Innehållsförteckning för October 2018 från Equus

Treasured memories I can’t thank you enough for “My Storybook Horse” (Back Page, EQUUS 491), about C.W. Anderson’s children’s book, Billy and Blaze. I also owned this book, along with every other book C.W. Anderson wrote or illustrated. Anderson’s wonderful books were read to me and given to me as a child. Until I was big enough for a real pony, I made do looking at all his wonderful horse illustrations. Even to my child-eyes, Anderson’s drawings revealed his own love of horses, and it showed in the details, such as their kind eyes and muscle definition. I still own all those books, and at least once a year I sit down and read them all over again. C. W. Anderson was a treasured writer and illustrator, especially for those…

Hay racks and nets can help keep a stall floor tidy and reduce waste, but they can contribute to a few health problems. For one thing, feeding hay from elevated holders increases a horse’s risk of eye irritation. As horses pull mouthfuls of hay from the rack, they stir up dust and debris, right at the level of their eyes. This can lead to scratched corneas0 and conjunctivitis0. Eating with a raised head also limits the natural drainage of a horse’s airway, which can contribute to respiratory conditions such as heaves. Wetting hay fed from a net or rack can reduce both of these risks, but you’ll need to make sure it’s eaten before it dries. Feeding hay from the stall floor is the simplest way to avoid these problems…

The second week of July means one very essential thing in New Mexico and much of the Southwest---it’s monsoon season! It’s been an incredibly arid year for much of the West, with wildfires raging in Colorado, New Mexico, California and Arizona. The parched, dry land bears silent testimony to the protracted drought. The second week of July is also the time when riders gather in New Mexico for the Fort Stanton Pioneer Endurance Ride. The marriage of monsoon and trail riding can make for some interesting footing in camp and on the trail. After a late-afternoon thunderstorm on this ride some years ago, my Morgan mare Annakate slipped going downhill into a sloppy wash and I ended up coming off, mired in the mud. She looked back, saw me, shook…

A study from Tufts University confirms what many horse owners already know: People often tailor their management routines to the needs of their old horses. For the study, the researchers surveyed 2,879 people who owned or leased at least one horse. The questionnaire collected data on either a single horse or on two---a primary horse that the person interacted with most and a secondary one. Horses older than age 20 were classified as geriatric for study purposes. In addition to asking the age of the horses, the survey included questions designed to explore the depth of emotional attachments, veterinary care decision-making processes and experiences surrounding the death of a horse. “Horses are unique among companion animals because of their long lifespans and, therefore, people often have long-term relationships with their…

FEELIN’ GROOVY Q:Where on a horse will you find Galvayne’s groove? a. his hoof b. his mouth c. his skull d. his spine PoP Quiz ANSWER b. This dark-colored stripe runs along the outer surface of the upper third (corner) incisor. It appears near the gum line when a horse is about 10 years old, reaches halfway down the tooth when he is approximately 15 and extends the full length by the time he is 20. Then it gradually disappears, from the top down, by the time he is 30.…

Although our arrival at our ranch in New Mexico would be pushed back another season, there was exciting news on the horizon. In early June, I received a call from one of our Pie Town neighbors letting us know that the 100 or so acres adjacent to our property was up for sale. Purchasing it will give us enough land to support all of our herd. Of course, grazing in New Mexico is seasonal, so hay will likely need to be provided year-round, but what a joy it will be to have all of our horses “home.” And the hills, trees and sweeping contours of the land will be terrific for turnout and pleasure riding. Editor’s note: In the “Starting From Scratch” series, longtime EQUUS writer and editor Bobbie Jo Lieberman…

AGING Coping with arthritis Q: My German Shepherd is getting a bit creaky in her old age. I know how to manage arthritis in my horse, but I’m not sure about the best approach to help my pup. Is there a medication or supplement I should start her on? She still loves to join me on trail rides. Will the exercise help or make it worse? A: Older dogs and older horses have similar problems with arthritis, and they share similar solutions as well. The mainstays of treatment include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), joint supplements and even Adequan injections. Day-to-day management changes can help, too. Just like arthritic horses, arthritic dogs don’t do well with superstrenuous workouts, but slow, regular activity helps a lot. Observe your dog closely and critically,…

I sat in the arena with tears running down my face, my legs trembling with exhaustion. It was Wednesday. In two days, I was scheduled to compete in the Thoroughbred Makeover, the annual show sponsored by the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP). The three-day event, which features competition in 10 different disciplines, is open to retired racehorses with 10 months or less of retraining. Hundreds of Thoroughbreds were here, all with trainers anxious to show off the work they’d done to prepare their off-the-track Thoroughbreds for new careers. At the moment, I was not one of them. “I can’t do this!” I yelled across the giant covered arena of the Kentucky Horse Park, where my mother, Gerry, sat in the stands. For the past 10 months she had been my assistant…

FOR A FAST, FOAMY BATH ▸ Product: Vetericyn FoamCare Equine Shampoo ▸ Description: Save time at the wash rack with Vetericyn FoamCare Equine Shampoo, which sprays on for fast coverage, foams up quickly and rinses easily. The hypoallergenic shampoo is formulated to deliver nutrients to a horse’s skin and condition his coat. A medicated version is also available for horses with fungal infections and other skin irritations. ▸ Price: suggested retail, $17.99 for regular, $23.99 for medicated, in a 32-ounce trigger bottle ▸ Source: Vetericyn Animal Wellness; 866-318-3116; vetericyn.com TO KEEP BLANKETS CLEAN ▸ Product: Nikwax Rug Wash ▸ Description: A laundry detergent specifically for use on horse blankets and other animal garments, Nikwax Rug Wash is formulated to remove dirt and debris while also revitalizing water repellency and breathability.…

amino acids—organic building blocks that together make up proteins and into which proteins can be broken down. “Essential amino acid” content determines the quality of a protein. The sequence of amino acids in a protein, and hence protein function, are determined by the genetic code. arthroscopy—examination of the interior of a joint through a slender fiber-optic instrument. Used primarily in joint surgery, arthroscopy has rendered many more invasive techniques obsolete. body condition score (BCS)—a designation, based on a nine-point numeric scale, indicating the amount of fat on a horse’s body. A BCS is assigned after a visual and hands-on appraisal. carbohydrates—large group of carbon-based compounds, including starches, sugars and cellulose, that are found in plants and form the largest class of animal foods. Carbohydrates, together with proteins and lipids, are…

New research suggests that exposure to potentially toxic minerals has a negative effect on equine performance. Researchers at the All-Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding in Ryazan set out to determine whether a correlation exists between a trotting horse’s racing speeds and the amount of iodine, chromium, cobalt, cadmium, lithium, lead or other toxic minerals in his body. Associated with industrial pollution of the air, water and/or soil, minerals can be ingested or absorbed by animals. Hair samples are a reliable indicator of the levels of minerals that have accumulated in an individual’s body. For their study, the Russian researchers first analyzed hair samples from 215 Russian trotting horses to establish the average bodily levels of 25 elemental minerals. For each mineral, levels that fell between the 25th and 75th…

An improved method of assessing the activity in a horse’s gut may be available in the future. Gastrointestinal motility ---the movements of a horse’s digestive system and the flow of its contents---can be an important indicator of the severity of colic or the status of a horse’s recovery from colic surgery. A healthy gut is continuously moving ingesta through the intestines, a process that produces distinctive sounds. Currently, the only way a veterinarian can check on a horse’s intestinal motility is to listen for gut sounds with a stethoscope or use an ultrasound machine to look for movement, a process that relies on analysis of a “snapshot in time” of the ongoing conditions. However, the use of noninvasive acoustic gastrointestinal surveillance (AGIS) biosensors, originally designed for use in people, may…

This past summer, I kept my visiting non-horsey nephew busy with a metal detector. I said I’d pay him 50 cents for every piece of metal he found in the pasture and around the barn. The $8 I ended up spending was worth it as he found two old horseshoes and multiple nails and construction screws that could have ended up lodged in my horse’s hooves.—Michelle Hartley, Winnsboro, South Carolina 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.…

The vintage circus poster seems designed to capture the imagination of anyone who loves horses—as it did mine. It features a smartly dressed woman sitting sidesaddle aboard a shiny white horse, both looking serene and confident as they are lifted into the night sky by a golden hot-air balloon. “Jupiter: The Balloon Horse” and his “ascension act” are billed as the “Latest and Greatest Thriller” from the Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth, circa 1909. I couldn’t imagine such a thing. Was this a real act? I had to find out more. The first decade of the 20th century was a time of transition. The Wright Brothers made their first flight in 1903, and by 1909 aircraft pioneers were recording “firsts” all over the world—first attempt to cross the…