Spring prep for horses puts prevention back at the center

Spring is bringing a familiar but important message back into focus for equine care teams: seasonal prep starts with prevention, not just a return to riding or showing. In recent guidance from The Horse, Lucile Vigouroux, MSc, outlines a spring checklist centered on annual physical and dental exams, core vaccine boosters, targeted parasite control, and careful diet transitions as pasture conditions change. A companion report on show-season preparation adds conditioning, lameness assessment, and transport readiness, while newer nutrition coverage highlights the seasonal risks tied to pasture sugars, metabolic disease, and the need to reassess concentrates and supplements as forage intake shifts. (thehorse.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the spring reset is a practical touchpoint for wellness scheduling, vaccine compliance, fecal egg count-based deworming plans, dental care, and nutrition counseling. AAEP’s revised parasite guidance specifically advises against fixed-interval, blind deworming and supports using fecal egg counts to classify shedders, which aligns with a more individualized preventive-care model. Spring also raises the stakes for horses with obesity, insulin dysregulation, PPID, or laminitis risk, because pasture transitions can change sugar intake quickly and may require tighter turnout timing, gradual feed changes, and review of concentrate or supplement use. (aaep.org)

What to watch: Expect continued emphasis this spring on individualized preventive plans, especially around parasite stewardship, metabolic-horse pasture management, and nutrition adjustments as horses move onto grass and back into work. (aaep.org)