Alberta Bits Spring 2022

SPRING EQUINE HEALTH UPDATE

MRIs FOR HORSES

FEEDING THE BROODMARE

SPRING 2022

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SPRING 2022; VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1 Alberta Bits is the Alberta Equestrian Federation’s official member magazine. It serves the equestrian community of horses and riders of all ages, interests and involvement as Alberta’s premier resource for education, information and support.

THE ALBERTA EQUESTRIAN FEDERATION HAS BEEN INCORPORATED SINCE 1978

Alberta Bits magazine is mailed four times a year (Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter) to all current AEF members and is made available at the office and special events attended by the AEF. Alberta Bits is distributed throughout Alberta with news and events on behalf of recreational, sport, breeds and industry and educational sectors of the Alberta horse industry. Alberta Bits is distributed to approximately 18,000 members: 9,000 households and businesses, an exclusive list of tack and equine establishments, and at events and trade shows annually.

PRESIDENT PRESIDENT-ELECT SECRETARY TREASURER INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL

AEF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Sandy Bell 403.700.7880 windhorseretreat@gmail.com Jason Edworthy 403.651.5678 jedworthy@spring-bank.ca Tiara Chambers 780.897.7446 royaltequestrian@gmail.com Nicolas Brown 587.988.3590 bruchev@gmail.com Mazlie Cole 587.888.2363 statikequine@gmail.com Margot Anderson 403.861.8603 margotranderson@gmail.com Mary Bell 519.830.7292 mary@manningtonequine.ca Brenda Spanier 403.932.2936 brendaspanier@gmail.com Robert Simpson 780.628.2356 rms210@mail.usask.ca Alison Douglas 403.431.7799 thealicat@shaw.ca Jackie Sargent 780.719.6141 jackie.sargent@outlook.com

AEF STAFF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Sonia Dantu execdir@albertaequestrian.com 403.253.4411 ext 5

MEMBERSHIP

Norma Cnudde membership@albertaequestrian.com 403.253.4411 ext 6 OFFICE COORDINATOR

Haley Perrin info@albertaequestrian.com 403.253.4411 ext 1

SPORT AND RECREATION MANAGER

Karina Fernandes coaching@albertaequestrian.com 403.253.4411 ext 3 PROGRAM MANAGER

Kenda Lubeck competitions@albertaequestrian.com 403.253.4411 ext 2 FINANCE, GENERAL INQUIRIES

Rita Bernard finance@albertaequestrian.com 403.253.4411 ext 7

OFFICE HOURS: 8:30AM TO 4:30PM, MONDAY TO FRIDAY, EXCEPT HOLIDAYS ALBERTA BITS IS PUBLISHED BY WESTERN PERFORMANCE PUBLISHING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AEF

FOR EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES CONTACT: ALBERTABITS@ALBERTAEQUESTRIAN.COM MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Webster ART DIRECTOR Kendra Roberts PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

Sonia Dantu • Monique Noble CONTRIBUTORS

BAR XP PHOTO, Back on Track Canada, Mary H. Bell, Olivier Fauvelet, Heather MacInnis Tania Millen, Monique Noble, Jenn Webster ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES

Sally Bishop 403.815.1289 sallysuebishop@gmail.com ADVERTISING SALES DEADLINES Summer 2022: April 22, 2022 FOR A MEDIA KIT AND/OR RATE CARD PLEASE CONTACT ALBERTABITS@ALBERTAEQUESTRIAN.COM or marketing@albertaequestrian.com. All material is copyright 2022. Ideas and opinions expressed in articles do not necessarily reflect the ideas or opinions of the AEF. Alberta Bits reserves the right to accept and/or edit material submitted for publication. The AEF makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained therein, but assumes no liability in cases of error or changing conditions. Any business relations or other activities undertaken as a result of the information contained in Alberta Bits, or arising therefrom, is the responsibility of the parties involved and not of the AEF. We welcome signed letters to the editor, but reserve the right to publish, edit for grammar, taste, and length. For reprint information, please contact execdir@albertaequestrian.com

6 PRESI DENT ’S MESSAGE 6 EX ECUT I VE DI RECTOR’S MESSAGE 7 I N T HE C OMMUNI T Y Meet Marvin Donaghy, a 93-year-old honorary lifetime AEF member.

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BI T S & PI ECES A few online learning spaces for AEF members to take advantage.

9 K I D’S PAGE 10 H ELMET SA FET Y Behind the helmet – an invaluable piece of equipment when it comes to

equine endeavours.

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HORSE K EEPI NG Dr. Mary Bell, DVM, lays our her predictions for spring health events, specific

to horses in Alberta.

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HORSE K EEPI NG Feeding your broodmare for foaling success.

16

GOLD STANDARD DIAGNOSTICS A look into the magnetic resonance.

20

BREED PROFI LE With its unique look and storied history, the Akhal-Teke is making its talented

debut in the dressage, jumping, eventing and endurance arenas.

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TRAINER’S CORNER Expert trail rider, Tania Millen, maps out realistic trail riding goals.

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ANATOMY LESSON Identifying the bones of the horse’s lower, front limb.

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ASK ABOUT INSURANCE Some of the most important questions AEF members have asked

about insurance, answered.

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CLUB & BUSI NESS LI ST I NGS

MRIs FOR HORSES

SPRING EQUINE HEALTH UPDATE

FEEDING THE BROODMARE

SPRING 2022

ALBERTA EQUESTRIAN FEDERATION

120, 251 Midpark Blvd SE Calgary, AB T2X 1S3 Toll Free: 1.877.463.6233 Phone: 403.253.4411 Fax: 403.252.5260

HELMET SAFETY

albertaequestrian.com

THE AEF GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM ALBERTA GOVERNMENT

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PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #40050297 • PRINTED IN CANADA • ISSN 1918 - 7114 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE MAIL TO : ALBERTA EQUESTRIAN FEDERATION 120, 251 MIDPARK BLVD SE CALGARY, AB T2X 1S3

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ALBERTA BITS I SPRING 2022

P U B L I C AT I O N S MA I L AG R E EME N T # 4 0 0 5 0 2 9 7

THE HEAVENLY AKHAL-TEKE

REMINDER IF YOU HAVEN’T

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Message from President, Sandy Bell Are you like me and truly interested in how others got involved in the equestrian community? It’s fascinating to me how everyone’s story is different, yet we share a fundamental theme. We’re all passionate about donkeys, horses, and mules.

I was crazy for horses as a girl. I read every book I could find about them, I held my breath watching them in parades, and I daydreamed about riding the horses I saw in the country.

However, growing up as an inner-city child – kind of on the wrong side of the tracks – limited my options. I was never offered any opportunities to be with horses and I didn’t know how to go about it on my own.

Fast-forward to adulthood and its responsibilities, I tucked any residual horse passion deep into my heart for safekeeping.

Money continued to be a barrier. There was no room for horses until raising a family was over and higher education was complete. Finally, finances were easier, but the path in my heart to where the horses lived was grown over and lost.

As I approached my fifth decade, I accepted an invitation to go on a four-day pack ride into the valley of the Ghost River watershed. How hard could that be? I know camping; I like mountains. Well, you know, dear reader, what’s coming…

It was not a pack ride for the greenest of greenhorns. After four hours into the four days, I knew it was HARD. After the first day in the saddle, I oozed off the horse onto the ground.

The next morning, I was incredibly sore, yet managed to force

myself back into the saddle. Then somehow during that day, my muscles and my mind relaxed, and it became the most magical of adventures.

I am immensely grateful to Trident, the grey flea-bitten old trail horse who took tremendously good care of me. What a generous spirit! Thanks to him, (because of him) I found the path in my heart again. He carried me across mountain meadows filled with wildflowers toward my dream.

At the end of those fateful four days, I was tired and dirty and happy, so happy. Within a week of getting home, I had my first riding lesson. Within a year, I bought my first horse. Now I can’t imagine my life without horses and many things equine.

That’s my story and now, over to you. How did you get into horses?

Tell us your stories and we’ll share them with our AEF community. Send your story of 150 words and a high resolution (safety encouraged) photo to the AEF office at info@ albertaequestrian.com.

Have a chance for your story to be featured on our social media feeds, Facebook and Instagram. Stay tuned to discover from each other how our passions for donkeys, horses, and mules began and unfolded. AB Sandy with her first horse, Alaska, who is still with her today. Debby Herold Photography

Message from Executive Director, Sonia Dantu

Spring brings hope. Spring also brings added light and warmth. With increased light, comes a host of direct and indirect effects that improve our mood and stimulates hope.

The indirect effects of spring on many of us are increased exercise, riding, gardening, hiking and farming, to name a few. Dormant grass comes alive and sprinkles the fields and hills with specks of the greener, warmer days to come. Buds enhance the trees and bushes, with the promise of even lusher days ahead. As we look forward to spring, we also look back on the past year to find those glimpses of hope that kept us going.

The past year challenged many of us again, in different ways. Despite these challenges, we are extremely grateful to all who supported the AEF and the work we do. I continue to be extremely proud and grateful for the AEF team that always pulls together admirably and continues to adjust to the daily challenges in order to continue delivering membership programs and services to you, our members.

Delivering value to the AEF membership and other stakeholders always remains a top priority for our organization while keeping an eye on surviving and thriving through and beyond. It is not enough to expect members to simply renew or purchase a new membership without staying current (changes and improvements to technology, increased offerings, etc.) and continuing to ensure value are at the top of the list.

Looking forward into 2022 with a fresh spring focus, our community will see improvements to the AEF website. The membership journey for new and existing participants must be a positive, simple experience and creating that journey is a 6

ALBERTA BITS I SPRING 2022

priority; members matter. We need to ensure everyone has a positive experience when visiting, and make the layout simple and exciting. There will be changes to navigation ensuring the ability to find what you need, the visual design will be updated, and content will be reduced and simplified. It will be web friendly, interactive, and make information easily accessible.

With a hopeful frame of reference, the AEF Board and staff embarked on a new strategic plan in 2021 and we look forward to sharing that plan and goals with our membership throughout 2022. In addition, many of you provided input into the Economic Impact Study survey and we will see this project complete in May of 2022. From early results, we already know the impact is significant. It will help shape future AEF programming and provide support for the Alberta equine industry.

Spring is a hopeful season! It brings transformation and change from darkness to light, from cold to warmth, from gray to bursts of colour. It is a time for cleaning the barn and the house, seeing new growth in gardens, and a time for baby animals. The new life, new beginnings, and bright, colourful new look that spring brings are hopeful signs that life renews repeatedly and we have something to look forward to.

Here at the AEF, we feel renewed with the sense of spring transformation and change.

We look forward to continuing to support our members as they go into the fresh, lighter and warmer season. AB

IN THE COMMUNITY

HONORARY LIFETIME MEMBER Marvin Donaghy B Y J E N N W E B ST E R

At 93 years young, Marvin Donaghy of Red Deer, AB, recently received an honorary lifetime AEF loyalty membership. In 2021, the AEF had seven members over the age of 90 but Donaghy is the eldest. He has been an AEF member, on and off, for “…as long as [he] can remember.”

Born a farmer, Donaghy always remembers having cattle and horses on the family farm. His introduction to the world of horses was walking behind the harrows. “I was at the north of the horses, throwing lumps of dirt at their butts if they were heading south,” he chuckles.

However, most of his riding activities started after Donaghy retired. Marvin married Rosa in 1948, who is coming up on her 96th birthday and together, they’ve been married for 73 years. Marvin and Rosa started riding in 1964 and that year, they were flag bearers in a parade for the Ponoka Stampede.

“That was the first time we ever took our horses to town and we were flag bearers,” Marvin recalls. He and Rosa have also enjoyed their horses through trail and pleasure riding near their home.

“We have enjoyed the beauty of our land around here. On the rocks, in the muskeg and all kinds of places since. You could never see it the same way on a quad – on horseback is just the best,” he says.

One of Marvin’s favourite places to ride at the moment, is at a friend’s ranch. “We have a pal along the Red Deer River. And some of my favourite riding is in the Williams Creek area. I’ve gotten away from the mountainous stuff, but I like to go where the wild horses are, the trees and trails etc.”

Marvin’s main mount is a Rocky Mountain Gaited mare named “Honey.”

Although he says it’s an accomplishment to get on a horse at his age anymore, he cherishes his time in the stirrups. As a thank-you for the membership, Marvin sent this sweet, handwritten letter to the AEF. In reality, the AEF would like to thank Marvin for his many years of support, loyalty, and kindness!

Dec 24/2021 Red Deer, Alberta Dear Norma & co-hort, Enclosed is a cheque for the trail program. We are so blessed to have such a beautiful province to ride in.

These pictures were taken in August & September west of Sundre, note (fly mask). There were four of us in the group. I had three “babysitters”. This is “wild horse” country. I really like to watch them. This is pretty rugged country but, like the animals, very picturesque.

Thank you for the “free” membership. With a little luck maybe I can get seven more. 93 + 7 = 100.

Enjoy Christmas and a lot of good things in the future.

Marvin Donaghy.

ALBERTA BITS I SPRING 2022

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BITS & PIECES

ONLINE LEARNING A list of our favourite online equine resources.

B Y J E N N W E B ST E R

AEF PRINTABLE RESOURCES

WESTERN HORSE REVIEW

www.albertaequestrian.com/printable-resources/

www.westernhorsereview.com

EQUINE GUELPH FIRE PREVENTION

NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM

The AEF offers a wonderful selection of printable resources on our website. Check this web page out for things like a checklist for your barn first aid kit, a brochure about common equine diseases, or download a guide for planning your next horse-related event!

Check out this Equine Guelph web page for barn fire prevention interactives.

Answer 20 questions about your barn property to learn if you have a safe setup or not and as a result, learn more about recognizing fire hazards.

www.equineguelph.ca/Tools/fireprevention.php

TIMBER CREEK FOALING CALCULATOR If you have an expectant mare in 2022, it may be helpful to know her important gestation dates. Check out this page on Timber Creek Veterinary Hospital’s website for a foaling date estimator. Simply plug in your mare’s breeding date and discover when you should expect to see the new arrival!

www.timbercreekveterinaryhospital.com/content/gestation-calculator

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ALBERTA BITS I SPRING 2022

Check out Western Horse Review online for a variety of western riding resources. Western foodies can pick up the latest recipe, or readers might indulge in a touch of western heritage history, or catch up on some of the latest equine health technologies. From training advice to fashion trends, it has it all!

If you’ve ever had a hankering to visit the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, but can’t quite make it to Oklahoma City, OK, the museum has started offering virtual exhibitions on their website. Check out their Museum of the Frontier West, Western Performers Gallery or the Native American exhibition – all from the comfort of your home space! www.nationalcowboymuseum.org

HORSE MOTELS INTERNATIONAL

This worldwide directory is perfect for the traveling equestrian! If you’re looking for overnight accommodations for you and your horses while traveling, check this website out for bed, bale and breakfasts all over Canada, the United States and various other International Countries. The site includes amenities of all listed stables, including GPS markers and travel tips. www.horsemotel.com

S ’ D I K CORNER

Copy the image below!

Learn to draw a horse! Copy the lines in each box on the bottom to complete your drawing.

1. What does a horse live in?

B

___ ___ ___ ___ 2. What do you put on a horse’s back to ride?

S

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 3. What do you place your feet into while riding?

S

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 4. What sound does a horse make?

N

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 5. Where does a horse spend time outdoors?

P

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Hey Kids!!

Contact the AEF for an activity book and crayons!

Phone: 403-253-4411 • Toll Free: 1-877-463-6233 Email: info@albertaequestrian.com

ALBERTA BITS I SPRING 2022

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HELMETS

A head injury can change your life. Helmets are an invaluable piece of equipment when it comes to working with horses.

B Y J E N N W E B ST E R , C OM PI L E D F R OM T H E A E F W E B S I T E & VA R I OU S S OU R C E S

Although riding/driving horses provides much joy, there is an inherent risk that comes along with interacting with equines. When you are with your equines every day, it is easy to become complacent and forget how big, powerful, and quick they can be. As such, it is important that you take the necessary precautions to protect yourself from serious injury. The importance of wearing a helmet cannot be stressed enough. A head injury can not only change your life, but also of the lives of those who love you. Don’t let vanity get in the way of using safety equipment.

Concussion Awareness

Concussion, a type of traumatic brain injury, is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. Concussions can also occur from

a blow to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth – causing the brain to bounce around or twist within the skull. This sudden movement of the brain can cause stretching and tearing of brain cells, damaging the cells and creating chemical changes in the brain.

According to the Equestrian Medical Safety Association, riders are more likely to suffer traumatic brain injury (ranging from concussion to life-threatening) than athletes who play rugby, football, boxing, soccer, or even those who race motorcycles – high impact sports in their own rights – each with extremely high concussion rates. As such, recognition and proper management of concussions when they first occur can help prevent further injury or even death.

FACTS • Neck injuries can still occur as the result of a fall from a horse, even when someone is wearing a helmet.

• Head trauma is a leading cause of injury and fatality in horseback riding accidents.

• Helmet needs vary for every sport. Helmet testing for equestrian sports should trial different impacts and accident scenarios involving horses. Cycling and motorbike helmets offer differing levels of protection – reflective of their sports – and are unsuitable for horse riding.

2,300 IN THE USA, AN ESTIMATED

EMERGENCY ROOM ADMISSIONS OCCUR ANNUALLY AS A RESULT OF EQUESTRIAN RELATED INJURIES.

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ALBERTA BITS I SPRING 2022

* HEAD INJURIES ACCOUNT FOR

18%

OF EMERGENCY ROOM INJURIES.

* FACTS FROM A RANGE OF EQUESTRIAN STUDIES

COURTESY OF BACK ON TRACK

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT HELMET: • For equestrian helmets, the Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) has selected the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard F1163 to evaluate helmet performance.

- The SEI organization certifies protective equipment for a variety of industries. ASTM is one of the world’s most respected standards organizations, setting standards for everything from the curing of concrete, to the hotness of red peppers, to the durability of protective headgear.

- ASTM/SEI-certified helmets contain their date of manufacture and the SEI seal under the headliner inside the helmet.

• When you fall, a certified helmet absorbs energy by crushing and extending your head’s stopping time to reduce the peak impact on the brain.

• Equestrian helmets are built to compress and fracture on serious impact. * Every helmet company has a different way of measuring their helmets. Start by measuring the widest part of your head, about an inch above your eyebrows. Then, compare that measurement to the helmet size charts of the helmets you’re considering.

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HORSE KEEPING

ALBERTA HORSE HEALTH UPDATE SPRING 2022 The latest on disease events specific to Alberta B Y M A RY H . B E L L , V. M . D.

Spring is the time for horses to shed the long hair and for their owners to provide preventative health care in anticipation of the fun to come. It may consist of riding with friends, taking clinics, competing, camping in the mountains or simply exploring a warmer world with a horse. Whatever it is, this is the time that we prepare our horse(s) for the months to come.

Now is a time to have our horses’ teeth checked, give them appropriate vaccinations, have Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) test (usually referred to as a Coggins Test but now is an Elisa Test), and to have a fecal count done in order to identify and deworm shedders.

These are things to discuss with your veterinarian and determine the best choices for your horse(s). In this article, we will update you on disease events for which we have confirmed reports specific to Alberta in the last year and to go into simple detail about transmission of these diseases. We will also share an exciting research initiative for Potomac Horse Fever, a disease that has certainly taken its toll on several Alberta horses and their owners.

When we look at the Alberta herd in 2021 and to January 6, 2022, we can check diseases that are federally reported on our Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS) website. Click on the Equine Network icon, scroll down, and select the Equine Diseases Dashboard. It includes diseases that are reportable and immediately notifiable in all of Canada. In Alberta, there were an alarming 110 cases of EIA and one reported case of West Nile Virus (WNV). Just as with the current situation with COVID-19, the 12

ALBERTA BITS I SPRING 2022

actual numbers are higher than those confirmed by laboratory tests.

Although we are not yet at a breaking point, let me share why this is an alarming EIA number. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has determined that countries where EIA becomes common are listed as such.

Other countries determine the safest way to ensure those diseases never enter their country. If EIA is determined to be common in Canada, it will complicate the ease with which horses move back and forth across national borders. This would make selling Canadian horses, being able to travel across borders with horses and having horses from other countries enter Canada for competition, almost impossible.

EIA is a viral blood-borne disease in horses similar to AIDS in humans.

There is no vaccination, and horses that survive remain life-time carriers.

Therefore, horses that test positive must be euthanized to stop the spread. This disease spreads when contaminated blood from an infected horse enters the body of a healthy horse. This transfer can occur by biting flies, contaminated needles, syringes, IV tubing or any other piece of equipment containing the blood of an infected horse and goes into the body of another horse. Although transfer through human actions can be avoided, biting flies are more difficult to avoid. The best way to ensure your horse remains free of EIA is to test for it, test any potential new purchase and avoid facilities that do not test for this disease.

It is imperative to avoid contact with horses that are not tested.

West Nile Virus is another bloodborne disease that affects horses, humans

and birds. It is carried mainly by birds.

The mosquito bites an infected bird and then bites the horse or the human.

The horse does not have enough virus in its blood for a mosquito to pick up the virus from biting an infected horse.

The horse is called a “dead end host” because no disease can be transferred from a sick horse to a bird, human or horse. The virus produces inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Signs of WNV are fever, dullness, loss of appetite and incoordination. Luckily, regular vaccination for WNV provides good protection.

Other equine diseases do not have mandatory reporting in Alberta. They are reported to CAHSS following a test confirming the disease and at the discretion of the veterinarian. One outbreak of Equine Influenza (EI) was reported, as well as one case of Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM), the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus 1 (EHV1).

Recently there was an outbreak of EI affecting a number of horses in the Edmonton, area, and it was reported in November. EI is a viral disease that is spread from horse to horse. Vaccination provides good protection from this disease.

A single case of EHM was reported in June. This disease can also spread from horse to horse. Although vaccination is an effective means of preventing the upper respiratory disease caused by Equine Herpes Virus 1 and 4 (EHV 1;4), there is no vaccine that prevents the neurological form of this disease.

Good biosecurity is an important component in preventing spread directly or indirectly from horse to

HORSE KEEPING

Make a plan to protect your horse this year from several debilitating or life-threatening diseases.

horse. More information about these two viruses, their clinical signs, means of transmission, and prevention can be found on the CAHSS website.

The University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, has initiated two studies, funded by the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Clinical Research Fund, to determine the prevalence and geographic distribution of Potomac Horse Fever (PHF) in Alberta. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of cases in Alberta and an increase in locations where they are occurring. PHF is caused by a bacterium, Neorickettsia.

PHF has a variety of clinical signs and various levels of severity. Signs include fever, depression, decreased appetite, and may also include colic and/or diarrhea.

In pastured horses, diarrhea may be the first indication that there is a problem.

Some horses develop laminitis. There is a successful treatment that works best when these cases are caught early. PHF is spread from freshwater by snails and water insects including mayflies and dragonflies. Horses consume the dead infected insects in hay, grain, pasture, or drinking water.

There are some cases in Alberta with these clinical signs in which there is no diagnosis. A new species of Neorickettsia has recently been identified in eastern Ontario. It may be that some of the horses with typical clinical signs of PHF where no organism is found, may be suffering from a new species of Neorickettsia that has not been identified. A new study consists

of collecting blood samples from horses throughout Alberta to determine if they have been exposed to PHF. This gives an idea of the geographical range of the disease. It includes collecting samples from horses with clinical signs similar to PHF in an attempt to determine if Alberta has a new species and evaluating the historical postmortem samples of horses with undiagnosed inflammation of the intestine for PHF. This article has only covered diseases that have been confirmed by laboratory testing and reported to CAHSS. We hope you can form a plan, perhaps in collaboration with your veterinarian, that is appropriate for your horse or your farm for the 2022 year. We wish you a wonderful year with healthy horses and lots of equine enjoyment. AB ALBERTA BITS I SPRING 2022

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HORSE KEEPING

FEEDING THE BROODMARE: PLAN YOUR SUCCESS!

Promoting reproduction and healthy growth B Y H E AT H E R M AC I N N I S & OL I V I E R FAU V E L ET, E quine Nutr ition C onsultants W W W. E QU I P U R I NA . C A

Nutrients first! A horse does not “just” need grain or hay; a horse needs quality nutrients. Your horse needs calories to gain weight, to provide the energy needed to function and perform, as well as for gestation and lactation. Your horse needs minerals and vitamins to strengthen the immune system, to provide resistance to stress, for strong hooves, and for reproduction. Your broodmare’s quality nutrient needs will increase as she gets closer to foaling and during lactation. It’s important to remember that the foal’s health is dependent on your mare’s health.

As the owner, you should monitor your broodmare’s body condition score on a regular basis. In short, if your mare receives too many calories, she will be overweight and have a high score. This may lead to conception issues (dysregulation of hormones), foaling problems, and increase the risk of growth issues such as Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) in the foal.

The flip side is that if a mare doesn’t receive enough calories, she will be skinny and have a low body condition score.

Reproduction will no longer be the main concern as the horse’s general health issues will need to be addressed before she enters a breeding program.

An acceptable body condition score does not always mean the horse’s nutrient needs are being met. You might look at your pregnant mare and assume she is 14

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getting proper nutrition because she is fat and has a shiny coat. However, there is no forage-alone diet that will meet the major mineral and trace mineral needs of a pregnant mare even though she might have a good body condition score.

Studies confirm that body condition is crucial to the mare’s capacity to reproduce.

• It has been demonstrated that, with a minimum body condition score of 5.5, the broodmare will cycle earlier in the season, conceive more easily, and maintain gestation with less trouble.

• The ideal body condition score for the broodmare about to be bred or inseminated is between 5.5 and 6.5. Planning appropriate nutrition approximately two to three months ahead will allow gradual weight gain in order to reach the desired body condition score at the right time.

If your mare is already fat, this recommendation does not apply. Instead, simply maintain the same caloric intake while ensuring that the mare’s mineral and vitamin requirements are met by feeding a supplement such as Equilibrium Optimal or Equilizer.

Feeding a ration balancer like Purina’s Equilibrium Optimal or Equilizer, which are very low in sugars and starch, can balance the vitamin, mineral and/or protein requirements of an easy-keeping mare and therefore meet all of the pregnant mare’s nutrient needs. Ration balancers

can also provide a good way to increase the plane of nutrition while not significantly increasing body condition.

The mare’s nutrition through her entire pregnancy is important. To help minimize the risk of Developmental Orthopedic Disease (DOD), it is recommended to choose a complete feed that has a lowglycemic / low starch level. Choosing feed that is formulated with a higher fat and fiber percentage will help reduce the nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC, sugars and starch) of the feed.

Early Gestation

The breeder’s main objective during the first two-thirds of the gestation period is to obtain and maintain the desired body condition, namely a score of 5.5 to 6. A source of good-quality fibre balanced by a vitamin and mineral supplement can meet the mare’s needs perfectly if the supplement contains the necessary fortification, has good concentrations of each vitamin and mineral, and is served in sufficient quantities.

If the mare has difficulty maintaining the desired body condition score, then a complete feed is needed.

Late Gestation

During the last three or four months of gestation, the mare’s needs change and her ration should be adjusted accordingly.

During this stage, it is time to tweak the

HORSE KEEPING mare’s body condition in order to attain a score of 6. You can start serving a complete feed formulated for her increasing needs, and Evolution Maternity is a perfect match for this. Because of the rapid growth of the fetus, especially its skeleton, the mare’s nutrition requires a particularly high intake of calcium and phosphorus, but also of copper, zinc, and magnesium, always in the proper proportions. The mare’s energy and protein needs also increase, but to a lesser extent.

It is fairly easy to meet these needs by increasing the amount of feed served, as long as the feed is of good quality and formulated accordingly.

At this stage, the mare’s calcium and phosphorus needs increase a lot more than her energy and protein needs. To offset this uneven increase in nutrient requirements, providing her with a complete reproduction-specific supplement of minerals and vitamins is suggested.

Optimal will provide sufficient vitamins and minerals to meet the mare’s needs but also to ensure the proper mineral ratios and interactions conducive to the healthy and optimal growth of the fetus.

Studies have shown that a high intake

of starch in the mare’s ration during late gestation and lactation increases the risk of developing growth problems. Choosing a low-glycemic complete feed such as Evolution Maternity is therefore preferable as it is rich in vegetable fat and fibre while being low in starch.

Gradually increasing the daily amount of feed served to the mare during the last month of gestation (unless she is obese – check her body score regularly) will prepare her to consume the high amounts of concentrates that she may need in order to maintain good body condition during lactation, while providing the foal with a sufficient amount of the precious milk that it needs so much.

Purina’s Evolution Maternity is designed for mares, nursing mares, and growing foals developed with high levels of Omega 3 fatty acids, added amino acids, added organic zinc, copper, manganese, and pre- and pro-biotics. Omega 3 fatty acids enhance cognitive behavior in the foal, increase fertility in the mare, and help maintain a healthy overall immune function. Amino acids, lysine, and methionine are added and are shown to improve muscle and joint development of the foal and aid in milk production.

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Organic zinc, copper, and manganese are more bioavailable than inorganic and can help with bone development and reduce risk of DODs. During lactation, the mare’s vitamin and mineral needs remain high and will keep increasing until the third month of lactation, then gradually decrease. A ration balancer such as Equilibrium Optimal may be needed to maintain the protein, vitamin, and mineral balance, as this is crucially important to the healthy growth of the foal whose main food source is the mare’s milk.

Water, the forgotten nutrient, plays a dominant role in the life of all horses.

For the lactating mare, however, water is extremely important since milk production requires high consumption of water.

For the mare, adding a minimum of five grams of salt (100 per cent sodium chloride) per meal, or providing a small selfserve (white) salt block is recommended; this will increase her water consumption. Don’t forget the water consumption of the mare and her foal when they are outdoors, especially if they spend a lot of time there, which should in fact always be the case to grow a healthy and mentally balanced foal!. AB

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GOLD STANDARD DIAGNOSTICS

Magnetic Resonance Imaging at Moore Equine ST ORY A N D PH OT O S B Y J E N N W E B ST E R

The war against equine lower limb lameness has a tough warrior at its advantage in western Canada – Moore Equine in Calgary, Alberta, offers standing equine Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to the public.

Although the technology has been available in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Washington for a while, it’s the first of its kind in the province of Alberta. MRI is a diagnostic technique that uses a magnetic field to produce pictures of structures inside the body. It’s an extremely exciting modality 16

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for horse owners because previously in the province of Alberta, diagnosing lower limb lameness was limited to radiographs, ultrasounds, blocking and lameness exams by a veterinarian. The MRI gives owners a very specific, “goldstandard” diagnostic approach to lower limb lameness and – new hope.

THE TECHNOLOGY

To accommodate the equipment for an MRI, Moore Equine recently expanded their north facility with a specially built, climate-controlled, radio

frequency wave-blocking room.

“All of the walls in this room are copper-lined to block out radio frequency waves,” says Sarah Freedman, an Animal Health Technologist (AHT or RVT) specifically trained for the MRI technology at Moore Equine.

“Everything in the room is temperature controlled and anything that can interfere with the magnet (for instance, bank cards, cell phones, pace makers, etc.) must stay behind the yellow lines.”

The MRI room at the clinic was

A patient’s foot is placed inside the MRI magnet, for scanning. The opposite leg (left) wears a purple bandage simply for support at this time.

The specially designed room at Moore Equine houses the MRI magnet and computer and gives owners a “gold-standard” diagnostic approach to lower limb lameness.

carefully constructed with every vent, screw hole, and door frame lined with copper to effectively block out radio frequency waves. The ground was also scanned eight feet below for pipes; the whole operation might be akin to the design and construction that goes into building an airplane.

Utilizing a Hallmarq MRI system, the crew at Moore Equine are able to perform standing MRIs on sedated horses, which eliminates the risk and need for general anesthesia and hospitalization.

“When a horse first comes in here for an MRI, the shoes are removed and we take a radiograph of the foot to ensure there are no little nail bits that got stuck

in the foot – if there is, we take all of that out. Metal bits in the foot will interfere with the magnet. Then we put a catheter in so it gives us easy access to administer sedation throughout the day.”

Depending on the level of diagnosis, an MRI procedure will take a minimum of two hours and up to two days to perform. The veterinarians and techs will take breaks throughout the procedure, so as never to go longer than two hours at a time. The process is very non-intrusive, but horses being horses, do become fidgety and agitated the longer the procedures takes.

“First off, we brush the horse to ensure it’s clean and there’s no chance of the animal tracking sawdust, hay or dirt into the room,” says Freedman.

“Then sedation is given. After that a special coil targeted to the area on the lower limb we are looking at is secured to the horse’s leg in case the horse moves. Then we gently place the horse’s foot into the magnet, allow the animal to brace itself over a chest bar, and create a comfortable place for its head to rest.”

The coils used are specific to the fetlock, carpus (knee) or tarsus (hock) and are actually what “take” the readings.

The magnet sends a pulse through the coil, which then sends a reading of

what it is measuring in the pulses to the technician’s computer. The MRI provides cross-section “full-slice” images of bone, fluid and soft tissue to help differentiate

“Everything in the room is temperature controlled” between active and chronic lesions and allows veterinarians to see injuries in a way that cannot be seen with any other equipment.

THE BENEFITS

An MRI can be used to diagnose lamenesses that occur anywhere in the carpus, tarsus, or lower down the horse’s leg.

“The higher up a horse’s leg you go, the harder it is to conduct an MRI because the horse can wiggle a little bit. The horse has to be completely still because it’s very motion-sensitive,” Freedman explains.

“If anything is altered by even two degrees, it messes with the images.”

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Every horse is sedated prior to an MRI, to minimize movement as the magnet is very motion sensitive.

MRIs are most commonly used for foot problems because the technology gives veterinarians a view of all the soft tissue inside that they wouldn’t normally be able to see. It will show holes in tendons, lesions, or accumulated fluid.

“If a horse has a bone problem, usually you can diagnose that with radiographs, and with soft tissue problems we normally diagnose with an ultrasound. But the MRI is incredibly beneficial for places that are hard to reach with an ultrasound,” she states.

“If the horse has a pastern issue that goes deep in the foot, which is difficult to ultrasound, the MRI could properly diagnose that area. Ultrasound can’t always penetrate deep enough within the hoof walls to get at what we need to see.”

An MRI can be used to diagnose lameness that occurs anywhere in the carpus, tarsus or lower down the horse’s leg.

Sarah Freedman analyses some images of a patient’s hoof.

The coils used to image are specific to the fetlock, carpus (knee) or tarsus (hock) and are what “take” the readings in an MRI procedure.

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With an MRI, vets are able to identify damage to hoof tissue, provide explanation for frustrating lameness, and offer new treatments or shoeing options. MRIs can also show fluid build-up or bruising on bones and identify early fractures before they become large problems.

“You can’t see things like the deep digital flexor tendon, superficial flexor tendon, or navicular bursa with ultrasound or xray, so the MRI is a tool vets can use to diagnose what’s going on. The MRI is also a very good diagnostic tool to show what’s going on inside a horse’s foot,” Freedman notes.

There are many reasons horse owners might want to consider an MRI. These include after diagnosing a lameness localized to the foot or lower limb by nerve blocks, having xrays taken that don’t show any noticeable injuries, monitoring treatment and healing after a significant injury has been sustained, accessing areas not visible through ultrasound, and after an acute onset of lameness during exercise.

In the specially designed room, every vent is lined with copper, to block out radio frequency waves.

THE COST

As with any diagnostic treatment, the cost of an MRI depends entirely upon how extensively the horse needs to be examined.

“At Moore Equine, a standard MRI costs $2,800, for a foot and a foot/ pastern combo. If an owner wants to see two areas, like a fetlock and a pastern, or a hock and the whole suspensory for example, that’s a complex scan and the fee is $3,300,” Freedman says.

“We always scan one leg and do the opposite leg for comparison’s sake. That

Ultrasound can’t always penetrate deep enough within the hoof walls to get at what we need to see.” is included in the fee. Then, the scans are sent to a radiologist and there is a radiologist fee on top of everything.

This usually costs anywhere from $350 US to $550 US, if she’s looking at multiple areas.”

There is a discount for any horse that has been previously scanned on a Hallmarq machine, and those files are backed up and kept at Hallmarq for an indefinite amount of time for reference.

Freedman explains that all previous scans can be accessed, no matter where in the world they were taken, and veterinarians can actually use them to note if improvements or changes can be observed at the current time. Therefore, new scans are done on previous Hallmarq patients at Moore Equine for a discounted rate of $1,500 plus the radiologist fee.

After the scans are done, the horse can go home and a report will be given as soon as the radiologist makes her findings. A veterinarian will then sit down with the horse owner at Moore Equine and carefully explain the diagnosis, plus offer possible future treatments and advice.

With equine MRI, gone are the days of labelling all equine foot lamenesses as “navicular disease.” With advanced therapies, the hope of complete rehabilitation for a variety of patients can often be realized in previously difficult-to-diagnose cases. MRIs have long been available in human medicine but it’s reassuring to know we have the technology available to our equine companions as well. For horse owners, it means difficult lameness cases may now be able to return to acceptable levels of soundness, allowing more horses to go back to their careers and improving their quality of life.

That’s an advantage many of us can’t put a price on. AB

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BREED PROFILE

The Heavenly

AKHAL-TEKE

According to legend, these horses from the Central Asian steppes (now known as Turkmenistan) were born of the cheetah, eagle, and snake – for they were blessed with speed, endurance, and coats that shone with an otherworldly sheen in the sun.

B Y MON I QU E N OB L E

In 433 B.C. a young boy, who saw that a horse was frightened of its shadow, turned it to face the sun and made history. That horse was Bucephalus, the legendary mount of Alexander the Great and he was an Akhal-Teke (pronounced ahk-al-tech-ay). Over two thousand years later, Akhal-Teke are once again in the spotlight as one of the most antiquated and rare breeds on Earth. According to legend, these horses from the Central Asian steppes, now known as Turkmenistan, were born of the cheetah, eagle, and snake, for they were blessed with speed, endurance, and coats that shone with an otherworldly sheen in the sun. Chinese emperors sought them, calling them the Heavenly Horses and still today they are called the “Heavenly Argamak” by some. They were the reason behind the first war fought over horses recorded in history, where the war of the Heavenly Horses took place between the Han Dynasty and the Persian Empire. Winning the war in 104 BC, China grew one of the most feared cavalries in Ancient Asia.

When you look at an Akhal-Teke, you can almost see “cheetah” in their lithe athletic form. Bred for speed and endurance, their thin-looking frames belie a strength and athleticism that made them the breed of choice for the Nomadic desert tribes who revered and relied upon them. Akhal-Tekes are proud looking horses, with aristocratic, long narrow heads that taper into large well-developed dry nostrils 20

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and distinctively thin lips. Their eyes are often hooded and almond shaped, a characteristic developed to protect them from the harsh desert climate from where they were born. Their ears are long but not mulish, crowning a neck that speaks to their snake mythos – long and sinuously graceful with a refined throatlatch and set high into the shoulders making them look ever alert.

Although their chests are deeply set, from the front they appear quite narrow as they are not a girthy breed and often look thin or undernourished to an unknowing eye. Their backs appear longer than most breeds but are nonetheless strong and set into a prominent wither. Combined with a strong, long

“An Akhal-Teke horse’s movement is long, low, and slinky.” loin and graceful neck, the Akhal-Teke is an exquisitely balanced horse. Dense of bone, their legs are well muscled with large, flat knees and short, strong cannon bones leading into small but extremely tough hooves. A unique trait to the Akhal-Teke is that their fetlocks on the hind legs are longer and more sloped than the fetlocks on the front legs. This is the opposite of most horses and a testament to thousands of years adapting to sandy terrain.

A true desert horse, the Akhal-Teke is renowned for its stamina and hardiness in sparse, dry terrain. Desert tribes traditionally supplemented their horses’ rations with sheep fat mixed into their feed but now, more often, supplement their feed with raw eggs.

Thin in both mane and tail, AkhalTeke horses come in all coat colours.

Highly prized colours are cremelos, perlinos, palominos, and buckskins as these colours most dramatically show off the breed’s trademark metallic sheen. Their coats are quite fine; the metallic “golden” appearance is due to the opaque core (found at the center of other breeds’ hair shafts) being extremely thin or completely absent in Akhal-Teke horses with this trait. Thin skin is another characteristic of this exotic breed also known for being extremely sensitive and not always suited for beginners. Once a bond between horse and rider has been made, however, these intelligent horses are very loyal and frequently considered to be a “one-person” horse.

“An Akhal-Teke horse’s movement is long, low, and slinky”, describes Cathy Liddy, secretary for the board of directors of the Akhal-Teke Association of America (ATAA). While not designated a gaited breed, a study of their unique flowing stride is underway. Incredibly athletic, fast-moving animals, they are surprisingly smooth. It is perhaps this last trait of almost seeming to fly that harkens back to their third fabled ancestor, the eagle. Researchers

BREED PROFILE

Canadian born purebred Akhal-Teke Soudjie was journeying from British Columbia to Montana and, due to COVID-19, had an extended stay in Sundre, Alberta at the North Forty Ranch.

at Mississippi State University note that the distinctive trot of the Akhal-Teke, known for their elastic movement, has a different rhythm than the standard two beat trot of most horses. Unlike the standard trot, the Akhal-Teke alternates between being supported on one hoof and two hooves. While this is similar to the basic trot, it disunites the diagonal pairs of a basic trot, removing a period of suspension which, in turn, makes the gait smoother for both horse and rider. A developing theory is that this adapted trot, known among aficionados as the ‘Akhal-Teke glide’, allows the Akhal-Teke to maintain the soundness of their longer backs as they ma-

ture. Currently, this unique gait is not considered different enough to classify

A horse of mystique, the Akhal-Teke is both beautiful and talented. them as a gaited breed and it has also been observed that not all horses of the breed display the ability to ‘glide.’

While still harbouring secrets af-

ter 3,000 years, it is no secret that the Akhal-Teke is an incredibly durable breed of horse and has contributed to the development of many other breeds including Thoroughbreds, Arabians, and various warmbloods. They are believed to be at their best when they are purebred; in fact the first part of their name, Akhal, means pure. Akhal-Tekes were once known as Turks, or Turkomans and were highly prized mounts throughout the Persian empire, part of which is now Turkmenistan. Bred for racing, raiding and endurance they were, and still are, a huge source of culture and pride for Turkmen. Once threatened by extinction due to RusALBERTA BITS I SPRING 2022

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BREED PROFILE

Purebred Akhal-Teke Gulkana, proudly displaying her dressage winnings, was also bred in Canada, photo courtesy of ATAA.

sian rule (where they confiscated many horses after defeating the Turks) and lack of food after wartime, many AkhalTekes were released into the desert by their owners who did not want to see their treasured mounts – often considered as family – confiscated or used as a food source.

It was under Russian rule in 1881 that the Turk horse was renamed the AkhelTeke, combining the names of the Teke tribe and the Akhal oasis below the Kopet-Dag mountains. Sadly, the breed had dwindled to less than 1,300 horses. In an effort to bolster the breed and create a faster race horse capable of covering great distances, the AkhalTeke was crossed with Thoroughbred lines and a written studbook opened.

It was quickly discovered that while crossbred Akhal-Tekes thrived in other environments, the desert was punishing to horses that were not pure22

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blooded. In 1935, a gruelling 4,200 km endurance race across the desert from Ashkabad to Moscow was held and the purebred Akhal-Teke horses finished the race in much better condition than the part-breds. As a result, in 1936 the stud book was closed to any part-bred horses born after that year. In more efforts to maintain the breed’s purity, blood testing was necessary to register in the 1970s and as of 2014, DNA testing is required.

Akhal-Teke horses continuously adapt to their environment and work load in spectacular fashion. While the breed is still rare, with around 8,000 in the world today, they can now be found competing successfully in many sports worldwide. The Akhal-Teke stallion, Absent (pronounced Absinthe), won Olympic dressage gold medals in 1960 and 1968, and an Olympic dressage bronze medal in 1964. Originally

The Akhal-Teke is being seen more frequently in dressage, jumping, eventing, and endurance. brought to the United States by Phil and Margot Case in 1979, the AkhalTeke breed quickly started showing its versatility. Stallion Kandar, from the Case’s breeding program, won many high-level three-day eventing competitions throughout North America between 1996 and 2000 and was long listed for the Olympics.

BREED PROFILE

Showing until age 19, Kandar was one of a few purebred Akhal-Teke horses to continue competing into his later years. Once a purebred horse shows significant ability, they are often retired for breeding.

Photo courtesy of the ATAA.

With the convenience and safety of shipped semen and recipient mares (recipient mares must be purebred for the foal to be registered as purebred), the Akhal-Teke is being seen more frequently in dressage, jumping, eventing, and endurance where their ability to perform and quickly recover from strenuous work is serving them well. The breed’s versatility and alert demeanor has also won many trail riding fans.

Soudjie was bred and born in B.C., her dam Khiva was imported from Russia by breeder Sandra De Blois. Her sire is Ak Syrgym and her grandsire is MV Patrickhan who has the most endurance miles (over 10,000 miles) of any other Akhal-Teke in North America and, arguably, the world. In 2020 he was awarded the ATAA Horse of the Year and Endurance Horse of the Year awards. With outstanding parentage, Soudjie is a welcome addition to the broodmare band at Silver Hill AkhalTekes where Betsy Wandler and her family have dedicated themselves to the preservation of this amazing breed.

As one of the oldest and purest of breeds in the world today, Akhal-Teke horses have certainly proven their ability to endure, and to endear themselves to horse lovers around the world. AB

Akhal-Tekes are proud looking horses, with aristocratic, long, narrow heads that taper into large well-developed dry nostrils and distinctively thin lips.

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TRAINER’S CORNER

TRAIL RIDE TIMELINE Conditioning and training for the trails B Y TA N IA M I L L E N

BAR XP PHOTO

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TRAINER’S CORNER

When it comes to trail riding, it’s important to realistically match the time you can commit to your horse with your goals and expectations. Remember that it takes four days of exercise per week (for humans and horses) to increase fitness levels.

Early spring is a perfect time to prepare your horse for summer trail rides. Now’s the time to create a personalized conditioning and training program to achieve your goals, based on your horse’s current fitness.

First, decide on your goals. Where do you want to trail ride?

What are the trails like and how long are they? What fitness level and skills will your horse need? For example, if your goal is to ride 30 kilometres up a steep trail to a mountain pass and back again, then you need a different conditioning plan than someone who wants to jog and lope 15 kilometres across rolling prairie. Mountain trails require long and slow distance fitness work, hill conditioning, and footwork skills, while prairie rides require fitness at faster gaits – plus the mental capacity to ride in open spaces. So start by making a list of “wish” rides you want to do, then arrange them in order from the easiest to the most difficult. Next, dig out your calendar and choose dates for each ride in.

It’s also important to realistically match the time you can commit to your horse with your goals and expectations. It

takes at least four days of exercise per week (for humans and horses) to increase fitness levels. Being a weekend warrior simply won’t get your horse fit enough for ambitious trail riding goals. So decide how many days per week you can condition and train your horse between now and the proposed dates of your rides. Committing more time to conditioning and training means you’ll both be better prepared and you’re more likely to achieve your goals. More conditioning also means your horse is less likely to get injured, plus you’ll develop a better rapport with your horse. If you don’t have time for conditioning and training, consider choosing goals that require less fitness and skills, hire someone to help, or send your horse to a trainer or conditioning facility.

Before you start, check that your horse is sound and its feet are in reasonable shape. Determine whether your tack fits, assess your horse’s teeth and deworming needs, and consider vaccinations. It’s easier and cheaper to prevent issues than address problems later. Now dig out your calendar again and plan your program. A basic plan for an unfit horse that hasn’t ALBERTA BITS I SPRING 2022

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TRAINER’S CORNER

Mountain trails require long and slow distance fitness work, hill conditioning, and footwork skills, while prairie rides require fitness at faster gaits. BAR XP PHOTO

been in work is outlined below. If your horse is currently in work four days per week then skip to month three or four.

Remember to check that your horse is safe to ride every day before you climb on. Groundwork is your friend, so are coaches and trainers.

Week one: Hand walk or pony your horse 15 to 30 minutes four or five days with or without tack.

Weeks two and three: Ride at walk 15 to 30 minutes four or five days per week. Incorporate carrot stretches, walking over poles, and gentle slopes every day to help your horse develop core stabilizing muscles. These are imperative for navigating 26

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uneven terrain while safely carrying a rider.

Weeks four and five: Ride at walk 30 to 45 minutes four or five days per week.

Weeks six through eight: Ride 45 to 60 minutes four or five days per week. Add five minutes of walking and five minutes of jogging each week but don’t increase both on the same day.

Months three and four: Ride four or five days per week.

Alternate increasing time or difficulty (lope, hills, etc.) each week but not both on the same day. Aim for a ten per cent increase in riding time every ten days. Work up to 60 minutes of combined walk, jog, and lope (a total of 20

TRAINER’S CORNER minutes each) by the end of month four. Or, three hours of walking interspersed with 20 minutes total of jog and lope, depending on your goals.

Additional Tips:

• Record your rides and activities every day. Time your rides; don’t guess. Always walk for 10 minutes first.

• Variety and cross-training support soundness and sanity.

Make the work interesting. Practice loops, leg yields, bending, flexing, lengthening and shortening stride, transitions, riding from your seat and legs, and correct position.

• Ride with friends indoors, outdoors, in all different settings, all weather, alone, or in groups.

• Do as much groundwork as you like (at walk) in addition to the program.

• If your horse is visibly sweating, he’s working too hard.

• Don’t ride more than three days in a row. Rest days are imperative.

• Jog for soundness every week. Consult vets and bodyworkers when needed. Maintain a regular farrier schedule.

• Feed according to your horse’s body condition score.

• Check that your tack fits as your horse changes shape.

• Get fit yourself.

• If you miss a ride, repeat the previous ride before continuing.

If your horse has a week off, repeat the previous week before

continuing. Stick to the program and let it do the work.

• While doing conditioning rides, train your horse to safely navigate obstacles such as uphill and downhill sections, water crossings, bridges, and mud.

• Carefully and safely expose your horse to bicycles, dirt bikes, dogs, and wildlife.

• Practice exercises that help your horse learn to place his feet, respond to your cues, stay calm, tie confidently, ride with others, and any other skills you desire.

In months five and six, build fitness and skills by riding longer distances, on more challenging terrain, at different gaits, and in new places, but not all at once. Only add one new thing at a time. Start doing your “wish” rides. Book your easiest adventures first, and build up to the challenging ones.

Each adventure will add fitness and skills, too.

Finally, remember that although it’s great to achieve your dream rides, it’s equally important to enjoy every day with your horse. So make a plan and enjoy both the journey and the destinations. AB

Additional Resources:

Equine Fitness, by Jec Ballou Fit and Focussed in 52, by Daniel Stewart Trail Conditioning Schedule, by Jec Ballou Trail Riding, by Rhonda Hart Poe

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ANATOMY

ANATOMY LESSON Identifying the bones of the lower front limb B Y J E N N W E B ST E R

Understanding the anatomy of the horse is valuable knowledge for riders and important for injury prevention.

Here, we will identify the basic parts of the horse’s skeletal structure and see how its frame compares to that of the human skeleton. Of course, large differences occur (for example, our two legs compared to the horse’s four,) but there are several bones in our bodies that perform similar functions to those of the horse. Knowing the basic parts of horse also helps us realize their form to function.

1. Radius - The larger of the two bones of the forearm. The radius is the main bone that attaches to the humerus at the proximal end and articulates with the carpal bones at the distal end.

2. Knee - The horse’s knee/carpus is made up of two rows of bones with four bones in each row. These bones are located very close to the horse’s skin and there is little movement within the bones. As humans, we have carpal bones as well, but ours are located in our wrist.

3. Cannon Bone - This is the strongest bone in the horse’s body. Articulates with the second row of carpal bones and forms the carpal/metacarpal joint.

Distally articulates with the long pastern bone and joins with the fetlock joint.

4. Splint Bones - These bones in the horse are rudimentary structures and although they are present, they don’t serve much of a useful purpose as a result of evolution. The splint bones are attached by the interosseous ligaments to the cannon bone. As humans, we have metacarpal bones in our hands.

5. Fetlock - This is a term used for the joint where the cannon bone, the proximal sesamoid bones, and the first phalanx (long pastern bone) meet.

The pastern is the area between the hoof and the fetlock joint. The fetlock 28

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COMMON NAME 1. Forearm 2. Knee 3. Cannon Bone 4. Splint Bones 5. Fetlock 6. Pastern 7. Long Pastern Bone 8. Short Pastern Bone 9. Coffin Bone

resembles the human ankle, but is more anatomically similar to the ball of the foot. The fetlock is subject to a lot of stress and strain.

6, 7, & 8 - Pastern Bones - The portion of the horse’s foot occupied by the first and second phalanges. As humans, we have phalanges too: our fingers and toes.

9. Coffin Bone - Or third phalanx is entirely enclosed by the hoof. The general shape of the bone conforms to the hoof itself and it is connected to the deep digital flexor tendon. AB

ANATOMICAL TERM Radius Carpal Joint (Carpus) Third Metacarpal Second and Fourth Metacarpal Metacarpophalangeal Joint Interphalangeal Joint First Phalanx (Proximal) Second Phalanx (Middle) Third Phalanx (Distal) NOMENCLATURE: Anterior: toward the front Posterior: toward the back Ventral: relating to the underside Dorsal: relating to the upper side Superior: higher in position Inferior: lower in position Cranial: toward the head Caudal: toward the tail Medial: toward the midline of the body Lateral: toward the outside of the body (away from the midline) Proximal: toward the centre of the body Distal: away from the centre of the body Palmar: back part of the front limb (carpus down) Plantar: back part of the hind limb (tarsus down)

ASK ABOUT INSURANCE

FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE We are often asked insurance questions related to facilities that board/train horses. Some questions come from new operators who just aren’t sure about their insurance needs.

Others have been in touch with another source and realized (hopefully before it was too late,) that the coverage they need is not a commodity product like auto insurance; they need the guidance of an experienced equine industry broker like CapriCMW Insurance Services Ltd. Others need to understand the risk relationship between horse owner, facility, instructor, employees, and contractors and how to manage that very unique environment.

The following questions and answers are excerpts from previous articles and publications we have distributed.

Q. What type of insurance do boarding facilities need in order to protect themselves as business owners, as well as their clients who have entrusted their horses to them?

A. The operator (could be a tenant or owner) needs to obtain COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY (CGL) insurance that covers all business operations on the farm – in this example, an “equine boarding” operation. It is worth noting that in the last few years, we have seen more and more insurers who were/are involved in (general) agricultural risk withdrawing from the equine business sector for a host of reasons. This can lead to a significant gap in protection if the operator is relying on a nondescript farm liability policy. The correct coverage includes specific clauses related to boarding as an insured operation and the “care, custody and control” of non-owned horses.

Q. Should there be a boarder’s agreement in place between the facility and the owners of the horse?

A. YES! A good agreement lays out the terms and conditions of the boarding arrangement. Items to be addressed are: boarding fee rate, fee due date, services included in the fee (feed, turnout, etc.), hours of operation, what areas boarders can access, detailed horse information, and emergency boarder contact information (including their vet, farrier, and insurance broker). Also, the contract must outline the circumstances that can lead to the agreement being terminated, including the rights of each party, if that occurs.

Q. Is it important that all boarders carry insurance?

A. Yes. Requiring that all boarders/owners/lessees have membership in Alberta Equestrian Federation makes sense on multiple levels. First is the assurance that if the member’s horse causes bodily injury or property damage

that leads to a lawsuit, the AEF personal liability coverage responds – up to $5 million coverage, which is in force 24/7.

This practice has been adopted by facilities for years, and helps protect the operator by adding a layer of coverage between an injured person and the business. It’s a tried and true strategy of “deferral of risk” that is inexpensive and easily managed. In addition, each member of AEF is provided an “Accidental Death and Dismemberment Policy” that is very important and could, in fact, help the facility avoid legal action if a rider/member is hurt while at their facility.

These questions address just a few of the challenges that come from running a successful boarding operation. As an equine insurance specialist and a partner of AEF, we know the importance of good communication and information. If you have insurance questions, we have the answers and are happy to help. Insurance for horses and their people – it’s what we do.

Sincerely, Michael A. (Mike) King, Partner

Michael (Mike) King, CAIB, R.I.B.

Mike King is a partner at CapriCMW Insurance and the program lead for the PTSO programs across Canada. For more information, please call

the Agri department at CapriCMW Insurance, 1-800-670-1877 or agri@capricmw.ca ALBERTA BITS I SPRING 2022

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M E M B E R OR G A N I Z AT ION S A S OF F E B RUA RY 1 8 , 2 0 2 2 T O F I N D O U R M O R E A B O U T O N E O F T H E S E C L U B S , O R T O J O I N O N E , P L E A S E C O N TA C T T H E M D I R E C T LY

Alberta Carriage Driving Association (ACDA).................................... albertadriving-acda.ca Alberta Donkey and Mule Club................................................... albertadonkeyandmule.ca Alberta Dressage Association.............................................................albertadressage.com Alberta Equestrian Vaulting Association......................................................vaultcanada.org Alberta Friesian Horse Association (AFHA)...............................................................afha.ca Alberta Gypsy Vanner Horse Club............................................albertagypsyhorseshow.org Alberta Horse Trials Association....................................................... albertahorsetrials.com Alberta Mounted Shooters Association................................ albertamountedshooters.com Alberta South Region Pony Club................................canadianponyclub.org/AlbertaSouth Alberta Team Sorting Association...........................................................albertasorting.com Alberta Trail Riding Association..................................................................................atra.ca Alberta Walking Horse Association.........................................................................awha.ca Alix Agricultural Society.................................................................alixagsociety.weebly.com American Saddlebred Horse Association of Alberta...................saddlebredsofalberta.com Banff Light Horse Association...................................................... kerryjulius73@gmail.com Bear Valley Rescue Society....................................................................... bearvalleyab.org Beaverlodge & District Ag Society.. facebook.com/Beaverlodge-District-Ag-Society-1415642185407971 Border Cowboy Mounted Shooters Asso. ............ bordercowboysmountedshooters.com Bow Valley Riding Association.............................................................bvra.wordpress.com Bragg Creek Trails Association.............................................................braggcreektrails.org Calgary and Area Alberta Dressage Association.............................................. ca-ada.com Calgary Arabian Horse Association.......................................... calgaryarabian.weebly.com Calgary Regional Appaloosa Club (1997).....................................calgaryappaloosaclub.ca Calgary Regional Trail Riders................................................. calgaryregionaltrailriders.com Canadian Registry of the Tennessee Walking Horse..............................................crtwh.ca Canadian Sport Horse Association - Alberta Chapter....................................... c-s-h-a.org Central Alberta Adult Riding Club............................................. panddjensen@hotmail.com Central Century Team Ropers Association..........................centurycentralteamroping.com Canadian Horse Association Rocky Mountain District............canadianhorsebreeders.com Chinook Carriage Driving Club...... albertadriving-acda.ca/chapters/chapter_chinook.html Chinook Country/Alberta Dressage Asso.... albertadressage.com/chinook/chinook-about.html Cleardale Riders Club............................................................... sandyrich2323@gmail.com Clearwater Horse Club...........................................................cwhctreasurer@outlook.com Cochrane Horse Trials.................................................................. cochranehorsetrials.com Cottonwood Corral Association..........................cottonwoodcorralassociation@gmail.com Coulee Winds Saddle Club................................................................kheapy@outlook.com Davisburg Pony Club..........................................................davisburgponyclub@gmail.com Dewinton Pony Club...........................................................tina@inhandequinetherapy.com Diamond Willow Vaulting Club...................... facebook.com/groups/1404344659580056/ Didsbury Agricultural Society.............................................................didsburyagsociety.org Dunmore Equestrian Society........................................................ dunmoreequestrian.com Eastgate Saddle Club.......................................................................eastgatesaddleclub.ca Edmonton Area Alberta Dressage Association......................................................eaada.ca Endurance Riders of Alberta.................................................enduranceridersofalberta.com Evergreen Park (Grande Prairie Agricultural & Exhibition Society).............evergreenpark.ca Extreme Cowboy Alberta Association......................................... extremecowboyracing.ca Fort Calgary Wheel & Runner Association............................................................................

Friends of the Eastern Slopes................................................................................foesa.org Fun Country Riding Club of Strathmore..............................................funcountryriders.com Grande Prairie Gymkhana Club...................................................gpgymkhana@gmail.com Great Divide Trail Association.................................................................greatdividetrail.com Happy Valley Ag and Recreation Club.....................facebook.com/HappyValleyAgandRec Hastings Lake Pleasure Horse Association....... hastingslakepleasurehorseassociation.org High Country Carriage Driving...............................................................................hccdc.ca Irricana & District Agricultural Society................................................. irricanaagsociety.com Journeys Therapeutic Riding Society.........................................................................jtrs.ca Jump Alberta Society................................................................................jumpalberta.com Kansas Ridge Riders Club....................................................kansasridgeriders@gmail.com Lacombe Light Horse Association..........................facebook.com/groups/171946133340 Little Bits Therapeutic Riding Association............................................................littlebits.ca Meadow Creek Vaulting Club.................................................................................mcvc.ca Miniatures in Motion.............................................collies72.wixsite.com/miniaturesinmotion Mount View Special Riding Association............................................. mountviewriding.com Opening Gaits Therapeutic Riding Society of Calgary................................ openinggaits.ca Over the Hills Trail Riders.......................................................................fjhorses@syban.net Peace Region Alberta Dressage Assoc.............................................................................................. ..........................................................albertadressage.com/peace-region/peace-region-about.html

Peace Draft Horse Club...............................................................peacedrafthorseclub.com

Peace Region Pony Club.............................................peaceregionponyclub.weebly.com Performance Standardbreds Association.........................................p-standardbreds.org Polocrosse Calgary Society.............................................. polocrossecalgary.weebly.com Ponoka Riding & Roping Association....................................gofasthorses13@gmail.com Ranahan Polocrosse Club...............................................ranahanpolocrosse@gmail.com Rimbey Sleigh, Wagon & Saddle Club..........................facebook.com/RimbeySWSClub Rocky Mountain Gymkhana Club.......................... facebook.com/groups/98954016608 Saddle Seat Canada....................................................................saddleseatcanada.com Shortgrass Riding Club...................................................................lwaynemu@eidnet.org South Country Team Penning Association.......................................................... sctpa.ca South Peace Horse Club........................................................ southpeacehorseclub.com Southern Alberta Trail Riders Association............................................................. satra.ca Southern Century Team Roping Association......................southcenturyteamroping.com Springbank Equestrian Society....................... facebook.com/SpringbankEquestrianPark Spring Fling Society..............................................................................springflingshow.ca Stone Bridge Carriage Driving Club..........facebook.com/stonebridgecarriagedrivingclub Traildusters Horse Club of Smith .......................................... traildustersclub@gmail.com Uplift Therapeutic Riding Association.......................... uplifttherapeuticriding@gmail.com Valley Riders Saddle Club.......................................................sandyrich2323@gmail.com Western Canadian Wagon Train................................................... gsissons@hotmail.com Wild Rose Draft Horse Association..................................................................wrdha.com Wildrose Ranch Roping Association.............facebook.com/groups/768551003291321/ Xtreme Wild Rose Club........................................................... xtremewildrose.webs.com

BUSINESS MEMBERS 3D Paints and Quarter Horses............................................... northernhorse.com/3d 42North................................................................................................... 42north.ca Aspen Acres Equestrian Centre............ facebook.com/aspenacres.equestriancentre CapriCMW Insurance Services Ltd....................................... capricmw.ca/horse Crosshair Springs Equine Services.................................... kristacritch@hotmail.com Diesel Overhead Doors Inc.........................................dieseloverheaddoors.com Digger’s Place............................................................................digbits@msn.com Double T Equine First Aid.................................................... doubletpercherons.com Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) Canada Ltd......................www.ealcanada.com Equitop Farm..................................................................................equitopfarm.com Foothills Horse Transport................................................foothillshorsetransport.com Glen Valley Farm.............................................................................glenvalleyfarm.ca Hi-Hog Farm & Ranch Equipment........................................................... hi-hog.com Higher Trails Equine Ltd.......................................................................highertrails.ca Horse Expo Canada............................................................................ horseexpo.ca Horse In Hand Ranch Ltd..................................................... horseinhandranch.com Inhand Equine Therapy................................................................inhandtherapy.com Lawton & Co, LLP.........................................................................info@lawtonco.ca ML Equine Services.............................................................................. ml-equine.ca Moose Mountain Horseback Adventures............................................... packtrips.ca Purina Canada..................................................................................... equipurina.ca Rafter Six® Ranch............................................................................ raftersix.com Riding Out of Your Mind Equestrian Sport Psychology....ridingoutofyourmind.com Rivers Edge Camping Association.......................................riversedgecamp.org Rocking Star Ranch Equine.................................................. rockingstarranch.ca Royal T Equestrian Inc.............................................. royaltequestrian.webs.com Summer Sonnett Stables................................ facebook.com/summersonnetstables Sunglade Ranch Ltd O/A BioEquine.com.................................... bioequine.com Take Off Equestrian.................................................................takeoffequestrian.com Takoda Equine Therapy..............................................takodaequinetherapy.com TD Equine Veterinary Group............................................................ tdequinevet.com Telsec Farm Company........................................................................telsecfarms.ca The School of Equine Massage and Rehabilitation Therapies............ equinerehab.ca The Tack Collector....................................................................... thetackcollector.ca Tyrrell Riding Academy Inc.......................................... tyrrellridingacademy.com Western Horse Review.......................................................westernhorsereview.com Whispering Equine Bodyworks Inc................ whisperingequinebodyworks.com Whitemud Equine Learning Centre Association........................................... welca.ca Wyld Horses, Inc. (o/a Clip Clop)........................................................clip-clop.ca

BE SURE TO SUPPORT OUR BUSINESS MEMBERS! THOSE LISTED IN BLUE PROVIDE DISCOUNTS TO AEF MEMBERS. VISIT OUR LIST OF EQUINE FACILITIES ON OUR WEBSITE!

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