McKey Equine Hospital

01/20/2026

Watch your horses water intake this weekend. Going to get cold. Call if you need help.

Find out why your horse might be more prone to impaction colic during winter and how you can reduce the risk.

01/19/2026

Happy Birthday to the backbone of McKey Equine, Alia Rothers!

Over a decade of loyalty to McKey Equine. She knows Dr. Stites’ every move before he even makes it. We’re incredibly proud to call her one of ours.
Thank you for everything you do. We wouldn’t be the same without you. 🐴🖤✨

01/13/2026

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝.

We are deeply grateful for every client who has trusted McKey Equine with their horses. Your loyalty, confidence, and continued support mean more than words can express.

Years of partnerships built on trust.
Countless horses helped, stories written, and goals achieved.

From quiet progress at home to big wins down the road, every success matters.

Thank you for allowing us to do what we love, and for being part of the journey. The best chapters are still ahead.

𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞
mckeyequine.com • (918) 773-6460

01/13/2026

𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞

McKey Equine offers ultrasound services for mares to help take the guesswork out of breeding season.

With ultrasound, Dr. Stites can:
• Check follicles and heat cycles
• Confirm pregnancy
• Monitor mares throughout the breeding process

McKey Equine also provides artificial insemination (AI) and has had many successful results over the years working with a wide range of breeding programs.

Having this equipment on hand allows mares to be evaluated quickly, accurately, and with minimal stress.

𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭
A mare’s heat cycle averages about 21 days, but ovulation only happens for a very short window. which is why timing and ultrasound matter so much.

𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞
mckeyequine.com • (918) 773-6460

01/12/2026

𝐅𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒

The guttural pouches are air filled structures unique to horses, located behind the throatlatch and surrounding critical nerves and blood vessels. When issues develop here, they can directly affect breathing, swallowing, and performance.

𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐞
• Thick or foul smelling nasal discharge
• Swelling near the throatlatch or jaw
• Difficulty swallowing or dropping feed
• Coughing, poor performance, or lethargy
• Chronic upper respiratory issues that don’t resolve

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲
There is no way to diagnose guttural pouch disease from the outside. The only accurate way to evaluate the pouches is with endoscopy.

Using an endoscope, we can directly visualize infection, inflammation, or abnormal buildup and determine whether a guttural pouch flush is necessary.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞
When indicated, we perform targeted guttural pouch flushing using sterile fluids and appropriate medications based on what we see, not assumptions.

Early diagnosis matters. Treating the cause! not just the symptoms… protects long term health and performance.

— McKey Equine
𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞-𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞.

𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞
mckeyequine.com • (918) 773-6460

01/10/2026

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬. 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞.

𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞’s Healthy Horse Package is designed to cover the essentials every performance horse needs all in one visit, at a discounted rate.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝:
• Core vaccines
• Teeth float
• Microchip with temperature

Regular total: $238.47
𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫: $190.76

Horses enrolled in this program will also be entered into a drawing for a Solo Stove “Bonfire.”

Preventative care done right! efficient, thorough, and horse first.

𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞
mckeyequine.com • (918) 773-6560

01/09/2026

Not sure what is going on with FormaHoof. Need answers.

01/07/2026

Woody Click and Brian Klatt. Look at this explanation.

Why a “self-adjusting palmar angle” (banana) shoe always rotates cranially, explained by PoB

A banana shoe (or so-called self-adjusting palmar angle shoe) works in a very consistent way.
When the belly of the shoe is placed under the coffin joint centre of rotation (CoR), the foot will rotate cranially and the palmar angle will rise. An “air wedge” is formed.

That outcome isn’t accidental, and it isn’t because the shoe is “forcing” the foot to move. The shoe is passive. What it does is remove geometric resistance and allow the limb to respond to its own internal mechanics.

This is where the Point of Balance (PoB) explains what’s actually happening.

PoB describes the moment-equilibrium requirement of the digit at midstance, the point at which internal flexor moments and the opposing ground reaction force are balanced about CoR.

When the belly of a banana shoe sits under CoR, the limb is intentionally placed in a non equilibrium state relative to PoB. The internal moment environment cannot balance there.

As a result, the system does what physics demands, it rotates cranially to shorten the effective lever arm and reduce joint torque. Forward rotation continues until the moment conditions are satisfied. In other words, until the PoB condition or concept is reached. At that point, rotation stops and equilibrium is restored.

This is why banana shoes are so consistent in their effect. They don’t “set” a palmar angle. They allow the limb to find equilibrium for itself.

Importantly, this also shows something fundamental.

Balance around CoR is not, by itself, an equilibrium state. CoR is the correct anatomical reference, but equilibrium depends on how forces are resolved AROUND it. The PoB concept defines that requirement.

What’s clever about the banana shoe is that it deliberately uses this non-equilibrium state to therapeutic advantage. By placing the shoe belly under CoR, we allow the limb to self-adjust until internal and external moments are balanced. The shoe doesn’t create motion, it permits the motion required to satisfy equilibrium.

If the belly of the shoe were placed at PoB, rotation would not occur. The system would already be balanced. That’s why the behaviour of the banana shoe is such a clean, real-world example of PoB in action. It clearly shows that PoB is “the point of balance”.

So PoB isn’t a new point to chase or a rule to apply blindly. It’s a framework that explains
• why banana shoes work,
• why they always rotate cranially,
• and how we can intentionally manipulate moment balance around CoR to manage hoof orientation.

It’s not new magic, it’s physics made visible.

12/14/2025

Congratulations Bronc Evans. Way to get it done.

💫15U Boys & Girls Team Roping💫
Sponsored by: Hebert's Town and Country Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram💫

Average Results-

12/13/2025

I enjoy reading these articles. We have the same conversations here with the farrier team daily. Balancing the hoof is quite complicated. If you have concerns or questions? Please give us a call for a consult. Woody Click Brian Klatt

12/05/2025

Alia Rothers participated in this great event. She does a great job with anesthesia for our surgeries. Alia has become very proficient with gas and IV anesthesia. She makes it easy in the surgery suite.

12/04/2025

This is very interesting conversation. The farriers here in office and I discussed this very issue at length this past week and almost every day. Woody Click and Brian Klatt are very knowledgeable about this topic.