Iowa Equine

01/05/2024

✨ Foaling Season has begun! Our first mare to foal out for 2024 arrived a few days ago to Iowa Equine. Our staff are eagerly awaiting to meet all the new life that will blossom over the next few months.

We do daily mare assessments to estimate how close a mare is to parturition. 🦄

If you are in need of a place for foaling out your mare, give our office a call at 844-238-1840.

01/03/2024

woman crush wednesday goes to the newest member of our breeding team. We are happy to introduce Bunny as the new resident tease mare at Iowa Equine. She will be helping us in the stallion shed this coming breeding season. She is a retired OTTB who has found a new career and loving home with our team.

01/02/2024

This first introduces you to Dr. Taylor Isberner. You may recognize her face from our current video series, “Mare Chat Monday”. Dr. Taylor has been at Iowa Equine since August of 2022 where she shares her passion for equine reproduction, neonates, and medicine cases. In the clinic, you can find her breeding mares, running fluid or plasma on foals, or driving the end of the gastroscope. Dr. Taylor is originally from Minnesota, completed her undergraduate education in Wisconsin, and had the pleasure of living in both Alaska and Colorado for veterinary school. We are so happy that Dr. Taylor decided to return back to the Midwest!

When she is not in the clinic, you can find her and her animals hard at play. Her heeler, Dooley, loves going on hikes with her! She and her horses can be found working hard for 3-day-eventing or the show jumping ring. Dr. Taylor also plays rugby for the Des Moines Women’s team and has begun to referee for the local high school teams. As one can tell, there is never a dull moment with Dr. Taylor!

01/01/2024

Wishing you a fun and safe !
What are you planning to accomplish in 2024? Let us know in the comments! 🎉

01/01/2024

This week on Mare Chat Monday, Dr. Taylor is discussing pregnancy loss. This is a very pressing issue in the equine repro industry with many causes. Tune in this week while she covers some of the common causes of loss.

12/30/2023

No one truly cares for a horse alone. It takes a whole network of people from different disciplines and experiences who all have one simple thing in common: a passion for the horse. As we saddle up for 2024, Iowa Equine is prepared to provide the tools and care to your horses and set them up for a successful year. Call 844-238-1840 and setup your appointment today.

12/29/2023

Horses naturally drink less in the winter, so it's important to make sure they always have access to fresh water. Consider purchasing heated water buckets to prevent buckets from freezing. Additionally, offering electrolytes to your horses' feed or providing them with a salt block can encourage them to drink more water.

12/27/2023

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Stay on her Certificate of Completion of the Ultimate Equine Dentistry Training! 🎉 Dr. Stay is dedicated to bringing quality care to all of her patients. If your horse is in need of dental work, we are here to help!

12/26/2023

🎉Happy Anniversary Rachel 🎉

Rachel has been working at Iowa Equine for over a year now! She is a pivotal part of our equine care team, as she is part of our after hours barn crew. Rachel also spends time teching during the summer when she isn’t in class. She is pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, and Iowa Equine is proud to support Rachel in her endeavors.

12/25/2023

Mare Chat Monday is taking a break this week. Enjoy the holidays from our family to yours.

12/22/2023

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from your Iowa Equine Team! Our office will be closed on Mon. 12/25 and Tues. 12/26 to celebrate the season. If an emergency arises, call 844-238-1840 at ext. 0 to connect with our on-call veterinarian. We will still be here to assist you!

12/21/2023

Does everyone have thier shopping done!?

12/18/2023

It's Monday and that means another mare chat! This week Dr. Taylor discusses vaccines for our pregnant mares

12/15/2023

Winter riding keeps horses in shape, but if they work up a sweat the moisture can be a problem. Switch to a wicking wool or a fleece cooler to help your horses avoid chills and skin conditions.

12/11/2023

On thie week's episode of Mare Chat Monday, Dr. Taylor is covering prgnancy diagnosis in our mares. Tune in to learn more about when to schedule checks for our mares and what we're looking for on the ultrasound screen.

12/06/2023

February breeding management success starts now! Early December is the perfect time to jump start your mare's cyclicity if you are aiming for an early foal. Mares need approximately 16 hours of “daylight” for 50-70 days in order to stimulate cyclicity. The light is more effective when used the evening (~4pm-11pm) instead of the morning. Light must be able to reach every corner of the mare’s stall as the light must pass through her eyes to be effective. If you can comfortably read a newspaper in the corner of the stall, your lights are just right!

Do you have your breeding plan in place?
✔Know your goal for the mare: carrying, embryo transfer, or ICSI
✔Secure a stallion contract and know what they offer: fresh cooled or frozen
✔Monitor your mare for her first signs of a heat cycle.
✔Schedule an appointment to have your mare checked around the time you’d like to start the breeding process.

12/04/2023

It's Monday!! This week, Dr. Taylor is headed to ! Follow along for her trip and some of the key learning points of the weekend. Conferences are a great way for veterinarians to stay up to date on the latest techniques in the field and learn from some of the profession's amazing specialists.
As always, if you have questions please leave a comment or give our office a call!

11/27/2023

Join Dr. Taylor for anther week of Mare Chat Monday! This week is "Problem Mares" Join Dr. Taylor in the lab while she goes over some of the diagnostics that may be used on your mares going into the breeding season

11/23/2023

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Our office is closed for regular business today and tomorrow (Friday). As always, you can reach our emergency/on-call veterinarian at 844-238-1840 ext 0.

11/22/2023

We have so much to be thankful for in this unique and intriguing job that we do but more than anything we are grateful for the people who make it wonderful. To our team with their generous hearts, offering help to one another, to our clients, and our patients. To our clients who hook up lights in the dark, offer water in the heat, cookies just because, and make room for one another’s equine emergencies. We are thankful for you 💕

11/20/2023

This week on our episode of Mare Chat Monday Dr. Taylor is diving into the topic of stallions. While we generally focus on our mare and increasing their fertility our stallions play an important role as well. Tune in as she covers BSE's and collection options for our studs.

11/17/2023

Another larynx post to whet your whistle! This horse was scoped for a recent pre-purchase exam and we discovered that at some point in his past he had a tie back procedure. You can see the right aretynoid (to the left on the video) is freely movable (this horse needed to be sedated so it is a bit lazier than normal) while the left one (right side of the screen) remains open and unmoving. A tie back procedure is performed to alleviate symptoms associated with a condition called left laryngeal hemiplegia where the left aretynoid fails to function normally and restricts the horse's breathing.

11/14/2023

Time for another give away! Name the structure indicated by the red arrow. All answers will be entered into a drawing for an Iowa Equine swag bag 🛍️

Hint: it is part of the larynx

Answer: There were some super smarties in this group! The most specific correct answer is the corniculate process of the aretynoid cartilage commonly referred to as the aretynoids and also charmingly, the "flappers" as they are the gate-way to the trachea and flap closed to prevent choking. Remember the last time you choked on a sip of water for 5 minuts? You can thank your flappers for enthusiasitcally saving your life 😄

11/13/2023

Welcome back to Mare Chat Monday! This week we are covering mare breeding soundness exams and some of our common diagnostics.
If you have questions about your horses and think a breeding soundness exam is right for you please give us a call!

11/09/2023

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

Today we teamed up with the High Pointe Farriers to bring some much needed help to this patient who got his foot caught and partially avulsed (tore off) his hoof wall. We used radiographs to help determine the extent of the injury and worked with farriers Dan and Josh to remove damaged tissue. They then fit a shoe to protect the foot. Once this area is stable this patient will go home to finish healing there. It will take about one year for the damaged area to grow back but with appropriate care he should remain comfortable while this happens.

**This was a neat case and we have decided to post additional pictures in the comments; the inner workings of the hoof are really amazing. Please be aware that pictures contain blood and my be disturbing to some viewers.

11/06/2023

It's Monday! That means another episode of Mare Chat Monday with Dr. Taylor! If you have any topics you want her to cover please leave them in the comments below. Join us every Monday for Mare Chat Monday

11/03/2023

Feel-good Friday! When the rain clears just in time to go out and watch pretty horses jog under a rainbow 🌈

11/03/2023

From the dental files (see what we did there 🤓): this horse had been receiving routine annual dental care and a brief look in the mouth while the horse was awake left us saying “just some sharp points.” Once the horse was sedated and the speculum was placed we could clearly see that these “just sharp points” were causing painful sores in the cheeks. After floating by these sore will heal on their own in about a week.

10/31/2023

Happy Halloween, Iowa equestrians! Yesterday we featured a photo of a monster that lurks in pastures and in horses that are less than 2 years old, an ascarid. Ascarids or round worms can be serious issues in young horses causing impaction requiring surgery in some cases. Spooky!

10/31/2023

It’s almost Halloween and we are coming at you with the creepy crawlies today! Who knows what monster is lurking in this pile of manure?

10/30/2023

First week of Mare Monday! Join Dr. Isberner on our page every Monday for a new video. If there are topics you want her to discuss or things you want to see please let us know in the comment section.
Like and share our page and videos for more content.

10/28/2023

Feel-good Friday! We were overjoyed to celebrate the nuptials of our very own Madison and her husband Jesus last weekend! Help us wish this sweet couple all the happiness in the world 💕

10/26/2023

Variety is the spice of life! Yesterday brought a caslicks procedure, a tendon ultrasound, many dentals, some acupuncture, a uterine lavage and fall vaccines for the Iowa Equine team.

10/13/2023

⭐️ Don't forget, the Hope After Racing Thoroughbreds (H.A.R.T) fun show is this weekend! On Sunday October 15th head over to Jester Park Equestrian Center for some horse show fun for a great cause! Show bill, registration, and sponsorship information can be found at the link

https://iahart.org/fall-2023-benefit-fun-show/

10/11/2023

The leaves are changing, the temperatures are dropping, and it's time to update your wardrobe for the coziest season of the year! At Iowa Equine, we've got your back (and your horse's too) with our brand new apparel. These Bella+Canvas options are offered in sizes XS through 3XL and make a great Christmas gift! Please fill out the preorder form (link below) by October 16 if you are interested.

https://forms.gle/34XkB6xvw7WmDys67

Iowa Equine offers ambulatory and clinic facilities to meet the complete veterinary needs of Iowa.

10/10/2023

Equine gastric ulcers can be a significant concern for horse owners. These painful sores in the stomach lining have been shown to affect up to 70% of horses in work and negativley affect your horse's well-being and performance.

Causes: Gastric ulcers result from stress including chornic pain, hauling, herd dynamics, intense exercise, and modern feeding practices. Horses in training, competition, or under stress are more susceptible.

Symptoms: Keep an eye out for:
Poor appetite, poor body condition, behavioral changes (irritability), poor coat condition, and reduced performance

⚠️ Diagnosis: A definitive diagnosis is made through gastroscopy, a minimally invasive procedure where a scope is passed into the stomach to visualize ulcers. Scoping before treating is important as lesion location dictates which treatment protocol our veterinarians select - it is not a one-size-fits-all syndrome! Peforming a follow up scope gives owners the opportunity to receive fincancial support from medication manufacturers in horses with more complex and chronic issues.

Treatment: Treatment typically involves medication to reduce acid production and promote healing. Our veterinarians will design a tailored plan for your horse based on results of the gastroscopy.

Prevention: To help prevent gastric ulcers:
Ensure access to forage throughout the day.
Minimize stress as much as possible.
Consider the type and timing of grain feeding.
Maintain a consistent exercise routine.

10/06/2023

Wishing everyone a magical weekend with their horses 😄

10/02/2023

🐴❤️Congratulations to Iowa Equine veterinary assistant, Katie on her recent adoption of Victory Bolt from the Hope After Racing Thoroughbreds (H.A.R.T) program. Katie is an aspiring veterinary student and Victory Bolt is an aspiring ranch riding/trail riding student now that shes done being a race horse.

⭐️The H.A.R.T. fall fun show is coming right up on Sunday October 15th and you can find show bill, registration, and sponsorship info in the link below. If you love Iowa racing, thoroughbreds, or fun laid back horse shows for a good cause then you'll love this.

Iowa Equine is proud to help care for the horses in the HART program as they transition to their new vocations and a proud sponsor of HART events.

https://iahart.org/fall-2023-benefit-fun-show/

09/25/2023

Last year we completed a remodel and our walls remain bare! We know there are all kinds of talented people in our midst who paint, draw, and take photos with an equine theme and we would love to support local artists on our walls. If you’ve got original wall art featuring horses (from the side or the front) to sell we want to hear from you!

09/21/2023

Another illustration of the importance of a thorough sedated oral exam. This horse presented for a routine dental, no signs of abnormal eating behavior. It turns out he had a deep and chronic laceration on the side of his tongue caused by a fractured tooth visible in the mirror in the second picture. Dr. Stay extracted the tooth and the tongue will now heal on its own.