The Naughty Pony October 2015

The Naughty Pony October 2015

Main Topic:
It’s almost hay season around here. Sure the weather is still warm but with the daylight decreasing our grass will slow down on growth over the next few weeks. This means our horses will need more hay. There’s good news and bad news on the hay front.

Good news: We have had more than enough rain this summer which means many pastures have done very well growing grass. You will be able to get by longer without hay as your horse grazes down what they have. This isn’t true for all situations, but check your pastures for actual grass and monitor how they are doing weekly. If you notice your horse starting to pull up grass by the roots, bare patches in your field, or weight loss in your horse it may be time to add more hay. Not sure what the right answer is for your horse? Have one of our amazing technicians: Beth, Charly, or Nancy come out and assess your pastures and feed program.

Bad news: We have had more than enough rain this summer which means farmers had to race against storms to try to get hay put up. Check with your regular hay supplier early to see what availability they have. Local hays may be difficult to get. Luckily farmers are farmers and they watch the weather more closely than Dr. Lacher (which is saying something since she has been known to check the radar every 5 minutes). So while hay may be a bit tougher to find most of them should be able to take care of their regular customers.

Coastal hay has a bad reputation when it comes to colic. Some of that is earned. Horses on lots of coastal and nothing else will often colic. Horses suddenly put on a round bale of coastal will colic (especially if this happens after 6pm on a weeknight or anytime on a weekend). Luckily there are easy ways to minimize your coastal hay colic risk.

Most important: gradually increase your horse’s hay. If your horse isn’t normally on hay during the summer now is the time to gradually start them on hay. Begin with 3-4 pounds of hay per day. Increase by about 1 pound weekly until your horse is leaving some hay behind. Once they are leaving hay you may put out a round roll of hay if that’s your feeding preference. Once your horse is on 8 pounds of coastal hay daily you should add in about 2 pounds of alfalfa or peanut hay daily. Alfalfa and peanut hays draw water in to the intestinal tract helping reduce the risk of colic.

Don’t feed coastal? We’ve got a plan for that too. Northern Grass and grass/alfalfa mix hays are excellent choices for many horses. Timothy, Orchard, and Brome hays are the most common grasses. You don’t have to worry about colics due to hay with these types of hays and they provide more nutrition than coastal hay. But they provide more nutrition than coastal hay and sometimes that’s too many calories. For the easy keeper or Insulin Resistant horse we don’t recommend more than 2-3 pounds of these hays per day added to a base of a coastal.

Want to get the most out of your hay dollar? Consider some type of feeding system. Slow feed hay nets come in sizes from a flake or two to an entire round roll. Hay nets have numerous benefits including slowing your horse down which makes your hay last longer, decreasing the calories they consume from hay, keeping them eating small amounts for longer, keeping their feet, manure, and urine out of the hay, and keeping them from stuffing their nose in the bale which often causes problems with allergies. We haven’t found a reason not to use these hay nets yet. One of our technicians, Nancy, began using them on her coastal round bale and got an addition 10 days out of the roll and her two older horses were able to stop taking medication for their heaves since they couldn’t stick their noses into the bale. If hay nets aren’t your thing check out YouTube for about a million different slow feed hay DIY options. Check out this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7Ws8–3IOU for starters.

We are here to help you design the perfect nutritional system for your horse, your life, and your farm. Gives us call, e-mail, or text!

Erica’s Corner

For starters, I went and got married. It was a great day with everyone in costume, amazing cake (very important with my sweet tooth), and fantastic pizza from Villagios (also important). In typical Dr. Lacher fashion I did things a little weird. We took a bit of a honeymoon pre-wedding since Dr. Vurgason is expecting her first child any moment now. I asked Baby Vurgason to wait until after the wedding to appear but now we are ready and she can come any time!

I don’t know about you guys but I am officially ready for Fall! I love Summer but like all things we love too much is not a good thing. My horses are all hairy and need clipped but doing that while sweating is just no fun!

With the time change we are now relegated to riding in the very tiny area where I have some light. This always involves spooking at the imaginary dragons that live just outside the lit area. Good times!!! At least there is Pumpkin Spice everything to make it all better.

Tech Spot:

In this month’s Tech Corner, I’d like to talk about what tending to Coby’s wounds has taught us. Coby is the horse who fell through the floor of the horse trailer approximately 3 months ago. The bones were exposed on both hind legs and one tendon was torn.
The first thing we all learned is the importance of working with dedicated owners who are willing to devote the time and effort necessary for the patient to make a full recovery. This includes following the directions and time line set forth by your vet which is best determined by IMMEDIATE consultation with your vet. Coby’s owners did an excellent job! The second thing we learned is that good old well water does amazing things! Lots and lots of “shower effect” hosing of the wounds clean them quite nicely and helps reduce swelling and discomfort. We were able to experiment with amnion, provided by another client, and discovered that it does not attach to bone but loves granulation tissue. We also used a dressing called Cica care, which accelerated the healing process dramatically.
The bottom line is, if you’re going to have horses who are allowed to be out and act like horses, you are going to have wounds. Coby had severe wounds which had all of us holding our breath but with diligence, the right materials and guidance, MOST wounds that we see can heal nicely.

Events of the Month:

Open House 2015

Springhill Equine has had a very busy October…..hence the reason the Naughty Pony News Letter from October is late.

So if you have not already heard, the Open House on the 20th was a huge success! Thank you to all the Vendors and Contributors who helped to make it a great one! Thank you for all the participation from our clients!!

October 24th Dr Lacher and Justin Long shared a very special day with all of us! Congratulations and well wishes for a lifelong happiness together! It was a very unique event with all the costumes appropriate for Halloween right around the corner.

Dr Vurgason is impatiently waiting the arrival of her new baby girl. So she has been on maternity leave for a couple of weeks now. We will post some pictures of mom and baby when she arrives.

Upcoming Events:

November 17th @ 6:30pm
Hay Seminar
Please join us at our clinic 22837 NE 22nd Ave Newberry, Fl

Wellness 2016 Enrollment is HERE! You should have received the paperwork in the mail! If you did not. please call our office.

 

Tuesdays with Tony: This week Tony talks about making babies.

Tuesdays with Tony: This week Tony talks about making babies.

Tuesdays with Tony

Tuesdays with Tony: This week Tony talks about making babies.

Tuesdays with Tony:
January may not be a time when you humans think about the birds and the bees. But believe it or not, soon the horses are going to start getting all twitterpated. Along with breeding season comes some responsibility. I know baby horses are super cute, but trust me, they all grow up to be big horses, and not everybody wants one of those! The docs and I have seen it happen here at the clinic time and time again. So, before you decide to breed your little pride and joy, ask yourself these questions to make sure it is a good idea:
1) Is my horse registered as a member of an actual breed? Hint: a Quarter horse/Belgian/Lusitano/Mustang is not a breed.
2) Does my horse have good conformation? If your horse’s knees stick out in front of his toes on a side-view, your horse does not have good conformation.
3) Is my horse nice? Make sure you also ask this question about the horse you are breeding to. Personality is definitely an inheritable trait. My personality, for example, is exquisite.
4) Is my horse pretty? Believe it or not, breeding a pretty horse to an ugly horse almost always results in an ugly horse. It is a myth that breeding a mare with no hindquarters to a stallion with massive hindquarters will “fix her.” The same applies with breeding a short horse to a tall horse; the foal will not necessarily be medium-sized. Obviously I am extremely handsome, and they didn’t even breed me!
5) Do I have potential buyers for the foal? It is a really good idea to find out about this before breeding, rather than when the foal is a scruffy yearling with no training on board. You may be surprised to find that the market for your little nugget is already saturated. I know in my species there are more kittens at the shelter than Dr. Lacher could ever adopt- although she tries.
6) Has my horse had a breeding soundness exam? If not, we can help you with that! For a mare, this entails at a minimum a transrectal ultrasound to see if the ovaries are cycling and make sure the uterus is free of cycts. For stallions, this entails a collection with sperm count and evaluation of sperm motility and morphology. I will watch from the sidelines…those stallions can get pretty scary when they have only one thing on their mind.
7) Do I have a lot of money, time, and patience? Breeding a mare will require several ultrasounds (slightly different from cat scans), hormone administration, cost of the insemination, recheck ultrasound exams, pregnant mare vaccines, foal watch, assisted delivery, newborn foal treatment, foal vaccines and boosters, extra grain and hay for the pregnant/lactating mare, etc…. And that’s only if everything goes right the first time!
If you answered yes to all of these questions, then congratulations! You are a responsible breeder! Definitely come visit me here at the office to discuss our all-inclusive breeding package, which is a very smart way to alleviate some of the money/time/patience part of horse breeding. For the rest of you, hopefully this provides some food for thought. Speaking of food…I’ll catch you next week!

Tuesdays with Tony – New Year’s Resolutions 1-5-16

Tuesdays with Tony – New Year’s Resolutions 1-5-16

Tony

 

Happy New Year to all my adoring fans! 2016 is going to be a great year, I can feeline it! I have officially decided that 2016 is going to be the year I focus on bettering myself, both mentally and physically. Mentally, I plan to focus on my reign over the humans. I think it will help my self esteem if each one offers me a compliment and an ear scratch as they walk through the door. I also plan to perch on the highest accessible vantage point in the clinic at all times, as a sign of my dominion. As for my physical transformation, I have come up with the following resolutions (horses, feel free to follow my lead):
1) Eat better. For me, this means sticking to my prescription diabetic diet- with no cheat meals! For you horses out there, this means eating a complete and balanced diet. The docs explained to me that a horse’s diet should consist primarily of forage (grass, hay, or alfalfa cubes/pellets). If feeding coastal hay, it is good to mix in a legume such as alfalfa or peanut hay at about a 1:10 ratio to prevent impaction colics and provide additional protein. The grain portion of your diet depends highly on your current body condition. If you are an overweight Mini, this may mean a small handful of Safe Choice Special Care (a very low-starch, low-fat feed) once a day. If you are a skinny Thoroughbred, this may mean eating 6 quarts of Equine Senior for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Whatever your weight loss (or gain) goals are this year, Dr. Vurgason and Dr. Lacher would be happy to help formulate an individualized diet plan based on your specific needs!
2) Exercise more. I resolve to make at least 2 laps around the clinic each day, as opposed to my former single circuit. For you horses, it may be time to get back on the longe line, or get your owners back in the saddle! Exercise is the BEST way to lose weight, which incidentally helps to prevent Laminitis, Insulin Resistance, and Diabetes in my case. Exercise is also a great way to improve your topline and overall appearance. There is a fine line between lack of muscling and being underweight. If you are confused which one you are, the docs would be happy to come out and give you a Body Condition Score, and advice for your own exercise routine!
3) Stay healthy. This should go without saying, but probably the most important part of bettering yourself physically is to stay on top of your routine medical care. My humans are well trained to take me to my regular checkups for my vaccinations, flea and tick meds, and dental care. Lucky for you horses, we have the Wellness Program for that! Your humans just need to sign you up at the beginning of the year, and all of your vaccines, dentals, coggins, physical exams, and fecal egg counts will be covered through 2016. Not to mention if 2016 doesn’t quite go as planned and you happen to sustain an injury or illness, your emergency fee will be totally free!

Follow my lead- make it your resolution to join the Springhill Equine 2016 Wellness Program!
Wishing you all health, happiness, and a full food bowl in the year 2016!

Tuesdays With Tony and FES Awareness December 8th, 2015

Tuesdays With Tony and FES Awareness
The weather outside is perfect. I love nothing more than to lie in the middle of the driveway, soaking up the sun, and watching the humans drive around me. Good times. I have noticed that my favorite weather coincides with more work for the horses we see here. It seems the humans like being outside more when it doesn’t feel like some horrible gym sauna that got the worst Yelp reviews ever. This means it’s time to get those equine athletes fit and ready to go. Best way to get your horse feeling great: FES
Want even more information?  Read this article about an Olympic Event Horse
FES. What the heck is that you ask? This cat says it’s pure amazingness. FES stands for Functional Electrical Stimulation. This magic machine sends electrical pulses into your muscle causing it to contract and relax. But the feeling!! FES feels like one of those massaging chairs turned on inside your muscle. As the power goes up, the feeling goes deeper and the muscles contract harder. When the session is done I am left purring, making biscuits, and maybe, just maybe, drooling a bit on my pillow. Any muscle soreness I had, is gone. That pesky left hip pain is a thing of the past. The best part is the next day: I can leap from the counter to the top of the dryer and on to my favorite spot on the cabinet with ease.
What does all that mean for horses? Well like me, most horses have done something less than smart in their lifetime. I said something mean to Teannie once and she broke my leg. This left me weaker on my left side. I was supposed to do special exercises to strengthen the leg, but I didn’t and it left me a little uneven behind. We all know our horses can do the same thing. Ok maybe not break a leg, but get a small injury or strain and end up a little crooked. This FES thing fixes all of that.
Does your horse regularly put their hip or back or ribs or neck or poll out? You can fix the bones repeatedly but until the muscles will hold them there they won’t stay. The FES retrains the muscles on a cellular level. It tells them they need to stop spasming and go back to normal. Once the muscles are back to pulling evenly on the bones: VOILA!! They stay where they are supposed to.
I have been listening to Dr. Lacher talk about lameness a lot recently. Veterinarians, human doctors, and researchers are shifting their ideas about how injuries work. There has long been a focus on finding the arthritis and treating it. But there’s a better way. Arthritis is the end of the process not the beginning. The problem starts when there is a small injury causing the horse to travel crooked which loads the joints unevenly which strains the supporting structures causing them to lay down extra bone to shore up the connections. That extra bone is arthritis. Injecting the joint treats the final stages but doesn’t address the problem that got it there. FES is one powerful tool Dr. Lacher uses to treat the crookedness that eventually leads to arthritis.
Get rid of sore muscles, get more sit, more power, and more straightness. Sign up for FES sessions today!

Tuesday’s With Tony – Hay Seminar

Tuesday’s With Tony – Hay Seminar

I have decided a contest is in order. I have also decided this hashtag thing is here to stay. Furthermore, I have scheduled an opportunity for my adoring fans to come see me and learn about hay this evening at 6:30 pm at the Clinic. Put all that together and you come up with: Put a post on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with ‪#‎SpringhillEquine‬ and you at our Hay Seminar. On Wednesday I will choose one lucky hashtagger to win an awesome prize package. So attend the Hay Seminar, #SpringhillEquine while you are here, bribe the cat to pick you, and win an awesome prize. The most important part is the cat bribery. I am very picky. I like meat, preferably tuna or turkey.

In other fun around here we just started with a new online pharmacy. Why is this exciting for the cat? It isn’t really, other than the humans had a training session on it and I got to stand in front of the screen and push random keys on the keyboard. That was a seriously good time. Prescriptions have been a bit of a trial for us. Our Doctors are all for prescriptions but it turns out most places just aren’t very good at it. We get faxed a prescription, our Doc signs it, sends it back, we get faxed again, we sign again, they lose it again. It’s a vicious circle. As it turns out, some of the catalogs don’t use properly labeled drugs. It all just ends up being a mess. So in an effort to make life easier we are using a new and improved pharmacy: Vet’s First Choice

It’s super easy to get to: http://springhillequine.com/ and the button at the top left corner. Simply press the button and you will go to our pharmacy. They offer free shipping on lots of different items and you can use the coupon code WELCOME25 on your first order for $25 off. Check it out and let us know what you think.