Midwest Equine at Illinois

04/16/2025

Our next Client Education Meeting will be with the head of Midwest Equine, Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg! Certified in animal chiropractic, Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg will discuss the value that chiropractic care can bring to your equine's life. From helping mules enjoy their pasture life to getting performance horses showing their best, chiropractic work can help them all.

Join us May 22nd at 6pm! Call or email to RSVP by May 20th.

04/14/2025

A great example of why we perform wellness exams before administering vaccines!

Here is a great reminder from our friends at Rhinebeck Equine on why it's so important to conduct a physical exam prior to administering vaccines!

"🌡️ During a routine physical exam, Dr. Cassandra Shores was surprised to discover the 15-year-old grade gelding had a fever. Due to the fever, Dr. Shores opted to postpone vaccinating the horse until his immune system was healthy enough to respond to the vaccines. Further diagnostics were performed to determine the cause of the fever. And appropriate treatment was initiated. The gelding was vaccinated at a later date.

🩺 Fortunately, the fever was caught early due to Dr. Cassandra Shores performing a physical exam prior to administering vaccines."

Photo credit: Rhinebeck Equine

04/11/2025

This week on Meet the Farrier Friday, meet Katie Freed!

Katie has owned horses since 2014, starting with trail riding and in 2021 she began roping. Competing in National Little Britches Rodeo Association for 2 years, Katie traveled all over Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois to compete in team roping, breakaway, and ribbon roping. Katie qualified and attended finals in Guthrie Oklahoma in the summer of 2023. From a young age, Katie always knew she wanted to work with animals, and attended Oklahoma Horseshoeing school to complete their 12-week advanced horseshoeing course. Since then, Katie has absolutely fallen in love with farrier work! After moving back home to Indiana in November of 2023, Katie ran her own business part time. In February 2025, Katie joined the University of Illinois Farrier Service, and is now currently studying for her Certified Farrier exam!

When not shoeing horses, Katie enjoys time outdoors while roping, camping, and kayaking with her dog Coco. When hiding from the elements, Katie loves finding small coffee shops and trying new coffee, and using her creativity while drawing, painting, and occasionally doing some leather work!

Bonus Fun Fact: Katie has an unhealthy addiction to deviled eggs! (And coffee… just not together 🤣)

04/10/2025

Thank you to Beth Edwards and Carli Progin from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health for a great night full of prizes, great food, and amazing discussions! Keep an eye out for our next Client Education Meeting 🐴

04/07/2025

DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAUSES GRASS FOUNDER?

Spring is a wonderful time of the year, but it may be the beginning of some serious problems for horses vulnerable to grass founder — like horses that are over the age of 10, easy keepers, overweight or cresty-necked.

Laminitis or founder, as it is commonly called, is inflammation of the laminae of the horse’s foot. Laminae are the delicate, accordion-like tissues that attach the inner surface of the hoof wall to the coffin bone (the bone in the foot). A horse suffering from laminitis experiences a decrease in blood flow to the laminae, which in turn begin to die and separate. The final result is hoof wall separation, rotation of the coffin bone and extreme pain. In severe cases, the coffin bone will actually rotate through the sole of the horse’s hoof where it becomes infected and can ultimately lead to the horse having to be euthanized.

Laminitis can be triggered by different causes, like repeated concussion on hard ground (road founder), grain overload, retained placenta, hormonal imbalance (Cushing’s syndrome), obesity, and lush grass.

In cases of grass founder, the sugar fructans produced by rapidly growing grass stimulates an overgrowth of bacteria in the horse’s large intestine. The bacteria produce and release toxins (endotoxins) that are carried by the bloodstream to the foot where they cause damage to the laminae and small blood vessels.

The best way to deal with laminitis is preventing and managing the causes under your control. Consult your equine practitioner for further information and to formulate a plan tailored to your horse's individual situation. If you suspect laminitis, consider it a medical emergency and notify your veterinarian immediately.

04/04/2025

Meet the Farrier Friday! This week, meet Rabeka Clarke.

Rabeka grew up trail riding horses as well as riding on ranches in Oregon. Rabeka was fortunate enough to have a farrier as her father which allowed her to learn the trade from a young age. Even so, Rabeka continues to learn every day! Growing up, Rabeka wanted to be a human doctor and planned to shoe horses to pay for school. It has been almost 8 years since she started shoeing on her own and she hasn’t stopped. Some may say Rabeka has caught the shoeing bug! In February 2024, Rabeka got married to her husband and the two moved to Illinois in May 2024. After completing the Certified Farrier exam in October of 2024, Rabeka continues to work towards the Certified Journeyman Farrier exam. Rabeka joined the University of Illinois Farrier Service in October 2024, so you may see her at Midwest Equine, on farm calls, or at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Large Animal Clinic!

In her free time Rabeka loves to spend time with her husband riding horses, playing with their 3 dogs, and going on walks/hikes. Along with reading books and crocheting at home, Rabeka loves to collect erasers. She has collected over 2000 erasers and counting!

04/02/2025

Join us next Wednesday April 9th at 6pm learn about Endocrine Disease and PPID Awareness from Boehringer Ingelheim. There will be a light dinner served and prizes!

🐴Call or email to RSVP as soon as possible! 🐴

03/28/2025

Meet the Farrier Friday! This week, meet Laura Russman.

Laura has spent the last 18 years around horses. From competing in polo, hunter/jumpers and equitation, trail, showmanship, saddle seat, and gaming, Laura has done it all! After graduating with her Associates in Science in 2017, Laura then graduated from farrier school in Oklahoma. Laura has since run her own farrier business in Virginia and West Virginia, and has been a farrier for about 7 years. In 2022, Laura moved to Michigan to apprentice with the farrier of Michigan State University's farrier school, as well as, having her own clients. In the spring of 2023 Laura completed her Certified Farrier exam and has since been working towards her Certified Journeyman exam. Laura joined the University of Illinois Farrier service in September 2024. Catch her at Midwest Equine, the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Large Animal Clinic, or out on farm calls!

Outside of work Laura enjoys spending time with her fiance, her dog Lilly and her horse Khanner (pronounced KAH-nur). Laura loves anything she can do outdoors, from going on walks and hikes, to camping, fishing, kayaking, and of course riding horses!

03/25/2025

Shedding season is here! Hopefully your equine friends are shedding normally. If not Cushing's disease could be of suspicion. Read below to learn a bit more, and join us April 9th at 6 PM to learn all about PPID management!

Shedding season is right around the corner!

If, however, you notice that your equine friend is clinging to their winter coat longer than they should, it might be time to give your veterinarian a call — especially if your animal is 15+.

A long haircoat that fails to shed according to normal seasonal patterns is the most classic sign of Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), also known as Cushing’s disease. This disorder of the pituitary gland results in hormonal imbalances and is one of the most common diseases of middle-aged and geriatric equines.

Early diagnosis and treatment are key to helping animals with PPID live long, happy lives. Without treatment, symptoms tend to worsen over time and many equines are euthanized as a consequence of laminitis, recurrent foot abscesses or complications related to bacterial infections.

It is also important to note that donkeys and mules tend to shed later than horses, so keep this in mind before getting too worried about other underlying causes. As always, if you have concerns about if your equine companion is shedding appropriately, contact your veterinarian.

03/20/2025

Have you met the whole University of Illinois Farrier Service team? Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for introductions of the whole crew!

The University of Illinois Farrier Service is available for joint appointments with Midwest Equine Veterinarians on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Feel like your horse is not performing their absolute the best? In-clinic appointments are a great way to have veterinarians and farriers work together to make your horse as comfortable as possible!

03/18/2025

Do you know the importance of your horse's digestive system? Learn about the role of the hindgut in your horse's overall health!

There are dozens of different conditions that can cause a horse to show signs of abdominal pain. Most (but not all) involve the digestive system, most often the stomach or intestines. Therefore, it stands to good reason that understanding the anatomy of your horse’s digestive system can help you become a better steward for your equine friend.

Fun fact: many people associate digestive health with stomach health. But did you know that the horse has the smallest stomach in relation to body size of all domestic animals? The stomach of the horse is also the smallest unit of the digestive tract, comprising less than 10% of the total volume of the horse’s digestive tract. By contrast, the hindgut is huge and plays a significant role in the horse’s digestive process by serving as the home of friendly bacteria that ferment fiber and turn it into energy.

Hindgut problems can produce obvious physical signs like loss of weight, poor condition, poor performance, diarrhea and colic. Some symptoms however can be less obvious, like poor temperament and training issues. The key to ensuring good digestive health is good management practices that include (but are not limited to) establishing a set daily routine; feeding a high-quality diet comprised primarily of high-quality roughage; avoid overloading the digestive tract with concentrate rations; providing clean, fresh water at all times; establishing a regular turnout and exercise routine; setting up a regular deworming and dental care program with your veterinarian; reducing stress and making any changes (to diet, housing and exercise) gradually.

Consult your veterinarian about how to maximize your horse’s digestive health. A healthy horse is a happy horse!

03/14/2025

Read all about how Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg is able to help animals big and small through regular chiropractic care!

Dr. Catherine Foreman-Hesterberg provides veterinary chiropractic therapy to improve wellness and address pain, poor mobility, and injuries.

03/13/2025

Mud season is here! Hoof abscesses are incredibly common this time of year, but how do they form, and what can we do to take care of them? Read below to find out

As spring approaches, and unfortunately so does "mud season", sooner or later nearly all horse owners will deal with a hoof abscess. But what does "hoof abscess" actually mean? This diagram shows a simplified view of the equine hoof to help you visualize the structures involved in this process.

Although most commonly seen during the wet winter and spring months, hoof abscesses can plague horses year-round and usually occur when debris and bacteria enter the foot through hoof cracks and wounds, even horseshoeing holes. The bacteria then get trapped between the sensitive laminae (the tissue layer that bonds the hoof capsule to the coffin bone) and the hoof wall or sole and create pus; the pus builds up over the course of time and puts pressure behind the hoof wall or sole, until it causes the sudden onset of acute lameness when the pain finally becomes too great.

Hoof abscesses can mimic other more serious diseases or injuries, so involving your veterinarian early on in the diagnosis and prompt treatment of this condition is always a good idea. Some abscesses will be uncomplicated and rupture on their own like a large pimple at the coronary band or heel bulbs; other abscesses, however, could require radiographs and will need to be surgically drained.

As always, consult your horse doctor for more information and advice!

03/12/2025

Thank you to all who joined us for a very informative night with Dr. Sarah Foreman!

Next time we will meet Wednesday April 9th at 6pm with Boehringer Ingelheim Equine to learn about Endocrine Disease and PPID Awareness. Joins us at our clinic in Farmer City for a fun and educational night focusing on the older horse and disease management. RSVP by April 2nd to save your spot!

03/08/2025

Happy International Women’s Day!

Happy ! Today we recognize all of the incredibly talented and passionate women in equine veterinary medicine. Please share your appreciation for all of female veterinarians, veterinary students, and staff in your circle. We commend your dedication and service to the horse!

03/06/2025

Learn all about Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg, who has been with Midwest Equine since 2019!

Dr. Foreman-Hesterberg is the director of the Midwest Equine at Illinois practice. She always knew she wanted to be an equine veterinarian.

03/05/2025

Don't forget to RSVP to save your spot at Dr. Foreman's Client Education Night! Learn all about lameness exams, from diagnosis through treatment. Dr. Foreman will discuss the general approach to a lameness examination, as well as common injuries and therapies.

This is a great opportunity for owners with performance horses, or those with equids that hang out in the backyard. All equids can benefit from orthopedic care whether they are competing or moseying around a paddock.

03/04/2025

Know the Signs of Equine Herpesvirus Encephalitis

Herpesviruses are very common in horses, typically causing mild respiratory signs. However, when these viruses cause neurologic disease, it’s important to catch the problem early to prevent spreading the disease to other horses. (Equine herpesvirus cannot be spread to humans or most other species.)

Clinical Signs of Herpesvirus Encephalitis
* Fever > 101°F (> 38.6°C)
* Incoordination of the hind (and occasionally fore) limbs
* Leaning against a wall or other surface, wobbly gait
* Abnormal urination/urine dribbling
* Inability to stand up
* Unusual behavior, confusion, seizures

Please contact your veterinarian if your horse develops fever or any respiratory or neurologic signs described above.

https://vetmed.illinois.edu/2025/03/04/equine-herpesvirus-encephalitis/