Table of contents for May 2018 in Equus

Learning to listen “Standing Firm” (Back Page, EQUUS 486) brought back a memory of my beloved Appaloosa, Domino. He was my dear friend and companion for many years, and he willingly went everywhere I directed—except this one time. I had been riding with a buddy as we crossed the San Jacinto River in Montgomery County, Texas. The trip over was no problem, but the return became a nightmare. When we came to the place I wanted to cross, Domino refused. I was very surprised. He had never refused to go anywhere before. I insisted, and eventually he did start to cross. Immediately, he sank halfway up his shoulders into quicksand. I had to jump off his back before he sank any deeper. Domino didn’t panic or thrash about. He just…

Kicks from other horses are the most common cause of equine fractures, according to a new study from Switzerland. Researchers at the University of Zurich reviewed the records of 1,144 horses treated at the clinic for fractures of a known cause. They found that 43.6 percent were caused by kicks from other horses. In 85.6 percent of those cases, the fractures affected a limb. In addition, 44.7 percent of kick fractures involved broken skin. The overall recovery rate for horses with kick-related fractures was 70.1 percent. Those who were extremely lame after a fracture or whose bones were broken into several pieces were less likely to survive. The researchers conclude that “measures to reduce the incidence of kicks are necessary in group-housing systems.” Reference: “Epidemiology of fractures: The role of…

As the skies darken, the barometer drops and a summer storm begins to brew, is your horse at an increased risk of colic? Many owners believe that changes in weather are linked to gastrointestinal problems in their horses. That may be true, but what exactly it is about weather that triggers colic isn’t so clear. Individual horses may indeed react to changes in the atmosphere alone, just like some people get sinus headaches in certain conditions. There is a theory that a drop in barometric pressure can lead to expansion of gas in the gut, leading to colic, but research into that possibility has produced conflicting results. If you suspect your horse may colic because of atmospheric conditions, you might be able to identify a pattern by keeping detailed notes…

Equine social dynamics can be brutal. Turn a new horse out into an established group and fighting is likely to ensue as the herd hierarchy is reordered. That’s not only stressful—for the horses involved and the people watching—but it can lead to injuries. To help ease a horse’s introduction into a herd, focus on finding the newbie a buddy and allow the pair to bond before you make the big move. Here’s how to do that: First, identify a horse with a laid-back personality from your existing herd. A middle-of-the-pack herd member who doesn’t mess with other horses and doesn’t typically get messed with is an ideal choice. It’s also helpful if that horse doesn’t already have a “best buddy.” Introduce the horse you’ve selected to the newcomer, first over…

Because poultices reduce inflammation they can be regarded as more of a “treatment” than liniments. • Used for: cooling limbs and reducing minor swellings not associated with acute injuries; may also be used to treat hoof abscesses • Action: “drawing” of fluid collected between cells via osmosis • Common active ingredients: mineral-based clays, like kaolin, glycerine, Epsom salts • Application: spread onto lower limbs or packed into hooves. Can be wrapped over or left uncovered to dry. After 24 hours, the leg is hosed clean or the dried poultice brushed off. • Note: Cotton pads filled with poultice material provide a no-mess application option.…

Five similar breeds resulted from the quest for tin, copper, lead and cattle in the period from about 700 B.C. to A.D. 200. Phoenician and other sea-traders from the western Mediterranean sailed west through the Straits of Gibraltar and up the west coast of Iberia founding trading colonies all along the route. With them they brought stallions of Afro-Turkic derivation (3), which covered mares of the Draft subspecies native to western Europe (2), thus founding the Iberian Jennet (5), Brittany (6), Cornish (7), Welsh (9) and Irish Hobby (8) breeds. The Hobby was bred by Irish royalty for sprint-racing, while all these breeds were originally valued for their comfortable ambling travel gait. While all breeds represented on this map are similar in appearance and overall size (800 to 900 pounds),…

This map summarizes the “recipe” for the Narragansett Pacer, which was the first horse breed created by Europeans in North America. During the 16th century, English colonists in Massachusetts imported Hobbies directly from England (8), as did those in Virginia and the Carolinas (18). Those in Rhode Island, Maryland and northern Virginia were soon crossed with imported ambler-galloper Thoroughbred (15) and a dash of Caribbean Jennet (17) to produce the Narragansett Pacer. Horses may have been brought to North America by Leif Eriksson’s Icelandic Vikings during the 10th century, but if so there is no evidence of their survival. The record of the horse in the Western Hemisphere thus begins with Christopher Columbus, who on his second voyage to America in 1493 brought 15 horses to the island of Hispaniola…

As my mother pulled into the drive, I leapt out of the car before it had even stopped. Finally, I had turned 13, and I was old enough to start working at the barn. For years, I had envied the older girls who helped the younger kids get the school horses ready for lessons. These lesson-helpers, as we called them, also got to catch and bring in horses from the enormous pasture where they spent their days. My boss met me as soon as I entered the barn and said, “Could you go out and catch Rascal?” I felt myself nod instinctively—and then she was gone. I had my first assignment. With a mixture of excitement and anxiety I turned and walked out the door, my hands so sweaty I…

antigen-antibody reaction—interaction between a foreign substance (antigen) and the body’s defensive proteins (antibodies). antioxidant—substance that inhibits the chemical addition of oxygen to another substance. coffin bone (pedal bone)—major bone within the hoof, shaped like a miniature hoof. corneal ulcers (ulcerative keratitis)—disruptions or sores in the transparent outer membrane of the eye caused by trauma, infection or disease; usually accompanied by inflammation. deep digital flexor tendon—tendon connecting the deep muscles at the back of the forearm and gaskin to the coffin bone in the foot. digital cushion—firm, spongy, wedge-shaped tissue mass filling the area between the frog and the deep digital flexor tendon. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)—large organic molecule that consists of two chains of nucleotides wound around each other; the material of which genes are made. Genes are responsible for the…

Research from the University of California—Davis suggests that infrared thermography may be useful in screening for illicit injections in competition horses. In infrared thermography, a heat-sensing camera is used to detect differences in the surface temperature of objects. The technology has long been employed in equine medicine to monitor various conditions, including laminitis, lameness and back pain. Because surface temperatures are affected by metabolic changes, thermography can also be used to track physiological reactions to specific procedures, such as nerve blocks. The Davis researchers sought to determine whether thermography could detect a recent injection into one of a horse’s jugular veins. Located on the right and left grooves in the lower third of a horse’s neck, the jugular veins carry blood from a horse’s head back to his heart. They…

“His hocks hurt” is a common explanation for a why a horse, particularly an older one, isn’t moving well. But it’s not always easy to tell if hock pain is the cause of gait troubles. Painful hocks, unless related to an injury or specific pathology, typically cause symmetrical or nearly symmetrical changes in the gait, with the horse taking shorter strides than normal with his hind legs. Hock pain can also cause a consistent “hitch” in a horse’s stride; instead of the cannon bone smoothly arcing down toward the ground at the end of the stride, it will pause abruptly at the same place in each step. This is more noticeable on the inside hind leg when the horse is working on a circle. Another way to detect hock pain…

This map summarizes the creation of the English Thoroughbred. Its story begins with the importation of Royal Hobbies from Ireland that were exported eastward to England, Scotland and Italy beginning in Roman times 2,000 years ago. King Henry VIII’s 16th century stable of elite racing Hobbies passed to his daughter Queen Elizabeth I and was still in existence during the 17th century when King Charles II created the rules for Thoroughbred heat-racing. During this period North African Barbs (10) were imported to England; crossed with Hobbies (11) they produced the English Running Horse (12). Mares of all three kinds were covered by Turkmene stallions (13, representing the compact yet powerful Yomud type, and 14, the rangier Circassian type; both drawn from 19th century photos). The result of these outcrosses was…

This map summarizes the creation of the first American breed, the Morgan. In the “The Mystery of the Morgan Horse” (EQUUS 469), I reconstructed Justin Morgan’s pedigree to reflect all reported and likely ancestry, which includes Old Canadian, Narragansett Pacer and ambler-galloper Thoroughbred. Imported Hobby (18) contributed to the Morgan both through the Narragansett Pacer and directly. Icon 6 represents the Old Canadian, which originated with importations to Canada from Brittany and was essentially identical to the Old Breton shown in Map 2. The strong conformational similarity of the Old Canadian and Morgan is no coincidence, as Canadian herds were commonly driven into New England in Colonial times and were numerous there. Note the crinkly texture of mane and tail, frequent though not universal in the Morgan, which is also…

GENETICS Why are dogs so different? Q: Many domestic animal species have been selectively bred for thousands of years now, yet dogs seem unique in the number of different shapes and sizes they appear in. How do dogs manage to take so many different forms? Is there something unusual about the canine genome that allows this? Could other domestic species, if bred over time for a wider array of purposes, also theoretically assume such widely divergent forms? A: This is a good question. I’m not sure we have a good answer, but there are a number of theories. First, it’s fairly easy to understand how artificial selection helps us develop the same species into different breeds based on the traits we desire most. If one group of people needs help chasing down rabbits,…

I’d been looking forward to this show for weeks. I don’t compete very often, so I wanted to make it count. I had been working with Sally, my half-Arabian mare, for months, and I had spent the better part of a week making final preparations. We drove out to the fairgrounds the evening before and settled in for the night. The next morning, Sally seemed comfortable and relaxed. I had high hopes that we would have a good day. My mare is not the flashiest mover or the most talented jumper, but she is safe and reliable. After a decade together, we understand each other, and she is always the model of good behavior. “Always,” I should say, until this day. Before our first event, I decided to introduce Sally…

Q: Your new British barn friend asks if she can borrow a numnah for the trail ride this afternoon. What does she want? a. a saddle pad b. a helmet c. a breastplate d. a fly mask POP QUIZ ANSWER a. “Numnah” is a common British term for a saddle pad, and one of many words that could confuse intercontinental conversations among equestrians. A “rug” is a blanket, and if she asks you to pop into the “horse box” and grab a “head collar” for her, go to the trailer and get her a halter.…

After years of replacing broken or rusted salt block holders, I devised a way to hang my horse’s block with rope. First I made a hole through the block—about three inches from one end—using a power drill. I then threaded a two-foot length of heavy clothesline through the hole and knotted it back on itself securely just above the block. Then I hung the block from the bars of my horse’s stall, well above hoof height.—Robert McCurdy, Crown Point, Indiana Send your suggestions for inexpensive horse-care substitutes as well as hints for saving effort and time to Hands On, EQUUS, P.O. Box 7510, Falls Church, Virginia 22040; email: EQLetters@aimmedia.com. Senders of published items will receive selected EQUUS merchandise.…

Various conditions that compromise the integrity of the hoof may open the door to the opportunistic microbes that cause white line disease. • Hoof imbalances or abnormalities. The stresses associated with hoof imbalances or conformation issues can stretch the structures of the white line area and open pathways for microorganisms. “Any area that is overloaded, flaring or compromised may be invaded,” says Travis Burns, CJF, assistant professor of practice and chief of farrier services at Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. “Horses with chronic laminitis or with club feet are prone to white line disease in the toe region. Horses with long-toe, low-heel conformation are also at risk. Horses who are base wide are prone to white line disease on the side where the hoof is flared.” • Wet conditions. Chronic…

• Used for: soothing tired muscles after exertion • Action: rapid cooling of tissues via evaporation and/or increased circulation and associated “warming” through counterirritation. • Common active ingredients: alcohol, witch hazel, menthol, camphor, aromatic oils • Application: added to a bucket of water and sponged over the entire horse as a “brace” or rubbed directly onto the target area without dilution. Limbs may be wrapped after liniment application for enhanced “warming” effects. • Cautions: Excessive or improper use can lead to blistering of the skin or overheating of tissues, especially underneath wraps.…

So important has the Thoroughbred been as an “improver” in the development of other breeds that it is useful to look in more detail at the three major families which comprise the breed. The acknowledged “foundation” horses are the Byerly stallion, a Circassian-type Turkmene; the Darley stallion, a Yomud-type Turkmene carrying a dash of Asil Arabian; and the Godolphin stallion, representing a three-way cross between Hobby, Barb and Turkmene but with Hobby predominating. During the early 18th century, all three families went through what biologists consider “breeding bottlenecks,” so that most post 18th-century horses that trace back in sire line to the Byerly stallion, for example, do so through Herod. The situation is similar with respect to the Darley and Godolphin. Notice the conformation of these horses. The Byerly indeed…

The Colonial Quarter Running Horse (CQRH), also called the Colonial Riding Horse, is the next purely American creation (24), derived from a cross of Morgan (21) with Southern horses. On this map I represent the Choctaw-Chickasaw (22), as well as southern Hobbies (18) and both ambler-galloper (15) and trotter-galloper (23) Thoroughbreds. The CQRH is essentially a product of the South, beginning with the importation to Virginia of the ambler-galloper *Little Janus in 1759 and continuing into the first half of the 19th century largely through the influence of Sir Archy (1805 to 1833), who was born in Virginia and whose stud career, like that of *Little Janus, occurred primarily in North Carolina. *Little Janus and Sir Archy of course covered Thoroughbred mares but also many country-breds of Hobby extraction, and…

The Health Monitoring Smart Collar (starting at $159.95, including one year of health monitoring), from PetPace, is equipped with noninvasive sensors to track data related to your dog’s health, including temperature, pulse, respiration, body positions, overall activity levels, calories consumed and burned, and heart-rate variations. Data is sent at two-, 15- or 30-minute intervals to a monitoring service, which alerts you when abnormalities are detected. In S, M, L or cat. Call 978-785-7223 or visit www.petpace.com. Show off your dog’s personal flair with a SmartPak Dog Collar (suggested retail, $17.95 to $19.95), available in several colorful prints: favorite jeans, rodeo, blue gingham or pink check. Lightweight and strong, the collar has a fabric covering that dries quickly. Other features include a welded D-ring and easily adjustable slides for a perfect…