HorseLife Health

Horse Health Encyclopedia

Eight conditions every horse owner will meet eventually — written the way you actually need them: what you will see in the barn, when to call, what it costs in 2026, and which prevention has evidence behind it. Every guide carries the same veterinary disclaimer and a printed-on-the-wall list of red-line signs.

Veterinary disclaimer. Every guide in this encyclopedia is educational, not veterinary advice, and does not create a veterinarian–client–patient relationship. Our full position, including what we deliberately do not publish, is on the veterinary disclaimer page. If something is wrong right now: call your vet.

The eight guides

Ordered roughly by how often an owner meets them. Colic and laminitis have their own guides elsewhere on the site — find them in the article library.

Equine Gastric Ulcers

Up to 60% of sport horses carry ulcers; most owners miss the early signs for months. Scope costs, treatment reality, and the feeding system that prevents recurrence.

Scope $350–$600$1,800–$3,500 episodeFrequency: 1 in 3 horses

Full guide →

Navicular Syndrome

The most common cause of forelimb lameness in working horses — and the recurring farriery bill that decides the outcome.

MRI $1,500–$2,500$2,500–$4,500/yr to manageAffects: front feet

Full guide →

Strangles

The most contagious disease a barn faces. The vet bill is the small part — the six-week shutdown is not.

PCR test $80–$200$8k–$25k outbreakIsolation: 3–6 weeks

Full guide →

Choke (Oesophageal Obstruction)

Not a blocked airway — a blocked oesophagus. The danger is the lungs afterwards, and the first 30 minutes decide the bill.

Vet call $200–$450$350–$700 if fastEmergency: yes

Full guide →

PPID (Cushing’s Disease)

The most common hormonal disease of older horses and the top cause of recurrent laminitis in them. Testing, daily medication, and the diet that changes everything.

ACTH test $150–$250$1,200–$2,200/yrOnset: age 15+

Full guide →

Equine Asthma (Heaves)

A cough every ride is not fitness. Diagnosis, medication costs, and why the barn air is usually the actual problem.

BAL $400–$800$600–$1,500/yr managedTrigger: dust

Full guide →

Thrush & Mud Fever

The $18 problem that becomes a $600 vet bill. How to tell them apart, what works, and the ten daily minutes that prevent both.

OTC $15–$40$600+ if ignoredSeason: wet winter

Full guide →

Tying-Up (ER / Azoturia)

Widespread muscle damage after exercise — not stiffness. The first hour decides whether this is a $200 problem or a $3,000 one.

CK/AST $150–$300$250–$6,000 by speedTrigger: work after rest

Full guide →

How we write these

Each guide follows the same shape, on purpose. Stage-by-stage signs ordered the way they appear in a real barn, not the textbook order. A red-line list you can tape to the barn door. Diagnostic workup with current U.S. price ranges, because cost determines what is actually possible. And prevention limited to measures with published evidence — we would rather leave a section empty than fill it with supplements that have nothing behind them.

Sources for every article are listed at the bottom and drawn from the AAEP, the Merck Veterinary Manual, the UC Davis Center for Equine Health and peer-reviewed literature. Read the full veterinary disclaimer and our editorial policy for how the site works.

Health-reference picks

HorseLife Picks

The Horse Owner’s Veterinary Handbook — Symptom-to-action reference for everything in this libraryCheck Price
Horse anatomy chart — Helps you describe problems precisely to the vetCheck Price
Hoof pick with brush — Daily picks prevent the most common $200 callCheck Price

Our picks: these are the items we would buy first for this job, ranked by what actually matters — specification, build quality and fit to the problem — not by price or brand. Links go to Amazon so you can check today’s price and model; we may earn a commission, and it never changes what we recommend. See our editorial policy.