Meds or Management?

Use good old-fashioned horsemanship to minimize the need for medication and help keep your horse healthy. 

- Barb Crabbe

YOUR HORSE IS WORKING HARD, and your trainer has recommended you sign him up for next week’s hock injections. Of course, your barn buddies all agree—they all have their horses injected at least three times a year for maintenance.

Reluctantly, you go along with the plan even though your horse seems sound and has been working well. If you want to win, you figure you’d better do what everybody else is doing. That’s just how things work in a big show barn, right?

Not necessarily! In fact, “routine joint injections” and show-day medications might not be the healthiest choice for your sound, hard-working horse. A “magic pill” might sound appealing, especially if it could make your horse slide farther, turn a barrel faster, or take the edge off for a rail class. But rarely does it take the place of good old-fashioned horsemanship.

In this article, I’ll share five common scenarios where medication-heavy plans are relied upon to maintain health. You’ll learn why a quick fix might not be the best answer and what alternatives you can consider to replace that “magic pill.” In the end, you’ll see that although medications have their place in keeping your horse sound, healthy, and performing well, proper management is your most important tool.

Scenario #1: Flex and Inject The subject: Sam is a 12-year-old reining horse that campaigns hard with his owner in the youth division. He’s always been quite sound and healthy, and competes almost every weekend during spring and summer months.