Canadian Horse Journal - West - Autumn 2021 by Horse Community Journals Inc.

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AUTUMN 2021

20 ADOBESTOCK/DOUGLAS VIGON EYEEM | 56 CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY | 66 TANIA MILLEN

PHOTOS

SPECIAL FEATURES

HEALTH & WELFARE

9 Drought Produces Hay Shortages

12 Equine Asthma and Pollution

52 How Do Horses Learn?

13 Heart Irregularities in Thoroughbred Racehorses

56 The Science of Schooling

14 Painful Eye Condition Studied

62 The Mental Game

16 The Chew Factor

Why it is so important for equestrians to become educated about learning theory and its practical application.

Keys to effective training sessions, and five myths that can sidetrack schooling.

Develop the mental skills to build your confidence and make riding more fun.

66 Competitive Mountain Trail

Looking for a new challenge? Try the sport that builds trust and helps create braver horses and riders. www.HORSE Journals.com

AUTUMN 2021

Research confirms that horses suffer when air pollution levels rise.

Studying atrial fibrillation, the most commonly recognized heart rhythm disturbance in athletic horses.

A genetic variant is associated with distichiasis in Friesian horses.

What a hay analysis can tell us about chewing behaviour and expected feed intake.

20 Equine Teeth: An Evolutionary Success Story

From canine teeth to Galvayne’s Groove, there’s a lot going on inside the equine mouth.

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Low rainfall and high temperatures have impacted this year’s hay supplies, and horse owners are worried.

ON THE COVER: Debbie Hughes of Chilliwack, BC guides her horse through a Competitive Mountain Trail obstacle. PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBBIE HUGHES

AUTUMN 2021

32 44

HEALTH & WELFARE 26 Getting Back to Better

What horse owners should know about rehabilitation and return to performance after colic surgery.

32 The Burgeoning Business of Rehab

Equine rehabilitation and conditioning centres help horses return to health and achieve greater fitness.

40 Rehab for the Not-Quite-Right Horse

How to develop an exercise therapy program to give your horse the best chance of recovery. www.HORSE Journals.com

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26 SHUTTERSTOCK/SAMOLI | 32 FAWCETT PHOTOGRAPHY | 40 SHUTTERSTOCK/ERICKSON STOCK | 44 ISTOCK/GROOMEE | 48 DREAMSTIME/VIACHESLAV NEMYRIVSKYI

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AUTUMN 2021

44 Sport Horse Performance Injections

The most commonly used equine injection therapies to address lameness and joint disease.

48 How Does Your Beauty Sleep?

How well does your horse sleep? How much sleep does he need, and why is it important?

DEPARTMENTS 2 Celebration of Horses Photo Contest 3, 77 Country Homes & Acreages 8 Editorial 74 Horse Council BC News 76 Profile: Weidemann Agricultural Equipment

78 79 80 82 83

Index to Advertisers

Book Review: Somebeachsomewhere

Canadian Therapeutic Riding Assoc. News Canadian Quarter Horse Assoc. News Regenerative Medicine Helps Horses Heal Meet Our Contributors

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26 SHUTTERSTOCK/SAMOLI | 32 FAWCETT PHOTOGRAPHY | 40 SHUTTERSTOCK/ERICKSON STOCK | 44 ISTOCK/GROOMEE | 48 DREAMSTIME/VIACHESLAV NEMYRIVSKYI PHOTOS

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CANADIAN HORSE JOURNAL

EDITOR’S DESK

— SUSAN SARANDON AS ANNIE SAVOY IN BULL DURHAM (1988 MOVIE).

Many readers will see themselves, as I do, in the experiences of Annika McGivern and “Sam” shared in McGivern’s article, The Mental Game (page 62). When crisis strikes, a lack of coping skills can make our thoughts overwhelming and incapacitating. These feelings can lead to anxiety and lack of confidence, and to decisions which may not be in our own best interests. Each of us must find our way through this quagmire of negative feelings to a better more positive outcome. We need the self-awareness to understand that the negative experience and our disparaging thoughts do not define us, and that to separate ourselves from those thoughts we must trust in our own ability to improve and change. Connecting with ourselves helps us to see things from the perspective of others and this includes our horses. As McGivern explained, once her confidence plummeted her horse started stopping at cross-country obstacles. Do we really want to carry all of those bad vibes with us when we climb into the saddle? We expect our equine partners to adapt to our expectations and continually improve, but our horses can’t perform at their best when we bring our mental baggage to the barn. I believe that developing our self-awareness is one of the best things we can do for ourselves and our horses (not to mention our families and friends). The quote at the top of the page always makes me laugh because selfawareness is not a curse, but rather a blessing that motivates us to change. Think about it. No Canadian horse owner should be surprised by the looming hay shortage this fall and winter. Well-below normal rainfall and recordbreaking temperatures over the summer have reduced forage yields to less than 50 percent of averages from British Columbia to Ontario. As reported in Tania Millen’s article (page 9), John Bland of the Alberta Forage Information Network warns, “We’re going into fall with every pasture in the country overgrazed, which doesn’t bode well for next spring.” With climate change, this year’s drought may be a harbinger of things to come. As much as possible, horse owners should plan for an uncertain hay supply in the future and Millen’s article suggests ways to do that. This issue has a BIG focus on equine rehab, with four features exploring everything from the ways a horse owner can help their horse return to performance after colic surgery, to how to develop a therapy program for the horse with subtle lameness but no clear diagnosis, to a description of the most commonly used equine injection therapies, and a visit to four purpose-built rehabilitation and conditioning centres. There’s much to think about in The Science of Schooling (page 56) and Do Equestrians Know How Their Horses Learn? (page 52). As Lindsay Grice explains, we learn a lot by trial and error, sometimes at the expense of horses, so the more insight we can gain from the research and guidance shared in these articles the better off our horses will be. For an intriguing change of scene, why not try your hand and hooves at Competitive Mountain Trail (page 66). This sport has loads of appeal to riders of all levels and across several disciplines, and it’s growing in popularity. Check it out! I had a lot of fun sourcing some of the photos for this issue’s features. The sleep photos in How Does Your Beauty Sleep? had me dozing off at my desk. And when I found the photo on page 20 (Equine Teeth) I laughed out loud! It wasn’t easy to find a photo of a horse displaying both his top and bottom teeth, but this one was worth the search. Kathy Smith 8

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Volume 22 • Issue 1 Autumn 2021 Issue (Sept/Oct) of Canadian Horse Journal EDITOR / PUBLISHER Kathy Smith ACCOUNTS Geri Pronovost ADVERTISING Terry Andrucko • Janna Reimer SOCIAL MEDIA April D. Ray SUBSCRIPTIONS Steve Smith MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION Janna Reimer ART DIRECTION, PRODUCTION Elisa Crees CONTRIBUTORS Tania Millen • Shawn Hamilton • Dr. Billy Hodge Jec Ballou • Shelagh Niblock • Annika McGivern Alexa Linton • Lindsay Grice • Dr. Crystal Lee WCVM • HCBC • MHC • CanTRA • CQHA ADVERTISING, SUBSCRIPTIONS & GENERAL INQUIRIES 1-800-299-3799 • 250-655-8883 or email: sales@horsejournals.com ADVERTISING DEADLINE 4 weeks prior to issue date e.g., Oct.1 for Winter (Nov/Dec) issue. ONLINE EDITION

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AUTUMN 2021

PHOTO: ISTOCK/BRONWYNB

“The world is made for people who aren’t cursed with self-awareness.”

Your Horse b Your Passion b Your Magazine

PHOTO: ISTOCK/BRONWYNB

The 2021 drought may be a harbinger of things to come, and horse owners would be wise to plan for future hay supply uncertainty.

2021 DROUGHT PRODUCES

Hay Shortages When it comes to purchasing hay this year, John Bland says, “[Horse owners] are between a rock and a hard place. This year, there’s typically nothing to cut.” Bland is a member of the Alberta Forage Information Network and has been producing and selling hay in Alberta for over 40 years. He says this year’s drought covers the majority of North America’s Great Plains region, so is different from other dry years such as 2001, 2009, and 2019 when droughts were more regional. The drought has been nationally recognized, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has identified regions of drought — where forage yields were less than 50 percent of long-term averages — across Western Canada from British Columbia to Ontario. As of July 31, 2021, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s

Canadian Drought Monitor reported: In July, well-below normal precipitation and record-breaking temperatures rapidly worsened drought conditions across Western Canada, from Vancouver Island to Northwestern Ontario, resulting in significant and widespread impacts. Above normal temperatures followed the unprecedented high temperatures of early July, which led to drying surface water supplies, reduced streamflow, drying pasture and rangeland, negatively affected crops, and increased wildfires. Provincial crop reports summarized similar conditions with the July 27 to August 2, 2021 Saskatchewan Crop Report, finding that hot, dry conditions had resulted in reduced pasture growth in many areas. By early August, 19 percent of Saskatchewan pastures were rated in fair

By Tania Millen

condition while 81 percent were considered to be in poor or very poor condition. Impacts in British Columbia and Alberta were slightly better depending on the region, while Manitoba and northwestern Ontario fared slightly worse. By August 2, 2021, impacts on hay quality were moderate, severe, and extreme across the majority of Western Canada. The lack of hay and poor pasture conditions concerned many and cattle ranchers were selling approximately four times the usual number of stock at auction in late July due to lack of feed. “People are desperate. It is a tough year, and it’s going to continue to be a tough year,” says Bland. “We’re going into fall with every pasture in the country overgrazed, which doesn’t bode well for next spring.” AUTUMN 2021

CANADIAN HORSE JOURNAL

CANADIAN DROUGHT MONITOR

Conditions as of July 31, 2021 S

WHITEHORSE

YELLOWKNIFE

FT. ST. JOHN

EDMONTON KAMLOOPS

VICTORIA

SASKATOON

CALGARY

REGINA

VANCOUVER

DROUGHT INTENSITY ABNORMALLY DRY MODERATE DROUGHT SEVERE DROUGHT EXTREME DROUGHT EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT DROUGHT NOT ANALYZED

This year, Bland harvested only 20 percent of the hay he typically produces in the Calgary area, but across Western Canada, hay supplies are variable. In British Columbia and Alberta, some areas had reasonable weather while regions around Grande Prairie and south towards Edmonton were significantly drier; however, there were definitely hay shortages in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Chris Fulkerth, a Professional Agrologist and past Chair of Alberta Forage Industry Network Board, says that means equestrians need to purchase hay sooner rather than later and should be prepared to pay more this year. For those just purchasing hay now, “paying more” may mean paying double the usual cost for their hay. Bland reported that hay typically priced at $150 per ton increased to upwards of $300 per ton in midAugust. Unlike cattle, which can survive on a variety of feeds, horses must have good quality hay. Unfortunately, this year’s drought 10

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AUTUMN 2021

Vermilion, Alberta; Melfort, Saskatchewan; and Dauphin, Manitoba indicate that first cut hay production will increase by 24 percent while second cut production will decrease by over 30 percent. The 2021 drought may be a harbinger of things to come, and horse owners would be wise to plan for future hay supply uncertainty. IQALUIT Some of the ways to plan for that uncertainty are by improving pasture management, considering supplementation, altering feeding ST. JOHN’S methods, increasing hay storage capacity, and pre-ordering CHARLOTTETOWN hay from suppliers. Activities such as HALIFAX QUEBEC seeking out additional FREDERICTON SL grazing areas, as well as WINNIPEG irrigating, collecting MONTREAL THUNDER BAY manure, mowing, strip OTTAWA grazing, and fallowing fields TORONTO to maintain good quality pasture could WINDSOR reduce hay needs. Utilizing hay cubes, pellets, or different types of hay to fulfill a horse’s forage needs could reduce the DELINEATES DOMINANT IMPACTS effects of fluctuating hay supplies. S = SHORT-TERM, TYPICALLY LESS THAN Feeding methods that limit waste and 6 MONTHS (E.G. AGRICULTURE, GRASSLANDS) prevent over-feeding, such as using L = LONG-TERM, TYPICALLY GREATER THAN feeders and nets, can ensure that hay 6 MONTHS (E.G. HYDROLOGY, ECOLOGY) supplies are well-utilised. Increasing hay storage capacity so that hay can be purchased when available, and preordering hay in bulk from the same conditions, hay shortages, and high hay suppliers annually, can provide assurance prices may not be a one-off event. Canada’s climate is warming two times for both producers and purchasers. This faster than the global average, and across also reduces last minute sourcing Canada the frequency, intensity, and struggles and ensures the best prices. duration of extreme events like heat “We’re telling our horse customers waves, wildfires, and floods are projected that the way to make sure you have hay is to increase. According to the 2020-2021 to step up to the plate,” says Bland. “Tell Regional Perspectives Report led by Natural us how much you need. Be professional Resources Canada, Canada’s changing and pay for it (preferably in advance). But prairie climate will result in more at least have an order.” He also notes, frequent extreme precipitation events, “Smaller operators typically buy one or shifting precipitation patterns, increased two bales at a time and if they stick to that water scarcity, longer growing seasons, they are going to be in big trouble.” and more frequent and intense droughts, While many horse owners are simply all of which affect pasture productivity, trying to survive the difficulties of this quality, and nutrients — as well as future year’s hay shortages, astute equestrians hay supply. Although hay productivity will be planning for future challenges. may increase in the near term, high Advance planning and adaptation are key temperatures, droughts, and more and can potentially reduce overall hay variable precipitation will negatively needs while ensuring sufficient hay in affect crop yields such as hay production uncertain times. b over the long term. For example, model simulations for the years 2040 to 2069 for > Tania Millen is a regular contributor to this timothy hay crops in Edmonton and Fort magazine — read her bio on page 82.

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The tone of the lighting is caused by forest fire smoke from fires several hundred miles away. This photo was taken in late May 2019 near Edmonton, Alberta.

Equine Asthma and Pollution By Jackie Bellamy-Zions, Equine Guelph During the summer there are often waves of horses presenting with respiratory disease. Ontario Veterinary College researcher, Janet Beeler-Marfisi, never really ascribed that to being part of air pollution until her recent research revealed that horses, with their far greater lung capacity and athleticism, can also suffer when air pollution levels rise. Checking the Air Quality Health Index is how many humans suffering from asthma start their day and subsequently plan their activities. As an asthma sufferer, Beeler-Marfisi has personal experience recognizing how the air quality can affect her own breathing. She has always wondered if horses could also be impacted. In their Ontario study published in 2020 in the US National Library of Medicine, titled Increased Weekly Mean PM2.5, and NO2 Are Associated With Increased Proportions of Lower Airway Granulocytes in Ontario Horses, Beeler-Marfisi and her colleagues explored the impact of pollution on equine health.

What does an increase in airway granulocytes mean in correlation to pollution? Beeler explains, “The lungs have cells inside the air sacs, and they protect the lungs against things that we breathe in. If the lower airway granulocytes are increased, it implies that there is inflammation they are responding to. We noted that there was an increase in certain types of inflammatory cells when air pollution was high.” Interestingly, proximity to a city was a factor in the study. Beeler described that what we used to call smog we now call poor air quality. Proximity to cars, which 12

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AUTUMN 2021

give off a lot of particulate, makes up a major portion of poor air quality. The lungs are part of the foundation for a horse’s amazing athletic capacity. Even minimal inflammation can lead to problems with breathing, decreases in athletic performance, and could decrease the longevity of a horse’s career if left unchecked. Certainly, any cough or breathing issue should be addressed by the veterinarian right away. Prevention is the first defence against respiratory issues. Beeler has three tips for reducing particulates in your horse’s environment: 1. “Based on my research, I would hope that people look at Air Quality Health Index and when the air quality is poor, choose not to push our equine athletes to their maximal efforts during those times.” 2. Consider barn-related factors. For example, water before sweeping and put sweepings into the manure pile rather than sending that dust into the horse’s stall where they can breathe it in. 3. “I personally have an issue with round bale feeding or large square bale feeding. They stick their face into the bale and they are breathing in all of the particulates. Even good-looking hay contains mould spores and dust from the soil, which are just naturally occurring and can contribute to lung inflammation.” There are more studies on equine lung health in Dr. Beeler’s future. Next, she will be looking at the effects of pollution on exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage, otherwise known as bleeding. b Printed with the kind permission of Equine Guelph.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/GABRIEL12

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/BRUCE RAYNOR

HEALTH

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/GABRIEL12

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/BRUCE RAYNOR

HEALTH

Heart Irregularities in Thoroughbred Racehorses By Mark Andrews Atrial fibrillation is the most commonly recognized disturbance of heart rhythm in athletic horses. It is an important cause of poor performance and has implications for safety of horse and rider. In atrial fibrillation (AF) the heart beats with a haphazard, “irregularly irregular” rhythm. The condition may be termed paroxysmal (when it recovers spontaneously within 72 hrs) or persistent (which continues if not treated). Laura C. Nath of the School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, and colleagues studied records of horses racing in Hong Kong over a ten-year period up to July 2017. They looked at the incidence of AF in poorly performing horses, and whether having had a previous episode of AF increased the likelihood of a horse being affected. They report that, from a total of 96,135 race starts, atrial fibrillation was identified in 4.9 percent of horses with an overall incidence of 2.7 episodes per 1000 starts. Many horses were retired after the first episode of AF. Having had a previous episode of AF

increased the risk of AF, and recurrence was more likely in horses that had been treated previously for persistent AF than in horses that previously had paroxysmal AF. The researchers comment: “We identified a high rate of recurrence in Thoroughbred racehorses after both paroxysmal and persistent episodes of AF. This substantial AF burden could arise from underlying microstructural myocardial lesions and electrical remodelling.” They concluded: “Although horses can have long and successful careers after AF, the arrhythmia should not be considered benign, and the suitability of horses to continue their racing careers should be assessed on an individual basis.” Funding for the research was provided by Racing Victoria and Agrifutures Australia. The full open access report of their study, titled Incidence, recurrence, and outcome of postrace atrial fibrillation in Thoroughbred horses, was reported in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. b Published with the kind permission of Mark Andrews, Equine Science Update. AUTUMN 2021

CANADIAN HORSE JOURNAL

PHOTO: CANSTOCK/OLGARU79

HEALTH

Friesians are the most likely breed to be affected by distichiasis.

Distichiasis in Friesian Horses

Genetic defect associated with painful eye condition identified By Mark Andrews An interdisciplinary team of scientists and clinicians, led by Dr. Rebecca Bellone at the University of California Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, has identified a genetic variant associated with distichiasis in Friesian horses. Distichiasis is a condition affecting the eye in which aberrant hairs grow from abnormal positions along the eyelid. These hairs rub on the cornea, causing irritation and pain. Severe cases may progress to corneal ulceration, leading to vision impairment and even loss of the eye. The condition can be treated by removing the offending hairs, for example, with thermocautery. However, the condition has been reported to recur in up to 50 percent of cases. Friesians are by far the most likely breed to be affected. This knowledge prompted the research team to investigate the genetic basis of the condition. For a start, researchers traced the family trees of affected horses, which provided evidence of an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Then they conducted a genome wide association study comparing samples from 14 affected and 38 normal animals. This narrowed down the search 14

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AUTUMN 2021

to a section of the ECA13 chromosome. Investigating the ECA13 further with whole genome sequencing, they identified a large chromosome deletion between two genes that was strongly associated with distichiasis. The 32.3 percent frequency of the variant in the breed means that an estimated one in ten horses will be homozygous for (have two copies of) this variant. Eighteen out of 19 affected Friesian horses were homozygous for the distichiasis associated variant. This pointed to a recessive mode of inheritance. However, seven out of 75 horses with no evidence of distichiasis were also homozygous for the variant. This led the research team to suggest that distichiasis in Friesians appears to be a trait with incomplete penetrance. (That is, the condition may be expressed in only some individuals that have two copies of the variant, while some homozygous individuals may never show signs of the condition.) To see if the variant occurs in other breeds, they tested samples from 955 horses of 54 different breeds and identified the deletion in only 11 non-Friesians, all of which had only one copy of the variant.

“Given the strong association and the frequency of the variant in the population of Friesian horses we evaluated, testing for this variant can be used to avoid crosses that can produce animals homozygous for the variant,” said Erin Hisey, the UC Davis veterinary student who was the first author on this study. Additionally, the results of this test can be used clinically. “Those horses that test homozygous for this variant should be evaluated for abnormal lashes to potentially provide clinical intervention prior to the development of irreversible corneal damage,” said Dr. Hanneke, co-author of the study and equine surgeon with a focus in ophthalmology. b Published with the kind permission of Mark Andrews, Equine Science Update.

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Why choosing hay for fibre content can be important. By Shelagh Niblock, PAS

orse owners are becoming very familiar with maneuvering their way through a lab report describing the nutrient content of hay. Terms such as dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), and non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) are routinely assessed by horse owners looking to buy a hay that works for their barn. Owners of horses with metabolic issues, such as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), insulin resistance (IR), or pituitary pars intermedia deficiency (PPID) know that having an understanding of the significance of the analytes on a hay analysis is a tool they can use to make good feeding decisions for their horses. 16

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AUTUMN 2021

A lab analysis report for hay can be a gold mine of good information for horse owners, providing far more than just moisture, sugar, and protein. A basic near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) lab analysis will also provide reasonably accurate information on the minerals present — calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) — in your hay. Computer generated calculations will provide you with the digestible energy (DE), which is an estimate of the amount of energy the hay might provide your horse. But what about the values ADF and NDF? What do these numbers reported on your hay analysis mean? Can they help you make feeding decisions for your horse?

What are ADF and NDF? All plants cells are composed of cell walls and cell contents. The plant cell contents contain the protein, sugars, and most of the fats in the plant. The plant cell walls contain the fibre or complex carbohydrate fractions. The proportions of the cell wall relative to the cell content are expressed on your hay analysis as acid detergent fibre abbreviated as ADF, and the neutral detergent fibre abbreviated as NDF. The terms ADF and NDF, used to describe the plant cell walls, in fact refer back to the laboratory procedures used to measure them. Both ADF and NDF are terms used to quantify fibre and they are related to each other in that ADF is actually a part of NDF.

PHOTO: ISTOCK/DEBRACARRPHOTOGRAPHY

The CHEW Factor

PHOTO: ISTOCK/PAPPAMAART

HEALTH

PHOTO: ISTOCK/DEBRACARRPHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: ISTOCK/PAPPAMAART

Coarser hay takes longer to chew and produces more saliva, which helps to neutralize stomach acid.

Growing grass plants become taller with a greater stem-to-leaf ratio as they seek to reproduce. A seed head on a mature grass plant must be supported by a strong fibrous stem to ensure seed is distributed in the environment by wind, birds, or animals. As the plant matures and gets closer to producing a seed head, the plant cell contents decline and the plant cell walls increase proportionately. That also means that as the plant matures the protein and energy go down and the ADF and the NDF go up. The stems, which are of course what we feed our horses as hay, become more coarse and fibrous as the grass matures, and the high nutrient contents of the cell get transferred into the seed head. This helps to ensure the plant can reproduce, but for those of us looking for hay it does mean that the maturity of the forage will have a significant bearing on the nutrients it brings to our horses. ADF values in a grass hay will vary from approximately 30 percent on a dry matter basis up to over 40 percent depending on maturity. NDF values are generally about 20 percentage points higher than ADF values on a grass hay and about eight percentage points higher on an alfalfa hay. In other

PLANT CELL WALL STRUCTURE

PRIMARY WALL

CELL CONTENTS • PROTEIN • SUGARS • FATS • STARCH • PECTINS

SECONDARY WALL

NEUTRAL DETERGENT FIBRE (NDF)

HEMICELLULOSE ACID LIGNIN DETERGENT FIBRE (ADF) CELLULOSE

PLANT CARBOHYDRATES FLOW CHART

SECONDARY WALL CELL WALL PRIMARY WALL

PLANT CELL

Cell Contents Sugars Complex Organic Starch mono and Sugars acids disaccharides Fructans

Cell Walls Pectins B Glucans Hemicellulose Cellulose Lignin

ESC

ADF

WSC

NDF

NSC

AUTUMN 2021

CANADIAN HORSE JOURNAL

words, if you buy a grass hay with an ADF of 37 percent the NDF will typically be approximately 57 percent. An alfalfa hay with an ADF of 37 percent will typically have an NDF of about 45 percent. Mixed stands of forage will have an NDF of somewhere in between depending on the proportion of grass to alfalfa in the cut. Grass hays with an ADF of less than 35 percent will typically be green, fine, and soft with high digestibility. These are the kinds of hay that your horse will seem to inhale while your back is turned. Hays like this are particularly good for seniors and/or young growing horses with small mouths and deciduous teeth. A first cut timothy, which is considered to be ideal for horses, typically has an ADF between 35 percent and 40 percent on a dry matter basis. First cut timothy is usually more coarse and full of seed head, but it is still very palatable, which translates to a much slower intake and fewer bored horses in the barn with little waste.

How does ADF and NDF affect my horse?

ADF and NDF can tell us something about the expected feed intake and chewing behaviour of our horses when they are eating. Hay that is very low ADF can have high energy content and can be

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consumed very quickly. Once consumed, that hay will have high digestibility delivering a lot of nutrients to the horse. Horses that are being fed hay free choice can quickly eat far more of a low ADF hay than they need. That extra energy intake can lead to overweight horses, not to mention a big feed bill. Trying to limit the intake of a lower ADF hay can result in bored unhappy horses in the barn. Feeding a higher ADF hay means slower feed intake due to the additional chewing needed. This might be just what you need if you have a barn full of horses with moderate nutrient needs but it can present problems for horses with higher nutrient needs such as growing horses or performance horses. A high ADF hay, however, might not be suitable at all for a senior with poor teeth.

Fibre affects feed intake and chewing Chewing is a very important part of the life of a healthy horse. The amount of chewing the horse does is dictated by what he or she is eating. Forage generates more chewing than concentrate does, and it takes more time for the increased chewing necessary to break the particle sizes of forage down to pieces small enough to

swallow. Estimates of chewing time for different feeds have been measured by many research groups, but typically, a 500 kg horse can eat one kg of hay in about 40 minutes, taking approximately 3500 chews to do the job. On the other hand, the same horse eating 1 kg of whole oats will need to chew about 850 times and can consume them in about ten minutes. Chewing also limits intake. It takes your horse longer to consume a coarse, mature hay than a fine early cut grass hay. Hay with an ADF of between 35 and 40 percent will be more mature and have more “chew” to it than a second or third cut grass hay, which was cut early and is all leaves. More chewing also generates more saliva. Saliva contains bicarbonate which helps to buffer the stomach which produces acid continuously. It is a fact that horses on high forage diets, even if stalled, have fewer problems with gastric ulcers than those who have high concentrate diets.

Does teeth floating impact chewing in horses? Because of dietary differences, horses wear their teeth down faster in the wild than they do as domesticated animals. This can result in the teeth of our

domesticated horses wearing unevenly, creating the potential for “waves” and “hooks” on the teeth. Regular dental checkups and intervention by your veterinarian are important to keep teeth functional. A recent scientific paper presented at the 2021 Virtual Equine Science Society (ESS) Conference showed that dental intervention by floating affected the chewing amplitude per minute, length in chewing time per mouthful, and the strength of the chews of mixed diets including hay and concentrates. The data indicates that dental floating does affect chewing behaviour, possibly improving feed mastication, intake, and digestibility1.

hay, then you should be looking for lower ADF and NDF values on your hay analysis.

Conclusion

Start using the ADF and NDF analyses on your hay test to select the right forage for your barn. If you have a metabolic horse you will be accustomed to choosing hay based on NSC content, but a hay with a low NSC and a low ADF/NDF value might need to be more carefully managed than a hay with a slightly higher NSC and an ADF of closer to 40 percent. That coarser hay will take longer to eat and will provide more chewing for your horse.

He or she will be happier and probably healthier, with less blood glucose and insulin swings provided by slow consistent feed intake and lots of chewing. Make sure you get your horse’s teeth floated regularly when feeding a coarser feed. Waves and hooks on teeth can reduce feed intake and digestibility, not to mention creating bitting issues. And remember that good forage is the foundation of any equine diet, delivering safe energy and nutrients, and likely most important, a happy horse. b > Shelagh Niblock is a regular contributor to this magazine. Read her bio on page 82.

Managing the forages in your barn using a lab report It’s easy to see where typical equine diets containing a combination of concentrates and forage could leave the stalled horse with a lot of free time to get into trouble! Horses with feed in front of them tend to be more content and have less anxiety than those who do not. Nevertheless, feeding free choice forages is not always the answer for many horses. Some horses are “eating machines” and will get fat if allowed to eat all day, even with innovations like slow feeder hay nets. Your choice of hay can be a very significant factor in how much chewing you can provide for your horse. Hay that is a little more mature, and is a little more coarse with a higher ADF and NDF, can often be just what you need for a barn full of happy horses with lots of chewing to do. An interesting scientific paper by a Swedish researcher looked at the influence of plant maturity at harvest of haylage on equine ingestion times and ingestive behaviour. The findings suggest that the more mature the forage, and the higher the ADF and NDF, the longer it takes for horses to consume the same amount of feed due to increased chewing time needed2. This is good news for those of us who want to keep our horses busy eating without gaining excess weight; on the other hand, it means that more mature forages with higher ADF and NDF values might not be suitable for senior horses, growing horses with deciduous teeth and small mouths, or performance horses where nutrient intake is critical for performance. If you need to maximize the nutrients provided to your horse with good 1. Jacobs, R.D., et al. 2021. Equine chewing is influenced by dental intervention in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, Volume 100. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S073708062100188X 2. Müller, Cecilia E. 2012, Equine digestion of diets based on haylage harvested at different plant maturities in Animal Feed Science and Technology, Volume 177, Issues 1–2; p.65-74. www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0377840112002064 AUTUMN 2021

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HEALTH

EQUINE

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ELEON IMAGES

TEETH

PHOTO: ADOBESTOCK/ DOUGLAS VIGON EYEEM

An Evolutionary Success Story By Shelagh Niblock, PAS

Horses have evolved very successfully as consumers of forage and other plant material. Many of their physical characteristics such as body size and capacity have evolved around accommodating their large hindgut where populations of beneficial microbes are maintained, allowing the utilization of complex carbohydrates like cellulose as a source of energy. The teeth of horses have also evolved to allow horses to consume a steady diet of plant material. Horse owners should know that good horse husbandry includes at least a yearly dental examination by a veterinarian for all the horses in the barn. This health care protocol is equally important for horses of all ages. Young horses need regular 20

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dental exams as their teeth change with growing. Performance horses need regular dental work as dental problems may cause performance issues. And seniors, perhaps most of all, need regular assessment of their teeth to ensure they are able to chew properly. The dental examination may lead to floating of the teeth to smooth rough edges or address other abnormalities which might be causing discomfort for the horse. If the horse’s teeth have been neglected, there may be a need for a more rigorous program of dental work. Some horses need dental maintenance more often than others, and horses with problem teeth may need dental work as frequently as every three to six months.

Why do horses need to have their teeth floated? Horses have hypsodont teeth with a large crown or portion of tooth above the gumline and a very large root below the gumline. Hypsodont teeth are constantly erupting and growing out of the gum. Continuous chewing of coarse plant material results in the enamel surfaces of the teeth being worn down. With open-ended roots, hypsodont teeth have a complex system of enamel, as well as tissues called cementum and dentin. Their structure and continuous growth over the life of the horse ensures that even though the forage diet of horses wears their teeth down, the horse can maintain a functional tooth.

Research shows that horses will graze at least 16 hours per day if allowed and will tend to wear their teeth down evenly without developing uneven ridges, waves, or tooth hooks. On the other hand, stabled horses with mixed diets of forage and concentrates are far more likely to develop irregularities in their teeth and consequently need regular dental care. Humans and animals like dogs and cats have brachydont teeth, which do not continue to erupt out of the jaw throughout the life of the animal, and closed roots as well as a smaller root system and crown.

Enamel, cementum, and dentin The crowns of equine teeth are covered by a hard mineral-rich enamel. The roots

are covered by a calcified tissue called cementum. The cementum is the source of the collagen fibres which attach the tooth to the gum or gingiva of the teeth. Cementum is joined to the enamel at the cemento-enamel junction. The next layer in the equine tooth is the dentin, which is a calcified collagen tissue produced by cells called odontoblasts. The dentin extends right through the root and up into the tooth crown. Finally, equine teeth have an inner core of pulp, which is highly vascularized, extends throughout the entire crown/root structure, and is attached to the lymphatic system of the horse.

Organization of the horse’s teeth The teeth of the horse are arranged in a pattern that includes 12 incisors — six on the top and six on the bottom — as well as a mature potential of 12 molars on each of the top and bottom arcades. The molars or cheek teeth are comprised of three premolars and three molars for a

EQUINE TEETH ORGANIZATION

UPPER JAW INCISORS CANINES

LOWER JAW

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Horses left to graze at least 16 hours a day wear their teeth down more evenly and will likely develop fewer dental irregularities than stabled horses with mixed diets.

Effective chewing Effective chewing for horses is achieved through the grinding action of the cheek teeth of both the mandibular arcade (lower jaw) and the maxillary arcade (upper jaw). The grinding action of the occlusal (biting or contact) surfaces serves to tear fibre pieces apart, allowing them to be mixed with saliva before swallowing. Stabled horses fed a combination of forages and concentrates spend far less time chewing than horses that are grazing all the time. Their teeth do not get worn down as fast allowing

for the development of abnormalities, which can cause discomfort for the horse. To maintain effective chewing for the stabled horse the cheek teeth must be smoothed out by floating or removing any sharp edges or hooks. In a normal set of equine teeth the chewing surfaces are somewhat angled and not completely flat. Veterinarians are careful when doing a dental float to maintain effective angles. Horses with neglected teeth cannot always have them corrected within one dental treatment. It sometimes takes several treatments to correct long standing dental issues. Removal of teeth can also cause problems. All the molars in both the upper and lower arcades are situated in very close proximity with each other. Removal of teeth can result in the migration of some molars into the spaces left, potentially resulting in future problems with the grinding surfaces. Loss of a molar in the cheek teeth arcades can also permit food to be trapped between the teeth and gum. This is a condition called diastema and can result in periodontal disease in horses if not attended to very carefully.

Teeth of young horses Horses are considered to be diphyodontous, meaning the young horse develops a set of deciduous or milk teeth

starting within a week of birth. By two years of age, a young horse will have 12 incisors (three in each quadrant) and 12 premolars (three in each quadrant) and may be growing the first of their permanent molars. Between the ages of about two-and-a-half years and four-and-ahalf years, they will get the balance of their molars, and their canine and wolf teeth if they are going to get them. They will also lose their deciduous teeth, both premolars and incisors, called caps at this point as they are replaced by permanent adult teeth. Sometimes it may be necessary for your veterinarian to remove caps on a young horse, as they don’t always get displaced by the adult teeth replacing them.

Aging horses by their teeth Because of the normal wear on equine teeth as well as normal tooth eruption in hypsodont teeth, it is possible to age horses with some degree of accuracy by examining their teeth. Examination of the incisor teeth will reveal wear patterns on the enamel, cementum, and dentin, which can help establish where the horse is in its life. A horse that is under eight years old will have a marking on the occlusal surface of the incisor teeth in the lower jaw called the infundibulum or cup. As the horse ages, this wears away due to chewing and eventually the cup is no longer

GALVAYNE’S GROOVE

10 YEARS Galvayne’s Groove appears at gumline

Galvayne’s Groove appears on the third incisor in each quadrant, first appearing around age ten. 22

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15 YEARS

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total of six molars in each quadrant. All four quadrants and all of the teeth within them are numbered for identification according to the modified triadan system. Teeth are usually identified by their quadrant and a number corresponding to where they are in the quadrant. The quadrants are numbered one to four starting with the upper right side of the mouth, progressing to the upper left side, then to the lower left side, and eventually, the lower right side. Some, though not all, horses have auxiliary teeth called wolf teeth and most horses also have four canine teeth, which are situated in the spaces between the incisors and the premolars. These teeth appear to have no function and may be vestigial teeth from prehistoric times.

Equine Tooth Cross Section INFUNDIBULUM

DENTIN

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PULP

visible. As the occlusal surfaces of the incisors wear away over time, eventually all that is visible is a small hole called the dental star. This is actually part of the pulp cavity in the tooth and usually becomes visible after eight years of age. Horses under 11 have lower incisors with an oval shape, but in horses over 11 the incisors develop a more triangular shape, and eventually as they wear they become more rectangular.

Galvayne’s Groove The Galvayne’s Groove is a groove that appears on the third incisor of each quadrant, further helping to age horses. Galvayne’s Groove begins to descend from the gumline at about age ten, is halfway down the tooth around age 15, and is all the way down the tooth by age 20. At 25 years it is half gone, and at 30 years it is completely gone. Aging horses by their teeth over the age of approximately 28 is next to impossible as there is very little tooth left to examine.

Chewing and feed choices Horse owners know that a barn full of horses munching on hay is the foundation of a contented barn. Chewing is not only important for adequate nutrition, it’s also AUTUMN 2021

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All horses should have a dental examination by a veterinarian at least once a year, and may need their teeth floated to smooth rough edges and hooks causing discomfort.

important for the mental health of horses. Forage quality in terms of nutrient density and digestibility has improved significantly in recent decades due to genetic selection in forage species and the agronomic practices of forage growers, and it has become possible to feed even performance horses a diet that consists of mostly good hay. The selection of the best hay to meet the needs of your horses will bring them

health benefits, including the need to chew. Consider choosing hay based on not only the analytes of crude protein (CP), water soluble carbohydrate (WSC), and digestible energy (DE), but also those of the fibre values of acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) as well. Lower ADF/NDF hays (under 35 percent ADF on a dry matter basis) will tend to have higher energy and digestibility as well as

Canines

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INCISORS

PREMOLARS

CANINES

MOLARS

WOLF TEETH

PHOTO: ISTOCK/WAKILA

require less chewing. Remember that while each mouthful will require less chewing the horse may consume more mouthfuls, which can facilitate increased energy intake for the performance horse, senior horse, or growing horse. Alternatively, you could select hays with a higher ADF/NDF (over 35 percent ADF on a dry matter basis on your lab report) if you want to limit intake and

PHOTO: ISTOCK/HARLEQUIN129

encourage chewing for the more sedentary pleasure horse. Maximizing your horse’s ability to chew will encourage better dental and mental health for them. (For more information about choosing forages based on the ADF/NDF content, read The Chew Factor on page 16.) Research findings and anecdotal evidence support the hypothesis that horses grazed full-time may need less maintenance of their teeth than stabled horses eating mixed diets of forage and concentrates. The reality though is that our lifestyle often demands that our horses be stabled, so a horse owner must be diligent in attending to their horse’s dental health. Once a year dental exams may be enough for most horses but if your senior horse is quidding, which is dropping mouthfuls of food out of his mouth, or is having a hard time maintaining body weight, then it may be necessary to invest in increased dental examinations. Choose hay that best supports the nutritional needs of your horse but remember to include ADF and NDF in your decision-making. Take note of how well your horse is eating, how much time it takes for him to consume a meal of hay, and if he is “sorting” or leaving any behind. And finally, ask your veterinarian to show you what’s going on inside your horse’s mouth when doing his yearly dental exam. Consider taking a picture for your records, then use it to gain a better understanding of your horse’s teeth and how they affect his health and well-being. b > Shelagh Niblock is a regular contributor to this magazine. Read her bio on page 82.

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HEALTH

Getting Back to BETTER Rehabilitation and return to performance after colic surgery By Crystal Lee, DVM, DACVS, Burwash Equine Services One of the many reasons that the words “colic surgery” tend to strike fear into a horse owner’s heart is the question of whether their horse will be able to return to their previous level of performance (or even return to performing at all). A recent research study by Dr. Holcombe and her team at Michigan State University looked at specific ways that a horse owner can influence the likelihood of this return to performance after colic surgery¹. Before we look at the results of this research study, it is helpful to review the likelihood that a horse will recover from colic surgery at all by looking at the previous research investigating this 26

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probability of return to performance. Horse owners often have a pessimistic view of the likely outcomes of colic surgery, feeling that the horse is not likely to ever be the same again, and this can influence owners away from having surgery performed. However, the research actually supports a more positive outlook. Many horses across a number of disciplines, having survived colic surgery, do return to the same level of performance they were at previously, or even improve their level of performance after the surgery. A research study from the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Finland looked at the recovery of 236 horses that underwent

colic surgery2. Of these 236 horses, 84 percent recovered from anesthesia (the remainder were euthanized during surgery). Of the 195 horses that survived the surgery, 75 percent were discharged from the hospital. Of the horses that were discharged, 84 percent reached or exceeded their previous level of performance. Factors such as the presence of an incisional hernia, incidence of post-operative colic, the age of the horse, the location of the surgical lesion, and time to convalescence did not 1. Holcombe, SJ et al. (2019). The Effect of Core Abdominal Muscle Rehabilitation Exercises on Return to Training and Performance in Horses After Colic Surgery. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science Vol 75, April 2019; pages 14-18.

have an impact on the probability of performance after surgery in this study. Another research study out of California looked specifically at the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses after colic surgery³. The beneficial aspects of a research study looking at return to

racing in Thoroughbreds are firstly that there is a very high level of performance required to return in this sport, and secondly that there is objective data available to evaluate performance in the form of earnings, starts, and earnings per start. This objective data is often not

available in other disciplines. In this study, 69 percent of the Thoroughbreds that underwent colic surgery returned to racing, compared to 73 percent of control horses. There is no significant difference in these two percentages. It is common for even the control group to have what seems to be a relatively low percentage of return to racing in these studies, as the rate of attrition in racehorses is high for a number of reasons. The horses that underwent surgery did not show any statistically significant reduction in measures of performance or career length compared to the control horses. A similar study out of Denmark focused on the recovery of sport horses⁴. The numbers from this study included only horses that survived at least six months after colic surgery. Of these horses, 86 percent resumed or started

2. Immonen, IAM. (2017). Long-term follow-up on recovery, return to use and sporting activity: A retrospective study of 236 operated colic horses in Finland (2006-2012). Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 59(1); January 2017. 3. Tomlinson JE. et al. (2013). Evaluation of racing performance after colic surgery in Thoroughbreds: 85 cases (1996-2010). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 243; 532-537. 4. Christophersen MT. et al. (2011). Sporting activity following colic surgery in horses: A retrospective study. Equine Veterinary Journal 43; 3-6.

OSTEOAID Osteoaid is THE natural and most effective alternative to “Bute” (phenylbutazone). It reduces inflammation and pain and supports healthy muscle and joint function. Osteoaid is a natural COX-2 inhibitor without damaging the stomach lining. Osteoaid contains devil’s claw, feverfew, ginger, and turmeric. It is available in dry cut leaf format and liquid format, and is safe to double-dose if required. The liquid form is fast acting, which is useful for emergency situations.

“When you really need to be sure what’s in the bucket!” Photo: Shutterstock Diane Garcia

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A California study found that 69 percent of Thoroughbreds that underwent colic surgery returned to racing and did not show any significant reduction in performance or career length compared to the control group.

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In a Michigan State research study of 62 horses that survived colic surgery, 11 followed a specific rehabilitation program, and the control group of 51 did not. Ten of the 11 horses in the rehab program returned to competition at an average of 165 days post-surgery, with nine showing improvement compared to before surgery. In the control group, only 24 of the 51 horses returned to competition and at an average of 205 days post-surgery, with only four showing a performance improvement compared to pre-surgery. 28

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For the horse owner, the words “colic surgery” conjure visions of their beloved horse never being able to perform as he once did. But many horses do return to their previous performance level after surgery, and some even exceed it.

sporting activity after colic surgery. According to the owners, 83.5 percent of the horses achieved the same level or better performance after surgery. A study out of North Carolina State compared the return to performance of horses at six months post colic surgery versus horses at 12 months post colic surgery⁵. This study found that 68 percent of horses were performing at their intended use at six months post surgery, compared to 76 percent at 12 months. At six months, 54 percent were at or above their prior level of performance; at 12 months, 66 percent were at or above their prior level of performance. There are many reasons why a horse may require colic surgery. In the general horse population, somewhere between 1.4 to 17.5 percent of horses with colic require surgery. These surgical lesions may include problems in the large colon (such as displacement, torsion, or impaction), or the small intestine (such as the blood supply being compromised as a result of entrapment, herniation, or a strangulating lipoma). Complications that can occur after colic surgery are many and varied. Potential complications that we routinely discuss with the owners include infection (of the incision or of the abdomen), laminitis, complications relating to the intravenous catheter in the jugular vein, diarrhea, and ileus (when the intestinal motility is compromised). Traditionally, surgeons would recommend a standard post-operative colic protocol of 30 days in a box stall, 30 days in a small paddock, and 30 days in a pasture before returning to work. Options for rehabilitation were not really addressed in these traditional recommendations. In the research study at Michigan State, 62 horses that survived colic surgery were included. Eleven of these horses followed a specific rehabilitation program after their surgery, whereas the other 51 horses did not follow this program and were therefore considered control horses. All horses were in consistent training in a specific discipline such as dressage, show jumping, or driving and performed in competition. The study was prompted by the authors’ observations that horses often show a loss of epaxial muscles, a decrease in core strength, and even develop a 5. Davis W. et al. (2013). Return to use and performance following exploratory celiotomy for colic in horses: 195 cases (2003-2010). Equine Veterinary Journal 45; 224-228.

PHOTO: ROBIN DUNCAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Eric Lamaze’s legendary partner, Hickstead, underwent colic surgery in October 2007, and in 2008 carried his rider to Individual Gold and Team Silver medals for Canada at the Beijing Olympic Games. Another Canadian horse hero, Ian Millar’s Big Ben, twice returned to world-class competition after undergoing colic surgery and competed in the Olympic Games for a third time little more than a year after his second surgery.

pendulous abdomen following colic surgery. When this occurs, not only is the horse less likely to return to its previous level of performance, but the horse is at an increased risk of musculoskeletal injury due to this loss of muscle strength. Both groups of horses followed standard postoperative recommendations for recovery. They were placed on stall rest with hand walking for 30 days after surgery. Assuming that the incision was healing well with no evidence of surgical site infection, they were then turned out in a small paddock for 30 days before being turned out on pasture for another 30 days. Ridden walk and trot was encouraged between six to eight weeks, with canter introduced at eight weeks. Jumping or galloping was permitted at 12 weeks. The group following the specific rehabilitation program was sent home with a four-week exercise protocol beginning four weeks after surgery for those with normal incisions. The exercises in the protocol are outlined in the book Activate Your Horse’s Core: Unmounted Exercises for Dynamic Mobility, Strength & Balance by Narelle C. Stubbs and Hilary M. Clayton, which is available online to horse owners⁶. The first component is mobilization exercises, which are intended to enhance the suppleness of the neck and back during 30

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performance. Rounding exercises (where the horse is encouraged to progressively bend its chin down to its chest, between its knees, and between its fetlocks), lateral bending exercises (where the horse is encouraged to progressively bend its chin back towards its girth, its flank, and its hind fetlock), and neck extension exercises (where the horse is encouraged to fully extend the upper and middle neck) are all included in this category. The second component is core strengthening exercises, which are intended to strengthen the muscles that control posture and stabilize the spine and pelvis. Sternal, withers, and thoracic lifting (where pressure on the ventral midline stimulates the horse to lift), lumbar and lumbosacral lifting (where pressure on the vertebrae above the tailhead encourages the abdominal and sublumbar muscles to flex and bring the hindlimbs under the horse), and lumbar lifting and lateral bending (where pressure on one side stimulates lifting and lateral bending of the pelvis away from that side) are all included in this category. The third component is balancing exercises to encourage activation of the muscles of the thoracic sling, trunk, and pelvis, which improve balance and stability. Backward weight shift (where sternal pressure causes the horse to shift back), tail pull

(where pulling the tail to the side activates the pelvis stabilizer muscles), and destabilizing techniques (where the horse’s weight is shifted while one limb is raised) are included in this category. Stubbs and Clayton explain that these exercises are all best performed after the horse has worked and before cooling out. Of the 11 horses that followed the specific rehabilitation program at Michigan State, two horses underwent a second colic surgery within five days of the first; none of the 51 control horses had to undergo a second surgery. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of breed, age, type of colic, or surgical procedure performed. All of the horses in the group following the specific rehabilitation program completed the four weeks of the program without any complications. Any horse that had developed an incisional hernia prior to starting the program experienced the hernia decreasing in size over the course of the program. Overall, 10 of the 11 horses following the specific rehabilitation program did return to competition, compared to only 24 of the 51 control horses. The horses on the specific rehabilitation program competed at an average of 165 days after surgery, whereas the control horses competed at an average of 205 days after surgery. Perhaps most strikingly, nine of the eleven horses following the specific rehabilitation program showed an improvement in performance after surgery compared to the time period prior to surgery. One horse showed a similar level of performance compared to the time period prior to surgery, and the other horse showed a decreased level of performance. Contrasting to this, only four of the 51 control horses showed an improvement in performance; 39 showed a similar level of performance, and eight showed a decreased level of performance. The results of the study at Michigan State show that this core rehabilitation program can be safely recommended for horses with normally-healing surgical incisions starting at four weeks after surgery. If the owner’s goals include optimizing performance and a timely return to competition, these recommendations will help them achieve these goals. b > Dr. Crystal Lee is a frequent contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 82. 6. Stubbs, NC and Clayton HM. (2008). Activate Your Horse’s Core: Unmounted Exercises for Dynamic Mobility, Strength & Balance. Mason, MI: Sporthorse Publications; 1-32.

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The aqua walker exerciser at Endurance Equine.

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HEALTH

Equine Rehabilitation & Conditioning Centres A BURGEONING BUSINESS

In the past eight years, stand-alone equine rehabilitation and conditioning centres that help horses return to health or greater fitness have been opening their doors in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Depending on the business owners’ interests, skills, and client base each operation provides a unique suite of therapy modalities such as treadmills, pools, exercisers, saltwater baths, and solariums. Additional services and treatments such as bodywork, nebulizers, and product sales are also common. Due to the cost and permanence of therapy infrastructure, developing an equine rehabilitation and conditioning 32

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centre is a big commitment that requires solid business planning and confidence in future market demand. That demand seems to be growing, with horse owners increasingly aware of the benefits of different therapies. Owners and riders also lack time for conditioning horses and are starting to appreciate how alternative exercise methods can increase fitness and heal injuries faster. They’re also enjoying the simplicity of dropping off an injured or less fit horse at a one-stop-shop and picking him up rehabilitated or conditioned at a later date. Some of the modalities that rehabilitation and conditioning centres offer are also only available at purpose-built

facilities as they’re too expensive to purchase for private use and are not easily transportable. Riders and owners from all disciplines are taking advantage of these centres, choosing either drop-in treatments or sending their horses to centres for weeks or months at a time, depending on their budget and the horse’s needs. To find out more about these burgeoning businesses, I spoke with four equine rehabilitation and conditioning centres in Western Canada. There are currently no purpose-built centres located east of Saskatchewan. Loralei Stokke and her family own and operate Hill Top Arena & Equine Spa, a

PHOTO COURTESY OF HILL TOP ARENA & EQUINE SPA

By Tania Millen

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An accurate diagnosis is essential for the horse owner to understand what is going on and choose the appropriate treatment. Equine rehabilitation and conditioning centres offer many services and treatments that horse owners cannot provide at home, and are able to deliver them with the consistency needed for maximum benefit.

The solarium at Endurance Equine.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HILL TOP ARENA & EQUINE SPA

The Equiciser at Hill Top Arena & Equine Spa has a large-diameter circular fence track, and the loose horses inside are separated by hanging metal gates. This horse is wearing Equiband® adjustable elastic bands to encourage the use of core muscles.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF HILL TOP ARENA & EQUINE SPA

A horse in the solarium at Hill Top Arena & Equine Spa, standing on EquiVibe® vibrating plates.

PHOTOS: KARA HANSON

The water treadmill (left) and equine nebulizer (right) at Undeniable Equine Services. Owner Jessi Jensen says that horse owners are starting to realize that keeping horses fit to prevent injuries just makes sense.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF HILL TOP ARENA & EQUINE SPA PHOTOS: KARA HANSON

rehabilitation and conditioning centre located south of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. Stokke says that she grew up with horses and always wanted to help as many of them as she could. After becoming a certified equine massage therapist, cranial/energy therapist, myofascial release therapist, and cold laser technician, Stokke and her family decided to open an equine rehabilitation and conditioning facility, investing in equipment they felt was most natural and beneficial for horses. Hill Top offers an equine exerciser, Equiband® System, cold saltwater spa, solarium, EquiVibe® vibration plate, and a Centurion® Therapulse blanket. Hill Top’s outdoor exerciser is a vastly upgraded version of the old-style hot-walkers at racetracks where horses are tied individually to one of four “arms” and walk in a small circle. The exerciser has a large-diameter circular fenced track with hanging metal gates to divide four horses, each of whom is loose in their own section. The gates hang from arms which move the gates along the track at different speeds in either direction. When appropriate, an Equiband® System is put on horses working in the exerciser. It has adjustable elastic bands which are placed around the horse’s belly and behind the hamstrings to encourage the horse to use its core muscles. The cold saltwater spa is a standing-stall-size enclosed unit partially filled with bubbling cold saltwater which treats the lower legs and hooves, while the solarium is a set of infrared lights which stimulates blood flow. The EquiVibe® is a vibrating plate that the horse stands on, which reportedly counters the effects of soft tissue inflammation. Finally, the Centurion® Therapulse blanket provides pulsed electro-magnetic field (PEMF) therapy. Hill Top also offers bodywork by Stokke and farrier services by Stokke’s father, plus sells products and supplements. Stokke believes that to correctly rehabilitate and condition horses it’s necessary to assess and fix body issues first, and her bodywork certifications allow her to do this for every horse that comes in. Stokke says, “With knowledge of muscles, body alignment, and feet we’re able to… assess each horse thoroughly and pinpoint issues. Plus, we always bring in or suggest a veterinarian when needed.” Hill Top generally serves rodeo performance horses, ranch horses, and pleasure horses, and Stokke says her clients have noticed how much stronger and faster

their horses are. “We get messages from ranchers about how great their horses feel and how they were able to get around a cow,” she says. “A lot of [horses] are athletes and they need to be treated as such. There are more and more [equine rehabilitation and conditioning] facilities popping up and… we need them.” Klay and Chelsea Whyte agree. They’re the owner-operators of Endurance Equine in Ponoka, Alberta, a rehabilitation and conditioning centre that opened in 2018. Klay Whyte is a professional team roper and explains that in 2013 his heel horse

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spiral-fractured its pastern bone. After the horse had surgery and stall rest, it was rehabilitated for three weeks on a submerged treadmill in about one metre of water. “When we got him back we were blown away by the results,” he says. “It would have taken me three months to get that horse to where he was.” Seeing the value in aquatherapy, the Whytes decided to build their own facility and now offer Canada’s first and only equine aqua walker exerciser. “It was quite the undertaking,” says Whyte. “Picture a hot walker with a

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PHOTOS: SUE FERGUSON

PHOTOS: KATIE MARSHALL

Massage therapist Jessi Jensen has recently opened Undeniable Equine Services and like other rehabilitation facilities, offers a range of services to clients seeking rehabilitation or maintenance for their horses.

PHOTO: COPPER WIRE IMAGES

Part of this horse’s post-show regimen is wearing the BEMER® therapeutic blanket and cuffs, which use pulsed electro-magnetic field (PEMF) technology.

PHOTOS: KATIE MARSHALL PHOTO: COPPER WIRE IMAGES

PHOTOS: SUE FERGUSON

The cold saltwater spa (above left) and water treadmill (above right) at Coulee Equine. Owner-operator Katie Marshall says the water treadmill is an essential component of their programs because they can do so many things with it depending on the water levels.

donut-shaped swimming pool below it. The hot walker is 45 metres in diameter and there are about 1.1 metres of water in the pool itself. [The pool lane] is 2.4 metres wide and four horses can use the pool at once. On most horses the water is just past their chest, so their bellies are submerged and they don’t have the strain and weight on their legs, which makes it an ultra-low impact workout. It’s great for rehabbing horses if you’re dealing with a suspensory or ligament injury.” Whyte also explains how the water can increase or decrease the workout: “The horses create a current in the pool. After they get the current going [by walking through the water], they’re going with the current and the work gets easier. Then we’ll turn them around and they have to work against that current they created and that’s when you see a really good workout. “We use [the pool] for equine conditioning, rehabilitation, change of routine, and maintenance. We also offer an infrared solarium, BEMER® PEMF therapeutic blanket and cuffs, and stall rest and related care.” Package rates are offered depending on the services required, plus farrier, bodywork, and veterinary services all of which can be arranged. As for clientele, Whyte says, “We get horses for a couple of days to a few months.” He explains how some horses come to the centre following an operation where they start on stall rest, then are hand-walked daily, and then conditioned in the pool before going home. “It’s about 50/50 rehabilitation to conditioning work. It depends on the time of year. In the springtime, everybody wants to get

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CANADIAN HORSE JOURNAL

Klay and Chelsea Whyte and son of Endurance Equine.

PHOTOS: FAWCETT PHOTOGRAPHY

“Picture a hot walker with a donut-shaped swimming pool below it,” says Endurance Equine’s Klay White of their aqua walker exerciser, which can accommodate four horses at once. The hot walker is 45 metres in diameter, the water is about 1.1 metres in depth, and the pool lane is 2.4 metres wide.

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AUTUMN 2021

their horse in shape so we’re probably doing more conditioning. In summer… we see more rehabilitation cases. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it when the people pick up their horses and they’re really happy with them.” Katie Marshall, the owner-operator of Coulee Equine near Olds, Alberta has similar sentiments, and after almost eight years on the job she’s still passionate about helping horses. Coulee Equine can handle up to 15 horses per day and offers a water treadmill, cold saltwater spa, infrared solarium, indoor exerciser, Electro-Equiscope® therapy, Equi-Taping®, and product sales. Marshall thinks one of the biggest benefits of sending a horse to a facility is that they’re worked consistently. “The horses are worked on a schedule, which is something that a lot of people can’t provide every day,” she says. “A lot of people keep their horses at home and have to haul to ride and condition their horses,” she explains. “But if you get home from work and it’s dark and cold and the roads are crappy, then you might only end up riding one day per week. That’s really detrimental to your conditioning program, so we get a lot of conditioning clients through the spring. “With conditioning and strength training we never hit an endpoint. We’re always trying to make [horses] better and stronger.

If you have a horse that you’re trying to compete to the best of that horse’s potential, making sure that they’re fit is really important.” The water treadmill is an integral part of Coulee’s programs and Marshall says, “We’re able to do so many things with it depending on the water levels. For every discipline, topline and core strength are the most important things to focus on and with the water treadmill we can really work on that. In Canada, horses do a lot of circles riding inside, which allows them to compensate and potentially not use weaker parts [of their body]. The treadmill helps them get strong on all four limbs. We can put more motion in a joint or strengthen certain parts of the horse depending on what the issues are. Plus, we can back the horses up on the treadmill, which strengthens the gluteal muscles, supports the stifles and hocks, and keeps the back strong.” Summer is also busy, as riders go on vacation and send their horses to Coulee for fitness or maintenance. “We also get lots of chuckwagon horses for rehabilitation in the summer… plus we get chuckwagon horses laying over here,” says Marshall. “We always work with veterinarians on rehabilitation cases. The most important thing about a rehabilitation program is the diagnostics, so you know what’s going on. But if you’re going to spend money on diagnostics and get the protocol from your veterinarian then you need to do the rehabilitation. If you don’t do the rehabilitation the potential of re-injury is exponentially higher.” Marshall finds that many riders and owners aren’t set up to do rehabilitation, don’t have the time, or — in winter when it’s cold and icy and the horse is not behaving — just can’t get it done. She says, “Rehabilitation is not necessarily hard. It’s just the time and effort that goes into it.” That’s where rehabilitation centres come in. Fortunately for horse owners and riders in British Columbia, there’s a new facility in the Lower Mainland. Jessi Jensen is an equine massage therapist and has spent the last five years planning Undeniable Equine Services, which opened in Aldergrove in October 2020. The facility takes five horses at a time and offers a water treadmill with adjustable water height, speed, and incline; EquiVibe® vibration plate; infrared solarium; nebulizer; and Sure Foot stability pads. Jensen says, “Lots of people are focusing on maintaining their horses now. [They] are starting to realize that when they maintain their animals and get regular chiropractic and massage work and proper fitness, they’ll see fewer injuries. When [horses have] an ailment they compensate for it somewhere else and then there are just layers and layers of compensation. Our horses are athletes so keeping them fit to prevent injuries just makes sense.” Jensen says her clientele includes, “A ton of barrel racers and ropers, a few dressage and eventing horses, and a couple of jumpers.” She’s seen particularly positive results during twoweek spring conditioning sessions and is looking forward to helping more horses in the future. After chatting with facility owners, it’s apparent that ensuring horses are fit for their jobs and that they heal quickly after injuries are the primary drivers in the expansion of rehabilitation and conditioning centres across Western Canada. Marshall says, “The equine industry as a whole is seeing the benefits of sending horses to rehabilitation and conditioning facilities. It’s becoming more common.” As such, all four facility owners agreed that the outlook for equine rehabilitation and conditioning centres is strong and more facilities would likely open across Canada in the future. For the sake of the horses, let’s hope so. b > Tania Millen is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 82.

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CANADIAN HORSE JOURNAL

REHAB

for the

Not-Quite-Right Horse By Jec A. Ballou

Develop an exercise therapy program that gives your horse the best chance of recovery. 40

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PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ERICKSON STOCK

HEALTH

Subtle lameness or signs of pain that do not lead to a clear veterinary diagnosis can be extremely frustrating, costly, and time-consuming. Unfortunately, they are also quite common, leaving many owners feeling helpless to plot a path forward. In this article I will offer guiding principles for tackling these scenarios along with specific examples of how I implemented them with Remy, a mare that came to me with bucking behaviours and signs of back pain but with no clear diagnosis. Unless there is a clearly detectable source of your horse’s pain or loss of performance, your vet will likely not be able to provide you a specific rehab plan. He or she might be able to offer general suggestions, like perhaps taking a few weeks off from riding, but it is often up to the owner to develop an exercise therapy schedule that will help the horse during this time. In the case of Remy, the vet recommended not riding for the foreseeable future. Beyond that recommendation, the rest of her schedule was up to us. In cases like this I follow the principles below.

Lifestyle First of all, make the horse’s living environment as helpful as possible to their physical well-being. Avoid locking him up in a stall unless you have an irrefutable vet-ordered reason for doing so. I have

seen numerous owners worsen a horse’s physical discomfort by assuming that movement should be avoided and the horse should go on stall rest. This nearly never fixes the problem, especially when you do not know what the problem is. In Remy’s case, this meant housing her in a large paddock with free access to an adjoined grassy turnout area. The more time she spent with her head down grazing, the more often the ligaments in her back would be positively tensioned and toned. In other words, if her back could be made comfortable at least in a natural state it would be through grazing and wandering around. I made sure her living environment encouraged this, including keeping her well socialized with paddock mates on a regular basis. This living arrangement will always stave off inflammation, proprioceptive deficits, and compromised muscle function better than standing in a stall.

The living environment of the rehabilitating horse should be conducive to his physical and mental well-being. Unless your veterinarian mandates stall rest as the only option, a large paddock with access to a grassy turnout area will encourage natural movement, and more time spent grazing will tone the horse’s back muscles naturally.

During these perplexing phases when a horse is not-quiteright, prioritize exercises that recruit and strengthen postural muscles rather than worrying about his cardiovascular fitness. Take a deep breath and acknowledge that his cardio fitness is going to drop off (but will come back quickly when he resumes full work) and that you need to focus elsewhere. This is for two reasons. First, engaging postural muscles occasionally fixes everything. I have witnessed many horses resolve subtle lameness issues by spending several weeks committed only to postural exercises. As they become aligned and balanced their pain and gait aberrations disappear. Second, you do not want the horse bristling with excess energy during phases of lesser training, so it is best to allow the cardio system to lose some of its fire. In other words, you do not want to keep the engine revved up. You want the engine to idle while you work on repairing the chassis. During any given session, I generally practice about six corrective exercises, which is the right amount to fill roughly ten minutes of activity. Examples of corrective exercises include backing up, ground poles and dynamic stretches. In the first month with Remy, I found she really focused on and was

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Keep a Log

Your rehab schedule should include two or three sessions of 15 to 25 minutes daily, about two to four hours apart. In addition to corrective exercises these sessions can include light cardio such as walking, jogging, hiking down a trail, or controlled wandering on a long line all over the arena.

challenged by patterns that required her to equalize the effort from both hind legs. This led to us practicing tight serpentines, straddling ground poles, and backing up in a variety of patterns.

Do the Double… or Triple Prioritize multiple short sessions per day in lieu of a single outing. This serves various vital purposes. These bouts of movement not only promote overall health (lymphatic circulation, digestion, keeping tissues hydrated) but they require the sensory and motor nerves to activate more frequently. This has a positive effect on the postural muscles because they are highly innervated tissues. The more often we can recruit patterns of nerves in the postural muscles the more likely they are to form good habits. As mentioned earlier, sometimes these new habits alone are enough to resolve mystery lamenesses. As a general rule, aim to perform two or three sessions of 15 to 20 minutes daily. Try to separate these sessions by two to four hours when possible. If you have time, you can certainly make these mini sessions longer. Just keep in mind that since most of your work at this point is walking and slow controlled exercises, you do not want the horse getting bored and listless. When that happens, the nervous system is no longer deriving as much stimulative effect and we encounter diminishing returns. Observe your horse with this mind and adjust your timing accordingly. With Remy, I followed a daily routine that went as follows. Every morning around 8:30am, we performed four to six corrective exercises followed by 15 minutes of sustained walking. About four hours later, we again performed four to six corrective exercises followed by 25 minutes of light cardio (walking, jogging, hiking down a trail, etc.). In between these two sessions — and some days three sessions — Remy was in her turnout area socializing, napping, and rolling. 42

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AUTUMN 2021

Writing down your plan each week and keeping detailed notes will benefit forward progress. By logging your exercises, you can adjust them accordingly rather than continue performing routines that are no longer serving a purpose. Adjustments might include increasing the number of reps, adding stimuli, or replacing current exercises with new ones. At the end of each week, review your notes and plan the following week’s program. Keeping track of Remy’s response to our exercises allowed me to progressively increase difficulty. For instance, after three months of performing low ground poles with good coordination, we progressed to raising the poles six inches off the ground. We also added a small hill workout each week after reviewing my notes that reflected a consistent improvement in Remy’s body posture and rhythm in the arena.

Never Overlook Walking Take advantage of all kinds of walking exercises as frequently as possible. Sometimes, riders mistakenly believe that walking is something to be done when other more valuable exercises cannot. This is not the case. Walk-only sessions, especially when scattered through the day, are immensely productive. The reparative benefits of sustained walking are numerous, owing mostly to the rhythmic pulsations of back, neck, and ribcage muscles in a relaxed state. Nerve signals can be repaired, inflammation cleared out, and problematic tension alleviated to restore correct movement. There are many ways to walk your horse daily, including ground driving, longeing, and power hiking out on trails. In fact, I like to challenge riders by asking them how many different ways they can walk their horse in a given week. Can they pony alongside another horse? Lead him through an obstacle course? Take him on a four-mile walk down the road? One of my favorite ways to add an extra 20 minutes of walking at random points during the day is something I call controlled wandering. This involves having the horse on a very long longe line (without side reins or restrictive equipment) and alternating between walking him on large circles and walking all over our arena. We do not stay on a fixed circle but instead cover lots of ground making various turns, straight lines, loops, and circles.

100 Percent Consistency Rarely will a not-quite-right horse become better after a period of standing around and doing nothing. Granted, he might appear fresh and eager when put back to work after a bout of full rest, but pretty quickly the anomalous movement, signs of pain, or odd behaviour show up again. Treat your rehab period with the same focus and consistency as the rest of your training. Perform your chosen walking routines and corrective exercises daily, log your observations, and stay patient. Most rehab exercises require a few weeks of consistent practice to work their magic. If your schedule gets interrupted and the daily practice slacks off, you will not see the results. By being consistent, you are not only offering your horse the best chance to repair but you are also able later on to give your vet a lot more information from which to make a diagnosis, should this become needed. More information means more accuracy in pinpointing what or where the horse is not quite right. b > Jec A. Ballou is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 82.

Veterinary Medical Centre

FALL 2021

Putting laminitis on ice

SAFETY AND PORTABLE X-RAYS

Comparing cardiac drugs

WATC H F O R

Cresty Necks Western College of Veterinary Medicine

T o w n s e n d E q u i n e H e a lth R e s e a r c h F u n d

INSIDE 1 Dual-degree vet earns equine award The 2021 recipient of the Equine Foundation of Canada award is Dr. Jane Westendorf.

2 Next phase in the war against worms WCVM researchers are hoping to develop a better, more accurate way of detecting and diagnosing intestinal parasites in horses.

4 Cardiac drugs in comparison test Ramipril versus benazepril: can you see the difference between these two ACE inhibitors? A WCVM research study is putting the two drugs to the test.

7 How well do you know your horse’s heart? The heart is a critical organ in your horse’s body, but despite its important role, there’s still much to learn. Here are highlights from a recent EquineED Talk.

8 Safety vital near portable X-rays Portable X-ray machines are invaluable tools in equine practice. But are veterinary workers adequately protecting themselves?

10 Putting laminitis on ice Scientists and a Saskatoon-based biomedical engineering firm are developing a cool method to treat acute laminitis.

11 Cresty necks flag metabolic issues

A working horse at the USask Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE) near Clavet, Sask.

A recent study found that horses with higher cresty neck scores (CNS) are more likely to have abnormal insulin metabolism.

12 Galloping Gazette A round up of the latest equine news at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Christina Weese

ON THE COVER Veterinary Medical

Horse Health Lines is the news publication for the Western College Centre of Veterinary Medicine’s Townsend Equine Health Research Fund (TEHRF). Visit tehrf.ca for more information. Send comments and article reprint requests to: Myrna MacDonald, Editor, Horse Health Lines WCVM, University of Saskatchewan 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4 horse.health@usask.ca Horse Health Lines design and layout: Priddy Design

WCVM large animal medicine specialist Dr. Tiago Afonso (left) and WCVM resident Dr. Nicole van der Vossen examine a member of the college’s teaching herd. Christina Weese

SPECIAL THANKS to Jessica Colby of Montmartre, Sask. Jessica helped to develop the content and photos for this issue of Horse Health Lines as part of the WCVM summer research communications internship.

Christina Weese

Dual-degree vet earns equine award By Jessica Colby

Dr. Jane Westendorf. Submitted

At first, Dr. Jane Westendorf didn’t want to be a veterinarian. As the daughter of two practitioners — both Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) graduates — Westendorf witnessed firsthand her parents’ frustrations when they came home from their veterinary clinic in Mission, B.C. However, despite the occasional struggles, her parents truly enjoyed veterinary medicine. “As I grew older, I started to understand that, and I saw how fulfilled they were with their successful cases and how grateful they were for their good clients that have been with them for 10 years,” she says. During her undergraduate degree program, Westendorf especially enjoyed her

physiology and anatomy courses, which convinced her to consider a career in medicine — but for animals versus humans. “So, it was kind of a combination of getting older, talking to my parents, sort of understanding myself and realizing that this is something that I wanted to do,” says Westendorf, who began her studies at the WCVM in 2016. Over five years she completed a dual-degree program, earning a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree in 2020 and a Master of Science (MSc) degree in 2021. Westendorf ’s graduate research focused on the Kenney-Doig scale. Introduced in the 1980s, veterinary pathologists use this scale to evaluate equine endometrial biopsies — a test for assessing a mare’s ability of having a healthy, live foal. The

Kenney-Doig scale rates a mare’s ability to carry a healthy foal using four grades (I, IIA, IIB and III), ranging from very normal (grade I) to very diseased (grade III). Her study focused on the agreement level between veterinary pathologists when using the scale. To test this, WCVM researchers gave the same endometrial samples to different pathologists and asked them to grade the samples using the Kenney-Doig scale. The study’s results produced fair to moderate results, as reported in Westendorf ’s MSc thesis titled “IIB or not IIB: Endometrial biopsy evaluation in horses using the Kenney-Doig scale.” While no other agreement study exists for the Kenney-Doig scale in the published literature, it was on the lower end for the agreement that was produced. The differences between the lab results may affect a client’s decision on how they proceed with a mare’s breeding. In June, Westendorf received the Equine Foundation of Canada (EFC) Award during the WCVM’s spring awards program. The annual award, valued at C$6,000, recognizes a WCVM graduate student who demonstrates an interest and scientific merit in equine research. The EFC is a national registered charity organization that fundraises to support equine health. The award was established in 2013 after the foundation provided the WCVM with a one-time gift of $100,000 for the creation of an annual award. “[The award] was to help them [the recipient] do whatever they needed to do to help us look after horses, because that was the big thing — we’re people helping other people look after horses,” says Charlene Dalen-Brown, EFC vice president. The EFC’s award was “a huge stress relief,” says Westendorf who is now working as a clinical intern for one year with Moore Equine Veterinary Centre in Balzac, Alta. “We do surgery, we do internal medicine, ambulatory, anesthesia, lameness,” says Westendorf. “They also have another south clinic that has reproduction. So, there is the opportunity for me to go down there and learn some [reproduction] from their theriogenologist, which I’m really excited for.” Western College of Veterinary Medicine

for spring. Christina Weese

Next phase in the war on worms

Graduate student Toni-Anne Saworski is detecting the DNA of parasites in fecal samples from horses, before and after dewormer treatment. Jessica Colby

By Jessica Colby

Road apples, manure, poop, fecal balls — whatever you call it, horses’ feces have been the mainstay of equine deworming programs for years. “For a long time, parasitology has been really reliant on seeing eggs in poop,” says Dr. Emily Jenkins, a researcher at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). The current method of detecting intestinal parasites in a horse is to take a fecal egg sample and count the number of eggs per gram in the horse’s feces. “Low shedders” are classed as having 200 eggs per gram of feces. The middle ground for shedding is anywhere between 200 and 500 eggs per gram, while “high shedders” are identified by 500 or more eggs per gram of feces. 2

HORSE HEALTH LINES | Fall 2021

However, there’s a catch: this method will only hint at the presence of intestinal parasites, but not the specific species as nearly all parasites lay eggs that are almost identical in appearance. And even if the horse has intestinal parasites, they may not be shedding eggs. Jenkins and her graduate student, ToniAnne Saworski, are hoping to develop a better, more accurate way of detecting and diagnosing intestinal parasites. In their study, they’re using the DNA of parasites in fecal samples to identify parasite species shed by horses before and after treatment with deworming medication. They will focus on using both fecal egg counts and fecal egg reduction tests to note the presence of eggs and whether anthelmintic drugs (dewormers) are effective. Similar to how certain bacteria are developing resistance to antimicrobial drugs,

some species of equine intestinal parasites are becoming increasingly resistant to the deworming drugs used to destroy them. “This project is going to look at the DNA that’s inside the worms to figure out exactly what species they are, figuring out which ones are the most disease-causing, which ones are actually infecting our horses, and then hopefully, [we will] be able to see how owners’ current deworming methods are working,” says Saworski. A similar study was performed 10 years ago. At that time, the only research tool available to identify the parasites present were microscopic methods. “It’s great to have a baseline from 10 years ago,” says Jenkins. “But also, just [to] have so much better tools to bring to bear on this question.” The WCVM study stems from previous research done by Drs. Jocelyn Poissant and John Gilleard at the University of Calgary’s

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Poissant and Gilleard used samples from feral and domestic horse herds to validate DNA metabarcoding approaches and to identify strongyles and other parasites in horses. Their work is the basis for the “equine nemabiome,” which describes the community of living parasites among a horse herd. “[The study] was worked on by professors at the University of Calgary [and] used to study parasites that infected wild horses,” says Saworski. “This is the first time [that] it will be used on domestic horses.” In their study, the WCVM researchers are collecting fecal samples from local domestic horse herds, including herds used in a previous study on intestinal parasites. They will then characterize the nemabiome among the herds, and then compare ascarid and strongyle fecal egg counts (FECs) and strongyle species composition before and after treatment with ivermectin dewormers. By detecting the DNA of parasites in fecal samples from horses pre- and post-treatment, the WCVM team will develop herd-level “parasite profiles” and determine which parasite species are the most resistant. Researchers have successfully used the nemabiome approach in sheep where there is evidence of resistance in Haemonchus contortus, a common parasite found in the species. Jenkins says that sheep infected with this parasite are dying from anemia, so there is very clearly a resistance issue. “Now we can take this approach which has been piloted in sheep really successfully … and apply it to horses to hopefully catch this process earlier before reaching the point where we have something that’s really clinically an issue and very resistant,” says Jenkins. Many horse owners deworm their horses on a regular basis, whether they need it or not. This practice is partially contributing to the issue of anthelmintic resistance. “They’ll [horse owners] just give dewormers once a year, twice a year, four times a year, depending on what their

WCVM researchers will develop herd-level “parasite profiles” by detecting the DNA of parasites in horses’ fecal samples. Jessica Colby

routine is,” says Saworski. “But of course, similar to antibiotic resistance, this leads to anthelmintic resistance. “We’re wasting product, we’re worming when we don’t have to, maybe we’re not being as efficient as we want.” “Interestingly, every grazing animal has some degree of parasitic exposure because they graze,” says Jenkins. “I personally suggest that for the herd in question you actually calculate which 20 per cent of horses are contributing most of the worms and just treat them.” She adds that veterinarians are particularly worried about younger horses (under a year old) since they are most likely to have higher levels of parasites. A parasite of particular concern is Strongylus vulgaris (large strongyles or equine bloodworm), which is one of the many species whose eggs are identical to other parasites. The equine bloodworm is especially dangerous because it can cause

verminous arteritis — a potentially fatal but rather uncommon disease. It’s caused by S. vulgaris larvae that block blood flow to the horse’s gut by throwing off clots. Verminous arteritis can also lead to colic. Jenkins says there is also evidence in Western Canada of potential resistance in ascarids, or roundworms. “We’re sort of in an arms race with parasites, so older products are no longer effective,” says Jenkins. “The industry has already shifted to something like moxidectin, which is more effective against those larval stages. “You don’t need to reach for dewormers, except maybe for those really high shedders. And that way, we’ll preserve our drugs to use longer in the war against worms.” The Townsend Equine Health Research Fund (TEHRF) is providing financial support for this study.

Toni-Anne Saworski

Large strongyles (Strongylus vulgaris).

Equine strongyle eggs (bloodworm).

Equine ascarid (roundworm) egg. Western College of Veterinary Medicine

Cardiac drugs

in comparison test By Jessica Colby

Dr. Tiago Afonso. Jessica Colby

The list of current treatment options for horses with heart disease isn’t very long, and the cost of certain heart medications is out of reach for many Canadian horse owners. “[Heart failure in horses is] just not very common, but when they get it, it’s severe … a lot of times [they] die a terrible death of pulmonary edema, and they basically drown on the fluid in their lungs,” says Dr. Tiago Afonso, a specialist in large animal internal medicine at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). “There are not a lot of options [available] in horses at the moment.” Compared to cardiology-focused research targeting dogs and humans, there are very few peer-reviewed research studies that focus on the equine heart. Fortunately, 4

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studies recently published by Afonso and other researchers in the past few years have shone some light on important aspects of heart failure management in this species. Medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are successfully used in treating heart failure in people and dogs. Previous research conducted by Afonso has shown promising results with the ACE inhibitor benazepril in horses. However, this medication is cost-prohibitive in most countries outside of the United States, and there are important knowledge gaps on the effects of ACE-inhibiting drugs in horses. Now, Afonso’s goal is to test an affordable option to benazepril. He, along with large animal medical resident Dr. Nicole van der Vossen, are investigating two different ACE inhibitor medications and their

effects on a marker of heart failure in the horses’ urine. “If we’re treating horses with heart failure, most of the cases will be due to a leaking valve,” says van der Vossen, whose research is part of her Master of Science (MSc) program. She adds that veterinary and human surgical specialists can perform surgery to replace leaking valves in people — but that option isn’t available for equine patients. Instead of replacing the valve, veterinarians can use ACE inhibitors to extend the quality and duration of a horse’s life. ACE inhibitors prevent the creation of angiotensin II, a peptide hormone that causes vasoconstriction and encourages the release of aldosterone (a steroid hormone that regulates salt and water balance in the

body) in the bloodstream. “Those two [angiotensin II and aldosterone] together will increase blood pressure and blood volume, and so you actually compensate for your failing heart,” says van der Vossen. These compensatory mechanisms work simultaneously — similar to squeezing the tip of a garden hose and opening the water faucet all the way. The water will reach larger distances, but with the faucet pushing more water through the squeezedup hose, there’s tremendous strain on the system. In the long run, the system will fail. This scenario is what happens with the heart — a muscle that will become weakened over time. If high concentrations of angiotensin II and aldosterone continue for too long, there will be negative effects on the body. ACE inhibitors aim to control the effects of these compensatory mechanisms, decreasing the strain that’s placed on the body’s cardiovascular system. While the ACE inhibitor cannot fix the heart failure, it can slow the disease’s progression and help to lengthen a horse’s life. Unfortunately, ACE inhibitors are quite expensive for Canadian horse owners. Drug therapies can potentially cost thousands of dollars per month, and they are needed for the rest of the horse’s life. Previous research has shown that an ACE inhibitor called benazepril is the most promising medication in managing heart failure in horses. However, the drug is very expensive outside of the United States.

How ACE inhibitors work Angiotensinogen Renin Angiotensin I Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)

ACE inhibitor Angiotensin II Aldosterone

Ramipril, another ACE inhibitor, is more affordable and Afonso believes that it’s the second-best option to benazepril. The two drugs have never been directly compared to one another at equivalent dosages in an equine-focused study. The WCVM preliminary study will evaluate whether ramipril has similar effects to benazepril on the parameters of interest, when administered at a similar dosage level. Afonso and van der Vossen will compare these two ACE inhibitors, along with a placebo drug (the study’s control), using a treatment protocol with six healthy mares enrolled in the project. The team will administer the drugs in a randomized order and then compare the drugs’ efficacy by evaluating the horses’ blood and urine samples. “We want to make sure that benazepril

Vet’s career heads straight to the heart By Jessica Colby

Growing up in Portugal, Dr. Tiago Afonso always knew he wanted to be an equine veterinarian. “My uncle had a farm with horses, and he’s a mixed veterinarian in the back country of Portugal,” says Afonso, an assistant professor in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. “I used to spend all my weekends and summers

there and that was the life I wanted. To be out with the animals in the field, in the country.” Aside from riding horses on the farm, Afonso helped his uncle with veterinary surveillance sampling of dogs, sheep and cattle. As his uncle was the province’s veterinarian, Afonso used to join him for similar surveillance work across the region in Portugal.

ACE inhibitor drugs in people and dogs: - improves quality of life - increases life expectancy

inhibits that enzyme better than water,” says Afonso. “And then we want to make sure that ramipril, the cheaper one [drug], inhibits the enzyme better than water, and as well as benazepril.” Depending on their results, the researchers may be able to identify ramipril as a promising alternative to benazepril, its more expensive sibling, for managing congestive heart failure in horses. “I’m hoping that we can prove that ramipril works as well as benazepril, and if we do manage to show significant [positive] results, then I’m very much hoping that we would [be] able to investigate this on more horses,” says van der Vossen. The Townsend Equine Health Research Fund (TEHRF) is providing funding for this equine study.

“I really like the biology and the animal part of everything and how everything works and all the organisms,” says Afonso, who was never really interested in human medicine as a career. “[It] was just [the] lifestyle I wanted for me.” As well, Afonso became interested in cardiology — a subject that always made sense to him, even in middle school. “Cardiology was always a subject that was easy to me for some reason,” says Afonso. “Combining both, that’s what led me to this — and then I was fortunate enough during my post-veterinary student life to always work with equine cardiologists.” Afonso received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Lisbon in Portugal. After graduating, he completed two clinical internships — one in Belgium and one at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College. Western College of Veterinary Medicine

Straight to the heart (cont’d) Afonso went on to study at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Athens, Ga., where he completed his PhD degree in equine cardiology and a three-year residency program in large animal internal medicine. Once he graduated in 2016, Afonso also became a board-certified specialist (large animal internal medicine) that same year. Three of the four research studies that Afonso completed during his PhD program centred on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in horses. “We compared four different ones and then we concluded that benazepril was the best one. It seemed to be the most efficient one from the ones we used,” says Afonso. “The problem with benazepril is that it is generic and cheap in the U.S., but it is cost prohibitive here in Canada and [in] Europe, Australia, New Zealand.” After leaving Georgia, Afonso spent time in Australia — at a private practice and lecturing at the University of Adelaide — and in New Zealand where he lectured at Massey University in Palmerston North, N.Z. When a WCVM faculty position came available in 2019, Afonso took the opportunity to return to North America. The move allowed his wife, who is originally from the U.S., to be closer to home and to complete her PhD degree. At the WCVM, Afonso hopes to continue working on methods for controlling cardiac disease in horses and developing treatments for horses suffering from heart problems. Besides research and clinical work, Afonso teaches veterinary students in the WCVM’s DVM program. In October 2020, Afonso received the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Teacher of the Year Award for the WCVM. Selected by veterinary students, CVMA award recipients are teachers who have “inspired [the students] by their approach to the subject, teaching methods and enthusiasm.” “I interacted with students on a daily basis, and I really enjoyed explaining things to them,” says Afonso. “It’s good to be surrounded by other people. People that are interested in wanting to learn — it’s always good and motivates you.” 6

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How well do you know your horse’s heart? By Jessica Colby

This spring, Dr. Nicole van der Vossen gave a presentation on equine cardiology as part of the WCVM’s EquineED Talks — an online series of equine health sessions for horse owners organized by the regional veterinary college. Van der Vossen is a large animal internal medicine resident in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. She’s also a Master of Science (MSc) student whose research project focuses on a comparison of two therapies for congestive heart failure in horses. Here are some highlights from van der Vossen’s presentation, which is also available online (https://vimeo.com/531010020).

Your horse’s heart: quick facts

A horse’s average resting heart rate is anywhere from 24 to 40 beats per minute (bpm) while it can reach 240 bpm when a horse is giving its maximum effort. On average, a horse’s heart can weigh anywhere from about 7.7 pounds to 11 pounds — between 0.6 and one per cent of their overall body weight. Just like a human heart, a horse’s heart has four chambers: a left and right atrium and a left and right ventricle. The equine heart also contains four valves (tricuspid, mitral, pulmonary and aortic) and four vessels (vena cava, pulmonary artery, pulmonary veins and aorta). Deoxygenated blood enters the heart through the right atrium to the right ventricle and up and out of the heart to the lungs through the pulmonary artery. Once the blood has been oxygenated in the lungs, it comes back to the heart through the pulmonary veins. From there it is transported through the left atrium, the left ventricle and out to the rest of the body through the aorta.

ventricular septum defect, which is a hole between the heart’s two ventricles.

Cardiac emergencies

It’s important to know when you should contact your veterinarian. If your horse is experiencing any of the following symptoms, call for help: • difficulty exercising (increased tiredness, unwillingness to work or an extended recovery time) • respiratory issues (coughing or nasal discharge) • increased pulse • abnormal heartbeat

While cardiac diseases are rare in horses, certain drugs are the only treatment option available to manage these conditions. Myrna MacDonald

Cardiac diseases

Cardiac diseases are rare, and the symptoms of disease only present late in life once the heart cannot compensate for the malfunction. The three most common cardiac diseases in horses are valvular disease, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) and congenital conditions. Valvular diseases are abnormalities and leaks in any of the four heart valves. The most common valvular disease is of the aortic valve, a progressive condition called aortic regurgitation, which occurs between the left ventricle and the aorta. “If the valve is diseased, you will hear a murmur,” says van der Vossen. “It means that the valve will allow a leak of the blood backwards to the direction it should be going in.” Aortic regurgitation causes the heart to pump faster due to the failing valve. Eventually, the heart may become too tired and stop pumping all together (called myocardial failure), which leads to death. These valvular diseases are often a result of aging valves in male middle-aged riding

horses. In humans and small animals, valvular diseases can be fixed by simply replacing the affected valve — but open heart surgery cannot be performed on horses. Arrythmias are simply abnormal heartbeats. Sometimes, these abnormalities disappear during exercise. The most common arrhythmia, which occurs in older animals and large-sized horses (such as draft breeds), is atrial fibrillation. This means that the heart’s atria don’t fully contract — instead, they just “tremble.” The good news is that atrial fibrillation is medically and surgically treatable. However, there are cases where horses can relapse into atrial fibrillation. “Most pathological arrhythmias are related to an abnormality at the level of the heart muscle where the conduction is not going the way it should be going,” says van der Vossen. Congenital conditions develop from an error — either genetic or random — during the equine fetus’s cardiac development. The most common defect is the

“Symptoms of cardiac disease are quite vague,” says van der Vossen. “If you have any doubts, it would be better to ask your vet to come and check them [your horse] rather than wait.” By the time a horse is presenting clinical signs of a cardiac condition, the horse has been living with the condition for a while. The horse’s heart has just been compensating for itself by beating harder or faster, says van der Vossen. A foal has a resting heart rate of 50 to 70 bpm — much faster than an adult animal. If your foal is showing symptoms of heart failure, the condition is likely one that the foal was born with. In these cases, don’t wait to call your veterinarian for assistance. Call your veterinarian immediately if your foal is showing the following symptoms: • not thriving • becomes exhausted quickly • has breathing issues • has an abnormal heartbeat

Diagnosis and treatment

Veterinarians will perform a combination of tests on a horse suspected to have cardiac problems. They will listen to the horse’s heart (cardiac auscultation) and conduct an electrocardiogram (recording of the heart’s electric patterns) as well as an exercise test. If they have access to necessary technology, clinicians can also perform an echocardiogram (an ultrasound exam of the horse’s heart) to evaluate how well the organ is pumping blood. Unfortunately, open heart surgery cannot be performed to repair these heart conditions in affected horses. For veterinarians and specialists, the only treatment option available is to manage these conditions with appropriate medications. Visit vmc.usask.ca (click “Animal Care”) to access more horse health information – including online recordings of previous EquineED Talks.

Western College of Veterinary Medicine

Michael Raine

Safety vital near portable X-rays By Jessica Colby

A recent study by University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers highlights the importance of regularly reviewing radiation safety practices for the use of portable X-ray machines in equine practice. The study, which was published in the April 2021 issue of Canadian Veterinary Journal, surveyed three separate veterinary practices that use portable X-ray equipment and observed the clinics’ radiation safety practices. Dr. Niels Koehncke, director of the Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture at USask, led the research team that included two Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) researchers, Drs. Alexandra Belotta and Monique Mayer. The study’s goal was to determine if radiation safety practices needed to be addressed or improved upon among large animal veterinary clinical teams that treat equine patients. The researchers found that clinical team members wore shielding aprons in over 99 per cent of examinations — but they weren’t as vigilant about glove use. Team members used gloves in just over half of all examinations observed, with registered veterinary technologists (RVTs) being more prone to wearing gloves. Clinical staff used thyroid shields (lead collars) for 87 per cent of all examinations, but they wore protective eyeglasses for only 10 per cent of the imaging exams. Current safety regulations do not include protective eyeglass use, points out Belotta. One participating clinic was the WCVM’s field service while the other two were 8

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private clinics. Belotta used a 360-degree camera to review behaviours in the field and to collect data. “Radiation safety is very important in terms of trying to basically keep the occupational exposure as low as possible, reducing the likelihood of developing cancer,” says Belotta, a medical imaging resident in the WCVM’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences. Portable X-ray machines are invaluable tools in equine practice, allowing veterinarians and RVTs to take radiographs in the field and speeding up diagnosis of equine patients. “It makes diagnosis much more readily available, so I think it’s incredibly helpful technology,” says Mayer, a professor in the WCVM’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences. “In the equine area, some workers do many consultations in the field so they can easily transport this X-ray equipment,” adds Belotta. But these portable X-ray machines pose radiation risks and need to be handled with caution — just like other radiograph equipment. “There is always a very low risk present of cancer, so any dose of radiation could theoretically lead to cancer,” says Mayer. “There are other risks that aren’t seen as often, but there’s also a risk of cataract formation. Those would be the two main risks that we currently guide our rules about doses.” Study observations also showed that during most exams, clinical team members used their hands to hold the X-ray unit as

well as the cassette — the component that’s placed behind the part of the patient being imaged. “People not only hold the portable X-ray unit where the dose is fairly low, but they also hold the cassette, which is a little bit more of a concern because the beam is being directed at the cassette,” says Mayer. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association supports Health and Welfare Canada’s recommendation that veterinary workers use cassette holders in the area being radiographed. The portable X-ray units also come with a remote operator so clinical staff can stand away from the animal while imaging. However, Mayer adds that these cassette holders can become dangerous projectiles if horses kick them. Oftentimes, veterinarians and RVTs are closer to the X-ray beam than recommended by federal guidelines. As a result, they are closer to the scattered radiation when the radiograph is taken. “We actually looked at the doses to the workers,” says Mayer. “The doses are actually as we thought, quite low — except when people put their hand into the primary beam.” Mayer adds that if a person’s hand or any other body part is included in the main X-ray beam, the radiation dose is much higher opposed to outside the beam. Whether the person is wearing gloves or not doesn’t matter — gloves are not designed to protect against exposure if the hand is in the primary beam. “The biggest thing is to stay out of that primary beam,” says Mayer, adding that

federal guidelines state that veterinary workers should be six feet away from the animal during an X-ray examination. Both Belotta and Mayer agree that some radiation safety practices are likely overlooked due to veterinarians having multiple field calls to complete during the day. Mayer adds that with the physical risk of working with a horse, veterinarians may be trying to act quickly to keep themselves and others around them safe. However, Mayer emphasizes that it’s important for people working with any form of ionizing radiation to be aware of the risk and to understand how to keep their dose as low as reasonably achievable. “The whole approach to minimize risk is something called ALARA, or ‘as low as reasonably achievable,’” says Mayer, who has conducted similar radiation safety studies on small animal practices. To help create more awareness, one of her graduate students created an instructional video on radiation safety in small animal clinics — a project that is now available online in four languages. “I would love to see a similar video made for the equine field,” says Mayer.

Christina Weese

Stall-side research

Veterinary student Mateo Castano Ospina. Jessica Colby

Mateo Castano Ospina, a veterinary student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), spent four months working as the Townsend Equine Health Research Fund (TEHRF) undergraduate summer research student. Each year, the equine research fund provides financial support for a veterinary student to work on a horse health-focused research project. “I think the program gives veterinary students a great opportunity to get some insight in the research field and exposure to equine handling,” says Castano Ospina, who is originally from Winnipeg, Man. “I am very thankful for the opportunity that [the] TEHRF undergraduate summer student research program provided me this summer.” He worked with Dr. Joe Bracamonte, a WCVM associate professor and large animal surgical specialist. Over the past few years, Bracamonte’s research team has worked on multiple studies targeting septic arthritis — inflammation of a horse’s joint that’s caused by bacteria or another infectious agent. Septic arthritis is usually “caused by traumatic injuries, like … some sort of puncture or gash or laceration,” explains Castano Ospina. Besides being very painful, septic arthritis is very challenging to diagnose and treat.

During his summer of research, Castano Ospina worked on a study to determine whether a stall-side test is effective in detecting levels of serum amyloid A (SAA), an acute phase protein that’s useful for diagnosing systemic and joint inflammation in horses. Veterinarians currently rely on a latex agglutination turbidimetric immunoassay (LATI), a lab test that identifies certain antibodies and antigens, to measure SAA in equine serum and plasma. As a faster, in-the-field alternative, the clinical team evaluated a handheld reader — the StableLab EQ-1 — to measure SAA. “[It’s] simple and you get the results in 10 minutes [whereas with] the gold standard test, you have to take a sample and then send it to a lab and wait for the lab to send you the results,” says Castano Ospina, who has been comparing results from the two tests. “It’s to aid veterinarians working on these cases, and so they can plan their treatments according to that result.” After he graduates from the WCVM in 2024, Castano Ospina plans to pursue his interest in surgery and eventually hopes to become a board-certified veterinary surgeon.

Western College of Veterinary Medicine

gnosed with PPID for a hormone alues study.

Weese

Putting laminitis on ice By Jazlynn Lewis

A Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) research team is gathering information for the development of a new device for cryotherapy (extreme cold therapy) — one of the few treatments available for the painful equine disease known as laminitis. Also described as digital hypothermia, cryotherapy involves submerging an affected horse’s limb and foot in ice and cooling them to four degrees Celsius. “[There’s] quite a bit of evidence that icing the feet is an effective way to prevent laminitis in horses that are at risk, and there is some evidence that it helps in treating acute laminitis,” says Dr. Julia Montgomery, an associate professor in the WCVM’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and the study’s lead investigator. Laminitis is a condition that affects the tissues (laminae) that bind the equine equine coffin bone to the hoof wall. The disease can quickly progress into lameness as the coffin bone shifts away from the hoof wall. If left untreated, laminitis can lead to an excruciatingly painful end to a horse’s career. Although there’s limited understanding of the exact mechanism that makes cryotherapy work, the treatment has proven to be effective at slowing the progression of laminitis and providing pain relief. Since there’s no definitive cure for laminitis, some equine researchers are focusing their efforts on preventing this debilitating equine disease. Using data from previous research studies, the WCVM researchers

HORSE HEALTH LINES | Fall 2021

aim to develop a prototype that introduces a water cycling system into a boot or sleevestyle device that will make cryotherapy easier in both clinical and public settings. Current cryotherapy methods include commercially-available ice boots, ice water slurries, ice packs and gel packs that present their own issues such as the need to constantly monitor temperature, exchange ice packs or refill ice. Although dry cryotherapy is also a treatment option, it can involve direct contact between the ice and the leg that may cause cold thermal injuries after prolonged use. With their focus on a device that avoids direct contact and limits the labour required for maintaining the treatment, the WCVM team is collaborating with RMD Engineering Inc., a Saskatoon-based engineering consulting firm, on initial designs with plans to begin testing the device in 2022. “I’ve worked with engineers in the past, and I’ve really learned to value this collaboration because we take different perspectives looking at a problem and work together on a solution,” says Montgomery. Using their unique perspectives, the researchers and the engineers will determine the mechanisms of the prototype while considering what will and will not work when dealing with horses. For example, the research team will consider issues such as the height at which the leg should be iced. This detail is important because the blood flow in a horse’s leg constantly circulates warm blood down into the hoof, potentially counteracting the treatment. Icing farther up the horse’s limb can solve that problem by decreasing the tem-

perature of the blood before it reaches the hoof. Another correlation that researchers must also consider is the horse’s hoof, which should be included in the icing mechanism. Since the surface of the hoof has direct contact with ice, its temperature will be a couple of degrees cooler than the inside of the foot. Although there’s limited understanding of the exact mechanism that makes cryotherapy work, the treatment has proven to be effective at slowing the progression of laminitis and providing pain relief. Until researchers can understand the pathology of laminitis well enough to develop a cure for this devastating disease, Montgomery emphasizes the importance of prevention. “Be aware of some of the conditions that really put [the horses] at risk because once laminitis happens — even with all the medicine and technology we have — we are still very limited in what we can do to prevent some of the severe changes that can happen,” says Montgomery. Jazlynn Lewis of Bandera, Texas, is a thirdyear student (animal science) at Angelo State University whose WCVM summer research position is supported by the Fulbright Canada-MITACS Globalink Program.

Cresty necks flag metabolic issues in horses By Myrna MacDonald Owners need to be aware of cresty necks and other localized fat deposits — visual markers of abnormal insulin metabolism. While University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers are still hunting for a diagnostic biomarker that predicts equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), results of their recent study substantiated the cresty neck score (CNS) as a reliable visual marker of abnormal insulin metabolism in horses. The study, which was recently published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, was conducted by a team of USask scientists from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) and College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. Researchers compare EMS to human type 2 diabetes because both are characterized by obesity and insulin resistance. In human metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, researchers recognize methylglyoxal (MG), D-lactate and several cytokines (cell-signalling molecules) as biomarkers of important metabolic and inflammatory processes. Biomarkers are objective medical indicators that help to measure the presence of disease or the impact of therapy. Thirty-two client-owned horses, ranging from five to 24 years old, participated in the cross-sectional study. According to the combined glucose insulin test (CGIT), researchers classified 12 horses as insulin dysregulated (ID) while 20 of the horses were considered insulin sensitive (IS). For each horse, the research team tested baseline serum or plasma concentrations of biomarkers using commercial ELISA or

Christina Weese

colorimetric assays (reactions that lead to a change in colour). They compared body condition score (BCS), cresty neck score (CNS), resting insulin, MG, D-lactate, L-lactate, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) between horses with and without ID. Researchers found no significant difference between the two groups in relation to age, BCS, baseline glucose, triglycerides, MG, D-lactate, L-lactate and cytokines. Overall, the USask team determined that horses with mild to moderate signs of EMS presented similar metabolic and inflammatory profiles to horses with no signs of ID. However, the study’s results did confirm cresty necks as a reliable visual sign of abnormal insulin metabolism in horses. Among the 32 horses, animals with CNS of 3 and higher (on a scale of 0 to 5) were more than 11 times as likely to have ID. In this study, cresty neck scores were also much stronger predictors of ID than general obesity. Fat deposits along the crest or upper curve of a horse’s neck tend to develop in ponies and other breeds such as Morgan, Peruvian Paso, Andalusian and Arabian horses. While these breeds are known to be more prone to ID and EMS, this study showed that quarter horses can also exhibit cresty necks and ID. While other researchers have previously associated cresty neck scores with lami-

nitis and potential signs of ID, this study represents the first time that the visual indicator has been statistically associated with abnormal CGIT results. The study’s findings stress the importance of client education in monitoring their horses’ body condition. Owners need to regularly observe horses for deviations from their ideal weight, especially looking for cresty necks and other localized fat deposits. Previous research has shown that owners tend to underestimate their horses’ body condition and fat distribution, so increased owner awareness can lead to early screening and timely management of ID. Researchers recommend that more work should be done to identify a diagnostic marker for early EMS. They also hope to characterize the different stages of insulin dysregulation so veterinarians and owners can implement management changes as early as possible. One of the study’s strengths was the variety of its subjects: the client-owned horses represent a wide range of animals in various stages of obesity and insulin dysregulation. The USask team suggested that the equine research community should approach EMS as a spectrum (like equine asthma) versus treating the disease as a constant state. The Townsend Equine Health Research Fund (TEHRF) provided funding for this project.

Western College of Veterinary Medicine

PASSING THE TEHRF TORCH NEW WCVM DEAN After serving as the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) interim dean for one year, Dr. Gillian Muir became the college’s dean on July 1. She is the first WCVM graduate as well as the first female to be named dean of the western Canadian veterinary college. Originally from Calgary, Alta., Muir graduated from the WCVM in 1988 and completed two years of graduate studies at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) before earning her PhD degree in neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. She joined the WCVM faculty in 1996 and is a professor and researcher in the WCVM’s Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences. Muir’s research program investigates recovery after spinal cord injury and her work on a novel therapy has been translated to clinical trials for people with spinal injuries. A gifted instructor, Muir teaches neuroscience to first-year veterinary students and has received multiple teaching awards. Muir’s term as WCVM dean will run from 2021 to 2026.

Dr. Ross MacKague of Brandon, Man., Les Burwash of Airdrie, Alta., and Jim Pollock of Moosomin, Sask., have been long-time members of the Townsend Equine Health Research Fund (TEHRF) advisory board. Over multiple decades, MacKague, Burwash and Pollock have provided invaluable guidance and support to the college’s equine research fund. In 2020, the torch was passed to Manitoba horse owner Molly Kelleher and Alberta veterinarian Dr. Larry Frischke who will now represent their respective provinces. Other additions were Anna Fontana and Dr. Lauren MacLeod of B.C. who take over from Dr. Alex Wales of Lake Country, B.C., another dedicated TEHRF advisory board member. Members of the TEHRF advisory board represent different aspects of Western Canada’s horse industry and serve as vital links between the region’s equine interests and the WCVM. Here’s a list of the TEHRF advisory board members: • Manitoba – Molly Kelleher and Dr. Chris Bell • Saskatchewan – Shirley Brodsky • Alberta – Dr. Larry Frischke and Dr. Jenn Fowlie • British Columbia – Anna Fontana and Dr. Lauren MacLeod

LET’S TALK HORSE HEALTH This fall, the WCVM’s equine clinical team will begin a new season of EquineED Talks covering a wide range of health topics. The free online seminars are open to horse owners anywhere in the world — one perk of holding the events virtually. Beginning on Oct. 19, all of the 75-minute presentations will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday evenings from October 2021 to March 2022. Presentation topics include hoof health and disease, biosecurity, first aid and wound management, breeding, preventive health care and performance horse health and nutrition. For a full list of topics, speakers and dates, visit wcvm.usask.ca/education/ equine-seminars.php.

10 YEARS OF EQUINE EXPO After a year’s postponement, the 10th edition of the Saskatchewan Equine Expo is set to take place from Thursday, Oct. 28, to Sunday, Oct. 31. The annual horse exposition will include a three-day trainers’ challenge, clinician Jonathan Field, the Off the Track Thoroughbred (OTTB) Challenge and equine demonstrations and competitions. Back at the Expo’s tradeshow, visitors of all ages can check out this year’s equine education area that will include activities, displays, demonstrations and talks on a variety of horse-related topics. Visit the event’s site (saskatchewanequineexpo.ca) for further updates. 12

HORSE HEALTH LINES | Fall 2021

Research in print A round up of WCVM-related equine research articles that have been recently published in peer-reviewed journals. Belotta AF, Mayer MN, Waldner CL, Robinson K, Sidhu N, Carmalt J, Bell CD, Koehncke NK. “Radiation safety practices among Canadian equine veterinary workers during diagnostic procedures with portable X-ray equipment.” Canadian Veterinary Journal. April 2021. 62(4):349-356. Chapuis RJJ, Smith JS, Uehlinger FD, Meachem M, Johnson R, Dowling PM. “Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of doxycycline in a Streptococcusequi subsp. zooepidemicus infection model in horses.” Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. May 2021. doi: 10.111/jvp.12982. Steinke SL, Montgomery JB, Barden JM. “Accelerometry-based step count validation for horse movement analysis during stall confinement.” Frontiers in Veterinary Science. June 2021. 8:681213. Bocking T, Johnson L, Singh A, Aulakh GK, Singh B. “Research article expression of surfactant protein-A and D, and CD9 in lungs of one- and 30-day-old foals.” BMC Veterinary Research. July 2021. 17:236.

Ragno VM, Klein CD, Sereda NS, Uehlinger FD, Zello GA, Robinson KA, Montgomery JB. “Morphometric, metabolic, and inflammatory markers across a cohort of client-owned horses and ponies on the insulin dysregulation spectrum.” Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 105(2021):103715. doi: 10.1016/j. jevs.2021.103715.

Visit tehrf.ca for more news updates

EQUINE HEALTH INVESTMENT Testing a more affordable option for treating congestive heart failure in horses, studying the role of two hormones and their role in pregnancy recognition in mares and investigating how veterinarians can better diagnose equine intestinal parasites are the research topics for three WCVM teams that received a total of $82,000 in support from the Townsend Equine Health Research Fund (TEHRF) this year. Visit tehrf.ca (click “Research”) for more details. Each year, the WCVM’s equine fund provides financial support for an undergraduate research student whose summer research focuses on equine health. This summer’s researcher was WCVM student Mateo Castano Ospina of Winnipeg, Man. The equine fund also presented five tuition awards — worth a total of about $31,200 — to WCVM graduate students studying different issues in horse health: • Roman Koziy, PhD student (supervisor: Dr. Elemir Simko). Research focus: identification of amino acid differences in the sequence of systemic- and joint-specific serum amyloid A (SAA) isoforms.

• Dr. Nicole van der Vossen, MSc student and resident in large animal internal medicine (supervisor: Dr. Tiago Afonso). Research focus: evaluating angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to better manage heart failure in horses. • Dr. Karen Pimentel, MSc student and equine field service resident (supervisor: Dr. Stephen Manning). Research focus: investigating whether the dorsal or ventral pouches of the temporomandibular joint of horses communicate with each other. • Toni-Anne Saworski, MSc student (supervisor: Dr. Emily Jenkins). Research focus: how we can better diagnose intestinal parasites in horses and identifying parasites that have the most potential of becoming resistant. • Dr. José Antonio Guerra, MSc student and large animal surgical resident (supervisor: Dr. Keri Thomas). Research focus: testing the use of alpha 2 agonist (xylazine) for regional neural blockade, combined with lidocaine to determine if there is an increased duration of sensory blockades.

Western College of Veterinary Medicine

Honour their lives

with the gift of Equine health

Pay tribute the lives of your patients, clients and loved ones by making a donation to the Townsend Equine Health Research Fund (TEHRF) through its memorial program. Each time you give to the fund, we will send a letter to the client or loved one’s family acknowledging your gift to the equine health fund.

“Our practice (Paton & Martin Veterinary Services) began to make contributions to the fund on behalf of clients when their horses passed away. We have found this to be a gratifying contribution and have been humbled by the responses that we have received from many of our clients. I think that it is very helpful for them to know that their horses have been honoured in such a fashion. The fund gives horse owners the additional opportunity to contribute to this very worthwhile cause: supporting vital research in the areas of equine health.” Dr. David Paton (WCVM ’78) TEHRF donor

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Check out Horse Health Lines online at tehrf.ca PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40112792 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: Research Office, WCVM University of Saskatchewan 52 Campus Drive Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4 horse.health@usask.ca

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HEALTH

SPORT HORSE

Performance Injections By William (Billy) Hodge, DVM We ask a lot of our equine partners. Regardless of the discipline, maintaining optimal joint health is essential for any horse’s performance. Horses are athletes and lameness is one of the most common reasons for decreased performance. By addressing lameness issues as soon as they develop the impact on the horse’s career can be minimized. Joint disease in horses is very common and as such, the use of one or several therapies can maximize soundness and improve long-term joint health. Injection therapies aid in reducing joint lameness by providing anti-inflammatory mechanisms. These products cannot prevent lameness but play a vital role in establishing a healthy joint after an injury, and therefore play a role in reducing lameness and fostering long-term soundness. This article aims to outline the most commonly used equine injection therapies in Canada.

Healthy joints are essential for the performance of our equine athletes. Pictured are Rebecca Howard and Riddle Master at Rolex Kentucky 2011.

LEGEND® is used in equine sports medi-

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PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

cine and is widely available. It is currently made in an intravenous (IV) form and an intra-articular (IA, joint injection) form. Legend® is a hyaluronate sodium

It’s never welcome news to the horse owner, but joint disease is a common diagnosis when lameness develops. Fortunately, there are several therapies available to maximize soundness and improve long-term joint health.

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(glucosaminoglycan, also called HA) that is present in synovial fluid (the fluid in the joint). One major function is the regulation of a normal joint environment; hence, it provides anti-inflammatory properties to the joint and also gives the joint fluid its viscosity (protects the joint). It is indicated (used) in the treatment of joint dysfunction of the carpus and fetlock due to osteoarthritis. It has not been approved for other joints but has shown to be effective for all joints (e.g., coffin, pastern, stifle). It is licensed for IV use weekly for three injections known as the loading dose. Anecdotally, there has been the recommendation to use it monthly after the initial injection protocol. Studies show that Legend® decreases lameness and it has been widely accepted in the showing community to aid in reducing joint lameness (inflammation). It has been used by many veterinarians both by IV and IA. The IV form is for systemic use and the IA is for direct joint injections. It has been given in joints alone but is commonly given combined with a steroid for IA use. Used alone, it can cause “flares” in the joint or tendon sheath although this is not seen commonly. Legend® has been known to: • Decrease the degree of lameness; • Decrease the inflammation in the joint; • Decrease the inflammation in the joint lining; • 90 percent of cases given IV injection and 96 percent given IA show improvement in lameness. Similar products which fall into the same category as Legend® include HY-50®,

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Address lameness issues as soon as they develop, starting with a thorough examination by your veterinarian.

it has shown to reduce lameness and has anti-inflammatory properties. Adequan® has been shown to: • Reduce inflammation; • Restore synovial joint lubrication; • Repair joint cartilage;

PHOTO: ISTOCK/URBANCOW

• Reverse the disease cycle of osteoarthritis.

CARTROPHEN VET® (pentosan

Hylartil®, and Map-5®. These products are readily available and can be used in the same manner for IV or IA use in horses. They have individual successes in horses and therefore use may determine which product is right for your horse.

polysulphate sodium or PPS) is recognized as another type of equine IM injection. It is a heparinoid that allows increased blood flow to the joint lining thereby making the joint less stiff, and it has shown to have anti-inflammatory properties providing improved joint function and health. A canine product, in my experience it has been widely used in horses for lower hock joint pain. The course is one injection every week (five to seven days) for four injections. Anecdotally, it has subsequently been used monthly. It has been shown to decrease lameness and improve overall joint health by treating acute and chronic osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease). Cartophen Vet® has been found to:

ADEQUAN®, recently reintroduced to

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

Adequan® was historically also used in joint injections but has been linked to cases of sepsis (infection); therefore, when used for intra-articular injections it must be combined with antibiotics to reduce this risk. Anecdotally, it has been given monthly after the initial course for long term management.

the Canadian market, is a polysulphonated glucosaminoglycan (PSGAG) recommended for the intramuscular (IM) treatment of degenerative/ traumatic joint dysfunction associated with lameness of the carpus and hock (tarsus) joints. It is given IM every four days for seven injections. The main use is after joint surgery, but many horses are given this course without surgery as Joint injections of the hock (left) and fetlock (below) joints.

• Help cartilage production • Improve synovial fluid quality • Improve blood flow • Anti-inflammatory effects

PHOTO: ISTOCK/GROOMEE

• Decrease/inhibit degeneration of the joint by harmful inflammatory mediators and enzymes

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These products can be used in combination. Effectiveness will be different in each horse and therefore careful examination of the horse and a diagnosis will dictate which product may be most beneficial. At our veterinary clinic, we commonly use these products and find them to aid in our management of lameness caused by joint disease. b > Dr. Billy Hodge is a frequent contributor to this magazine — read his bio on page 82.

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HEALTH

How Does Your Beauty Sleep? How well does your horse sleep? How much sleep does he need? And why is it important? By Alexa Linton, Equine Sports Therapist Sleep is one of my very favourite things. It’s at the top of my list of essentials for the well-being of my body, mind, and spirit — right alongside chocolate, a yummy and nourishing meal, and a great ride on my mare, Diva. Anyone who has experienced even mild insomnia knows that the negative impact of insufficient sleep on your brain, your mood, and your productivity is remarkable, and that a few nights of poor sleep can lead to general grumpiness, short temper, feelings of exhaustion and overwhelm, and impaired memory and focus. There are some very clear physiological explanations for the 48

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effects of poor or inadequate sleep, including a resultant dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system impacting everything from heart rate to blood pressure, and digestion to elimination, mood, and memory. Sleep is commonly referred to as some of the best medicine there is for whatever ails you, providing the body with much-needed recovery and rejuvenation. It’s no wonder sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. But, what about your horse? Is he sleeping enough, and getting the right type of sleep? And if not, how is this contributing to his overall well-being?

Have you ever seen a horse that sways when standing and resting, or comes close to buckling onto his knees, or has scars on the front of his fetlocks? Having a horse in my herd with these “sleep attacks” demonstrated how common it is for domesticated horses to struggle with sleep deprivation and specifically, not enough deep restorative rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Similar to sleep-deprived humans, these horses may show changes in mood, performance, physical well-being, and energy levels. Just as human beings may not sleep so well in a big and busy city with excessive stimulus from lights, sirens, people, and

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A group of Icelandic horses sleeps while one stands guard.

other factors, the quality of the sleep of domesticated horses is largely impacted by their environment. And like us, the quality of their sleep can be affected by pain; whether they are able to lie down safely and comfortably and get up with ease when there is danger; the feeling of safety and protection in relation to herd-mates; the presence of a comfortable place to lie down; and the quiet and stillness necessary to fully rest. When I meet a horse that I suspect of struggling to get enough sleep, I commonly hear that he is rarely seen lying down (even if he may roll); that he has had a traumatic or intense past; that he is not at ease with herd-mates or does

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In the first phase of sleep, the horse stands with awareness but deep relaxation. In the next phase, the horse is in a phase of deeper relaxation and may still stand with only slight muscle tone. In the final phase of paradoxical sleep, the horse must lie down.

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Horses need a large space to lie down and get up safely, and an area with comfortable bedding to lie down on.

R EA P H OTO : D

not have a herd-mate that can look out for him; or that he struggles with other health conditions that may prevent deep restorative sleep including arthritis, digestive issues, or mobility issues limiting his ability to lie down or get back up. What does healthy sleep look like in horses? We can recognize three phases, with the first when standing where there is still awareness but deep relaxation. Next, also possibly in standing, the horse enters a phase of deeper relaxation with only slight muscle tone where his brain waves slow substantially. In the final phase where REM sleep occurs, called paradoxical sleep, the horse must lie down, generally coming out of the second phase first to fully ensure that the environment is safe to lie down. The horse will then go back through the first two phases of sleep and then, if all feels well, he will either lie down on his side or tuck his head into his side to enter the third phase of sleep. This deeply restorative phase of sleep is characterized by rapid eye movement under closed lids, loss of reflexes and muscle function, and active brain waves. While humans need between two to three hours of paradoxical sleep per day, horses only require 30 to 60 minutes per day and don’t follow daily sleep cycles requiring this every day. However, after loss of this type of sleep for one week or more, many horses will begin to show signs of

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sleep deprivation, such as swaying or falling from standing. Essentially, because of their exhaustion these horses move into paradoxical sleep without it being preceded by slow wave sleep, losing muscle tone and reflexes while standing. For some horses this issue can be solved fairly simply by changing their environment, for example by bringing the horse home from a show where he was unable to lie down or get a peaceful rest; by adding more comfortable bedding or sand to his living space; or by shifting his herd-mates or barn buddies so that he feels safe to close his eyes and fully relax. For some horses it may mean addressing issues of pain and immobility that are preventing them from lying down, through medications, supplementation, and/or body work. For others it is more complex, potentially rooted in trauma or requiring a larger shift in nervous system or endocrine function.

For some horses, like people, their nervous system is hyper-vigilant, stuck in the flight-fight impulses of the sympathetic nervous system and not conducive to deep rest, which needs healthy vagal tone in the parasympathetic system. Good vagal tone, an expression of the health of the vagus nerve (the tenth cranial nerve) supports the rest and digestive capacities of the autonomic nervous system, and can be compromised in situations of high stress and trauma. Thankfully, it can also be repaired and restored by building a solid foundation of trust; creating a supportive environment for rest, relaxation, and social engagement; and supporting healthy nervous system function. With these horses I tend to do a lot of cranial work to open the pathway of the vagus nerve, as well as work at the poll, diaphragm, rib cage, digestive system, and heart, all in support of healthy function of this essential part of the nervous system. Incredibly, the vagus nerve is highly involved in the function of the heart, lungs, and the digestive, elimination, endocrine, and immune systems, and supporting this one nerve naturally improves the function of all of these systems. Recently, I worked with a human client who had suddenly stopped sleeping a few weeks previously. I found that her vagus nerve was being compressed both at her cranial base where it exits through the jugular foramen, as well as on its transit between her heart and left lung on its path through the diaphragm. After getting these areas opened up, she started sleeping again. It really is an excellent place to work to support whole body health and I encourage you to research ways to support your own vagus nerve function (there is a lot of research coming out in this area). If you suspect your horse is not getting an adequate amount of sleep, especially paradoxical sleep, here are some ways to support him: • Assess the horse’s environment and change what you are able. Many horses are sensitive to noise, light, electric fences, and proximity to traffic (both human and vehicular). Sugary feeds can increase adrenal stimulation, which can impact sleep. It is also critical that horses have enough space to lie down and get up safely and that they have an area with softer footing to lie on. Ask your barn friends about your horse’s habits when you are not around and watch for signs of side-lying or rest.

• Is the horse able to move? Horses in the wild walk incredible distances every day. Does the horse’s environment allow freedom of movement? If not, do you support the horse’s movement through riding, walking together, and other exercise? Are there ways you can enrich the environment to support more movement, such as adding a herd-mate, increasing the space, adding slow feed nets in several places, or creating a paddock paradise? • Consider the horse’s herd-mates or barn buddies. Does your horse seem to feel safe and comfortable with them around? Does one of them stand guard when others are sleeping? Is there enough space to comfortably get up and away from other horses if necessary? If your horse is alone, consider some sort of equine companion. Very few horses feel safe living on their own, especially if there are no other horses within sight. • Check over the horse’s body. If you suspect pain from arthritis or other changes, work with your veterinarian to learn more through radiographs and possibly medication or supplementation. Work with a body worker to ensure that the horse’s body is comfortable, that he is capable of lying down and getting back up, and that the vagus nerve is free and functioning. • Build trust in your bond by spending “chill time.” You will be amazed at how hanging out with your horse without an agenda can increase his vagal tone and ability to relax. Use this time to cultivate your own vagal tone through deep breathing, slow walking, matching the horse’s movements, humming, and working with touch that feels good for both of you. For more on this check out the work of Elsa Sinclair. For horses and humans alike, there are not many things more healing than a good sleep. Supporting your horse towards a healthy dose of restorative paradoxical sleep is an essential part of his wellness and can improve his health in so many ways. Lack of sleep can also be indicative of changes needed in his internal or external environment to cultivate greater wellbeing physically, emotionally, and mentally over the long term. If we all slept well, I have a feeling the world would be a happier and healthier place — and I hope this article supports you and your horses towards a well-rested future! b > Alexa Linton is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 82.

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HORSEMANSHIP

Do Equestrians Know How Their Horses Learn? Why is it so important for equestrians to become educated about learning theory and its practical application? By Tanja Bornmann (MSc Equine Science, Academic Equitation) Knowingly or not, in each single encounter with horses we use learning theory tools from our training toolbox. Sometimes equestrians pick the wrong tools from the toolbox, or do not know how to use the selected tool correctly, and due to this horses may suffer and may display behaviour considered to be naughty, unwilling, difficult, or even dangerous. Horses do not test you, nor are they being dominant and need you to show them that “you are the boss.” Training is all about bringing the right message across in fair and meaningful dialogue between horse and trainer, employing the different tools that knowledge of learning theory will equip you with. Yes, horses do talk to us using their own language. Often, horses simply do not understand what the trainer wants from them, either 52

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because the trainer does not understand how to use cues correctly, or does not know how to reward “correct” horse behaviour predictably or in a timely manner so that the desired learning outcomes can be achieved. Traditionally, horse training has been based on negative reinforcement as the mounted rider communicates with the horse by means of aids which, in traditional training, are solely based on negative reinforcement. Hence, it is very important that all horse handlers and riders understand what negative and positive reinforcement means, how it can be practically applied, and that its incorrect application can result in a compromised welfare state and, potentially, abuse. We can observe horse abuse in all

equestrian disciplines; some types of abuse are more obvious to spot than others. Unfortunately, unlike some other mammals such as dogs, horses very rarely use their voices to indicate that they are in pain. Horses’ reactions to pain or discomfort are often subtle and hard to spot since equids, based on their natural survival instinct, tend not to express pain too openly. You may have witnessed some riders applying strong leg or even spur pressure (the “go” signal) and rein pressure (the “slow down” signal) at the same time until the horse complies or does what the rider wants. This can present a welfare concern due to the simultaneous use of two contradictory cues — accelerating and decelerating aids — and may cause discomfort or pain. Some horses may try to escape pain by bucking

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or rearing, often accompanied by frequent tail swishing and facial expressions indicating pain. Other horses may simply surrender to the pain and eventually enter a state of learned helplessness where they have learned that any attempt to escape pain or a stressful situation is not successful. Horses that have entered a state of learned helplessness simply give up trying and may become depressed, which can sometimes be observed in horses termed “bombproof,” or in some school horses. Some riders may constantly apply leg pressure even if the horse already moves forward or maintains the desired speed or rhythm. No leg pressure release when the horse responds with “forward” demonstrates incorrect understanding of negative reinforcement. In this example, horses can become habituated to the constant leg pressure and the rider may need to apply even stronger leg pressure to ask for an increase in speed or length of strides in the future. Horses that have habituated to leg pressure are often falsely termed “lazy” and their riders may choose to use spurs or whips, punishing the horse for the rider’s incorrect understanding of learning theory.

What is Learning?

Learning means behaviour modification and our behaviour can be influenced by interactions with the environment, including other humans and animals. When training horses to perform for us as riding, driving, or working partners, we can modify their behaviour by applying the principles of learning theory. Through habituation and (de-)sensitisation, as well as operant and classical conditioning (also known as Pavlovian conditioning), horses can be trained to become reliable and safe companions. Operant conditioning, also known as instrumental conditioning, is linked to cue (stimulus) — response (right or wrong behaviour) — consequence (reward or punishment) relationships. We can reward (reinforce) wanted/ desired horse behaviours by giving horses (adding) something pleasant or desirable, such as food, scratches, or turnout. These reinforcers are termed primary positive reinforcers and the process is called positive reinforcement. Primary means that the reinforcers are natural to the horse, in contrast to secondary (learned) positive reinforcers such as pats on the neck or the sound of a clicker, which a horse needs to associate or link to a

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primary positive reinforcer first in order for the secondary positive reinforcer to become meaningful and positive. We can also reward horses by removing (subtracting) a stimulus that they perceive unpleasant, namely leg or rein pressure, once they have shown a correct or desired response, such as immediately removing the leg pressure when the horse yields. This is termed negative reinforcement. In contrast, we can apply punishment to stop horses from showing behaviours we deem “bad” or unwanted/undesired. Punishment can also be subdivided into positive punishment (adding something unpleasant such as pressure/pain), or negative punishment (removing or withholding something pleasant).

What Do Equestrians Know About Learning Theory? A study investigating riders’ perceptions and understanding of learning theory, conducted as part of a MSc dissertation project and involving 1028 participants, revealed gaps in equestrians’ theoretical knowledge of the terminology “positive and negative reinforcement and punishment” when participants were asked to select the correct definitions or provide practical examples. Of all survey participants, 85.4 percent believed that positive reinforcement was the most successful horse training method. In contrast, 82.5 percent of all participating equestrians thought that “releasing the aid/pressure,” which constitutes negative reinforcement, would be the most effective reward, and those participants selected the incorrect definition of negative reinforcement considerably more often. When the participating riders were asked whether they knew how their horses learn certain behaviours, 95.8 percent said yes, but only 25.9 percent provided a correct or partly correct example of negative 54

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Results of a recent study suggest that equestrians may be receiving incorrect information from their coaches who may lack a clear understanding of the principles of learning theory.

Printed with the kind permission of Equine Guelph.

PHOTO: TANJA BORNMANN

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/OLGARU79

reinforcement and 20.8 percent confused negative reinforcement with punishment, possibly due to respondents’ lacking knowledge of the terminology. Why is this the case? Equestrians may be receiving misleading or incorrect information from their coaches, because significantly more study participants who indicated that the licensed/qualified coach would be their main knowledge source for training knowledge selected the wrong definition of negative reinforcement. This is not surprising, given that some professional equestrian coaches and veterinarians may lack a clear understanding of the principles of learning theory. Therefore, the correct application of learning theory by some amateur equestrians could be questioned. Today, learning theory and horse behaviour still do not represent an integral part of the coaches’ training syllabi of some national equestrian federations and governing bodies. Yet, research findings stress the need for implementing learning theory in equestrian coach training and suggest that the competence of equestrians in correctly applying learning theory could be questioned. However, it seems that even if some equestrians may not comprehensively understand the impact of negative reinforcement on horse behaviour, pressure release was of high importance to the participants of the MSc dissertation study mentioned earlier. It appears that, to some extent, equestrians are aware of the negative impact of constant pressure (non-release of pressure after a desired behaviour has been shown) in training on horse behaviour, which is encouraging in terms of horse welfare. b

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HORSEMANSHIP

The Science of SCHOOLING

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Keys to an effective training session. By Lindsay Grice, Equestrian Canada coach and judge

PHOTOS: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

I’ve trained a lot of horses. After nailing up my sign as a “professional horse trainer” several decades ago, I learned quickly that overhead is high in the horse business so you’d better make some hay if you’re going to pay your bills. Consequently, I rode many horses each day, breaking young ones and tuning up show horses. I quickly realized that we learn a lot by trial and error. With a medley of horses to compare we form a sense of what works and what doesn’t. The downside of trial and error is the “error” part; we all learn at the expense of some horses, but hopefully for the benefit of others. When I began to study the science of horse behaviour and learning, research confirmed many things I’d discovered through experience as a coach and trainer. I also encountered evidence that modified aspects of my approach to training horses. Savvy teachers adapt to the learning style of their students. Our horses do best when we tailor our teaching methods to the ways they view and

Even tacking up is a teachable moment. In the arena and out, a horse is continually reading his handler and caregivers. AUTUMN 2021

CANADIAN HORSE JOURNAL

PHOTOS: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

As the teacher, you should have a lesson plan that considers both the previous ride and what you will work on during today’s session.

Resistances will grow like weeds if left unchecked. Catch them early and turn them into training opportunities.

make sense of things. While we’ll never know what it’s like to be a horse, we’re assisted by a growing body of research to inform “equine learning theory.” A lot of these findings verify the observations of those who’ve spent years watching and working with horses. Other evidence clashes with some of our long-held equine traditions.

How Do Horses Learn Best?

I’ll share some technical categories I’ve found to be helpful. We’ll put the theory into practise and finally, dispel a few myths. Horses and humans learn by two processes. We use both in schooling our horses, sometimes while unaware of it. 1. Operant conditioning is training using rewards and consequences. A horse responds to a trainer’s cue with a choice, which is either rewarded or discouraged. It’s like telling a joke that gets a laugh or posting a photo that gathers lots of “likes” — behaviour is strengthened when there’s a payoff. When your gelding fails to give way to the boss mare at the round bale, she lays into him with bared teeth and he learns to choose the non-boss mare side of the bale. 2. Classical conditioning involves learning to link a meaningless signal with its outcome. A previously insignificant sound or event begins to predict the routine to follow whether good or bad. Examples are when your cat makes a beeline for the kitchen at the sound of the can opener or when horses start pawing the stall floor when they hear the rattling feed cart. Classical conditioning is the essence of clicker training and the exasperation of competitors whose horses begin anticipating the canter at the click of the announcer’s mic. Reinforcement is telling your horse that he gave the right answer. Provide a payoff and the behaviour will be reinforced and more likely to occur again. There are two ways to do it: 1. Negative reinforcement is removing pressure to reward the intended response; this is the method riders principally use. Pressure motivates horses but the release of that pressure does the training. The rider softens the rein or drops their heel. As a coach, “melt” is one of my favourite word pictures. Timing is crucial. Whatever your horse is doing when you release pressure he’ll be more likely to do again. Miss the timing and we reward unwanted behaviour — we’re untraining

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2. Positive reinforcement is giving the horse something he values for the target response. I use treats in combination with negative reinforcement (release) to retrain a horse through anxiety, such as with a nervous horse stepping into a trailer. Food rewards are highly motivating and effective if timed right, which is immediately at the onset of the correct answer. And so treats given to reward a good ride actually reward the horse for doing what happened just before the treat delivery. When judging it’s common for me to see riders pat their horses as they circle away to reapproach a refused jump. A noble effort to calm themselves perhaps more than their horse, but to the equine mind a reward for circling away. Shaping is gradually teaching a new behaviour by rewarding (reinforcing) a basic attempt then asking for one degree more until your “ultimate” behaviour is achieved. We build a skill piece by piece. Once grasped we can further shape the skill; for example, do it faster or slower; give me more strides; perform it in a round frame; and now in response to a lighter aid. “Be satisfied with anything that is ‘a little better.’ Your horse will not go from lousy to perfect or from stiff to supple. He will get a little less lousy until he eventually becomes a little better, then a lot better.” — Jane Savoie

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

when our horses accidently find release, such as when the horse tosses his head and removes pressure or kicks out and displaces the rider’s leg. Head-tossing can become rearing and kicking out can evolve into bucking.

The teacher must have a lesson plan. What are your objectives based on yesterday’s session? What are the essential skills for your next show, trail ride, or for your horse’s job? What are the

Test your horse by taking him into new environments to remind him that the lessons he’s learned apply on the trail, in the field, and everywhere else.

smaller pieces required to assemble those skills? For example, I work with therapeutic riding facility staff and volunteers to systematically build new skills and signals for their donated school horses and erase those “buttons” no longer useful in a horse’s new role. To maintain those new skills I describe how to plan a ten-minute tune-up using tools from learning theory — reinforcement, repetition, shaping.

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Your horse is a living, breathing partner who enjoys a break from practicing in the arena just as much as his rider does.

PHOTO: PETER BRUCE

Communicate clearly. Place your leg discernably behind or at the girth, depending on your desired lead or the body part you want your horse to move.

Define your expectations. Nothing can mess with a horse’s mind more than indistinct boundaries. Where exactly do you expect your horse to stand or to face when you mount? How fast do you want to walk back to the barn? How deep into this corner will you track? Is your horse sometimes allowed to fizzle to a halt or hand graze, yet at other times reined back or yanked for doing those things? Communicate clearly. Biology class would be extra challenging with a teacher who mumbled or a professor with a thick accent. Such is your horse’s dilemma if he can’t decipher the language of his rider’s legs or hands. Help him out; place your leg discernably behind or at the girth, depending on the body part you want him to move or the maneuver you have in mind. Are your rein signals different for slowing, flexing, turning, raising, or lowering the neck? Keep it cool. An effective trainer raises their horse’s emotional state just enough to keep him attentive and motivated to make a choice. The desire to gain something or avoid something inspires the horse to learn, but raise the tension too much and their only motivation is to escape it altogether. Ovals not allowed. Trotting around in an oval-shaped circle and cutting corners in an arena will not yield the same dividends as asking your horse the questions that will arise in competition. Every discipline has its geometry: straight lines, circles, and turns. Transitions must be done at specific points. Teaching includes testing. Take the basic skills your horse has learned into new environments. Practise your circles and lateral movements outside in the field without a fence-line as a guide. Ride alone and with some buddies. Scatter jump poles around the ring for trotting or side passing. Remind your horse that the movements and cues acquired in the indoor arena apply here, and here, and here, and ultimately at the horse show. Training deposits and withdrawals. In the arena and out, every moment is a teachable moment. A horse is continually reading his handler and caregivers. He’s learning about boundaries and body language: This means this. This is worthy of my attention. This can be ignored. I see a pattern developing here. This is unpredictable and scary. Whether leading or feeding; at the mounting block or in the wash stall; on the trail or on the rail — catch little resistances and

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harness them as training opportunities, because if left unchecked they will become withdrawals from your training account and will undoubtedly catch up to you later in a pressure situation such as a horse show.

5 Myths (or Half-Truths) That Can Sidetrack Schooling

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Can your horse decipher your language? Are your rein signals different for slowing, flexing, turning, raising or lowering the neck?

1. My horse is in a bad mood. While it’s wise to be alert to changes in our horses’ baseline soundness or hormonal cycle, it’s unhelpful to see ourselves as mere victims of our horses’ moods. I tell my riding students to ride the horse you have today. When I assume my horse is being naughty or conclude he’s willful and scheming to trick me, the truth is, in that moment of frustration I’ve really just run out of creativity and patience. Maybe I’m embarrassed in the presence of fellow riders or spectators. I’m blaming my horse instead of taking responsibility to communicate differently or more clearly. If you’re hitting a snag in a schooling session take a deep breath and assess the communication gap. And if plan A isn’t working opt for plan B.

2. My horse likes to work; he likes to have a job. It’s amazing that horses will accept and comply with our human whims, ranging from jumping to chasing cattle to endless circling without getting anywhere! Let’s be honest, they’d rather be in a pasture with their buddies. 3. Put him away as soon as he “gets it.” This stretches the horse training adage “end on a good note” beyond its effectiveness. The first time a horse “gets it” may be by accident. Repeat the movement several times to develop a pattern. 4. Practise, practise, practise makes perfect. Lap after lap at the canter; yet another warm-up jump or spin rotation… Overrehearsing invites a horse to make a mistake, ending on a sour note instead of a good one. As a coach, I walk the balance between rider needs and horse needs and between practice and drilling. While you may gain from polishing your position and timing, it’s easy to forget that your horse is more than an exercise bike or a tool for your sport — he’s a living breathing partner. 5. A broke horse means “wet saddle blankets.” This old horseman’s adage fosters diligence and work ethic, yet an effective schooling session need not necessarily involve sweat. More often cooler heads prevail. While building fitness will necessitate some sweat, calm and systematic schooling punctuated with rest breaks is the best environment for learning. I have learned to be efficient as a horse trainer and that wasting time means I can train fewer horses in a day. I have learned that efficient schooling just works better and the science confirms it. b > Lindsay Grice is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 82. AUTUMN 2021

CANADIAN HORSE JOURNAL

SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

THE mental GAME

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

By Annika McGivern

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AUTUMN 2021

Integrating sport psychology training into our daily lives. Ten years ago, I was moving up a level in three-day eventing and fell off during cross-country at my first two events. They were simple falls and luckily neither I nor my horse were injured, yet something still felt seriously wrong. After my second fall, I struggled to see a distance to even the simplest cross-pole. My confidence plummeted and my horse started stopping. I felt as if I had forgotten how to ride overnight and the frustration and embarrassment were completely overwhelming. I am forever grateful that it occurred to me to reach out to a sport psychology coach for help because, after several sessions I finally understood what was happening and felt equipped to solve the problem. It was an “aha” moment for me because it opened my eyes to a whole new side of competitive sport that I had not been considering: the mental game. Most riders are like I was, unaware of the value of mental

skills until crisis strikes. Mental skills help in high stakes moments but learning them in the middle of a crisis doesn’t produce great results, sort of like schooling a 3’6” oxer for the first time the day before you compete in a 3’6” class. Like horses, we learn best when we are relaxed and have time to build expertise. If we learn and practice mental skills ahead of when we need them, they become available to us in the fast-paced performance moments when we need them most. Let’s look a little closer at two opportunities to integrate mental skills by following the experience of a client of mine. We will call her Sam for the purpose of this article. Sam struggled with low self-confidence in the saddle. She constantly felt overwhelmed at shows and these feelings were impacting on her riding, her results, and her enjoyment of competing. Sam was considering quitting competition altogether.

PHOTO: CLIX PHOTOGRAPHY

By learning and practicing mental skills ahead of time, they will be available to us when we really need them.

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CANADIAN HORSE JOURNAL

OPPORTUNITY #1 — OUR DAILY DIALOGUE WITH OURSELVES. The language we use to make sense of our daily experience is extremely important because it directly shapes our emotions and focus. Notice what you’re saying to yourself in difficult moments. Once Sam started paying attention to her thoughts, she realised there was a pattern that always showed up in high-pressured situations. Here are some examples: I can’t do this. I’m not good enough. I look ridiculous. My poor horse deserves a better rider. I encouraged Sam to pay attention to her thinking in all aspects of her life, and she noticed similar thoughts when she received critical feedback or made a mistake at work. These thoughts seemed to pop into her head unsolicited and always made her feel sad, overwhelmed, frustrated, and tired. Here’s the secret: Just because you think something doesn’t mean it’s true. Sam practiced taking a step back, observing her thoughts, and getting curious about them. I gave her the task of asking herself: Is this true? Is this a useful thing to be thinking? Very quickly Sam reported that although the thoughts still appeared, she was no longer overwhelmed by them. Instead, she learned to keep space between herself and her thoughts by refocusing her attention on what she was doing and the result she was looking for, whether in the saddle or at work. OPPORTUNITY #2 — OUR DAILY DECISIONS. We all face an astonishing number of decisions every day. To streamline things our brain develops habits or patterns of behaviour that help us make those decisions without having to think about them. This is advantageous until we realise a habit isn’t serving us any longer. Working together, Sam and I identified several patterns of behaviour she was falling into that were contributing to her low confidence and nervousness:

• Every time she made a mistake or received critical feedback, Sam immediately ran the mistake over and over in her mind, focusing on what she did wrong and how mad she was at herself. • Sam thought of herself as an unconfident, anxious rider and regularly described herself that way to coaches and other riders. • When things felt challenging, Sam took it as a sign that she wasn’t good enough, so stopped trying and backed away from the challenge. Awareness is only the first step. Once we have identified a problematic pattern we must then decide to change. This decision can mean standing out from the crowd and doing things differently, or looking at oneself in a new light. Either way, even positive change is uncomfortable and we tend to naturally avoid it. Based on our work together, here is what Sam decided to do differently: • Every time she made a mistake or received critical feedback, Sam chose to take a deep breath and be kind to herself. She chose to remind herself that mistakes are inevitable and there was something to learn here. She then challenged herself to manage the mistake well and find one take-away lesson. • Sam decided to start thinking of herself as a determined, resourceful, brave rider and worked to describe herself that way to others. This also meant remembering to no longer refer to herself as unconfident or anxious. • When things felt challenging, Sam decided to remind herself that discomfort is a sign of learning and growth. She chose to see discomfort as a cue to work harder instead of backing away. She chose to trust in her ability to learn and improve. Of course, these decisions all seem simple enough on paper, yet are sometimes incredibly challenging to implement. It took a good eight to ten weeks of practice, but with time Sam developed her awareness of her thoughts and behaviours, chose to respond differently, and then practiced those new responses until they felt normal both at the barn and at work. It’s important to note that Sam did not just make those decisions once. She had to choose her new responses repeatedly every time she was faced with a challenging situation, mistake, or negative self-talk. It takes two to three months to form new habits, so it was essential that Sam stuck with her plan for a minimum of eight to ten weeks to start seeing results. Here are three rules that Sam took from our work together. She continues to make choices and develop her awareness in line with these rules in her riding, her work, and her personal life. RULE #1 — SIMPLE IS BEST. Break the overall challenge into smaller parts and tackle one at a time. A course becomes one jump at a time, a test becomes one movement at a time, a mistake at work is fixed one conversation at a time. Keep things simple. RULE #2 — STAY CURIOUS. There is no such thing as a bad ride or a bad day at work if we remember to engage with curiosity around what happened and why. RULE #3 — ACTIVELY REINFORCE SELF-BELIEF. Self-belief doesn’t come naturally to most of us, so it requires regular reminders. When doubt creeps in repeat the following: I am the right rider, doing the right thing, with the right horse. Or, I am the right employee, doing the right work, with the right company. Sam gradually started to feel sure that she could perform well at competition. With better control over her thinking, Sam’s head was clearer, and she was able to focus on riding well in the moment instead of getting distracted by negative emotions. She felt less sadness and frustration and more curiosity and determination. She proved to herself that she could push

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through a challenge, learn what needed to be learned, and improve. Sam is now enjoying competition and feels that her “confidence muscle” is growing stronger and stronger. Knowing and practicing mental skills ahead of my own minicrisis ten years ago might not have prevented me from falling off in those two competitions, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that those skills would have spared me the weeks of confusion and struggle that followed. Today, I am a different person and rider. I am kinder to myself and put more energy into learning and curiosity about my sport rather than self-criticism and meeting expectations. I recover much faster from mistakes and failures and no longer feel plagued by the fear of messing up. I feel more clearheaded at competitions and know I can manage fear and worry when they appear. I have more fun now and feel more in control and successful. I hope that my story and Sam’s can serve as evidence that change is possible and that the idea of this possibility lights a fire for you. Begin to integrate mental skills into your daily life and routines. It’s never too late to start and I promise you won’t regret it. b

Develop an awareness of your thoughts and the way you respond to them, and trust in your ability to learn and improve.

> Annika McGivern is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 82.

Learn to Build Your Confidence for Better Control, More Success Annika works with riders of all levels and ages to build confidence, enhance performance, and come back from bad experiences. For a limited time, she is offering Canadian Horse Journal readers a free 30-minute consultation to improve their mental skills. Please see page 84 for more information.

PHOTO: ISTOCK/MARK HATFIELD

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Competitive Mountain Trail provides

New Challenges By Tania Millen Twenty years ago, the Oregon Horse Center in Eugene, Oregon held an indoor trail competition using log obstacles, water ponds, and dirt embankments to transform their arena into mountain trails. That event was the beginning of competitive mountain trail, where neatly dressed riders navigate an untimed, subjectively-judged course of obstacles typically found on wilderness mountain trails. In Canada, two 66

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organizations promote the sport — International Mountain Trail Challenge Association (IMTCA) Canada and the British Columbia Mountain Trail Association (BCMTA) — and each has their own rules, judging criteria, and obstacles. IMTCA Canada is based in Ontario and supports challenges (competitive events) held at two courses in Ontario, a new park in Saskatchewan, and one location in Nova

Scotia that uses portable obstacles. It’s part of IMTCA, which was created by Mark and Lee Bolender of Silver Creek, Washington, to promote competitions that test the partnership of horse and rider while navigating obstacles. The organization has expanded to Australia, Germany, Italy, and Canada and has its own rules, obstacle specifications, judging certification, and membership requirements.

Debbie Hughes of Hanging H Quarter Horses in Chilliwack, BC competing at the Oregon Horse Center.

Each obstacle is designed to replicate part of a trail that could be found in the wilderness. Competitors are David and Danielle Ciriani.

PHOTO: PAUL EVENDEN

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBBIE HUGHES

PHOTO: KARI SCHMULAND

The discipline has been described as testing the partnership between rider and horse. Competitor is Gordon Lee.

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PHOTO: PAUL EVENDEN

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PHOTO: TANIA MILLEN

< The majority of competitors are women, many of whom are looking for a new challenge.

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Mountain trail builds trust between horses and riders. Competitor is Benny Kerner.

Anita Durant is the President of IMTCA Canada and owns Oak Springs Farm in Pontypool, Ontario, where the first IMTCA-certified mountain trail course was built in 2016. Durant discovered competitive mountain trail in 2013 and believes the sport helps create braver horses and riders, and improves riders’ feel and timing while building trust between horses and riders. She says the sport appeals to riders in many disciplines. “Eventers come out to school and compete, dressage riders, jumpers, Western pleasure riders — a whole assortment.” She continues, “Each obstacle is designed to replicate a situation or part of a trail that you would find out in the mountains. For example, when trail riders are going up a switchback, over a bridge, or along a steep mountainside, they ride in the centre of the trail, so competitive mountain trail riders are judged for how well they stay in the middle of the obstacles.” IMTCA competitions have three levels of classes (Levels 1 through 3) with Level 1 classes having the easiest obstacles and Level 3 being the most difficult. Each level

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Debbie Hughes says that the object of mountain trail is for the rider to get the horse to the obstacle and then to stay out of the way and let the horse carry you over it.

is further divided by rider age and experience and there are both in-hand and riding classes. When each rider enters the course to be judged they start with 70 points, plus they can gain or lose five horsemanship points depending on their turnout and horsemanship. Each obstacle is worth nine points — two points for the entry to the obstacle, five points for the main part of the obstacle, and two points for the exit. “If a rider goes straight through the obstacle with no mistakes they don’t get any points added or subtracted and will remain at 70 points after that obstacle,” says Durant. Points may be subtracted for wiggling off the obstacle’s centreline or hitting an obstacle, for example, while up to three points can be added at each obstacle for “wow!” factor. Although there aren’t many competition-ready mountain trail courses across Canada, Durant says, “Anyone can build a course, have it certified [by IMTCA] and run challenges under IMTCA. You need a minimum of six obstacles to be certified and obstacles at every IMTCA-certified park have the same specifications. So, my obstacles [at Oak Springs Farm] …are the same as those at a certified park in Germany or Italy, Australia or the USA.” That’s not the case in BC, where BCMTA encourages mountain trail courses that are unique and fit into the lay of the land. The courses, rules, and judging criteria for BCMTA challenges

have been evolving since the organization was created with support from the Oregon Horse Center in 2016. Debbie Hughes, a mountain trail competitor and coach who is one of the main drivers behind BCMTA says, “Mountain trail can’t be taught in a flat arena — it needs to be three-dimensional. So BCMTA courses have five main components — a water pond or crossing, hills, ditches, rocks, and logs. That’s the basics and then you can go crazy after that depending on the terrain you have.” Typical obstacles include stairs to go up and down, bridges of various widths, logs in different configurations, switchbacked trails up and down hills, a rock garden, and water obstacles. Additionally, BCMTA classes can include tasks that replicate mountain riding such as putting on a slicker, opening a gate, ground tying, mounting, or dragging a log. In BCMTA challenges, classes have names such as green, explorer, novice, and open, and include in-hand and ridden challenges based on rider age, horse and rider experience, and mountain trail class winnings. According to BCMTA judge Cat Armitage, courses may be divided into two sections, each with their own judge, and before BCMTA riders begin each section of the course they are expected to acknowledge the judge by nodding their head. Hughes notes there are now four courses in BC that have all the necessary course elements to offer mountain trail events plus suitable stabling and parking

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to host challenges, although there are several private mountain trail courses. There are also many other obstacle and trail courses in BC and Canada plus clinicians who teach obstacle and trail clinics. However, competitive mountain trail obstacles have specific criteria and the sport of mountain trail requires riders to navigate obstacles in a specific manner. Hence, courses that are not built to competitive mountain trail specifications or obstacle lessons that are taught by those unfamiliar with mountain trail competitions may be different from those required by the sport of competitive mountain trail. One of the unique aspects of mountain trail challenges in BC is the BCMTA scoring system. Each round is judged a bit

like a dressage test whereby every obstacle is worth ten points and a perfect ride through one obstacle would garner a “ten.” To determine the rider’s score for one class, the points from each obstacle are added up and whichever rider has the highest score wins that class. Armitage notes that although courses are primarily completed at a walk, it’s not just how the horse moves through the obstacles that matters but the whole picture they present while on course. Horses that are confident, purposeful, and mentally and physically engaged garner more points. Hughes believes that competitive mountain trail helps horses develop those winning attributes, along with acceptance of new things, bravery, awareness of surroundings, and AUTUMN 2021

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surefootedness. She says, “[The horses] are going forward to somewhere, not just going around and around and around, so they stay brighter and more alert. Plus, we stress cadence and control up and down, so the horses have to be sound and strong.” But it’s not just the horses that benefit. The riders do too. Hughes says, “The object of mountain trail is that you get your horse to the obstacle, then let your horse carry you over the obstacle. But a lot of riders can’t let go of that control; they think they’re helping but they’re not. So, a lot of riders realize [when doing mountain trail obstacles] how they get in the way [of their horse] rather than helping their horse. It makes riders aware of where they lack communication and aids. Riders sometimes don’t trust their horse and after doing mountain trail they’re more confident knowing they can handle whatever comes up.” As with any horse sport, men and women compete on equal grounds. However, Hughes has found that the majority of riders are women, saying, “It appeals to former women professionals who have shown working cow or cutting and are looking for something else. I’ve encouraged the reiners and cutters to

Mountain trail helps create braver horses. Sue Downs Saunders and her horse go up the steps.

come out, too. There are also women who just have a nice horse — a warmblood, dressage horse, reining horse, working cow horse — and want to do more with it. “It can be a bit too technical for children, although it gets the kids thinking more about their horses and what they can do,” she says. Hughes adds that although lots of local shows — in all different disciplines — have declining support, the number of entries at mountain trail challenges is increasing. She says challenges in BC are well supported and usually have about 45 entries, with each horse and rider combination competing in a variety of classes. As such, BCMTA is excited to see where the sport goes in the future. Ultimately, Hughes believes the sport will appeal to a variety of riders, saying, “Mountain trail is very technical. I’ve ridden my whole life in all different disciplines and I think it’s the toughest thing I’ve ever done.” b > Tania Millen is a regular contributor to this magazine — read her bio on page 82.

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CANADIAN HORSE JOURNAL

NOTES FROM THE OFFICE BY JOCELYN ADAMS

BC SUMMER GAMES 2022 Calling all equestrian athletes ages 12 to 18 competing in the disciplines of Dressage, Eventing, Jumping, Para-Dressage, and Vaulting! equestrians who have their sights set on competing at a future Games. Game Ready Camps will be offered in all eight Summer Games Zones in BC. The program will consist of one three-day in person camp including: Competing at the Games is a once-in-alifetime opportunity and nothing like competing at a horse show. The culture and atmosphere of the Games is like no other. Team spirit, pride, accomplishment, and friendship are words that come to mind. Competing at the Olympics is a goal of many young equestrians but only a few are able to live that dream. Competing at the BC Summer Games is a dream that can come true, or maybe it’s your practice run for when you do make it to the Olympics. Either way, being part of the equestrian team at the BC Summer Games is a oncein-a-lifetime experience and something you will remember forever! To help better prepare our equestrian athletes for competition at the BC Summer Games, Horse Council BC is pleased to introduce the BC Summer

Games “Game Ready” Athlete Development Program!

The Game Ready program is available to equestrian athletes between the ages of 11 and 17 who are interested in competing in either the upcoming 2022 BC Sumer Games in Prince George, or young

• Group sessions on topics such as what to expect at the Summer Games; proper turnout for both horse and rider; and preparing yourself mentally for competition. • Two days of invaluable disciplinespecific instruction from expert clinicians. Camp registrants will also receive exclusive camp swag and invitations to informative and educational webinars throughout the year. All of this for an affordable $75.00! Applications are now being accepted for our first Game Ready Camp for Vancouver and Fraser Valley equestrian athletes. Date: September 17, 18, 19, 2022. Location: Maple Ridge Equi-Sports Centre, 21973 132 Ave., Maple Ridge, BC, V4R 0A7, Canada. Visit > www.HCBC.ca to find the application form or email communication@hcbc.ca. If you live in Fraser Valley (Zone 3), Fraser River (Zone 4), or VancouverCoastal (Zone 5) don’t miss out — space is limited! All other Zones — stay tuned for more dates in your area. For more information on competing at the BC Summer Games or the upcoming Game Ready Camp dates and locations, contact competition@hcbc.ca, or call Sandy at 1-800-345-8055, ext. 1001. Equestrian Athletes — Come and be a part of the Team and live your dream… are you Game Ready?

www.HORSE Journals.com

AUTUMN 2021

Introducing Your BC Summer Games Sport Team! With a big thank you and a whole lot of gratitude for our amazing BC Summer Games volunteers, Horse Council BC would like to introduce some of the members of our BC Summer Games Sport Team. This month we will start by introducing our Provincial Advisor for Equestrian and Equestrian Sport Chair.

Lynda Ramsey, Provincial Advisor for Equestrian Lynda is from Kelowna where she and her husband Daryl operate D & L Equine Services at Mission Creek Ranch, a busy coaching, boarding, and training facility primarily working with eventing, dressage, and jumper clients. They also have a varied program at the ranch involving working equitation and training of young horses. Lynda brings with her a wealth of experience from the equine industry. She is an EC High Performance Coach, and is a very active EC and FEI Official in three-day eventing and dressage. She is excited to help deliver an amazing Summer Games experience to the athletes, families, and volunteers in Prince George in 2022. continues on page 76