Horse Sense (and Sensibility)

Choosing a Veterinarian

Stephanie — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:58:00 GMT

In seventh grade I remember sitting atop our paddock’s four-board fence and interviewing my family’s longtime veterinarian, Dr. Kitt Bosse. It was a career-day assignment, and at the time I was seriously thinking about the profession … well, as seriously as a horse-crazy tween considers gainful employment during those comparatively carefree years.

One of the things I remember most about Dr. Bosse’s visits to the barn is that she wasn’t in a super-huge hurry. But even though she was chatty, friendly, and practically a member of the family, she always communicated information clearly and professionally about the horses in her care. Also, she set realistic expectations about outcomes, not sparing us any of the details (or resulting tears). She was (and still is) a straight-shooter, and her dedication to what was right for each particular animal is what has kept us as longtime clients.

Fast-forward decades later to that once-imagined place of gainful employment; I didn’t go the veterinary school route, but still find myself working with veterinarians on a regular basis. In the May issue we published a feature story on the nine qualities to consider when choosing an equine veterinarian.

Cover Photo: Sarah Lynn Church/TheHorse.com

In reading that article I saw why Dr. Bosse was the right fit for our family because of numerous qualities, from her horse-handling skills to her availability. What I’d never really thought about, though, is that right “mix” of facility offerings, practice focus, and education/experience varies from owner to owner; some want to employ a veterinarian with a gregarious manner like Dr. Bosse’s. Others hope for a professional, “Yes, sir. No, sir,” bedside manner in a practitioner, with no discussion about the weather or what crazy thing our Miniature Horses did last week.

Though there are some fundamental requirements (read: showing up for appointments), picking a practitioner ultimately comes down to personal preferences. I think writer Tracy Gantz did a great job breaking down the how-tos of this important decision. If you’re not a subscriber yet, grab a copy of the issue or subscribe to the print magazine or digital edition. Other highlights in this Wellness Special Issue:

Equine Dentistry: Beyond the Basics. We know you love learning about your horse’s teeth (Web stats don’t lie!). Writer D.J. Carey Lyons unpacks the advances that are helping horses nosh comfortably.
Planning Hay Purchases. This piece—which is one of our monthly “Equinomics” stories—will walk you through hay types, cuttings, quality, shape/size, etc., along with providing a list of questions to ask your hay provider. Good, useful stuff.
Handling for Vet Visits. Another favorite part of this issue for me (besides the cover story—which we’re letting you preview) were great, workable tips from the behavior expert herself, Dr. Sue McDonnell (PhD, Cert. AAB), on handling horses for veterinary visits. We used to have a pony that went Jekyll-Hyde on us anytime the veterinarian came near her with a speculum and a float. Personally, I wish I’d had this article on hand to learn more about managing her behavior.

This is just a sampling of the May issue, of course—see more in its pages, and let me know what article helped you the most with your particular horses.

In the meantime, I’m curious: What qualities are most important to you in a veterinarian?

Derby Horse Health Questions?

Stephanie — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:09:00 GMT

Sprawled out in the den floor by the TV, chin in my hands, I savored Kentucky Derby coverage the first Saturday of May each year as a child, ‘tween, and teen. Mom did more than I, actually, but her enthusiasm certainly wore off on me. (She even has the sheet music to “Run for the Roses.” I can remember plunking at the piano keys while contemplating the score’s cover art as a child.)

Even Dad, who isn’t a horse enthusiast, used to get a little excited about Derby. Friday before Derby (Oaks Day—though I didn’t know that was what it was called at the time) was a paid holiday because the company’s main plants were in Kentucky at the time.

Ironically, my early memories of Derby had a horse health angle: My most memorable Derby as a television spectator was a tribute to Secretariat after he succumbed to laminitis—the archived footage of him galloping around in the mud impacted my heart, and I was simply fascinated with this horse (while I wasn't even born yet when he won the Triple Crown, I have watched the video of his Belmont victory time and time again). I climbed up on the statue of Secretariat as a 13-year-old visitor to the Kentucky Horse Park during Pony Club Nationals, then marveled at the length of his stride marked out beside the sidewalk leading to Man O War’s grave. As we traversed the board-fence-lined roads during that first trip to the Bluegrass, I declared that one day I wanted to live in this beautifully horse-saturated place.

Fast-forward to adulthood. Television consumption of Derby transitioned to in-person experience of the event in 2000. As cliché as it sounds, there is something remarkably magical about Derby Day—even Derby week—on the backside at Churchill Downs. Each Derby and Oaks favorite has a mob of press and fans around him or her, an audience captivated by the personalities of both horse and trainer. It’s a “Derby Favorites—they’re just like us!” experience, when we see them washed and sweat-scraped down, dozing at their stall door, or nickering for their feed. There’s something about horses just being horses.

(Last year some of our colleagues at bloodhorse.com posted a video of a favorite, Hansen, rolling in a sand pit, and it garnered a staggering 31,000+ views.)

And those are just the days leading up to Derby. On Derby Day, nothing really beats experiencing the band playing "My Old Kentucky Home," watching the pageantry of the walkover, or hearing the National Anthem along with 165,000+ other people, not to mention the reported almost-15-million viewers at home. It’s lovely to see that much excitement over a field of horses.

So, Derby is coming up in a mere two weeks. Last year we brought you a story and videos (regulatory vet checks at the Derby, vet check frequency for hallmark horse races) on the responsibilities of regulatory veterinarians at Derby and other hallmark races, and we gave some behind-the-scenes footage of what it's like being a veterinarian caring for horses on Derby Day.

This year we have the opportunity to get some health questions answered for you. A few weeks ago News Editor Erica Larson and I watched some of the morning works at Keeneland to begin brainstorming on some of the questions—some basic and some more in-depth—that we have about racehorse health. We hope to bring you a little of the excitement of Derby into your home the first week of May.

What are some things you’d like to ask a veterinarian about caring for Derby horses?

Pretty Much Everything You'd Want to Know About Equine Eyes

Stephanie — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:17:00 GMT

Last week I visited a friend who rents a home on a farm here in Lexington. It was a very chilly night—did I mind if we went out and put a turnout blanket on a mare before dark? And maybe we could also see a few of this year’s foals?

I don’t know how you’d respond, but for me it didn’t take a lot of convincing. There are few things I consider more irresistible than a youngster’s inquisitive gaze.

A few of the farm’s foals were very gregarious and craving human attention—they’d figured out that good things come from visitors at the stall door, namely a scratch or two. One little month-old guy, a bright chestnut with a star and a neck set just high enough out of the shoulder that he looked like a perfect, alert little Breyer Thoroughbred foal model, pressed his muzzle through the stall bars and begged me to come in for a visit. Of course I complied, marveling at his wispy little red mane that stood straight up, and his bright, inquisitive brown eyes.

Who wouldn't want to take this home with them?

Photo: Stephanie L. Church/TheHorse.com

(I really just wanted to take him home and raise him in my back yard, but I’m not sure my suburban neighborhood association would be too thrilled with that!)

Another foal was much newer—he had been born during the night. He was still working on the coordination thing, and wobbled hesitantly as he took us in. Then, unfazed by our presence, he wandered over to his dam, roughly nudging elbow, then chest, then shoulder, then, finally, (Such a patient mama!) udder.

Something that fascinated me about each of these foals was their beautiful, expressive eyes. We all instinctively look to the horse’s eye; we know our adult horses’ expressions, especially, and can distinguish “worried” from “content,” “distressed,” or “curious.” I noted the vast difference between these foals’ interactions with their surroundings, and recalled that this month’s issue, which contains several articles about eyes, had taught me about how a foal’s brain programs the eyes over several days to interpret visual information.

As we drove back toward the house and were discussing foaling, somehow the conversation turned to giraffe births (giraffes being my second-favorite large mammal) and the more than two yards that giraffe calves fall when their standing mom’s give birth. Again, my mind went back to the April issue article on foal eye issues. Even though most foals have a friendlier introduction to the ground at birth than their giraffe counterparts, they can sustain trauma during birth. And sometimes their eyes suffer the consequences. Add environmental irritants to the equation, and you have recipes for infections and ulcers. (A whole lot of other things can go wrong with foal eyes as well--as with adult horses’ eyes—but you’ll need to pick up a copy of the issue to learn about them!)

Photo: Shelley Paulson/TheHorse.com

Besides several in-depth articles and illustrations on equine eyes (our cover story, which contains state-of-the-art information on eye research, is available to read, and you can also download 15 Fascinating Facts about Equine Eyes), here are some other things we offer in the April issue that I really enjoyed learning about:

Equitarianism Takes Off. Veterinarians are working together to improve health care of working donkeys and horses around the world. As you might already know, taking care of these animals and, thus, their people, is very close to my heart, so you’ll probably hear a little more about this program in the coming weeks.
Controlling Pasture Weeds. This article gives some great tips on preventing weed growth and getting rid of existing weeds (Did you see our slideshow to help you recognize the common ones? It’s a great resource!);
The Science Behind Saddle Pads. (Cool stuff, ladies and gentlemen. Don’t miss it!)
Handling Lacerations (I know I can’t get enough refreshers on this topic.); and
Last but not least, Castrated and Confused. Some fascinating behavior in a castrated donkey.

So if you’re not already a subscriber, please join us. Or, if you just want to dip your toe for now, single copies are available for purchase as well. The magazine offers another dimension to what you experience on the website—with all kinds of useful imagery and additional information—I can’t emphasize enough the benefit of having it arrive in your mailbox (or inbox, if you get the digital edition) each month.

Tell me about any experiences you’ve had with equine eyes in your barn: Injuries, disease, blindness, or anything you found interesting or fascinating.

Talking Manure and the March Issue

Stephanie — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:50:00 GMT

It's official. You’re preoccupied with your horse’s poop.

We expected our March cover story would be a popular one, but it’s always fun when people like/comment/read/share/make more amusing remarks about a story than we expect. Relative to the story, our team also released a fun related fact graphic and shared it on Pinterest and Facebook, etc. (If you’re a Pinterest user or a Facebook fan of TheHorse.com and are signed in, you should be able to follow these links). It’s already been shared more than 500 times. Who knew poop could be so popular?

I realize, of course, that, more than any odd obsession, this is likely an indicator that you simply hone in on the minute details and the specifics of your horse's health status—his manure being one indicator of it.

The popular poop article (and its awesome Chris Ware illustration that ties in with this blog post title!) is just one piece in a banner month of interesting reading material. It's important to access and read the rest of the issue, cover to cover. I'm confident that these always-veterinarian-proofed stories will help you care for the specific needs of at least one horse in your barn (if not four), and information you’ll learn will benefit how you care for additional horses down the road. Topics in the March issue include heel pain, managing water drainage on horse properties, and fescue toxicosis, among others, and we also offer a breakdown of state-of-the-art information on equine infectious diseases presented by the world’s experts.

Photo: Amy K. Dragoo

(By the way, please let us know when you find certain articles help you with a particular horse in your barn! You can comment below or email us at editorial@TheHorse.com. We love hearing from you.)

Here’s what I really want to highlight, though: There’s a bonus 52-page Wrap-Up of the 2012 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention that you can get your hands on before the rest of the world. We began planning this issue back in the summer, and it’s the culmination of many, many hours of taking very scientific presentations from the world’s largest equine veterinary meeting (which your veterinarian might have attended … did he or she disappear for a week in December?) and translating them into information you can use in caring for your horses. And our team unpacks the take-homes from this convention unlike any other resource.

Cover Photo: Dusty Perin

I’m very proud of the writers and editors of these stories because taking copious notes, writing, editing, and vetting 100+ of these summaries is time-consuming, thought-intensive work. We love providing you with the details that will end up helping you care for your horses better. When we send this issue off to press it’s always with a sense of accomplishment … and a sense that our brains are full of more material than we thought they could ever manage! This year’s wrap-up is a little different than past years' editions—we gave it a new look, and incorporated some new features. Here were some of my favorite parts of this year's AAEP convention coverage and Wrap-Up (this began back in late November, with Dr. Christy Corp-Minamiji's blog online!):

A breakdown of the most up-to-date information on exertional rhabdomyolysis (tying-up) and revelations about seasonal pasture myopathy and its cause.
Dynamic photos and compelling material, and especially the editorial layout of the latest lameness studies.
Horse owner-targeted video conversations with veterinarians about table topics, which are moderated sessions where veterinarians chat about hot topics important to horse health.
Insightful (and often entertaining) tweets from veterinarians attending the convention, giving a feel for important issues and what the “mood” was about particular topics.
Conversations with our sources; specifically, getting a first-hand personal breakdown of the importance of the medicine studies that Dr. Steve Reed (Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital) presented during the Kester News Hour.
Christy's blog, in which she broke down important material each day and gave us "in a nutshell" summaries.
Our team's incorporation of multimedia offerings into the print edition in an attractive way.

Readers had told us that this annual AAEP Wrap-Up is a resource they hang on to so they can access certain stories again later. We tried to keep that in mind as we built it, and we hope that you enjoy the new look and approach.

You can buy the March issue (which includes the Wrap-Up) or join our horse-loving, care-focused, also-detail-obsessed family as a print or digital edition subscriber.

EHV-1: Information You Need to Know

Stephanie — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:49:00 GMT

Over the past two weeks TheHorse.com has followed reports of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) positives in Florida, Utah, New Jersey, and Quebec. Sure, this isn’t our first encounter with EHV-1. As long as horses travel to and fro, and as long as they congregate at events and competitions, we’ll likely hear about the occasional EHV-1 case, associated cases, and sometimes even outbreaks.

I’m encouraged that this time around we haven’t really seen the kind of panicked response that occurred in spring 2011. Overall, due to the response of Horse Shows In The Sun (HITS) officials; Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, University of Florida, and local veterinarians; and savvy horse owners, the exchange of information about cases, quarantines, and import restrictions has remained relatively calm.

Photo: Photos.com

Still many aspects of EHV-1 are confusing (What do you mean the virus “behaves” in different ways? What is the wild-type vs. the neuropathogenic strain? Does it make a difference whether my positive horse has no clinical signs? Will vaccinating help in the face of an outbreak?).

To help clear confusion we’re hosting an online Q&A about equine herpesvirus-1 on Thursday night at 8 p.m. with neurologic disease researcher and veterinarian Dr. Rob MacKay of the University of Florida and epidemiologist and veterinarian Dr. Nicola Pusterla of the University of California, Davis. It’s your opportunity to get informed, understand the illness, and prepare in case veterinarians detect EHV-1 in your area. Sign up for an event reminder and submit your questions for this event.

In the meantime, I’ve compiled my favorite go-to resources for brushing up on EHV-1:

The Top 5 Things You Need to Know about Neurologic EHV-1 World-renowned infectious disease researcher Dr. Paul Lunn described this virus in depth with our news editor, Erica Larson.
Equine Herpesvirus-1: Minimizing Costs, Dispelling Myths A practical piece on outbreaks’ impact.
Herpesvirus Fact Sheet

The University of Florida’s Frequently Asked Questions List
The AAEP's Equine Herpesvirus Resource List and FAQ

We hope you join us on Thursday night for the live event, and be sure to let us know if you hear of any breaking information on confirmed cases in your area.

Owners Don't Take Pictures of Sick Horses

Stephanie — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 21:06:00 GMT

One of the most important conditions to recognize in a horse is also one of the most difficult things to depict in photos: equine pain. Two reasons: Horses in pain can be very stoic, and aside from obvious lameness, gaping wounds, or demonstrative outward signs of colic—rolling, biting at the flank, no poop, etc.—pain signs aren’t very evident on first glance. This can make the search for a convincing photo of a painful horse difficult.

Second reason: Simply, horse owners don’t take photos of their horses when they’re in pain.

I cannot blame them at all. As an owner, when my horses were in the throes of discomfort, the very last thing on my mind was reaching for a camera to document their symptoms. Instead, I was focused on easing their discomfort, getting the vet out, and tending to their every need. (As a young staffer on The Horse, though, I do remember shooting a photo of my mare during a founder scare.)

We’ve run into the lack-of-pain-photos problem for years at The Horse, using and reusing images from our wonderful sources and photographers who have them on hand. In the meantime we’ve grown up some of our own form of ambulance chasers: photographers who know veterinarians well and, with the owners’ consent, are permitted to shoot photos during veterinary examinations.

But alas, when we were working on the February issue, which contains a wrap-up of the recent 2012 Laminitis Conference, we had a tough time finding exactly the type of laminitic horse photo that we wanted to use for the cover. One of our team members spent hours (and I mean hours) poring over freelancers’ stock sites and contacting veterinarians, hoping to land us a shot that would say “laminitis.”

As luck would have it (okay, not really), my mom’s Tennessee Walking Horse was dealing with a bout of mild laminitis over Christmas. So my sister and I went out and had an impromptu photo shoot. We shot all kinds of angles, with and without pads duct-taped to his feet and with and without a foot in a bucket of imaginary ice water.

In the end, Silky was a great sport. But while he pulled off the “I’m very sad standing with my despondent owner” look quite well, he simply didn’t look laminitic. My mom had been taking great care of him, and he just didn’t have the look of a painful horse (he was back to his normal self within a few weeks). Besides, we had posed him for a little while in gravel dust arena footing, and our veterinarians advised that laminitic horses should be standing in more comfortable footing (which he had in his round pen). He wasn’t really “pointing” as some laminitic horses do, and we used buckets instead of the more-common special ice boots people are using to treat cases these days.

We struck out on the laminitic horse pics in that particular shoot, but we did get some photos for other topics and also ended up with this gem. Meet Percy, resident barn cat:

Photo: Sarah Lynn Church

Besides a brush-up on what laminitis researchers are uncovering, here are some things I learned in the February issue:

Managing a high-risk pregnancy is complex; there are a number of things that can go wrong and compromise her pregnancy.
Besides passing a Pony Club formal inspection and keeping your gelding comfortable, there are other reasons to clean a sheath: You might detect a problem that could save his life.
Speaking of safeguarding a horse’s life, before loading your horse in the trailer, consider a number of horse trailer maintenance steps that could do just that.
A self-diagnosed bandaging geek, I enjoyed brushing up on the reasons to bandage and what’s acceptable and unacceptable in this practice.

There are several other articles filled with rich, helpful information. The single print copies of February are already sold out, but if you can view this issue immediately if you become a digital subscriber. (You can see the laminitic horse who ended up on the cover above.) Or, we’d love to have you join us as a print subscriber so you can begin receiving upcoming issues in the mail.

Readers of The Horse are a caring bunch, and I anticipate that next time one of them sees their horse exhibiting signs of some illness (after they’ve made sure the horse is comfortable, confirmed he’s not at death’s door, and called the vet) they’ll probably take a photo (or even a video), and send it to us, now that I’ve planted the thought.

Have you ever found your horse in pain? If an injury or condition wasn’t obvious, what was your clue that something was wrong?

Changing it Up

Stephanie — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:28:00 GMT

Yesterday’s high of 20 degrees and solid hours of desk-sitting had me wistful for warmer times and a fun riding memory from the fall, when a vest and a lightweight pair of riding gloves kept me acceptably warm.

Our editorial team was to be assembled in Lexington for a conference back in October (our digital editor telecommutes), so I organized a lesson for us at a local polo club. I thought it would fun for us to try something we’d never tried before on horseback, and I hoped it could prove a fun team exercise.

The Horse editorial team tries their collective hand at polo.

Photo: Adam Spradling

Ed Armstrong, who with his wife runs the outfit, seemed intrigued by this lesson’s use as a team activity. He instructed on the phone, simply, “Bring a helmet and gloves.”

We complied, arriving with appropriate gear, eager grins, and a great photographer. After a few minutes of introduction to the sport, two eventers, a dressage rider, and a show jumper climbed aboard four “old pros” who ushered us into the unfamiliar world of mallets, ride-offs, hooking, and goals.

Ed taught us technique and a little about the rules of the sport, and we practiced what he taught us in the arena. Erica, our news editor, did a great job describing a few of our activities in a blog post last fall.

Our horses were fantastic tutors: The mare I rode, Polka, who was blind in one eye, shifted her weight strategically when I leaned a little too far to swing at the ball. She also leaned out of the way when I was a little ambitious with my swing. Granted, that was self-preservation to an extent, but I was delighted to be riding a horse that knew her job so very well … and this was all with one eye! We kept at our drills and “chukkers” for a total of about two hours. Since my usual activity is hacks in the woods with Gandalf, and it had been a few months since my Ireland riding adventures, I was tuckered out when the session was complete.

One of our polo schoolmasters.

Photo: Adam Spradling/TheHorse.com

Some things I noticed or learned with this activity:

Using a mallet for the first time can leave one heck of an egg/bruise on the forearm. But said injury is a great conversation starter.
All bets are off when it comes to equitation during a first polo lesson.
Each of the four horses offered a different strength to the activity. Mine was steady and delightfully careful with her feet (sometimes she kicked the ball for me, in fact, as if to calmly say, “Get it down the field already, woman.”), though a little stubborn at times (probably was preserving energy!). Another was lithe, quick, and maneuverable. You get the picture.

Polka and me, as I learned how to swing a mallet.

Photo: Adam Spradling/TheHorse.com

Similarly, our team members’ personalities came out in their riding and playing. Alex, the show jumper, was exact and efficient, completing the exercises in style (I wondered if she had taken a crash course in polo on one of her Wellington horse show trips!). Erica, an eventer, was a quick study with a ready smile on her face, clearly enjoying the new challenge and collecting information for blog reflection. Michelle, the dressage rider, drew a much zippier mount than she’s used to, and she kept on riding with determination and worked carefully with her partners at the drills, all while exhibiting a sense of humor about the mare’s pinned ears and perpetual motion. Each of my team members brings a personality and skills to the table that, when combined, produce great material that you see in the magazine each month and on TheHorse.com. If we all were exactly the same, how boring would that be?
Sometimes changing it up is just what you need. Each of us has our usual riding activities, and seeing the world from a different type of saddle provides, literally and figuratively, a new perspective. Just as doctors purport that completing a crossword puzzle daily will keep the mind sharp, I think trying new activities does the same for our skills (whether they be skills for horsemanship, writing, editing, or for navigating life).
Finally, polo is wildly fun, and I’d like to take a few more lessons to see if it’s something I might want to try a little more of.

All that said … maybe I’ll wait till it’s a wee bit warmer.

When was the last time you changed up your routine and tried another type of riding or activity? What new perspectives did it allow?

The Horse Editorial Team poses between chukkers.

Photo: Adam Spradling/TheHorse.com

Inside January's Pages

Stephanie — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:03:00 GMT

By now we’ve all become acquainted with 2013 and its possibilities. (Despite the fact we’re a week in, though, I’m still creatively converting twos to threes when I write the date.)

To me January feels a bit like a brand new barn coat, fitting snug and warm and not yet completely coated with hay dust and smeared with horse snot (and banned to the stable-only rack by the door). Decisions to eat healthy remain mostly intact. Winter is relatively fresh and I’m not muttering at it or about it yet. Daylight hours are building. Organizational projects at home are well under way.

All that said, I didn’t set any resolutions this year.

Ever since I resolved twice to learn to do a flip turn in the swimming pool and felt the ridiculous shame of never actually mastering it, resolutions have lost their sparkle a bit. I have found I haven’t taken them as seriously. But this doesn’t keep me from identifying things I want to pursue intentionally during the year. From places I hope to see and things I hope to write, to horses I hope to ride (Gandalf) and centuries (100-mile rides on my bike) I hope to complete, there’s a lot of hope for 2013, and that’s enough for me to focus on without setting a resolution list.

Speaking of intentionality, yesterday I received a letter from a faithful reader in Canada who is very purposeful about caring for her horses. In her own words, she “pays attention to every little detail of my horses’ lives.” She asked about some of their daily/hourly outer signs of health. She knows these horses better than anyone and wants the very best for them.

Something that touched me about her letter was that she is not only a TheHorse.com user but also an avid magazine subscriber.

Be sure to check out the January 2013 issue of The Horse.

Cover Photo: Carien Schippers

She requested we pursue an article about a curious, but very useful subject. (Poop! Yes. Really.) It just so happens we’ll have an article on this subject in the upcoming March issue of The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care.

That reminded me: If you aren’t getting our magazine, I really think you’re missing out. There’s premium content there that won’t appear on the website for quite a while, and you should take a look! Here are some highlights from our current issue (January), which you can purchase as a single copy:

Smart NSAID Use: Most of us have non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) around the barn and we’ve used them for years. That familiarity might make us feel like we know exactly when/how to apply these, but it’s really important to talk to our vet before giving them. Giving them could cause more problems than it helps.
While You’re Away: Even though I’ve been farm sitting for all of my adult life, I still found the take-homes from this article incredibly useful. Most involve setting expectations and making careful preparations. This is another must-read piece, whether you keep your horses at home or at a boarding barn.
Feeding Orphan Foals/Shaping Orphan Behavior: A surprising number of questions about orphan foals come across our desks, and our writers and editors looked at this issue from both a nutritional and a behavior standpoint. For anyone in the breeding business or who might find themselves with an orphan on their hands, this material is crucial.

So, if you aren’t already a magazine subscriber those are three reasons why you should get a copy of the January issue or subscribe. If you prefer to consume magazines digitally, we also have a digital edition subuscription.

How did you find out about TheHorse.com? Are you familiar with our print magazine? If you aren’t, will you give it a try?

7 Ways to Help Working Equids and their People at Christmas

Stephanie — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 14:16:00 GMT

Last week I described some of the causes veterinarians were recognizing and supporting at the American Association of Equine Practitioners' convention earlier this month. This week, in the spirit of Christmas giving, I’d like to highlight a few organizations with which I’m familiar and can recommend for giving. These organizations seek to help working equids, or to help people abroad who rely on these horses, donkeys, or mules for their livelihood.

If you’re still looking for a gift for that hard-to-buy-for, horse-loving friend or family member, here are few causes you might consider supporting. Please note that I don’t intend for this list to be comprehensive--I'm highlighting a few organizations that do good work.

The Equitarian Initiative This group of veterinarians seeks to bring education, leadership, and assistance to people caring for and using working equids (horses, mules, or donkeys used primarily for family income, agriculture, and/or transportation) internationally. There are an estimated 100 million working equids in the world. Read a story we ran about the Equitarian Initiative when it was highlighted at the 2010 AAEP convention, and read a column by Dr. Jay Merriam reflecting on the mission of the group's work.
The Christian Veterinary Mission This organization was the recipient of the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Lavin Cup (equine welfare award) in 2012 and seeks to help veterinarians serve others and live out their Christian faith through their profession. The organization seeks “to change lives and communities by improving the care of livestock and other animals.”
The Brooke is an international animal welfare organization that’s dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys, and mules in impoverished areas of the world. The group provides treatments, training, and animal health programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. I blogged about their work educating a young female Kenyan farrier a few months back, in case you missed it.
SPANA, which stands for the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad, is focused on working donkey welfare across the world, treating “hundreds of thousands of donkeys, horses, mules, camels and livestock every year” across Africa and the Middle East. We did a video interview with SPANA a few years ago at AAEP, when the organization won the Lavin Award (and was the first winning organization outside the United States).

The following organizations missions' are not animal health- or veterinarian-specific, but I am familiar with their beneficial trickle-down effects in helping people:

World Vision provides the opportunity to sponsor the purchase of a donkey for a needy family. I have sponsored children in El Salvador through World Vision since 2000 and, while I've never ponied up for a donkey purchase, I have given gifts to family members of goats and chickens. It's a fun gift and helps others.
Food For the Hungry offers an opportunity to educate veterinary assistants. Again, healthy animals (and among these, the crucial hard-working donkeys), mean healthy people, and vice versa. It’s also an income-providing venture for families
Finally, Compassion International has a gift program through which you equip a family with livestock. I have personal involvement with this organization; since 2009 I have sponsored a girl in Mombasa, Kenya, and I visited her in 2011. Compassion works in many of these developing countries that rely on their working equids to live. Over the Kenyan roads I’ve traveled, I've seen thousands of donkeys tethered beside the road that reminded me of this. And if buying some goats, cattle, or a donkey isn’t your thing, child sponsorship is also an option http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm.

May this Christmas be a special one for you and your family, and may you be surrounded by wonderful horses and ponies, big and small, that remind you of the unconditional love this holiday represents.

Are you supporting an equine-related cause this Christmas? If so, what is it?

An Undercurrent of Compassion

Stephanie — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:02:00 GMT

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s what my Pandora Vince Guaraldi (think Charlie Brown Christmas) station is telling me, at least, in upbeat instrumentals.

I don’t know how you’re feeling, but this holiday season seems like one heck of a whirlwind to me. Whereas Christmas used to saunter in, leaving ample opportunity to shop for thoughtful gifts, write copious Christmas card messages by hand, reflect on the reason for the season, and have another leisurely cup of mulled apple cider, this year has come fast and furious.

Earlier this month, several thousand veterinarians stepped out of their December bustle--with foaling dates approaching, breeding season looming, and winter show seasons beginning--to brush up on their knowledge on treating your horses. Perhaps you kept up with our blogger, Dr. Christy Corp-Minamiji, as she reflected on daily AAEP convention sessions from Anaheim, Calif., or you watched some of our daily video coverage. This is a colossal annual event, and you’ll continue to see take-home messages from these many presentations roll out on our website in the coming days and weeks.

The Christian Veterinary Mission was honored with the Lavin Cup during the 2012 AAEP Convention's President's Luncheon.

Photo: Stephanie L. Church

But what I want to point out about the convention right now isn’t necessarily the staggering loads of state-of-the-art (yet applicable) material shared there. I want to talk about an undercurrent that I noticed as stronger this year than any other year that I’ve attended (and that’s roughly 11 AAEP conventions): One of compassion.

This compassion reaches across equine veterinary medical practice here (there was a lot of focus on keeping the best interest of clients/their horses at the heart of veterinary medicine) and abroad, but I’m going to focus on the abroad.

The Equitarian movement has become a household name among practitioners in recent years. Dr. Jay Merriam and his colleagues passionate for the cause have sought to help working donkeys, mules, and horses across the world. In many cases, people’s livelihoods depend on these animals. Simply keeping these working equids in good health and educating owners on good husbandry can beneficially impact entire communities of people. This year the AAEP honored Dr. Merriam with the President’s Award.

This year the AAEP conferred its Lavin Cup, the organization’s Equine Welfare Award, to the Christian Veterinary Mission. And for the first time in 11 years of AAEPs, I was able to make it to CVM’s evening seminar, where this year Dr. Julie Henderson, a veterinarian who serves as a CVM missionary in Mozambique, described her experiences working with local residents. Veterinarians often end up caring not only for animals but also for people’s health emergencies, and limited access to drugs and medical supplies that are common elsewhere means Henderson (and veterinarians like her, worldwide) must be creative in finding sustainable solutions for helping people.

I also noticed that the AAEP conferred several other awards that recognized veterinarians for service--and each veterinarian had a background of concern for equine welfare. And we can't forget the presentations and discussions sprinkled throughout the scientific program that were focused on equitarian outreach and on welfare and wellness (session subtitle: Improving the Lives of Horses and Veterinarians).

Sure, these may have been just a handful of awards and sessions at a five-day event with hundreds upon hundreds of high-level scientific presentations. But, it seemed that in my one-on-one conversations with veterinarians, such equitarian activities and other causes benefiting equids were a recurring theme.

The AAEP meeting’s undercurrent was not one of self-promotion or haughtiness because of vast accumulated knowledge; one might expect that, with the sheer amount of brilliant intelligence packed into one convention center. Rather, it was one of caring for horses and for their people, both domestically and worldwide.

What types of causes does your veterinarian support, either here or abroad?