Church Street Veterinary Hospital, Mudgee
Animal Information > HORSES

• What is the normal body temperature for a horse?
• My horse has a runny nose. What should I do?
• My hay is only a bit dusty or mouldy—is it OK to feed to my horse?
• Why does my horse need a deworming program?
• What is cribbing and wind-sucking and why does my horse do it?

What is the normal body temperature for a horse? [top]
Your horse's body temperature will vary over time. The normal body temperature for a horse is between 37 and 38.5 degrees Celcius.

Body temperature can vary with the heat of the day, excercise and temperament. If your horse is showing any signs of illness with a temperature consistently above 38.5 lease give us a call. If the body temperature reaches 39.5, urgent veterinary attention is required.

My horse has a runny nose. What should I do? [top]
Horses, like people, often get a runny nose which may or may not indictae a more serious problem such as a respiratory infection. If you notice a nasal discharge in your horse, it is important to keep an eye out for any other signs of disease such as going off his feed, coughing, increased body temperature (over 38.5 C) and lethargy. If any of these other signs are present, then contact us as your horse most likely is in need of treatment.

It is also important to note the colour, consistency and volume of the discharge as this can provide useful information as to the cause of the problem. A slight clear watery discarge is often not significant but if your horse has a thick yellow mucous discharge, then it will need immediate veterinary attention.

My hay is only a bit dusty or mouldy—is it OK to feed to my horse? [top]
Never feed dusty or mouldy hay. Even if you wet the hay with water, a horse will breathe in the mould spores which can quickly develop permanent lung damage. When buying hay, look for hay that looks good and smells appealing—to both you and your horse.

• Hay should smell fresh, be bright green in color, and free of weeds.
• Hay that is freshly baled will feel warm and dry when you stick your hand into it. Hot hay may mean there is too much moisture. Hay that is heating excessively can combust and should not be stored in a shed, or fed to horses.
• The seed heads should be closed and the leaves intact. Broken leaves indicate that hay was baled too dry, and will be less nutritious.
• Hay that is yellow or brown when the bale is opened, has been rained on or sun-bleached. In either case, the nutritional quality will be lower.

Why does my horse need a deworming program? [top]
All horses should be on a regular parasite control program. Infestations of internal parasites can cause damage to a horse's internal organs, anaemia (low blood count which can be seen as pale lips, pale gums and inside of the eyes), poor overall condition, loss of appetite, a dull rough coat, distended barrel, itchy tail, colic symptoms and lack of endurance. Anaemia can sometimes cause a blood vessel to rupture leading to the rapid death of the horse.

Most horses will carry a few parasites in their system which is normal, and if kept under control, not harmful. However, if the infestation becomes great your horse's health will suffer and irreversible damage could result. As your horse can be continually re-infected from parasite eggs in pastures or bot flies your horse needs to be on a regular program. Paste formulations are probably the easiest and safest forms of drench for horse owners to use. Contact Church Street Vets to create a drenching program that suits your horse. To achieve maximum benefit from a drenching programme, all horses should be drenched every six to eight weeks.

What is cribbing and wind-sucking and why does my horse do it?
A horse is said to be cribbing when it grasps a solid object like a stable door or fence rail, arches its neck and gulps or sucks in volumes of air into its throat. Wind-sucking is when it does the same gulping of air without biting down on anything.

Both are destructive habits caused by boredom, stress or possibly stomach acidity. If left alone, it is extemely destructive, not to mention, detrimental to your horse's health. Because these horses spend the majority of their time during the day preoccupied with this behavior rather than grazing or eating, they quite often have dental wear problems and have difficulty keeping weight on. It may also predispose the horse to colic.

The most effective remedy will be to allow your horse to live in the most natural environment possible. Free access to pasture grass or plentiful hay will fulfill the horse’s normal instinct to graze. Wide open spaces will also help a horse, stressed by stabling, feel more at ease. In addition you could try any combination of the following:

• Straps or collars that are worn high up on the horse’s neck to prevent expansion of the esophagus.
• Pepper sprays or formulas containing bitter flavors sprayed or painted on fences.
• Low acid feeds developed for horses with sensitive guts.
• Anti-acids.
• Mineral supplements.
• Toys such as balls and jugs hung on strings for the horse to mouth.
• Electric fencing either on its own or over wooden fences.
• Consult your veterinarian for advice about treating possible ulcers.