Southern Equine Service

C**t born this afternoon at the clinic 💙

Please see our updated emergency policy as of April 1, 2024.

Happy New Year! Our first foal of 2024 was born at the clinic this week 😍🐣🐎

Drop in to our Hiring Event January 4th from 2-5pm at the new clinic

Dropping off a truck full of turkeys to the Salvation Army! Happy Thanksgiving 🍂

We are hiring! Please contact Melissa [email protected] to apply and for further job details.

Happy National Veterinary Technician Week!

Summer and fall are prime time for arbovirus infection as these diseases (which include Eastern Equine Encephalitis [EEE], West Nile Virus [WNV], Western Equine Encephalitis [WEE] and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis [VEE]) are transmitted by many different species of mosquitoes and biting insects.

With more states reporting cases of West Nile Virus (70 cases were reported in August alone), here is your reminder that keeping all horses up to date on vaccinations with the guidance of your veterinarian is the best protection you can offer your equine friends.

Read more and download the arbovirus factsheet on the Equine Disease Communication Center's website at https://tinyurl.com/ukaa3zwv

USEF recently announced that beginning December 1, 2025, all horses competing in USEF-licensed or endorsed competitions must be microchipped with a 15-digit ISO compliant 11784/11785 chip.

Contact the office if your horse needs microchipped!

https://www.usef.org/compete/resources-forms/competition-management/competition-safety-biosecurity/microchipping

The correct answer is b., sodium and chloride. They are two components of table salt but neither mineral is naturally abundant in your horse’s usual food sources.

Why should you care? Having a basic understanding of equine nutrition and being able to identify sources of essential vitamins and minerals in a horse’s diet is in the best interest of every horse owner. Dietary deficiencies and excesses can both cause health issues and affect performance, and this becomes even more important for the care and management of horses with disorders such as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM).

Want to put your knowledge of vitamins and minerals further to the test? Take the rest of the quiz developed by our friendsEquus Magazine —>https://images.saymedia-content.com/.image/cs_srgb/MTcxODUxMTk3MDA5ODk2Nzcw/equus-extra-nutrition-.pdf

Congratulations to our veterinary assistant Keileigh McMurray for being the first recipient of the Dr. Rebekah Edens Brady Memorial Scholarship.

This scholarship is for use in the pursuit of a career in veterinary medicine. This award was established in 2022 to honor the veterinary career of Rebekah Edens Brady, DVM. The purpose of this award is to recognize upcoming veterinarians who are fulfilling their lifetime goal in becoming an equine veterinarian.

Wish Keileigh luck as she starts her fall semester at Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine.

We’re trying to stay cool at the clinic today! Thanks SES!

COOL SCIENCE (pun intended)!

An old myth wants us to believe that horses should be walked until they cool completely after exercise, even in the summer. However, a study from 2020 looked at five different ways to cool a horse after exercise: walking, walking with fans, walking with intermittent cold water application, walking with intermittent cold water application and scraping, and stationary with continuous tap water application. As it turns out, the method that resulted in the quickest return to normal body temperature was stationary with continuous tap water application (2 minutes), while walking alone took the longest time for recovery (25 minutes).

Bottom line: enjoy your rides in the sun this summer but remain vigilant for signs of heat stress in your horse. If they look tired, it’s time for a drink, a cool bath, and a break in the shade.
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Brough to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

New service available! We are happy to announce we now have a Phovia system for fluorescent light therapy. This lamp is designed to support the natural skin healing process. Benefits include reduced inflammation, improved blood flow, and increased cell replacement.

https://phoviausa.com/owners/

The clinic will be closed this Monday and Tuesday for the Fourth of July holiday. We are always available for emergencies.

Always a good reminder for this time of the year: The notion that a hot, recently exercised horse needs to cool down before drinking water is a myth, so be advised that it is best to rehydrate sweaty, hardworking horses without delay.

The key, however, is to know how much water to allow at one time. Because of the equine stomach’s relatively small capacity, offer small amounts of water every 20 minutes until the horse drinks his fill rather than letting the animal drink it all at once. A slower reintroduction of water is good common sense, while it makes no sense to hold horses off it.

Remember that water is the most vital nutrient for a horse. The average idle 1,100-pound horse in a cool environment will drink 6 to 10 gallons of water per day, but that amount may easily double or triple in a hot environment! Therefore, it goes without saying that providing cool, clean water to your horses at ALL times is of paramount importance.

Source: Equus Magazine and AAEP member Dr. Anthony Blikslager. More information about offering a horse water can be found at https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/offering-a-horse-water-after-exercise-8622/