Horse Sense (and Sensibility)

Every few years I hear a story or receive an email about veterinarians handling a horse with rabies. These accounts are rare, but they’re usually disturbing--sometimes because the animal becomes very dangerous (“ furious rabies”), and other times because the case masquerades as another illness and confirmation of rabies comes as a surprise at necropsy (this is the more common form in livestock, also called “dumb rabies”).

The take-home that I get from every single story is that horse owners and veterinarians should be on alert for certain--and sometimes bizarre—clinical signs; they should be careful about how they manage horses with these signs; and (most importantly) owners should have their horses vaccinated to prevent contracting rabies in the first place.

The case I heard about recently was a 16-year-old stud pony that was acting erratic and biting at a wound on his chest, which concerned the owners. The veterinarian explained to me she thought there might be something caught in this pony’s chest wound that was making him very uncomfortable. The vet told me, “He was so agitated the owner—an adult male—had trouble holding him. Looking back, that level of agitation and wanting to get his mouth on something should have alerted me. There’s always the excuse not to think of rabies, but looking back, that’s a signal I could’ve been more attuned to.”

Attempts to alleviate the pony’s apparent discomfort (with painkillers) and keep him from injuring himself further and allow the wounds to heal (converting an old plastic bucket into a bib to keep him from accessing his chest) failed, and the horse’s aggressiveness worsened. In the days following the initial vet visit, the pony eventually attacked the owner in the field. The vet explained to me that when the owners called and asked her to euthanize the horse, “That was the moment that I said, ‘You know, it’s pretty far-fetched but we’ve got to start thinking about this (rabies).’”

Upon return to the farm, she recounted, “This beautiful pony stallion very quietly has his head down, but when I reached out for him, he came up at me, teeth bared, staggering, ataxic (meaning he was incoordinated), delirious, fell to his side, reached back and started chewing on his hind leg.” State veterinary officials examined the horse’s brain following euthanasia, which is the only way to confirm rabies infection.

After rabies confirmation the owners underwent postexposure prophylaxis, and the veterinarian vaccinated the other animals on the property. These animals were quarantined for several months without incident; the quarantine has now been lifted.

Here are some things this veterinarian suggests horse owners and veterinarians remember about rabies after her close encounter:

• Vaccinate your horse against rabies: The disease is considered nearly 100% fatal in any mammalian species.   “There is such a good, valid rabies vaccine for horses. It’s there, it’s not expensive, and it saves lives. It should be in your core vaccination schedule.”
• Realize that even a stalled horse can get rabies: I’ve heard of a scenario in which more than 30 horses were exposed via a rabid barn cat. Keep in mind that the primary wildlife reservoirs for rabies virus in the United States are raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats. Effective vaccines are available for horses, dogs, cats, ferrets, cattle, and sheep. 
• Watch for nonspecific clinical signs that “raise a red flag”: “If a horse’s agitation does not regress after treatment and/or if the animal is self-mutilating, or, on the other hand, if a horse seems to be mentally withdrawn (sometimes seen in cases of dumb rabies),” be concerned.
• Rabies should always be considered a “rule out” with any neurologic disease.
• If you or your veterinarian suspects rabies: Don’t euthanize the horse by gunshot to the head—the brain must be intact for necropsy. “They need to have the animal euthanized and send (the head) to the lab.”
• If rabies is/has been on your mind, and the animal dies or is euthanized: Get it tested. Due to rabies’ public health impact, most states don’t charge for testing.
• If you suspect you’ve been exposed: Don’t take any chances. See a doctor for postexposure prophylaxis series; oftentimes insurance pays for it. Except for the very rare circumstance, rabies is fatal. If you’re a veterinarian, have your titers checked every 18 months to two years to determine your level of protection.  

If you’ve been in contact with a rabid horse’s water supply and feed buckets: Contact your physician for postexposure prophylaxis, and consider that the horse’s stablemates may have been exposed by sharing these items.
Finally, she says not to rely on the “hydrophobia” description/definition of rabies. “This horse drank water the day I put him down. (Fear of water) is not an accurate measure and may happen more often in dogs and cats. It’s not the same in every animal (species).”

While this pony’s signs were very apparent, sometimes a case looks more like this: a bevy of veterinarians and veterinary students have examined the mouth of a listless horse without an appetite. Before rabies is raised as a possibility, as many as dozens of clinicians, students, and staff, have looked in the horse’s mouth, and come in contact with the saliva. After the horse is euthanized, the veterinary pathologist confirms rabies and then the dozens of people exposed require prophylactic vaccinations.

Both cases are pretty awful, and both are preventable. Have your horses vaccinated annually and be wary of odd behavior in sick unvaccinated animals. Learn more about rabies in this archived webinar on TheHorse.com. Sign in/registration are required, but they’re free.

What’s your experience with rabies? Have you ever found a rabid wild animal on your farm?

(Many thanks to Kim Gemeinhardt, DVM, for relaying her rabies story.)

My eyelids have finally returned to normal after two days of crying-induced puffiness, so it's time to weigh in on War Horse, the source of my emotional display in a Lexington cinema on Monday.

The highly anticipated film whose trailer even had me in tears when I saw it for the first time back in August was one I will return to see in the theater and will own on DVD.

This sketch by War Horse equine makeup artistic director Ali Bannister appeared briefly in the film, along with several of her other sketches. Freelance correspondent Christa Lesté-Lasserre met Bannister at a press event late last year.

I've avoided reading other blogs on the subject so I wouldn't be tempted to parrot or build on their messages. What's my specific angle? Like many of the War Horse watchers, I've spent a lifetime around horses. I love a good film, especially a Spielberg one. My sister studied film set design and in watching movies with her, I've picked up on some of the nuances for which she watches. Like many I also have a penchant for war stories, after hearing my grandmother describe stories from the other World War (I visited the museum to that war in Caen, France, in 2000). What might make my angle a little unique is that in my career I've focused primarily on horse health, and as an editor I'm generally fastidious about details and accuracy. This is sometimes to the detriment of my consumption of a movie. I've also seen some remote areas of France while competing in an orienteering competition on horseback (mind you, I wasn't good at this sport, but I did finish a nine-hour solo ride with a map, a compass, and an Arabian named "Uloa"). From this perspective, here are some things that impacted me the most about this movie. Warning: There are spoilers ahead, if you haven't yet seen the film.

• A truly idyllic setting that embraces the viewer almost immediately, reminding them of past rides on memorable mounts. If you've traveled in Europe--especially if you've ridden in Europe--and enjoyed your visit, you might begin having pangs of homesickness within minutes. I guess this is true for any idyllic scene (California? Virginia?) where the warm afternoon light hits the fences, trees, and grass in such a way that you'd like to bottle it for safe keeping. Before I remembered from reading our recent articles (Horses Get Star Treatment on War Horse Set, Movie Magic, Makeup, and Tricks shape War Horse) that most of the film locations were in England--nope, haven't gone riding there--I had convinced myself that I'd seen that bend in the road, that tree, that field. The ability for the viewer to relate to the setting was uncanny.

• A swift but subtle transport from reality to story. Joey's first few nickers and whinnies at Albert's family's farm came from a horse whose nostrils weren't moving (that I remember). Something about that moment made me say, “Okay, Steph, this is a movie. Let it go.” At that point details in the rest of the film--from the sequences showing training and behavior to comical tricks--did not distract me in the least, aside from one moment in the barbed-wired-no-man's-land scene where I pulled myself out of the story long enough to remember this was not a live horse suffering amidst a tangle of rusted wire. (And thank God it wasn't.) Bobby Lovgren and the other trainers did an incredible job of training the multiple Joeys and the background horses, and of replicating the body condition scores of animals that had been at war. It had to have been an epic task, and I applaud their hard work.

• The almost-charmed existence of Joey, a horse who always had an advocate.  Whether it was Albert, Captain Nicholls, Emilie, or a host of others, this horse always had caretakers looking out for him the best way they could or knew how. They may have been uneducated in their efforts at times, but Joey was patient and gracious. Alternately, they may have been well-educated in husbandry and wanted to do more to help Joey, but did not have the means, so they did what they could. In return Joey cared for them (although he probably would've done it anyway) and for his equine friend--in a sacrificial, unconditional way that could open yet another angle of discussion, but I'll leave that to a friend who will be writing about spiritual themes throughout War Horse on another blog. I also want to put a plug in for the veterinarian who comes through and continues Joey's treatment after he and Albert reunite; having an advocate in that veterinarian also impacted me as well, seeming that I love me some compassionate vets!

• The filmmakers don't rely on gruesome effects to represent loss. As I recall the moment where Captain Nicholls sees his plight, and the immediately following scene where Joey continues galloping forward toward the enemy, riderless, my waterworks begin again. So many filmmakers rely on assaulting viewers' senses to draw them into the story. My awareness of the sheer enormity of what World War I soldiers were faced with in their trenches was heightened, but I wasn't so pummeled with gore that I had to look away or that I became desensitized. There was an ebb and flow to the awareness of the pain, misery, fear, and courage that happened in those battlefields.

• The bond between a person and his/her horse is profound. Where my heart strings were pulled especially taut was the portrayal of the strength of a bond between horse and human. Like many of our readers, I've had a bond with a particular remarkable horse--a bond that to this day brings tears to my eyes when I recall it. It's a oneness that to others who haven't experienced it might sound a wee bit too mystical or cliché. For nonhorsepeople, maybe it is best likened to a bond between them and faithful friends of another species--dog, cat, whatever. But Spielberg and his team captured this bond between boy and horse probably more closely than I've seen in any other movie featuring an animal as its protagonist over the years.

My hope is that this movie will reach people who have never been around horses, and they might seek to experience the bond that is between rider and horse--taking a riding lesson, perhaps, or visiting a friend who owns horses and learning how to groom or help with the stalls. Also I hope that they'll linger on the themes of sacrifice, steadfastness, and loyalty, something that we don't necessarily see all too often in theaters, or even in our day-to-day.

Your Turn: If you've seen the movie, what did you think? What aspects impacted you the most?

Has anyone else been nearly bowled over by the speed at which a foal or young horse grows (Figuratively speaking, but if you're raising a foal of a larger breed, it could also mean literally!)? As a newborn, he is wide-eyed and whiskery and spindly and delicate, perhaps with exception of disproportionately large knee and hock joints that make you wonder just how tall he will be as an adult. Then, within a month or two, his body appears balanced--he seems to have caught up with the growth of his legs a bit--and he floats across the ground with ease, making you eager to see what kind of athlete he'll become.

Weeks pass, and he greets you happily at the fence one day with a partially shed coat of sun-bleached winter fuzz, a gawky head with long ears, and a set of hindquarters that seem a few inches higher than they were yesterday. His front end clearly does not match his hind. "Wow, I'm raising a monster," you say aloud, and a panicked automatic thought follows: "So much can go wrong in his joints. Am I feeding him too much/not enough? And is he getting the right amount/kind of exercise? 

These are valid questions you should be mulling over in your head if you're a responsible owner. Thankfully, raising a foal isn't rocket science, but it does require some forethought and planning. Dr. Christy Corp-Minamiji, a California veterinarian and writer, wrote a series this year for The Horse about what happens as the foal grows: for example, body systems and their development, the musculoskeletal system, metabolic changes, and behavioral considerations. She reviewed how to minimize risks for developing joint problems, both from dietary and exercise standpoints, and prepared horse owners to make decisions related to both.

PDF downloads of the series' articles are available.

Here are some insightful videos related to young horse development:

• Part 1: Young Horse Care and Development (Birth to Six Months)
• Part 2: Gelding/Castrating Male Horses
• Part 3: Conformation and Limb Deformities in Horses

(Adapted from the February 2011 issue.)

A few weeks ago I had three interesting equine-related appointments, one of which I had scheduled and didn't quite go as planned, and two that were completely spontaneous. The first was with a novice horsewoman and the others were with veteran owners/riders, and all reminded me of how once horses are woven into your life, you don't ever really get away from them even if you aren't in an ownership situation (as I am right now). Also I was reminded of simply how they bring joy to their owners, riders, or handlers.

One of my best friends isn't a horsewoman, but she accompanied another one of our riding friends and me to Wyoming in 2005 for a girls' trip. She's easygoing and athletic and is a natural rider. My friends who hosted us, the Sellnows, put Jen on a mule named Rosie, and the two of them bonded and had a fabulous time, picking their way up and down mountainous trails and chatting by the trailer (I caught Jen a few times hanging out with Rosie, patting the mule's face and stroking her sizable ears and telling her what a lovely mule she was.).

Due to the great forethought of the Sellnows and my friends the Prestons, who recognize that a trusty equine mount should always have a role, Rosie is retired from her ranching life and is now living here in Lexington. She's bringing up the Prestons' young boys in their horsemanship skills. Jen caught wind of Rosie's presence in the Bluegrass and wanted nothing more on her birthday than to go for a ride.

Torrential rain would not allow for the hack we'd anticipated, but we went out and spent a few hours grooming Rosie and her stablemates. Truthfully, we probably had as much fun grooming and hanging out with the animals as we would have riding. Jen's mother-in-law has a boarding farm in Florida and a lot of her family's love--and that of her friends--for horses has worn off on her. It'll be fun to see if she and her husband ever become horse owners.

The next week I was in Colorado for a board meeting, and I stole away for a few hours to work on my laptop at a scenic overlook. A man and a horse suddenly crested the hill toward me, and the horse had curious-looking nubs for ears. I asked the man if his gelding had frostbite at one time and he confirmed this, both of us marveling at the chances that an editor of a horse health publication (who would recognized previously frostbitten ears) and "Croppy" the happy Quarter Horse would meet. The rider, Rich, is retired and this is how he enjoys passing his time—exercising Croppy and other horses at the mount's barn. He lit up as he spoke about his retirement gig. Gotta say, I was a little jealous!

Just two days later at a Colorado coffee shop, I overheard some horse talk. A couple was discussing two horses they'd taken in recently that needed a place to land and a purpose. We struck up a conversation, and they explained they were determining the suitability of one of the horses--a Mustang--for different riding disciplines and rider experience, the horse's current behavior challenges, and what type of training they were going to arrange for him. They weren't sure how this horse was going to turn out, but they were hopeful that they'd find his niche and were actively searching for solutions.

All three parties had a gleam in their eye about their involvement with horses. This was good for me to see and made me want to get out to the barn to visit friends' horses more often.

You never really do get horses out of your blood. And even if you're currently "without horse," there are always horse people (and even non-horse people) around to remind you that these animals always find a way to lift our spirits and bring us joy.

How have you been reminded of this recently?

Earlier this week an earthquake had news organizations and social media feeds abuzz. Now it's a Category 2 hurricane named Irene, spinning ominously over the Atlantic and "taking aim at the East Coast of the United States," according to this morning's update from the National Weather Service. More than ever I'm reminded of the importance of having a plan for either getting out safely or hunkering down.

When reporting on the devastation of Hurricane Katrina a few years ago in coastal Louisiana, I stepped over far-flung halters and flat-backed buckets, saw juxtaposed debris (a casket at the door of a church, for example), and spotted the bodies of horses that had become trapped in stalls or debris and drowned during the storm surge or later flooding. The heartache of affected horse owners, rescue teams, veterinarians, and aid workers in the weeks and months following Katrina's destruction in both Louisiana and Mississippi was so strong I felt I could almost touch it. But so was their determination to help one another, recover, and prepare better for next time: Many strong contingency plans and programs were born out of that disaster, and with each approaching storm more and more horse owners are being proactive about disaster planning. 

Here's how TheHorse.com can help you prepare for hurricanes and other disasters.

• VIDEO: Hurricane Preparedness (helpful tips from Dr. Becky McConnico of Louisiana State University)
• Hurricane Preparation Tips for Horse Owners (From our friends in Louisiana who have been there, done that.)
• I Never Thought it Would Happen to Me... (useful information from Dr. Roberta Dwyer, who's studied the art of disaster planning)
• Emergency Planning Workbook (Courtesy of EquineU.com)
• Vets Watch for Hurricane-Related Illnesses (information on the illnesses veterinarians see in the wake of hurricanes)
• FACT SHEET: Identification Methods for Horses
• More disaster management articles and information

We ran an update yesterday with interviews from various people in the industry focused on disaster planning and response. We'll have our eye on Irene and our ear to the ground for updates, although we're hoping that the storm will not impact horse owners too badly. E-mail our news editor, Erica, with any leads on horse people impacted by Irene; and e-mail our photo/newsletter editor, Megan, with any storm images (including horses) you may capture.

Elsewhere online, the American Association of Equine Practitioners has a very thorough page of disaster resources, and the American Veterinary Medical Association has a list of animal disaster plans and resources by state.

Also, there's a Facebook community page called Horse Evacuations East, a grassroots effort to connect evacuating horse owners who need shelter with other owners who are offering shelter. "Like" them on Facebook and then go to the "Events" section in the left column. There you'll find information for the various regions.

Best of luck from The Horse to everyone in Irene's path.

As a horse owner, what steps have you taken to prepare for natural disasters?