Horse&Rider Magazine – July 2017

EQUINE THERAPIES WHAT’S BEST FOR YOUR HORSE? The UK’s best-selling equestrian monthly

your

FLATWORK

FEEL MORE CONFIDENT How hypnosis can help

WITH CARL HESTER

LAMINITIS

GET SHOW READY

Everything you need to know

Competition turnout guide

PROTECT YOUR

HORSE’S

GEAR ESSENTIALS

LEGS

Fly gels and creams Buyer’s guide to muzzles and slow feeders

FROM INJURY MAKE YOUR HORSE HAPPY

prevent and manage stable vices

Jumping

3 EASY WAYS TO GO CLEAR

SUMMER HOOF CARE

Keep his feet in perfect condition

July 2017

success!

Saddles for cobs and natives

£4.20

Issue number 568 July 2017 n Competition turnout guide n Fastwork aftercare – three easy methods n How to manage stable vices n Equine therapies explained n Jumping success in three easy exercises

TRANSFORM

IPN Consumer Magazine of the Year

In this feature. . .

Our expert

Showjumper Daniel Moseley has represented Great Britain at Young Rider and Senior level at European Championships and Nations Cups, and has been on the World Class Development programme for six years. At 21, he won the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Cup. He trains horses and riders from his base in Lincolnshire.

Our model

As told to Tilly Berendt. Photos: Bob Atkins

Daniel rides Escapado S, an eight-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Richard and Jo Hooper. ‘Paddy’ is competing at CSI*** and qualified for Foxhunters at the Horse of the Year Show in 2016.

28 HORSE&RIDER

➤ Flatwork

for showjumping ➤ Improve your

In the saddle

approach ➤ Straighten up your horse ➤ Achieve consistent clears

clear In the

Struggling to ride consistent clear rounds with your horse? Showjumper Daniel Moseley helps to get you on the straight and narrow

S

traightness – or a lack thereof – is the biggest culprit where knocking fences is concerned. A straight horse will approach a fence firing equally from both hindlegs, which means that he’ll leave the ground with an equal amount of energy, power and balance on each side of his body. This means that he’ll be able to jump cleanly without leaving a leg. A crooked horse, on the other hand, comes into the jump

unbalanced and offset, often running through one shoulder, which means he’ll tackle the fence at an awkward angle or from an incorrect distance and, unless he’s very lucky or athletic, he’ll bring the fence down. Luckily, straightness is something that you can improve with every ride, TOP TIP both on the flat Working on your horse’s and over fences. straightness isn’t just beneficial for competition success, it’s also crucial for maintaining his soundness. If your horse works straight, then he’ll build up his muscles equally rather than having a weak side that’s more prone to injury.

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HORSE&RIDER 29

THE LOW-DOWN

laminitis on

The word laminitis strikes fear into any horse owner who’s experienced it, but did you realise your horse could be as at risk as any? Danica Pollard from the Animal Health Trust explains why and what you can do to prevent it

Photos: Bob Atkins, Bob Langrish, Steve Bardens. With thanks to the Animal Health Trust for their help with this feature, aht.org.uk

L

aminitis is one of the most devastating and debilitating diseases that afflicts horses, and it can become a welfare concern when animals suffer multiple recurrent episodes. It’s estimated that episodes of laminitis diagnosed by a vet occur in nearly 1 in 200 horses or ponies registered with a veterinary practice, and that they account for nearly 1 in 200 vet visits. This sounds like a lot, but may actually be an underestimate, because not all horses affected by the disease will see a vet.

What’s more, a study has shown that approximately half of owners suspect their horse has laminitis when they call the vet. The remaining half, although recognising their horse needs veterinary attention, don’t suspect that laminitis is the cause of the problem. So with the disease being such a huge problem and owners struggling to recognise when their horse is affected, what can be done to keep this devastating disease Coronet under control? When it Hoof wall comes to defeating laminitis, Laminar region knowledge is power.

Typical laminitic stance

Long pastern bone Short pastern bone Navicular bone Pedal bone Digital cushion

Hoof wall

Inside his hoof

Outer

Inner

Sole Frog To understand how laminitis affects Coronet your horse’s hoof, it helps to know Hoof wall what his foot looks like on the Dermal inside. lamina (red) The sensitive structures and soft tissues within your horse’s foot are Pedal bone Epidermal lamina protected by a thick, hard hoof wall. (white) This wall consists of a protein called keratin, which gives it strength and rigidness, but also a certain degree of flexibility on the inside of the hoof wall and is insensitive and elasticity. There is continual growth of the because it doesn’t have a blood supply or nerve hoof wall at the coronary band, where young cells system. It relies on the sensitive dermal lamina are produced and pushed down as they mature. that sits alongside it for nutrients and oxygen. The The hoof wall is rigid on the outside and becomes insensitive epidermal layer protects and covers the more elastic towards the inside of the foot, where it sensitive dermal layer, which is found nearer the meets the laminar region. pedal bone. Both types of lamina are made up of The laminar region is divided into the epidermal folded, leaf-like structures and they interlock, which and dermal lamina. The epidermal lamina is located suspends the pedal bone within the hoof capsule.

88 HORSE&RIDER

DID YOU KNOW?

The average growth rate of the hoof wall is 8–10mm per month, meaning it takes 9–12 months for the whole hoof to regrow.

Ask a vet

Our expert

Danica Pollard is a PhD student registered with the Royal Veterinary College.

Based at the Animal Health Trust full time, she leads the CARE About Laminitis research project.

Pedal bone in normal position

Pedal bone dropped due to chronic laminitis

What is laminitis?

Laminitis occurs when the join between the epidermal lamina and the dermal lamina is weakened. This results in inflammation, excruciating pain and instability of the pedal bone, because it’s no longer firmly suspended by the laminar region.

In severe cases, the laminae become so weakened that they’re no longer able to suspend the pedal bone in its normal position. When this happens, permanent changes occur inside the hoof as the pedal bone rotates or sinks, crushing soft tissues, damaging blood vessels and nerves, and adversely affecting hoof horn growth. At this stage, the feet are considered to have undergone chronic laminitic changes and a full recovery is no longer possible, leaving the horse with permanent foot impairment that requires careful, ongoing management to prevent further degenerative changes and pain.

Researchers have started to slowly piece together the puzzle of how and why laminitis occurs, but the exact trigger factors for the disease remain unclear.

However, it’s been found that disease, infection, inflammation, blood circulatory changes, hormonal imbalances, mechanical trauma – for example, excessive work on hard ground – or overloading – for example, the supporting leg in a very lame horse – of the limbs can trigger the disease.

Risk factors

Every horse has the potential to develop laminitis, however, some are more at risk than others. There is evidence that the risk can be influenced by the individual’s own genetic makeup, however, environmental influences can play a large role in either increasing or reducing this risk. Potential risk factors include... l being overweight A study reported that the vets involved in the research considered nearly 65% of horses with laminitis to be overweight l season Once considered to be a springtime disease, laminitis occurs year-round, with regional and seasonal differences, so it’s important to remain vigilant all year l height Taller animals are less likely to develop laminitis than smaller ones l rapid weight gain Evaluating your

horse’s weight and condition regularly will help you notice weight gain. You can then adapt his diet and exercise regime to help him maintain a healthy weight l new access to grass Make changes to your horse’s diet gradually and over a long period, even if only changing hay or pasture.

Strip-grazing and muzzling can help reduce the amount of grass consumed l box rest This has been highlighted in studies as a potential risk factor, but further research is required to understand whether the box rest is associated with initiating laminitis or if the horse was put on box rest for the symptoms of laminitis before it had been diagnosed l lameness or soreness after shoeing or trimming Work with your farrier or trimmer to develop a regular hoof care routine for your horse l endocrinopathic disease, such as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) or equine metabolic syndrome.

Horses with an endocrinopathic disease are almost 20 times more likely to have laminitis than those without l increased time since last worming Further research is needed to decipher whether an increasing worm burden or an effect of the drugs themselves may be associated with laminitis l previous history of laminitis Once a horse has had the condition, there’s a much greater risk of it happening again, so he’ll require careful management

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HORSE&RIDER 89

Stress-free

living

A horse with a stable vice can be frustrating and even upsetting, but what can you do to manage, reduce and prevent them?

A

lthough they sound negative, the term stable vices is simply a way of describing abnormal equine behaviours.

Stable vices are more correctly termed stereotypies and are sequences of repeated, learned behaviours that have no obvious purpose. Horses usually develop them as a way of coping with stress or to compensate for something that’s missing from their life. Once ingrained, stereotypies can be nearly impossible to stop.

Studies show that horses who display stereotypies have a higher level of the stress hormone, cortisol, so it’s thought there’s a link to stress. It’s also been shown that horses have a higher level of endorphins, the feel-good hormone, when they’re carrying out stereotypic behaviours, meaning they get a DID YOU reward. Because of this, trying to KNOW? prevent your horse from doing Stereotypies them can actually cause him must be more stress, so when he’s allowed disclosed to resume them he’ll do so at an when selling increased rate to compensate. your horse Instead, the best way to manage and may have stable vices is to reduce the an impact on potential stresses in your horse’s his sale price. life so he’s less inclined to carry out the behaviour.

Types of stereotypies

Stereotypies are broken down into two different types... đƫ oral stereotypies are behaviours involving your horse’s mouth and include windsucking, crib-biting and woodchewing đƫ locomotor stereotypies are when your horse moves in a constant, repetitive motion, such as weaving and boxwalking 58 HORSE&RIDER

Mind matters

DID YOU KNOW?

Although many people claim horses can develop stereotypies by copying, it’s never been scientifically proven and it’s more likely that the same stressors are affecting multiple horses.

Fibre first

Offer your horse a diet that’s high in fibre. Horses have an innate desire to chew and being denied this can make them more prone to developing or carrying out oral stereotypies. Fibre feeds require much more chewing than concentrates and have a greater volume gramme for gramme, so take much longer to eat. Because of this, fibre offers the additional bonus of keeping him occupied for longer, meaning he’s distracted from carrying out any stereotypical behaviours. The extra chewing also produces more saliva, which is important for good gastric health and aids digestion. Studies suggest that leaving horses without forage for long periods can increase the risk of stereotypic behaviours forming, so recommend feeding at least 6–8kg per day to counteract this.

Provide a high-fibre diet

Out and about

Stereotypies appear to be far less common in horses kept at grass, so it’s important to offer your horse as much turnout as possible. Horses have evolved to spend the majority of their time grazing – which satisfies their need to chew – or moving to find food and water, and horses in the wild can cover many miles a day.

Spending lots of time in a stable prevents domesticated horses from carrying out this natural behaviour, causing stress.

Being denied free movement can also

increase the risk of him carrying out locomotor stereotypies.

Stereotypies may have links to boredom. While being turned out with companions can offer your horse plenty of stimulation, if he’s stabled then distractions can be in short supply. If he has to spend a lot of time inside, here are a few ideas to keep his mind off any unwanted behaviours... đƫ give him a stable toy to play with đƫ hide carrots in his haynet or bedding so he can use natural foraging behaviour đƫ put apples in his water bucket so he can bob for them đƫ divide up his forage ration into several nets and spread them around his stable đƫ stable him in a place with lots of activity going on for him to watch đƫ find excuses to get him out of his stable, such as taking him for some hand-grazing or a good groom

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DID YOU KNOW?

Scientists believe that stereotypies can form or become worse when your horse is prevented from carrying out a normal behaviour or action. For instance, a horse may crib-bite more when he’s anticipating his dinner or is hungry, or a weaver might be worse when he wants to be turned out in the field.

HORSE&RIDER 59

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