EQUINE WELLNESS
Equine
Your natural resource!
WELLNESS
SPECIAL ISSUE:
Barn &Farm BUILDING A PADDOCK
Paradise
DEVELOPING A
Herd Health
PROGRAM
Cool
KEEP YOUR
How to manage your horse’s hydration
REBUILDING
CONFIDENCE
AFTER A FALL
Display until October 8, 2012
Raindrop THERAPY
Fire!
Help your fire department help you
GIVE DUST THE
dust-off
WHAT COMES NATURALLY An interview with
Uta Gräf
VOLUME 7 ISSUE 4
$5.95 USA/Canada
august/september
EquineWellnessMagazine.com equine wellness
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Contents 51
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Features 10 Get WItH tHe proGram
What works for some horses doesn’t work for all. Developing a herd health program means taking each herd and individual horse into consideration.
14 roaDsIDe emerGenCIes
What if you had to pull your rig off the highway to handle an emergency? Here’s what to do and how to stay safe.
18 sHoulDn’t I Be oVer tHIs BY noW? Rebuilding confidence after a fall.
22 FIre!
Wise farm owners pre-plan for horse barn fires. Helping your fire department help you can mean the difference between lives saved or lost.
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26 WHat aBout oIls?
42 more to loVe
30 tHat’s a Wrap!
46 let It raIn
Many people add oil as a top dress to their hard keepers’ rations – but do you really understand the differences between oils, and what to look for?
Body Wrap techniques can enhance your horse’s self-awareness, balance and coordination.
34 WHat Comes naturallY
Horse-friendly training and natural horsemanship are the two keys Uta Gräf and Stefan Schneider credit for keeping their competitive horses such happy athletes.
38 GIVe Dust tHe Dust-oFF
Have a dusty arena? Here’s a look at some solutions – the good and the bad.
Draft breeds are often overlooked and frequently end up in challenging situations, but one rescue is coming to the aid of these gentle giants.
Equine Raindrop Therapy may not be widely known, but this non-invasive modality is an excellent adjunct to other treatments used to help correct defects in the spine, minimize back pain, and strengthen your horse’s immune system.
51 Keep Your Cool – part tWo
Managing hydration and thermoregulation in warm environments is crucial to your horse’s health and performance.
56 CreatInG paraDIse
Building a Paddock Paradise for your horses can help simulate the natural movement and foraging habits of their wild ancestors.
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Departments
Columns 8
6 Editorial
Neighborhood news
40 Hot to trot
33 Product picks
55 Book reviews
49 Equine Wellness resource guide
59 Marketplace 61 Classifieds 62
Events
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Roadside
Emergencies
What if you had to pull your rig off the highway to handle an emergency? WItH u.s. rIDer eQuestrIan motor plan Here’s what to do and how to stay safe. Traveling with horses can be a bit nerve-wracking at times, particularly if you find yourself in a situation where you need to make a sudden unplanned stop. This step-by-step procedure will help keep you and your horses safe in case you need to take care of a roadside emergency.
Pull over safely If you’re on a major highway, freeway, expressway or multilane road, knowing how to safely stop your rig can mean the difference between life or death. Ease onto the right shoulder. If you feel there’s something wrong with your truck or trailer, slow down, turn on your right turn signal and emergency flashers, and ease into the far right lane. From there, you should be able to safely pull off the highway and onto the right shoulder if available. Look for a wide spot, and keep your emergency flashers on. Stay off the median. Never pull into the center divider area of the road, regardless of how wide and stable it may look. Get off the freeway. If you think you can drive a short distance, try to get completely off the freeway.
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Consider the off ramp. Some off ramps feature a large grassy area that can be used as an emergency parking spot. Watch for sprinkler heads, and pull off the road as far as is safely possible. Look for off-street parking. If there’s no shoulder, or you can’t tell if the shoulder’s terrain will support your rig – and you can keep moving – look for another stopping place, such as a shopping center parking lot, an open field, or a gas station. Leave your horse inside. Never unload your horse from the trailer on a busy highway (unless absolutely critical) – it’s just too risky. If the horses are down, leave them. Although that sounds harsh, whatever injuries they have suffered probably won’t worsen – but they will if they get hit by a passing motorist. Turn off the engine. Once stopped, turn off the engine. Relax, and take a few deep breaths; if you’re calm, you’ll deal better with the emergency. Step out carefully. Before you get out of your vehicle, check your rearview mirrors for oncoming traffic. As you step out, stay as close as possible to the side of your rig. Check your vehicle on both sides to determine the problem.
ight flares. Estimate how far off the pavement edge you’re parked. Most L states require you to set flares if you’re within five feet of the pavement’s edge. However, for visibility, it’s best to set flares any time you’re forced to pull onto the shoulder of the road (you can use reflector triangles in a pinch). Ideally, place four flares behind your trailer and two in front of your tow vehicle. alm your horse. Talk to your horses through the trailer windows. Keep your voice C calm and reassuring. And don’t open trailer doors – excess noise can cause the horses to panic, and opening the doors may make them think you’re unloading.
Fix the problem or call for service If you know what you’re doing and are completely off the road, you can get out your emergency kit and fix the problem. Otherwise, call for emergency roadside service. When considering membership in an emergency roadside service plan, query your local agent about the following considerations. Know that not all companies will work with your trailer and/or horses – so ask these questions ahead of time. • Size restrictions. Is there a restriction on tow vehicle size/weight to qualify for coverage? • Towing services. If towing is required, what distance will the plan cover and how will the bill be paid? Will the trailer also be towed? Is there a restriction on trailer size/ weight? May the trailer be loaded with horses? • Fuel/water. Will the service supply fuel (gasoline/diesel) and water? • Lockouts. Will the service open your tow vehicle and/or trailer in case you get locked out? • F lat tires. Will the service change a dually flat? Tires with split rims? Are there any tire size restrictions? Will the service cover trailer flats? •A vailability. Is the service available 24/7, including holidays? Is it available everywhere, such as out of state, across the nation, on United State Forest Service roads? • C ost. What’s the cost difference between service levels? (You might need to choose, for instance, among “basic”, “expanded” and “deluxe” service plans.) Is there a toll-free emergency roadside service number?
Get back on the road Once you’ve taken care of the problem, or have called for assistance, your next challenge will be to get back into traffic flow. Don’t expect anyone to stop for you – you’ll need to achieve highway speed. Here’s how: Turn on lights. Turn on your left turn signal and emergency flashers. Ease forward. Turn on your engine, and ease forward. Build speed. Start building speed on the shoulder of the road. heck your mirrors. Keep looking into rearview mirrors on both sides. As you do, C check the shoulder ahead to make sure you’re safe. Merge. When you see a break in the traffic – or you see someone slow down or move over for you (watch for the flashing headlights signal) – move into the flow of traffic, then turn off your left turn signal. Once you’ve reached the speed limit, equine wellness
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