myopathy. Bare fields and gusty autumn weather can heighten the chances of horses contracting this fatal disease, which is caused by the ingestion of sycamore seeds.

17/10/2021

Cannot recommend these guys highly enough. They are fantastic at starting young horses in a kind and well-rounded way.

27/09/2021

Had a lovely time talking about and demonstrating the benefits of acupuncture at this past weekend’s camp.

30/07/2021

I am delighted to announce that Equine Integrative Medicine is now based at Risebridge farm with Your Horsemanship, Jason Webb. We had a great chat last night about some of the things that I do. You can contact me via FB messenger or on 07367596697 to schedule an appointment.

07/07/2021

An exercise ECG recorder is used to monitor the heart rate and rhythm in performing and exercising horses. Due to the enormous cardiac reserves of horses, many abnormal rhythms only become apparent during strenous exercise. These may lead to poor performance and may increase the risk of collapse or even sudden cardiac death.

At Equine Integrative Medicine, we use state of the art technology to record and analyze ECG’s during exercise tests in our performance and cardiology cases. This enables us to determine whether a horse with a heart problem remains safe to ride and to discover underlying problems that may inhibit performance.