Everyone has heard the old adage.  “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  It’s as true with horses as it is in any other form of medicine.  Treating a problem is often far more difficult and frustrating than is preventing the problem in the first place.

There are lots of preventative (or “preventive” – they’re both right) things that we do for horses:  given them shots, deworm them, take care of their teeth, etc.  But for some of them, it’s an open question as to how much good they really do.  It’s all well-and-good to prevent something that can be prevented; it’s a bit silly to worry about preventing things that may not even be a problem!

Take rhinoceros repellent.   You could buy a bottle of it, and sprinkle it around your horse’s stall every day.  You probably wouldn’t see a rhinoceros, either.  It’s one thing to prevent a real problem; it’s another thing entirely to waste time and money on something that you don’t need.

Thus, when considering preventative interventions for your horse, it’s a good idea to ask some questions about what it is you’re considering, and why you’re considering it.  Read on – you might be surprised what you find!