Rhinebeck Equine

Rhinebeck Equine Rhinebeck Equine LLP is dedicated to improving the health and welfare of the horse.

Rhinebeck Equine is an independently owned, exclusively equine, practice located in Dutchess County in the Hudson River Valley about 120 miles north of NYC. The practice was founded in the 1940s by Dr. Kenneth Gumaer and began its equine focus in 1967 when Dr. Paul Mountan joined Dr. Ronnie Miller. Renamed Rhinebeck Equine in 1996, the practice’s veterinarians have been providing quality care to the equine population of New York’s Hudson Valley for over 50 years. This experienced and trusted practice has progressively grown into a comprehensive ambulatory and referral clinic with twelve veterinarians, five intern veterinarians, and over 30 support staff. The Rhinebeck Equine LLP team offers a full spectrum of services to horses of all breeds, providing comprehensive equine health care, including services in the areas of surgery, sport horse care, lameness evaluations, pre-purchase exams, reproduction, neonatal care, internal medicine, ophthalmology, dentistry, and wellness care. Our referral hospital is staffed by board-certified specialists in equine surgery, internal medicine, theriogenology (reproduction), ophthalmology, dermatology, interns, and a team of highly experienced support personnel. The hospital enables Rhinebeck Equine LLP to provide cutting-edge treatment to its equine patients. Ambulatory veterinarians serving the surrounding area provide care from their fully equipped mobile units.

🐈‍⬛ It’s Caturday! We know Dorm and Torb are quite “Popular” on the RE social media pages. This week, Dorm was overcome ...
11/15/2025

🐈‍⬛ It’s Caturday! We know Dorm and Torb are quite “Popular” on the RE social media pages. This week, Dorm was overcome with a Wicked tendency when she helped herself to a Churu in the lab. Afterwards Dorm went “Dancing Through Life (clinic).” Meanwhile, Torb, in the arms of Dr. Haven Erengil, appears to be singing with her eyes “And I will be loathing, for forever loathing. Truly, deeply loathing you. My whole life long” as she is “Defying Gravity” - much to her dismay. Overall, we think Dorm and Torb are here “For Good.” And we hope everyone has a “Wonderful” weekend.

🧙‍♀️ Do you have Wicked fever?

👀Recently, a post has been circulating about a horse owner’s horrific firsthand experience with botulism resulting in th...
11/15/2025

👀Recently, a post has been circulating about a horse owner’s horrific firsthand experience with botulism resulting in the loss of several horses. Let’s break botulism down.

🧫 What is botulism?

Botulism is a paralytic disease that is the result of a neurotoxin released by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. The toxin blocks the communication between nerves and muscles.

🧫 How?

Most commonly spores from the Clostridium botulinum are ingested or infect a wound releasing a neurotoxin. What comes to mind for most horse owners when talking about botulism is when carrion is inadvertently baled into hay and the horse ingests the contaminated hay. However, the Clostridium botulinum spores are found in the soil too.

In foals, the disease is shaker foal syndrome a form of botulism, that is the result of Clostridium botulinum spores germinating and producing toxin in foals’ intestinal tracts.

🧫 What are the clinical signs?

🏋🏻‍♀️ Weakness (May lead to recumbency.)
🏃🏻‍♀️ Exercise intolerance
💪🏼 Muscle tremors
🤤 Drooling
👅 Reduced tongue strength

🫁 More severe clinical signs of progressive paralysis are labored breathing, difficulty swallowing, or respiratory paralysis and/or heart failure leading often ending in death.

‼️ Unfortunately, the clinical signs can progress dependent on the the toxin load either rapidly over a few hours or more slowly over a couple of weeks.

🩺 How is botulism diagnosed?

Primarily based on clinical signs, the presence of contaminated feed/hay likely ingested by the horse, and excluding other neurological diseases and toxicological causes.

💊 What is the treatment for botulism?

This disease is costly to treat and can be fatal. Treatment of botulism includes the administering of an anti-toxin and supportive care including anti-microbials.

💉 Is botulism preventable?

A vaccine, BotVax® B, is a USDA-approved vaccine that helps prevent equine botulism caused by Clostridium botulinum Type B.
It should be highly considered for horses being fed large bales of hay that are not carefully inspected for contamination and endemic areas. In yearlings or naive horses, three doses of the botulism vaccine are given one month apart followed by a single-dose booster in subsequent years.

Foals are highly susceptible to the toxin. We recommend vaccination of all broodmares on an annual basis 30 days before their foaling date. Their colostrum will protect the foal.

neogencorp NEOGEN

🔔 Rhinebeck Equine continues to bededicated to improving the health and welfare of the horse while grasping opportunitie...
11/14/2025

🔔 Rhinebeck Equine continues to be
dedicated to improving the health and welfare of the horse while grasping opportunities to further veterinary medicine. We are participating in a new clinical trial with a leading equine health company. And we are enrolling horses with signs of insulin dysregulation, a common but overlooked condition that can lead to serious health issues.

🐴 Does your horse have any of these signs?
👉🏼A cresty neck or unusual fat deposits?
👉🏼Overweight despite a controlled diet?
👉🏼Episodes of laminitis or hoof sensitivity?
👉🏼Lethargy or decreased performance?

📧 If so, your horse may qualify for screening and study related care at no cost to you. Curious? Please email us at
internalmedicine@rhinebeckequine.com to learn more!

🌎 Today is World Kindness Day! A global observation day that emphasizes the need to be kind to make a positive impact. G...
11/13/2025

🌎 Today is World Kindness Day! A global observation day that emphasizes the need to be kind to make a positive impact. Generally, social media is a platform that often spreads negativity faster than positivity; however, we believe that social media has the power to spread kindness. We believe that even the simplest acts of kindness can change the world.

🐴 In an effort to embrace World Kindness Day, please comment, send a message or tag us in a post about your experience(s) with our incredible team. Or even just how a simple act of kindness has brightened your day. And we definitely love to see pics too.

📸: Jen, LVT snuggling with a patient.

🫁 We know we take your breath away, but what if your horse is struggling with respiratory issues? We are going to breakd...
11/12/2025

🫁 We know we take your breath away, but what if your horse is struggling with respiratory issues? We are going to breakdown a few common equine respiratory problems.

🫁 What is equine asthma (Recurrent Airway Obstruction or heaves)?

In simple terms, it is inflammation of the small airways in the lungs (bronchioles) as a reaction to environmental allergens. Symptoms include nasal discharge, coughing and exercise intolerance.

🫁 How is equine asthma diagnosed?

A physical exam is performed including a rebreathing examination. A rebreathing exam consists of stimulating a horse taking deep breaths by placing a garbage bag over their mouth and nostrils. The garbage bag fills with carbon dioxide forcing the horse to take deep breaths allowing for auscultation of more of the lung field. Additional diagnostics include ultrasound and a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Other diagnostic tests may include an endoscopy to rule out other diagnoses.

🫁 Why a BAL?

A BAL might be recommended by your veterinarian if they suspect your horse has a diffuse, non-infectious respiratory disease such as recurrent airway obstruction or heaves (RAO), inflammatory airway disease (IAD), and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH).

🫁 How is a BAL performed?

This procedure is performed in the standing, sedated and restrained horse. A BAL tube is passed through the nose to the pharynx then into the trachea and down to the lower airway. Once the BAL tube becomes wedged in the bronchus, the balloon (on the tube) is inflated in order for the tube to maintain position. Next, sterile saline is quickly administered down the tube. The fluid washes over the lung tissue then is aspirated back into the syringes. The goal is to obtain greater than 50% of the sterile saline back. A good sample is one that appears 'very foamy' also known as surfactant. Surfactant has important functions including the formation of a barrier against adhesions and the invasion of microorganisms into the lungs, increasing lung compliance and supporting alveolar stability during the respiratory cycle. The sample, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, is what will be submitted for cytology to the laboratory and will confirm the diagnosis.

🫁 A treatment option that may be recommended is inhalation therapy. What is inhalation therapy?

Inhalation therapy is the administration of medications such as antimicrobials, bronchodialators and anti-inflammatories delivered using a medical device such as a nebulizer that produces an aerosolized mist of the medications.

🫁 Why inhalation therapy?

Inhalation therapy is an effective way to administer medications directly to the lower airway to treat respiratory problems, including Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO), or heaves or equine asthma, Inflammatory AirWay Disease (IAD) a chronic inflammatory condition of the airways and Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH), a result of blood in the airways of horses after strenuous exercise caused by the rupture of pulmonary capillaries. Other cases for the use of inhalation therapy include patients with pneumonia.

🫁 Here at RE we use the Flexineb USA for horses and foals. It is easy to use, efficiently delivers medications, quick to clean and disinfect, and most importantly our patients tolerate their treatment sessions very well.

🫁 If you have respiratory concerns with your horse, call the office to set-up an appointment with one of our internal medicine specialists, Dr. Laura Javsicas, ACVIM and Dr. Lauren Holley, ACVIM.

11/12/2025

Keratoma surgery.

🇺🇸 On this Veterans Day, we honor those who have served or are still serving in the United States Armed Services. And we...
11/11/2025

🇺🇸 On this Veterans Day, we honor those who have served or are still serving in the United States Armed Services. And we take a look back to a video from War Horses For Veterans showing the power of the horse to help veterans returning home.

🛥️ Amongst the RE staff, Kath Keen is a Navy Veteran. We thank you for your service to the Navy and now for your dedication to RE’s patients.

🔗 https://youtu.be/vz9siQRxgRI?si=v5UwwCiU5Sb2ggA4

🥶 Brr! Looks like winter temperatures are coming our way! While many of us are still in denial, here are a few cold weat...
11/10/2025

🥶 Brr! Looks like winter temperatures are coming our way! While many of us are still in denial, here are a few cold weather tips for your horses as we head into winter in the Hudson Valley.

❄️ Cold Weather Tips

💦 Water should be available at all times.
Warm water would be preferred by
your horse to drink. Offer plain water
and even electrolyte water. Consider
soaking their feed to increase water
intake.

🔨 Please keep in mind to break through
the ice frequently if no heated water
buckets nor troughs are being used.

🪣 Increase forage - if appropriate. The
more forage a horse eats the more
water they will drink. And this will help
keep them warm.

🏃🏻‍♀️ Use caution when walking or turning
horses out on the snow and ice.

🏠 Horses accustomed to living out
should have the choice of shelter
available to shield them from the
wind and elements. And some horses
may need blankets.

🛌 Speaking of blankets, if you are
blanketing better double check that
they fit well, straps and buckles are in
working order, and your horse is
accustomed to wearing one.

🐴 Pay close attention to senior horses,
newborn foals (yes, sometimes we see
them this time of year), and thin
horses - blanket as needed.

☀️ Remember to check underneath
blankets daily for any injuries or rubs.

💩 Be vigilant about your horse’s intake
and output. Impactions are common.
If you are concerned, please call your
veterinarian.

💦 May this post serve as your reminder to take care of your water hoses.

🛻 In the event of severe winter weather, please be patient and kind to your ambulatory veterinarians, technicians and assistants as they safely navigate poor road conditions to reach you and your horse.

⛄️ What are your must haves for yourself when it comes to the Hudson Valley winter weather?

🩸 We are sure your social media feed has posts about the recent spike of positive EIA horses across the United States. A...
11/10/2025

🩸 We are sure your social media feed has posts about the recent spike of positive EIA horses across the United States. As a horse owner, you have your veterinarian out for a yearly physical and dental exam, administer vaccinations, and pull blood for a Coggins test. But what is EIA?

🩸EIA is Equine Infectious Anemia, is caused by the Equine Infectious Anemia Virus. It only affects equids. Most infected horses are asymptomatic. The incubation period ranges from a week, 45 days or even longer.

Clinical Signs of Acute Infection:
🌡️ Fever
🤢 Inappetance
🪦 Sudden death

Clinical Signs of Chronically Infected Horses:
🏋🏻‍♀️ Weight loss
🐴 Ataxia/weakness
🩸 Anemia
🦵Swelling of the legs, chest and ventral
abdomen.

🩸 Once a horse is infected they serve as a lifetime reservoir for potential transmission. The most common type of transmission is vector; however, other types of transmission include iatrogenic (through contaminated needles, syringes, surgical instruments and blood transfusion from an infected horse etc.), and even reports of EIA transmission from mare to foal and stallion to mare.

🩸 Unfortunately, there is no known treatment for EIA nor vaccine for the prevention of this virus. And once horses are infected they become lifelong carriers of EIA which poses a risk of infection to other horses. The only options for an EIA infected horse is euthanasia or lifetime quarantine and isolation at least 200 yards away from non-infected horses.

🥼 What is a coggins test?
The test is named after a virologist named Leroy Coggins who developed EIA testing. A coggins test is a diagnostic blood test used to identify the presence of antibodies for EIA. EIA testing is A positive test indicates the presence of EIA-specific antibodies. The ELISA test can detect antibodies earlier than the AGID test: however, it is important to note that an AGID test be run to confirm the positive ELISA test due to the ELISA test may produce false positive results. The laboratory will report a positive test result to local state or federal animal health officials within 24 hours of the result. ElA is a regulated disease in the U.S. The animal health official will locate the positive horse, quarantine the horse, and obtain a second sample for confirmatory testing.

🩸 How do we protect horses from contracting the EIA virus?
We protect horses by practicing our due diligence when it comes to veterinary procedures, administering blood products, sterilizing surgical instruments, biosecurity measures and more.

📸: Laura, LVT caring for a patient with knowledge, attention to detail and compassion.

Address

26 Losee Lane
Rhinebeck, NY
12572

Telephone

(845) 876-7085

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Rhinebeck Equine is an exclusively equine practice located in Dutchess County in the Hudson River Valley about 120 miles north of NYC. The practice was founded in the 1940’s by Dr. Kenneth Gumaer, and began its equine focus in 1967, when Dr. Paul Mountan joined Dr. Ronnie Miller. Renamed Rhinebeck Equine in 1996, the practice’s veterinarians have been providing quality care to the equine population of New York’s Hudson Valley for over 50 years. This experienced and trusted practice has progressively grown into a comprehensive, caring medical and surgical center employing eight veterinarians, four intern veterinarians, and 28 support staff. A “State of the Art” referral hospital, completed in 2002, is staffed by two board certified equine surgeons, a board certified internal medicine specialist, interns, and a team of highly experienced support personnel. The hospital enables Rhinebeck Equine LLP to provide cutting edge treatment to its equine patients. Seven ambulatory veterinarians serving the surrounding area who will provide on the farm care from their fully equipped mobile units. The Rhinebeck Equine LLP team offers a full spectrum of services to horses of all breeds, providing comprehensive equine health care, including services in the areas of surgery, sport horse care, lameness evaluations, pre-purchase exams, reproduction, neonatal care, internal medicine, ophthalmology, dentistry and wellness care.

For more info, visit us at http://www.rhinebeckequine.com/