4,777 answers about horses & farm animals
Horses and farm animals run on routine — feeding schedules, hoof and health care, safe fencing and calm handling, in all weather. This page gathers the horse and farm animal library of KinsLe Answers in one place, organized by topic from daily care to travel and senior animals. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
← All Horses & Farm Animals topics
449 answers in Health & Vet Care — page 2 of 19
An aging Berkshire pig with sore joints often rises with a grunt and a rock, walks stiffly for the first yards from the bedding, and chooses the shortest route to feed instead of rooting the whole pen. Look for a shortened hind stride, reluctance to step over a threshold or into the wallow, and long lying spells on…
In an aging Alpine goat, joint discomfort often shows as stiffness after lying on cold ground, shorter steps on the climb to the milking stand, and hesitation before jumping onto a platform she once cleared easily. Watch for uneven weight through the front knees, lagging behind the herd on rough ground, and extra…
A routine wellness check for a Thoroughbred usually covers a hands-on exam of heart, lungs, eyes, teeth and gut sounds, a walk and trot to watch soundness, a review of weight and coat, and a check of vaccinations, deworming history and hoof care. Arrive with his recent work level, feed changes and any coughing,…
A routine wellness check for a Tennessee Walking Horse usually includes a physical exam (vital signs, heart, lungs, gut sounds, eyes, and skin), body-condition scoring, a dental examination, hoof evaluation, and a review of vaccinations and parasite control. The gait is part of the exam for this breed: the vet will…
A routine wellness check for a Shetland pony usually includes a physical exam (vital signs, heart, lungs, gut sounds, eyes, and skin under that thick coat), a careful body-condition assessment, a dental check, hoof evaluation, and a vaccination and parasite-control review. Weight dominates the conversation with this…
A routine wellness check for a Quarter Horse usually includes a physical exam (vital signs, heart, lungs, gut sounds, eyes, and skin), body-condition scoring across that heavily muscled frame, a dental examination, hoof and leg evaluation, and vaccination and parasite-control review. Soundness gets real attention in…
A routine wellness check for a Morgan usually includes a physical exam (vital signs, heart, lungs, gut sounds, eyes, skin, and coat), body-condition scoring, a dental check, hoof evaluation, and a review of vaccinations and parasite control. Because Morgans are famously hardy easy keepers, the weight conversation is…
A routine wellness check for a Friesian usually includes a full physical exam (vital signs, heart, lungs, gut sounds, eyes, and skin), body-condition scoring under that heavy black coat, a dental examination, hoof assessment, and a review of vaccinations and parasite control. Friesian-specific attention goes to the…
A routine wellness check for a Clydesdale usually covers a hands-on physical exam (heart, lungs, gut sounds, eyes, and skin), a weight and body-condition assessment, a dental check, a look at those big hooves and the feathered legs beneath the hair, plus a review of vaccinations and parasite control. The leg feathers…
A Wyandotte's dense, laced plumage sits over thick underfluff, and that insulation hides skin problems until they are established: feathers that lose their neat laced outline, thin patches around the vent and under the wings, and fluff that stays damp or matted after rain are the surface clues. Part the plumage to the…
A Silkie's cloud of fluff hides its skin almost completely, so skin and coat problems in this breed are found by touch and parting feathers rather than by looking: crusty or flaky skin under the crest, matted damp fluff around the vent, and gritty clusters at feather bases the bird's dark skin conceals. Check the…
A Rhode Island Red's deep mahogany plumage hides some signs and highlights others: healthy feathers carry a rich sheen, so a coat that turns dull, pale, or brittle-looking is often the first clue of a skin or coat problem. Bare skin on the neck and back, feathers broken off close to the body, and redness or scabs…
In a Plymouth Rock chicken, the barred black-and-white pattern makes skin and coat problems visible as breaks in the striping: missing feathers on the back and neck, bare reddened skin at the base of the tail, and dull, broken barbs where the pattern should look crisp. Raised, crusty scales on the legs, white crust at…
On a Pekin duck, white plumage makes skin and coat problems easy to spot once you know the pattern: feathers that look dirty or yellowed and never clean up after bathing, bare pink skin showing on the breast or back, broken tail feathers, and plumage that stays soaked through after a swim. Pekins spend long hours…
In a Muscovy duck, skin and coat trouble usually shows on the plumage and the bare red face first: patchy feather loss, broken or dull feathers, constant scratching or over-preening, crusty skin under the wings, and feathers that stay soaked instead of shedding water. Watch the caruncles too, because new swelling,…
A Leghorn chicken with a feather or skin problem may lose feathers around the vent, neck, or back outside a normal molt, show red, irritated, or scabbed skin where feathers are missing, or develop raised, crusty scales on the legs. A Leghorn's white plumage shows damage clearly, so look for broken feathers, bare…
A Khaki Campbell duck with a feather or skin problem may look bedraggled because its feathers no longer shed water, lose feathers outside a normal molt, or show broken, dull plumage with bare patches around the neck, back, or vent. Check the skin under the feathers for redness, scabs, or flaking, and look at feet and…
A Dorper sheep grows a short hair coat that it sheds naturally, so the key sign of trouble is change that does not fit that normal shedding pattern. Watch for rubbing on fences, bald or broken patches that are not part of a clean shed, crusty or thickened skin, scabs around the ears and back, and sheep that stamp,…
A Berkshire pig with a skin or coat problem often scratches or rubs against fencing more than usual, develops flaky or crusty patches, loses hair in uneven areas, or shows red, thickened, or sore skin, especially around the ears, belly, and legs. Because Berkshires have dark skin under black hair, early redness can be…
A Thoroughbred is best served by an equine vet who understands racing backgrounds, sport horse second careers, and this breed's finer build. Ask practices how many Thoroughbreds and off-track horses they treat, how they approach soundness and stomach comfort, and how they plan nutrition for a horse that can run lean.…
A Tennessee Walking Horse needs a vet who can evaluate a gaited horse properly, because the running walk does not read like a trot. Ask practices whether they see other Walking Horses, how they assess gait in hand and under saddle, and how they work with farriers on shoeing that supports natural movement. Gaited horse…
A Quarter Horse benefits from an equine vet who knows the breed's performance work and its well-known inherited health questions. Ask practices how many Quarter Horses they treat, whether lameness and soundness work is a strength, and how they discuss breed-related screening with owners. Trainers, farriers, and local…
A Morgan is best matched with an equine vet who knows the breed's easy-keeper nature and versatility across driving, saddle, and family work. Ask practices whether they care for other Morgans, how they judge body condition on a compact, muscular horse, and how they plan preventive care around weight and hooves. Morgan…
A Friesian needs an equine vet who knows this breed's particular build and watch points, not just horses in general. Ask practices whether they care for other Friesians, how they check the feathered lower legs, and how they approach breathing, skin, and weight in a heavy, cresty horse. Breed registries, Friesian…
Can't find your question? Ask it here. We answer reader questions in KinsLe Answers — and we'll email you when yours is published.
KinsLe is launching soon — and the waitlist hears the date first. Join for launch updates and first access when the app opens.
We email you about the launch. Unsubscribe anytime.