A Quick Guide to Common Horse Health Problems

A Quick Guide to Common Horse Health Problems

I think horses are some of the most beautiful and majestic creatures on Earth. They are everything that symbolizes power, grace, beauty, freedom, nobility and strength. How can any of this be disputed. It is these same characteristics which make them so popular with people and even more so with animal lovers. A horse is simply a wonderful creature.

The main reason why horses are kept as pets and companions is for those who love horse riding and even horse racing. So it makes it even more troubling for their owners when they discover their horse has fallen ill. In order to be better prepared in dealing with any health problems it is always good to know what some of the more common horse health problems are. Here are just a few:

The first concern should be its dietary and health needs. A horse needs plenty of calories, water, equine vitamins and exercise. It will require all of this on a daily basis. A happy horse is a healthy horse and what animal doesnt love running around an open pasture with plenty of water to drink and lots of hay and grass to eat?

Another very common horse-related health problem is colic. Many horse owners confuse it for a disease but it instead its actually various digestive problems. Colic can include blockage of the intestine, excessive gas in the intestine or in more serious cases, twisting of the intestine which can prove fatal. There are several reasons for horses getting ranging from exercising the horse immediately after eating to feeding it too much of green grass.

You can easily spot a case of colic from symptoms like constipation, teeth clenching, stretching the legs out from the body or frequent kicking. If notice a horse regularly looking at its stomach, you may want to have it checked for colic. Never ignore the symptoms since they can be fatal if left unchecked.

Other health problems with horses include worms, arthritis, influenza, mold, equine Cushings disease, and many others. However, most of these diseases typically aren't very serious and a few are only found to occur in certain breeds. For example, mold is common concern for shire horses but not in other breeds of horse. It can be easily prevented by washing the animals hooves everyday. Your horse will need to be dewormed regularly to keep in free from those annoying parasites. These are but a few examples.