Table of contents for December 2014 in Equus

EQUUS welcomes freelance submissions for practically any section of the magazine. We prefer to receive manuscripts via email; sent to EQletters@aimmedia.com. We will also consider typed hard-copy manuscripts, but please note: If you would like your materials returned, you must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your submission. We do not review or accept simultaneous submissions. Here are a few guidelines for prospective contributors: Back Page—a 600- to 800-word essay that illustrates an aspect of equestrian life. Case Report (1,000 to 2,500 words)—Equine practitioners and horse owners share their accounts of unusual or baffling cases of equine illness or injury. Features (1,600 to 3,000 words)—These stories cover a wide range of topics from equine care techniques to equestrian history to training techniques. Hands On (100- to 400-word items)—Short items offering…

Whenever you pick out your horse’s hooves this winter, take a moment to check the skin on the back of his fetlocks. The wet/dry cycles common in milder climates at this time of year can lead to the development of scratches, a painful chapping of the skin just behind the fetlock. Scratches occur when bacteria invade small cracks in the horse’s skin. Once infection takes hold, the cuts begin to ooze and crust over to form hard, painful scabs. A mild case of scratches can easily go unnoticed, but a severe case can make a horse lame. The first rule of treating scratches is to leave the scabs in place. Attempts to remove them are very painful for the horse and may get you kicked. Instead, carefully trim the pastern…

A horse can develop any type of colic at any time of year, so don’t take a “wait and see” approach if your horse is in distress in the hopes that he has a small blockage that will get better on its own. Whenever your horse shows signs of colic in winter, call your veterinarian and let her know what’s going on. She may head out immediately, or—based on your description of the signs— she may recommend some rehydration strategies and ask for an update in a few hours. What you don’t want to do is medicate your horse before consulting with your veterinarian. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications can be very good at masking the pain of even serious colics. You may think you’ve managed a simple impaction successfully when you…

A large-scale international study of the efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in investigating equine head disorders suggests that the high-tech tool is helpful but has some limitations. Researchers reviewed the records of 84 horses over a 13-year period at three different equine hospitals: The Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, England; and Tufts University in Massachusetts. Sixty-five horses had neurological problems, 14 had sinonasal disorders and five horses had alterations in soft tissues. The collected data showed that MRI could pinpoint the location of brain and sinonasal lesions but did not reveal the cause of many neurological difficulties. For example, no abnormalities were found on the MRIs of 45 of the 65 horses (69 percent) in the study who had a history of neurological…

Rats and mice are responsible for spreading 35 human and animal diseases worldwide, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diseases can be transmitted directly from the animals themselves, via contact with their urine and droppings, or indirectly, by way of fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and other vectors. Here are a few of the more serious diseases that can affect both horses and people: Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease transmitted when urine from infected rodents comes into contact with mucous membranes or damaged skin of another animal. Consuming tainted feed or water is another mode of transmission. Leptospirosis causes serious illness in foals—and, occasionally, mature horses—and it is also implicated in equine abortions as well as equine0 recurrent uveitis. Salmonellosis, a bacterial disease that can be caused by…

antibody---disease-fighting substance produced by the body in response to the presence of an antigen. antigen---substance, often a protein, that the body’s immune system recognizes as foreign and reacts to by producing an antibody. antioxidant---substance that inhibits the chemical addition of oxygen to another substance. atria---the upper two chambers of a fourchambered heart. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the body and sends it to the right ventricle (lower chamber) of the heart to be pumped to the lungs. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and sends it to the left ventricle to be pumped out to the body. body condition score (BCS)---a designation, based on a nine-point numeric scale, indicating the amount of fat on a horse’s body. A BCS is assigned after a visual and…

A slow feeder makes hay rations last longer and minimizes waste. • Monitoring for dehydration. Horses need access to water in the winter to avoid colic and other complications of dehydration. You can double-check hydration status with a pinch test: Pull a “tent” of skin away from your horse at the point of his shoulder. Release it and count how long it takes for the skin to flatten out. Anything more than two seconds could indicate dehydration and warrants a call to your veterinarian. • Providing access to forage. Munching on hay stimulates a horse’s digestive tract. Ideally, he will always have hay in front of him during the winter months. Using a slow feeder can help you accomplish this with minimal waste. If your horse is obese or has…

Terms like “neglect,” “abuse,” “abandonment” and “stray” have precise legal definitions that can vary by state. So while the specifics in your state may differ, the following definitions provide a general guideline for these terms as they are usually defined by law: • Neglect generally means that an animal does not receive adequate care. Neglected horses, for example, often do not have access to any food or to enough food to maintain suitable body condition. But neglect can also cover requirements to provide potable (drinkable) water, proper veterinary and/or farrier care, and sufficient space to move around. Neglect is probably the easiest to prove, depending on the local or state laws. In Texas, for instance, the law requires that horses be provided with necessary food. When a horse is emaciated…