MU VHC Equine Hospital

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MU VHC Equine Hospital MU VHC Equine Hospital The University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center Equine Hospital is a 24 hour/day 7 day a week equine hospital.

We accept emergencies every day, including all holidays. We have appointments Monday-Friday for a wide variety of services. The equine faculty include many board-certified specialists including: internal medicine, surgery, theriogenology (reproductive and breeding), ophthalmology (eye), cardiology, dermatology and much more. We are extremely well equipped with endoscopy, laparoscopy, bone scan, CT machine, digital radiology, high resolution ultrasound and much more. We offer extensive lameness examinations and performance horse examinations using the Equinosis Lameness Locator (developed at MU). We can perform a wide range of surgeries from emergency colic and fracture repair to elective minimally invasive arthroscopy, laser surgery and laparoscopy. We have fully equipped ambulatory truck seeing patients on farms in the Columbia and Central Missouri area.

Tomorrow is the Day!! Keeping Horses Healthy Seminar!!Join us tomorrow morning for a full day of talks to help horse own...
10/23/2026

Tomorrow is the Day!! Keeping Horses Healthy Seminar!!
Join us tomorrow morning for a full day of talks to help horse owners keep their horses in the best of health.

Not registered yet? Do not worry. You can register onsite

The Mizzou Vet Med Bookstore will be open and featuring a 20% off special for Seminar attendees

Lunch is provided!

Hospital tours and a chance to meet the Mizzou Mule Team!

We hope to see you tomorrow morning!!!
The last photo has a map - The pink dot is the location of the seminar. The parking lots outlined in yellow are all the places you are welcome to park!!

Podiatry - Why might we recommend a Heel Wedge?No Foot No Horse is an old saying that is very true. Many forelimb lamen...
10/22/2026

Podiatry - Why might we recommend a Heel Wedge?

No Foot No Horse is an old saying that is very true. Many forelimb lameness conditions originate in the foot and our veterinarians in collaboration with farriers will often recommend corrective shoeing in order to improve the horse's comfort.

For horses with pain in the heel region, most commonly horses with navicular disease or injury to soft tissues in the heel region, our veterinarians may recommend a heel wedge.

This image illustrates why. The Standing CT image on the left is of a sound horse with a normal flat shoe. Look at the how the deep digital flexor tendon, the light gray line indicated by the green arrow, wraps under the navicular bone. Think of the pressure in this area.

Now look at the Standing CT image of the horse on the right. This horse has a large navicular flexor surface cyst. In order to decrease pressure on the deep digital flexor tendon as it wraps under the navicular bone, this horse has been shod in a heel wedge pad and shoe.

Look how the shoeing has changed the foot angles and decreased the tension on the deep digital flexor tendon.

There are some trade offs of a heel wedge. It can cause heel contracture and moves some weight to the superficial digital flexor tendon. It is not the right option for every horse with heel pain, but for many horses like the one on the right it can offer significant improvement in comfort and a return to soundness.

Congratulations ot Dr. Lyndsey Hayden, one of the Mizzou Equine Surgeons, on being selected to serve as a Resident Forum...
10/21/2026

Congratulations ot Dr. Lyndsey Hayden, one of the Mizzou Equine Surgeons, on being selected to serve as a Resident Forum Judge at the American College of Veterinary Surgeons Surgery Summit in Charlotte, North Carolina last week. She was responsible for evaluating and judging the research presentations of Large Animal and Equine Surgery Residents from across the country and the world. Thank you Dr. Hayden for your support of the next generation of Equine Surgeons.

As we celebrate Veterinary Technicians and Assitants Week, MU Equine would like to celebrate the fantastic Veterinary Te...
10/20/2026

As we celebrate Veterinary Technicians and Assitants Week, MU Equine would like to celebrate the fantastic Veterinary Technicians and Assistants who make up a vital part of our veterinary team. You all are amazing and we could not do it without. Please join us in saying Thank You.

The Horse Owner Seminar is almost here!!! It will be this Saturday from 9AM-6PMJoin us for a day of educational talks an...
10/19/2026

The Horse Owner Seminar is almost here!!!
It will be this Saturday from 9AM-6PM
Join us for a day of educational talks and finish out the day with hospital tours and a meet and greet with Mizzou Mules!

Register at the link below! We hope to see you there!
https://cvm.missouri.edu/horse-owner-seminar/

To Blanket or Not. That is the Question. - Let's Ask the HorseAs the weather gets colder, horse owners must decide whet...
10/18/2026

To Blanket or Not. That is the Question. - Let's Ask the Horse
As the weather gets colder, horse owners must decide whether or not to blanket their horses. But when is a blanked needed and when would a horse prefer to be without?

A group of equine behavior researchers in Norway lead by Dr. Cecilie Mendel decided to ask the horses.

They trained different groups of Norwegian riding horses to indicate if they would like their blanket put on, to have their blanket removed, or the stay as they were. These horses had started the season with blankets which likely affected the length of their haircoat.

This is what they found.
-All horses wanted blankets at 14 degrees and below
-No horses wanted blankets at 68 degrees and above
-As wind speed increased more horses wanted blankets
-Almost all horses wanted blankets on cool or cold rainy days
-When the sun was out, horses preferred to not have blankets even on colder days
-Morse horses wanted blankets on rainy days than snowy days
-There was individual variation with some horses liking blankets more than others
-With temperatures in the 30s to high 40s blanket preference varied by individual and the weather. When it was raining or windy the majority of horses wanted blankets. When it was sunny most horses did not want blankets.
-It took about 10-14 days of daily training to teach horses to indicate their preferences by touching their nose to different symbols on a sign.
-The presence of shelter in the pasture, if the horse's coat is clipped, and the length of coat an individual horse grows would affect these results.
-Not every horse needs a blanket, but consideration of shelter in cold wet weather is important.
-These horses started the season with blankets as many riding horses do, this likely affected coat length.

Here is a link to one of their studies
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159118306361

We have new floors!!The MU Equine Clinic is excited for the addition of new rubber flooring in many high traffic areas o...
10/17/2026

We have new floors!!
The MU Equine Clinic is excited for the addition of new rubber flooring in many high traffic areas of the hospital. We are so excited for these new surfaces to help support the comfort and safety of our patients.

Congratulations to Dr. Martha Scharf, Equine Ambulatory veterinarian, for being selected to serve as an Arrival Exam Vet...
10/16/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Martha Scharf, Equine Ambulatory veterinarian, for being selected to serve as an Arrival Exam Veterinarian for the Retired Racehorse Project 2026 – LIVE & Fans Thoroughbred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky last week.

This fantastic event celebrates Thoroughbred racehorses as they transition to a second career and highlights the versatility of the breed. Thoroughbreds compete in events from show jumping and dressage to trail, costume, and barrel racing.

The event also includes a program for Equine Veterinary Students to gain experience with physical exams and lameness assessments. In addition to her role essuring all the horses were ready to compete, Dr. Scharf was also responsible for teaching and advising a group of veterinary students. Thank you to Dr. Scharf for her work to support second careers for racehorses and to teach the next generation of equine veterinarians

Important Skills for Horse Owners - Your Horse's Heart RateOne way to be more prepared in an emergency is to know how to...
10/15/2026

Important Skills for Horse Owners - Your Horse's Heart Rate

One way to be more prepared in an emergency is to know how to take your horse's heart rate and to know what is normal for your particular horse. It is best to learn the skill when everyone is relaxed, not during an emergency.

As we mentioned in an earlier post, a horse's normal heart rate is typically 28-48 beats per minute. This can be elevated if he is excited, has just exercised, or during periods of stress. It can also be elevated due to disease. Pain, dehydration, fever, and toxemia are common pathologic reasons (meaning your horse is sick and not just excited) for your horse's heart rate to be increased. While horses can have serious problems and still have a normal heart rate, the presence of an elevated heart rate (60 or above) in a horse that is not quite right is a cause for concern and should warrant a call to your veterinarian.

The easiest place to take the heart rate is on the lower body wall behind the elbow in the region just in front of where you put the girth. As your veterinarian to help you learn at your horse's next routine care appointment. Then you will be prepared!

Teaching the Next Generation of Equine Veterinarians. As part of our Advanced Lameness course, students have the opport...
10/15/2026

Teaching the Next Generation of Equine Veterinarians.
As part of our Advanced Lameness course, students have the opportunity to work through real lameness exams with one of the legends in the field, our own Dr. Kevin Keegan. They also have the opportunity to learn and utilize objective gait analysis. This is the present and future of equine performance and lameness assessment and a fantastic opportunity for our students.

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900 East Campus Drive
Columbia, MO
65211

Telephone

+15738823513

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