Strain Equine Services, LLC

10/19/2026

Happy Vet Tech and Assistants week to our crew! We would be lost without you!
Alexa Siguenza, Holly Oatney-Haynes, Alexis Howlett

Happy Vet Tech Week! Behind most smooth surgeries there's a tech who had everything ready before anyone asked, and the credit doesn't always land on them. Vets, tell us in the comments about the tech who has your back 👇

10/17/2026

Attention to all of our wonderful cients!

Check out this upcoming free webinar brought to you by AAEP just for you the horse owner!

Here is the registration link:

https://us.list-manage.com/14ICdDqZmO8?e=8c1e6c3832&c2id=e90e7ede7950de14b60bdc1a7fcaa818

Is your horse in pain? 🐴 It’s not always obvious!

Join us for our Horse Owner Education Webinar with Drs. Kim Allshouse and Michael St. Blanc to learn how to spot the subtle signs of pain, tell the difference between pain and behavior problems, and catch issues early before they become bigger concerns. 🩺

The webinar will be recorded and registrants will receive a link to the recording, so be sure to sign up even if you can’t attend the live event. ✅

Drop the word LISTEN in the comments and we’ll send the registration link straight to your DMs. 📩

📅 Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026
⏰ 8:00 to 9:30 PM EDT

10/08/2026

🔷Attention Clients🔷
Our doctors will be unavailable for emergencies this weekend starting, October 9th at 5pm through Monday, October 12th at 8am.
If your horse has an emergency during this time, please contact Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine or a veterinarian of your choice.

09/30/2026

Pain and Behavioral Change PART 1

When an owner starts to notice a change in their horse's behavior, the first step should involve a conversation with their veterinarian. Pain and behavioral change are often synonymous due to the extensive process that inflammation has on a horse's body.

Recently attended CE at Fetch DVM 360 with Dr. Michale Petty, (a veterinary pain management specialist) titled "When Pain Talks Through Behavior: Seeing beyond the growl, hiss or hide", discussed an often overlooked correlation between pain and behavior change. Recent changes such as a sudden lameness or hives, or even long term chronic states of inflammation, such as arthritis, muscle or nerve pain, or also in many cases, dermatology discomfort including pruritic (itchy) dermatitis, can cause significant discomfort in animals leading them to states of hypervigilance and changes in social patterns. This can include social avoidance, bolting, kicking, biting, tail swishing, running off pasture mates, etc. (Although Dr. Petty's specialty is small animals, this concept applies to horses, too.)

During the discussion, Dr. Petty referenced dogs or cats that might be socially avoiding the owner or other pets in the house because they don't feel good, waking up during night and reacting at sounds that they may have heard a hundred times earlier that day, because at night, their state of inflammation can be heightened. They may appear to have a shortened fuse for patience with their fellow pets in the home or their owners (often growling, snapping), and that can be due to increased emotional stress on the body when they are living in a state of chronic inflammation. (Petty, 2026).

Where's the correlation in horses? If we consider chronic arthritic changes, foot soreness, rain rot inflammation or sweet itch, gastric ulcers, kissing spine, etc., these conditions can make horses feel frustrated, sore, and it can heighten their overall senses which are already working hard being a prey animal and preparing for fight or flight at a moment's notice. This can make them more sensitive to noises or touch, certain textures of blankets, tight girths, not wanting to stand around other horses in the herd they might not get along with, going out on new trails as it might be scarier since it's unknown and brings physical tension on top of inflammation as well as emotional fear. Buddy sourness can be a VERY common symptom because there is safety in the herd and that allows them to relax some of their senses while not feeling well while being in the group setting. High releases of cortisol that occur in emotionally distressed situations such as pain and inflammation, fear or extreme emotional distress, makes memory recall and learning skills challenging, and in some cases, impossible. The body is preparing to flee, not learn. Changes in being willing to participate in riding, ground work, or even manners...... should always involve veterinary intervention.

09/04/2026

Attention: We are not currently selling any shirts or apparel despite what the spammers might say or comment. I have been trying to block, report, and delete these things, but honestly it is becoming too frequent to keep up with.

Do NOT buy anything or reply to these posts from these scammers!

08/23/2026

Separation Anxiety in Horses

Separation anxiety (often referred to as “buddy sourness”) is extremely frustrating for horse owners. Often horses will panic to the point of displaying dangerous behaviors on the ground (such as bolting or rearing) to get back to their friends or “safety” and leave owners having to change plans at the last minute. But why do horses behave this way in the first place? Horses are herd animals and a prey species, meaning that they generally live (at a minimum) in pairs or small groups and base their survival of their species on fleeing predators and dangerous situations as a group while keeping vocalizations to a minimum. What is considered “dangerous” to a horse is measured in their minds, unfortunately, not ours, and can sometimes be hard to recognize for a human who (on the contrary) may not be scared of much and find those fears irrational or not worth getting upset. Horses base their feelings of safety on being in familiar environments, with predictable routines and known behavior patterns of their fellow pasture-mates and daily living.

Several factors can elevate separation anxiety. These can include:
• new herd mates
• pain or dermatology issues (discomfort can increase vigilance, hypersensitivity, and set the patient up to fail an already stressful situation)
• new turnout routines
• new training routines
• a handler that doesn’t seem confident or knowledgeable
• lack of basic manners or training
• environmental changes such as new neighbors, wildlife, increased noises, etc.
• other reasons

So, when separation anxiety happens, where do we start?

• Take the emotions out of the situation and look at the facts: the horse is feeling scared or frustrated being removed from a known environment or safety net. By turning our thoughts on the behavior from “buddy sourness (a negative context) to “separation anxiety” (a more relatable phrase and one many owners can empathize with), we place our own thoughts into a frame to problem solve for the horse and seek helpful resolutions to improve their emotional state vs. seeing it as “misbehaving” and seeking a way to correct the naughty behavior.

• If this is a sudden change, take an evaluation on what could be causing the behavior change and include your veterinarian in the discussion to ensure there isn’t an increased cause for feeling extra “vigilant” or sensitive to overall change. Arthritis, sensitivity to diet, foot soreness, neurological symptoms, allergies or increased social anxiety around pasture-mates can contribute to feeling “over threshold” and can increase stress for the horse, making learning desirable behaviors or feeling safe enough to leave friends increasingly difficult.

• Seek professional support. If your horse is demonstrating dangerous behaviors such as striking, bolting, bucking or kicking when walking away from pasture mates, find a reputable trainer to assist you.

• Avoid trigger stacking. A thunderstorm brewing isn’t the time to pull the horse away for a brief training session. Stacking one stressor on top of another not only makes learning difficult, but can reinforce the undesirable behavior more and end up escalating the situation. Learning to be calm in all situations is what every horse owner wants for their buddy-sour horse, but as with humans, it takes time and patience and strategy.

📚 Strategy Susan Friedman, Ph. D. discusses the hierarchy of behavioral change and breaks down the process into strategic steps with most training sessions occurring within the first three steps.https://www.ccpdt.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Hierarchy-of-Behavior-Change-Procedures.pdf

Step 1: Ensure no medical reason for the separation anxiety. Talk with your veterinarian about your questions or concerns. This is also the time to review nutrition and to set the learner (horse) up for success.

Step 2: Set the environment up to allow for safe and positive learning for the horse and the handler. Remove dangerous trip hazards and ensure areas are free from debris, broken equipment or fencing.

Step 3: Understand how positive reinforcement works and have a good starting point of basic ground manners. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP if necessary! Reward quiet behavior and standing quietly. If the horse won’t do this around its friends, it probably won’t do it away from its friends. Start small, gradually increase the distance in small training sessions and reward quiet calm behavior while still maintaining safe boundaries. Increasing the distance between the horse and the group while rewarding calm, quiet behavior. (See our previous post on ground tie/standing quietly. Standing quietly is a foundational skill and often comes before teaching the horse to leave the group.)

Talk to your veterinarian about the use of medication if necessary.

08/07/2026

Did you know…

08/02/2026

Standing or Ground tied

One of the most valuable skills an owner can teach their horse is to stand, ground tie or stand quietly safely tied with a quick release knot. The skills learned by the horse are invaluable and translate to other areas of horsemanship including cooperative care skills (standing quietly for injections, oral medications and farrier care).

Place training (standing at a cone or mat) can also be utilized for horses who have good ground manners while owners reinforce quiet standing in a safe environment.

Benefits include:

• Learning to self regulate or relax and disconnect from their surroundings. Finding their own breath, taking naps, and observing their environment while understanding that it doesn’t always involve them and they are safe standing (quietly) out of the way.

• Patience. Horses who are always ready to go due to anxious behavior or eager to work can benefit from standing quietly or safely tied. Patience is an important life skill across the species. Horses prone to digging/pawing, pulling back, etc. can learn to wait patiently while they stand.

• Waiting for the veterinarian. This is a great time to reinforce their relaxation while awaiting the vet. Horses who stress at the vet can benefit from rehearsing quietly standing at home as they would have to at the vet. This helps establish expectations for the horse and allows your veterinarian to work alongside the horse in a safe manner.

Getting started:

• If you choose to tie your horse, it should always be with a safety anchor that can release or a quick release knot. Many owners select hybrid halters that have leather attachments to enable quick snapping if necessary.

• Catch your horse doing the “desired” behavior. When dancing feet stop and the horse pauses a moment, reward them. Reinforcing the behavior we want increases learning rates and retention.

• Release the horse while still standing quietly can reinforce that the desired behavior will ultimately result in being able to return to the activities THEY would like to do. Gradually extending the duration they are tied and releasing before they get impatient helps practice longer standing times while keeping it positive.

• Reward breaths of relaxation, standing with a foot relaxed, head relaxed or droopy lips. Reinforcing the idea of relaxation and quiet breathing helps the animal understand the desired outcome. (This is just as highly affective in canine behavior.)

Safety reminders:

^ Always consult an equine professional if needed.

^ Consult your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns about your horse’s health or behavior.

^ Never hard tie without a quick-release option and safety halter.

^ Never ground tie in an area the horse can escape, trip on hazards or injure others in the area.

06/01/2026

Happy Monday!

🦷🩻🐴💉🩺🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

05/11/2026

We are sorry for any inconvenience, but our phone lines are currently down.

You can reach our office by calling 913-369-0220 until further notice.

If you have an emergency please call our pager at 913-473-6970.