Spring horse prep is shifting toward tailored preventive care

Spring prep is becoming a more structured, veterinarian-led conversation for horse health, with current guidance emphasizing preventive care, evidence-based parasite control, and careful nutrition changes rather than seasonal “checklist” habits alone. The Horse’s recent spring coverage highlights the core tasks many pet parents already expect, including physical and dental exams, vaccination review, deworming, and diet adjustments ahead of pasture turnout and heavier workloads. It also ties spring readiness to show-season conditioning and metabolic risk, especially as pasture sugars rise and training intensity increases. (thehorse.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is a useful reminder that spring care plans are increasingly individualized. AAEP’s current guidance says adult horses previously vaccinated against West Nile virus and Eastern/Western equine encephalomyelitis should generally be revaccinated in the spring before vector season, while parasite control should no longer rely on fixed-interval deworming or blind rotation. Instead, AAEP recommends fecal egg counts once or twice yearly, annual fecal egg count reduction testing in each herd or barn, and targeted treatment based on shedding status. That shifts the spring visit from routine “shots and wormer” toward a broader preventive review that can also catch dental issues, workload-related lameness, and nutrition problems before the riding and competition season ramps up. (aaep.org)

What to watch: Expect more spring client education to center on tailored vaccine timing, evidence-based parasite programs, and safer pasture transitions for horses with metabolic or laminitis risk. (aaep.org)