Thursday, October 31, 2013

I Bought a Lame Horse: Now What?

CS.Thehorse.com - Full Article

Blog: Horses and the Law
21 October 2013

As an attorney, I frequently help unhappy horse buyers decide whether they have a viable legal case against the seller, and if they do, whether I'm the right attorney to represent them. Here is what I look for during an initial consultation.

Did the Buyer have a Prepurchase Exam?

If the buyer had a veterinary prepurchase examination, I always ask to see the written report. What the buyer remembers the vet said may be very different than what the written report says. If the prepurchase report says the horse was lame in the same limb now causing the problem, this is a red flag. The buyer, on notice that the horse was lame, would have had a duty to investigate why the horse was lame before buying, not after...

Read more here:
http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/horses-and-the-law/archive/2013/10/21/i-bought-a-lame-horse-do-i-have-legal-recourse-against-the-seller.aspx#sthash.EN0msOj4.dpuf

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Australian Researchers Create Custom Titanium Horseshoes


Scanned and modeled on the racehorse's hooves, these new shoes are a first for 3-D titanium printing. Photo: Courtesy CSIRO
Thehorse.com

By Edited Press Release
Oct 17, 2013

Scientists at CSIRO (the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization—Australia's largest scientific research organization) have custom-made a set of titanium shoes for one Melbourne, Australia, racehorse, a first for the sport.

The horse, dubbed "Titanium Prints" by researchers, had its hooves scanned with a handheld 3-D scanner this week. Then, using 3-D modeling software, the scientists used the scan to design a "perfect-fitting," lightweight racing shoe. Four custom shoes were printed within only a few hours, they said.

Traditionally made from aluminum, each racing shoe can weigh up to a kilogram (about 2.2 pounds). But the horse's trainer, John Moloney, says that the ultimate race shoe should be as light weight as possible.

"Any extra weight in the horseshoe will slow the horse down," he explained. "These titanium shoes could take up to half of the weight off a traditional aluminum shoe."

CSIRO's titanium expert John Barnes, PhD, said that 3-D printing horseshoes for racehorses from titanium is a first for scientists and demonstrates the range of applications the technology can be used for.

"There are so many ways we can use 3-D titanium printing," he said. "At CSIRO we are helping companies create new applications like biomedical implants and even things like automotive and aerospace parts. The possibilities really are endless with this technology."

The precision scanning process takes just a few minutes and for a horse, shoes can be made to measure each hoof and printed the same day, scientists say.

More:
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/32724/australian-researchers-create-custom-titanium-horseshoes?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=lameness&utm_campaign=10-23-2013

Monday, October 28, 2013

Equine Glycogen Replacement After Exercise

KER.Equinews.com - Full Article

By Dr. Bryan Waldridge · January 24, 2010

Glycogen is a large, highly branched sugar molecule that is stored in muscle and the liver, and is used by the body as an energy source. Made of long chains and branches of glucose, glycogen is used for quick, high-intensity exercise. Depleted muscle glycogen and buildup of its end products, lactate and pyruvate, contribute to muscle fatigue.

Horses produce glycogen two to three times slower than humans and other animals. In contrast to humans, horses are not able to accelerate muscle-glycogen replacement by consuming large amounts of digestible carbohydrates or sugars. Horses that are worked frequently, therefore, can have decreased stores of muscle glycogen that cannot be replaced before the horse is asked to work or perform again...

Read more here:
http://ker.equinews.com/article/equine-glycogen-replacement-after-exercise

Friday, October 18, 2013

Hunting-Season Safety Guide

Equisearch.com - Full Article

By Dan Aadland

This fall, stay safe on the trail with these five practical hunting-season guidelines.

In the fall, when Rocky Mountain aspens turn brilliant yellow, there’s no place I’d rather be than in a snug hunting camp among stately spruce by a clear stream, my horses and mules picketed nearby, aromatic pine smoke curling from the pipe of the tent stove.

Contemplation of such a scene keeps me going during bitter winter and summer doldrums. Hunters in other parts of the country are similarly drawn, whether to crisp corn fields laden with pheasants, red maple groves holding deer, or deep southern woods, now finally free of summer’s oppressive heat and humidity.

These same fall conditions draw those of us who ride for pure pleasure. There’s nothing quite like a trail ride through autumn trees, the smell of fresh air and brilliant foliage, the enthusiasm of your good horse when there’s a trace of bite in the breeze. Riding during this time of year is too fine to be avoided simply because it coincides with hunting season.

Ready to saddle up and enjoy this spectacular season? Follow these five guidelines to help keep you and your horse safe...

Read more here:
http://www.equisearch.com/trailriding/hunting-season-safety-guide-2/?utm_source=TrailRiderNL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter

Omega Fatty Acids: What Do They Do for Horses?

Thehorse.com - Full Article

By Emily Lamprecht, PhD
Sep 30, 2013

Adding supplementary fat in your horses’ diet is one way to provide concentrated calories as well as some other functional benefits to your horse; but what sources of fat are best?

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are a hot topic in human, pet, and equine nutrition alike, and for good reasons. With such a wide array of information and products out there, it can be confusing and difficult to make decisions, so let’s break down what the omega fatty acids are, and how they can play a role in a healthy balanced diet for our equine counterparts...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/32628/omega-fatty-acids-what-do-they-do-for-horses?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=nutrition&utm_campaign=10-07-2013

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Horse Feeds or Horsepower: Evaluating the Best Use of Grain

KER.Equinews.com - Full Article

By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · October 7, 2013

With easily accessible fossil fuel supplies becoming harder to find, the energy industry has looked at alternate sources of power for the millions of cars and trucks on America’s highways. Technologies have been developed and refined for deriving vegetable-based fuels from corn, soybeans, and sugarcane, agricultural products that previously were used mostly for human and animal food. This situation has led to increased market competition for these crops, pushing prices up for a finite supply even as more efficient farming practices have boosted production.

The manufacture of crop-derived fuel is probably not yet at its maximum efficiency, but it will need to improve significantly to equal the energy return on investment (EROI) of conventional oil. In other words, it takes energy to make energy, and a low yield of power equates to an expensive and inefficient use of raw materials...

Read more here:
http://ker.equinews.com/article/horse-feeds-or-horsepower-evaluating-best-use-grain

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Study: Horses Able to Stay Fit When Kept at Pasture

Thehorse.com - Full Article

By Kristen M. Janicki, MS, PAS
Oct 01, 2013

There are many theories on how to best manage performance horses during periods with no forced exercise (whether after sustaining an injury or just for a rest period), and owners are often left with a dilemma: stall rest or pasture turn-out? To find the answer, a team of researchers recently completed a study evaluating how well horses maintain a certain fitness level with either pasture turnout or stall confinement.

Patricia M. Graham-Thiers, PhD, and a team of Virginia Intermont College researchers assigned 16 horses in light to moderate work to one of three groups: pasture turnout (P), stalled and exercised (E), or stalled with no exercise (S). During the 14-week study, horses in the P group roamed on approximately 100 acres of pasture, while horses in the S and E groups stayed in stalls during the day and were allowed access to a one-acre paddock at night.

The researchers exercised horses in the E group five days per week for one to two hours per day at the walk, trot, and canter. The team also used GPS units attached to the horses' halters to estimate the distance each horse traveled in a 24-hour span at intervals throughout the study period...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/32630/study-horses-able-to-stay-fit-when-kept-at-pasture?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=health-news&utm_campaign=10-15-2013

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

New Equine Influenza App Launched

Thehorse.com

By Edited Press Release
Oct 14, 2013

Zoetis has developed an app for mobile devices designed to help horse owners determine their economic risk for equine influenza virus, which causes one of the most common respiratory diseases in horses.

The Equine Influenza Calculator app prompts users for the approximate cost of vaccination, as well as the potential cost of treatment and the number of days off training in the case of an equine influenza infection. Using this information, the app calculates individual risk based on economic and environmental factors of each horse owner.

This contagious disease can cause fever, coughing and nasal discharge, and it can spread rapidly from horse to horse. Risk increases with very young or geriatric horses, as well as horses that are exposed to unfamiliar horses. Proper vaccination can help protect horses from infection and help horse owners avoid financial loss. The American Association of Equine Practitioners recommends that at-risk horses be vaccinated every six months.

The Equine Influenza Calculator app is available for free in the Apple App Store.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Kerrits receives 2013 Oregon Excellence Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

October 2013
Contact: Michele McAlpine 

Email: michele@kerrits.com

1.800.274.7946

www.kerrits.com
 
Bingen, WA— Kerrits has been selected for the 2013 Oregon Excellence Award amongst all its peers and competitors by the Small Business Institute for Excellence in Commerce (SBIEC).



Each year the SBIEC conducts business surveys and industry research to identify companies that have achieved demonstrable success in their local business environment and industry category. They are recognized as having enhanced the commitment and contribution of small businesses through service to their customers and community. Small businesses of this caliber enhance the consumer driven stature that Oregon is renowned for.



Kerrits has consistently demonstrated a high regard for upholding business ethics and company values. This recognition by SBIEC marks a significant achievement as an emerging leader within various competitors and is setting benchmarks that the industry should follow.



As part of the industry research and business surveys, various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the selected companies in each category. This research is part of an exhaustive process that encapsulates a year long immersion in the business climate of Oregon.



About SBIEC:

The SBIEC is a leading authority on researching, evaluating and recognizing companies across a wide spectrum of industries that meet its stringent standards of excellence. It has spearheaded the idea of independent enterprise and entrepreneurial growth allowing businesses of all sizes to be recognized locally and encouraged globally.



Particular emphasis is given to meeting and exceeding industry benchmarks for customer service, product quality and ethical practices. Industry leading standards and practices have been developed and implementation of the same has been pioneered by the dedicated efforts of the business community and commerce leadership.
 
Ride On! About Kerrits Performance Equestrian Apparel:

Home-grown performance that sprouted in 1986, Kerrits Performance Equestrian Apparel thrives on creating innovative, functional and stylish performance apparel, uniquely designed for women who love to ride – and their horses.

Sore No More - Topper's New EasyShoe

Easycare Blog - Full Story

Tuesday, October 1, 2013 by Amanda Washington

Last weekend at the 2013 AERC National Championships, I was lucky enough to be in the presence of several very knowledgeable, very talented hoof care practitioners. Between Christoph Schork, Rusty Toth and Susan Summers, I was in hoof care nirvana. Right there along with me was Topper, my seven year old Arabian gelding.

Topper has been barefoot his entire life. I got him as a gawky, gangly three year old, and chucked him out to barefoot horse heaven. Hundreds of acres of dry desert foothills. He spent his youth running up and down the hills, living in total bliss. Minus a stall, a blankie and a warm mash every night. Topper was never much for roughing it. I started lightly riding Top the end of his third year, trail riding at a walk a mile or two on gentle trails. His fourth year brought a little more riding, but nothing intense by any means. You see, when you're 15.2 hand four years old on spindly, long legs, it's all one can to do stay balanced. All of the riding that took place until Topper's fifth year was barefoot on lovely sandy trails. I boasted about his strong feet and anticipated no issues in that department. Unfortunately, barefoot perfection did not bless us as we ramped up the miles.

When Topper turned six, we started riding further, faster and frequently. I had him in Easyboot Gloves for all of his conditioning miles, which he seemed to come through with ease. However, the day after our longer, harder rides, I noticed Topper was tentative and footsore. I started putting Comfort Pads in his boots, which he definitely seemed to like, but did not help his day-after soreness. At this point we xrayed Topper's front feet, and thankfully found no pathology other than thin soles. Unfortunately this proved to be difficult to remedy and caused more problems than expected. All summer we battled a sound-sore cycle that I thought he would get through with proper padding and riding. He did a few endurance rides with Easyboot Glue-Ons and Sikaflex packing. While he felt excellent during the actual ride, the bruising that showed up weeks later indicated his feet could not handle the extra pressure.

See more here:
http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/chronicles-of-the-pink-helmet/sore-no-more-toppers-new-easyshoe

Wednesday, October 09, 2013

ACTHA's Newest Partner...The  Equine Land Conservation Resource!

10/9/2013

No one is more dependent upon having lands to ride on than us trail riders. The pool of public and private land has is dwindling dramatically...6,000 acres per day! ACTHA has proudly partnered with The Equine Land Conservation Resource, who is here to insure our  juniors  have  the  privileges  and  beautiful  trails we have enjoyed.

Working Together to Save Our Horse Lands

American history is imprinted with hoofprints. From the Native American ponies to the horses that pulled the Conestogas across the prairie to the pleasure and competition mounts of today horses have been an integral part of our economy and our identity.

Unfortunately, our equine heritage is now at risk. With over 6,000 acres of open land disappearing each day to poorly planned development and sprawl, we may lose the ability to support our equestrian population in as little as 15 years.

Good Neighbors

Privately owned land is the most at-risk component of our equestrian landscape.  Boarding barns, competition venues, trails, hunt fixtures and hayfields are being lost every day as a result of development, misunderstanding of liability issues by new owners of land, and rising demand for land around urbanizing areas.  ELCR offers talking points for explaining liability issues to landowners; liability management tools; guidelines for fostering positive relationships with landowners; model rules of usage and other protections for landowners who wish to open their land to horse usage; and information about the benefits of ensuring that horses stay in your community.

Bringing Horses to the Conversation

Planning and zoning decisions can affect how land is taxed, what it may be used for, and which standards and regulations are applied to it.  These regulations determine not only whether individuals may keep horses on their own property, but also whether horses have access to community parks and trails. ELCR offers users the tools they need to understand land use planning, zoning ordinances, and their implications for horses and horse-related activities.  In this section you will find a primer on terms and processes, sample letters, and tools to support involvement in planning and zoning in your community.  Our website also provides tools for community planners to help them understand how to include horses and horse-related activities in their planning efforts.

Amino Acid Requirements for Horses

Thehorse.com - Full Article

By Christa Lesté-Lasserre
Sep 18, 2013

Amino acid. Sounds like something leaking from a Spanish battery, rather than a supplement you’d want to give to your horse.

But an acid isn’t always something that burns or is even “acidic.” In this case it describes a specific order of molecular composition. And amino comes from the word “amine,” which refers to a kind of organic compound.

So yes, they’re fine to give to your horse. No, let’s rephrase that: Amino acids are critical to your horse's health...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/32559/amino-acid-requirements-for-horses?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=bluegrass-equine-digest&utm_campaign=09-29-2013

Monday, October 07, 2013

Researchers Evaluating Inflammatory Markers of Laminitis

Thehorse.com - Full Article

By Kristen M. Janicki, MS, PAS
Sep 26, 2013

Whether it’s a foal wobbling around a stall for the first time or researchers completing their first preliminary study, small steps are an important part of the horse world. British researchers recently took one such step in the realm of understanding laminitis: While much more work is needed to confirm the theory, researchers have obtained some preliminary evidence suggesting that evaluating blood levels of certain anti-inflammatory markers might indicate a horse is at increased risk of developing laminitis...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/32611/researchers-evaluating-inflammatory-markers-of-laminitis?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=older-horse-care&utm_campaign=09-27-2013