The UK’s leading equine health & well-being magazine
October/November 2008 £2.95
New imaging system gives breakthrough By Louise Cordell SCIENTISTS are to get their first glimpse inside a galloping horse’s airway thanks to a revolutionary new imaging system. The Dynamic Respiratory Endoscope lets vets assess live pictures while the animal is moving at full speed and is expected to transform disease diagnosis. The pioneering equipment has been acquired by the University of Glasgow’s Equine Hospital as part of a joint venture with racehorse training firm, Mark Johnston Racing and will be used in the University’s newly launched Performance Horse Clinic. Dr Patrick Pollock, senior clinician in equine surgery, said: “Within the animal kingdom, horses are considered to be elite athletes because of their unique anatomy and physiology. Since they have the ability to perform at such a phenomenally high level, even the smallest change in their health can lead to a reduction in their performance but minute, often subtle changes can be very challenging to detect. To further complicate matters, many of the causes of poor performance can only be detected while the horse is exercising at high speed.” Many causes of poor performance are
related to the respiratory system and a technique called endoscopy, in which a small camera is introduced through the nose and into the airway of the horse, is frequently used to diagnose disease affecting this area. However existing technology only allows a horse to be scoped while it runs on a treadmill, which is expensive, potentially dangerous and is very different to the normal conditions in which horses exercise. Dr Pollock added: “Current methods mean a large number of animals may appear normal on the treadmill, even though they have a significant disease. This new system has many advantages in that it allows horses to be examined in their normal environment under normal exercise conditions and is therefore more likely to result in the correct diagnosis. The system also eliminates much of the cost and all of the dangers associated with the treadmill and is considerably less stressful for the horse.” Top racehorse trainer Mark Johnston said: “The Dynamic Respiratory Endoscope will revolutionise what we know about horses when they are being fully exercised. Understanding the airway of a horse is the key to understanding so much more about them and how they function.”
An equine photographer has won a prestigious industry prize for his unique studio portraits. Gary Coulson of Unicorn Studios in Basildon, Essex received a gold award from the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers for his horse head shots, taken inside a traditional indoor studio. He said: "I've been photographing horses for over ten years but only in the studio since April. So many people wanted head shots I decided to do something
different and take the horses inside. Some people think that they will be upset by the flash, but I’ve found that this isn’t the case. Of course it is new to them, but they don’t seem to find it scary and before long they aren’t fazed by it at all. Owners love the pictures because they really bring out the horse’s individual nature and character – they really have the wow factor.” Pictured: Ben, owned by Denise Mayhew of Warley, Essex
HORSE HEALTH I NEWS 3
‘Gentle giant’ wows judges to take title
EDITORIAL GROUP EDITOR:
Andrew Harrod Tel: 01226 734639 email: ah@whpl.net EDITOR:
were chosen as the best group because, despite being new to the job, they were a hit with all the visitors.
By Louise Cordell THE winners of this year’s Best Beach Donkeys competition have been announced by Sidmouth’s Donkey Sanctuary. The annual contest aims to reward owners from around the UK for high standards of animal welfare. The best individual title went to Del Boy from Aberdyfi, Gwynedd in Wales, owned by Louise Peters, the best group of donkeys was from Filey in Yorkshire and the donkeys with the best trimmed feet were from Weymouth, Dorset.
Best individual beach donkey Del Boy with his owner Louise Peters from Aberdovey, Wales Picture: The Donkey Sanctuary
“Even at the end of the day, he was happily giving donkey rides to children and he was clearly a
The donkeys at Filey: Lenny, Alfie, Chico, Rueben, Neville and Max,
favourite.”
Racing world grant on offer A NEW £10,000 grant is being offered by the Horseracing Betting Levy Board to fund a project that will benefit the racing world. The Tristram Ricketts Fellowship has been designed to allow someone from within the UK horseracing industry to gain a better understanding of the sport as a whole, at home and abroad, and hopefully produce an idea that will improve the industry. The scheme is named after the former Levy Board and British Horseracing Board chief executive Sir Tristram Ricketts, who died in November 2007.
Robert Hughes, Levy Board Chairman, said: “I am delighted that the board has agreed to this wonderful concept. “Tristram’s capacity for friendship was inexhaustible, not only within Britain but all over the racing world, and I believe the fellowship will be a lasting legacy to his contribution to racing.” One fellowship will be awarded each year to the candidate who presents the best project idea to the fellowship board. Applications for the 2009 award close on 1 November this year and full details of the application process are available on the Levy Board website.
Yards get metal theft warning EQUESTRIAN yards are being warned of the danger of metal theft as an increase in crimes is reported across the country. A nationwide police operation has been put in place to target the thieves and yards are advised to be extra vigilant when locking up their premises to discourage intruders looking for high value ‘scrap’ metal. It has been reported that the high cost of energy and growing demand for metal in developing countries has forced steel prices to unprecedented levels and resulted in a boom of this type of crime. Richard Jackson, dressage
competitor and chief executive of Jacksons Fencing, said: “Equestrian premises, especially the professional yards, feature so many metal and steel products, including heavy steel field gates, galvanized internal stabling, tractors, trailers, horse boxes, horse walkers, hay racks and even tie up rings, they will almost certainly attract the attention of the unscrupulous individuals involved in this growing crime. We are advising all equestrian yards to be extra security conscious and to immediately report any suspicious behaviour or sightings to their local police force.”
chris.keate@horsehealthmagazine.co.uk Tel: 07825 097 464 Reporter
Louise Cordell
Tel: 01226 734694
lcordell@whpl.net
Jenifer added: “I believe most of these donkeys have been rescued and their owner Amanda Pickles has achieved so much in terms of training and getting them all into such superb condition.
PRODUCTION
“My overall impression was of them being very smartly turned out and a group of very happy donkeys.”
SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR:
The final category, the group with the best trimmed feet, was won by Jasmine, Stumpy, Sooty, PeeJay, BeeJay, Sparky and Daisy; owned by Maggie Aldridge.
National judge Jenifer Tucker described Del Boy as a ‘gentle giant’ and said: “He just wowed me completely – he is very handsome and has a lovely big head with very long ears.
Christine Keate
STUDIO MANAGER:
Stewart Holt sth@whpl.net DEPUTY GROUP EDITOR:
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Tony Barry SALES EXECUTIVE:
Bev Parkin Tel: 01226 734333 Fax: 01226 734478 claire.mclean@horsehealthmagazine.co.uk Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of all content, the publishers do not accept liability for error, printed or otherwise, that may occur.
Jenifer added: “The level of competition this year has been outstanding. “All the donkeys have been turned out beautifully making the judging extremely difficult and the beach operators themselves are clearly very proud of them.”
Horse Health is registered with the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
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HORSE HEALTH I NEWS
Gemma takes Instructor of the Year award Parelli has joined forces with City and Guilds NPTC for the new qualification.
Parelli introduces new course PARELLI has introduced a new qualification that aims to introduce the ideas and techniques involved in the natural training method. The company has joined forces with City and Guilds NPTC to create a Foundation Certificate in the Theory Behind Natural Horsemanship. Neil Pye of Parelli said: “All around the world, and especially here in the UK, more and more people are recognising that in any interaction with horses, be it competitive or just for the joy of it, the trust, confidence and dignity of the horse should be at the forefront of their training. ”This new partnership between
Parelli Natural Horsemanship and City and Guild NPTC, combines time honoured heritage and practices with cutting edge education. Together these industry leaders are helping to create a better world for horses and the people who love them." The course includes basic skills and safety aspects of horse handling, on the ground and on the horse's back together with an introduction to building up trust and communication by understanding the nature of the horse. Candidates do not need to have any previous qualifications and will be able to sign up to the course from January 2009.
GEMMA Barry from Exmouth has been named as The British Horse Society’s Young Instructor of the Year. Twelve young teachers had made it through to the finals of the competition at Warwickshire College and were judged by a panel including BHS chairman Patrick Print, Sue Payne FBHS and Richard Davidson FBHS.
competition would be good experience of performing under pressure. “I would recommend the experience for anyone training towards BHS exams. “I found it extremely useful to be able to watch other people and gain new ideas.”
They had all qualified at regional competitions held throughout 2008 where they discussed and debated coaching and teaching skills with a Fellow of the BHS.
During the final the competitors had to teach private lessons lasting 30 minutes in both dressage and show jumping and deliver a 15 minute presentation on various aspects of stable management.
Gemma, who holds the BHSII SM, qualified at Pippin Equestrian Centre in Gillingham and said: “I can’t believe I have won.
BHS chairman, Patrick Print, said: “It was an enjoyable day to take with such an enthusiastic group of young instructors.
“I am working towards my BHS Equitation and Teaching qualification so I thought entering the
“All candidates showed promising qualities but the winner showed good competence in all three areas.”
Kerstin Alford, Blue Cross director of equine welfare; Ron Huggins, trustee of Retraining of Racehorses and Kim Hamilton, Blue Cross chief executive Picture: Apollo Photographers
RoR receives welfare award RETRAINING of Racehorses has received the British Equine Veterinary Association’s Welfare Award for 2008. The award, which is sponsored by The Blue Cross, recognises a significant contribution to equine welfare and RoR has been singled out for its work retraining and rehoming racehorses. It was presented to Ron Huggins, trustee of RoR and an owner and breeder of racehorses, at the 47th BEVA Annual Congress by Kerstin Alford, equine welfare director of The Blue Cross. Kerstin said: “The financial support that RoR provides for charitable racehorse rehabilitation centres,
together with their education programme to help owners and riders of former racehorses, make them very worthy recipients of this award.” Retraining of Racehorses was established in 2000 by the British Horseracing Authority. Its aim is to raise funds from the British racing industry to provide and maintain facilities for the care, retraining and rehoming of former racehorses. Di Arbuthnot, director of operations, said: “RoR are delighted to receive this prestigious award to recognise the work the charity does for former racehorses to provide them with a life after racing.”
HORSE HEALTH I NEWS 5
‘Forelimb tuck’ is key to worth THE higher a horse can tuck up its front legs, the more it is worth on the international market, according to scientists at Newcastle Univeristy. New research from bio-engineer Dr Sian Lawson has revealed that a horse’s sale price is directly linked to how high the animal can fold its front hoof into its shoulder when it leaps over a fence. These findings contradict previous assumptions that the back leg is the most important feature in a successful show jumper. Dr Lawson, a former professional show jumper, said: “This is not the result I was expecting at all. “The height at which a horse can raise its back legs is innate – that is, it is something the horse is born with. Just like some people can do the splits and others can’t, so some horses are very flexible and can bring their back legs up much higher than others. “Conversely, the front leg is not thought to be genetically linked and is very trainable. “This means most horses can be trained to develop a good ‘forelimb tuck’. “What this research has shown is that the trainer is as important as the horse.” The horses used in the study were all
Most horses can be trained to develop a good ‘forelimb tuck’. aged between three and five years old and had sold for between 5,000 and 60,000 Euros. Dr Lawson watched videos of the horses in action, the same as those used by trainers before making a purchase, and mapped the movement of the horse before charting it against sale price. She found that in every case the forelimb action correlated with sale
Australian flu inquiry leads to regulation update By Louise Cordell FOLLOWING an inquiry into the Australian flu outbreak, the Australian authorities have updated their regulations. All horses imported into the country now have to be vaccinated according to the OIE recommendations using the latest strains, where available. This effectively means that any horse exported to Australia from the UK now has to be vaccinated with ProteqFlu. This is the only European equine influenza vaccine to be updated to meet recommendations from the World Organisation for Animal Health Expert Surveillance Panel. The move means that via their vet, horse owners and trainers now have access to the most specific level of protection against known circulating EI strains says manufacturer Merial Animal Health Ltd. Dr Jules Minke DVM PhD, director of Merial equine biologic projects, Lyon, France said: “Following an
international surveillance programme monitoring equine influenza outbreaks, including South Africa, Japan, Australia and the UK, it has been recommended that all equine influenza vaccines should be updated. “EI is a highly infectious disease with a short incubation time of just two to five days, and infected horses can shed virus in the absence of clinical signs. “In serious cases secondary complications can occur and many horses that recover from a serious bout of flu can end-up with chronic respiratory problems.
price, while no other attribute – other than age and height – had an effect on the final price of the horse. Her next project is to chart the progress of these young horses and see if the forelimb tuck can be used to predict the price of the horse when it reaches its peak and ultimately its potential as a show jumper. She added: “Predicting the worth of
Picture: Sue Carden a horse at such a young age is very difficult and is often based on the animal’s performance over a single day. “This is very subjective and has obvious limitations. “What this study shows is that sale price can be predicted from the forelimb tuck and this gives trainers a quantifiable parameter to work with when viewing horses.”
Kombi Boot set to be distributed FMBS and Magnet Medics are to distribute the Cool+Press Kombi Boot, a revolutionary boot that permits the combined administering of compression and cold-therapy treatments to reduce heat, swelling and pain. The application of cold and intermittent compression, and in certain cases the alternating application of cold and heat, is known to be the best way of treating swellings and pain. The Kombi Boot is made of neoprene and has twin air bags on both the lower part and the upper part of the boot. Firstly air is pumped into the lower pads and then into the upper pads via hoses linked securely to the surcingle. This helps draws off and disperses upwards any excess fluid that has gathered in the leg.
“EI is a major threat, with circulating strains evolving and spreading rapidly worldwide.
The amount of pressure exerted can be regulated in three intensities and each pressure phase is followed by a period of release.
“In light of this drift, the need to update vaccines is dramatically highlighted by equine influenza outbreaks around the globe, including Japan and China and Newmarket when clinical signs were seen even in well vaccinated horses.”
Clinical studies have shown that post-traumatic and post-operative cooling therapies can be highly beneficial, especially when the cooling is accompanied by compression treatment and has proved to be particularly beneficial in the treatment of musculosketal
strain, muscle pain, and inflammation of tendon injuries and joints. It is also an important element for recovery after strenuous exercise or competition. Another important feature of the boots is they can be used to perform treatments not only when the horse is standing still, but also when it is moving, either through being walked or grazed in hand or on the horse walker using just the compression element.
For more details call: 01628 472440/0788 5539312 or visit www.fmbs.co.uk
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Agisters Jonathon Gerrelli, Peter Rix and Mike Lovell with RSPCA Inspectors Graham Hammond, Nickie Cooke, Collections Officer Roy Blackburn and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Animal Rescus Specialists, Jim Green, Colin Horwood and Buster Brown”
United bid to improve animal safety THE RSPCA and Hampshire’s Fire and Rescue Service have teamed up with the New Forest Agisters to improve animal safety in the area. Each year some of the 5,000 ponies and cattle in the New Forest become stuck in mire or other wet areas and removing them from the mud can be a dangerous task. However, the Agisters have years of
experience in dealing with these challenges and have provided advice to the Fire Service to help improve its response to animal incidents. This has allowed the Service to develop rescue techniques, accredited by the British Equine Veterinary Association, which have proved to be extremely effective.
Jim Green, watch manager of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Rescuing an animal from mud requires a sound knowledge of animal behaviour – coupled with simple methods which utilise webbing strops, ropes and a strop guide. This is a tool pushed under the animal that enables the strops to be pulled easily under its
Training success for Helen A VETERINARY nurse from Northumberland has become one of the first to complete the newly developed equine veterinary nursing qualification. Helen Lower of Bearl Equine qualified under the new direct track training system which has a tailor made training structure. Until recently gaining the qualification involved two years training with small animals and an extra year’s specialist training to become an equine nurse. Now the Royal College of Veterinary Nursing has
recognised that the role requires specialist knowledge and training and has created the course. Suzanne Sharp, a vet at Bearl Equine, said: “The biological complexity and vulnerability of the equine system has demanded specialism within veterinary medicine and as advances in equine medicine have developed so has the need for a specialised equine nurse. “Now the direct entry scheme allows trainees with no previous nursing experience to gain the equine veterinary nurse qualification.
“The profession recognises the need for nursing staff to have specialist equine handling experience and the direct entry certificate is becoming increasingly popular.” Helen Lower joined Bearl Equine Clinic three years ago after taking her BHS exams, teaching riding and spending two year with the Hunt Service. She now leads a team of four nursing assistants and works closely with Jonathan Wainwright, Head of Nurse Training to implement the inhouse training programme across the team.
Helen Lower
submerged animal’s body. “In trained hands this can be achieved in a safe manner with a good chance of the rescued animal making a speedy and full recovery.” The service has used RSPCA funds to provide each Agister with a new set of ropes, strops and strop guides to help them move stuck animals without having to call for help.
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Editor’s insight...
Christine Keate
A dull, wet summer and the economy as a whole in a depressed state has obviously had a knock on effect on the equine industry. Conversations with local feed merchants reveal that although the wet weather has led to a lower than anticipated wheat harvest for human quality products, there should have been a greater availability for animal grade feedstuffs. However, competition at this level from bio-fuels is helping to keep prices unusually high, both in the wheat and sugar beet sectors, a fact sadly borne out by the price of a bag of feed. The problem is compounded by the increasing price of energy, as the costs of physically getting the
products made and into the bag, have spiralled. Horse owners would therefore be wise to plan carefully for the coming winter, perhaps streamlining feeding regimes, and sourcing good quality forage, whilst looking forward to easier times in the spring. Now would also be a good time perhaps, to sort through unused, old rugs and equipment and pack anything suitable off to the local horse charity – I’m sure they will be glad of every form of donation this winter. Horse Health congratulates all our athletes both human and equine for their Olympic successes and takes an exclusive behind the scenes look at the event in Hong Kong with reports from Josh Slater,
Head of Bio-security and Vicky Spalding, official team physiotherapist. Transporting horses such huge distances around the world is a feat in itself, let alone ensuring they arrive in a condition ready to compete on a world class stage. So, in Going for Gold we look at ways to aid post competition and travel recovery. It is always fascinating to learn of new treatments and procedures which are constantly evolving. In this issue, not only have there been exciting developments with real time exercise endoscopy, but also new approaches to wound and injury care that could have a significant impact on future healing protocols.
Rescues result in foal boom at horse sanctuary REDWINGS Horse Sanctuary has been experiencing a foal boom after becoming involved in several large rescues throughout the year. The charity has taken on many more horses over the last few months, including herds running wild with foals at foot and mares in foal. It now has a record 18 foals in its care, including miniature Shetland
ponies, donkeys, and a Welsh cross foal, with more on the way. Chief executive Lynn Cutress said: “Many of our residents are elderly or have health problems so to have so many foals is very refreshing and a real joy for our staff to know they have been able to help them. “Many would not have survived without our help, in particular the
expertise of our veterinary and nights teams. We will assess each foal as it grows, and it is very likely that many will be able to be re-homed through our Guardianship Scheme in the future.” Welfare officer Rachel Fairhead said: “We always advise people to think carefully about the implications beforehand, but now with the current
economic climate seeing horse sales slow down and household finances being squeezed, we are even more concerned and want to warn people to think very carefully before breeding their own mares. “A new foal is wonderful but you have to be able to afford to keep it and budget for veterinary expense.”
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Why fibre is so important ... By Simon Freeman
would usually browse continually.
FIBRE, and enough of it, is a must for all horses and ponies, whether you are enjoying them for leisure riding or doing harder work.
The effect of this is to load the digestive system with easily digested, quick release energy feeds, which enter the stomach and small intestine.
The horse evolved as a browser of vegetation and its digestive tract developed accordingly, being able to handle a considerable bulk of material and extract nutrients from the variable quality of forage throughout the year, whether spring grass or ‘woody’ winter pickings. The benefit of feeding enough fibre of the right quality cannot be ignored. Long fibre forms the bulk of a horse’s diet and is digested by bacterial action in the large intestine (hind gut). When a horse is eating, the action of chewing helps open up the cell structure of fibres for digestion and encourages the production of saliva. This moistening of food enables an easier passage through the digestive tract. Generally horses are fed ‘hard feed’ two or three times a day, which is unnatural when you consider they
Without the presence of enough fibrous bulk material, there is a danger of ‘overloading’ the intestine as the passage of this volatile mixture of feed could be too swift, potentially leading to undigested starches and sugars passing into the hind gut with the threat of colic. Slowing down the passage of food through the gut is also vitally important to enable proper digestion of fibre in the large intestine. The bacteria here need time in which to work thoroughly, extracting nutrients from the bulk material. Today’s horse owner has a huge selection of fibre feeds available, ranging from hay and haylage to specially grown quality crops of grass and lucerne. All these fibres are principally intended as forming part, or all, of the bulk feed for the horse or pony
Fibrebased products can provide a more natural feed. in question. It is common practice to feed a fibrous material, like a chaff or chop, along with the hard feed. New fibre feeds coming onto the market today combine quality fibre and hard feed. These are already balanced for the horse owner in a bag and so are ready to feed. Dried grass and lucerne both provide a good source of fibre with a high nutritional value, but some horse
owners find that their horses react adversely to lucerne. We have found that grass is a more universally acceptable source of fibre. It mixes well with a coarse mix, is not so stalky and looks really good. We know that the nutritional value is of prime importance, but the appearance of a feed is also important to horse owners. I Simon Freeman is a technical director for Badminton Horse Feeds
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feeding and nutrition
Insulin resistance – what By Lizzie Drury INSULIN sensitivity and resistance have become increasingly important areas of research in equine medicine over the recent years and the terms are being used more frequently in many equestrian articles and talks, but what is it and how does it affect the horse? In simple terms insulin resistance is defined as the diminished ability of cells to respond to the action of insulin in transporting glucose from the bloodstream into the muscle and other tissues. In horses, a number of factors such as age, diet, access to and quality of grazing and level of exercise can all affect the degree of response of the pancreas (which secretes insulin) to blood glucose concentrations and/or the rate of clearance of glucose from the bloodstream into the muscle cells. It appears that an increasing number of horses are becoming resistant to the effects of insulin and this resistance is a key pathogenic feature in Equine Metabolic Syndrome and Cushing’s Disease as well as a potential cause of some forms of laminitis.
Grazing time can be difficult to manage. In humans insulin resistance is known to be a factor in forms of type 2 diabetes. The precise mechanisms involved in insulin resistance are not fully understood in either humans or horses, although there are several mechanisms that may possibly be
involved, which are beyond the scope of this precise article. Persistent high levels of circulating glucose can have toxic effects on the structure and function of many organs. Research has shown that prolonged supraphysiologic infusion of insulin
could induce laminitis in horses suggesting that the lamina in the hooves may have a particular sensitivity to the damaging aging effects of chronically elevated blood glucose or insulin concentrations.
Continued on Page 11
Horses need to be kept at the correct weight for optimum health and performance
Right Weight project launched WORLD Horse Welfare’s Right Weight project was launched to vets who attended this year’s BEVA Congress in Liverpool. With weight being one of the most talked about subjects in the veterinary profession, project manager Samantha Lewis was pleased the scheme was up for discussion at the event. She said: “We were delighted when we were given the opportunity to incorporate our new DVD in the BEVA mailing and to promote it at their Congress. “All UK BEVA members will receive a copy so they can share the information with their clients.
“Weight is such a difficult subject to broach with owners as the horses that are overweight are so well loved by them.” The DVD explains what the right weight should be and shows owners how to fat score (using the Carroll and Huntingdon method as adapted by Dr Teresa Hollands from Dodson and Horrell Ltd) and how to use a weightape correctly. It also gives practical advice and information on what to do if your horse or pony is overweight. It is now hoped that vets will request further free copies of the DVD which they can give away to their clients.
feeding and nutrition
is it ...? Continued from Page 10 This may also help to explain why Cushing’s horses and Equine Metabolic Syndrome horses are at such a high risk to developing laminitis. Insulin resistance can be measured in horses and although the procedures themselves are not particularly difficult to perform the biggest problem actually lies in establishing normal ranges for different horses when taking in to account the variations in ages, breeds, dietary regimes and levels of exercise. Equine Metabolic Syndrome and Cushing’s disease are related and the common feature that they both share is insulin resistance and the increased risk of laminitis. From a feeding and management perspective the two conditions will require similar methods. In both cases care must be taken to avoid feeds that exacerbate insulin resistance. As far as possible feeds that are high in starch and sugar must be avoided and this makes grazing time perhaps one of the most difficult and frustrating parts to manage in these types of horses. It is very difficult to control sugar intake in grazing horses and grass may be the largest source of sugar in the horse’s diet.
insulin resistance and potentially alter the bacterial flora of the large intestine. Access to pasture must therefore be restricted or in severe cases eliminated altogether. Horses on restricted pasture should have access to an alternative forage source to prevent problems such as gastric ulcers and also to enable them to exhibit their natural trickle feeding behaviour. In this case the forage source should be of low to medium nutritional value but of course must be hygienically clean. Good quality forage can be soaked overnight to reduce its sugar content and therefore reduce its nutritional value. Some horses may of course still be in regular competitive work or have a leaner body condition score so may require additional feed other than a diet of forage alone. The same rules still apply in that acceptable feeds should not further exaggerate insulin resistance. Feeds should have low non structural carbohydrate content, a low glycemic index and ideally should be nutrient dense enough with respect to trace element inclusions that overall feed amount should be low.
The sugar content of the pasture also varies according to hours of sunlight, soil type, and the type of grass that is growing and the time of the day.
Research is currently investigating new and innovative feed ideas, which potentially maybe able to help in the management of insulin resistant horses.
This creates huge fluctuations in sugar intake, which can exacerbate
I Lizzie Drury, MSc registered Nutritionist, Saracen Horse Feeds
Care must be taken to avoid feeds that exacerbate insulin resistance.
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Winner of the 2007 BETA innovation award for feed and supplements, Hay Steamers from Happy Horse Products are the ideal solution for horses with dust allergies, respiratory conditions, or simply for owners wishing to help protect their horse’s lungs from dust and fungal spores. These easy to use systems are designed to do the same as soaking hay, without the
feeding and nutrition
inconvenience of dustbins full of waste water and heavy, wet haynets to hang up. Steam is introduced at approximately 100°C, killing off the majority of fungal spores, bacteria and dust mites (which is not done simply by soaking alone) and neutralising all potentially airborne dust particles. The hay is then ready for the horse to enjoy, complete with all its vital minerals.
TOPFLEX HA, from Brinicombe Equine, is the new joint supplement designed specifically with the performance horse in mind. Hermione Perry MSc, Equine Development Manager, said: “The majority of supplements on the market are designed for the riding club or leisure horse, and they just don’t have the specification required for the elite performance horse. “TopFlex HA is a premium specification providing the key
nutrients at optimum levels for joints under extreme pressure.” The supplement provides optimum levels of glucosamine, MSM and chondroitin with hyaluronic acid and l-glutamine for a more complete approach to joint nutrition. It also includes added natural antioxidants and chelated trace elements help support a healthy immune system and ensure correct growth and development of youngstock.
How to handle wounds IT is thought that by reducing the level of infection and establishing a clean wound environment, owners can help speed up the rate of healing in horses suffering from open or infected wounds – Robinson Animal Healthcare offer some useful advice. All minor open wounds should be cleaned as soon as possible with a saline solution and serious injuries should always be attended by a veterinary surgeon as soon as possible. If necessary carefully clip around the area of the wound, and apply a sterile wound hydrogel such as Vetalintex to a depth of about 5mm. Wound hydrogels can provide moisture and absorb excess exudates providing a more controlled wound environment and encourage healing to start from within.
They also act by gently debriding wounds and rehydrating necrotic tissue which will then be removed from the wound surface. A low-adherent dressing which will not stick to the area should then be applied. Activate is a multi-layered dressing that incorporates activated carbon, which has been found to attract and absorb bacteria into the dressing keeping contamination away from the wound surface. If the wound is seriously infected change the dressing daily, otherwise routinely change Activate every two to three days according to the condition of the wound and the amount of exudates. If the wound does not respond, or you are in any doubt whatsoever, it is vital you call a vet as soon as possible.
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What to choose to ease horse joint trouble By Will Douglas WHEN it comes to your horses’ joints and associated problems, like arthritis, bone spavins and O.C.D, it is important to remember that joint supplements cannot cure any of these conditions. However, their uses are aimed at reducing or minimising inflammation and associated pain, assisting joint lubrication and maintaining or facilitating optimum nutrition of the cartilage and bone structure. The marketing of these supplements is focussed towards two main targets and they are formulated accordingly. These targets are firstly for the active and performance horse where the bias is towards maintaining a healthy skeletal system and helping replenish and repair vital components and secondly for the older or arthritic horse where the bias is towards inflammation and pain relief and joint lubrication. Whilst pain killing effects can be fairly quick, achieving structural changes from nutritional ingredients can take time, even months, to show a marked difference, unless there
was a fundamental deficiency to start with. Despite this, proper supplementation can significantly enhance both therapeutic and preventative health programmes. There is no definitive ultimate formulation as with each animal the circumstances leading to the condition and its responses to certain materials vary. A simple Glucosamine and Chondroitin mix may work wonders on one horse, but achieve virtually nothing on another, even if both displayed identical symptoms. The formulator’s expertise is in achieving a blend that will work on the majority of animals in a wide range of situations. It is not possible for the owner to differentiate which of the dozens of marketed products is the best or the most concentrated from the labelling or sometimes even to know the target condition that the supplement is being aimed at. This is because legislation, with some justification, does not allow claims to treat or prevent any ailment or condition to be made (for non-
medicinal products) and this extends not only to being unable to name specific conditions, but also to the use of certain words including ‘improve’, ‘boost’, ‘antiinflammatory’, ‘protect’ and many others that a potential purchaser may look for. The wording therefore used on labelling is often vague and fairly general and quite often the trade name of the product is used to confer an understanding of the target application. Furthermore, ingredients listings are not as useful as you may think as they tend to be biased towards marketing rather than transparency. In fact in the UK there is no legal requirement to individually list all the ingredients the product contains. Whilst any ingredient used has to be authorised under EC legislation, only certain ingredients have to be listed individually and most others can be grouped under categories such as ‘minerals’ ‘anti-oxidants’ and ‘amino acids’. Of course, where they are detailed they can be compared, albeit taking into account if the substance is
quantified as per litre or per feed. Many manufactures will detail if a product contains Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, Hyaluronic acid and any major vitamins, minerals or amino acids as these are standard components, but it is the other ingredients that may give a product the edge over a competitor’s product, and it is often for this reason that fuller disclosure is not made. So, with a huge array of supplement available, which one should the owner buy? The best starting point is recommendations from your vet, distributor or friends and some investigation on the consumers’ behalf by contacting the company for advice. Remember also, comments and realistic complaints should be welcomed by reputable manufacturers, as these can only help to steer ongoing developments into the future of joint supplementation. I Will Douglas is Bio-Chemist, NetTex Industries
HORSE HEALTH I NEWS 15
Mules at the Donkey Sanctuary
Intelligent mules ... EXPERTS have discovered that, despite their bad reputation, mules are more intelligent than both horses and donkeys. The new research has been carried out by Dr Britta Osthaus from Canterbury Christ University, Leanne Proops from the University of Sussex and Dr Faith Burden from the Donkey Sanctuary. After testing the learning skills of all three species in an attempt to assess their cognitive abilities they found that the mules, hybrids of male donkeys and female horses, were much smarter than either of their parent species. Dr Osthaus, said: “The aim of the study was to establish whether mules have different cognitive abilities from donkeys and horses. “Throughout history, mules were bred because they combined the best of the physical abilities of donkeys and horses, however, up until now, little was known about their intelligence levels.” The researchers tested six horses, six donkeys and six mules owned by the Donkey Sanctuary in Devon. Each animal was shown sets of two food buckets, each marked with a different symbol and in order to gain access to the food, the animals had to pick the correct bucket. The mules learned to discriminate between more pairs of symbols than the horses or donkeys, and did so more consistently and quickly. Dr Burden said: “We have always known that mules are very different in terms of behaviour, approach and training, so we wanted to prove that they are not stubborn and stupid but are actually very intelligent. “They receive a lot of undeserved bad press, and are often sent to us
with behavioural issues because their training has not been consistent. “We wanted to prove that they are just as trainable as horses, as long as it is done in the right way. “The thing to remember is that they learn very quickly, which means that they remember any bad experiences as well as the good ones. “I always say - ‘you tell a horse, ask a donkey and discuss it with a mule!’” The increased intelligence in the mule is believed to be a result of hybrid vigour, where the best genes of the parent species ‘mix and match’ to produce hybrids with superior traits. It is known that this mechanism gives mules the strength and stamina of a donkey together with the size of a horse, this is the first study to show that hybrid vigour is able to improve cognitive function too. Dr Burden added: “We have had a lot of interest in the study and I hope that it will help to change people’s perception of these animals. “Mules are very valued in other parts of the world, but not in the UK, and I think this is because they are rarely bred for purpose here they tend to be accidents. “This means they are often not worked or ridden and being so intelligent means they get bored easily. “They are undervalued and underused - but I hope this research will show mule owners that they are very smart and capable, but they need to be trained carefully, preferably by a handler with a lot of experience.”
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HORSE HEALTH I
the heart
It can be hard for veterinary surgeons to decide if normal bloodflow or a serious leak is causing the murmur.
Heart murmurs in horses: What do they mean? By Dr Lesley Young A HEART murmur is an abnormal noise that can be heard with a stethoscope. The noise occurs at a time when the heart should normally be silent i.e. between the normal heart sounds. Many healthy horses have heart murmurs and only occasionally will a heart murmur be indicative of a serious heart problem. Often when a murmur is detected at a pre-purchase or veterinary examination, owners are concerned that the horse will be condemned, or is unsafe to ride.
the left side takes blood containing oxygen from the lungs and supplies all the muscles and vital organs with the oxygen and nutrients. After passing through the active regions of the body the blood then returns to the right heart to be pumped to the lungs and replenished with oxygen. Remember that the heart is basically a pump pushing blood round and round the body, and to work efficiently it contains four valves to ensure blood always flows in the right direction.
What are normal heart sounds?
Two valves separate the two muscular pumping chambers, the right and left ventricles, from their collecting chambers, or atria, whilst the two remaining valves are situated in the major vessels leaving the ventricles, the pulmonary artery and the aorta.
The heart is divided into two sides;
The four heart valves prevent back-
This is most certainly not the case as many very successful performance horses have heart murmurs that do not affect them at all.
Remember that the heart is basically a pump pushing blood round and round the body, and to work efficiently it contains four valves to ensure blood always flows in the right direction.
flow of blood, making sure the maximum amount of blood is pumped with every beat.
(the stroke volume) enters and leaves each side of the heart with each beat.
The normal events of each heart cycle i.e. contraction of the ventricles followed by their filling between beats, cause the valves to open and close.
Very thin skin, low heart rate and large stroke volume means that the vibrations caused by normal blood flow travel easily to the chest wall and often a veterinary surgeon can actually hear blood entering and leaving the heart.
The sounds of the valves closing can be heard at the chest wall with the aid of a stethoscope and are known as the normal heart sounds. Up to four of these sounds can be heard in normal horses. Normal heart sounds are usually short and clearly defined and make the familiar ‘lubdub’ sounds we associate with a heart beating. When a heart murmur is present, whooshing noises are heard around, or within the heart sounds.
Heart murmurs: These abnormal noises between the normal heart sounds occur very commonly in performance horses, in fact in a group of flat-racing horses in Newmarket only one in 10 didn’t have a heart murmur of some description. In humans and dogs the presence of a murmur often means that one of the heart valves is leaking, however in horses this is not always the case. The horse’s heart is large, weighing up to six kgs and one litre of blood
These noises are called flow murmurs and they are completely normal. The ‘whooshing’ sound made by blood leaving the heart can be quite loud, especially if a horse is particularly excited, or stressed by other diseases such as colic. It can sometimes be hard for veterinary surgeons to decide if normal blood flow, or a serious leak on the main left heart valve (mitral valve), is causing a loud murmur on the left side of the chest. Often these flow murmurs come and go depending on the excitement of the horse. They may appear, disappear or change after exercise too. If the veterinary surgeon is sure that the murmur is a normal flow murmur, no matter how loud it is, the horse can be passed without question at a pre-purchase examination, because the heart is completely normal.
Contiinued on Page 17
the heart
HORSE HEALTH I 17
Continued from Page 16 What happens if a murmur suggests one of the heart valves is leaking? Obviously this depends on how bad the leak is and which valve is affected. In most cases the louder the murmur, the bigger the leak. Sometimes in the worst cases, the vibrations caused by the back-flow of blood can actually be felt by placing the hand on the chest wall over the heart; a stethoscope isn’t even required. On such occasions the leaks are usually so severe the heart is unable to cope. An affected horse will be reluctant to exercise and slow to recover after any exertion. Resting heart rate increases to over 50 beats per minute, as the heart is forced to beat faster to compensate for the blood flowing backwards through the leaking valve.
So when is the murmur a problem?
However this picture is very much the unusual exception rather than the rule.
First your vet must decide whether a murmur is caused by normal blood flow, or whether a heart valve is leaking.
Diagnosis of a heart murmur in a performance horse is not usually such bad news.
If a valve is leaking, the valve must then be identified.
Smaller leaks are often very well tolerated and do not affect athletic performance. Quiet murmurs associated with small leaks on the left (mitral) and right (tricuspid) valves are present in up to between 25 per cent and 45 per cent of racehorses in training. In fact by looking at a very large number of racehorses before and after training, we now know that after training, murmurs are present in a greater proportion of horses than before and that the volume of any murmurs present increases. As we already know that the heart gets bigger with training – that is what makes the horse fit; it seems likely that this process also increases the leakiness of the valves. A similar situation is known to occur in human athletes
A murmur can usually be identified by considering whereabouts on the chest wall the murmur is most obvious. The timing and character of the murmur often also provide useful clues as to its origin. In nine out of 10 cases a stethoscope is all that is required to give an accurate diagnosis. If a murmur is caused by a valve leaking, the vet must then try to gauge the likely significance and decide whether the leak is likely to worsen with time. The vet uses the loudness of the murmur, exercise history and the horse’s resting heart rate to try to make this decision. In the scenario of a pre-purchase or insurance examination, this decision can be difficult and the vet may suggest the horse undergo further
evaluation by a cardiac specialist, so that the heart and its valves can be visualised with ultrasound.
heart is failing, there are no adverse effects on the performance of flat or National hunt racehorses.
Using highly specialized ultrasound equipment, known as an echocardiograph, blood flow through the heart is examined using a technique called Doppler echocardiography which allows both normal and abnormal blood flow to be seen.
From this data, we can therefore conclude that a similar murmur in a show-jumper, or dressage horse, or even an eventer, all of whom perform much less aerobically challenging roles, will have no discernable effect on performance, provided of course, that the heart continues to compensate for the abnormal flow.
This investigation is coupled with measurement of heart chamber size by conventional ultrasound and assessment of heart rate and rhythm during fast exercise. These tests allow the vet to determine whether a horse will be able to continue in its chosen discipline without presenting any additional risk to the rider. In the vast majority of cases, diagnosis of a cardiac murmur certainly does not mean the end of a horse’s working career and a significant proportion of affected horses subsequently proceed to sale.
Conclusion: Our recent published data has shown that even when cardiac valve dysfunction is present, unless the
The take-home message therefore, is that heart murmurs are very common in sports horses and sadly so is poor performance. However conversely cardiac disease is a very uncommon cause of suboptimal performance and when it is, an abnormal cardiac rhythm is to almost always blame, not a murmur. So be very careful that you do not write off a horse for a cardiac murmur until you have all the facts. I Lesley Young BVSc DVA DVC DipECEIM PhD MRCVS RCVS, Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology
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HORSE HEALTH I NEWS
Research shortlist is announced By Louise Cordell THE best equine research projects have been announced in this year’s Eqvalan Duo Equine Thesis of the Year Award shortlist.
Desert Storm – the pregnant mare allowed to starve to death by Delia Stacey
Owner jailed after pregnant mare starves to death THIS month banned horse owner Delia Stacey, who allowed a pregnant mare to starve to death in sight of 1,000 bales of hay, appeared at Guildford Crown Court where she was jailed for a second time for again breaching an order banning her from keeping horses.
three years after being found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to horses in her care.
District Judge Lawson Rogers QC told her the matter was ‘so serious that only a custodial sentence was justified.’
In August 2007 the Eclipse Horse Transport owner was subsequently sent to prison for 35 days and fined another £2,000 for breaching her ban, after she was spotted transporting polo ponies to Ham Polo Club in her lorry along the M23/M25, just days after she was sentenced.
He sentenced her to 112 days in prison, a further five year ban on keeping horses and £5,000 costs.
World Horse Welfare field officer Ted Barnes said: “I am very pleased with the outcome.
The horses she was found to be in possession of earlier this year will remain in the care of World Horse Welfare in Norfolk.
“This has been a long time coming and there has been a great deal of difficult and complex work put in by RSPCA Inspector Nicky Thorne to reach this point.
Delia Stacey first appeared in Court in May 2006 and was given a one year suspended sentence, 120 hours community service, fined £9,000 and banned from keeping horses for
“The District Judge, in his wisdom, has given a very severe sentence to Miss Stacey and make no mistake, she deserves it.”
The prize is awarded by the Royal Agricultural Society of England to recognise outstanding achievement in the equestrian field and to showcase the best academic research to the industry. Hugh Oliver-Bellasis, RASE chairman, said: “The horse is taking an ever more important role in rural Britain as a leisure pursuit for many hundreds of thousands of people, in sport and for landowners who are diversifying their businesses by moving into livery and other horse related activities. “This award is a great way of giving recognition to the future thought-leaders in the sector and we hope it also encourages other academic institutions and their students to continue in their valuable work.” The five shortlisted theses are ‘Foot balance and lameness in riding school horses’ by Laura Corbin of Warwickshire College, ‘Irish Point-toPoint Racing: A Critical Review 2000 to 2007’ by Carol Quish of the University of Limerick, ‘The establishment of evidence-based guidelines for the reduction of the equine canine tooth’ by Alexine Sevack of Hartpury College, ‘A Comparison of the Cryoprotective
Effect of different types of Avian Egg Yolk in Stallion Semen Freezing Media on In Vitro Post-Thaw Sperm Quality’ by Holly Wakefield of Harper Adams University College and ‘An investigation into the Occlusal Secondary Dentine Thickness in horses of different ages’ by Charlotte White of Nottingham Trent University. Shortlisted students will now have to defend their thesis to a panel of judges, including the editor of Horse and Rider magazine Alison Bridge, and the 2006 winner Rachel Kay. The winner will receive a cash prize, trophy and membership to the Royal Agricultural Society, as well as the opportunity to present their thesis to the National Equine Forum in March. Final day judge Dr Emma Batson from sponsor Merial Animal Health said: “Research and development is key to our business so it's very satisfying to see that the innovative spirit remains strong within the UK's academic institutions. “The quality of entrants this year has been excellent and there is some very valuable work taking place that deserves a great deal of respect and recognition. “We’re looking forward to meeting the finalists, but I’m sure it’s going to be a challenge to select an overall winner."
Trust funds Fell Pony Syndrome project By Louise Cordell THE Horse Trust is funding a threeyear project to develop a genetic diagnostic test for Fell Pony Syndrome in the hope of controlling and possibly eliminating the disease. The work will be undertaken at the Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, and the University of Liverpool Veterinary School. The Fell pony, an ancient British pony breed categorised as ‘at risk’ by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, has over
the past decade or so been subject to a severe immune deficiency known as Fell Pony Syndrome, which results in the death of some of the newborn foals.
prevalence of FPS is unclear.
Foals affected with FPS appear normal at birth but within a few weeks begin to lose condition and suffer diarrhoea, coughing and weight loss.
Studbook analysis and knowledge of affected foals strongly suggests that this is an inherited disease caused by an autosomal recessive genetic mutation.
Severe anaemia and immune dysfunction follows, leading to wasting and finally death.
A DNA based test for this mutation would enable carriers of FPS to be identified and the conception of affected foals prevented.
As a large percentage of these ponies live and breed on the fell, the
Despite an improvement in foal registration numbers in recent years, Fell Pony Syndrome remains of concern to breeders.
As well as identifying carriers in the Fell pony population, the project will be used to identify any carriers in other breeds which have been involved in the extensive outbreeding of Fell ponies over the years. The Horse Trust's Chief Executive and resident veterinary surgeon Paul Jepson said: "This is an exciting and achievable project with significant benefits for equine health and welfare, as it will lead to the prevention and elimination of a fatal disease."
the tack shop
Two Crown Ball tickets up for grabs ... HORSE Health readers are being given the chance to win a pair of tickets to one of the biggest events of the equestrian season.
replacements and special dietary requirements.
The Crown Ball is being held on 29 November in Derbyshire with proceeds going to the National Foaling Bank.
The night will include a champagne reception, four course dinner, headlining comedian, live music, a charity auction and raffle, a talk from Johanna Varden MBE and a firework display to end the evening.
The charity aims to unite orphan foals with foster mares and also offer help and advice on difficult foaling cases, 24 hour nursing and information about colestrum, milk
For your chance to attend, send a postcard with your name and address to Horse Health Magazine, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS.
HORSE HEALTH I 19
Record sales for show By Louise Cordell This year’s Horse of the Year Show, taking place from 8 to 12 October at Birmingham’s NEC, is reporting record sales and has already sold-out for Friday and Saturday.
Those planning to visit the event are now being advised to book as soon as possible as the event continues to grow in size and audience numbers. Limited tickets for this year’s 60th show are still available for Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. The event will feature world-class
international show jumping alongside the most prestigious national show jumping, together with showing championships and entertainment. Visitors will also be able to watch a dressage masterclass to music with Katie Price and Andrew Gould, the Household Cavalry Musical Ride and the Diamond Jubilee Parade being held to celebrate the milestone event. Finally the Retail Village will be housing more than 250 outlets including visitor attractions like rider signings.
20
GOING FOR GOLD
The difference between being very good and being world class is the smallest of margins. Competitively only a very few make that final toughest push, to take them onto the world class stage. The basic ingredients all have to be in place to be a contender, natural talent, commitment and, in the equine world, the right horses. Twenty-year-old International show jumper, Ryan Prater, has proved he has all of these attributes and Horse Health are following his progress in a series of features, as he reviews his practices and attends to the fine tuning, which he hopes will help him make that transition.
Ryan gets to grips with cold therapy bandages.
Ryan and Otage
Transporting horses against their nature THE jet-setting lifestyle of the modern competition horse means a great deal of time is spent on the road to one venue or another. Everything about transporting horses, any distance at all in fact, is totally against their nature – standing still, in a confined space, for long periods of time. Anything which can minimise the effects of several hundred hours travelling per year has got to help performance, so we decided to take a look at the ways in which cold therapies and massage treatments can aid post competition and travel recovery.
considerable number of favourable reports.
down a coil of wire housed in a boot/wrap or rug.
Serena said: “Massage and magnotherapy are non-invasive and drug free.
“As it passes along the wire it produces an electromagnetic field, and when the current stops the field disappears.
“It is a great method of relieving pain, and speeding up healing. “Massage improves venous and lymphatic fluid flow, this stimulates a quicker removal of waste toxins and reduces muscle soreness. “Massage before and post competition, and travel, relieves muscle tension, and either prepares the horse for work, or helps it warm down afterwards.
Kay Russell of Equi-N-icE and Serena Hickson of FMBs and Magnet Medics, were the experts on hand.
“Magnetic therapy is widely used to treat arthritis, bone and soft tissue injuries, aid healing and for general stiffness.
The benefits of equine sports massage are becoming more widely appreciated, and in combination with pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF), there have been a
“It aids the blood vessels in specific areas to dilate, which promotes better blood flow to speed healing. “Pulsating magnetic therapy systems use battery power to send a current
“Massage before and post competition, and travel, relieves muscle tension, and either prepares the horse for work, or helps it warm down afterwards.”
“By turning the current on and off rapidly, increased blood flow is stimulated.” Ryan tried the Combi+System on his horses, and found Otage, one of his international team, to be particularly responsive to it. After using the system he said: “I’ve treated Otage for a few weeks, both before and after work, and after long spells in the lorry. “Very quickly it was noticeable that he became more relaxed, and definitely more supple through his back in his work.” With cold therapy the aim is to reduce inflammation and swelling, and to bring high body temperatures back to normal as quickly as possible. Kay said: “When a horse is working, its muscles produce up to 50 per cent more heat. “In order to dissipate this, the horse sweats, more blood moves to the capillaries under the skin, and respiration speeds up. “The Rapid Cooler Rug rug is immersed in a coolant solution which draws the heat away from the body and so is very effective in
speeding recovery. “With inflammation, swelling and bruising, cold and compression is a well established remedy. “The Equi-N-icE bandages are also soaked in a coolant solution, which means that any part of the horse’s leg can be treated easily.” Ryan added: “The bandages are easy to apply, and the coolant is very effective, there is nothing to clean off after use, and there are no banned substances which makes it ideal for competitions. “Both the massage magnotherapy system, and the cooling products have been easy to use and worked very effectively.”
Ryan’s update “The team is continuing to jump well, we have had good results in Slovenia with a 2nd in the Grand Prix and a 4th in the World Cup Qualifier. “We’re now moving on to Zagreb where Otage is entered in the Nations Cup. “Whisker is consistently jumping the bigger tracks and growing in maturity, he was fantastic at Rowallan finishing an excellent 2nd in the Grand Prix.”
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wound care
HORSE HEALTH I
Horse – heal thyself ... By Rob Watkins, marketing director, Genitrix
accelerate bone and soft tissue healing.
IT is estimated that more than 30 per cent of horses involved in racing and other forms of competition suffer from some sort of tendon injury or problem.
The treatments involve the cultivation of so-called Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP).
Not surprisingly, therefore, interest is growing in the new ‘autologous’ treatments both for joint disease or injury, and for wound management, effectively enabling the horse to heal itself.
A normal blood platelet count is around 150,000 per ml - the gel product of a PRP system increases the concentration to around 1,300,000 per ml.
PRP is simply plasma with an enhanced platelet count.
Because PRP is developed from autologous blood, it is inherently safe and potentially free from transmissible diseases.
Lameness resulting from joint degeneration or osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting horses and the most common reason that vets are called out to competition horses.
The platelets of the blood produce native platelet-derived growth factors (PDGF) and there are seven known different types of these native PDGF’s.
OA causes inflammation of the joint lining and progressive destruction of articular cartilage that covers the ends of the bones composing a joint.
The resultant gel containing the enriched level of platelets can be used to treat wounds, used in bone healing and for injection into areas of damage in tendons and ligaments.
This destruction decreases both the natural shock-absorbing function and the range of motion of the joint, ultimately resulting in lameness in the affected animal. Conventional treatments for joint disease include reduced or altered exercise regimes, bandaging, the use of anti-inflammatory agents, antiarthritic drugs, artificial joint fluid i.e hyaluronic acid and corticosteroids. These treatments have helped to improve the condition of horses’ joints and maintain their overall soundness, yet some are associated with side-effects, or involve substances prohibited under competition rules, creating a headache for professional owners and competitors. Because of these challenges ‘autologous’ treatments are attracting increasing interest and gaining a foothold in the equine world. A range of in-depth studies are underway to test their efficacy, and while not yet conclusive, initial research results and anecdotal evidence are encouraging.
So, how do they work? Laboratory and clinical research has shown interleukin 1 (IL-1) to be one of the main culprits leading to joint inflammation. Research has also shown that antibodies produced against this can be beneficial in arresting cartilage damage. A protein called IL-1Ra has proved particularly helpful in this respect. The treatment involves harnessing the regenerative and antiinflammatory properties of the horse’s own blood cells, including the IL-1Ra protein to combat IL-1 and encourage damaged musco-skeletal tissues to heal - effectively then the
To produce PRP, a veterinary surgeon takes blood from the horse and using an anticoagulant to prevent clotting, immediately places it in a centrifuge and gives it a first ‘hard’ spin. This separates the red blood cells from the plasma which contains the platelets, white blood cells and the clotting factors.
PRP being injected into a wound site. horse heals itself. Treatment involves a veterinary surgeon taking blood from the horse with a special syringe containing treated glass beads. The syringe is then incubated for 24 hours during which time white blood cells locate onto the beads and produce the regenerative and antiinflammatory proteins. After incubation, the syringe is placed into a special centrifuge to separate the serum from the blood clot and create a solution known as Autologous Conditioned Serum (ACS) – effectively a type of ‘antiinflammatory soup’ containing boosted levels of IL-1Ra and other regenerative proteins. The ACS is then decanted into three to five vials for later intra-articular injection by the vet into the affected joints of the horse to reduce inflammation and initiate cartilage healing. Typically three treatments are recommended for optimum clinical effect whilst the horse remains in training or is rested. Of course, the very healing process
The second ‘soft’ spin gently and finely separates the platelets and white blood cells.
after an injury or an operation challenges the body's powers of regeneration, and cells in the blood called platelets play a key role in this.
The resulting gel, consisting of a high number of fresh, undamaged platelets and an enhanced level of PDGF is then used immediately on the wound site.
Not only do they initiate blood clotting resulting in wound closure, but they also play an important part in tissue regeneration since they produce messenger substances which are called growth factors.
The whole process takes about 20 minutes.
These growth factors attract stem cells and reserve cells, and induce these to differentiate into new, regenerated cells. Through this proliferation the new tissue is then formed. Growth factors act like a magnet to stem cells and reserve cells. If the power of this ‘magnet’ is increased, more stem cells and reserve cells are attracted and healing time is reduced. In problematic cases, such as diabetic ulcers, healing can even be facilitated for the first time. Wound management benefits from several therapies which use platelets and the associated growth factors produced by them, to stimulate and
Results: Neal Ashton, partner at Oakham Veterinary Hospital in Rutland, treats a high percentage of competition horses which are competed regularly and cites a key advantage of ACS as its flexibility when fitting in treatment around events. He said: “Autologous approaches are now regularly considered at Oakham as an option for intraarticular joint disease in a range of joints. “They have proved particularly effective in treating horses which have been non-responsive to steroids. “Certainly trainers and riders seem to understand and are attracted by the concept of the horse healing itself.”
Continued on Page 23
wound care
HORSE HEALTH I 23
‘It represents new territory for equine vets’ Continued from Page 22 Andy Bathe, Head of the Equine Sports Injuries Clinic at Rossdale and Partners, said: “I was the first user of the new therapy in the UK. “Over the last eighteen months we’ve been pleased with the usefulness of this product in treating our practice population of racing thoroughbreds, as well as our referral population of a broader range of horses. “We’ve found it helpful in the management of traumatic joint disease in racing thoroughbreds, which have only been partially responsive to corticosteroids. We’ve had some noticeable successes in helping high quality horses achieve the kind of success they deserve. “We have also found beneficial effects in soft tissue injuries such as tendon and ligament injuries. “It is a very exciting technology and one which certainly adds to our armoury when trying to treat injuries in these athletic horses.” Lanark-based Clyde Vet Group recently treated the first horse in Scotland and Andrew McDiarmid, head of the practice’s equine division, said: “While the use of this
treatment is in its early stages, preliminary results are encouraging and it is definitely an exciting addition to our therapeutic range of treatments in the management of equine lameness. “It represents new territory for equine vets and may herald the start of a completely new direction in treating joint disease. At the moment, we, like other clinics, are primarily using it to treat cases that have not responded to conventional therapies.”
The conclusion so far: Neal Ashton added: “At its best, the therapy has proved extremely effective. “While it hasn’t worked in every case, I’ve treated race horses which have gone on to win races, and eventers which have got round Badminton and Burghley – something they would have struggled to do the year before. “Autologous treatments have a well deserved place in our toolkit of treatments for joint disease and wound management.” With more research indeed planned and in-depth studies underway, the development of autologous therapies could well be a key area to watch.
Filling the first compartment of the osteokine set with blood just taken from a horse.
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HORSE HEALTH I
olympic review
Equestrian Federation set for full review of games THE British Equestrian Federation is set to undertake a full review of this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Paralympic effort which involved sending 21 riders, 21 horses and 57 support team members out to Hong Kong was a huge operation.
The study will look at plans made in the lead up to the games as well as the performances of UK Sport, British Dressage, British Eventing and the British Show Jumping Association.
“There are always many factors influencing performance in a project of this size.
BEF chief executive, Andrew Finding, said: “The Olympic and
“To name just two, on the negative side the British team suffered an unusual number of horse injuries both in the run up to the Olympic Games and whilst in Hong Kong.
“On the positive side the logistical operations and conduct of the support teams were excellent. “Our job is now to analyse in detail all aspects of our team performance in order to be clear about the things that affected performance both positively and negatively. We now have our eyes firmly on 2012 and we will put in place systems and procedures to capitalise on the good and improve on weaknesses.”
Andrew added that although the British team were disappointed to miss their overall medal target, highlights included Tina Cook’s individual bronze and the eventing team bronze. He also congratulated Paralympic competitor Lee Pearson on winning his ninth gold medal in three successive Games and the overall performance of the Paralympic team who came top of the medal table.
The indoor barns with rubber matting, air-conditioning and insect proofing were a superb environment.
Professor Josh Slater of The Horse Trust’s Scientific Sub-Committee and the African Horse Sickness Working Group, spent a fascinating few weeks behind the scenes as Bio-security Adviser at the 2008 Olympic Games. Lindy Margach reports.
Fascinating concept of flying horses
JOSH said: “The most fascinating thing for me was the business of flying horses around the world. “Until you see it, it’s difficult to imagine and so impressive – it’s an enormously complex logistical exercise. “Moving people and freight is straightforward, but moving groups of large herd animals which are used to living outside, getting them on and off and, to stand in a plane for 15 or 16 hours, so that they arrive in perfect condition without fuss, is extraordinary. “The meticulous planning by the shipping agents that ensured that the horses landed were unloaded, through customs, on to lorries and whisked through the city with a motorcycle escort, was really impressive. “Police, immigration and passport officials were fully briefed and did nothing to impair the process, setting tough deadlines to ensure the horses were moved through in double quick time, which meant that they arrived at the quarantine venue
within two hours of landing, many in less than 90 minutes.” As head of Bio-security, responsible for all the 218 horses arriving on 21 different flights from quarantine centres in northern Europe, the USA, S. America and Australia, from the moment they arrived in Hong Kong until the moment they left, Josh and his team met and inspected them at the airport before they were allowed to continue their journey, ensuring they were fit enough to enter the Olympic Venue. He added: “The facilities at the Venue were enormously impressive – in fact it’s hard to imagine anything better. Stabling was laid out in blocks of 50, each with two arms of 25 stables linked by a central service area with feed stores, horse washing facilities and a sand lunge, and additional smaller stable blocks provided isolation facilities. “Dividing the horses into smaller groups meant if there was an infectious disease, we could limit the number exposed to infection. Continued on Page 25
olympic review Continued from Page 24
three days before the competition started, leaving a few days of cooler wet weather which was perfect for the horses.”
The big, airy stables and corridors, were rubber floored, insect proofed, and had full air conditioning, which made for a superb environment for both horses and teams.
So what about 2012, when the horses are due to come to London?
Josh added: “Once they arrived, the quarantine team monitored the horses for the first ten days, then handed them over to the treatment vets on site if any problems developed.
Josh added: “Through the efforts of the International Equestrian Federation, there is a template for the Games, although each venue is unique and has a unique set of circumstances.
“If at any point clinical signs of infectious disease were observed, they were referred back to the quarantine team.”
“For 2012, the import and export of the horses will be more straightforward, because most live and work in northern Europe which is home to the world’s major equestrian events, so they’ll be moving within the EU.
The stakes were very high, with more than 200 of the world’s best sport horses, many years of training, preparation and investment in each one, not discounting the hopes and dreams of the riders. Josh added: “I think we all worried most about the risk of infectious disease. “When you have animals brought in from different parts of the world there is a significant risk of disease outbreak and, as expected some horses developed fever, coughing or diarrhoea after arrival in the venue. “In those circumstances, someone has to take a decision on what to do – and that someone was me.” In the event, none of the horses at the venue turned out to be harbouring an infectious or contagious disease, so the whole
HORSE HEALTH I 25
The horses arrived in excellent condition process worked extremely well and all the horses arrived, remained healthy, competed and left as planned, with no disease outbreak at any time they were there.
by fewer than three faults at the start of the competition. “My abiding memory was the success of the cross-country day.
He said: “Once they were through the ten day quarantine period, there were no issues for our team, so I was able to go and see most of the competition.
“We were all aware of the very real risks of running a cross-country phase in Hong Kong in August because of high temperature and humidity, yet all the horses got round the course without injury.
“The show-jumping at the end of the three-day event was electrifying, with the top seven riders separated
“There was significant risk of heat exhaustion, but we were so lucky because there was a typhoon just
“The real lessons that I learned in Hong Kong was that we need a very clear process for dealing with any horse at the venue that might have an infectious disease. “Quite a few horses had fevers for one reason or another and that could be anything from a temporary problem of no significance, to the first case of flu or something worse. “Hong Kong, as part of the Beijing Olympic Games, got it absolutely right. “We have to ensure we achieve the same standards in the UK in four years’ time.”
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HORSE HEALTH I
olympic review
Physio Victoria looks back on hard work of 2008 and says: Roll on 2012 By Victoria Spalding PREPARATION for the 2008 Olympic Games began in earnest at the beginning of the year, although the combinations competing there will have been aiming at this competition for years and the horses will have been carefully prepared throughout their careers. There is a great support team behind the British Equestrian Team consisting of vets, farriers, physiotherapists (equine and human), sports psychology, trainers and managers all working hard to make sure that everything is in place for optimum performance. Most of the horses that competed at the games have their own home therapist who works with them regularly throughout the year. A lot of time was spent in the months prior to Hong Kong visiting the horses at home and working closely with the home team to get to know their specific problems and what treatment they are used to having, or advising on appropriate treatment plans. The middle of a competition is definitely not the place to start new treatments so it was very important to make sure that any problems were under control and to know how the horses would react to different types of treatment well before we arrived at the Olympics. The horses entered quarantine in the UK a week before travelling out to Hong Kong and we soon got into a routine of daily exercise with physiotherapy for horses and riders to iron out any remaining niggles. Excitement built throughout the week as the departure date grew nearer and nearer. The flight was 14 hours for the horses who travelled in a special cargo crates, stopping briefly in Dubai on the way. All the team horses are very used to travelling long distances but not all had flown before. The direction the horses stand whilst travelling can have a big effect on how they need to adjust their weight in motion – on the plane they are in effect facing forward and have to make less effort to balance than when in a lorry on the road.
All the horses travelled really well and it was a huge relief to see them come off the transporter fit and perky and wondering where on earth they were! They were all quite tired following the flight and had an easy few days whilst we adjusted to the time difference and the change in climate. They soon got into a routine of working early in the morning before it got too hot, after which they would have their physiotherapy treatments. As all the horses had arrived in peak fitness, physiotherapy during the competition consisted mainly of maintenance work to keep everything finely tuned. Watching them train each day is important, to observe how they are moving, if anything looks stiff, or any movement can be improved upon.
Maintenance work kept the horses finely tuned.
Discussion with the rider following work would highlight any areas they were concerned about. The types of treatment commonly used were massage, soft tissue treatments and stretches to maintain joint and muscle mobility. Each horse had their own treatment routine, depending upon individual areas of stiffness, but the basic principles are the same for all disciplines. Electrotherapy modalities such as pulsed magnetic field and massage rugs were used before work, and an arsenal of laser, ultrasound, TENS, taping and all sorts of applications of cold therapy were available to treat any injuries that might occur. The climate was very challenging with temperatures averaging 30 degrees and humidity regularly at over 85 per cent, so cooling the horses after exercise was a really important factor. The grooms became very efficient at washing them down in iced water. It is important to scrape the water off as it warms up quickly, and to keep re applying until the horse has cooled. There were cooling tents set up all over the venue that sprayed a fine mist of cold water which the horses loved, and really helped to cool them down after work. They coped exceptionally well with
Stretches maintained joint and muscle mobility. the climate, mainly because of the fantastic job the riders had done in getting them all super fit, and the research that had been done by the British Equestrian Federation into the effects of heat on exercise. As we knew what to expect the riders were able to adjust the work programmes to get the optimum performance without ‘overcooking’ the horses in the heat. Hong Kong provided a challenging environment for the equestrian disciplines at the Olympic Games – Great Britain rose to the challenge
and the whole support staff worked hard behind the scenes to keep the horses and riders fit and heathy… roll on 2012. I Victoria Spalding is official physiotherapist to the British Equestrian Team. She qualified as a Chartered Physiotherapist in 1992 and as an animal physiotherapist in 1997. She runs a full-time veterinary physiotherapy practice in Yorkshire, and became the official physiotherapist to the British Equestrian Team in 2007.
HORSE HEALTH I NEWS 27
Updated Codes of Practice published By Louise Cordell THE Horserace Betting Levy Board has published its updated Codes of Practice for 2009. This year new rulings have been included on Equine Coital Exanthema, which is caused by Equine Herpesvirus 3, as well as expanded guidelines on Strangles. The new Codes have been developed in consultation with the Thoroughbred and nonThoroughbred equine sectors, DEFRA and equine vets. Chris Rea, chairman of the Codes of Practice sub-committee, said: “The Codes have been an excellent source of information over the last 30 years and have undoubtedly contributed to the relatively low level of infectious disease affecting the equine breeding population in the UK. “This year, following the annual revision of the contents we have rewritten the code pertaining to
Strangles in the light of new developments in the diagnosis and management of this disease. “We have also introduced a new code to address infection with Equine Herpes Virus 3. “This disease, although not new to those involved in breeding horses, does seem to be more prevalent recently and at times can lead to considerable interruption to breeding programmes. “The new code is presented in a similar format to the others and we very much hope this will again be a first choice of reference when an outbreak occurs. “Better still, if the codes serve to reduce the incidence of these diseases within the breeding population then we have achieved one of our main objectives.” The new Codes of Practice are now available in booklet format, and on the HBLB website in PDF format.
Signature call over petition By Louise Cordell
Over 40,000 people have already signed up, but many more are needed to reach the final target in time. Jo White, director of campaigns and communications, said: “Our Make A Noise campaign is reaching an extremely critical stage, so getting signatures is crucial. “The petition forms a significant part of our case to end the trade as it demonstrates public abhorrence of this unnecessary practice. “We have been delighted with the response we have had so far and hope to have plenty more signatures by October so that we can take them to Brussels in November where we will be handing over a dossier of evidence on the trade to the European Commission.” Problems caused by long distance
Blue Cross to reward equestrian students The Blue Cross has teamed up with equestrian colleges around the country to reward students who go the extra mile for the welfare of horses. The first of the new awards were presented this month to the winning students who had taken the best care of the animals at their stables. Rosie Mogford, Blue Cross equine welfare education officer, said: “The Blue Cross Welfare Award rewards people who go the extra mile to care for horses, unlike other awards that look for academic or equestrian achievements.
WORLD Horse Welfare is calling for more signatures to be added to its Make A Noise petition by the end of October. The charity is campaigning to end the long distance transportation of live horses to slaughter in Europe and aims to collect the names of 100,000 supporters, one for every horse transported this way every year.
Jenna Reilly
transportation include extreme exhaustion, dehydration, disease and severe injuries and World Horse Welfare ultimately wants to end the practice and replace it with a carcassonly trade. The charity is asking for finite journey limits, better welfare standards during journeys and, in the short term,vigorous enforcement of EU regulations designed to protect horses during transport. In the autumn WHW representatives will be travelling to Brussels to hand over a dossier of evidence to the European Commission, something the charity has been working towards for seven years. It is hoped that the findings and recommendations will have a positive impact on European transportation laws which are set to be reviewed in 2009.
“Perhaps it is the person who consistently puts the horses first by offering to hand graze a stabled horse before going for their own lunch. “Or perhaps it is the person who is always first to notice and report a horse which is off colour. “The winners of this award will all have made a real difference to
horses.” Jenna Reilly, a student at Moreton Morrell’s centre of vocational excellence for equine studies, was one of the first students to be presented with the award. She was nominated by her tutor Susan Weatherburn for demonstrating a high standard of horse care, welfare and management throughout her two years as a residential student. Ms Weatherburn said: “Jenna regularly worked during the holiday periods on the college yard, proving to be a responsible and conscientious worker.” Recipients will keep the award for a year before the engraved glass trophy is returned and presented to a new winner within the college. Winners also receive a certificate from The Blue Cross and a free subscription to an equestrian magazine for a year.
Nominations wanted for awards THE British Equestrian Trade Association is calling for nominations for the best tackshops, feed merchants and retailers in the country. Winners will receive the SEIB Retailer of the Year Award at BETA’s 2009 Business Awards which aim to reward high standards in specialist equestrian retailing. Retailers of all types and sizes can be entered and shoppers are asked to consider how well products are displayed and explained, whether staff are knowledgeable and help, the
availability of products, shop cleanliness and accuracy and speed of deliveries. Nicolina Mackenzie, marketing manager for Specialist Equine Insurance Brokers, said: “We are delighted to support an award which gives people the chance to show how much they value their favourite retailers.” Nominations can be made at www.retaileroftheyear.org.uk before 8 December and everyone who nominates will be entered into a free prize draw to win a Wintec saddle.
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worming
HORSE HEALTH I
Ben Gaskell BVSc MRCVS, veterinary advisor at Pfizer Animal Health provides some thoughts on the management of worm burdens in equine herds
No reliable ‘immunity’ to worms IN the UK many horses and ponies are cared for by individual owners or keepers in a livery yard scenario, where partial turnout and shared grazing are managed to varying degrees of success. The most popular method of worm control within these populations is the use of anthelmintics, pasture resting/rotation and ideally the monitoring of the horses’ worm burdens. This three-pronged approach will form the basis of management, but a degree of fine-tuning is required where horses are kept in different regimes, such as within the breeding industry. Mares and youngstock, living out in herds for the majority of the year can need a more structured worming programme due to the setstocking nature of the pasture management and the mixing of age groups. Use of anthelmintics in horses should always be designed in order to maximise the effectiveness of the worming programme and minimise the negative impacts of anthelmintic use, such as resistance. However, in all situations it is important to remember that every horse is different and although there is no reliable ‘immunity’ to worms, individual horses carry and manage worm burdens differently, simply because of their general health, inherited attributes and immune status.
Worming set-stocked horses: Worming large populations of horses can present an opportunity to manage resistance through targeted worming programmes, but equally it can be a problem if there is little opportunity to clean or rest pasture. To this end, we should consider the
The use of diagnostics helps to reduce the overuse of wormers
rationale behind managing setstocked horses for the ‘non-seasonal’ worm threats, such as small redworms. Worming horses over the grazing season on set-stocked pasture has two key aims: to reduce the worm burden of the grazing horses and to reduce the worm burden on the pasture itself, termed the in-refugia population. Both the pasture and the horses must be managed in order for the worming protocol to be effective.
Pasture management: A rest of three months can provide a significant reduction in the larval burden on the land, hence resting and rotating the grazing land would remain an ideal part of pasture
management. However, it may not be essential to a more progressive approach to worming. Set-stocking need not rely on anthelmintics entirely for a reduction in the worm burden on the pasture. Low stocking densities, the daily collection of droppings and the grazing of other stock such as sheep or cattle on the land will reduce contamination and the exposure of the horses to infective larvae. This, coupled with the principle of managing the in-refugia population on pasture via strategic worming, can allow horses to flourish on setstocked pasture.
Lessons from other species? Set-stocked cattle rely on seasonlong worm control strategies such as boluses and long-acting macrocyclic lactones, which allow all the worms ingested from pasture to be killed. This reduces the pasture burden as well as eliminating the burden from the animal. In turn this stops the late-grazing surge in larval numbers on pasture which can cause a lack of weight gain and/or clinical disease. Often this is coupled with a lateseason move to fresh pasture such as hay/sileage aftermaths. Several of these strategies could be applied to equine ‘herds’, although horses do not develop immunity to worms to any significant degree.
With horses, repeated or ‘blanket’ worming throughout the season is common, but holds the danger of driving the development of resistance. Management of the situation to minimise over-worming can be beneficial to the horse, and prove an economical option. An alternative may be more aggressive worming after turnout, which may well be effective in minimising the increase in worm burden over the grazing season, allowing a reduction in use of wormers in the back-end, with or without a change in pasture. This, coupled with diagnostics to ensure the situation is under control over the season, may present the optimal solution. Using diagnostics is essential in any worming programme – they have become more established in helping to manage the over-use of wormers and in allowing the selection of the most appropriate wormer. Remember that any strategy will also have to consider the more seasonal worm threats, for example tapeworm in spring and autumn.
Reliable advice: Worming protocols will continue to evolve with ongoing research; new treatment strategies and the evergrowing importance of diagnostic techniques, mean that owners need to be kept up to speed with clear, easy-to-follow advice.
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HORSE HEALTH I
forge
High impact injuries to equine feet and limbs are a common problem with many contributing factors, from obscure soft tissue damage, palmer foot pain to osteoarthritis. Andrew Poynton, FWCF, examines the forces through the digit during every day activities.
Equine high impact injury PROLONGED work on hard unyielding surfaces, rough ground, and even compacted sand surfaces, test the horse’s physique and stamina.
pedal bone (P3), its sole concave with the frog central and to the rear, the heels open and flexible to enable compression, expansion and three dimensional movement.
The faster the horse’s pace, the greater the impact; galloping, jumping and sharp changes in direction or speed obviously create the greatest impact with the momentary load borne by each foot amounting to anywhere between four to six times the weight of the horse.
Internally from the laminal suspension of P3 and its flexible cartilaginous wing extensions on either side, to the compressible mass of the digital cushion, all protect and provide a buffer to the bone column.
The anatomy:
The load borne by each foot can be up to six times the body weight of the horse.
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In addition, the arterial and venous volume of blood in the foot acts as a hydraulic damper.
The feet are the first to receive all this force torque and shock and this, to a greater or lesser extent, is transmitted up the digit into the limb.
It is a far less rigid structure than most realize and not at all surprising that it works most efficiently without a rigid shoe nailed on to it.
From the ground up, all the structures are designed to dissipate shock and utilize this energy for propulsion.
This, and the whole movement of the digit supported by the flexor tendons and suspensory ligament, cushion the descending force against ground impact.
Externally the healthy hoof is like a tough spring wrapped around the
Continued on Page 31
forge Continued from Page 30
Close up movement analysis: The greater detail of this drama is not detected due to the speed at which it happens. However, high speed filming of the event played back in slow motion reveals the extreme extent of movement and finer points of what actually happens at the precise moment. This close up movement analysis can reveal subtle discrepancies in balance and conformational weaknesses. As the foot impacts the ground a visible shock wave rises from the heels through the digit. Simultaneously the foot is compressed expanding to dissipate the sudden force upon it. At the extreme point of loading, for example when jumping, galloping or even during certain high propulsion dressage movements the fetlock will contact the ground. A fit horse with good conformation will repeatedly perform this exercise time after time without injury provided the surface worked on is suitable.
HORSE HEALTH I 31
efficiently - when load is applied it is borne evenly, as the shock on impact is dissipated throughout the whole foot. The hoof has symmetry and is pleasing to the eye. When turning or moving over uneven ground one side of the hoof will contact the ground in advance of the other side, the free play in the joints will accommodate this to some extent and the heels of the hoof will ideally flex, damping the tension and compression effect on the joints. If the ground will yield, then the hoof will dig in, providing grip and reducing the force on the joints. Now let’s swing the balance in the other direction. If the ground is unyielding and the hoof shod with steel we have a quite different scenario; the hoof movement is restricted, transferring the bone crunching impact to the joints above. The shoe cannot dig in and is likely to strike up. Does this sound familiar?
Poor conformation and hoof imbalance:
In extreme loading the fetlock will contact the ground. concentrated into specific areas contributing to injury. A common example would be a toe out conformation, the medial side of the hoof and heel low. When viewed walking the foot would land on the lateral toe quarter then load to the medial heel as the fetlock descends over that quarter.
Good conformation:
Wherever there is less than ideal limb conformation the hoof distorts, due to any uneven forces and loading that it is subject to.
The likely injuries would be an under run heel and medial corn, further palmer foot pain and possible collateral ligament strain – a subject on its own.
A level and balanced foot, central under a straight limb works
Needless to say shock and loading within the foot and digit become
Whilst predominantly heavier boned horses may suffer conditions such as
equine osteoarthritis, ‘ringbone’ and ‘sidebone’, the lighter, thoroughbred type is more likely be diagnosed with, for example, Navicular syndrome, palmer foot pain, or hoof cracks; that said none of these conditions are exclusive to type. Without exception all would benefit from reduced impact on their feet. A good farrier who is prepared to take the time to identify these discrepancies, then skillfully trim and shoe to neutralise the negative effects of less than ideal conformation can help greatly to prolong the active working life of many horses.
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Bloodstock matters
Diseases of the unborn foal If new horses must be introduced, then ensure they are first quarantined for at least one month.
By Patrick Traill of Fort Dodge THREE key diseases are particularly significant in terms of risk to the unborn foal.
A vaccination and booster regime to decrease the overall level of EHV should be in place, and mares can be vaccinated during the fifth, seventh and ninth month of pregnancy.
Equine Herpesvirus (EHV) EHV is highly and the most commonly diagnosed cause of infectious abortion in pregnant mares.
Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) This highly contagious venereal disease can cause abortion in mares or severe respiratory disease in foals.
It is split into subtypes, EHV1 and EHV4. EHV 1 is typically responsible for abortion while EHV4 causes the respiratory form of the disease.
A notifiable disease, it’s relatively widespread in Europe but the UK is protected by a range of control measures set out in the Horseracing Betting Levy Board’s (HBLB) guidelines.
Both EHV1 and EHV4 gain entry to the horse’s system through the mucus membranes of its nose, gums or eyes.
The last outbreak in the UK was in 1993, when over 100 horses contracted the disease with devastating consequences.
It multiplies in these cells then makes its way to the respiratory tract lymph nodes within two to three days of exposure to the virus. It can also rest in white blood cells and certain endothelial cells - the blood vessels of the uterus containing endothelial cells are a particular target. Initial clinical signs at this point could include a decrease in temperature, loss of appetite and enlarged lymph
nodes.
and snorting.
A serious or clear nasal discharge, which may subsequently contain mucus and pus, is also likely.
For a pregnant mare the disease is particularly dangerous.
Highly contagious it is spread through close contact between horses from shared drinking water and feeders, and through coughing
The virus multiplies in the endothelial cells of the blood vessels of the uterine wall and, from here, infects the foetus, causing pneumonia, bronchiolitis and hepatic necrosis or inflammation. The incubation period is between two weeks and three months and 95 per cent of infected mares will abort during the last four months of pregnancy with the majority aborting about 10 to 20 days after infection with the virus. EHV outbreaks occur for a number of reasons. Sometimes the virus can be carried by a horse in its lymph nodes and white blood cells, and under stress can be activated, infecting the foetus if the mare is pregnant. The mare does not always shed virus through her nasal secretions and, on occasion, the first exposure her paddock mates will have to the virus is through her aborted foetus and placenta – both of which are highly infectious and are likely to cause a subsequent ‘abortion storm’ among the other pregnant mares. An abortion storm may also occur if a non-quarantined mare, which is shedding the virus, is introduced to a herd.
Equine Herpesvirus is a highly infectious viral disease and is the most commonly diagnosed cause of infectious abortion in pregnant mares
To protect brood mares against EHV, it’s important to take veterinary advice, instigate an appropriate preventative health regime and to keep brood mares together as a closed herd.
The control measures have since proved successful in stopping further outbreaks but UK horses have little immunity so are at risk of developing the disease should the virus be imported again. Stallions are the main source of the EVA virus as it localises in the sex glands and is shed in semen. The disease can be spread in four ways: I Through the venereal infection of mares by stallions during mating. I Through artificially inseminating mares with semen from infectious stallions. I Through contact with aborted foetuses and the placenta. I Through direct contact in droplets (e.g. from coughing and snorting) from the respiratory tract. EVA has wide ranging symptoms from severe to very mild so it’s possible for carriers to go unnoticed while remaining a reservoir of infection and shedding. At its most severe, EVA causes fever, stiff movement, conjunctivitis, swelling of the lower parts of the legs, around the eyes and of the reproductive organs, as well as abortion in pregnant mares. There is no treatment but the symptoms can be alleviated by symptomatic support. About 30 per cent of infected stallions never eliminate the infection and remain as persistent shedders, spreading it for the rest of their lives. Alarmingly, many of these show no outward signs and their fertility is unaffected. Continued on Page 33
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Bloodstock matters Continued from Page 32 Therefore, laboratory diagnosis plays a key role in controlling EVA according to the HBLB Code of Practice. Breeding stallions and teasers in the UK should be blood tested before mating, teasing or collecting semen and the results should be recorded in the horse’s passport. Mares should be blood tested prior to sending them to stud for insemination to ensure they are clear. Particular care should be taken if importing horses, and in the sport horse industry, semen or equine embryos as the EVA virus survives in chilled and frozen semen and is not affected by the antibiotics added. A horse testing positive for EVA cannot be used for breeding unless it has been established that it is positive due to vaccination. Vaccination is an effective protective measure, should commence at least six weeks before covering and be used within an overall management programme.
Equine Rotavirus Equine Rotavirus is a common environmental pathogen and is the most frequent cause of viral enteritis in young foals. The virus is resistant to disinfectants and can live in soil for over nine months, making it difficult to eradicate. It is believed that 30 to 60 per cent of foals with symptoms of diarrhoea are infected with rotavirus, however the virus does not affect adult horses. Rotavirus attacks the villi that line the small intestine resulting in malabsorption which then causes severe diarrhoea. In its most severe form, it can also cause respiratory disease and foals infected with both forms stand little chance of survival. Foals under three months of age are the most severely infected with high mortality rates if not treated aggressively with IV fluids, electrolytes and nutritional support. Infected foals are highly contagious and must be isolated. In addition, a strict stable management programme must be observed. Faecal sampling to isolate the disease will assist in the correct treatment and control of this virus. The most effective way to prevent Rotavirus infection is good management practice and the vaccination of pregnant mares. Vaccination is administered at the eighth, ninth and tenth months of pregnancy.
Feeding for the future – from weaning to sales preparation By Liz Bulbrook ANY discussion on the nutrition of growing horses inevitably touches upon the subject of Developmental Orthopaedic Disorders; a term that encompasses a number of conditions such as epiphysitis, flexural deformities and osteochondrosis. It can be a multifactorial problem related not just to feed but management and genetics, affecting bone, cartilage, tendons and ligaments. Poor feeding programmes can precipitate these problems, through under as well as over feeding, whilst poorly conformed or top heavy individuals can also place unnecessary stress, strain and trauma on young immature joints. A reluctance to feed suckling foals prior to weaning pervades, particularly good-doers, for fear of causing growth problems. Protein is often still labelled as the culprit, despite research highlighting that excessive energy (calorie) intake, and insufficient vitamin and mineral support, are the main precursors to growth problems. Monitoring youngsters’ growth rates and bodyweight, by using weightapes, weighbridges or growth charts, can act as a useful management tool for foals and yearlings, and highlights those that may be growing above or below average, allowing early adjustments to be made to the feed and management programme.
Pre-Weaning: Establishing foals on a good diet preweaning can help lessen any setbacks resulting from the stress of weaning. Digestive enhancers (prebiotics and yeast cultures) are particularly helpful and support the beneficial bacteria in the hindgut, thus aiding fibre fermentation as well as overall gut health and immune status. Balanced diets fed in small, frequent, digestible feeds encourage a steady linear growth rate, avoid excessive glycaemic response and starch overload and reduce the risks of compensatory growth spurts through the introduction of feed after weaning. Typically Thoroughbred foals between three to six months of age will gain weight at 0.65 to 0.9kg per day, declining to 0.75 to 0.5kg per day at six to 12 months of age.
Complement Your Forage: Foals that are well-topped on a
Monitoring youngsters allows early adjustments to be made. predominately forage-based diet are ideal candidates for specially formulated stud balancers that provide key amino acids, vitamins and minerals to support growth without adding significant energy levels to the diet.
Foals in need of more condition and top line will need to be maintained on a slightly higher plane of nutrition which can be achieved through feeding stud mixes, cubes or specific ‘sales prep’ mixes, according to the manufacturers’ recommendations. Continued on Page 34
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Bloodstock matters
Attention to nutrition should get results Continued from Page 33 These feeds contain a combination of energy sources with the necessary supporting protein quality (lysine, methionine, threonine) provided by ingredients, such as soya and alfalfa, along with the essential vitamins and minerals.
Yearlings for Sale: Attention to correct nutrition throughout the foal to yearling stages should result in a well grown youngster with sufficient muscle and condition to be ready to progress smoothly into sales preparation or pre-training. The natural exercise taken by a yearling during its early life at pasture is known to help bone growth and strength so, when coupled with a suitable supportive diet, prepares the youngster’s body for the increased exercise and feeding of sales preparation. At 12 months of age the typical yearling should have achieved 90 per cent of its mature height, 95 per cent of its bone length and 75 per cent of its adult weight. Although over the next year the growth rate may be slower it is still an important phase in the young, growing athletic horse’s life.
Forage Basis: As access to pasture is reduced, the yearling should receive increased amounts of hay or haylage in order to maintain gut health and function, relieve boredom and prevent stereotypical behaviour. Ideally, forage intake should be equivalent to one per cent of bodyweight and will contribute to
Attention to correct nutrition should result in a well-grown youngster. the youngster’s energy intake by providing fermentable fibre and nonheating calories. The more digestible the forage, the lower the risk of ‘hay belly’ and, if the nutritional quality of the forage is in question, an alfalfa chaff can be fed to help raise the overall protein and fibre content of the diet. Knowing the nutritional content of forage is essential to achieve an overall balanced diet, and most reputable feed manufacturers will provide a forage analysis service.
Little and Often: As work intensity increases, traditional stud mixes and cubes, or
oats plus balancer regimes, can be introduced, but in some cases a dilemma exists as to how much can be fed for weight gain whilst maintaining good growth and preventing over excitability in these youngsters. Dividing the daily ration in to three or even four small meals will avoid overloading the system as feed quantities increase and, if more calories are required, or extra coat shine, consider adding oil as it provides two and a quarter times more calories per kilogram than carbohydrates, is slow releasing and non-heating and avoids further
increases in starch and total feed volume.
Pay Off Time: We may not be able to alter the genetic make up of each individual but with good feeding practices in place alongside a well managed exercise regime it is possible to improve the chances of achieving the best price for each individual horse. I Liz Bulbrook BSc (Hons) is Director of Nutrition at Baileys Horse Feeds and has over 25 years experience of both formulating feeds and compiling rations for Thoroughbreds produced for the sales ring and race track.
Delegates to gather at Cheltenham Racecourse THIS year’s Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding Seminar is set to take place at Cheltenham Racecourse on 13 November. The event aims to provide a valuable opportunity for anyone with an interest in the health and welfare of horses to keep up with the latest in veterinary advances and technological developments. It has an outstanding record of attracting world class experts and 2008’s key speakers include, Professor Derek Knottenbelt, Mr
Geoff Lane, Professor Christine Nicol and Professor Tim Morris. Professor Knottenbelt will open with an overview of the immune system, which is vital to survival in today’s germ laden environment, but is probably the least understood part of the body’s physiology. Professor Knottenbelt illustrates the major components and how they are interrelated, and Nick Wingfield Digby continues with an explanation of how immunity develops and how the process can
be enhanced. It is increasingly suggested that fat and fibre based diets may result in calmer behaviour patterns and the role of diet in the development of abnormal oral behaviour, particularly crib-biting will be discussed by Professor Christine Nicol, in her presentation on ‘Nutrition in Young Stock and its Effect on Future Behaviour’. Cutting-edge technology within the industry will be showcased in presentations on the development,
practicality and necessity of the portable endoscope, facilitating examination of the upper airways during exercise, and, with an exploration and discussion of computerised gait analysis. This year the seminar will also include a news bulletin overview of the latest developments from the equine veterinary profession, and introduces an interactive format, with electronic handsets allowing delegates to register their opinions.
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Claydon Horse Exercisers has been establised for over 20 years and have over 3000 machines in regular use in the UK and overseas. For anyone with multiple horses to exercise, a horse exerciser is an invaluable addition to any yard. They are built to exercise four to eight horses and vary in size starting from 10.66m in diameter with a 1.52m walkway. Horse Exercisers are an ideal, labour saving way of giving horses exercise and cooling them off after work, and in these times of rising costs and the need for increased efficiency it is not surprising that more and more yards up and down the country are installing them.
Dr Colin Roberts
Conference at Boxted Hall THE Open College of Equine Studies is hosting the 2008 Equine Science Conference on 28 and 29 November at Boxted Hall near Bury St Edmunds. The event is open to everyone interested in horses and how the work of veterinarians and scientists impacts on equine welfare. Delegates include competitors, equine science under-graduates, post-graduates, lecturers, yard managers, therapists, equine veterinary nurses, trainers, welfare staff, horse owners and veterinarians. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certificates will be awarded to every delegate. The conference speakers are leading experts in their field and include professor Tim Greet on ‘The management of equine colic’, professor Daniel Mills on ‘A horse's view of the world: Insights into equine perception, professor Matthew Binns on ‘Horse genetics’, Dr Jeremy Burn on ‘Sorting fact from fiction using science’ and Dr Rachel Murray on Detection of subclinical lameness’. New features this year include a ‘Twilight Tutorial’ – an open discussion session between delegates and a panel of speakers, and the Equine Welfare Dedicated Lecture from Dr Colin Roberts – ‘Black Beauty in the 21st century: What would Anna Sewell make of the lot of the horse today?’. The full conference timetable and a booking form can be downloaded from www.equinestudies.co.uk.
With the aim of developing a new equine education and careers service, Dr Amanda Badnell-Waters is calling on industry employers for their help.
Call to equine industry employers “IT would seem that at present, information on different equine careers and the routes available to attain qualifications and experience in a specific field is still remarkably disjointed. Mismatching between employees and the careers they enter seems common and it is difficult to understand why students who possess degrees or postgraduate qualifications in equine science or related fields often do not pursue careers relating to their training. Having been prepared for posts in specialist institutions with the aim that, as equine scientists, they will contribute to research and the understanding of diseases and disorders of the horse – instead these trained scientists are entering jobs where they are ‘not mucking out
quickly enough’, or ‘incapable of cleaning out a water bucket correctly’, to quote two well known equestrian columnists in recent press articles. But surely professional yards should be employing individuals with appropriate training and extensive practical experience to meet their employment needs. Are employers at fault in recruiting inappropriately trained candidates, or are employees misguided regarding the type of work they are capable of doing competently? In association with The Open College of Equine Studies, I am compiling an initial database of information on education and the range of careers now available within the diverse equine sector, with the aim of launching a new ‘Equine Education and Careers Service’ in the near
Trials confirm bedding benefits AS the leading brand of premium quality dust free horse bedding Easibed and Easibed Plus has never been more popular. Easibed Plus was launched just as potential problems affecting a stabled horse or pony’s lungs and respiratory system, were being increasingly recognised. It contains well-researched active ingredients that help to significantly reduce known contaminants in the stable environment and suppress stable odours. Trials in a wide variety of yards have confirmed that Easibed Plus can also help support improvements in respiratory health and function. Easibed Plus also contains an
effective fly deterrent, which means there’s no need to fly-spray stabled horses. Feet benefit too, with reduced exposure to both the horn-damaging chemicals in droppings and wet beds and the bacteria that can cause foot problems like thrush and seedy toe.
future. I would now like to invite more employers and organisations to become involved in developing this service; initially in compiling an introductory range of summary guides aimed at pulling together the key elements associated with a particular career and the routes available to pursue the training and qualifications available. It is a project which we hope will prove useful, informative and ultimately beneficial for all working in the ever expanding equine industry. Employers, I look forward to learning more about your area of expertise – it is your specialist knowledge that I need to develop this programme further!” For more information from Dr Badnell-Waters contact Horse Health magazine or TOCES.
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