Health & Veterinary Care
Recognise changes, prepare for veterinary care and understand when professional help cannot wait.
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Horse emergency signs: when to call a vet immediately
Call your equine vet or out-of-hours service immediately if an equid collapses, struggles to breathe, cannot stand, bleeds heavily, shows severe pain, has a serious eye or limb injury, develops neurological signs or deteriorates rapidly. Make the call before trying to identify the cause or give treatment.
Read article →Colic in horses: possible signs and what to do now
Call your equine vet immediately if a horse or pony shows possible colic signs, even when they appear mild or come and go. Colic means abdominal pain rather than one diagnosis; only a veterinary assessment can establish what may be happening and which actions are safe for that individual.
Read article →Choke in horses: signs and immediate action
Call your vet or emergency service now if you suspect choke. Remove access to feed and water, keep the horse calm and do not give anything by mouth or try to clear the blockage yourself, even if the horse is still breathing.
Read article →Horse eye injuries: why prompt veterinary help matters
Call your vet or emergency service now about any newly painful, cloudy, swollen, injured or suddenly abnormal horse eye. Keep the horse safe from further injury, but do not force the eyelids open, apply leftover medication or delay examination to try home treatment.
Read article →Horse wounds and bleeding: when to call the vet
Call your vet or emergency service now for heavy or persistent bleeding, a deep or puncture wound, a wound near an eye, joint, tendon, hoof, chest or abdomen, marked contamination, lameness or a horse that is distressed, weak or unwell.
Read article →Building your horse's preventive health plan
A useful preventive plan is not a calendar copied from another yard. It is a living agreement built around one equid, their age, species, history, work, companions and environment, with clear responsibilities and reasons to review it early.
Read article →Horse worm counts and responsible parasite control
A worm count is a useful piece of evidence, not a diagnosis and not a complete parasite screen. Responsible control combines the right tests with herd history, pasture management and professional judgement, using medicines only when the plan justifies them.
Read article →Horse biosecurity: isolation and everyday disease prevention
If an equid may have an infectious illness, separate them safely from others, stop unnecessary movements and contact your vet and yard manager promptly. Everyday biosecurity then rests on planned isolation, observation, clean equipment, controlled people flow and frank communication.
Read article →Horse vaccinations in the UK: planning with your vet
Ask your vet to build and review a vaccination plan for the individual horse or pony. Disease exposure, age, health, pregnancy, travel, premises contacts, product authorisation and event rules all matter, so this guide deliberately does not publish one timetable for every equid.
Read article →Using horse medicines safely: instructions, records and antibiotic stewardship
Use a medicine only for the equid and purpose directed by the vet, exactly as the current instructions state. Confirm anything unclear before giving it, record each treatment at the time, store it securely, and return unwanted or expired products through an approved route.
Read article →Heat stress and heatstroke in horses: act quickly
Call your vet immediately if a horse may be developing heat illness; stop all exertion and begin safe, continuous cooling while the call is being made. Collapse, marked confusion, severe unsteadiness or breathing distress can put handlers at risk as well as the horse.
Read article →Horse struggling to breathe? Call the vet now
Call a veterinarian immediately if a horse is struggling to breathe, making marked breathing effort at rest or deteriorating after exercise. Stop exertion, minimise stress and handle as little as possible while following the emergency vet’s instructions.
Read article →Suspected poisoning in a horse: what to do immediately
Call your vet immediately if poisoning is possible, even when the horse still looks normal or the amount is unknown. Prevent further exposure only when it is safe to do so, preserve useful evidence, and do not give food, fluids, charcoal, oil or another remedy unless the vet directs it.
Read article →Neurological signs in horses: collapse, seizures and severe unsteadiness
Call your vet immediately when a horse collapses, has a seizure or becomes severely unsteady, and keep every person outside its fall and kick zone. Do not restrain the head, force the horse up or move severe incoordination without professional direction.
Read article →Preparing for an equine vet visit: information that helps
A useful veterinary appointment starts with a short timeline, complete medicine and supplement list, accurate records and a safe place to examine the equid. Tell the practice about urgency, access or handling limits before the visit rather than trying to diagnose the problem yourself.
Read article →Fever in horses: isolate first and speak to your vet
Contact your vet today for a horse with a confirmed or suspected fever, and separate the horse from other equids while you wait for instructions. A raised temperature can accompany several infectious and non-infectious problems, so record the facts and do not try to name or medicate the cause yourself.
Read article →Diarrhoea in horses: veterinary and biosecurity warning signs
Contact your vet today if a horse develops diarrhoea, and isolate the horse from other equids while awaiting instructions. Acute diarrhoea can worsen quickly and some causes are infectious, so protect hydration and biosecurity without trying feeds, drugs or home treatments.
Read article →A horse with a cough or nasal discharge: isolation and veterinary advice
Contact your vet today about a new or worsening cough or nasal discharge, and isolate the horse from other equids while you await instructions. Stop exercise and travel; respiratory signs can have infectious and non-infectious causes that cannot be separated reliably by appearance alone.
Read article →Hives, facial swelling and allergic reactions in horses
Call your vet immediately if a horse develops facial swelling, widespread hives or signs of an allergic reaction. Breathing or swallowing can worsen quickly; call first, keep the horse quiet and do not give medication or spend time searching for the trigger.
Read article →Difficulty urinating or abnormal urine in horses: warning signs
Contact your vet the same day if a horse repeatedly strains to urinate, passes very little, dribbles, seems painful or has blood or another marked change in the urine. Inability to pass urine with distress can be an emergency, so report the pattern clearly and do not catheterise, medicate or force fluids.
Read article →Safe horse first aid while waiting for the vet
Safe first aid begins after the veterinary call, with the scene made safer and the horse disturbed as little as possible. Follow the practice's instructions for this case; first aid supports the horse until professional care arrives and does not include diagnosis, medication or invasive treatment.
Read article →Equine diagnostic tests and veterinary referral: what owners can expect
When tests or referral are discussed, the owner's most useful role is to make the practical and consent pathway clear. Ask what question the next step addresses, what the horse needs beforehand, how results will be communicated and who remains responsible for decisions and follow-up.
Read article →Equine asthma: cough, breathing changes and the veterinary pathway
A cough can be the first visible clue to airway trouble, but it cannot diagnose asthma or reveal severity on its own. Record what changes, stop work when breathing is abnormal and involve your vet promptly. Laboured breathing at rest, blue-grey gums, collapse or rapidly worsening distress is an emergency.
Read article →Gastric ulcers in horses: signs, diagnosis and management questions
Girthiness, appetite change, poor performance or recurrent mild colic can occur with gastric disease, but none proves that a horse has ulcers. Speak to your vet promptly, and treat severe or persistent colic as urgent. Diagnosis matters because “equine gastric ulcer syndrome” includes distinct stomach regions and other problems can look similar.
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