Horse journal june 2014 by HRCS

. . .Online

A PDF of all the articles uploaded to www.horse-journal.com in June 2014

Table of Contents Euthanasia: Let’s Talk it Over—3 Ecovet Fly Spray is Strong—6 Dressage and Jumping World Cup Competitions in Omaha—7 Veterinary Visits: Knowing When to Make the Call— 8 California Chrome and Skechers?—11 North Carolina Foal Born in Wild with Crooked Legs—11 Stall-Fan Safety—12 Nasal Strips: They definitely don’t harm—13 Belmont, Preakness, Kentucky Derby - Watch Them Again—13 NBC’s Coverage of the Belmont Stakes—13 The Search For An Affordable, Trustable Joint Product—14 Mosquitoes Can be Deadly—18 Horses Injected with Gasoline—18 Can California Chrome Win The Triple Crown?—19 Joint Products: Some Pricey Ingredients Are Worth Your Money—20 RIP Sapphire—24 Lameness Locator —25 AVMA Serious About Compounded Drugs—25 Managing Tendons: It Doesn’t Have To Be A Stretch—26 Magnesium For OCD?—29 Safety Thought: Metal on Cross-Ties—29 Equine Dental Care—30 Swimming Through Summer Heat—32 Supplementing Salt—33 Horse Blocker Tie Ring—34 Your Sweating Horse—35 Horse Cut with Scalpel—36 Levi’s Artwork Helps Pay the Bills—36 Horse Cut with Scalpel—36 Media Critique: Where Does My Horse Hurt?—37

2018 World Games to be in Canada—37 A Look Back: “Here’s Hoping We’ll Host Another WEG Soon”—38 Horse Shot in Cincinnati—38 What’s Next For California Chrome—And the Triple Crown?—39 The Cutaneous Trunci Muscle Reflex in Horses—40 EOTRH: Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis—41 Moldy Leather —42 What I Learned By Riding In A Phillip Dutton Clinic—43 Reliable Recipes or Time Wasters—45 Horse Journal OnCall: Do I Really Need to Use a Bit?—46 Judging Western Dressage—47 The Glass Horse—48 Ticks, Ticks and More Ticks—49 Horse Journal’s OnCall Service: Your Own Personal Equine Consultant—50 Some Horses Develop Faster Than Others—51 Barn Drama—52 Choosing The Top Prospect—53 Sarcoids—54

Euthanasia: Let’s Talk it Over It’s wise to create a “road map” ahead of time – one to guide us when we’re faced with the painful prospect of putting our horses to sleep.

e often receive inquiries about euthanasia; too many to dismiss them as morbid curiosity. Horse owners often display a full gamut of philosophies and game plans. Some plan to let their horse “die peacefully in pasture, of natural causes.” Others don’t want to even think about it. Those who examine the subject critically ahead of time come to the inevitable conclusion that our horses will die someday, and realize that, realistically, it’s unlikely they all will die peacefully in a pasture and make the scenario more bearable for us. While the planning may be somewhat painful, it is a good thing for everyone involved – including your horse – to make those decisions in advance. One of the most basic is what to do with your horse’s body. It’s far easier to know ahead of time who to call and what it will cost than it is to frantically try to find someone last minute. You will need to know in advance whether you can bury the horse and who can help dig the hole or where you can have him cremated and how he will be transported to that facility or if you will have his body picked up for disposal. Your local laws may come into play, so it’s not something to tackle when you’re highly emotional. Once you’ve made those choices, you can tuck the information away for when you’re ready. In this article, we will help you understand how to make the decision for your horse and explain what happens to the horse physically at the time of death.

A Philosophical Conundrum

Putting our horse to sleep is perhaps the single greatest difficulty we may face as horse owners. It can really be a mind-bender and heart

The decision on euthanasia must be made with your horse’s best interest at heart.

breaker. We go to great lengths, expense, and effort to preserve our horses (vet care, blanketing, supplements, etc.), so of course it feels “inside out” to force an end to their lives. However, by the nature of our physiology verses theirs, most of us will outlive our horses. Despite this knowledge, we all try to find a way off the roller coaster when our horses are near death. Our circuits become overloaded as the left brain battles the right in the midst of emotion, confusion, and the unbearable stress of the ticking clock. We feel like we’re climbing the first big incline of the roller coaster ride ... We know what is going to happen. We can see it coming. And we cannot stop it. So, the question is not will it occur; it is how and sometimes when it will occur. Ultimately we must do what is best for our horses, so we must navigate the situation to minimize the “what ifs” that we may haunt us if we make a decision in haste, without clear thought. There are no second chances here. Quite the

cat’s cradle - so, how do we find our way through it?

A Swift Cut with a Sharp Blade

We are all aware that colic is the leading cause of death in domestic horses. It can happen to any horse, at any time, at any age. Perhaps it is the most familiar scenario that horse enthusiasts envision when they broach the topic of euthanasia. In a way, owners who lose their horse to a sudden colic suffer the lesser of two evils compared to other scenarios. Colic comes on fast and in a matter of hours your companion can be gone. Horrific as it is, it may be less painful than watching your horse fail to thrive over time, knowing a plan for euthanasia must be made. The contrast between the scenarios is like the difference between a swift cut with a sharp blade, or a dull edge dragging slowly across the skin. In scenarios such as colic, you are more likely to feel more turmoil for leaving your horse alive than for euthanizing him, since he will be subject to extreme pain and a prolonged death if you do. In this

case, euthanasia clearly becomes the logical option to tilt the scale toward your left brain’s point of view. Now on to the more difficult situation.

A Slow Cut with a Dull Edge

In this scenario, you, as the conservator of the horse, must wrestle with the slow pain of knowing that the time is coming to put the horse to sleep … like a freight train on the horizon. The most common examples include chronic laminitis or debilitating arthritis. In these instances, the body can and will continue to function despite an ongoing painful condition. This is a sharp contrast to colic in which the horse will die anyway in a matter of hours if you do not make the decision for him. Arguably, the decision involving something like chronic laminitis is the more excruciating of the two scenarios. In this situation, every option presents with its own set of stand-offs between emotion and logic. On one hand, we become concerned that we are “playing God” and giving up on our beloved horses by choosing to end their life humanely. But, on the other hand, if we do not euthanize, they will face a slow and painful demise. Of course, we always leave room for our own fears and selfish desire to keep them alive because of what they provide for us. In this scenario, the answers may not be as obvious as the colic situation.

Knowing When to Say When

So how … and when do we decide to euthanize? There are no clear answers that can be applied to every situation, but these thoughts may help: 1) Each case must be considered on an individual basis, between the veterinarian (if you include us) and the owner. Critical factors vary from case to case: the horse’s age, money, divorce, moving, sickness (of owner or horse), and other physical factors. They are all fair game and no criteria should be dismissed even if they appear on the surface to be shallow. What may be the best decision for one horse may not

necessarily be the best decision for another horse, even though their circumstances may appear to be similar. 2) Your veterinarian must share in the agreement to euthanize your horse, so you must be prepared to hear his or her opinion too. If there is an alternative, or if you are not considering all of the possible options, the veterinarian may challenge you firmly. Ultimately, the veterinarian must adhere to an ethical oath when euthanizing animals. Unless you intend to humanely euthanize your horse yourself, you must discuss your decision with your vet in order for him or her to ethically be able to perform the procedure. 3) Consider quality of life over quantity of life. This is just one opinion, but horses do not appear to stake too much claim in the future or in the past. They live in the moment. Perhaps being prey animals makes them acutely aware that life is unpredictable and finite? It just seems logical that horses may be interested in living a less-painful life (even if it is shorter), rather than a longer uncomfortable one. 4) But how much pain is too much? Let’s face it, we all live with pain. Some of us more than others. But that does not mean that we want to die because of the pain. So how can we figure out when and where to draw the line? Here are some criteria to ponder: What do they appear to care about on a day-to-day basis? No … not the riding, not the medals and ribbons … they use far more basic things to define the quality of their existence. Although these criteria may seem overly simplified, horses need to be able to run, buck, lie down, roll, sleep, eat, drink and keep up with the herd in order to be, well, horses. They use these behaviors to make their impression on life and to show their joie de vie. As those abilities diminish, so does the spark of life in the animal. Over time, as the horse is able to do fewer of these activities, living gives way to existing, and your horse can be left a mere fraction of what he once was, trapped in a shell of a broken body. Almost like a roaring fire reduced

down to a smoldering ash. Pain and PAIN. Determining the nature and extent of pain can go a long way toward deciding how to plan for an ailing horse. For instance, is this pain something that the horse has to get through in order to then have a reasonable quality of life? If someone said to you, “OK, for the next month you are going to hurt badly, but then for the following 10 years, life will be good,” you may decide that it is worth the turbulence. But if someone says, “This pain will never go away, and it is only going to get worse,” your long-term plan could be drastically different. Remember, horses cannot tell us how much pain they are in, nor can they distract themselves with things like television, magagines, or talking to friends. They have to just stand there - and ache. Veterinary guidance cannot only help owners mitigate on behalf of their horses, but also can make decisions easier by giving an owner a realistic picture of what their horse is facing. Sometimes, something simple and relatively inexpensive (such as a daily Previcox or pergolide tablet) can provide a viable option. Remember, there is a difference between living with pain and living in pain. If you suspect that your horse is spending more than 30 seconds out of every minute preoccupied with pain, it is time to think seriously about intervention whether it be management changes, medications, or euthanasia.

The Decision is Made, Now What?

Only after all mental and emotional exercises are tediously exhausted, and all roads lead back to the same destination, can we move on to planning the euthanasia. It is perfectly natural to feel intense anxiety over the euthanasia itself. Not only have we all heard horror stories about euthanasia gone wrong, but we fundamentally are concerned about whether or not the horse senses fear or feels pain during the procedure. Try to go easy on yourself here. We know quite a bit from science and medicine that death by lethal

injection is minimally invasive and instant in most cases. The euthanasia procedure is quite simple. The veterinarian usually sedates the horse first and then injects a lethal dose of barbiturate into the jugular vein. The barbiturate disseminates rapidly in the blood and induces unconsciousness within about 30 seconds. At this point the horse will fall to the ground. Keep in mind that during the fall, the horse is semi-conscious or completely unconscious so he is not sensing much at this point. This has been confirmed by electroencephalogram (EEG) brain activity studies. From the point of landing on the ground, he simply feels like he is falling asleep. The barbiturate then induces both respiratory and cardiac arrest (meaning that the heart and lungs cease to expand and contract). Without circulation or oxygen, the body discontinues after a mere minute. Oftentimes, horses will take one large breath just before they expire. Throughout this process, the horse is not aware of stimuli - so again, no pain. The veterinarian will touch the horse’s eyeball to test for a corneal reflex. If any brain activity is present, the horse will blink when his cornea is touched. Once blinking ceases (usually within 1 to 2 minutes), the horse is declared brain dead. It is not uncommon for the body to twitch and move for several minutes (sometimes up to an hour) after death. Do not worry. The horse is not alive. This is just residual electrical activity in the body. Also, be prepared that the eyes will not close when the horse passes.

Bottom Line

The word euthanasia literally means “kind passing.” It is a peaceful, painless end to life. It can be planned out well - so that everyone has said their goodbyes, and the horse can transition out of this world in a peaceful circle of love (with a full belly) and his dignity, grace, and majesty intact. It can truly be one final gift that you give your friend … to let him leave this world on a good day, without too much fear or pain.

and emotional exercise needed to comprehend your decision. Grant Miller, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

Your horse appreciates quality over quantity of life.

As a practicing veterinarian of over 10 years, I cannot help but notice that each owner seems to know when that time is right for his or her horse. My interpretation of that is this: If you are pondering the decision of euthanasia frequently, the time is getting close. Nobody knows your horse better than you. All we can do as veterinarians is offer advice based on our medical knowledge of your horse and on our experience. In the moments leading up to your horse’s passing, try to think of your best time together. Emanate and send this positive energy on with him. He needs your support at this crucial moment. You have the rest of your life to cry and fall to pieces, but the moment of euthanasia is his moment, so do your best to assist him through it with positive energy and loving guidance. Finally, I want you to know that I have never had an owner tell me that they made the decision to euthanize their horse too soon. On the contrary, I have had several tell me that they regret waiting too long. I hope that this article in some way helps you navigate the mental

Ecovet Fly Spray is Strong This fly repellent worked like no other product we have ever used.

covet is definitely different. Sometimes it seems that flies treat fly spray like perfume. It doesn’t faze them at all. If the flies are laughing at you, you probably want to pull out a bigger gun. Well, we recently found that gun: Ecovet. Be prepared, though, this fly spray sets aside the frills in order to get the job done.

It’s Very Different

Ecovet is a completely different type of insect repellent when compared to traditional products. Its base consists of three different food-grade fatty acids mixed with silicone oil. Together, they work as a spatial repellent. What is a spatial repellent, might you ask? A spatial repellent is a substance that prevents insects from even entering the general space of the animal to which it is applied. Yes, you read that right. The fatty acids in Ecovet evaporate from the horse’s skin at different rates, and during the course of their evaporation they release a scent that interferes with the insect’s directional ability. In other words, they cause flies and mosquitoes to become disoriented, and it can result in their death. The fatty acids evaporate in one to three days, so this spray needs to be reapplied on that interval to work continually. That’s of course on a horse that isn’t sweating a lot, being rained on or bathed. Several of our top field-trial barns tried this product for us. Collectively, we all agreed that it worked extremely well at repelling flies. From there, our opinions varied. Initially, you have to prepare yourself. This product does not smell like traditional fly spray. It has a musty smell with a hint of coconut, reminding some of us of the Coppertone sunscreen that we grew up with. A few testers said the smell was overpowering at

first, making them want to sneeze. It may even irritate your eyes. The smell is more obnoxious in a closed space like a barn aisle than it is in an open wash stall or breezeway, of course. The next question was, what does the horse want? Well, we found our horses seemed to opt to be fly-free in exchange for smelling a bit odd. Note: Ecovet reports the company is working on producing more than one scent. Our bottles contained the “classic” scent, but the company was already at work on a new scent based on sage. Maybe that will help some of those with sensitive noses.

Effects

Our horses’ coats became smooth and shiny when we used the spray, but amazingly it did not leave a greasy residue. The sprayer is high quality. It puts out a perfect mist and very little of the product is wasted. It didn’t clog for us, and we were able to use all of the spray without waste. On the bottle, it says that it should not be used in intensely sweating horses, which concerned some of our testers who had sport horses in hard work. The warning is because Ecovet follows the “oil and water” rule when it comes into contact with a moist surface. As a result, if it’s sprayed on a wet or sweaty horse, it may bead up and be less effective than when sprayed on a dry horse. We noticed this effect when we sprayed it on the ground in a wet wash rack. It beaded up immediately, due to the polarity of the fatty acids in the spray. There is no harm to spraying a wet or sweaty horse, but it won’t go on as evenly if it is applied to a wet horse vs. a dry

one. We’re also sharing with you the questions we received from testers: Is it toxic? Only to insects. Fatty acids are encountered commonly in day-to-day life. They are widely used in performance products, such as Platinum and others. Silicone oil is a base component of most human skin care, hair care and cosmetic products. It merely serves as a carrier and is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as an inert substance. If it has fatty acids in it, can it go rancid? No. Some fatty acids are unsaturated (such as those found in butter and cooking oil). But the fatty acids in Ecovet are saturated, meaning that they are stabilized and unable to denature. There are no adverse consequences of keeping it in warm ambient temperatures. Can it react with any other products that I put on my horse? As we finish this story, Ecovet isn’t known to react with any products. Theoretically, however, it could react with a substance that had a very high pH, such as bleach. That said, we shouldn’t be using products with high pH on our horses anyway, because they would irritate the skin. We believe it would be unlikely to react with any of our daily horse products. For the most part, we think it may become inactive if it did react with a basic compound but not likely harmful. That said, if you have any reason for concern, do a 24-hour spot test on your horse first, meaning, just spray a small specific area, such as your horse’s

hip, then wait 24 hours to see if there’s a reaction. The veterinarian from the Ecovet company said that it has helped horses that have sweet itch problems. Some horses, he said, had reached a point that unless they were covered 24/7 they were miserable. “Because of its mechanism of action,” he said, “the midges that cause the problem didn’t land on the horses so it didn’t start the inflammatory response. We have reports of horses growing manes and tails that haven’t had ones for years.” We did not have the opportunity to try the product on sweet itch, but we know that horse owners battling it will try anything to get their horses relief, so we wanted to share this with you.

Bottom Line

Some of our testers were so turned off by the smell they said they would not use it again, despite its effectiveness. When we spoke with the manufacturer, we learned that they were aware that some people didn’t like the classic scent – which is what we had – and that they are no longer making that scent. That’s good news because, in overall effectiveness at repelling flies, we found it surpassed other products we’ve used. When our testers learned there were different scents available, they all said they would purchase Ecovet. Ecovet literally repelled the bugs - they didn’t want to be around the horse wearing Ecovet. With traditional fly sprays, the flies often land on the horse then leave quickly, before biting. It’s a big complaint from a lot of horse people who don’t really understand how these products work and think that, because they see flies around their horses, the spray “isn’t working.” That isn’t the case. With most horse fly spray products, you don’t see the fly die. You see it briefly land, then fly off, quickly becoming disoriented and/ or killed. However, there are two cons to its use: 1. It is more expensive: Ecovet is $19.99 for an 18 oz bottle, or $1.11/ oz. (You can purchase a 4 oz. sam-

pler size for $6.50.) We compared that price to our top-choice fly products, which also remain Horse Journal recommended products: Absorbine UltraShield and Farnam’s Mosquito Halt, both of which average around 62¢/oz. in a quart-size sprayer; Pyranha Fly Spray and Espree Aloe Herbal (our only all-natural favorite), both of which retail around 47¢/oz. in a quart-size sprayer; and Farnam Original Wipe, which is about 78¢/ oz. at the 32 oz. size. 2. It is currently only sold – even via the Internet – in Oregon, Washington, Nebraska and Texas, due to the costs associated with each state’s individual regulations and fees for pesticide registration. The company does plan to continue to expand their territory nationally. Article by Grant Miller, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

Dressage and Jumping World Cup Competitions in Omaha We have to wait until 2017, but it’s right around the corner!

he FEI released the names of the host cities for major competitions over the next three years. The big news for the USA is that Omaha (yes! in Nebraska!) will host the joint Longines FEI World Cup competitions for jumping and dressage March 27 to April 2, 2017. Get those hotel reservations in! Read the full story here.

Veterinary Visits:

Knowing When to Make the Call Advice, charts and recommendations to help you make the right decision.

hen your horse turns up with a laceration or a runny nose, knowing whether or not to call the veterinarian isn’t always easy. Over-reacting can be costly, since most vets levee an emergency surcharge, yet dismissing a true emergency can cost you and your horse later. Nothing trumps experience in this matter, but for most of us, we rarely have emergencies with our horses. Thus, we are left trying to decide whether to make that call in an economy where every dollar counts. We’re going to help you to develop better decision making skills when it comes to calling your vet. We’ll also share some tips on ways to

manage problems yourself if it is determined that veterinary assistance is not needed.

When is Veterinary Assistance Needed?

Generally, if you would go to the hospital for the ailment that you’re observing in your horse, a vet call is warranted. For instance, if you cut yourself, you can pretty quickly determine whether or not you need to go to the emergency room. The same rule holds true for horses. If the severity of the ailment and the pain that your horse is in is more than you could endure, then calling the vet is the best solution. These “slam dunk” ailments in

Deciding when to call in the veterinarian is critical to your horse’s health.

Emergency vs. Non-Emergency PHYSICAL SIGN

NON-EMERGENCY

EMERGENCY

Temperature: Insert a lubed thermometer into the rectum and leave it there for 2 minutes.

98-101° F at rest

Above 101° F at rest

Pulse: Place your fingers under the curvature of the jaw and feel for a pulse, or place a stethoscope behind the LEFT elbow and listen for a heartbeat. A “lub-dub” sound counts as ONE beat.

32-44 beats per minute at rest

Above 48 beats per minute at rest

Respiration: Observe the horse breathing by watching the flare of its nostrils or by watching its flanks heave in and out.

20-32 breaths per minute at rest

Above 36 breaths per minute at rest

Gums: Lift up the upper lip and observe the gums above the upper incisor teeth.

Pink, moist

White, red, blue or dry

Gum Blanching: Press your finger firmly on the gums and then release it. Watch for the color return to the spot that you pressed.

Less than 2 seconds to return to normal color

Greater than 2 seconds to return to normal color

Attitude / Demeanor: Observe how the horse is acting.

Bright, alert, responsive

Quiet, stuporous, obtunded (unaware of surrounding, acting tired, eyes have distant look in them)

Movement (Mobility): Observe the horse standing and also walking.

Coordinated, smooth movements, no limping

Ataxic (uncoordinated), staggering, showing signs of lameness, reluctance to walk.

Pain Level: Watch for limping, look for signs of colic such as kicking at stomach, biting at flanks, pawing, sweating, trying to roll. Also look for signs of tying up such as muscle spasm, stiffness, or sweating. Horses in pain will often breathe heavily and fast and sometimes make grunting sounds.

Normal behavior

Expressing signs of pain.

Extreme Injury: Look for lacerations, eye injuries, bleeding, broken limbs.

Mild scrapes, slow bleeding or dried blood, runny eyes.

Full thickness lacerations, rapidly bleeding wounds (blood spurting), eyes extremely swollen or closed, broken bones.

horses that will almost always require veterinary assistance in a timely fashion: • Not eating o Colic o Temperature > 101F • Lacerations o Full thickness (all the way through the skin) o Anything below the knee or hock • Eye Injury • Neurologic / Down Horse • Birthing Difficulty • Extreme Lameness o “5 out of 5”- non-weight bearing o Broken bones o Laminitis

Tips for Determining if you need a Vet

Calling the vet doesn’t always mean that he or she will come out.

Sometimes, a phone consult is all that is needed to determine if a trip is warranted. Some veterinarians charge for phone time and some don’t. Undoubtedly, a 15-minute phone consult will cost you far less than a veterinary ranch call. When you call, be prepared to describe the problem calmly and succinctly. Veterinarians will often want to know the horse’s temperature, so having a working thermometer around is advised. Rely on technology when communicating with the vet. You can take fairly detailed photos on your mobile phone and email them or text them directly to your vet. Make sure that they are not blurry, are adequately lit, and are not an extreme close up. Pan out far enough to give the veterinarian a good idea of what you are seeing. Even short videos can be quickly transmitted these

days. Familiarize yourself with these capabilities on your phone and don’t be afraid to use them! Make sure that if the vet is paged, you pick up the phone when he or she returns your call for help. This means that you or someone needs to be near the phone to answer. If you’re using a mobile phone, you must be in a location with service. Be sure that if you are calling several different veterinarians that you answer the phone to let responding vets know whether they are needed or not. (This can be extremely important in order to get a response the next time you have an emergency.) Many horse problems are chronic. That means they “flare up” on a repetitive basis. If you feel confident in your knowledge of the issue and your horse doesn’t appear to be in any physical danger, you can

Chronic “Aches and Pains” Already Seen by Your Veterinarian Problem Waxing and waning low grade ringbone/ arthritis and caudal heel pain

Suggestions 1. Liniment : Absorbine Original, Sore No-More, Bigeloil, Vetrolin 2.Turn-out/ change in housing: Horses that can move ad libitum historically do much better. Therefore, if your horse is stiff standing in a stall, try to change the housing arrangement to provide a larger space, or increase daily turnout time. 3 Hand walk/ Eurociser/ hot walker: Even 20 minutes twice daily can make a difference in creaky joints. 4.Changes in shoeing: sometimes the length of the toe or angle of the foot can be altered to assist the horse in accommodating arthritis or navicular. 5. Equine Vibration plate 6.Addition of joint supplements can assist in reducing inflammation. See our recommendations here..

Sore backs

1.Back on Track Ceramic Blankets have been known to help sore backs by keeping the muscles warm through insulation. This, in turn, increases blood circulation which enables the muscles to flex and relax more easily. 2. Reactor Panel saddles are a revolutionary new type of saddle that has a flexible tree with four shock absorbers built in. They help to distribute weight and minimize traumatic concussive forces on the epaxial muscles, which in turn can ease back soreness. 3. Magnetic Pads/ Blankets can improve circulation and relax backs. Be prepared though, they can be costly! 4. Saddle fit evaluation/ adjustment or new saddle is commonly needed for back sore horses. Sometimes your horse’s body shape changes or you begin to ride differently- therefore requiring that the saddle be evaluated and adjusted. In other instances, a saddle is just a poor fit or doesn’t fit at all. 5. Massage/ body work works to relax sore backs just as it does in humans. Sometimes muscles and soft tissues “memorize” a tense position and it takes a thorough kneading to release the tension. 6. Stretching before exercise reduces the chance of muscle strain and subsequent seizure. By gently and passively stretching muscles, muscle fibers are able to elongate and contract without excessive force.

“Stocking up” of the legs

1. Stocking up refers to the swelling of the legs (usually hind limbs) due to poor lymphatic circulation and drainage when a horse stands still. Therefore, allowing turn out/ daily walking by hand / Eurociser or hot walker, or changing housing to keep the horse in a larger area will help. 2. Standing wraps are a classic way to keep legs from stocking up. They consist of a quilt and a stable bandage. 3. Game Ready. This pressurized wrap system utilizes cold water and air compression to shrink swollen legs. 4. Vibraplate therapy will reduce limb edema by increasing blood circulation and osmotic pressure in the legs.

probably institute therapy yourself, provided that you have all of the necessary supplies. Remember, though, if you’re at all unsure of what is going on with your horse or if you are inadequately equipped (with supplies/ medications) to deal

with the problem, you’re wise to make the call.

For all the Rest of It

So, what about all the times that you don’t necessarily need a veterinarian front and center? As stated,

many horse owners are more familiar with their horse’s repetitive ailments than the vets are. In other instances, the problem at hand just doesn’t warrant a vet call either because the vet has already seen the horse and prescribed a treatment,

Pesky Skin Problems That Have Been Diagnosed Previously Problem Rain rot

Suggestions 1. Medicated shampoos and sprays including EQyss Micro-Tek shampoo and Vetericyn Hydrogel spray may help. In a pinch, Betadine or Nolvasan (chlorhexidine) scrub will work, but be careful since prolonged use will dry out the skin. 2. Cleaning/ airing blankets/ brushes and halters: Rain rot is a fungal infection that can be perpetuated by contaminated objects that contact the skin. Soaking grooming equipment in buckets of dilute bleach or Nolvasan and laundering halters and blankets is recommended. 3. Air out your horse and groom daily! Take the blanket off to allow air to get to the skin. Grooming will physically remove fungal hyphae.

Scratches

1. A fungal/ bacterial infection of the pasterns and in more extreme cases, the cannon bones is best treated by changing the environment. Most horses that stand in muddy and wet footing are prone, or horses standing in soiled bedding. Lay down base rock to give the horse a way out of the wet, and clean stalls daily. 2. Gentle scrubbing with betadine scrub is very effective at killing the infection. 3. Vetericyn Hydrogel spray works wonders on scratches! 4. Clipping the hair (especially for horses with feathers - GASP!) will help a lot. Just getting air down to the skin can help dry out the moisture that facilitates scratches.

Low grade insect bite hypersensitivity

1. Use fly sheets/ fly masks- nothing takes the place of a physical barrier when it comes to protecting your horse from the “itchies.” 2. War Paint or SWAT ointment on ventral midline and around tail head help to repel insects in those “hard to reach” places for days at a time. They act as a physical barrier to the insects and have eucalyptus pyrethrins in them that repel the bugs. 3. EquiSpot Spot-On insect repellent seems to work well for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. 4. Of course, fly spray… and lots of it.

Hoof Issues That Are Being Handled Adequately by the Farrier Problem

Suggestions

Quarter cracks

1. Daily feeding of hoof supplements, which can improve hoof quality over time. 2. Topical hoof products which increase hoof moisture, such as Life Data’s “The Right Step.” See our article. 3. Creative trimming by your farrier. Farriers can “score” and or “float” quarter cracks. Scoring involves burning a horizontal line into the outer hoof wall at the proximal most aspect of the crack. Floating involves filing the rim of the hoof where the crack ends to take it out of contact with the ground. Both procedures can stop the crack by changing the force distribution on the hoof.

Thrush

1. Application of anti-thrush medication on a routine basis can stop thrush in its tracks. Several OTC thrush remedies are effective. 2. Physically removing thrush infected frog is one of the most potent methods of getting the problem under control. Sometimes diligent hoof picking is enough, but it may be necessary to have a farrier cut it out with a hoof knife. 3. Decrease mud/ standing water and soiled bedding in your horse’s environment as all of these factors predispose the hoof to infection. 4. Daily exercise can be helpful in combating thrush infections because the movement of the foot clears debris, facilitates air movement in the sulci (“cracks”) of the hoof, and improves circulation to tissues which aids in immune response.

Tender feet/ thin soles/ sole bruising

1. Shoes +/- pads, or boots can shield thin soles from jagged rocks and hard ground. 2. Applying a hoof hardener to the bottom of the hoof will decrease sensitivity. Venice turpentine, Keratex Hoof Gel or Sole Pack are top choices here. 3. As the farrier to allow some callous to form on the bottom of the hoof and go easy on the trimming. Allowing a bit more hoof to grow rather than aggressively paring sole out can make a big difference.

or the problem does not rise to the level of needing a vet. Our charts contain examples of times in which you may be able to manage problems on your own, and some suggested therapies to help.

Bottom Line

For each of the problems listed

above, you may be within your comfort level to make a management change or use an over-the-counter product to help the situation. Again, if you are unsure of how to proceed, especially when your vet has not previously seen the horse for the problem, it would be wise to call and at least talk about the issue to

determine the best course of action. Please refer to the online story for links to the products in this article. Article by Contributing Veterinary Editor Grant Miller, DVM.

Superficial Skin Wounds Problem

Suggestions

Bites from other pasture mates that do not break the skin

1. Separate or rearrange horses. 2. Muzzles work as a last resort. 3. Make sure that horses are fed far apart, have at least two water sources, and have ample room in a shared space. These provisions will cut down on competition and subsequent fighting.

Hock sores

1. Providing soft bedding such as shavings in a stall or a sand pile in a pasture/turnout can reduce hock sores by providing some padding between the hock and the hard ground. 2. Hock wraps are marketed specifically to provide protection to the joint. They usually have a Velcro strap design to facilitate easy application and removal.

Minor scrapes/ abrasions

1. Principles of wound care are universal: Keep the wound clean is the highest priority. Wounds can be cleaned with betadine and dressed with wound creams, such as triple antibiotic ointment.

California Chrome and Skechers? Yup, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be promoting shoes.

e stumbled across this video report about California Chrome and Skechers. Thought you might be amazed, too.

North Carolina Foal Born in Wild with Crooked Legs Report from CBS 12 News 6-2-2014

BS 12 News reports that a crippled foal and his dam were found by volunteers in North Carolina. Report includes work to correct his legs. Foal will be up for adoption after weaning. Cute Video. http:// www.cbs12.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_16399.shtml Article from Horse Journal Online - www. horse-journal.com - Copyright ÂŠ2014

Stall-Fan Safety The ordinary box fan isn’t your best choice.

ans tied to the front of horse stalls is a familiar site to all of us. Often bungeed into place, the fan is often a simple, inexpensive product from a local discount store. And few of us give it another thought. But that’s a mistake. Not all fans are intended for barn use, a dusty, dirty environment even in the most pristine barns. And a fan that isn’t designed for a barn setting can lead to fire.

OK, Then What Fan?

A fan suitable for continued use in a barn needs a sealed/enclosed motor, so it can’t suck dust up into it. Just look at the back of an ordinary fan, and you’ll likely see the glint of the copper wires in the motor. That tells you the motor isn’t sealed. If hay or another combustible material reaches the hot parts of the motor the fan may catch on fire or it may short out. It may produce enough heat to melt the plastic parts of the fan, which could drip onto hay or even result in some small flames . . . Unfortunately, the fan package won’t say it’s safe for a barn. And the customer-service representative you call at that 800 number may not know either. But, if you check the package or call the company, you may find what you need: a motor that is totally enclosed and/or sealed. Fans that are also outdoorrated or waterproof also qualify as “sealed.” We also like fans that have a thermal overload protector that will shut off the fan if the motor overheats. The protector re-sets when the fan cools and turns it on again. Another option to consider is a fan with a fused plug, which will disable the fan if there is an electrical short or overload.

Go Commercial

Because our horses’ fans tend to run continuously for months on end, durability is extremely important. Fans that are designated as “com12

mercial” tend to be more long-lived. A fan that has an airflow rating of approximately 2,000 cubic feet per minute (CF/M), on the high setting, is right on the money for most stalls. Much more than this is likely to cause too much dust rise and may even make the horse too cool. Aim the fan so that the horse can get out of the air flow if he wants to do so, and be sure the fan is mounted securely. The stall front is usually the best location because the fan can be mounted to blow horizontally. If you don’t have a grill/mesh stall front, you can use a post along the wall or in a corner of the stall to install the fan with a wall mount. You can also use a beam above the stall and mount a ceiling fan. It will need to be out of the horse’s reach. A height of 12 feet (higher for very tall horses) allows airflow while keeping the horse from messing with the fan. Place any fan (including ceiling fans) below the really hot layer of air that forms just under the roof. In many barns this hot layer will flow up and out through vents or a cupola and you don’t want to disrupt that flow or blow the hot air back down in the barn. If the fan is on the stall front, route the cord around the back of the fan, then up out of reach, and be just as careful about getting the cord back down to the plug. Self-closing cable ties can help. If you use choose to use zip plastic ties, select ones that are rated for electrical cords and don’t cinch them too tight. Avoid extension cords if you can, but if you need one get a heavy-duty cord intended for contractor or heavy-duty use.

BOTTOM LINE

Nothing can totally prevent barn fires, but you can lessen the odds with the right fan. A barn fan needs to have a sealed motor. We would consider springing for commercial quality, made for use in outdoors

A properly mounted stall fan is positioned so the horse cannot access the fan or the wiring. Cords are neatly tied together with an electric-safe cable.

and/or wet, dirty areas, and expect to get more than one year out of it. And, if you are pulling that fan out of storage for another year, be sure you look it over carefully – commercial quality or not. Clean it (unless you were very good and did that before you put it away), check the wiring and cords. Replace any that are stiff or cracked. Better yet, consider replacing the entire fan. Remember, only you can prevent barn fires (thank you, Smokey Bear, we couldn’t resist). These companies carry fans suited to a barn environment: www.airkinglimited.com www.bigassfans.com www.farmtek.com www.qcsupply.com www.schaeferfan.com Fan mounts made for horse stalls can be found at: www.doversaddlery.com www.horse.com www.smartpakequine.com www.sstack.com www.valleyvet.com

Nasal Strips: They definitely don’t harm Controversy regarding California Chrome running for the Triple Crown comes down to a 3-inch adhesive strip.

ll this talk about California Chrome running in the Belmont on Saturday, June 7, for a chance to be the 12th horse in history and the next since 1978 to win the coveted Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Cup, and Belmont Stakes) has centered on the use of nasal strips. The controversy has been whether or not the use of the nasal strip was performance enhancing. Do the strips give horses a competitive edge? Experts say no, and thus the State of New York Racing Commission cleared the use of the strip for the Belmont Stakes. However upon further investigation, research results are conflicting. In a 2001 study, conducted on nasal strips, it was shown that they had no effect on gas exchange, exercise-induced pulmonary hemor-

rhage, or lactate build-up due to anaerobic metabolism. But a more recent study conducted in 2004 suggests that horses wearing nasal strips had a reduction in bleeding in the lungs. The disposable 3-inch strip laid across the dorsum of the horse’s nose is said to expand the diameter of the nasal passages to allow more airflow with less restriction. Since

horses are obligate nasal breathers (meaning that they can only breathe through their nose and not through their mouth like us humans) an open nasal passage is extremely important. Sold under the brand name Flair, the equine nasal strip was invented by two veterinarians in the early 2000s. For the $10 that it costs for a nasal strip, if they can help your horse to breathe easier and more freely - why not try them? Even if they help the smallest amount, every little bit helps, especially in cases of speed. Bottom Line: They won’t harm your horse if you choose to be adventurous and give them a try. Whether you feel they truly make a difference for your horse is something we’d like to hear about. Grant Miller, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

Belmont, Preakness, Kentucky Derby Watch Them Again What did we do before YouTube??

n case you missed the races, here’s video! California Chrome: Purple silks, green jockey hat. Includes links to these videos online.

NBC’s Coverage of the Belmont Stakes Seriously? 18 hours of coverage?

f you’re ultra excited about the upcoming Belmont on Saturday, June 7, NBC nnounced astonishing coverage, which actually began with programming on Wednesday, June 4. Includes video footage. See the coverage here. Article from Horse Journal Online - www. horse-journal.com - Copyright ©2014

The Search For An Affordable, Trustable Joint Product If the product contains recommended levels of ingredients and costs under $2 a serving, it’s worth a try. An NASC seal is a bonus.

or as long as joint supplements have been used in the horse world—over 20 years now— their efficacy has been debated. On a Monday, you might read a study saying they help, and on Tuesday you’ll see one that calls them a waste of money. In barn aisles, you may hear that a horse can’t “absorb” the molecules through its digestive system (and that it’s been “proven”). Your vet may say only injectables work, because they’re the only ones with FDA proof. Your barn manager may discourage you, stating you can’t be sure your horse eats enough of the supplement to work. We’ve even heard some people don’t use these products because, they say, they’re called “supplements” because your horse doesn’t need them. Well, in the real world, horse owners notice such a positive difference in their horses on joint nutraceuticals that they skip the research articles, ignore the gossip and feed the products. Then they happily pick up the reins and gallop off into the sunset. So, if your horse has symptoms like the ones in our box below, you need to decide which product to purchase. It’s not easy. Some people

get so frustrated they close their eyes, point to a product on a catalog page and hope for the best.

We’ve Got The Best. In the past, we’ve discussed the injectable joint supplements (Legend, Adequan, Pentosan) that your vet might suggest. We broke them down in a cost/benefit analysis to help you choose the one best for your horse. Now we’re tackling oral joint supplements, which are used 7 to 1 over injectables, mainly because they’re easily available, simple to use and don’t involve an injection. As we make our way through the facts, you’ll learn to bypass the ad hype and look for value, spending your money wisely while your horse reaps the benefits. One Scoop or Two? Can anyone actually make sense out of a supplement label? Some products are measured in ounces, some in milligrams . . . others don’t even tell you how much of each ingredient they contain (advertisements are notorious for that!). The key to reading a label is to break things down into a simple per-serving basis. And, no, they don’t always do that for you. Also, the scoop that the manufacturer

Symptoms of Arthritis That May Respond To A Joint Supplement ■ Mild lameness or stiffness

■ Abnormal shape of a joint

■ Decreased range of motion in a■ Reluctance to perform, joint unwilling to hold a gait ■ Swelling/excess fluid in a joint ■ Agitated, unhappy behavior ■ Pain reaction to flexion tests 14

■ Difficult for the farrier

Your horse is an athlete and subject to wear and tear.

includes doesn’t always equal one serving. You may need two or you may need a half scoop. We’ve found three simple criteria —all of which should be somewhere on that label—needed to make an informed purchase: 1. The number of scoops that equal one serving, 2. The quantity of active ingredients in each serving, 3. The cost of one serving. Most scoops are marked to show their capacity (either in milligrams or ounces), but that may or may not equal one serving. You’ve got to read the label to make that determination because if the label says to feed 2 scoops per day, and you feed

only 1, you’re wasting your money. That’s because your horse needs to consume specific amounts of a joint supplement to receive maximum benefit. Of course, these findings are based (and debased) by research . . . lots of research. Once you figure out how many scoops constitutes one serving, the next task is to determine if each serving actually has enough joint product in it to make a difference. Herein lies the rub. In our Minimum Dosages chart, we’ve included our recommended daily doses for an average-size horse (1,100 lbs.). While there are literally thousands of research articles that may support or refute these recommendations, we feel that they’re sound. We’ve based this

on research and clinical evidence from the past decade. Note: When you begin adding other ingredients to a joint supplement, the required levels of some ingredients can vary, which we discuss in “Some Pricey Ingredients are Worth Your Money.” Now you can compare your joint supplement to our chart to figure out whether it’s making the grade. As an example, consider these ingredients, from an actual label: 1 oz. equals one daily serving. Each 1 oz. serving contains: Glucosamine - 5,000 mg Vitamin C - 5,000 mg Zinc - 200 mg Manganese - 250 mg Yucca - 100 mg The label clearly indicates that 1 scoop is 1 ounce, which equals 1

serving, which is good. When you break down the ingredients, it’s clear that one serving only provides half of our recommended amount of glucosamine, manganese and zinc. It contains enough vitamin C, but yucca is too low. If you’re going to pay for an ingredient, it needs to be at a level that will can make a difference. (To determine if it’s a quality product, consider a one bearing the NASC seal.)

Value For The Dollar. If you’ve looked around, you know that joint supplement prices vary tremendously from as little as 26¢ a day to over $5 a day, with most selling at about $2 per day. It may be tempting to purchase a large

Good Starter-Product Choices The products we selected here are what we call entry-level glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate choices, which we consider step 1 in your joint-product search because they’re less expensive. Cost per day and ingredient amounts are for the manufacturer-recommended maintenance dose. Because we found some products so well-priced, we included a “double-dose price” column. For the products with a price in this column, we quibble with the manufacturer-recommended levels and suggest feeding double the manufacturer’s recommended daily dose. This raises you to our recommended levels and still saves you money. Note: We did not include products that include hyaluronic acid (HA) or MSM, as we’ll discuss those in our next article. We also did not include combination products, such as those that include hoof-support ingredients. Product

NASC seal

Available Forms

Glucosamine mg

Chondroitin sulfate mg

Contains other jointsupporting ingredients

Approx. cost per container

Daily Serving size

Approx. cost/ day

Doubledose price

Chondroitin Sulfate HorseTech www.horsetech.com 800-831-3309

Yes

Powder

2000

6 oz./ $49.95

½ scoop

59¢

Cosequin Original Nutramax www.nutramaxlabs.com 888-886-6442

Powder

3600

1200

280 grams/ $60

6 grams

$1.28

Equine Glucosamine Sulfate Platinum Performance www.platinumperformance.com 800-553-2400

Yes

Powder

9160

1 lb./ $35

2 teaspoons

35¢

FluidFlex Farnam www.farnamhorse.com 800-234-2269

Yes

Liquid

2500

100

Yes

32 oz./ $35

1 oz.

$1.09

FLX Senior Prime Performance www.prime performancenutrition.com 888-457-4235

Yes

Powder

6000

250

Yes

4 lbs. / $44.45

½ oz.

69¢

Glanzen-GL HorseTech www.horsetech.com 800-831-3309

Yes

Powder

6000

Yes

12 lbs./ $56.95

6 oz.

$1.77

container to save money, and most of these ingredients have about a one-year shelf life. However, once you open the container, that shelf life is greatly limited. We recommend not purchasing more than 30 to 60 days of product at a time. Sometimes a product may appear to be a good value because it has a relatively low purchase price compared to other products. That’s why you need to know: 1) If it contains the required amount of an active ingredient needed to work, as discussed, and 2) How many servings are in the container (not just scoops). For example, Joint Product A comes in an eight-lb. container and costs $100. It says it contains 128 scoops, which might sound like enough for around four months. But wait. It only contains a 1 oz. scoop

and the label states one serving is 2 ozs. Now you know you have to use 2 scoops to achieve the concentration that the product lists in its ingredient list and the container will last about two months. You note that each 2-oz. serving contains 10,000 mg of glucosamine, 10,000 mg of MSM and 5,000 mg vitamin C, so the levels are good (remember our chart on page 3). There are 16 oz. in 1 lb., so at 8 lbs. in the container, that $100 is buying 128 ozs., which is actually 64 twooz. servings. Therefore, that $100 container costs $1.56 per serving. That’s a pretty good deal!

Bottom Line. Learning to evaluate these products on a per-serving basis is pretty easy, and we’ve done that for you for a number of popular simple joint products in our chart.

If you’ve never given your horse a joint product before—because you didn’t see signs of arthritis earlier or just learned that these supplements do even more to prevent inflammation and joint breakdown than they do to treat it once it’s started—you can begin with a basic glucosamine product, containing 10,000 mg per serving. Although glucosamine works a little more slowly than other ingredients, it remains an excellent economical option, which is why we recommend starting with it. Don’t skip the suggested loading dose (double the daily serving size) when starting a product, as it will just take longer for the ingredient to begin working (literally, the body needs to be “loaded” with the product before it begins to work and doubling the ingredients for

Product

NASC seal

Available Forms

Glucosamine mg

Chondroitin sulfate mg

Contains other jointsupporting ingredients

Approx. cost per container

Daily Serving size

Approx. cost/ day

Doubledose price

Glucosamine HCL Uckele Equine www.uckele.com 800-248-0330

Yes

Powder

9000

2.5 lbs./ $74.95

2 teaspoon

86¢

Grand Flex Grand Meadows www.grandmeadows.com 800-255-2962

Yes

powder

5000

Yes

1.875 lbs./ $44

1 oz.

$1.46

Joint Renew Peak Performance Nutrients www.peak performancenutrients.com 800-944-1984

Yes

Powder

5000

5 lbs./ $145.99

5 grams

32¢

64¢

Lubrun Uckele Equine www.uckele.com 800-248-0330

Yes

Powder

6000

2000

240 grams/ $37.95

4 grams (1 scoop)

61¢

MaxFlex Maximum Relief Glucosamine Pellets Farnam www.farnamhorse.com 800-234-2269

Yes

Pellets

7500

Yes

3.75 lbs./ $65

1 oz.

$1.08

SU-Per Glucosamine Gateway Products www.buygpdirect.com 888-472-2825

NASC member; no seal yet

Powder

5000

2.5 lbs./ $14.20

1 oz.

35¢

70¢

SU-Per Glucosamine C.S Gateway Products www.buygpdirect.com 888-472-2825

NASC member; no seal yet

Liquid

5000

Yes

32 oz./ $15.88

2 oz.

99¢

SU-Per Glucosamine Ultra Pure Powder Gateway Products www. buygpdirect.com 888-472-2825

NASC member; no seal yet

Powder

6320

2 lb./ $47.88

1 oz.

18¢

36¢

the first 10 to 14 days is the most efficient method of accomplishing that). You should see some improvement within 14 days, however. If not, consider changing products. If your horse shows some improvement on glucosamine, but you think you could get more, work your way up in ingredients, like hyaluronic acid and MSM. We’ll discuss those and more in detail next month. Remember, supplements such as glucosamine, yucca, and chondroitin represent the basic, most popular joint supplements that act as anti-inflammatories in the body. If you see no difference at all, consult your veterinarian. The problem may not be one that can be addressed with a joint supplement. In fact, if you’re not using the product as a straight preventative, we recommend getting a veterinary evaluation of the problem first. Joint ingredients aren’t “pain pills” per se. Rather, they act as anti-inflammatories, which in turn help limit pain. If your horse is

Minimum Dosages

Proper conditioning is another way to combat arthritis.

head-bobbing lame, however, a simple joint supplement likely won’t be enough to fix the problem. Article by Contributing Veterinary Editor Grant Miller, DVM.

Liquid, Pellet, Gel or Powder

Joint Supplement

Minimum Recommended Daily Dose*

Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)

4,500 mg

Avocado / Soybean Unsaponifiables (ASU)

2,100 mg

Boswellia serrate extract

10,000 mg

Buckwheat

3,000 mg

Cat’s Claw

2,000 mg

Cetyl Myristoleate (CetylM)

5,000 mg

Chondroitin sulfate (Bovine source)

1,400 mg; 3,000 mg preferred (500 to 1000 mg in combination)

Coenzyme Q-10

100 mg

Devil’s Claw

500 mg

Dimethyl Glycine (DMG)

1,500 mg

EGCG (Green Tea)

10,000 mg

Glucosamine Hydrochloride or Sulfate

10,000 mg (1250 to 2500 mg in combination)

Glutathione

9,000 mg

Grape Seed Oil

500 mg

Horsetail

30,000 mg

Hyaluronic Acid

250 mg (10 to 25 mg when used in combination)

Hydrolyzed Collagen

1000 mg to 1200 mg (collagen types vary)

Form

Pros

Cons

Comments

Gel

Convenient, ensures consumption.

Expensive, some horses make giving a paste/gel difficult.

We’d use these when absolutely needed, such as a horse who can’t eat grain or alfalfa (pellets).

Jiaogulan

4,000 mg

Linoleic Acid (Omega-6 Fatty Acid)

30 mg

Liquid

May be absorbed by some feeds, some clinical evidence they work more quickly.

Messy, more costly, can sink down to bottom of tub with whole grains.

We’d use liquids for horses who won’t eat powders and pellets aren’t available.

Linolenic Acid (Omega-3 Fatty Acid) (fish oil or flax oil preferred)

100 mg to 130 mg

Pellet

Alfalfa-based (palatable), mix in feeds well.

Expensive, manufactured through a heat process, which makes some people question efficacy.

Probably the simplest method of ensuring your horse consumes the product. Can even be fed as a treat. We’ve never noted efficacy problems.

Manganese

450 mg

Methysulfonylmethane (MSM)

10,000 mg to 30,000 mg

Microlactin

7,500 mg

Pine Bark

500 mg

Can sift down to the bottom of the feed tub, uneaten, as some horses hate the texture.

It helps to use a moist feed or moisten it, using water, corn oil, brown sugar, chopped apples or wet beet pulp. (See July 2011 “No Need To Resort to Sugar” for additional suggestions.)

Reservatrol

No clear recommendations

S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe)

7,200 mg

Silicon

30 mg

Willow Bark

No clear recommendations

Yucca

10,000 mg

Zinc

450 mg

α-Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

500 mg (conjugations of vitamin E vary)

Powder

Most common, least expensive, usually a flaxseed and/or rice bran base, which is palatable and adds omega fatty acids.

Quantity Measurements Conversion Table Ounce (oz.)

Cubic Centimeter (cc)

Milliliter (mL)

Gram (g)

Milligram (mg)

Tablespoon (Tbs.)

Pounds (16 oz. = 1 lb.) (lb.)

28.5

28,500

0.0625

57,000

0.125

* When a product contains multiple joint-specific ingredients, the minimum required amounts may decrease, as the ingredients work in synergy.

Mosquitoes Can be Deadly They may transmit nasty illnesses.

While bats cause panic in many people, they are wonderful bug eaters and rarely cause any other problems. You can set up “bat houses” to attract them as well. There are passive ways to repel mosquitoes from your barn area, too. Many plants serve to repel bugs including mosquitoes. My favorite plants for this are marigolds whose spicy scent is attractive. Rosemary, catnip and citronella grass also perform this duty. Your resident barn cat might really appreciate his own catnip bed. I have used essential oil mixes to help keep black flies and mosquitoes off my horses’ faces and ears. My favorite is BuzzGuard from Earthheart, which contains Neem seed oil and pure essential oils of citronella, fir, geranium, rosewood, basil and myrrh in water. I like the smell and it does truly seem to help especially with the black flies and mosquitoes. One farm near me burns citronella torches near the barn doors at night hoping to keep mosquitoes out. Obviously, you need to observe those due to fire risk. A face/fly mask will also help keep mosquitoes off at least part of your horse. Combined with a fly sheet you have additional protection but I do find that mosquitoes will bite right through the fly sheets. An ideal set up would be a stall with mosquito netting and screens to keep your horse in at night. That simply isn’t realistic for most of us. Those are my best mosquito fighting tips. I’d love to hear your success stories, too. Deb M. Eldredge, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

osquito season is upon us. Other bugs too, but today I want to deal with mosquitoes. Clearly these are insects we want to avoid. Mosquitoes are known for their part in spreading the deadly encephalitis viruses horses are susceptible to. “Chemical warfare” is certainly used to fight mosquitoes. Still, most of us prefer to keep our chemical weapons to a minimum and use natural bug beaters as much as we can. So A natural skeeter-eater. how can you keep your horses relatively mosquito free in a natural mosquitoes. These and BTI can be way? ordered through many farm and First, minimize mosquito habitat garden outlets. on your farm. We love using big Birds are big mosquito eaters. water tubs and troughs in the sumThat includes lovely hummingbirds mer so we don’t have to lug water – after all they need protein, too! buckets all day. Those tubs should – as well as your traditional bugbe dumped at least weekly if not eveating birds like barn swallows ery three days or so to destroy any and purple martins. If you provide insect larvae developing in them. suitable housing (and in the case Dump and scrub! of hummingbird additional flowers If you rely on ponds for water or feeders) these birds will take up for your horses, consider stocking residence and quickly start in on some native mosquito killers. These your mosquitoes. include a fish called Gambusia. Our barn swallows have already These are small – one- to three-inch had one hitching and are sitting on guppy- type fish – that thrive on a second set of eggs. Be prepared mosquito larvae. Koi and goldfish to deal with the possibility of bird do, too, but they aren’t native fish droppings in your barn aisle or and may not do as well. Or you even on your horse at times. I concould add tadpoles purchased from sider this a small price to pay for local bait shops. Frogs will eat the bug control. Swallows zipping mosquitoes. in and out of the barn can also deBTI is Bacillus thuringiensis sensitize a spooky horse to flapping, israelensis, a natural-occurring flying objects. bacteria that mosquito larvae will eat. The bacteria then produce a toxin that kills the mosquito larvae. This will not affect adult mosquitoes and is considered to be safe for birds and other animals who drink from the pond. You would “seed” your pond with this to get a culture growing. You can also stock your pond with damselfly and dragonfly larvae. wo Florida horses were injected with gasoline. Horses are not safe The larvae feed on mosquito larvae when unattended. Get a surveillance system for your barn. See the and adult dragonflies will eat adult news report here.

Horses Injected with Gasoline

One dies and one survives.

Can California Chrome Win The Triple Crown? I think that today’s racehorses aren’t as iron fit as horses of the past.

s a horseman and as a racing fan, I’d very much like the answer to be: Yes, California Chrome will win the Triple Crown. But if I were a bettor, and my main interest in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes was to make money, I’d bet on one or two of his rivals. Why? Because, even if California Chrome is the extraordinary racehorse he appears to be, the Belmont Stakes will be the biggest challenge of his life, so far, In 1919, Sir Barton became the first Triple Crown for a number of reasons. winner. The biggest reason is that he’s going to be facing a bunch of fresh tential stallion’s resume, especially horses, a bunch of good horses “Kentucky Derby winner.” whose trainers have pointed them But at the same time, “Triple specifically to the Belmont. None of Crown winner” has become less the four horses who finished closest meaningful, much less of a priority to him in the Kentucky Derby faced for owners and trainers. Affirmed, California Chrome again in his along with Secretariat and Seattle Preakness victory, instead girding Slew in 1973 and 1977, ran against their loins to block him from being many of the same horses in all the first horse to win the Triple three races. Those horses’ owners Crown since Affirmed did it in believed that running in those races 1978. was an important thing to do. But Ever since California Chrome not anymore. became the 13th horse since then Perhaps more importantly, I think to win the Triple Crown’s first two that today’s racehorses aren’t as legs, I’ve heard and read multiple iron fit as horses of the past. The theories on why no horse has done tendency today is to run horses it since then. I don’t think there is with far less frequency than 30, any single reason, but I do think 40, 50 or more years ago. Is this that one factor is the curious phebecause Thoroughbred breeding nomenon we’re seeing this year, has produced horses who are far of which the above paragraph in more fragile, or is it just a another symptomatic. symptom of the growing cultural That is that, since 1978, the three cautiousness regarding so much of Triple Crown races have grown our lives? steadily in public popularity and I can’t say for sure, obviously, but in prestige among trainers and here are some numbers: Before Secowners. In the last 36 years, the retariat won the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Derby, especially, has he’d raced 12 times, winning 10 of become a giant spectacle, the one them. Seattle Slew had won a comrace that millions of people who paratively few seven of seven starts, don’t otherwise follow horse racing but Affirmed had won 11 of 13. notice each year. And for owners Back in 1948, when Citation won and trainers, winning any of the the last Triple Crown before SecreTriple Crown classics has become tariat, he’d raced 14 times before he a highly sought-after line on a postepped into the gate at Churchill

downs. Citation, who was said to have bottomless stamina, had raced 29 times by the end of his 3-year-old year, winning 27 of them. He would race through age 6, winning 32 of 45 starts. For California Chrome, the Belmont will be his sixth start of the year and 12th in his lifetime—about the same as the three previous winners. Will that mean he’s a little bit fitter, a little bit tougher, than his freshly prepared rivals? Will that give him the edge over them, or will he be too tired from his exertions? As they say, that’s why we run the race, instead of just postulating about it. Fitness and freshness is the very narrow line you walk in training a horse for any sport, but especially for the speed and endurance sports of racing, endurance riding, eventing and combined driving. You have to push the horse hard enough, put enough stress on his systems, to develop and advance his fitness. But you also have to be able to see when to back off, when the horse would benefit more from a little bit of rest than from another hard workout or a competition. It’s a sense that you have to develop from experience, because every horse is different and because even the same horse is different from year to year. Sometimes we guess right, and sometimes we’re horribly wrong. I’m hoping that Art Sherman has guessed right in his preparation of California Chrome for this potentially historic moment. He, and the horse’s “regular guy” owners, deserves it. John Strassburger, Performance Editor

Joint Products: Some Pricey Ingredients Are Worth Your Money MSM and HA remain the big-gun superstars in joint products.

arthritis, meaning you need to get a real veterinary diagnosis;

e’ve discussed basic oral joint supplements, those with glucosamine and/or chondroitin in them, which are your “starter” level products. We discussed specific minimal levels of ingredients needed to reach an effective dose, and we consider this so important that we’re repeating it here (Minimum Dosages). Glucosamine and chondroitin are excellent first-level joint nutraceuticals, and they’re where everyone should start their horses, whether for therapeutic or preventative reasons (yes, you should begin using them before your horse actually shows signs of arthritis). However, we frequently hear complaints from horse owners who claim these products “don’t work.” They do work, but there are valid reasons why they might not be working for your individual horse: 1. The horse’s problem isn’t just

2. The levels of ingredients in the product you purchased aren’t up to therapeutic levels, meaning there’s not enough of the ingredients in them to work (a waste of money); 3. The horse needs more “powerful” (and yes, pricier) ingredients. And it’s those that we’re going to take on in this article.

MORE BANG FOR MORE BUCKS.

Your older horse may appreciate the relief from arthritic joint pain that nutraceuticals can provide.

Good Sources of Hylauronic Acid (HA) Brand

Serving size

Average Price

Cost per serving

Conquer (powder, liquid or gel; we prefer the gel) www.kinetictech.net, 877-786-9882

10 ml (1/6th of the tube) = 100 mg

$15.50/1 tube

$2.58

HylaMax paste www.primeperformancenutrition.com 888-457-4235

10 ml (1/6th of the tube) = 125 mg

$16/1 tube

$2.66

HylaMotion gel www.vitaflex.com, 800-848-2359

30 ml (1/4th of the tube) = 100 mg

$10/1 tube

$2.50

HylaRx liquid www.selectthebest.com, 800-6480950

2 oz. =250 mg

$60/128 oz.

94¢

LubriSyn liquid www.lubrisyn.com 800-901-8498

½ oz. = 75 mg

$122/32 oz.

$1.90

Su-Per Hyaluronic(powder, liquid or gel; we prefer the gel) www.su-perstore.com 888-472-2825

10 cc (1/7th of the tube) = 100 mg

$14.37/tube

$2.05

Sometimes horses with advanced joint issues or high athletic demands need more help than glucosamine and/or chondroitin can give. That’s when you need the “doublebarrel shotguns” of the supplement world: hyaluronic acid (HA) and MSM (methysufonylmethane). Of course, there are a host of other ingredients out there. Some are worth your money, but many aren’t. The veterinarian-injected products—Adequan and Legend—work reliably well. However, there’s a big difference between injecting a supplement and feeding it, and it’s not just the shot. When you inject a supplement, it gets directly into the bloodstream and body and bypasses the digestive tract. As a result, injectables have high availability and potency because 100% of the supplement gets into the central compartment of the body. When a horse eats a supplement, the ingredient travels to the stomach where it’s partially digested. Stomach acid is strong enough to burn through wood, so you can imagine what it may do to degrade a joint supplement floating around in it. Consequently, right off the bat, whatever joint supplement you feed may be greatly diminished in concentration when passing

through the stomach. Fortunately, some supplement does survive the stomach acid. That remaining supplement then enters the small intestine, where it may be absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal wall. In order for a molecule to be absorbed through the intestine wall in its whole intact state, it must be quite small. This helps to explain why glucosamine works so well in horses, because it is a very small molecule. For larger molecules, the body usually breaks them down into smaller components before they’re absorbed. In some cases, they’re not absorbed at all, passing on through to the manure pile. For those that are broken down and absorbed, there’s little research to prove that the pieces (or substrates) have the same anti-inflammatory effect in the joints that the parent compound does. Such is the case with oral hyaluronic acid, a large molecule that can’t be absorbed into the bloodstream whole. It’s also quite expensive. Is it worth feeding hyaluronic acid to horses? Yes.

RESEARCH OR REALITY?

There’s research that supports the use of joint supplements and research that disputes it. What matters to us are the results that we see when we use them. Anecdotal

evidence can have a strong impact on choosing to use a product that isn’t “proven” to work. Such is the case with oral hyaluronic acid. Since, in most cases, HA is given in conjunction with glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, or other products, one might wonder how much it’s contributing to the anti-inflammatory effect. By-and-large, owners report improvements in their horses when HA is included, so many choose to not split hairs. Our advice is: If you can afford it, and it works, use it—because it seems that some products work in certain horses better than in others.

MSM.

Another strong addition to basic glucosamine and chondroitin is methylsufonylmethane, aka MSM. This sulfur-based molecule is in the same family as DMSO and garlic, although it doesn’t bear the harsh smell. It’s known for binding free-radicals (harmful chemicals released from inflamed tissue) and having an anti-inflammatory effect in the body. At high concentrations, MSM has even been shown to be a pain-killer because it can numb nerve endings to lessen the body’s sensation of pain. MSM is absorbed quite well, but it needs to be fed to horses in high concentrations in order to achieve the effects noted. Some companies have caught on

Good Sources of Pure Powdered MSM Brand

Serving

Average Price

Per serving

Animed MSM-Pure www.animedproducts.com, 859-737-3441

1 tablespoon = 28,265 mg

2.5 lbs./ $16.99

21¢

Kinetic MSM Crystals www.kinetictech.net, 877-786-9882

3 scoops = 12,000 mg

2 lbs./$16.75

MSM by SmartPak www.smartpakequine.com, 888-773-2716

1 scoop = 10,000 mg

Peak Performance Premium MSM www.peakperformancenutrients.com, 800-944-1984

1 scoop = 10,000 mg

1.3 lbs./$18.95 2 lbs./$16.99

Minimum Dosages Joint Supplement

Minimum Recommended Daily Dose*

Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)

4,500 mg

Avocado / Soybean Unsaponifiables (ASU)

2,100 mg

Boswellia serrate extract

10,000 mg

Buckwheat

3,000 mg

Cat’s Claw

2,000 mg

Cetyl Myristoleate (CetylM)

5,000 mg

Chondroitin sulfate (Bovine source)

1,400 mg; 3,000 mg preferred (500 to 1000 mg in combination)

Coenzyme Q-10

100 mg

Devil’s Claw

500 mg

Dimethyl Glycine (DMG)

1,500 mg

EGCG (Green Tea)

10,000 mg

Glucosamine Hydrochloride or Sulfate

10,000 mg (1,250 to 2,500 mg in combination)

Glutathione

9,000 mg

Grape Seed Oil

500 mg

Horsetail

30,000 mg

Hyaluronic Acid

250 mg (10 to 25 mg when used in combination)

Hydrolyzed Collagen

1,000 mg to 1,200 mg (collagen types vary)

Jiaogulan

4,000 mg

Linoleic Acid (Omega-6 Fatty Acid)

30 mg

Linolenic Acid (Omega-3 Fatty Acid) (fish oil or flax oil preferred)

100 mg to 130 mg

Manganese

450 mg

Methysulfonylmethane (MSM)

10,000 mg to 30,000 mg

Microlactin

7,500 mg

Pine Bark

500 mg

Reservatrol

No clear recommendations

S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe)

7,200 mg

Silicon

30 mg

Willow Bark

No clear recommendations

Yucca

10,000 mg

Zinc

450 mg

α-Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

500 mg (conjugations of vitamin E vary)

22¢ 34¢ 19¢

Select The Best MSM www.selectthebest.com, 800-648-0950

1 scoop = 10,000 mg

1 lb./$6.95

15¢

Sure Nutrition MSM www.farnamhorse.com, 800-234-2269

1 scoop = 9,430 mg

4 lbs./$24

13¢

VitaFlex MSM www.vitaflex.com, 800-848-2359

1 scoop = 9,340 mg

1 lb./$9.95

22¢

* When a product contains multiple joint-specific ingredients, the minimum required amounts may decrease, as the ingredients work in synergy.

Nutraceutical FAQs How long must I wait before I decide if a joint supplement is working? If you give a double dose of a joint supplement for the first two weeks, then you should notice results by the end of that time. This “loading dose” is the quickest and most cost-effective method. If you feed the maintenance dose, it will take 60 to 90 days. If you don’t see improvement, you need to either review the label and adjust the dose/product to meet our minimum-level recommendations (p. 7) or consult your veterinarian to make sure that nothing else is wrong with your horse. Are joint products a waste of money for a nine-year-old sound horse? We understand your concern, especially during these challenging economic times, but here are a few things to think about: Joint supplements do far more to prevent arthritis (joint inflammation) than they do to treat it once it starts. A degenerative condition, arthritis worsens over time. If we can prevent it as long as possible, we make our horses comfortable and sound later into their lives. Therefore, the use of joint supplements at an early age is justifiable. In a perfect world, horses would receive joint supplements beginning in the first few years of life, or at least when they begin their training (2 to 5 years old in most cases). However, many people wait until the horse is over 10 years old to begin. While they still help, it’s likely that by that age, horse owners are already behind the 8-ball in the fight. So, you’ll get the most bang for your buck if you start young with a basic product now.

Double-Barrel Shotgun Joint Products

to the research regarding MSM and are marketing it in effective higher concentrations. But many still don’t. These manufacturers sell their products at a cheaper price, but their relatively low levels of MSM are likely why many horse owners report that they don’t see an improvement in their horses when they use them. Frankly, we find the results we see in field trials and clinical settings with MSM are far more powerful than any research regarding its poor efficacy. The fact is, many research projects show promising clinical results, but they’re discredited because reviewers don’t like the project design, the number of test subjects, or the outcome of statistical analysis. Yes, of course, there’s value in statistical analysis. But statistics can’t explain the undeniable positive results that owners who give MSM to their horses (at the optimum dose) report. We’ve heard claims that the placebo effect is in play, but horses can’t experience a placebo effect

These provide our recommended therapeutic levels for glucosamine and/or chondroitin, and include HA and/or MSM. Product

Form

Glucosamine mg

Chondroitin Sulfate mg

HA mg

MSM mg

Average Cost

Cost / Day

Cosequin ASU www.nutramaxlabs.com, 888-886-6442

Powder

7,200

1,200

5,000

$150/2.3 lbs.

$1.96

Hyla Sport www.horsetech.com, 800-831-3309

Powder

10,000

2,000

100

10,000

$71.95/ 4 lbs.

$2.25

MVP Cetyl-Flex HA www.MedVetPharm.com, 800-366-8986

Pellet

10,000

1,200

100

10,000

$192/8 lbs.

$2.90

MVP Exceed 6-way www.MedVetPharm.com, 800-366-8986

Pellet

12,000

500

125

10,000

$87.36/6 lbs.

$2.73

MVP Med Vet 5 HA www.MedVetPharm.com, 800-366-8986

Pellet

10,000

2,500

125

10,000

$82/5 lbs.

$2.04

Recovery EQ Extra Strength www.recoveryeq.com, 866-334-2463

Powder

10,000

100

10,000

$95.95/2.2 lbs.

$2.53/ day

ReitSport HA www.horsetech.com, 800-831-3309

Powder

10,000

2,000

100

10,000

$109.95/12 lbs.

$3.41

Smart III Reslience www.smartpakequine.com, 888-773-2716

Powder, pellet

10,000

1,000

100

10,000

$60.95/ 4 lbs. .

$2.09

Smart IV Ultimate Pellets www.smartpakequine.com, 888-773-2716

Pellet

10,000

1,000

150

10,000

$57.95/2 lbs.

$2.89

Smart Pak’s Cosequin SP www.smartpakequine.com, 888-773-2716

Powder

7,200

1,200

10,000

$49.95/30 days

$1.78

TriLube Xtra www.uckele.com, 800-248-0330

Powder

5,000

2,000

10,000

$77.95/2 lbs.

$1.73

since they don’t know what they’re being fed in the first place.

HOLD THE KITCHEN SINK.

If you’ve seen ads and read labels, you know that lesser-known ingredients like avocado, cetyl myristoleate, and branched-chain amino acids are on the market. Both scientific research and use among

horse owners suggest that products like these can have a positive effect when combating inflammation in horses. Some companies market combination products that literally include dozens of real and alleged joint ingredients. Although no one’s readily admitting it, we suspect some people use expensive multi-ingredient prod-

Good Mid-Level Joint Product Choices

ucts only because they can’t figure out which supplement is the best. What the heck! I’ll feed them all. If you can afford it, and your horse doesn’t have any health problems that can be associated with the ingredients, you’re not going to hurt anything except your wallet. However, we suggest that you ponder these points, as they might save you a few bucks:

These products meet/exceed our minimal levels for combination products. Product

Forms

Glucosamine mg

Chondroitin Sulfate mg

HA mg

MSM mg

Average Cost

Cost /day

5,000

$53.95/5 lbs.

$1.80

Absorbine Flex+Max www.absorbine.com, 800-628-9653

Pellet

10,000

1,200

150

Chondrogen EQ www.kinetictech.net, 877-986-9882

Powder

5,000

500

$67.15/50 servings

$1.34

Corta-Flx HA www.cortaflex.com, 866-378-8383

Paste, pellet, powder

undisclosed

100

$50/32 oz.

$1.56

Duflex EQ www.durvet.com, 800-821-5570

Liquid

6,000

250

3,050

$30/32 oz.

83¢

Farrier’s Magic Flex N Action www.farriersmagic.com, 800-544-3635

Pellet

5,000

4,000

2,000

$35/2.5 lbs.

82¢

Farrier’s Magic Flex N Motion www.farriersmagic.com, 800-544-3635

Pellet

5,000

4,000

$39/2.5 lbs.

97¢

FourFlex www.shermarenterprises.com, 800-799-2990

Powder

7,500

1,000

100

$80/3.75 lbs.

$1.33

Foxden Flex HA www.foxdenequine.com, 540-337-5450

Powder

7,200

2,300

200

$90/727.8 mg

$1.33

Grand HA www.grandmeadows.com, 800-255-2962

Powder

350

300

$80/3.75 lbs.

$1.34

Grand HA Synergy www.grandmeadows.com, 800-255-2962

Powder

5,000

250

200

10,000

$81/5 lbs.

HylaRx Complete www.selectthebest.com, 800-648-0950

Powder

7,500

500

100

5,000

$48/5 lbs.

$1.60

MaxFlex XR www.farnamhorse.com, 800-234-2269

Powder

5,000

100

$30/9375 mg

MVP Med Vet Senior Flex HA www.medvetpharm.com, 800-366-8986

Pellet

5,000

500

5,000

$90/5 lbs.

$1.12

Nimble Supreme www.adeptusnutrition.com, 866- 233-7887

Powder

7,500

200

100

$100.99/ 3.75 lbs.

$1.68

Nupro MultiFlex www.multivetusa.com, 800-356-8776

Powder

7,500

6,000

100

5,000

$57/4 lbs.

95¢

OmniCetyl HA www.peakperformancenutrients.com, 800-944-1984

Powder

10,000

500

100

10,000

$92.99/1.85 lbs.

$1.66

Platform Joint www.farnamhorse.com, 800-234-2269

Powder

5,000

250

500

$37/2.8 lbs.

82¢

Platinum Performance CJ www.platinumperformance.com, 800-553-2400

Powder

9,350

100

8,500

$138/10 lbs.

$2.38

7,500

Some joint supplements can have deleterious side effects in horses. For instance, Boswellia, horse tail extract, cat’s claw, devil’s claw and willow bark can all potentiate or exacerbate gastric ulcers, especially when given in combination with traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as phynelbutazone (bute), flunixin meglumine (Banamine) or firocoxib (Equioxx, Previcox). Some of these joint supplements have also been experimentally linked to coagulopathies (inability for blood to clot) and therefore should be used with caution in certain horses. When giving combination joint products, you must pay particular attention to the amount of each ingredient. Some products only contain “cameo” amounts of certain ingredients. It’s enough to jack up the price, but not enough to actually help your horse. But there’s a bit of a monkey wrench in the formula: Some research and anecdotal/clinical data shows that you can feed less of a certain ingredient if it’s given in combination with another. For instance, it’s recommended that horses receive 10,000 mg of glucosamine per day to achieve a useful anti-inflammatory effect. However, if fed in conjunction with chondroitin, some research shows that you can feed only ¼ of that (2,500 mg) to achieve an anti-inflammatory effect. True to form, horse owners report that feeding combination products with glucosamine and chondroitin in them do help their horses feel better. The problem is that we don’t have research to show how each and every one of the ingredients found in joint supplements acts in conjunction with one another. So, does coenzyme Q-10 work if given with grapeseed oil (Reservatrol)? We just don’t know. For that reason, the closer you can come to providing the recommended levels of products given individually, the better off your horse will be. If you use a multi-ingredient 24

product, take a moment to compare its label to our recommendations. If it contains at or near the amount of supplement ingredients that we recommend, then it’s probably a keeper. If the majority of the ingredients are falling short of recommendations, shop around. Sometimes these combination products contain ingredients that have no documented therapeutic effect in joints. For instance, milk thistle, slippery elm, and marshmallow have no documented anti-inflammatory effect in joints. Because the nutraceutical industry isn’t well regulated, some companies get away with putting “fillers” into products that aren’t actually doing anything to help your horse. For instance, dextrose is a filler. It’s also a sugar, so horses are more likely to eat a product that contains it, which may be the manufacturer’s logic here. The point is, just because something’s on a label or in an ad doesn’t mean it actually does anything. Do your research before blindly purchasing a product with unfamiliar ingredients. We focused on glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, MSM and HA in our charts because we’re discussing joint-supporting ingredients. Some products contain other important ingredients, such as devil’s claw, a strong anti-inflammatory or biotin for hoof growth, which may benefit you. Cosequin may appear out of place in the “double-barrel” chart, but it works. It’s there because we believe

it’s arguably the longest-running, most highly respected product.

BOTTOM LINE.

Here’s the formula: First, be sure it’s arthritis. If your horse is sore, you need to be certain why. Delaying proper care trying a joint nutraceutical is unfair to your horse and may make things worse and more difficult. We think glucosamine is a musthave ingredient (we’ll discuss its effects on insulin-resistant horses in an upcoming issue). You can choose a glucosamine from our January article, then add MSM and/or HA by using the products on our charts. This may be a more economical route, but it’s not as easy as choosing a commercial product that includes all three. As consumers, we believe the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) product seal is a plus. We’ve included that seal in our chart. If your horse hasn’t been on a joint product before, start with our entrylevel choices. If they don’t work well, move to the mid-level choices—or find a product with similar ingredient levels. Save the doublebarrel shotgun recommendations for horses with extreme demands. Finding a joint supplement that suits your budget, that your horse will eat, and that has a noticeable effect can be hard to do. If you have a product that meets those criteria, and it works, keep using it. Article by Grant Miller, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

RIP Sapphire Jumper champion died due to colic.

e were so sad to learn that the great jumper mare Sapphire died due to complications of colic. She and McLain Ward were an incredible team.

Lameness Locator Gone are the days when the vet just watches your horse trot and then tells you what is wrong!

echnology has crept into our lives like vines overtaking a picket fence. We interact with it in all aspects of life- from washing our hands in the bathroom (with this finicky faucets and soap dispensers) to connecting us to the world through our smart phones. The horse world has not been forgotten in this age of technology either! In the past decade we have seen advents such as digital high-resolution radiography, Ultrasound, MRI and CT Scan assist vets in diagnosing lameness. We also have uncovered widespread ailments like gastric ulcers through improvements in endoscopy. Now, even the most rudimentary part of the equine lameness exam can be assisted by technology! That’s right,

the Lameness Locator by Vetel Diagnostics can assist the veterinarian in finding lameness when the horse walks and trots. The Lameness Locator is a system that enables a veterinarian to objectively identify lameness in horses. The system provides an analysis that indicates whether the horse is

lame, an amplitude of the severity of the lameness, the limb or limbs involved, and the part of the motion cycle at which peak pain is occurring (impact, mid-stance, or push off). It achieves this through the attachment of small, wireless, body-mounted inertial sensors to the horse’s body that transmit data at a rate of 200 times per second to a hand-held tablet PC. In the end, the veterinarian can look at a graph which points to the lame leg! These types of diagnostic instruments cannot replace a lameness exam and should only be used by a veterinarian since results simply “point to the lame leg” but do not diagnose which structure or structures in the leg are the source of the lameness. This technology can be particularly useful in subtle cases of lameness, or in which lameness is present in multiple limbs. If you’re vet has used the lameness locator on your horse, I would love to hear about your experience with it. Grant Miller, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

AVMA Serious About Compounded Drugs Recent equine deaths part of the spur to get moving on this. ing a pharmacy - especially when the drug will be compounded - and to check for pharmacy accreditation. Be honest with your veterinarian about where you plan to get a prescription filled, as he or she may have additional information for you about the company.

onsumers Beware: The American Veterinary Medical Association announced on June 4 that it has renewed its determination to get the problems surrounding many compounding pharmacies under control. This is due to the frequent reports of animal illness or death after consuming drugs made at some of these businesses. The AVMA’s newly revised Task Force will look into questions about compounding pharmacies and make recommendations for legislative action to solve the difficulties and protect our animals and consumers. The recent deaths of the horses in May of horses who consumed EPM drugs from a compounding phar-

macies has been cited as one of the main reasons for stepping up their efforts.You can read the entire news bulletin here. Many horse people use compounding pharmacies, especially when their horses are on long-term pricey medications. And we do understand. However, over the years, we have repeatedly warned consumers to use caution when select-

Managing Tendons:

 Repair or proliferation (regeneration of collagen tissue), and  Remodeling (which can be further divided into consolidation and maturation). The inflammation and repair stages usually last a couple of months. However, depending upon owner compliance and the horse’s disposition, it can take much longer or eeing your horse’s head not happen at all. bob can make your head Remodeling begins with throb! High fever, a consolidation, ideally lasting a swollen eye, you name it—our couple of months. During this horses really keep us on the time, the newly formed tissue edge of our seats. But one becomes stronger and the injury that gives us serious fibrils become aligned in the indigestion is the dreaded “soft direction of mechanical stress. tissue” injury. Soft-tissue inIn the final maturation stage, juries usually involve muscles, the tendon fibrils gain more ligaments or tendons. In this strength by creating cross article, we’re going to focus links between each other. on tendons, following up next Tendon healing isn’t a carmonth with ligaments. riage ride through the park. The bad news about tendon It’s more like a day on the New This ultrasound shows the location of a tear in the superfiinjuries is that they take a long York stock exchange. It can cial digital flexor tendon. time to heal and the road to rego in the right direction for covery can be rough. The good months and then plummet in a news is that they can and do heal in common tendon injury is a tear. matter of minutes. most cases. Also known as “tendinitis” or a In many cases, horses get stuck in “bowed tendon,” tearing occurs a phase of tendon healing and don’t How tendons work. A tendon when load bearing forces stretch progress out of it, usually because attaches muscle to bone. Elastic by a tendon beyond its physiologic they move around too much or nature, tendons are instrumental in range. Imagine a braided rope that the therapy itself isn’t aggressive movement and part of the lever sysis made up of hundreds of little enough. In the worst cases, horses tem responsible for making joints fibers. If you use that rope to hang can be almost healed, and then bend (flex) and straighten (extend). a grand piano off of a roof, you may something happens that sets them The most common tendons are see some of the rope fibers begin to back, such as they get loose and the deep digital flexor tendon and snap. A similar phenomenon ochave a field day. Incidents like the superficial digital flexor tencurs when a horse over exerts itself these send an injured tendon back don. They run between the carpus and tears its tendon. to square one. (“knee”) and fetlock down the back of the front legs, and between the Tendon Healing. The three First Response. If you’re riding hock and fetlock on the hind legs. main stages of tendon healing are when it happens, you’ll feel your  Inflammation (heat, pain horse pull up instantly lame. You’ll Tendon Injuries. The most upon touch, swelling, lameness), hop off, hoping that he has a rock

It Doesn’t Have To Be A Stretch Your horse will need time to heal, but some high-tech therapies can speed up the process.

Tendon Injury Healing And Prognosis Tendon

Frequency of Injury

Ease of Healing

Average Healing Time

Return to Work

Lameness

FRONT

HIND

FRONT

HIND

FRONT

HIND

FRONT

HIND

FRONT

HIND

Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon

Common

Rare

Easy

6 months

Likely

First few days only

Deep Digital Flexor Tendon

Common

Less common

Difficult

9 months

9-12 months

Likely

Unlikely

Yes

Deep Digital Flexor TendonInsertion Tears

Rare

Very difficult

12 months, if at all

Unlikely

Extreme

stuck in his shoe, but end up leading your limping horse back to the barn. It’s clear which leg hurts, and after a bit of time passes, the tendon area will swell. Being able to identify a tendon injury early is monumental to your success in healing it, because what you do in the first 72 hours following the injury can set the tone for the entire course of the healing process. If you take nothing else away from this article, please remember this: Rest, Wrapping, Ice and Anti-Inflammatory Medications are absolute MUSTS during the inflammatory (early onset) stage of a tendon injury. If your vet can’t get to your horse the same day of the injury, be sure to talk with him or her about starting these first-response therapies. Rest (aka “locking your horse in a stall”) is critical to prevent further damage to the tendon. A horse must be prevented from exerting

Rub-On Support Systemic anti-inflammatories (such as bute) can have harmful side effects on the gastrointestinal tracts of some horses. One way to provide potent anti-inflammatory therapy to an injured tendon without the side effects is to use Surpass paste. Rubbing this paste on an injured tendon 1 to 2 times per day can deliver high levels of anti-inflammatory medication through the skin, specifically at the site of application. (You’ll need a prescription from your veterinarian for Surpass.)

Supplements for Tendon Injuries Well, we wouldn’t be Horse Journal if we didn’t emphasize the need for optimal nutrition! The added support of these recommended supplements help give your horse the “tools” his body needs to heal. Check what your horse’s supplements contain to see if they cover these levels. If not, consider adding these: Vitamin C - 3000 mg/day; Vitamin E – 800 IU/day; Selenium - 1 mg/day; Polysulfated glycosaminoglycans (Adequan), which your vet must provide.

Recommended High-Tech Treatment Options Treatment

Description

Cost

Pros

Cons

Regenerative cell therapy

Stem cells have the ability to transform into whatever cell type is near them. Stem cells are either harvested from fat near the horse’s tail head, or from bone marrow (taken out of the hip or the sternum).

$2,000 and $3,000. Some insurances cover this.

Stem cells accelerate healing by helping to clean up the damaged area of tendon and often by growing into new tendon fibers.

Harvesting the cells is invasive and can carry risks.

Platelet-rich plasma or thrombin injections

Both of these regenerative therapies involve drawing blood from your horse, which is then incubated in a special culture medium to amplify the number of platelets or thrombin in the sample. The platelets or thrombin are then separated out to later be injected into the damaged area of tendon.

$1,000 to $1,500. Some insurance companies cover this.

Less invasive than stemcell harvesting. Usually performed early on in a tendon injury and have awesome effects on speeding up the healing process.

Blood draw risks.

Extracorporeal (“Acoustic”) shockwave therapy

A special ultrasound machine sends high-energy pulses of sound into the damaged tendon. The impact of the sound causes increased blood flow in the tendon. After about 500 or so shocks, the nerve endings in the area also go numb for several days, which can make your horse a bit more comfortable over the long term.

Thousands of dollars. Some insurance companies cover this.

Acoustic shockwave can speed up tendon healing and also enhance the effect of stem cells.

Must be performed by your veterinarian and requires at least three treatments over the course of weeks. The first 500 or so shocks are rather uncomfortable, so your horse must be sedated for it to be performed safely.

Interleukin Receptor Antagonist Protein

“IRAP” is gaining popularity as the “natural cortisone.” IRAP is a protein that exists in the bloodstream. When IRAP is processed, blood is drawn and incubated within a special medium. The incubation process causes the IRAP to multiply. It is then separated out and injected into the damaged tissue.It should be injected into the damaged tissue three or more times over a period of weeks.

The entire process, from drawing the blood to completing a threepart series is usually $2,000 to $2,500. Some insurance companies cover this.

It has a potent antiinflammatory effect because it blocks the signal sent out by damaged tissue that elicits the inflammatory process.

Each time a needle is placed into the body, there is a small chance of infection, and so therefore, there is a slightly greater risk when using IRAP due to the multiple times that it needs to be injected.

Microcurrent

Microcurrent involves fixing electrodes to the skin and then passing 1/1000th of an ampere of electricity through the damaged area. The low current of electricity provides pain relief and also stimulates cells to regenerate by improving their oxygen metabolism.

Battery-operated, hand-held microcurrent units are under $100. Not covered by insurance.

An excellent therapy that is non-invasive and affordable if you do it yourself. You can use it on a damaged tendon daily.

You must have a veterinarian trained in microcurrent assess your horse, determine that it is an appropriate treatment option, and then teach you how to do it.

any more stress on a tendon by moving around on it. Wrapping with a standing wrap (quilt+stable wrap) helps control the tendon swelling by “squeezing” it. As much as we like to think standing wraps provide support, they don’t. However, they do a good job applying pressure to reduce swelling, which keeps blood and lymph vessels open and flowing. Ice is vital to combating inflammation because it slows the metabolism in the damaged tissue, which reduces swelling, numbs the pain, and limits tissue damage due to release of harmful free radicals from the injured site. Unlike most animals, horses can have ice on an injured leg 24/7 and benefit from it. In other animals, ice will initially cause blood vessels to constrict, however, the smooth muscles that line blood vessels usually can only stay contracted for so long before they fatigue and relax again (about 20 minutes max). After that, blood vessels open up again and the limb heats up, despite the ice being on it. But not in horses! They have incredibly resilient smooth muscles lining the blood vessels in their legs, which means that their legs can benefit from ice therapy over long periods of time. Popular methods of icing include ice wraps or simply standing the horse with the injured leg in a bucket of ice water.

We recommend using ice wraps prevent further because horses damage. Since the tolerate them well, benefits of mediand they are a bit cations outweigh safer and logistithis one drawcally easier than back, we have to ice water buckets do pain’s job and (see our November limit the horse’s 2010 issue at www. activity. Actuhorse-journal.com, ally, most horses for the best iceare only lame for wrap/cold-therapy a few days after choices). a tendon injury, Anti-inflambut don’t realize matory medicathey’re injured, so tions make up the we need to take it final first-response easy for them. The Tendon swelling requires immediate therapy. Inflamed veterinary assistance. added weight of tissues release the rider alone can hundreds of chemical agents that increase the damage significantly. result in pain, swelling, heat, loss of function and sometimes redness. Long-Term Therapy. As if the All of these processes can do more first 72 hours weren’t bad enough, harm than good in most cases. you now face months of long-term Provided that the horse isn’t left to recovery, as the damaged tendon rerun free, giving anti-inflammatory constructs itself and gains strength. medications such as bute or firocoxThat’s because tendons are basiib (Equioxx, Previcox) immediately cally made up of collagen, and colafter a tendon injury will mitigate lagen has virtually no blood supply. the damage by stopping the release Since blood flow is responsible for of all of those nasty chemicals from clearing out damaged tissue and the injury site. supplying nutrients and oxygen to But if he’s not lame, why can’t he rebuild new tissue, this puts tenrun free? Pain’s job is to protect the dons at a disadvantage. injured area. The horse’s natural And, when you consider that response is to limp and protect the tendons are also partially responarea when he feels pain. This helps sible for making the horse stand, it becomes apparent that they really rarely ever get a break from their work. All this makes healing difficult but not impossible. The high-tech therapies in our When it comes to tendon health, keep your athletic ventures chart on page 5 can be worth the focused on those that your horse can handle. seemingly exorbitant prices in 1. Keep your horse in prime respiratory fitness. If the lungs and terms of success rate and healing heart are functioning at peak capacity, the bloodstream will be time. The decision on which to usewell-saturated with oxygen. Muscles that are well-oxygenated won’t must be made by your veterinarian.

Prevention Is Worth A Ton Of Cure

fatigue as easily as ones that aren’t, which in turn will reduce the chances of a tendon being overstretched and torn. Regular exercise (daily riding, turn-out, longeing) can keep a horse aerobically fit.

2. Use discretion when riding. Horses that aren’t fit for their work are at the greatest risk of tendon injuries (see #1 above). Take extra care over uneven ground and steep downhill slopes. If necessary, dismount and walk your horse through rough areas. Try to stay centered as a rider. Unpredictable weight on the horse’s back makes it more difficult for him to stay balanced, increasing the chance of injury. 3. Weight control. If your horse is overweight, that’s more force that a tendon has to deal with and see #1 above. 28

Bottom Line. Tendons are incredibly resilient and elastic structures, but they aren’t invincible. Preventing injuries by keeping your horse fit and riding judiciously is advisable. Intervening immediately with ice, rest, wraps and anti-inflammatories when a tendon injury first occurs is pivotal to the outcome of the healing process. Article by Contributing Veterinary Editor Grant Miller DVM.

Magnesium For OCD? Can supplements help with the incidence of OCD in horses?

recent study in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science from the Dutch Animal Health Center suggests supplements make a difference with

OCD. OCD is osteochondritis dessicans – a cartilage defect found in various joints (not the obsessive compulsive behavior disorder). This is not an unusual problem in young horses, especially Thoroughbreds. When listed simply as OC (ostechondrosis), the condition is a milder form with no loose flaps of cartilage in the joint. Either way, a condition you would prefer to avoid! The initial study looked at 64 mare and foal teams from birth to five months of age. The teams were divided into two groups. One group received a mineral supplement with special emphasis on magnesium. Milk samples from the mares and bone biomarkers in blood were looked at along the way. At the end of the study, knee, hock and fetlock joints were radiographed (xrayed) to look for any signs of lesions. The second study followed the same protocol but with 54 mare and foal teams with foals aged five to 12 months. Similar blood samples for bone biomarkers were evaluated. In the first study, the incidence of OCD was 21.9% in the supplemented group versus 41.9% in the nonsupplemented group. In the second study, there was a decrease in incidence of 14.3% in the group that was supplemented.

tionist – could reduce the chances of your foal developing OCD. And it looks like doing the supplementing early on, to the mare while the foal is nursing, might be the most efficient way of doing this. Deb M. Eldredge, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

Bottom Line

Supplementing minerals – done carefully with consultation with your veterinarian and/or an equine nutri-

Safety Thought: Metal on Cross-Ties Place the heavy snap on the horse end of the cross-ties.

here should always be a quick-release or breakable component to cross-ties, in case the horse panics. The simplest such device is to put a loop of twine at the top. The twine will break if heavy sudden pressure is exerted. However, any heavy metal element, such as a large metal snap, should be placed at the halter end of the cross-tie, not at the end of the tie that attaches to the wall/twine. If the horse breaks free, you don’t want anything heavy flying around at the end of the rope that’s still attached to the horse’s halter and could hurt the horse or anyone nearby. For the same reason, metal chain should not be used for cross-ties. Article from Horse Journal Online - www. horse-journal.com - Copyright ©2014

Equine Dental Care Performance problems? When’s the last time your horse had a veterinary mouth exam?

ot all that long ago, it wasn’t uncommon for a farrier to use a hoof rasp on a horse’s teeth - and that constituted a horse’s dental care. We’ve come a long way in equine dental are since then. Today, mainly veterinarians handle a horse’s dental health. And most work to create a “balanced mouth” in their equine patient. That’s because we now know how many illnesses and performance problems are directly related to tooth and Slanted incisors. mouth abnormalities While there’s no one perfect way to do dental work on a horse, lower premolars and molars. for the horse owner, knowing the Over time, sharp points can irlay of the land can give you a better ritate the cheeks and tongue, even perspective when you “look your change the way the horse chews. horse in the mouth.” Floating (filing) the teeth reduces sharp points and levels occlusal Dentistry 101 surfaces in an effort to “balance” For the uninformed, an equine the mouth. Horses with balanced dental procedure can appear rather mouths are more comfortable, chew horrific, but most horses tolerate food more efficiently, and tend to dental procedures quite well. keep their teeth longer. Like elephants, rabbits, and cows, a horse’s teeth continual grow and Common Dental Issues erupt throughout his life. As the Horses can literally have dozens teeth grow, the repetitive circular of problems with their teeth, and chewing motion causes the presome unlucky fellows have mulmolars and molars (cheek teeth) to tiple problems at once. These are form sharp enamel points. In most some of the most common issues: cases, these sharp points form on Wave Mouth: If you look at your the outside (buccal) edges of the horse’s premolars and molars upper premolars and molars, and from the side, ideally, the occlusal on the inside (lingual) edges of the (horizontal grinding) surfaces used to chew food are flat. But, in some horses, they look like a wave, which can inhibit regular circular chewing motion. Parrot Mouth/ Overbite/ Rostral Hooks and Caudal Ramps: Horses with an overbite (in extreme cases, referred to as “Parrot Mouth”) end up with tooth overgrowth in the front and the back of the mouth as a result of the misalignment. Overgrown “hooks” and “ramps” can limit front-to-back mobility of the Parrot mouth. 30

jaw and impede chewing. They can also be painful. Step Defects: When a premolar or molar is longer than its neighbors, it can “lock” the jaw up and prevent normal circular chewing motion of the lower jaw. This defect can cause premature wear to the opposing tooth and often results in tooth loss if left unchecked. Overgrown Incisors/ Slanted Incisors: The phrase “long in the tooth” originates from looking at a horse’s incisors. Over time, incisors elongate and become angular, when viewed from the side. If the incisors become too long, they reduce the horse’s ability to chew. As a result, the horse may change the position of his lower jaw, which results in the appearance of “slanted” incisors. Rotten/ Fractured Tooth: Usually, it’s older horses who have these problems as, the periodontal ligament, which holds teeth in place, can loosen. As feed material and bacteria travel down the edges of a tooth with a loose ligament, the surrounding tissues become infected and inflamed. If left long enough, the tooth will eventually loosen. This process is painful, and it can cause the neighboring teeth and adjacent bone to also have problems.

Why Float Teeth?

This is one of my favorite questions, as so many horse problems are linked to a lack of tooth care. The answer is: Everything is “connected,” and here’s why: 1. Sharp points on a tooth can dig into the tongue and cheek, causing painful abrasions termed “ulcers.” Ulcers are painful, so our horse feels pain with each bite. 2. Horses will alter their chewing to minimize pain. This results in less grinding of the food prior to swallowing, which means he may swallow food “whole,” gleaning fewer nutrients and wasting feed and, therefore, money. 3. If a horse doesn’t chew food efficiently, impaction colic can result from the particle-sized pieces of feed getting lodged in the colon. 4. Horses will drop food out of their mouths (also known as “quid-

7. A horse with cavities or loose teeth is at higher risk of bone and sinus infection - problems that can go on for years, costing thousands of dollars. The sooner a problem is caught, the better for everyone.

Who Floats Teeth?

In addition, adequate sedation limits TMJ and jaw muscle pain after the procedure, because the sedation prevents the horse from fighting having his mouth open. The horse remains standing throughout the procedure and generally returns to normal mentation about an hour later. (The average procedure takes about 20 minutes . . . so it’s 20 minutes of mild discomfort for a year of more of no sharp points? It’s a “no-brainer”!) After the horse is sedated, his mouth is rinsed out with a dosing syringe to get any food particles out. In most cases, an oral speculum is then placed in order to open the mouth. The practitioner will then use either a stand to rest the horse’s head on or a special halter that uses a pulley and an overhead beam to hoist the head up. Once the filing is complete, most practitioners will give the horse an IV injection of bute or banamine just to relieve any aches or pains that may result from the procedure. Most horses are back to work the after the procedure. There are two types of floating procedures. The first is “hand floating.” This older method involves the use of several different rasps that are bent at various angles to reach all of the teeth in the mouth. It can be a bit bloody, as it usually involves blindly sawing back and forth in a rapid motion. I find hand floating makes it difficult to effectively file ramps/hooks and challenging to level the occlusal surfaces or reduce the incisors. It can reduce the sharp enamel

In the United States, equine teeth are generally floated by either a veterinarian or an equine dental technician. Some states allow equine dental technicians to sedate the horses and work on teeth without veterinary Ulcers on the tongue caused by sharp enamel points supervision. However, most require that only veterinarians sedate the horse and require that the veterinarian be present to supervise the technician. I feel strongly that it is important that the veterinarian be present to diagnose problems in the mouth and sedate the horses. If a horse becomes over-sedated, only a veterinarian has the training and medications to manage the problem. In addition, many states limit the procedures that non-veterinarians can Extreme hooks. perform, not allowing them to read radiographs ding”) to avoid pain. Again, wasteand or extract teeth, for example. ful. Therefore, using a veterinarian, or 5. Horses that are preoccupied a dental technician working with pain will underperform athdirectly under the superviletically. Have you tried to perform sion of a veterinarian, are our an athletic endeavor when you’re recommended best options for experiencing pain somewhere? the safety of your horse and Horses are no different, except you the convenience of “one-stopshould add into your athletic expeshopping.” rience sharp points that dig into the tongue and cheeks every time you The “Floating” Procemove your mouth. dure 6. The horse may clench his jaw Nearly all horses are sedated to avoid pain from sharp points, prior to a dental procedure. horses. This can cause TMJ (temSedation is essential to keep poromandibular joint) pain. Plus, the horse still, to keep him jaw clenching tenses the neck calm, and to dull any pain that muscles and even the back! The may occur with sore teeth or The power float offers many advantages over a result is decreased performance. vulnerable nerves. hand float. Article from Horse Journal Online - www. horse-journal.com - Copyright ©2014

points on the edges of the premolars and molars, as long as the person performing the procedure has the upper-body strength and stamina to do it completely. To be honest, the introduction of dental power float about 20 years ago has phased-out most hand floats. A power float involves the use of a drill that either operates a reciprocal or rotational grinding tip. It is a superior method of tooth care, which is why its prevalence is increasing. The advantages include: 1. Better evaluation. Because the mouth is open with a speculum when a power float is being used, the operator can examine each tooth and evaluate problems. A speculum can also be used with hand floats, but it’s far more difficult to correct abnormalities with hand floats. 2. Precision. The power float reduces over-filing and under-filing. It allows the practitioner to be exact about how each tooth is being shaped. 3. There is less blood. 4. The power float is gentler on the teeth because it isn’t used with the same “back and forth” motion as a hand float. 5. The power float is also far faster.

Bottom Line

Although hand floating is still used by some practitioners, power floating is vastly superior. Floating teeth should be a routine part of horse care. Most horses are done on a 12- to 15-month basis, with some more often and some going a couple of years. Remember that the biggest advantage to regular dental care for your hosre is that it can head off problems at the pass. With regular exams and floating, you can keep your horse comfortable and minimize wear and tear on the teeth. That, in turn, will increase performance, improve feed efficiency, reduce the chances of impaction colic, ultimately keeping the teeth in the horse’s head longer. Article by Grant Miller, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

Swimming Through Summer Heat Showing when the temps go past 90 requires fitness.

It’s a lot more comfortable to show without a jacket when temps are high.

ast weekend I rode in my first show in a year, plus it was my first show in four years where the temps clawed their way into the 90-degree range, not to mention the humidity that goes with it. When I’m loading up for a show, there’s always a point where I declare loudly to anyone within range that I’m going to take up competitive swimming. Only problem there is that I hate to swim. But, the only gear you need is a swim suit and maybe a towel. It’s a good thing I’m a compulsive list maker, sometimes making lists of lists, because there is always something at the last minute I can’t find. I almost prefer to take a follow car for the truck because then we don’t have to pack so carefully – but if I was driving by myself I’d miss that great opportunity to catch up on gossip. Anyway, departure day was agony, too little sleep, too much heat and too much to carry. I put my new expanding cart from Costco to good use and earned definite cart envy from others at the show. Bed was midnight and reveille at 5 a.m., and I had leg cramps all night. I rode my FEI Intermediare I test at 9:45 in relative cool (lower 80s). With all of us done by early afternoon, dinner was early and I was asleep by 9 p.m. Just before bed, I realized I was so hot that day that – despite always having water or Gatorade in my hand – I’d never visited the PortaJohn, a side benefit to heat and humidity but not exactly a healthy life style. Even my fit mare was huffing a bit but made a faster recovery than I did. So lessons learned this weekend: Either show just in the spring and fall or get fitter!!! Especially since I won’t be getting any younger. I’m looking forward to maybe showing Grand Prix next year – passage is a lot easier to sit than collected trot. Darn it, but I can’t get away with posting in FEI-level tests. Margaret Freeman, Associate Editor

Supplementing Salt Your horse needs to consume salt. It’s up to you to make sure that happens.

L • •

• • • •

et’s start with some salt facts:

Salt is the only mineral horses will instinctively seek. “Designer” salts, said to be natural or from specific areas, give your horse no more value than inexpensive white table salt. Some natural, unrefined salts can contain toxic minerals. Salt is a chemical called sodium chloride (NaCl). Ensuring a daily consumption of 1 to 2 oz. of salt is necessary to avoid a dehydrated state. Sea salt may not be safe because the oceans are contaminated.

Target Salt Intakes:

•

1 to 2 oz. (2 to 4 tablespoons) in cool weather. • 2 to 4 oz. (4 to 8 tablespoons) in hot weather. Horses in hard work may need more and may be advisable for hors-

Salt Craving

Hard work or hot weather will increase your horse’s need for salt.

es with diarrhea or chronic loose manure. Talk with your veterinarian if this describes your horse. You should be aware that most horses don’t consume enough salt from a salt block, especially if it’s hot or he’s in hard work. It’s likely that he won’t spend all the time

Estimated Daily Salt Requirements For Your Horse Work Level (1100-lb. horse) Maintenance Light/moderate work in cool weather Heavy work in cool weather Light/moderate work in hot weather

Heavy work in hot weather

Lactating mares

necessary to lick enough salt to meet his needs. He would have to bite off and consume small chunks of salt, which some horses do. Yes, most horses do have a natural appetite for salt. Those that seem to avoid free-choice salt may be battling stomach problems (ulcers), mouth irritation, gum disease, or small cuts/scrapes in the mouth.

Salt, grams per day 25 grams 35 grams 50 grams (speed work) to 62.5 grams (endurance) 35 grams plus a correctly balanced electrolyte replacement product, according to instructions, to balance sweat losses 50 grams (speed work) to 62.5 grams (endurance work) plus a correctly balanced electrolyte replacement product, according to instructions, to balance sweat losses Minimum 30 grams Note: Mares with generous salt intake will consume water more freely, supporting good milk production.

Salt, ounces per day (2 tablespoons = 1 ounce) Just under an ounce 1.25 ounces 1.75 ounces to 2.2 ounces 1.25 ounces plus a correctly balanced electrolyte replacement product, according to instructions, to balance sweat losses 1.75 ounces (speed work) to 2.2 ounces (endurance work) plus a correctly balanced electrolyte replacement product, according to instructions, to balance sweat losses Minimum 1.05 ounces

Salt is the only mineral essentially absent from all hay and grass. However, horses have a natural taste for salt and will seek it out and voluntarily consume in plain form. Salt controls your horse’s water intake. If the horse’s intake of salt is too low, his body will adjust by holding less water. This keeps the concentration of salt in his body normal, which is good. The bad news is that this leaves the horse somewhat dehydrated. That’s because, while the salt concentration in the body fluids is normal, the total body fluid itself is below normal. And, because his salt levels are good, he isn’t stimulated to drink more water. The only way to break this cycle is to make sure a normal amount of salt gets into the horse, as this will change the salt concentration in the body fluids and encourage the horse to consume adequate amounts of water. Of course, if the horse is healthy and not in hard work, this dehydration state may not cause problems. But, if the horse has further losses of salt and water through sweating or diarrhea, severe dehydration and overheating can occur. Secondary potassium deficiencies can also occur, causing things like muscular cramps, thumps and poor intestinal motility. These horses are also prone to impaction and other forms of colic from the decreased water consumption.

Plain Old Salt

Despite all the ads for fancy salts, all your horse really needs is plain white salt. You can use bricks or blocks, of course, but realize it may not be enough. He should eat about an ounce of salt a day, and up to twice that in hot weather.

You can, of course, add table salt to his feed, which is what we suggest. Two tablespoons of table salt weighs 1 oz., and there are three teaspoons in a tablespoon. Most horses will tolerate at least 1 teaspoon of table salt per pound of grain. If more is needed, you can either put it in the bottom of the horse’s feeder before feeding, leave it free choice in a small mineral feeder, or mix it with water and syringe it in after the horse has eaten. Be careful, though. Horses won’t eat feed that is too salty, and most need to become used to it. Start with ½ teaspoon per pound and work up to an optimal tolerable level we discussed in the beginning of this article. If your horse has good hydration but rarely even looks at free choice salt, he may be getting salt from other sources, such as your commercial grain or a mineral supplement. Check the labels. If you see salt or sodium chloride listed, go to the guaranteed analysis for more information. A supplement with 10% salt will contain 2.84 grams per ounce, 5% half that, etc. If salt is on the list but not mentioned in the analysis, you’ll have to call the manufacturer to find out how much salt is in there. If your grain or supplement has salt added, a 1% salt supplement or grain will provide 0.284 grams of salt per ounce, or 4.5 grams per pound. Conversions: 1 oz. = 28.4 grams ½ oz. = 14.2 grams 1 tablespoon of fine (table) salt = 14.2 grams 1 teaspoon of fine (table) salt = 4.7 grams

Horse Blocker Tie Ring For horses who worry about tight ties.

ew situations put us in as much danger as trying to untie a panicking horse. Double the trouble if you’re trying to release one inside a trailer. When a horse panics and collides with the end of a tied rope, the result can be injury to the horse and any human trying to help him. No horse should ever be tied with a device that does not release. It can be the tie itself, the snap that holds him, a quick-release knot or even a breakaway halter of some type. That horse has to be able to escape if necessary.

Releases

Quick-release snaps work well, but they take some pressure before they release. They’re an emergency release only. There’s no easy “giving” feeling when a horse is tied with these snaps. Old-fashioned quick-release knots can do the job, too. Unfortunately, though, not all leads can be tied in this manner, and many horsemen no longer learn to tie the knots anyway. Although we’re not huge fans of them, Bungee ties will give a horse a bit more play to help alleviate the trapped feeling. These ties still need to have either a quick-release snap or a breakaway halter, though. And remember that, if the horse starts pulling on a Bungee, when the breaking part does finally give, you’re going to have one whale of a backlash to avoid. Most horses tie just fine. But there are always going to be a few that don’t, and they make tying them up a gamble. Maybe they’ll stay, but maybe they’ll pull back . . . and if they do, they’ll panic as soon as they feel too constrained. A horseman named Ted Blocker sat down to figure out a safer way to tie a horse — one where the horse wouldn’t feel confined and trapped. He came up with a simple device that looks like half of a snaffle bit. The tie rope is doubled and pushed through the ring. The center piece is flipped up through the loop in the rope and the two ends are pulled down snuggly. If the horse pulls back, the rope slides slowly around the post feeding the horse some slack. The tension can be increased by doubling the loop, if necessary. The Blocker Tie Ring is portable, so you can take it off the barn wall and attach it inside, or outside, your horse trailer, when needed.

Bottom Line

Tying your horse is with a quick-release snap and a breakaway halter is fine. You’re basically ensured the horse will stay put unless an actual emergency arises, and then he can safely escape. However, the Blocker Tie Ring is well worth trying with horses who worry when tied or seem to just wait for the tension to occur so they can throw a panic attack. It’s also a good option for smaller animals who may lack the strength to release an actual snap or leather halter breakaway piece. The Blocker Tie Ring ensures a horse should get out in an emergency, but it should not be used as an excuse to not train your horse to tie. $30 to $45. Distributed by Toklat. Article by Contributing Writer Nancy Butler. 34

Your Sweating Horse Know when you should be concerned and how to use electrolytes, if needed.

orses sweat. And they breathe hard after heavy exercise. That’s normal. However, you should know when these symptoms indicate a problem and what to do about it, including supplementing electrolytes.

Hot, Hard Work

A horse’s normal sweat will generally be clear, not lathered (except between the hind legs where it’s commonly lathered or under a girth or breastplate). An Work in the hot summer sun can use up electrolytes quickly. exception to this rule would be a truly tough workout, such as a three-day-event cause muscle cramps or colic in a cross-country run or a race. normal horse.) The hard-working horse’s breathIf you’re indoors, you can put a ing rate will be increased, but the fan on your horse, and if outdoors, normal horse will recover as he get him into the shade. (Do not walks out. Offer him water as you cover him with a cooler or anticool him out, without letting him sweat sheet, as these just make him over drink. Continue to walk him warmer.) till he’s cool. Track recovery by watching for If your horse is overly hot, coldurination and following respiration water hose him off, scrape the water rates (write them down, as it will be off quickly - it quickly heats up helpful to the vet if you need help). on his hot body - and then reapWith severe overheating problems, ply more cold water. Continue this your veterinarian will need to take until he cools. (Cold water will not blood samples to check the horse’s

Does Sweating Indicate an Emergency? ■ What you see: A very sweaty, heavily lathered horse, breathing hard, nostrils flared. ■ Panic level: Yellow (caution) to Red (emergency). ■ Immediate Action: Continuous cold-water hosing while scraping water off immediately. Cease activity. Track recovery vitals - temperature, water intake, urine output. ■ Call your vet: If muscle twitches are seen, sweating suddenly stops, signs of tying-up, weakness or thumps show up.

electrolyte levels. If your horse regularly works hard, using an electrolyte supplement may be a good idea. You should ensure that your horse is consuming adequate salt, a basic “electrolyte,” as well, as salt consumption is of the utmost importance. (See story on salt.)

Supplementing Electrolytes

Equine sweat differs from human sweat. Our sweat has a high percentage of water. This stimulates us to drink, and we restore the balance of our systems. Horse sweat has a higher percentage of electrolytes, especially sodium, potassium and chloride. And it’s the horse’s salt intake that makes him drink. Horse sweat is closer to blood composition or “isotonic.” A horse can, with prolonged heavy sweating, change his electrolyte balance and may need veterinarian-administered IV fluids to restore balance. An electrolyte imbalance can result in thumps, a flutter of the horse’s sides and diaphragm. It may also cause tying up, aka rhabdomyolysis, colic, weakness and heart arrhythmias. If you suspect any of these problems, call your vet immediately. NOTE: Worse than lathered sweating is the absence of sweating. These horses are generally severely dehydrated and need IV fluids. If your horse never sweats, he may have anhidrosis, a serious chronic condition that can come on suddenly. Call your vet.

Using Electrolytes

Maintaining electrolyte concentrations plays a major role in keeping the body properly hydrated and healthy. Electrolytes are minerals that exist in the body in their free, “ionized” form. Ionized means these minerals carry an electrical charge.

Major Electrolytes:

★ ★ ★ ★

Sodium Chloride Potassium Bicarbonate

Minor Electrolytes:

★ ★ ★ ★

Calcium Sulfate

Bottom Line

Magnesium Phosphate

Minerals with an electrical charge hold water. Sodium and chloride are the major electrolytes in blood and the tissues surrounding the cells. Potassium is the major electrolyte inside cells. Electrolytes are excreted in sweat, saliva, digestive fluids and urine. All this is normal, and average non-sweat losses every day for an 1,100-lb. horse are: • Sodium 10 grams • Potassium 25 grams • Chloride 40 grams. However, the harder the horse works, the more he will use through sweat. Most horses replace these electrolytes through their basic diet and supplemented salt. However, they can run short when the horse’s body tries to make up for heavy electrolyte losses with just salt. If your horse is working more than 2 hours/day, or at a work level that produces heavy sweating, you’ll want to begin using an electrolyte supplement because your horse may be losing more potassium and chloride than the horse’s diet can provide. Again, this is in addition to the plain white salt. Replacing lost electrolytes is certainly an understandable method of supplementing, but it will do your horse the most good if you supplement both prior to and after hard works. When choosing a commercial product, focus on the label’s sodium, potassium and chloride levels. A good supplement will provide around 7 grams of sodium, 36

3.5 to 4 grams of potassium and 14 to 15 grams of chloride per ounce. Small amounts (less than 1 gram) of calcium and magnesium are also desirable. Read the label instructions, of course, but as a general rule of thumb, you can provide 1.5 to 2 ounces of the supplement for every hour worked above the 2-hour mark. For horses in work in hot weather, think “2” to help you remember what to offer: • 2 ounces of plain salt the night before work. • 2 ounces of plain salt the morn-

ing of the work day. 2 or more hours of work per day in the heat, add 2 ounces of a balanced electrolyte supplement for every hour worked over the 2 hours mark. When choosing a commercial electrolyte supplement, we look for products with ingredient levels that most closely match the electrolyte levels found in sweat, as stated earlier in the article. Our favorite electrolytes are: Exer-Lyte Summer Games ProLyte Perfect Balance Electrolytes Su-Per Lytes. •

Horse Cut with Scalpel We must be keep tight security on horse farms.

orse cut with scalpel, near jugular vein. See story here.

Levi’s Artwork Helps Pay the Bills The Quarter Horse is an artist.

his horse does paintings to help pay for his owner’s illness. Read more here.

Horse Cut with Scalpel We must be keep tight security on horse farms.

orse cut with scalpel, near jugular vein. See story here.

Media Critique: Where Does My Horse Hurt? An excellent resource for anyone considering chiropractic work for their horse.

hiropractic methods are gradually gaining more acceptance as a way to evaluate pain and dysfunction in horses, but for many horse owners they remain more mystery than mainstream, even when the horseman regularly uses a chiro vet. “Where Does My Horse Hurt’” by Renee Tucker DVM is a colorful, well-organized volume that provides an excellent introduction to how chiropractic works and a detailed explanation of how owners can check over their horses for suspected problems. it’s not intended for do-it-yourself diagnosis or treatment but rather as an educational reference to help the owner decide whether to first call in the vet, farrier, chiropractor, dentist or saddle fitter, getting to the crux of a

problem more efficiently. It’s richly illustrated with photos, drawings and charts, and spiral-bound to lie flat for easy reference. Detailed step-by-step instructions are included for 27 different body checkups. And, we do mean detailed. You need to read the front of the book thoroughly, then practice the various techniques before using them yourself. While the techniques described aren’t so difficult, there are a variety of steps to follow for each one and a lot of different things to consider. You can’t just take this book to the barn and simply figure out why your horse is a little stiff on his left hind leg. Bottom Line: Excellent starting point for a horse owner to understand chiropractic methods and to help sort out a suspected physical problem. Best Suited For: Analytic, detailoriented horse caretakers, particularly those who already have a chiropractor in their repertoire of horse helpers. You be disappointed if: You want easy answers to lameness problems. Margaret Freeman, Associate Editor

2018 World Games to be in Canada The FEI made their decision, opting for Bromont over Lexington.

he FEI unanimously approved Bromont/Montreal as host city for the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in 2018, at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park, venue for the Montreal 1976 Olympic equestrian events. It will be the second host outside Europe following the 2010 WEG which were staged in Lexington, Ky. Lexington had also put in a bid to host the 2018 WEG. (Read Performance Editor John Strassburger’s comments about the 2010 Games here.) The 2014 WEG will be held in Normandy, France, Aug. 23 to Sept. 7. Go to www.normandy2014.com for more information. For more information about the history of the FEI World Equestrian Games History Hub click here. The FEI World Equestrian Games are held every four years, in the middle of the Olympic cycle. The seven FEI disciplines - Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining - are all included on the competition schedule. The first WEG was held in Stockholm, Sweden in 1990. Article from Horse Journal Online - www. horse-journal.com - Copyright ©2014

A Look Back: “Here’s Hoping We’ll Host Another WEG Soon” The 2010 Games in Lexington were beyond anything we’ve seen before.

ith the 2018 World Equestrian Games awarded to Bromont, Canada - a city in Southwest Quebec - many of us will find it fairly easy to attend. And it’s an amazing event - held once every four years in between the Summer Olympic Games. Our Performance Editor, John Strassburger, was part of the media there at the Horse Park in 2010. We’re sharing his story about that event again because, well, it’s an event you won’t want to miss in 2018: When the Kentucky Horse Park was named to host the 2010 World Equestrian Games (WEG) about five years ago, my wife and I were so sure we wanted to go that we put our names on the list for tickets in 2006. We didn’t need those tickets after all, because we got jobs in the Media Center. Yes, the attendance for these World Games fell short of the skyhigh early predictions, made in the heady months of the economic boom that crashed two years ago. But 507,022 fans walked through the gates of the Kentucky Horse Park to watch the eight championships, and the WEG website recorded 1.5 million views, with 300,000 video streaming downloads to watch the action. Plus, NBC-TV showed eight hours of the WEG in sports prime time on three Sunday afternoons, and the Universal Sports Network showed another 15 hours, live. These are absolutely unheard-of numbers in the history of U.S. horse sports—numbers never imagined until now. The TV numbers are thanks to hard work by Bob Hughes, of Carr-Hughes Productions, who produces TV equestrian coverage and convinced NBC executives that people will watch them, and to behind-the-scenes work by the communications folks at the 38

WEG and the U.S. Equestrian Federation that made the sponsorship happen. The website views and downloading are the result of relatively new technology that makes it costefficient to produce the video and for people to see it. Let’s face it: The WEG TV coverage doesn’t mean that suddenly horse sports are going to replace major The main stadium at the 2010 World Games in Lexington was an awesome spectacle. league or college sports on TV. But many, including USEF President David O’Connor, John Long, USEF chief executive believe that video streaming is the officer and chairman of the World wave of the future for horse sports. Games 2010 Foundation, told me “I think that platform is the way after the games ended. “I think the to go, because it’s only going to get world shifted a little bit as a result faster and easier,” he told me. of those 16 days, so, yes, I hope we Unquestionably, the WEG worked can do it again.” in Kentucky. We were the first to O’Connor grimaced at the effort host eight world championships of this one but said, “I think that it (para dressage was added this year), should come back to Kentucky at we were the first since the 1990 some point. The whole scope of it WEG (Stockholm) to have them all worked, like no WEG I’ve ever been on the same grounds, and we were to before. Obviously 2014 is in Northe first to really present the WEG mandy, and I expect the next one to the public as a full-blown festival will be in Europe, too, but maybe in revolving around the horse. 2022?” So, will the WEG return to KenJohn Strassburger, tucky? Performance Editor “I think it’s been life-changing,”

Horse Shot in Cincinnati Deliberate act leaves more questions than answers.

n Arabian was found dead in her pasture near Cincinnati, shot in her head. See story here. Why do we tell you about these types of incidents? Because nobody believes it will ever happen to them. Security should be paramount around your farm.

What’s Next For California Chrome—And the Triple Crown? I’m thinking that, instead of decrying California Chrome as just another not-quite-champion, that we should be impressed by his courage.

ust a few hours after the Belmont Stakes was over and the Triple Crown dream had died, we may have found out why California Chrome ran a sub-par race. Photo evidence shows that Matterhorn, the horse in the starting gate stall next to him, dove left out of the gate and stepped on California Chrome’s right front foot, gashing the heel badly enough to be bleeding after the race. (Video on website.) That, and being forced to go wide on turn for home, easily explains the 2 ½ lengths by which he lost to Tonalist. I’m thinking that, instead of decrying him as just another notquite-champion, that we should be impressed by his courage, that we should congratulate him for running that well despite his foot being bruised and bleeding. Nevertheless, his defeat has only fueled the debate about whether the Triple Crown’s races should be changed. Certainly owner Steve Coburn’s immediate post-race outburst made some good points, although it did seem a bit cry babyish. I don’t blame him, though. I’d be depressed and a bit angry too if my dream had just been shattered by a bunch of horses my horse had never run against, who were there just to take a shot at him. So, let’s look at what Coburn said. Is it fair, or good for the Triple Crown, that horses have to qualify for the Kentucky Derby by earning points in designated races, but that anybody can run in The Preakness and the Belmont? I know the Derby requires qualification because, otherwise, they’d have 100-horse fields, which isn’t a problem for the other two. But why shouldn’t horses have to qualify with money earned for the Preakness and Belmont too?

Shouldn’t horses have achieved a certain level to run in any of the three classics, just like the Breeders’ Cup? I think they should. But I don’t think his suggestion that horses have to run in both the Derby and the Preakness to start in the Belmont is workable or desirable. You can’t force owners and trainers to run their horses in all three races—and you might end up with one- or two-horse races in the Belmont. What about other suggestions for changing the Triple Crown? Well, I’d argue against substantial changes in any of the races, as it would mean that any future winners couldn’t be compared to the previous winners. Changing the races would just cheapen the prize. But I could go with moving the Preakness back one week so that there would be three weeks between each race. I don’t think that would horribly alter the challenge or negatively affect public interest in it. I’m wondering, though if trainers who don’t run horses at New York tracks as they consider a Triple Crown bid for a promising 2-yearold aren’t missing a key ingredient. I watch TVG (a horse racing network) almost every day, and I just heard one of the commentators observe that no horse has ever won the Belmont Stakes and, thus, the Triple Crown without having raced at Belmont Park previously. Belmont Park’s 1 ½-mile track is half again as big as most other U.S. tracks (which usually have a circumference of 7 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles), and its surface is deeper than most tracks. (Which is why Belmont is called “the Big Sandy.”) Does this make a difference when the title is on the line? Maybe, although they’d have to run them

there in the fall of their 2-year-old year, since Belmont doesn’t open until May each year, after the Triple Crown is under way. Now the outgoing Coburn and coowner Perry Martin (the quiet one) have a big decision to make, a decision that’s actually harder following his defeat and injury. Assuming that the injury is only a wound and bruise, should they bring him back and aim him for the summer’s and fall’s big races, like the Travers at Saratoga, the Haskell at Monmouth, the Del Mar Classic at Del Mar and then the Breeder’s Cup Classic at his home track of Santa Anita in early November, and perhaps run him as a 4-year-old? Or should they retire him now, to protect him and their financial interest? (Of course, at this point California Chrome has already multiplied the $10,000 they spent to produce him by a factor of about 1,000.) As a racing fan, I certainly hope they keep California Chrome in training, at least to the end of the year to run in the Breeders’ Cup. I think this would also make sense from a stud-value point of view. If he wins these races, it would prove his classic ability, which is a bit in doubt after losing the Belmont. Interestingly, after Palace Malice, the 2013 Belmont winner, won the Metropolitan Mile, one of the other stakes races on Saturday’s stellar card, one of the TV commentators pointed out that he’d actually increased his stud value by proving he could win at 1 mile as well as at the 1 ½ miles of the Belmont. The Met Mile win showed his versatility, and the majority of breeders are more interested in producing horses who are fast enough to win the shorter races. Plus, Coburn and Perry also

have two full sisters to California Chrome. Now, genetic statistics indicate that the chances of either of them having his ability are extremely slim, but they are certainly very valuable as breeding stock. How valuable? I’d guess that, even if they don’t race at all, they’re worth more than $250,000 apiece. In fact, if I were them, I’d aim California Chrome for the Breeders’ Cup and then sell his sisters without racing them, because if they turned out to have no racing ability, it would only decrease their value. That strategy would let us enjoy California Chrome for longer and provide the best return on their investment. Can you tell that I don’t think we’ve seen the best of California Chrome yet? You bet—I think that the Belmont was just bad racing luck at the worst time. I think he’s a star, but I also think that this loss should remind us what superstars Affirmed, Seattle Slew and, especially, Secretariat were. In the aftermath of this year’s Belmont, I think we should be raising those three horses higher, not placing California Chrome lower.

The Cutaneous Trunci Muscle Reflex in Horses Understanding your horse’s natural skin reactions.

study in the November 2013 American Journal of Veterinary Research looked at the skin responses of horses when the skin on the thorax wall was stimulated. The thorax is the area between the horse’s shoulders and hindquarters. The study was done at the McPhail Equine Performance Center associated with the Michigan State University college of Veterinary Medicine. Lead researcher was Cynthia M. Essig, DVM. In a clever study, eight horses “volunteered” to wear 56 reflective markers on their sides. Special infrared cameras tracked the movement of the markers after skin stimulation with a stick wand. The cutaneous trunci muscles work to twitch and remove irritants like flies. They also can twitch with the stimulation of a rider’s leg or the touch of a crop. Most horses adapt to the stimulation provided by the presence of a saddle and girth or harness. The research showed that skin movement induced by a touch of the wand used for stimulus on the top of the thorax was a localized response. This was not the same as a generalized twitch of the cutaneous trunci muscles. The maximal skin response tended to show up below the stimulus site. Among the eight horses used, there were variations in sensitivity. This fits with practical horsemen’s experience. Some horses are touchy about the girth being tightened and others could care less. Some young horses handle a saddle being placed on their back with equanimity while others put on a great show. Bottom Line: While this study may seem a bit esoteric, it could lead to improvements in training techniques for young horses and

The thorax is an important area for riders to understand, since the saddle, leg, girth and whip will all touch that area.

development of better saddles and harnesses to accommodate a horse’s innate skin reactions. Deb M. Eldredge, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

EOTRH: Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis If you think it is a mouthful for us, imagine what the horse has to deal with!

his past weekend I powerfloated a 22-year-old warmblood gelding and immediately noticed that he was “long in the tooth.” The term is widely used to describe something that is old, but did you know that long incisors in horses can be an indicator of a disease process? In other words there are some cases in which long incisors occur due to something other than just aging. I am talking about Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resporption and Hypercementosis or “EOTRH.” EOTRH is characterized by disintegration of the incisor tooth roots and gingiva (gum) recession. In many cases, the surrounding gingiva will concurrently swell. The cause of this disease process is unknown, but it only occurs in aged horses (usually late teens onward). It can be painful, since loss of tooth roots can render the incisors unstable, thus causing nerve pain. In addition, as they loosen, food particles can pack down in between the tooth and the gingiva, resulting in infection and in some cases, tooth root abscesses. No fun. Horses with EOTRH tend to not show many outward signs of tooth pain, but rest assured - they have it. Any of us who have ever had a tooth root abscess can attest! EOTRH horses may not be able to bite down on apples or carrots. They also sometimes exhibit signs of slow eating and reluctance to drink extremely cold water. The first step in determining if a horse has EOTRH is to have a veterinarian do an oral examination of the incisors and canine teeth (these are the only teeth that are currently known to be affected by the condition). If the gingiva are receding and the teeth look “long” - there may be a problem. If the receded

Courtesy: Midwest Equine Services

gingiva are swollen and there is excess cementum on the teeth - these also can be signs of the problem. Ultimately, taking intraoral radiographs of the incisors or canines can confirm the diagnosis. Radiographs will show black shadows around the roots of the teeth. In more advanced cases, the roots will literally be fractured off or missing altogether due to resorption. Taking intraoral radiographs is not impossible to do with a conventional digital X-ray processor (termed a “DR” processor), however, there are special X-ray plates made specifically for evaluating incisors. Not all vets have them, but they are becoming increasingly more available as more and more veterinarians expand their dentistry services.

Bottom Line

Your vet can get by with putting a

normal digital radiograph plate in your horse’s mouth in order to assess the incisor teeth. The best treatment for EOTRH is to extract affected teeth - especially if it is in an advanced state, if the horse is excessively painful, or if evidence of infection is present. Don’t worry though- horses can live and eat just fine without incisors. In fact, owners report that once painful teeth are removed, their horses act younger and more energetic. In cases where all incisors are removed, the tongue will hang out of the mouth. Other than looking a bit funny, it is of no detriment to the horse! Want to read more dentistry by Dr. Miller? Here’s an article explaining power floats and the need for regular dental care on your horse. Grant Miller, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

Moldy Leather Choose a leather-care product that inhibits mold.

old and mildew are living organisms they’re fungi. And they literally eat leather and stitching. Worse, once mold gets deep into the leather, it’s nearly impossible to completely eliminate. In addition, mold spores can be released into the air and contaminate everything in the barn. Ironically, it’s the healthiest leather that is most likely to mold. Mold won’t grow on dry tack because there’s nothing for it to eat. So, Keep your tack in a light, airy tack room. if you have a tack room full of moldy tack, except for one odd piece, take a good look at the integrity of Attwood No Damp Dehumidifier, that leather. Chances are, it’s dried or Starbright No Damp dehumidiout far beyond a safe or even restorfier. The cost is less than $10/tub, able level. and you must replace them when they’re “full.” Moldy Conditions Never place a wet saddle pad Humidity, dust and dirt are friends under or over your saddle or even of mold. Tack that’s used infrehang it close to your saddle. It will quently is often an early target, attract mold to the leather. And especially if it wasn’t put away avoid long storage periods in a dark, properly and isn’t covered to protect closed container, like a trunk or it from dust. And that’s what we’re locker, unless it is truly air-tight. going to discuss here: storage, use, These storage devices are fine for and care of your leather. tack that’s used and cleaned freMold loves summer temperatures quently. If not, you’re probably in the high 70s to high 80s with going to pull out a piece of “green, a humidity level at above 65%. furry” leather. For long-term storIf your barn can safely support a age, an old cooler works well. Hit tack-room dehumidifier, you should the garage sales to look for one that be able to keep the humidity below might be beat up beyond use for 55%. human food, but still air tight, or You can also try desiccants, mawatch for a sale after the 4th of July. terials that absorb water from the Maximize air circulation in your air, sort of a natural dehumidifier. tack room, using a fan if it’s safe, That’s what those little packets of and keep the floor and surfaces silica gel are that you find in shoe clean. Unfortunately, cement floors boxes. Desiccants come in disposcan transfer moisture into the air. able tubs and are found at most disThere’s not much you can do about count stores. Look for products like that beyond being aware of it. Some Keep It Dry Closet Dehumidifier, barns have tried placing kitty litter 42

(clay is a desiccant) on the floors with limited success. When you clean your tack, be sure to remove residue. Check the folds and crevices. These areas are often the first to attract mold, as they tend to be dark and moist. Take a dry cloth and polish your leather, wiping away all excess. Mold can be killed by a number of household treatments, diluted with water: • Alcohol • Ammonia • Bleach • Baking soda • Cleaning disinfectants, like Lysol • White vinegar. Be aware, though, that these products have the potential to damage the leather. Dilute (50-50) your choice with water and then clean and condition the leather with good commercial leather-care products immediately after using them. Clean moldy tack outside, away from the tack room. You don’t want to spread the mold spores, which will go into the air as you clean. Choose several cloths to use for the cleaning, and don’t dip one into the rinse water to use again in the same session. These cloths should either be ones you can toss when you’re finished or that can be thoroughly washed with bleach. If you’re really battling heavy mold, finish the cleaning with a mold-inhibiting commercial leather-care product.

Bottom Line

Once mold infiltrates the deep fibers of your leather, it is never truly gone. So, the only tried-and-true way to keep your tack mold-free is to remove it as soon as you see even a slight tinge of it. For heavy-duty molds, we start with a cleaning with vinegar and water, followed by cleaning and conditioning with commercial products. Of the multitude of products

we’ve used over the years, the ones we found to show above-average mold resistance in our tack rooms include: • Bee Natural Leathercare #1 Saddle Oil with Fungicide • Bee Natural Rudy’s Tack and Saddle Conditioner and Finish • Farnam Leather New Deep Conditioner and Restorer • Leather Therapy Restorer and Conditioner • Ray Hole’s Saddle Butter • Saddler’s One Step • URAD Leather Conditioner Of these, the products we reach for first are Leather Therapy Restorer and Conditioner and Bee Natural Leathercare #1 Saddle Oil with Fungicide. If there truly is a leather mold inhibitor, these two would be our choices.

What I Learned By Riding In A Phillip Dutton Clinic Phillip’s mantra: The horse must be in front of your leg and on your aids whenever you put him to work. And he must be immediately there.

hen I learned in April that Phillip Dutton, the top U.S. eventing rider for the past decade, was going to be conducting a clinic at the Fresno County Horse Park in June, I jumped at the chance to take my 7-year-old mare, Phoenix Amani, to ride with him. Why? Because I’ve known Phillip for more than 20 years, and from interviewing him and from reading his book (read the review here), I felt confident that he could help me with a vexing jumping issue. I rode in Phillip’s clinic two weeks ago, with show jumping (really, gymnastic jumping) on Saturday and cross-country schooling on Sunday. Phillip not only helped me considerably with Amani, but my wife, Heather, and I also came home with several jumping exercises that have also worked beautifully with every horse in our program. Phillip’s main training mantra is that the horse must be in front of your leg and on your aids, whenever you put him to work. And he must be immediately there—“No” is not an acceptable response, nor is, “I’ll be with you in a few minutes.” Use your legs aids and spur to get his attention, and don’t be afraid to use the whip as a stronger form of communication and encouragement—or for discipline if it’s needed. No matter what’s going on around him, the horse must be obedient and respond correctly to your correctly given aids, immediately. His secondary theme, which was especially evident when we jumped on the cross-country course, was to make the horse be responsible for the jump. Ride positively forward to the jump, make sure he’s straight

and at the correct speed, but don’t try to jump the jump for him. That’s his job. I’ve always trained this way, and Phillip said that the horse will become much more certain and careful through training this way, and on course you’ll feel him gain confidence. Phillip is a man of few words, and I’ve long known from talking with his students that in lessons he largely sets up exercises and says, “Now do it.” And if you don’t do it right, you’ll likely hear only, “More leg. Do it again.” His clinic was rather like that: If you were expecting to hear lectures on theory or to be entertained by a string of humorous anecdotes, well, you were going to be sorely disappointed. But if you were there to improve, he had exercises for you to do. Another reason I made the fivehour trip to the clinic. Interestingly, the horses at each level (from the preliminary group in which I rode to the beginner novice horses and riders) did the same exercises. The only difference was the height of the jumps. What we found particularly educational was his belief that you should start applying these relatively advanced concepts from the beginning, with lower-level horses, and riders too. After a brief warm-up on the flat, doing transitions and lateral exercises to get the horses on our aids, we began to jump. The very first jump was two crossrails set on a bounce distance, approached at the canter. This exercise demonstrated what he means about the horse answering your aids—right away! Amani found it disconcerting to start to jump this way, and she stopped at the first crossrail the first

time. I didn’t expect instead of jumping them her to stop, but I in the two strides the wasn’t surprised that course designer intended, she didn’t like havshe jumped them beautiing to pay attention fully in one stride. I was and work right away. thrilled. I felt like she That, after all, is the said, “Wow! Look what I heart of my problem can do.” with her. It’s why I’d So when we got home, I brought her to this built the crossrail bouncclinic. Her “in-aes right away and had all minute” attitude is our horses and students one reason why we jumping them right off call her “the printhe bat. I listened attentively (far right) as Phillip Dutton (far left) instructed us in cess.” Amani did them perriding cross-country. After three or four fectly a few days later, times through the acting like she underbounce, Amani was jumping out of mediate, and again Phillip emphastood we’d “jumped” to a new level. stride, but then we had to turn, in sized response to the leg. He also In fact, she feels like a new and four or five strides, to jump a secencouraged us preliminary riders improved horse. ond crossrail bounce. She initially to avoid constantly adding strides Doing these exercises with Piper, found that vexing too, especially to the jumps, especially the gallopour 5-year-old homebred who’s when Phillip would tell us to make ing jumps, because it catches up to competing at beginner novice, was the turn in either the more forward you. If you keep second-guessing interesting and amusing. Piper is four strides or in the more packaged your distance and adding strides, in a warmblood, and his reaction to five strides, not to just take whatnegatively affects the horse’s confistarting with bounces was so “slowever we got. dence, and then, when you need to brained” warmblood. He stopped Next we moved on to a square ride forward to get the striding right suddenly the first time, clearly oxer set on an angle to a skinny in a combination, often the horse shocked at the last stride to see a jump, with a forward-going one won’t do it. second crossrail right behind the stride between. We began by jumpAmani likes to sort of get in gear first. Then he jumped them tentaing the skinny to the angled oxer, for cross-country, and although tively, not sure I wasn’t kidding that and Amani stopped at the oxer the we started with a few novice-sized he had to pick up his feet that fast. first time because she didn’t come fences, she found jumping combina(He had done numerous bounces off my leg to get the one stride. tions (usually her strong suit) after before, so the concept was not new Then we did the oxer to the skinny. standing around to be mentally to him.) And then Phillip added turning challenging. After four or five repetitions, right, in five or six strides, to jump a Phillip summed Amani up well he was cantering through them corner set at basically 90 degrees to after the cross-country school smoothly, but then I added the the skinny. She did that reasonably by describing her as “cautiously turn to the second set. “What!? well right away. Then we came back brave.” The problem I’ve had with Another!? I can’t do that!” But with the other way— corner, turn left to her—related to her less-than-immerepetition, he figured it out, turning do the skinny to the oxer. diate response to my driving aids at in both directions. And when I did Next he had an oxer and a vertitimes and to her innate carefulness the exercise again, three days later, cal set on a line, a comfortable five over jumps—has been jumping the he sailed smoothly through right strides apart. But the exercise was galloping fences at true galloping away. to jump the line (both ways) in speed and out of stride. Her preI had similar reactions from two five strides, then shorten to do six ferred method is to drift left and students, who didn’t believe they strides, then lengthen to do four add one more short stride. That’s and their horses could possibly do strides. By now Amani was menwhy she spent the winter in “dresthat right away. But they did, and tally in the game, and she’s done sage boot camp” with Heather and I could see their confidence level exercises like this since shortly why we’ve worked hard to further grow. after she started to jump, so she did develop the strength of her back. Thanks, Phillip. And thanks to well here. Well, I felt that on this weekend organizer Sue Funkey and to John Still, I was quite pleased with how something clicked in her brain, Marshall at the Fresno County well she answered my leg the first resulting from the exercises and Horse Park for hosting the clinic. time to get the four strides. I felt the way I changed to ride her. And John Strassburger, that was a sign that the exercises we ended the cross-country portion Performance Editor were having the desired effect. by galloping up to an intermediFresno’s cross-country course has ate question—two houses set at a jumps from introductory to interparallel angle to each other—and 44

Reliable Recipes or Time Wasters Home-made doesn’t mean it’s arguably better than what you grab from a store.

eople love a home-made remedy. Many blindly believe it must be better than something store-bought. Make-your-own fly spray is a big favorite, followed by ointments, I’d guess. You can find recipes for almost anything we need for our horses – even supplements and feeds. That’s great, but I’m perplexed by the interest. A lot of folks must have more free time than I do. I am thankful for manufactured products. Sure, I want to save money and that’s why I usually choose a Horse Journal Best Buy, but I appreciate the convenience of knowing there’s a reliable remedy readily available. Rarely will I mix up my own concoction. It’s not worth my time, and the savings is usually negligible. It stands to reason that if there’s a recipe out there the manufacturer has researched it and would duplicate it if it were indeed “better.” With few exceptions – usually involving a specific horse with a unique problem – it is not. But home-made is often perceived to work better. We expect a commercial product to perform to perfection, but we give that home-made recipe a lot of leeway when it comes to being called “effective.” We frequently get requests for a fly-spray recipe, almost always including original Skin So-Soft. That product has been proven repeatedly to not offer any more bug-repellent properties than what you would expect from anything containing a little citronella. Even Avon says Skin So-Soft isn’t a bug repellent; they now market a Skin So-Soft Bug Repellent (very, very smart, Avon). Still, the legend remains. Of course, I’m not immune to the appeal of make-your-own products. This past spring I saw a recipe for

Maybe the grass on the other side of the fence is home-made.

cals. Hemlock is “natural.” Yes, I do understand why you make your own product, if you have the time and desire to use a recipe and the recipe is truly effective. But avoiding a product because it’s “commercial” or from a “big corporation” is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. I buy cookies from Wegman’s bakery because they’re really good and, when you factor in time and ingredients, less expensive. Plus, they last a little longer – Aack! Preservatives! I guess my life forces me to save time anywhere I can. Running around to a couple of stores to gather several ingredients that I then have to drag home and mix together in a container (if I can find one; probably would have to buy that, too) before I can apply it to my horse is a lot more work than grabbing a jar at the store. And, as far as the cookies go, well, I can probably use the preservatives. Cynthia Foley, Editor-in-Chief

home-made weed killer on Facebook (where else?). It claimed the recipe was cheaper than Roundup and worked within a similar time frame. But this Facebook recipe included “blue Dawn Original” dishwashing detergent. I was mesmerized. That stuff is awesome. My husband mixes it with water and uses it to destroy small bee nests. I use it to clean my brushes, nylon halters, buckets, tubs and other things in the barn. (No, I don’t bathe the horses in dishwashing liquid nor do I use it on my leather tack because I know the pH is not optimal for skin of any type.) So, excited about saving money and feeling confident that anything with Dawn in it must be good, I printed out the recipe and gave it to my husband. His reaction? “It’s more expensive to make than what I’m using and a lot more effort. Why would I bother?” I was dumbfounded. I should have known that! Some folks will counter that the Facebook recipe doesn’t include chemicals. Really? Have you read the ingredients in Dawn? Remember, prescription drugs are chemi-

Horse Journal OnCall: Do I Really Need to Use a Bit? We just trail ride, but if I should use a bit, how do I get him to accept it?

have a 3-year-old Paso Fino whom I began to ride last summer. Before starting to ride him, I put a bridle on him with a snaffle bit. He never refused to take it, but he chomped on it the entire time. I’d leave him in his stall, chomping away, while I did chores nearby. When it came time to ride, though, I just stuck with a Parelli hackamore (rope halter with rope reins and lead attached). Due to his rotund shape, I rarely ride him with a saddle, because, tight as I pull the girth, it still slips when I try to mount from the ground. And being so comfy, he’s really rather nice to ride bareback. My question: Should I continue to try to get him to work with a bit, or just forget it? I won’t be riding any discipline that requires it—we’ll just trail ride for fun. If you think he should be wearing a bit, how will I get him to accept it quietly? And should he hold it still in his mouth before I try to ride with it? Performance Editor John Strassburger responds: If you’re not planning on training for or competing in any discipline that requires a bit, then the answer is, no, you don’t have to teach your horse to go in a bit. But, should you decide that you want to further your horse’s education by doing so, here are some thoughts. First, it’s not at all unusual for a horse to mouth or chomp on the bit when it’s first introduced to them. They have to get used to the taste and the feel of it—rather like you putting on a new pair of shoes. But he may be doing it because the bit is uncomfortable in his mouth, perhaps because he needs to have his teeth power-floated. He could even need to have some teeth extracted 46

ing may end his distraction with the bit, and horses really should move the bit with their jaws and tongues, not just hold it inert, while working. To prevent your saddle from sliding off him, I’d recommend three changes. First is weight loss. I’m afraid that your description suggests an obese horse. Less food and more exercise are in order. Second, you may need a wider saddle, for his comfort and your security. Third, I’d recommend a breastplate to help hold the saddle in place.

If a bit is comfortable, most horses don’t mind wearing it.

or to have a bit seat filed in his front molars. These are very common issues with young horses. I’d strongly recommend having a veterinarian certified in dental care or an equine dentist attend to him before proceeding with the bit. Also check the adjustment of the bit in his mouth. Many people place the bit far too low in their horses’ mouths. You should see one to three wrinkles in the skin at the corner of his mouth. The bit should not be banging against his incisors—that will make him very uncomfortable. Your horse could also have a dislike of, or preference for, certain bit materials. Instead of a metal bit, try a plastic-covered or rubber-covered bit. You could also try different types of metals. No, he doesn’t need to be able to stand without chomping on the bit before you try to work him. Work-

Judging Western Dressage A new USEF division shows a growing interest in Western Dressage.

ast weekend I had my first venture into judging western dressage. I’ve gone on record as not being particularly happy about the term “western dressage.” To me dressage is dressage, and tack does not define it. My biggest concern with the idea is that, instead of trot or canter, the gaits referred to in western dressage are jog and lope. Because of that distinction, the U.S. Dressage Federation has not adopted western dressage under its aegis. However, The U.S. Equestrian Federation, which writes the competition rules for straight dressage shows, now has a separate western dressage division, and it is to be judged by licensed USEF dressage judges like myself. I was invited to judge the dressage classes at a Morgan show, open only to horses of that breed. (Some breed shows open their dressage classes to all comers, but not this specific show.) I was told it would include western dressage classes, and I explained my reservations to the show management, that I would need to score as insufficient any jog that wasn’t clearly a diagonal two-beat gait or any lope that wasn’t clearly three-beat, just as I would at any regular dressage show. They said no problem. I then studied the USEF rules and the western tests at length. They also emphasized that the jog would be a diagonal twobeat gait and the lope a clear threebeat gait. So far, so good. The Morgan division used to write its own rules for western dressage, but since the USEF added a separate western dressage division last year, the Morgans have dropped their own rules and tests in lieu of those rules instead. This was a good plan – makes things more consistent and less confusing to have one set of rules and tests rather than two. At the show, I judged only the Intro and Basic classes, equivalent

The western dressage score sheet doesn’t include impulsion.

roughly to Intro and Training in regular dressage. Things seemed to go pretty smoothly, although the tests clearly call for freedom in the strides, and at times that seemed to be lacking. A significant difference between the score sheets for straight dressage and those for western dressage is found at the bottom in the boxes for collective marks. Straight dressage has six boxes there: gaits, impulsion and submission plus three more for the rider. Western dressage has five boxes: gaits, submission, rider position, accuracy and harmony. The gait box uses the same directive for both western and straight dressage: “Freedom and regularity.” The important distinction on the western sheets is that the impulsion box is dropped while the submission score is multiplied by a coefficient of 2. Coupled with the harmony box, that is a significant emphasis on submission for western dressage over straight dressage. I also found some of the western dressage rules to be very interesting, at least in contrast to the straight dressage rules. For example, bucking requires elimina-

tion in western dressage, while it’s merely a score reduction in straight dressage. There was no reference to rearing, which I consider to be a much bigger issue than bucking in terms of both safety and submission. Both curb and snaffle bits are allowed (as are hackamores) and riders can choose to ride with one hand on the reins or two. Posting is allowed. Drop nose bands are not allowed. Use of voice aids is allowed. Wow, that would be a big one in straight dressage, where any use of voice is an automatic deduction. The lower-level tests that I judged flowed fairly well but were considerably longer than their counterparts in straight dressage. I suspect they will continue to be reviewed as this new discipline gathers interest. It will be interesting to see how the gait score and the term “freedom” continue to be interpreted as both more riders and judges give these tests a try. Margaret Freeman, Associate Editor

The Glass Horse A “Must Have” for Horse Enthusiasts

rying to comprehend what is happening to your horse during colic is nearly impossible because equine anatomy is so much different from human anatomy. When the vet starts talking about the right dorsal colon, the cecum, the transverse colon, and the small colon - everything can get terribly confusing. When you have to make serious medical decisions under pressure, confused is the last thing you want to be! To help clear it all up, The Glass Horse offers 3-D digital animations that will instantly catapult your understanding of equine anatomy to a whole new level. The Horse Owners Guide to Colic includes a detailed, step by step 3-D anatomy construction program in which you can “build” the internal anatomy of the horse one organ system at a time- almost like

The Glass Limb.

putting together a puzzle. It allows you to see “what goes where” in a step-by-step fashion. The program

also includes information about colic including the common signs as well as answers to frequently asked questions about the various types of colic. Best of all, this guide shows what happens internally during 9 different types of colic, ranging from impactions to torsion. In these sections, the animated 3-D movie can be viewed from all angles with a drag of the mouse. The Glass Horse has extended this technology into the Equine Distal Limb for owners trying to understand lameness. Since the vast majority of lameness comes from the foot region, it makes sense to focus on this area. The program pieces the distal limb (from the fetlock down) together - one structure at a time. Within a few minutes, users are versed in knowing where tendons, ligaments and bones are in the foot. These two programs can be purchased as downloads or as a CD - check them out if you have a chance - you will be glad you did. Grant Miller, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

Ticks, Ticks and More Ticks Few products for horses are specifically labeled for tick control.

count myself as extremely lucky. Our little microenvironment in upstate New York is not a hotbed for ticks. People living even a few miles from our farm tend to see many more ticks. However, last fall and this spring I started finding occasional ticks on the dogs. Luckily, none on the horses so far. Are ticks a concern for our horses? Absolutely! Two of the diseases ticks can spread to horses are Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis (used to be Equine Ehrlichiosis if you started in horses way back like I did :-). Both of these diseases can be treated, but they can also do lasting damage to your horse. Anaplasmosis will affect your horse’s blood cells. You may notice petechia (tiny blood patches on the skin), edema or swelling of the legs, a fever and not wanting to move. Some horses will show icterus or yellow tissues from the destruction of red blood cells. This is diagnosed via blood samples and treated with oxytetracycline. Lyme disease is seen in horses in areas where the disease is prevalent in people and pets. Think New England and the Northeast, though the areas of known cases are spreading. Horses may show joint problems with lameness, pain, laminitis, eye problems and possible liver or kidney problems. This is generally treated with oxyteracycline or doxycycline. The reality is that you would prefer not to have to treat your horse at all! So how can you help to prevent tick problems with your horses? Step one is to look at your environment. Mowed or fairly closely grazed pastures (such as a rotational system) will keep tick encounters to a minimum. Don’t pile up brush or old leaves and other plant material right by your horse pastures and your barn. Discourage wildlife. Deer, voles, mice and almost any mammalian wildife can carry ticks into your

The Tick Key.

pasture and near your horses. Put salt and mineral blocks near the barn so hopefully deer won’t come that close to lick them. Put hay out in racks near the barn for the same reason. Sunlight and dry weather (low humidity) are enemies of ticks, so keep that in mind as you survey your property and plan plantings, landscaping, etc. Chickens, especially bantams, and guinea hens are renowned for tick eating. If you want farm fresh eggs and fewer ticks you can simply add a few chickens to your animal population. Of course, chickens can bring their own problems and beware if you have a horse with allergies. There are very few products for horses specifically labeled for tick control but many of the fly sprays will help to discourage ticks from attaching to your horse. I have sprayed people insect repellents on a cloth and used that to wipe down my horses during bad times of insect harassment. Actually the best method of tick control (along with environmental steps) is to do a quick daily survey of your horse. An eyeball assessment can catch many ticks early on. You may need to actually rub your hands over your horse in some areas like the armpits and carefully feel for any “tick bumps.” Always check ears and tail carefully. Sitting on the tailbone is a common place for ticks to attach on horses and they like ears too. If you see your horse itching, rubbing or biting at a

certain spot, feel carefully for any ticks in those areas. A recent suggestion was to run a lint roller over your horse when he comes in from the pasture. Ticks that aren’t firmly attached already would get stuck on the sticky paper. If you find a tick, do NOT do the local old wives’ tales methods of removal. Holding a match near the tick will simply singe and terrify your horse! I can recommend a “tick key”. These little tools work very well for scooping a tick out. Ideally you should wear gloves while doing this. Horses, dogs and people tolerate tick removal with this simple tool. Hopefully you won’t encounter any ticks on you or your horse. If you have other great tips to share on keeping tick populations down and keeping ticks off your horse, feel free to share them! Deb M. Eldredge, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

Horse Journal’s OnCall Service: Your Own Personal Equine Consultant Our experts provide answers to your questions.

rass hay or alfalfa? What kind of bit is best? How does one relax at the canter? Do you have a horse-related question? We’ve got you covered. With Horse Journal OnCall, querying subscribers receive a free, prompt, individualized answer, whether it’s about horses, equitation, product choices, veterinary concerns, or just finding a particular article on our site. E-mail us at mailto: horsejournal@aimmedia.com. We’ll help! (unless it’s about your love life. Sorry, we’ll gracefully recuse ourselves from that area). In addition to OnCall, we have lifelong, dedicated horsemen and women directing Horse Journal’s editorial content, so you know you’re getting expert equine information. Navicular horse? You may want to talk with your veterinarian after you read Dr. Grant Miller’s discussion about Tildren, which is finally available in the U.S.! Just getting back in the saddle after the long winter and wet spring? Three-day eventing trainer John Strassburger tells you why building strength is so important in your horses – and explains how to do it. Simply register at the upper-right hand corner of the home screen for access. Sign up for the Newsletter, too (right-hand column or top menu link), as we will notify you of new articles posted to the site via the newsletter. If you do Facebook or Twitter and follow Horse Journal, you can receive notifications of a new article the day it is posted. Too busy to check our site daily? We’ve got you covered. At the end of each month, you can download a PDF containing all of Horse Journal’s recent content, so you don’t miss a thing. Whatever you need, 50

we’ve got it. It’s no wonder Horse Journal has some of the most loyal subscribers in the industry. And here’s what they’re telling us about our new online format: “Horse Journal’s conversion to a subscriber digital format was simply brilliant!” “More articles! More information! News! Unbiased recommendations! Thank you!” “Thank you, Horse Journal, for advice I can take to the bank. I LOVE your Equestrian Shopper. It’s THE place to be on the Internet, with solid information on what works and what doesn’t.” “Thank you, Horse Journal, for helping keep my barn budget under control!” Here’s a sample of what we’ve offered lately: Magnesium: http://horse-journal. com/article/supplementing-magnesium-21294 – You’ve heard about its almost miraculous benefits to cresty-necked, overweight horses, but are the label recommendations enough to get the job done? We have the answer. Hoof Dressing: http://horse-journal.com/article/hoof-dressing16601– Some of us like to finish off our grooming session with a quick flick of the hoof-dressing brush to have shiny, pretty hooves. But, is it worth the time and money? VersZa Fork: http://horse-journal. com/article/pitch-fork-decisions16547 – This revolutionary new pitch fork is far from inexpensive, but our test barns gave it thumbs up. Find out why. About the Equine Network The Equine Network provides, creates, and distributes relevant content and services to passionate horse enthusiasts while connect-

ing them to each other and the marketplace. The Equine Network is the publisher of award-winning magazines: Horse&Rider, EQUUS, Dressage Today, The Trail Rider, Spin to Win Rodeo, American Cowboy and Practical Horseman. The Equine Network also publishes a proprietary line of books and DVDs for sale through its store, HorseBooksEtc.com. The Equine Network provides emergency roadside assistance through its recent acquisition of USRider, and is home to several websites including: EquiSearch. com, Equine.com, MyHorseDaily. com, DiscoverHorses.com, AmericanCowboy.com, and Horse-Journal.com.

Some Horses Develop Faster Than Others You have to have a program or overall plan for developing horses, but you have to be able to take different routes on the way to your goal.

ne of the challenges in show jumping, making a to horse training is to green-horse error at the fifth accept—even to emfence, a vertical set along the brace—that you can’t just rail by the out-gate, where do the same things with all many horses and people were horses and that they won’t gathered. The crowd distractall fit neatly into your perfect ed her, and she didn’t pick up training box. Yes, you have to her front feet fast enough. have a program or overall plan So I’ll set up ditch-like obfor developing horses, but you stacles at home and take her have to be able to take differcross-country schooling at a ent routes on the way to your course with several ditches goal, whether it’s eventing or before her next event. But I’m another sport. very pleased with how Bella Piper jumped eagerly and confidently in his second beginWell, last weekend I rode two answered the new challenges young horses, each of whom we ner novice start. and learned this weekend, bred, in the Shepherd Ranch and I’m still optimistic that Horse Trials in Solvang, Calif., and answers would always be correct. she’ll be ready for the training level I think that the different rates at She’d also be the leader of whatever three-day event at Galway Downs which they’re progressing is a good group the teacher put her in, and in November. If we complete that example of what I’m talking about. she’d be the first to hand in her event well, then I’ll plan to move Both horses are 5 years old, and work. Bella up to preliminary level next they were born here at Phoenix In real life, she’s always eager to spring, as she progresses toward Farm just two weeks apart. They come in from the field to work, she what I hope will be an international spent the first seven or eight months walks eagerly down to the ring to career. of their lives living together before get started schooling or marches up Bella has a very quick brain to go we separated them because one the hill on hacking days, and I have along with her eager work ethic. was a colt and one was a filly. We to move quickly to stay in front of Even though she’s only half-Thorstarted working them as 2-year-olds her when she loads on a trailer. oughbred (her sire, Palladio is a in our usual program (ponying or A year ago, Shepherd Ranch was Dutch Warmblood) she has a decidlongeing them three days a week), Bella’s first event; I started her at edly Thoroughbred temperament gave them several months off for the introductory level (and she finand has physically matured at a rate the winter, then put them back into ished second). This year Shepherd closer to a Thoroughbred than to a work in the spring of their 3-yearRanch was her first training level warmblood. old year and started them under start, having progressed through But Piper (Phoenix Promiscusaddle. And that was when their the beginner novice and novice levous), our other homebred, is very physical and mental differences els since then. Bella stopped twice different. He has no Thoroughbred required the rate of their training to at the ditch in the rail-ditch-rail close-up in his pedigree (which is diverge. combination, which wasn’t shockbasically Oldenburg and HanoveBasically, if you think of them as ing because her challenge at the rian), and when he was 2 and 3 and two teenagers aiming for college, moment is obstacles with no height growing in random ways we joked one went into the advanced-place(ditches and down banks). Bella is that we kept him on the back 40 ment program to get ready and one very leggy (rather like a spider), and acres so no one would see him. We needed additional tutoring and she has trouble sorting out her legs were confident that he would grow time to get ready. But they’re both when there isn’t a jump to navigate. up to be a handsome horse, because going to get there. I urged her over the ditch on the he was a beautiful foal, and he’s Bella (Phoenix Bellisima) is the third attempt, and from there on definitely done that. AP student. If she were a girl in she jumped better with each jump. Piper is kind and very willing, your class, she’d be the tall, lanky, She even very nicely figured out the but I swear there are times when quiet one who sits in the front row. downhill rail-bank combination you can see the synapses firing in She would quietly offer answers five or six jumps later. his brain. Once he learns how to do to the teacher’s questions, and her And then she jumped beautifully something—whether on his back or Article from Horse Journal Online - www. horse-journal.com - Copyright ©2014

on the ground—it’s locked in there. But he’s not nearly as able to figure out new things as Bella. For these physical and mental reasons, Piper made his eventing debut six months after Bella, also at the introductory level. He was a very good boy, especially since time limitations had prevented me from taking him to a single schooling show of any kind before taking him for four days to a full-fledged event. Then, in March, we reluctantly decided we should sell Piper. We’d bred him to be my wife, Heather’s, horse, and, as he grew, I believed he had the temperament and athleticism to be a “horse of a lifetime” for her. But his gaits are too big and his jump is too scopey for her neck and back to handle, so we’ve sadly accepted that he’ll have to be a star for someone else. While we wait for the right person to come along, I’ve been giving him competitive experience and enjoying the wonderful horse we’ve produced. Shepherd Ranch was his second start at beginner novice, and he finished fourth with his second clear cross-country round. (Since last weekend, I’ve told Heather and most of our students to buy lottery tickets so he can stay here. They said they would, because everybody loves Piper.) As usually happens at this point in training, Piper felt much more experienced and confident than he did last month at Woodside, jumping both the cross-country and show jumping courses with ease. So I’m planning on moving him up to novice at the August Woodside event. The way he’s progressing, if I were to keep him, I’d expect him to be ready to move up to training level in the spring, and he certainly has the scope of gaits and jump to compete at preliminary level farther in the future. This brief description should have demonstrated how Piper and Bella have progressed at a different pace, but here’s one additional observation on their physical differences: Bella has big, strong feet, but she needed front shoes very shortly after I started her under saddle, for comfort and support, and I thought she needed hind shoes too before 52

I started to compete her, again for comfort and support. But Piper, who’s about 2 inches taller and probably 200 pounds heavier than Bella, is still barefoot and going beautifully. We haven’t even considered putting shoes on

him—I find it quite extraordinary that a horse of his size and big movement doesn’t need shoes, even on the rock-hard ground we have here in California. John Strassburger, Performance Editor

Barn Drama It doesn’t have to be a problem in a boarding barn.

ack in April, the Wall Street Journal printed an article on Barn Drama. Really?! Must have been a really slow news day. I just heard about it and, with the wacky world of the internet I was able to find the back issue and read it. It made some valid points but was overall poorly researched and reported Our barn is full of positive-thinking people. – made boarding barns sound worse than the “cool table” at a high school cafeteronment, all with their separate ria. concerns, and then add the presOne point seemed to be that sures and emotions of maintaining people in a multi-discipline barn an expensive animal, things can get just can’t get along. Really?! I have heated. If someone isn’t comfortmostly boarded in multi-discipline able in a particular barn environbarns over the past 40 years, usument, the best solution is to find ally hanging out with eventers, another barn. If that’s not possible, hunters and jumpers if the barn had then you have to keep more to good management and care and was yourself and that can be difficult as easy for my commute. I especially well, not to mention blunting the enjoyed boarding with eventers. enjoyment of spending time with (“Okay, let’s hit the trails!) your horse. The barn I’m in now is a pure joy. But, I have found that barn drama Yes, we all do dressage so there are isn’t automatic. Mostly it comes never jumps set up in the covered from the attitude and standards set arena, although there are some out by the people running the barn. If in the field. My BO takes exquisite they are positive and considerate, care of the footing – it’s watered they won’t tolerate boarders who and dragged daily. We all help are cranky. If you need to move to each other out and there is a lot of a new barn, make sure the person laughing going on. (DQs with a running it is someone you can sense of humor?! Really?!) Gossip respect. is kept at a minimum – no need Margaret Freeman, for it when we are all pretty much Associate Editor positive thinkers. Boarding barns are a microcosm of life in a way. When you get a mixture of people in a tight envi-

Choosing The Top Prospect An impressive 8,000-horse study evaluates potential in young horses.

e would all love a magic wand to wave over a group of promising performance horses that lights up over the top prospects. A study written up in the June 15 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association – Associations of health status and conformation with longevity and lifetime competition performance in young Swedish Warmblood riding horses: 8,238 cases (1983-2005) - comes close, however. The study was done in Sweden with 8,238 Swedish Warmblood horses involved. Four- to five-yearold horses were tested with an eye toward seeing which horses would have the longest and best careers in competition performance events. The horses were tracked over their performance careers. Health status and conformation factors were examined. Horses received in overall orthopedic health score, hoof health score, locomotion health score, palpation orthopedic score and a riding quality test. Conformation was also evaluated. Hoof evaluation rated each horse on 11 traits of the hoof, including shape and hoof wall. Locomotion was checked at a walk and trot, and then followed up with a trot after flexion. For conformation, judges looked at overall body type, head, neck and body specifically, conformation of the legs and looking at the walk and trot in hand. Since most horses were looking at careers in dressage and show jumping, those were the areas looked at in the riding test. The tests, which statistically were the most helpful in predicting a horse’s future, were the locomotion evaluation, the body type and trotting scores and the overall health score (resulting from palpation, locomotion, etc). The talent scores from the riding test were also important. Poor hoof quality and any

ing stock. Bottom Line: Careful, systematic evaluation of young performance horse prospects makes sense. Do a thorough workup and you have a better chance of coming up with a horse who will have a long and successful performance career. Deb M. Eldredge, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

A Swedish study looked at over 8,000 horses to help us better evaluate young prospects.

joint effusion tended to correlate with a shorter career and/or poor performance. The best qualities were a large but moderate in height horse, slightly sloping shoulders, nice neck, good withers and a sloping croup. Free movement both in the fore and rear were important. Talent in the jumping arena showing up in a four- to five-year-old horse was very positive for both longevity in performance and overall lifetime performance quality. Negative correlations included short and heavy horses, steep shoulder conformation and stiff movement. Toeing in in the front had negative results while slight toeing out showed a positive effect on longevity. Any reaction on flexion tests matched up with poor longevity and performance, as did any atrophy of the croup or hamstring muscles. Joint effusions and poor hoof quality also showed strong heritability. This suggests that thought needs to go into these conditions when evaluating breed-

Sarcoids

If your horse has an abrasion that won’t resolve, don’t overlook this form of cancer!

oes your horse have a dime to quarter-sized round patch of missing hair that doesn’t ever go away? Although it could be a scar or a callous, don’t forget about the possibility of an equine sarcoid. Sarcoids are a form of skin cancer caused by the bovine papilloma virus. It is a weird sort of etiologythe virus that causes warts in cattle can cause cancer in horses. While warts are generally self-limiting in cattle, the cancer is a potentially serious life-long issue in horses. Flies can carry the bovine papilloma virus on their mouth piece and inoculate it into the horse’s skin when they bite. Of course, not every horse that gets bitten by a fly carrying papilloma virus gets sarcoids, so much is still unknown about the disease process. It has been postulated that some horses are genetically susceptible to the cancer, or also possibilities that immune status plays a roll. Despite all that we have yet to learn about why they occur, we do know for sure that sarcoids are the most commonly diagnosed tumor of horses, mules and donkeys- representing 36% of diagnosed skin tumors. Studies suggest there is no significant gender or age predisposition, but they are highly prevalent in Quarter horses and Arabians and less common in Standardbreds. There are six described types of sarcoids: • Occult sarcoids are flat, hairless, crusty lesions that are typically round. They often have a smooth, dark hairless area around them. • Verrucose sarcoids are raised, knobby, dark areas that often spread into poorly defined margins. They can sometimes have 54

picking at it and keep the flies away since any irritation can cause it to “wake up” and grow. Grant Miller, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

ulcerated portions. Nodular sarcoids are firm and nodular skin lumps which may have normal skin over them. • Fibroblastic sarcoids are often swollen, nodular bloody scabbing lesions that grow off the body much like proud flesh. • Mixed sarcoids are commonly a mixture of two or more of the forms described above. • Malevolent sarcoids are aggressive and invasive lesions that appear on the outside like fibroblastic sarcoids but also invade deep tissues. Sarcoids can develop anywhere on the body but are most common in the paragenital region (around the sheath and on the inside of the upper hind legs,) the ventral thorax and abdomen (midline), and the head. They frequently are seen at sites of previous injury and scarring. Why? Because these are the places where flies most commonly bite! Several treatments are available, but none are guaranteed cures. Most commonly, small sarcoids are surgically excised and removed. Often times a laser is used in the surgical process since it can cut the sarcoid out and cauterize the location simutaneously. Cases in which sarcoids are too large to be excised or are in inoperable locations, chemotherapy, radiation and even topical caustic agents can be used to reduce the size of the lesions and kill neoplastic cells. There are even some experimental sarcoid vaccinations in the works- stay tuned! No two sarcoids are treated exactly the same way, so you must consult with your veterinarian to determine which treatment plan is the best option should your horse have a sarcoid. If your horse has a sarcoid, avoid •