Summer & Christmas Emergency Planning for Your Horse: A WA Guide

(Emergency veterinary availability with Avon Ridge Equine: 18 December – 6 January)

Western Australia’s summer brings long, hot days and often unpredictable conditions — sometimes ideal for riding and time at the stable, other times hazardous for horses. High heat, bushfire risk, dehydration, new season hay and ARGT risk and even snake encounters are all real threats over the Christmas and New Year period and when many routine equine services pause for holidays, preparation is everything.

This guide is designed to help you plan ahead so your horse stays safe, healthy and comfortable — whether you’re staying home for Xmas, travelling, or relying on someone else to look after your horse. It also outlines how our emergency-only service period works, and what you need to do before 18 December.

📍 Avon Ridge Equine Veterinary Services: What Our Xmas Schedule Means for You

From 18 December to 6 January, Avon Ridge Equine will be operating on an “emergencies-only” basis. That means:

• Routine appointments (dentistry, regular check-ups, farrier liaising, elective treatments) will not be available.

• No supplying of routine medications or treatments during this period.

• Non-emergency calls, texts or emails will not be returned.

• We will respond to true equine emergencies — colic, laminitis, severe wounds, life-threatening illness, snakebite, acute lameness etc.

We return to normal service from Monday 6 January. You can schedule a routine appointment from 6 Jan anytime during the Xmas period here. We will get back to you when we return to normal hours.

If your horse needs ongoing daily or regular medications (for example for metabolic disease, laminitis, PPID, joint support), please make sure you have enough supply to last through at least until 6 January.

Running out of medications during heatwaves, holiday disruptions or busy family weeks can lead to serious problems — and urgent calls for help.

If you have a genuine emergency – please contact us on 0427 072 095.

🌡️ Beating the Heat: Keep Hydrated, Cool & Comfortable — Including Molasses Water

Summer heat in WA can be brutal. Horses in paddocks with limited shade or water easily become dehydrated, heat-stressed or even colicky. To help:

• Ensure consistent, reliable shade throughout the day. Trees are great, but you may need additional shelter if grazing areas or paddocks are changed often.

• Check water sources at least twice daily. Clean, fresh water is a must. But also — consider offering molasses water at times of extreme heat. Many horses drink more readily when water is slightly sweetened, and the added fluid can help maintain hydration when dry hay or chaff is fed. A single drink of molasses water is unlikely to have long-term adverse impacts on horses with EMS. We believe the benefits outweigh the risks in these horses during hot, dry periods.

• Soak hay when it’s hot. Soaked hay not only provides fibre but also adds extra moisture — a real benefit if the horse is eating dry roughage in summer.

• Provide multiple water sources: especially for older horses who may be slower to move, or reluctant to walk far to a single trough.

• Monitor hydration and manure. Dark, scant manure, dry mucous membranes, lethargy, increased respiratory rate, or poor skin-tent can be early signs of dehydration or heat stress. Older horses and those with PPID are especially vulnerable — they often drink less, have reduced thirst drive, and are more easily overwhelmed by prolonged heat.

Dehydration and heat-related colic remain consistent causes for emergency vet calls during summer. With our limited availability between 18 December and 6 January, ensuring adequate hydration before the heatwave hits is a must.

DIY Sand Treatments in Summer? Not a Good Idea 🌡️

During the Christmas period and hot WA summer, we do not recommend “treating for sand” at home with psyllium without veterinary guidance. Horses are often mildly dehydrated in the heat, and giving psyllium—especially if their water or feed intake isn’t ideal—can actually increase the risk of impaction or delay the treatment your horse really needs.

Giving psyllium to a colicky horse is not recommended. If the horse is dehydrated, has poor gut motility, or is developing an impaction, psyllium can actually make the blockage worse by absorbing fluid and swelling inside an already compromised gastrointestinal tract.

Psyllium is only safe and effective when the horse is well-hydrated and the gut is functioning normally. Without adequate hydration, it can become a dry, sticky mass that increases the risk of impaction rather than clearing sand. For any horse showing signs of colic, you should always call a vet immediately.

A veterinarian needs to assess hydration, gut motility and pain level, and determine whether fluids, pain relief or hospital-based care are required. If you’re worried about sand or your horse shows any signs of colic, please treat it as a genuine emergency and call us, rather than reaching for psyllium during this high-risk period.

🔥 Bushfire & Evacuation Planning: Don’t Leave It Until It’s Too Late

Bushfire risk is a reality on many WA properties, whether you are in rural bushland or semi-urban fringe. Fires often come with little notice. That’s why a clear, well-practised plan must be in place before the fire season — not on the day of the fire.

“Stay or Go” — What’s Your Plan?

• If you plan to evacuate:

  • Know where you will go — friend’s property, agistment centre, or a designated horse safe-haven.

  • Make sure your float/trailer is ready, serviced and easily hitched.

  • Practise leading and loading your horse before the risk increases — don’t wait until the last minute.

• If you plan to stay:

  • Keep paddocks clear of long grass and flammable debris.

  • Maintain firebreaks, remove loose material, clear gutters if there are sheds or stable structures.

  • If possible, pre-install sprinkler systems or keep hoses ready. If fire warnings arrive, hitch your float and be ready to go.

Build an Equine Evacuation Kit — Stocked & Ready

Keep this packed in your float or a weather-proof container, ready to go at any time:

• Headcollar + spare

• Lead ropes

• Clean rugs or fly sheets

• Feed / hay / grain — at least 3–5 days’ supply

• Water containers or spare water drums / buckets

• First-aid kit, wound care supplies

• All regular medications (especially if horse is on daily treatments)

• Copies of microchip, vaccination records and contact sheet (owner, emergency contacts, vet, farrier)

• Flashlight, spare batteries, basic tools/ppe (gloves, etc.)

During heatwaves or fire-warning days, having these ready could save precious minutes — because we are on “emergency-only” call during 18 Dec–6 Jan, and your horse caretaker may need to act before we arrive.

🐍 Snake Bite Awareness: Recognising Signs & Acting Fast

In WA, summer also means snakes — and horses are curious. Many snake bites occur around the muzzle because that’s where horses nuzzle or investigate grass, feed or water troughs. The challenge is that bite marks are often difficult to spot, especially on legs or if the fangs don’t leave obvious punctures.

What to Watch For

Depending on the snake species and amount of venom injected, signs can vary. Key warning signs in horses include: ⁠

• Sudden, severe swelling — especially of the muzzle, face, nostrils, lips or throat. In some cases the swelling can be dramatic enough to close off airways.

• Pinpoint puncture wounds or small holes (sometimes only barely visible) — often about an inch apart, though they may be hard to detect.

• Bruising, bruiselike discolouration, or thin blood discharge from nostrils or mouth.

• Rapid swelling of throat or muzzle causing respiratory difficulty — laboured breathing, nostril flaring, noisy breathing, collapsing.

• Generalised weakness, trembling or muscle tremors; increased heart rate; signs of shock or collapse.

• Neurologic signs — wobbliness, uncoordinated gait, ataxia — especially with bites from neurotoxic snakes (elapids).

Because symptoms can evolve over hours, time is critical — even if at first all you see is a small mark or mild swelling. Some horses show delayed signs of venom absorption.

What to Do If You Suspect a Snake Bite

• Stay calm. Try to keep the horse as quiet and calm as possible — reducing movement slows venom spread.

• Call us immediately — even during 18 Dec–6 Jan. Snakebite is a true emergency.

• Avoid any home-remedy attempts such as cutting, lancing or “sucking out” venom — these often do more harm than good.

• If swelling threatens to block the airway — and only under vet guidance — sometimes a makeshift airway (such as a tube in the nostril) may be needed. But do not attempt this unless you have prior instruction.

• Prepare to move the horse — ideally under veterinary supervision. Loading and transport may be required, but only if the horse’s breathing is stable or assisted.

Because WA is home to many venomous elapids (and bite incidents often go unobserved), snake bite should always be on your emergency radar — especially in summer, and especially when horses are grazing or moving through scrubby paddocks, around water troughs, or at night.

🌾 Pasture & Feed Risk: Understanding Annual Ryegrass Toxicity (ARGT)

One of the most serious pasture-related risks in WA — especially in summer — is Annual Ryegrass Toxicity (ARGT). It’s caused not by the grass itself, but by a bacterium living in the seed heads of ryegrass (and some other annual grasses), making them dangerously neurotoxic.

What is ARGT?

• The culprit is a bacterium, Rathayibacter toxicus, carried into ryegrass by a tiny seed-gall nematode, Anguina funesta (or related species). These nematodes invade the developing seed heads of ryegrass (especially Lolium rigidum, commonly known as Wimmera/Annual ryegrass).

• The bacteria produce potent neurotoxins in the seed-galls. These toxins remain dangerous — even if the grass dries or is baled as hay.

• Consequently, hay made from infected ryegrass — or pasture with seed heads — can poison livestock and horses. ARGT is endemic in many parts of Western Australia.

What to look out for — Clinical Signs in Horses

ARGT typically manifests as a neurological syndrome. Signs can include:

• Tremors or muscle fasciculations (especially shoulder, neck, limbs)

• Frequent blinking, ear twitching, head-nodding, muzzle tremors

• Ataxia — uncoordinated gait, wide-based stance, stumbling or swaying (even though the horse may appear bright and alert)

• Exaggerated, high-stepping gait (“hypermetria”) – particularly in early stages

• Collapse, convulsions or recumbency (in severe cases)

• Intermittent signs — sometimes the horse may appear normal, then deteriorate again after stress, exercise or disturbance

Importantly: the first signs may be subtle — a twitch in an ear, a slight wobble — and only become dramatic after the horse is stressed or moved. In many reported cases, clinical signs begin 2–6 days after ingestion of contaminated feed or hay, but deterioration may continue for days or weeks even after removing the diet source.

ARGT is serious: mortality rates of 40–50% (or higher) are common in animals showing clinical signs.

There is no specific antidote or effective treatment for ARGT. Treatment is supportive: remove all contaminated feed/pasture immediately, provide safe hay or feed, minimize stress, keep the horse quiet, provide shade and water, and deliver supportive care as required (fluids, supportive nursing, anticonvulsants if seizures occur, etc.).

Recovery, if it occurs, may take weeks to months. Some mildly-affected horses may recover fully, but many do not — especially if convulsions, recumbency or collapse occur. What You Should Do to Prevent ARGT

Given the serious risk and poor prognosis, prevention is absolutely critical:

• Source hay only from suppliers who test for bacterial seed-galls or supply risk-free hay. Where available, ask for a certificate or assurance that hay has been tested — or choose alternate feed sources

• If you suspect contaminated hay/pasture: remove it immediately — don’t wait for signs to appear. Then provide known safe feed and monitor your horse carefully.

• Avoid excessive stress or exercise if there is any chance of exposure — because neurological signs can worsen dramatically with stress or activity.

Because ARGT is endemic in many parts of WA, summer and early autumn hay and pasture changes should always prompt a review of feed sources before offering to horses.

🧓 Extra Care for Older Horses & Medically Fragile Horses

Older horses, or those with chronic conditions (PPID, EMS, laminitis, arthritis, poor dentition), deserve extra vigilance — particularly through summer and holiday periods.

Why They Are More Vulnerable

• Slower to rehydrate; weaker thirst drive; less tolerant of dehydration and heat stress.

• More prone to metabolic strains (during hot weather, feed changes, stress).

• If also grazing pasture or eating hay during ryegrass seed set, increased risk of exposure to toxins like ARGT.

• Greater likelihood of complications from heat, dehydration, or toxin-induced illness.

• On ongoing medications that must not be interrupted.

What to Do for Senior or Fragile Horses

• Provide multiple water sources, ideally in shaded, easily accessible spots. Soaked hay and molasses water become even more valuable — easier to drink and digest, more palatable.

• Avoid dry, dusty hay or very fibrous chaff during hot spells; prefer soaked hay or soft fibre sources.

• Minimise work or exercise on very hot days. Avoid heavy training, trail rides or long floats in summer heat.

• Be cautious with pasture changes, hay changes — especially ryegrass hay near seed set.

• Check manure output, hydration status, appetite, coat condition, behaviour — especially during hot weather or after feed/pasture change.

• Ensure medication supply well ahead of time: “don’t wait until the last minute”.

🏖️ Travelling or Away for Xmas? What You Must Do

We know many of you take time off over Christmas and New Year — to travel, spend time with family, or simply get away. That’s fine — but only if preparations are complete.

✅ Complete Our Emergency Consent Form

Please complete our Emergency Veterinary Consent Form and either:

• Email it to us before 18 December, or

• Print and leave a copy with the person who’ll look after your horse (pasture caretaker, agistment manager, friend or family member).

This consent form gives us legal permission to treat your horse if an emergency occurs and you’re unreachable. Without it, we may be forced to delay treatment — which can be dangerous, especially in severe conditions like colic, laminitis flare, snakebite, or heat stress.

✅ Provide Clear Written Instructions

Assume your caretaker is competent, but not familiar with every detail. Provide written instructions covering:

• Daily routine (feeding, turnout, paddock rotations)

• Water and shade access, especially during heat

• Feed / hay / grazing  instructions; whether feed is soaked or dry

• Any medical history: PPID, EMS, laminitis, metabolic disease, ulcers, previous colic, chronic lameness, dental issues

• Medication schedule + location of meds + backups (if medications are stored at your home or locked up, ensure caretaker knows access details)

• Fly-control protocols, first aid kit location, float/trailer location

• What to do if horse shows signs of colic, laminitis, heat stress, neurological disturbance, or snakebite — including emergency vet contact and contact numbers

✅ Stock Up, Organise & Review

Especially if you’ll be away during 18 Dec–6 Jan:

• Confirm you have at least 3–4 weeks’ worth of all routine medications, wound supplies, supplements, and feed/hay.

• Label all medications clearly; include dose instructions.

• Consider providing extra feed and hay — in case the caretaker is unavailable temporarily, or supply runs low.

• Show your caretaker where everything is kept (feed store, hay bales, tack, float).

• Review and practise the evacuation plan — especially if your property has bushland or paddocks prone to fire or flooding.

🆘 When to Call Us (Even During Holidays)

While we won’t be taking routine calls between 18 Dec–6 Jan, we will respond to genuine emergencies.

Call immediately if your horse shows any of the following:

• Colic signs (rolling, pawing, repeated lying down, separation from paddock mates)

• Severe or acute lameness (especially non-weight-bearing)

• Laminitis flare or suspected founder

• Sudden collapse, severe weakness, collapse after heat exposure

• Heat-related distress: severe panting, unresponsive behaviour, dark scant manure, dehydration signs

• Suspected or witnessed snakebite — swelling of muzzle/face/throat, puncture wounds, bleeding or discharge, breathing difficulties, muscle tremors, weakness, collapse, limb swelling

• Severe wounds: gashes, deep lacerations, tendon or joint involvement, heavy bleeding, exposed bone or tendon

• Burns, smoke inhalation, fire-related trauma

• Poisoning or toxicosis (e.g. after ingesting suspect hay, toxic plants, seedheads) — including suspected Annual Ryegrass Toxicity, or other sudden neurological signs (tremors, ataxia, convulsions)

Non-urgent requests (e.g. routine dental work, hoof trimming, worming, vaccines, elective procedures) will have to wait until we return to regular hours on Monday 6 January.

🧠 Quick Reference — Pre-Christmas Preparation Checklist

⚠️ Why All This Matters: Real Risks, Real Horses, Real Holidays

In summer, the combination of heat, drought, bushfire, thirsty pastures and hungry horses means the “status quo” of a winter or mild-weather routine no longer applies. Horses that manage perfectly fine during cooler months may become vulnerable under summer extremes — especially older or medically fragile horses, or those with metabolic issues.

Toxic hay or pasture can turn a peaceful holiday feed plan into a life-threatening neurologic illness.

Snakebite risk increases when horses graze or investigate undergrowth, near water, around stables, or at night — even if you don’t see a snake.

Running out of medications during a laminitis-prone hot spell could lead to a painful flare just when vet care is limited. Leaving hay changes until the last minute can expose horses to unexpected toxins.

And perhaps most importantly: if no one is watching — or caretaker instructions are vague — a serious problem may go unnoticed until it’s too late.

That’s why preparation, planning, communication and early action are the keys to protecting your horse over Christmas and summer.

💚 Final Thoughts — Enjoy the Season, But Plan Ahead

Christmas and summer are a special time — for many of us, the busiest, most family-filled, and also the most relaxing part of the year. It’s a time to travel, visit family, kick back, ride occasionally or simply enjoy the sunshine.

But for your horse — it’s also a time of increased risk. High heat, bushfire danger, snakes, toxic pastures — these all become part of the reality.

With a little foresight and planning now, you can dramatically reduce the chances of emergencies later. A stable, hydrated, well-fed, cool horse, with a clear caretaker plan, a packed float, safe hay and water, and emergency contacts on hand — that’s the ideal.

Remember:

• We are available for EMERGENCIES ONLY from 18 December – 6 January. Call us if you have a genuine emergency – 0427 072 095

• Routine appointments and non-emergency requests will not be addressed, but you can schedule them for after 6 Jan here.

• Please ensure you have sufficient medications and supplies before 18 Dec.

• If you are away, complete and submit our Emergency Consent Form, and leave instructions with your caretaker.

With good preparation, you can enjoy the holidays confidently — knowing that your horse is safe, comfortable, and that emergency veterinary support is available if truly needed.