First Equine Veterinary Services

06/18/2026

🚨 NEW WORLD SCREWWORM (NWS) INTERSTATE MOVEMENT UPDATE 🚨

Due to the detection of New World Screwworm (NWS) in the United States, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida have recently implemented additional requirements for certain warm-blooded animals entering these states.

🐴 For horses coming from affected areas (specific counties in Texas and New Mexico):

🔹 Must have a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI) within 5 days of travel

🔹 Specific remarks must be listed on CVI stating the horse has been thoroughly inspected and found free of evidence of NWS infestation prior to travel.

🔹 A separate entry permit or prior authorization number required per state to enter within 48 hours of travel

🔹 Documentation of any NWS treatment

🐛Unlike many maggots that feed on dead tissue, NWS larvae feed on living tissue, causing rapidly enlarging wounds, severe pain, secondary infections, and potentially death if untreated.

For practices near major horse transportation corridors (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas), these transportation requirements are likely to become a routine part of interstate health certificate work until the outbreak is contained.

We will continue to keep our clients updated of any changes in travel restrictions as we are informed.

06/16/2026

✨ SUPER EXCITING NEWS — OUR TEAM IS GROWING! ✨

Please join us in welcoming our newest veterinarian, Dr. Angel Rivera, to the First Equine team!

Dr. Rivera is a recent graduate of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine and is excited to begin his equine internship with us. We are especially thrilled to have him join our team after he externed with First Equine as a veterinary student last year!

Originally from Puerto Rico, Dr. Rivera grew up riding Paso Finos, where his passion for horses first began. As a teenager, he moved to the United States and completed high school in Ocean Springs. He later earned his Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Medical Technology from Mississippi State University before continuing his education and obtaining his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.

Horses have remained at the center of Dr. Rivera’s veterinary journey, and he looks forward to further developing his skills in equine medicine and surgery while providing exceptional care to his patients and clients during his internship.

Outside of work Dr. Rivera enjoys training for triathlons, staying active in the gym, and spending time outdoors. He also has a passion for cars and motorcycles and enjoys tackling automotive projects whenever he can. Whether caring for horses, exploring new places, or taking on new challenges, he is always eager to learn, grow, and embrace new experiences.

Be sure to say hello when you see him out on calls!! Welcome to First Equine, Dr. Rivera! 🐴💙

06/12/2026

🏆🐴 CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR BIGGEST LOSER CHALLENGE WINNERS! 🐴🏆

After 90 days of dedication, consistency, and hard work, we're excited to announce the winners of the First Equine Veterinary Services Biggest Loser Challenge!

Both winning horses lost ✨more than 9% of their total body weight✨—an incredible accomplishment that reflects the commitment of their owners to improving their horses' health and well-being.

🥇 First Place: Kimmie Taylor & DeNalia

Kimmie has earned a $100 credit to First Equine Veterinary Services!

🥈 Second Place: Caley Perdue & Ember

Caley has won a $50 gift card to Willow Tack!

We are so proud of these teams and the progress they've made. Healthy weight loss takes planning, patience, and dedication, and these owners went above and beyond to help their horses become healthier and happier.
Please join us in congratulating our winners! 🎉👏

06/09/2026

Trivia Tuesday!! 🦴

There are a lot of laymen’s terms for conditions in horses. Do you know what joints are referred to when we say ring bone and whirl bone??

Tell us what you think!!

06/06/2026

✨Fridays with the Firsts✨ Rehabilitation Series

🔹Strengthening Stifles🔹

In many patients, we commonly see weak stifles. The stifle is a high-motion joint and can be susceptible to injury for a variety of reasons. Whether your horse is recovering from a stifle injury or simply has poor hind-end strength, specific exercises can help target key muscle groups to improve strength and stability during movement.

The goal when strengthening the stifle is to improve the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteal muscles, and overall pelvic stability while encouraging proper engagement of the hind limbs.

Remember our rehabilitation progression phases:

1️⃣Range of motion and flexibility

2️⃣Balance and proprioception

3️⃣Strengthening (backing, poles, hills)

4️⃣Dynamic stability (transitions, lateral work)

5️⃣Power and performance (cavaletti, collection, hill trots)

Two simple Phase 2 exercises that can be performed while your horse is standing are the pelvic sway and balance pad work.

To perform a pelvic sway, have your horse standing square. Without allowing them to move their feet, place your hand on the top of the pelvis or just above the tail and gently sway the pelvis from side to side. The goal is to encourage the horse to engage the muscles surrounding the stifle and pelvis without losing balance or picking up a leg. For an added challenge, this exercise can also be performed while the horse is standing on balance pads.

Once your horse is ready for Phase 3 strengthening, exercises such as backing on level ground, trotting over poles, and hill work can be incorporated. For horses with stifle issues, walking up hills at an angle can be easier than tackling a steep incline directly. When descending hills, use a gradual serpentine pattern to reduce stress on the joints and improve control.

As your horse develops baseline strength, more advanced exercises can be added to improve dynamic stability and performance. Leg yields and other lateral movements, rein-back to trot transitions, backing up a hill, collected work, and cavaletti exercises all help build strength, coordination, and control of the hind limbs.

A strong stifle isn't built by one exercise alone—it's the result of a progressive program that develops flexibility, balance, strength, and coordination over time.

06/02/2026

Trivia Tuesday!! 🦵🏻

We have common names for anatomy for horses: hock, fetlock, pastern, etc. What is the hock on a horse equivalent to on a human?

Tell us what you think!

06/02/2026

Check out the ✨new and improved✨ MyVetLink for accessing your Coggins and Health Certificates!!

There are some changes that MyVetLink has added that allows clients to update their information and manage their horses!

Moved?? Got a new phone number or email? You found your horse’s papers and know his exact birthday? Update those things on your account!!

Discover the new MyVetLink: a mobile-first platform to manage, access, and share trusted animal health records anytime, anywhere.

05/29/2026

🔹Friday’s with the Firsts: Rehabilitation Series🔹

The third phase of rehabilitation is ✨strengthening and stabilization✨

Once adequate range of motion and balance/proprioception have been restored, the next step is teaching the body to ➡️properly⬅️ support and control movement again. Weakness and instability are common after an injury and in unfit horses, and often lead to compensation patterns, abnormal loading, and re-injury if it is not addressed appropriately. If it isn’t, the body simply continues to overload the wrong structures.

The goal is not just creating a “stronger” horse, but creating a horse that can control their movement correctly which can help reduce injuries.

Depending on the individual horse, these types of exercises may include:

🔹Pole work & cavaletti
🔹Backing exercises
🔹Hill work
🔹Transitions
🔹Bands

True rehabilitation is progressive. We start with mobility, then balance and proprioception, and finally begin building the strength needed to support long-term soundness and performance!

05/26/2026

Trivia Tuesday!! 🕺🏼

Do you know what two breeds make up an Appendix?? What about a National Show Horse??

Tell us what you think!

05/23/2026

✨A Saturday Success Story✨

(🚨 and warning for graphic photos)

In the beginning of October, we had quite an interesting emergency case! Dr. Brittany and two veterinary students responded to a call where the owners found one of their horses with a SEVERE laceration and unable to move.

Upon examination, this patient had completely severed his extensor muscles (the muscles responsible for bringing the leg forward), barely missing his cephalic vein and median nerve. After ruling out a fracture, Dr. Brittany and the students got to work managing the patient’s pain and addressing this massive wound. During the process, we also discovered the cause of the injury — an unprotected suspension wire from a pole.

Several hours later, the laceration was repaired as best as possible using multiple drains. The patient was started on aggressive antibiotics, pain medication, and strict stall rest. One thing about wounds of this severity is that healing takes a long time — and requires a lot of patience.

Over the following weeks, some of the sutures dehisced as expected as severely damaged tissue began to die off. With large wounds, we often try to salvage as much tissue as possible, knowing some areas may not survive. At each recheck, the wound was cleaned, debrided, and medications were adjusted as needed.

Wound healing occurs in different phases, and each phase requires different bandage materials and topical therapies. We initially used antibiotic-infused Kerlix bandages, then transitioned to calcium alginate dressings to help absorb excess fluid. Later, we switched to Manuka honey dressings to encourage granulation tissue formation — and boy, did it work!

Once a healthy granulation bed was established, the owners continued treatment with topical SSD ointment. With every update we received, the wound continued to contract and improve.

We are so happy to report that this patient made a complete recovery and is doing amazingly well! The owners rode him for the first time since his injury last week. 💕🥹

The two veterinary students who assisted on the case stayed in touch throughout the entire healing process and received every update along the way. Cases like this truly take a village, and we want to give a huge shoutout to these incredibly dedicated owners for their diligence and commitment to his care every step of the way. 💙