Equine Imed

03/18/2025

🍀Happy St. Patrick's Day! 🍀🦄

🍀Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We hope you enjoy this little limerick from our herd to yours! 🍀

At Sprout, there’s a lively horse crew,
With Bailey and Buzz Buzz in view.
Dior struts with pride,
Olaf stands strong and wide,
And Louie just waits for his cue!

Eddie and Eugene go race,
And Frisco just naps in his place.
Spot nibbles a leaf,
Thor neighs in disbelief,
And Mac has hay stuck to his face!

And then there’s a gelding named Duke,
Whose trot has a cadence to juke.
Buggie will prance,
While Lucky will dance,
And Charming keeps up with the groove!

Peter shares nickers of cheer,
As Pepper stands proudly quite near.
Ozzy likes to play,
In his own happy way,
While joy fills the barn atmosphere!

02/21/2025

Some excellent tips to help your bestie catch some quality Z's 🐴💤✨️🦄✨️

01/28/2025

When working on a horse with suspected EPM, shortcuts can lead to misdiagnosis.

01/22/2025

Brrr, It’s cold out there, PA! ❄️

Frigid temperatures and dangerous windchills are settling in! If you’re chilly, your horse is probably too. Follow these tips from Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center to keep horses safe and healthy during dropping temperatures.

01/21/2025

It’s not uncommon to find horses and ponies living well into their 20s and 30s, thanks to continuous advances in nutrition and health care.

Horse owners have a big impact as well and can help their horses thrive in their golden years through proper management practices like those illustrated in the graphic. But remember, although there is much you can do on your own to keep your older horse happy and spry, some conditions associated with aging require medical intervention.

Scheduling regular visits and keeping a good line of communication with your veterinarian will allow you to respond quickly to any ailments or injuries that could cause your horse a serious or prolonged set back. That means less worry for you, and a better quality of life for your old friend!

01/13/2025

Happy Monday!!! ❄️✨️🦄😍

01/09/2025

Happy New Year !

I want to take a moment to thank all of the wonderful horse owners and colleagues that support my practice and allow me to continue doing this job that I love. It’s not always easy and there are challenging cases and long days but the reward is worth it! 🙂 I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2025!! ✨️

12/30/2024

Although protein is normally listed as a nutrient, horses actually have a requirement for amino acids, the building blocks of protein, rather than for protein itself.

Protein is the least efficient energy source for your horse, so high protein does not automatically equal high energy. Carbohydrates, fats, and fiber are more readily digestible energy sources, so chances are a horse with too much energy is being fed more calories than the animal truly needs.

As always, remember that all horses have different nutritional needs based on age, stage of development, metabolism and workload. Be sure to work with your veterinarian to determine the correct protein and energy requirements for your equine friend based on your horse’s individual situation!
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Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

12/23/2024

Dr. Polkes discusses Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis, EPM, in the following article.

Time Is of the Essence to Improve Chances of Recovery Edited Press Release DULUTH, Ga. (Dec. 13, 2024) — While horse owners have likely heard of Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM), fortunately, less than one percent of the horse population will develop the disease. The impact of this neurolo...

12/23/2024

🥶🦄❄️💦🪣🍀🌾

The cold weather is here, and adjusting your management practices to accommodate the cold temperatures is vital to ensuring you and your horse's comfort during the winter months. Read along to browse topics surrounding how hydration, adjusting feed sources, blanketing practices, and air quality all affect your horse.

Read Here ⬇️
https://www.platinumperformance.com/articles/preparing-for-winter.html

12/21/2024

🦄❄️💦🪣🥶

Water is a vital resource for horses year-round, but its importance becomes even greater during the winter months. Maintaining proper hydration is essential for horses to support digestion, overall health, and especially for preventing colic, a potentially life-threatening condition.

In winter, horses may drink less water due to cold temperatures, or water sources might freeze, limiting access. Reduced water intake increases the risk of impaction colic, a condition that occurs when food material becomes lodged in the horse’s digestive tract. This is exacerbated by the dry, fibrous nature of winter forage like hay, which contains less moisture compared to fresh pasture grass. Without sufficient water, the digestive system slows and cannot properly break down this material, potentially leading to blockages.

Encouraging adequate water consumption is critical. Horses should normally drink 5-12 gallons of water daily, and ensuring the water is warm enough—between 45-65°F—can help encourage drinking. Studies show that horses are more likely to consume warm water during cold weather. Using heated water buckets or tank deicers can prevent freezing and make water more appealing.

Fun Fact: Research shows that horses drink almost 40% more water per day if given warm water (45-65 °F) instead of near-freezing water. (Kristula and McDonnell, 1994)

Electrolytes or salt supplements can also stimulate thirst, prompting horses to drink more. Offering soaked hay or adding water to feed can provide additional hydration. However, soaking hay or feed isn’t recommended in environments where these items would freeze solid before being consumed by the horse.

Preventing dehydration in winter is a proactive measure to safeguard against colic. Regularly monitoring water intake and ensuring clean, accessible, and palatable water is essential. By addressing these needs, horse owners can help maintain their horses’ health and comfort throughout the colder months.

If you have questions or concerns about your horses' winter water intake, contact your veterinarian.

12/18/2024

We are especially touched to see how this cutie has blossomed in her role as an equine ambassador of Safe Haven Equine Warriors! Go Reba! You are an absolute queen of spreading joy, year round! 👑🦄🥰✨️

12/18/2024

Some of our favorite people and horses from Safe Haven Equine Warriors, spreading their news and mission with some holiday cheer in the The Lisbon Christmas Parade last weekend! 🥰🦄🎄🎁❄️

12/05/2024

Did you know that a horse with a moderate hair coat starts requiring additional calories for body temperature regulation when the outside temperature drops to approximately 50°F?

As the temperatures start to drop, especially overnight, it's important to remember that cold weather prompts special considerations for your horse's diet and care. This is particularly important when it comes to the older members of the herd; consult your primary horse doctor to formulate a plan to keep your horses happy and healthy this fall and winter!

12/05/2024

Water remains as important for your horse in cold weather as it is in the summer. As a matter of fact, decreased water consumption in the winter is thought to be the primary inducing factor for impaction colic — although there are other predisposing factors such as poor hay quality, lack of exercise, internal parasites and dental problems.

Impaction colic is essentially constipation and most often includes the accumulation of hard, dry f***l material in the colon. The usual signs of impending impaction colic are depression, a decreased appetite, and decreased production and dryness of manure.

Studies demonstrate that you can increase your horse's winter water consumption if you provide access to heated water, but ONLY if that is the only source of water available. As always, if you have any questions about preventing colic in your horse, your equine veterinarian remains your best source of information!

11/12/2024

Did you know sleep deprivation and narcolepsy can impact your horse's health and performance?

In the latest issue of Platinum Magazine, we dive into the signs, causes, and effects of sleep issues in horses. Recognizing subtle symptoms is vital to understanding how stress, pain, and environmental factors can disrupt rest. Learn how to identify and address sleep-related issues to keep your horse healthy, rested, and ready to perform at their best!

Learn more here ⬇️
https://www.platinumperformance.com/articles/sleep-deprivation-in-horses.html

09/09/2024

Check out this new podcast on Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome with Dr. Amy Polkes and Jessie Bengoa, presented by Platinum Performance.

With such a high prevalence, particularly in performance horses, understanding the causes, risk factors, diagnostics, treatments and preventive approaches to Eq

08/08/2024

Some helpful info from MHC.