Performance horses are professional athletes, and like all professional athletes, they need personalized attention and care. Due to the nature of their training and competition, they are going to get hurt from time to time. That doesn’t mean they are being abused or mistreated. Just like a basketball or football player experiences strains and injuries, so do performance horses. Unfortunately, in my experience, the really good horses tend to be the ones that get hurt because they have so much try. They stop deep, turn fast and try to do everything at 110% of their ability. Horses that are not talented and have no heart rarely get hurt because they don’t have any try in them.
We’ve developed a detailed preventive plan to keep our horses physically and mentally at their best. I am a big believer that prevention is better than cure. So starting the horse’s 3-year-old year, on January 1st, we have our veterinarian come out and x-ray the horse and get a baseline look of what the horse looks like, especially his hocks and stifles. From there, we recommend having our vet do a three-month checkup on the horse, going over the horse’s general well-being, doing flexion tests, etc.
These vet bills can range from $200 to $1,000, depending on what the horse needs done to him. Our reason for doing this is if you stay on top of your horse’s physical wellness and get ahead of any potential problems, you keep the horse healthier and save money. If you wait to look after the horse until you notice a problem, oftentimes the injury is serious and costly.
We don’t worry about having the horse regularly checked by our veterinarian during his 2-year-old year because the physical stress to him is relatively low. At that stage, he is only getting ridden 30 to 45 minutes a day, five days a week, whereas in his 3-year-old year he takes on a more rigorous workload.
Performance horses also have their joints injected with hyaluronic acid periodically throughout their career. This is only on an as-needed basis. Basically, this is like lubricating their joints. Just as a professional athlete’s joints get sore from time to time, a performance horse experiences the same thing. Again, this is mostly done during the horse’s 3-year-old year, because it’s the most demanding year of his training. If a horse is going to develop any injuries, this is more than likely the year that it shows up. If a horse is still competing in his 4-, 5- or 6-year-old year, he may still need his joints injected periodically, but nowhere near as much as he would have as a 3-year-old.
With that being said, we take a lot of preventive measures at the ranch to protect each horse’s well-being. One of the most important things we do is to put the horses in the cold-water spa after we ride them. Ice and water may not be the fanciest or the most high-tech remedy in the world, but they are the best remedy when it comes to reducing inflammation and stress on horses’ joints.
Before having the vet work on your horse, we will always contact you to make sure treatment meets your approval. However, in emergency situations in which we can’t get a hold of you, we will have the vet care for your horse at our discretion. You will be responsible for all veterinarian expenses, including a flat rate $150 fee to take your horse to the vet or a farm call fee if the vet comes to the ranch, if needed.
When it comes to horses, it seems like they can do the most unexpected things to injure themselves. One of the best ways you can protect your investment in your performance horse is with equine insurance. I highly recommend each performance horse is insured. I personally feel the major medical option is the best, because while there is a small deductible, once the deductible is met, the insurance company covers the rest of the veterinarian bills. Look at equine insurance as a solid plan B. If you have your horse insured and he suffers a serious injury or illness, such as colic, that requires $2,000 or $3,000 worth of work, all of that doesn’t come out of your pocket. While insurance can’t cover emotional loss, it can cover your financial loss. I have all of my personal horses insured for their and my protection.