What They Don’t Teach You at Equine Veterinary School

In recent years I’ve had rather too much to do with horse vets. Not on my own account, I hasten to add, but because of the people and horses with whom I’ve come into contact.

There was a time, not so long ago either, when a visit from the vet for a horse or pony in medium work would have been a relative rarity. Common ailments and injuries would have been dealt with by the owner, or some knowledgeable and experienced horseman or woman.

Such horse people might also have accompanied the prospective horse owner to view an animal for potential purchase. They would have been good judges of equine conformation and temperament, and of conditions which appropriate management could make good, or substantially improve upon, as distinct from those which should be avoided at all costs.

Unfortunately, some modern horse vets are not aware such distinctions. It is not uncommon, in my experience, for a horse with a condition which could be effectively managed through the right care and exercise to “fail the vet”, while one with a conformation which may dispose it to serious problems is “passed”.

The matter of a horse’s size is a useful illustration of this lack of judgement. All the classical “manuals of horsemanship” state that horses over 16hh are more prone to ailments and injuries than those below this size (although there are of course exceptions). Yet modern vets seem unaware that size matters. Why, I wonder.

Mission

Welcome to “Horse Management Through Appropriate Work” or “HorseWork” in short. Our message is : ” sound principles go a long way to creating sound horses”. These principles apply to every stage of a horse’s life – breeding, youth and adulthood – but the focus here is on horses in work, and keeping them there. We believe that horses who have a suitable job in life, relative to their type and aptitudes, will enjoy better care and health in the longer term. Therefore, our mission is to encourage people who purchase horses to do so with a clear purpose in mind and to seek to acquire an animal which is suitable for this, and them. 

Our particular interest is riding horses (who may do some driving etc as well) in “medium work”. Horses in medium work are likely to be belong to amateurs who ride for pleasure, but may also compete in activities like dressage and show jumping, and even some low-level eventing. Some “riding school” horses may be in medium work : indeed, this is likely if they are to sustain a good long school life.

The key to sustaining horses in medium work over long periods is  a balanced programme of care, feeding, exercise and training; or, in other words, an holistic approach to horse management. This need not be complicated, but does require some thinking through, and, when necessary, adjustments to the horse’s regime from time to time. The benefits of such an approach in terms of reducing periods off work, consequent problems of re-fittening, as well as savings on vets bills, are considerable. However, perhaps most important of all, you and your horse should enjoy a happier and healthier relationship.