Please call if you have any concerns about your horse. The emergencies on this page are the most common ones we’ve seen, not an all-inclusive list!

Colic

Colic is the most common and potentially life threatening emergency in the horse. Please call as soon as you have any suspicion that your horse is not acting right BEFORE administering any medications. Common signs include pawing frustratingly at the ground, watching one or both sides, getting up and down to roll frequently, not having normal interest in feed, or even violently rolling and thrashing. However, each horse can have a different threshold and reaction to pain, so please call us even if you are not sure they are colicking. Please have a working and accessible truck and trailer ready should we recommend referral to a hospital for surgical or intensive medical treatment. Colic can be scary and it can be hard to make decisions in the moment. We always recommend having an emergency plan in place BEFORE the situation arises so you can answer the following questions for us:

  1. Is your horse insured for colic surgery?

  2. Would you take this horse to colic surgery?

  3. Can you get your truck and trailer hooked up while we are traveling to your farm?

Choke

In the horse, choke refers to an esophageal obstruction. A typical presentation of choke is feed material (color varies based on what the horse was eating) and/or copious amounts of saliva coming out of both nostrils. Horses will sometimes cough and make a “retching” noise as they attempt to clear the obstruction. While some chokes resolve on their own, please call if your horse has not cleared the obstruction within 15 minutes as there are significant risks to your horse’s health with long duration of being choked. Please do not ever put anything down the throat of a horse who is choking.

Eyes

Horse eyes are very fragile and prone to injuries and infections. Please call right away if you notice any issues with one or both eyes. This includes more drainage than normal of any color, pain (in horses usually squinting or even holding eye fully closed), obvious injuries to the eye or the lids, and abnormal haze/color to the eye. We will help triage and determine if your horse should be seen the same day. Please do not apply anything to your horse’s eye prior to discussing with us.

Sudden lameness and/or sudden severe swelling anywhere on a leg

If your horse comes up lame (limping) suddenly on 1 or more legs, please call us. There are several potential reasons for this lameness and it almost always requires a same day visit. Please do not treat your horse with any medications prior to discussing with us.

Lacerations/wounds/cuts

Most lacerations (cuts) are considered emergencies, especially if they are located over or located over a joint or have profuse bleeding. Please be prepared to describe exactly where the injury is (cell phone pictures are fantastic!). Water, sterile saline, and/or very dilute povidine-iodine (betadine) solution are safe to use as cleaning agents. Please do not apply any ointments/sprays/powders to the wound prior to discussing with us. Many wounds can be sutured (stitched) if attended to as soon as the wound is discovered.

Emergency euthanasia

Please contact us, even if you are not an established client as we will always strive to attend to your horse as soon as possible. Please feel free to also contact us to discuss end of life options for your horse even if it is not emergent. It is often the hardest decision to make and we are here to give you our professional assessment.

Newborn foals

Foals who are not meeting early parameters of standing/nursing/having normal energy or attitude should be seen right away. Please be prepared with a truck and trailer to haul dam and foal should referral be recommended. We always recommend a wellness visit with IgG (antibody) testing within the first 8-12 hours of the foal’s life. In addition, please contact us if you have a bred mare so we can help guide you through the process of recommended prenatal care as well as what to expect.

Neurological horse

Horses who have severe neurological disease often appear “wobbly”, “dizzy”, “disorientated”, or even circle constantly or are unable to rise or fall down. Neurological signs can be subtle such as a “droopy” half of the face or twitching of the muzzle. ****Please use extreme caution around a neurological horse and call immediately for an assessment****