Southern Performance Veterinary Acupuncture and Wellness

03/04/2025

While we are all looking forward to warm spring days and lush green pasture, the transition from winter hay to spring grass should be planned carefully to mitigate any health risks to your equine. In other words — just because your equine friend is not obese or suffering from a nutritionally related disease, doesn’t mean you should just forget about hay entirely and let your horse eat their fill of spring grass.

Feeding high-quality hay is a good way to satisfy a horse’s urge to chew when they can’t graze and provide essential nutrients at the same time. A mature horse will eat 2-2.5% of its body weight per day; roughage should contribute to at least half of this percentage, but most agree forage should be a minimum of 75% of the horse's diet. Please remember that not all horses are made equal, so a horse's total nutritive requirements will ultimately depend on the individual's age, stage of development, metabolism and workload.

Take-home message: Before making any changes to your equine companion's diet this spring, consult your veterinarian to determine their current weight/body condition score and to formulate a balanced and nutritious ration that meets your horse’s specific nutritional needs!

03/03/2025

02/14/2025

01/28/2025

To schedule an appointment, please contact by phone or email.
👇
(803) 673-3039
[email protected]

⭐️If you're interested in acupuncture or VMM (chiropractic) and have questions about how these modalities could benefit your horse, please contact by phone or email for a FREE consult!

For more information about the services Dr. Garcia provides, please visit the website at:
https://www.southernperformancevet.com

01/21/2025

🐴The holistic approach to equine health takes into account the whole horse. Every horse is unique, so it is important to tailor a holistic plan that works for the individual horse, their needs and their environment.

To schedule an appointment, please contact by phone or email.
👇
(803) 673-3039
[email protected]

⭐️If you're interested in acupuncture or VMM (chiropractic) and have questions about how these modalities could benefit your horse, contact by phone or email for a FREE consult!

For more information about the services Dr. Garcia provides, please visit the website at:
https://www.southernperformancevet.com

01/07/2025

🌟🌟It's The Best Time of Year! 🌟🌟
❄️The 2025 Winter Show Circuit is Underway!❄️

Dr. Garcia will be scheduling specific days each week to see clients competing at WEC. Appointments are scheduled at the optimal time between competition days to provide the best results.

To schedule an appointment, please contact by phone or email.
👇
(803) 673-3039
[email protected]

⭐️If you're interested in VMM (chiropractic) or acupuncture and have questions about how these modalities could benefit your horse, contact by phone or email for a FREE consult!
For more information about the services Dr. Garcia provides, please visit the website at:
https://www.southernperformancevet.com

12/27/2024

✨Dr. Garcia is now a Permitted Treating Veterinarian for FEI✨

👉Horses competing in FEI events must follow strict rules and regulations regarding treament and medicatons.
Dr. Garcia provides multiple drug-free pain relief options for these athletes to enhance performance and support overall health and wellbeing. Addressing aches and pains during competition can keep these horses feeling their best and allow them to continue performing at their highest level. Please visit the Southern Performance website for a full list of services.

https://www.southernperformancevet.com

👉If you are competing at an FEI Event and would like your horse treated while you are there, please call or text to schedule an appointment. 👇

☎️(803) 673-3039

⭐️If you're interested in any of the services Dr. Garcia provides and have questions about how these treatment modalities could benefit your horse, contact by phone or email for a FREE consult!

12/19/2024

If you own horses long enough, sooner or later you are likely to be confronted with a medical emergency—even during the holidays. Are you prepared to act?

Having a clear emergency action plan will help you stay focused and effective if a crisis strikes. Below are some basic guidelines that can help you prepare for an equine emergency:

1. Know how to reach your regular veterinarian after hours. Ask about a back-up or referring veterinarian in case your regular horse doctor is not available for emergencies.

2. Have a plan for transporting the horse if necessary and know in advance the most direct route to an equine surgery center.

3. Prepare a first aid kit and store it in a clean, dry, readily accessible place. Keep a first aid kit in your horse trailer or towing vehicle as well and be sure to check your supplies periodically and restock as needed. First-aid kits can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like; seek your horse doctor's advice on what to add, especially regarding any drugs that could be included and how they should be administered.

12/17/2024

🔎Here's where you can find Dr. Garcia this week!
To schedule an appointment, please contact by phone or email.
👇
(803) 673-3039
[email protected]

⭐️If you're interested in VMM (chiropractic) or acupuncture and have questions about how these modalities could benefit your horse, contact by phone or email for a FREE consult!

For more information about the services Dr. Garcia provides, please visit the website at:
https://www.southernperformancevet.com

11/21/2024

As Florida’s temperatures begin to drop, we want to remind you of the importance of keeping your horse hydrated during the winter months. It’s easy to forget that hydration is just as crucial in cooler weather, but as temperatures fall, horses often drink less. This is a great time to add electrolytes to your horse’s daily routine to support proper hydration. When horses don’t drink enough, we often see an increase in colic cases, as dehydration can lead to colon impactions.

We are available 24/7 for emergencies for clients within a 45-minute driving radius of our clinic in Newberry, FL. If you suspect your horse may be colicking, don’t wait—contact us right away.

Stay ahead of the cold weather and help keep your horse healthy this winter!

11/21/2024

EPM is widely considered the most important infectious neurologic disease of horses in North America and is caused by protozoal infection of the central nervous system. Horses are infected by consuming food or water contaminated with opossum s**t containing sporocysts.

Horses with EPM do not present a biosecurity risk to other animals because the disease is not transmissible between horses. An effective vaccine has yet to be developed, so the best preventative approach includes eliminating access of opossums to feed and water in order to minimize contact with opossum s**t and improving your horse's immune defenses by decreasing stress and optimizing health.

To learn more about EPM, visit the following resources:
https://aaep.org/resource/equine-protozoal-myeloencephalitis-epm/
&
https://www.equinediseasecc.org/EPM

As always, consult your veterinarian for more information and for advice tailored to your horse's specific circumstances.

11/20/2024

We love a good series as much as the next person—especially one as dramatic as Yellowstone! But let’s set the record straight about one scene that made us yell “NEIGH-way!” at the screen.

In a recent episode, a horse was given an injection of Banamine (a common anti-inflammatory drug) *in the muscle*. While it might look cool and cowboy-chic on TV, here’s the deal: 🆃🅷🅸🆂 🅸🆂 🅳🅰🅽🅶🅴🆁🅾🆄🆂🅻🆈 🅸🅽🅲🅾🆁🆁🅴🅲🆃 in real life and could land your horse in serious trouble.
What’s the Problem?
Banamine (flunixin meglumine) is a fantastic drug for reducing pain and helping colics *when used correctly*. But when injected into muscle, it can cause clostridial myositis—a rare but life-threatening infection that produces gas in the muscle tissue. This can happen fast, turning what seemed like a harmless injection into a serious emergency.
The TV Drama vs. Real-Life Care
We get it. TV needs action, and waiting for a vet to explain safe medication practices isn’t exactly prime-time material. But in the real world, Banamine should be given orally or as an intravenous (IV) injection—and the IV option is best left to a trained professional (like your friendly neighborhood veterinarian 👋).
The Takeaway
Hollywood may make ranch life look glamorous, but don’t take veterinary advice from fictional cowboys. Always consult your vet before giving any medication, and remember: the health of your animals isn’t worth risking for a shortcut that’s TV-only accurate.
💡 Got questions about horse care? Drop us a message, and we’ll gallop to your rescue (without the TV drama)! 🐎✨

11/14/2024

If your horse has a cough that persists into exercise or is heard while your equine friend is at rest in the barn, be sure to talk to your veterinarian about evaluating your horse for respiratory disease. It could be a problem with the upper airway (the nasal passages and throat) or the lower airway (the lungs).

While waiting for your appointment, try decreasing your horse’s exposure to dust, as that is a primary trigger for lower respiratory disease such as asthma or heaves. Some simple things you can do include avoiding straw bedding, feeding hay on the ground and/or soaking it, not using a leaf blower on barn aisles, and not storing hay or bedding above your horse’s stall. Last but not least, while us humans may be more comfortable with all the barn doors closed on a cold day, your horses’ lungs will appreciate open doors/windows and good ventilation!

As always, if you have questions or would like to learn more about preserving your horse’s respiratory health, your equine veterinarian remains your best source of information!
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Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.