horse health, horse wellness, equine health, equine wellness, horse health tips, horse health information, equine health tips, equine health information
Health Kit�
By jessica jahiel, PhD
Spotlight on Welln
As you head into the busy riding season, focus
on your horse’s health with these tips.
Do you tend to call your veterinarian only
when your horse is sick or injured? If you
do, your horse is essentially on a “sickness
program.” To help keep your equine friend
healthy and ready to go year after year, it’s
best to put him on a wellness program. Such
a program will promote your horse’s health
and help prevent illness — or at least catch
problems early on. By taking this approach,
you’ll not only help your horse, you’ll also
save time and money in the long run.
Here, we’ll give you two ways to embark
on a wellness program. Then we’ll explain
how your horse can benefit from regularly
scheduled veterinary visits.
2 Ways to Wellness
There are two ways you can help keep
your horse healthy. One, you can simply call
your veterinarian and schedule twice-yearly
exams (every spring and fall). He or she will
then have an opportunity to examine your
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horse, then give him the necessary vaccinations,
deworming, and dental care.
Or, you can sign up for a structured, prepaid
wellness program. This program is
designed to save you money by providing
a bundle of services at a discounted rate.
Some veterinarians offer a choice of plans,
from basic to premium; others offer one
program for everyone.
Here’s how it works: You sign up, pay a set
fee, then schedule your veterinary appointments
for the year. Your veterinarian will
either come to you or ask that you haul your
horse to his or her clinic on regularly scheduled
“wellness days.”
jessica jahiel, PhD, is an internationally recognized
clinician and lecturer, and an awardwinning
author of books on horses, riding, and
training. her e-mail newsletter is a popular
worldwide resource.
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