MONTHLY FOCUS
We are passionate about educating fellow horse owners on a variety of topics related to equine health and medicine. Each month, we dedicate our focus to a specific subject, providing valuable insights to help you better understand and care for your horse. Our goal is to share knowledge that empowers owners to make informed decisions about their horse's well-being. By continuously learning and staying informed, we can all contribute to the health, happiness, and longevity of our equine companions.
January 2025
New Year - New Health
Do you have focus goals for your horse this new year? Whether it’s reaching performance marks or simply being healthy, Progressive Equine can help you plan and prepare.
Schedule a health check for your horse to discuss your goals for 2025 and make a plan for optimal performance and health.
From routine maintenance like dental floats and annual bloodwork to a discussion on joint health & nutrition, Progressive Equine is here for you.
February 2025
Hoof Health Month
Images of a horses feet can check for many things. Whether it’s just general balance or looking for pathology, we can find it and help make a plan for optimal hoof health.
Radiographs show:
- coffin bone alignment
- sole depth
- palmar angle
- toe length
- medial to lateral balance
- signs of disease like arthritis, laminitis, navicular
disease, ringbone, fractures, and hoof wall separation
Get recommendations for shoeing changes. We can work closely with your farrier to determine how to keep your horses hoof health optimal.
March 2025
Osteoarthritis Month
We had a discussion dinner hosted by Dechra. We learned about what signs to look for and how to treat osteoarthritis in horses, from Brett Turi DVM.
Osteoarthritis (OA) in horses—also known as degenerative joint disease (DJD)—is a progressive, irreversible condition that affects the joints, causing pain, inflammation, and reduced mobility.
April 2025
Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome
We had a discussion dinner hosted by Behringer Ingelheim where we learned about Ulcers in horses and how to treat and manage.
Casey Cromer, DVM came out to teach us all about EGUS.
Ulcers in horses—commonly referred to as equine gastric ulcers—are painful sores or erosions in the lining of the stomach. They are very common, especially in performance horses, and can seriously affect a horse’s behavior, performance, and overall health.
May 2025
Acupuncture Month
Acupuncture can successfully treat muscle atrophy after nerve damage.
(Eastern diagnosis was Qi Deficiency with Stagnation)
After conventional western medicine did not find a resolution to this horses gluteal muscle atrophy, acupuncture treatment was recommended.
With any type of nerve trauma, you will get local Qi and blood stagnation. This will lead to a local Deficiency. Muscle atrophy, like this horse had, is a sign of Qi Deficiency.
It is best to start treatment immediately after the injury and multiple treatments are needed. If treatment is delayed and the atrophy has been present longer than a year, the chance of full recovery is slim. With any nerve injury, Electroacupuncture is the optimum treatment.
In the photos you can see the left side gluteal muscles are quite atrophied and after 14 treatments you can see the difference. Dr. Rydgig uses electroacupuncture and dry needle acupuncture to successfully resolve gluteal muscle atrophy.
If your horse has had any type of nerve damage, check in with Dr. Rydgig at Progressive Equine, to see if acupuncture would be beneficial.
June 2025
Metabolic Conditions
(PPID & EMS)
We are hosting a discussion dinner by Boeheinger Ingleim and Casey Cromer, DVM to discuss Equine Metabolic Conditions such as PPID (cushings) and EMS.
Equine Cushing’s disease, officially called Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), is a hormonal disordercaused by dysfunction of the pituitary gland in the brain.
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The pituitary gland overproduces hormones—especially ACTH, which stimulates excess cortisol production.
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This leads to a weakened immune system, muscle wasting, and metabolic changes.