Equine Veterinary
Horse Ailments

From: Equestrian and Horse | Care

See also: Tack | Clipping | Rugs | Worming |Equine Anatomy

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Equine Veterinary, Horse Ailments
Horses can get a wide variety of injuries and illnesses, the key to success is quick diagnosis and treatment. If in any doubt about the seriousness of the injury/illness then call your veterinarian immediately who will advise you on the best course of action.

Anaemia
This is where the horses body has insufficient red blood cells circulating .

More about Anaemia

Arrhythmia
This is a disorder affecting the heart beat, causing it to beat either too fast or too slow.

More about Arrhythmia

Bronchitis
This affects the bronchi within the lungs of the horse.

More about Bronchitis

Bruises
This is where damage to the underlying skin has occurred.

More about Bruises

Bog Spavin
This is where part of the hock joint, usually the inside, becomes swollen due to an increase in the amount of joint fluid being produced, this can be from stress of poor conformation, infection, degeneration or direct trauma.

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Bone Spavin
This is osteoarthritis of the hock joint.

More about Bone Spavin

Colic
This is abdominal pain which can be triggered by a number of factors the most common causes being feed, exercise or worm related.

More about Colic

Canker
A severe bacterial infection which affects the frog and underlying structures within the hoof.

More about Canker

Choke
This is where an item of  food after being eaten gets stuck in the oesophagus.

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Coughing Disorders
The  three main  disorders are Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which is also called Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO), Heaves  and Coughing.

More about Coughing Disorders

Conjuctivitis
This is a condition affecting the horses eye which becomes infected and inflamed and can be caused by an allergic reaction, bacterial or viral infection.

More about Horse Conjunctivitis

Cushing's Disease
This is also known as hyperadrenocorticism and is a disorder of the endocrine system affecting in particular the pituitary gland.

More about Cushing's Disease

Dorsal Displacement Of The Soft Palate (DDSP)
This is where the soft palate becomes loose during exercise.

More About Dorsal Displacement Of The Soft Palate

Exercise  Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage (EIPH)
This is where blood vessels rupture within the lungs causing  nosebleeds and  breathing difficulties.

More about Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage

Equine Herpes Virus (EHV)
This is a highly infectious virus that requires immediate veterinary attention.

More about Equine Herpes Virus

Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA)
Equine Infectious Anaemia is also known as swamp fever and is an infectious anaemia virus that is caused by a retrovirus.

More About Equine Infectious Anaemia

Foot Abscess
This is an infection within the horses hoof.

More about Foot Abscesses

Grass Sickness
Grass sickness is a devastating disease that is often fatal and thought to be caused by toxins affecting the nervous system, although much about the disease is still unknown.

More about Grass Sickness

Guttural Pouch
Within the horse and there are three main types of guttural pouch disorder which can be caused by either a bacterial or fungal  infection or trapped air.

More about Guttural Pouch

Hoof Abscess
A hoof abscess is an infection within the hoof that can cause considerable pain and lameness.

More about Hoof Abscesses

Influenza
This is a highly infectious viral infection.

More about Equine Influenza

Insect bites
Biting insects can cause a reaction on the surface on the skin such as lumps or itching.

More about Insect bites

Laryngeal Hemiplegia
Laryngeal Hemiplegia also known as roaring is a condition caused by paralysis to one side of the larynx which can cause a decrease in the horses performance often during moments of exertion such as galloping.

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Laryngeal Dysfunction
This affects the horses Larynx and can give symptoms such as whistling and roaring.

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Laminitis
A very painful circulatory disorder of the laminae within the hoof that affects inter laminal bond between the pedal bone and hoof wall. Stress, trauma, obesity, toxemia and hormones can all be triggering factors.

More about Laminitis

Mange
This is a parasitic infestation that can affect any horse but in particular horses with deep feathering on their legs.

More about Mange

Melanomas
These are tumors that can quickly spread both on the surface of the skin and internally, while some melanomas can cause no problems others can be far more aggressive.

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Mud Fever
A bacterial infection affecting in particular the heels and pasterns, it causes scabs, sores and inflammation and is caused by muddy or dirty conditions.

More about Mud Fever

Puncture Wounds
This is where a sharp object such as a nail or piece of wire pierces or penetrates the skin. The sole of the horses foot is especially vulnerable to such wounds.

Rain Rot/Scald
This is a bacterial skin infection that causes scabs, pus and patchy hair loss to occur, most commonly on the back, hindquarters and sides of the horse.

More about Rain Scald

Ring Bone
A painful degeneration of the pastern joint which causes new bone growth to form limiting the mobility of the joint itself.

More about Ringbone

Ringworm
This is a bacterial infection that can cause very painful scabs to form on the surface of the skin, often in circular patches.

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Rhabdomylyosis
This is also known as Azoturia, Set Fast and Tying up and affects the muscles of the horse.

More about Rhabdomylosis

Sarcoids
Sarcoids are a skin disorder which form lumps either under or on the surface of the skin and come in different shapes and sizes depending on the type, while some cause no problems others are obtrusive and unpleasant.

More about Sarcoids.

Sidebone
This is where the cartilage surrounding the Pedal bone becoming hard. Side bones can be caused by poor conformation, concussion or direct trauma.

More about Sidebone.

Small Cuts, Grazes And Puncture Wounds
These injuries can occur anywhere from in the field, stable or traveling and require immediate attention to assess the wound and ensure clean healing conditions are achieved.

More about Small Cuts, Grazes and Puncture Wounds

Splints
These are bony swellings that form on the splint bone on the horses legs. The the most common causes are concussion or a direct blow to the splint bone itself.

More about Splints

Sesamoiditis
This is a painful condition that causes inflammation of the sesamoid bones and tearing of the surrounding ligaments most commonly caused by high speed stress and concussion.

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Sweet Itch
 Sweet Itch is an allergic reaction to biting Culicoides midges which cause the horse to suffer from excessive itching, often causing extreme hair loss especially around the mane and tail.

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Thrush
This is a bacterial infection which causes the soft tissues of the frog to degenerate.

More about Thrush

Tetanus
This is an infection caused by the bacterium clostridium tetani.

More about Tetanus

Urticaria
Also known as nettle rash, it is a skin complaint that causes either small or excessive patches of lumpy swellings to form on the surface of the skin.

More about Urticaria

Windgall/Wind Puffs
These can be either articular or non articular but both affect the fetlocks and cause an increase of fluid to build up and produce soft swellings around the fetlock to form.

More about Windgalls/Puffs


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