1969 Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1969 March Voice RS | Page 12

SPRING CHECK-UP:
HORSE SAVER
By R. C. Searle, D.V.M.
How long has it been since your
horse had a health check-up? Prob­
ably too long. Every horse needs a
regular physical examination — at
least once a year.
Most of us are aware of the im­
portance of seeing our own doctor
for an annual physical, or seeing
the dentist twice a year. We’re even
apt to be careful to see that our car
gets a 10,000-mile check. But our
horse is often neglected. As long as
he "seems” all right, we do very
little to make sure he’s kept in peak
operating condition.
Yet, the horse is a "precision ma­
chine.” It needs precision care —
based on regular professional exam­
ination and treatment. And spring
is the time to get your horse in tip­
top shape — ready to go! Half the
pleasure of owning a horse is keep­
ing him in stand-out condition —
vibrant, sleek, spirited — admired
by everyone. A draggy or disabled
horse is worse than no horse at all.
Worst Enemy Is Worms
One of the worst enemies of your
horse is internal parasites or worms.
They migrate through the body, pen­
etrating intestines, entering blood
and lymph systems, liver and lungs
— creating havoc with your horse’s
general health. Worm infestations
YOUR HORSE NEEDS A REGULAR CHECK-UP -
just the same as you get from your doctor or your
dentist. With a thorough physical examination, your
veterinarian may catch ' hidden” health problems
that could develop into serious trouble later. A
check-up is good insurance - for greater performance
and pleasure.
cause many problems, including:
Dull, listless appearance
Dry, rough coat hair
Incomplete shedding
"Hard keepers”
Erratic appetite
Anemia — bleached mucous mem­
brane
Colic
Loss of ambition and performance
Intermittent lameness
Skin conditions, such as jack-sores
Bowel disorders
Even a light infestation of worms
can cause great damage, robbing
your horse of pep and stamina, get-
up-and-go, "life” and vitality. Worms
simply take the spark out of your
horse.
; . 7 ~
mure
lerent kinds of parasitic worms
greater numbers than any other
mestic animal. There are at le
o major worms or parasites t
attack horses everywhere throu
out the country. These are: Ascar
(common roundworms), bots r
worms, small strongyles and*la
strongyles (bloodworms)
iAM7ortant thinsto re*
is that horses are generally i,
not with just 1 or 2 kinds
several kinds of parasites a'
For this reason, the job of worming
your horse properly usually calls for
a broad-spectrum wormer effective
against all 5 major parasites. Your