Alliance Equine Health Care

06/13/2025

Happy Feature Friday!

This week, we are featuring Gateway HorseWorks’s very own “Comrollnover”, more affectionately known as Willow. 🐴

Willow is a 28 year old retired standardbred racehorse, who now spends her days serving the program as an equine assisted psychotherapy horse. She is one of the FAMOUS patients in our practice! You can find an entire chapter dedicated to her in the novel titled “Meetings with Remarkable Animals” by Martin Clunes. She was also featured in a documentary titled “Healing in the Open.” Many have been touched by Willow’s story and continue to benefit emotionally from her work as a therapy horse. We love Willow and feel honored to be a part of her care team. 💙

06/11/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Haiwon Stella Song on her “graduation” from shadowing us here at Alliance Equine Healthcare! 🐴💙

Dr. Song has started a one year intensive program at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, which is meant for veterinarians who trained at foreign veterinary schools. Once she completes this year, she will be a fully licensed veterinarian and able to practice in the United States.

During her time with us, Dr. Song has gained SO much knowledge about equine medicine and we can’t wait to see what else she accomplishes! 🐴

06/03/2025

🪰🐝 Happy National Insect Day!🐝🪰

This National Insect Day, we’re reminding all horse owners to suit up their horses with the triple defense against biting flies and insects:

✅ Fly Spray – your daily go to for protection containing pyrethrins and permethrin

✅ SWAT Ointment – perfect for high bite areas like the ears and belly

✅ Fly Masks – essential for shielding eyes and ears

Protecting your horse from flies helps reduce stress, the risk of infection and even the development of certain skin cancers. A little prevention goes a long way toward keeping them healthy and happy all season long!

06/01/2025

It's National Go Barefoot Day!

We don’t recommend that YOU go barefoot today when you are around your horses. But, we do want to celebrate our equine patients who are blessed with beautiful barefoot hooves that allow them to Go Barefoot every Day!

Many horses require shoes, boots, or other protection in order to maintain healthy and comfortable hooves. But there are some who have strong enough hooves to happily function barefoot. These individuals usually have genetically great hoof structure, but terrific hoof care provided by good farriers and diligent caretakers also plays an important role in helping horses maintain strong and healthy hooves. Good systemic health, including a well-balanced diet, is also important in maintaining good hoof health.

05/31/2025

05/30/2025

It's Patient Feature Friday!

This week's category of "Tall, Dark, and Handsome" features our patients "Winston" and "Gysbert!"

They are both Friesians and most definitely live up to the standard! They are 7 and 10 years old. They love spending time fox hunting, carriage driving, and playing with each other in turnout!

Friesians have "feathers," along with many draft breeds. Horses with "feathers" (extra thick, long hair on their legs) are VERY prone to a number of medical skin conditions that can become problematic and even fatal in severe cases. Horses with "feathers" are much more susceptible to skin mite infestations as well as pastern dermatitis "scratches" lesions. The chronic inflammation within the skin associated with these conditions often eventually leads to another medical condition, Chronic Progressive Lymphedema. Here is a good article about this difficult disease: https://ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/chronic-progressive-lymphedema-cpl

Keeping the skin of horses with "feathers" healthy takes a LOT of time and effort. If you are not prepared to spend multiple hours every week with a diligent skin care routine, it is best for you to keep your horse's long "feathers" clipped.

05/26/2025

Today, we honor those who have given the greatest sacrifice for our freedom.
Thank you

05/21/2025

Recently, we’ve received a number of questions about safely ensuring that our patients manage to keep their grazing muzzles on in turnout! Jordyn, part of the management team at Gateway Horseworks, has found some helpful tips and tricks to ensure that their horses are safe and happy in turnout. Great job, Gateway Horseworks! 🐴

05/09/2025

April showers bring…

…the increased risk of your horse developing a skin condition like rain rot, a contagious bacterial skin disease (often mistaken for a fungal condition) called dermatophilosis which is caused by the bacterium "Dermatophilus congolensis.”

How does rain rot happen?
The organism responsible for rain rot lives in the outer layer of the skin; if the skin is compromised by too much moisture or cracks, or if the horse has a weaker immune system, it’s easier for the pathogen to activate and establish an infection that causes from pinpoint to large, crusty scabs (pro tip: Your horse will NOT thank you for picking at them!).

Why should you not mistake rain rot for a fungal disease?
Antifungal medications and topicals have no effect on the bacteria responsible for rain rot, therefore diagnosing the condition correctly is critical! If left untreated, the condition can even progress to a point where it opens the door for more serious, secondary skin infections. It’s also important to note that this organism is contagious and may be passed to other horses by tack, equipment or insects, therefore disinfection of equipment is vital to prevent spread.

If you suspect your horse has rain rot, be sure to consult your veterinarian on the best treatment plan. While there are a million over-the-counter products available, your horse doctor may have cause to prescribe a specific course of action based on the severity of your horse's case.

05/07/2025

Hot weather puts horses at risk not only for dehydration and heat stress but, just like humans, the skin damage and discomfort that accompany a sunburn. Horse prone to sunburn are also at a higher risk for a cancer called squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) which is associated with UV light exposure.

If your horse has reduced pigmentation (pink eyelids or pink tissue) around the eye, be sure to use a fly mask with greater than 90% UV light protection. Many of these masks are not sold at your local tack store but can be purchased online. If a mask advertises UV light protection but does not specify the amount, contact the company that makes the mask to get a definitive answer.
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Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee