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Anhidrosis in Horses: When a Horse Cannot Sweat
Anhidrosis — the partial or complete inability to sweat normally — is a serious thermoregulatory failure. Evaporative cooling through sweating accounts for approximately 65% of heat loss during exercise. When a horse stops sweating, internal temperature climbs rapidly with any exertion. The condition is most common in horses moved to hot, humid climates. Causes The…
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Pigeon Fever in Horses: Causes, Abscesses, and Treatment
Pigeon fever — named for the chest swelling that gives affected horses a pigeon-breast appearance — is caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Originally a disease of the arid western US, reports have increased in frequency and geographic range. Huber et al. (J Vet Intern Med 2016) confirmed temperature, drought conditions, and fly season length as the…
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Equine Recurrent Uveitis: The Leading Cause of Blindness in Horses
Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is the most common cause of blindness in horses worldwide. It is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the uveal tract — iris, ciliary body, and choroid — cycling through painful, vision-threatening episodes. Each episode causes cumulative damage. Causes and Risk Factors Leptospira interrogans (serovars Pomona and Grippotyphosa) is strongly associated with…
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Equine Influenza: Symptoms, Vaccination, and When to Call the Vet
Equine influenza (EI) is caused by influenza A virus strains H3N8 and H7N7, with H3N8 responsible for virtually all contemporary outbreaks. It spreads via respiratory aerosols and contaminated equipment. The OIE Expert Surveillance Panel monitors strain evolution and issues biannual vaccine composition recommendations. Current AAEP guidelines recommend vaccines matching OIE recommendations. Clinical Signs Fever: 38.5…
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Equine Sarcoids: Types, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options
Equine sarcoids are the most common skin tumor in horses worldwide, accounting for approximately 40% of all equine neoplasms (Knottenbelt, Equine Vet J, 2019). They can appear on any horse at any age, are locally invasive, and have a strong tendency to recur after treatment. Despite decades of research, they remain one of the most…
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Tying Up in Horses: Causes, Emergency Response, and Prevention (ER, PSSM, RER)
Tying up — the common term for exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) — is a painful, sometimes dangerous condition where a horse’s muscles break down during or shortly after exercise. The horse becomes suddenly distressed, reluctant to move, and in severe cases cannot walk at all. It can look like colic from the outside, but the pain…
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Horse Deworming Guide: Internal Parasites, Resistance, and Targeted Selective Treatment
Internal parasites are a reality of horse ownership, but how we manage them has changed fundamentally in the last two decades. Blanket rotational deworming — giving the same drug to every horse on a fixed schedule — is now understood to actively drive anthelmintic resistance. The modern standard is targeted selective treatment (TST): test first,…
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Navicular Disease in Horses: Causes, Symptoms, and Management
Navicular disease is one of the most common causes of chronic front-leg lameness in horses, affecting performance horses, warmbloods, and stock breeds in disproportionate numbers. Despite its name, the condition is rarely limited to a single small bone — modern imaging has revealed it involves an entire anatomical region at the back of the foot,…
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EHV-1 Quarantine and Biosecurity Guide for Stables and Barns
Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is a highly contagious respiratory pathogen that can spread rapidly through barns and stables, causing fever, nasal discharge, cough, and in severe cases, neurological complications or abortion in pregnant mares. Once EHV-1 enters a facility, it can affect multiple horses in days without proper quarantine and biosecurity measures. While equine herpesvirus is…
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EHV-1 Symptoms: Early Warning Signs and When to Call the Vet
Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is a highly contagious respiratory virus that affects horses of all ages and can progress rapidly from mild symptoms to serious complications. Many horse owners miss the earliest warning signs of EHV-1 infection because the initial symptoms appear subtle and may resemble other common equine illnesses. Understanding the earliest indicators of EHV-1…