[Merri Travels] Australian Endurance Conclusion

From: Merri <merri@endurance.net>

Subject: [Merri Travels] Australian Endurance Conclusion

First of all, same as New Zealand, I met some wonderful people who took time out of their busy lives to host me and give me a glimpse into their worlds. In New Zealand I met some of the smaller trainers and endurance riders; in Australia I met some of the icons of international endurance and the Arabian horse. Many thanks to Meg Wade and Chris Gates of Castlebar, the Tofts of Toft Endurance, (and all their workers), and Ron and Val Males of Ralvon Arabian Stud, and I hope to meet many more people on my next visit! There are quite a few similarities in endurance riding in Australia and the US. Most notably, though a majority of endurance riders don't participate in FEI, most people don't mind it, or support it. We're both losing trails we used to have easy access to, to housing developments and people closing their land because of insurance. There's rumors in both countries (and others) about people cheating: drugging horses, taking shortcuts on course. Only those who might do it know if the rumors are true, and only they have to live with themselves. Did you really win if you did any of this? The differences: Australia and New Zealand have logs books for every horse, which seem to be a good idea. In the book, every ride is recorded, every vet check and the results of the vet's evaluation, and where the horse finished or when he vetted out (pulled) and why. The US doesn't - we only have vet cards for each ride, which we present to the vets at the vet checks, and carry with us during the ride, and turn it over to the vets (ride manager) after the ride. If you want these after the ride, you can have them. However, we in the US have the great resource of online records, for horses and riders, with our AERC organization online, which is very handy and convenient, which is not available in Australia (or New Zealand), though I've heard that it might be available in the future. It takes a great deal of work, and our AERC people do a great job of keeping it up to date as soon as possible. While Australian 40 km rides (25 milers) are strictly Training Rides, have a time limit of not finishing faster than 6 hours (and not slower than 8 hours), US training rides, or Limited Distances (LDs), have become quite competitive and many LD riders want placings, awards, and Best Conditioned judging just like the 50 mile and over rides. As for the 160 km FEI rides, especially the FEI rides, where the ride is supposed to be 6 loops, it seems that strategy and speed are the focus of the ride, and the strappers and veterinarians carry more responsibility for the welfare of the horse. In 100 mile US rides where there are, say, 3 long loops, with 3 hour-long vet checks and maybe another 15-minute hold on one of the loops, the rider has more time where he or she must be responsible for the horse out on the trail and adjust his or her riding accordingly. In the US now, at many rides, 30 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles or multi-days, at least in the West and Pacific Southwest where I ride, the trend is becoming so that every head veterinarian of every ride will give a pre-ride speech deferring the responsibility of the horse's wellbeing on the RIDER. The vet sees the horse for maybe 2 minutes at each vet check - and likely not the same vets see the same horses - and he or she is there to HELP the rider assess the condition of the horse during those two minutes. The rider has been on the horse the last few hours and should know how the horse is feeling, and the rider should know if the horse needs slowing down or stopping. The veterinarian can't possibly be expected to know how the horse feels underneath the rider, nor predict what might happen another 20 miles down the trail, even if the horse does look good in those two minutes. If you don't know your horse, you really shouldn't be riding it, their opinion. Of course, anything can happen at any time out on the course, but it's certainly not the vet who should blamed for anything that goes wrong. Fairly recently in the US one vet was sued by a rider who, after his horse passed a vet check, went back out on trail, over-rode his horse, and the horse died. Whose fault was it? If actions like this become common it will threaten rides, because what vet would possibly consent to vetting a ride if he's held responsible for a rider killing his horse? Australia has commentators broadcasting at vet checks throughout the rides (as does New Zealand). Of course that's for the strappers, so they know when their riders are approaching, since time in the vet check gates into holds is crucial, especially for those out to compete, not just complete. The US has some radio check people, which do number checks out on course for some rides, but it's just to guard against emergencies, and to turn the list into ride management later to make sure people have stayed on course. In the US, we don't put a lot of work into strapping, especially at the non-FEI rides. Personally I hadn't even heard of 'strapping' and had to look up what the heck it meant. Sure, we put water on our horses if their heart rates need bringing down, but normally we don't have a crew of people and a slew of buckets doing it. We might have a 'crew,' who will maybe be carrying a bucket of water and a sponge in one hand for the horse, and a beer or Dr Pepper J in the other hand for the rider. Most people I visited in Australia heavily use electrolytes, and by 'heavily,' I mean feeding in feed before and during rides, and electrolyting by mouth syringe going out on every loop. Plenty of people in the US do that also, but some of the 'old school' endurance riders, whom I learned from, might add electrolytes to feed before and during rides (if then), but don't syringe additional electrolytes during the rides. I know that with a couple of horses I rode a couple hundred miles on each, we tried it both ways, and there was no difference, although of course I was not doing hundreds in 12 hours, nor 50 milers in 4 hours. There is a corroborating study I just read about, in one of the Australian States' endurance newsletters. The French endurance team had always, prior to the year - I think it was around 2002 - given their horses oral electrolytes going out on every loop in 160 km endurance rides. For the 2-year study, they completely stopped supplementing the horses during the rides, and it was found that every single horse had better completion rates and less metabolic problems once they stopped administering the electrolytes. From my observations, my conclusion is, both people - those who use a lot of electroytes, and those who don't - swear by their methods. Again, I didn't spend nearly enough time in Australia either, to come to enough concrete conclusions about the endurance world there. I will just have to return one day and continue my studies!

Comments on Saddle Pads and Blankets

From: "Sisu West Ranch" <ranch@sisuwest.us>

Date: May 2, 2007 5:32:01 PM PDT

There are several things to consider with pads vs blankets.

1. Pads do not make a poor saddle fit better, sort of like having a human boot to tight and putting on an extra pair of socks.

2. What design is the saddle? If there is room, some saddle pads will spread the rider's weight over a larger area which is a good thing.

3. When you ride hard, are there dry spots on the back? If so you have a saddle fit issue, a pad might help.

4. If you have a flexible panel saddle, a wool blanket is all you need. It does help keep the saddle cleaner.

5. Wool is great next to a horse. I have always used wool next to the horse. You can wash it every 4 rides.

6. I'd be more worried about changing things (that is putting on a pad) than riding the horse farther in his usual tack. Things changed at a ride tend to bite.

Ed

Ed & Wendy Hauser

2994 Mittower Road

Victor, MT 59875

ranch(at)sisuwest(dot)us

Equitation for Endurance: Duncan McLaughlin, Australia

FEI General Assembly 2007 - President's Speech

Absorbing horse sense at Stanford's School of Medicine

On the first day of course No. 252 at the Stanford University School of Medicine, a pack of horses will be brought down from pasture near Portola Valley and herded into a corral, so the students can lean against the fence like wranglers and study at the stock.

They are looking for both leadership and followership in the horse hierarchy, as indicated by ear pinning, tail swishing, nudging and nipping. After observations, five horses will be culled from the herd and walked up to a sand arena where the medical students will get inside the fence and either hug the rails or tiptoe in among them.

They are not here to diagnose what might be bothering the animals. Medicine and Horses, an interdisciplinary course, is not that kind of class. The students are here to learn how to deal with humans. Clinical Instructor Dr. Beverley Kane's job is to help them find the clues.

"Horses are not socially repressed like human patients are," Kane says. "They are superb at nonverbal communication." So are people, if the doctor knows where to look. That is the theory behind this spring quarter elective. Horsemanship isn't a prerequisite. It is more of a hindrance.


[More ...]

Online Equine Education from Michigan State

My Horse University is a national online program for horse enthusiasts based at Michigan State University, one of the top U.S. universities in equine science and management. This program offers equine education courses and resources that you can tailor to achieve your horse-management goals.

Veterinary Research: Biochemical, haematological and bodyweight

Main Divide - endurance challenge

I want to thank Kat Swigart for taking on the challenge of managing a 100 mile ride where the ride logistics were as difficult as the trail course itself. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this course would have been impossible to complete if Kat had not provided the enormous amount of ride support in regards to water drops, manned aid stations for horse/rider and a large vet check volunteer staff. There is no doubt that the logistics of getting to these aid stations and vet checks was more difficult for the volunteers than the course was for the horses and riders. After the ride, I learned about all the flat tires, broken transmissions, damaged trailers, etc that the volunteers and crew had to endure to help give support to the riders. The horses definitely faired better than the ride help/volunteers for this event.



This ride was probably the most difficult and challenging ride I have ever completed. To me, this kind of ride is what endurance is all about, the challenge of the trail. There was no guarantee that this course could be completed in 24 hours and 11 riders accepted the challenge to find out if it was possible. Six riders proved that it was possible. The interesting “facts” about this ride are that five out of the six horses that finished were FIRST TIME 100 mile horses and four out of the six riders were FIRST TIME 100 mile riders. One of these FIRST TIME 100 mile riders on their FIRST TIME 100 mile horse was riding a NON ARAB. These FIRST TIME horses and riders were able to complete a true 100 mile course with about 18,000 feet of elevation change with footing that would not be considered ideal. I think that a ride like this and statistics like this prove that using common sense, doing your homework, and practicing good horsemanship will result in success. The team effort between the ride support staff (including crews), great veterinarians, and riders who listened to the advice of the vets definitely added to the high completion rate. All the horses, even the ones that pulled early, looked great! Let this ride prove that being prepared, good horsemanship, and a team effort between ride staff and the rider will overcome many of the perceived obstacles that can keep riders away from 100 mile rides.



You know, every rider that considers themselves an “endurance” rider should accept a challenge like the one offered through Main Divide every so often. You will learn many things about yourself and your horse by riding a ride like this whether you complete or pull early. The things that so many of us seem to value in endurance rides today like # of completions, mileage milestones, wins, placings, points, doable courses, manicured trails or trimmed trails, awards, frills, courses that can be finished in X # of hours, etc. just loose their significance when you ride a challenge like this and are successful. It is really a neat feeling when the “competition” is really the trail. It puts endurance riding/racing into perspective and redefines accomplishment.



Kim Fuess

AERC #6648

2006AAEP Articles (PDF) available online

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

Sponsored by OCD Equine

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

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




Download the Articles

[RC] RC:Core Temp

As to the electrolytes. Steph said:

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

Angie Asked:

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

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

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

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

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

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

hmmmmm??
>
> Steph

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

Remember, they are EATING FOOD at the vet checks!

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

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

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

Terry
"May the Horse be with you"

FEI Press: Horse Transport, Beijing Olympics

FEI Press News

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

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

Diagnosis of Back and Sacroiliac Pain - Nancy Loving

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

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

[More ...]

Finding and Managing Back Injuries and Pain - Nancy Loving

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

[More ...]

Scientific Principles for Conditioning Performance Horses

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

The Complete Paper (PDF)

Endurance flourishes in Argentina

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ro Fabiola the best

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

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

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

FEI International Forum on Medication Control

February 14, 2007Fairmont Hotel, Dubai UAE

The first FEI forum on equine medication control was opened by FEI Secretary General, Michael Stone. He introduced the speakers, thanked everybody for their presence at this important meeting, and explained the purpose of the forum: to educate riders, trainers, veterinarians and officials, and to create an open dialogue between FEI and the equestrian sport community. The forum would include a series of slide presentations by various FEI officers and staff and an open discussion session, with opportunity for questions and concerns to be aired.
HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, President of the FEI, would be in attendance at the forum, to share in the goal of education and dialog between the FEI, the governing body of International Equestrian sport, and equestrian community - those whose lives, sports and careers are integral to the future of the sport.


Full Report

FEI to Research Endurance Horses in Competition

15/02/2007
Study on Endurance horses in competition

The FEI is pleased to announce, with the cooperation of the Dubai Equestrian Club, the scientific study on Endurance horses in competition.

A number of horses, who will compete at an FEI event to be held in Dubai on 24 February, will be studied by a group of Scientists, headed by Dr David Marlin (GBR) and assisted by a panel of Vets headed by Dr Bobby Surendra Babu BL (IND).

Information will be obtained both before, during and after the event to enable the FEI to investigate the effects of top level endurance sport on competition horses.

Dr David Marlin comments: “We are very grateful for this wonderful opportunity provided to us by the Dubai Equestrian Club which will allow us to study elite endurance horses under truly competitive desert ride conditions. We have recently studied elite horses competing in the UK and this work will allow us to build up a clearer picture of the elite horse, especially in relation to warmer conditions. A small International team of respected scientists and veterinary surgeons (Dr Pat Harris, UK; Dr Hal Schott, USA; Dr Rod Fisher, UK; Dr Ray Geor, USA) will join me in Dubai next week to carry out the work. We will be examining weight loss, water consumption, heart function and looking at changes in the blood during and following the ride. This information will form part of the overall review of endurance being undertaken by the FEI and help ensure we protect the health and welfare of the horses in this fast developing and highly competitive sport”.

The FEI is grateful to the Dubai Equestrian Club for the valued assistance in the project.

Drug Testing and 'Zero Tolerance' concept

thehorse.com
by: Tom LaMarra
February 12 2007 Article # 8919

Lousiana research project that shows racehorses can come into contact with drug residue just about anywhere on the backstretch has some horsemen calling for an end to "zero tolerance" drug-testing policies and creation of a national panel to examine data before inadvertent positives are called.
The study, presented by Steven Barker, PhD, during the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association Medication Committee meeting Feb. 9 in Hot Springs, Ark., revealed small quantities of six drugs were found in samples taken from ship-in stalls, the test barn, and pools of water at Louisiana racetracks. Even dust samples were tested and trace amounts of substances were found.
Barker, the chemist for the Louisiana State Racing Commission who plans to publish his findings, said small amounts of phenylbutazone, flunixin, naproxen, caffeine, furosemide, and cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, were discovered in samples. Flunixin, a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was the most prevalent, the study showed.
Some drugs were detected from just wiping the interior of stalls.
"We could have gone to other areas of that stall and found other drugs," Barker said during his presentation to horsemen. "Clearly, the backside of a racetrack is heavily contaminated with drugs. Hopefully, you're scared."
With highly sensitive testing methods and zero-tolerance policies, a trainer could be charged with a positive for having one molecule of a substance in a sample, Barker said. Other potential sources of trace amounts of drugs are feed, pasture grasses, improper handling of samples, and mistakes by veterinarians, he said.
Barker said even with precautions in stable areas, drug residue wouldn't be eliminated. Therefore, he said threshold levels for drugs are a necessity.
"First of all, we need to abolish the concept of zero tolerance," Barker said. "It's an over-simplified attempt to regulate drugs. There's no sense to continue that nonsense. You can't eliminate drug contamination, so you have to approach it at the interpretation-of-data end."
Kent Stirling, executive director of the Florida HBPA and chairman of the National HBPA Medication Committee, criticized laboratories and regulators. He said labs get business "by showing regulators they can find things," and regulators "believe any time there is a (positive) it was an attempt by the trainer to compromise a race. A lot of people judge labs by number of calls."
Stirling said the suggestion of a drug-positive review panel should be taken to the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium for consideration. Barker said the panel would "offer some kind of political cover for the industry to establish better thresholds."
The RMTC is in the process of having research performed to establish threshold levels for almost 50 therapeutic medications. Barker, Stirling, and other said thresholds are important given regulations that don't keep in step with technology.
Barker claimed about 80% of drug positives fall under the category of having no impact on a horse outside of 24 hours. "These comments I've heard that any level (of a substance) could potentially have an impact on performance ... oh, crap."
In another presentation, Thomas Tobin, MVB, PhD, Dipl. ABT, of the University of Kentucky discussed caffeine and its metabolites. Tobin, an adviser to the National HBPA, noted the variation in threshold levels for caffeine in various jurisdictions--30 nanograms per milliliter in urine in Hong Kong to 1,000 nanograms per milliliter in Canada.
"Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance on earth," said Tobin, who is continuing to research the drug. "It's a hunting license for a chemist."
Robert Lewis, DVM, a former president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and currently the organization's representative on the RMTC, said the RMTC has been effective at getting people to focus on the issues. He cited the group's recommendation to regulate steroids, an action he called proactive.
"The RMTC at first had competing agendas, but no one group dominated," Lewis said. "It has been a largely educational process. It has been rewarding to watch the evolution."
As for Barker's research project, Lewis said it should be presented to the RMTC.
"It opens everybody's eyes to hear this kind of material," Lewis said. "I think it takes peer pressure from the leaders of this industry to get the attention of regulators in these different states. The disparity in the way labs in this country handle post-race samples has been a huge problem."

Do Horses Spread Non-Native Plants on Trails?

by: Stith T. Gower, PhD
February 11 2007 Article # 8846
[From THE HORSE http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=8846 ]

Can plant and weed seeds contained in horse manure, hooves, and hay cause nonnative plant species (plants that were introduced to that ecosystem but do not grow there naturally) to spread along trails and into parks and forests? This is an ecological question that often arises. Stith T. Gower, PhD, of the Department of Forest Ecology and Management at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has determined that while there are seeds from weed and non-native plant species in horse manure and hay, the plants that result don't survive or spread on trails. Therefore, horses do not appear to be a major source for the introduction of nonnative species.

"Nonnative plant species pose a serious ecological and economic threat to managed and natural ecosystems," said Gower. "Therefore, there is a great need to identify major sources for the introduction of non-native species and implement management plans to reduce or eliminate their introduction. Horses have been suggested to be an important source for the introduction of nonnative plant species along trails, but the data are largely anecdotal."

The objectives of two studies were to determine if horse hay, manure, and hoof debris samples contained seeds from nonnative species, and if so, whether their seeds would germinate and establish on the trails.

Busy-Day Cool-Down - Dr. Heather Hoyns

From the editors of Practical Horseman

Malaysia: Radzi Sapiee considers Endurance: II

Excerpt from Radzi Sapiee's writings on Endurance

Part 2. Endurance is no walk in the park

NOBODY laughed when Azhar Abu Bakar took nearly 20 hours to finish the 160km 1998 World Endurance championship in Dubai. If anything, many were amazed. He might have finished last among 78 riders but there were more than 80 other riders who didn't even last the distance.

In fact, Azhar created history when he became the first Malaysian to finish an FEI (International Equestrian Federation) race, a Category A meet and a world championship to boot. He was also the only Malaysian to finish then.

Earlier, the field were amused when Azhar and four other Malaysian riders, our first representatives in the sport, came to Dubai with criollos, Argentinian-bred horses which they said is only good for field work."Even the Argentinians laughed at us. Everyone was using Arab-breds and even then they know it's hard to finish. So we were the butts of their jokes," recalled Datuk Awang Kamaruddin Abdul Ghani, who also competed in the meet.

So why the fuss over Arabian horses? For one, it is a very beautiful creature admired by horse-lovers. But the real advantage is the breed has the strength and stamina to last the distance, along with a good recovery rate.Pushing a tired horse to go the distance is a taboo in equestrian as this is considered as cruelty to an animal. Horses have been known to die from dehydration and such and thus veterinarian checks are conducted in stages over a race.

Checks are also conducted before a race starts as a horse might be sick overnight. At the later stages, including the finish line, horses found limping or whose heartbeats exceed certain rates (normally 64 beats per minute and horses have to be submitted for a check within 30 minutes of arrival at designated gates) will be disqualified along with the riders.

The same goes for dehydrated animals. Riders with fit horses can submit their animals earlier and start the next stage sooner. A winner is the person who completes a whole course inthe shortest riding time (vet check-time subtracted) without failing the checks, meaning the first rider to arrive might not necessarily win.

For example, this writer was in Montcuq, France last year to accompany Awang Kamaruddin who participated in the two-day 2x100km championship there and saw the then reigning champion, Tareq Tahir, disqualified over a silly mistake. The frontrunner thought his horse was in the clear when he personally checked the heartbeat rate at 50 per minute. However, the rate shot to 70 when he checked the horse in, all because, believe it or not, the horse got excited when the crowd cheered!

That is why Azhar's finish in Dubai was a big feat. And that is also a reason the Malaysian Endurance Racing Society (MERS) were created at the end of 1999. Previously, there were efforts to get Malaysians to do 100km races here immediately but this had mostly ended up with sick horses.As FEI rules apply for races 90km and above, MERS introduced their own and started having 40km and 60km rides. Their secretary, Rosli Dahlan, said they called it rides to discourage inexperienced riders from being overzealous."If it's called races, they might push and kill their horses," he said.

Under MERS rules, both rider and horse must finish a 40km ride twice to qualify for 60km. They must do the same to qualify for 80km and so on. MERS started conducting the rides last year but had to abort 80km rides due to lack of qualified participants.

But they have pushed for endurance riding to be introduced in the coming Sea Games in Kuala Lumpur and that will cover 105km, equivalent to an FEI Category B event. So they must start a series of 80km qualifiers soon.Their first 80km event was run in Sungai Buloh a month ago although there was only one rider. Luckily, the 40km and 60km rides have more than 20 riders. The qualifiers only increased in number when nine riders competed in the second 80km event at Terachi, Negri Sembilan in March where six finished, the most so far in the peninsula.

But its real significance is the fact that the event is the first ride here conducted in a real countryside. Unlike previous rides held on club grounds or plantations, ordinary folks, including villagers from the affected kampungs, were involved from the start while others came by thedroves.Some, seeing a horse race for the first time, were perplexed when they saw the riders going through what looked like a walk in the park.

"This is a race, isn't it. Aren't the horses supposed to gallop?," one asked.Well, we've already explained it. At least we know they are interested.If they know they could get a horse for as cheap as RM500, a fact no one would mention in the proud circle of riding clubs who pride themselves in showjumping and dressage, they might also want to give endurance a try.This is the real milestone that Terachi event has brought and we'llexplore this further in the next article.

* NEXT: 3. Creating an equestrian culture in Malaysia

Equine Metabolic Syndrome

Deciphering Hay Quality

Winter Forage: Hay Cubes - Nutrition and Convenience

Horses and Competition, A Veterinarian's Perspective

By Robert M. Miller, DVM
The Nation was shocked when Barbaro broke down shortly after leaving the gate at the Preakness. I saw the repaired fractures in TIME magazine. What I think happened is that the sesamoid bone fractured, a common injury. As a result, the fetlock collapses causing the pastern bone to explode into multiple fragments, probably with the next stride or two.

The last time the general public was exposed to a racetrack tragedy like this was when the great filly, Ruffian, fractured; the injury eventually resulting in her death. The news media focuses on great champions like these, but what most people don't realize is that such injuries are relatively common occurrences in horse racing.

Part of the cause is that we have bred athletic power into our racing breeds far exceeding what nature requires for the horse to survive in its natural environment. All wild horses need to do is outrun a big cat. We have selectively bred for speeds that the anatomy of the horse cannot always cope with. In addition, we train and race them long before they are mature.

The immature are often capable of spectacular athletic performance. Every time I watch an Olympics and I see gymnasts as young as 13, 14 or 15 years of age, I wince at the thought of the damage I know is occurring to some of their bodies. I started a year of gymnastics at 17 years of age, and I wasn't very good, but I still managed to do damage that manifested itself many years later. Fortunately, I was drafted into the Army at 18, which ended my gymnastic career.

Half a century ago, when I was cowboying, "colts" were started at four years of age or older. Once in a while, one might be started as a three-year-old. Despite some very hard work, barring accidents, those ranch horses were still sound and working into their 20's. I'm not opposed to racing. It's a great sport and has motivated mankind to produce truly great horse breeds. But I am opposed to any practices which contribute to premature crippling of otherwise healthy horses.

Some years ago, the annual convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (A.A.E.P.) was held in Dallas. The same week, the national cutting horse futurities were being held in nearby Fort Worth. Three colleagues from Sweden told me that they wanted to see the cutting horses. So, one evening, after the day of scientific lectures had ended, I accompanied the three Swedish vets to Fort Worth. After watching several horses perform, the senior Swede, a professor from the vet school in Upsula, Sweden, said, "This is incredible! It must take many years to obtain such performance from a horse." "But," I answered, "this is a futurity." "I do not understand this word," he said. "These are colts," I explained. "These are just three-year-olds." He looked shocked, turned to his companions and explained to them in Swedish and then said to me in English, "I have only two comments: One, it must take great skill to be able to train a horse to do this in so brief a time. And, two, what is happening to their poor legs?"

Today, we have all sorts of futurities - reining, cutting, barrel racing, etc. I have tried many times to get owners to postpone arduous training to give the colt a chance to mature. Most of the time, I was ignored. The lure of winning something or making some money was too great to resist. My strategy when the owner insisted on going ahead with training and/or competition that I felt was premature was to say, "That's okay. You go ahead. What you are doing is very good for my business."

Why is it that the protests against over-using young horses come primarily from the people who profit from such abuse – the veterinarians? Is it because we best understand the trauma being inflicted upon immature skeletons, joints, ligaments and tendons? Just as I am not opposed to racing, if properly conducted, I am not opposed to horse shows or competitive equine events. Horse shows, like all livestock shows, were conceived of long ago to "improve the breed". They were designed to demonstrate and reward the people who were doing the best job of breeding, of selecting bloodstock, and of creating superior bloodlines. Unfortunately, human nature, vanity and greed have corrupted thehorse show industry.

We see grotesque caricatures of the original character of each breed. Stock horses, the working ranch breeds, are shown in Western Pleasure classes traveling in a manner that would drive a working cowboy crazy. With lowered heads, going in a downhill manner, these horses greatly magnify the forces placed upon the forelimbs. Once again, good for us vets. It produces income, but the horses suffer. The wonderful Tennessee Walking Horse is shod and shown in distorted gaits that can only be called "grotesque".

If it weren't for the frequent veterinary checks, which are mandatory, can you imagine how many endurance racing horses would die because of their riders' consuming desire to win? I remember theearly endurance races. Saddlebred, with surgically distorted tails, and gingered anuses, are exhibited with the pupils of their eyes dilated with atropine. How many people who sincerely consider themselves to be "horse lovers" wean foals at three months of age, or even earlier, which nature never intended?

How many horses, a gregarious species, spend their lives locked in box stalls? How many horses in the U.S.A, like so much of our human population, are damaged healthwise by excessive nutrition?Such abuses exist in ever breed, every discipline, in every equine sport. We need to step back and analyze what we are doing. One of my clients was a prosperous, educated couple. They were verycongenial, and they owned three Quarter Horses. One day, they called me to come to their home to worm their horses and check them over and booster their vaccinations. When I arrived, I found only two horses, so I asked where the third one was.

"Oh, he's in training as a reining horse, with ____________ " (a successful and notoriously brutal trainer who also happened to be one of my clients). I said, "Oh, I see." Then the wife said, "We know how cruel he is to the horses, but he wins!" I never felt the same toward those people, again. This same trainer (he's been dead for many years) once said to me, "Doc, why can't you guys cut the tails on my horses? Why do you make me drive 300 miles round trip to get my tails done?" He was referring to the illicit surgical paralyzing of the tail, common in reining horses so they can't switch their tails. ALL of the horses in his barn had their tails cut. I said, "Were you ever beaten in a show by a horse that you knew had its tail cut?" "Oh sure," he said. "Lots of times." "Well," I told him, "I didn't cut the tail nor did my partners. We won't do anything against the association rules." This same guy, a world-class competitor, kept every horse in his barn on Serpecil,a tranquilizer not approved by FDA for use in horses. I have no idea where he got the drug, but somebody was selling it to him.

I believe that a conspiracy exists in the horse show industry. The trainers are judges, and the judges are trainers. Too often, they scratch each others' backs. If Western Pleasure horses were shown as they were 50 or 60 years ago, a good amateur could turn out a champion. But it takes a real pro to produce the freaks seen in today's Western Pleasure classes. And, after the horse goes back to the owner from the trainer and is no longer winning, it has to go back to the trainer for a "tune-up".

A few days before I wrote this article, I got back from Bishop Mule Days, a unique event I attend every year that has no equal anywhere in the world. I had the pleasure of seeing Western Pleasure mulesthat WERE NOT "peanut rollers". The trend began some years ago, but the mule people balked at it and ruled it out. GOOD FOR THEM! You see, to be a mule lover, you REALLY gotta love horses!

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2006 edition of
Equine Reproduction
And
Cowboy Magazine