Taking care of a sick horse

If you think your horse might be sick there are a few things you should do before you call your vet. This well help you determine whether or not your horse really needs to see the vet or if he's just not feeling like himself.

-You can check the colour of his gums by gently lifting up his upper lip. The colour of your horses gums may be able to tell you allot when it comes to him/her being sick. If your horse is sick with colic for example, his gums will become a grayish beige colour, when they normally look pink.

-You should keep an eye on your horse throughout the day to see if he/she's gone to the bathroom at all during the day. A horse will normally poop from 5-6 times a day, so if he/she hasn't gone to the bathroom at all there's most likely something going on in their stomach.

-You can check their pulse, a horses pulse is similar to humans. Their heart beat shouldn't be too fast or to slow.

-If your horse is sick he'll most likely seem slower and weaker. It is very important to keep a close eye on your horse and notice these things, so you can call you vet as soon as possible.

-Finally you can check their temperature. If you hadn't ridden your horse at all that day and his temperature is very high, he could be very sick. You also want to check if he's sweating for no reason at all.

What to do if your horse is sick:

The first thing you should do if your horse is sick is call the vet. Your vet might be busy and might not be able to get there as soon as you call him that's why it`s important to do it right away.

You should put a blanket over your horse to keep him warm, this will prevent him from possibly going into shock. You should find a a chair and put it in your horses stall and stay with him until the vet gets there. This will help him to stay relaxed. Finally you should continuously check your horses vital signs to be sure his sickness isn't getting worse. Do this 3 times every hour until the vet arrives.

Once the vet had took a look at your horse, he will tell you exactly want is wrong with your horse and what you can do to help him feel better again. One of the most important things you should do is continuously keep an eye on your horse and make him feel as comfortable as possible.