Table of contents for March 2016 in Equus

To remove cobwebs from inside of my stable and arena I use a swimming pool brush with a telescoping pole, which can be purchased at the larger home improvement stores. Sturdy but not heavy, these brushes have flexible bristles that are soft on the ends but strong enough to knock down bird nests if needed. —Monica Gray, Mountain Home, Idaho Send your suggestions for inexpensive horse-care substitutes as well as hints for saving effort and time to Hands On, EQUUS, 656 Quince Orchard Road, #600, Gaithersburg, MD 20878; Fax: 301-990-9015; email: EQLetters@EquiNetwork.com. Senders of published items will receive selected EQUUS merchandise.…

“He’s the Horse of a Different Color you’ve heard tell about.” ---from The Wizard of Oz (1939) Like art for your feet, Lucky 7 socks (suggested retail, $14) come in 15 colorful equestrianthemed designs, with images knitted into the fabric. The finegauge, cotton-blend knee socks incorporate a stretchable thread on the interior, so they are designed to stay in place on the leg, even when pulled over breeches, leggings or tights. One size fits most women with shoe sizes 6 to 10. Visit lucky7socks.com. The Breakaway Stretch Vest (suggested retail, $79), from Kerrits, can be layered over a show shirt, or it can be worn alone as a tank top with a daring mesh back to keep you cool. Its lightweight, high-tech fabrics and slimming panels allow four-way stretch for…

Why some horses develop cellulitis while others don’t isn’t well understood, so it’s impossible to identify definitive ways to prevent the infection. “Sometimes in a horse that had some dermatitis or we find a small scratch, we suspect that was what set it off,” says Margaret Mudge, VMD, of Ohio State University, “but there are many horses that have mild dermatitis or lots of cuts and scrapes that never develop cellulitis.” Nevertheless, taking some basic precautions to protect the skin on your horse’s legs will not only keep him healthier and more comfortable, but might just help you ward off this terribly painful infection: • Clean and disinfect even the smallest of wounds. “As soon as you notice anything abnormal, it should be treated promptly and appropriately,” says Meg Hammond,…

Traversing several sports and more trainers than I can count easily is a single piece of exercise equipment that is inexpensive, highly portable and easy to use: the jump rope. It was while watching my 75-year-old Taekwondo Grandmaster do a jump-rope demo before a self-defense clinic audience of children and adults (and remembering how he starts every class and workout of his own with the ragged old jump rope that hangs on the wall beside his desk) that I realized the power and longevity of this simple practice he had kept all his life. If his stamina is any indicator I’d say we’d all best go get ourselves a jump rope and hop to it. Making a three- to five-minute jumprope routine a part of our daily fitness regimen is…

JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT ▸ Product: SmartSalt Pellets ▸ Description: Each serving of SmartSalt Pellets provides one ounce (30 grams) of salt, which meets an adult horse’s average daily requirement for this essential mineral. The rice bran/alfalfa meal pellets are flavored with apple and banana for palatability. ▸ Price: suggested retail, $14.95 for a 28-day supply delivered in SmartPaks; also available in buckets ranging from $16.95 for 3.1 pounds to $149.95 for 24.8 pounds ▸ Source: SmartPak Equine; 800-461-8898; www.smartpakequine.com A NOSE FOR COMFORT ▸ Product: Tota Comfort Noseband ▸ Description: Designed with input from Olympians Sue Blinks and Ashley Holzer, the Tota Comfort Noseband features a cheek piece contoured to be comfortable for the horse while improving feel for the rider. Constructed of hand-stitched European leather, the noseband can…

French researchers report success in treating fractured equine neck vertebrae using surgical repair techniques commonly reserved for mending limb fractures. A recently published paper describes the cases of three horses who sustained neck injuries in falls and were referred to Clinique Vétérinaire de Grosbois in Boissy Saint Leger (near Paris). All of the horses showed signs of stiffness, incoordination and discomfort. After radiographs confirmed fractures of cervical vertebrae, each horse underwent surgery during which the affected bones were stabilized and repaired with screws and plates. In one case, two vertebrae were also fused to each other to further stabilize the injured area. All of the fractures healed without complication and each horse returned to full athletic function. The researchers conclude that “internal fixation of cervical fracture in these horses was…

Q:An injured tendon can mean months of recovery for a horse. Sensible riding, however, can go a long way toward protecting these critical structures. Which of the following activities are likely to injure a horse’s tendon? a. moving quickly through deep footing b. a sudden stop or turn c. returning to work too quickly after a period of inactivity d. galloping on very hard footing Answers a., b. and c. Each of these can stress the fibrous connective tissues that attach bone to muscle, leading to injury that is slow to heal or may even result in permanent lameness. On the other hand, working on hard footing is more likely to lead to concussive injuries to bone rather than tendon damage.…

Managing your grazing spaces can be a tricky balancing act in spring. Certain horses may need to be kept off lush grass for fear of laminitis0, while others can take full advantage of the grazing options. What’s more, some properties aren’t large enough to support constant grazing without stressing the pasture grasses. A good solution for these problems is electric fencing ---wires, tapes or braids---that you can move as needed. If you need to keep a horse off of new-growth pasture, fence off a “sacrifice” area and allow other horses to graze it down. When the pasture is no longer lush, place the at-risk horse in the space. By using movable electric fencing, you can maintain the sacrifice pasture for the entire season or only until the threat of laminitis…

For riders, a balanced program of strength, stamina and flexibility makes up the “Holy Trinity of Fitness.” This is probably not news to you. But how can we add a healthy side dish of off-horse conditioning work without capsizing a plate that’s already too full? The good news is that adding as little as 30 minutes a day of focused conditioning exercises (especially if you’re doing zero minutes right now) will probably yield results that will make you want to keep doing that much---and maybe even more. “If you knew the only thing that separated you from better riding and less risk of injury or strain was about 15 to 30 additional minutes a day of training you could do from your home or barn without expensive equipment, what would…

The Illustrated Atlas of Clinical Equine Anatomy and Common Disorders of the Horse, Volume 1 & 2 These books provide a comprehensive, yet easy to understand review of anatomy and common disorders for the serious horse owner, equine veterinarian, student, farrier and trainer. Volume 1 covers the musculoskeletal system and lameness disorders. 260 pages, with over 650 full color, clearly labeled illustrations $79.95, ZESB1 Volume 2 covers reproduction, internal medicine and skin. 350 pages, with over 700 full color, clearly labeled illustrations $85.95, ZESB2 Waterproof cover and heavy coated pages for barn use! Equine Anatomy Charts Highly detailed wall charts are full-color, 20w x 26h, and laminated. Hang it in barns for education and to improve communication between veterinarians, blacksmiths and horse owners. $21.95 each A must have for a…

With the return of warmer weather, now is the time to make sure your horse is ready for the rigors of regular work. So when you call to arrange for your horse’s spring shots, ask your veterinarian to schedule some time to evaluate his soundness and joint health as well. At the outset of the visit, talk with your veterinarian about your riding goals for this season. Will you be taking your horse on leisurely trail rides or do you have a full slate of clinics or competitions? How your veterinarian will assess your horse’s soundness depends on these goals as well as the resources available. A simple jog down a driveway and some flexion tests may be enough to determine how your horse is doing, or your veterinarian may…

When a horse’s shoe comes loose the signs can be subtle or dramatic. A twisted or dangling shoe will be hard to miss, but if a sprung shoe pretty much stays in place, the only clue might be a sliding sound as the affected hoof hits hard ground. A bent shoe or one that’s working its way off can alter a horse’s gait or even make him appear lame. The consequences of a loose shoe can be equally variable. Usually, it’s little more than a nuisance that requires a short visit from the farrier. Sometimes, however, a shoe may cause injury as it loosens or wrenches free. The best way to handle a loose shoe depends on the circumstances and the hoof’s condition. IF IT’S ONLY SLIGHTLY LOOSE Even the…

Few situations shout “Emergency!” louder than a horse refusing to bear weight on a grossly swollen leg. Suddenly one task supersedes the whole day’s plans: Call your veterinarian. “A lameness with significant swelling should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible,” says Meg Hammond, DVM, of Woodside Equine Clinic in Ashland, Virginia. You’ll want to keep the horse still while you wait---if it’s an injury, making him walk even a few steps could make it worse. The greatest fear, of course, is that the lameness is caused by a fracture or another severe orthopedic injury. But occasionally the source of the problem is something less dire yet still a challenge to treat: an infection called cellulitis. “Cellulitis is somewhat common in the horse world, but it can be…

In addition to cellulitis and lymphangitis, there’s another condition that can produce swelling in a horse’s lower legs: stocking up, which is edema of the lower legs that develops due to decreased circulation. Generally a benign condition, stocking up is not an infection or inflammation; instead it’s the physical result of inactivity. “Horses may stock up, especially in the hind limbs, if they are accustomed to being out moving around and are then confined overnight in a stall or small pen,” says Callie Fogle, DVM, of North Carolina State University. “In the morning they may have a little edema, but as soon as you turn them out or ride them, the swelling goes away.”…

As you can imagine, designing your own program carries its own risks and rewards. I recommend you keep it all extremely simple. To maintain your level of conditioning requires a daily overall routine you can do in a matter of minutes, followed by a good stretch to the muscles worked to keep them long and strong. Here’s the simple version a trainer taught me years ago that has stood the test of time for her clients trying to maintain an overall level of conditioning: You can work all of your major muscle groups with three things: squats, a four-way crunch series and pushups. • Squats. Sit in an invisible chair, then stand up. That’s it. The only rules are: Don’t let your butt go below your knees or your knees…

HOOF CARE A rash of abscesses Q: I have a 13-year-old Clydesdale gelding who, up until last year, had never had any health issues. Now, however, he seems to have developed a susceptibility for hoof abscesses. At one point he had one in three different hooves, one of which took the better part of seven months to clear up. Then he developed another one, which seemed to be doing OK, but a month later, the same one is back and it seems bad. Why is this a problem all of a sudden? Nothing in his life has changed, from workload to feed. I have tried everything from Animalintex pads to packing his feet with raw potatoes! I hope you can give me some insights on this issue. Charlie Van Dien Saint…

allergen---substance that induces an allergic reaction. antioxidant---substance that inhibits the chemical addition of oxygen to another substance. choroid---layer of the eyeball containing blood vessels. cornea---transparent membrane forming the front part of the eyeball. Light passes through the cornea to the lens. Cushing’s disease (pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, PPID)---disease caused when the cortex of the adrenal gland produces excessive amounts of hormones, including cortisol; signs include persistent long hair, thin skin, fragile bones, stupor, weakness and sweating. endemic---belonging or native to a particular locality. equine metabolic syndrome---endocrine disorder characterized by increased fat deposits in specific locations of the body or overall obesity; insulin resistance, which leads to abnormally high levels of the hormone circulating in the bloodstream; and a predisposition toward laminitis in the absence of other recognized causes. insulin resistance---metabolic…

At summer camp when I was 12, our counselors gave us a huge treat on the last day: a trail ride. It was a misty Cape Cod day, and we were allowed to canter along the scrub pinelined paths. My mount that day had a highflying gallop that made me feel a little wild. I usually rode in riding-school arenas and in round pens, so bounding along through the trees inhaling the salty sea air offered real excitement. I remember very clearly that, as we flew down the trail, I experienced a sensation of true happiness---and then the fear of losing it. A few beats later, I was shaken right back into joy. That summer, I’d been reading books that imagined time travel, and I was captivated by the idea…