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If you're in doubt, Call A Vet
by Annamaria Tadlock

There's only one type of question, however, that really bothers me.
It's when a horse owner writes and asks for help in diagnosing or treating a disease or injury. Not just a little thing, like "how can I fatten my skinny horse up?" but severe problems, like "my horse just got its leg ripped open, and I think I can see the bone, what should I do?"

My response is always the same: Please call a vet.
If you are ever worried about your horse's immediate health, just call a vet.

Writing to me and telling me your horse is suddenly can't walk is not a responsible way to deal with a medical emergency.

Because I do get a lot of email, it's not always possible for me to respond right away-- sometimes it can take months to research an answer for a question.

The only way to get a good diagnoses is by having a vet see your horse, in person.

Now, if you do call a vet and find out the problem-- I'd love to hear from you. I'd love to read your story and have you tell me what the vet said (even if they weren't sure) and then maybe I can do more research and write about the diagnosis and treatment involved.

But I want to know your horse is safe first!

Not the appropriate response when you think your horse is dying

I can understand asking questions about some health problems-- like "why would my horse stumble when trotting" or "how can I tell if my mare's pregnant?"-- but if your horse is injured, or you think it may be sick, then it could be a serious issue that needs immediate medical attention.

Responsible horse ownership doesn't mean you throw your horse hay and you make sure it has water and shelter. That's just the bare minimum you need to be above abuse.

Responsible horse ownership means being aware of your horse's state of health, of providing exercise and care, and seeking medical attention promptly when you realize something is wrong.

It means providing for the horse's physical as well as emotional well-being (locking a horse in a stall all day, no matter how clean it is or expensive the stable is, is not healthy).

A phone call to the vet is free. It may even turn out that you're worrying about something silly -- but that's better to know than to worry.

See our Horse Questions & Answers section