Check out Kitty's trot work!

We went to www.equine.com and checked out the A Home For Every Horse Program, under the Rescue Tab.We found a lovely chestnut mare (OK, we know, chestnut mares! But, really, this one looks lovely.)

Kitty is an Appendix Quarter Horse, standing about 14.2 hands. She’s five years old with no soundness issues. She’s friendly, easy to catch and handle. She’s started under saddle (as you can see!). On a scale of 1 to 10, she’s a 4 (1 is bombproof).  The rescue facility was asking $3,000, but now they say to contact them for a price. email Claire at HCWEquineRescue@sympatico.ca. Kitty is at the Heaven Can Wait Equine Rescue in Cameron, Ontario, Canada. http://www.heavencanwaitequinerescue.org (This group will even help you make trailering arrangements.)

Kitty has been started under saddle.

The FDA has announced a two-day public meeting to discuss parasite resistance to common deworming drugs. The problem was discussed by Horse Journal Contributing Veterinary Editor Dr. Deb Eldredge in our February 2012 issue and in our upcoming March 2012 issue.  Dr. Eldredge explains your current best options to protect your own horses. As she said, with no new powerful deworming drugs on the near horizon, we have to take measures beyond grabbing a tube of deworming paste when we stop in at the feed store. And it’s going to take work.

 The FDA is looking for tools they can use to evaluate resistance and determine the effectiveness of combining current drugs against resistant parasites.  Options are needed for stopping this increasing growing wave of drug-resistant parasites.  

The meeting will be held March 5-6 in Rockville, Md. To learn how to attend or send data to the meeting click here.

The Westfall Family with Ellen DeGeneres. My Horse Daily Photo.

Stacy Westfall’s incredible beautiful mare, Roxy, passed away tragically on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

If you’ve never seen Stacy and Roxy’s bareback, bridle-less reining performance, at least take a few minutes to view it now.

I saw them perform a few years ago, and I’ve never been as impressed or moved with a partnership in my life — and that includes seeing all types of Olympic stars ride and compete. Stacy and Roxy’s ride appeared effortless. What communication, respect and love they clearly had for each other!

Roxy, with a foal due next month, somehow injured herself in her stall overnight. Attempts to save her failed, so the Westfalls had to make that horrible decision many of us have faced ourselves and end Roxy’s pain.

You can read the full obituary here.

Our hearts go out to the Westfalls.

For a limited time, you can download Horse Journal’s January 2012 issue for free, whether you subscribe or not. If you’re happy with what you see, we hope you’ll subscribe by clicking here, taking advantage of a limited-time $20 subscription price. All paid subscribers also get free access to all our back issues through our website, www.horse-journal.com. (Note: Our website has recently been updated. If you experience any problems, please let us know.)

As you may know, when Horse Journal launched its first issue in 1994, then known as “Michael Plumb’s Horse Journal,” our goal was to offer reliable, clear advice that helps readers make wise buying and practical horse-care decisions. We’ve never deviated from that mission.

We can do that because we’re solely subscriber supported (meaning no advertising!). In fact, we’ve been told countless times that the cost of a subscription can be saved with one purchase. Our concise articles provide practical solutions you can take into your barn and use.

In our January issue, Dr. Grant Miller, one of our veterinary editors and a horse owner and competitor, sorted through the overwhelming number of joint products on the market and provided a list of the best choices for starter-level joint products. (The more powerful products are in our February issue.) He tells you when to start a joint product, how to know it’s working, and when it’s time to look elsewhere. His reasons for selecting those products are simple and clear, so you can easily look at your own favorite product’s label to see how it stacks up.

Dr. Deb Eldredge, an award-winning writer and veterinarian, is our other veterinary editor. A long-time horse owner with a wide background in horse sports, her guide to equine vaccinations will save you a lot of indecision this spring. In February, she tackles deworming, blasting through the latest conflicting research recommendations.

We’re also proud to have John Strassburger, former long-time editor of The Chronicle of the Horse and now a professional rider and trainer, as our Performance Editor.  John’s not afraid to talk about the hard issues, such as unwanted horses, the recent horsemeat legislation, or how to talk candidly to riders who are overmounted. After reading his articles, you’ll be well-informed.

 Associate Editor Margaret Freeman, an FEI-level dressage competitor and S-level dressage judge, and I have directed Horse Journal since its beginning, and we hope you’ll enjoy this January issue. Either way, we’d appreciate it if you let us know what you think. We enjoy hearing from all our readers. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!  Not surprising that’s what’s on my mind and everyone else’s, is it? Love them or hate them, all the holidays that occur at the end of the year definitely get your attention.

I plan to spend as much time as possible with Sally, my horse, although it’s tough to do with family obligations. There’s magic surrounding Christmas, at least for me, and horses are a huge part of feeling.  My very favorite place to be on Christmas eve and Christmas morning is in the horse barn, better yet if I have time to groom them or ride! We’re lucky, those of us addicted to horses, because no one else knows how special that time can be. Wonderful things do happen in stables, I guess.

I want to share with you something that was in our local newspaper, The Post-Standard, in their weekly Neighbors section this week. It was a feature with letters from readers sharing special Christmas memories. One letter from Sharon Ward in King Ferry, N.Y., was just wonderful.

It was about a family of six. Cow farmers. The daughter, Tracy, was also horse-crazy and dreamed of owning one, but said her mother, Sharon, “She never teased us as she knew we couldn’t afford one; she had three younger brothers.”

One Christmas Tracy’s dad, Jack, talked with a friend about getting Tracy a horse. He found a black gelding, who had been used for riding lessons and was sweet and kind. They bought him for $75 and kept him at the neighbor’s until Christmas morning.

That morning, Jack said he was going to feed the cows but instead walked to the neighbor’s and tacked up Ace, the new horse. Sharon called Tracy to the dining room and gave her a poster that read, “Happiness is owning a horse!” Tracy loved the poster.

But then Sharon instructed Tracy to look out the window, where Jack was standing with Ace. She included a photo of Tracy at that very moment, calling the expression on Tracy’s face, “Priceless.”  What I found even more “priceless” was that Tracy had Ace for eight years and eventually became a veterinarian.

For me, this story has all the elements of a beautiful Christmas—family, love, sacrifice, appreciation, caring and horses. Who could ask for more?

This week be sure to enjoy your family, your horses and the holiday. Maybe you’ll make memories that will last a lifetime and that will positively affect someone’s entire life.

The movie trailers for “War Horse” keep playing on TV, and I remain convinced that it’s simply too heart-wrenching to watch.

Any of us who have had a special relationship with a horse — and therefore knows how it feels when a horse truly loves us back — would have a hard time getting through the movie without a tear or two. I love my dogs, and I’m close to them, but there’s nothing like that connection with a special horse. Just the very idea of Joey (the horse) being sold away from the young boy he loves and who loves him back makes me sad (let alone World War I!!).

The movie is based on a children’s novel set in Europe, World War I, written by Michael Morpurgo and published in 1982. The play (done with puppets and said to be incredibly good) earned several 2011 Tony Awards, including Best Play. I’ve been told by people who saw the play that it’s extremely moving, possibly  more than the film could be.

The movie is a Steven Spielberg production, and he was asked in the 12/9/2011 “Entertainment Weekly” article  if there was anything in the play that couldn’t be done on screen.

Spielberg said, “There’s no way cinema can ever replicate that sudden transition from yearling to adult that Joey undergoes in the theater. That moment made me cry when I first saw War Horse in London.” So, does the play sound poweful enough?

The story is told from the horse’s point of view (reminds me of “Black Beauty”), and the horse fights on both sides of the war, enduring a great deal of war-related horror. (World War I, called the Great War, lasted 1914 to 1919.)  Throughout the story, you see how the horse deeply touches the lives of every person he comes in contact with. And, of course, the young boy remains determined throughout the story to get the horse back . . .  an incredible horse and an awe-inspiring story filled with heartache.

Are you going to go see “War Horse”?

It wasn’t easy getting back to work after the long Thanksgiving weekend, but finishing the edit on Dr. Grant Miller’s joint supplements article made it a lot easier.

Set for our January 2012 issue, it gives you clear, concise information about these pricey products. I’m really excited. For one thing, not only do I see the difference they make in my horse, but joint nutraceuticals have helped my own personal mild arthritis as well. For another, I’ve been told by readers that one Horse Journal article can “pay” for the entire year’s subscription. Well, if that’s true, this article is definitely it.

Part of a series on equine arthritis by Dr. Miller, this article tells you which oral supplements are worth your money and which waste it. His article on Adequan vs. Legend—the injectable joint products—also emphasized cost and told you how to work with your veterinarian to decide which drug is best for your horse.

But even the decision about oral supplements is no small matter. They’re expensive. And, it’s marketing mayhem out there. Few ads state what ingredients the products contain, let alone discuss possible side effects or required levels for maximum efficacy. (You’re lucky if even the labels give you all this information.) I was surprised to learn that some products suggest serving sizes that don’t contain ingredient levels high enough to actually make a difference to your horse.

If you’re feeding the product to combat visible arthritis, in that the horse is stiff or sore, you’ll know it’s not working and can choose a different product. But if you’re feeding it more as a preventative, you won’t know. Money in the manure pit.

When we did our first joint-product article in the early 1990s, we found about a half dozen on the market. The big question then was whether these ingredients—mainly glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and yucca—could actually make a difference. There was virtually no research, and the little that could be found indicated that the molecules couldn’t be digested and therefore couldn’t work.

But as word quickly spread among horse barns that these products helped horses, sales exploded. Now, of course, the question isn’t do the ingredients work, it’s which individual supplement brands actually work. I believe if someone tells you a product didn’t help their horse it was probably because they didn’t use it properly, they chose one that didn’t contain proper ingredients or they were treating something with it that needed a different approach.

So which one should you feed? Well, that’s where Dr. Miller’s January 2012 article with clear, specific recommendations can help.

My horses are part of what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving.

It’s tough not to blog about Thanksgiving, especially this year.  So many people have had a rough time making ends meet, with decisions about what to keep and what to cut out of their lives. And everyone still worries about job security.

My husband and I were discussing the many things we pay for that our parents did not.  That, of course, was somewhat because the technology wasn’t there, but, still, it’s an impact on your buying power, if you’re into staying on top of things.

We talked about the number of phone lines we handle between us (5).  The newspaper is delivered, as it was before, but we pay for that delivery service. Back then delivery cost the same (or less than) the cost of a newspaper at a newsstand. It was an effort to get you to subscribe, so the publisher could count you and boast to potential advertisers.

We pay a higher percentage of our salaries for gas and utilities. No one paid for cable TV back then (it wasn’t there), so television shows were free (and often special; I remember canceling 4-H meetings because The Wizard of Oz was going to be on TV that same night). And there was no Internet, which admittedly has become virtually a necessity for most of us.

And it gets worse if you’re really into electronics. Many people even pay for alarm systems and have higher homeowner’s insurance bills, because they have so many electronics to protect. Because of the horses, we have minimal devices, but I know friends who have a couple of TV sets, myriad players (CDs, MP3s, DVDs, Blu-Rays, possibly still a VHS), a computer or two, cell phones, wireless phones, printer, scanner, digital book readers . . . the list goes on. All that costs money!

New acquaintances are sometimes surprised to learn we have horses, as we’re clearly not wealthy. “They’re expensive, aren’t they?” they sometimes ask. Well, it depends upon how you look at things, I’d like to say but don’t (I was raised to be polite and kind).

I’d like to tell them that one of our horses cost about the price of a large-screen tube TV when we bought her a few years ago.  That TV would now be outdated. But my mare’s not, and she never will be.

Over most of the spring, summer and fall, our feed bills are minimal, as grass keeps them in good weight. And, anyway, a bale of hay costs a lot less than that DVD you simply had to have and only watched once.

A great Blu-Ray movie might cheer you up for the 2 hours you watch it, but the feeling won’t last as long as spending 2 hours grooming your horse and going for a ride. Plus, I get more enjoyment every time I glance out the kitchen window and see that same horse grazing in the field. Looking toward the book case and seeing an iPod and speaker that need to be re-charged and dusted just isn’t the same.

But I don’t say these things to non-horse people. They just won’t get it. For me, life isn’t about collecting gadgets and gizmos. It’s about interacting with other real, live beings — the ones you love and the ones that love you back.

So, as always, I’m thankful for a barn full of hay and our wonderful horses, my family, my friends and, of course, those who read Horse Journal. I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving.

Oh, and if you do venture out into the Black Friday chaos of high-priced electronic gifts but come home still stumped on what to give your horsey friend, vet, farrier or trainer for the holidays, Horse Journal is still offering the two subscriptions for one price deal (2 for $36). You can renew your own and give a gift.  Call in at 800-829-9145 and use code 71X2F1 or you can simply click here and go online.

Enjoy the feast! But more importantly, enjoy your loved ones.

Veterinary Editor Dr. Deb Eldredge wrote a classic Horse Journal article for our December issue. It’s on feeding the older horse in winter, and it’s short and pointed, focusing on what you need know, with product recommendations.

In the sidebar, Dr. Eldredge suggested doing bloodwork, just to be sure all’s well and to head off problems while they’re still small. That got me thinking. My husband and I just had bloodwork done, which helps us focus on good habits and helps us head off problems like diabetes and vascular problems. Hmm, I thought. What about bloodwork for Sally?

Sally just turned 18 (she foaled in August, so I don’t have to use the January 1 rule of thumb). She’s holding her weight well, eating fine. She battles arthritis terribly, as she’s a nervous weaver (so she’s self destructive), but I keep her sound with exercise, devil’s claw and a good joint product. Every once in a while she needs a dose of the anti-inflammatory drug Previcoxx, but I haven’t had to give her that since spring.

Still, she’s quieted down a lot over the last year. We’ve talked about many reasons why. One theory is that she was a total nut case when she was stabled with Bonnet (RIP Bonnet) because both mares were naturally “hot.” They fed off of each other.

Now she’s with Paz and Kelsey, who are both calm and quiet. Maybe that’s it. Even if she gets upset, the other two barely look up, so Sally settles down much more quickly she did with Bonnet. Apparently, it’s no fun to play alone.

But, what if there’s a hidden physical reason for the personality change? With our own blood results and Dr. Eldredge’s comment in mind, we talked with our vet who suggested a basic chemistry panel, thyroid and Lyme disease titer. (I don’t know about you, but this year has been one of our worst years for ticks!) I also worry about a cardiac problem, as we’ve lost two horses to heart failure (Tuesday was dead in her stall with no signs of struggle at age 27 and Bonnet died from a burst heart valve, which was horrifying).

We had done bloodwork on Bonnet, too, as she wasn’t doing well, just a few months before her death. It was abnormal, and our vet diagnosed a probable cardiac problem, stating that there wasn’t a lot we could do about it, especially at her old age. Still, I’m glad we knew.

As it turned out, Sally’s bloodwork was all normal. I feel more confident that her personality change probably is due to Paz and Kelsey for helping her cope better. I guess we all need good, sensible friends to keep us sane.

A new equine veterinary clinic opened up in our area, http://www.syracuseequine.com/, and it’s quite exciting, as we don’t have a lot of horse-only practices in Upstate New York.  They had an open house this past weekend, and it was exciting.

Not only do these board-certified veterinarians offer state-of-the-art technology, but they also run a hospital, saving your horse from being shipped to Cornell for care in many cases. This is a huge boom to our area because the vet school is so large and cares for a lot of horses. With this new setup, I can see the horses at the local vet’s clinic getting more attention and TLC.

The clinic also offers the option of shipping your mare in for foaling. She’ll have a large heated foaling stall with 24-hour watch via a remote camera that the veterinarians can also access via their smart phones when they’re on the road.  If I had a mare due to foal, I would absolutely take this option, as I don’t consider myself experienced in foaling. I’ve only witnessed a handful of these events. I do know that when things go wrong they happen quickly and, as wonderful as it might seem to have your mare foal while you’re on duty, it’s simply not wise if you have another option.  I’d like to see more equine vets try to offer this option to their clients.

Of course, if the foaling is a DIY at-home job, everything can go smoothly, too.  But your mare and foal could also end up in a life-threatening position before a veterinarian can arrive. Even with cell phones cutting out the time it takes to run to the house and grab a land line, the veterinarian still has to drive to get to you—and possibly dress first, too, if it’s the middle of the night. An hour may seem like a short amount of time, but it’s literally a lifetime in many cases.

Despite predictions to the contrary, veterinary medicine is doing a decent job holding its own in this economy. Small-animal owners seemed to have cut back on routine services, “wellness” exams and that sort of thing, but for the most part horse people aren’t taking chances with their horses. I hope this clinic is able to make a go of it, a sentiment a large number of the visitors were whispering among themselves.

Horse Journal Veterinary Editor Grant Miller DVM said that it’s official that an FDA-approved brand of pergolide, which is used to treat horses with PPID, aka Cushing’s disease, is on its way to the U.S. market. Read what he has to say below and, if you have more questions about the drug or Cushing’s, let me know. You can e-mail me at hjeditor@twcny.rr.com.

Here’s what Dr. Miller wants you to know:

Many readers obtain pergolide for their Cushingoid horses from compounding pharmacies (read more about this in our December 2011 issue).  These purchases are common practices in the United States since Permax, the FDA-approved formulation was removed from the market about six years ago.  However, recent developments at Boehringer Ingelheim bring promise that a new FDA-approved form of Pergolide will be available on the market soon.  Called Prascend, this 1 mg tablet is a synthetic form of dopamine that will likely have a more uniform concentration and longer shelf life than compounded products.

For those readers who cannot afford Prascend, or prefer a flavored power or liquid form of pergolide over the tablet form, the compounded form drug will still be available once Prascend hits the marketplace.  For now, the FDA is allowing compounding pharmacies to make pergolide from bulk ingredients (a practice that they generally do not allow as a rule of thumb.)  The fact is, compounded forms of pergolide were always available, even before Permax was taken out of circulation years ago.  The compounded forms were a bit more expensive than they are now, but still far less expensive than the FDA-approved Permax was.  It is likely that if nothing else, the same trend will recur for compounded pergolide once Prascend is released.