There’s a new doc around my clinic and she’s always going around “adjusting” horses and bending them in weird ways. I was purr-plexed, so I had to do a little research to get to the bottom of what’s going on at my clinic. Turns out they’re treating horses with Equine Medical Manipulation. It’s called Chiropractic when it’s done on humans, but for horses, my Docs call it EMM. Same thing basically.

Personally, I spend 23 hours a day laying around, but a lot of horses have jobs to do. Joint problems can really get in the way of their work. When the joints malfunction, it affects the neurological balance, and can cause your horse to have muscle or skeletal pain, muscle tension and restricted joint motion. The goal of Equine Medical Manipulation is to improve the mobility and function of the joints, reduce the pain your horse may have, and ease muscle tension.

What does it look like when my Doc does an EMM evaluation? She looks at the horse’s posture and how he moves, then does a whole lot of poking and prodding to feel the joints through their range of motion. She feels for muscles that are tight and she checks the horse’s flexibility. She can tell from all that what joints aren’t working like they’re supposed to. It takes about an hour and the horses usually get more and more relaxed as it goes on. Most horses will show their approval during the adjustment. They may lick and chew, take deep breaths, or shake their head around after a particularly good release of tension. I think the horses should just try purring, but my Doc says they don’t know how and the licking is just as good. Anyway, the horses look like they really like the adjustment. I tried to get the Doc to give me an adjustment by weaving around her ankles and between her legs, but she doesn’t seem to get my message.

What does EMM treat?

EMM treatment doesn’t replace traditional veterinary medicine, but it can give my Doc an additional way to diagnose and treat a variety of musculoskeletal problems. Here are some things it’s useful for.

• Treating chronic musculoskeletal problems
• Treating acute problems such as tension or stiffness

• Treating prophylactically to maintain fitness and performance, whether your horse is a sport horse or a weekend warrior
• Maintaining comfort in older horses

The number of EMM sessions your horse needs depends on the condition being treated, how long the problem has been going on, and his age. Conditions that have been going on for a long time usually require more sessions and newer conditions can require fewer sessions.

Mythbusters!

Let’s talk about things that get my fur in a knot…some misconceptions about Equine Medical Manipulation.

• The bones aren’t “out”. You’ve got to be kitten me! Can you see the bone sticking out of the horse? Is it on the ground with your dog chewing on it? (If it is, you have a whole other problem) If not, the bone is not out. It’s still in! So, let’s stop saying things like that. My Doc will talk about “restrictions”, she won’t say things like “his hip is out”. What really happens is that reduced joint mobility causes negative affects to the joint itself, the nervous system, and the muscles and tendons surrounding the joint. These things lead to your horse having pain, abnormal posture, or poorly coordinated movement.

• They’re not cracking anything. Cracking would actually be really bad! If I knocked your favorite coffee cup off the counter (again) and cracked it, would you be happy about that? What my Doc does is clear the restrictions around a “motion unit”, which is the bones of the joint and the soft tissues that surround them. That means she does a manipulation to help the bones, muscles, and other stuff move the way they are supposed to. Sometimes, you hear an audible sound when air pressure in the joint is released.

• You don’t need a lot of force to adjust a horse. It shouldn’t look dramatic. In fact, good EMM looks kinda boring. Like the horse is usually falling asleep by the end of it, and I’d be ready for a cat nap too. The adjustments are called “high velocity, low amplitude” which means they are quick and precise, not rough. They are done in a very specific location at a specific angle. It takes a lot of training to learn this. That’s why you should be careful who you hire to adjust your horse.

Would EMM be good for your horse?

So how do you know if your horse could benefit from Equine Medical Manipulation? Horses can show lots of signs that indicate pain or discomfort. These can include reduced performance, incoordination or uneven gait rhythm, poor attitude, tense muscles, abnormal posture, pinning the ears when saddled or mounted, hollowing the back, swishing the tail, behavior changes, sensitivity to touch, stiffness when bending, muscle wasting, decreased stride length, difficulty engaging the hindquarters, pulling against one rein, lack of flexibility, difficulty flexing the poll, difficulty with collected gaits, lateral movements, or turning, and bucking.

One really common thing my Doc sees is tension lines in the neck. Horses should have smooth necks, even the really well muscled horses. If your horse’s neck has creases in the muscle, that’s a sign of a serious muscle spasm and it’s definitely time to call my Doc!

Wow, that’s a long list. Horses really can be annoying. But purrhaps they’re not actually being jerks. Unlike us cats, horses don’t usually act like jerks just for fun – they’re not that creative. Sometimes they just hurt and don’t know how to tell us. When they act up, there is usually a reason. It may be a training issue, but pretty frequently bad behavior is due to pain or discomfort.

So if your horse is having a problem, or if you want to stay on top of their comfort before issues arise, ask your Doc about whether an Equine Medical Manipulation evaluation could help.

Until next week,

 ~Tony

P.S. Don’t forget..the humans are busy creating podcasts and YouTube videos, so make sure you check those out. Our next seminar is coming up on Thursday June 25th at 6:30 PM..all about Acupuncture & EMM! Please remember to wear your mask, I would hate to miss out on any tummy rubs!

I don’t know about you all, but for some reason, the bugs this year are driving me absolutely catty.  I’ve talked to you about flies ad nauseam, but today we are going to talk about a different little pest that has been popping up all over and causing much grief for horse owners and my docs alike.  No, not mosquitos, that’s for another time. Today we are going to talk about the nasty little boogers, the tick. 

 The tick population is booming! Luckily my minions keep me in flea and tick prevention so I don’t have to worry about them, but I have had a number of you call me to ask what to do about all these ticks.  We do not really know why ticks are so much more prevalent this year than years past. My theory is, us cats have honed our hunting skills and have decreased the bird and bat population which has allowed ticks to proliferate since the birds and bats aren’t around to eat them.  In reality, my docs explained, it is more likely due to global warming, habitat loss, and the increase in wildlife presence closer to our homes.  I’ll stick with my theory that cats are superior hunting machines. 

 The Problem with Ticks

 Ticks are attracted to the ammonia smell of your horse’s breath and sweat. They are also attracted to the heat and moisture from your horse. Ticks hang out on blades of grass and shrubs and wait for an unsuspecting host to come by. They wait with legs outstretched and when your horse walks by they jump on board for the ride.  Ticks typically look for thinner-skinned areas such as the underbelly, mane, tail, inside flank and under the tail.  They attach, have a blood meal, fall off and molt to the next stage of their life, leaving your horse with a firm, raised, itchy bump that can predispose your horse to a number of problems.

Most people associate ticks with Lyme Disease, obviously a very valid concern as Lyme Disease can cause weight loss, intermittent/shifting leg lameness, fever, poor performance, and other orthopedic problems for your horse. Luckily, the species of tick that carries Lyme Disease, the deer tick, is very uncommon in Florida. This does not mean that it is not possible for your horse to become infected with Lyme Disease but the chance is significantly decreased just because you were a smart horse owner who chose to live in Florida. 

 That being said, other species of ticks can cause other problems for your horse and spread other diseases that we must be aware of. Having had my fair share of ticks in the past, take my word for it, they are irritating.  When I was a young kitten, I remember a time I didn’t have such lovely minions to care for me, and I had a pretty severe tick infestation.   I was so itchy, I could not stop scratching.  I made my skin raw and angry and opened myself up for infection.  Luckily, I got it under control and haven’t had to deal with a tick infestation again. 

 I am not usually a sympathetic kind of guy, but if your horse has had ticks on him recently, I feel for him. You may have noticed your horse itching on trees and fences. His mane and tail may have bald spots, there may be areas of generalized swelling, and you may notice ulcerated, bleeding sores. Of course, a myriad of things can cause your horse to itch, ticks are just one annoyance that can play a role in your horse’s misery.

 Beyond the cosmetic impact, they can also spread diseases including piroplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and equine infectious anemia (EIA).  Fortunately, we test for EIA when my docs pull blood for Coggins and it is well-controlled in the United States. There are laboratory tests for piroplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, however, unless your horse is showing the specific signs associated with these diseases, routine testing is not recommended.  If you are concerned that your horse may be infected, ask my docs, they will know exactly what signs to look for. I’m just a cat that knows big words, my docs went to school for a long time to know exactly what those big words mean.

 Tick Prevention

 Unlike cats and dogs, there is not a specific topical medication like Frontline or K9 Advantix that is made for horses to prevent ticks.  However, tick prevention is important and there are ways to decrease a tick infestation on your horse.  First, knowing how to locate and remove ticks plays a vital role in reduction of ticks on your horse.  Ticks should never be crushed, cut, or burned off your horse. Instead, the head must be pinched close to your horse’s skin and the tick pulled off.  After the tick is removed, submerge it in rubbing alcohol to kill it. I recommend always thoroughly checking your horse for ticks before and after a ride and removing any you find. 

 Many bug repellents have formulas in them that will repel ticks. Products such as coumaphos spray or powder, permethrin sprays, wipes, or spot on treatments, as well as zeta-cypermethrin are all proven tick repellents. If you are unsure of which would be best for your horse, give my docs a call and they will be happy to help answer any questions you might have.  I stick with my handy dandy Seresto collar so I don’t have to remember to apply topical prevention once a month.  Someone should come up with a Seresto collar for horses… perhaps between my naps I will work on that.  Keep an eye on the news for the first millionaire cat who came up with a Seresto collar for horses, it will be me and then you can say you know a celebrity. 

 Finally, pasture management is key to tick prevention.  Remove any underbrush, weeds, etc from your pasture. Watch my seminar on pasture management, and you’ll understand why you want to do this even if you don’t have a tick problem.  Also, keep wildlife away. Yes, we all love watching the deer frolic. However, do not encourage wildlife to come into your pastures, let them stay next door and watch from afar.  If you don’t have barn cats that like to hunt, consider getting a few chickens or Guinea fowl. They love ticks and are excellent at eating any that may come around your barn. But remember, we are Springhill EQUINE, so be sure to have a bird vet on speed dial in case your chicken or Guinea were to fall ill or get injured at any time.  Trust me, you don’t want these horse docs working on your bird. 

 Ticks are a nuisance and can cause some major problems for your horse. Luckily, prevention is easy and treatment for minor irritations caused by ticks is simple. Just remember if you have any questions or concerns about ticks and your horse, my docs are just a phone call away. 

Until next week,

~Tony

Summer has arrived. It’s been over 90 degrees, humidity has been up there, and it’s threatening to rain every day. As far as this cat is concerned, it’s summer. I spend my summers like I spend all my seasons: going from inside to outside and back again. I have to say the outside gets very hot this time of year. Especially in my prefered spot in the middle of the driveway. I like to watch the humans either wait for me to move (I won’t), or drive around me. This week I learned that what you eat can really affect how you handle all that hot weather. That doesn’t work so well for me since I’m on a strict diet for my diabetes. However, it can be really helpful to horses during the summer who can’t come in the air conditioned great indoors.

Hay is Hot

Horses are hind gut fermenters. This means they pass a lot of gas. Cats do NOT do this, and I find the shear volume of gas a horse is able to pass from their hind end to be unbelievable. That gas is the result of microbes breaking down the fiber from forages. Yes I know there are other sources, but hay is the biggie so let’s pretend it’s only hay. Besides gas, this process creates fatty acids which the body can use for nutrition, and heat, lots and lots of heat. You know what happens when you leave the wheelbarrow full overnight? It’s all steamy when you dump it the next day. Same thing in the equine GI tract. I hear you saying “Whoa Tony. I can’t just stop feeding hay.” I know, I know! What I’m saying is summer is the time to cut hay back if you’re feeding way over 1.5% of body weight. Remember, summer is good grass season, and grass counts as forage too! This means that even if you are feeding 1.5% of body weight, it’s likely your horse is getting way more than that if you’ve got decent pasture. The other big advantage of grass is the high water content. Lots of water is always a great answer for hot weather.

Finding the cool calories

Hay makes heat, but so do some other things in the equine diet. Chief amongst these things is starch. The cool thing to do these days is feed a low starch diet, but it’s not always necessary. If your horse needs quick energy to, let’s say, run a barrel pattern for example, you are going to need some starch. What happens if a body is using mostly starch for energy? It makes a whole lot of heat! Heat is a pretty significant byproduct of energy production from starches. Know what works better? Fat. Know what’s cheap and really calorie dense? Fat. Horses can digest any vegetable oil. Add some vegetable oil to your horse’s diet, and you can keep the calories, decrease the concentrates, and reduce the amount of heat they produce. Be sure you keep the diet balanced when you do this. Ration balancers are an easy way to manage this. If you’ve got questions, remember my Docs have answers!

Support the processes

Electrolytes are a key additive in the summer. If you’ve been reading my weekly wisdom drops for a while then you know I’m not big on supplements. However, salt is life. A good electrolyte is really important during sweating season. Horses can lose so much sodium, potassium, and chloride during the summer! One reason horses are the athletes they are, is their ability to sweat to keep cool. Support that with plenty of electrolytes. A good electrolyte should have sodium, potassium, and chloride as the top three ingredients. A little sugar is important too. I know that sounds weird, but a little sugar helps the gut absorb electrolytes.

It should go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway. Plenty of water is necessary too. Sweating, and digesting, and just plain surviving the Florida summer requires plenty of water. Make sure your horse has lots of it. Ideally in a shaded location because who wants warm water on a hot day? Not this cat, and probably not your horse!

Mind the beach bod

Summer is the most common time for horses to gain weight thanks to all that grass, but it’s the worst time of year for them to have all that fat! Fat is an excellent insulator, trust me I know. However, during summer in Florida one doesn’t exactly need insulation. Keep an eye on that weight to make sure you aren’t making it even harder for your horse to cool down.

Ok so this isn’t nutrition related, but I feel like we should have a quick discussion about keeping your horse cool with other strategies. I love misting fans! Use them to help really cool your horse down. Speaking of misting, hosing your horse off before you ride will help cool them down. Hose them off quickly once you finish riding. Water is a great way to move heat out of your horse. You will see plenty of questionable articles this time of year about how you could darn near kill your horse by hosing them off. You can’t. What you can do is significantly reduce the time it takes to cool them off! If you want lots of science about this Google Dr. David Marlin and look at his really great work on cooling horses down. Spoiler alert: it involves a lot of water.

Summer is tough! Take if from a black cat who likes to lay around an asphalt driveway. Taking a moment to evaluate your horse’s nutrition can make summer a little easier. Need help? Call my Docs!

Until next week, 

~Tony

P.S. Now be a good human. Scroll down a little further to click the subscribe button. You get my blog a day earlier than everyone else, and you don’t have to rely on the questionable logic of Facebook to show it to you.

Everyone loves the pitter patter of little feet. Everyone but me, that is! In case you all missed it, this weekend on Saturday night, we welcomed a new life into the world here at the clinic, and let me tell you, it was a huge inconvenience to me. It interrupted my sleeping pattern and my minions didn’t even let me out to assist. It was like I didn’t even exist and all that mattered was the new baby, what the heck? In fact, come to think of it, all last week they spent more time staring at the mare than me. What gives? Needless to say, Monday morning, I had a chat with my staff about this oversight. During our chat, the docs explained why it was so important to watch mom so carefully and what all went into Saturday night. Instead of continuing to be bitter about the lack of attention I have been receiving, I have decided to share my newfound knowledge with you all.

 Foal Watch

 Early last week, the mare was dropped off at the clinic for what they call foal watch. I was very confused by this since there was a full-grown adult horse at the clinic, not a foal, so how was I supposed to watch the foal? My minions explained that foal watch is actually, watching the mare when she is getting close to having the foal. Still not 100% sure what all is involved in foal watch, I allowed the docs to explain further. They explained that during foal watch they monitor the mare’s behavior, her eating habits, changes to her body and any other differences to her normal routine.

 The mare’s gluteal muscles will become very soft when the she is close to foaling and her tail will also become more relaxed.  The docs explained that from the first night that the mare arrived, they monitored the stall cameras every hour for signs of labor. Twice a day, they would check her udder and milk development. Part of this involves checking the pH of her milk. Once her pH drops below 7, and more specifically 6.8, it’s go time, and the mare will likely foal in the next 24 hours.

 This is exactly what happened on Saturday. Saturday morning at her pH check, her milk was around 7.25 and by 5pm it had dropped to 7. That’s when my docs knew it was probably going to happen. I sure wish they would have warned me, so I could have taken some extra naps in preparation for a long night!

 Labor

 There are three stages to labor which apparently can last for many days prior to actually having a foal on the ground.  The first stage of labor is the longest, and it involves the positioning of the baby. This is when the mare may show signs similar to those of colic. She may go off her feed intermittently. Often times, the mare may be seen rolling, pawing and frequently kicking at her abdomen. Usually these signs will diminish, the mare will return to normal, and it will be very confusing to those who are waiting for the foal to come. 

 The second and third stages of labor should be relatively short. The second stage of labor starts when the mare’s water breaks and the foal is expelled. Abdominal contractions are visual followed by periods of rest. My docs explained that it is extremely important to monitor this stage of labor. This is when things can go very wrong, very quickly. The foal should be presenting front feet first, followed shortly by a nose. The foal should be expelled within 30 minutes, 45 minutes maximum. 

 If the foal does not present front feet and head first, or takes longer than 45 minutes to come out, it is considered an emergency and involves intervention from the docs. This incorrect positioning resulting in a difficult birth is called a dystocia, and dystocia can be life-threatening to the mare and foal.  Luckily, everything went smooth on Saturday and the foal was expelled within 30 minutes.

 The final stage of labor is the expulsion of the fetal membranes, or placenta. After the foal is born, the mare will continue to contract to facilitate the expulsion of the placenta. The placenta should be passed completely within 3 hours after the foal is expelled. Once again, it is considered an emergency and can be life threatening if the placenta is not passed or if a piece of it is retained.

 1-2-3 Rule

 After the foal was born, I was super excited that I was about to get some sleep again, but I couldn’t get the docs to leave. How inconsiderate of them! They said they had to stay and monitor the baby, and make sure that he was able to stand on his own, move around, and nurse. The rule is, after the baby is born it should be standing within an hour. After 2 hours, the baby should have nursed, it is essential that the baby nurse within this time so that it ingests colostrum and is protected against disease and infection. If the foal doesn’t nurse within 2 hours of birth, doctor intervention may be necessary. They may need to milk the colostrum from the mare and tube the foal or offer a bottle.

 As I previously mentioned, the placenta must be passed within 3 hours after birth, and is thus the 3 in the 1-2-3 rule.  I realize now why my docs were at my clinic for so long after the foal was born. They had to wait for the mare and foal to reach all these milestones before they felt comfortable leaving them for a few hours. 

 New Foal Exam

 Despite being present for hours over night Saturday night, they showed back up on Sunday.  And I thought, finally, I am going to get some attention, maybe some belly rubs or extra snacks.  Alas, I found myself disappointed. Yet again it was all about the baby.  Sure, he’s kind of cute, but I’m a pretty cute cat and could use a little attention as well. At least this time they let me out to explore the new baby.

 While I was out performing my “Cat” scan, Dr. Lacher was also performing her new foal exam.  She was checking him for any physical problems. She listened to his heart, lungs and gut sounds. She checked eyes, joints, mouth, and umbilicus. She also pulled blood to assess his IgG. The results of this blood test will tell us if the foal got enough colostrum. If the results of the test were low, it would mean the foal may need to have a plasma transfusion and/or be started on antibiotics.  Dr. Lacher finished her new foal exam with some scratches for the new baby, and FINALLY, I got my rubs and scratches. 

 Despite the lack of attention I received this past weekend, it was pretty neat to learn about all that goes into getting a healthy new foal on that ground. If you’re expecting a little one soon, or think you might want to expect one in the future, be sure to talk with my docs about your mare’s birthing plan and what to watch for when your new foal is due.

 Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. If you want to know more, my docs have several podcasts on this topic. You can find them here on the Podcast Page, or you can subscribe to Straight form the Horse Doctor’s Mouth wherever you get your podcasts.