Bristol Veterinary Service

05/25/2026

05/18/2026

Do you have metabolic horses? As the days are heating up and that lush spring grass is coming in, here is a great reminder for the safest times to graze.

05/15/2026

As the temps start to warm up it’s time to start the bug battle😵‍💫. Here are some helpful hints from the AAEP.

Practical environmental management steps can make a big dent in insect populations around horse farms, often without needing pesticides. 🪰🦟

🦟 REDUCE MOSQUITO BREEDING
• Dump standing water routinely.
- Mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle. Empty water that collects in flowerpots, buckets, barrels, etc.
- Drill drainage holes in tire swings and keep children’s wading pools empty and stored on their side when not in use.
• Refresh water troughs frequently. Change water troughs at least twice weekly to discourage mosquito breeding.
• Mosquito-proof barns and stables:
- Install and maintain secure screens on windows and doors.
- Use fans (mosquitoes/flies avoid strong air movement because they can’t control flight well).
- Consider lighting choices. In barns, swapping incandescent bulbs for fluorescent-type fixtures can make the area less attractive to mosquitoes.

🪰 SANITATION & FACILITY MANAGEMENT
• Manure and waste handling (sanitation) is foundational. Remove stall and paddock litter and dispose of it properly.
• Stacking manure to reduce surface area is recommended; for small facilities, covering stacks with plastic film can help reduce fly breeding.
• If hay is fed in paddocks, avoid allowing hay to get trampled into the footing/substrate near feeders—flies can develop in that material, sometimes even beneath the soil surface.

⚠️ REMEMBER: not all flies come from your manure pile. “Feed-through” fly products are only potentially helpful if the flies are actually breeding in manure from horses on-site; in contrast, face flies, horn flies, and tabanids do not breed in horse manure, while house flies and stable flies can.

TRAPS & NON-CHEMICAL TOOLS
• Use traps to monitor and help manage flies. Traps can be useful to track fly numbers, but placement matters.
- Put traps where flies are numerous, and for stable flies, as close to the animals as possible.
• Use fans inside barns as pesticide-free protection. This is one of the simplest, most effective barn strategies for flies that enter.
• UV light traps can help indoors. If used, they’re recommended inside barns; avoid placing them outside or running them after dark.

05/07/2026

It's MYTHBUSTER time! 🔎

The core vaccinations for every horse, regardless of their travel status, include Rabies, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE), West Nile Virus (WNV), and Tetanus.

Unfortunately, mosquitoes, bacteria, and rabid animals do not discriminate when it comes to infecting horses. Whether a horse is in a freshly bedded stall, wide open pasture, or on show grounds, mosquitoes can potentially infect your horse with life threatening diseases such as EEE, WEE, and/or WNV.

Tetanus is a common clostridial bacteria present in the dirt and can infect a horse who has never left its home just the same as a horse who shows every weekend if it doesn't have proper vaccine status.

Rabies is a 100% fatal disease once clinical signs are present and is easily transmissible to humans and other animals both at home and on the trails.

It's also important to note that different regions in the U.S. may have additional "core" recommendations so be sure to ask your veterinarian what is best for your horse!

Want to learn more about vaccinations? Visit our vaccination chart on our website here: https://aaep.org/resource/adult-horse-vaccination-chart/

Thank you to the Horse Owner Education Committee for providing this information!

04/23/2026

04/21/2026

Thanks to all that rain we had last week the grass is really greening up.
Here’s a helpful reminder from UMN on timing our pasture accumulation.

🐴 Hold your horses! Before turning them out to pasture, here’s what you need to know:

🛑 Wait until plant heights average 6 to 8 inches. Waiting allows plants to recover from winter, produce leaves necessary for regrowth, and reach lower nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) levels.

🌾 Slowly ease horses onto pastures in 15-minute daily increments.

⏰ Begin with 15 minutes of grazing on the first day, 30 minutes the second day, and continue adding 15 minutes per day until you reach 5 hours. After that, unrestricted grazing can occur if adequate forage is available. Slow transitions in diet provide time for the horses' microbes to adjust, which reduces the chance of laminitis and colic.

🍽️ To further support a slow transition, feed hay prior to pasture turnout to discourage horses from overconsumption early on.

ℹ️ https://extension.umn.edu/horse-pastures-and-facilities/fall-and-spring-pasture-do-lists -your-pasture-for-grazing-in-spring-69710

04/17/2026

Today kicks off Severe Weather Awareness Week! Strong winds and tornados can have a devastating impact on horse farms. Here are a few tips to help you prepare ahead of a storm.

🏠 Remember, human safety comes first. Take cover when severe weather is near.
⚠️ Have a way to receive severe weather alerts.
🐴 Have a plan for your horse. Barns may protect horses from debris but can trap them if in the path of a tornado. Large open areas with little debris potential may be better for leaving horses outside but horses may get trapped in fencing or become loose.
🖊 ID your horse (e.g., microchip, livestock paint) and remove their halter
🧰 Prior to severe weather, restock your first aid kit, make sure your horse is up-to-date on their tetanus vaccine, and secure a three-day supply of feed, water, and meds.

For more info on tornado safety visit: https://extension.umn.edu/horse-pastures-and-facilities/preparing-barn-disaster -and-strong-winds-3093460

03/31/2026

By: Chryseis Modderman, Extension manure management educator “Oh, sure, yeah, I got a manure pile that’s been composting for a few years now...

03/23/2026

HORSE OWNER WEBINAR ALERT! 📢

Join us for our upcoming Horse Owner Education Committee webinar! Our topic will be "Oh Sugar! My Horse is Foundering!"

Join AAEP-member veterinarians Drs. Allie Catalino and Chelsea Folmar for an in-depth discussion about the two most common metabolic disturbances in horses: Cushing's Disease and Insulin Dysregulation. They will take you on a deep dive into diagnosis, treatment and management of these diseases, followed by discussion about laminitis, a common sequela.

Registration is FREE but required. A recording of the webinar will be available if you miss the live event. Register at https://events.zoom.us/ev/Aqk4QqZ8CSEZVzoTjoed1OchP7YIDfrDxmN7sn3bmdtN0eMBkO1X~AhLXYhuX8F4hYAwaFVb5RYYV903KHqLrJKTrAP-zT2spI-fUNInOwEr12A

This informative session is brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.