Almost every owner will have to deal with an equine emergency sooner or later. A horse’s natural curiosity, a trail ride mishap, or turnout with herd mates can lead to all kinds of cuts, bruises, kicks, and bites. Scrapes, stone bruises, punctures, sprains, or sores can happen suddenly, and more serious conditions such as abscesses, colic, or bacterial infections can flare up with no warning.

Ticks are a nuisance that can often go undetected. Because of the risk of disease transmission (Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, Equine piroplasmosis), it is important to frequently examine your horse for the presence of ticks, and to take steps to lower risk of exposure.

Location a Key Factor in Assessing Wounds - Horses can suffer from all types of wounds, and while some wounds look much worse than others, the primary assessment of their severity is the same as that of gauging housing prices: location, location, location. This claim is backed by Dr. Suzanne Mund, a veterinarian and graduate student in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. Her research focus is on wound healing through the use of stem cells.