Table of contents for May 2015 in Equus

Very few of us haven’t encountered an anxious horse. His state of mind may be plain to see or it could present itself subtly. Some horses wheel and spin or bolt to a place of comfort---the barn, a stall or a group of buddies. Others grind their teeth while otherwise performing well. There are infinite reasons why a horse could be nervous in his job. Very often anxiety stems from confusion: The horse doesn’t understand where he is, why he’s there and what he has to do. Or he may be struggling to comply with a request he finds difficult. In eventing, for instance, we deal with a lot of off-the-track Thoroughbreds. Racehorses are asked to give 110 percent most of the time, but in eventing, as in most other…

Probably the most important thing to consider when protecting your horse’s back is tack fit. Over time, the pressure points created by a poorly fitting saddle can cause injury or chronic soreness. It’s better to identify these problems early on, but that can require some expertise in saddle fitting. “If your veterinarian isn’t a rider, or inexperienced in saddle fitting, this may be out of his or her realm of confidence,” says Bruce Connally, DVM, of Wyoming Equine, an equine sports medicine practice in Berthoud, Colorado. “The trainer’s expertise probably does include the saddle and rider, but he or she may not know the anatomy of the back as well as the veterinarian does.” Having your trainer and your veterinarian work together may be your best bet. Even if your…

Witnessing the start of a foal’s life can be a profoundly moving experience. From lying wet and shaky in the straw, to scrambling to rise, then nickering to his dam as he nudges for his first meal, the newborn is an adorable combination of vulnerability and determination. And in an amazingly short time---as little as 30 minutes or at most an hour or two---he is ready to explore the world, even while instinctively sticking close to his dam’s side. If you’ve ever been able to watch the transformation in those early hours, you know it can be breathtaking. Equally powerful, in a completely different and heartbreaking way, is the sight of a foal who doesn’t do well in the first hours of life. In some cases, for no clear reason,…

The following note (edited for length and clarity) was sent to John Madigan, DVM, from Leslie Schur, DVM, a veterinarian in Desert Pines Equine in Las Vegas, Nevada, describing her experiences using the rope-squeeze technique on a maladjusted foal: After visiting with you and learning about your foal rope technique, I had the opportunity to use it on several foals last year, but just as restraint for treatment. Up until this past week I had yet to have a true maladjusted foal to try it on. Last Monday I received one of those lovely 1 a.m. calls on a new foal who was standing but had not yet nursed. I gave [the clients] my typical coaching session on assisting the foal to find Mom’s teat and nurse. I instructed them…

The Premium Fleece Dog Bed (suggested retail varies by size, $89 to $149), from L.L. Bean, has a removable machine-washable cover featuring soft polyester fleece on top and durable cotton denim at the bottom. The polyfill insert provides a nesting area that is sewn into a nylon shell to help with shape retention. A zipper garage discourages chewing. The beds are available in round or rectangular shapes, in sizes small to extra large, in burlap, canyon rust, forest moss and khaki. Visit www.llbean.com or call 800-809-7057. Made with all-natural, organic ingredients, the Honey Flower Tearless and Brightening Shampoo (suggested retail, $29.95 for a 13.5-ounce bottle), from Prince Lorenzo’s Royal Treatment, is formulated to clean and soften the coat while hydrating the skin. The shampoo contains organic oatmeal, honey and shea…

If you have questions about the health of a new foal, call your veterinarian immediately. He will be able to make an assessment and determine if the squeeze technique might be helpful, while keeping in mind the following guidelines from John Madigan, DVM: • Foals respond best to the squeeze technique when they are less than three days old. • Before attempting the squeeze technique, it’s important to be sure the foal is physiologically stable, with no rib fractures or signs of respiratory distress. During the squeeze, the foal must be carefully monitored to ensure he is reacting as expected. • Signs of neonatal maladjustment syndrome can overlap with those of septicemia, metabolic problems, congenital defects and other causes of weakness that must be identified and addressed separately. • An…

Happy, a brighteyed, Long-Haired Dachshund, fell off her owner’s bed and ruptured a disc in her back. The accident left her partially paralyzed, and she would need extensive rehabilitation for a shot at a decent life---care her owner could not provide. Fortunately, Happy was turned over to Danny Robertshaw and Ron Danta. In their professional lives, Robertshaw and Danta train show hunters. They also operate Danny & Ron’s Rescue, a nonprofit, no-kill rescue for dogs in need. The rescue provided Happy the surgery she needed, as well as orthopedic therapy and lots of patience and kindness while she healed. Today, she can walk and run again. She will always require specialized care, but she now has a permanent, loving home with a woman who manages her own handicaps and understands…

By numerous measures, the Thoroughbred is the world’s most important kind of horse: by the huge amount of money involved in Thoroughbred racing and breeding; by the fact that Thoroughbreds form part of the foundation stock for numerous derivative breeds; and because historically they have been the premier “extreme athletes” of the equine world. Thoroughbreds function as “sport horses” in the diminishing number of “marathon” steeplechase, timber, and point-to-point races that are the last remaining vestiges of the “stayer” contests upon which the breed was founded more than three centuries ago. Thoroughbreds are the majority breed in the hunter-jumper world and in three-day eventing and are highly influential in dressage---Olympic disciplines that engender enormous popular and media interest. About 23,000 Thoroughbred foals are registered annually in North America. Australia ranks…

I hadn’t planned on getting another horse, at least not right away. My wish-come-true horse, Tilly, had just passed away, and I was still grieving. A month or so later, I was with a dear friend when, before I knew it, she’d made a call and set up a look-see for me the following weekend. RW’s Rocksanne had been a halter champion, worked on a cattle ranch for almost a decade and then been at a breeding farm for several years. I was, of course, immediately struck by her roan Appaloosa markings, solid Quarter Horse features and unusually large eyes that looked right at me. When I visited again, she led the herd of mares and foals up to the fence, leaned over and stood with her forehead touching mine…

When warm weather arrives, many people “flip” turnout schedules---keeping horses inside during the hot, buggy daylight hours and turning them out at night when it’s cooler. However, one potential downside of having horses out at night is that any injuries or other problems that occur most likely won’t be discovered until morning---many hours later. That’s why it’s a good idea to take a few precautions to help the transition to night turnouts go smoothly: • Consider herd dynamics. If every horse in your herd has been turned out at night before and they are all friends, they will probably adapt easily to the new schedule. If, however, you have a new horse, you’ll want to be sure that he’s settled into the herd, with a buddy or two, before his…

“Sitting perfectly upright, contented and pensive, she holds in one hand, loosely, the reins of summer.”---David Allan Evans, “Girl Riding a Horse in a Field of Sunflowers” The Textilene Fly Sheet (suggested retail, $152), from Blue Ribbon Blankets, is made of Textilene, a patented 1,000-denier mesh fabric that provides 80 percent UV protection. The sheet has taffeta-lined shoulders and a faux beaver wither patch to prevent rubbing as well as a hidden belly surcingle, detachable elastic leg straps and a nametag on the inside left flap. Available in eight base colors with a wide range of customizable trim, piping and monogramming; in sizes 60 to 86 in two-inch increments. Visit blueribbonblankets.com. The Weatherbeeta Genero Fly Sheet (suggested retail, $79.95), offered by SmartPak, is constructed of lightweight, polyester mesh that provides…

Back surgery is fairly common in people, but in horses surgical intervention is generally reserved for only one back-pain related diagnosis: “kissing” spines. A condition in which arthritic changes or other injuries cause the dorsal (upright) processes of the vertebrae to come into contact with each other, kissing spines usually affects the thoracic vertebrae, which are located under the saddle area. However, it can be difficult to determine whether the bone contact actually causes pain— many horses whose x-rays show significant impingement may never show any indication of discomfort. In others, the pressure on the bones causes local muscle spasms and/or pinched nerves, resulting in excruciating pain for the horse. A variety of treatments are used to relieve discomfort caused by kissing spines, including anti-inflammatory or analgesic injections, shockwave therapy…

I had just stormed out of the first good job I’d had since graduating high school. For the past year, I had assumed the duties of the vacated position of finance statistician while still performing my own job as secretary to the department head. It meant longer hours with no extra pay, but I wanted to land that job! Then came the day when my boss asked me to come into his office and close the door. He said he needed me to arrange meetings for the managers to meet the new finance statistician he had just hired. Yes, he had received the managers’ memo requesting that I be given the job full time, and he agreed that the reports had never been more timely or accurate. So why wasn’t…

A simple survey of only three top-class classic distance races is indicative of an alarming trend in flat-track racing worldwide. Although, as the chart shows, the longer the race, the higher the number of career starts (the San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap is currently the longest flat-track race in the United States), the average number of career starts has declined. CHANGE IN SELECTIVE CONDITIONS LEADS TO CHANGE IN BLOODLINE PREFERENCE Data in these charts comes from the Trinity College genetic study led by E. P. Cunningham (“Microsatellite diversity, pedigree relatedness and the contributions of founder lineages to Thoroughbred horses,” Animal Genetics, December 2001). When change in selective conditions is overlaid (gray and yellow zones), the reason for the switch in popularity of Eclipse- vs. Matchem- and Herod-line sires becomes clear.…

HELPING THE MEDICINE GO DOWN ► Product: EZ-PZ Pockets ► Description: Designed to make it easier to feed horses medication, EZ-PZ Pockets are treats that have a pocket in the middle. When warmed up in the hand, a treat softens and can be squeezed to enclose a pill. Ingredients include organic flaxseed meal, rolled oats, dried corn and bran, with molasses and brown sugar. ► Price: $15 for one pound, $25 for two pounds ► Source: Cowgirl’s Kitchen; www.cowgirlskitchen.com HOME AWAY FROM HOME ► Product: Carri-Lite Corrals ► Description: This eight-panel portable corral system can either stand alone, to create a 12-foot round pen, or be attached to a trailer with brackets to make a larger enclosure. Each panel weighs 15 pounds and measures 63 inches long by 52 inches…