Table of contents for February 2015 in Equus

Eye witness I feel impelled to respond to “Looking Good” (Case Report, EQUUS 446) by saying “Congrats!” to Spark for a remarkable recovery from his eye injury. If Spark could talk we could have an extraordinary conversation. I, like him, experienced a very similar eye injury with nearly the same medical treatment. I can relate to every step of Spark’s road to recovery. However, my journey to healing involved four surgeries. It began with surgery to suture the laceration in the cornea, followed by a corneal transplant, an iris repair and finally the implant of a new lens. Like Spark’s, my eye has healed well. I hope that this horse’s story will inspire and give encouragement to anyone faced with a traumatic eye injury. There is hope, whether it be…

A combination of psyllium and magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) works better than either alone to clear sand from a horse’s large colon, according to a study from Finland. Conducted at the University of Helsinki, the study compared treatments in 34 horses with naturally acquired accumulations of sand in the large intestine. Horses were randomly assigned to one of three groups that received different treatments: psyllium mucilloid, the dried husks from the seed of the Plantago ovata plant that expand in the colon to carry sand out of the digestive tract; Epsom salt, which draws water into the colon to act as a laxative; or a combination of the two. Prior to treatment, researchers took abdominal radiographs to measure how much sand had accumulated in each horse’s gut, determining that all…

Warmer weather is not far away, and it will feel good to shake off the winter doldrums and get back into the swing of things at the barn. Tempting as it may be to toss a saddle on your horse and head for the hills on the first balmy day of the season, it’s important to consider your horse’s readiness for the challenge. If you haven’t ridden much over the winter, he may have lost some conditioning during his time off, and you may need to spend a few weeks bringing him back to his previous level of fitness. Pushing a horse into exertion he’s not yet ready to handle is a recipe for a number of health issues, including muscle strains as well as tendon and ligament injuries. However,…

►Definition: type of colic caused when the left dorsal colon becomes lodged between the spleen and the kidney, resting on the nephrosplenic ligament ►Signs: typically only mild or moderate pain, with signs that may include pawing, looking at the flanks, slight agitation and loss of appetite. The heart rate will be only slightly increased, and the mucous membranes will be normal. ►Diagnosis: A rectal palpation may distinguish a nephrosplenic entrapment from other causes of colic—the large colon will be distended, and the spleen will be shifted out of place. The condition may also be identified with an ultrasound examination. ►Treatment: A majority of horses respond to medication and light exercise to “jostle” the colon back into the correct position. Another approach is to place the horse under general anesthesia and…

Chances are you’re pretty familiar with beet pulp. Most of us have scooped and soaked our fair share of this sugar-industry by product-turned-equine-feed. The remains of sugar beets used in the manufacture of sugar, beet pulp is high in digestible fiber and a good source of “safe” structural carbohydrate-based calories, making it a popular horse feed throughout the country and around the world. Straight from the bag, beet pulp is dried and shredded---almost resembling tobacco---or pressed into solid pellets. Soak either form in water for about a half-hour, and you’ll have a soft, soggy mash. Yet as simple and easy as beet pulp is to feed, it has long been the subject of myths and misunderstandings in the horse world. Some of these misconceptions are harmless, but others could lead…

Betadine---brand name for povidone iodine. 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 hands-on appraisal. carbohydrates---large group of carbon-based compounds, including starches, sugars and cellulose, that are found in plants and form the largest class of animal foods. Carbohydrates, together with proteins and lipids, are principal components of cell protoplasm, the viscous fluid that fills plant and animal cells. cecum---large, sock-shaped pouch between the horse’s small and large intestines; important in cellulose digestion. cornea---transparent membrane forming the front part of the eyeball. Light passes through the cornea to the lens. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)---large organic molecule that consists of two chains of nucleotides wound around each other; the material of which…

SURPRISING FINDINGS ABOUT PAWING A new study challenges many long-held assumptions about pawing, suggesting the behavior has less to do with boredom than with discomfort associated with exertion. The Cornell University study was based on 41 Standard bred racehorses. “We used Standard reds because pawing was the only behavior about which their trainers complained,” says Katherine Houpt, VMD, PhD. The horses were stabled at the New York State Fairgrounds while in training and kept in box stalls with dirt floors. They were exercised for 30 minutes daily, Monday through Saturday. The researchers observed the horses for brief periods twice daily for 62 days, at 7:30 a.m. and at 4:00 p.m. Each horse’s activities were then documented using several behavior categories including pawing, weaving, drinking, lying [in sternal position or fl…

Every horse’s needs are different, and any fitness program must accommodate the individual. That said, here is a basic framework for a fitness plan designed to bring back a healthy, young horse who was fit the previous year. This protocol is based on riding four or five times per week. If you’re riding only three times per week, add time to the warmups and walking sets, and increase the program to 45 days. ►Week 1: Ride for one hour, mostly walking with a few intervals of trotting that are no more than 10 minutes each. ►Week 2: Extend the total ride time to 90 minutes, keeping the same amount of trotting. ►Week 3: Introduce short canter sessions, no more than three minutes each; increase trotting session to 15 to 20…

This chart shows champion lines descending from Matchem. Both Matchem’s and Herod’s lines are increasingly rare today but are nonetheless represented by legendary and charismatic turf champions whose amazing physical abilities should be appreciated and more often used by breeders. In biological terms, the loss of a bloodline represents the irretrievable loss of biodiversity. In social, philosophical and economic terms it represents a shortsighted willingness to damage the overall health of the breed in trade for immediate profit. Matchem-line horses are distinguished conformationally by height and a certain degree of massiveness, especially through the hindquarters. They are relatively longbodied. Stallions are very masculine-looking with bigger crests than most Thoroughbreds—inheriting this trait from Matchem’s grandsire, the Godolphin Barb, along with more of a tendency than most other Thoroughbred lines to gain…

MANAGEMENT Tips for blanketing extremely thin horses Q: I just purchased an underweight Thoroughbred. The veterinarian says her teeth and parasite load are OK and has outlined a feeding program for her. I have also treated her for lice. However, with the cold weather coming soon, I’d like to blanket her to help her gain weight. What I’d like to know is how to prevent a blanket from rubbing on a horse with a protruding spine, hips and high withers. They all stick out quite a bit and I don’t want to make her situation worse with a blanket that rubs and causes sores. Lynn Howland Maple Valley, Washington A: Thank you for giving an underweight horse a second chance! It sounds like your new girl is lucky to have…

Winter can make any horse keeping task more difficult, but freezing temperatures present unique challenges when it comes to caring for your horse’s minor wounds. If you are faced with a first-aid situation this winter, keep a few things in mind: • Warm water is critical. Every wound, no matter how small, benefits from a thorough flushing with clean water. If your barn doesn’t have warm running water, however, the water coming from the faucet may be so cold that it damages delicate tissues and, of course, makes the flushing process unpleasant for both you and your horse. But there are several simple ways to warm your water, including a bucket heater or electric teakettle. Or, you could bring warm water from the house in a Thermos or an insulated…

Nantucket had been with his new owners for only one month when the colic struck. The 5-year-old Thoroughbred-cross gelding was purchased as a potential show hunter, but he hadn’t yet made it to his first competition when his new family found him one morning pawing, restless and uninterested in his feed. The local veterinarian came out right away, and he agreed with the family’s assessment that the colic was still mild: The gelding was far from the frantic, sweaty state that means acute gut pain. Nevertheless, the veterinarian began a full diagnostic workup. A check of vital signs revealed only a slightly elevated heart rate. Next, the veterinarian passed a nasogastric tube to check for a buildup of fluid in the gelding’s stomach, but only a small amount flowed from…

This chart shows champion lines descending from Herod. Of the three foundation stallions, Herod’s portrait shows him to have been the most “Thoroughbred looking” of the lot; as discussed in the previous installment in this series, this is because Herod’s ancestor, the Byerley Turk—like most Turkmene horses—looks like a Thoroughbred. Diomed, born in 1777, was imported to the United States at the advanced age of 21. Considered nearly worthless in England—though a multichampion in his youth, winning the Epsom Derby in 1780 and 10 other important races—he was given up for a mere $250. Once in the United States, he became the ancestor not only of the last of the great heat-racing champions but through his son Sir Archy of an American dynasty of partbred horses related to the American…