Old Waterloo Equine Clinic

02/20/2025

🥛 ❤️ With mare #10 out for the season, it feels like an appropriate time to officially spill the beans! At year 7 now of providing ethical nurse mares and with tremendous support from the industry, we asked ourselves how we could do more - and ColdSpring Mares Inc was founded. We are excited to announce the official launch of our non-profit operating as “ColdSpring Mares Inc” and hope you’ll join us on our new endeavor and growth. To the best of our knowledge we are the first non-profit doing this sort of thing in the US with retired broodmares! ❤️🥛

📍Offering a safe, loving, purposeful home for retired broodmares while striving to cause change within the nurse mare industry and shift to an ethical treatment of the mares that step in and save orphaned foals’ lives every year! 📍

Most horses will reach a point in their life where they’re no longer riding or broodmare suitable but they aren’t quite ready to “retire” to the life of snacks and sunsets only. This is where ColdSpring Mares Inc comes in! Horses are very social, intelligent beings and can get quite bored without mental stimulation. Being a nurse mare gives these horses an opportunity to still maintain that mental stimulation while also fulfilling the critical need for nurse mares within the Equine industry. Orphaned foals are statistically at significantly greater risk to develop health and behavioral problems down the line. Additionally horses learn vital life skills and have a high nutritional demand at the very start of their life. This makes having a “mom” very important in securing that animals future. Our girls are truly one of a kind and very special, each one has so much compassion, kindness and skill to offer to a new foal. There is no greater feeling than the first moments in the pairing of watching the mares eyes light up as she meets her new baby with sweet nickers and a gentle embrace. ❤️

Traditionally, the nurse mare industry has a tragic reputation for breeding mares and then stripping away their biological foal in favor of the orphaned foal. We DO NOT do, support or condone this type of practice. It is outdated and completely unnecessary! Via a carefully curated protocol we are able to medically induce lactation in the mares, creating a win-win situation for everyone.

Read more about our program :
www.coldspringnursemares.com

Featured in this photo is “Roxy” an incredible mom that is no longer able to have her own, but LOVES babies! Bio-mom suffered birthing complications, leaving her fighting for her life while also trying to support the c**t. In order to give both mom and baby the best chance for survival, Roxy was brought in to alleviate the extra stress to mom. ❤️

02/11/2025

Are you foal-ready?

This Wednesday, join AAEP member veterinarians Drs. Chelsea Folmar & Taylor Huffman for a webinar discussion that will help you prepare for the foaling season. Learn how to create a foaling kit, the timeline of parturition (foaling), and how to recognize when veterinary intervention is needed.

Registration is FREE but required. A recording of the webinar will be available if you miss the live event.

Register here: https://events.zoom.us/ev/Ats8dN0E2JxrJYoBUPKU7BW_HtYcwxW988ZYvpWRruqNFu98_uws~AnoL_ZTlIx2iZDbk457AKzpEPWgwMyM1m36OoJWUUyiXJPOgKi4PHJJYdQ

This informative session is brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.

02/11/2025

February 8, 2025
Dear Clients and Friends of OWEC,
We hope that all of you are faring well this challenging winter season! We appreciate all the great care that you have been providing for your horses and hope that good weather will return soon.
We wanted to make sure that everyone was made aware of a few changes at OWEC. First, Julie Pulliam who has been a dedicated and highly valued staff member for 16 years is no longer with us full time. While Julie is pursuing other opportunities, she has still been continuing to provide support to us and we hope that will continue for some time yet.
Next, Kayla and her husband, Wes, have welcomed their baby boy, Ivan late in January. The family of three is doing well! We miss Kayla while she is on maternity leave but can’t wait to get to know sweet Ivan.
Last, we have changed to a new practice management software platform this month and are working hard to become proficient. You may access your account to pay outstanding invoices, request appointments or prescription refills from our portal: https://petportal.vet/old-waterloo-equine-clinic . If your preference is receiving invoices or statements via US Mail, that will continue as usual. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us!
You may on occasion reach our answering machine during office hours (8 AM – 4 PM). If this is the case, please leave a message and your call will be returned as quickly as possible. As always, you can also email us at [email protected] .
We appreciate you for choosing OWEC for your horses’ veterinary needs!
Sincerely,
Your OWEC Team
Dr. Tena Boyd, Dr. Victoria Simpson, Lee Ann Smith (Julie & Kayla in absentia)

Old Waterloo Equine Clinic
P.O. Box 3026, Warrenton, VA 20188
540-347-0807
www.OldWaterlooEquine.com

02/04/2025

That wonderful time of year!

01/23/2025

Please welcome Ivan Alan Solibakke to the world! Born to proud parents Kayla and Wes Solibakke on January 20, 2025 at 9:18 PM. He came into this world at 7 pounds 5 ounces and 21 inches tall! Now that’s the way to ring in a new year!!!

01/22/2025

Especially with this extreme cold weather and hard ground conditions ....our older horses need just a little extra!

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!

01/06/2025

Good morning! Looks like the staff of OWEC will be working from home today. As always, we will have a doctor on call if you have an emergency. I will be answering clinic phones from home 8 AM to 4 PM today. If you can’t reach me and have an emergency, call the answering service at 866-574-1965. Be safe today!!

01/04/2025

FUN FACT FRIDAY!

Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice; good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal, and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
•
Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

12/23/2024

We would like to wish a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of our clients, patients, and their families! We hope you have a safe and joyous week!

Our hours for the week of Christmas:
M - 8am-4pm
T - 8am-12pm
W - Closed
T - Closed
F- 8am-4pm

For the week of New Years:
M- 8am-4pm
T - 8am-4pm
W - Closed
T - 8am-4pm
F - 8am-4pm

We will have a doctor on call for emergencies.

12/20/2024

Congratulations to client WindhavenMeadows Tara Breuer on a successful journey for her young stallion What About Jack, bred and raised here in Warrenton !

The hunter stallion What About Jack by Westporte* out of All That Shimmers owned by Tara Breuer, VA
finished the new Stallion Test format of ISR-Oldenburg NA at his training farm with
high 77 % and received his Lifetime Breeding License from judges Helmut Schrant and Gary Lawrence.

12/19/2024

A good reminder with our cold, warm, then really cold weather bouncing back and forth! Happy Winter everyone 🙄

As the cold winter weather trudges on, Dr. Sarah Reuss, AAEP Vice President and a horse owner herself, shares the following advice to keep your horse safe during extreme weather.

1. While lots of hay is ideal for horses to eat to keep warm, now is NOT the time to introduce a round bale if they’ve never had access to one before. It may be more work, but keep throwing them their normal hay source, just more frequently.

2. Similarly, if your horse is not used to being in a stall, now is NOT the time. The stress of a major change and the decreased activity can be risk factors for colic. Be sure they have access to shelter, hay, and drinkable water but let them move around if they choose to do so.

3. Horses that are thin, older, or fully body clipped are those most at risk in extreme weather.

4. Well-fitting blankets are great but be sure that horses do not get sweaty under them, or that the blankets don’t soak through if snow or rain covered. Wet, cold and covered is worse that dry, cold and naked.

5. Some of the highest risk times are when the temperatures hover right around freezing, as that can result in sleet/freezing rain/ice that can make horses wet and therefore colder. Slippery footing is a concern, too.

6. If using electric water heaters, be sure they are functioning and not shocking horses. Take your gloves off and stick your hand in the water (briefly!!!) to double check.

7. Entice your horses to consume extra water by flavoring a bucket, adding electrolytes to their meals, or soaking their meals in warm water. If you’ve never fed beet pulp before, be sure to add LOTS of warm water. Dry beet pulp is a common source of choke.

8. The tips of your horses' ears can be at risk for frostbite. Putting on a waterproof, jumper-style ear bonnet or other waterproof ear cover can protect them from wind chills.

If you have any questions or concerns about keeping your horses safe this winter, contact your veterinarian for advice.

12/01/2024

Good riding tips now that it is finally cold!

As the weather cools down, allowing yourself an ample amount of time to cool out your horse after a cold ride is essential to ensure that you don’t jeopardize your horses' health by allowing them to catch a chill.

Our friends at Equus Magazine have some useful tips to share for cooling out your horses this winter. You can read the full article on their website at https://equusmagazine.com/riding/coolingout-10486/

11/08/2024

A dilemma as old as time... to blanket or not to blanket? Unfortunately, there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. Whether your horse needs a blanket during the winter months depends on many factors such as their coat, the weather and their living situation.

11/01/2024

A dilemma as old as time... to blanket or not to blanket? Unfortunately, there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. Whether your horse needs a blanket during the winter months depends on many factors such as their coat, the weather and their living situation.

10/22/2024

Register for this Webinar geared toward broodmare owners and managers Wednesday, October 30 from 8 - 9 PM🐎

On Oct. 30, join AAEP member veterinarian and board-certified theriogenologist Dr. Dale Kelley for a one-hour webinar discussion that will cover the basics of reproductive biology of the horse, the logistics of breeding season, and what to expect when breeding your mare.

Registration is FREE but required. Attendees are also encouraged to submit their questions in advance through the registration form. A recording of the webinar will be available if you miss the live event.

Register here: https://aaep-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CHkvKjmpTlGOiPMbwhEtBA #/registration

This informative session is brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.

10/17/2024

Hay for sale-Timothy/Orchard Grass mix. 1st and 2nd cut, $7 and $8 per bale. No delivery, pick up only. Contact Betsy at 540 270 4615 for more info thanks!

10/09/2024

The trails are drying up and getting cleaned up!!! Register today!!

10/03/2024