I first became involved with horses at a later age, after a lifetime of owning dogs.  Over the years, the small animal health care has advanced greatly, compared to the early days when you would only visit a vet for a rabies shot.  Yearly wellness exams are now commonplace, that include comprehensive physical exams, vaccinations, blood tests, dental exams and cleanings, and nutritional assessments.  Such exams have proved very beneficial in the health and wellbeing of my dogs.

So, when I bought my first horse, I was surprised that similar wellness programs for horses were uncommon.  I found that the traditional healthcare for horses was comprised of vaccinations clinics twice a year, and dentals is needed.  Beyond that, vets were only called when a horse was injured, showed obvious outward signs of illness, or showed signs of lameness.  In other words, the vets were called only after something obviously broken.

I want my horse to be healthy and live a long and fruitful life.  This is only possible if we begin to diagnose impending problems in the horse’s health, well before they have obvious outward clinical signs.  This demands a comprehensive wellness program aimed at diagnosing and treating problems before they do irreparable damage to the horse.  I see too many horses, that had their useful lives cut short due to pathologies that went undiagnosed until permanent damage was done.  With early diagnosis, and early intervention, many of these pathologies can be addressed before it is too late.

I’ve had my two horses enrolled in CEC’s wellness program for three years.  They can serve as real-world examples of the benefit of wellness programs.  Overall, both horses are healthy, ridden regularly, and show no obvious signs of lameness.  The following are three instances where the wellness exams identified subtle pathologies that we were able to address before they became serious.

·       The comprehensive lameness exam identified a slight soreness and swelling in a suspensory ligament.  Early detection allowed us to put a plan in place to address and monitor the issue, before it becomes a more serious.

·       A routine blood test revealed a slightly high insulin level, leading me to further decrease the sugar content of my horse’s diet, to help avoid a potential laminitic episode.

·       Routine hoof radiographs have allowed me to maintain optimal hoof geometries relative to the coffin bone.  This includes the hoof’s palmer angle, location of breakover, sole thickness, wall relationship to coffin bone, etc.  Even minor imbalances in a horse’s hoof can, overtime, lead to various serious lameness issues.

In summary, I wholeheartedly believe in comprehensive wellness programs for our horses.  They deserve it.  Thank you CEC!

Sincerely,

Mark Gilbert
Former Customer