Do horses get AIDS or similar?

There is no specific virus in horses that causes acquired immunodeficiency like HIV. There is EIA (which affects red blood cells instead) - this is a lentivirus, like HIV.

Do horses get STDs?

Yes - there are a few things that can be sexually transmitted in horses, including sometimes via AI (AI can both reduce the risk and increase it).

The most common is Contagious Equine Metritis - inflammation of the uterine lining that can cause miscarriage and lower fertility. Other bacteria can cause inflammation of the uterus or the placenta. Stallions carry the disease but show no symptoms.

Other STDS include EVA (which still gives me personal nightmares), dourine (which thankfully is rare) and, yes, herpes.

Horses do not, however, get anything like AIDS.

Do horses get Down syndrome?

Sort of. Horses can suffer from autusomal trisomy - in horses it causes abnormal genitalia, limb deformities, overbite, a domed skull, scoliosis, metabolic issues and, yes, neurologic deficits. (Meaning the poor horse may have social issues and be considerably less intelligent than a normal animal).

Do horses get ear infections?

Not as much as dogs or cats. Middle ear infections are more common than external ear infections. Horses with an ear infection seldom experience ear drum rupture - unfortunately, this is because the infection tends to go down the long head and into the skull, sometimes causing joint fusion in the jaw (ow) and partial facial paralysis (extra ow).

Fortunately, this is pretty uncommon. Horse ears are generally pretty healthy.

Do horses get ear mites?

Ugh, do they. Horses can and do get ear mites, although they are rare. The most common culprit is Psoroptes cuniculi, a mite more commonly found in rabbits (and presumably transmitted by wild rabbits that wander into the pasture).

If a horse does get them, though, it can be a real pain. Because their ears hurt, they don't want to let you near their ears to kill the mites - they often have to be sedated. I know at least one horse who had a major infestation and still doesn't want to let anyone near her ears. And I heard of another that got so ear shy as a result they have to be bridled like a mule!

What is "buttress foot"?

Buttress foot is inflammation of the front of the coronary band, causing pain and eventually effecting the shape of the foot. It can also cause bone chips to develop. Buttress foot is generally caused by excessive strain (such as galloping on hard surfaces) and can also be caused by damage to the tendon in front of the cannon bone. It is more common in the hind feet and is treated by complete rest and sometimes removal of bone chips. Some horses never recover.

What is Potomac Horse Fever?

Something very nasty - it's a bacterial disease that horses sometimes get when pastured next to a body of water.

It's relatively easy to treat, but can be fatal in extreme cases. It causes diarrhea, stomach ache, fever and loss of appetite - so, it's basically stomach flu. It can also cause miscarriage in pregnant mares. There are vaccines, but they are not completely effective (as is common with bacterial diseases). PHF is a new world disease and can also affect dogs and cats, but not humans. It is not directly contagious - it's caused by the horse eating the bacteria along with their grass.

Do horses get strokes?

Yes, they can - just the same as humans. Symptoms include an awkward gate, lethargy, difficulty eating, staring into space and difficulty or inability lifting the head.

Just like in humans, some animals recover completely, some have lingering symptoms and some die or have to be euthanized.

Do horses get runny noses when it's cold?

You know - when it's a cold day and your sinuses back up a bit and your nose runs a bit.

Horses absolutely do seem to suffer from the same effect. That is to say, I've definitely seen a bit of clear discharge in a horse's nostrils at the same time I'm reaching for a tissue myself. Given a runny nose in cold weather is partly caused by basic thermodynamics, it makes sense that horses get it too. (That said, if the discharge is thick, accompanied by a cough or, worse, only in one nostril, then it might well be a sick horse). Another clear sign that it's just the weather: When it's every horse in the herd.

Do horses get stressed?

Absolutely. Horses like routine, and can get stressed when their routine changes (One of the qualities of a good show horse is a high tolerance for stress and being able to deal well with being moved around, being in different stalls, etc).

Stress can also be caused by training - many young or green horses go through a "rebellious" stage at some point during their education, which may be caused by being overwhelmed by training. Most commonly, though, I've seen it when the horse first starts to learn correct carriage - but are unable to physically perform it because the only way to develop the muscle to carry a rider correctly is to do it, and thus the horse becomes frustrated and stressed. Stall rest can cause major stress for a horse. So can separation from a long-term companion. Some horses also become stressed when transported, and there are strong indications that this may be caused by poor hauling conditions (If your horse won't load, you may just be a bad driver).

Some horses get stressed if they are handled and ridden by different people, or forced to deal with people or horses they don't like. The final cause of stress is rider/handler stress - the horse can pick up on this and get stressed themselves.

Symptoms of stress in horses can include weight loss, stall or fence walking and other stable vices, excessive yawning, tooth grinding, bad behavior under saddle, diarrheoa, excessive urination, trembling/shaking, excessive licking or chewing, elevated pulse and respiration, "breaking out into a cold sweat," bolting their food, biting and even ulcers.

Do horses have gigantism?

Clinical gigantism (acromegaly) is not really recorded in horses, although it occurs rarely in dogs and cats.

Extremely large heavy horses may be "giants" in a sense, especially as they sometimes have bone and metabolic issues, but I know of no case of true "giantism" in a horse. It might be that pituitary disorders in foals are so severe as to make the foal non-viable.

What is wobbler syndrome?

A "wobbler" is a horse with a deformed cervical (neck) vertebrae that presses on the spinal cord. It's seen in young horses as they grow and is most common in Thoroughbreds, because of their long spine and rapid growth pattern. It is twice as common in males as females.

They're called "wobblers" because they are clumsy and uncoordinated. The actual root cause is difficulty knowing where their feet are (some normal horses may appear this way, coordination does vary).

Wobbler syndrome can also be caused by arthritis of the spine in older horses.

Some foals with wobbler syndrome recover if they are put on a diet to slow their growth, although many growing horses have their clumsy phases anyway, so it can be hard to tell.

Wobbler syndrome often needs to be treated surgically, by fusing the affected joint with a metal insert. This has about a 75% success rate, but even with surgery some wobblers are never anything but pets. - and some vets recommend that horses with the syndrome never be ridden.

Fortunately, not all clumsy horses have wobbler syndrome. Many just can't be bothered to pick their feet up.

Do horses get food allergies?

Horses do sometimes react to feed - it can be hard to tell if it's an allergy or some other kind of sensitivity (just like in humans). We have no clue how many actually have food allergies, as skin tests don't work well on horses. The only thing you can do is an elimination diet - and what if the food is something in the pasture? Oh, and antihistamines don't work well in horses either.

So, yes they can, and it's a nightmare when they do.

What is a flexion test?

A flexion test is something we do to check for joint injuries. It's normally done with the hocks, and it is done by lifting the leg and holding it with the joint in a bent position, then seeing how the horse moves afterwards.

Flexion tests increase discomfort in the joints if there is an injury or problem, and thus can reveal extremely subtle lameness. There's been more study of them lately - trying to come up with a better protocol (false positives do happen). But they're still a standard part of assessing a horse's condition during pre-purchase exams or competition.

Do horses get travel/motion sick?

Horses do not vomit, but do they experience motion sickness? Travel sickness in horses actually means something different - a respiratory condition also called shipping fever.

Some vets argue that we have no way of telling if a horse is motion sick. However, there's some evidence that some horses may colic during rough voyages at sea - which could be stress, a change of feed, or seasickness. We aren't entirely sure - and we can't ask them. (Dogs and cats often get "car sick").

Do horses get ulcers?

The mare was miserable. She was grumpy, grouchy, did not want to leave her stall, definitely did not want to be ridden...and anyone who touched her in the girth area on the near side got snapped at and kicked at.

Ow.

Possible diagnosis? Ulcers.

Horses do indeed get stomach ulcers, and it is my experience that the primary symptom is uncharacteristic grouchiness. Ulcers are often caused by stress, insufficient turnout or too much grain.

There are various medications for ulcers. Feeding licorice or apple cider vinegar can also help horses prone to ulcers. Which suck for the horse - and the people the horse is grumping at.

Do horses get cleft palate?

Yes, although it's very rare.

In some cases it is treated surgically, but some foals are not good candidates for surgery. In some cases, the animal is euthanized. As horses do not normally have a connection between the windpipe and the esophagus, a horse with cleft palate is much more likely to get aspiration pneumonia.

However, some animals with mild cleft palate go on to lead perfectly normal and useful lives.

What is developmental orthopedic disease?

This is a general term breeders and vets use to refer to any disorder of the limbs in a growing horse.

Horses come out of the womb with very long and rather fragile legs, and they grow rapidly. These problems are caused by genetics, nutrition (especially feeding a baby too much high energy food), and exercise.

The most prevalent is osteochondrosis, which is caused by feeding too much simple carbs (grain), mineral imbalances and trauma. It causes cysts and lesions on the cartilage, sometimes affecting growth. The animal may or may not be lame. Treatment involves restricting exercise and food intake both and sometimes supplementation. Surgery may be indicated.

Do horses get "childhood illnesses"?

Yes - strangles is most often seen in young/adolescent horses (I've joked that it is horse mumps because it causes lymph node swellings, but it's actually closer to strep throat, being caused by a bacteria in the same family). Like childhood illnesses in humans, young animals are more vulnerable simply because they have not yet been exposed. Strangles is very common in racehorses in training.

Can horses get sunburn?

Yes. Horses absolutely can get sunburn. They generally get it on their nose, and sometimes the lower legs, but only where they have white markings. The pink skin lacks melanin and thus is vulnerable in the same way redheads are vulnerable. (Grey horses have dark skin and are not particularly vulnerable.

And, just like in humans, repeated sunburn can increase the risk of skin cancer.

Sunburn can be prevented with sunblock - there are special horse sunblocks available but a lot of people just use pediatric sunblock, which is cheaper. Sunburn can also be treated with zinc and castor oil cream, and in severe cases with antibiotics to prevent infection.

Sunburn can be a sign of photosensitization, which is usually caused by eating too many buttercups or clovers.