Gulf Coast Equine Veterinary Services, Inc.

06/05/2026

On June 3, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed New World Screwworm in the umbilical area of a calf in Zavala County, TX. US Equestrian has put together some information to make sure you know about the potential risks of this parasitic fly to horses.

New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) larvae eat the flesh of warm-blooded animals, including horses and humans. Identified in Mexico in 2024, NWS is not in the U.S. Suspected cases must be reported to animal health officials.

05/25/2026

On this Memorial Day, as always, we honor those brave soldiers who have paid the ultimate price to keep us safe in this most amazing country we are lucky enough to call home. We thank their family - their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, husbands and wives left behind without their loved ones.

We also thank the animals, the millions of horses and dogs who have passed in service to our country. Over the years they have carried soldiers, hauled artillery, and sniffed out explosives. They too deserve remembering and thanks.

Happy Memorial Day! Enjoy your day off, but remember the reason you get to do so.

🇺🇸

05/19/2026

This is just a public service announcement to let everyone know that these posts which have become more and more common on our page are a scam and have nothing to do with Gulf Coast Equine. We are doing everything we can to block all the users and delete and report comments. Please do not click any links associated with these comments on our page.

05/19/2026

It's MYTHBUSTER time! 🔎

The core vaccinations for every horse, regardless of their travel status, include Rabies, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE), West Nile Virus (WNV), and Tetanus.

Unfortunately, mosquitoes, bacteria, and rabid animals do not discriminate when it comes to infecting horses. Whether a horse is in a freshly bedded stall, wide open pasture, or on show grounds, mosquitoes can potentially infect your horse with life threatening diseases such as EEE, WEE, and/or WNV.

Tetanus is a common clostridial bacteria present in the dirt and can infect a horse who has never left its home just the same as a horse who shows every weekend if it doesn't have proper vaccine status.

Rabies is a 100% fatal disease once clinical signs are present and is easily transmissible to humans and other animals both at home and on the trails.

It's also important to note that different regions in the U.S. may have additional "core" recommendations so be sure to ask your veterinarian what is best for your horse!

Want to learn more about vaccinations? Visit our vaccination chart on our website here: https://aaep.org/resource/adult-horse-vaccination-chart/

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

05/15/2026

Practical environmental management steps can make a big dent in insect populations around horse farms, often without needing pesticides. 🪰🦟

🦟 REDUCE MOSQUITO BREEDING
• Dump standing water routinely.
- Mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle. Empty water that collects in flowerpots, buckets, barrels, etc.
- Drill drainage holes in tire swings and keep children’s wading pools empty and stored on their side when not in use.
• Refresh water troughs frequently. Change water troughs at least twice weekly to discourage mosquito breeding.
• Mosquito-proof barns and stables:
- Install and maintain secure screens on windows and doors.
- Use fans (mosquitoes/flies avoid strong air movement because they can’t control flight well).
- Consider lighting choices. In barns, swapping incandescent bulbs for fluorescent-type fixtures can make the area less attractive to mosquitoes.

🪰 SANITATION & FACILITY MANAGEMENT
• Manure and waste handling (sanitation) is foundational. Remove stall and paddock litter and dispose of it properly.
• Stacking manure to reduce surface area is recommended; for small facilities, covering stacks with plastic film can help reduce fly breeding.
• If hay is fed in paddocks, avoid allowing hay to get trampled into the footing/substrate near feeders—flies can develop in that material, sometimes even beneath the soil surface.

⚠️ REMEMBER: not all flies come from your manure pile. “Feed-through” fly products are only potentially helpful if the flies are actually breeding in manure from horses on-site; in contrast, face flies, horn flies, and tabanids do not breed in horse manure, while house flies and stable flies can.

TRAPS & NON-CHEMICAL TOOLS
• Use traps to monitor and help manage flies. Traps can be useful to track fly numbers, but placement matters.
- Put traps where flies are numerous, and for stable flies, as close to the animals as possible.
• Use fans inside barns as pesticide-free protection. This is one of the simplest, most effective barn strategies for flies that enter.
• UV light traps can help indoors. If used, they’re recommended inside barns; avoid placing them outside or running them after dark.

05/13/2026

🔗: https://equimanagement.com/research-medical/disease/preventing-strangulating-lipoma-colic-new-insights-on-equine-risk-factors/

Historically, the risk of strangulating lipoma obstruction in horses has been attributed to specific signalment criteria, such as older age, s*x, and breed.

In a recent collaborative, multicenter study at Colorado State University, University of Florida, and Three Counties Equine Hospital, researchers reviewed potential risk factors that may be modifiable to mitigate the risk of strangulating lipoma colic.

05/12/2026

The answer to yesterday’s

The myth is that horses who are 18-20 and beyond have worse outcomes from colic surgery than their younger counterparts.

This myth is false…age should not be your sole reason for declining colic surgery for your horse. Horses in their 20s are at greater risk for a severe cause of colic, specifically strangulating lipomas. But, given prompt and proper treatment, their outcomes are similar to younger horses after colic surgery.

05/11/2026

Another this time about colic surgery.

Often when we notify clients that their older horse’s colic is surgical, they tell us that they are too old and wouldn’t make it. What do you think? Is the myth that horses over the age of 18-20 years are too old for a successful surgical outcome true or false?

Let us know if you think this myth true or if it’s busted and we will be back tomorrow with the answer.

05/05/2026

Here’s the answer to our

The myth is that you should walk your colicky horse.

Well, it’s been a long standing myth that people continue to do but it’s BUSTED. Please, do not walk your colicky horse. It does not help them and it just makes them tired. Let them lie down and rest. Even if they are up and down a bit, you can leave them alone. The only exception to this is if your horse is violently rolling and throwing itself all over the place. Then we ask that you try to walk them to keep them up to prevent them from hurting themselves. But, while you are walking we will be on the way to you so you will not be walking them for hours. We also may have a discussion about simply putting them in your trailer and heading to the hospital if they are this painful and violent.

As always, call your veterinarian if you have any questions.

05/04/2026

It’s been a while since a but this particular myth is so prevalent (came up at an emergency call this weekend) and just seems to be hanging on with a particular tenacity so we are here to ask if you think it’s true or not.

The myth is that a colicking horse should be walked.

Let us know if this myth is true or if it’s busted and we’ll be back tomorrow with the answer.