Having a healthy horse is important for his stable. Recognizing the first signs of illness is then of paramount importance to treat your horse in time and take the necessary precautions for the rest of the stable. Under these conditions, it is the responsibility of the breeder to know what measures to take while waiting for the arrival of the veterinarian and how to behave if the disease is contagious.
How to recognize a sick horse?
Detecting the signs of a health problem as early as possible to facilitate treatment should not be taken lightly to limit the consequences. It is important to know how your horse behaves when it is healthy, as the first unexplained changes are signs of illness.
Another point to note is the condition of the horse's coat. A healthy horse will have soft and shiny hair, otherwise it indicates the exhaustion of its organism. Nutrition is an important factor to consider. If he refuses the food he usually prefers, you should be concerned, as this is a sign of illness. The different parts of the body such as the sagging eye, swollen udders, swollen legs and cracked hooves are things to check.
What to do while waiting for the vet to arrive?
The first reflex when you notice the different signs of disease is to call your veterinarian. The first thing to do is to isolate the sick horse in a paddock or stall. This will allow you to limit contact with other horses in the stable but also with people. It is all the more important to have health equipment available to care for your sick horse, such as gloves, gown and equipment dedicated to the isolation area.
Precautionary measures in case of contagious disease
In the case of a contagious disease, the horse should be isolated and equidae that have been in contact with the patient should be confined. It will thus be forbidden to move in or out of the structure for at least 21 days after the last case has occurred. If this precaution is not taken, you risk a fine. Another piece of advice is to set up a care circuit called "forward march". In this process, the first step in caring for your horse is to make sure that the other 'healthy' mounts are healthy. In other words, those that have not been in contact with the positive animal. Then you establish a sanitary protocol to contaminate them and finally you take care of the sick horses in the red zone.
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