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August 2010 
Solar Water TroughKeeping water fresh, clean and palatable for pastured horses can be a chore. In the summer, you’re constantly emptying the tank and brushing out the algae—sometimes using baking soda to help lift the debris and remove the odor. We have to replace our steel tank every few years, as the abuse from horses dents the sides, eventually causing leaks. … Nutraceutical Shopping In 2001, a group of animal-supplement manufacturers created the National Animal Supplement Council (www.nasc.cc). You’ve probably seen the NASC label on containers and, if you’ve been a Horse Journal reader for a while, you’ve read about them, too. The group’s official mission is to provide quality, safe supplements for horses and pets, clearly an important issue. They’re also working with the FDA, CVM (Center for Veterinary Medicine) and AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials)… Electrolytes Made Easy Maintaining electrolyte concentrations plays a major role in keeping the body properly hydrated. Horses that are not well-hydrated are susceptible to heat stroke. Electrolytes are involved in reactions that maintain normal function of the muscles, heart, intestines, nerves and digestion. Low electrolyte levels can cause colic, weakness, "thumps" (a contraction of the diaphragm with each heart beat) and heart arrhythmias, even death. … Golf Carts Save You Time Horse folks generally consider golf courses to be wasted on golfers, what with all that lovely rolling green open space calling to us for a happy gallop and no concerns about woodchuck holes. (We promise that we won’t leave divots on the greens.) Golf courses, however, provide us with a useful mode of transport on our farms at a bargain price—used golf carts. When the paint starts to fade on those fleets of carts found… Waterless Shampoos Are "Lifesavers" Waterless shampoos, sometimes called "dry shampoos" because they don’t require a rinse, are handy at shows and in the winter when a bath is difficult. We like to be able to squirt our horse’s socks clean without worrying he’ll catch a chill, and we don’t want to do a lot of scrubbing. … RAO Damages Lungs No matter what you call it—heaves, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) and most recently RAO or recurrent airway obstruction—this obstructive lung disease severely interferes with your horse’s exercise capacity and his overall quality of life. Over time, permanent and irreversible lung changes can occur. What Is It? Obstructive lung disease is a condition where the normal flow of air in the lung is blocked. The obstruction is caused by a combination of spasm of the muscle… Gimme Shelter The horse is by choice one of the most free-ranging mammals, yet we seem insistent on forcing him to live in little boxes. Evolution has allowed the horse to maintain his well-being by always moving, away from parasite-teeming manure piles and in search of fresh water and better forage. … Who's To Blame For Injuries? Every high-performance equine sport comes with injuries. The explanations/excuses for this are multiple. Horses are starting training and/or competing too young. Fences are too challenging. Surfaces are too hard, too soft, too deep. Turns are too sharp. Shoes have too much grab. Poor nutrition. Money or ego is the real driving force. Conditioning is inadequate. … |
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