Horse journal online march 2014

. . .Online

A PDF of all the articles uploaded to www.horse-journal.com in March 2014

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Shedding Season Tools The FURminator and FurBuster pull more hair out of your horse than a flexible shedding blade.

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veryone is familiar with the flexible metal shedding tool. It can be used with one hand or two and, using long gentle strokes, it does an OK job pulling out loose winter hair.

It’s inexpensive, too, at about $6 or The FURminator, left, and the FurBuster shedding tools both remove winter hair less. However, it from your horse quickly and easily. doesn’t pull out a lot of hair with each stroke. So, we usually reach breakage. It costs around $25 (www. hair, too, although not as much as instead for our traditional oval rubbamboopet.com, 877-224-7387). the FURminator. However, it was ber curry (about $3). definitely the better choice for our We like the amount of hair and Our Trial. We used all four touchy Thoroughbred. dirt the curry gets out of the horse’s of these products under similar coat, all the while massaging his circumstances last spring, comparBottom Line. The FURminaskin as we work in a swift circular ing ease of use, hair removal, how tor really gets the job done quickly, motion. It’s been the top choice the coat looked when we finished but we have trouble swallowing its for shedding season in our barns, and our horses’ reactions. We used price. The FurBuster is less expenespecially when teamed up with a the tools on both a thick-skinned sive, but we’re still inclined to stick vacuum (we like the RapidGroom Morgan cross and a thin-skinned with our rubber curry. best, www.electriccleaner.com, Thoroughbred. Testers included 800-456-9821). both adults and kids.

Still, shedding season is messy and long, and anything that makes Results. The flexible metal shedthings easier is welcome. So, when ding tool offered no surprises. It we found the FURminator and didn’t pull out a lot of hair at once, FurBuster had expanded from their and our Thoroughbred wasn’t pet lines into horses, we just had to thrilled with it. The adult testers compare them. weren’t excited either, and the kids The FURminator is a 5" wide tool gave it a decisive thumbs down. with a stainless steel edge that The oval rubber curry was a hit pulls out the winter hair without with the adults, who saw a moundamaging the coat. Unlike the tain of hair and dirt removed from flexible shedding blade, the FURthe horse’s coats with relative ease. minator does comfortably massage Both horses enjoyed the currying the horse’s coat and stimulate the sessions. Kids found the curry OK, horse’s natural oils, although not to but far from “fun.” the degree that we believe we get Instead, they eagerly grabbed the with the curry. It’s about $55 (www.

FURminator, which brought the furminator.com, 636-680-9387). most amount of hair out of the coat The FurBuster is also 5" wide with in the least amount of time. The a straight head and handle, but it Morgan cross enjoyed the session, has a more angled design, which is but the Thoroughbred was fussy. In said to reduce wrist strain. It also addition, we had to be careful on seems to massage the skin as you the bony areas. use it and pulls hair out without The FurBuster pulled a lot of Article from Horse Journal Online - www. horse-journal.com - Copyright ©2014

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Barn Surveillance: Know What’s Out There Our days of feeling safe in our horse barn are coming to an end, as thefts and break-ins are on the rise.

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arely a day goes by that we don’t hear of a property invasion or burglary occurring.

According to the FBI, in 2010 there were more than 2.1 million burglaries resulting in more than $4.6 billion in property losses. Experts report that a burglary occurs once every 13 seconds. Horse farms are not immune from criminal behavior. An estimated 40,000 horses are stolen, in addition to millions of dollars of farm equipment and tack.

With statistics like these, the necessity of a barn-surveillance system becomes an obvious. But it’s not simple.

First, it’s important to understand that no two barns have exactly the same security surveillance system needs. The small backyard barn owner most likely does not have the same security issues that a large, multi-acre, multi-horse, equine operation may have.

Your insurance agent may be able to provide you with information concerning fire and liability issues, and you may even get a discount on your premium once the system is installed. While installing a system can be a do-it-yourself job, you still may find it wise to get estimates from an independent security professional who understands IT (Internet technology) and horse farms to perform a site assessment. Your local Cooperative Extension Service

may be able to refer you to experts in your area.

For the technologicallychallenged, the learning curve of understanding the workings of a surveillance system can seem like an Everest climb.

And while an in-depth treatise on these devices is beyond the purview of this article, we’ll attempt to break down the basics for you.

Types of Systems

In the world of barn security, there are two basic types of surveilA warning sign on your barn may stop some criminals lance systems: the older from entering. analog system and the newer IP-based system. Stay with less expensive, their picture quality us now as we describe them. can’t compare to that of the newer The old analog system is comIP-based systems. Image qualprised of a video camera attached ity becomes especially important to a cable that is then directly when you want to record a license connected to a DVR or a port on plate number or when you are in a your computer where the camera courtroom and needing to identify images are converted into digital the person(s) who have broken into format and stored on a hard drive your barn. and viewed on a TV. Though analog Analog image resolution (which is systems have no routing and no measured in units known as TVLs) networks, they do require extensive ranges from 320 TVLs (low quality) wiring to connect the parts. to a cap of 600 TVLs (the picture Each camera that is installed quality of a DVD). requires its own cable that conIn contrast, IP system resolution nects to each own port on the (which is measured in pixels) starts DVR. While analog systems are at 5 mega pixels and have virtually unlimited megapixel capability (the greater the number of megapixels, the more expensive the IP camera).

To illustrate the difference, it’s estiYour system needs to be rugged, weathermated that to identify someone in a proof and designed not to fog up.

1,000 square foot room, you would need four analog cameras to get the Check your barn for potential signal same quality high-definition image of one IP-camera in the same room. transmission interference problems.

As a result of their poor performance, analog surveillance systems Make sure the wiring in your barn meets code are now largely going the way of standards and can handle extra power demands. floppy disks.

The newer, more expensive IPMount your equipment out of the reach of humans and horses. based systems capture images on

Video Surveillance System For Horse Barns ■ ■ ■ ■

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a camera that immediately digitalizes them and then broadcasts them over your local area network (LAN). Using CAT 5 or CAT 6 cable, the image is then sent to a wireless access point and then onto a NVR (Network Video Recorder) where they are stored and where you can then view the images on your PC. These systems also have the capability for remote access that with the help of a modem, router and the internet, allows you to view what’s going on at your barn from remote computers and other devices such as an iPad, iPod or smart phone.

IP systems have additional advantages of being easier to install and offer the flexibility to change camera locations without having to run new cables. Furthermore, with their wireless capabilities, IP surveillance systems have proved useful in monitoring property with large tracts of land, a benefit which has an obvious farming application.

Cameras

The camera you select will largely determine the quality of your surveillance system images. As we discussed above, IP megapixel cameras provide the best image quality.

Surveillance systems cameras come in four basic shapes: Bullet cameras which are cylindrically-shaped and easily mounted and connected to the DVR, Dome cameras, which have a camera housed within a glass dome Box cameras which are a plastic box containing a camera (lenses sold separately) Vandal-proof cameras which are dome-like cameras that can withstand a sledge hammer pounding. These are great for outside, but they require very secure mounting.

For barn purposes, we recommend the use of outdoor, weather-resistant cameras even for inside barn use. Additionally, because intruders are more likely to show up after dark, you should look for a camera with low-light and no-light infrared capability.

Today most cameras take color rather than black and white images.

Color images are again handy to have for identification of vehicles and clothing worn by intruders.

There are also cameras on the market that offer PTZ (pan, tilt and zoom) capabilities.

The number of cameras you need depends on the size of the area you want to watch. For a small barn (less than 2,000 sq. ft) a fourcamera system may suffice. For a

3,000 square foor area, an 8-camera system is advisable. If the area to be monitored is more than 3,000 sq. ft., you may need a 16-camera system.

Additionally, when buying a camera, pay attention to its FPS (Frames Per Second) rating. An FPS of 30 will give you images that appear

Barn Security Measures A video surveillance system can be an invaluable tool to protect you’re your farm. Thieves are always looking for a fast way to get their hands on your valuables without getting caught. Here are a few additional security measures you can take to make it a lot harder for them: •

Padlock your road gate and turn on your electric fence

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Lock your tack room, but not the horse’s exits (in case of fire). Use good quality locks and padlocks.

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Identify all your horses by taking complete, full body sets of photographs (summer and winter), make notes of distinguishing marks such as whorls. Have your vet microchip your horse.

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Mark and photograph your tack for identification. Mark your equipment in an unseen spot as well. Store your equipment in an out of sight place

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Vary your activity so thieves don’t know your routine.

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Wood fences are more secure than wire fences, as they’re more difficult to quickly destroy.

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Don’t leave halters and lead ropes on the paddock gate.

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Don’t leave a halter on your horse when it is out in the pasture.

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Know your neighbors (who they are, what car they drive).

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Watch for suspicious vehicles cruising slowly down the road or pulling in your driveway.

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Alert your neighbors and law enforcement if you see suspicious individuals.

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Have a trusted friend or neighbor check on your property when you are away.

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Install “No Trespassing” and “This farm is under 24-hour surveillance” signs and motion-activated lighting.

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Maintain one entry and exit point for humans.

•

Do criminal background checks on your employees (do not rely on them to provide them to you).

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to be real time. Cheaper cameras with FPS ratings of 7.5 and less will give you choppy, interrupted video imaging.

veillance systems you’re most likely going to get what you pay for. Many chain stores offer surveillance systems for home use. These packages generally Recording Devices include cameras (usually 4-8) Your video surveillance sysand a recording device with the tem will come with a recording number of channels coinciding device that receives and archives with the number of cameras. the video images taken by your These packages can range in cameras. The old analog systems price from $200 to $1,200. used DVRs; the newer IP systems Some experts have expressed use NVRs (Network Video Reconcerns that buyers of these corders). The size of the recording systems may be getting lulled device you need is determined by into a false sense of security and two things: (1) how much video may find out that these systems footage you wish to record and lack not only quality in workstore, and (2) what video quality manship but also poor perforyou want. mance and durability.

It’s estimated that five conA study from the University secutive days of video recording of Florida found that an average using four cameras at a standard quality (the important word here frame rate would require 50 GB being “quality”) system will cost of storage. The more time you between $700-$1,000 per camera Pasture fences that are difficult to tamper with may are recording and the higher the with a low-end quality fourhelp protect your horse from theft. resolution of the video, the more camera system running between memory is taken up. If you don’t $2,800-$4,000, according to want to continuously record, your offsite storate spot, if possible. If not, Brian Levy, owner of Hero Security system can likely be set to record be sure the recording unit is virtuand Surveillance. only at set times or when motion ally impossible to find or the thieves is detected. In addition to a motion will simply take that with them or Other Applications detection feature, your surveildestory it.

The use of video surveillance lance system should also provide an systems is gaining in popularity alarm and cell-phone notification.

Cost of Systems in the horse world. Stallwatch is a It’s wise to feed the video to an As is so often the case, with surportable video surveillance system that allows remote viewing and recording of horses in their stalls at horse shows. It uses network-enabled wireless cameras to provide Time and the preservation of evidence are of the essence if you beusers with round-the-clock viewcome a victim of a barn break-in. Here are a few helpful hints. ing and recording from personal computers and mobile 3-G devices.

• Contact law enforcement immediately.

It is being used by Michael Matz, McLain Ward, the Kentucky Racing • Do not interfere with the crime scene. This can result in the conCommission and the New York State tamination or loss of vital evidence such as finger, foot and tire Racing Association and is practical prints. and affordable.

Mare Stare LLC is a video surveil• Cooperate with law enforcement by providing them with photolance service that reports to have graphs of stolen items. hundreds of subscribers around the world. For a monthly fee, your video • Contact your neighbors and ask if they have seen any unusual feed can be made available in varipeople or vehicles in the area. ous types of media formats to view• If your horse has been stolen, contact local horse transport firms, ers around the world. For spectators watch the internet and classified ads for your horse. awaiting the blessed event of a foal coming into the world, Mare Stare • Only contact the media if law enforcement approves. They could LLC can provide hours of exciting have a reason having to do with their investigation and tracking entertainment. down the perpetrators for your case not to be publicized.

Whether it’s to protect your horses, your property and yourself from • Contact your insurance company immediately. criminals or to monitor your horses

What to Do If You Become a Victim

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which are sick, injured or foaling, video surveillance systems are proving to be a valuable and essential part of barn management. The benefits of having a system keeping a watchful eye on what’s out there can far outweigh the cost of this technology.

BOTTOM LINE

While it may take something close to home to make you invest in one of these systems, be aware that not all salespeople understand horse barns. Avoid systems requiring that part of it requires a “heat box” of some type, and realize that a camera that allows two-way radio may also be useful in your barn.

A system that records is an absolute must, unless you have 24-hour manpower to monitor it. Even then, you lose out on the most powerful piece of evidence police can get: video footage.

Even though the system will be installed “in” the barn, it’s not what the industry considers “inside.”

Barns are cold and dusty, both elements unfriendly to technology.

We would start our search with Stallwatch (www.stallwatch.com) and Mare Stare (www.marestare. com) because these systems are designed for the horse environment.

Of the mainstream options, Swann (www.swann.com), NightOwl (www.nightowlsp.com) and Lorex (www.lorextechnology.com) are top-rated security systems, many of which can be installed by the do-it-yourself person with computer experience.

Be wary of the products offered at discount stores, like warehouse clubs. As with all technology, these systems become outdated quickly and end up on these shelves. Before you purchase one, go to the manufacturer’s website to see if the system for sale is state-of-the-art or even being sold by the company anymore.

If you’re going to invest, make the choice based on the system that fits your barn first, then factor in your budget issues. Old technology may fail just when you need it most.

Article by Susan Quinn, Esq., Contributing Writer.

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Equine Medical Research Gets Funds From USEA

When many of those millions of dogs and cats die each year, thousands of bereaved owners donate money to groups like the Morris Animal Foundation in their memory, especially if they’ve died of cancer. It’s so much money that, according to Van Noy, the Morris Animal Foundation can’t use it all for medical research on dogs and cats, and so these memorial contributions have been the primary source of their funding for Late one evening at the equine medical research.

U.S. Eventing AssociaScott Koskoski, the dition’s annual meeting in rector of major gifts and December 2010, Mike Van planned giving at MAF, said Noy, DVM, approached that the MAF commits to a his friend Kevin Baumminimum of $1 million per gardner, who was on the year for equine research. last day of his job as the He said that the funding for USEA’s president, with canine medical research a grand idea. Van Noy consistently averages $30 wanted to raise the starter million per year from a fee—the fee paid by every variety of sources, while rider to start a horse in equine medical researchers every competition—by are vying for a maximum of $1, in order to raise funds about $2 million per year. desperately needed for In addition to the MAF, equine research.

The Grayson Jockey Club “We should be the ones Foundation usually funds who are funding equine $500,000 to $1 million By adding $1 to every starter fee, event riders are now making a medical research—it’s our (mostly focused on Thorsignificant contribution to equine veterinary research. own horses who benefit,” oughbred racing), and the Van Noy told Baumgardner. died in 2012.

American Association of Equine Baumgardner thought Van Noy In 2014, the USEA starter fees will Practitioners adds about $100,000. had a great idea, but he wasn’t willnet almost double that total—about These three organizations are the ing to impose a new plan upon the $40,000—from more than 42,000 primary funding sources of equine new president. But Van Noy, the starters. medical research, aside from the founder of Auburn Labs (the maker “There is a shocking gap in basic fund-raising and research done of APF), wouldn’t let his plan die, equine medical research, and this by the major equine veterinary and he kept pestering Baumgardwould not only be a great way to schools, especially Penn, Cornell, ner, until he and others agreed to help close it, but it would also be a UC Davis and Colorado State Unidevelop the idea into a plan and way to further inoculate our sport versity. Their research can amount to present it to the USEA Board of against attack from well-meaning to several millions of dollars a year, Directors. That group approved the but uninformed people and orgabut that money comes from carestarter fee increase just last Decemnizations who do not understand fully targeted fund-raising prober, and funds are already rolling in our deep concern for our horses’ grams and is often the result of the as the 2014 season hits full steam. welfare, particularly at times when researcher’s or surgeon’s relation“I really think it’s potentially accidents happen and we get bad ship with a wealthy individual or a game changer, something that press,” said Baumgardner. “And if corporation. down the road all the disciplines we challenged all the other disPlus, the American Quarter Horse could be doing, and something we ciplines to do the same thing, we Association has its own medicalcould point to with a lot of pride in could potentially raise hundreds of research foundation, which prothe future,” said Baumgardner. thousands a year, for the benefit of vides funds worth several hundred Four research projects have alour horses.” thousand to equine medial research ready been selected for funding this each year. year (see sidebar), using $21,00 in A Pittance Compared to Dogs. The The U.S. government sometimes seed money, including more than United States is home to roughly kicks in funding too, but, says Kos$7,000 from the American Horse 50 million dogs and 65 million koski, it’s minimal “unless horses Trials Foundation account of Olymcats, compared to 9 million horses, are used as vectors for human pic event rider Amy Tryon, who owned by about 1.5 million people. disease (like West Nile virus) or as

Event riders have added $1 to their starter fees to support equine research. And they’ve challenged others to do the same.

Article from Horse Journal Online - www. horse-journal.com - Copyright ©2014

a model for human disease (usually inflammation).” Even then, he estimates the federal funding won’t exceed $3 million in a year.

While many companies that make drugs and medications for companion animals provide millions each year to their research, they spend next to nothing on equine research.

Why? The market isn’t big enough, in comparison to companion animals or food animals, to make it financially viable.

“Given that Morris Animal Foundation commits to a minimum funding floor of $1 million for equine research annually, the USEA program has spoken for nearly 5 percent of that funding, which is quite significant. What’s more, thanks to this partnership, the Foundation can potentially say yes to one more study proposal that might have been scientifically meritorious but is without available funds,” said Koskoski.

“Even more important is the message that the USEA sends by this partnership. The message is that veterinary medical research for the horse truly matters, and that horses aren’t just seen as disposable pieces of a portfolio. For eventing, and the sport-horse community, to collectively make this statement about the health of the horse is truly powerful.”

They’ve Climbed The Summit.

Van Noy believes that “the neat thing is that now that the USEA has done this, the people at other organizations can say, ‘OK someone has already done this. We can too.’ It’s like we’ve already gone to the summit of Mt. Everest or run a four-minute mile, so the others think, ‘Let’s do that too.’ It becomes believable and do-able to them. I’m very proud of the eventers for being the lead dog.”

He added, “The concept is that this becomes a perpetual-motion machine, with all of us contributing, automatically.”

So how much more could starter fees raise for equine medical research if other disciplines under the U.S. Equestrian Federation umbrella followed the USEA’s lead?

Well, the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association—the largest English-riding

organization—has 44,000 members.

If they each compete in an average of 10 shows per year, and they pay $1 for each show, that’s $440,000 per year added to the equine-research coffers.

Bill Moroney, the USHJA president, said that he had not previously heard about the USEA’s

starter-fee plan. “I believe in equine research and that we need more of it,” said Moroney, who put the program in front of the USHJA Executive Committee at their February meeting. Moroney said that the committee members decided, “since we are beginning our next strategic planning initiative, we

Four Reasons For Organizations To Accept The USEA’s Challenge Mike Van Noy, Kevin Baumgardner and Catherine Cooper knew that they would need to make a strong case to convince the U.S. Eventing Association’s Board of Governors to add $1 to the starter fee for every horse at every event, so they crafted a list of reasons to quiet the skeptics. Those same reasons form their argument for why the leaders of other equine-sports organizations should meet their friendly challenge to fund equine medical research.

First, says Baumgardner, the amount you pay depends entirely on how much you play. If you’re a low-level competitor who competes just three or five times a year, can you really complain about paying $3 or $5, the same as you’d pay for one cup of coffee at Starbucks? And, if you’re an international competitor who competes 200 times a year, that $200 is just a tiny fraction of your competition and horse-care budget.

“That’s the beauty of $1—it’s really painless. It doesn’t gore anyone’s ox, and it could make a real difference, a difference that will benefit our horses, the horses we compete,” said Baumgardner.

Second, Cooper believes that people who compete their horses need to take more responsibility for funding the scientific work that will improve their horses’ welfare.

“I think most people think what I used to —that the drug companies put money into horses and there is a lot being done. That is, sadly, not the case,” said Cooper. “I’ve faced a lot of medical issues with my own horses, and I’ve been repeatedly frustrated by the lack of answers that I can find, because the data and research is just not out there.”

Third, Van Noy anticipates that funding equine medical research has a public-relations aspect that could be useful.

“You’ve always got the PETA people and the HSUS people, who all believe that we shouldn’t ride horses, that horses should be set out in the pasture someplace and admired,” he said. “So if the various competitive disciplines can get behind this, it gives us some really important ammunition when they come after is. We can say, ‘Yes, we ride horses, but we’re doing this very important effort to provide for their medical needs.”

Fourth, the USEA’s leaders (as well as other groups’ leaders) will decide where their money goes, after receiving the recommendations from the Morris Animal Foundation’s team of evaluators. “We will make sure our funds go to areas that will impact event horses —a pretty broad span of potential topics given the number of breeds, ages and types our sport draws in. But we will not be funding, for example, studies researching problems that are specific to miniature horses,” said Cooper.

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Four Studies Earn Funding For 2014 The Morris Animal Foundation submitted a list of 10 research projects for the U.S. Eventing Association to consider funding for 2014, using the $21,000 they raised to kick off the program. On Feb. 18 the Executive Committee approved the following four projects:

USEA President Diane Pitts, right, presents the first medical research check to the Morris Animal Foundation staff members Scott Koskowski, left, and Winona Burgess DVM.

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To receive $7,000: “Understanding Two Common Causes of Tying-Up in Horses,” by Dr. Charlotte J. Maile, Royal Veterinary College. Total Study Cost: $106,677.

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To receive $7,000: “Evaluating Potential Cell-Based Therapy for Articular Cartilage Defects in Horses,” by Dr. Emma N. Adam, University of Kentucky. Total Study Cost: $110,000.

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To receive $3,500: “Evaluating a Test for Assessing Insulin Response and Sensitivity in Horses,” by Dr. Jill McCutcheon, Michigan State University. Total Study Cost: $11,880.

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To receive $3,500: “Improving Immunotherapy for Allergy Treatment in Horses,” by Dr. Eliane Marti, University of Berne. Total Study Cost: $11,880.

are not ready to consider a program commitment of this type at this time.”

Van Noy is currently lobbying the U.S. Dressage Federation and the American Endurance Ride Conference to follow the USEA’s lead. He’s already convinced two influential endurance riders—former World Champions Becky Hart and Valerie Kanavy—to support the program, and he’ll be at the AERC convention this month to seek the organization’s approval.

“We want to issue a friendly challenge to every equine organization, and it seems like the endurance folks are going to likely be the first to follow our lead,” he said.

If the USDF’s 30,000 members joined in, and they compete 10 times a year, there’s another $300,000. If the AERC and other smaller discipline and breed associations joined in, you could estimate roughly $100,000 in annual funds.

That’s a total of nearly $800,000 annually, a nearly 50-percent increase from the current level.

“We hope that it’s a challenge that will be taken up by the entire sporthorse industry,” said Baumgardner.

Working With The Morris Animal Foundation. Van Noy, Baumgardner and their fellow committee member Katherine Cooper didn’t want to create a new layer of bureaucracy to administer this program. They reasoned that they couldn’t possibly choose grant recipients better than the Morris Animal Foundation, which has a team of veterinarians who spend hundreds of thousands of man-hours each year analyzing dozens of grant applications. So they eagerly teamed up with the MAF, which sends to the USEA 10 to 12 proposals they’ve selected as worthy. The six members of the USEA committee then choose which projects to fund. (See the

sidebar for the four research projects they’ve chosen for 2014.)

Collecting the funds is simple too. Event organizers were already collecting $20 in USEA starter fees, which they forward to the USEA office after their events. They’ll do the same with the $1 research fee, and the USEA will hold the money in its endowment fund until it’s sent to the MAF for distribution, minus an 8-percent administration fee.

Baumgardner said he would expect other organizations to use a similar model.

Baumgardner and Van Noy give Cooper the credit for convincing the USEA Board of Governors to endorse the $1 fee, because she’s the only one of them who’s a current board member. She sees it as a matter of her fellow eventers supporting their horses’ welfare needs.

“The basic issue is this: Our horses are being short-changed in the medical research world, and we need to do something about it,” she said.

“Eventers as a group are completely and totally dedicated to the health and welfare of these athletes who do so much for us. We owe it to them to have the best care they can get, and we need to spend some money to keep their health care improving.

To me, spending $1 per entry is the very least I can do to help my horse stay healthy.”

Said Koskoski of the MAF, “We’re excited for this partnership to succeed, and we hope it will inspire the USEA’s adjacent organizations to begin similar relationships with Morris Animal Foundation. Together, we can truly move the needle for, and change the face of, equine medical research.”

Article by Horse Journal Performance Editor John Strassburger.

Article from Horse Journal Online - www. horse-journal.com - Copyright ©2014

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Veterinary Care:

include every strain of every virus in a single product, which is why vaccines are imperfect. That said, they’re still highly recommended.

• Bacterial infection In rare instances, horses can develop a bacterial infection of the upper respiratory or lower respiratory tract. These infections are rare but serious. Horses under four years old, geriatric horses and horses with Cushing’s disease are at a higher very once in a risk. In most cases, while our horses coughing is persismay cough. That’s tent and is accomnormal. Sometimes, panied by lethargy, they just cough once at fever and sudden the beginning of a ride weight loss. While and that’s it. That’s OK, strangles (Streptotoo. Other times, though, coccus equi) is highthe cough persists, and ly contagious, other that’s more serious. bacterial infections If the cough persists (like laryngitis and throughout the course pneumonia) are not of exercise, or worse, if highly contagious.

Many horses routinely cough a time or two during warm-up, but if the cough it consistently occurs at • Parasites persists it needs to be investigated. rest, the situation warSome parasites will rants veterinary investimigrate inside the gation, rest and therapy. escalator can be damaged, resulting body before they settle in the digesin a diminished ability to clear out tive tract. The most common paraWhat Causes Coughs? Coughs the lungs. Thus, the horse must site in foals and weanlings is the occur when the respiratory tract cough to complete the expulsion of ascarid, aka roundworm. Roundis inflamed. The respiratory tract this waste. worm larvae will migrate through consists of several parts that are Another example is if an infection the lungs leaving a path of inflamgrouped into either the upper or the occurs in the back of the throat. mation and damaged tissue behind lower respiratory tract. The upper Laryngitis or pharyngitis can occur them. A deep, dry cough will respiratory tract begins at the noswhen the structures in the throat result. In the case of some parasites, trils. It extends through the nasal become infected and thus inflamed, irritation to the airway is essential passages and sinuses and back into and a cough will result. to their lifecycle. The host animal the throat where the pharynx acts must cough up the immature form as the gateway into the lower porCommon Causes of Coughs of the parasite then swallow it, so tion of the tract.

• Upper Respiratory Viruses it can complete its lifecycle in the The lower respiratory tract conOf all of the causes, viruses are the digestive tract. Threadworms and sists of the trachea (or windpipe), most common and most difficult to lungworms can also occur in all the bronchi, and the lungs. Essencontrol. Just like in human colds, viages of horses, and donkeys are partially, if any part of the respiratory ruses mutate rapidly, which makes ticularly susceptible to lungworms. tract becomes irritated, damaged, or prevention difficult because vac• Poor Air Quality infected, inflammation will result. cinations must be remanufactured If a horse lives in a dusty or moldy Inflammation damages tissues, and to keep up with new strains. It’s environment with poor air quality one of the compensatory mechaalso why we recommend that you and circulation, serious damage nisms that results is a cough. vaccinate for influenza and rhino to the lungs can occur. If bedding Here is an example: the trachea virus twice yearly. Both rhino virus isn’t routinely cleared out of a stall, is lined with a structure called the (herpes) and influenza have dozens it can wreak havoc in the airway. of forms. mucociliary escalator that functions Many horse owners don’t realize Beyond them, several other lesserto clear debris and mucus out of the that urine ammonia levels are high known upper-respiratory viruses lungs by carrying them up the train the stall because they don’t get can result in a cough, including chea and into the throat where they down to ground level to breathe. adenoviruses, picornaviruses, are then swallowed. If the horse But that’s where the horse breathes parainfluenza viruses, and corona comes down with an upper respirawhen he’s eating off of the floor or viruses. Vaccine companies cannot tory infection (such as a virus), that laying down.

The Common Cough Is Far From Simple A thorough investigation of multiple triggers may be required.

E

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A stuffy, poorly ventilated barn is a primary cause of breathing problems.

Even if air quality and circulation is good five feet up, if the stall isn’t routinely cleaned and air circulation is poor at ground level, airway damage can result. In many cases, airway damage caused by poor air quality is permanent. These horses have a chronic breathing problem called heaves or recurrent airway obstruction (RAO).

• Allergies Allergies are closely related to poor air quality and can cause coughing.

Inflammation in the lower airway causes air passages to narrow from swelling and also produce mucus, which clogs them. In an attempt to force air through the passages and also clear mucus, the horse coughs.

Because the mucus clogs the lower airways, often veterinarians will re-

fer to this condition as RAO. Horses with this condition often must tense their abdominal muscles in order to force air out of the lungs, thus giving them a characteristic “heave line” along the side of their abdomen. This happens in part because the diaphragm (the muscle that expands and contracts the lungs) isn’t strong enough to create airflow and in part because the elasticity of the lungs is lost due to chronic inflammation and subsequent scarring.

• Coughing Causing Coughing The problem with a cough is that it can persist for a long period of time and result in permanent airway damage and diminished athletic performance. Because structures in the airway are inflamed, the act of coughing itself can actually perpetuate and exacerbate a cough.

Coughing is a violent action for the structures of the throat and to the lining of the airway. If a turbulent flow of air continues to pass by these vital structures, they will remain inflamed.

• Exercising too soon Along the same lines as the example above, many horse owners are itching to get back in the saddle too soon after their horse gets a virus or a cough. It takes the respiratory tract a long time (weeks to months!) to recover from damage caused by inflammation.

At rest, the horse may breathe fine following a respiratory infection, but when asked to exercise, a cough

Breathing-Relief Ingredients Effect/Purpose

Ingredients

Throat soothing

Ginger, horehound, elecampane, camphor, menthol, eucalyptus and other essential oils, marshmallow (althea), german chamomile, honey, fenugreek, elder leaves, glycerin, mullein, aloe Camphor, menthol, eucalyptus, other essential oils, guaifenesin Angelica, fennel, celery seed, lemon verbena, Jiaogulan Iodine (including kelp), capsaicin, thyme, hyssop, elder leaves Camphor, garlic, gentian, capsaicin

Cough suppressant Bronchospasm Expectorant/mucus thinning Antimicrobial. topical/local only Antihistamine Immune stimulating Antioxidants (plant) Anti-inflammatory Nutrient antioxidant and immune support Natural vitamin C sources

Spirulina, milk thistle Echinacea, spirulina, ginsengs, astragalus, beta-glucan, pau d’arco, possibly arabinogalactan Grape seed/skin, bioflavanoids (rutin, hesperidin, quercitin), rosehips, acerola, milk thistle, turmeric MSM, NAC (n-acetyl cysteine) Zinc, copper, vitamin E, vitamin C, L-glutamine, selenium Citrus fruits, acerola, rose hips

can persist. Once the horse coughs, it just sets off inflammation and irritation to the airway all over again, thus forcing the horse back into the vicious cycle described above.

What to do with a coughing horse. Some horses cough

once or twice just as they begin exercise. While this can be alarming, it is actually fairly common in horses. Some hypothesize that the sporadic coughs occur at the start of exercise because the horse is expelling air sucked and held in when the girth was tightened. Others believe that some horses have a mild amount of chronic airway changes that could result in the cough.

Whatever the case may be, if your horse has always coughed once or twice at the beginning of a workout, count yourself among the masses and don’t worry too much. It happens. But, if coughing occurs beyond this scenario, you need to take heed.

If your horse begins coughing persistently out of the blue, one of the most valuable pieces of information that you can obtain is a rectal temperature. Normal resting rectal temperature for a horses ranges from 99° to 100.5° F. If it’s higher, there may be a problem.

In addition, be sure your horse is eating normally, as a depressed appetite may indicate a problem.

Is he lethargic (acting tired) in any way? Consider the other horses in the barn. Are any coughing? Finally, does your horse have any increased nasal discharge? If any of the answers to these questions is yes, it’s time for a vet visit.

Veterinary Intervention.

Remember, upper respiratory viruses and the resulting cough are common. They sweep through barns by direct contact between horses, shared water sources, or by fomites (objects that transfer the virus) such as manure carts, flies and human hands.

When these occur, the veterinarian may attempt to quarantine affected horses if facilities and management permit (see July 2013). However, a true quarantine is difficult to achieve and, usually, most of the

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horses in the barn have ment (to whatever extent possible) course of longeing, been exposed anyway. is also important. While you don’t you hear coughBeyond viruses, your want drafts in your barn, it’s very ing, then two more vet will work to elimiimportant to be sure your barn weeks of rest are in nate the other causes isn’t shut up too tight and isn’t too order. we discussed earlier. warm. As long as horses are out of Repeat as necesThis will involve liswet weather and wind, a cold barn sary, keeping your tening to the airway is a healthy barn. vet informed of with a stethoscope, Finally, for a horse that is recovprogress and worspalpating the throat ering and battling a cough, rest ening. Barring any area, and attempting is paramount. Exercising a horse complications, it Cough Free is our Best Buy to illicit the cough with a cough will set him up for isn’t uncommon for cough “supplement.” through making the permanent airway damage that horses with coughs horse rebreathe into a will result in diminished athletic to have to rest for bag or by exercise. Your vet may performance. one to two months. Yes, you read it also run blood tests, ultrasound Our chart includes our favorite correctly! and/or radiograph the lungs. cough products that are available If the cause of the cough is due Bottom Line. Coughs occur beover the counter. However, if your to an allergic condition, parasite cause of inflammation and damage horse is coughing, do not attempt infestation, or infection, prepare for to the airway. Ruling out serious to treat it yourself right off the bat. a long haul. Treatment will involve causes like infection, infestation or Make sure that your veterinarian allergic disease is essential. Make rules out any serious illness before medications—some can be costly— sure air quality is good by keepyou move to using supplements. and rest. Lots and lots of rest. ing the stall clean and eliminating Article by Contributing Veterinary Actually, rest is huge for the treatsources of allergen in the environEditor Grant Miller DVM. ment of any cough. Remember, coughing occurs because the horse tries to clear debris from the airway, and/or because the airway is inflamed. Either way, exercise and athletic performance are not conducive to healing. In fact, they will Horse Journal Editor’s Choice $ Horse Journal Best Buy impede healing because the horse Product Price Ingredients has to constantly use its airway $5.95/12 gram tube 6% camphor and 0.5% menthol in an aromatic Resprun “machinery” and can’t heal. (one serving) base of orange oil, eucalyptus oil, wintergreen Uckele Think about it: When you get a oil, aloe gel, clove oil, seaweed extract, glycerin, www.uckele.com vinegar, juniper berry, honey.

800-248-0330 cold and subsequent cough, how $12.52/16 oz. $3.12/ Honey, apple cider vinegar, alcohol, menthol, Su-Per Wind long does the cough last? Weeks day (4 doses) eucalyptus oil, lemon juice.

Gateway Products or months for some of us, right? www.buygpdirect.com Horses are no different. Sometimes 888-472-2825 horse owners seem to get a bout of Potassium iodide, eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, $15/32 oz.

Wind Aid amnesia regarding the vet’s orders!

94¢ to 1.41/day (2 to glycerine.

Hawthorne Products www.hawthorne-products. 3 doses) Or maybe it’s impatience. com Veterinarians understand that it 765-768-6585 seems counter intuitive to “do noth$59.95/kg Loose herbs including horehound, angelica, Breathe ing.” Or, at least, that’s the percep$2.31/day alfalfa, eucalyptus, garlic, flax oil, celery seed, Selected Bioproducts althea root, elder flowers, fennel seed, hyssop. www.horseherbs.com tion horse owners get when they Also available in a garlic-free formula.

888-423-7777 rest their horses for many weeks Per 0.5 oz serving: Ginger root 3970 mg, $39.45/3 lbs. at a time. But rest assured (no pun $ Cough Free elecampane root 3544 mg, kelp 1488 mg, 82¢/day for 5 days, Farnam intended), allowing the airway time fenugreek 1418 mg, ferrous sulfate 922 mg, sulfur then 42¢/day www.farnamhorse.com to calm down and repair itself is 922 mg, gentian root 496 mg.

800-848-2269 far from doing nothing. In fact, $47.99/2.5 lbs.

Mixed bioflavanoids, rutin, quercetin, hesperidin, HemoCease not providing needed healing time $1.45/day mullein, hawthorne berry, Ester-C. www.peak performancenutrients.com could set your horse up for more 800-944-1984 coughing and potential permanent $14.97/qt.

Molasses, water, mentholated syrup of white damage to the airway. EquiTussin 94¢/day pine, eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, aluminum Select The Best As a rule of thumb, rest the horses chloride, potassium iodide. www.selectthebest.com (stall rest/hand walk) for a mini800-648-0950 mum of two weeks. Then, if no $49/2.1 pints Tinctures of liquorice, marshmallow, ginkgo, Freeway Gold coughing is heard during that time, $1.89/day cleavers, coltsfoot, plantain and garlic, blended Hiton Herbs with cider vinegar and honey. www.hiltonherbsusa.com put the horse on a longe line and 855-261-1289 see how things go. If, during the

Horse Journal Favorite Cough Products

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Zipper Riding Boot Care Zippers fail at the most inconvenient times.

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ipper care is more than a cleaner, polish and a rag. You also need a brush, cleaning agent/lubricant for zippers.

Good zipper-care product choices include Zipper Ease (from AGS Company), Gear Aid’s Zip Cleaner and Lubricant and Hypofek from Pharmaka, most available from your tack retailer. (Always test a small spot before getting any zipper cleaner/lubricant on the leather.)

Rules For Cleaning: 1. Don’t get any leather cleaner on the zipper. Residue attacts dirt.

2. Brush off the teeth of the zipper before closing it up.

3. Regularly apply a zip-cleaning agent/lubricant, allowing it to dry before closing the zippers for storage. Avoid cleaners that contain silicone because these can attract dirt — in fact make sure that your coat-shining products don’t get sprayed on your boots.

If you use those spongy silicone shiners (you shouldn’t because they can dry the boots, but yeah, they do a great last-minute job at a show), don’t run them over the zippers.

4. Use a boot cream on your boots rather than saddle soap. Sure, they’re both leather, but saddle soap is too harsh for most boot.

Storage Guidelines: 1. When the zippers are dry, close them up. Zipper-cleaning agents may recommend that the zippers stay open, but we disagree. We want the leather in our boots to retain its shape and not sink down into wrinkles. Zip that zipper.

2. Put boot jacks or a tube of newspapers into the boots to straighten out the wrinkles. Otherwise the zippers are constantly distorted.

And wrinkles lessen zipper life.

3. Dry boots at room temperature, away from direct heat and sun. Allow at least 12 hours between wearing the boots, if possible.

4. Boot hangers are great for dry-

ing upside down and preventing wrinkles.

Stuck Zipper: 1. Don’t force the zipper. Wiggle it gently. Swipe some vinegar over the zipper. This gentle acid can dissolve the tiny bits of flotsam.

2. If you’re wearing the boots, try bending your knees to straighten out a wrinkle that may be causing the jam. In fact, it’s a good idea to bend at the knees whenever pulling up your zippers to prevent wrinkles in the first place.

3. Get someone else to work the zipper, as they’ll have a better angle to work from.

4. Apply a cleaning agent/lubricant to the zipper after you get it unstuck to get the dirt out that caused the blockage.

Emergency Fixes: 1. Keep a roll of black (or brown, to match your boots) duct tape in your tack box. If your zipper breaks, tape yourself into your boots and you’re good to go until you can get your boots fixed.

2. If the zipper pull breaks, make a thin roll out of the duct tape and run it through the two loops on the slider where the tab pulled loose.

3. If the slider’s loose, pinch it on both sides with a pair of pliers.

Article by Associate Editor Margaret Freeman.

Prolong Zipper Life At Purchase Time Boot fit is vital to keeping zippers, well, zipped. Fit isn’t just a size issue, however. It’s also the softness/stiffness of the leather, allowing or preventing the boot to easily wrap your leg.

Natasha Tarasov, owner of The Horse Connection tack shop in Bedford, N.Y., said that a zipper will last longer if a boot is looser: “But looser also defeats the purpose of the boot in the first place. If the zipper is going to go because the boot is too tight, it will go quickly.”

Dress boots tend to be stiffer than field boots and that the softer leather and laces in field boots makes them easier to fit. But, remember, leather may stretch, but zippers won’t.

“You have to be able to zip them when you buy them,” said John Nunn, who owns Bit of Britain tack shop in Oxford, Pa. While zipper boots have all but eliminated “ankle wrinkles,” if wrinkles do appear on the boots get them to a shoe shop for a fix. Wrinkles kill zippers.

Lorelie Carter of German Equestrian Manufacturers, which distributes Cavallos, advises riders to consider a slightly larger boot overall when buying one with zippers because they can’t be stretched.

“If you’re riding one horse a day, expect six weeks to break in a stiffer boot, one week with a field boot,” said Goretta. Many sellers will advise you to apply boot-stretch liquid inside the boots and wear them around the house for several days before taking them to the barn.

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Adequan for Horses Availability Update from Luitpold.

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t was nice to finally receive word from Luitpold, the manufacturer, that Adequan, the injectable joint supplement, is available again.

The company released a statement recently indicating that production is back under way.

Adequan is perhaps the most widely used injectable joint supplement, in front of Legend and Pentosan.

Adequan has been around longer than its competitors

and it attracts consumers because of price and reported efficacy. But many report a mix-and-match approach to joint supplements work best on a horse-to-horse basis. For some, Adequan does the trick, but for others, Legend shows a better effect. Again, to respond to the myth that will not die: For now, there is still no generic Adequan and be wary of compounding pharmacies.

Dr. Grant Miller, Contributing Veterinary Editor

Media Critique: Modern Eventing With Phillip Dutton This book is a blueprint for success in three-day eventing.

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n eventing, names don’t get much bigger than Phillip Dutton, winner of two Olympic team gold medals and instructor of a long line of students that have gone on to glory of their own. Clearly, Dutton’s system is incredibly successful.

This book is the bible of that system.

From feeding programs and saddle choices, to schooling exercises and horse selection, every piece of what his True Prospect Farm juggernaut has created is cataloged here.

For an interested student, it’s a comprehensive how-to guide, even if it’s not terrifically creative. But that’s the trick. The level of detail here is so intense that it’s hard to envision anyone other than a dedicated student of the sport getting through it.

For a trainer, it’s a fantastic guide, and implementation of at least parts of the Dutton program can only help any competitor.

The book is well-written, well-organized, and comprehensive. It’s filled with excellent, illustrative photos of Dutton, his students, his equipment and barn. But the level of detail—an intrinsic factor in Dutton’s success— may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

There are a few exceptions to the technical framework: One is a small section at the end, in which Dutton discusses many of his top horses and their careers—at turns funny, enlightening, and sad.

The other is a healthy dose of sport psychology

sprinkled throughout the book. Anyone who has seen Dutton perform with ice water in his veins time and again can see the inordinate value in his insight here. He also has segments in the various chapters called Personal Stories, which illustrate his points with real-life experience.

Bottom Line: We loved this book. If you want to know every tip, trick and guideline from one the most successful eventing programs in American history, this book is for you. It’s a blueprint for success.

Best Suited For: People with enough experience to absorb an in-depth guide to the care, selection and management of event horses.

You’ll Be Disappointed If: You aren’t an eventer or at least interested in their management techniques, or, you’re looking for a basic guide.

John Strassburger, Performance Editor

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Tick Defensive Tactics It’s a battle, but these disease-carrying insects must be taken seriously.

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e hate ticks, and we know you do, too! And effective products are out there. You just need to zero-in on the right ingredients.

Ticks are usually found in the horse’s mane and tail, but they may attach anywhere on the body. The longer hairs on the back of the fetlock are another favorite spot. And, yes, some horses seem to be more tick “magnets” than others.

Ticks seem to be everywhere. Simply riding through a wooded area can result in many ticks, especially if you have to duck a branch or two to get where you’re going. Even horses pastured in cleared fields adjacent to wooded areas often get infested.

Tick bites are worrisome because they spread disease and because the bites can cause skin reactions, sometimes with infection. Usually, by the time the bite is discovered, horses have large weeping, crusty areas in the mane that eventually cause hair loss as well.

Check your horse daily for ticks, especially head, throatlatch, belly and under the tail. Remember that ticks need to be attached for one to two days to transmit the diseasecausing organism. A quick daily check could save your horse from this illness and you from some expensive veterinary care.

Best Product Choices

We knew Buzz Guard, from EarthHeart (www.earthheartinc.com, 847-551-1806), works well on dogs, so we sent it to a reader with a horse plagued by ticks in her ears. She said that this “tick magnet” horse doesn’t like her ears handled and required two people to do the treatments, which meant it was applied less frequently than she’d like.

Still, the product worked well, and the owner felt more frequent applications would help even more

Ticks like dark areas like woods.

on that horse. The product worked very well on her other horses. Cost is $11.98 for two ounces. If you have serious tick problems, we think it’s worth a try.

For the most part, however, tick dips, sprays and powders sold for use in other species are NOT necessarily safe for use on horses. We’ve heard anecdotal tales that the dog spot treatment Frontline works on horses, too. However, there’s no verification that it works. And, if you go to the Merial website, they advice you not to use it on other animals. We actually think the cost is prohibitive for use on horses, too.

Your best bet, if you’re in a heavy tick area, is to look for a product that states it will repel ticks. Some ingredients are more effective than others. Synthetic pyrethrins, such

as resmetrin and cypermethrin, are more effective than the natural pyrethrins. Natural pyrethrins are only effective in high concentrations (products identified as “concentrated”). Other natural repellents, such as citronella, are not scientifically proven to be very effective.

Permethrin sprays have good repellent action. Saturate the hair of the lower legs, mane and tail down to the skin. Apply to face/ ears with a rag.

Appropriate equine products include: * Flysect Super C * Tri-Tec 14 * Repel-X Ready-To-Use * Bite-Free * Ultrashield Red * Ultrashield EX Even with these products, however, it’s unrealistic to expect 100% protection.

Your best defense is to meticulously check on a daily basis for attached ticks. Make it part of your daily grooming process.

Getting those ticks off within 24 hours of a bite lessens the chances of the spread of disease, although there’s some new evidence that indicates it could take less time.

Either way, when you see the tick, remove the tick.

To remove a tick, place tweezers as close to the skin as possible, grasp the tick firmly and pull.

Heads/mouth parts are rarely left behind. Should this happen, however, use the tweezers to pull out the remaining parts.

And practice preventive methods around your farm, too: * Mow pastures (which is good pasture management anyway).

Trim back brushy areas. There are all kinds of rumors about this bush or that attracting ticks. We couldn’t find proof. Some bushes attract deer, however, which can carry ticks to the bush. * Discourage wildlife. * Keep any woodpiles well away from your horse’s areas. * Get some chickens or guinea hens. These birds are known for their tick-eating appetites. If your tick population is thriving despite all of this, you may want to in-

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vestigate the use of a pesticide that will kill or repel the ticks.

Ear Ticks

Ear ticks can be a considerable source of pain, making the horse resistant to handling the ears, and in some cases have been known to cause paralysis. Signs include headshaking, ear drooping, rubbing the ear, resistance to having the ears touched. Severe cases may have a secondary bacterial infection, or may actually penetrate the ear drum and cause meningitis.

You can often see them by shining a light into the ear canal, but some of the ticks may be too deep to see.

Black, waxy debris may also be present in the ear.

Wiping the ear with a swab or gauze pad (horse permitting) may remove some loosely attached ticks.

Do not try to physically remove ticks because 1) the horse is likely to resist, increasing the risk of leaving the tick head behind, and 2) there are likely ticks deeper in the ear that can’t be removed by hand.

Serious ear tick invasions may require your vet, who can administer drugs into the ear.

Oral ivermectin will kill ticks that are attached and feeding. Use a regular deworming dose. You can use permethrin or pyrethrin/piperonly butoxide, at regular fly-spray strength, dripped into the ear canal. Natural pyrethrin, as found in chrysanthemum-based sprays, doesn’t work well. To prevent the ticks from entering, wipe the ear and base of the ear with one of these insecticides daily.

Bottom Line

There’s no one perfect tick repellent. If you’re in a tick area, choose fly sprays that contain the synthetic pyrethrins resmetrin and/or cypermethrin or purchase permethrin.

Practice prevention to discourage ticks in the area and remove any you see ASAP. Consider a regular dose of the dewormer ivermectin for infestations.

Avoid products not intended for use on horses. If you’re not sure, check with your veterinarian.

Recommended Product Changes You Should Know Fortunately, we’re assured there will be no formula changes.

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-L Solution, formerly an Equine America product purchase by Absorbine some time ago, has gone back to its original name: Bute-Less. It also now sports the familiar Absorbine label. But, that’s all that’s changed. It’s the same formula, still available as a pellet, paste or liquid. This product has consistently performed well in our trials with herbal anti-inflammatories. Its liquid formula has earned Best Buy in our trials. You can see it at the Absorbine Bute-Less website.

Zephyr’s Garden manufacturers a number of herbal products, including Healing Salve 1, a Horse Journalrecommended product for skin problems, like itching and mild infections, and for cracked heals. We recently received notice that the company is now under the Uckele Health umbrella at Zephyr’s Garden website. There is no plan to change the Zephyr’s Garden products.

Equine Coronavirus: An “Emerging” Disease in Horses Cornell’s veterinary school saw a high percentage of positive coronavirus in 2013.

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he New York State Veterinary School at Cornell University is concerned that coronavirus in horses may be an emerging disease. In 2013, they had 38 positive/suspected cases out of 144 samples.

The disease is most likely to occur in the Northeast during the months of December through May. The coronavirus usually gains access to the horse through something he ingested or through direct contact with infected feces.

The most visible symptoms of coronavirus in your horse are colic and/or changes in manure consistency. Ill horses also show a lack of appetite, depression and high fever. It’s rarely fatal, but your horse can become extremely sick and will need immediate veterinary care and support. A barn with a horse with coronavirus may be placed under quarantine.

The coronavirus can also occur in people, dogs and cattle. The virus is shed through manure, and horses can carry the virus for several days without being outwardly ill. The course of the illness is up to 21 days.

Your best bet is to practice strict biosecurity measures, aka quarantine, for all new horses entering your barn. For information on how to properly executie biosecurity, see our article on biosecurity. It includes the best methods and most reliable products to use to protect your horses.

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What a Connecticut Court Case to Declare Horses “Vicious” Could Mean to You If horses are ruled vicious, a horseowner’s insurance liability needs – and rates – could skyrocket.

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ll two-year old Anthony Vendrella wanted was to pet a horse at Glendale Farms in Milford, Conn. What he got was a bite that “removed a large chunk of his face,” according to the lawsuit documents filed by the child’s parents against the Astriab Family Limited Partnership, owners of Glendale Farms. As a result, what horse owners across the nation may be getting is a potentially disastrous state Supreme Court decision that could have far-reaching damaging consequences for horse owners and the horse industry.

In May 2006, Anthony Vendrella accompanied his father to Glendale Farms, a local produce farm which also boarded horses. While petting the horses at the farm, the child was bitten severely in the face.

What ensued was a lawsuit brought by the child’s parents and a trial court victory for the farm owners.

This was then followed by appeals all the way up to the Connecticut Supreme Court to not only strike down the trial court’s ruling for the farm owners but also (and of greater importance to horse owners everywhere) to get a ruling that all horses, as a species, are inherently “vicious” animals. The case is pending before the State Supreme Court which heard oral arguments in September 2013.

This case has grabbed the attention of horse owners across the nation, and well it should. Why? Because a ruling by a state high court that all domesticated horses are inherently “vicious” could drastically change the liability landscape for horse people. Historically in the legal world, horses have been considered “domesticated animals.” As such, the general legal rule has been that a horse owner is strictly liable for injuries inflicted by a horse only if the owner knew

Would you call this horse “Vicious”?

or should have known that it possessed vicious or dangerous propensities to engage in the behavior that caused the injury.

A holding by the Connecticut Supreme Court that horses are inherently vicious and dangerous would turn that rule on its head and mean that a person injured by a horse would not have to prove that the horse owner failed to exercise due care and that the failure caused the injury. The horse owner would automatically be liable for the injury.

In effect, for legal purposes, domesticated horses would fall into the same category as the clearly dangerous and vicious lions and tigers kept in a zoo, and horse owners would need to take extraordinary and extremely costly precautions (similar to those taken at zoos with walls and barriers ) to keep their horses separated from humans, said Henry Talmage, Executive Director of the Connecticut Farm Bureau Association.

So why should you care how some court in Connecticut might rule?

You should care because although not legally binding in other states,

such a ruling, if made by the Connecticut Supreme Court, could potentially be considered as persuasive legal precedent by other state courts, perhaps yours, when making their rulings in similar horse injury cases.

A decision that all horses are to be considered “vicious” in nature would impose strict liability on you as a horse owner, a change that would not escape the eyes of your liability insurance carrier who would likely raise your insurance premiums substantially or potentially drop your policy altogether.

So concerned are equine industry experts that the court will rule that all horses are “vicious” that the Connecticut Farm Bureau Association and the Connecticut Horse Council, Inc. in an amicus brief filed in support of the farm owners, stated, “A decision by this Court that drastically alters the longstanding law regarding the keeping of horses in Connecticut would seriously restrict the ability of the organizations’ members to continue operating their equine-related pursuits and businesses as they have for generations.”

In Connecticut as well as in the rest of our country, that would result in a huge financial loss. Connecticut consistently ranks in the top three horse-owning states in the nation, and the horse industry contributes an estimated $220.9 million annually to its state GDP. Nationally, the horse industry contributes $39.2 billion to the GDP. In an effort to head-off a decision unfavorable to Connecticut horse owners and the state’s equine industry, Governor Daniel P. Molloy has proposed legislation that would prohibit the designation of horses as presumptively, innately “vicious.”

“I don’t want a judicial decision to control over whether horses are

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inherently dangerous or vicious,” Molloy said, adding that the horse industry “is an important industry in our state, and I want that industry to continue to flourish.”

State Representative Diana Urban, a horse owner and strong supporter of the proposed legislation, said that a court decision that would deem all horses vicious could be disastrous. “If something like this came to fruition, liability insurance would basically decimate the horse industry in Connecticut. It would be insurmountable for most barns. I think it would filter down to the back yard horse owners too.

It would create an opportunity for litigation,” she said.

The Governor’s proposed bill is currently in the Connecticut House of Representative’s Environment Committee and will then go to the Connecticut House Judiciary Committee where it could meet resistance from the state’s trial lawyers.

Urban stated she was optimistic that the bill will make it out of committee and will ultimately pass the General Assembly and be signed into law by the Governor. However, the General Assembly is in a short session which ends in May, and time could run out on it. Urban stated that if the bill did not make it through the General Assembly this session, she would re-introduce it in the next.

For horse owners, the Vendrella case could once again prove the truth of that legal adage, “Hard cases make bad law.” We’ll be watching this important case closely and will keep you up to date on what happens.

MSM: Strong Addition To Equine Joint Nutraceuticals It’s an excellent partner to your horse’s glucosamine and chondroitin, but MSM is also powerful on its own.

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ook for “pure powdered MSM” sources when you shop for an MSM supplement. This sulfur-based molecule is in the same family as DMSO and garlic, although it doesn’t bear the harsh smell.

MSM is known for binding free-radicals (harmful chemicals released from inflamed tissue) and having a good antiinflammatory effect in the body. It works well in combination with other ingredients, like glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, and you may have noticed it on the supplement label. It’s a good choice even on its own for sore muscles and inflammation as well.

But, did you know that, at high concentrations, MSM has even been shown to be a pain-killer? It has been shown to numb nerve endings to lessen the body’s sensation of pain. MSM is absorbed quite well, but it needs to be fed to horses in high concentrations in order to achieve the effects noted.

Some companies have caught on to the research regarding MSM and are marketing it in effective higher concentrations. But many still don’t. These manufacturers sell their products at a cheaper price, but their relatively low recommended feeding levels of MSM are likely why many horse owners report that they don’t see an improvement from using MSM. You also have to be patient, even at our recommended levels (see below), it can take 2 to 6 weeks to see a difference.

You may hear people claiming MSM doesn’t work, even some veterinarians. Frankly, we find the results we see in field trials and clinical settings with MSM are far more powerful than any research regarding its poor efficacy.

Yes, of course, there’s value in statistical analysis. But statistics can’t explain the undeniable positive results that owners who give MSM to their horses (at the optimum dose) report. We’ve heard claims that the placebo effect is in play, but horses can?t experience a placebo effect since they don’t know what they’re being fed in the first place.So what is the optimal dose?

20,000 mg MSM per day. If you check your package label, you’ll see that most scoops hold around 10,000 mg.

When you shop, also look for the NASC label on your supplement, because it indicates that the company submits to third-party audits, checks and reporting rules, all to ensure the consumer gets what he or she is paying for.

We like these MSM products: • Animed MSM Pure • Kinetic MSM Crystals • MSM by SmartPak • Peak Performance Premium MSM • Select The Best MSM • Sure Nutrition MSM

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Winter Cold: Know When Your Horse Is Cold Sometimes it is too cold to ride your horse.

Frolicking in the snow is fun, when the sun is shining.

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e all know that horses need to be protected from drafts and wet when the temperature dips, but truly frigid air can be tough on your horse.

While it’s true he warms as exercise increases, He’s still breathing in that very cold air, which needs to be warmed by his body, which takes more energy. And, yes, it can be too cold to ride.

While this will vary with individual horses, most riders agree that when it dips below 10°, it’s time to consider giving your horse the day off. A 2007 study from Finland showed that ponies and draft breeds are more tolerant to cold than other types of horses. At 59° F, all types of horses dissipated a similar level of heat. At 35.6°, full-sized horses were losing more heat than ponies. Ponies did not lose any more heat at 10° than at 2°.

When temperatures dropped below 2°, cold-blooded horses lost less heat than lighter breeds. Foals are more susceptible to frostbite than mature horses, but if the wind chill hits the -20° mark, even an adult horse would be susceptible, especially if he’s wet and in the wind.

If you are riding in cold temperatures, consider using a quarter sheet, especially if you are riding outside. It helps keep the horse’s back and rear end warm. You may need to get your horse accustomed to wearing the sheet, as it usually sits under the saddle and may blow in the breeze a bit. We prefer heavier-weight quarter sheets that are less likely to billow in the wind.

Be wary of working your horse hard enough to sweat in cold weather, especially if he’s not clipped. If he gets sweaty, you’ll need to use a cooler to stop him from getting chilled while he dries out. The longer his hair, the longer it will take for him to dry.

If you routinely ride hard in the winter, consider giving your horse a trace or full-body clip and keeping him blanketed when he’s not ridden. it’s important to avoid drafts in the barn, but an air-tight facility is not ideal either. Consider airing out your barn on warmer days to help safeguard against respiratory problems.

Inflammatory airway disease can be brought about by ammonia fumes, dust, mites and fungal elements in hays and grains. Symptoms include a thick clear to whitish nasal discharge, coughs, and a decrease in exercise tolerance.

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Medicine In Your Barn: Veterinarians vs. the DEA If not overturned, a DEA law would prohibit veterinarians from carrying certain sedatives and general anesthetics to your barn.

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eterinarians are standing their ground against the What does this mean for Federal Drug Enforceus? ment Agency (DEA). The ConWithout the ability to have trolled Substances Act states that euthanasia solution on hand to controlled substances (such as respond to emergencies, horses euthanasia solution and certain will suffer tremendously. Vetsedatives) cannot be carried outerinarians also carry controlled side of the veterinary office. substances in order to sedate While less of a problem for horses for some procedures, for small-animal vets (although the safety of the horse, handler it would prohibit the at-home and veterinarian. Suturing euthanasia services for pets), wounds or calming a colicky it would critically curtail the horse would be jeopardized if services your equine veterinarthese controlled substances canian could provide for your horse not be carried to the barn. in your barn, forcing you to bring the horse to the vet.

What you can do To fight this, the American It is crucial that your represenVeterinary Medical Associatatives hear from you about this tion introduced the Veterinary issue. Write a letter or send an Medicine Mobility Act, which email to your Congress represenwould amend the law to allow an tative. You can also weigh in onexemption to DEA rules to permit line at: http://capwiz.com/avma/ veterinarians to carry controlled issues/alert/?alertid=63048321 substances in their vehicles.

In your letter, make sure that Bills H.R. 1528 and S. 1171 have you identify your name, address gained support and momentum and the bill number. Your letter on Capitol Hill, recently passing doesn’t need to be long. It could the Senate. It is now in the hands be as simple as: of the House of Representatives.

Dear Member of ConCould an injection involve a trip in the trailer?

According to the AVMA, vetgress, erinarians “ability to practice I am asking you to supmedicine often requires that they port of the Veterinary Medicine be able to provide mobile or ambulatory services. This Mobility Act bill (H.R. 1528 and S. 1171). The senate is particularly important in rural areas and for the care recently passed this bill and how it is in your hands. of large animals because it is often not feasible, practiThis bill is critical to the care of our animals. cal or possible for owners to bring livestock (i.e., cows, Our veterinarians must be allowed to carry the medicapigs, horses, sheep, and goats) to a bricks-and-mortar tions they deem necessary to ensure the highest level of clinic or hospital.” humane and effective veterinary care.

So, not only would you have to trailer your horse to Then sign your name and send it to your representayour local veterinary hospital for some treatments and tive. Every letter does make a difference, and none of us for euthanasia, it would also prohibit veterinarians want to lose the right to treat our horses in the barn. from using these drugs to remove or relocate dangerous Article by Contributing Veterinary Editor Grant Miller wildlife and rescue trapped wildlife, which often must DVM first be sedated.

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Safely Save Money on Horse Drugs Not all horse medicines are created equally.

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hen your horse becomes sick, the bills begin to pile up. The veterinary fees are bad enough, but you understand that there’s equipment to pay for and support staff to be paid.

But what about the drugs? What if your horse must take a drug for the rest of his life? Is there a way to save money? And can you use “old drugs”?

Old Drugs

I’ve had clients hand me a dusty old bottle of medicine and ask, “Is this any good?” Here’s the thing: An expired product might be ineffective, or worse, could be unsafe. Be wary of anything contaminated by hair, dirt or even your hand. Drugs and chemicals can become toxic with time, so if you’re not sure, ask your veterinarian and provide specific information as the name of the drug, how you stored it and its expiration date. Products not stored according to label instructions, such as “Store between 20° and 25° C (68° to 77° F). Protect from excessive moisture.” That means, if you’ve kept in your unheated tack room all winter long, you’ve probably ruined the medication. See story on shelf life of barn products, too.

Generic Drugs

A generic drug is the same chemical produced under the same rigorous FDA standards as the original drug. Generics are safe, and they can save you money.

A prime example is bute. There are hundreds of manufacturers, but all of the bute tablets are the same.

We found prices ranging from $15.99 to $22.99 for 100 tablets.

However, not all drugs, i.e. Adequan, have generics. The patent remains in place long enough to allow the original manufacturer to recoup the costs of researching and marketing the original drug.

That’s one of the reasons you see

advertising telling you, “There is no generic Adequan.” There is no FDA-approved generic Adequan.

(Adequan is a Horse Journal recommended drug because it works. It may even save you money over oral nutraceuticals.)

Compounded Drugs

Compounded drugs lack FDA approval and aren’t necessarily made under the same rigorous standards set forth for new and generic drugs.

Mixing two injectable drugs is compounding. Creating an oral liquid from crushed tablets is

compounding. Even adding apple flavoring to a commercially available drug is compounding.

Usually, this is done to meet the needs of a particular patient, such as making a specific concentration to meet an individual animal’s needs. Because the regulations regarding compounding drugs allow for quite a bit of latitude, people assert that their use is dangerous.

Our chart shows you the risks associated with compounded medications vs. FDA-approved drugs.

One of the biggest issues is that you can’t be certain that the drug you’re

What You Can Do To Protect Your Horse Until the FDA can regulate compounding pharmacies, here are some questions you can use to help ensure your horse’s safety: Ask Your Veterinarian: 1. Is this a new, generic or compounded drug?

2. If it’s compounded, which pharmacy made it? (An Internet You may surprise your vet with these quessearch can tell you about the tions, but they’re well worth asking. pharmacy.)

3. What is the expiration date of the drug? (You may be shocked at how many drugs are expired when a veterinarian hands them to you.)

4. Are there any new or generic drug options?

Ask The Compounding Pharmacy: 1. Is this drug compounded from FDA-approved commercial drugs or is it compounded from bulk ingredients? (Bulk ingredients are often from developing countries and packaged and transported with little adherence to standards; ask where they came from.)

2. How are your expiration dates determined? (Expiration dates are obtained from compounded-drug stability data when available or are calculated using criteria from U.S. Pharmacopoeia.)

Signs of Compounded Drug Instability Liquid-Dose Forms  Color change (pink or amber)  Signs of microbial growth  Cloudiness, haze, flocculent or film formation  Separation of phases, e.g. oil and water emulsion  Precipitation, clumping, crystal formation  Droplets of fog forming on inside of container  Gas or odor release  Swelling of container

Solid-Dose Forms  Odor (sulfur or vinegar odor)  Excessive powder or crumbling  Cracks or chips in tablets  Swelling of tablets or capsules  Sticking together of capsules or tablets  Tacky-feel of covering of tablets or capsules

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giving has in it what the label indicates.

Current federal law does allow compounding pharmacies to mix drugs, but only under certain circumstances, such as: • There must be no other FDAapproved commercially available drug that is made to specifically treat the problem at hand.

• The compounded drug must be made from FDA-approved ingredient drugs.

• It must be safe and effective.

• All labeling must conform to federal regulations.

Be aware that, by adding other chemicals or flavorings or by interfering with protective coatings of tablets, a compounder may interfere with the drug stability, thereby decreasing its potency. This in turn compromises the drug’s ability to be absorbed into the body, which consequently reduces its efficacy.

For example, research found compounded oral omeprazole (aka GastroGard and UlcerGard) wasn’t

as effective for treating equine ulcers as the commercially available FDA-approved form of the drug from Pfizer. The study showed the systemic absorption of the compounded formulation was lower than for the real (FDA-approved) product.

BOTTOM LINE.

Work with your veterinarian on drug costs. If you can find the same drug elsewhere, your veterinarian will likely give you the prescription you need.

Article by Contributing Veterinary Editor Grant Miller DVM.

Regulations: New and Generic Drugs vs. Compounded Drugs Requirement

Benefit to the consumer

FDA-Approved New or Generic Drug

Compounded Drug

FDA Approval

Independent FDA verification of manufacturers drug claims

YES

NO

Tested in target animal species in both laboratory and field trials

Scientific demonstration of the drug’s safety and efficacy

YES

NO

Manufactured according to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs)

Ensures that each drug unit is manufactured within specification for therapeutic consistency

YES

NO

Ongoing stability testing of drugs

Ensures that drug shelf life matches labeled expiration date

YES

NO

Labels approved by the FDA

Means that everything written on the label is scientifically substantiated

YES

NO

Advertising/ Promotional material reviewed by the FDA

Means nothing is false or misleading about the drug advertisements

YES

NO

Adverse effects / Lack of efficacy reported to FDA

Permits unanticipated yet significant post-marketing experiences to be communicated back to the veterinarian/ FDA authority

YES

NO

Analytical testing of product prior to release for:  Strength  Identity  Purity

Ensures that the drug contains what is represented on the label

YES YES YES

NO NO NO

Patient-specific dosing on manufacturer label

Provides a greater chance that the patient will get the correct dose each time

NO

YES

Modified dosage form, concentration or route of administration

Provides more versatile use of the medication

NO

YES

Flavor added

Provides a greater chance that the animal will ingest the medication

NO

YES

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Choose Vaccinations Suited to Your Horse Every horse needs the AAEP Core vaccines, including rabies, EEE, WEE, WNV and tetanus.

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orse people seem to fall into two main groups when it comes to vaccines: Those who give everything they possibly can and those who avoid everything but the most basic, fearing reactions, immune-system problems, and over vaccination. It’s concerns us that there’s so much misinformation out there.

Choices

First, compared to the diseases they protect against, vaccines are safe. And that includes the major fear most people discuss—stress to the immune system. However, most vaccines don’t even come close to duplicating the immunesystem stress caused by an actual infection. Think of the difference

between normal reactions to getting a flu shot and actually having the flu. There’s no comparison.

Some folks worry about the inclusion of potentially toxic minerals in the vaccine preservatives (i.e. thimerosal) or the aluminum hydroxide adjuvants. These concerns are greatly exaggerated. Preservatives and adjuvants have been used for over 70 years. An adjuvant stimulates the body’s response to the vaccine, decreasing how much actual vaccine must be injected.

However, preservatives and adjuvants may explain the tiny percentage of horses that have a severe, reaction (anaphylaxis). This is why we advise horse owners not to attempt vaccines on their own, unless they’re certain there won’t

be a reaction, such as you’re giving a horse the exact same vaccine as in previous years and he’s never had a reaction, lessening the risk.

Always ask the veterinarian for the vaccine vial label, if possible, and paste it into your horse’s health-care records. If not possible, get the name of the vaccine, the manufacturer and the vaccine’s lot number. (We ask for this information anyway for our horses, as it’s wise to have it on record.) If your horse does have a vaccination, avoid this brand in the future.

OVER-VACCINATION.

There are several ways to look at over vaccination concerns. One argument is that humans complete their vaccination series as babies

Horse Journal Guide To Vaccinations

Some diseases are so ubiquitous and so potentially fatal there is no room for argument about whether or not to vaccinate. These are the core vaccines we discuss in our article. In this chart, C stands for core vaccines we believe all horses need, R stands for recommended, O for optional and S for vaccines we’d skip for these horses, unless your veterinarian recommends them. Note: Exposed and not exposed refers to contact with other horses that travel or where new horses are in and out of the facility.

Vaccine

Horses at home - not exposed

Horses that travel

Breeding stallions

Broodmares - exposed/ not exposed

Yearlings - exposed/ not exposed

Weanlings - exposed/ not exposed

Foals exposed/ not exposed

Older horses - not exposed

Tetanus Toxoid

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

Tetanus Antitoxin

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

WEE

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

VEE

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

EEE

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

Rhino

S

R

R

R

R

R

R

S

Flu

S

R

R

R/O

R

R

R

S

Rabies

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

Strangles

S

R

R

R

R

R

R

S

Botulism

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

EVA

S

O

R

R/O

R/O

R/O

R/O

S

Potomac Horse Fever

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

West Nile

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

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and aren’t vaccinated for EEE and WEE may also again, except for tetanus provide some protection and flu. against VEE (Venezuelan There are two probequine encephalomyelitis). lems with drawing direct VEE is a reportable foreign comparisons. First, most disease in the U.S., but it equine vaccines contain could rear its ugly head killed organisms. This again. Specific vaccination type of vaccine preparafor this disease isn’t sugtion leads to a relatively gested. weak and short-lived antiWest Nile virus (WNV). body response and doesn’t WNV can be deadly. While stimulate the cell-medisurvival rates are higher Horses that come into contact with strange horses require more ated end of the immune than EEE, many horses will vaccinations than those basically isolated from other horses. response. have residual signs after Second, even for vacthe infection clears. This cines that could reasonably be exvaccines for anyone exposed. virus also comes to horses via birds pected to last longer than one year EEE and WEE. Eastern and Westand can infect people. As with the (rabies, tetanus), no one has proven ern equine encephalomyelitis are other encephalitis viruses, spread is it. Titers are a good way to measure mosquito-borne diseases and can almost 100% between mosquitoes residual immunity from killed be fatal in horses. EEE tends to be biting birds, then horses. vaccines, but we don’t always know deadlier. Despite the designations, Tetanus. Horses are sensitive to what titer is required for protection. both EEE and WEE occur throughthe toxin formed by the Clostridial We consider two concerns about out the U.S. bacteria. Clostridium tetani is in over-vaccination to be valid: Both also tend to be “endemic,” manure, soil and the intestinal tract 1) Vaccinating with an ineffective meaning they always exist. On of many animals. Horses become vaccine, and years when mosquito populations infected through puncture wounds, 2) Vaccinating without need. bloom and there are plenty of bird open cuts and even through the Exposure risk must be taken hosts around, we’ll see clinical casumbilicus in foals. into consideration, too. Horses on es of these viruses. These diseases While horses can survive tetanus, closed farms with no horse traffic are spread from bird to horse via the fatality rate is high. Nursing in/out of the farm are at low risk mosquito, not horse to horse. People care and hospitalization can be exfor exposure to respiratory viruses can also suffer from these viruses tremely expensive and many horses or strangles, so there’s no reason to and even die. No matter how hard never return to normal. Every horse give those shots. (See sidebar.) you try, your horse is likely to be is susceptible to getting small nicks exposed to mosquitoes. and cuts that this bacteria could Core Vaccines The combined vaccine injection infect. Vaccination for this should The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) recommends what they call the “core” vaccines, which cover serious illnesses to which virtually all horses have a risk of exposure. Some may Vaccines given at the wrong time could increase the risk of a horse beeven be required by law in some arcoming diseased. This happens because any antibodies already preseas. All horses should receive these ent can be “tied up” by the harmless antigen in the vaccine instead of core vaccines: being free to fight a real invasion.

Rabies. All horses are at risk for A horse that is ill with a disease/infection unrelated to the vaccine also rabies. Horses are curious and a shouldn’t be vaccinated. Horses that are debilitated, malnourished or sick, rabid raccoon or skunk wanhave conditions that impair the immune system shouldn’t be vaccidering in the pasture is likely to be nated. nosed. A small bite may not even be noticeable but could cause rabies.

Last is the recent concern about vaccines inducing autoimmune Rabies is virtually 100% fatal. disease. Since natural infections can sometimes do this, it’s not Even if your horse is never turned farfetched. However, autoimmune diseases in horses are rare. They out, one rabid bat on the property include recurrent uveitis/moonblindness (which has already been is enough to cause quarantine for linked to infections), pemphigus, canker (a frog degeneration in unvaccinated horses. drafts), some drug-induced anemias and possibly alopecia areata, a Rabies is a zoonotic disease, hair-loss problem. Although future information could uncover a link, meaning your horse could infect there is currently no reason to think vaccination is a cause of any of you. A playful nip by a horse incuthese conditions. bating rabies could lead to multiple

Timing Vaccines

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be another absolute for all horses.

Vaccination Costs

Risk-Based Vaccines.

We consider the cost of vaccinating a wise invest-

most horses can skip that one.Plus, horses that have been naturally infected with the strangles bacterium, Streptococcus equi, have long lasting, if not lifelong, immunity, making vaccinations unnecessary.

The vaccine for PHF isn’t highly effective, so few vets suggest it.

ment. But, if you’re desperate to save money on The AAEP’s list of riskvaccines, talk with your veterinarian. If you have a based vaccines muddy the multitude of horses, perhaps you can negotiate a waters considerably. There better price for the vaccine itself, if it comes in a vial. are equine vaccines for You may also be able to coordinate with our horse anthrax, botulism, equine owners in the area to have vaccinations done on the herpes virus (rhinopneusame day, possibly saving the veterinarian time and monitis), equine viral driving expenses. Otherwise, consider annual vacarteritis, equine influcines a good way to stay in touch with your veterienza, Potomac horse fever, narian and have an objective eye look at your horse Rotaviral diarrhea and for health issues you may be overlooking. strangles.

Bottom Line.

Whether these vaccines Many people believe are necessary varies with we over-vaccinate. the individual horse, While this may be the geographical area and how often he recommended for breeding mares case, the data doesn’t exist to prove travels. to prevent abortion and in show it.

Anthrax. If you live in an area horses for respiratory problems.

Blood titers can be run to dewhere anthrax cases have been Vaccine protection isn’t complete, termine if the horse has antibody seen, especially with horses pasand rhino hits all age groups. titers that show active protection, tured on alkaline soils, your vet Equine viral arteritis. This is but we lack the research needed to may suggest this vaccine. mainly given to breeding stallions link titer levels to protection levels.

Botulism. This can cause Shaker to prevent spread via semen. Your And, running a titer is likely more Foal syndrome and may be used geldings and mares can skip this costly than a vaccine. routinely in breeding mares. one!

We recommend getting at least EHV or equine herpes. Aalso Rotaviral diarrhea, Primarily the no-excuse core vaccines for known as rhinopneumonitis, it used in breeding situations, as it’s your horse. If your horse travels or causes serious uproar in the horse given to pregnant mares to help you plan on breeding your mare, world when there’s a breakout. their foals. Your gelding or barren use our chart and talk with your EHV (aka the Rhinopneumonitis mare can skip that one, too. veterinarian to decide on others. virus) exists in two forms. EVH-1 Equine influenza, Strangles or As always, we aren’t keen on and EHV-4. EHV-1 is the most prevStrep equi, and Potomac horse fehorse owners giving horses vacalent form. It can cause upper-respiver (PHF) are more commonly reccines themselves because 1) You ratory disease (usually in animals ommended for horses out traveling probably aren’t equipped to handle under two years of age), abortion and competing or in areas where a reaction if it occurs and 2) For in pregnant mares, or neurological the problems have been seen. some horse owners, the annual vacdisease, which can be fatal.

Flu tends to target horses under cine visit is the only time you see Estimates are that from 60 to as three, so it’s less of a concern for your veterinarian, and it’s impormany as 90% of adult horses are older horses. If you’re weighing tant to keep that connection active. asymptomatic carriers of Herpes rhino vs. flu, go with rhino due to You don’t want to call the vet with a virus. These viruses are found its higher morbidity rate. colicky horse only to be told you’re in horses worldwide, with little If a nearby barn has had outnot an active client and the vet is variation between strains of virus breaks of strangles, you might want busy. around the world. to consider that vaccine. Otherwise, Contributing Veterinary Editor Deb The vaccination is generally M. Eldredge DVM

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Riding Alone? Where Is Your ID? In an emergency, accuracy and response time can be critical.

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ot long ago, I pondered the dangers of being alone while riding or working around horses after an accomplished amateur event rider in Kentucky died while riding at home, alone. That incident made me ask if the wonders of modern technology could help avoid these tragedies.

The short answer is yes—GPS tracking and cell-phone technology make it possible to stay “in touch” while riding—but they're not without limitations.

We’ve checked out four emergency rider-identification plans, which vary considerably in what they can and can't do. It’s ultimately up to you to decide what level of protection makes you feel the safest when you're riding alone or competing alone at show or event.

Ride Alert. We consider the products and services offered by Ride Alert to be the most cost-effective and useful of the services we surveyed. Perhaps that’s because their products and services are especially designed for riders, not bicyclists or runners. Parent company AlertID has been operating for cyclists and other athletes in Europe and Asia for about a decade, expanding to the United States in 2012.

Ride Alert can cover every member of the family, plus horses (and even pets) anywhere in the world,

Not everyone has the luxury of a riding buddy when they head out to the hills.

as long as their details have been logged into the database.

Ride Alert also has a partnership with USRider, the company that provides emergency services for cars and trucks pulling horse trailers, allowing USRider members to

Consider This . . .

■ The only ID that will help you when you are unable to report you’ve been injured is the ICEdot.

■ Bracelets, armbands and cards containing medical information can be useful, but only if you keep the information current and accurate. These IDs provide information to the first responders.

■ Products that rely on cell-phone service can be useless in some regions of the country.

become Ride Alert members and receive individual decals to put on their vehicles. (Editor’s Note: USRider is part of The Equine Network, which also owns Horse Journal. However, USRider was not consulted for this article.) The Ride Alert decals also have unique ID numbers to reference personal details.

An app for iPhones and Androids is about to be released, allowing you to sign up and to tap it for emergency help. It uses the phone’s built-in GPS to locate the rider in an emergency and can be set to motion-sense the rider’s movement, sending out an emergency message to pre-set contacts (or to Ride Alert Support if selected) if the rider doesn’t respond to a warning alarm.

Said David Hasbury-Snogles, company president, “The effectiveness of Ride Alert lies in our 24/7 support and the secure database that enables contact to be made with family, friends and others, as well as to provide emergency medical information as necessary.”

He saidthe database allows users to store documents like proof of ownership, insurance and Coggins tests.

Neither the adjustable wristband nor the bridle tag contains information about the rider or the horse.

A first responder or Good Samaritan has to call the phone number displayed and submit the 10-digit ID number to get information. The support staff will then call people you’ve identified to contact.

The drawback is that back-country trail riders are very likely to ride in areas where a cell phone is useless because there isn’t any coverage.

“In that respect our hands are tied as much as any other provider of an application or service that relies on signal availability, and perhaps the only thing we could recommend on that front is that people use the carrier with the better service (or more widespread service) in their area,”

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said Hasbury-Snogles. "There are two mitigating factors here that, although not perfect, do help improve the functionality of our service.”

First, in areas with poor coverage, first responders will almost always have radio communications with their base, which has landlines to contact Ride Alert and relay information to the emergency scene.

Second, everyone with a registered account can print out a photo ID card, which they can then carry as back-up to their Ride Alert device. Hasbury-Snogles said that they will soon have additional fields on the card that will give

bold, clear notification of significant medical issues.

“We know that we are not the perfect solution for everyone, but we are pretty darned close for the minimal outlay required,” said Hasbury-Snogles. “We are constantly looking for ways to improve our products and service, while still maintaining a level of cost that makes it affordable to everyone.”

ICE dot. The acronym ICE stands for In Case of Emergency, and, while this company offers bracelets and a call-in center like Ride Alert does, it also offers a crash sensor,

Emergency Medical IDs

The ICEdot sensor mounts on the back of your helmet and can alert your designated contacts that you’ve fallen.

Horse Journal Editor’s Choice $ Horse Journal Best Buy

Product

Price

Features

Our Comments

ICEdot www.icedot.org

Annual membership: $10 crash sensor: $149 wristband: $20

Program offers a crash sensor that attaches to riding helmet, a bracelet with a number to text distress code and a unique ID number, and bumper sticker. Can also purchase a mounting bracket that allows you to move crash sensor from helmet to helmet.

Easy to register. Inexpensive membership. The only emergency ID program that has a sensor that contacts designated people, using a smart phone app, without the injured person doing anything. The sensor relies on cell-phone coverage, though, so it’s an expensive but non-functional product if you live or ride in an area lacking coverage.

$ RideAlert

Annual fee runs $24.99 to $54.99, depending on options

24/7 call center for emergencies. Base package includes one-year family registration, and choice of one wristband, or one bridle tag, or one set of helmet/cell phone/property badges. Wristband has adjustable connection and all ID devices include an emergency 888 phone number and wearer’s ID number. Also offers ID tags for pets, property (car or farm), keys, diabetes. No additional fee for use of any/all products. Can register horses, pets, cars/ trailers, homes, equipment and more. Members of USRider, the AAA for cars towing horse trailers, can also become RideAlert members and get a special Truck/Trailer decal included for free.

RideAlert is the U.S. division of Alert ID Group, based in United Kingdom, Europe and Asia for 15 years. U.S. division formed in 2012 and will include Canada in the near future. This is a comprehensive service for your entire family, horses and pets, and farm and vehicles. The wristband is a bit garish (black with bright green and white lettering), but it’s meant to be seen. It has a clasp and is easily removable, though. The ID number on the bridle tag is tiny and hard to read—you have to hold it at the right angle to the light to read. The manufacturer said they hope to address this issue with deeper etching.

YikesID www.yikesID.com 888-842-2305

Wrist ID Elite $25.99 ID Wrist $15.99 ID Cyclist (helmet) $14.99

Offers five types of wristbands, actually designed for runners and bicyclists, and a helmet band. All have stainless steel tag with name, address and phone number attached to it. Can also put contact information and allergies and other medical conditions on it. Wristbands available in rubber or silicone, and four are available in a range of colors.

The YikesID philosophy is that all the information is on the tag when the first responders arrive. They do not have a call-in center to send help. Kids might like the ID Aware, which comes in eight colors and allows you to put an inspirational message on it ($15.99). They claim for their helmet tag: “Our Yikes ID Cyclist tag is the only helmet ID tag that maintains the original streamline design of a rider’s helmet. There’s no dangerous metal near your head. YikesID laser engraves your information into a soft, flexible material that also includes the International Medical Alert symbol, so its purpose is instantly recognized.”

The least expensive and most easily set-up option.

XtremesportsID www. xtremesportsid. com 808-280-6311

$19.95 for wristband and first year of service $9.95 for each year of service

Each Xtreme Sports ID features the medical alert symbol, 800#, and a personal 8-digit ID#. Once purchased and received, simply register your vital information on the website. In the event of an emergency, first responders, who are trained to check for medical alert bracelets, can call the phone number, punch in your 8-digit ID#, and hear a readout of all the submitted info. including name, address, emergency contacts and medical alerts. Offers a “Where Am I?” feature that allows you to update your plans, such as “Riding at Shiloh Mountain, home at 6:00 p.m,” which will play if first responder calls the number on the wristband.

Wristbands available in navy blue, red, or five types of camouflage, in five sizes.

First responder or Good Samaritan has to call the toll-free number, which can still be impossible in large parts of the country, especially in the back country. We would not recommend this for trail riders, for that reason.

www.ridealert.us 540-661-3429

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mounted on your helmet, which notifies your emergency contacts when it senses you’ve fallen.

“Nobody else can alert your location after a head impact without you doing anything,” said Natalie Cagle, director of marketing.

The sensor, about the size and shape of a small walnut, has an accelerometer and a gyroscope inside to gauge velocity and impact. When it senses a head-injury-causing level of these forces, it counts down from 15 seconds to two minutes before alerting the contacts you’ve designated via text message. (The sensor does not call 911.)

“You can only put the sensor on your helmet. You can’t put it on your horse or anywhere else on

body. It’s a super-sophisticated piece of technology designed to sense head injuries,” said Cagle. You can buy multiple mounts from ICEdot so you can move the sensor from helmet to helmet.

As with the Ride Alert system, the drawback to this program is that it relies on cell-phone coverage in the area where you're riding or a landline at the show.

The Ride Alert Triple Pack includes an adjustable wristband, a bridle tag and an auto decal.

Yikes ID. This is the simplest and

The EMT’s View On Emergency IDs Each year, more than 70,000 people visit an emergency room for a horse-related injury. At many equestrian events, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are on-site.

But what proactive steps should equestrians take to assist first responders should an accident occur? According to Bill Bennett, owner of Equestrian Sports Medical Services, which provides trained EMTs to equine events in California, tags and bracelets providing information regarding a rider’s medical history (i.e. heart condition, allergies, diabetes or medications) and contact information are valuable as long as they are up-to-date. A rider’s instructor/trainer should also know if their student has a medical condition. “In a perfect world, trainers would have a card on each of their clients with medical information,” Bennett said.

To avoid potential accusations of theft or an inadvertent violation of a patient’s privacy under the federal law (HIPAA), EMTs are advised not to search a rider’s personal belongings (such as wallet or purse) or cell phone to obtain medical or contact information.

In most states, emergency medical personnel are shielded, at least in varying degrees, from legal liability. Most states have immunity laws, Good Samaritan laws and government tort claims laws, which generally hold that EMTs are protected from liability if they're acting within the scope of their employment, acting in good faith, and do not engage in conduct that is grossly negligent.

Thus, the responsibility for making current contact and medical information readily accessible and provided to all appropriate individuals rests with the rider (or, in the case of a minor, the parent/guardian).

When time is of the essence, EMTs shouldn't have to hunt for contact or medical information. When riding, be proactive. If you have a medical condition, inform those who are in charge where you’re riding.

Wear an up-to-date medical tag or bracelet. Make sure that your information is kept current and readily available.

Susan Quinn, Esq., Contributing Writer

least expensive plan. YikesID.com gives you a choice of wristbands or a band that fits around your helmet’s harness. With YikesID you pay for just the ID bracelet—they have no emergency call-in center.

We liked their Wrist ID Elite, made of Italian silicone and available in black or white. It closes around your wrist just like a watchband, an innovation they developed to allow you to adjust the tightness as your wrist swells or shrinks with exercise. You can easily put it on or take it off without straining the wristband’s material.

The helmet band is called the Cyclist ID, and it fits unobtrusively on your helmet’s harness. The Cyclist ID would be a good option for a rider who doesn’t want to wear a wristband.

Xtremesports ID. This program offers more flexibility than Yikes ID. You can easily update your information online, especially if you want to include your riding or travel plans. You can update, “Oct. 1, riding for about two hours on Shiloh Mountain. Home by 6 p.m.,” or “Driving to Lake Tahoe for trail ride. Gone Friday through Sunday.” This information can be inputted under the “Where am I?” field in the user’s profile.

But the only information contained on the wristbands is a toll-free call-in number, website address and an eight-digit ID. That means that, once first responders

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and emergency personnel arrive, if you’re unconscious, the EMTs must call that number (or use a mobile device to go to the website) and input the ID to find out details about you.

This product was originally designed for bicyclists, but even the roads they travel aren’t fully covered by cell-phone towers. The phone number is an automated system; there is no one on the other end to call for help. In fact, the first thing the recorded voice tells you to do is to call 911 if you’re calling about a medical emergency. The XtremeID would be more useful if they had a staffed call center.

D

oes ID Really Help? The emergency identification companies insist their products could save your life, but our experience and research make us skeptical. The factors that are more likely to make a difference are the type of injury you’ve suffered, the length of time before aid reaches you, and how far you are from a trauma center.

The emergency personnel and legal experts we spoke to agreed that bracelets, armbands and cards containing medical information can be useful to EMTs—if the information is current and accurate. But no EMT is going to rely solely on what’s on that bracelet, armband or card to treat an injured rider.

Some EMTs remove medical IDs because their experience has taught them not to trust them. Their job is to immediately treat the emergency in front of them. We found no law (other than the federal HIPAA law with its privacy provisions) that addresses specifically how first responders can use medical information contained on identification carried by injured persons—for instance, allergies to medicines or having diabetes.

Probably the most useful information contained by these emergency identification methods is whom to call if you’re injured. So wearing something that says, “Please call this person at this phone number if I’m injured” could prevent you from lying alone in a hospital while your family searches for you.

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Bottom Line. Emergency identification programs like these can provide you with peace of mind. But in order for EMTs to trust and use them, we all have to keep the information up-to-date.

As much as we applaud ICEdot's ability to inform someone that you've fallen, it won't work if there's no reliable cell-phone service in the area. Ride Alert and XtremesportsID also rely on phones, whether cell or landline, but the call goes to a staff or autoDo you prefer armbands, as in past years, or bracemated call center. lets?

The YikesID bracelet has the a phone number for your emergency contact person on it, so we learned of the Spot Gen3 Satelwith one phone call the first relite GPS Messenger. This $149.95 sponder is in touch with your condevice links to satellites and sends tact. We like the simplicity of that, a preprogrammed message at the but realize our designated emertouch of a button. The subscription gency person could be unavailable, is $149.99 per year. www.findmesmaking that contact useless. Choospot.com, 866-651-7768. ing one system is not easy, but it's a John Strassburger, choice only you can make.

Performance Editor Editor’s Note: As we go to press,

Now Event Riders Can Choose: Medical Armband or Bracelet The USEA’s new medical rule clarified, with medical ID still required.

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n March 3, the U.S. Eventing Association announced a change to the U.S. Equestrian Federation rule requiring riders to wear a medicalinformation armband while jumping at USEA-sanctioned events. The new rule allows riders to wear either a medical ID bracelet or a traditional armband.

But the USEA release announcing this change only mentioned one brand of medical bracelets, Ride Safe, causing confusion among event riders.

Wayne Quarles, chairman of the USEF Eventing Technical Committee, noted that no specific brand is mentioned in the actual rule. Jo Whitehouse, the USEA’s chief executive officer, said that all brands of medical bracelets are allowed, as long as they contain the information required by the new rule.

Whitehouse added that Ride Safe was named because owner Stephanie Davis is a USEA member, who, along with some upper-level riders on the USEA Board of Directors, suggested the rule change. Ride Safe is now a USEA sponsor.

“They felt it was a much more up-to-date technology and that it was more useful because the information can be much more detailed,” said Whitehouse.

Whitehouse emphasized that medical armbands are still required for all

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competitions sanctioned by the Federation Equestre International (CICs or CCIs). “This is purely a USEF rule. I don’t know when, or if, the FEI might change their rule,” she said.

In November 2013, Horse Journal published an evaluation that included four other brands of medical ID bracelets (LINK). These medical ID bracelets vary in a number of ways, including: Whether the bracelet contains all the information or just your name and the web address for more information; colors and styles of bracelets; depth of medical and contact information on file; and the expense of the bracelet and the amount of the annual fee.

In addition, one brand, ICEdot, also offers a helmet sensor that will automatically alert the designated contact person via text message if you fall.

While the usefulness of medical ID bracelets for trail riders or anyone riding alone is unquestionable, some event riders wonder if they’re as necessary today as they were when armbands were introduced two decades ago. After all, every rider in competition is identified by a number, and all cross-country courses have a controller and safety officer to track each rider’s progress. And in some states, first responders pointedly disregard ID bracelets and armbands for two reasons. First, because their state law does not permit them to rely on such unconfirmed information.

Second, their imperative is to treat the patient in front of them, not to do research.

But both Whitehouse and Quarles said they’ve seen medical armbands used by first responders.

Whitehouse said that the contact information is particularly pertinent for junior riders whose parents aren’t present.

“Every fall I have been present for as an official, the medical card was consulted by the medical team once the initial assessment was done and before being transported or treated,” said Quarles.

The entire rule, which becomes effective April 1, reads: “EV113.3 MEDICAL CARDS/ MEDICAL BRACELETS. An ap-

Two of the wristbands offered by YikesID are the Wrist ID Elite (bottom) and the kidfriendly Aware ID (top).

proved and completed medical card or medical bracelet is required any time while jumping. Medical cards must be enclosed in a transparent, waterproof carrier. Medical cards must be securely attached to the competitor’s upper arm on the outside of the competitor’s clothing.

Medical bracelets must be visible on the competitor’s wrist. Medical cards must include any relevant medical history, injury (particularly to the head), drug allergies and current medication. If wearing a medical bracelet, any relevant medical history injury (particularly to the head), drug allergies and current medication must be included in the online medical form of the bracelet’s vendor website. Athletes are responsible to record all injuries on the card or in the case of a medical bracelet, update their medical information online. Failure to wear one’s own medical card or bracelet shall be penalized by a fine of $100 (payable to the Organizing Committee).”

Article by Performance Editor John Strassburger.

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Driving with Miniature Horses Unless you’re five years old, a Miniature Horse doesn’t make a good riding prospect. So what can you do with your mini? Go for a drive!

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hether you’re going to The horse’s topline should drive a mini that you remain level while in moalready own or purtion and not bounce up and chase a driving prospect, there down. A bouncing gait will be are some things to consider transferred down the shafts to when choosing a mini to drive. the cart, causing a bumpy and First, temperament. All minis uncomfortable ride. will require training to get used If you’re considering showto having a cart behind them, ing, be even more particular but an overly spooky horse will when evaluating the trot. Difbe difficult to desensitize. Beferent styles of motion are betcause the trainer isn’t in direct ter suited to different arenas. contact with the horse when Training and conditioning Many adults are making the switch to minis, and they’re working, fear can be more dancan do a lot, but the best show having a ball doing it! gerous in a driving horse than a horses naturally have moveriding horse. One big spook can ment that is appropriate for tip a cart, potentially resulting in anced musculature can indicate a their division. injury to the horse, rider or both. structural defect that the horse has The third thing to consider is Keep in mind your own abilities to compensate for by changing his gender. Just as is the case with their as well – an experienced horsemovement. A mini with well-musfull-size counterparts, geldings man used to working with difficult cled hind quarters will have more tend to have a consistent, stable perhorses will have an easier time than power, making it easier for him to sonality and may be the best pick an inexperienced horseman who is pull a cart. And a longer neck will for beginners. Mares can be moody trying to learn the ropes, too. be able to flex more easily than one when in season. Stallions often Second, conformation. A mini with a short neck. make the best show horses because with good structure will hold up The ideal driving horse has a their attitude gives them a lot of longer than one with poor strucsmooth trot that he can maintain presence in the ring, but that flair ture. Look for balanced angles and for extended periods of time. His can make them difficult to manage, straight legs. A horse with a steep movement should be balanced. An even in a mini size. If working with shoulder will have a shorter stride, easy way to check balance is to look a stallion, extra training will be while a more laid back shoulder at his hoof prints – the rear hoof necessary to assert that the driver will result in a longer stride. Check should land in the mark left by the is “in charge” and to ensure that he the horse’s muscle tone – unbalfront hoof, or even a little ahead. can behave around other horses.

Competition: When It Feels Right The American Driving Society offers two main categories for competition: Pleasure Driving and Combined Driving Events (CDEs).

Pleasure Driving is the standard show ring setup you might see at fairs. There are many different classes that focus on different skill areas, such as how the driver handles their horse, the ability to navigate an obstacle course, or how the horse works. Classes can be divided by many criteria such as carriage type, the horses’ size, the driver’s age or experience, or the number of horses in the hitch.

CDEs are the three-day eventing of the driving world. All CDEs include a dressage test, cross-country marathon, and obstacle or cones course. Levels are determined by the experience of the horse and driver. Minis are classified as Very Small Equines and have a marathon modified for their size.

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The Harness

Most harnesses include a bridle, breast collar and traces, saddle (or pad), and breaching. A driving bridle should always have blinders to keep your mini from seeing the cart behind him and getting scared.

The breast collar goes across the front of the horse’s chest to enable him to pull the cart, with the traces extending along his body to the cart. The saddle goes over the horse’s withers much like a riding saddle and acts as an anchor for other parts of the harness. These include the girth, crupper, and tugs (the crupper goes under the mini’s tail to help keep the saddle straight,

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Minis can make a great addition to your farm.

and the tugs stabilize the shafts of the cart).

The breaching attaches to the crupper and wraps around behind the mini’s rump, with straps attaching it to the shafts. The job of the breaching is to prevent the cart from coming too far forward and hitting your horse in the rear. In some show settings, the breaching will be removed.

When purchasing a harness, quality is your first concern, as breakage can result in physical injury to the horse and/or any passengers. The staff at Ozark Mountain Miniature Tack & Supplies (www.minitack. com, 888-775-6446) recommend harnesses made in the USA, which will “cost you more, but the consequences of a cheap harness will cost you a lot more in doctor and vet bills,” they warn. Even with a well-made harness, breaks do happen. Check that the company you order your harness from also carries replacement parts.

The harness should be a proper fit

for your mini to ensure that he will be comfortable working in it. Measure your horse before placing an order, and contact the company if you have any questions.

Another option is to take your mini with you to buy a harness at a show where the manufacturer can take measurements in person.

Expect to pay several hundred dollars for a harness, with prices going to $1,000 or more for fancy show harnesses. For beginners, Ozark Mountain recommends their leather Pleasure Harness ($279 to $299), which is durable and suitable for both recreational driving and competitions.

Most harnesses do not include a bit, which run from $16 to $80. The choice depends upon your mini’s needs for comfort and control. If you’re unsure what type or size bit to get for your horse, you need to consult a driving expert in your area.

The Cart

Your cart should be sturdy and balanced to provide the most comfort and safety for both horse and rider.

To test balance, hold the shafts level and have someone sit in the cart.

Weight Limits Not so long ago, miniature horses and other small ponies were used to haul coal in mines. With that in mind, they can pull quite a lot of weight! The general rule of thumb is that a mini can pull three to five times his weight. Fitness and the ground conditions do play a role in this figure, but your mini should have no trouble pulling you in a cart.

You can find out what your mini weighs by measuring his girth. The average mini weights 150 to 250 pounds, which is a heart girth measurement from about 36 to 40 inches.

There should be little-to-no weight on your hands in either direction.

An unbalanced cart that feels heavy will press down on your mini’s back, and one that you have to hold onto to keep from flipping over backward will put upward pressure on your mini’s girth. Both faults will make your horse uncomfortable and will hinder his pulling and moving abilities. When you hitch your mini to the cart, make sure the shafts are level by adjusting the tug straps on his saddle.

Most people that drive with minis use an “easy entry” cart, which is easy for the trainer to step into.

Style and prices vary. A metal easy entry cart will cost from $400 to $700, while wooden carts generally run between $1,000 and $2,000.

Metal carts are great for everyday use, but wooden carts are more appropriate for the show ring.

Four-wheeled vehicles are more expensive, and with minis are usually used with hitches of two or more horses. Two-wheeled styles other than the easy entry tend to be more expensive as well.

The Whip

The whip is necessary for driving, not for discipline, but as a tool to enable the trainer to communicate with and direct the horse. The function of the whip is similar to the trainer’s heels when riding. Light, well-placed taps act as signals for your horse to turn or speed up. The whip’s role is so important that the human handler of a driving horse is often called a “whip.”

Getting Started

There are many steps to teaching your horse to drive, and it will require lots of practice and patience.

First, your mini needs to be familiarized with the harness. Start off by draping a rope across his back to get him accustomed to the sensation, working up to having the actual harness buckled on. He should be able to be touched lightly all over his body without spooking.

This will make him comfortable with the harness and cart rubbing against him when driving. He will also need to be taught to accept and respond to the bit, just like when

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training a riding horse.

Once your mini is comfortable with the harness, groundwork begins. This stage of training sets the foundation for everything that your horse will need to know – steering, pulling, and making turns. Initially the trainer walks behind the horse while handling the reins to practice changing gaits and steering. This is called ground driving. Some trainers also like to work their horses in a round pen at this stage. The rings on the saddle allow for you to still steer the horse normally while standing to the side. Then it is time to introduce weight, such as slowly dragging a small log as he works.

To start introducing the idea of the shafts, trainers use a travois, generally made with PVC pipes. One end of each pipe is attached to the saddle while the other end drags behind. When he is comfortable dragging the travois, you can introduce turns. To make a turn in either a cart or travois, he has to push into one shaft rather than bending his body as he would walking normally.

Familiarize your mini with the sight and sound of the cart. Park it nearby when training, and let him look at it. Also let him watch the cart moving. If you have other driving minis, he can watch you work another horse. Otherwise just pull it around yourself, moving up to pulling the cart with one hand while leading your horse with the other.

When bringing the cart up close, go slowly. Start off by just raising the shafts over your horse’s back.

Work up to “cheat hitching,” or sliding the shafts through the tug straps without attaching the traces to the cart. This will allow you to get you mini free of the cart quickly if he gets scared. At this point, you can modify your groundwork by walking behind the cart with the reins extending over it. Be sure that you and your horse are totally confident with this stage before moving to a formal hitch.

When hitching for the first time, have a helper hold your mini’s head for extra control. Whether you have a helper or not, always hold onto the reins. Should your mini get loose and start to run, he could get scared and possibly injured. Always keep 22

Miniature horses may be little, but they’re big on personality.

him under control.

Review how to hitch the harness to the cart ahead of time, and keep a reference (or experienced driver) on hand in case you forget what to do. Once your mini is hitched, ground drive like you did while he was cheat hitched. Start by going straight, and then ask for some slight turns. You want this to be a positive experience for your horse, so only ask him to do things that you know he can do.

If he ever does get scared and you’re concerned about his safety, unhitch him and do something easier, like dragging the log or ground driving with the travois. Never end a training session on a bad note – always end by asking your horse to do something that he can be successful at.

The next step is to add a person to the cart. A helper is ideal for this step. Have your helper put one foot on the cart and lean on it. If your mini accepts the weight calmly, the helper can step fully into the cart. Continue to ground drive with the passenger. If all is calm, you can then have your helper exit the cart and slowly step in yourself. As always, if your mini starts to get nervous, go back a step to make him more comfortable. Before long, you and your mini will be a great driving team.

Bottom Line.

While arenas are a great place to start and practice new skills, driving out in the world is fun and rewarding. You can drive on trails nearby or trailer your cart and mini to horse-friendly parks.

Whenever you and your mini are out driving, be aware of your surroundings. Try to introduce things that you might encounter (such as dogs, cars, bicyclists, etc) while working at home in a familiar place.

Article by Contributing Writer Kate Eldredge.

Conditioning Still Counts Whether your mini is overweight or just out of shape from the winter, you will need to start a conditioning program. The intensity of your program will depend on your goals – if you want to enter Combined Driving Events and do marathons, your mini will need a structured workout schedule, whereas if you will just be driving around home for fun, it can be more laid back. Be sure that his hooves are trimmed and that his coat is either fully shed out or clipped to prevent overheating.

Start out with short sessions, alternating between the walk and trot.

Then gradually increase the length and difficulty of your sessions by having the horse trot for longer periods of time and adding in hills and other challenging terrain. It is important not to rush. As a general rule of thumb, work the same amount and at the same difficulty level for a week before making changes.

For an example of a detailed conditioning schedule, check out http:// www.minihorsecde.com/CDEConditioningSchedule.htm.

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Miniature Horses Require Full-Size Care Minis aren’t ponies and they aren’t full-size horses. A true mini is a breed in itself.

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iniature horses are increasingly common across the land. In fact, the American Miniature Horse Association is one of the fastest growing horse groups in the nation (www.amha.org).

You may spot minis as mascots at show barns, trimming the grass in suburban neighborhoods, in their own show barns and even acting as seeing-eye guides for people with visual handicaps (www.guidehorse. com). Our own miniature horse came home at age three in the back of our minivan—how fitting!

Before you venture into the world of minis, though, there are some care and health concerns you need to consider. Miniature horses are equines, but they’re separate from regular horses and ponies in more ways than size.

When you ask mini horse owners about health concerns, a couple of topics come up immediately.

Weight problems (as in obesity, rarely being too thin), problems with teeth or bites, liver disease and some orthopedic problems are quickly brought up. Dwarfism can show up in any equine breed, but it’s also more common in minis.

Weight Issues. Weight, particu-

larly obesity, is huge. Those elegant show minis are kept on strict diets and given regular and full workouts virtually every day. A dry lot is the free-exercise area of choice.

But minis are still horses and therefore need fiber and forage for a healthy intestinal tract. So, you do need to feed some hay—figure about 1% of body weight, so a 200lb. mini will get 2 lbs. of hay. You can substitute in some beet pulp for some hay, but all horses need roughage and forage.

Pasture in limited amounts, along with carefully controlled amounts of hay, provides plenty of good

Many minis have trouble maintaining proper weight.

nutrition for the average mini. No need to spend money on grain! An overweight mini is stressing many body systems. You want your mini fit and trim.

To feed your mini properly, you need an accurate weight. Most minis weigh around 200 pounds.

If your feed store has a large walkon scale, you may be able to take your mini there. The weight tapes commonly used for regular horses are even less accurate for minis.

Fortunately, Kentucky Equine Research (www.ker.com) has developed equations for using weight

tape measurements to come up with accurate numbers (see sidebar).

You also need to exercise your mini. Left to his own devices, your mini will happily stroll the pasture stuffing in grass as fast as he can all day. Try to establish a daily routine of longeing, driving or even hand walking your mini.

Weighty Item: Meds. Having an accurate weight on your mini is important for other reasons as well. Figuring out the correct dose of dewormer or any medication or supplement depends on having the right weight. And, since they’re smaller, you don’t have as much leeway as you do with a regularsize horse.

When it comes to vaccinations, mini horses are in a bit of a muddle.

They’re equines and should receive the basic horse core vaccines as outlined in the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) guidelines—tetanus, rabies, Eastern and Western influenza for sure and also often West Nile virus. But here’s the kicker—there is limited data on the use of any equine vaccines in miniature horses. So technically, your veterinarian is working “off label.”

Realistically, your mini horse needs protection from these diseases. By law, he may be required to have a rabies vaccination. So you don’t have much of a choice.

Some veterinarians feel the prime

KER’s Weight-Tape Equation To measure girth, place the tape just behind the front legs and over the withers. Pull the tape snug but not tight enough to depress the flesh. For height, stand the horse squarely on level ground or pavement and measure the vertical distance from the ground to the top of the withers. If there is a question as to the exact location of the withers, allow the horse to lower his head and neck as if to graze and measure to the highest point in front of the saddle area. The tape should be kept perpendicular to the ground, not laid against the horse. Length is measured from the middle of the horse’s chest, along the side, and around to a point under the center of the tail. Use the measurements (in inches) in one or more of the following equations: 1. (Girth x 9.36) + (length x 5.01) - 348.53 = body weight in pounds.

2. (Girth x 11.68) + (height x 2.85) - 357.26 = body weight in pounds.

3. (Girth x 13.18) - 326.07 = body weight in pounds.

Visit Kentucky Equine Research at www.ker.com for more information.

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change to make is to cut the dose slightly for minis due to the size difference. Others give the full dose as stated on the vaccine insertions.

Discuss this with your vet.

More Health Issues. Liver problems aren’t common in most horses but can rear their ugly heads in minis. Hyperlipemia (fats in the bloodstream) and hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) often go hand in hand in overweight minis, especially if they get stressed.

In hyperlipemia, a mini mobilizes fat stored in the body to use for energy. At some point, the amount of fat being mobilized becomes too much for the liver to process and fats are released into the blood.

The first sign of this disease is often going off feed. This can also be the first sign of colic, so call your vet immediately.

This is a rare case where grain feeding is encouraged. You want carbohydrate-rich foods to provide an easy-to-digest energy source while the liver works on the excess fats. Rich hay or top-notch pasture will also help. For minis who don’t eat, IV nutrition may be required.

Once treatment is underway, you need to determine what stressed your mini and remove the cause.

Hepatic lipidosis is the next step along the way with this problem.

The fats in the liver interfere with normal liver functions. Your miniature horse may stop eating, colic, look jaundiced or yellow when you check his eyes or gums, develop swelling of his legs or show neurologic signs such as behavior changes or even a coma.

Many minis will die despite care with intravenous nutrients, insulin to slow down fat movement, and heparin to help move fats out of the bloodstream. We can’t stress enough that it’s important to react immediately if you feel your mini is showing any signs of this illness.

Conformation Issues. Orthopedic problems can show up in minis. Foals with severe dwarfism characteristics tend to have more orthopedic problems. Mini foals may be born with tendon and ligament laxity or tightness. With 24

laxity, the joints will need support until the soft tissues firm up. With tightness, there will be contracture, requiring gentle stretching of the affected areas. Since mini foals grow so rapidly, it’s critical that you call your vet as soon as you suspect a leg deformity.

Angular limb deformities such as toeing out or in can be caused by bone growth disturbances or lax tendons and ligaments. These conditions can usually be helped by bandaging, splinting or adding supports to the hoof or limb to change angles. If your mini foal needs some of this care, be prepared for frequent vet visits and bandage changes. The rapid growth means splints can easily become too tight.

You don’t want secondary sores or infections to deal with in addition to the primary problem.

Miniature horses are more likely to have problems with their patellas (knee caps) than the average horse.

The patella can get “locked” and leave your mini with his rear leg extended and unable to flex at the hock or stifle. Generally, this will fix itself in a short time, but it will keep recurring. Surgery and exercise to build up muscles around the area can help.

Minis are also prone to patella luxation where the knee cap slides to the outside instead of staying

A dry-lot turnout is the best place for your mini to spend most of his time.

straight in the groove down the stifle joint. While this can be a traumatic injury, it is most commonly seen in mini foals shortly after birth. The foal will have trouble standing or moving and will keep his stifle flexed. You can feel the abnormal “bump” on the outside of the stifle joint. Luckily minis are small enough that surgery can often repair the problem.

Bottom Line. Most minis are hardy little horses who go through life with minimal problems. And they are attractive and fun! Keep your mini at a reasonable weight, fit and active. As always, prevention is better than treatment.

Article by Contributing Veterinary Editor Deb Eldredge DVM, who owns a mini driving horse.

Mini Dental Work Miniatures are prone to having abnormal bites, which means the incisors don’t meet in front, they are mismatched. In a “sow mouth,” the upper jaw is shorter than the bottom jaw. In a “parrot mouth,” the upper jaw is longer than the bottom. These malformations can lead to changes in the wear of the teeth further back in the mouth, such as the premolars and molars.

Miniatures often need more frequent floatings than regular horses, including every year for the first four years of his life. This is especially true for foals and young minis—where enamel or transverse ridges may cause the jaw to lock and develop abnormally.

A knowledgeable veterinarian may correct young minis with bites that are “off” with the use of wires. Those horses should not be shown in conformation classes or bred, however, as the genetic defect will be passed on even if the mini now looks normal.

Finally, miniatures are more likely to retain parts of their baby teeth.

These “caps” can interfere with normal chewing but can usually be removed with care and mild sedation.

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Sunbleaching vs. Dark Summer Coats It’s the UV rays, of course, but a supplement may help.

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un bleach isn’t inevitable.

While genetics do play a role - and we can’t do anything about that - there are measures to help your horse’s coat stay glossy and true to its color.

First, it’s important to understand just a little about the horse’s hair.

Under a microscope, a hair in crosssection has three distinct layers.

The outer layer is the cuticle, which is composed of overlapping cells, called scales, arranged like shingles on a roof. On its surface is a layer of fatty acids, which repels water and tightly seals the shaft.

The next layer is the cortex, which contains the pigment of the hair. At its center is a hollow area called the medulla, which used to house the blood vessels feeding the hair root.

There are two pigments in hair, eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin predominates in chestnuts and other light-colored coats, while bays, browns and blacks have high levels of pheomelanin. The purpose of the melanin pigments is to protect the hair from protein damage caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun will break down the structure of melanin, or destroy it completely. his changes the way light reflects off the hair, causing the color change. And there are many ways to limit your horse’s exposure to UV rays.

Management

Of course, the tried-and-true method is turnout at night. The

downside, of course, is mosquito exposure, and that’s something to take very seriously. If you’re going to turnout at night, we recommend the use of Mosquito Halt fly spray.

Spring’s green grass is a natural remedy to coat problems, earning its nickname “Dr. Green.” Horses on good pasture get shiny, glossy coats quickly at this time of year.

The downside is weight control, of course.

Be sure to keep your horse’s coat clean. Sweat is a huge factor in sun bleaching. If you don’t bathe your horse after each sweaty ride, you should at least rinse the sweat off of his body. A few ounces of liniment in the water bucket will help break through the sweat, but don’t overdo it as liniment can be drying to the coat, too.

Avoid harsh, alkaline shampoos, like dishwashing detergents.

Yes, they’re inexpensive and cut through greasy dirt well, but they’re too harsh for your horse’s coat. Equine shampoos aren’t that much more expensive. Good choices include: · Corona Concentrate Shampoo · Lucky Braids · Absorbine ShowSheen Shampoo

UV Protection

There are products that help with UV protection, too, but be sure to read labels and realize that sweat, rain and dirt all wear away the protection.

The simplest choice is to choose

Consider This . . .

■ Copper and zinc protect coats from fading by supporting pigment production. Paprika is an anecdotal legend.

■ Sometimes a lack of fat can cause coat problems.

Flaxseed is an economical source of good fat.

■ Dried sweat can damage the coat, so rinse after exercise.

For the most part, the differences we could see in our previous field-trial horses’ coats were more a matter of shine and overall quality than a color change or darkening.

The top photo is a before the field-trial, and the bottom one is at the end of the trial, after the horse received the commercial supplement.

a fly spray with UV protection.

Among the best choices are: · Aloe Herbal Fly Repellent Concentrate · TRI-Tec 14 Fly Repellent · UltraShield EX. If you don’t use fly spray, you may consider a sunscreen for horses, such as: · Healthy HairCare Sunflower Sun Screen· Human sunscreen products can be used, too, but be careful. We’ve had good luck with: · Banana Boat SPF 30 Zinc oxide ointment/cream can be used, too, but we doubt you’d want to cover your horse in it!

While we have a fly sheets field

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trial in its final stages, these fly sheets list fairly high UV protection percentages on their labels. These sheets are good choices for UV protection: · Weatherbeeta Kool Coat · SmartPak · HorseWare Mio · Kensington Platinum · Schneider’s Saddlery InterLock Mesh · Kensington Platinum · English Riding Supply Ovation Athletic.

Nutrition: Protection From The Inside Out

Two of the most common equine dietary mineral deficiencies are zinc and copper, and both impact heavily on melanin production.

Copper is essential for the enzymes that produce eumelanin, and both copper and zinc are needed to manufacture pheomelanin. The presence of the deficiencies is made even worse by commonly encountered high levels of manganese and iron, which compete in the horse’s body with copper and zinc for absorption and then worsens the deficiency.

Signs of deficiency of copper and zinc include: · Red/rusty ends on black manes and tails. · A brownish discoloration around the eyes on bays, brown, blacks. · Loss of dapples. · New coat in the spring or winter appears darker, more vibrant.

Problems with hoof quality and a predisposition toward developing thrush may also be noted. If you notice these things, your horse will likely sun bleach, and you may want to take a serious look at his diet.

The ideal way to correct a deficiency is to have your hay or pasture analyzed, then work with a nutritionist to design a program that meets all mineral minimums and also keep the iron:copper:zinc: manganese ratio 4:1:3:3. This means four times more iron than copper, three times more zinc and manganese than copper, zinc and manganese equal.

But this isn’t always practical, so 26

you can add copper and zinc may be added individually, or as part of a multi-ingredient supplement.

They are included in good hoof/coat products, including: If you’re feeding no mineral supplements or supplemented grains, start with 200 mg of copper and 750 mg of zinc. If you use a supplement or supplemented grain but untested hay, try half these amounts, 100 mg of copper and 375 mg zinc as your starting point. If you don’t see changes within two weeks or so, start increasing the amounts by 50 mg of copper and 200 mg of zinc.

Like hoof wall, hair is predominantly protein (keratin) so exposure to UV radiation from the sun can also cause changes in the structural protein of hair, and drying. This can expose the pigment directly to light and air, speeding up its destruction. To help protect the hair, make sure horses not on good pasture are supplemented with flaxseed at a rate of 6 oz./day, for essential fatty acids.

While all commercial coat supplements have claims of better color, they’re not necessarily geared to prevent fading. The major ingredient in all of them is a source of fat, often from high-fat seed meals like soy or flax. This will definitely help sheen, especially for horses that are not getting pasture. Remember, too, that your hoof supplement is likely providing most of the same nutrients as a good coat supplement.

There’s probably no reason to buy both.

Key amino acids (L-lysine, D,Lmethionine) and B vitamins helps protect from shortfalls that influence protein metabolism. Vitamins A and D are critical for skin health, but not likely to be deficient except with very old hays. Many commercial products have added copper or zinc, but few specify the amount, and since a horse’s needs vary depending on what is already in the diet, a one-size-fits-all-fix is unlikely.

We did a summer field trial of commercial coat supplements for protecting color, but we didn’t find a magic bullet. All the trial horses showed a higher shine, but actual color change was judged to be mini-

mal, compared to horses not on the trial but in the same barn with similar management.

Bottom Line

The best way to ensure an enviable summer coat is to combine efforts inside and outside the horse: Follow our management tips, above, to help minimize UV exposure.

Take a good look at your horse’s diet and consider what nutritional supplements might best fit his individual needs.

Other than money, there’s no strong reason not to try the coatdarkening supplements, as they did create glossier coats. We saw minimal changes in actual coat color, however, but if you’re going to try one, the sooner you begin, the better your odds. It takes time for a horse’s coat to show the benefits.

We feel choices with a flaxseed base give you the benefit of the fattyacid protection as well, such as the products from Horse Tech.

Remember that many hoof supplements make excellent all-around supplements, and that includes a healthy coat. This is not surprising, since the horse’s coat and hooves both require the same key nutrients. We are working on a hoof supplement update article, so stay tuned.

If you’re truly on a budget, the easiest and least expensive method is to pay specific attention to copper and zinc. You can find these individual ingredients at Uckele Animal Health and Horse-Tech.

Article by Horse Journal.

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Scratches Treatment And Prevention If your horse is prone to scratches, use preventive measures in wet and mud. For new cases, we know what products are truly effective.

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o matter the name . . . scratches or dew poisoning or greasy heel . . . that mixed bacterial, sometimes fungal, skin condition that occurs most commonly on the back of the pasterns but can creep around to the front in some cases is a major pain. Annoying pain for you and real pain for your horse, especially if it develops deep, infected cracks.

Scratches can occur from standing in an excessively moist or dirty environment (stalls that haven’t been cleaned, muddy paddock, etc.) or constant walking through mud and wet, scratchy grass. Skin can split and bleed in severe cases, but more commonly horses just have very itchy scabs with thickened, flaky skin.

The condition is widely prevalent in draft horses and Friesians because their feathers prevent air from getting to the pastern area to dry it out. A bad case of scratches can sometimes occur on the front legs behind the carpus (knee). Better to clip the hair (YES! Feathers too because they will grow back!) and treat the area with the medications that your veterinarian recommends.

Our veterinarians have noted in the past that horses with foot/lower leg problems are more susceptible to scratches, probably because the inflammatory response is already activated from the other problem.

Skin may also be more sensitive when it is inflamed or when slightly irritating topical treatments are applied to the leg.

Treatment of Mild Cases

At the first sign of scratches, which might be crusty bumps, gently wash the area with a tea-tree-based sheath cleaner (it works great!).

within a few days, you’ll need to get more aggressive with the topical treatment for better antimicrobial effect.

Aggressive Cases

The antimicrobial properties of the cleaner will help eliminate mild infection. Note: Some horses are sensitive to tea-tree oil, so do a 24hour spot test first, if you’ve never used it on your horse before.

The sheath cleaner will help soften and loosen the crusts if you allow it to remain on the pasterns for five minutes or so before rinsing off. The crusts should rinse off without any painful scrubbing or pulling. One rule of thumb: Don’t scratch “scratches!” If you further irritate the skin, you can drive the infection deeper and really stir the hornet’s nest.

Rinse well then dry the area as best you can, using a terrycloth towel or a blow dryer if your horse doesn’t mind. Wrapping, at least overnight, can help control swelling and keep the area clean. You can soothe the skin with an emollient (see products list below). Cover it with a non-adherent wrap, like a Telfa pad or a diaper to protect the area and promote healing.

If the condition doesn’t clear

If the area is swollen, hot and red with open cracks in the skin with red interiors, you have an infection brewing. Bacteria, fungi or both are likely involved when it escalates to this level. Organisms may gain access to the deeper layers of skin and cause a cellulitis, which may require the help of your veterinarian. Wraps or exercise — anything that increases circulation and heat in the leg — can worsen the condition.

Bacterial infections require topical antibiotic creams (we mean a “real” antibiotic, such as Bacitracin or another over-the-counter antibiotic wound cream). Rub into both the area of scratches and any swelling on the leg.

You may need to try a couple of remedies before you find the one effective against your horse’s case of scratches. Give the treatment three days to work and, if you see no improvement in the scratches, switch remedies. Still no improvement, consult your veterinarian.

The longer scratches go untreated, the more pain for your horse, and the more difficult they are to heal.

Bottom Line

If you know you’re going to be working your horse through mud and wet fields, you can use Desitin, Corona, zinc oxide cream, aloe gels. or even plain petroleum jelly to help protect the area. In addition, clip away the long fetlock hair as a preventive measure. Remember, that wet hair holds in mud and moisture.

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If your horse does get scratches, keep the area clean and dry, and apply the treatment daily at the very first sign. Start simple with cleansing, drying, application of your treatment choice (see product recommendations) and practice moisture control with clipping .

Protect the area with Corona or Desitin ointment. It may be just enough to do the trick.

If you’re in a pinch, we’d start with either the 50:50 mixture of Clotrimazole (over the counter generic) and a triple antibiotic wound

Horse Journal Recommended Products for Mild-to-Moderate Scratches Product

Comments Best Topicals For Treatment and Prevention

A&D Ointment $12/16 oz.

Available at your local pharmacy

Healing. Good barrier effect, so helps stop moisture from gaining access to area. Very soothing.

Bag Balm $9/10 oz. www.bagbalm.com

Softens area. Good barrier effect, so helps stop moisture from gaining access to area. Healing. Antiseptic.

Corona Ointment $11/14 oz. www.coronaproducts.com

Softens, soothes, protects and helps heal. Effective moisture barrier for protection and prevention. Mildy antiseptic.

Desitin Ointment $14/16 oz.

Available at your local pharmacy

Softens, soothes, protects and helps heal. Good moisture barrier.

Healing Salve 1 $25/8 oz.

Zephyr’s Garden www.zephyrsgarden.com

Thick salve with good barrier effect. Strong conditioning and soothing. Helps prevent infections. Also available in a sensitive-horse formulation.

Zim’s Crack Crème $6/2.7 oz.

Available at your local pharmacy

Soothes, moisturizes. Offers some pain control. Use with an outer moisture control barrier, like Vaseline.­

Vetericyn Spray $30/16 oz. www.vetericyn.com

Awesome spectrum of activity against fungus and bacteria. Hydrogel adheres well. Not a moisture barrier.

Best Skin-Treatment Systems Mirco-Tek System $23/22 oz. spray; $24/32 oz. shampoo www.eqyss.com

Shampoo and spray system. Effective antimicrobial.

Absorbine Medicated Shampoo and Spray Wint Pack $20/2-pack 16 oz. each www.absorbine.com

Shampoo and spray system. Effective antimicrobial.

Contains chloroxylenol and tea tree oil.

Best Cleanser Choice Excalibur Sheath and Udder Cleaner $10/16 oz. www.farnamhorse.com

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Tea-tree oil based cleanser. Made for sheaths and udders, but works great on cleaning scratches and loosening scabs.

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