How to save money on vet bills in 2026
With costs rising in many areas of our lives, most of us know that care of our horses and pets is the last place we want to focus when it comes to making a budget. However, there are still several ways to manage veterinary costs while still providing excellent care! Proactive planning and preventive care can go a long way in keeping your horses healthy and helping reduce unexpected expenses. Here are our top tips for saving on your equine veterinary costs in 2026!
Don’t skip preventive care.
Vaccines:
We all know the benefits of vaccines when it comes to preventing diseases like influenza, equine herpesvirus, tetanus, and eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). Tetanus and EEE can cost a horse their life (as can herpesvirus under some circumstances), but horse owners can be tempted to skip the flu/rhino (herpesvirus) vaccine to save money. While this may be do-able on some farms, we’ve seen countless flu and herpesvirus outbreaks at barns from skipping vaccines. These respiratory diseases can take a horse out of commission for weeks to months, and owners pay the price with medications and lost riding time.
Wellness Exams:
Our twice-yearly wellness visits are an opportunity for our doctors to identify potential issues early, before you have a major problem on your hands! Every year we counsel numerous horse owners on creeping increases in a horse’s weight that may put them at risk for laminitis, subtle haircoat changes that might indicate early PPID (“equine cushing’s), a new heart murmur that might signal other disease, pre-cancerous lesions (we commonly find these on sheath cleaning), and so many other potential problems. That inexpensive wellness exam can save thousands when it comes to early detection of a potential problem!
Dental Care:
More than any particular aspect of a horse’s care, dental care is the area that seems to really catch up to a horse (and a wallet) when early detection is missed. Skipping routine dental exams may mean saving a few hundred on an exam that identifies cavities, periodontal disease, and resorptive conditions, only to be faced later with broken teeth, extractions, sinus infections, jaw abscesses, and weight problems.
Consider Wellness Plans
Do you know about our wellness plans? These plans are designed to save you money, and offer the convenience of monthly billing (or pre-pay) to help budget year-round for your horse’s preventive care. Three levels of plans ensure your horse has access to the best recommended care, for less than you would normally spend! Plans give you access to discounts on farm calls and emergency fees as well! They’re 100% worth checking out if you’re not utilizing them already!
Utilize our haul-in option
Travel/ farm call fees are an avoidable expense when your horse is able to be seen at the clinic instead! We’ve found that more and more clients enjoy the convenience and cost-saving of trailering into the clinic. Haul-in appointments have no associated office visit fee, and day emergency fees are significantly reduced when horses are able to come to the clinic. Clients also love that we have access to all available diagnostic equipment with none of the limitations of what can be carried on a truck! As an added bonus, the climate-controlled treatment area is treat in the winter and summer months! For the trailer-driving novices, the driveway is carefully designed for no backing necessary, and visibility is excellent for pulling in and out!
Take advantage of telehealth and virtual care!
Technology has made it increasingly easy to help treat or monitor some conditions without an actual visit! We currently offer virtual visits and consulting in a variety of ways. Our digital gait analysis software allows you to send videos of your horse for lameness assessment, and is particularly valuable for monitoring progress on an ongoing soundness concern (click here to learn more). We also offer weight/nutrition/diet consultations, metabolic monitoring, and our very-popular gastric health consulting program, which decreases the number of stomach scopes for ulcer-y horses!