2006AAEP Articles (PDF) available online

Special Report: Health News and Information From the AAEP 2006 Convention
by: The Horse.Com
Article # 9190

Sponsored by OCD Equine

Get the latest research and health news from the American Association of Equine Practitioners 2006 Convention in The Horse's AAEP 2006 Wrap-UP sponsored by OCD Equine. You can download these PDF files separately or as one file at no charge. We hope you enjoy these educational articles.

Individual Articles:
# News and Awards (6 pages, 582 KB)
# Medicine (7 pages; 612 KB)http://www.thehorse.com/pdf/aaep/digestion.pdf
# Digestive Health (5 pages, 567 KB)
# Obese Horses (5 pages, 932 KB)
# Lameness (8 pages, 642 KB)
# Muscle Disorders (6 pages, 514 KB)
# Skin Diseases (3 pages, 469 KB)
# Reproduction (11 pages, 1.7 MB)
# Horse Care and Management (7 pages, 579 KB)
# And Much More (7 pages, 690 KB)




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[RC] RC:Core Temp

As to the electrolytes. Steph said:

>> ... messes with osmotic balance in gut (high concentration of
salt in
one dose). <<<

Angie Asked:

What happened to the old line that if a horse's electrolytes were
depleted, that drinking clear water would disrupt the osmotic balance?

==========================================================
and Steph Answered:

it's been a while since college, so please take my comments as those
of a
lowly rider, not a vet or physiologist.

but - the principle is: water follows salt. wherever the
concentration of
salt is highest, water will go and seek equilibrium, given the
channel/ability to do so. without enough water the body can't circulate
substrate adequately (blood becomes thick/sludgy) and if the guts are
not
active (can also be a result of over-exertion)then stuff, including
salt may
simply stay in the gut rather than get circulated to the cells that
need it.
(or even worse case scenario draw water back into the gut to
normalize the
salt concentration).

the risk of over-hydration (diluting the amount of salt in the body
fluid)
by drinking too much is (I think) much lower than the risk of
dehydration.

There have been many studies demonstrating that horses lose great
amounts of
salt during exertion. And we know there are also studies (the French)
that
demonstrate that drenching with electrolytes doesn't improve
performance...
and we know of many cases where horses have done well w/o electrolyte
supplementation. (I just rode 120km in very hot and humid conditions in
Malaysia with no e-lyte supplementation during the ride - the horse
drank/ate all night, hydration was excellent). So this begs the
question: if
e-lytes are lost in exertion, but horses can still perform well w/o
supplementation, then why are we told that we must actively replace the
salts that are lost, during the exertion? How do these horses do it w/o
replacement during competition. Is there enough of an e-lyte reserve
in a
fully loaded gut to re-supply the system during exertion?

hmmmmm??
>
> Steph

======== Terry Comments ======
How do these horses do it w/o replacement during competition.

Remember, they are EATING FOOD at the vet checks!

As long as the horse is fit for the distance (this influences how efficiently a horse can regulate temperature and cool off during or after hard workl) and eating/drinking at the vet checks (this replenishes their elytes) as it does normally.

Below from the Texas A&M Univ. "Scientific Principles for Conditioning Race and Performance Horses":

"Horses in moderate condition (body condition score of 5) are better able to effectively use DIETARY and STORED energy specifically toward the performance activity, with a SLOWER ONSET OF FATIGUE and IMPROVED THERMAL REGULATION."

Terry
"May the Horse be with you"

FEI Press: Horse Transport, Beijing Olympics

FEI Press News

22/03/2007 - Transportation of Horses to the 2008 Olympic Games

The Veterinary Committee and the Welfare Sub Committee of the FEI had a meeting to discuss transport related issues for the 2008 Olympic Games, on 19 March 2007. The meeting was attended by Mr Martin Atock, Managing Director Peden Bloodstock, and the FEI Directors of the Veterinary and Olympic Departments. The meeting considered flight schedules, arrival times and the related competition dates. While recognising the many complicating factors involved in competition horse shipment and being appreciative of the huge amount of work and support that those involved, in particular Martin Atock as the appointed transporter, had carried out it was felt that the Committee should make a number of issues clear. In the interest of a safe competition and an optimal transport, the Veterinary Committee advises, parallel to the pre-Atlanta research outcome, that the horses arrive approximately 10 days prior to competition. This will enable a thorough flight recovery and give the horses a fair chance to get used to the HKG climatic conditions. It also leaves room for treatment in case any horse suffers from travel sickness or minor injury in flight. At the moment, flying schedules are being designed to adhere as closely as possible to the 10-day period, although this will not be possible in each case. Further discussions are required to define the optimal stable temperature in air-conditioned stables and the temperature phases leading from horse arrival to competition (e.g. start with a cool temperature and gradually increase in the days leading up to competition). The test event will help in this evaluation. At the moment it looks like most of the horses will travel to HKG in combi flights; this creates more room for transport of grooms, gives more flexibility in flight scheduling, but causes some problems in terms of unloading the horses and the aircraft turnover time. This issue is being given urgent attention as the time from aircraft to air-conditioned lorries/stables at the venue is one of the most important transport related factors in preventing post flight fever and has a major effect on post flight recovery of the horses. It would be of great benefit to the sport if NFs participating in the Olympic Test Event are requested to share their monitoring protocols in an attempt to collect as much data as possible in a standardised way, and also to allow these data to be shared for the benefit of our sports both at the Olympic Games and in the future. The chairman would be happy to coordinate this issue as soon as the final list of those attending is finalised. For the future it is recommended that the FEI is represented during discussions between the allocated horse transporter and the representatives of BOCOG, HKJC, airport authorities, etc. when transport issues are discussed. It is planned to organize a seminar on Competition and Transport issues in heat and humid conditions at the beginning of 2008, during which the findings from the test event will be discussed with any involved party. This seminar will be open to all interested. John C. McEwen BVMS MRCVS. Dr Frits Sluyter Chairman, FEI Veterinary Committee Director of FEI Veterinary Department

Diagnosis of Back and Sacroiliac Pain - Nancy Loving

Chris Ray, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, of Weatherford, Texas struck off the discussion about lameness and performance problems associated with back and sacral area pain at the Western Performance Horse Forum held in Nampa, Idaho, on Feb. 15-17. He recommended the importance of listening to the trainer or owner, as many back problems only appear when a horse is performing his athletic activity.

Some horses are so sore they don't want to unload off the trailer. A veterinarian will perform a visual and palpation exam of the back. When a horse is asked to bend, his response is assessed as to whether there is a difference between directions. About 90% of the time, problems are found at the top of the sacrum along the midline.

[More ...]

Finding and Managing Back Injuries and Pain - Nancy Loving

How do you locate the source of back pain in the horse? Once you find the source, how do you manage the pain? At the Western Performance Horse Forum held in Nampa, Idaho, on Feb. 15-17, a panel of three veterinarians discussed options for finding and managing back and sacroiliac injuries that create pain, lameness, and/or performance issues. Panelists were Robert Schneider, DVM, MS, equine orthopedic surgeon at Washington State University; Van Snow, DVM, from Santa Ynez, Calif.; and Chris Ray, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, of Weatherford, Texas.

[More ...]

Scientific Principles for Conditioning Performance Horses

The equine athlete undergoes significant musculo-skeletal changes during conditioning and competition. Unfortunately, lameness and losses are higher than desirable and the industry is challenged to use field-and-laboratory-based principles for improving the well-being of race and performace horses. Body condition can be adjusted to delay fatigue and influence thermal regulation. Body weight estimates can aid in feeding horses more effectively. Preride checks and adequate warm-up are vital to the initial conditioning and specificity of training phases horses must undergo to be cmpetitive. Heart rate provides a good monitor of how horses respond to exersize and can be used to minimize injury through effectively regulated overloading techniques. Diet plays a major role in conditioning and energy can be provided in a fashion to increased time to fatigue and improve heat dissipation. Cardiovascular fitness remains with horses longer than skeletal strenth during off-periods and both ground surfaces and exercise schedules impact the length of time needed to prepare for the rigors of competition.

The Complete Paper (PDF)

Endurance flourishes in Argentina

By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Report
Buenos Aires: Almost every venue that hosts an endurance ride in modern day has a link with the UAE in some form or the other. That the UAE is one of the leading endurance nations is a well confirmed fact but the impetus it has provided to the sport, even far-flung ranches in this part of the world have felt the positive ripple-effect.

Horses have been part of the cultures here but breeding of Arabian horses in the recent past have become more focused. And during the regional, national and international championships, owners participate with a double aim - victory on one side but more importantly they hope that their horses will be roped in by prospective buyers.

Today's World Endurance Championship for Junior and Young Riders is no exception. A day prior to this the Argentine National Championship ride was held and it was more a display of the young and promising endurance horses, mainly Arabian, on offer.

Quite a few riders and stable representatives from the UAE and other endurance nations are here on a poaching mission.

And ranch owners and breeders like the Garcias from Uruguay are looking forward to sell prospective endurance stars. "We have 32 stallions which cater to both show horses, endurance horses and race horses," said Federico Garcia, owner of El Oasis, a 6000-acre ranch breeding Arabian horses since 1939 in Paysandu, north of Uruguay. "Our horses have total freedom and graze freely with the cattle and sheep. The gauchos ride them and once we realise their potential then they are broken and trained in that particular sport - shows, endurance or racing.

"The fact that they are free in a natural environment have helped in them becoming better endurance horses," said Garcia Sr., who has sold 18 horses to the Al Aasfa stables based in Uruguay, owned by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Ro Fabiola the best

Ro Fabiola, which emerged as the top-ranked horse in the tough UAE domestic season of 2005-06 is another product of Uruguay.

Initially Arabian horses bred in Australia, the US and South Africa apart from France and Spain were in great demand.

Now the focus has shifted to Arabian bred horses from Uruguay, Argentina and Chile.