Across the Fence

Normal vs. Healthy Hooves

2013-05-08T15:16:00Z

Far too often when discussing a horse’s foot, we use the word "normal" as a reference point to determine its state of health. But what is the "normal" we are comparing it to? Normal refers to a single foot on a specific horse, nothing more or less, because all feet are not born equal. Let’s throw out the term normal and instead talk about "healthy." Whether a foot’s shape, angles, and symmetry match a textbook ideal has little bearing on whether that foot is healthy. In fact, taking a foot that deviates from one’s concept of normal and forcing it to meet those standards frequently causes far more harm than good.

Healthy feet can be remarkably different in many ways, but they do share some common features. For instance, a healthy foot can replace sole and horn as required, regardless of whether it is shod or barefoot. The healthy hoof also can maintain appropriate palmar/plantar angle (the angle the wings of the coffin bone make with the ground) with only subtle farrier intervention; maintains adequate medial/lateral (inner/outer) balance relative to the articular (joint) surface of the coffin and pastern joint; sustains digital cushion mass, which is responsible for shock absorption; and helps maintain healthy heel tubules (which grow downward from the coronary band and provide strength and resistance, protecting them from excessive loading and inevitable crushed heel syndrome).

Image One

Image Two

The differences between this horse's front feet are typical variances that occur within healthy feet of most breeds.

Courtesy Dr. R.F. Redden

Feet can remain within these healthy boundaries, though they can also deviate from this natural range for a variety of reasons, many of which we can identify, predict, and manage. The most important aspect of a healthy foot is overall mass (e.g., sole depth, hoof wall thickness and strength, and optimum frog and digital cushion function). If a foot has adequate mass, the qualities of strength, durability, and balance will follow.

To illustrate hoof differences, let's look at the healthy front feet of a Thoroughbred race mare.

In Image 1 the heel bulbs are asymmetrical, and the left front foot has narrower heel bulb conformation than the right. Also in the left foot, the heel height from ground to hairline is greater, the frog width is narrower, and the frog sets deeper into the foot than the right. The wall angle at the quarters is steeper and the diameter and circumference of the coronary band is smaller on the left than the right. Notice the sagging effect of the right frog and buttress (the farthest weight bearing point of the heel).

In Image 2, the right front has smaller toe and heel angles and lower heel height than the left. The tubules in contact with the ground surface of the right front are farther under the heel bulbs than those of the left. The growth ring patterns indicate the right front grows slightly more toe than heel while the left front grows slightly more heel than toe. This slight growth discrepancy is well within healthy parameters, as adequate mass and balance are present. The single set of nail holes indicates the foot is capable of replacing sufficient horn and sole every four to six weeks, even though the feet are mismatched.

The majority of the differences between this horse’s front feet are typical variances that occur within healthy feet of most breeds. Each foot's internal and external characteristics are essentially shaped by genetics, but they constantly change with the effects of age, use, farrier care, management, environment, and normal wear and tear. Healthy feet are as different as our faces. They all have a range of functional limitations and the ability to adapt as well as heal and replace overly stressed and damaged soft tissue and horn. Trying to define the normal foot limits us to speaking about a particular foot on a specific horse. Observing the strong and durable features of healthy hoof capsules helps us better understand there is not a single standard image for all feet.

R.F. Redden, DVM, is an equine veterinarian, farrier, and founder of the International Podiatry Center, based in Versailles, Ky.

Originally published in the May 2013 issue of The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care.

Aiding Faraway Equids

2013-04-09T16:41:00Z

I arrived at the Santo Domingo airport the first time with a huge duffle bag full of donated veterinary supplies, a week's worth of work clothes (shorts, which I had never considered as appropriate attire for an equine veterinarian), and, most importantly, a spirit of adventure. After all, I was in the Dominican Republic, where things do not always go as planned, about to embark on an equitarian mission.

As I stood there waiting, it was easy to tell when the other members of Project Samana, a charitable health care project for working equids, started to arrive: All it took was a glance to recognize the excited veterinary students and the experienced veterinarians, technicians, spouses, and assistants. And, of course, all of their large duffle bags gave their identity away.

The working equids of the Dominican Republic and their owners travel far and wide to receive care from the Project Samana veterinarians.

Courtesy Icon Studios Photography/Karen Kennedy

The drive from the airport to Samana takes a few hours, plus or minus (taking into account roads or lack thereof, wrong turns, and accidents). At the hotel we unpack, freshen up, and gather for the first of our nightly meetings. Jay Merriam, DVM, and colleagues founded Project Samana 19 years ago, and since then they have developed an impeccably organized and efficient program. During these meetings we discuss the day, organize for the following day, and talk about anything that needs to be tweaked. The first night is an opportunity to get to know one another and learn the basics for Day 1. It's typically an early night so we are well-rested for a full day's work.

The first morning large and small animal teams head out to set up the small animal surgery site. By the time we arrive at the designated site, people are already lined up with their animals. Some have walked many miles, and some arrive on mopeds/motorcycles. I vividly remember one child and pet hastily arriving via the local moto-concho, which is the Dominican version of a taxi--a low-horsepower motorcycle with a large trailerlike affair attached to the back that carries a couple of people safely, but is often seen carrying six or more.

Then the large animal team goes about packing the "vet trucks." There's no mobile unit with custom-made drawers, no hose with running water. We utilize at least one pickup truck, maybe two, and some other modified SUV. Into these we load suitcases and plastic tubs full of gear, several large coolers (for medication, water and, most importantly, the mangoes we pick up along the way for sustenance). The large animal team piles in; some prefer the air-conditioned vehicle, while others (myself included) prefer to ride al fresco, on top of the equipment in the back of the pickup (which could mean we experience sunshine or torrential rain, but always wind in our hair and great scenery).

We travel to designated farms, organized by our local liaison, where we are typically greeted by a line of mules and horses. Some need to be gelded, some dewormed, and others have ailments ranging from eye injuries to withers and back sores to severe lameness. These animals do not arrive via trailer; they are ridden or ponied, sometimes a very long distance and often by small children. And it is amazing how fast the word spreads that the "American veterinarians" are here: We may start with a dozen animals, and by the end of the day we have treated three times that number.

Working with the veterinary students is one of the most rewarding parts of the trip. These students, for the most part, are accustomed to U.S. veterinary schools and all they have to offer, including advanced diagnostic equipment and tests, sterile conditions, and any medication needed. In the Dominican Republic they have to use their physical examination skills (e.g., their hands and a stethoscope). They get dirty and smelly. They might be on their knees trying to float teeth or remove screw worms from a horse's sheath. But I hear no complaints and see no hesitation. At the end of the day, they are smiling and have a sense of accomplishment.

The week flies by, despite the hot, dirty, and at times inhospitable conditions. But I have yet to encounter more appreciative clients, more deserving patients, and a better feeling at the end of the day.

Celeste Boatwright Grace, DVM, owns Sandpoint Equine PLLC, in Sandpoint, Idaho. She has participated in Project Samana three times and enjoys all types of outdoor adventures.

Originally published in the April issue of The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care.

Full Circle Ownership

2013-03-06T18:45:00Z

I've been reading on Facebook about a nice little mare who recently ended up at a low-end auction, most likely destined for a slaughterhouse in Canada. A former trainer got wind of the mare's predicament along with the previous owner, who had no idea the current owner had kicked her former horse to the curb.

Fortunately, this story had a happy ending; the much-loved mare ended up back with her original owner. But the story certainly makes you wonder how many of the tens of thousands of "unwanted" horses a year really don't belong in this category. Some of the horses tagged with this label aren't truly unwanted; their people just don't realize when they need help.

It makes me worry about the horses that I've previously owned or bred. There's one mare in particular I wonder about. She and I tore up a lot of cattle pastures in our day before I sold her to make time for college. I hope she's still sound and healthy. I hope she's still got that fun, sparkly personality. And I hope her future is secure.

The American Quarter Horse Association's Full Circle program allows members to track horses from their past and offer air to current owners in case they ever need to find the horses a new home.

Photos.com

I wonder, because I know what happens to a lot of good horses. Their owners' circumstances change and, through no fault of the horses, they end up at an auction. From there, it's a high-stakes game of Russian roulette. The outcome could be another quality home, or it could be a trip to a neglectful or abusive home or worse.

It's a spot I'd never want any of my horses to be in. And that's one reason I'm so appreciative of my employer, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), because they help Quarter Horse owners like me who can't quit worrying about those horses who've gone in and out of our barns but never left our hearts.

The AQHA's Full Circle program, available at no charge for current AQHA members, can help lay those worries to rest. It allows me to track horses from my past. If the horses' current owners ever need to find a new home for them, the AQHA will pass along my contact information. I am volunteering to either provide a home or help place the horse in another suitable one. (I'm not guaranteeing that I'll buy the horse back, because who knows what my financial situation will be when or if that time comes; I'm simply committing to take the opportunity to help if I can.) These horses have given me so much; I feel like this is the least I can do to repay them.

I can't help but think this program could literally be a horse's life-saver. Yes, I know there will still be "unwanted" horses out there, but I want to make sure mine are never among them.

Holly Clanahan is the editor of America’s Horse, the membership publication of the American Quarter Horse Association.

Originally published in the March 2013 issue of The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care.

Under the Blue Tarps

2013-01-22T14:51:00Z

I hate blue tarps. Ask most people what comes to mind when they see a blue tarp, and I suspect they will say, "camping," or "shade." When I unfold a tarp and hear that rusty plastic rattle, I see the stains of fluids of decay; I smell death. Blue tarps cover the corpses of my failures.

I touched too many tarps this summer, overheard too many phone calls that tell the whole story.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is he old, or ... ?"

"I see. That's too bad. Yes, we can take care of that for you. I'm sorry."

"Will you bring him here, or do you want the doctor to come to you?"

"Well, you can call the rendering company, or I can give you another number."

"All right, you're on the book for tomorrow morning."

I know the appointment even before our office manager hangs up and says, "I'm sorry. You've got another one tomorrow."

I'm sorry, too. I recognize the necessity of euthanasia, and intellectually, I'm glad to belong to a profession that can legally end suffering. But those are abstractions.

Price-shopped euthanasias are the worst. When a client's first words are "What will it cost to put my horse to sleep?" the rationale doesn't matter. That is code for "I can't afford to keep my horse." We had too many of those this summer--too many decrepit horses, too many hard-pressed owners burning in guilt, too many blue tarps.

People are sometimes horrified that I am willing to kill an animal that is not suffering. Sometimes I am horrified, too. "I went to school to heal animals," the idealistic voice in my head cries. The voice fades, worn hoarse by years of reality. Reality is rarely a shiny place with gleaming horses recuperating in tidy stables and fat ponies grazing emerald pastures.

Modern reality holds too many unwanted and unusable horses: old, intractable, chronically or expensively lame, or ill. Reality is high hay prices, high fuel costs, lost jobs, foreclosed homes, and low prices for marketable horses. Today, the horse reflects discretionary income that for many is dwindling. The wanted horse is a luxury; the unwanted horse, a burden.

Under pressure from special interest groups, equine slaughter has been outlawed in many states and faces a national ban. Most Americans are repulsed by equine slaughter. It doesn't thrill me, either. However, banning the slaughter of horses hasn't changed the outcome; the scene has simply shifted to prolonged neglect or meaningless death.

Still, I don't question clients closely when they opt for euthanasia. When appropriate, I offer other options for a horse that is not clearly suffering. These days options are limited. Rescue organizations are overwhelmed, and I can't pressure someone to choose between feeding a horse and feeding a child. Ultimately, I know this horse will die. I would prefer his death to come at my hands. This is my job, my responsibility. Owners always offer explanations and excuses. I hate the excuses. Not because I don't sympathize, but because I do. I hate the excuses because part of my job is to take the client's guilt and make it mine.

At almost every euthanasia I hear, "Do you think this is the right thing to do?"

I know this answer. There is only one answer. Regardless of circumstances, by the time this question is asked, I have done everything within my power for my patient. My duty now is to my client. "Yes, you are making a good choice for him." The choice is always right. The alternatives are worse.

"How can you stand to do this?" More tears have accompanied this question than I care to remember. My answer never changes. "This is both the worst and the best thing that I do. Every one hurts. The day that it doesn't hurt anymore will be the day that I have to find a different job." Privately, I wonder when that day will come. Every time that plunger depresses, I feel a bit of my soul slide into the vein with that blue syrup. How many times until there is nothing left?

Christy Corp-Minamiji, DVM, practices large animal medicine in Northern California, with particular interests in equine wound management and geriatric equine care. She and her husband have three children, and she writes fiction and creative nonfiction in her spare time.

Originally published in the December 2009 issue of The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care.

How Much Has Changed?

2012-12-27T15:02:00Z

As a horse owner who reads about research studies and ways to treat equine conditions on a daily basis, I periodically recall my own horsey emergencies, thinking, "If we had only known then what we do now." With today's technologies maybe my veterinarian could have saved the gelding with wobbler syndrome we euthanized years ago. Or perhaps my old show jumper with that lingering ligament injury would have benefited from some form of regenerative medicine.

But while listening to John Walmsley, MA, VetMB, Cert. EO, Dipl. ECVS, HonFRCVS, founder of the U.K.'s Liphook Equine Hospital, recall the technological advances he's observed over his 40 years in practice during the British Equine Veterinary Association's 51st annual Congress, I realized something: No matter how advanced equine medicine becomes, nothing can replace the value of a basic veterinary exam or a practitioner's skill.

With new technologies comes the challenge of learning to interpret them correctly.

Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt

In his hourlong plenary lecture Walmsley rattled off a list of veterinary conveniences we take for granted today, reminding the audience that 40 years ago equine hospitals only existed at universities, health records were paper, and there were no such things as disposable syringes or gloves, mobile phones, or the Internet. Vets didn't have at their fingertips the diagnostic imaging options, fiber-optic techniques, or even sedation methods they do today.

He used ultrasound's advent in the 1970s as an example: "It gave us diagnostic abilities that have transformed the management of breeding mares." Now it's important for a variety of uses, from scanning tendons and measuring soft tissue lesions to evaluating the cardiovascular system and guiding joint injections.

Advances in fiber optics used in diagnostic modalities such as video and flexible endoscopy, laparoscopy, and arthroscopy have contributed to earlier recognition of problems and development of new treatment methods. "How rewarding it is to show the client a lesion in those once mysterious spaces such as the upper airway, bladder, or stomach," Walmsley said. "In 2012 there is hardly an equine cavity that has not been examined endoscopically."

Radiography has evolved from dark rooms and drying racks to detailed digital as well as computed images. Scintigraphy (bone scanning) is now common practice and helps practitioners diagnose fractures and bone involvement in soft tissue injuries. Field anesthesia has become far more sophisticated with the introduction of detomidine sedation and has expanded the scope of surgeries that can be performed on the farm. And both high- and low-field magnetic resonance imaging have given veterinarians the ability to evaluate bone, tendon, and tissue pathology in one exam.

Walmsley also noted that although most developments he's seen relate to technology, the introduction of scientific journals has been crucial in growing veterinarians' body of knowledge and their commitment to excellence. "Alongside this we have developed a more critical attitude to our clinical work," he explained.

But rapid veterinary advances, however positive, can present problems such as unnecessary use of expensive imaging, overinterpretation and misinterpretation of images, unrealistic client expectations, and a lack of necessary ¬training/skills as practitioners race to install the latest and greatest machines without fully understanding them, Walmsley cautioned.

"Our responsibility as veterinarians is to use this technology in the best interest of the horse," he said. "But ultimately, nothing replaces the clinical examination."

Regardless of the vast collection of new discoveries and technologies available, a veterinarian's time-tested knowledge and experience are still what determine arrival at the best diagnosis and treatment outcome. As one of Walmsley's colleagues told him, "Never do a test unless the result might change what you do."

Ultimately, would some miraculous (not to mention pricey) surgery or stem cell treatment have saved the lives or careers of my horses past? Perhaps. But after listening to Walmsley's lecture I realized maybe veterinary medicine hasn't changed all that much: We still trust and rely on these highly qualified horse doctors to assess our animals and do what's in their best interest.

"The clinical examination is still the backbone of clinical practice," Walmsley said in conclusion. "But we hope that the lot of the horse has been improved by the diagnostic and surgical repertoire new technologies have given us."

Alexandra Beckstett is the associate managing editor of The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care. She and her two Warmblood mares reside in Lexington, Ky.

Therapeutic Medication: Putting the Horse First

2012-11-20T20:33:00Z

Horsemen around the world appreciate the high level of performance of our equine athletes. Horses have been selectively bred for performance for many generations, and maintaining the health and peak physical condition of these magnificent athletes involves proper training, physical therapy, rest, rehabilitation, and use of therapeutic medications.

The use of therapeutic medication in performance horses is a complex issue.
Photo by Anne M. Eberhardt

Just like in human medicine, therapeutic medications are used to help prevent or cure medical conditions: Vaccinations and anthelmintics prevent disease and maintain health; antibiotics control and cure infections; and many proven pharmaceuticals allow veterinarians to treat disease conditions. Furthermore, newer regenerative medications show promise to help heal athletic injuries.

The use of therapeutic medications in performance horses, including racehorses, is a complex issue. Oftentimes there is more than one way to address an illness or injury, and veterinarians follow a set of practices and policies that correspond to the health needs of each horse. Therapeutic medications are closely regulated in horse racing and some other competitive disciplines, and veterinarians must follow the rules of competition. The advancement of laboratory detection to identify most any foreign substance at a very minute level has brought the topic of performance horse medication to the forefront. Blood and urine testing are very sophisticated and can detect some medications for weeks and months after administration.

The medication challenge in today's environment is to do what is right for the horse. The elimination of all medication for horses in performance training is not in the athlete's best interest. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) believes, and best practices within veterinary medicine demonstrate, that therapeutic medications play a vital role in ensuring the health of horses. Conversely, horses should not perform on medications that are directly performance-altering or that increase the risk of injury. Certain pharmacologic agents that have no therapeutic use in the horse and have the potential to alter performance should be banned in any trace level in the performance horse. Products that have been proven to interfere with accurate post-performance testing should be strictly forbidden.

The AAEP is proactive in addressing medication challenges. Since its inception, this organization has been the source of expertise for the equine industry concerning the health and welfare of the horse. The AAEP sponsored the first-ever Racehorse Medication Summit in 2001, which led to the formation of the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium. The AAEP has developed medication recommendations for many types of performance horses, and the association is currently working on uniform recommendations for veterinarians who practice in a pari-mutuel environment. Veterinarians understand not only the important therapeutic role of medication, but also the necessity of uniform medication regulations and the continual advancement of our testing technology.

Owners, trainers, and veterinarians of performance horses are entering a new era of education and cooperation with regulatory groups to ensure the safety and well-being of our equine athletes. We must all work together to learn what is best for the horse and how to interpret the increasingly sophisticated testing that is an important part of protecting our horses from improper medicating. As advocates for the horse, veterinarians must be instrumental in the continuing evolution of sound equine medication policy and enforcement.

John S. Mitchell, DVM, of Boca Raton, Fla., was the 2010 AAEP vice president. His practice is focused on the care of Standardbred racehorses.

This was originally published in the July 2010 issue of The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care.

Weathering Hurricanes Gustav and Ike

2012-10-30T13:01:00Z

Editor's Note: While this piece was about Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in the Gulf Coast four years ago, relevant lessons are learned from every major disaster to prepare for the next one, such as Hurricane Sandy.

Lessons learned from previous natural disasters like Hurricanes Gustav and Ike help us prepare for future disasters.

We had our plan for Hurricane Gustav. We had been here before with Katrina. Schedules were set. Evacuation of coastal parishes was going well. Coastal pet owners and their pets (large and small) were settling in to shelters. Most horse owners knew they needed to move quickly before mandatory contraflow (government routing of evacuation traffic outward on all roads from major cities) from our 12 most vulnerable parishes. Thousands of horses were located just north of I-10 and, we hoped, out of harm's way. Only a handful of farms had made the decision to "ride it out," but we knew where they were this time.

The morning of Sept. 1 winds picked up to about 40 mph in Baton Rouge and limbs fell in the backyard. Within minutes weather announcers warned of increasing winds, and the eye of Gustav was moving right over our community. By afternoon 90 mph winds and storm conditions knocked out electricity to nearly a million people, downed and uprooted large trees, and destroyed structures. And Baton Rouge is more than 100 miles inland from the coast! Two people in a nearby neighborhood were crushed when a tree fell onto their daughter's home--they had evacuated from New Orleans only to meet their death in the previously safe haven of Baton Rouge.

Gustav rammed a destructive path right up the gut of Louisiana, sparing New Orleans, but devastating thousands of other areas. At the university we divided into three response teams: Team 1 took care of the steady equine caseload in the veterinary teaching hospital and clinic; Team 2 launched the external response with the Louisiana State Animal Response Team; and Team 3 took care of our biggest need--responding to our own Equine Health Studies Program faculty and staff whose homes sustained major damage.

The School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) was without power for several days. A true test of our comprehensive emergency operations plan came when a New Orleans Police Department Percheron-cross mare required a three-hour colic surgery during Gustav; imagine wearing complete surgical attire without any air conditioning, nearly 100% humidity, 98-degree temperatures, and little to no ventilation.

Many students, faculty, and staff sought refuge at the SVM, where there were lights, communications, food, and, most importantly, camaraderie. Most were without power for a week or more. No restaurants were open and no gas stations were able to pump gas ... even if they had a supply.

The SVM was on a backup generator and carried on providing service, maintaining research, and continuing most teaching programs. Challenges included sterility in surgery, protecting sensitive equipment, such as the CT and ophthalmology microscope, from climate fluctuations, and preserving critical frozen research samples.

We had just begun seeing some normalcy when Hurricane Ike approached. Lucky for us, it skidded on by and into Texas, but not without causing major flooding in our 12 coastal parishes. We're still helping the Ike-affected parishes with hay relief.

With thousands of evacuated horses along the I-10/I-12 corridor-especially north of Lake Ponchartrain, Lafayette (Evangeline Downs area), and Lake Charles and the Delta Downs--there were only a few equine casualties, including a roof collapse on a horse. Most horses were out of harm's way, which we hope is a reflection of the lessons learned from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Rebecca S. McConnico, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, is an associate professor of equine medicine in the Equine Health Studies Program at Louisiana State University's School of Veterinary Medicine.She is also equine branch director of the Louisiana State Animal Response Team (Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association's animal response operational arm).

This was originally posted in the November 2008 issue of The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care.

The Value of a Diagnosis

2012-10-11T14:27:00Z

Jake, a 20-year-old Hanoverian gelding, showed signs of colic and seemed to have difficulty urinating (stretching out as if to urinate, but having only a few drops of urine). His owner, after doing a Google search and armed with powerful drugs provided to her by a friend with an extensive equine pharmacy in her tack room, treated the "colic" with Banamine (flunixin meglumine) and administered a shot of furosemide (a prescription diuretic) to stimulate urination. Jake appeared to feel better but still was not quite right a few hours later, so she administered another dose of Banamine. Jake urinated and his appetite returned, but 24 hours later his condition worsened. Soon he was showing more serious signs of abdominal pain, and he was admitted to an equine hospital.

Your veterinarian is trained in the "art" of diagnosing disease and interpreting test results..

Stretching as if to urinate is commonly seen in horses with abdominal pain and might not result from urinary problems. In this case the owner administered large doses of anti-inflammatories and dehydrating diuretics without knowing the underlying cause (large colon impaction). This allowed the impaction to worsen and set up another life-threatening condition: kidney failure. There was no communication with a vet and no diagnosis made until it was almost too late to save the horse.

Variations on this scenario are common throughout the horse world today. Owners are trying to manage problems themselves, and they delay calling a vet to avoid emergency visit costs. They often use the Internet to inform their decision making, and horses sometimes suffer as a result.

A medical diagnosis is an attempt to classify a patient's condition into separate and distinct categories that allow medical decisions about treatment and prognosis to be made. In a 2005 article on veterinary diagnosis, Carl Osborne, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, stated that "Just as no two individuals are exactly alike in health, so neither are any two alike in disease." Vets observe different disease manifestations frequently and must be able to diagnose in the face of uncertainty. This is the "art" of practice. Vets use "differential diagnosis," which is based on identifying candidate diseases or conditions that might cause a clinical sign. They then eliminate possibilities through diagnostic tests or by judging response to symptomatic treatment. Upon reaching a diagnosis, vets consider treatment choices and select the most appropriate.

Today, we all have access to the same vast body of information via the Internet. The problem is how to use that content most effectively. Owners often input their observations as search terms. Google might return a million search results, but these are not organized based on relevance to a situation (and they all aren't necessarily from reliable sources). In contrast, there is a lot known and written about equine diagnoses. Once your vet provides an accurate diagnosis and some guidance, then the Internet can be used to deepen your understanding of your horse's condition.

Here are some suggestions for diagnosing and treating your horse effectively:

Communicate with your vet early. He or she can guide you as to whether you can treat symptomatically or need to pursue a diagnosis. Together, you can discuss your options and their associated costs.
Be observant and communicate your observations to your vet effectively. Photos and videos can help your vet quickly determine the best course of action.
Learn to perform basic treatments so you can provide required follow-up care.
Once you and your vet have chosen a treatment plan, talk about how to assess its effectiveness and how to monitor and communicate your horse's progress.
Ask your vet to recommend resources to help you expand your understanding.

The Internet, when it is used appropriately, is a wonderful tool for enlightenment on equine veterinary medicine. But to do your horses justice, recognize the value of a diagnosis and differentiate it from your own observations. The person that can bridge the gap between your observations and a diagnosis is your veterinarian.

Jake survived, but his vet bills were much higher than if he had been diagnosed and treated promptly and properly. He now has only about 25% of his kidney function, must be maintained on a special diet and strict management, and will always require periodic veterinary monitoring.

Douglas O. Thal, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, is an equine veterinarian with 19 years of experience in clinical practice. Thal Equine is his full-service equine hospital near Santa Fe, N.M.

Originally published in the October 2012 issue of The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care.

The Wild Horse Dilemma

2012-09-27T14:13:00Z

Thirty-seven years ago Congress passed the Free-Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act with good intentions. When populations had tripled and it became apparent that these animals needed management, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) created Adopt-A-Horse to handle the "surplus." The costly program worked for several years, but the BLM ran out of adopters. Next the agency started "warehousing" horses, and today we have 31,500 animals languishing in government corrals at a taxpayer cost of $23 million a year. A few years ago Congress passed (without public hearings) the Burns Amendment permitting older wild horses to be sent to slaughter. Public outrage ended that quickly, then when America's slaughterhouses were closed, that option was eliminated anyway. Most recently, the BLM proposed euthanizing wild horses as a means of population control.

Fertility control has stabilized Assateague Island National Seashore populations. The stallion on the far left is flanked by mares in this 2007 photo. The light sorrel 10-year-old mare beside him received contraception at 2, 3, and 4 years of age, allowing her to mature before foaling. The bay mare beside the sorrel is 24 here. The other bay filly is 2 and just starting contraception.

Today, if one asks the BLM, a wild horse advocate, a rancher, a hunter, a range scientist, a taxpayer, or a member of Congress what the problem is, they get a variety of answers: too many horses for the space; competition with livestock and other wildlife for grass; high costs; "warehousing" is inhumane; not enough natural predators; horses are exotics and shouldn't live here; or the land belongs to the horses and not the domestic livestock. There are probably about a dozen other common answers.

While expensive, time-consuming population control attempts and emotional debates continued, horses on the range were, of course, reproducing! Despite this rather elementary notion, one rarely mentions reproduction as the real problem. Controlling populations with removals, adoptions, warehousing, slaughter, or euthanasia, while reproduction continues, is akin to treating brain cancer with aspirin. You can eliminate the pain for a time, but the cause persists and the outcome is predictable.

The National Park Service, however, recognized the true problem in the 1980s: reproduction. It approached herds on Assateague Island National Seashore (Md.), Cape Lookout National Seashores, the Rachel Carson National Estuarine Reserve, and Carrot Island (all in North Carolina), with fertility control. Today these areas do not face the crisis that BLM faces. They stabilized their herds--even reduced them in some cases--at a fraction of the cost. The process was very humane, and with modifications it can work in Western herds.

Twenty years ago the BLM was advised to treat every wild mare caught and released with a contraceptive vaccine. Many wild horse advocacy groups opposed contraception, not comprehending that wild horses, with no predators, cannot go unchecked. Bureaucrats didn't understand there is no quick fix. Even some animal protection groups opposed fertility control on grounds such as "violation of the reproductive rights." Perhaps the largest factor has been culture--one that manages wild horses like livestock, rather than treating them as a reintroduced native species. The real problem remains: reproduction. And in the meantime, range horses have continued--and will continue to--reproduce.

Jay F. Kirkpatrick, PhD, is director of The Science and Conservation Center in Billings, Mont. For 34 years he has researched nonlethal, humane fertility control methods for wild horses and other wildlife. He's best known for his work on the wild horses of Assateague (Md.), bison of Yellowstone National Park, and elephants in the Republic of South Africa.

Originally published in the October 2008 issue of The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care.

Monitoring Hay Trends

2012-09-05T14:20:00Z

Although we are just more than halfway through 2012, hay is already in short supply and hay stockpiles are expected to be even scarcer moving into winter. Hay prices are trending upward across the country, not just in one region as in past years, and we can expect them to continue to rise in the coming months. This is especially true across most of the central and eastern United States.

The hay shortage this year is due to several factors, but the most important is the widespread drought conditions. For much of this summer, two-thirds of the United States has been affected by drought and high temperatures. In some states hay fields are under irrigation, but most of the hayland in the country is only watered by rainfall. Without rainfall, hay growth has been reduced severely.

Hay supplies are predicted to be low this winter, so plan now to stockpile and stretch out your hay supply.

Hay supplies have been limited for several years, with drought conditions occurring in many regions in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012. In other words four of the last six years have been drier than normal in many states.

Take Texas for instance, the state that typically produces and exports the most hay. Last year's severe drought in that state reduced hay production significantly, tripling prices and requiring hay to be trucked in from surrounding states to meet the needs of Texas' 13 million horses and cattle. Thus, most Texas hay producers went into 2012 with short ¬supplies.

In addition to drought, farmers took many acres of hay out of production during the last two years because prices for crops such as corn and soybeans are at historic highs; farmers can usually make more profit from these crops than hay. As you might have noticed driving through the countryside, many hayfields have been sprayed out or plowed up and crops ¬planted.

With hay stocks down and prices headed up, what should horse owners do? Be proactive and secure hay now for the rest of this year and early next year. If you don't have storage space for that much hay, then have your hay producer or hay broker hold back enough hay for your needs. This approach might seem extreme, but with supplies tight across the country, I expect many hay producers to "sell out" early. Even if your area has not been severely affected by drought, don't expect that local hay producers will have hay to sell this winter. With the high prices staying strong and continuing to rise, many local growers will find markets out of state.

Remember to buy hay based on forage quality. With short supplies, a lot of inferior hay will likely sell for high prices this year. Ask for a hay quality test report before buying or have the hay sampled and submit the sample to a certified hay testing lab. Think about ways that you can feed less hay (e.g., by feeding hay alternatives and controlling hay wastage) to stretch out your supplies.

Concentrate feed prices are also rising with the price of grain crops. Corn (an energy component in many concentrate feeds) and soybeans (the main protein source in most concentrate feeds) prices have been at historic highs and they are expected to increase, as well.

In summary, make sure to line up your hay supplies now. Develop feeding systems to reduce wastage. Calculate the ration for each of your horses carefully for both health and economics.

Ray Smith, MS, PhD, is a forage extension specialist in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture's plant and soil sciences department.

Originally published in the September 2012 issue of The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care.