Supplements and Medications

Equine Supplements work very much the same way as human supplements. They serve to enhance your horses performance and over all wellness.  A horse’s health will determine the level at which he or she performs. Horse people each have their own idea and suggestions for what makes their horse look and feel best.

Certain horses have special needs in every discipline. Therefore, supplements vary wildly from discipline to discipline as they do horse to horse.  Some examples of supplements are joint supplements, hoof supplements, vitamins, weight builders, Electrolytes, and intestinal health. Some are more medically inclined and some are more natural or herbal. The best way to go about figuring out what could help your horse you should talk to you trainer and vet.

Medications in your barn are also something you should talk to your trainer and vet about however, there are common over the counter meds that more barns keep in stock. De wormers are one of the most common since horses need to be wormed on a regular basis to keep their intestine clean and healthy. Fly repellent can go in this category too. This is another product that differs in the horse community to what works best. Talk to you local tack shop if you want suggestions or prices.

Other medications kept on hand are anti-diarrheal meds, cough preventatives, medicated shampoos, This site helps understand your horses drug type, use and common generic products. http://special.equisearch.com/pdfs/EQMedicationBasics.pdf

A salt block is also very important to keep in your horses field or stall so they are getting enough to keep their systems running smoothly. Stock you barn with syringes, gauze  and cotton wraps, just in case of an injury. Poultice primers are also found in most race and high level training barns. They are used to relax tissue and draw out swelling, infection and local soreness.

Besides fly spray in the summer, many people need to use Zink or a strong sun block on their horses nose, especially those noses that are pink from a blaze!

Many barns require you to vaccinate your horse against certain equine disease. Speak with you barn and vet about what they  would suggest or require. You know your horse best when it comes to what he or she needs to stay happy and healthy!