Horse Health – Some Basic Tests

we-love-pet — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:01:06 +0000

When considering a new horse, one should check its health before making any commitment. A veterinary’s advice (preferably one specializing in horses) is useful in this regard. There are also a number of checks which you can do in order to identify most of the potential issues.

The first indication is the overall appearance. The coat should be shinny and even. The body should be well proportioned with well toned muscle, neither over weight or under weight. It should stand evenly an all four feet, with the weight evenly distributed and the hooves pointing straight forward. Although it may rest a hind leg (but not a front one), it should not do so for long periods or always the same leg.

Slowly run your hands down the legs, from top to bottom, with careful attention to joints and the lower leg. There should be no bumps, swellings or hot spots. The hoof walls should be even, free of cracks and completely smooth.

Lift each foot in turn and carefully check the sole to ensure that it is correctly shaped and has no apparent injury. Both the angle and tilt of all hooves should be correct and uniform. If the horse resists lifting one or more feet, it may just be inadequate training but it could also be due to a reluctance to lift a good hoof and thereby put more weight on a bad one. Unless you are very familiar with hooves, you may wish to ask a professional farrier (blacksmith) to advise you on these various points Remember that the hooves is perhaps the most important areas to check in terms of horse health.

The gums should be shinny, moist and pink. If one presses on the gums with a finger, they will turn white, but should return to pink within two seconds of removing your finger.

Check the teeth (you may want the advice of a horse dentist for this area) for wear, unevenness or spurs. If all looks fine, give the horse about 5kg (10lb) of hay (hay is a good test as it requires a lot of chewing) and watch how the horse eats. It should eat steadily, using both sides of its jaw equally, without dropping any food or leaving any hay incompletely chewed. Although this is not a conclusive test of dental health, it can identify some potential issues.

Examine the horse’s droppings. They should be firm, with a mild and inoffensive odor.

The horse should look happy, alert and interested in what is happening. Its ears should stand up and should move alertly in response to sounds. It should be interested in what is happening around it, but not nervous.

Have someone ride the horse in an exercise ring while you watch. They should gradually take it through a walk, trot and gallop; going first in one direction and then in the other. At all times the horse should display an easy, smooth movement with strides of consistent length, carrying its weight evenly on all four legs.

It should not start to sweat (unless the weather is hot) until it has been worked for some time as a fast gait. Likewise, its respiration should not be fast unless worked hard, although a gradual increase in respiration as the gait speeds up is normal. After working the horse fast for a while, gradually slow down, spending some time in each gait. As the gait reduces, the respiration should quickly reduce as well. Once the horse stops exercising, its respiration and pulse should rapidly return to normal. Any sign of pain, limping or discomfort during or after exercise should be carefully investigated. Failure to meet any of these criteria may indicate a health issue. Alternatively, they may simply mean that the horse has not received regular conditioning exercise.

Discuss the horse’s medical history with the owner and seller. Ask to see its inoculation book and medical records. Check if you can discuss these with the horse’s regular veterinarian. In particular, check if the horse has ever had any illness, especially colic or laminitis. Any incomplete or evasive answers should be a concern. Ask what the horse’s diet is, since horses fed a natural diet (grass, supplemented by hay) are less likely to develop digestive problems than horses fed mainly on grains or feeds. Finally, check if the seller will provide a written guarantee for any existing health issues which you discover following the purchase.

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Horse Health – Some Basic Tests