Miniature Horse Information Pages

General Health

 Please see this page about Your Horse's Vital Signs!!!

 Plants can be toxic to horses (and animals)! 
Here are some to watch for!

Danger - Plastic Bags - I was talking to a friend who mentioned she was having problems with neighbor kids feeding her minis & it made me remember. About 30 years ago- my first horse, a full size mare came down with colic. The vet did everything possible that long ago, but she died. The autopsy showed she had eaten a small "fold over top" plastic sandwich bag & it had opened in her stomach, filled with hay & caused a blockage. We don't know where the bag came from. Maybe in her hay, you never know what is blown in the fields & baled in the hay. I mean we all peel off a flake & throw it to the horses without carefully going through it. It could have been some friendly neighbors bringing treats. I see people bringing treats to horses all the time in baggies. I just want to warn you to watch for these killers. You can get the one horse that is so picky not to eat its feed & it would probably gobble down something that you would never think it would eat- & die from.

Cause Cause - Strangles is the most important infectious disease affecting horses. It is caused by a bacterium, Streptococcus equi.

Signs - Typically, horses suffering from strangles have pus discharging from the nostrils and swellings (abscesses) forming in the lymph glands under the jaw. These abscesses often burst and exude a thick yellow pus. Affected horses can have fever, be depressed and may stop eating. Most animals recover, but horses that contract even a mild case of strangles must be isolated and removed from training or heavy work for up to 3 months. In some cases the infection can cause chronic illness or even death. Typically, horses suffering from strangles have pus discharging from the nostrils and swellings (abscesses) forming in the lymph glands under the jaw. These abscesses often burst and exude a thick yellow pus. Affected horses can have fever, be depressed and may stop eating. Most animals recover, but horses that contract even a mild case of strangles must be isolated and removed from training or heavy work for up to 3 months. In some cases the infection can cause chronic illness or even death.

Epidemiology - Strangles is very contagious, especially with foals, spreading easily from horse to horse and often leading to large outbreaks with many horses affected. It is spread in the discharges (pus) from the nose and burst abscesses. Objects such as water troughs, feed buckets, brushes, reins and other equipment, if contaminated with infected pus, can also spread the disease. Recovered horses can spread the disease for up to eight months, even though they can appear clinically healthy and normal.

Immunity - In common with other respiratory diseases, such as canine cough and feline respiratory disease, immunity is short lived and incomplete. In fact 25% of horses infected with strangles do not appear to develop immunity. This makes it very difficult for a vaccine to provide complete protection and it is not claimed that the vaccine is an absolute preventative. However, field experience has shown that vaccination can control the disease by reducing the degree of clinical disease and reducing the number of horses affected.

Treatment - Penicillin is the antibiotic of choice against S.equi. Abscesses may need to be opened and drained and good supportive care is vital for recovery.

Control - It is strongly recommended that all horses be included in a regular program of vaccination. It is particularly important that booster doses be given prior to periods of greater risk of infection, such as the breeding or performance season. Pregnant mares may be vaccinated up to two weeks before foaling. Consideration should be given to vaccinating high risk horses (eg. brood mares, stallions, performance, pony club, racing and eventing horses) every six months. In the event of an outbreak of strangles, horses should be segregated into three groups and handled as follows: (a) Those affected by the disease should be treated, but not vaccinated. (b) Horses with no known contact with the disease should be vaccinated immediately. (c) Horses known to have been in contact should be observed for seven to ten days and vaccinated only if they have a normal temperature and show no clinical signs of the disease.

Colic Emergencies - Colic! A dreaded term for anyone who has had to deal with a serious bout of colic in his or her horse. This disruption of the horse's natural digestive process can range in severity from a case of simple discomfort to a truly and agonizingly life threatening condition. The purpose of this information sheet is to give the reader some perspective into this disorder, which can occur in any horse, and provide some insights as to how colic can be managed. Please contact your Vet if you are not experienced in treating Colic! This article was written for a full size horse!

What is Colic? - Colic is a general term which applies to two types of disruption of the horse's normal intestinal processes. Depending on the cause of the colic, the horse may be experiencing a digestive spasm (temporary hyperactivity of the digestive tract) or his intestinal activity may be reduced.

Increased activity colic, or hyperperistalsis, can be caused by excessive parasites (worms), eating moldy or spoiled hay, grain or forage, and in a few mares colic spasms can be triggered by heat cycles and pregnancies. See Note-1.

Decreased activity colic, or hypoperistalsis or aperistalsis, can be caused by excessive parasites (worms), excessive increase in grains (such as the horse getting into the grain barrel), sudden feed changes, feeding grain to an exhausted horse, allowing a very hot horse too much water, dental problems (improperly ground up feed) and ingestion of foreign bodies and materials (including dust and sand).

Typical Signs and Symptoms - Most horses will show some restlessness or uneasiness as the digestive process starts to go awry. As the discomfort increases, a horse may paw, look at his flanks, nip at his flanks, kick at his abdomen, keep getting up and lying down, roll or stretch into odd positions, stand and rest in odd positions, rock back against a solid object and repeatedly change weight on the hind legs.

If you suspect sand or dust in your horse, take a zip-lock food storage bag, turn it inside out over your hand and pick up two or three relatively fresh and clean manure balls. Turn the bag right side out again and squish up the balls. (If the manure balls feel unusually hard when you squish them, you probably have a dehydration impaction rather than a sand problem.) Fill the bag about half full with water and pin or clip the bag to hang on a post or wall. After a few minutes inspect the bag and see if sand or dust has settled out of the manure. Discuss these findings with your vet and let him/her see your manure test when he/she arrives.

Before the Colic Occurs - There are several things which you can do to improve your horse's chances BEFORE he colics. Discuss colic with your veterinarian, what to look for, what "standing orders" he/she has for you until you can reach him/her, what symptoms to describe when making the call and what medications you should keep on hand (and how to administer them). Know how to take pulse, respiration and listen for gut sounds. Know and record what is "normal" for your horse. When you suspect colic, be able to take these "vital signs" and be able to describe to your vet how they compare with your horse's normal signs when you first place the call for help. Realize that with good information, your vet may recommend a course of action which you can undertake yourself in mild cases, or in more severe instances, your vet may realize that you have a true emergency, not just "another colic," and can rearrange his/her schedule to get to you more promptly.

Standard Practices for Colic - Assess the situation. What has recently happened (the probable cause of the colic)?

Take vital signs. (see this page about Your Horse's Vital Signs)

Do not let the horse eat hay. However, providing a warm bran mash (Note-2) with ground up aspirin or phenylbutazone (bute) can often get the animal through without use of heavy drugs. (Don't give your horse anything orally, however, unless it is part of your veterinarian's "standing orders.") If within 30 minutes of eating the bran mash the horse is not showing signs of improvement, call your veterinarian.

We must repeat: The administration of any drugs, including aspirin, should be done only after consultation with your vet or under "standing orders" as these medications will affect the appearance of your horse to the veterinarian during the exam and in some cases may impact what drugs the veterinarian can use once he/she arrives.

If You Can't Reach the Vet! - If you suspect a colic and the symptoms all indicate that a digestive problem is occurring and is getting worse, you should always contact your veterinarian. However there may be cases where you cannot reach a vet, or perhaps you in a situation where you don't even have a phone! The horse may well need some relief from pain so that his intestinal muscles can relax and the gas or obstruction can resume its journey. In such circumstances the following suggestions are offered by James Naviaux, DVM, in his book Horses in Health and Disease:

Note: If your horse experiences sand or dust colics, it may be more appropriate to administer psyllium mucilloid instead of bran, however the choice depends a great deal on your horse's history and the actual symptoms which you are seeing (e.g., your horse is passing manure but it doesn't look right, contains a lot of sand, and the horse is uncomfortable). Again, the value of "what to do" discussions with your vet and establishing "standing orders" in advance of such emergencies cannot be overstated!

Prevention - The best cure for colic is prevention!

Exercise prevention in the case of horses which tend to ingest dust or sand. Regular doses of psyllium mucilloid can help purge the intestinal tract of sand and dust buildup.

Note 1: Parasites - If you suspect a severe parasite problem, discuss treatment with your veterinarian prior to administering wormers. A sudden influx of "dead worms" in your horse's system can have toxic effects. You may need to provide three wormings, the first two being half doses followed by a full dose.

Note 2: Bran Mashes - We typically use "Vita Bran" or red flaky wheat bran for bran mashes. We put up to a one pound coffee can of bran into a feed tub, add some ground hay and/or shaved carrots for flavor, then add hot water to which a modest amount of molasses has been added to make the mash enticing. We stir the mixture, adding more water a little at a time until it becomes the consistency of sloppy oatmeal. If the mix is too runny or the horse is especially picky, we will add small amounts of grain ration to give it some body, but the mixture should still be moist and slightly "loose". (Count on the horses making a big, sloppy mess when they eat it!)

In the event you don't have red flaky wheat bran, it is suggested using half a box of 100% or 40% "All Bran" cereal. He also recommends 2 tablespoons of baking soda, and if your veterinarian approves or is not available, 10 ground up or dissolved aspirins. (This article was written for full sized horses!)

KBR Horse Health Information, (c) 1997 Lamm's Kickin' Back Ranch and Willis & Sharon Lamm. All rights reserved. Duplication of any of this material for commercial use is prohibited without express written permission. This prohibition is not intended to extend to personal non-commercial use, including sharing with others for safety and learning purposes, provided this copyright notice is attached.

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