Equine Mobile Veterinary Services, David Hayes, DVM

07/28/2025

While it’s a common equine emergency, esophageal obstruction (“choke”) can look alarming, especially if you've never seen it before. Unlike in human medicine, where choking refers to a tracheal (or windpipe) obstruction, choke in horses refers to an obstruction of the esophagus (the muscular tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach).

Most commonly, choking occurs when horses eat concentrated feed too quickly without chewing appropriately, which results in a firm bolus lodged in the animal's esophagus. However, esophageal obstruction can also occur with hay or straw, hard treats, carrots, or nonfood objects. Poor dentition, which leads to inadequate chewing, is also a frequent cause of choke.

While common, choke can have serious consequences. So, be sure to call your veterinarian as soon as you notice signs of choke. A bad choke is fairly obvious to both veterinarians and horse owners, but a mild choke could be confused with an upper respiratory tract infection or colic.

07/09/2025

The old saying is still 100% correct!
NO FOOT, NO HORSE!
THANK YOU FARRIERS!

It’s ! Let’s take a moment to celebrate and thank our farriers!

Proper foot care is the cornerstone of maintaining a sound horse, and a good farrier is an essential part of your equine's healthcare team, keeping your horse’s feet balanced and well-supported. Farriers and veterinarians often work together for the best interests of the horse, so a skilled farrier is both a necessity and a tremendous asset. Be sure to let your farriers know they are appreciated!

06/17/2025

This is actually CRITICAL ADVICE!

Puncture wounds in the foot qualify as medical emergencies, due to the amount of vital structures just beneath the sole that can be physically damaged and/or contaminated with bacteria when they are penetrated by a sharp object.

If your horse steps on a nail or other sharp object and it remains embedded in the hoof, resist the temptation to pull the nail out and consult with your veterinarian first. Leaving the nail in place will allow the vet to take x-rays of the foot before removal, which helps to identify exactly what structures have been penetrated, and to plan the most appropriate strategy for dealing with the situation.

If your veterinarian advises, carefully remove the nail to prevent the horse from stepping on it and driving it deeper into the hoof cavity. As you remove it, be sure to mark the exact point and depth of entry with tape and/or a marker so the veterinarian can assess the extent of damage. Apply antiseptic to the wound, and wrap to prevent additional contamination while you wait for your appointment.

Penetrating hoof wounds can be extremely serious and shouldn’t be underestimated. The prognosis for successful recovery depends on quick action to identify the path of the nail, treatment of potential infection and mechanical damage to the foot, and proper aftercare. As always, consult your horse doctor for more information and advice!

06/17/2025

Great Visual Chart! Keep an eye out!

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO TELL IF YOUR HORSE IS IN DISTRESS?

As a horse owner, it's imperative you know how to recognize problems and respond promptly. It's important to know what conditions require veterinary attention, and how to take appropriate action while you're waiting for the veterinarian's arrival.

Types of emergencies you and your horse may encounter on your journey together include colic; lacerations and bleeding wounds; impaled objects or nails in the foot; acute lameness due to conditions ranging from hoof abscess to fractures, laminitis, tendon injuries and more; eye injuries; allergic reactions; choke; and even foaling emergencies.

No matter what you may face in the future, getting to know your horse's normal vital signs (including temperature, pulse and respiration) as well as its normal behavior patterns will help you become a good observer, so that you readily recognize signs of ill health. Being prepared is in your horse's best interest.

Always remember, your veterinarian is one of your best resources. Talk to them about how they can be reached after-hours, and about recommendations for an emergency plan suitable for your individual situation.

05/30/2025

Simple blood work test!

05/30/2025

PLANNING AHEAD WILL SAVE THE DAY!

It’s that time of year when social media fills with posts from horse owners in financial crisis—often blaming vets for the cost of care. But here’s the truth: your vet didn’t ask you to own horses. That decision was yours. Raising foals and keeping horses healthy is expensive—especially this time of year when infections, ortho issues, unpredictable weather, and emergencies spike.

Vets aren’t villains. They’re overworked professionals in a field with a national shortage—especially in large animal care. They didn’t choose this job to “steal your money”; they chose it because they care.

It’s your responsibility to plan ahead—whether that’s insurance, an emergency fund, or just realistic budgeting. Your vet isn’t the reason you’re struggling—lack of preparation is. Let’s stop the blame and start taking ownership.

WzEquine.com

05/29/2025

So documents revealed that Biden labeled people who were against the COVID Vaccine “Domestic Terrorist Extremists”. If true it literally means, YOU were literally an “enemy of the country, per this guy. Not ANTIFA, Not Antisemitic protestors screaming for our nation to fall…. YOU. The blue collar worker. The fireman, the police officer, the military man or woman. The city employee. It was YOU! I don’t want to hear another “Orange Man Bad” comment from any more of my friends and family. For God’s sake, parents concerned about what their kids were learning in school were put on an FBI watch list.

Biden; his five elitists leftists radical advisers and an autopen actually hated half of the country. This is actual fascism folks, and the Dems either supported these moves or willfully looked away as it was happening. Harris would have been worse than Biden and his co-presidents.

Once again folks; not another word about Trump being a threat to our nation. Not one more peep about Trump being an authoritarian or a danger to our civil liberties.

In a sane world, a Democrat should never be elected to office again until they admit this. But of course, we don’t live in one.

05/23/2025

Perfect! Just the basics! ✔️

Knowing your horse's normal vital signs is VITAL —pun intended!— to detecting distress and a possible emergency! 🩺

Practice taking your horse's vitals often (T.P.R.: temperature, pulse, respiration rate) so you can get to know what's normal for your equine friends and recognize what is abnormal. If your horse seems a little "off" and his values are outside the normal range, a call to your equine veterinarian is definitely warranted!

The typical ranges for adult horses are as follows:
🌡️Temperature: 99.0-101.5°F
❤️Heart rate: 28-40 beats/minute
🫁Respiration rate: 12-16 breaths/minute

Keep in mind that very hot and humid conditions may cause small variations, so be sure to have a conversation with your horse doctor about what is acceptable and about how to properly assess your horse's vital signs.

Thank you to the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee for providing this information!

05/16/2025

Let’s keep everyone safe! Owner/Handler/Veterinarian/Horse!

05/09/2025

This week is !

Did you know strangles was one of the first equine diseases to be described by the early writers of veterinary science (was first reported in 1215) and is one of the most commonly diagnosed contagious diseases of the horse, worldwide? Though strangles is highly contagious and can affect many horses on a farm, particularly young animals, most horses with infection recover without complication.

It is not uncommon for strangles infections to recur on a farm with previous outbreaks of the disease. The bacteria can survive in water sources for over a month, but the primary source of recurrent infections is most likely asymptomatic carrier horses. Anywhere from 4-50% of the horses on farms with recurring strangles are asymptomatic carriers of the infection, and they may continue to shed the bacteria for months to even years, serving as a continual source of new infections.

If you suspect a strangles outbreak, be sure to involve your veterinarian right away to determine the diagnosis and the best control practices for your particular farm. Strangles is a reportable disease in some states. Movement of any horses on or off the farm should be stopped, and new horses should not be introduced. Monitoring the temperature of all horses daily and isolating horses at the first sign of fever is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of infection. Infected horses can transmit the bacteria to healthy horses one to two days after they develop a fever.

To learn more about strangles, you can visit the Equine Disease Communication Center's website here: https://www.equinediseasecc.org/strangles

As always, your veterinarian remains your best source of information and advice!

04/09/2025

No! No! On grass clippings!!!

MIDWEEK MYTHBUSTER! 📢

Many people think that horses can safely eat grass clippings (grass is grass, right?) but that is a pretty common misconception and grass clippings actually pose a number of dangers to our equine friends.

While grass is meant to be slowly picked, ripped and chewed by the horse, grass clippings can quickly clump and cause choke if the animal ingests too many too fast. Grass clippings are also prone to fermentation which can cause colic, stomach and intestinal impactions, founder and laminitis.

Take-home message: Keep your horse away from grass clippings and in general never feed horses any food without the owner’s permission.

Thank you to the Horse Owner Education Committee for providing this information.

04/07/2025

Much needed information! ❤️