Feb 16, 2016 | Uncategorized
No surprise, my “Come See Tony” event last week was a huge success. Thanks to Aaron of Oak Ridge Electric for providing the educational material; thanks to me for drawing the crowd. I saw many familiar faces, got lots of attention, and even learned a thing or two about preventing barn fires! For those of you who couldn’t make it, or were too distracted by Dr. Vurgason’s cute baby to pay attention, here are a few of the highlights:
First, inspect your barn for fire hazards, electrical hazards, and structural hazards on a regular basis. This includes making sure there are no exposed wires or splices (that’s where two wires are joined together, but obviously I already knew that). It’s also a good idea to replace your electrical equipment if it is rusted, broken, or was installed when Britney Spears was still in the Mickey Mouse Club.
Next, cut down on the extension cords. They are really only intended for temporary use anyway. If you must use one short-term, make sure it is a heavy duty cord plugged directly into a GFCI outlet, and that it is rated for outdoor use. Pretty impressive electrical know-how for a cat, huh?
Of course, you should have multiple fire extinguishers in your barn, know where they are, and know how to use them. You may think this would be common knowledge, but when Aaron asked the audience how many people had smoke detectors in their barns, I was the only one who raised my paw! A sprinkler system is a smart idea if you can afford it- this won’t stop a fire but it might slow it down long enough to get your horses and barn cats out to safety.
Finally, if you have any electrical questions I can’t answer (doubtful), or would like an evaluation by someone who actually knows what they’re doing, give Dr. Vurgason’s other half a call. Oak Ridge Electric can be reached at (352) 289-6500.
Don’t forget about next month’s “Come See Tony” event: Preventing Florida Skin Funk, to be held on March 10th at 6:30pm. I look forward to seeing you all then! P.S. Bring more treats for me next time.
Feb 13, 2016 | Cold weather, Colic, Hay
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:
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.
Feb 9, 2016 | Ailments, Herpes, Vaccines
There has been a bit of a kerfuffle around here about something called Herpes, or Rhinopneumonitis. A horse in Georgia was diagnosed with it and a bunch of horses in New Mexico at a racetrack are under quarantine. A few of the horses in New Mexico have even had to be euthanized. That got the curiosity of this cat piqued. Euthanasia seems pretty serious.
Herpes viruses are really good at hiding. Like time for the cat to go the vet, can’t find them anywhere hiding. This virus lays dormant in nerves until it feels the immune system is busy elsewhere. Then it pounces, again let’s go with a cat metaphor, like a cat on a toy mouse filled with catnip. Usually the horse experiences a snotty nose, maybe a cough, and sometimes a mild fever. This goes on for a few days before the immune system gets back to work and brings things under control.
Vaccination is really important for immune system control of Rhinopneumonitis. A well vaccinated immune system recognizes that the virus is out and about and attacks it faster. This means less virus is put out in the environment. It makes it a little complicated to understand, but essentially, by vaccinating a horse we don’t protect them, but we do protect every horse they come in contact with. For this reason horse shows, racetracks, and many horse events have started asking for proof of vaccination for entry.
Ok, I asked, I’m sure the horses at the racetrack were vaccinated, so why did they get it? I’m a really smart cat so I pick up on these sorts of details. It turns out Rhinopneumonitis has experienced a mutation which makes it harder for the immune system to see, makes it spread really quickly while the immune system is distracted, and causes havoc in the nervous system while it’s doing the first two things. Horses with this particular kind of Rhinopneumonitis (also called EHV-1) can go years without showing any symptoms. However, if a stressful event causes them to start shedding virus it passes like wildfire through a stable. Infected horses can keep shedding virus for weeks! Quarantining affected stables ends up being the only way to stop the spread since vaccination can’t help once horses have been exposed. The good news on this version is that once it is identified and quarantine procedures put it place it is often stopped quickly. Twice daily temperature-taking identifies affected horses quickly when treatment can still save them.
There’s another version of Rhinopneumonitis that very rarely causes a severe pneumonia that leads to scar tissue in the lungs. This version, EHV-5, is usually responsible for what we lovingly refer to as the yearling snots. As young horses get out and see more horses, experience some training, and are introduced to life, they often catch colds. I’m told human children experience a similar phenomenon. Most babies experience a few of these on their way to adulthood with only minor hiccups. Sometimes though, the body wildly overreacts to the virus. Another cat metaphor: Like a cat reacts to water-very badly. In these horses the body attacks the lungs and turns them into scar tissue. Unfortunately, I’m told the humans don’t have great treatment options for this form.
Turns out Rhinopneumonitis is just plain tricky. Vaccination is good, but not a cure-all. I’m told being cat-like is the best prevention. Don’t take life too seriously and stay well rested.
Feb 8, 2016 | Feed, Hoof Care, Q & A
I was just wondering what fescue grass hay is? I have lived in Florida all my life, and have never heard of this kind of hay. I plan on moving my horse to Virginia, and the barn there feeds fescue grass blend hay, and I was just wanting to get more information about this hay.
Fescue hay is the most common type of grass hay that grows in the Southeastern US. It is similar to Coastal Bermuda grass hay that is used here. Less nutritious and palatable than Timothy or Orchard grass hay, it is also much lower in protein, calories, and calcium compared to Alfalfa or Peanut hay.
It is a fine hay for most horses, but you may need to feed more of it to get the same amount of nutrients, and they tend to waste more because it doesn’t taste as good as Alfalfa, Timothy, or Orchard grass.
As with any hay, the most important factor in nutrition is the ”cutting” or stage of maturity at harvest. First cutting hay is usually soft, leafy, tasty, and has a high nutrient density. 3rd cutting or later hay is often coarse, stemmy, and has a lower nutrient value.
Thanks for the question!
Oreo is losing some muscle mass this winter. I can see more ribs than usual this time of year. He has lost behind the withers, and also his rump above the tail. He will be 18 in April. He has access to Tifton 85 hay 24/7. I give him chopped forage in the morning with a cup of oats and a supplement. Do I need to feed some kind of grain? Or something else?
Short Answer: Yes.
Long Answer: It seems that every horse has a certain day of a week, of a month, of a year, when they suddenly decide to become an old horse overnight. 18 years old is about right for this transformation.
Congratulations, your easy keeper that has stayed fat and happy on a certain ration his entire life has now become a hard keeper, and needs to be fed about 3 times as much!
In addition to your horse’s new title as a “senior,” there are other factors that could be contributing to his weight loss. For example, older horses sometimes don’t have the best teeth. Regular dentals can help with that, but at a very old age they simply run out of teeth to chew with! As horses age, they are also at increased risk for Cushing’s disease, which can cause weight loss, among other symptoms. Regular fecal egg counts and a good deworming program are also important so that your horse can effectively absorb the nutrients he is eating.
As far as choice of grain, it may be time to consider a Senior feed for Oreo. Nutrena, Triple Crown, Seminole, Purina… take your pick. Every major brand has a specially-formulated Senior feed that is a bit more digestible and higher in fat, fiber, and protein than your standard Maintenance feed. Keep the hay and chopped coming as well, because forage is always the most important part of a horse’s diet.
Spreading out Oreo’s ration over two feedings (three for super skinny horses) is a good way to put weight on a horse, because it is closer to how they would eat in the wild. Any feed changes should be made gradually over a period of about two weeks. If you don’t see positive results after one month of the new diet, we should come out to check Oreo for any underlying problems that may be contributing to his weight loss.
Thank you for the excellent question!
One of my horses have splits in his front hooves. What can I do to get rid of them?
There are two types of cracks we generally see in horse’s feet: vertical at the toe or heels, and horizontal at the heels. All cracks are indications of unbalanced forces on the hoof wall. The direction of the crack and the location gives us clues about the forces involved.
Vertical cracks at the toe are most commonly seen in horses with naturally poor quality hoof wall who live in sandy environments and don’t wear shoes. These cracks can be improved by making sure the foot is trimmed appropriately and the breakover brought back to the right spot. For more on what a proper trim looks like and what the heck a breakover is, check out this back-issue of Tony the Office Cat’s blog here: Tuesday’s with Tony blog. It is important to remember that any changes will take a lot of time to appear in the hoof. It takes an entire year for the hoof wall to grow from top to bottom. Sometimes it takes a proper trim and shoes to fully control the stress on the front of the foot. These cracks can sometimes become a wonderful environment for White Line disease, so it is important to have Springhill Equine check the feet to rule out this insidious problem.
Cracks at the heel are much harder to deal with. Heel cracks are a direct result of very unbalanced forces on the hoof wall. We highly recommend radiographs and a combined veterinary/farrier appointment. This allows Springhill Equine and the farrier to best determine where the issue lies and formulate a plan to fix it in the most efficient manner.
Thanks for the question, and we hope this helps!
Feb 3, 2016 | Ailments, Colic
If I weren’t a cat I would send my most profound apologies for not getting Tuesdays with Tony written on Tuesday. Luckily, as a cat, I don’t really care. I have my reasons. It has been a crazy week. First there was rain, rain, rain and a temperature drop. I hate rain. I love to wander around my kingdom here at Springhill Equine and monitor all the activity. I do not love getting wet thus when it rains I’m stuck inside. The only joy on rainy days is making people repeatedly open the door just so I can see if it is still raining.
With all the rain and weather change, Dr. Lacher and Dr. Vurgason were kept busy seeing colicky horses. People who study these things, they like the fancy title epidemiologist, say weather changes don’t cause colic. I suppose they are correct in some ways. Weather changes cause horses to get off their routine and routine changes make upset horse stomachs and upset horse stomachs make Springhill Equine come out for a visit. That’s why our Docs recommend a little salt, some added water, and some alfalfa or peanut hay during dramatic weather changes. It also helps to chase the horses around for a few minutes to get their gut moving. Us cats are designed to sleep 18 hours daily. It’s a benefit to being a top of the line predator. Horses need to move around to keep their gut going. What do they do on a rainy day? Stand under a tree or shelter and pout.
Monday was good. The day was pretty. I got to sleep in the sun in the middle of the driveway and have people drive around me. I greeted a few folks as they came in to the office. I made my rounds of the property. I liked Monday.
Tuesday was looking good. The weather was nice. We have a veterinary student, Bianca, who followed directions nicely and scratched all the places I wanted scratched. Dr. Lacher was excited because she got to do a castration. Then the neighbor drove by with a contraption and the day went down from there. First, Renee wouldn’t let me go supervise the neighbor while he worked on the road with what she called a backhoe. I feel this is the exact moment when things took a turn for the worse. Because I wasn’t supervising the human, he cut our phone line. This led to several moments of panic from Renee and Dr. Lacher. Dr. Vurgason was having a great time celebrating her husband’s birthday at Disney so she was immune from all this. Moments later I learned that someone called AT&T is a source of much yelling and screaming from the humans. I don’t know much about this AT&T but I think they may be the spawn of Satan. Luckily we have some great local people who are affiliated with this AT&T and they were able to temporarily fix our phone lines.
Whew what a week! As a present to myself to recover from this week I’m going to allow folks to sign up for Wellness 2016 for one more week. That’s right you have until February 10th to sign up! You won’t find a better deal for your horse. I really don’t understand why everyone hasn’t signed up.
Jan 26, 2016 | Ailments, Medication, Vaccines
Every few years they make me go to the small animal vet for a fun field trip to get vaccines. I like car rides and meeting new people so I go along with it. There is a moment of discomfort when they stick the needles in me. I get treats. I forgive for the needles since there were treats, and back to the clinic I go. Horses are different. Of course they are! They feel the need to be special about all kinds of crazy stuff. Horses have to get vaccines WAY more often, like twice yearly more often.
Why are horses so special? First: they are getting vaccinated for a different type of infection than most of the vaccines your dog or cat gets. Eastern Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV) in particular are very bad about overwhelming the immune system unless it is super primed and ready. Also most horses are exposed to EEE and WNV on a VERY regular basis when they get bit by mosquitoes. This means they better be ready to fight all the time! Second: horses just aren’t good at responding to vaccines. We all know cats are a superior critter, and I see this as further proof. Really awesome Docs have done pretty detailed research to show that horses only have a good response for 6-14 months depending on the vaccine. Cats respond so well that we only have to get shots every 3 years. Yep, we’re awesome like that.
Another reason horses need vaccines more often: their busy social lives. While us cats are busy keeping to ourselves being the good loners we are, horses are off at horse shows and trail rides and clinics and sleepovers. Sure, it all sounds like fun, but it’s also an opportunity to get germs from others. Horse shows have caught on to this germ festival. The United States Equestrian Foundation (USEF) recently passed a rule stating that horses have to be vaccinated every six months for Rhinopneumonitis and Influenza. I’m not one for rules but I hear from our Docs that this one is reasonable. Lots of horse shows were making their own rules about when and how and why and blah, blah, blah on vaccines. This means there is one rule to govern them all. (What?! This cat likes Lord of the Rings) So, if you show any breed or discipline that is under the USEF umbrella you must have proof of vaccination. This includes Paso Fino, Arabian, Dressage, Hunter/Jumper, and Eventing, just to name a few.
I must, also, be sure you know about our Wellness Program. This simple program will take care of all your horse’s health needs and you don’t have to worry about any of it! How awesome is that? Our Docs think of everything. You have 5 days left to sign up for Wellness 2016. Don’t miss out on this program!
So once again we have proven cats rule and you should call Springhill Equine. I feel redundant when I say these things. Our Docs can help you determine what vaccines your horses really need, when they need them, and provide the documentation you need for all that socializing.
Jan 19, 2016 | Disaster Preparedness
Tuesdays with Tony:
I must say, it’s a bit nippy outside! Be that as it may, don’t even think about putting a space heater in your barn to keep little Snowflake warm. Turns out, the majority of barn fires are caused by heating equipment! In fact, only 3% of barn fires are caused by an animal. It stands to reason, then, that the other 97% are caused by stupid humans. Surprise, surprise.
Does your barn aisle looks like Home Depot was having a sale on extension cords? Is there so much dust on your fluorescent lightbulbs that you can’t see to tell apart your hunter green and navy blue turnout sheets? If so, you are not alone. Which brings me to the 2nd most common cause of barn fires: electrical and lighting equipment!
Barn fires are an all too common reality. They are always tragic, mostly because they are almost always preventable. Dr. Lacher and Dr. Vurgason want you and your horses to be safe! Therefore, Springhill Equine is throwing an exciting come-see-Tony event entitled, Barn Fire Prevention: Addressing Life Safety Issues at your Facility. Our guest speaker will be Aaron Vurgason of Oak Ridge Electric. Aaron is a licensed electrician, and holds certifications in arson investigation, electrical safety, fire safety, building automation/control systems, and most importantly he’s Dr. V’s husband, so he’s cool in my book.
Don’t miss me, err I mean the talk about Barn Fire Prevention, on Thursday, February 11th at 6:30pm, right here at Springhill Equine! And before you decide to hang a heat lamp directly over Snowflake’s hay rack, ask yourself if it’s worth it, and maybe just throw an extra blanket on her instead. Stay warm in your kitty houses!
-Tony
Jan 12, 2016 | Breeding
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!
Jan 7, 2016 | Allergies, Feed, Q & A, Skin Funk
My older Cushings horse developed something like a nasty rain rot. Her skin was hot and it was painful to her to be brushed. Dr. Lacher’s recommended treatment (bathe with chlorhexadine, coat with baby oil, leave on overnight, bathe again) was an overnight fix. However, the problem has returned and it seems also to be occurring now, much more mildly, in some of our other horses. Is this a contagious issue? If not, why would they all be getting this–is there an environmental trigger?
What can I do to prevent this from recurring? It’s a pain to treat!
The joys of Florida! All our heat and humidity are great for creating skin funk. Let’s start with a bit of equine history. Horses were designed to live in much colder places than Florida. This means they have an undercoat, along with their regular coat. An undercoat works to trap heat radiating from the body and block water coming from the environment. Unfortunately those same properties cause the undercoat to trap heat and water vapor coming off the body in our climate. This creates a wonderful sauna at the skin level. What loves a sauna? Bacteria. In particular a bacteria called Dermatopholis congolensis. Here is a beautiful picture of D. congolensis.
A few others sometimes join in like Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria are part of the normal flora of the skin. It does seem like it is contagious but it is more a matter of all horses are exposed to the same environmental risk factors at the same time.
Treatments are aimed at killing the little buggers and then setting up an unhappy environment for them. We start with an antibacterial shampoo like Equishield CK. The most important thing to remember when using this shampoo is TIME. Gently get the soap down to the level of the skin and then let it sit for 10 minutes. Scrubbing hard removes the crusts but also damages the skin making it easier for the bacteria to invade. After 10 minutes rinse the soap off, again, gently. If your horse has a particularly bad case spray the worst areas with Equishield CK spray. Equishield CK salve can used on the backs of the pasterns to treat and prevent infections in this tricky location. In bad cases antibiotics are used.
Prevention is tricky and involves daily battles to win the war. Prevention starts with a curry comb, and a good diet. Regular grooming keeps the skin happy so it is better prepared to ward off invasions by bacteria. Good nutrition keeps the immune system primed and ready to attack the moment bacteria are spotted. So groom regularly and feed well: check. Next, while grooming every day, check for telltale bumps and crusts on your horse’s skin and treat immediately. Silver Sox on the legs do a great job treating and preventing infections on the lower limbs. Keeping your horse as dry as possible by using waterproof sheets or blankets during the winter helps reduce the severity of infections. Unfortunately, body clipping increases your horse’s risk of skin infections by causing tiny amounts of damage to the skin and removing the protective layer of hair making it easier for water to get all the way down to the skin.
Could you please present the available calming supplements/medications available to owners with highly reactive, AKA “spooky” horses? It would be nice to see them described from lightest effect to the most likely to produce effects on all horses. Cost of each would be helpful too. Thanks!
Ever since the first human was bucked off for the first time, we have been looking for a little help at better living through chemistry. Calming substances generally work one of two ways: they make the brain tired or they make the muscles slow to respond.
If you are looking for a reliable, consistent response pharmaceuticals are the best bet. These include the powerful sedatives like Dormosedan, acepromazine, and Sedivet. These also include two common long acting sedatives: reserpine and fluphenazine. Sedatives will always work but they also are prohibited in the show ring.
Herbal or Nutraceutical options are sometimes effective, sometimes not so much. Our general rule of thumb is if it is banned by USEF it is probably effective. These include Valerian Root, melatonin, and high doses of tryptophan. GABA, and its metabolites, are relatively new calming supplements that have been banned by most organizations. If you are looking for a little bit of calm on a green horse headed out to a new experience things like valerian root can work really well. Each horse responds differently to this class of calming agents so experimentation is key. We also recommend assuming an herbal or nutraceutical will test for horse show purposes.
Two new options are Zylkene and ConfidenceEQ. Both are safe for horse shows. Zylkene works off the same principal as the “milk coma” babies experience. It is a feed through powder that is started several days before the event. Dr. Lacher has tried it on one of her very hot horses. She was happy with the results which left the horse feeling well lunged without the lunging. ConfidenceEQ is a pheromone. Pheromones work as inhaled communications between horses. This particular one is the “be calm” pheromone and works best on horses who experience fear or separation anxiety.
Prices for these products are highly variable with the herbals generally being the most expensive. Each horse and each situation is very different so we recommend giving us a call or e-mail to help formulate a plan.
How accurate and successful is allergy testing and injection therapy for horses with Culicoides (gnat) allergy?
There are two types of allergy testing available: intradermal and serum.
Serum is a simple blood draw. The blood is then tested to see what substances it reacts to. Serum allergy testing is easy, but not very accurate. It creates a lot of false positives. The blood will react to something but the horse isn’t actually allergic to it.
Intradermal testing injects small amounts of the allergen in to the skin to determine if the body reacts. The severity of the reaction is directly related to the severity of the allergy. This information can then be used to formulate immunotherapy (allergy shots) or to alter the horse’s environment to avoid the worst allergens.
On to Culicoides allergies specifically. Intradermal and serum testing can tell us a horse is allergic to Culicoides. Unfortunately, immunotherapy does not work on this particular allergy. Culicoides is very complicated as allergies go. It involves several different parts of the allergy response system. Immunotherapy works to dampen a small portion of the system that doesn’t play a large role for gnat allergic horses. But….there’s always a but. Allergies are cumulative. That means every response your horse has to every allergen works to enhance the response to the next allergen they are exposed to. This means allergy testing can help you identify all the great stuff your horse is allergic to. By managing as many of the allergies as you can, you decrease your horses response to allergens overall.
I’m trying to establish a daily equine routine. Is there a recommended time frame for exercising your horse? For example, waiting a certain amount of time after feeding or not directly before feeding time. I’m referring to light work and training exercises.
Horses thrive on schedule in their lives. This means exercising them at the same time of the day is the most important thing for them. If you can’t exercise them at the same time of the day, set up a pre-exercise routine. Put them on the cross ties, groom them, bring out the saddle, etc. This will allow your horse to mentally prepare for exercise.
Old wisdom dictates one hour after feeding before your horse can be ridden. This advice is largely based on how humans feel after eating and not how horses feel. It is also from a time when very different meals were fed to horses. Horses once lived on lots of oats and other whole grains which required the digestive tract to work extra hard to extra nutrition and created a lot of excess gas. Modern diets are formulated to the horse’s GI tract in a much more scientific way. We recommend giving your horse time to eat and 10-15 minutes to empty the stomach before riding. This rule does change if you are heading out to do trot sets or a long gallop but if you are headed out for a light to moderate ride, saddle up and go!
Jan 5, 2016 | Exercise, Feed
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!
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