Morgan Horse Medical Care

Shots and Worming

There is a full range of preventable diseases and conditions for which Morgan horses should be immunized. Some of the more common vaccinations include tetanus toxoid, encephalomyelitis(sleeping sickness), and equine rhinovirus. West Nile Virus continues to march accross the country, having devastating effects on the horses it infects. Find a reliable veterinarian and heed their advice on immunizations for your Morgan in your particular geographic area.

Worms are an unpleasant subject, but the dedication to an effective worming regimen for your Morgan horse cannot be overly stressed. There are a whole range of parasites that can cause severe illness and even death. They live in the circulatory system (strongyles), the digestive system (parascarids), and some are found in fleshy tissue (tapeworms). Different worming medications are available for each, so a rotation between two to four wormers per year is often appropriate. This is an excellent subject to discuss with your vet.

First Aid

Bleeding, leg wounds, and colic are three of the most common emergencies you will likely encounter as a horse owner. Each requires prompt attention.

• If blood is "spurting" from a wound apply pressure and call your vet!
  
  
• Any injury to the legs should be wrapped for additional protection.
  
  
• If your horse refuses grain and kicks at it's stomach or rolls about violently, she has colic. With many causes, this extreme digestive upset can be fatal. Call your vet!
  
  

Medical Emergencies

Recognizing your Morgan is experiencing an illness or injury that requires immediate medical attention can be the difference between life and death for your horse. I highly suggest you add a good equine medical reference book to your library. One that I have found to be excellent for the first-time horse owner is "Horse Sense" by John J. Mettler, Jr., D.V.M. published by Garden Way Publishing.

    

Another great resource book to have in your horse library is "Hands On Horse Care". It features a flow chart system of diagnosing many common horse ailments, enabling you to give prompt first aid care quickly and efficiently.

         

This site is maintained by Rich Horejsi who currently enjoys breeding, training, showing (and loving!) Morgan horses with his partner at Arroyo Morgan Horse Farm in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and welcomes your questions and comments.