Shoeing for the job

TheHorse.Com

Book Excerpt: Shoeing for the Job
by: Heather Smith Thomas
January 26 2009, Article # 13508

There are many kinds of horseshoes; try to select shoes well suited to your horse's work. While a horse with a problem may need a farrier to create a special shoe, many horses get along fine with factory-made shoes.

Shoes should always be as light as is practical, taking into consideration the wear demanded of them, so that they interfere as little as possible with the normal flight of the horse's foot. Weight, no matter how it's added to the foot, tends to reduce speed and agility. Added weight can also make a minor deviation in foot flight more noticeable.

The normal flight of the foot is a relatively straightforward line. No horse's foot moves perfectly straight, but good leg conformation creates the most straightforward motion with the least wasted effort and movement. Any significant deviation from normal foot flight takes the form of an arc--either to the outside or inside of this relatively straight line. Adding weight to the foot in the form of a shoe will increase the arc because of the additional swing it makes. Ordinary shoeing thus accentuates a horse's foot flight and any gait defect.

Most horses never hit themselves when running barefoot (with short, properly worn hooves) but some will forge or interfere when shod due to the added weight of the shoe. A horse that tends to interfere (strike one front limb against the other, or one hind limb against the other hind) or forge (strike a front heel or sole with the hind toe) does so even worse when shod. The weight makes the horse's strides slightly longer and the arcs of foot flight even more pronounced. Thus, he must be carefully (correctively) shod to prevent these problems.

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Insulin resistance in Endurance Horses

Karen's Blog

I’m going to start riding Rocky again more regularly now that his feet have grown out and he’s sound again. How wonderful is that? He had a slight episode of laminitis last year. His feet fully recovered. He’s considered to be insulin resistant so I had to make a few changes with how I manage his feeding program.

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Pulse Criteria the Australian Way - Jay Randle

Hi All

I've had an enquiry about something that was written in the Quilty article in the Endurance News, so I thought I'd let everyone out there know, as someone else may be wondering the same thing.

I was asked why we wanted our horses' pulserates to be brought down so low before presenting to the P&R bays?

There are a couple of reasons for this.......

The pulse criteria for rides in Australia is 55 bpm for the first phase of a ride, and 60bpm for all subsequent phases. Presentation to the P&R bays must be made within 30 minutes of arrival at the ride base, however your riding time stops the moment you arrive at the ride base. There is only ONE opportunity to present to the P&R! If you are over the criteria, you are eliminated from the ride at that point. FEI rides allow up to 64bpm, within 20 minutes, and the opportunity to present twice within that time frame, however the Quilty is not an FEI ride.

So, unless the rider is running at the front of the field, great care is taken to make sure that the horse is well within the pulse criteria. There is no time advantage to presenting early, but there is a huge penalty if your pulse rate is over criteria.

The second reason has to do with our logbooks. It is a source of pride for most riders to present a logbook with the lowest possible pulse rates listed in it. If it takes a few more minutes to get that pulse down another 4-6 beats, then that's what we'll do. If the horse is for sale, the lowest possible pulse rates in the logbook are an advantage, however even if the horse is not for sale most riders here are still concerned about getting a low pulse written into the logbook!

For horses that are just completing the ride, with no intention of being in the *fast* group, then we do tend to take our time and make sure the pulse criteria is well and truly met. However if I had a horse that was running at the front of the field, I would approach the pulse criteria requirement slightly differently.

There is generally a small window of time as a fast-running horse arrives, when the pulse will drop dramatically (within 1-2 minutes), before starting to rise again. If my horse is in a position to win or place in a ride, this window becomes very important, and we will get the horse to the P&R bays immediately. Again, however, it can be a bit of a crap shoot with regard to the fact that we only have one chance to present!

Hope that this explanation clears the matter up somewhat.



.....
Best regards

Jay Randle
SPLENDACREST ENDURANCE TRAINING
www.freewebs.com/splendacrest

May the horse be with you.....

Joint Injections: A Good Idea?

Original Article - theHorse.com

by: Sushil Dulai Wenholz
May 01 2004

If you've been around horses, particularly performance horses, for even a short while, you've probably met someone who's had a horse's joints injected. The procedure--which involves injecting medication directly into the joint to combat such problems as synovitis, osteoarthritis, and arthrosis--is now commonplace. Despite prominent use and continuing research, though, disagreement and debate remain, particularly regarding the effectiveness and safety of the products used and the method of treatment. In this article, we'll outline the primary pro and con points currently being made in regard to joint injections. Certain joint injections, such as nerve blocks, can also be used for diagnostic purposes, but in this article we'll focus on therapeutic uses.

An Overview

There are three main categories of medication currently used in joint (intra-articular) injections--hyaluronic acid (HA, also known as sodium hyaluronate), polysulfated glycosaminoglycans (PSGAG), and corticosteroids (also called cortisone or steroid). At the most basic level, these medications aim to decrease inflammation in a damaged or diseased joint, explains Elizabeth Davidson, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, an assistant professor of equine sports medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.

By reducing inflammation, the medications also relieve heat and pain, allowing the horse to feel and perform better. In addition, since inflammation releases substances that damage cartilage, eliminating the inflammation helps to slow or even stop the cartilage degeneration that's at the heart of many joint diseases.

CORTICOSTEROIDS: THE BIG THREE

There are three primary corticosteroids used for intra-articular injections in horses, each with potent anti-inflammatory properties, but with differing durations of effectiveness. Here's an overview:

Methylprednisolone acetate (Depo-Medrol)--Longest-lasting of the three; typically used in low-motion joints for degenerative joint disease. Colorado State University (CSU) research has shown that this drug does have negative effects on articular cartilage.

Triamcinolone acetate (Vetalog)--Moderate duration of effectiveness; used in high-motion joints at low dosages. Work at the CSU Orthopaedic Research Laboratory showed no negative effects and an increase in the synthesis of essential articular cartilage elements. Triamcinolone acetate might be chondroprotective (protective of the cartilage).

Betamethasone phosphate (Betavet Soluspan, Celestone)--Shortest-acting of the three; used to reduce synovitis and joint inflammation; a CSU study uncovered no deleterious side effects of the drug.--Sushil Dulai Wenholz

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FEI Clean Sport Commission Moves Ahead

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Edited Press Release
December 24 2008, Article # 13330

FEI Anti-Doping and Medication Commission Chair Arne Ljungqvist, MD, PhD, FEI First Vice President Sven Holmberg, and FEI Secretary General Alexander McLin met Dec. 16 to plot the way forward for the FEI Clean Sport Commission, which was recently established by the FEI General Assembly.

The subject matter to be addressed by the commission's members is vast and falls into the broad categories of policy, legislation, education, communication, prevention, evidence, prosecution, adjudication, and financing.

The commission's objective is to recommend a practical course of action aimed at establishing the best possible system to prevent the use of methods or substances that influence the performance of a competition horse, while ensuring horse welfare at all times. The recommendations should be able to be universally recognized and supported by all the stakeholders of equestrian sport, namely the athletes and their entourage, the FEI's member National Federations, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and the media as the best effort that can be made by equestrian sport's governing body to tackle the issue. The commission, which includes athletes, will examine the question of the role and responsibility of riders in all relevant subject areas. Ljungqvist is Chair of the IOC Medical Commission and Vice President of WADA.

A number of focus groups formed by commission members, selected experts, and staff, will be tasked with addressing key questions in the following areas: laboratory science, prohibited substances, rules and legal procedure, and communication and education.

The commission aims to produce its initial findings in a report to the FEI Bureau on March 31, 2009. Focus groups will meet in January with a full commission meeting scheduled for March 6.

The members of the focus groups will be announced in due course. They will start working immediately in January and February with the aim of reporting to the commission on March 6, 2009. Comments on the work in progress will only be made through FEI Headquarters.

Contagious Equine Metritis Case Could Impact Horse Transport

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Erin Ryder, TheHorse.com News Editor
December 16 2008, Article # 13281

State and federal agriculture officials announced Dec. 16 that a Quarter Horse stallion standing at stud in Kentucky has tested positive for contagious equine metritis (CEM). As the United States is considered free of the highly contagious venereal infection (which can cause infertility and abortions, or can exist and spread subclinically), this raises two major issues: where did it come from, and will it affect equine transport, either interstate or internationally?

According to Rusty Ford, equine programs manager in the office of Kentucky State Veterinarian Robert Stout, DVM, the affected stallion is a 16-year-old Quarter Horse who came to a farm in Kentucky (the identity of which he cannot legally reveal) in February 2008, after being collected for breeding via artificial insemination in Texas. Twenty one other stallions, all Quarter Horses, stood at the Kentucky facility. The CEM causative organism, Taylorella equigenitalis, was discovered when the affected horse was examined prior to his semen being shipped to the European Union. All but eight of the stallions had shipped to other farms this summer, following the conclusion of the 2008 breeding season. One stallion had moved to another farm within Kentucky and the rest moved out of state.

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Maintain Trailer Breakaway Systems for Safe Hauling

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Edited Press Release
December 17 2008, Article # 13286

Emergency breakaway systems lock trailer brakes automatically if the trailer becomes disconnected from the tow vehicle. Maintaining this equipment is an aspect of trailer maintenance you don't want to overlook, although hopefully you'll never need to use it.

"Be a good steward--don't take chances with the safety and welfare of your precious cargo," said Mark Cole, managing member for USRider, a nationwide roadside assistance program for equestrians, which provides emergency road service to its members in the continental United States, Canada, and Alaska.

To ensure your breakaway system is in good working order, USRider offers the following safety tips:

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Australian Equine Endurance - Summising Horse Welfare

Kholonial Endurance Training

By Jo Hamilton-Branigan BVSc (Endurance Vet/Rider)

In Australia the sport of endurance riding has always been under the microscope (and very accountable) as far as horse welfare issues have been concerned. In the beginning welfare authorities (RSPCA) were not convinced that this sort of riding/event could be achieved without compromising the horse. In order for the sport to be accepted and continue into the 21st century an incredibly comprehensive horse welfare system has been devised and it has continued to evolve in parallel with the nature of the sport. Australia has long been a world leader in this regard.

The Australian Endurance Riders Association (AERA) works in close association with a panel of highly experienced veterinarians (AERA Veterinary Panel – which consists of an experienced endurance veterinarian from each State). An event cannot take place without a veterinary team in control with an Accredited Endurance Veterinarian at the helm (as Head Veterinarian). Strict monitoring by veterinarians (of a number of parameters, including heart rate, respiration, temperature, demeanor, metabolic factors – particularly relating to the gastrointestinal tract and hydration, as well as gait evaluation) creates a safe environment for the horses. The Veterinary Team is in control of the ride and can disqualify a horse/rider combination at any time in the event. The Head Veterinarian oversees all decisions made by the veterinary team.

Each event generally consists of a series of phases (“legs” or “loops”). The ride base may stay stationary or it may move (“travelling" check points). A typical phase will range from about 10km to 45km – depending on the length and nature of the event. Longer events have multiple legs/phases. Generally longer phases at the start of the event and shorter as the event proceeds. At longer events horses may be checked seven or eight times during the course of an event. The horse is checked by the veterinary team between phases and judged as fit to continue or eliminated on veterinary grounds. There is a mandatory rest period between phases after the veterinary check. A horse can be eliminated at any time, even on track during the event if the track veterinarian deems it necessary. Consider also that it is not uncommon for horses to be asked to “represent” and be checked twice at the one check. These days it is usual for there to be a “compulsory represent” (double check) at a designated check.

There is a comprehensive National Logbook system now in place. Every endurance horse must be identified & registered with its State Association/AERA. They are then issued with a Logbook which must be used at endurance events. This official Logbook contains a myriad of information pertaining to the health and welfare of each horse at each event. This is a work in progress and details the ongoing successes and failures of each horse at each event – it is an historical record which can be referred to by connections, veterinarians and officials over time.

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Oral Potassium for Endurance?

Thehorse.com
Susan Piscopo, DVM, PhD

Endurance riding can lead to significant losses of water and electrolytes, which can cause clinical illnesses related to increased neuromuscular excitability, including cardiac arrhythmia, muscle cramping and twitching, and gut motility changes. When plasma potassium (K+) increases--as it does with increasing exercise intensity--there is a concomitant increase in neuromuscular excitability. Yet, many endurance riders believe that oral potassium supplementation before and during competition is critical to the good health of their horses.

Researchers from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Rutgers University, Virginia Intermont College, Rectortown Equine Clinic, and the Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition in the United Kingdom evaluated whether potassium-free oral electrolytes given during endurance work could moderate the expected increase in plasma potassium, decreasing related neuromuscular side effects. They compared the effects of a potassium-free high-sodium electrolyte mixture (EM-K) to a potassium-rich mixture (EM+K) on plasma ions and acid-base status in horses during an endurance ride.

Forty-six horses entered in an 50-mile (80-km) endurance race were used for the study--24 receiving EM-K and 22 EM+K. Rest stops and veterinary inspections were conducted at 21, 37, 56, and 72 km. Electrolyte mixtures were given orally by syringe after each loop.

Seventeen horses in each group finished; the others were withdrawn for various reasons. For all horses, plasma potassium significantly increased from the ride's start to the 56-km rest stop, then significantly decreased to the end of the ride. Plasma sodium significantly increased from before the ride to 37 and 56 km, and significantly decreased from there to the end of the ride.

However, hydrogen ion (H+, a measure of acid-base status ) was found to be significantly lower in EM-K horses compared to EM+K horses. Another significant finding was that plasma potassium was significantly lower at 80 km and during recovery in EM-K horses compared to EM+K horses.

The authors concluded that the decrease in potassium and hydrogen ion in the last stage of the ride in EM-K horses might have been attributable to the absence of potassium and the increase in sodium in the EM-K formula. However, despite the differences, EM+K horses had increases in plasma hydrogen and potassium that were moderate and not likely to cause clinical neuromuscular signs. The authors conceded that the moderate nature of the ride and mild weather were likely the reason for this, as well as the reason that the significant differences between groups were not evident until the end of the ride. The EM-K mixture would therefore likely be most beneficial in faster horses working harder during more strenuous rides.

Malaysia: Dr. Nik looks ahead

Dr. Nik's Blog
Post World Endurance Championship ,Lembah Bidong Terengganu .Where do we go from here ?A million dollar question .

Let us not discuss how much WEC costs us .That is beyond mere mortals like you and me and anyway it was a monumental success from the viewpoint of Malaysians as perfect host.We always are .

From the perspective of actual performance of Team Malaysia ,OK friends ,I have promised I am not going to go over it again ,lest I will qualify myself for the firing squad .OK ,so ,where do we go from here ?

First and foremost ,let us look at Bahrain and Qatar .Forget about UAE ,since UAE is a million miles ahead ,not from just us but from the rest of the world .Some blokes in the USA are even thinking of opting out of FEI Endurance because even USA , a former superpower in Endurance a decade ago has now been reduced to the dustbin of history .

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A weird and wonderful year for horses

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

December 11, 2008

by Neil Clarkson

Confucius once said that if you put people and horses together for long enough, there's bound to be trouble.

OK, it may not have been Confucius who said it, but I'm absolutely certain someone has uttered words to that effect.

Horses and people have come together in their usual crazy way during 2008 and it's time to look back at just how weird and wonderful that relationship has been.

What a year! Horses have copped the blame for everything from Madonna's divorce to providing bad press for a US presidential hopeful.

Several incidents have proven that alcohol, horses and people never mix - and it doesn't matter who is doing the drinking.

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Skin pinch test an unreliable measure of dehydration

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

December 6, 2008


A working horse being treated for heat stress and dehydration in Pakistan.
The standard pinch test to assess dehydration in a horse is an unreliable measure, research involving work horses in Pakistan has revealed.

Veterinarians from Bristol University and The Brooke equine welfare charity examined hydration levels in 50 working horses in Lahore during May and June 2006 at a field clinic run by The Brooke.

Dehydration is a serious welfare concern in horses working in developing countries, where they regularly work for more than eight hours a day in temperatures often exceeding 40degC.

It was hoped the study might identify a valid and practical indicator of dehydration that would enable more rapid treatment and prevention by horse owners.

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Feeding Horses When Temperatures Drop

Thehorse.com - Full article

by: University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
November 30 2008

Winter presents a challenge to horse owners when it comes to feeding their horses. Low temperatures, harsh winds and rain, snow, and ice all contribute to the increasing nutrient requirements a horse has to keep themselves warm and maintain their body weight.

Here are a few feeding tips to help horse owners keep their horses happy and healthy this winter:

* Winter tends to be a time when horses lose weight, and a heavy winter coat can hide a thin horse. Make sure to check your horse's body condition every 30 days. If your horse loses weight during the winter, try increasing his body weight prior to the winter months so that he can lose some weight during the winter without becoming thin.

* Horses require additional energy from the diet to maintain body weight when temperatures drop below 45°F. Remember that pasture grasses do not grow during the colder months. Providing good quality hay at 2% of the horse's body weight should meet his nutrient requirements for maintenance. Feeding hay also generates heat during digestion by gut microbes, and that helps horses stay warm.

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Karen Chaton: Musings about endurance riding awards and lifetime achievements

From Karen Chaton's Blog:

I have always thought it to be especially difficult to really compete in the West Region in the AERC. There are so many members here compared to most of the other regions, so the number of awards given to the riders here are substantially less than are given in most of the other regions by membership %. To explain further, they give top ten in each weight division, up to ten max and based on 5% of the ridership. Some regions don’t even give ten awards because they don’t have that many riders in each division. If the West Region were to be awarded the same 5% of awards based upon riders in each division, it would go well past ten in most of the divisions. This system makes it very difficult to place in the region unless you ride a lot, or ride fast. Or both.

One year I won the West Region in points for weight division and overall with Rocky and top tenned 19 of the 23 rides we completed. I couldn’t have gotten enough points without also going fast. He also got a regional best condition and a national best condition award that year. Looking back in hindsight I have always thought that this was not something that I was especially proud of because I think in the end it reduced the longevity of his endurance career. He did have a long career and made the Decade Teams and over 7600 lifetime miles, but I think had I been thinking farther ahead at the time that I may have been able to have extended it even longer. It was fun while it lasted and was probably good for me in a way to get the whole winning, top tenning, getting best condition thing out of my system.

I don’t think that there is anything wrong with always riding conservatively or slowly. You may think other riders are looking down on you but they are really just jealous :^). I have often heard comments about how something must be wrong with somebody’s horse if they are not riding fast. What a retarded way to think! Or you’ll hear a condascending remark something like “well if that’s all you want to do”, as if your goals or accomplishments are less important than somebody else’s because they are different. I think it’s great that there are so many different options and ways to approach the sport of endurance riding that we should all be respectful of what somebody else does and not judge them just because they want something different than we do for our own horses.

New point standings posted today and it turns out that it was a very odd year for the standings in the West Region. Neither Dave Rabe, nor myself either one placed in any category, regionally or otherwise. We both did miss rides for different reasons but we still did a lot of riding. I completed 20 rides and 1,020 miles. Of that, 660 of those miles were on Chief. Dave completed a lot more - 2,470 miles in 47 ride completions. He also had two horses with more than 600 miles each. Now what other region in the AERC can you do that much riding and not even get a single award?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining just pointing out that a lot of slower riders who just go for mileage are not even acknowledged. In the case of Dave and myself, we both have more jackets and awards already than we’ll ever be able to wear. Most of us don’t ride for the awards but if somebody were to set a goal of getting into the endurance/AERC standings, at least in the West region - it’s going to be a lot easier to drop to the shorter distances and do limited distance. Or you are going to have to ride a lot faster. Or go to a LOT of rides or a combination of a lot with some speed. No matter how you do it, placing in a regional award category is a big accomplishment and all of the riders placing this year deserve to be congratulated for a successful ride season!

Fortunately, the AERC also gives awards that recognize long term achievement in the sport. Riders get patches for every thousand miles ridden. I am only a couple of rides short of getting my 22nd one. I think getting the first 250 mile patch and the first 1,000 mile patches seemed to be the longest/hardest. There is such a learning curve in that first thousand miles.

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Beet Pulp Shortage Continues, Could Repeat

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Lisa Kemp
November 14 2008, Article # 13108

Plain shredded beet pulp, a source of digestible fiber for many horses, has been hard to come by this year for a number of East Coast horse owners. Some have wondered when supplies will replenish. While a temporary supply will be available soon, the long-term outlook on beet pulp availability isn't as clear.

Burton Feed & Seed in Beaufort, S.C., received its first shipment of beet pulp in months earlier this week.

"I had a lot of trouble getting it, and I can't say for sure why," said owner Robert Bowles. "And I have three different suppliers I get regular shipments from."

Triple Crown Nutrition General Manager Eric Haydt, RAS, said seasonal and regional shortages are a larger issue endemic to the sugar beet industry.

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To Blanket or Not to Blanket?

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
November 18 2008, Article # 13124

The short answer might very well be "to blanket." However, for many horses blanketed during cooler months, that extra layer provides more comfort to their caregivers than to the animals themselves. Horses have evolved to have an excellent built-in temperature control: a very thick winter hair coat. Horses require between 10 and 21 days to acclimatize to colder temperatures. For instance, on the first day of 35° F weather, the horse might feel cold, but over 10-21 days of similar cold weather, he will "get used to it" and be more comfortable.

If temperatures drop suddenly, you will notice behavior changes, including increased use of shelters if available, huddling together in groups with other horses, and turning their hindquarters into the prevailing wind. These are all activities that help conserve heat. The shivering response will also occur in very cold horses, which generates a pretty substantial amount of body heat, helping to warm internal organs.

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How Much Weight Can Your Horse Safely Carry?

Equisearch.com - Full Article

For centuries, horses have resolutely carried the burdens placed on them by humankind. Now, researchers are investigating how weight-bearing affects equine health and performance.

By Laurie Bonner

Have you hefted an average school-kid's backpack recently? Years ago, when some of us were in school, we carried maybe two or three textbooks at a time. Nowadays, however, with many schools eliminating lockers for security reasons, students often carry all of their materials, all day long. One 2004 study of 3,498 middle-school students found an average backpack weight of 10.6 pounds, with some ranging as high as 37 pounds. Not surprisingly, 64 percent of the kids said that they'd experienced back pain, which correlated directly to the amount they carried. That is, the more the backpack weighed, the greater the likelihood the student would report pain.

In response, several health organizations advise that student backpack weight be limited--the American Chiropractic Association suggests that kids carry no more than 10 percent of their body weight, and the American Occupational Therapy Association recommends 15 percent. If equivalent guidelines were adopted in the equestrian world, the loads placed on a 1,000-pound horse would be restricted to 100 to 150 pounds.

Of course, horses routinely bear far heavier burdens without apparent difficulty. But that doesn't mean that there's no cost...

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Forgotten Heroes the 20,000 mile horse trek across the US

Horsetalk.co.nz

October 17, 2008

This article was first published in the United States by Western Horseman magazine and is based on original research done by the Long Riders' Guild Academic Foundation. For more information, please visit their websites: www.lrgaf.org, www.thelongridersguild.com, or www.horsetravelbooks.com.

The setting of a new record for mileage in competitive trail-riding by 37-year-old Elmer Bandit is a remarkable effort. CuChullaine O'Reilly delves back nearly 100 years to describe another astonishing feat of equine endurance.

In 1912, four riders embarked on a 20,000 mile cross-country trip they hoped would bring them fortune and fame. One magnificent horse made their dream a reality.

It was called the ride of the century, a 20,000-mile, three-year odyssey through desert, mountain, and swamp that four young horsemen dreamed would make them famous.

Instead, they rode into oblivion.

The year was 1912, and as George Beck, part-time Washington logger, sometimes visionary, and full-time horseman explained to his three closest companions, fame and fortune lay in the saddle, not with the axe.

"Logging is a lousy business," he said. "We're lucky if we work 6 months a year. In the meantime, there's a World's Fair, the Panama Pacific International Exposition, comin' up in San Francisco in 1915. The gold is there. We have the nags and gear. Let's ride to every state capital in the Union. Let's make the longest horse ride on record and get ourselves a reputation. We'll win fame. We'll write an adventure book. We'll put on a show on the midway at the Exposition. There's a pot of gold out there and we'll find it," Beck assured his friends.

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Older Horses Might Not be Ready to Retire

Thehorse.com

by: University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine
October 30 2008

"Old Billy," an English draft horse, was the longest living horse when he died at age 62, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Although most horse owners know their hoofed friends probably will not make it into the record books for longevity, geriatric horses can live a happy and fulfilling life.

Jill Eyles, DVM, is an equine surgery intern at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in Urbana. "I would consider most horses geriatric by 20," she said.

"Old" is a relative term depending upon the use of the horse. For example, racehorses are old by age five or six, but for a hunter-jumper that is still young.

Just as with humans, there is no age at which retirement should be mandatory.

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The Eco-Friendly Farm

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Stephanie L. Church, Copy/Features Editor
July 01 2008, Article # 12425

Go green with your farm to make your horses healthier, the environment cleaner, and even improve the neighbors' opinion of your place.

There's a lot of buzz about "going green" these days. From installing energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs to carrying reusable grocery bags, we've made steps in our households toward impacting the environment less and improving the global climate. Managing horses is generally not forgiving to the environment (visualize brownish streams coming down the hillside from the manure pile in the rain, and fly spray chemicals rinsing down the wash stall drain). In this article we offer ways we can adjust our management to be more environmentally friendly.

Water Quality

Alayne Blickle, program director for Horses for Clean Water, says reducing nonpoint source pollution should be horse owners' first goal when they go green. Nonpoint source pollution is caused by runoff during rainfall or snowmelt that picks up and carries away natural (urine and manure, for example) and human-made (i.e., pesticides) pollutants, depositing them into natural bodies of water and ground water.

"The bottom line is protecting water quality," she says.

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Feeding High-Performance Horses

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Sharon Biggs
April 01 2007, Article # 9307

Sometimes the difference between winning and losing is only a fraction of a second. High-performance equine trainers are well aware of this little margin, and as a result, they are always trying to find that one thing that will help their horses increase their speed. But this is not always an easy endeavor.

Brian Nielsen, PhD, PAS, Dipl. ACAN, professor and researcher in equine exercise physiology and nutrition at Michigan State University, says that you can never improve on an animal's genetic potential, but you can hope to maximize it. One way to do that is with nutrition.

"It's important to have enough calories in the fast athlete because it gives him that cutting edge," he says. "You're typically not going to lose a race because the protein wasn't exactly right or the vitamins or minerals weren't exactly right, but calories can really impact the result because they fine-tune a performance. Inadequate energy intake can quickly result in an animal that fatigues prematurely and fails to perform at its top potential."

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The long awaited custom Skito pad has arrived!

My lovely Skito has arrived... The pad is shaped like my saddle, with just enough extra to keep the underfleece from getting dirty. It has the little tie strings to attach it to your saddle to hold in place, and loops for my billets to go through. The underside is soft real wool, the topside is black duck fabric. There is no padding under the flaps for better contact, and 1/2 dense foam panels on both sides of the spine to give the saddle a little lift. It is a very nice saddle pad. This is my third Skito pad.

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Preventing Equine Ulcers, Info for Endurance Riders - Karen Chaton

Enduranceridestuff.com

PREVENTING ULCERS

In layman’s terms

by Karen Chaton

August 2005

Introduction

There is one thing about the topic of equine gastric ulcers that I am clear on – the more I learn about it, the more I realize we don’t know. Most of the studies that have been done have been to show the effectiveness of omeprazole, an effective drug for curing and preventing ulcers. For a horse with severe ulcers, omeprazole does work extremely well and should be used as a treatment. However, there are downsides; daily treatment with omeprazole is not only costly, but there are a lot of other questions that arise with its use, such as whether or not a horse receiving omeprazole daily is in violation of the AERC Drug Policy if you stop giving it within 24 hours of a ride.

Omeprazole works by stopping stomach acid – an important function of the stomach that aids in destroying bacteria that could cause intestinal tract infections such as salmonella. The altered pH of the stomach may not kill viruses and fungi. Stomach acid is necessary to digest protein. The undigested protein moves thru the cecum and large bowel, where fermentation can cause bloating, discomfort and foul smelling manure. Prolonged acid suppression in humans causes vitamin B12 mal-absorption. Further human studies have shown an increase in acid production following treatment. Omeprazole has been shown to significantly delay gastric emptying in humans, and there are several other potentially serious side effects that have been documented in humans, rats, and dogs (1). Long-term use in rats has shown thickening of the stomach lining which may or may not predispose for gastric cancer.

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Physiological Basis for Intravenous fluids following travel in horses.

James Bryant DVM, Diplomate ACVS

In the sport of endurance there is some controversy surrounding the pre-ride use of intravenous fluids. I think it is very important to define the purpose of the fluids because there are both appropriate and inappropriate uses of fluids. First, the use of intravenous fluids as a pre-race supplement has remained and should remain controversial for years. The use of so-called jugs (IV fluids and vitamins and electrolytes) once a staple on the race track and through the recent years while still performed by some the physiologic benefits have been proven to be less and less important. In addition the kidneys are designed to remove excessive fluid from the body, therefore if you give fluids to a well hydrated horse they are likely to urinate the extra and therefore not expand the pre-race blood volume. Therefore unless you are starting a ride with a dehydrated horse (which none of us would ever advocate) the benefit of fluids in the 24 hours prior to a ride is likely non-existent.

Second, the use of intravenous fluids following travel seems to have some controversy around it which I find as completely inappropriate. When people travel long distances in planes it is recommended that you drink plenty of fluids (water) and when you arrive at your destination continue do so for the first 24 hours. We all know that after long travels we feel tired, dehydrated, run down and take 1 to 3 days to feel like ourselves again. To assume that horses are somehow different and have no ill effects systemically with travel makes no sense. When blood work is performed on horses that have traveled wether 10 hours or more by trailer and/or over 6 hours by plane we find that over 80% of the horses have an elevation in there PCV (packed cell volume) and TP (Total protein) these values are indicators of the amount of fluid (water) in the blood stream. These elevations are consistently above the well above the normal for the individual horse and some times very elevated consistent with sever dehydration. Therefore the overall effect of the travel results in some form of dehydration even with access to water throughout the trip.

In particular to endurance horses that travel long distances by ground or plane we have great concern over starting an event (or even training) a horse that is dehydrated. We know for a fact that on a 100 mile ride an endurance horse can be expected to lose at least 3 to 5% of its body weight in water during the event by the finish. Horse that are in metabolic trouble can lose over 10% and can be in severe danger of colic, exhaustion, dehydration, laminitis and even death. From past experiences we have learned t (sometimes the hard way) that horses can tie-up after long travel. Part of what occurs here is the dehydration from travel has contributed to a lower blood volume and therefore the muscles are not perfused as well and basically starve of oxygen in the first or second workout and then these cells die and release the muscles enzymes and you have a tied up horse. In addition if they tie-up and are dehydrated now you have created an environment that the kidneys can fail from the lack of fluid and large accumulation of the myoglobin from the muscle breakdown. In this scenario not only will the horse not be able to compete but may die from the renal failure. More commonly however the question is can the horse recover in time to compete or do they compete but compete poorly due to the subsequent issues. When you travel with your horse long distance to an important race you want to have them in peak form with no lingering issues from travel.

Lastly, how is it best to rehydrate a horse after travel. Consider three possibilities, 1) Let them drink and feed food that is as wet as possible with as much water as they will eat. In this scenario I would also recommend blood work to ascertain if the PCV and TP are back to normal and would not exercise the horse until they are normalized. 2) Use oral fluids given through an nasogastric tube. This is an appropriate way to administer fluids, however water absorption from the GI tract may be slowed in the first 24 hours due to ileus (slowing of gut motility) from travel and may require 1 to 2 days of administration. 3) Intravenous fluids are a direct way to restore vascular volume. Typically volumes of 10 to 20 liters of physiologic fluid (saline) are recommended for horses that are 3 to 5% dehydrated. The body is a very powerful tool and will eliminate the excessive fluid when appropriate and distribute what is needed to the body. Blood work is extremely helpful to assess the effects of the IV fluids and to decide how much is needed. In addition the color and volume of urine can assist in gauging the needed volumes.

In the horses traveling to Malaysia for the World Endurance Championships it was deemed of the utmost importance of the veterinary staff and Chef d’quipe that the horses be as metabolically stable as possible from the travel and as ready for training and acclimation to the hot and humid environment. We have been rewarded by our forward thinking with blood work upon arrival in Malaysia that indicated that 3 of the 6 horses were moderately dehydrated (33% elevation from there normal PCV) and 3 of the 6 were mildly dehydrated (10 to 12 %). The day after the second leg of there flight the horses clinically appear well hydrated and blood work revealed a return to normal ranges. The horses continue to walk at this point but they are physiologically prepared to train now rather than 1 week from now with limited time for preparation.

To assume that horses that travel over 24 hours in a plane plus 6 hours of time in the pallet prior to loading and unloading are prepared to bounce back and perform at their best quickly does not consider what the effect of the same travel would be to us. In addition we are not here to just compete we are here to show how good our horses and riders are to the rest of the world. Not taking advantage of all the things we as professional veterinarian (or better yet sports medicine clinicians) have to offer in preparing for such an event at the peak performance of the athlete is like saying we are traveling to lose. Remember we are asking these wonderful equine athletes to perform at the very edge of maximum exercise, if we can why should we not help them be at their best physiologically. We owe that much to them.

Endurance Flying?

Stuff.co.nz
Small bird leaves scientists gobsmacked
By MICHAEL FIELD - Fairfax Media | Thursday, 23 October 2008

Scientists are marvelling over a small female bar-tailed godwit somewhere in New Zealand who has a world record for non-stop flying – an epic 11,200 kilometres.

A major international study into the birds has been published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B and it offers an explanation as to why the godwits fly so far from Alaska to New Zealand in a single bound.

The birds flew non-stop for up to and covered more than 11,200km. The flight path shows the birds did not feed en route and would be unlikely to sleep.

The study, which involved scientists from around the world, electronically tagged godwits and tracked them, both from New Zealand to Alaska, via Asia and, more recently, from Alaska back to New Zealaqnd direct.

One of the birds, a female called E7, set the record of flying the furthest in eight days across the Pacific.

"These extraordinary non-stop flights establish new extremes for avian flight performance and have profound implications for understanding the physiological capabilities of vertebrates," the report said.

The international media have hailed the achievement.

In Britain’s Guardian quoted Theunis Piersma, a biologist at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands.

"There is something special going on here. For a vertebrate this kind of endurance is just extraordinary."

Piersma said the birds would have flapped their wings non-stop for the entire journey, and that the resulting energy requirement was the greatest in the animal kingdom.

The birds would have gobbled up energy at some eight times their resting basic metabolic rate (BMR) during their week-long exertion, he said.

Professional cyclists an only manage about five times BMR for a few hours.

"Lance Armstrong would be no competition for these birds," he said.

The Washington Post quoted Robert F Gill, a biologist with the US Geological Survey, who headed the study.

"The human species doesn't work at these levels. So you just have to sit back in awe of it all," he said.

Said Kimberly A. Hammond, a physiological ecologist at the University of California: "What this suggests to me is that we haven't yet mined the depths, we really don't know what the extremes are."

The nonstop, over-water route is free of predators and substantially shorter than a hop-scotching route down the eastern coast of Asia, which is the alternative.

Landing and eating would expose the birds to disease and parasites when they are probably somewhat immune-suppressed.

Flying non stop – north to south – across the Pacific was the safest thing to do.

The death rate during the migration is unknown but presumably low, as the population of bar-tailed godwits, estimated at 100,000, has been stable and long-lasting.

"This system would not have perpetuated itself if mortality were a big problem," said Gill

The Post said a major mystery is how high the birds fly.

Gill said that since word of his research has spread, researchers on boats in the Pacific have told him of seeing godwits 1000 metres high and "smoking by at deck level."