Table of contents for Spring 2024 in Equus

Ryan Carpenter, DVM, MS, DACVS, is a surgeon at Equine Medical Center in Cypress, California, where he specializes in arthroscopic, orthopedic and soft tissue procedures. Carpenter received his veterinary degree from the University of California, Davis. After his surgical internship at Equine Medical Center, he completed an equine lameness and surgery residency at Colorado State University. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and an ACVS Founding Fellow, Minimally Invasive Surgery (Large Animal Orthopedics). Duncan Peters, DVM, received his veterinary degree from the University of California, Davis and is a diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (ACVSMR). After serving as a professor in clinical equine lameness and sports medicine at Michigan State University, Peters became co-owner of East-West Equine Sports Medicine,…

A picture is worth a thousand words in explaining the bone structure that underlies the ability to freely turn the head, which is found not only in Saddlebreds but in some Thoroughbreds, Arabians and warmbloods. In skull A, the plate of bone that forms the occiput is tilted backwards relative to the top of the braincase, producing an angle (marked in red) of well over 90 degrees. This displaces the joint between the skull and the atlas vertebra rearward, which in turn widens the distance between the “wing” of the atlas and the back of the mandible (the jowl). Skull B is typical of most Thoroughbreds or Quarter Horses, having less backward tilt of the occiput and thus a shorter distance between the wing of the atlas and the jowl. The…

THE BEST WAY TO USE WEIGHT TAPES Weight tapes have always entailed a tradeoff: They’re portable and easy to use, yet they aren’t especially accurate. But a new study from Scotland shows that—used properly—a weight tape can be very helpful for managing a horse’s weight and protecting his health. University of Edinburgh researchers worked with a British feed company to investigate the utility and pitfalls of weight tapes, which are designed to be wrapped around the barrel to “measure” a horse’s weight in pounds or kilograms. For the study, the researchers reviewed the records from 1,716 horses seen by the feed company’s consultants over a two-year period. In addition to documenting each horse’s height, breed, type (heavy-, medium-or light-boned) and body condition score, the consultants took weight readings using both…

DON’T exceed the prescribed dose of an NSAID. DO monitor horses receiving NSAID treatments for colic, diarrhea or other signs of adverse effects. DON’T administer an NSAID more frequently than directed by your veterinarian. DO talk to your veterinarian about firocoxib or a topical NSAID with less systemic effects like Surpass (diclofenac), if your horse requires long-term administration. DON’T administer more than one NSAID at the same time, unless directed to do so by your veterinarian. DO make sure that a horse receiving NSAIDs has access to clean, fresh water and monitor him to prevent dehydration. DON’T administer an NSAID to your horse without consulting your veterinarian.…

Rainrot can persist and recur if environmental triggers such as prolonged exposure to rain aren’t addressed. Eventually, the infection can become chronic and even can lead to a cascade of painful secondary infections like Staphylococcal folliculitis and even cellulitis. In extreme cases, the bacterial infection could overwhelm the horse’s immune system, particularly if that animal is young, old or in fragile health. Discomfort, fever and loss of appetite might accompany widespread hair loss, making for a truly sick horse. “Animals with severe generalized infections often lose condition, and movement is difficult if the hooves, lips and muzzle are severely affected,” says Karen Moriello, DVM, DACVD, clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine. “The condition is painful. Severely infected animals may have to be euthanized.”…

The Saddlebredgeldingcalled Allegro was once part of the U.S. Olympic Team jumper squad. His rider is Dan Marks, VMD, who has been kind enough to supply the accompanying photo, taken at Madison Square Garden in 1958. Dan tells me that Allegro “struggled” with broad obstacles, although I see no evidence of that in this photo, which demonstrates as no mere words could express, the extreme flexibility that is typical of the Saddlebred shoulder. The horse has rotated the top end of the scapula down so far that it is under Marks’ knee, while at the same time he stretches the forelimbs so far forward that he goes—as Saddle Seat showmen would say—“over level” with the forearms. Surely this, plus the tightly folded hind joints, are advantages to a jumper. Dan…

The mare shown here is Milady Minton by Crouch’s Chief, a descendant of Clark Chief and thus yet another descendant of Annie C. She is out of Bessie Wetherlite by Monte Mark by Monte Cristo by Montrose, with tail-female harking back to Washington Denmark and Coleman’s Eureka (see “A Vintage Blend,” EQUUS 513, for images of these foundational Saddlebreds). Milady Minton is the dam of Miss Chatterbox, a winning five-gaited mare, who is in turn the dam of The Lemon Drop Kid. Like Belle Beach, Milady Minton presents multiple crosses to Queen with some also to Black Hawk and Blackburn’s Whip. In terms of conformation, her proportions—with short back, close coupling and somewhat long legs—make one think of an Arabian. Milady Minton’s pedigree contains a cross to Indian Chief, and…

Janet Jones, PhD, applies brain research to the training of horses and riders. She earned her doctorate in cognitive science from the University of California, Los Angeles and taught the neuroscience of perception, language, memory and thought for 23 years. Her internationally bestselling book, Horse Brain, Human Brain, is available in seven languages formatted in print, electronic media, and audiobook. Martin K. Nielsen, DVM, PhD, DVSc, DACVM, DEVPC, is a professor of equine parasitology at the Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky. His research is dedicated to providing solutions for equine parasite control and includes development and refinement of diagnostic techniques, objective evaluation of deworming regimens and anthelmintic resistance. Jamie Pribyl, DVM, received her undergraduate degree from Lake Superior State University and earned her veterinary degrees from…

In the wake of Luna’s escape and return, I evaluated and updated my barn first-aid kit. Here’s what it now includes: • flunixin meglumine (Banamine), phenylbutazone, pills or paste• Wraps/bandages (cotton roll, elastic bandages/medical wrap, gauze)• Triple-antibiotic ointment or cream• Thermometer with string• Electrolyte paste• Stethoscope• Poultice• Bandage scissors• Flashlight and spare batteries• Duct tape, towels and rubber (nitrile) gloves• Emergency phone numbers of your veterinarian and nearby veterinary clinics Finally, remember to refresh and update supplies as you use them or as they age out. Special thanks to Haley Brown, DVM, CVMA, of Texas Equine Medical Associates, for her support in building a horseman’s first-aid kit.…

Luna’s disappearance from a paddock on our ranch gave me a new appreciation for some horsekeeping basics that are easy to forget or let slide: • Maintain a well-stocked equine first-aid kit. Luna’s owner, Kirsten—a nurse by profession—always carries with her a large tackle box filled with every essential. We have a lot of supplies, but they are not particularly organized. This will change! (See First-Aid Kit Refresher, page 66.) • Don’t “wait and see” if something doesn’t seem quite right. Call your veterinarian, if only to alert them of an impending issue. Of course, our remote location makes this a greater challenge. • Allot ample time for recovery. Even when a problem has apparently resolved, it may require more time to fully heal than you might otherwise expect. In…

When I bought my mare Audie, many people at my boarding barn assumed I was trying to duplicate my previous horse, Sugar, who died at age 30 in 2022. On paper at least, Audie and Sugar had a lot in common. They were both chestnut mares with a lot of chrome, and both were registered with the American Paint Horse Association. Plus no one would blame me for wanting another Sugar—she was a universal barn favorite. Nonetheless, one big question kept coming up: Who on earth buys two chestnut mares in a row? That would be me. And not just because Audie meets the textbook definition for “pretty horse,” with her bright red coat, white stockings and doelike eyes. In the winter, she gets birdcatcher spots, and she has a…

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) aid healing and reduce discomfort by inhibiting the body’s inflammatory processes. So called non-selective NSAIDs (such as phenylbutazone, naproxen sodium and flunixin meglumine) are associated with an increased risk for gastrointestinal bleeding and kidney problems because of how they work. These NSAIDs block both Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) enzymes, which aid the production of prostaglandins that maintain the stomach’s protective lining and protect other body tissues, and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzymes, which are released in response to injury and contribute to pain, swelling and inflammation. Newer medications, called COX-2 selective NSAIDs, target only COX-2 enzymes and thus have fewer potential side effects. In horses, the COX-2 selective medication firocoxib (brand name Equioxx) can help reduce inflammation with a lower risk of gastrointestinal or renal side effects.…

When my friend Kirsten Lotter arrived on a Saturday afternoon last spring, we were looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Kirsten had hauled her Arabian/Saddlebred mare Stella Luna BF the nearly 800 miles from her place in Manor, Texas, to the ranch that my husband Kenny and I had built near Pie Town, New Mexico. A seasoned endurance horse and traveler, Luna unloaded like a pro and quickly settled into her one-acre paddock, encircled by fencing topped off with electrified tape. In fact, she took a shine to her neighbor, my Quarter Horse Benny. I was eager to show Kirsten around the property. In the morning we would take a leisurely trail ride through the foothills of Alegres Mountain. No doubt we would compare notes on tack, training and equine…