2015
SEMINAR NOTES
STUD MIDDLE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
STUD MIDDLE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Schedule of lectures
2-5
LECTURES Lecture 1: The dry mare
6-15
Lecture 2: Pregnancy assessment and maintenance
16-23
Lecture 3: The wet mare
24-30
Lecture 4: Insights into the foaling mare
31-44
Lecture 5: Routine foal care
45-58
Lecture 6: Deworming and vaccinations in the horse
59-87
Lecture 7: Care of horses teeth
88-95
Lecture 8: Equine nutrition
96-103
Lecture 9: A Horses foot
104-115
Lecture 10: Foal confirmation and correction
116-137
Lecture 11: X-Rays and scoping
138-152
Lecture 12: Weanling to sale ring
153-156
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
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STUD MIDDLE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders NSW Breeders
Schedule of lectures DAY 1: Tuesday 4th August 2015 Time
Session
8.30 –
Registration and coffee
9.00am
Introduction
9.00 – 10.00am
Speaker Derek Field
Lecture 1: The dry mare
Vet. Jim Rodger
Basic Anatomy
BVMs MRCVSc FACVSc
Cyclicity Routine Pregnancy diagnosis
Morning Tea Break
Thanks to our sponsors
10.30 –
Lecture 2: Pregnancy assessment and
Dr Joan Carrick
11.30am
maintenance
BVSc MVSc PhD
10.00 – 10.30am
“Tartuca Espresso Bar”
Why assess & maintain pregnancies? What causes poor placentas? How to assess the pregnant mare?
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
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STUD MIDDLE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
11.30 – 12.30pm
Lecture 3: The wet mare Foal heat
Vet. Sean Finan MVB
Lactational Anoestrus “Problem mares”
12.30 –
Lunch Break
1.30pm 1.30 – 2.30pm
Thanks to our sponsors “The Hunted Gourmet”
Lecture 4: Insights into the foaling mare
Vet. Wendy Perriam
Stages of parturition
BSc BVMS MANZCVSc CMAVA
Post foaling evaluation
Verna Metcalfe
The placenta 2.30 – 3.30pm
Lecture 5: Routine foal care The normal foal
Vet. Niamh Collins MVB MSc DipECEIM
Common diseases in the first month Neonatal syndrome
3.30 –
Afternoon Tea Break
4.00pm
Thanks to our sponsors “Tartuca Espresso Bar”
4.00 –
Lecture 6: Deworming and vaccinations in the
Dr Catherine Chicken
5.00pm
horse
BVSc MANZCVS PhD
Internal parasite control (deworming) Disease control & vaccination strategies 5.00pm
Lectures closed
John Sunderland
5.00 –
An opportunity for participants to speak with
“Mystery Guest”
7.00pm
lecturers and our 'Special Guest Speaker' over a light meal and drinks.
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
Dinner thanks to our sponsors “The Hunted Gourmet”
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STUD MIDDLE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
DAY 2: Wednesday 5th August 2015 Time 8.15–
Session Registration and coffee
Speaker David Merrick
8.30am 8.30 – 9.30am
Lecture 7: Care of horses teeth Anatomy
Vet. Sam Nugent BVSc
The importance of equine dentistry Common dental abnormalities 9.30 – 10.30am
Lecture 8: Equine nutrition Essential nutrients in broodmare & growing
Dr Caroline Foote BSc.Agr.MSc. PhD
foal rations Nutrition & skeletal disease in foals The value of Australian pastures
10.30 –
Morning Tea Break
Thanks to our sponsors
Lecture 9: A ‘Horses foot’
Vet. Luke Wells-Smith
11.00am 11.00 – 12.00pm
Anatomy
“Tartuca Espresso Bar”
BVSc
Maintenance Common foot problems 12.00 – 1.00pm
Lecture 10: Foal conformation and correction Angular limb deformities in foals
Michael ‘Spook’ Neville Master Farrier
Common ALD conditions in foals Corrective procedures
1.00 –
Lunch Break
2.00pm
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
Thanks to our sponsors “The Hunted Gourmet”
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STUD MIDDLE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
2.00 –
Lecture 11: X-Rays and scoping
3.00pm
Survey radiographs “How, Why & When?”
Vet. Angus Adkins BVSc FACVSc
Scoping at the sales Conditions which cancel sale 3.00 –
Lecture 12: Weanling to sale ring
4.00pm
Sam Fairgray
Vendor Sales Company At the sales
4.00 –
Open discussion (Tea & Coffee available)
4.30pm
Collection of course critiques (Survey)
4.30pm
David Merrick
Close of Seminar
The Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Assoc. and NSW Breeders along with the Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre wishes to thank all our Speakers and Special Guests.
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
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STUD MIDDLE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
Lecture 1:
The dry mare
Jim Rodger BVMs MRCVSc FACVSc
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
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STUD MIDDLE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
Pregnancy Assessment and Maintenance Dr Joan Carrick, Specialist in Equine Medicine, Scone, NSW WHY ASSESS AND MAINTAIN PREGNANCIES?
Abortion and the delivery of sick weak or small foals is a significant source of loss for the thoroughbred breeding industry. The prevention of these losses by regular assessment and early treatment can save the industry a large amount of money each year. Costs to Stallion owners The majority of service fees in this region offer a free return, so although the stallion owners have been paid the service fee, any covering option for the next season that is used by a mare that has aborted is taking the place of a new fee paying mare. For stallions with high service fees this can result in the potential loss of millions of dollars a season. Costs to Mare Owners It costs each mare owner significant amounts of money to pay for feed, veterinary fees, farriers, worming and vaccination each year and this money is lost each year a mare fails to produce a foal. In addition, the growth of the foetus during pregnancy has an important role in its future health and performance potential. Human babies born prematurely or small rarely go on to become athletes and suffer increased risk of numerous chronic diseases. There has been little research into the effect of the health of the pregnancy on subsequently racing performance. A recent review of the foals that required intensive care at Clovelly showed that although they were just as likely to have a race as their siblings, they won fewer races and earned less money. In addition, the foals that were small or premature were less likely to be sold as yearling and less likely to race. Basically, if the mare has a poor placenta then she is less likely to produce a great athlete.
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
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WHAT CAUSES POOR PLACENTAS?
Mare General Health It is critically important that the mare is in good health and in optimal body weight. Malnutrition can have adverse effects on placental development and foetal growth but in this region obesity is more of a problem. Obesity can have several detrimental effects on pregnant women. There has been no research into whether similar effects occur in horses. Hormonal changes associated with pregnancy are designed to ensure adequate blood flow to the placenta and consistent high levels of nutrients are available. Obesity changes the hormonal profile of a mare and can make her more susceptible to Metabolic Syndrome which can cause increased blood pressure and predispose to laminitis. It is essential that optimal and not excessive nutrition is provided for each throughout pregnancy. Mares that have severe or chronic laminitis appear to be prone to delivering underweight poorly developed foals. Severe laminitis is associated with significant changes in blood pressure and blood flow which can limit the development of the placenta and lead to poor foetal growth. Once again good objective data through research is not available for horses. Poor dental health can have a detrimental effect on pregnant women. They are more likely to have stillbirth or deliver a premature baby. There has been no research into the association of poor dental health and its effect on pregnancy in horses. Any chronic infection has the potential to allow bacterial infection of a pregnancy which leads to a form of placentitis where the infection gets in through the blood stream rather than through the cervix, similar to EAFL. Mares that are suffering from any chronic infection should have their pregnancies regularly monitored. Similarly, mares that have recurrent hoof infections may be at increased risk of developing placentitis Specific Causes of Pregnancy Loss
EHV
Equine herpes virus infection remains a significant risk for pregnant mares. It is highly infectious and can spread rapidly through a group of pregnant mares causing very high losses. The losses in the Hunter Valley in the past 10 years have been < 10 % due to good
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
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STUD MIDDLE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
Lecture 4:
Insights in to the foaling mare
Wendy Perriam BSc BVMS MANZCVSc CMAVA
with
Verna Metcalfe
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
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Basics of Foaling - Care of the mare before, during and after, and of the foal at birth Dr Wendy Perriam
Monitoring and preparing the mare for parturition: Mares should be managed attentively during pregnancy to ensure the birth of a strong healthy foal. Maintaining the mare in good health, being familiar with the signs of impending parturition, and providing a suitable foaling environment will increase the likelihood of a healthy foal. Managerial programs will vary between properties and individuals and are often a reflection of prior experience, available expertise and financial considerations. The following discussion includes aspects of routine care for the mare and her foal in those crucial periods before, during and after foaling. It is advisable to move the mare to the area designated for foaling 4-6 weeks before her due date to allow the mare to become acclimated to the foaling premises and handling procedures. During this time period the mare is exposed to local pathogens enabling her to mount an immune response; antibodies to local pathogens may then be passed onto the foal via ingestion of colostrum. A month before foaling all mares should minimally receive a vaccination for tetanus. Individual stud farms may choose to vaccinate against other endemic diseases at this time (e.g. Rotavirus, salmonella, strangles). If the mare has had the vulva sutured (Caslicked) this may be opened approximately 2 weeks prior to her due date or when foaling appears imminent.
Gestational length: In mares the reported range of “normal gestational length� is highly variable with a most frequently reported range of 320-360 days. The mean is 341 days however 1% of mares may carry for a year or more. It is therefore difficult to define what constitutes a pre or post term pregnancy on days of gestation. A mare that has foaled in previous seasons can serve as her own control with respect to expected gestational length- if her gestational length exceeds 2 weeks the pregnancy should be checked.1 Trans-rectal and or abdominal ultrasound can be used to assess foetal size and activity, foetal heart rate reactivity in response to foetal movement, placental thickness and integrity, and quality and quantity of foetal fluids.
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
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Lecture 6:
Deworming & Vaccinations in the horse
Dr Catherine Chicken BVSc PhD MACVSc DipVCS
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
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Deworming and vaccination of horses on stud farms Dr Catherine Chicken Internal Parasite Control (Deworming) on Horse Farms Introduction Historically, deworming protocols in horses have been based on seasonal rotation of different types of anthelmintics to target particular internal parasites at strategic times of the year. More recently, interval dosing has been the most commonly practised anthelmintic treatment method and is widely used. Most often, a macrocyclic lactone (ML) product (e.g. Ivermectin) is administered every 6-8 weeks (the observed egg reduction period or ERP) meaning horses are treated up to 8 times per year. We now know that frequent treatment of all horses in this way selects strongly for drug-resistant worms – and once resistant, always resistant. Therefore, it is absolutely urgent that more sustainable approaches to worm control are adopted (7). There is emerging evidence of drug resistance in gastrointestinal worms on Australian horse farms, as is the case in many other countries (4).
Clinically significant gastrointestinal parasites in horses
The most clinically significant gastrointestinal parasites of the horse are the cyathostomins or small strongyles (small redworms), Parascaris equorum (ascarid or large roundworm),
Anoplocephala spp (tapeworm), Oxyuris spp (pinworm), Strongyloides westeri (threadworm), Strongylus vulgaris (large redworm), Gasterophilus spp (bots) and Habronema spp (table 1). Of these, the small strongyles, large roundworms (ascarids), and tapeworms are currently of most importance in the commercial horse breeding setting. In days of old, S vulgaris was the main clinical concern and was the target of parasite control strategies in horses. Interval dosing with anthelmintics was aimed at reduction of pasture contamination with eggs from this particular worm. Consequently, in recent years, S vulgaris has waned as a clinically significant internal parasite of the horse and small strongyles (cyathostomins), ascarids (Parascaris equorum) and tapeworms (A perfoliata) have taken over. The biology, life-cycles and host-parasite dynamics of the cyathostomins, A. perfoliata and P. equorum are very
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
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Feeding the pregnant mare and foal to sale ring Dr Caroline Foote
Feeding broodmares and growing foals is one of the most important and challenging areas of equine nutrition. Nutrient requirements increase markedly as the mare gets closer to foaling, and it is the correct intake and balance of these nutrients that will assist in producing a strong and healthy foal. Optimum fertility and proper balanced nutrition are inter-related. An adequate energy intake, matched to the mare's requirements to achieve and maintain optimum condition, is paramount to success in horse breeding.
Energy For the pregnant broodmare, energy will be used for not only maintenance of bodily functions, but will also be used for the developing foetus and associated mammary and placental tissues. Additional energy in the form of concentrate feed may be required to meet the demands of the unborn foal and provide reserves to prepare the mare for lactation.
160
140
120
MJ/Day
100
80
60
40
20
0 Early gestation
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
Late gestation
Early lactation
Late lactation
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Energy requirement of broodmares before and after foaling. Growing foals have a certain energy requirement for growth. The amount of energy required by the individual foal will be dependent on its age, weight, rate of growth, environment and any natural exercise. If too much energy is provided in the ration, the risk of skeletal disease is greatly increased. If not enough energy is provided, growth rate will be reduced.
To provide sufficient dietary energy and protein for optimal growth and often for maximum mature size, grain will most likely be required.
This is particularly the case for rapidly growing
thoroughbreds intended to be sold as yearlings. Oats is often used as the primary energy source in growing horse diets. Compared to other grains, oats is a relatively safe feed, being higher in fibre and having less indigestible starch compared to barley and corn. For growing horses requiring improved body condition (particularly as yearlings) other energy sources such as rolled barley and rice bran may be useful as these feeds tend to be “cooler” and more “conditioning”.
Protein Protein provides the amino acid building blocks for the development of the unborn foal. Good quality protein with adequate lysine and other amino acids is essential for foetal development, with the requirement increasing by 30% during the last three months of pregnancy.
It is important to ensure that the broodmare and growing foal’s diet not only contains adequate protein but that the protein is of “high quality”. Proteins composed of a high proportion of the “essential amino acids” are referred to as high-quality proteins. Those containing a high proportion of “nonessential amino acids” are low- or poor-quality proteins. Protein feeds that contain high levels of essential amino acids include soybean meal, canola meal and lupins. Copra and sunflower contain relatively low levels of essential amino acids, and are therefore generally unsuitable as the sole protein source in growing foal rations.
Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre
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