 | | | | | ||
|             |
September 2010 
At 40˘ a Day, You’ll Like Kentucky Karron Oil When you realize the huge difference in omega-3 intake between horses eating a fresh diet and those on hay or hay and grain, there’s no question that your omega supplement needs to be high omega-3. The logical choice in vegetable sources is flaxseed. The fatty acids in ground flaxseed remain stable for at least six months, although you should avoid storing it under conditions of high heat. A new option on the sales floor is fish oil for horses. Fish oil contains DHA and EPA rather than the alpha-linolenic acid present in plants. Studies have confirmed that feeding fish oil versus flaxseed does lead to higher concentrations of DHA and EPA. However, flaxseed has never been compared to fish oil side-by-side in a research setting in terms of coat/hoof health, reproductive effects or athletic performance. Our field trial evaluated palatability, coat conditioning effects and heart rate response to a three-minute mile at the trot or pace in Standardbreds in training after 30 days of supplementation. Post-exercise heart rates dropped similarly in flaxseed, fish-oil and unsupplemented horses, probably as a result of improved fitness and conditioning. Getting A Kentucky Education I'm not sure if it’s the story on the omega-3s and Kentucky Karron Oil coming out on top or our preference for flaxseed over fish oil (see page 1), but this issue made me think back more years than I care to admit, when I spent college summers working in Lexington, Ky., at Bluegrass Farm. Get To The Point Most women accept the idea that long fingernails and horses just don’t mix. When riding with gloves, fingernails will poke out the ends of the fingers in gloves that are too short or where the materials and construction aren’t tough enough. Work gloves are often too loose and too thick, so they get pulled off for any task that requires delicacy, such as adjusting a buckle, leaving fingernails vulnerable. Long fingernails never survive on bare hands, either when riding or working in the barn. When selecting riding gloves, most people look first for fit, grip and feel, followed by whether the gloves are breathable, washable and durable, and finally whether the price is right. If you add this very specific concern over fingernails, your choice narrows even further. But this isn’t just a question for someone with a nice manicure. Many women—and some men—have very long fingers and thus despair over finding gloves that will seat properly into the grooves between their fingers, even without the added length of very long fingernails. We consulted experts at SSG Gloves, English Riding Supply and Heritage Gloves for their insights. If you want to find gloves that will help you keep a manicure fresh and nails long, take these steps... Equine Thyroid Problems Need Veterinary Help If you feel more confused than ever about thyroid hormones in horses, you’re not alone. Less than 10 years ago, obese and laminitic horses and ponies were believed to be hypothyroid and even easy keepers were often given supplemental thyroid hormone. As we came to understand insulin resistance, use of thyroid supplements dropped off but recently the pendulum has swung back to using them again. What’s the story? To begin, you need to understand different types of hypothyroidism. Primary hypothyroidism is disease of the thyroid gland itself. Secondary hypothyroidism is a pituitary problem involving low levels of TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone. Tertiary hypothyroidism involves the hypothalamus, another area of the brain. In tertiary hypothyroidism, output of the hormone TRH, thyroid releasing hormone, is low. TRH causes release of TSH, which in turn stimulates the thyroid. Yet another form of hypothyroidism is called euthyroid sick syndrome. This is a condition where thyroid hormones are low in an animal that has a chronic illness. Horses rarely, if ever, have primary hypothyroidism. Researchers have found that horses with low levels of thyroid hormone respond normally to an injection of TSH, proving the gland is normal and capable of producing the hormone. This means that something is causing hypothyroidism, or the horse has euthyroid sick syndrome. The Hard Truth When I returned home, having ridden in the helmet every day for a month, I found it comforting and cooler than a baseball cap. I began to wear it religously. I normally longe my mare before I ride her, if she’s had a day off. But this one morning, since she was quiet on the longe line, I cut it short and jumped aboard. It was brisk and bright and after a nice warm-up we starting trotting over the smaller fences. I have no idea what jolted her and caused her to buck, but one moment I was jumping a fence, and the next I was literally horizontal to the ground, staring at her nose. Fall Chores: Deworming Targets Horses with insulin resistance may also be at increased risk of laminitis at this time, especially as they get into their teens. One effect of increased cortisol is increased insulin resistance. Again, for normal horses this isn't an issue. However, if the horse already is insulin resistant it can be enough to push them over the edge into laminitis. Horses that should have ACTH checked in the fall are those with: - A history of unexplained laminitis in the past. - Known Cushing's disease. - Insulin resistance and in their teens. If the horse tests high, have a discussion with your veterinarian over possibly treating the horse with pergolide during this high-risk time of the year. For most horses, the ACTH returns to baseline levels by January, although some will remain elevated until spring. The prolonged elevations are most likely to occur in aged horses with Cushing's disease. In most cases, pergolide can be tapered off starting late December. Expect ACTH Hormone Rise In The Fall Your horse's hormone levels change to prepare his coat and body for winter. One of these changes is a rise in ACTH, the hormone that signals cortisol release from the adrenal gland. This is a perfectly normal event, but it can spell trouble for some horses. It's Time to Pull Shoes It used to be common practice to pull your horse's shoes once his workload decreased, such as the end of show season or the onset of snow, but it's not happening as often as it should. The immediate obvious plus is cost savings. Even if you invest in a pair of boots for the horse, you'll still save money. And most horses don't need boots when barefoot. For those who do, you'll recover the cost of the boots over four shoeings, and the boots should last for years. Going barefoot is beneficial to the horse's hoof. Long-term shoeing can lead to thin walls, narrow contracted feet and atrophy of the frog. Horses with imperfect conformation or with soundness issues will be free to move and wear their feet in the way that is most comfortable and natural for them. Parasites Can Reappear In 2008, we reported parasitologists were finding small strongyle eggs reappearing in the manure of ivermectin-treated horses as quickly as 30 days or so after deworming. There was initial concern that this might be a resistance problem, but later studies confirmed the drug was indeed killing the parasites but the horses were becoming reinfected by a strain with a short life cycle. … Interpreting Research If you’re considering a product that’s supposed to be backed by research, the first thing you need to do is ask to see the actual research. Next, ask who paid for it. It’s usually going to be the company. This is not necessarily bad but can lead to some subtle bias in how the results are described. Research that has been presented at a meeting for peer-review or was formally published carries the most weight. Without too much effort, you can easily learn how to at least get a “feel” for how good the research study is. Start by reading the abstract and conclusions. This will tell you what the results were and how they’re being interpreted. The more horses involved, the better, of course, although equine research is expensive so groups are often not large. Nibbling Horse I own a three-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. He’s very pleasant and willing under saddle, but his ground manners have much to be desired. He’s incredibly oral. He loves to nibble at things and gently grab and take hold of whatever he can reach. He’s lately begun throwing his head up and down—even under saddle. When trying to put the bridle on, he swings his head around, trying to nibble at you and, it seems, to play.… Large Solar Tank Works Well, Too We have the Solar Water Trough you discussed in your August issue, and we love it. However, there are a few cautions people should be aware of before they buy. Our trough (the 42-gallon tank, as opposed to the 25-gallon tank in your article) is quite heavy and difficult to move without special equipment. Our pastures are rolling hills, and the only southern exposure available leaves the tank tipped down somewhat. So, in order to… Your Training Relationship Is Like a Marriage I have lived the life of both an amateur and a professional rider, so I think I understand the viewpoints of each. I’m told, though, that my 25-year amateur experience was far different from most other amateurs, in that I took care of and rode my horses myself at home, so that when we started our own training stable the change was largely a matter of degree, not substance. That’s significant because we’ve observed that… |
| |||
|
Contact Us / Privacy Policy / Site Map Copyright © 2010 Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., an Active Interest Media company. All rights reserved. | ||||||
