EQUINE
APRIL 26, 2018 | THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER | 25
Local woman opens animal therapy foundation BY JAIME MYSLIK
HILLSBURGH – The healing power of horses has inspired a local woman to open an animal therapy facility. Jennifer Kindred-Bulbulia, 42, began her journey to the BK Foundation about 20 years ago. At age 25 she was in a wheelchair, having suffered from muscular difficulties since she was 11. “Riding horses had me walking again,” she said. “So I, myself, saw the extreme magic that medical doctors could not fix me, yet the animals could.” She added, “I could see how they could read into every situation that was happening in my life and also with those around me.” Kindred-Bulbulia was born and raised in California and, while she was working as a vet, began bringing people with mental disabilities into her practice to work with injured animals. “They could feel like they were helping as well,” she said. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she lost her business. She and her husband, Yusuf Bulbulia, moved to Erin in 2016 and she began working on the BK Foundation during her recovery. Now the couple owns 52 acres of land and 30 animals they use in therapy sessions with people who have various disabilities and disorders, including autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, Down syndrome, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, addiction, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, fibromyalgia, polio and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The animals, including horses, rabbits, barn cats, pigmy goats, sheep, dogs, miniature horses and alpacas, are the back-
bone of the therapy program. When a potential client approaches Kindred-Bulbulia, the first step is an evaluation of the client’s needs, issues, goals and what they want to gain from therapy. “Then I take them out to the animals and where I’m different than some [others], you’ve heard of therapy dogs or therapy
public or fear of animals. “You focus on those certain areas and you gain trust by slow processing of different things with the animal,” she said. “If they’re scared to feed them, you do other things; you just interact together around the animal until they feel safe that the animal can touch them without hurting them.”
There’s a lot of work that has to be done with the caretakers and the parents as well as the actual client ... - JENNIFER KINDRED-BULBULIA
horses or therapeutic riding, I don’t do riding at all, everything is ground work and hands on, and what I do is I see who that person bonds with the most or who I think they’re going to work with best,” she said. “I’ve had parents come out that say they only want their kids to be with the horses and yet their kids can’t stand the horses and they end up working better with the sheep and the goats.” Kindred-Bulbulia said a big part of her role is helping parents and caregivers better understand the client’s needs. “There’s a lot of work that has to be done with the caretakers and the parents as well as the actual client ... and then they eventually understand when ... we start working with them,” Kindred-Bulbulia said. She added once clients are paired with their animal of choice they work on whatever they’re struggling with, like social anxiety or fear of being in
Kindred-Bulbulia is trained through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International and is working on her PhD in psychology, so she understands clients’ needs. “I can have the worst day of my life (then) give a session, and I feel better just to see what is happening with these people because I haven’t had a negative experience,” she said. “Even if somebody, say with autism, had an episode or an anxiety attack, you have to know how to deal with that and make sure that the animals and the people both are safe at all times.” Kindred-Bulbulia said she worked with a 9-year-old girl about a year ago who suffered a school injury that caused brain damage and paralysis. “They thought she was brain dead, [but her] parents did not give up; they were able to use a combo of physio with her and CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
Jennifer Kindred-Bulbulia and her Friesian horse Tye, who also works as a therapy horse at the BK Foundation. Submitted photo
One of Jennifer Kindred-Bulbulia’s animal therapy sessions at the BK Foundation. Submitted photo
26 | THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER | APRIL 26, 2018
EQUINE Mud season and pastern dermatitis
Local animal therapy FROM PAGE 25
... Equine Assisted Learning (EAL),” Kindred-Bulbulia said. “Once she was able to get some movement up they started her in the EAL program and within six months she was fully walking and talking again - and she was actually helping the other kids with the program, instructing them what they could or could not do. “So that alone had an amazing result right there.” In other instances, she said children who haven’t previously talked start communicating and people who have muscular problems start brushing or feeding and working the animals. In another specific case, Kindred-Bulbulia said she worked with a girl at the BK Foundation who was aggressive and had anger issues. “It only took her three months to come around,” Kindred-Bulbulia said. “She is not aggressive to the animals at all anymore ... social skills have improved greatly and she doesn’t have the violence that she had.”
W E L L I N G T O N COUNTY - Although it seems a bit delayed this year, inevitably the ice and snow will give way to spring, or as it may be more commonly known amongst horse owners, “mud season.” For some, this means the endless washing of rain sheets. For others, it brings despair as pastures are transformed into the “swamp of Jennifer Kindred-Bulbulia and her gypsy horse Piper, who also works as a therapy sadness” from the Neverhorse at the BK Foundation. Submitted photo Ending Story. But for many horse ownThe BK Foundation has it one huge wellness centre Once the weather warms ers, this is the dreaded season only been taking on cli- that integrates everything,” up, Kindred-Bulbulia will be of pastern dermatitis. Kindred-Bulbulia said. ents for a year and a half. continuing with her theraOften called scratches or She has also spoken with py sessions this spring. An Currently, Kindred-Bulbulia mud fever, pastern dermatitis can only work with clients a Guelph veterinarian from individual session costs $125 is a multifactorial skin condiin fair weather, as the only Park Avenue Veterinary and a group session for five tion that can affect any horse, Services who’s interested in working area is outdoors. people costs $250. regardless of age or breed. However, in the future she partnering to allow KindredKindred-Bulbulia said she hopes to build a number of Bulbulia’s clients to work hopes to eventually offer a That being said, horses with with injured animals at her scholarship program to cli- white markings on their legs facilities. She has spoken with the practice. ents from lower income and those with feathers seem “She said if we can get homes who can’t get funding. to be particularly sensitive. owner of Exhale Academy, a This condition is known wellness centre in Erin, and the funding and get it going Those interested in donatto involve a combination of once the BK Foundation is she would even move her ing to the BK Foundation, risk factors including envivet practice into the facility,” built out, there is the potensponsoring an animal or ronmental factors (eg. cool, Kindred-Bulbulia said. tial for a partnership. arranging a therapy session wet weather), immune mediNow, the BK Foundation can visit www.thebkfounda“She wants to work with ated disease, allergic skin us in prescribing our ther- is working to be granted char- tion.com or contact Kindredconditions and photosensitiity status so it can apply for apy for her patients, as well Bulbulia at jennifer@thebas getting fully involved in various grants to progress the kfoundation.com or 1-855- zation, as well as fungal, bacterial and parasitic infections. eventually, hopefully, making facility further. 463-2524. Milder forms of pastern dermatitis result in redness, scabbing, oozing sores and SERVING thickened skin affecting the heels and pasterns. In more HALTON & severe cases, the scabs and WELLINGTON sores can spread over the fetFARM lock and sometimes as high COUNTRY as the knee or hock, often resulting in significant soft FOR OVER tissue swelling and some25 YEARS LEATHERTOWN timesLUMBER lameness. Here are some tips to
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EQUINE
APRIL 26, 2018 | THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER | 27
Equine Guelph celebrates 15 years of health, welfare, safety BY OLIVIA RUTT
GUELPH - Equine Guelph was created in 2003 to fill a service gap in the industry. Director Gayle Ecker was there when the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College and the equine industry established the program to better connect research with the industry.
of the organization is funding for equine research projects. Over the last 15 years, Equine Guelph has provided over $4.2 million to more than 100 research projects, many resulting in changes to horse care and practices. One of the latest projects includes a partnership with two University of Guelph
That’s the industry coming together, bringing money to the table so that all of these wonderful research projects can get funded. - GAYLE ECKER, EQUINE GUELPH
The goal, she said, was to “increase communications and (the) effectiveness of ... programs for the equine industry.” The industry offered funds to support research, communication and education to promote the health, welfare and safety of horses. “It has been wonderful to work with the industry,” said Ecker. “We’ve had so many exciting projects that we’ve been able to do with the assistance of the industry ... we have some people in our industry that are just as passionate as my staff, and that makes it all worthwhile.” One of the major pillars
researchers, Dr. Luis Arroyo and Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe, to focus on gut microbiome and health in animals. Arroyo studies large animal health and Allen-Vercoe studies gut microbiome in humans. A Robogut, developed by Allen-Vercoe, is a robot that simulates a human gut for research. Arroyo will help transition the technology to simulate a horse gut for further health research. Other research projects include respiratory health in racing and non-racing horses, stem cell research, concussive force of the hoof and leg, maternal recognition of foals, semen freezing, artificial insemination, asthma in
Saugeen Bluffs
Equine Guelph staff, from left, Susan Raymond, David Finlay, Jackie Bellamy-Zions, Gayle Ecker, Henrietta Coole and Diane Gibbard. Photo by Equine Guelph
horses and behavioural studies. All research proposals are externally peer reviewed, which Ecker said is an “important strength” of the program. “That’s the industry coming together, bringing money to the table so that all of these wonderful research projects can get funded,” said Ecker. “Now the next step to that though, is research is only of
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are put online and sent out through newsletters and press releases. Equine Guelph also distributes information fact sheets. Industry officials can then take action. “Last year we had a horrible time getting hay,” said
Ecker, as an example, noting late and wet hay can cause breathing issues in horses. “By studying asthma and breathing issues in horses, we can then come out with specific recommendations for people ... handling that hay so CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
28 | THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER | APRIL 26, 2018
EQUINE
Celebrating 15th anniversary CONTINUED ON PAGE 27
that it decreases the chance of ... respiratory issues. “Controlling the dust and mould in that hay is critical to protecting the respiratory system of your horse.” Research is also developed for Equine Guelph’s educational programs. “We were the first accredited university to start an online equine certificate and diploma program and we have grown to be a world leader in the offering of evidence-based education from an accredited university,” said Ecker. The research is put into a practical and applied form online as courses for students and those in the equine industry. New this year is an expansion of educational programs called the Horse Portal. There are over 20 courses for Equine Guelph’s programs, such as a diploma in equine studies as well as certificates in equine science, equine business management, equine welfare and equine veterinary technician. “But time and money are still barriers to learning,” said Ecker. “What we wanted to do is develop another way to bring people in to keep learn-
ing about horses and so we do that through the Horse Portal.” The portal offers short, two- and three-week courses on topics such as sickness prevention, animal rescue and behaviour and safety. Large animal rescue courses are also offered to emergency services personnel and many local volunteer fire departments are trained. With the Highway 401 corridor close by, Ecker said it has been valuable having emergency services personnel with this specialized training. “This is all about how to do it safely and humanely and increase the chances of it being a rescue rather than a recovery,” she said. “We would like to know that we’ve got that expertise within our fire departments that can help make that situation better and increase the chances of that animal to live a healthy life.” Equine Guelph’s education platform isn’t aimed solely at adults and those in the industry. Equine Guelph has developed a travelling exhibit called Equimania, teaching health, welfare and safety of horses in an interactive way for youth and parents. “We’re trying to get peo-
ple to be aware of the horse industry as a career, aware of it as leisure time; just basically all of those different aspects of the horse industry,” said Ecker. “Equimania helped ... bring it out to both people in rural and urban situations.” Some of the teaching tools include human and horse anatomy comparison and an 85-foot long replica horse gut. “We have tremendous fun and we can tell them some interesting things like, ‘Did you know that horses cannot throw up?’” said Ecker. She said such fun facts can translate to important health and welfare implications. “We use analogies ... that kids can relate to and then talk to what [it] means for the health and welfare of the horse,” she said. “You can see how powerful that can be as a teaching tool.” Ecker said the love of horses in the industry has kept Equine Guelph successful. “The one thing that binds us is our huge passion for the horse,” she said. Ecker said events to celebrate the organization’s 15 years are still in the planning stages but may take place in the fall.
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One of the hands on workshops Equine Guelph offers is large animal rescue training for emergency services. Photo by Toni MacPherson
Equimania is a program developed by Equine Guelph focused on teaching kids about equine health, safety and welfare. Photo by Equine Guelph
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APRIL 26, 2018 | THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER | 29
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A room of horse people - The Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex became a hub of activity for horse people on April 8 for the Centre Wellington Equine Trade Show and Used Tack Sale. Numerous equine-related businesses and vendors showed up to sell their wares or tell visitors about their services. LEFT: Linda Neeb, right, and her daughter Lindsay Hoegy were selling Neeb’s handmade horse quilts at the trade show. Country Den, Neeb’s business, is located in Dublin, Ontario. RIGHT: The Ontario Sidesaddle Association was also at the trade show. Representing the organization were Lois Beecraft, left, and association president Diana Macdonald. The non-profit organization, was established in 2010 to promote and encourage the art of sidesaddle riding in Ontario. Photos by Jaime Myslik
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Research targets equine herpesvirus GUELPH - Researchers at the University of Guelph are searching for clues to better manage a virus that can cause late gestation abortion in mares. Horses carrying equine herpesvirus (EHV) may exhibit signs as minor as a runny nose and mild fever, but the virus is a major cause of neurological, respiratory and reproductive disease, including abortions, in the equine industry. Horses often are infected early in life and EHV can remain in the body for life, reactivating at any time, but it’s not clear what causes this to happen. Something pushes it over the edge to disease manifestation, explained Dr. Brandon Lillie, a pathologist in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). While vaccination is recommended to protect against EHV, the virus continues to occur in vaccinated herds. Affected horses may abort their foals or foals may be born apparently healthy only
to die a short time later. Lillie and Dr. Luis Arroyo, a clinician and researcher in OVC’s Department of Clinical Studies, along with their research team are trying to better understand how the virus exists in the horse population, uncover what triggers the virus to cause disease and assess ways to maximize current EHV vaccination efficacy and minimize the virus effect on the horses’ health. In particular, they are focusing on the abortive affect of the virus. EHV can present in a number of ways, Arroyo said. Horses may demonstrate neurological signs; they may have difficulty walking, they may have difficulty urinating because the nerves to their bladder are inflamed, or they may exhibit milder symptoms like a runny nose, or no symptoms at all. A mare may not show clinical signs of the virus at all, but could lose a foal who is loaded with the virus, he added. Conversely, some mares may be clearly diseased but their pregnancy isn’t com-
promised. The cyclical nature of the virus is part of the challenge. Farms may report no abortions for a couple of years and then suddenly they have two or three. The researchers began with a survey of Ontario horse farms to better understand the current state of the industry, looking at herd sizes, abortion rates and prevalence of EHV-related diseases. Beginning in December 2016, they began sampling horses on farms across Ontario – from Ottawa to Windsor and Sudbury to the Niagara Region. Lillie and Arroyo are also examining the best way to sample for the virus, looking at nasal swabs, vaginal swabs and blood samples. They will test the samples for presence of the virus or viral DNA levels and also look at serology, the mare’s antibody level or immune response to the virus. Using this information, researchers can then determine how prevalent the virus is, the impact of vaccines on the virus and the mare’s ability to
mount an immune response. On the farms being studied, there is also a fairly even split between those who vaccinate and those who don’t. “Hopefully we’ll start to see some trends,” Lillie said. “Ultimately, when abortions occur, we can look back and see if the shedding pattern changed and if one type of sampling was a key indicator.” Another area they will assess is how the antibody response pattern changes with horses throughout the year. Preliminary evidence suggests not all mares respond the same way to the virus or have the same antibody level patterns over the year. The host, the pathogen, the farm’s management strategy and the environment all contribute to the occurrence of disease particularly when a virus is there all the time, Lillie said. Ultimately, the researchers hope to make some changes in how the disease is diagnosed and managed. Submitted by Karen Mantel, Equine Guelph
Mud season and pastern dermatitis FROM PAGE 26
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EQUINE
What is your horse’s colic risk this spring?
AGCO adds new regulations to horse racing industry TORONTO - New horse racing regulations have been released by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). The commission announced the reforms on April 4 as part of its Moving Ahead: Horse Racing Regulation in Ontario project. The rules took effect on April 21 and the AGCO will amend its rule book this summer. Equine drug reforms The AGCO is introducing a number of measures to streamline the equine drug program, including: - updated penalty guidelines to “better reflect the severity of equine drug violations and better protect equine athletes,” states an AGCO release; - a more efficient process for the race official’s review of a positive test; - standardization of the process for offering settle-
ments of most drug violations with early admission; and - horses will no longer be automatically suspended for 90 days following a positive test. More details on the changes can be found on the new AGCO website under the equine drug program. Health and safety Based on the recommendations for a health and safety working group, the AGCO has made two changes: - Standardbred Rule 6.52 and Thoroughbred Rule 15.37, related to extracorporeal shockwave machines, have been modified. Only veterinarians licensed by the AGCO can possess and use such machines under specific conditions; and - a new Standardbred Rule 6.54 and a new Thoroughbred Rule 15.39, address the use of blood gas machines. Only veterinarians licensed by the AGCO may use the machines
on a racehorse (recorded and maintained as part of the horse’s record) and use is restricted to valid diagnostic procedures. The state of the industry The AGCO has also reflected on the state of industry practices and will update “Rules of Racing” books this summer. Sixteen rules no longer in use are being removed and 12 are being updated to better reflect current practices. AGCO official race reports After a Race Report pilot project in 2017, the AGCO has decided to expand the program to all racetracks in Ontario. Race Reports include details on in-race calls made by AGCO race officials and other insights impacting each race card. Daily race reports have been advocated for by the betting public for additional wagering insights and by par-
ticipants for improving consistency. Results of the 2017 Race Reports pilot program and a recent survey are to be released this spring through the AGCO newsletter. Next phase Later this year the AGCO will launch phase two of its multi-year racing reform project. Officials say this phase will focus on modernizing the Rules of Racing to better align with the AGCO regulatory framework; progressing towards a more risk-based, outcomes-based and compliance-focused model. The AGCO stated it is committed to ongoing collaboration with industry stakeholders, and therefore will establish formal engagement and advisory processes to ensure industry input is reflected in future reforms. For more information visit www.agco.ca.
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GUELPH - The Colic Risk Rater healthcare tool was performed by over 100 students in the winter 2018 offering of Equine Guelph’s Gut Health and Colic course. Feedback indicates participants were keen to learn the simple management changes that could reduce their horses’ chances of colic. Many were surprised to learn that approximately 80 per cent of colic episodes may be related to management and therefore can be prevented. Available on the Equine Guelph website, the free Colic Risk Rater tool provides individual feedback to help horse owners identify risk factors and develop preventative strategies to help reduce the risk of colic in their horse. Spring in particular is a time when many new stresses can impact the horse. Very often this is a time when riders start to ramp up the intensity of exercise and also feed. Making changes to horses’ feed slowly is a common topic among horse caretakers but it is even more important to change forages slowly than it is concentrates. “Concentrates” are broken down by enzymes in the foregut for the horse to digest, while forages are broken down by the microbes in the hindgut and it is the microbes that feed the horse. Therefore, it is even more critical to change forages more slowly than concentrates, in the horse’s diet. In spring, there is the introduction of grass pasture to consider. If owners let their horse out on pasture when the grasses are beginning to grow, Mother Nature helps control the intake of this new, very digestible, short forage, as it begins to grow very slowly. Problems arise when the manager waits until the fresh grasses are three to four inches tall before turning the horses out to eat it. Then the horse can consume too much at one time and cause a digestive upset, i.e., colic. However, not every farm owner has an ideal ratio of one horse per 1.5 to 2 acres of grazing in which case special pasture management includes rotating horses to new paddocks before the grass is eaten down below three inches. In these cases, introduce horses to fresh grass with gradual increases in grazing time. If stools begin to loosen, you know that grazing time was increased too much. Back off the time spent grazing and be sure to provide the horses with extra hay when off the pastures. This allows them to chew more, which will produce more saliva thereby controlling pH levels, which helps the good microbial population to stay healthy and restore the
“good” bugs in the gut. During the last Gut Health and Colic course, guest speaker and equine nutritionist Don Kapper was on hand dispelling myths and discussing nutrition as it pertains to horse health and performance. One of the topics Kapper discussed was manure. “This is one ‘visual’ for all horse owners to monitor and learn to manage accordingly,” he said. Too firm (dry) stools would be an indication of dehydration, a condition that can lead to impaction colic if ignored. Moist stools could indicate a well hydrated horse, but if it becomes too loose and is accompanied with a strong ‘acid’ aroma, it could indicate something has happened to the microbial population in the colon. One of the jobs of the colon is to absorb water and form the feces, but the microbes found there are very pH sensitive; therefore, a “hindgut irritant” caused from eating too much starch or sugar; lack of adequate fermentable fiber; or extended treatment of antibiotics, could cause acid gut syndrome that could lead to acidosis. Unfortunately, acidosis is when the pH of the colon becomes less than 6.0 and this is when 80% of the horses will founder. The most common cause of acid gut syndrome, during a change of season, is a change in the forage they are eating. This could be from transitioning from mature grass hay to immature grass pasture, or visa versa, feeding a different type of hay (remember it takes different microbes in their fermentation vat to breakdown the different types of forage). To make a 100 per cent microbial change in their fermentation vat, i.e. hindgut, takes 21 days. Therefore, to maintain a healthy gut, it is more important to change forage more slowly than concentrate feed. Colic is the number one killer of horses, other than old age. Knowing the horse and picking up on change is one important factor in colic prevention. The Colic Risk Rater health care tool also takes horse owners through management strategies such as: amount of forage fed, quality of feed and amounts fed at once, turn out time, exercise routine, hydration and parasite control. Visit Equine Guelph’s interactive Colic Risk Rater healthcare tool to learn how to reduce a horse’s risk of colic at equineguelph.ca/ Tools/colic_risk_rater.php. Submitted by Jackie Bellamy-Zions, Equine Guelph