Ask The Horse

As horses age, their health care needs and associated costs often increase, making proactive management especially important. Having your veterinarian perform regular examinations, dental evaluations, and monitoring for common senior conditions can help you catch problems early and potentially reduce long-term expenses. Senior horses might also require specialized feeds, medications, or additional supportive care, which can increase monthly costs. Developing a preventive care plan and budgeting for age-related health needs can help owners support their horses’ comfort and longevity.
This episode is brought to you by CareCredit.
Meet the Experts:
Alex Bianco, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, is a Minneapolis native and graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, in St. Paul. After completing a rotating equine internship at Kansas State University, in Manhattan, she completed a large animal internal medicine residency at Purdue University, in Lafayette, Indiana. Following her residency, Bianco remained at Purdue for an additional year working as an equine ambulatory veterinarian, before returning to the University of Minnesota as clinical faculty in 2016.
Jonathan Yardley, DVM, is a graduate of Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine, in North Grafton, Massachusetts. He began his career with a private practice internship before joining a prominent racetrack practice, Teigland, Franklin, and Brokken, where he specialized in caring for an elite clientele of Thoroughbred racehorses. In 2014 Yardley shifted from private practice to academia as an ambulatory, clinical-track veterinarian in the Equine Field Service department at The Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, in Columbus, where he currently serves as an associate professor. As the equine rotating internship director, Yardley is committed to fostering an enriching learning environment that empowers interns to develop their clinical and critical thinking skills throughout their yearlong internships. Dedicated to veterinary wellness, Yardley serves as co-chair of the College of Veterinary Medicine Health & Wellbeing Committee, championing evidence-based strategies for healthcare improvement. He hosts the podcast “Horse Talk with Doc,” where he shares valuable insights into equine health and well-being. Outside of his professional pursuits, Yardley is an avid curler who enjoys traveling with his wife. They share their home with three beloved Doodles.

Equine skin problems can stem from a wide range of causes, including parasites, bacterial or fungal infections, allergies, and prolonged exposure to moisture or irritants. Successfully managing horses with skin problems relies on working with your veterinarian to identify the underlying issue and appropriately treat it. Because many dermatologic conditions can look similar in the early stages, it’s important to have the veterinarian evaluate your horse promptly to help prevent complications and improve outcomes.
During this episode, veterinarians answer your questions about common equine skin problems.
This episode is brought to you by Creative Science.
Meet the Experts:
Julia Miller, DVM, Dipl. ACVD, was equine-focused in veterinary school at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York, and completed a rotating large animal internship at the University of Georgia, in Athens, after graduation. She then went on to be a mixed animal general practitioner for several years before finding her true love, dermatology, and heading back to Cornell for her residency. She now practices in the beautiful land of the bluegrass in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky and loves working on all creatures great and small!

Carly Turner-Garcia, DVM, Dipl. ACT, spent her earlier years working in exotic and small animal veterinary medicine before finding her passion for horses during undergraduate studies at Berry College, in Mount Berry, Georgia. She graduated from The University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, in Athens, continued to an internship at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, and a residency in theriogenology at Texas A&M University, in College Station, where she earned her Dipl. ACT. She spent the next 10 years in private practice in Weatherford, Texas, and Guthrie, Oklahoma, seeing everything from critical neonatal cases to orthopedic emergencies with a heavy caseload of advanced reproduction. She recently joined the team at Creative Science as a technical services veterinarian while operating her own practice, Black Type Equine, focusing on advanced equine reproduction throughout the U.S. Her biggest joy comes from spending time with her husband, Taylor Garcia, PhD, and their two boys on their ranch in Oklahoma raising cattle, Quarter Horses, and working dogs.

Gastric ulcers are common in both performance and pleasure horses, but the clinical signs can be easily overlooked. Affected horses might show poor performance, changes in attitude, decreased appetite, or unexplained weight loss. Because the horse’s stomach continuously produces acid and is designed for foraging, management factors such as intermittent feeding, high-starch diets, and stress from transport or work can contribute to ulcer development. The only way to definitively diagnose gastric ulcers is through gastroscopy, so it’s important to work with your veterinarian if you suspect your horse might have them.
Two veterinarians answer your equine gastric ulcer questions during this archived Ask TheHorse podcast, brought to you by Bimeda.
About the Experts:
Laramie Winfield, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, cVA, cVMMP, grew up in the Salinas Valley, riding horses with her mom and sisters. Winfield’s professional interests are equine internal medicine, emergency and critical care, neonatology, acupuncture, sports medicine, and ophthalmology. Winfield is certified in veterinary acupuncture and is also a veterinary medical manipulation practitioner, having completed her training at the Integrative Veterinary Medical Institute in Reddick, Florida. In integrating her riding background with her training in internal medicine, acupuncture, and spinal manipulation Winfield strives to offer a comprehensive view of horse health and performance. Winfield is an equity partner at Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinics, in Salinas, California. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Nick Carlson, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, and their children. She loves horseback riding and three-day eventing with her horse Franky.
James D. Conway III, DVM, is the associate director of veterinary technical services at Bimeda. He previously held the same roles at Dechra Veterinary Products and Contura Vet. Conway has been an industry veterinarian for the past 10 years. Prior to his role in industry, he served as an associate veterinarian at a large regional referral lameness and rehab facility in North Texas. Conway completed an internship at Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery, in Weatherford, Texas, and upon completion started his own lameness and sports medicine practice in the panhandle of Texas and Oklahoma. He is a 2012 graduate of Colorado State University Veterinary School, in Fort Collins, where he was heavily involved with equine stifle and condylar fracture research. Conway's publications on bisphosphonates, the equine stifle ethesis, and medial condylar fractures can be found in Equine Veterinary Education and Equine Veterinary Journal.

Equine colic refers to abdominal pain rather than a single disease and can arise from many causes, ranging from gas buildup to intestinal impaction. Horses with colic might show subtle signs such as reduced appetite or lethargy, or more obvious behaviors like pawing, flank-watching, rolling, or repeatedly getting up and down. Because some types of colic can become life-threatening quickly, recognizing early signs and contacting a veterinarian promptly can improve the horse’s outcome.
This episode is sponsored by CareCredit.
About the Experts:
Michael Fugaro, VMD, Dipl. ACVS, is the owner and founder of Mountain Pointe Equine Veterinary Services, in Hackettstown, New Jersey. Fugaro received his VMD at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, in Kennett Square, where he graduated in 1997. He then completed a large animal internship at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada, and a large animal surgical residency at Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana. Previously, Fugaro was the resident veterinarian and a tenured full-professor at Centenary University, in Hackettstown. He has also taught as a visiting instructor at Rutgers University in the Animal Science Department, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Fugaro has held veterinary positions with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health and the New Jersey Racing Commission. He has also been the president of the New Jersey Association of Equine Practitioners, an advisory board member for the Rutgers University Board for Equine Advancement (RUBEA), and an admissions committee member for University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine. When not performing surgeries, Fugaro enjoys golfing and going to the gym. He resides in Morris County, New Jersey, with his wife, Donna, and dog, Curtis.
Bianca Ruspi, DVM, is a third-year resident in equine surgery at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. She attended the University of Kentucky (UK), in Lexington, for her undergraduate degree and Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York, for veterinary school. She is interested in orthopedic surgery and joint disease and is pursuing a PhD at UK's Gluck Equine Research Center following her residency.

As horses age, managing their soundness using a multimodal approach becomes increasingly important. Experts emphasize proactive joint care, appropriate exercise, and routine veterinary evaluations. Regular, low-impact work helps maintain joint mobility and muscle support, while avoiding long periods of confinement, which can worsen stiffness. Strategic hoof balance, body condition management, and early intervention for mild lameness are key. With thoughtful management and early attention to subtle changes, many senior horses can remain comfortable and active for years.
During this episode, two experts discuss keeping horses sound as they age.
About the Experts:
Lauren Trager, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVSMR, is a clinical assistant professor of equine sports medicine at the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, in Blacksburg. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. Trager loves to teach and enjoys working on challenging lameness and poor performance cases, particularly those with neck and back pain and anything that involves advanced imaging.
Howland M. Mansfield, DVM, CVA, CVMMP, of Summerville, South Carolina, received her DVM from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine, in Alabama, and completed internships in both general equine medicine and surgery and in advanced equine reproduction. She is certified in both veterinary acupuncture and veterinary medical manipulation. She has practiced along the East Coast over the course of 14 years, in addition to time in Germany providing veterinary care for some of the most elite show horses in Europe. In 2012 Mansfield was named by the South Carolina Horseman’s Council as the Horse Person of the Year for her efforts in equine rescue and in combating animal cruelty. She joined American Regent in 2023 as a technical services veterinarian where she can support the welfare of and improve health care for horses and small animals throughout the U.S.