Horseblaze magazine novembre 2016

NOVEMBER - 2016

MANAGING A HORSE WITH LAMINITIS ON GRASS PASTURES

VOL 6 | ISSUE 13 | PRICE 15 USD

Tack Choices Can Affect Your Horse’s Performance and Attitude Exercising Your Horse in Winter Training Myth understandings Cold Weather Colic in Horses Horses and Men What Can Cause azMare to Lose Her Pregnancy?

Navajo Nation eyes agreement reining in slaughter of wild horses

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If ultimately approved, the deal, which proposes such methods as birth control to keep wild herds in check, would be the first of its kind on Indian lands and perhaps in the nation, he said.

“The Navajos are the biggest tribe in the country. If we strike an agreement here, it will set an example for other tribes that still slaughter," We need to - said Richardson

"President Begaye wants a little more time to gather the input of grassroots organizations, ranchers and others to determine how best to go forward CONSERVE it! on implementing the agreement," he said.

and SERVE it! www.neeranjali.com Abasta said the nation's newly elected president is seeking feedback from tribal members.

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BANDESHA another festive month. I We will also be present in would like to wish all the Pushkar, Rajasthan starting 9 Beechwood Avenue horses and their owners NovemberLE48HA, 7th, 2016. We Leicester, UK a happy and prosperous will display our current Diwali. The world will also info@horseblazemagazine.com projects. Please be sure be celebrating Thansgiving to visit our stall. We look and Christmas very soon forward to meeting all of next month. We are in the festive mindset and I wish KAYLAN you one on one.

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MANAGING A HORSE WITH LAMINITIS ON GRASS PASTURES

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Hoof Health in Winter

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FACT SHEET

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Equine Infectious Anemia

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What Can Cause azMare to Lose Her Pregnancy?

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Tack Choices Can Affect Your Horse’s Performance and Attitude

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If you can dream, YOU CAN DO IT …

Walt Disney

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Training Myth understandings

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Using ressures To Shape The Horse

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Horses and Men

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Horses and Men

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Exercising Your Horse in Winter

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Cold Weather Colic in Horses

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Posted: June 1, 2016 Horses prone to laminitis need management when grazing on grass pastures, especially in the Spring time and early Summer, when grasses grow quickly and lush.

In the Northeastern US, all of the cool season grasses will accumulate fructans and sugars under certain environmental conditions.

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MANAGING A HORSE WITH LAMINITIS ON GRASS PASTURES

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tt The highest sugar accumulations are after cold less than 32 degrees F overnight followed by bright sunshine, just after cutting, or during droughts. Timothy and Orchard grass have been reported to accumulate less than ryegrass. tt As long as the temperature overnight is above freezing, the lowest content of sugars is between 6 AM – 10 AM. tt Graze horses during the active growing seasons (spring and early summer). Remember, that the late summer grass as brown grasses can be very high in sugars. tt Pastures are healthiest for horses (lowest in sugars) during the active growing season when plants are green and not stressed (not burned out). tt Implement a good rotational grazing system on your farm to avoid overgrazing. The greatest amount of sugar in a grass plant is in the bottom three inches, so rotate pastures before they are grazed below three inches. Shady pastures and cloudy days will result in lower carbohydrates and sugar levels in grasses. Or move high risk horses to shady pastures. tt Restricting access to only the early morning hours during the summer and keeping at-risk horses off pasture or keeping off a day or two after mowing, if there is a drought or after an overnight freeze should help reduce the risks.

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Hoof Health in Winter Even if weather is mild, there are changes in winter that influence the health of the hooves Hoof growth slows in winter for two major reasons. One is that cold weather results in less blood flow to the extremities. The other for most horses is less formal exercise in winter. [Regular exercise can go a long way in reversing both effects.]

Slower growth often means the intervals between hoof care get lengthened. This makes sense when there is little new hoof to work with, but there may be consequences.

Nail holes enlarge over time, making shoes loose. Shoes that come off can take a piece of hoof wall with them.

Leaving shoes off in winter makes more sense and is also good for the feet, allowing the inevitable hoof constriction that comes with shoes to reverse. However, if hoof wall quality is not good there is the risk of chipping and cracking. Weak heels may also collapse and run forward, especially if the toes are not brought back appropriately. A longer interval between trims is only going to set the stage for and aggravate these issues. A few strategic swipes of

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the rasp to restore balance, round wall edges and back up the toe from above can make a world of difference.

If the hoof horn is healthy, you don’t have to worry about moisture from snow or mud being absorbed but poor quality, dry hoof horn will absorb both moisture and bacteria. Fat is an important component of the moisture barrier. The horse can manufacture fats when needed but a hay diet is significantly lower in fat than live grass. Supplementing flax seed to match the fatty acid profile of grass, up to 200 grams/day, may help.

Obviously if your horse’s hay

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had protein/amino acid and/ or mineral deficiencies or imbalances in the summer, it does in the winter too.

These can worsen though if you either feed less hay or less grain/balancer when the horse is not in work.

New appearance of hoof horn quality issues or thrush over winter should prompt a nutritional consultation.

If you allow hoof problems to develop over winter you will pay the price when you want to resume riding in the spring. Attention to comprehensive care is cheap insurance.

FACT SHEET 10

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Equine Infectious Anemia Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is an infectious and potentially fatal viral disease of members of the horse family. The equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is categorized as a lentivirus: it contains genetic RNA material, which it uses to produce DNA. This DNA is then incorporated into the genetic makeup of infected cells. Identified in France in 1843 and first tentatively diagnosed in the United States in 1888, EIA has commanded a great deal of attention over the years. No vaccine or treatment exists for the disease. It is often difficult to differentiate from other fever-producing

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diseases, including anthrax, influenza, and equine encephalitis.

EIA is significant historically because it is the first disease of horses proven to be caused by a “filterable virus”—one that can survive a special laboratory filtering procedure and remain infectious. EIAV is the first lentivirus-induced disease proven to be transmitted by insects. And EIA is the first persistent virus for which antigenic drift was defined. (Antigenic drift is the virus’ ability to change its form sufficiently so that it is no longer vulnerable to existing antibodies.)

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Finally, EIA is the first lentivirusinduced disease for which a diagnostic test was approved.

Degrees of Infectiousness Acute —When horses are exposed to EIAV, they may develop severe, acute signs of disease and die within 2 to 3 weeks. This form of the disease is the most damaging and the most difficult to diagnose because the signs appear rapidly, and often only an elevated body temperature is noted.

One–fifth of a teaspoon of blood from a horse with acute EIA contains enough virus to infect 1 million horses.

The clinical signs of the acute form of EIA are

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nonspecific; in mild cases, the initial fever may be short lived (often less than

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24 hours). As a result, horse owners and veterinarians may not

CHRONIC If the horse survives this first acute bout, it may develop a recurring clinical disease with these

SIGNS Fever An infected horse’s temperature may rise suddenly to about 105 F or, rarely, as high as 108F. Then it may drop back to normal for an indeterminate period until the onset of another episode.

PETECHIAL HEMORHAGES Minute blood-colored spots appear on the mucous membranes.

DEPRESSION The horse appears more or less dejected (head hangs low) and generally listless.

WEIGHT LOSS The horse may refuse feed or may eat an inordinate amount but still continues on an obvious decline from normal weight.

DEPENDENT EDEMA The horse may develop swelling, which is evidence of fluid collecting under the skin in the legs and under the chest and other underbody surfaces.

ANEMIA The horse’s blood may experience a asked drop in its red corpuscle count and appear thin and watery. The animal may also have an irregular heartbeat, and a jugular pulse may become evident.

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observe this initial sign when a horse is infected with EIAV. These infected horses often recover and continue to move freely in the population. The first indication that a horse was exposed to, and infected with, EIAV may well be a positive result on a routine annual test.

The horse with chronic EIA is the classic “swamper” who has lost condition, is lethargic and anorexic, has a low hematocrit, and demonstrates a persistent decrease in the number of blood platelets, especially coincident with fever induced by EIAV. One-fifth of a teaspoon of blood from a chronic case during a feverish episode contains enough virus to infect 10,000 horses.

Inapparent —By far the majority of horses are inapparent carriers: they show no overt clinical abnormalities as a result of infection. They survive as reservoirs of the infection for extended periods. Inapparent carriers have dramatically lower concentrations of EIAV in their blood than horses

with active clinical signs of the disease. Only 1 horsefly out of 6 million is likely to pick up and transmit EIAV from this horse. All horses infected with EIAV are thought to remain virus carriers for life. The inapparent form may become chronic or acute due to severe stress, hard work, or the presence of other diseases.

Transmission EIA is considered a classic bloodborne infection.

People have played an important role in EIAV transmission over the years by using blood-contaminated materials on different horses. The EIAV most frequently is transmitted between horses in close proximity by large biting insects, such as horseflies and deerflies. The bites from these flies stimulate defensive movement by the horse, which often results in an interruption of the blood-feeding. When interrupted, the fly is motivated to complete the feeding as soon as possible. It then attacks the same or a second host and feeds to repletion. In this manner, any infective material from

the blood of the first host that is present on the mouthparts of the insect can be mechanically transmitted to the second host.

Insect transmission of EIAV is dependent on the number and habits of the insects, the density of the horse population, the number of times the insect bites the same and other horses, the amount of blood transferred between horses, and the level of virus in the blood of the infected horse from which the initial blood meal was obtained. The rate of transmission cannot be predicted accurately because of these variables.

Preventing the Spread Diagnosis of EIA and of infections with EIAV was not possible until an effective test for antibodies specific to EIAV was described in 1970 by Leroy Coggins.

The agar-gel immunodiffusion (AGID) or Coggins test was shown to correlate with horse innoculation test results for EIAV and, therefore, could be used to identify EIAV carriers.

Although other serologic tests

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have been defined and approved for the diagnosis of EIA, the AGID test is recognized internationally as the “gold-standard” serologic test. The use of AGID and additional tests has assisted in the control of EIA. Controlling the spread of EIAV involves minimizing or eliminating contact of horses with the secretions, excretions, and blood of EIAV-infected horses.

This has been carried out in most areas of the world by testing and segregating test-positive horses from those with negative test results. Once the reservoirs of EIAV are identified, separated, and maintained a safe distance from the other horses, the transmission of EIAV is broken. Until all horses are tested, one must assume that each horse is a potential reservoir of EIAV and take precautions to see that his or her horses commingle only with horses with impeccable backgrounds (i.e., they came from farms with only test-negative horses and have never been exposed to test-positive horses).

What Equine Owners Can

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Do To Help Horse owners can take a number of precautions to reduce the risk of infection: tt Use disposable syringes and needles. Follow the rule of one horse-one needle. tt Clean and sterilize all instruments thoroughly after each use. tt Keep stables and immediate facilities clean and sanitary.

Remove manure and debris promptly, and ensure that the area is well drained. tt •Implement insect controls. The local veterinarian or animal health official can provide information tt about approved insecticides and other insect – control measures. Avoid habitats favorable to insect survival. tt Do not intermingle infected and healthy animals. Do not breed EIAV-positive horses. tt Isolate all new horses, mules, and asses brought

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tt to the premises until they have been tested for EIA. tt •Obtain the required certification of negative EIA test status for horse shows, county fairs, race– tracks, and other places where many animals are brought together. tt Abide by State laws that govern EIA. The major regulatory actions to control EIA are carried out by the States. States’ rules, while encom – passing a much broader scope of EIA concerns, vary considerably and lack uniformity among individual State control programs. USDA created a Uniform Methods and Rules (UMR) to facilitate the develop – ment of a uniform control program for EIA and the interstate movement of horses.

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What Can Cause azMare to Lose Her Pregnancy?

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What Can Cause a Mare to Lose Her Pregnancy?

Mares can develop problems during pregnancy or be at high risk of losing the pregnancy for a variety of reasons.

These include age (old mares frequently have endometriosis in which the uterus is unable to properly supply the fetus with appropriate blood supply and nutrients), physical conditions (placental and fetal fluid abnormalities; body wall tears; chronic debilitating conditions such as laminitis and Cushing’s disease), and acute disease or injury (placentitis, uterine torsion, surgical colic, colitis, acute laminitis, or fractures). When a mare becomes stressed or debilitated, inflammatory chemicals and prostaglandins increase and induce abnormal uterine contractions and potential pregnancy loss. Reproductive problems that arise during gestation, however, when detected and diagnosed early, can still result in the survival of the mare and usually the foal. The abnormalities most commonly seen during the middle to late stages of pregnancy will be discussed in this article

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UTERINE TORSION Uterine torsion is an infrequent complication of pregnancy, reported in 5% to 10% of all mares that have serious equine obstetric problems. Uterine torsion occurs in middle to late gestation and causes great risk to both mare and foal. The cause is unknown, although it has been postulated that uterine torsion may develop secondary to rolling as a

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result of gastrointestinal problems or trauma, or the righting reflexes and vigorous movements of the fetus, during the later stages of gestation. Severity of signs is dependent on degree of rotation, level of vascular or fetal compromise, and intestinal involvement.

Torsion of the uterus greater than 360Âş interferes with blood flow to and from the uterus and can result in local oxygen deprivation, congestion, fetal death, and rupture of the uterus.

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Physical examination can be within normal limits, with the problem evident only on rectal palpation of the broad ligaments transrectal and transabdominal ultrasonography can aid in assessment of uterine compromise by enabling determination of uterine wall thickness, placental integrity, vascular distension, fetal viability, and condition of the fetal fluid. If there is concern about intestinal involvement,

abdominocentesis (a surgical puncture of the abdomen by a needle to withdraw fluid) may be performed to aid in determining the appropriate mode of replacement or prognosis.

Many methods have been used to correct uterine torsion in the mare. The most common are rolling the anesthetized mare and laparotomy via standing flank or ventral midline incision. Once the uterine position has been corrected, continued monitoring of the mare (for systemic compromise such as laminitis) and monitoring of fetal viability, blood progesterone and estrogens, placental edema and separation are essential to provide a realistic prognosis.

PLACENTAL HYDROPS Hydroallantois (a sudden increase in the volume of allantoic fluid during a period of 10 to 14 days) is more common than hydroamnios (an excessive accumulation of amniotic fluid in the amniotic cavity). Hydroamnios, unlike hydroallantois, develops gradually over several weeks to months

during the second half of gestation. It is often associated with a deformed fetus with a facial, genetic, or congenital abnormality.

The pathophysiology of hydroallantois in the mare remains unknown. Some authors have suggested that the increase in fluid is a placental problem caused either by increased production of fluid or decreased transplacental absorption. Others have proposed that the cause is related to placentitis and heritability.

In both hydroallantois and hydroamnios, mares present with abnormally increased abdominal distension for the duration of gestation.

Mares in advanced stages of hydropic conditions may have evidence of ventral abdominal wall herniation or prepubic tendon rupture.

Early management is aimed at preventing these body wall tears, which improves the mare’s prognosis, since obtaining a live foal has not been reported with hydroallantois and has been reported only once with hydroamnios.

Rectal palpation is diagnostic and reveals a huge, taut, fluid-filled uterus. The fetus cannot be balloted, and the uterus is usually tightly distended.

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Trans-rectal ultrasound reveals an excessive volume of hyperechogenic fluid. Differentiation between an increase in allantoic verses amniotic fluid can sometimes be difficult. Trans-abdominal ultrasound will confirm the presence of excessive volumes of fluid and help differentiate between the two cavities as well as permit evaluation of fetal viability. Ultrasonography of the abdominal walls for evidence of edema or separation of musculature is necessary to monitor impending body wall tears, especially prepubic tendon rupture, which is a common sequela with hydroallantois and can dramatically change the prognosis for the livelihood and reproductive ability of the mare. Mares with profound abdominal enlargement and large volumes of fluid in the uterus require controlled drainage of the fluid before delivery of the fetus. Controlled drainage is essential because of the alteration of total body fluid balance and venous return to the right heart. Sudden loss of this large volume of fluid may result in shock.

Supportive care includes abdominal support (via placement of an abdominal

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wrap), IV fluids, broadspectrum antimicrobials, and anti-inflammatories.

Depending on the clinician, management of mares in which fetal viability is not realistic includes inducing parturition or allowing natural expulsion. Close monitoring for impending parturition is necessary, for these mares may have poor cervical dilation and uterine contractility (inertia) as a result of the chronic uterine stretching and may require assistance with delivery. Malpositioning and malpresentations are common. Unfortunately, the fetus can usually not be saved, but prompt intervention yields the best prognosis for physical recovery for the mare as well as for future fertility.

Conservative supportive management of mares with hydroamnios can result in the birth of a live foal.

BODY WALL TEARS Two types of body wall tears occur in the late term pregnant mare: abdominal wall hernias and prepubic tendon tears or rupture.

These injuries are seen in inactive or older mares that lack muscle tone.

Abdominal wall hernias

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manifest with clinical signs of colic; mares do not strongly resist walking, have progressive abdominal distension, and develop ventral edema. In contrast, mares with prepubic tendon rupture have significant abdominal pain, progressive ventral body wall edema, stretched mammary glands, and elevation of the tailhead and ischial tuberosity (resulting in a sawhorse-like stance) and resist walking.

Potential predisposing factors to body wall defects cited in the literature include hydrops allantois, hydrops amnion, traumatic injury, twins, and fetal giants.

Past treatment options have included induction of parturition to help decrease the weight on the floor of the abdomen and prevent additional tearing from excessive weight of the fetus; application of a belly band to provide abdominal support for the pendulous abdomen; or prosthetic repair once the acute stage of abdominal wall breakdown has passed.

In a recent study, the effect of various management strategies was assessed on the outcome of mares and their foals. No difference in mare survival was detected on the basis of type of management, type of body

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wall defect, or presence of hydrops. Foal survival was significantly better in the conservatively managed group, compared with mare managed by interventional management, and was better without hydrops. Close observation for impending parturition is important, because assistance with foaling is likely to be necessary. Because these abdominal defects are not resolved postpartum, recommendations should be made that the mare not carry future pregnancies to term. In breeds in which use of assisted reproductive techniques is acceptable, mares could serve as embryo donors and remain reproductively useful.

Prepartum hemorrhage Hemorrhage from the middle uterine, external iliac, utero-ovarian, and vaginal arteries has been described in late pregnancy and after parturition and accounts for 40% of peripaturient deaths in mares. Most cases occur in older mares that have had many foals. Mares with discomfort or colic in the middle or late stages of gestation or 24-72 hours after parturition should be considered to be potential hemorrhage candidates. The cause for rupture has not

been definitively identified.

Three clinical scenarios can occur. In the first, the hemorrhage is confined to the broad ligament. The second scenario occurs when the mare hemorrhages into the uterus. This is usually a postpartum event, unless there has been traumatic injury to the uterus. Finally, the most detrimental scenario is seen with rupture of the broad ligament and extension of hemorrhage into the abdomen. When

this occurs, the only reason for containment is the abdomen itself, which is not as conducive to clot formation. Mares with this complication often die quickly without intensive support for hemorrhagic shock.

Diagnosis can often be made on the basis of clinical signs alone. However, it is necessary to determine the extent of hemorrhage so that optimum treatment and prognosis can be established. Transabdominal

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ultrasound, helps to differentiate the swirling of active hemorrhage free in the abdomen from intrauterine bleeding or bleeding within the broad ligament. The optimum treatment has not been found, and many protocols have been reported.

The most important initial consideration is to improve blood flow to vital organs and keep the mare quiet and warm to promote clot formation.

When hemorrhage is prior to parturition fetal

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monitoring is important since poor blood flow leads to decreased oxygen to the fetus, fetal stress and death.

Pregnant mares may need supplemental oxygen in addition to supportive care.

Placentitis Placentitis, inflammation or infection of the placenta, has emerged as a leading cause of equine reproductive and economic loss. The top photo is of ascending placentitis originating at the cervical star whereas the photo to the right is of nocardioform placentitis with mucoid exudate and avillus area at the bifurcation of the uterus.

In addition to inducing premature delivery, chronic placentitis may accelerate fetal maturation, resulting in the birth of precociously mature foals.

Bacterial placentitis is most commonly caused

by Streptococcus spp,

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which can be isolated and identified from the placenta and the aborted fetus. Other organisms identified are; Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp., Klebsiella spp., Staphylococcus spp., Nocardioform Actinomycetes, and Leptospirosis spp. The most common fungus isolated is aspergullus.

Gastrointestinal Colic Pregnant mares that undergo gastrointestinal colic episodes or surgery as a consequence should be classified as a high risk pregnancy. Prognosis depends on gestational stage and severity. Monitoring of the placenta is imperative post colic since prostaglandins will produce uterine irritability as well as potential cardiovascular compromise due to endotoxins. Progesterone/ Progestin supplementation

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is imperative to maintain uterine quiescence.

Antibiotic supplementation and cardiovascular aides may also be necessary depending on diagnosis and severity.

In mares that are considered high risk (those described above as well as others ie.

Cervical incompetency/ lacerations, poor reproductive conformation), monitoring of the uterus and its contents using trans-rectal and transabdominal ultrasonography, measurement of maternal serum progestagens, and total estrogens provide a means by which early detection of placental and fetal problems become apparent prior to clinical signs and fetal death.

These diagnostic tools, in combination, enable identification and treatment of a problem early in the course of disease

Tack Choices Can Affect Your Horse’s Performance and Attitude

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Everyone talks about how each horse is different and how they love dealing with different types of horses—and then they put exactly the same equipment on every horse in the barn.

Did I miss something? I must have been out of the room when they passed a rule that suiting your equipment to the horse doesn’t matter. I definitely wasn’t around for the rule change that says everyone has to use a cavesson and flash noseband attachment cranked down tight enough to leave permanent grooves in the cartilage of your horse’s nose. (You know I am being sarcastic, right? I can never find the sarcasm emoticon when I need it.) If I did not see so many horses in discomfort from tight nosebands, it would be funny.

Nosebands that cause permanent damage to the horse top my list of pet peeves—yes, even ahead of bling. In my dictionary, “bling” is any extraneous decoration designed to draw the eye of the observer away from the horse. Bling says, “look at me,” not “look at my horse.”

Bling takes a back seat to tight nosebands because it does not cause your horse discomfort and injury. Your equipment (tack) has a great effect on how your horse performs and it can go a long way toward making him comfortable or sore. Yet I see people tacking up their horses using certain bits and noseband combinations because they have seen an elite rider use the same combination, and they wanted to ride like that elite rider. If you want to ride like that elite athlete, one of the things you must do is to educate yourself about and understand the tools of your trade—your bits, bridles, saddles and all the other equipment that you need to train and ride horses.

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Make Educated Choices Open any tack catalog and you will find an incredible array: saddles and bridles, blankets, bits, grooming brushes—even books.

(Make sure you linger in the book section. I have several in there I know you are just going to love.) Whatever your horse needs, you can find it in a catalog. The important part is not to buy one of each from the bit section but rather to know when each particular bit is suitable for your horse.

It is not enough for you to have all the tools. You need to know when to use any particular tool, which horse needs it and, just as importantly, which horse does not need it.

Any tool can be exactly right for your horse right now or exactly wrong.

It is up to you to know the difference. Even the most basic tasks require some understanding of the effect of a particular tool. For example, there is a big difference between a body brush and a dandy brush. If you use a dandy brush on your horse’s back

instead of a body brush, he will quickly let you know that you made the wrong choice. Unfortunately, when you use other tools inappropriately, your horse may display more subtle signs of discomfort.

Speaking of discomfort, for instance, let me return to the topic of nosebands.

You would be surprised how often I find that riders have adjusted the cavesson part of their noseband-and-flash attachment incorrectly. The cavesson should be two fingers below your horse’s cheekbone. When it is too low, it will trap your horse’s mouth between the bit and the cavesson. The last time I encountered this error, the rider explained that she had her noseband cranked so tightly because her horse had started “flipping his head” and “avoiding the contact”—that is, she had tightened it to prevent her horse from avoiding the contact. The rider did not realize that with her cavesson adjusted so low, she was pinching her horse’s mouth between the bit and

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The noseband cavesson needs to be two fingers below your horse’s cheekbone, as shown here, so that it does not pinch his mouth against the bit. This also keeps the flash from being so low that it interferes with his breathing. As for how tight the cavesson and flash should be, when they are fastened, you need to be able to comfortably slip two fingers underneath them side by side against his face. If you can’t, they are too tight.

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the cavesson every time she used the bit. Sigh. Once we adjusted her equipment correctly, her horse relaxed and his symptoms of painavoidance disappeared.

In general, riders understand that their saddle should fit their horse and they do a fair job of making sure the saddle is comfortable for their horse. However, riders pay little attention to how the saddle fits them.

Partly this is because riders, especially event riders, tend to select “all-purpose” saddles. In this instance, however, all-purpose means no-purpose because a saddle of this type will prevent you from being in the correct position most of the time.

The next time you are in a tack room, borrow a dressage saddle and a show-jumping saddle and put them on saddle horses, side by side. Look at the shape of the skirts of the two saddles, and imagine where your knee and leg should be placed on each saddle. Chances are that you can visualize yourself in the show-jumping saddle. When seated, you should have a 90-degree angle behind your knee for show jumping.

Now, imagine where your knee and leg would be in that show-jumping saddle if you let your stirrups down

to dressage length. Doesn’t work, does it? If you rode with longer stirrups, the flap of the jumping saddle would be too far in front of you and the balance point of the saddle (the swale) would be too far back, causing you to fall behind the motion when your horse moved.

Alternatively, if you imagine you are riding with the dressage saddle’s stirrups at show-jumping length, you would quickly see that your knees would extend out beyond the knee rolls. I don’t want you to actually try to jump in a dressage saddle, but I hope my point is well taken. A saddle that tries to suit the requirements of both these disciplines ends up suiting neither.

This horse has a worried expression and for good reason. The cavesson, especially the back part of it, is way too low, so it is trapping and pinching the horse’s mouth between the bit and the cavesson every time the bit is used.

In addition, the flash is so tight that it is restricting the horse’s breathing and will cut grooves in the cartilage of his nose. He is so uncomfortable that he is trying to open his mouth in an attempt to resist the pain.

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A Bit of Advice

Just as with all the other tools of our trade, we need to understand bits and their various functions. Before we can decide what sort of bit we need, we have to determine what sort of horse we have. In broad, general terms, horses misbehave in three ways: They pull down toward the ground, or lock their jaw and pull straight ahead, or they carry their head and neck too high and completely invert their back.

Each of these conditions requires a different bit. For example, the horse who pulls down and out needs some form of gag snaffle to help you rebalance him.

Speaking of bits, how about the young lady who shows up for a jumping lesson with her horse tacked up in a gag snaffle and a running martingale? A gag snaffle tends to elevate your horse’s head, while a martingale tends to keep your horse from lifting his head. To paraphrase Sigmund Freud, what does that rider want?

She is using two antithetical pieces of equipment, and her horse will show his discomfort by becoming increasingly problematic.

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For horses who lock their jaws and pull straight ahead, I usually recommend a bit with some sort of corrugated surface—a cherry roller, magenis snaffle, Dr. Bristol or something similar. When horses invert, I want you to try a bit with a curb chain, a Kimberwicke or pelham, and I suggest you use an adapter that attaches to both rings and connects to a single rein with either. If you are having trouble with your horse, attempting to use a bit that has two reins instead of one is probably a needless complication right now. Not every horse responds immediately to a bit change. Try various types until you find one that helps your horse become more controllable.

I have given you a couple of simple illustrations of studying the tools you use to ride and train. However, a multiplicity of tools is available to help us effect every possible action we want to take with our horses. Some of the tools are almost magical in their usefulness, and some are actively detrimental. It is up to us to learn the tools of our trade. Our horses trust us to make correct decisions, and we have to make sure those decisions are well-informed.

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If you can dream, YOU CAN DO IT …

Walt Disney Everything started from the dream of a child who wanted more than anything to go to the American Far West, living in a real ranch and learn how to breed the wild horses and then go home and rebuild his ranch.

Alberto Chincherini for more than 20 years rides his dream that with time became true passion and ongoing research. Today he is the owner of one of the most important Italian stables breeding of jumping and dressage horses.

From the desires of childhood that comes the new proposal Alberto in collaboration with Bruna De Paolis from breeding Il Chirone and his friend and project partner HARJIT SINGH RAI has decided to propose, exclusively for the Indian market, an educational, that will teach

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the fundamentals to start a farm or a stable.

Only “living” 360 ° of the stable life you can learn the deep sense of English riding which is oriented to show jumping or dressage.

The project consists of an actual field training, 10 days of full immersion in the life of the stable. Day and night in one of the most beautiful “Farm House” across Europe working with horses of exceptional stature belonging to blood lines prominent on the international scene that has always produced approved stallions for breeding and multiple Olympic champions.

A team of experts will be available to participants including trainers, riders, breeders, veterinarians and fresh and frozen semen experts, without forgetting

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the Ferrier. All are excited and proud to be part of a unique and first of its kind project in the world.

The school is based in Italy, nestled amid rolling hills that overlook one of the finest Italian natural treasures, Lake Garda. A part l of course will be dedicated to the discovery of these lands with excursions to Venice, Verona and surroundings, Lake Garda and musical evenings at the Arena in Verona.

Who will have the opportunity to participate in the Educational will take home not only the knowhow needed to open his stable all over the world but especially the unforgettable memory and unrepeatable experience .

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MAIN TOPICS OF THE COURSE.. LIFE IN THE STABLE

* Management and care of stud farm

* Management and horse care

* Feeding of sports horses, mares, broodmares and foals

* Moving the horses in the paddock

* Care and study of foals

* Controlling of broodmares

* The mounts

* Horse Training

* Lesson Ferrier

* Organized Management Systems NOT ONLY HORSES ... EXCURSIONS AND ENTERTAINMENT

* Venice, the most fascinating city on the World.

* Verona city of art and Valpolicella, historical sightseeing and visiting of wine cellars and wine tasting.

* Lake Garda, tour boat.

* Musical evening in the Arena di Verona (only in periods of actual performances)Accommodation and living

* Accommodations within the parks of stables

* Breakfast and meals included and organized according to the stable program.

COSTS

â‚Ź 2000.00 all inclusive, (only excluding travel to be arranged by the participants.)

CONTACT..

Harjit Singh Rai

(INDIA) 00919501311924,

(ITALY) 0039 3349213088

Email: harjit.rai@hotmail.com

Hospitality Manager: Manuela Fabrellow

Email: manuela.fabrello@yahoo.it

DETAILS OF EDUCATIONAL

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DONNA DINARA DEL CHIRONE Hanoverian Mare of 1999 from Don Juan/Wienerwald/Ecuador One of the best daughters of Don Juan herself as the mother is enrolled in the prestigious breeding program by jumping Hannover. The third mother Aruba arises from Agram (1942-1962), exceptional stallion father of great international winners and mares of significant thickness of performer mothers. In 2004 she passed the mare test vote on securing a strong jump: 10 technical and 10 in power.

Mother of Senza Limiti del Chirone hannoveraner approved stallion for breeding, Top Price in jumping and dressage to 126th Elite auction in Verden in April 2012.

FOR OLYMPIA DEL CHIRONE Hanoverian Mare of 2004 from For Pleasure/Calypso II/Werther One of the most important Hanoverian maternal lines. The line is StPrSt. Garde broodmare winner in 1997 – LouisWiegelschau prize for elite family, most coveted in breeding level that a mare with her family can get. From the same stamm took birth the stallion Lambourghini Diablo and Schwarzenegger.

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Hannoverian mare of 2007 from Stakkato/Raphael/Calypso It belongs to the 6255 stamm of Holstein; the same blood line jumpers and stallions like Audrey, Lucky Boy D, Keaton, Akito, Artos Z, Taloubet, Toldine, etc. Thinking of the important family from which descends Saphora was immediately put into the breed. In its genetic appear mothers of Goldine Z gauge (mother of the stallion Aerobic Z performer) and Campanile mother among other Silver Graf Magna della Magnifica from Singular Joter, fantastic hannoveraner mother Graf Magna della Magnifica by Graf Grannus international jumper, the Grey Top Stallone Hannover by Graf Top approved and awarded at Koerung 2009 in Verden currently active in Celle, state breeding center (Germany).

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SALINERA DEL CHIRONE Hannoverian mare of 2007 from Salieri/Lungau/Pik Bube II Full sister of one of the most famous horses of all time Salinero (Hann. 1993 by Salieri x Lungau) and Seven Up (Hann 1994 by Salieri-Lungau) younger than one year, but which follows the illustrious footsteps brother. In 2004 he also participated successfully in jumping competitions for the Korean team to the Olympic Games of Athens. It is ‘the first time in the history of the Equestrian Olympic Games, that two full brothers compete in two different disciplines. She is ‘also full sister of Satine jumper internationally and Savai mother of approval winner AES Ichoro Van Bergsham.

LADY BARBIE GIRL DEL CHIRONE Hanoverian mare of 2008 from Lincolm/Baloubet du Rouet/Spartan The mother is Barbie Girl, Female Westfalian 2001 Grey by Baloubet du Rouet for Samsara (Spartan x Pygmalion) full sister to Stakkato. Samsara daughter of Spartan, is the full sister of the extraordinary Stakkato for years at the top of the German charts for genetic index and reliability, international performer stallion under the saddle of Eva Maria Bitter impresses everyone for the exceptional style that expresses on every jump, to still enshrined as one of the great German breeding; the best stallion for jumping in Germany currently the most popular in the world.

Lady Barby Girl’s half-sister of former Messenger young stud player performer of Paoul Schockemoehle properties, winner in 2013 of the Hanover show jumping championship, runner-up in 2014 in the final of the Bundeschampionat reserved for horses 7 years, under the seat of the German rider Florian Meyer Zu Hartum. Messenger is in the long list for the Olympic Games Rio 2016 !!!!

CONTESA DEL CHIRONE

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Hannoverian mare of 2009 from Catoki/Grosso Z/Galvano The Contention mother is the full sister of performer Goldfever Hanoverian stallion who after a brilliant sporting career under the saddle of the rider Ludger Beerbaum, in 2010 in Verden was honored as the stallion of the year.

GRANDIOSA DEL CHIRONE Hannoverian female of 2013 from Graf Top/Singular Joter/ Servus The mother of Grandiosa is StPrSt Schneekönigin

by Singular Joter x Servus grandmother of Edward (Embassy / Fabriano / Singular Joter), state stud of Celle, winner of the 2008 Performance Test Adelheidsdorf. From this Stamm come selected horses for Verden auctions, approved stallions and international jumpers.

SASSICAIA DEL CHIRONE Hanoverian mare of 2013 from Stakkato/Don Juan/ Wienerwald His mother is one of the best daughters of Don Juan and herself as the mother is enrolled in the prestigious

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jumper breeding program

by Hannover. The fourth mother Aruba arises from Agram (1942-1962) real hanover livestock founder, Father exceptional stallion of great international winners and mares of significant thickness of performer mothers. In 2004 she passed the mare test vote on securing a strong jump: 10 technical and 10 in power.

Sassicaia is the full sister of Senza Limiti del Chirone

by Stakkato Hanoverian approved stallion for breeding, top price in jumping and dressage to 126th Elite auction in Verden in April 2012.

JANNE DARE Z Zangercheide mare of 2011 from Je T’Aime Flamenco/ Caretano/Carthago The Stamm is the same of stallions Carthago Z, Castellani Z from Dimitri Z ,and Harley VDL approved stallion in nine studbook.

ARWEN 2000 Z Zangercheide mare of 2005 from Air Jordan/Feinschnitt Ist VD/Lys de Darmen Beautiful mare that after the sporting successes achieved under the saddle of the Colombian rider

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Andres Penalosa was put on breed. The sports results are excellent from uterine brothers and especially from Queretaro 2 winner cat 1.50 m and Queen 2000 Z winner in cat 1,60m. And ‘from this maternal line descends the approved stallion Van De Diabolo Cadzandhoeve winner in cat. 1,50m.

WINNING GIRL VPS Z Zangercheide mare of 2011 from Winningmood/Phoenix/ Kibrrahim Fascinating mare, morphologically harmonious and captivating character belongs to a family which has produced very well both in the discipline of show jumping and dressage from which stand out the stallion approved Calimero and Univeau.

BLUE CURACAO TIVOR Z Zangerscheide mare of 2011from Chacco Blue/Landor S/ Beach Boy Mare with very high temperament and character belongs to the same family of the stallion approved

by Landsboy winner in cat.1:50; the LUPESCO and the Latino TivorZ and Di Sarano.

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SALIMERA DEL CHIRONE

BreedingBroodmares dressage

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Hanoverian mare of 2007 from Sir Donnerhall/Feiner Stern/ Absatz Purchased from the prestigious Elite auctions of Verden. For its genetics when it was a filly. Salimera has already produced a colt by Bellissimo M and a beautiful filly by Lemonys Nicket. From the stamm which descends born stallions and horses who have excelled both in the discipline of show jumping to dressage as: Lord of Loxley; Borowski; Dynamit De Lux; Law And Order and Quick Check by Quidam De Revel approved HANN. FEENTANZ BK Hanoverian mare of 2012 from Foundation/Londonderry/Brentano II Purchased from prestigious Elite Auction in Verden in October 2015. Beautiful mare morphologically perfect also stood thanks to its three basic gaits superlative. Balanced and very charming comes from a ‘good maternal line, Hannover Stamm 898, which has already given birth to Wolkenfurst Hanover stallion approved for breeding son of the founder Wolkenstein II. SUNNY HIT Hannoverian mare of 2006 from Sandro Hit/Welt Hit II/ Bogenschuetze One of the most beautiful and fascinating daughters of Sandro Hit, undisputed forefather who was distinguished in sport as a champion. Sando Hit is an undisputed father of stallions approved for breeding, for superlative moms and horses sold at considerable prices in the most important international auctions.

Mare by appealing morphology has already produced foals many of whom bought by Kasselmann. Top genetic attractive morphology make her a truly valuable Mom

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Training Myth understandings

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HORSE TRAILER

BULLSTON

Whether it’s to a trail ride or the show arena, Bullston trailers are being pulled in all directions. That’s because there’s a Bullston trailer designed to meet the needs of every family, entry-level or professional horseman. From bumper pulls to deluxe living quarters to trainer.

Trailers, each Bullston is built with unique features and options to meet specific customer needs. So whatever direction you’re headed, let Bullston take you there.

As the industry leader, Bullston is committed to the ongoing improvement and upgrading of its extensive line of trailers. In fact, Bullston continues to “raise the bar” with innovative features, exceptional workmanship, and attention to detail and safety. As the premier manufacturer of horse and livestock trailers, Bullston offers uncompromising value, ease of maintenance, customized designs and abroad dealer network with first-rate customer service.

Horse care with love and passion HISTORY Bullston a company of, by and for horse lovers was conceived by Harjit Singh Rai an avid rider and animal lover who was peeved and concerned about the treatment meted out to the horses in India during transportation.

Having spent better part of his life in the USA and Italy where the love for animals is paramount and is not dictated by the other sundry factors.

With his experience and research of two decades decided to provide the horse lovers in India and option for safe and secure transportation of their love ..the horses.

The hard work paid dividends with the production of the first horse carriage trailer which was successfully completing the field trail.

Capable of carrying two horses the trailer has the finesse safety measures and comfort matching international standards and is slated to change the face of transportation in India. Not limiting itself to trailers the company is taking big steps in its way towards introducing new concepts in the field of equestrian, be it the need based designer stables or fabrication of floats and horse supplements and many more....

OUR MISSION Design and manufacture the most respected and recognized lines of trailers.

Our broad exposure and acceptance within the marketplace has made Bullston the preferred choice with dealers and customers alike.

C-50 Industrial Area, Phase-3 , SAS Nagar, (Mohali ) PUNJAB Ph.: 0091 9501311924 | Email: info@bullston.com | Website: www.bullston.com 44

BUILT TO ORDER

Our engineers and design staff will build custom trailers for the specific needs of our customers.

SOME KEY FEATURES  Coil spring based independent suspension designed for Indian roads  Gas filled shock absorbers  15 inch alloy wheels with tubeless tyers  Three layer all weather body construction  Well designed ventilation system  Anti skid rubber flooring  Four sided cousin for extra comfort.  LED side markers and tail lamps

HOR SE STABLE We are a one of the leading manufacturers of horse stalls and horse stable equipment in Indian market. Our offer includes manufacturing and installation of horse stable stalls, outdoor stalls and mobile horse boxes, as well as stable windows, gates and doors. We also manufacture and supply highest quality, affordable riding arenas and all our products are designed with safety of use in mind, assuring appropriate conditions and care for your horses.

HORSE TRUCKS Bullston has been developing horse trucks of the highest quality . You can rely on quality workmanship from top to bottom. Each individual horse truck is manufactured just for you – with a consistently high level of quality down to the smallest detail. A product needs to be good enough to meet our own requirements and those of our horses before it enters serial production. With our many years of experience in equestrian sport we have the same aims as all riders - the well-being of horses.

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Applied Heeding: Loading the Disobedient Horse Loading a horse into a trailer is not a separate skill that horses and their handlers need to learn.

Loading is simply a response to the step cue you’ve taught your horse through heeding. The horse that has learned to stay at your shoulder, trust your consistency and trust that he’s got your full attention whenever you’re with him.

He has learned that your step is a cue for him to take a step. So he will match you step for step and walk right into the trailer. The step cues are the same and the horse’s response to them should be the same as if you were asking him to walk down the barn aisle or into an arena. When the horse understands heeding, walking into a trailer is just one step away from what he already knows.

When people have trouble loading their horses its usually because they didn’t introduce the trailer properly in the first place.

Horses that have been

forced into trailers or had some other bad trailering experience get afraid of them. Other horses are not afraid. They have just decided that they are not going to get in the trailer and are simply being disobedient.

If you have a horse who is just being evasive and disobedient, the tactics are a bit different than those you use to reintroduce the scared horse to a trailer. But you cannot lose your temper or start fighting. Disobedient horses are spoiling for a fight. Remember that a horse can only get the energy for a fight from the person who’s fighting with him. If you’re not fighting with the horse, he’ll quit.

A horse can stand physical pressure for a long time but it can’t stand mental pressure very well at all. If the horse is constantly made to pay attention to the trailer and to you and is constantly prevented from fighting, it will eventually just walk

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in with you. After all, you didn’t let it have any fun by fighting with you.

Your first job is to get the horse’s attention and keep his attention. The disobedient horse will try to change the subject by fighting with you or turning his head away or digging in before he reaches the trailer so you have to keep him paying attention to your step cue and any aids you use to reinforce it. Don’t let him get away with changing the subject by fighting. I repeat, do not argue or fight.

You get the horse’s attention and enforce your control by giving the horse no choice but to stay next to your shoulder. You stay behind the trailer and heed. You back, halt, walk forward, halt. You must use definite step cues. If the horse doesn’t pay attention to them reinforce them with your whip aid. Tap on the hindquarters to reinforce walking forward. To ask for a halt, stop stepping. If

the horse ignores that cue, turn your body parallel to the horse to cue for the halt and use your whip to block his chest. Push the handle of the whip on his chest at the front of his shoulder as an aid to reinforce your step toward his hindquarters to back the horse.

Keep the horse working. Go back and forward and back and forward, stopping closer to the trailer every time until the horse walks in with you. Never take the mental pressure off. It only takes one second of rest for the disobedient horse to build up the energy to try evading your cues and reinforcing aids again.

If the horse refuses to do what you ask it, ask it to do something else. For example, if the horse will not walk forward to the trailer and wants to back away or run to either side, then ask it to back. Ask it to do turns. Ask it to back, then walk forward. Back, forward, back forward. Get the horse’s full attention back on you by constantly giving him something to do. Do it quietly without fighting or forcing.

When you feel the horse is paying attention and you have control, ask the horse to walk into the trailer. You will probably

need to reinforce your step cue with a whip tap on the hindquarters to get the horse into the trailer. The timing of the whip aid is crucial. The tap must come just as the horse is deciding whether or not to take the first step into the trailer. If the horse does not listen to the whip aid the first time, don’t keep tapping.

Go back to reinforcing your step cue with a lot of definite heeding. Heed right behind the trailer, work for accuracy, and keep up the mental pressure. Then ask the horse to go in again.

Be sure that the horse understands what you want. Keep in mind that the obedience you want is about the step. When you use a reinforcing aid, you are reinforcing in the horse’s mind that he must obey your step cue. You are not reinforcing the issue of entering the trailer. If the horse will not move forward and has stopped paying attention to your cues, you must strengthen the horse’s understanding of the cue and of the response you want (which is to follow your EVERY step). Or else you need to slow down and regain relaxation by going back to something the horse understands such as lunging. If your horse

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likes to fight you about the issue of the trailer, spend his energy lunging [behind the trailer] before you even ask him to walk into the trailer.

Finish with the trailer as the last lesson for the day.

The object is to use your step cues to get the horse to respond in a certain way whenever and wherever you want. So if you fight with the horse and manage to get him into the trailer the first day, you have accomplished nothing. You have accomplished something when the horse responds consistently to your cues.

There are a lot of people paying a lot of money going to clinics hoping to learn some mystical technique to put them in control of their horse. They think that a “real” horse person can just walk into a barn, take any horse, and go right to doing whatever they want with it. But there isn’t a real horse person I know of who would ever even try to do that. Real horse people know that control over a horse comes from earning that horse’s respect and trust. You earn that by always telling them what to do in a calm and horse logical way. Every new thing you ask is just one step away from what the horse already knows.

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INTERNATIONAL UNION OF EQUESTRIAN ARTISTS

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HORSE BLAZE-2016

LOVE THERAPY HORSE LOVE LESS TECHNIQUE AND MORE HEART

Enter in the World of International Equestrian Artists from heart President & Founder Zebrablond Barbara Carminati

Contact No. +39 3292597816

Email: zebrablond@gmail.com

THE LEGEND OF AMERICAN PAINT HORSE - APH BEAUTIFUL TIME Multi Time European Champion 9 medals wins Aachen Germany 2005 - 2006 owner Barbara Carminati www.zebrablond.com - APH MY KETTY BARS BLUE EYES World Champion Blood Line and APH TERRIBLE BOSTONS finalist Italian Team Penning owner Harjit Singh Rai

www.internationalunionofequestrianartists.com 50

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Photo by : Mari Aldeni

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Using ressures To Shape The Horse Training horses involves using pressures to shape a horse’s behavior. But many people MythUnderstand how to use pressures properly Training horses involves using pressures to shape a horse’s behavior. But many people MythUnderstand how to use pressures properly.

Horses will learn when:

tt A pressure is not perceived as an attack, tt The pressure is only one step away from something the horse already understands, and tt If doing the correct thing relieves the pressure which rewards the horse.

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When all three of these things are in place, then the pressure will be “horse logical.” The horse will accept it calmly and learn from it.

Many trainers attack horses. They think that if the horse’s activity level or excitement level increases, the horse is learning more.

That’s one of the biggest MythUnderstandings there is in the training world. In

fact, the truth is just the opposite.

When a horse feels attacked, you have created an avoidance situation.

Avoidance situations create five times as strong a reaction as approach situations. That means that if you create a pressure that the horse wants to avoid, you create five times as much negative feeling as you do if you use an

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approach situation instead.

What does that teach a horse?

When most people come to the end of their knowledge of how to enforce training positively, they often resort to avoidance pressures.

Yank that lead shank. Pop him with the end of the rope. Jab him with those spurs. Those actions all create a high level of activity in the horse because

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the horse feels he’s being attacked by a predator. Do you want that horse to react to you like a prey animal or a partner?

Have you ever noticed how people talk to someone who

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doesn’t speak English well?

The first thing you know, they’re talking louder. The problem isn’t that the other person can’t hear. It’s that they don’t understand the language. So you cannot be louder with your aids

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or pressures to achieve the desired result with your horse.

Many people don’t know how to link the things a horse needs to learn up in a logical sequence or how

to break training down into many small building blocks the horse can learn one by one. They put pressure on the horse to do something, to create a particular shape, before the horse understands all the baby steps he needs

to get him to the point of understanding. Then when the horse doesn’t “get it,” they “swear” at him.

Swear pressures elevate a horse’s excitement levels.

What are swear pressures?

Whenever anyone runs out of language, they swear.

It’s a cheap shot out of nowhere. But a person with a command of the language can make a number of meaningful points without ever swearing. Swear pressures do not make your point. The only thing they do is disrupt communications.

To communicate with the horse, you must make the shape you want understandable. You need to use the right language.

You will see a lot of people slap a horse when they want it to move or go faster. As a training pressure, a slap has a definite “start” but the “stop” is right there with it, too. So what does the slap tell the horse to do? There is no way for a slap to do anything but elevate the horse’s excitement level.

The horse will not be going the specific amount faster you wanted or moving in exactly the way that you wanted.

How quickly you apply a pressure, where you apply it and how hard you hold it

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tells the horse how he needs to respond. And as soon as he responds, you reward by taking the pressure away. The greatest reward to a horse is the release of pressure. Always. So you apply pressure in a horse logical way that causes the horse to act the way you want, and then you release the pressure as a reward.

Then you do it again until the horse’s response to that pressure becomes a habit.

Some horses will tend to lean into your pressures when you apply them and in order to create an understandable shape at that time, you must keep the pressure there until the horse moves in relation to it. For example, if you are on the ground trying to get a horse that is leaning into your pressure to move away from you, you have to push only the amount that you can comfortably hold until the horse gets tired of it. If the pressure of the flat of your hand or the front of your knuckles doesn’t have any effect, use the butt end of a whip or poke with a finger or two to concentrate the pressure on a smaller area and make it more noticeable. If you take the pressure away before the horse gets tired of it, the horse learns that all it

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has to do is wait and you’ll quit. You hold the pressure until the horse decides to move away from it. And you have to be certain that you don’t get impatient and smack the horse in the belly and ruin everything it was understanding up to that point. Give the horse time to learn. Then reward it.

The timing of a pressure can be important to learning.

Take this statement: “Woman without her man is lost.” Now change the punctuation. “Woman.

Without her, man is lost.”

The words are the same but the way they are timed creates an entirely different meaning. Aids are the same way to the horse. It’s the timing, the punctuation, of our aid pressures that often counts, not the strength or force of them.

Aid pressures must be balanced in order to create a training corridor for the horse to move in. A horse has a one track mind.

Anything will distract him and when it does, he’s gone.

He’s out to lunch. You see people distracting their horse with badly applied aid pressures all the time. They only use one aid or pressure too loudly out of all the aids it takes to communicate an understandable shape to the horse. That distracts the

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horse from all the other aids that could give him a clue about what to do and he misses the meaning of the communication. Bits are the biggest problem here.

When you communicate horse logically using methodically applied directional pressures that shape rather than attack the horse, you are training, not breaking. Punishment has no place in a training program. When a horse does something “wrong,” that happened because you taught the horse to do it or you allowed the horse to do it. Punish yourself, not the horse.

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The story is actually talking about hyponatremia, a dangerously low level of sodium in the blood. According to the articles, upwards of 30% of people participating in sports are overhydrated and some 14 individuals have been identified as suspected to have died from forcing too much water and diluting their blood sodium to a dangerous level – i.e., hyponatremia.

My concern is that people will see these articles and start to wonder if they should be restricting how much water they let their horses drink during and after exercise, especially when seeing how much a horse will drink under those conditions. There is no reason for this concern.

For one thing, the people in the human studies were forcing themselves to drink extra water even if not thirsty and with no regard to how much water they might actually need.

Far more people were overhydrated than actually got into trouble with hyponatremia, leading researchers to postulate there is a hormonal malfunction also operating in the people who develop hyponatremia.

Water Poisoning

As anyone who knows that sweat is salty might predict, low blood sodium risk can also be reduced by replacing sweat electrolyte losses during exercise and starting exercise with optimal levels.

Exercise and overhydration hyponatremia has never been seen in a horse. You can’t force a horse to drink more than they need. In fact, research has found that horses getting electrolytes in their feed that had increased water consumption showed improved speed in endurance horses.

As an aside, horses with more water used to cool them during endurance races had better performance and finishing positions.

The bottom line is pay attention to salt intake in working horses, at least 2 oz/day in warm water and more with prolonged exercise. Don’t hold back on water for drinking and cooling. In fact, the more the better

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Horses and Men

An exclusive exhibition presented by Pointe -à-Callière Horses have always fascinated us, and for its latest exhibition, Pointe-àCallière Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History invites the public to admire this noble animal through the eyes of a passionate collector. In a worldwide exclusive, the Museum presents Of Horses and Men, an exhibition based on the private collection of Émile Hermès. For five months, Montrealers and visitors from around the world will get the chance to explore some of this collection, assembled by the former head of Hermès International.

In a real coup for Montréal and Pointe-à-Callière, the Museum is exhibiting some 250 remarkable objects on loan from the Émile Hermès Collection, normally housed in private rooms at the company’s prestigious Parisian shop at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

Startling in its historical and cultural significance, the collection recounts the story of the horse and its relationship to people.

To date, only a lucky few outside the company have ever visited the collection.

As visitors wander through this delightful exhibition, produced by

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Pointe-à-Callière in close collaboration with Hermès International, they will come to understand some of Émile Hermès’s passion.

A lover of horses and all things equestrian, Hermès spent his life collecting thousands of works of art, paintings, books, rare and unusual objects, or stylish everyday items from a bygone era.

“When I first entered the office of Émile Hermès, it was like visiting a magical realm filled with marvels.

There was a regard for quality and a love of craftsmanship employed in the service of riders

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and their mounts. I saw not only a collection, but the vision and passion of someone who collected in order to preserve a heritage that was both tangible and intangible. I knew at that moment that one day, we just had to make these objects more accessible and give our visitors a chance to experience this place and its touching significance. I offer my sincere gratitude to the descendants of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Émile Hermès, who were so generous in opening their doors to us,” states the Museum’s executive director, Francine Lelièvre.

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A tribute of the horse Founded in Paris in 1837, Hermès International began as a maker of harnesses and saddles at a time when horses ruled the streets.

Under the leadership of the founder’s grandson Émile Hermès (1871–1951), the firm truly took off, adapting its products to the new lifestyles of an elite clientele. A sign of wealth and power, the horse was long associated with the monarchy, nobility, bourgeoisie, and prestigious racing stables. But as the automobile began to replace the horse in daily life, the saddle maker-turnedleather merchant and avantgarde couturier realized the urgency of preserving the precious treasures of equestrian heritage.

Acutely aware of the horse’s enduring appeal, Émile

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Hermès was able to transfer the traditional values and know-how involved in making saddles to creating high-quality leather and other goods. He also cared about innovating while at the same time maintaining Hermès’s international reputation. Visitors will be able to see many of the collector’s personal possessions, including the impressive rocking horse used by all of his children, and to discover a family business that has remained true to its values and that uses the past to inspire its present and future.

“We allowed ourselves to be persuaded to do this exhibition because the museum took an interest not only in the collection but also in the collector.

The collection touches

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something primordial in us by revealing the importance of the horse in our lives right from childhood. But it also reveals the work of a man, Émile Hermès, who, in collecting, simply prolonged his own childhood. Placed on a rocking horse as a child, he collected anything that reminded him of horses throughout his life,” notes Philippe Dumas, author, illustrator, and grandson of Émile Hermès.

Menehould du Chatelle, director of cultural heritage at Hermès International, adds that “most people who encounter the Émile Hermès Collection find it magical because its originality and uncommon abundance create such a strong impression, like a vast forest that exudes an irresistible charm and warmth.”

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the time of horses and carriages on the horse’s trail Saddles, stirrups, spurs, and other horse tack from around the world are just some of the many objects along the horse’s trail, which takes visitors on a journey from Antiquity to the Renaissance to the 20th century.

The collection also includes

a wonderful selection of paintings by great and lesser-known masters, as well as sculptures, engravings, and drawings.

For as long as horses have been a part of human life, artists have endeavoured to express their beauty, strength, and courage,

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bringing famous, historical, and mythical horses – like Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology – to life. The exhibition is also dotted with a number of whimsical drawings created especially for the occasion

by Philippe Dumas.

Visitors will also discover the wide variety of horse-related occupations and their tools: farrier, coachman, postillion and the like. Examples of technological innovation testify to the ingenuity shown in every era, whether it be specially designed hot-water bottles and foot-warming stirrups to ward off the cold or inventions like blinder bits to improve safety.

Gradually, however, the horse’s role moved from utilitarian duties to more leisurely pursuits such as

riding, hunting, racing, and horse shows. Horsewomen feature prominently in the collection: sidesaddles and riding habits, along with a host of women’s equestrian accessories, are sure to surprise. Many objects, such as cases, bags, saddlebags and trunks, illustrate Hermès’s smooth transition from saddle maker to luggage maker.

Ever mindful of innovation, Émile Hermès journeyed to North America during World War I on a mission to

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supply the French cavalry with horses and harnesses.

Among the items he brought back from his stay on this side of the Atlantic was an innovative system that he would adapt for use in his creations and for which he procured a licence in France that was, for a time, exclusive: the zipper. He considered the many ways to use the new fastener and adapted it to leather accessories, travel items, ladies’ handbags, and sports clothing.

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The office of Émile Hermès: The Soul of 24 Rue du Faubourg SaintHonoré

The office of Émile Hermès: The Soul of 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré The exhibition ends with an intimate glimpse into Émile Hermès’s office, that mythical and magical place from where the master led the firm. A reflection of the visionary and passionate collector who was Émile Hermès, this immersive space burgeons with an eclectic abundance of works honouring the horse and equestrian cultures:

a small Mexican horse, a studded trunk, a parasolwhip, lanterns, and so on.

The evocation of this office, famous yet secret, transports visitors to a world of beauty, creativity, and emotion – an eloquent remembrance of the Age of the Horse.

Enhanced by audio-visual and audio productions, the exhibition also features rare books, catalogues, and, of course, silk scarves, which bear witness to a past that is still very much alive. Not to

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be missed are masterpieces such as the family rocking horse, a Japanese saddle from the Edo period, harnesses created for monarchs, the Brides de gala silk scarf, works by artists such as Charles Le Brun and Théodore Géricault, a Pegasus sculpture by contemporary artist Christian Renonciat, and models of horse-drawn carriages.

Stunning Publication

The accompanying exhibition catalogue, Of Horses and Men – The Émile Hermès Collection, Paris, was produced thanks to the generous authorization of the Hermès family, including PierreAlexis and Philippe Dumas, the latter of whom also provided original drawings.

This magnificently illustrated 128-page book features photographs of many items in the exhibition and documents from the Hermès Archives. It

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also contains previously unpublished texts, including a conversation between Philippe Dumas and Menehould du Chatelle, director of cultural heritage at Hermès International; articles by curators JeanPaul Desroches and Nicolas Chaudun, and by Stéphane Laverrière, assistant curator at the cultural heritage department of Hermès International. The publication is available at the museum gift shop in English and French.

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The exhibition Of Horses and Men, featuring items from The Émile Hermès Collection, Paris, was produced by Pointe-àCallière in collaboration with Hermès International.

The Museum thanks the family and descendants of Mr. and Mrs. Émile Hermès and Hermès International, as well as its sponsors: Air Canada Cargo, STM, InterContinental Montréal Hotel, Tourisme Montréal, and La Presse.

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About Pointe -àCallière Pointe-à-Callière is the largest and most frequently visited history museum in Montréal. The museum complex rises above a number of national historic and archaeological sites that illustrate major periods in the history of Montréal, Québec, and Canada. The largest archaeology museum in the country, Pointe-àCallière opened in 1992, on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the founding of Montréal. The Museum’s mission is to raise awareness and foster an

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appreciation of Montréal’s history, and to forge bonds with regional, national, and international networks concerned with archaeology, history, and urban issues.

The Museum is currently working to complete an expansion project that will showcase some ten heritage and historic sites grouped together under the name Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex, a worldclass cultural and tourist destination.

PROP. JITENDRA SINGH PAHADIYA +91 96653 99999 70

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Exercising Your Horse in Winter

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Short daylight hours and icy cold temperatures can cause many riding challenges. A basic understanding of how to keep your horse healthy and safe in cold weather will keep you in the saddle all winter and give you a head start on conditioning your horse for the heavier riding season once spring rolls around.

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BEFORE YOU RIDE Use common sense. If it feels painful to take a deep breath of wintery air into your lungs, it’s most likely too cold for your horse to be galloping around sucking in ice crystals. Dustin Grams of Grams Horse Training says, “I cut my lessons and training off when my thermometer in my indoor arena reads – 20°C (-4F).

Any colder is too hard on horses’ lungs.”

Keep in mind this is indoors where there is no wind chill.

So if you are planning to ride outdoors, check your local weather forecast and take wind chill into account.

Before tacking up, check your horse’s feet for ice balls and packed snow.

If you’re not able to chip it off, groom your horse while you wait for the snow and ice to thaw. Grooming is a splendid time to check over your horse.

Grooming is also a vital part of your routine for it will help rev up your horse’s

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circulation and unclog any blocked pores allowing him to sweat.

ALLOWING FOR A PROPER WARM UP “It is important to give your horse a lot of time to become warm in the winter and to gradually bring their body temperature up,” explains Tara Gamble, BSc (Ag), AQHA Professional Horseman and Certified Horsemanship Association president.

Typically, horses feel very tight when it is cold so Gamble warms up her horses by allowing them

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a lot of time to walk and gently stretch laterally.

“I always walk in both directions and bend the horse both ways to encourage equal muscle development. A warm up should be progressive with lots of time spent feeling how your horse is responding — straight lines and gentle bends initially are better handled by the horse,” she adds. “The time frame I spend in the winter walking to warm up is 10 to 15 minutes.”

Grams agrees and adds that once horses have enough time to get their circulation going to the

large muscle groups and lower extremities, then they should soften up. Once your horse feels relaxed under saddle, then it should be okay to move to the jog or trot.

HOW HARD SHOULD YOU WORK YOUR HORSE? How hard you should work your horse during an exercise session in winter will depend on his current condition and whether he is a pleasure or performance horse. “If you are planning on strenuous workouts (ie: to a sweat), then it is advisable to have an indoor facility and ensure the time necessary to cool your horse down,” says Gamble. “If your horse is not conditioned to strenuous exercise, the extreme cold is not necessarily the best place to start. However, consistency in workouts will help your horse maintain his fitness level and contribute to his overall physical well being.”

Gamble uses this rule of thumb in her own program at JT Ranch. Read your horse: if he is in distress it is too much. There are plenty of simple, less strenuous exercises you can do in the cold such as walking/ jogging straight lines off the

rail, bending and counter flexing your horse, circles, figure eights, stopping and backing up or even just spending time standing still. This will allow for time on your horse and help promote an all around well trained horse.

COOL DOWN At the end of a riding session allow at least an extra 15 minutes to walk your horse out and start the cool down process. For optimal cool out and drying, riding during daylight hours is best. But, since this isn’t always possible, you must make sure your horse is completely dry. It’s a good idea to put a cooler on your horse whether he is blanketed full time or not to help cut down on drying time. An excellent choice would be one made of polar fleece, which absorbs moisture and washes well.

“By using a few different coolers you can really cut down on your drying time.

I use the first to absorb the majority of the wetness, a second and even a third if necessary to make sure the horse is good and dry,” says Grams. Ensure they are completely dry by feeling between his front legs in the chest area and behind the elbows, adds Gram. “Places

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like the flank and abdomen also need to be dry.” Once your horse is dry, remove the damp cooler and brush him out. This fluffs his under coat, which is a natural protector from the cold. Once dry and you have decided to blanket your horse, use a dry blanket!

TURNOUT AFTER EXERCISE Should you blanket your horse? Horses that are not ridden during the winter don’t usually need a blanket because they will grow a fluffy undercoat or loft, which helps keep a pocket of air next to the skin that heats up. The loft combines with longer guard hairs to keep the horse warm and dry.

“Blanketing has advantages for horses that are shown and/or clipped, hard keepers, older or naturally short haired such as some Arabians and Thoroughbreds,” says Grams. Also, a blanket may be needed if your horse does not have access to a shelter. But remember, if you start blanketing you have to keep a blanket on all winter. Make sure the blanket is well fitted to avoid excess rubbing and check straps and belly bands to keep your horse safe.

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A weatherproof blanket is important because a wet blanket will cause your horse’s hair to become flat, eliminating the loft part of the hair and causing your horse to become cold more quickly.

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MEASURING FOR A BLANKET Measuring for a blanket only takes a few minutes, but will save you from buying the wrong size and having to do an exchange.

To make measuring your horse easier, ask a friend to give you a hand. Have your

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friend hold the measuring tape in the center of your horse’s chest. You will measure across the widest place on your horse’s shoulder and all the way to the center of his tail.

Blankets come in evennumbered sizes, so if your measurement is odd it’s best to go up a size.

Cold Weather Colic in Horses

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Cold winds and changing winter weather may not seem like contributing factors for equine colic.

However, these conditions can foster changes in routine and eating habits that may affect the well being of your horse.

“A common winter time equine health concern is colic,” notes Dr. Glennon Mays, clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. “Colic is a symptom of abdominal pain and can take the form of digestive problems, intestinal blockage, or a twisted intestine among other possibilities.”

“There are several reasons why horses tend to colic more as the winter months linger,” explains Mays.

“Lack of quality grazing, too cold water and reduced exercise time can contribute to equine colic.”

Spring’s lush green pastures provide grass that contains moisture which is absorbed in the gut and adds wet fiber to more readily move food along your horse’s digestive tract. When there is no green grass to graze, the possibility for impaction increases, explains Mays.

Keep quality hay in front of your horse to provide

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roughage. The horse digestive tract is designed for high volume food such as grass and hay and these should be fed before grain.

“When temperatures drop, the tendency is to increase your horse’s grain rations to meet the increased energy demands to stay warm. However, increased carbohydrates can upset your horse’s digestive tract.

When temperatures drop, feed extra hay, not grain, since hay provides more efficient ‘heating fuel’ for your horse,” says Mays.

“Roughage quality and availability may negatively affect a horse’s intake and digestion. Coarse, dry grazing or baled roughage can result in soft tissue abrasions inside the horse’s mouth during the chewing process. This seemingly minor trauma can result in a horse’s compromised ability to grind feed stuff due to soreness in the mouth,” notes Mays.

Adequate water consumption is essential for your horse’s well being.

Horses tend to consume less water in colder weather since lower temperatures decrease their desire for water. However, they still need 10-12 gallons of water daily depending on work load. Also, if the

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temperature of their water source is below 45 degrees, horses tend to consume less water.

Insufficient water intake can result in dehydration and decreased blood volume (resulting in fewer nutrients to cells and decreased efficiency of waste removal). When water intake is decreased, your horse has an increased chance that its intestines may become impacted and colic can then occur, explains Mays.

“Frozen water sources obviously compromise water availability. Even best intentions like utilizing water warmers, insulating

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pipes and warming coils can fail, so check your horse’s water source to be sure that all is functioning. Also, inspect plumbing for leaks when temperatures rise above freezing.”

Historically, horses were foragers who moved and ate most of the day. They were mobile and not confined to a stall or fed restricted feedings,” notes Mays.

“Regular exercise and movement helps to keep a horse’s digestive system functioning properly. Even if you can only turn your horse out for a short time or just walk around the barn, it is better than no exercise at all. The ideal situation

is for your horse to spend the majority of its time on pasture.”

During the winter months, you can minimize colic attacks if you monitor your horse’s water intake to be sure that it is being well hydrated, feed quality hay that is free of impurities such as mold and exercise your horse or, provide pasture for roaming, says Mays.

While colic is not always avoidable, careful feeding, sufficient water intake and plenty of exercise can reduce the chances of your horse being affected by cold weather colic.

We Are Handsome Stallion Scoop One Piece, $207.00; shoplesnouvelles.com

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Hérmes Vintage Horse Racing Print Jacket, $1,799.22 farfetch.com

Fashion Conscience Vegan Horse Print Satchel $90.51 fashion-conscience.com

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Anthropologie Destrier Cuff, $458.00 anthropologie.com

Altuzarra Horse Head Motif Sweater, $537.00; farfetch.com

Leigh & Luca Horses Dusk Fire Ombre Scarf, $276.38 pret-a-beaute.com

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Antonio Marras Peacock Green Riding Hat, $80 avenue32.com

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Ralph Lauren Equestrian Sweater Scarf, $169.00; ralphlauren.com

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Longchamp Exclusive Year of the Horse Medium Shoulder Tote, $395.00; bloomingdales.com

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BULLSTON Designed in Italy, Made in India

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