Veterinary Disclaimer & Health Content Policy

HorseLife publishes educational content about horse care, costs and health. This page explains exactly what that content is, what it is not, and what you should do instead of relying on it.

Last updated: October 2026

The short version

What our health content is

Our disease and health guides exist to do three things: help you recognise when something is wrong early; give you a realistic picture of what diagnosis and treatment cost in the United States so you can plan; and explain the preventive measures with actual evidence behind them, so you spend money where it counts.

Every guide is written from published sources — the AAEP, the Merck Veterinary Manual, the UC Davis Center for Equine Health, and peer-reviewed literature — and each article lists its sources at the bottom. Articles carry a review date and are revisited when guidance changes. They are written by equestrian writers with veterinary input from published literature; they are not written by your veterinarian, who knows your horse and you do not get to skip that relationship by reading.

What our health content is not

• Not a diagnosis. Symptom lists are pattern descriptions, not a diagnostic tool. Two diseases can look identical from the barn aisle. That is what veterinary training is for.
• Not a treatment protocol. We deliberately do not publish drug dosages, prescribing guidance, or do-it-yourself treatment procedures. Anything that requires a prescription or a trained hand belongs to your vet, full stop.
• Not a substitute for an emergency call. Horse emergencies compress. Colic that was mild at noon can be surgical by evening. If you are reading an article because something is wrong right now, close the tab and call.
• Not a guarantee of outcomes. Cost ranges, recovery timelines and prognoses are population-level figures. Your horse is not a population.

If it is an emergency right now

Call your veterinarian or the nearest equine clinic immediately. If you do not have a regular vet, search for an AAEP-member equine practitioner near you. While you wait: keep the horse calm, move other horses away, take its temperature if you can do so safely, and write down what you have observed and when — that timeline is genuinely useful to the vet.

Never attempt to pass a stomach tube, give prescription medication left from another horse, or “walk off” colic or tying-up. Both actions make the outcome measurably worse.

About the prices we publish

Cost figures come from published U.S. veterinary fee surveys, veterinary school teaching-hospital price lists, and practice websites, current to 2025–2026. They are planning figures, not quotes. Regional variation is large — the same gastroscopy can differ by 50% between a metro area and a rural practice — and emergency or after-hours service typically adds 30–100%. Ask your clinic for a written estimate before treatment begins; good practices provide one without being asked twice.

Products and affiliate links

Some articles link to products on Amazon. Those are affiliate links: if you buy through one, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Our recommendations are limited to preventive-care and monitoring equipment — thermometers, slow feeders, hoof care, first-aid basics — and we do not accept payment for inclusion in a health article. Full details are in our affiliate disclosure and editorial policy.

Questions or corrections

If you spot an error in a health article, or guidance has changed, tell us via the contact page. Corrections are made on the article and noted in the review date. We would rather be corrected than confidently wrong.