Information on this page is strictly posted for informational purposes...This information is not guaranteed nor should you take this as any absolute advice...you SHOULD ALWAYS check with your VETERINARIAN before decided on any course of health treatment...
REST!!!
Your horse has been moved from one location to another, put in a large pen with other horses, had feed changed many times and been on quite a journey. The BEST thing you can do for them is let them rest and get to know you. They are in a new place, with new people and new smells and need time to acclimated and trust that they aren't going to just get back on another trailer in a few days.
Vaccinations...
WAIT 30 DAYS!!! The horses are stressed and have weakened and lowered immune systems. If you try to vaccinate them too soon you are putting their bodies at risk and running the risk of making them possibly sick or sicker.
Dental/Hoof Care...
One of the first things you should have done when you bring your new friend home is their teeth floated (done by a veterinarian) and their feet trimmed (done through a farrier). We have seen that most of the horses that come from the lot have not had either done in a very long time and letting these issues continue will significantly impact the well being of your new friend. These services are relatively inexpensive and can be done almost immediately after they come home.
Worming...
Your new horse has come to you with no know past or information. You need to take care when worming a horse when they come home. We have seen serious cases of worms in some instances and because of that what we do is give the horse half a dose of wormer AFTER they complete their quarantine and another half a dose 4 weeks later. You will want to use a "lighter" wormer like Panacur to start with. This is less shocking on their system. Please remember again, that you SHOULD ALWAYS consult a veterinarian before treating any new horse with any kind of medications.
Strangles...
The biggest fear of any new horse owner is the possibility of strangles. There is definitely a higher degree of likelihood that a slaughter horse has been exposed to it at some point in their journey to you. That is the point of sending a horse to quarantine, to see if they will develop any symptoms or illnesses that are not apparent and to keep all healthy livestock healthy. Once a horse has strangles and drinks out of a water bucket, every other horse will be exposed SO if any horse either had an active strangles case or as a carrier that drank out of the water bucket at the lot, EVERY HORSE IS EXPOSED. We have had many long discussions with many veterinarians on the best way to treat strangles and the verdict is ....LEAVE IT ALONE. If you medicate your horse, you will run the risk of it being pushed into their internal organs and creating BASTARD STRANGLES which is DEADLY in most situations. No matter what if your horse is showing signs of strangles you should ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR VETERINARIAN before doing any kind of self medicating. For additional information on the disease, we encourage you to do a google search for a myriad of available information.
Feeding...
While your horse is at the feedlot, they are generally fed either a high calorie straight alfalfa or grass hay depending on the season. Because of this, when you bring home your new horse, take GREAT CARE before introducing high calorie grains or supplements into their diet. We recommend a straight grass diet for at least 30 days to give them time to "reset" their system before introducing any new types of food into their diet. Remember, that at the feedlot they are not separated if they are allergic to alfalfa nor do we know if they are or are not so be careful when introducing that to them. As always CONSULT A VETERINARIAN or NUTRITIONIST before making any dramatic feeding changes.
Updated 11/07/2014
