Breed Profile: The Shagya-Arabian

FEI.org - Full article

26 October 2021
Words by Patricia Salem

We find out more about this sturdy, brave and fast horse...

If you admire the appearance of Arabian horses, be sure to check out the Shagya-Arabian, a related breed that brings new characteristics and versatility to the beloved classic desert horse!

Here’s what you need to know about this speedy, intrepid, and friendly sport horse, equally comfortable clearing jumps, Endurance racing, and wowing judges in the Dressage ring.

Tell us about Shagya-Arabian

The Shagya-Arabian breed was originally developed to create a horse that had the endurance of the Arabian with a heavier build suitable for cavalry work and carriage pulling!

The breed began way back in 1789 at Babolna, Hungary, when the military there combined the bloodlines of top Bedouin Arabians with larger native horses...

Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/lifestyle/my-equestrian-life/breed-profile-shagya-arabian

Is There a ‘Right Kind of Salt’ for Horses?

Thehorse.com - Full Article

An equine nutritionist addresses the different types of salt available and how to pick the right one.

Posted by Clair Thunes, PhD | Feb 22, 2021

Q: I know I should give my horse salt every day. Does it matter which kind I choose? A: Providing access to or giving salt every day ensures your horse’s maintenance sodium needs are met, which is vital for hydration. So, the first thing to do is make sure you’re feeding sodium chloride and not Lite Salt, which is a blend with potassium chloride that doesn’t provide as much sodium.

Sodium chloride comes in many forms, from plain white blocks to red mineralized blocks to loose forms of the same, plus iodized, sea salt, kosher salt, Himalayan salt, and others. I believe horses should have salt available at all times when not working, and my preference is a plain white salt block unless your horse prefers the taste of another form...

Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/110471/is-there-a-right-kind-of-salt-for-horses/?utm_medium=Nutrition+enews&utm_source=Newsletter

Endurance Horse Podcast: EPM the Master of Disguise - Part 1 of 3 ‘EPM Stories’

EnduranceHorsePodcast - Listen

Welcome to Episode 41 of Endurance Horse Podcast

EPM - The Master of Disguise - Stories of EPM

Part 1 of a 3 part series

Created by: Christina Hyke
February 12th 2021

Today Jim & I tell you about the most difficult day of my life. The day all horse and pet owners dread, the day you have to say goodbye.

This is a difficult episode, as it is about the loss of our beloved Houdini.

EPM will be the topic of the next three episodes. Part one is dedicated to allowing other horse owners to share with you their personal experiences with diagnosing and the ensuing battle with EPM. Most of them won, some did not...

Listen:
https://endurancehorsepodcast.podbean.com/e/epm-the-master-of-disguise-part-1-of-3-epm-stories/

Keeping the Horse’s Hindgut Happy

Thehorse.com - Full Article

Getting back to basics and simplifying meals might be the key to keeping the horse’s hindgut healthy and functioning properly. Learn more in this article excerpt from the February 2021 issue of The Horse.

Posted by Katie Navarra | Feb 6, 2021

Horses are powerful, athletic animals. Their digestive systems, however, are delicate compared to those of most other types of livestock. Ruminants such as cattle and sheep have multicompartment stomachs. Saliva created by chewing a cud processes food in the front half of ruminants’ digestive tracts. Horses, however, rely on a metabolically complex fermentation process. And because horses only have one stomach, most of that fermentation occurs in the back part or hindgut.

Despite making up the largest portion of a horse’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the hindgut, which includes the cecum and large colon (or large intestine), often receives far less attention from owners than the stomach or small intestine, says Kenneth Kopp, DVM, a consulting veterinarian based in St. Louis, Missouri...

Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/197125/keeping-the-horses-hindgut-happy/?utm_medium=Reader+Favorites+enews&utm_source=Newsletter

Veterinarians are Considering Lecithin for Treating and Preventing Ulcers

GettyEquineNutrition.com - Full Article

By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

Your horse has an ulcer? “Give him omeprazole.”

Your horse is traveling on a long trip? “Give him omeprazole.”

Your horse is taking pain medication? “Give him omeprazole.”

Sound familiar?

Omeprazole, produced by Merial as GastroGard® and the less concentrated UlcerGard®, is the go-to drug for all these reasons and more. One of my clients recently said, “The people at my barn feed omeprazole like it’s candy!” Does omeprazole have any benefits?

Yes, particularly for ulcers that are found in the upper squamous region of the stomach that is not protected by a mucus layer. Short term usage is usually not problematic as long as care is taken to wean the horse off of it, lest there be a rebound acid effect.

But usage beyond 4 weeks, or giving your horse omeprazole for other reasons, is not a good idea...

https://gettyequinenutrition.com/pages/veterinarians-are-considering-lecithin-for-treating-and-preventing-ulcers

Metabolites could be key to predicting endurance horse success, researchers say

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

February 1, 2021
Horsetalk.co.nz

The metabolitic signatures of Endurance horses could potentially be used to predict their performance in competition, according to researchers.

Researchers in Qatar said performance in Endurance racing depends on the interplay between physiological and metabolic processes.

“However, there is currently no parameter for estimating the readiness of animals for competition.”

Alana Halama and her fellow researchers, reporting in the journal Metabolites, set out to characterize the metabolic consequences of endurance racing and to establish a metabolic performance profile for those animals.

The study team monitored metabolite composition in blood plasma samples from 47 Arabian horses participating in endurance races, using a broad non-targeted metabolomics approach...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2021/02/01/metabolites-endurance-horse-success/

American Horse Publications Launches Fifth Equine Industry Survey, Sponsored by Zoetis

POSTED ON JANUARY 18, 2021 BY CHRISTINE BRUNE

American Horse Publications (AHP) launches its fifth Equine Industry Survey at www.ahpequineindustrysurvey.com. Horse owners who live in the United States, are 18 years of age and older, and who currently own or manage at least

The survey, which is conducted every three years, will gauge participation trends and management practices in the U.S. equine industry, identify critical issues facing the equine industry as perceived by those who own or manage horses, and better understand issues pertaining to horse health.

The online survey is made possible by a sponsorship from Zoetis, the leading animal health company dedicated to improving equine wellness, every day. Zoetis has sponsored the survey since its inception in 2009.

“Zoetis is proud to continue our sponsorship of the AHP Equine Industry Survey,” said Jeannie Jeffery, vice president of the Zoetis U.S. equine business. “We hope that the survey will continue to help identify successes and opportunities for improvement in the equine industry that horse owners, veterinarians and professionals can unite to resolve.”

“AHP is grateful for its partnership with Zoetis to provide ongoing and vital data on the trends in horse care, management, and welfare of horses in the U.S.,” said Christine W. Brune, AHP executive director. “We appreciate the collaborated effort of AHP members and the industry in promoting this survey and will strive to maintain or exceed previous responses in 2021.”

The study is anonymous; this means that no one – not even members of the research team – will be able to associate information that is given with respondents. When the survey results are tallied, only aggregated results will be presented.

The survey sponsor and AHP members who promote the survey will receive complete results of the 2021 survey to release through their own channels up to 60 days prior to release of the survey results to the AHP membership. The general equine industry may request a summary of this new information by contacting the AHP office at ahorsepubs@aol.com in October 2021.

Horse owners and enthusiasts are invited to promote the survey by sharing this link with horse-owner groups and individual horse owners. The more information we collect, the better we make our world for horses.

The 2021 AHP Equine Industry Survey is being conducted by American Horse Publications (AHP). Dr. C. Jill Stowe is providing consulting services for data collection and analysis to the AHP. Dr. Stowe is currently an associate professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky.