Netposse.com
One Minute Disaster Tips - When a disaster strikes it sends victims into a confused sate of frenzy in the aftermath. I speak at public events on many topics but one is the importance of ID and being able to prove ownership at a moment’s notice.
One of the things I ask people to do ahead of time is to make an ID prevention packet. The packet includes copies of important papers such as registration papers, ID registrations (microchip, brand, tattoo etc.) vet records pictures (winter, summer, dirty clean & all four sides with special markings) copy of current coggings, and any other kind of paperwork that can ID you as the owner of the horse. Seal the information in a big brown envelope. Mail the envelope to yourself. When you receive the copy file it in a safe place until you need the information. You may want to put a copy in your safety deposit box for safe keeping for situations where a house may be lost. Hopefully you will never need to use the ID packet.
Once you have completed this process you will have a Poor Man's copyright that if not opened (so that chain of custody is not broken) may be used in court of law if needed.
Most importantly in a disaster situation you have all of your information at hand for each horse so that you do not have to look it up when you are not thinking straight.
We do have disaster tips on www.netposse.com. Go to the tool bar, click on the SERVICES tab and then RESOUCES, DISASTER TIPS. You will find a PDF document that you can easily download.
Hope this helps.
Debi Metcalfe
Stolen Horse International
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Processing Improves Grain Digestibility in Horse Feeds
Equinews.com - Full Article
By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · May 21, 2012
The grains in most of today’s feeds are processed in some manner before being fed. Although some grains can be fed whole, processing, even if it is only grinding, usually makes the nutrients more available to the animal, thus improving digestibility and feed efficiency.
Grinding is done using either a hammermill or roller mill. Hammermills grind primarily by the impact of free-swinging hammers on the grain as it falls through the grinding chamber. Screens with specifically sized holes surround the grinding chamber and as the grain particles become small enough, they pass out through the holes. Roller mills have pairs of rolls, often two or three pairs per mill, that crush the grain as it passes between the rolls. The space between rolls can be adjusted to give various particle sizes.
Popping is achieved by rapid, intense heating of grain. Rapid heating with 700 to 800° F (371 to 427° C) hot air makes the moisture in the kernel turn to steam, thereby expanding the grain. Most feed grain does not pop like popcorn, but grain does expand and starch is gelatinized, resulting in the grain being much more available to digestive enzymes or organisms. Because popped grain has a larger volume per weight, it also contains a lower level of nutrients than the same volume of unpopped grain and sometimes an animal cannot consume sufficient feed, resulting in reduced gains. Many users roll the popped grain to increase the bulk density and to help flatten the grain for easier handling...
Read more here:
http://ker.equinews.com/article/processing-improves-grain-digestibility-horse-feeds
By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · May 21, 2012
The grains in most of today’s feeds are processed in some manner before being fed. Although some grains can be fed whole, processing, even if it is only grinding, usually makes the nutrients more available to the animal, thus improving digestibility and feed efficiency.
Grinding is done using either a hammermill or roller mill. Hammermills grind primarily by the impact of free-swinging hammers on the grain as it falls through the grinding chamber. Screens with specifically sized holes surround the grinding chamber and as the grain particles become small enough, they pass out through the holes. Roller mills have pairs of rolls, often two or three pairs per mill, that crush the grain as it passes between the rolls. The space between rolls can be adjusted to give various particle sizes.
Popping is achieved by rapid, intense heating of grain. Rapid heating with 700 to 800° F (371 to 427° C) hot air makes the moisture in the kernel turn to steam, thereby expanding the grain. Most feed grain does not pop like popcorn, but grain does expand and starch is gelatinized, resulting in the grain being much more available to digestive enzymes or organisms. Because popped grain has a larger volume per weight, it also contains a lower level of nutrients than the same volume of unpopped grain and sometimes an animal cannot consume sufficient feed, resulting in reduced gains. Many users roll the popped grain to increase the bulk density and to help flatten the grain for easier handling...
Read more here:
http://ker.equinews.com/article/processing-improves-grain-digestibility-horse-feeds
Pigeon Fever in Horses: A Re-emerging Disease
Thehorse.com - Full Article
by: Equine Disease Quarterly
July 07 2012, Article # 20273
Infection in horses caused by the Gram-positive bacterium Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis can assume many forms. Deep intramuscular abscesses in horses caused by C. pseudotuberculosis were first reported in San Mateo County, Calif., in 1915. Since that time, the disease commonly referred to as "pigeon fever" was considered one of the most frequent infectious diseases in the western United States.
Infections tend to occur as sporadic cases on a farm or as outbreaks involving hundreds of horses in a region. Disease incidence is increasing, possibly in association with climate change. Unprecedented epidemics in the past decade have affected tens of thousands of horses in Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and British Columbia, Canada--regions historically low in prevalence. High environmental temperatures and drought conditions preceded all reported outbreaks of this soil-dwelling organism.
The most common clinical form of the disease is characterized by external abscesses in the pectoral or ventral abdomen, hence the term "pigeon fever" due to the swelling of the horse's pectoral region resembling a pigeon's breast. Two other clinical forms of the disease include internal organ involvement such as liver, lung, kidney, or spleen abscesses, and infection of the limbs, termed "ulcerative lymphangitis," which appears as a severe cellulitis with multiple draining ulcerative lesions...
Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=20273
by: Equine Disease Quarterly
July 07 2012, Article # 20273
Infection in horses caused by the Gram-positive bacterium Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis can assume many forms. Deep intramuscular abscesses in horses caused by C. pseudotuberculosis were first reported in San Mateo County, Calif., in 1915. Since that time, the disease commonly referred to as "pigeon fever" was considered one of the most frequent infectious diseases in the western United States.
Infections tend to occur as sporadic cases on a farm or as outbreaks involving hundreds of horses in a region. Disease incidence is increasing, possibly in association with climate change. Unprecedented epidemics in the past decade have affected tens of thousands of horses in Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and British Columbia, Canada--regions historically low in prevalence. High environmental temperatures and drought conditions preceded all reported outbreaks of this soil-dwelling organism.
The most common clinical form of the disease is characterized by external abscesses in the pectoral or ventral abdomen, hence the term "pigeon fever" due to the swelling of the horse's pectoral region resembling a pigeon's breast. Two other clinical forms of the disease include internal organ involvement such as liver, lung, kidney, or spleen abscesses, and infection of the limbs, termed "ulcerative lymphangitis," which appears as a severe cellulitis with multiple draining ulcerative lesions...
Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=20273
Sunday, July 01, 2012
Secrets of the Arabian Horse
Standard of Ur, southern Iraq, circa 2600-2400 BC Majalla.com - Full Article
Equestrianism through the ages
In the year of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee comes The Horse: From Arabia to Royal Ascot, the title of a major exhibition at the British Museum.
How many courtly poems have been written to the Arabian horse? How many evocative Bedouin songs have risen into the night sky above a desert encampment in praise of this noble animal? These petite-but-tough galloping champions of the sands have been treasured in the West, too. This horse, the most iconic symbol of Arabian romance and pride, has been as much admired for its sensitive beauty as it has for its speed and powers of endurance in the inhospitable territories in which it has been bred since at least 3,500 B.C.E.
Entire peoples and cultures have been characterised by the horse and its central role in society—in peace and war, in mythology and literature. As travel is one of the defining features of human development, so the history of the horse is in essence the history of civilisation, a force for change in ancient cultures. Both pure Arabian bloodstock and its descendant thoroughbreds continue to win world-famous races today.
The Horse: From Arabia to Royal Ascot is the title of a major exhibition at the British Museum and its accompanying book. This is the year of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, and the exhibition is organised this year, no doubt because the Queen so loves horses. She rides them, breeds them and cheers her own on to win so many classic equestrian events.
The exhibition shows the influence of horses in Middle Eastern culture from their domestication around 3,500 B.C.E. to the present day, with Olympic trophies on the horizon. Famous pieces from the British Museum and Saudi Arabian collections demonstrate this ancient history, such as the cylinder seal of the Achaemenid Persian King Darius, dating from 522-483 B.C.E., showing him hunting lions in a chariot. The ‘breaking’, or training, of wild horses for domestic use probably took place on the steppes of southern Russia, with horses introduced into the Middle East around 2,500 B.C.E.
Another thesis is that the Arabian horse originated in the Sabean kingdom of what is now Yemen. With the frankincense trade routes linking so much of the Middle East, King Solomon (r. 970–931 B.C.E.) obtained horses from the Queen of Sheba and gave one to some visiting Omanis. In just a few decades this stallion had 157 descendants, which were famous all over southern Arabia. In subsequent centuries countless numbers were exported to India...
Read more here:
http://www.majalla.com/eng/2012/06/article55232770
Friday, June 29, 2012
Forage: A Fluid Reservoir for Horses
Equinews.com - Full Article
By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · April 24, 2012
Ingested forage holds water in the horse’s gut. This is seen as positive in endurance horses, as the stored fluid can be drawn upon to keep the horse hydrated as it covers the miles during a long ride. Trainers of Thoroughbred horses see the weight as a disadvantage that has the possibility of causing a horse to run more slowly in a short race, so they routinely remove hay from a horse’s stall in the hours prior to competition.
A recent study conducted at Michigan State University looked at type of forage and length of forage particles as related to their water-holding and water-releasing properties. Grass hay had...
Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/forage-fluid-reservoir-horses?cid=1
By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · April 24, 2012
Ingested forage holds water in the horse’s gut. This is seen as positive in endurance horses, as the stored fluid can be drawn upon to keep the horse hydrated as it covers the miles during a long ride. Trainers of Thoroughbred horses see the weight as a disadvantage that has the possibility of causing a horse to run more slowly in a short race, so they routinely remove hay from a horse’s stall in the hours prior to competition.
A recent study conducted at Michigan State University looked at type of forage and length of forage particles as related to their water-holding and water-releasing properties. Grass hay had...
Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/forage-fluid-reservoir-horses?cid=1
Four Years and Counting - Bootmeister
Easycareinc Blog - Full ArticleTuesday, May 8, 2012 by Christoph Schork
The peoples of The Steppes have been riding bare and without hoof protection for thousands of years, we know them from the history books and heard about their amazing horses: the Parthians, Scythians, Cimmerians, Huns and Mongols created some of the largest empires the world has ever seen. They scared and defeated the Greeks, Romans and other western powers with their incredible riding and warfare skills. Their skill were always far superior to the western powers and they always rode barefoot.
Natural hoof care was and still is the norm with the Peoples of the Steppes.
Mongol horses are being trimmed. Notice the strong healthy frog and tough sole. These horses are being ridden over rocks, grass and sand.
This Natural Hoof Trimming contrasts starkly to our western civilizations Hoof Care. Only very recently did we start to embrace barefoot trimming. Until about 4 years ago, 80% of all Hoof Care procedures at the Global Endurance Training Center were applications of steel, polyurethane or aluminum shoes. Today, maybe 5% of all Hoof Care services involve application of steel shoes, more than 80% are bare hoof trims. What a huge change. What have we noticed during these 4 years in regards to the health of the hooves?
- a thicker and tougher sole
- a huge reduction to total absence of white line separation
- a bigger and healthier frog
- a naturally developed break over
Read more here:
http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/bootmeister-natural-hoof-care-tips/four-years-and-counting
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Prepare horses for long trips in trailer
Countryworldnews.com - Full Article
Tuesday, 26 June 2012 20:16 By MINDY RIFFLE, Country World Staff Writer
E-mail Print
June 21, 2012 - With summer heat coming in early, preparing horses for trips in the hauler is more important than ever.
[Getting a horse used to eating and drinking on the trailer will reduce stress during trips. -- Staff photo by Riffle]
"Many of us travel short distances from the farm to the arena or an event, but if you ever have to travel a long distance, there are some things you need to know," Dr. Valerie Bixler DVM.
"You want your horse to be well hydrated before they ever get on the trailer," said Bixler. "Because, a lot of horses do not drink while they are on the trailer. They will learn if you do it enough, but most of them don't."
The idea is to have them well-hydrated long before they step into the trailer. Beginning three or four days before a trip, Bixler suggests supplementing with electrolytes, so that the horses will begin to take in more water. This way, they are prepared for a longer period without water once they are on the trailer.
"If they are not hydrated and you get to where you are going, you are going to be behind the eight ball," Bixler said.
While a bit extreme for the average Texas rodeo horse, Bixler pointed out that hydration is so important for equine athletes that those involved with Fdration Equestre Internationale (FEI) and other high level equestrians that travel all over the world will have a vet come out, put a catheter in the vein and run liters of fluids to horses before they put them on the trailer...
Read more here:
http://www.countryworldnews.com/news/headlines/1147--prepare-horses-for-long-trips-in-trailer.html
Tuesday, 26 June 2012 20:16 By MINDY RIFFLE, Country World Staff Writer
E-mail Print
June 21, 2012 - With summer heat coming in early, preparing horses for trips in the hauler is more important than ever.
[Getting a horse used to eating and drinking on the trailer will reduce stress during trips. -- Staff photo by Riffle]
"Many of us travel short distances from the farm to the arena or an event, but if you ever have to travel a long distance, there are some things you need to know," Dr. Valerie Bixler DVM.
"You want your horse to be well hydrated before they ever get on the trailer," said Bixler. "Because, a lot of horses do not drink while they are on the trailer. They will learn if you do it enough, but most of them don't."
The idea is to have them well-hydrated long before they step into the trailer. Beginning three or four days before a trip, Bixler suggests supplementing with electrolytes, so that the horses will begin to take in more water. This way, they are prepared for a longer period without water once they are on the trailer.
"If they are not hydrated and you get to where you are going, you are going to be behind the eight ball," Bixler said.
While a bit extreme for the average Texas rodeo horse, Bixler pointed out that hydration is so important for equine athletes that those involved with Fdration Equestre Internationale (FEI) and other high level equestrians that travel all over the world will have a vet come out, put a catheter in the vein and run liters of fluids to horses before they put them on the trailer...
Read more here:
http://www.countryworldnews.com/news/headlines/1147--prepare-horses-for-long-trips-in-trailer.html
Endurance Horse Training Basics Part 1: Hobble Training
Enduranceridestuff Blog - Full Articleby Karen Chaton
BENEFITS OF HOBBLE TRAINING A HORSE
Hobble training teaches a horse to give to pressure, not to freak out when caught/cast/trapped and to wait to be rescued (patience!). It desensitizes your horses legs to being confined or trapped.
If you’ve ever had a horse get caught up in wire, step into a wooden pallet, roll and get cast under a fence or gate or become entangled in a rope or other containment system you no doubt have seen first hand that horses can and will find ways to get into trouble. How they handle it can often be attributed to how the horse has been trained.
Hobble training is something that I have done on every single one of my endurance horses before taking them to an endurance ride. It has really paid off too. I have posted blog posts on this topic before because I do feel so strongly that hobble training should be included in the basic training for any endurance horse. If you haven’t already, please read this post on preparing a horse for hobble training, and this post on some personal examples on when hobble training paid off.
JUST WHAT IS HOBBLING, EXACTLY?
Read more here:
http://enduranceridestuff.com/blog/2011/11/endurance-horse-training-basics-part-1-hobble-training/
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Long Range Disaster Planning
NNMHA.com - Full Article
National disasters such as flash floods, tornados, snow storms or wild fires, and man-made problems such as gas explosions, leaking tank cars, and terrorist incidents can happen with little or no warning. The nature of the emergency may determine whether to shelter in place or evacuate.
Developing an effective personal emergency plan, coupled with predetermined holding facilities, may allow you enough time to move your horses to safety. If you are unprepared or wait until the last minute to evacuate, emergency management officials may tell you that you must leave your horses behind. Once you leave your property you have no way of knowing how long you will be kept out of the area.
Do not count on others to rescue your animals. Being prepared for an emergency evacuation in important for all animals, but it takes extra consideration for horses because of their size and their transportation needs. Horses can panic when they smell smoke. If you delay evacuation until fire danger is imminent, you may not be able to control and load your horses.
To avoid this situation, the following information and suggestions are offered to help plan for emergencies:
1. Familiarize yourself with the types of disasters/emergencies that could occur in your area. Develop a written plan of action for each. Review your plan regularly with everyone involved including friends and neighbors. Post emergency numbers in a visible location in your stable or barn.
Plan an escape route for taking your horses to safety.
If you do not have a trailer or enough trailers for evacuation, make arrangements in advance to have your horses trailered in case of emergency. Develop a community plan with call-up lists for assistance.
Find several alternative locations and check entry requirements. If you have no other safe place, contact your local fair grounds.
2. Look at your property and identify the best location for animal confinement for each type of disaster, should you be unable to evacuate them. Identify food and water sources that do not rely on electricity – disaster cause power outages – water pumps and automatic waterers stop working. Have standby water storage for 48 to 72 hours.
3. Photograph the left and right sides of each horse as well as face and medial and lower legs. Have a photo of your horse with you in the picture, to help identify the horse as yours when picking it up from an evacuation area...
Read more here:
http://www.nnmha.com/EmergencyPreparedness.html
National disasters such as flash floods, tornados, snow storms or wild fires, and man-made problems such as gas explosions, leaking tank cars, and terrorist incidents can happen with little or no warning. The nature of the emergency may determine whether to shelter in place or evacuate.
Developing an effective personal emergency plan, coupled with predetermined holding facilities, may allow you enough time to move your horses to safety. If you are unprepared or wait until the last minute to evacuate, emergency management officials may tell you that you must leave your horses behind. Once you leave your property you have no way of knowing how long you will be kept out of the area.
Do not count on others to rescue your animals. Being prepared for an emergency evacuation in important for all animals, but it takes extra consideration for horses because of their size and their transportation needs. Horses can panic when they smell smoke. If you delay evacuation until fire danger is imminent, you may not be able to control and load your horses.
To avoid this situation, the following information and suggestions are offered to help plan for emergencies:
1. Familiarize yourself with the types of disasters/emergencies that could occur in your area. Develop a written plan of action for each. Review your plan regularly with everyone involved including friends and neighbors. Post emergency numbers in a visible location in your stable or barn.
Plan an escape route for taking your horses to safety.
If you do not have a trailer or enough trailers for evacuation, make arrangements in advance to have your horses trailered in case of emergency. Develop a community plan with call-up lists for assistance.
Find several alternative locations and check entry requirements. If you have no other safe place, contact your local fair grounds.
2. Look at your property and identify the best location for animal confinement for each type of disaster, should you be unable to evacuate them. Identify food and water sources that do not rely on electricity – disaster cause power outages – water pumps and automatic waterers stop working. Have standby water storage for 48 to 72 hours.
3. Photograph the left and right sides of each horse as well as face and medial and lower legs. Have a photo of your horse with you in the picture, to help identify the horse as yours when picking it up from an evacuation area...
Read more here:
http://www.nnmha.com/EmergencyPreparedness.html
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Myths Concerning Feeding Fat to Endurance Horses
KPPUSA.com - Full Article
Article written by KPP staff.
MYTH:
Fat is an unsuitable ingredient in the diets of endurance horses.
FACT:
Fat is not only a perfectly acceptable component in the diets of all performance horses, it sometimes proves to be a necessary ingredient. Due to the intense work that endurance horses perform, many are unable to maintain optimal body condition when fed forages (pasture and hay) and traditional concentrates (textured or pelleted sweet feed). Because fats contain more than two times the energy of carbohydrates, they have become commonplace in the rations of successful endurance horses worldwide.
In fact, endurance horses fed fat may have an advantage over those that are not. As horses consume fat as part of their daily diets over a long period of time, their bodies become adept at using it as an energy source, allowing the horse to conserve more valuable fuels such as glycogen.
In a study conducted comparing the utilization of fat among breeds, researchers found that Arabians are most efficient at employing fat as an energy source.
At the 2005 World Endurance Championships, held in Dubai, nearly all of the horses were fed an identical concentrate supplied by the event’s sponsor, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. That feed was a high-fat formulation, and the finish times were blisteringly fast.
MYTH:
Because fat slows digestion, it adversely affects performance and should be avoided in the diets of endurance horses...
Read more here:
http://kppusa.com/tips-and-topics/dispelling-three-myths-concerning-feeding-fat-endurance-horses/
Article written by KPP staff.
MYTH:
Fat is an unsuitable ingredient in the diets of endurance horses.
FACT:
Fat is not only a perfectly acceptable component in the diets of all performance horses, it sometimes proves to be a necessary ingredient. Due to the intense work that endurance horses perform, many are unable to maintain optimal body condition when fed forages (pasture and hay) and traditional concentrates (textured or pelleted sweet feed). Because fats contain more than two times the energy of carbohydrates, they have become commonplace in the rations of successful endurance horses worldwide.
In fact, endurance horses fed fat may have an advantage over those that are not. As horses consume fat as part of their daily diets over a long period of time, their bodies become adept at using it as an energy source, allowing the horse to conserve more valuable fuels such as glycogen.
In a study conducted comparing the utilization of fat among breeds, researchers found that Arabians are most efficient at employing fat as an energy source.
At the 2005 World Endurance Championships, held in Dubai, nearly all of the horses were fed an identical concentrate supplied by the event’s sponsor, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. That feed was a high-fat formulation, and the finish times were blisteringly fast.
MYTH:
Because fat slows digestion, it adversely affects performance and should be avoided in the diets of endurance horses...
Read more here:
http://kppusa.com/tips-and-topics/dispelling-three-myths-concerning-feeding-fat-endurance-horses/
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Equine Ration Balancer Pellets Explained
Thehorse.com - Full Article
by: Kristen M. Janicki, MS, PAS
June 09 2012, Article # 20138
As research has advanced our understanding of equine nutrition, we now know more about how best to meet our horse's nutritional needs. One feed option that owners may notice on the shelves of their local feed store is a ration balancer. This pelleted feed option might have a place in your horse's diet, so let's explain how it is used.
Originally formulated for the growing horse, the ration balancer--in conjunction with a high-quality forage source--can provide the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals a horse needs without the excess calories that could put young horses at higher risk of developmental orthopedic diseases
In addition to young horses, mature equids able to maintain their weight on an all-forage diet of hay or pasture--termed "easy keepers"--can also benefit from a ration balancer. Depending on the species of forage provided and geographical location where it's grown, protein, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies might be presence; ration balancer pellets are often used to offset these deficiencies.
In addition, the ration balancer pellet is a good option for horses that cannot tolerate high sugar and starch levels in some grains, such as those with Cushing's disease (pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction or PPID, laminitis, and hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP). The lower glycemic index of a ration balancer also has the potential to lessen a horse's hyperactive behavior...
Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=20138
by: Kristen M. Janicki, MS, PAS
June 09 2012, Article # 20138
As research has advanced our understanding of equine nutrition, we now know more about how best to meet our horse's nutritional needs. One feed option that owners may notice on the shelves of their local feed store is a ration balancer. This pelleted feed option might have a place in your horse's diet, so let's explain how it is used.
Originally formulated for the growing horse, the ration balancer--in conjunction with a high-quality forage source--can provide the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals a horse needs without the excess calories that could put young horses at higher risk of developmental orthopedic diseases
In addition to young horses, mature equids able to maintain their weight on an all-forage diet of hay or pasture--termed "easy keepers"--can also benefit from a ration balancer. Depending on the species of forage provided and geographical location where it's grown, protein, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies might be presence; ration balancer pellets are often used to offset these deficiencies.
In addition, the ration balancer pellet is a good option for horses that cannot tolerate high sugar and starch levels in some grains, such as those with Cushing's disease (pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction or PPID, laminitis, and hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP). The lower glycemic index of a ration balancer also has the potential to lessen a horse's hyperactive behavior...
Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=20138
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Feeding During an Endurance Ride
Equinews.com - Full Article
By Dr. Peter Huntington and Scott O'Brien · June 4, 2012
The actual amount and type of feed your horse should get through the ride will depend on the length and difficulty of the ride as well as the result you hope to achieve. With shorter ride lengths (20 to 40 km or 12 to 25 miles) and speed restrictions on all riders, it is all about completing and training or educating your horse.
As long as your horse is fit enough and you have a good feeding program at home, you shouldn’t need much more than hay and electrolytes to get you through these rides. If you arrive the night before the ride, give your horse his dinner and some hay to see him through the night. If he’s a poor drinker you might include some electrolytes in this final meal (as long as he’ll eat his feed with the electrolytes added; otherwise give them in a syringe mixed with water, applesauce, or yogurt).
In the morning, just make sure he has a little hay and fresh water before tacking up and riding off.
After the first leg in a split-leg ride, give some more hay or green forage and perhaps some electrolytes. Electrolytes are recommended if it is a hot day or if your horse has not yet had a drink in the first leg. The amount you give will depend on the temperature, how much your horse has drunk, and how much he has sweated.
If, by the end of the final leg, your horse has still not had a good drink, find a vet and discuss the use of any further electrolyte supplementation. Giving electrolytes to a significantly dehydrated horse can cause metabolic problems and should only be done under veterinary supervision.
Once the ride is finished and you have been through vetting, you can give the horse his normal breakfast. Over the next 24 hours you will need to feed a little more than the normal daily allowance to replenish energy reserves lost during the ride. Feed small meals (up to around 2 kg or 4.4 lb per meal) rather than large meals and space them out by about 4 to 6 hours. Further electrolyte supplementation is also useful for rehydrating the horse in preparation for the trip home.
The longer one-day rides of 80 km to 160 km (50 to 100 miles) can be quite competitive, and depending on how you want to ride them, your feeding management will be different...
Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/feeding-during-endurance-ride
By Dr. Peter Huntington and Scott O'Brien · June 4, 2012
The actual amount and type of feed your horse should get through the ride will depend on the length and difficulty of the ride as well as the result you hope to achieve. With shorter ride lengths (20 to 40 km or 12 to 25 miles) and speed restrictions on all riders, it is all about completing and training or educating your horse.
As long as your horse is fit enough and you have a good feeding program at home, you shouldn’t need much more than hay and electrolytes to get you through these rides. If you arrive the night before the ride, give your horse his dinner and some hay to see him through the night. If he’s a poor drinker you might include some electrolytes in this final meal (as long as he’ll eat his feed with the electrolytes added; otherwise give them in a syringe mixed with water, applesauce, or yogurt).
In the morning, just make sure he has a little hay and fresh water before tacking up and riding off.
After the first leg in a split-leg ride, give some more hay or green forage and perhaps some electrolytes. Electrolytes are recommended if it is a hot day or if your horse has not yet had a drink in the first leg. The amount you give will depend on the temperature, how much your horse has drunk, and how much he has sweated.
If, by the end of the final leg, your horse has still not had a good drink, find a vet and discuss the use of any further electrolyte supplementation. Giving electrolytes to a significantly dehydrated horse can cause metabolic problems and should only be done under veterinary supervision.
Once the ride is finished and you have been through vetting, you can give the horse his normal breakfast. Over the next 24 hours you will need to feed a little more than the normal daily allowance to replenish energy reserves lost during the ride. Feed small meals (up to around 2 kg or 4.4 lb per meal) rather than large meals and space them out by about 4 to 6 hours. Further electrolyte supplementation is also useful for rehydrating the horse in preparation for the trip home.
The longer one-day rides of 80 km to 160 km (50 to 100 miles) can be quite competitive, and depending on how you want to ride them, your feeding management will be different...
Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/feeding-during-endurance-ride
Sunday, June 03, 2012
Preparing the Endurance Horse
Hought.com - Full Article
by Eric Hought
When plotting a course to reach any goal, the final expectation must be known. Without a vision the chances of reaching that goal are slim. Many riders stumble because they have no clear mental image and do not have a large arsenal of techniques. When you drove here today, you knew exactly where you were going to make turns in order to arrive in Mariposa. You may have faltered slightly, but you made it. I am sure that none of you just got into the car and began driving in hopes you would arrive today. You had a plan to get here. It is exactly the same with our horse. If we do not have a plan, how can both of us arrive at the same place at the same time?
My goal today is to plant the seed that preparing a horse is simple. Mental preparation of the horse is most important. If the horse is not mentally prepared for any situation or execution of a maneuver, he can not perform to his peak potential. The "work" of preparing him mentally takes place while he learns the mechanics of feet and body control.
The mind of the horse must be on the same page of execution as the rider or leader. Everything we do with the horse is centered on building a good mind. The rider must be able to control every step the horse takes during a ride. Out of control at the start of the ride or any other part of the ride is dangerous for the horse and rider. Aside from that, the wasted effort by the horse can affect his strength and/or recovery at other points in the ride.
The use of exhaustion as a tool to cause the Arabian endurance horse to look to the rider for relief is not an option for preparing the endurance horse. The old phrase of "the blood rises in the head" is not an accurate assessment of the situation. I don't know positively whether or not the reactive side of the horse is the results of the release of adrenaline into the system. If that is the correct assumption then little to no progress will follow until the horse's system returns to normal. I spoke with a veterinarian and he thought it was more of the personality of the horse. Whichever is correct, the rider must wait until the horse returns to normal in order to continue preparing the horse.
The "trick" is to change the activity "before" the adrenaline is released. The window of opportunity between mounting and working with the horse before the adrenaline release will vary from horse to horse, rider to rider and the immediate environment of activity.
A horse's window of opportunity can be enlarged through careful preparation of the horse by the rider. The rider never has the privilege of assuming the position, "I just let him go until it is out of his system". My position is this rider lacks knowledge of how the horse learns, lacks skills and avoids responsibility for the horse's actions by placing the blame upon the horse. The classic method of correction is to use a more severe tool of intimidation such as a larger bit, tie down or martingale. The reality is the rider must return to a snaffle bit and rebuild the foundation of the horse's skills. "But he is not in control with a snaffle bit". The answer is simple. Ride at the walk until control of all four feet is achieved in the walk then progress to the trot etc. This can not happen on a ride. It all takes place on the trail, riding solo in training until control is achieved. It could take 3-4 months or longer depending upon how engrained the behavior, how often the horse is ridden per week and most important the consistency of the rider. The rider's plan is key to success of the horse...
Read more here:
http://www.hought.com/hp.prep-end-horse.html
by Eric Hought
When plotting a course to reach any goal, the final expectation must be known. Without a vision the chances of reaching that goal are slim. Many riders stumble because they have no clear mental image and do not have a large arsenal of techniques. When you drove here today, you knew exactly where you were going to make turns in order to arrive in Mariposa. You may have faltered slightly, but you made it. I am sure that none of you just got into the car and began driving in hopes you would arrive today. You had a plan to get here. It is exactly the same with our horse. If we do not have a plan, how can both of us arrive at the same place at the same time?
My goal today is to plant the seed that preparing a horse is simple. Mental preparation of the horse is most important. If the horse is not mentally prepared for any situation or execution of a maneuver, he can not perform to his peak potential. The "work" of preparing him mentally takes place while he learns the mechanics of feet and body control.
The mind of the horse must be on the same page of execution as the rider or leader. Everything we do with the horse is centered on building a good mind. The rider must be able to control every step the horse takes during a ride. Out of control at the start of the ride or any other part of the ride is dangerous for the horse and rider. Aside from that, the wasted effort by the horse can affect his strength and/or recovery at other points in the ride.
The use of exhaustion as a tool to cause the Arabian endurance horse to look to the rider for relief is not an option for preparing the endurance horse. The old phrase of "the blood rises in the head" is not an accurate assessment of the situation. I don't know positively whether or not the reactive side of the horse is the results of the release of adrenaline into the system. If that is the correct assumption then little to no progress will follow until the horse's system returns to normal. I spoke with a veterinarian and he thought it was more of the personality of the horse. Whichever is correct, the rider must wait until the horse returns to normal in order to continue preparing the horse.
The "trick" is to change the activity "before" the adrenaline is released. The window of opportunity between mounting and working with the horse before the adrenaline release will vary from horse to horse, rider to rider and the immediate environment of activity.
A horse's window of opportunity can be enlarged through careful preparation of the horse by the rider. The rider never has the privilege of assuming the position, "I just let him go until it is out of his system". My position is this rider lacks knowledge of how the horse learns, lacks skills and avoids responsibility for the horse's actions by placing the blame upon the horse. The classic method of correction is to use a more severe tool of intimidation such as a larger bit, tie down or martingale. The reality is the rider must return to a snaffle bit and rebuild the foundation of the horse's skills. "But he is not in control with a snaffle bit". The answer is simple. Ride at the walk until control of all four feet is achieved in the walk then progress to the trot etc. This can not happen on a ride. It all takes place on the trail, riding solo in training until control is achieved. It could take 3-4 months or longer depending upon how engrained the behavior, how often the horse is ridden per week and most important the consistency of the rider. The rider's plan is key to success of the horse...
Read more here:
http://www.hought.com/hp.prep-end-horse.html
Friday, June 01, 2012
The Don horse of Russia
Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article
By Horsetalk.co.nz on Jun 01, 2012 in Horse Breeds
Two notions that perhaps everyone associates with Russia are the immense distances and Siberian temperatures.
If one thinks harder, richly decorated churches, golden palaces, Faberge eggs, war and peace or revolution may come to mind, but what really stands out are the infinite Russian versts (1 verst = 1.06km). Amazingly, the maximum east west extent of modern day Russia is almost 10,000km, a distance encompassing 11 time zones and spanning nearly half the circumference of the earth.
And there is a native breed of horses, possibly little known abroad, whose qualities have come to match the extreme conditions perfectly: the Don horses. Named after the river Don in southern Russia, this breed is one of only two native breeds which have survived in modern times. The other such native horses are the Orlov trotters, bred by and named after the 18th century Count Orlov, one of the most influential figures in Catherine the Great’s Russia.
The roots of the Don horses go back to ancient times and the Nogajy tribes who inhabited the regions east of the Caspian Sea. These equine predecessors were famous for their exceptional stamina and the ability to survive equally well the freezing winters and searing heat of the southern steppes. Organised breeding began in the 18th century with the creation of special studbooks. Arab and thoroughbred stallions were introduced among the wild steppes mares. The result was an exceptional horse whose qualities came to be highly appreciated in the army...
Read more here:
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/06/01/don-horse/
By Horsetalk.co.nz on Jun 01, 2012 in Horse Breeds
Two notions that perhaps everyone associates with Russia are the immense distances and Siberian temperatures.
If one thinks harder, richly decorated churches, golden palaces, Faberge eggs, war and peace or revolution may come to mind, but what really stands out are the infinite Russian versts (1 verst = 1.06km). Amazingly, the maximum east west extent of modern day Russia is almost 10,000km, a distance encompassing 11 time zones and spanning nearly half the circumference of the earth.
And there is a native breed of horses, possibly little known abroad, whose qualities have come to match the extreme conditions perfectly: the Don horses. Named after the river Don in southern Russia, this breed is one of only two native breeds which have survived in modern times. The other such native horses are the Orlov trotters, bred by and named after the 18th century Count Orlov, one of the most influential figures in Catherine the Great’s Russia.
The roots of the Don horses go back to ancient times and the Nogajy tribes who inhabited the regions east of the Caspian Sea. These equine predecessors were famous for their exceptional stamina and the ability to survive equally well the freezing winters and searing heat of the southern steppes. Organised breeding began in the 18th century with the creation of special studbooks. Arab and thoroughbred stallions were introduced among the wild steppes mares. The result was an exceptional horse whose qualities came to be highly appreciated in the army...
Read more here:
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/06/01/don-horse/
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Rider: Help! How Can I Get My Confidence Back After a Bad Fall?
Myhorse.com blogs - Full Article
I often get requests for specific topics to cover about riding or horse care, and this one from a woman who was hospitalized after a bad fall and needs help getting her confidence back really touched me.
Luckily for her, I knew exactly who to send it to–equestrian mental skills coach Tonya Johnston, who just published her book, Inside Your Ride: Mental Skills for Being Happy and Successful with Your Horse, which is available on HorseBooksEtc.com.
I think many of you will find this helpful; I know I did!
Reader question: Can you do a feature about getting back in the saddle after a major fall? You may have done this, but I have been unable to find a reference.
I had a major fall that resulted in a hospital stay and a break from riding for some time. I have ridden since, but it is just not the same. I used to excel at training young horses and doing the first rides never used to be a problem, until my riding accident.
I know I have fear, but it is getting past this that I can’t seem to manage. I have read various books and articles on the subject of fear when riding but I found them to be extremely vague on the “how to” of getting past the issue of fear itself.
I have read many articles on riders who have overcome the issue of getting back in the saddle, but the “how they did it” parts always seem lacking. Just sucking it up and getting on again just won’t work for me. I can easily handle horses from the ground, and still do all my own ground work and first saddling’s, but now I send them out to be started and for the first 30 to 90 days of riding and training.
When they come home the horse sits in the field and becomes an expensive pasture ornament. Sigh… I have done what a lot of the articles have suggested as far as being safe- i.e.- helmet, good fitting tack, safe place to ride, safe horse, coaches, etc., , but fear still tends to paralyze my efforts in the saddle.
I am not saying I have not been able to ride- I am saying I need to get past this to be able to do what I love to do. I have halter horses, so can show from the ground, but I want all-around horses, and it is putting on miles that stops me in my tracks.
This is driving me to consider selling all my horses and just getting out totally, but I know I would have a hard time living my life without them as they have been a part of my existence since I was a child.
I need specific exercises to do to help me get my confidence back, and to help me understand my reluctance when riding. I
know it has turned into a mental game now, so need the tools to go on.
I recently spoke with a friend of mine about some show tack she was selling, and to my great surprise, she is going through the same thing as me! She had a major fall and has been struggling to ride since. She has now resigned herself to showing from the ground only, and said she needs to find a “steady Eddy” before she would ever get back in the saddle. I know I am not the only one out there struggling with this issue, and the older I get, the more discouraging I find my situation to be.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Marilyn
Tonya Johnston: Thank you, Marilyn, for writing such a clear request for help about returning to riding after a serious fall. You’re right, this is an issue that many other people have faced and/or will face at some point in their riding careers and the more people that have positive ideas about how to handle it the better.
I completely agree that what is most helpful is specific, take-action instruction that enables you to face your fear and craft solutions that help you regain your confidence.
Therefore, here are some detailed, concrete ideas for you to do both away from the barn, and when you are tacking up and successfully getting on your horse for your very next ride.
Before you go to the barn to ride:
1. Use your motivation to trump your fear.
The starting place is to ask, “Do I want to ride?” When the answer is “Yes!” the next important question is “Why?”...
Read more here:
http://myhorse.com/blogs/english-and-western-riding/rider-education/rider-help-how-can-i-get-my-confidence-back-after-a-bad-fall/?utm_source=Week46&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Editorial-Newsletter-2
I often get requests for specific topics to cover about riding or horse care, and this one from a woman who was hospitalized after a bad fall and needs help getting her confidence back really touched me.
Luckily for her, I knew exactly who to send it to–equestrian mental skills coach Tonya Johnston, who just published her book, Inside Your Ride: Mental Skills for Being Happy and Successful with Your Horse, which is available on HorseBooksEtc.com.
I think many of you will find this helpful; I know I did!
Reader question: Can you do a feature about getting back in the saddle after a major fall? You may have done this, but I have been unable to find a reference.
I had a major fall that resulted in a hospital stay and a break from riding for some time. I have ridden since, but it is just not the same. I used to excel at training young horses and doing the first rides never used to be a problem, until my riding accident.
I know I have fear, but it is getting past this that I can’t seem to manage. I have read various books and articles on the subject of fear when riding but I found them to be extremely vague on the “how to” of getting past the issue of fear itself.
I have read many articles on riders who have overcome the issue of getting back in the saddle, but the “how they did it” parts always seem lacking. Just sucking it up and getting on again just won’t work for me. I can easily handle horses from the ground, and still do all my own ground work and first saddling’s, but now I send them out to be started and for the first 30 to 90 days of riding and training.
When they come home the horse sits in the field and becomes an expensive pasture ornament. Sigh… I have done what a lot of the articles have suggested as far as being safe- i.e.- helmet, good fitting tack, safe place to ride, safe horse, coaches, etc., , but fear still tends to paralyze my efforts in the saddle.
I am not saying I have not been able to ride- I am saying I need to get past this to be able to do what I love to do. I have halter horses, so can show from the ground, but I want all-around horses, and it is putting on miles that stops me in my tracks.
This is driving me to consider selling all my horses and just getting out totally, but I know I would have a hard time living my life without them as they have been a part of my existence since I was a child.
I need specific exercises to do to help me get my confidence back, and to help me understand my reluctance when riding. I
know it has turned into a mental game now, so need the tools to go on.
I recently spoke with a friend of mine about some show tack she was selling, and to my great surprise, she is going through the same thing as me! She had a major fall and has been struggling to ride since. She has now resigned herself to showing from the ground only, and said she needs to find a “steady Eddy” before she would ever get back in the saddle. I know I am not the only one out there struggling with this issue, and the older I get, the more discouraging I find my situation to be.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Marilyn
Tonya Johnston: Thank you, Marilyn, for writing such a clear request for help about returning to riding after a serious fall. You’re right, this is an issue that many other people have faced and/or will face at some point in their riding careers and the more people that have positive ideas about how to handle it the better.
I completely agree that what is most helpful is specific, take-action instruction that enables you to face your fear and craft solutions that help you regain your confidence.
Therefore, here are some detailed, concrete ideas for you to do both away from the barn, and when you are tacking up and successfully getting on your horse for your very next ride.
Before you go to the barn to ride:
1. Use your motivation to trump your fear.
The starting place is to ask, “Do I want to ride?” When the answer is “Yes!” the next important question is “Why?”...
Read more here:
http://myhorse.com/blogs/english-and-western-riding/rider-education/rider-help-how-can-i-get-my-confidence-back-after-a-bad-fall/?utm_source=Week46&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Editorial-Newsletter-2
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Selenium and Vitamin E to Alleviate Signs of Tying Up
Thehorse.com - Full Article
by: Kristen M. Janicki, MS, PAS
May 20 2012, Article # 20037
Exertional rhabdomyolysis, otherwise known as "tying up," is a term used to describe a variety of muscle disorders in the equine athlete. Horses affected by tying up have varying degrees of muscle cramping or muscle soreness, with the more severe cases accompanied by elevated respiratory and heart rates, dark colored urine, and reluctance to move or stand.
A balanced diet, including vitamins and minerals, is just one factor in the treatment and prevention of tying up. Here are some ways that two specific nutrients, selenium and vitamin E, can help prevent or alleviate symptoms of tying up:
Selenium: During exercise several chemical processes occur, allowing the horse's muscle to utilize energy. However, those same processes produce oxidation-induced damage by free radicals. Selenium is a vital part of glutathione peroxidase--an enzyme that prevents free radicals from causing cellular damage. Deficiencies in selenium will directly relate to a decreased ability to rid the muscle of these detrimental substances...
Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=20037
by: Kristen M. Janicki, MS, PAS
May 20 2012, Article # 20037
Exertional rhabdomyolysis, otherwise known as "tying up," is a term used to describe a variety of muscle disorders in the equine athlete. Horses affected by tying up have varying degrees of muscle cramping or muscle soreness, with the more severe cases accompanied by elevated respiratory and heart rates, dark colored urine, and reluctance to move or stand.
A balanced diet, including vitamins and minerals, is just one factor in the treatment and prevention of tying up. Here are some ways that two specific nutrients, selenium and vitamin E, can help prevent or alleviate symptoms of tying up:
Selenium: During exercise several chemical processes occur, allowing the horse's muscle to utilize energy. However, those same processes produce oxidation-induced damage by free radicals. Selenium is a vital part of glutathione peroxidase--an enzyme that prevents free radicals from causing cellular damage. Deficiencies in selenium will directly relate to a decreased ability to rid the muscle of these detrimental substances...
Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=20037
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Feeding Before the Endurance Ride
Equinews.com - Full Article
By Dr. Peter Huntington · May 17, 2012
Information concerning feeding endurance horses is easily available and widespread. How to feed horses in endurance training and how to manage them after a competition is fairly well documented. But what happens before the ride itself, and how can this influence your horse’s performance?
There are some pretty significant changes in routine for a horse at ride base including the toll of the truck ride to get there, the lack of free grazing, being confined to a small paddock, the excitement and stress of all the other strange horses, people, and trucks, and the general hustle and bustle of a busy ride base. All of these things can impact your horse’s appetite, thirst, frame of mind, digestive health, and ultimately the horse’s performance in the ride.
In order to understand the best way to manage the horse before the ride, we must analyze any possible problems we might encounter and how we would deal with them if they arose as well as the basic plan of when to feed, what to feed, and how to feed.
Arriving at Ride Base: Management Before Start Time
You are probably tired from an early start and a long drive, and you can be sure that your horse is likely just as tired if not more from having to stand and balance constantly in the back of the trailer for the trip. If he is a nervous type of horse or a relatively new horse to endurance, he may have become stressed with the anticipation of arriving somewhere new and not knowing what to expect. If he is a seasoned endurance horse, he still may have become excited and arrive in a lather of anticipatory sweat...
read more here:
http://equinews.com/article/feeding-endurance-ride
By Dr. Peter Huntington · May 17, 2012
Information concerning feeding endurance horses is easily available and widespread. How to feed horses in endurance training and how to manage them after a competition is fairly well documented. But what happens before the ride itself, and how can this influence your horse’s performance?
There are some pretty significant changes in routine for a horse at ride base including the toll of the truck ride to get there, the lack of free grazing, being confined to a small paddock, the excitement and stress of all the other strange horses, people, and trucks, and the general hustle and bustle of a busy ride base. All of these things can impact your horse’s appetite, thirst, frame of mind, digestive health, and ultimately the horse’s performance in the ride.
In order to understand the best way to manage the horse before the ride, we must analyze any possible problems we might encounter and how we would deal with them if they arose as well as the basic plan of when to feed, what to feed, and how to feed.
Arriving at Ride Base: Management Before Start Time
You are probably tired from an early start and a long drive, and you can be sure that your horse is likely just as tired if not more from having to stand and balance constantly in the back of the trailer for the trip. If he is a nervous type of horse or a relatively new horse to endurance, he may have become stressed with the anticipation of arriving somewhere new and not knowing what to expect. If he is a seasoned endurance horse, he still may have become excited and arrive in a lather of anticipatory sweat...
read more here:
http://equinews.com/article/feeding-endurance-ride
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Time of Feeding Before Competition
Equinews.com - Full Article
By Dr. Joe Pagan · February 24, 2012
One of the most frequently asked questions regarding feeding performance horses is when to feed before a competition.
To answer this, three experiments were conducted by Kentucky Equine Research (KER) to evaluate if feeding hay with and without grain affects glycemic response and hematological responses in Thoroughbred horses at rest and during a simulated competition exercise test (CET) on a high-speed treadmill. The first experiment evaluated how feeding forage along with grain influences plasma variables and water intake. The second experiment was conducted to determine whether these changes affect exercise performance. The third experiment was performed to determine how forage alone affects exercise response.
Feeding hay either before or with grain significantly reduced the glycemic response of the grain meal. Insulin production post feeding was also reduced. In addition, when hay was fed, total plasma protein (TP) became significantly elevated within one hour. Interestingly, feeding only grain resulted in essentially no change in TP, even though the level of grain intake was the same that elicited a large change when hay alone was fed. Water intake was significantly influenced by time of hay feeding...
Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/time-feeding-competition
By Dr. Joe Pagan · February 24, 2012
One of the most frequently asked questions regarding feeding performance horses is when to feed before a competition.
To answer this, three experiments were conducted by Kentucky Equine Research (KER) to evaluate if feeding hay with and without grain affects glycemic response and hematological responses in Thoroughbred horses at rest and during a simulated competition exercise test (CET) on a high-speed treadmill. The first experiment evaluated how feeding forage along with grain influences plasma variables and water intake. The second experiment was conducted to determine whether these changes affect exercise performance. The third experiment was performed to determine how forage alone affects exercise response.
Feeding hay either before or with grain significantly reduced the glycemic response of the grain meal. Insulin production post feeding was also reduced. In addition, when hay was fed, total plasma protein (TP) became significantly elevated within one hour. Interestingly, feeding only grain resulted in essentially no change in TP, even though the level of grain intake was the same that elicited a large change when hay alone was fed. Water intake was significantly influenced by time of hay feeding...
Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/time-feeding-competition
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Imprinting: The Great Debate
Thehorse.com - Full Article
by: Christy Corp-Minamiji, DVM
February 01 2012, Article # 19486
Horse ownership and parenting share a number of parallels. Everyone is happy for you, and everyone has advice. Articles, research, and anecdotes abound, and often they all seem to contradict. At no point does owning a horse feel more like parenting a child than after the birth of a foal.
Fortunately, owners of a new foal rarely have to consider nursing vs. formula, and the diaper debate is moot. However, when it comes to education (training), horse owners face as many conflicting viewpoints as new parents. Questions arise around the handling of the new foal: How much? How soon? Will handling the foal disrupt the bond with the mare or delay nursing? Will it make for a more tractable foal? What about imprint training?
The First Few Hours: Foal Brain and Needs
In The Lion King the hyenas gnaw happily on the haunch of a zebra. Zebras, antelope, cattle, and, yes, horses are prey animals. Their place in the circle of life is just above the grass. But unlike horned antelope and cattle, horses don't have much in the way of weapons. While the impact of a well-placed hoof can be significant, those hooves are better designed for gaining traction in flight than they are for fighting...
Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19486
by: Christy Corp-Minamiji, DVM
February 01 2012, Article # 19486
Horse ownership and parenting share a number of parallels. Everyone is happy for you, and everyone has advice. Articles, research, and anecdotes abound, and often they all seem to contradict. At no point does owning a horse feel more like parenting a child than after the birth of a foal.
Fortunately, owners of a new foal rarely have to consider nursing vs. formula, and the diaper debate is moot. However, when it comes to education (training), horse owners face as many conflicting viewpoints as new parents. Questions arise around the handling of the new foal: How much? How soon? Will handling the foal disrupt the bond with the mare or delay nursing? Will it make for a more tractable foal? What about imprint training?
The First Few Hours: Foal Brain and Needs
In The Lion King the hyenas gnaw happily on the haunch of a zebra. Zebras, antelope, cattle, and, yes, horses are prey animals. Their place in the circle of life is just above the grass. But unlike horned antelope and cattle, horses don't have much in the way of weapons. While the impact of a well-placed hoof can be significant, those hooves are better designed for gaining traction in flight than they are for fighting...
Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19486
Possibility of Gluten Sensitivity in Horses Examined
Thehorse.com - Full Article
by: Casie Bazay, BS, NBCAAM
May 09 2012, Article # 19990
While the exact cause of inflammatory small bowel disease (ISBD) in horses remains unknown, a group of Dutch researchers suspect that gluten intolerance could be a contributing factor of the disease. They recently tested their hypothesis and found that gluten sensitivity in horses is a possibility.
Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grains. Inflammatory small bowel disease is a condition that results in malabsorption and maldigestion of feed. Common clinical signs include poor body condition, weight loss or failure to gain weight; decreased appetite, increased gastrointestinal motility, a history of mild recurrent colic, and occasionally, diarrhea.
"Concentrates designated for use in sport horses ... are containing an increased amount of (gluten-rich) wheat ... as we learned from representatives of the feed industry," noted Han Van der Kolk, PhD, DVM, a faculty member in the Department of Equine Sciences at Utrecht University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, located in The Netherlands.
In their study, the researchers compared blood work from three groups of horses...
Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19990
by: Casie Bazay, BS, NBCAAM
May 09 2012, Article # 19990
While the exact cause of inflammatory small bowel disease (ISBD) in horses remains unknown, a group of Dutch researchers suspect that gluten intolerance could be a contributing factor of the disease. They recently tested their hypothesis and found that gluten sensitivity in horses is a possibility.
Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grains. Inflammatory small bowel disease is a condition that results in malabsorption and maldigestion of feed. Common clinical signs include poor body condition, weight loss or failure to gain weight; decreased appetite, increased gastrointestinal motility, a history of mild recurrent colic, and occasionally, diarrhea.
"Concentrates designated for use in sport horses ... are containing an increased amount of (gluten-rich) wheat ... as we learned from representatives of the feed industry," noted Han Van der Kolk, PhD, DVM, a faculty member in the Department of Equine Sciences at Utrecht University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, located in The Netherlands.
In their study, the researchers compared blood work from three groups of horses...
Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19990
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Hoof Boot Inventions - Can the Past Help Us Invent the Future?
Easycare Blog - Full Article
Wednesday, May 2, 2012 by Garrett Ford
On July 31, 1790 Samuel Hopkins was issued the first patent for a process of making potash, an ingredient used in fertilizer. The patent was signed by President George Washington. Hopkins was born in Vermont, but was living in Philadelphia, PA when the patent was granted.
The first patent, as well as the more than 6 million patents issued since then, can be seen on the Department of Commerce's U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website at www.uspto.gov. The original document is in the collections of the Chicago Historical Society.
Hoof boots and hoof protection have been a popular subject with inventors from the United States and around the world since the early 1800's. In these early years horses were used for transportion, farm work and hauling heavy loads. People depended on their horses and protecting their horses feet was a necesity. The US Patent Office database is clouded with artwork and ideas from these early years. Clever strap on horse boots and shoes of all different types are found by the hundreds. These early inventors had some ingenious ideas for hoof protection and many of the sketches found in the database still have merit today...
Read more here:
http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/hoof-boot-news/hoof-boot-inventions-can-the-past-help-us-invent-the-future
Wednesday, May 2, 2012 by Garrett Ford
On July 31, 1790 Samuel Hopkins was issued the first patent for a process of making potash, an ingredient used in fertilizer. The patent was signed by President George Washington. Hopkins was born in Vermont, but was living in Philadelphia, PA when the patent was granted.
The first patent, as well as the more than 6 million patents issued since then, can be seen on the Department of Commerce's U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website at www.uspto.gov. The original document is in the collections of the Chicago Historical Society.
Hoof boots and hoof protection have been a popular subject with inventors from the United States and around the world since the early 1800's. In these early years horses were used for transportion, farm work and hauling heavy loads. People depended on their horses and protecting their horses feet was a necesity. The US Patent Office database is clouded with artwork and ideas from these early years. Clever strap on horse boots and shoes of all different types are found by the hundreds. These early inventors had some ingenious ideas for hoof protection and many of the sketches found in the database still have merit today...
Read more here:
http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/hoof-boot-news/hoof-boot-inventions-can-the-past-help-us-invent-the-future
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Thyroid Glands in Horses
Thehorse.com - Full Article
by: Les Sellnow
July 01 1999, Article # 352
A properly functioning thyroid gland is highly important to a horse's good health. That much is easy. From there it gets more difficult and complex. Knowing when the thyroid gland is in a state of dysfunction is not easy to determine.
The problem or issue before the house, at least one researcher believes, is that the thyroid gland, in a number of instances, might be innocent of any wrongdoing and that some treatment protocols are creating problems they are seeking to remedy. That researcher is Nathaniel T. Messer IV, DVM, of the University of Missouri in Columbia. At the December, 1998, AAEP meeting in Baltimore, Messer, who conducted a good deal of research on the thyroid gland, also presented a paper that detailed the results of a study at two central Kentucky Thoroughbred farms involving low hormone levels in mares and foals.
Messer summarized the complexity of the thyroid debate with this opening statement in his presentation at Baltimore:
"There is a wide spectrum of equine clinicians with varying beliefs about thyroid disease, ranging from those who believe thyroid disease is common and often diagnose it in horses who are infertile, have laminitis, or race poorly, to those who do not even believe it exists.
"In adult horses, thyroid dysfunction is generally felt to be uncommon, and while it has been associated with a variety of clinical signs, a definitive diagnosis is often difficult. One of the reasons for this is that many endogenous and exogenous factors can affect thyroid function and sometimes test results. Serum levels of thyroid hormones vary over a wide range, and low baseline levels may be misleading, which may result in many euthyroid (normal) horses being diagnosed as hypothyroid...
Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=352
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Effects of Food Deprivation on Horses' Cardiac Function
Thehorse.com - Full Article
by: Casie Bazay, BS, NBCAAM
May 04 2012, Article # 19969
A group of researchers recently evaluated how food deprivation affects a horse's autonomic nervous system and found that it slows the animals' heart rates, a conclusion opposite of the team's original hypothesis.
"We were interested in assessing ... whether fasting might reduce parasympathetic tone, (and in turn increase heart rate)," relayed James Jones, PhD, DVM, a professor of surgical and radiological sciences at the University of California, Davis. "We were concerned that fasting might result in an increased heart rate and also lead to gut stasis that can predispose a horse to colic."
The horse's autonomic nervous system (ANS), which controls a number of bodily functions, includes two subsystems that control cardiac function and digestion:
The sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which increases heart rate while inhibiting digestion; and The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which generally slows heart rate and enhances digestion. At rest, healthy horses have a high resting parasympathetic tone, meaning their PNS dominates their SNS, resulting in a slower heart rate...
Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19969
Saturday, May 05, 2012
Hives in Horses: Symptoms and Treatment
by: A.C. Asbury, DVM
September 01 1998, Article # 539
Q: I noticed the other day that my Appaloosa gelding had hair standing up and welts on his skin. A friend suggested that he might have hives. What can you tell me about hives on horses? What kind of treatment should he have?
A: The welts or wheals that you have noticed on your horse are indeed indicative of the skin condition known as hives. The condition's proper name is urticaria, and it is characterized by these bumps, which are really localized edemas or swellings in multiple sites. The swellings result when the capillaries beneath the skin leak a clear fluid from the blood into the tissue spaces below the skin's surface.
September 01 1998, Article # 539
Q: I noticed the other day that my Appaloosa gelding had hair standing up and welts on his skin. A friend suggested that he might have hives. What can you tell me about hives on horses? What kind of treatment should he have?
A: The welts or wheals that you have noticed on your horse are indeed indicative of the skin condition known as hives. The condition's proper name is urticaria, and it is characterized by these bumps, which are really localized edemas or swellings in multiple sites. The swellings result when the capillaries beneath the skin leak a clear fluid from the blood into the tissue spaces below the skin's surface.
This condition in horses is similar to hives in humans. Most cases are allergic in origin, and there are many different causes of the allergic reaction. Hives can be caused by reactions to drugs, especially to antibiotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Other causes include allergies to food, reactions to topical drugs or ointments placed on the skin, and seasonal reactions to pollen and molds in the environment. Occasionally hives are secondary to digestive disturbances.
The welts that you have noticed occur most often on the neck and shoulder, but occasionally they can be found all over the body, including the legs. Most cases of hives are mild, but it is possible to develop a more acute case and the swellings can converge, forming a larger area. If the situation should progress to this point, it can present a difficulty, especially if the swelling impairs the horse's ability to breathe.
Another symptom of hives is itching. You may or may not have noticed your horse rubbing various areas of his body on the fence or the barn or any other surface that will provide him some relief. The intensity of the itching will vary, from mild annoyance to severe scratching at any risk. If the itching should reach the latter stage, the attempts to relieve the itching could result in injury...
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Thursday, May 03, 2012
Feeding Management of Athletic Horses in Stressful Conditions
Equinews.com - Full Article
By Dr. Joe Pagan · March 1, 2012
Most performance horses train and compete under a variety of stressful conditions that adversely affect health and performance. Feeding management is of critical importance to reduce many of these problems. Additionally, pre-competition feeding can significantly affect performance. Feeding management affects a number of different aspects of equine health and performance including gastrointestinal function, hydration, electrolyte status, and substrate selection during exercise. This article will review these key areas of performance horse nutrition and give practical recommendations about how to feed horses under stressful conditions.
Horses have evolved over millions of years as grazers, with specialized digestive tracts adapted to digest and utilize diets containing high levels of plant fiber. They are capable of processing large quantities of forage to meet their nutrient demands. In an attempt to maximize growth or productivity, horses are often fed diets which also contain high levels of grains and supplements. Unfortunately, this type of grain supplementation often overshadows the significant contribution that forages make in satisfying the horse’s nutrient demands.
Horses are classified anatomically as nonruminant herbivores or hindgut fermenters. The large intestine of the horse holds about 80 to 90 liters (21 to 24 gallons) of liquid and houses billions of bacteria and protozoa that produce enzymes which ferment plant fiber...
Read more here:
http://www.equinews.com/article/feeding-management-athletic-horses-stressful-conditions
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