We’ve all been there. It’s a spring day of good weather, perfect for a ride. As you amble to the barn to saddle up, you hear coughing. Turning the corner, you see the coughing culprit is your horse.

In another barn, a rider grabs the grooming kit to brush her horse in preparation for the saddle. As she runs her hand over his neck, she feels, and then sees, numerous bumps, some of which have merged to form large bumps.

What is going on with these horses? Allergies.

A Teeming World of Horse Allergies

Unseen by the naked eye, the world is abundant in proteins and substances that can incite an allergic response. These allergens may be inhaled, ingested, or may affect a horse through topical contact. You’ll be tipped off to signs of trouble when you notice your horse has itching, hives, or breathing problems.

Allergies are common throughout the human and animal world, and horses are no exception. Usually, horses manage in their environment just fine without developing obvious signs that microscopic compounds are affecting them. Horse allergies happen when a horse’s immune system overreacts to a foreign protein, goes on the offense and becomes over-sensitized.

Sometimes it takes months or years of accumulated exposure for a horse to become hypersensitive; sometimes the response is more immediate and acute. Whatever specific protein causes the reaction, it sets up a cascade of inflammatory events that release prostaglandins and histamines to create obvious skin or respiratory allergic signs.

Skin Allergies in Horses

Horse allergies that manifest in the skin may result from topical contact, but also may develop from oral ingestion or inhaled particles. Aerosolized dust, mold, pollen, bedding, and insect bites are just a few of the sources that can cause itching and/or hives.

A major cause of itching starts with the bite of insects called Culicoides, also known as midges or no-see-ums. While the midges tend to feed on the abdomen, a horse displays an allergic response to the midge saliva by aggressively rubbing his tail, hindquarters, neck and mane due to intense itching. Those areas become raw, crusty, and inflamed, with substantial hair loss.

Some breeds and lines of horses tend to be particularly allergic to midges, such as Morgans, Icelandics and Arabians. The solution relies on moving the horse away from areas favorable to midge breeding, like ponds, wetlands and slow-moving streams.

Fly sheets are important, but they should have belly bands of netting material. Bringing a horse inside at dusk and dawn also helps to reduce midge exposure, as that is their preferred feeding time.

In contrast to an itching reaction (pruritus), hives aren’t typically itchy but herald a definite sign of exposure to some kind of allergen. Hives tend to be soft swellings that indent when you push in with your finger, called pitting edema.

They may be variable in size, sometimes coalescing into one big welt when several are close together. Inhaled allergens also can cause hives, referred to as atopic dermatitis.
Contact dermatitis is also not unusual. One example that occurs fairly commonly is hives from contact with pine bedding. If there is a suspicion that bedding is a problem, substitute paper bedding or a different source of pine bedding to see if the hives resolve.

Some shampoos or fly sprays can cause skin irritation and hives, as can laundry detergent residue or dirt on a saddle pad. On rare occasions, a horse with a fungal infection called ringworm may develop hive-like reactions around a fungal lesion.

Hives can develop acutely and disappear just as quickly. Sometimes they persist long after the allergen is removed from the environment. In difficult cases, it may be necessary to medicate the horse with a short course of a corticosteroid like dexamethasone or prednisolone, which are effective anti-inflammatory medications.

Certain feedstuffs can set off a skin reaction, although food allergies are not that common. If it is a food allergy, however, it’s often a challenge to determine the exact food or oral substance that is the culprit.

This may need to be done through a process of elimination: eliminate all food and supplements and start by feeding only grass hay, although diet changes may need to be done slowly. Check with your vet. After a couple of weeks with no signs of hive lesions, add in one more food element and wait a week or two before adding in another. This may help pinpoint the cause.

Supplements tend to be the likeliest culprit, far more than hay or feed materials, although alfalfa has been known to cause allergic reactions.

Respiratory Allergies in Horses

Respiratory allergies can affect horse performance by impacting breathing and comfort, especially during exercise. A horse with a respiratory allergy often has a dry cough or wheezing that amplifies when he is eating or exercising. There may be a chronic or intermittent nasal discharge, as well.

Respiratory health is at risk when horses are placed inside barns, especially those with poor ventilation, and/or are exercised in indoor arenas. Many toxic compounds are aerosolized to circulate in the air in those environments: endotoxin (part of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria) in manure, ammonia vapor from urine-soaked bedding, mold spores from hay, or hay dust filtering down when stored in lofts above the stalls or arena. Arena footing can also contribute to respiratory irritation.

The best solution is to minimize a horse’s time indoors and instead turn him out as much as possible. Better yet, arrange full-time outdoor living with run-in sheds to protect against inclement weather. Soaking or steaming hay before feeding helps tamp down dust and mold.

If barn living is all you have available, then implementing good ventilation is very important. Use appropriately placed fans, open windows, and open barn doors to keep fresh air circulating. Store hay in a building separate from horse housing.

Another important strategy for respiratory health is to keep your horse on a regular immunization schedule, especially against respiratory viruses. Equine influenza virus is known for causing long-term respiratory damage, including development of equine asthma. Discuss an appropriate vaccine schedule with your veterinarian.

Once a horse develops equine asthma, a variety of medications, including inhaled and/or oral bronchodilators, can help improve his comfort and ease of breathing. It is much easier and more effective to apply an ounce of preventive strategies for respiratory health than a pound of cure to treat after the fact.

Equine Anaphylaxis

In an instance where a horse’s immune system develops a profound and severe reaction, a horse can experience life-threatening anaphylaxis. With that in mind, it’s important to contact your vet immediately when seeing signs of an allergic response, particularly if your horse is having difficulty breathing and/or there is swelling of his face and muzzle or limbs and belly.

If your horse has a known allergy to a medication, such as penicillin or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like phenylbutazone or flunixin meglumine, it’s critical to place caution signs on the horse’s stall door and paddock to prevent accidental administration of potentially deadly drugs.

People with allergies wear neck tags or bracelets to convey this critical information, but for horses, it’s necessary to post signs in obvious places. Advise your barn manager and staff, friends and veterinarians who may deal with your horse.

Allergies can be troublesome to resolve, so observe and monitor every facet of your horse’s environment. With knowledge about potential problems, you can deter allergic problems before they begin.

The post Horse Allergies: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

As winter months creep up on us, shorter days and cooler temperatures signal plants to slow and eventually stop their growth. The lush green of your pasture begins to turn to brown. This means less forage is available for grazing horses during the winter, and what is present lacks the nutrition found in warmer months. So how do you transition a horse from moist green grass to dry hay?

Where to Start

Roughage is an essential ingredient for healthy digestion. Spring and summer bring great opportunities for horses to indulge in green pasture, as they graze periodically throughout the day during turnout. But as grass stops growing and browns, a horse likely needs other forage sources, and possibly a complete feed or grain-type supplement.

Besides pasture, typical roughage sources include hay or complete feed pellets. Alternative fiber sources are available, such as soybean hulls, beet pulp, rice hulls, corn cobs, chaff, and straw, but these don’t allow horses to “graze” on something all day long.

Instead of being fed two to three relatively large meals in a 24-hour period, it is better for a horse to have the opportunity to nibble periodically throughout the day and night. In general, horses fed large amounts in two meals a day tend to bolt the food in a short time—an hour or two at most. This results in long fasting periods until the next meal arrives, possibly leading to ulcers or behavioral vices. This is not at all how the equine digestive system is supposed to work.

To keep your horse healthy and thriving, it’s best to feed him a minimum of 1½ to 2 percent of his body weight in roughage (hay or pasture) each day. Active equine athletes may need at least that much hay plus a grain-type supplement and/or a high-fat supplement, like vegetable oil or rice bran.

Horse Dental Care

Dry hay is considerably more difficult to chew than fresh grass. This means that attention to details, like dental care, becomes important, not only so horses can extract the most nutrients from their diet, but also to minimize the risk of impaction colic or irritant diarrhea from food that isn’t chewed well.

Have your veterinarian perform a thorough dental exam at least once a year, especially heading into the winter months. Sharp points can be removed through floating procedures, so your horse is more comfortable chewing and can break down hay stems. This improves digestibility of the forage.

Senior horses often need especially diligent dental care to be able to extract the most from their hay. Some are missing so many teeth that it may be necessary to offer a gruel of soaked complete-feed pellets.

Additional calories can also be added by way of soaked beet pulp pellets, which are high in fiber and provide added safe calories for a more difficult keeper.

Slow that Gluttonous Horse Down During Winter

Ideally, a horse offered free-choice hay would control his intake, eating only as much as he needs to maintain the perfect body condition. But some individuals won’t stop eating, and—like with people—excesses calorie intake results in obesity.

Feed intake by voracious eaters and easy keepers can be slowed by using a slow feeder. These feeding systems are made of either a container that is hung on the wall or a box or frame feeding system on the ground. Close-knit grids or small holes in the feeder forces a horse to work at getting hay out. Many commercial small-hole hay nets are also available with 1½- to 2-inch holes, but some crafty ponies may need 1¼-inch or even 1-inch holes.

Read More: Nutrition for the Easy Keeper

Compared to throwing loose flakes of hay on the ground or in a stall, it takes a bit more effort and time for a horse to pull out hay from a slow feeder. This more closely approximates grazing, and it shortens the fasting periods between refills, keeping your horse’s stomach and intestines in a healthier state. To add to the benefits, there is less wastage caused by a horse trampling or soiling his hay, which then keeps feed expenses down.

For horses in a large dry lot turnout, an alternative is to use a mesh sleeve that fits around a large bale of hay. (Horses should be barefoot if using these to avoid getting a shoe tangled up.) “Double bagging” the hay bale in a net feeder further reduces the mesh size and makes it more challenging to extract hay.

Some horses figure out how to maximize how much they can pull from the holes, and will need the slow feeder bag hung from stall rafters on a breakaway rope to prevent the horse from bracing it against a firm surface and speeding up his eating.

Supplemental Nutrients During Winter

A ration balancer is a good supplement to provide for horses transitioning from pasture to hay. These are vitamin/mineral pellets fed from a large bag generally at 1 to 2 pounds per day and are great if your horse doesn’t need extra calories from grain. Consult with your veterinarian about the ration balancer most appropriate to your area.

Vitamin E is a key nutritional ingredient for all horses. Inadequate intake of vitamin E can cause muscle, neurologic, or immune system problems, and at the very least may affect performance. This vitamin may be deficient for horses that have no access to green grass, as it tends to dissipate as hay is dried after cutting and baling.

A Canadian study demonstrated that horses with pasture access in summer months had vitamin E plasma concentrations that were 63 percent higher than non-pastured horses that consumed only hay or pelleted feed. This is a particular concern for young, growing horses as well as adult and athletic horses.

In addition, horses that are supplemented with high-fat diets to improve calorie intake may be deficient in vitamin E if it is not supplemented as an antioxidant along with the fat. The best vitamin E supplement to use is d-alpha-tocopherol, a natural vitamin E that is readily absorbed.

Vitamin A or carotene may not be present in adequate amounts if horses are fed older batches of hay or hay that has lost its green color. Most commercial feeds contain ample vitamin A, so feeding small amounts of pelleted feed is likely to provide a sufficient supply of vitamin A.

An insatiable desire for fiber may cause horses with limited pasture or forage access to consume the dirt or bedding around them. This has the potential to lead to sand colic or impaction colic. Use of psyllium fiber fed for six or seven consecutive days each month helps clear the intestines of ingested sand and dirt.

Intake of sand and dirt can be prevented in the first place with feeding systems that limit access to dirt, such as rubber mats, or by using the slow-feeder method.

Salt is an important dietary ingredient for any horse. Provide a salt block that your horse can access voluntarily. This is safer than adding salt to the feed, as any excess salt is simply urinated away, making more work for the kidneys.

In some areas of the country, the soil may be low in selenium, leading to a deficiency in the hay. Check with your veterinarian before supplementing with selenium, as over-supplementation can cause serious problems from toxicity.

And finally, don’t forget to provide plenty of clean, unfrozen water to your horse in the winter. Water is considered an important nutrient for digestion, preventing the dry, fibrous feeds from becoming impacted in the intestines and keeping all metabolic processes running as they should. If your water tends to freeze, plug-in buckets or tank heaters designed to safely warm the water are your best bet.

Boosting Your Horse’s Nutrition During Winter

With some common sense and creativity, you can find ways for horses in winter months to acquire their feed more in keeping with natural trickle-feeding tendencies to optimize gut health. The ability to eat small, intermittent meals throughout the day also works wonders on a horse’s mental health and behavior.

This article about winter nutrition for your horse appeared in the November/December 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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There are many reasons for a horse to have some time off, such as resting up after a strenuous competition season or the realities of life getting in the way. Injuries can also sideline a horse for months at a time. But by far the most common reason for an extended period of time off is winter: The weather is cold, the footing unpredictable, and the days are short. But as spring arrives, it is time to think about spring conditioning for your horse.

Loss of Fitness

We’ve all felt the uncomfortable effects of trying to get back into physical shape after even a brief two-week layoff. As you start back into your daily workouts, it seems as if your muscles never had any strength before, and you may feel winded with a moderate amount of exertion.

It’s true that humans lose condition very quickly in just a few short weeks. However, the good news for your horses is that they don’t “detrain” as rapidly. A four- to six-week layoff shouldn’t pose an obstacle for bringing a horse rapidly back to his previous level of condition, assuming he was fit to begin with. Metabolic muscle adaptations are maintained for at least five to six weeks.

That said, a horse that has been completely idle for several months requires a sensible strategy for spring conditioning, as tendons and ligaments take the longest to get fit for exercise, and you certainly don’t want to cause an injury by doing too much too soon—this will put you right back to square one with another long layoff and complete loss of fitness.

If your horse needs a strategic plan to recondition after recovering from an injury, it’s important to consult with your veterinarian on the best way to safely leg him up.

Walking as Part of Spring Conditioning Your Horse

Bringing your horse back to work requires a dedicated effort and commitment on your part. The more diligently you apply a consistent program, the faster your horse will return to fitness and the stronger he will develop from the spring conditioning process. In general, after the first month of a layoff, a horse should be reconditioned for a month for every succeeding month he is rested.

A specific strategy for returning and putting him to work depends on whether he has enjoyed pasture turnout over the winter or has been confined to a stall and run only. A horse that has been moving around out in the field generally retains some muscle tone and strength in soft tissue structures. This horse can usually withstand carrying you around at a walk without undue stress. The stalled/confined horse should be handled more carefully.

Start with controlled exercise in the form of hand-walking, beginning with 15 to 20 minutes each day on level ground with good footing.

If he is well-behaved, you could pony him beside a well-mannered horse at a walk. A general rule is to increase walking periods by five to 10 minutes every three to five days, working up to at least one hour daily.

As you target an hour of exercise, a week or two of progressively longer walks each day then enables you to continue the program from the saddle.

Trot and Canter

Once your horse has been walking for an hour for two to three weeks, you can introduce some slow jogging, either on a hot walker or by ponying next to a calm horse, or with you in the saddle.

The timing of when to introduce trot work depends on how much R&R your horse had
to start. Use the same principles you applied to the walking work: Exercise him on level ground with good footing.

Substitute five minutes of trotting every three days for that much walking without lengthening the overall duration of exercise. In other words, within the hour of work, initially your horse walks 55 minutes and trots 5 minutes. The allotted trotting time is best interspersed throughout the hour rather than doing it all in one stretch. Be careful not to increase speed and duration at the same time.

As he adjusts to each incremental increase in exercise demand, you can work him for progressively longer periods. As trot time or duration of exercise increase, you may only need to exercise your horse three to five days a week to achieve results. After your horse is legged up well at the walk and trot, it’s time to put him back to canter work with progressive increases in time per session.

For horses that have benefited from light riding throughout the winter months, this conservative program can be accelerated by many weeks. It’s still wise to not ask for too much too soon in order to protect ligaments, tendons, muscles and joints. Most horses can return to their previous level of fitness within two to three months of a diligent reconditioning exercise routine.

Warm Up and Cool Down

Once you move past the initial legging-up period, you’ll have more trot work incorporated into each session. With any training program, you’ll want to spend five to 10 minutes of active walk and trot to warm up your horse.

This initiates a temperature and blood flow increase in the tissues. Tendons, ligaments and joint capsules improve in stretch. Joint lubrication improves, and muscles become more pliable and less at risk of injury. Circulation is geared up to deliver blood and oxygen to working muscles and to remove metabolic waste products.

Suppling exercises under saddle are helpful to prepare the tissues for work. This is achieved by bending your horse’s head and neck towards your foot while mounted, or by asking for a long and low (stretching) frame at all gaits. Other helpful exercises include leg-yields, shoulder-fore, and shoulder-in to improve lateral movements and flexibility of joints, ligaments and muscles.

A cool-down period of slow trot and/or walking redistributes blood flow away from the working muscles to other areas, like the intestines and internal organs. This minimizes the occurrence of colic or digestive upsets. Additionally, a cool-down period removes metabolic waste products (like lactic acid) and heat from the muscles to minimize post-exercise muscle soreness or cramping.

Diet and Hoofcare

Preventive health care and general maintenance of your horse are important throughout the year, regardless of season. For example, in winter climates, your horse’s energy needs increase in very cold temperatures as he burns calories to stay warm.

As spring temperatures warm, you’ll want to adjust and fine-tune his diet accordingly while accommodating his level of exercise. Warm weather requires fewer calories, but exercise burns more. Constantly monitor your horse’s body condition: you should be able to lightly run your hand across his ribcage and feel the last two ribs. An overweight horse puts more strain on his joints and has difficulty improving his fitness.

Another change in routine after winter involves hoof care. He may have been kept bare-foot during winter, but with regular exercise, it’s time to reapply shoes when appropriate.

Some horse owners prefer to use hoof boots instead of shoes to protect the soles and minimize excessive hoof wear with routine exercise. Regular farrier appointments—usually at four- to eight-week intervals, depending on the time of year and your horse’s unique rate of hoof growth—are important to maintain hoof balance and soundness.

Many horses benefit greatly from time off from a demanding work schedule. Two to three months of rest allows time for recovery and healing and for the mental relaxation of just being a horse.

A horse with a solid fitness foundation can be brought back relatively quickly following a couple months of rest. Horses recovering from an injury or from prolonged rest periods require more time and caution. In all cases, collaborate with your veterinarian on the best program to achieve your goals.

This article about spring conditioning for your horse appeared in the April 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Spring is here, or at least on its way! Part of your horse’s health plans should include a sound nutritional strategy. With the warmer weather, rain and increased pasture turnout, now is a good time to put together a game plan that will keep your horse at a healthy weight while providing a balanced diet. Let’s look at how you can tune up your nutrition program for your horse for spring.

Monitor Your Horse’s Weight

There are multiple ways to determine your horse’s starting weight and track it monthly to see if he is gaining, losing or maintaining. Here are some of the ways to do it.

A SCALE: While this might be the most accurate, you’d have to find a veterinary clinic or auction barn with a livestock scale, or haul your horse to a commercial scale (often found at truck stops), weigh your rig with him in it and him not in it to get the difference.

BODY CONDITION SCORING: The Henneke body condition scoring (BCS) system requires using your hands to feel for fat deposits along the neck crest, shoulders, rump and tailhead to determine his BCS, ranging from 1 (emaciated) to 9 (obese). Scores between 4 and 6 are usually recommended, depending on what the horse is used for. A 4 means ribs are just barely visible, and at a 5 they can be easily felt but not seen.

WEIGHT TAPES: Weight tapes don’t give you an accurate weight, but are helpful for comparing your horse’s relative gain or loss over time.

PERIODIC PHOTOGRAPHS: These are helpful for detecting subtle differences that you might not notice every day, but they’re best used in conjunction with another method.

THE FORMULA: Get a more exact weight by multiplying heart girth x heart girth x body length, and divide that number by 330.

Heart girth is measured in inches around the barrel just behind the withers, and body length is measured in inches from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttocks.

Exercise Expectations

After you know your horse’s starting weight, you’ll need to evaluate what you expect your horse to do in terms of work and difficulty so you can feed him accordingly.

It’s estimated that over 50 percent of adult light-breed horses in the United States suffer from obesity; the usual reasons for this are too many calories coupled with too little exercise. Therefore it is very important to avoid overfeeding, which gets your horse too plump or even obese. At the same time, you’ll want to provide sufficient nutrients. In many cases, less is more.

Forage First

No matter the time of year, forage (hay and/or pasture) is the keystone of a horse’s diet. A high-forage diet—at least 60 percent of the horse’s daily feed by weight—maintains intestinal movement, provides useful nutrients, and helps move sand, dirt and debris through the bowels. The ability to munch periodically throughout the day also helps a horse’s mental state.

Horses are much happier eating more forage over a longer period of time than if they are offered calorie-dense feeds in the form of grains or concentrates. The feeding of high- calorie diets often means cutting down on how much hay (or pasture) is fed. Forage is much healthier for a horse’s gut and mind.

Most horses in light or average work don’t need supplemental calories; good-quality hay should be sufficient. Use of a slow feeder or small-hole net slows consumption of hay and keeps forage in front of the horse so he can “graze” throughout the day, especially during the spring as your horse’s nutrition starts to be more from pasture.

This feeding practice mimicks natural grazing of small amounts over 12 to 16 hours per day. The horse also isn’t as likely to develop vices due to boredom from long fasting periods between rapidly consumed meals.

Feeding supplemental calories—grain, complete feed pellets, and fat in the form of oil and/or rice bran—is usually only necessary for horses in regular hard work, such as endurance or eventing, or for those that have difficulty maintaining enough weight. Due to intestinal fill, hard-working horses often aren’t able to consume enough forage to compensate for calories burned, so additional feed is necessary to provide enough energy and nutrients.

Pasture Effects

The big consideration in springtime is how to adjust the diet, since horses may be out on pasture more. It’s best to bring your horse through winter with a light layer of fat over his ribs, but not too much. You should be able to just feel the last two ribs when running your hand across your horse’s barrel. It takes very little time to plump up a horse when you turn him out onto sugar-rich, lush spring grass.

You may need to back off or eliminate dietary supplements, especially high-calorie products that you may have been feeding over the winter. Fresh pasture contains abundant calories. You’ll want to fine-tune your dietary approach for each individual based on his work level, time at pasture, pasture quality, quality of additional forage being fed when he is not on pasture, and how hard or easy a keeper he may be.

Some easy keepers fare better if turned out with a grazing muzzle, which can reduce intake by as much as 80 percent when used correctly. For greedy eaters, you may need to close down the hole at the bottom of the muzzle a bit more with strong tape, particularly if the horse is turned out on long grass that sticks up into his muzzle bucket.

Some horses with metabolic issues (equine metabolic syndrome, insulin dysregulation, or Cushing’s disease) shouldn’t be turned out on spring pasture at all.

How to Safely Add Pasture

For horses that can enjoy pasture, turnout should start slowly and gradually to allow your horse’s gut microflora time to adjust to the dietary change. Start with 10 to 15 minutes once or twice a day. Every five to seven days, double the total time allowed on pasture.

After slowly increasing time on lush pasture, most horses should spend no more than four to six hours a day on pasture. In most situations, even a hard keeper should be allowed to graze spring grass for no more than 12 hours a day. A dry lot can be used for the other 12 hours.

When possible, turnout for two sessions a day is better than turnout for extended, uninterrupted hours. Turnout in the early morning is safest because sugars have been used up by the plants overnight; the highest sugar levels in pasture occur in the afternoon and early evening hours.

Before turning a horse out, it helps to offer hay. Some intestinal fill controls hunger and lowers pasture consumption.

The Bottom Line

Horses evolved to plump up in times of plenty and lose weight in lean times over the winter. Nowadays, our horses receive ample nutrition year-round without any real opportunity to thin down. This makes for a dangerous situation in spring when the lush grass provides excessive sugars, fructan and starches.

Horses evolved to plump up in times of plenty and lose weight in lean times over the winter. Nowadays, our horses receive ample nutrition year-round without any real opportunity to thin down. This makes for a dangerous situation in spring when the lush grass provides excessive sugars, fructan and starches.

Monitor each horse’s body condition score to fine-tune his diet. It’s always best to err on the side of caution during spring dietary changes, especially those that incorporate pasture.

To ensure you are providing enough nutrients and the right kind—especially since every horse is different—talk to your regular veterinarian or an equine nutritionist about your horse’s individual needs.

This article with spring nutrition tips for your horse appeared in the March 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Horses love to run, plain and simple. And, we ask them to do athletic exercises that put maximal load on their limbs. Long bone fractures typically occur with a misstep or trauma due to impact from a kick, collision, or fall. A horse that sprints too fast across a broken field or plays exuberantly on a longe line may shatter a pastern. Stepping in a hole may break a cannon bone. A horse that is kicked or catches a leg in a gate may suffer a broken leg.

How to Tell if Your Horse Has a Broken Leg

For starters, a horse with a broken leg will refuse to put the leg on the ground, even the lightest touch. He will stand firmly in one place, not wanting to move, and if forced to move, he’ll hop while holding the fractured limb in the air. (Other non-fracture situations—foot abscess, torn ligament or tendon, or joint infection—also can cause a horse to be non-weight-bearing due to extreme pain.)

A hairline crack in a bone may produce lameness, but not enough to cause the horse to be super protective of the limb. With continued exercise, or even as a horse gets up or lies down, a small crack could turn into a full-blown fracture. A chip fracture within a joint tends to be more stable and less urgent but still can lead to performance-limiting consequences if not addressed.

The limb with a serious fracture may appear to hang in an abnormal position or alignment, or with a compound fracture, you may see bone poking through the skin. The area around a fracture usually swells immediately.

Diagnosis, Stabilization, and Treatment Options

To confirm that a horse has suffered a fracture, you need your veterinarian to examine the horse as soon as possible. Field radiographs (x-rays) are taken to identify the degree and extent of the fracture to determine if surgical repair is possible. Your veterinarian might put hands on gently to determine the degree of instability of the injury by feeling for crepitus (grating) from bone fragments moving around. Under no circumstances should you attempt this as that creates more soft tissue damage, pain and contamination. In some cases, the nature or location of the fracture, the expense of repair, or an uncooperative temperament of the horse may preclude the ability to repair a broken leg.

Hairline fractures may not show up on radiographic exam for a few weeks until some bone mineral resorbs around the crack. A nuclear bone scan (scintigraphy) may help to diagnose a thin crack.

Before the horse is moved, the leg needs to be padded and splinted to prevent any movement around the fractured area. The general rule is to immobilize the joint above and below a fracture site – if the cannon bone is broken, then a splint encompasses the fetlock all the way up above the knee. Splints can be made from 2×4 lumber or PVC pipe cut lengthwise in half. Padding is available using roll cotton, leg quilts, pillows, or blankets. A make-shift splint can be secured using Gorilla tape.

Once the horse is stabilized and the limb immobilized, it is necessary to get the horse to an equine hospital for surgical repair. Travel in a trailer is difficult, but it helps if the horse has a partition to lean against and you drive slowly and carefully.

Treatment for fractures can vary, and of course will be determined by the owner’s budget, the intended use for the horse, and other factors. Some fractures need internal fixation with screws and metal plates; others are repaired with external fixation using pins, wires and plates on the outside of the leg that are affixed through the skin to the bone. Others require casting. The horse with a fracture repair needs strict confinement for 12-16 weeks to allow healing. Make plans on how to safely confine the horse to achieve the best outcome.

While a broken leg of a horse may have been impossible to treat a long time ago, treatment options have progressed significantly. Some fractures are easier to treat, may not even need surgery, and can have a very good prognosis. Always consult with your veterinarian to understand the options available to help your horse.

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As you gaze out at your horse’s field, it’s evident that winter is coming. The once-green color of lush grass is fading to varying shades of autumn brown. You may be thinking that this fall forage is now ok for your horses to graze on full time—even those individuals that tend toward obesity. But you would be wrong.

With declining quality of pasture grass in autumn months, the grasses increase in their fructan (sugar) content, creating a risk of laminitis, a foot condition also referred to as founder.

Let’s look at some of the reasons for this and what you can do to protect your horse.

What is Fructan?

Plants, and in particular cool-season grasses, store their energy from photosynthesis in the form of starch and sugars, such as fructan. These sugar and starch energy sources in plants are referred to as non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), a term you may recognize from labels of commercial horse feeds that state “low NSC.”

Fructan concentrates in the lower part of the plant, particularly the stems—the very target of grazing horses. The sweeter the grass, the more appealing it is to a horse’s tastebuds.

Examples of cool-season grasses include tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, orchard grass and meadow fescue. Fescue and ryegrass have the highest fructan levels.

In the autumn, nights get colder and fall forage plant growth slows. Yet photosynthesis continues during the sunny hours, with cool-season grasses continuing to accumulate more fructan in the stems. Ambient temperature, light, and moisture determine the amount of fructan produced.

For example, as photosynthesis ramps up during daylight hours, sugar content in the grasses increases, so what may have started as low levels of fructan in the morning elevates to higher levels by afternoon. (This is true for all times of year, but particularly so in fall months when plant growth slows.) Knowing this time frame for the highest sugar content helps you decide when is best to turn your horse out to graze.

Another concern is hay that has been cut and left on the field to dry before baling. Mown grass continues to photosynthesize and produce NSCs for a couple of days while lying in the field to dry.

Hay is likely to have less sugar if cut at night. Hay can be tested to determine its NSC levels, which ideally should be less than 10 percent. Testing for NSC levels is particularly helpful for horses that need careful management of their
weight, like those that are insulin resistant, cresty, and tend to be fat and affected by equine metabolic syndrome. Talk to your veterinarian, a local equine nutritionist, or agriculture extension agent about where to send hay samples for
analysis.

Why is Fructan Bad?

Fructan is composed of a chain of molecules that is resistant to digestion in the small intestine. It passes undigested into the large intestine, where it ferments to produce substances that lower the pH of the hindgut.

This acidic environment results in a die-off of healthy gut microbes. One of these bacteria has a cell wall called endotoxin; death of these bacteria amplifies the presence of this toxin.

An acidic environment also can injure the intestinal lining, leading to “leaky gut syndrome.” This is where toxins and bacteria from the gut absorb into the bloodstream through the intestinal lining.

This leads to system-wide inflammation and a number of potential health problems, such as laminitis, colic and/or colitis.

What Increases Fructan Levels?

Fructan levels in pasture rise during rapid growth in springtime and on rainy days in spring and autumn that encourage growth of the plants. The most fructan is produced when days are warm and sunny.

Cool-season grasses that are stressed are more likely to increase their fructan content. Grass tries to compensate for environmental stress by producing more sugars to help with growth. Pasture stress happens under a variety of conditions:

◆ Drought
◆ Temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, such as for fall forage
◆ Frost is reported to triple fructan content in just a few hours
◆ Over-grazing
◆ High soil salinity
◆ Under-fertilized pasture that is lacking in nutrients

Winter is Coming

It’s not uncommon for horses to founder even on fall forage or winter pasture. It helps to know what to look for: Wet or snowy conditions on top of pasture can stimulate plant growth on warming days, even during the winter months.

It’s a good idea to walk the pasture and look for green shoots popping up in your fall pasture, as these are likely to be high in fructans. Even though the grass over these shoots is brown and dead, there is still a risk of fructan intake from the sprouting grass hidden below the upper dead grasses.

Armed with this knowledge, you can successfully manage your horse’s dietary needs as pasture quality diminishes with the onset of colder temperatures. Sound pasture management goes a long way toward keeping your horse in the perfect body condition without negatively affecting his metabolism or gut health.

Smart Pasture Management ◆ DO mow your pasture between 4 and 8 inches tall so photosynthesis by the plant will be directed into leaf growth rather than sugar storage. It’s best not to over-mow. ◆ DON’T turn horses out on pasture that is only 3 to 4 inches high—most of the fructan is stored in this lower portion of the plant. ◆ DO mow if the grass is flowering, since it will be accumulating sugars. ◆ DO turn horses out with a grazing muzzle to slow intake of pasture grass. This not only helps the health of the pasture, but it also curtails how much grass a horse consumes. This is especially important for easy keepers or those that tend to be insulin resistant. (Most insulin resistant horses shouldn’t be turned out on pasture at all, so check with your veterinarian.) ◆ DO turn horses out to graze during nighttime or early morning hours, particularly following cool nights that are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Ideal grazing hours are between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. ◆ DON’T turn horses out in late afternoon or early evening when the fructan levels are at their highest, or when temperatures fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. ◆ DO turn horses out for just a few hours and then allow the pasture to rest. ◆ DO fertilize and water pastures to help to stimulate plant growth so the fructans are used up during the night by the plants to support growth. However, this strategy doesn’t work in the cooler fall months, because plant growth slows as winter approaches. In cool autumn weather, fructan isn’t used at night by the plants, resulting in higher concentrations in the morning hours. ◆ DO supplement with hay as pasture quality diminishes and nighttime temperatures drop. ◆ DO soak hay for 30 to 60 minutes to lessen NSCs (and pour off the liquid). This reduces fructan levels by 20-30 percent. similarly, rain on pasture helps to leach out some of the sugars.

This article about fall forage originally appeared in the October 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Fall Forage for Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

If you’ve ever kept a horse on pasture full-time, you may have noticed he’s calmer and more relaxed to ride than when kept in a stall, and his muscles stay fitter and looser from moving around all day. Although there may be occasional nicks and scratches from playful herd mates to contend with, many horse owners feel the trade-off is well worthwhile. Here are some strategies you can you use to improve safety while still allowing horses to live naturally in a group. Risk management for pastured horses is an important topic for horse owners, whether you have horses at home or pasture board.

Safer Pastures for Horses

Before any horse is turned out in a pasture or dry lot, both the fencing and the interior area need to be safe. When possible, use fencing designed for horses. It must be material that won’t break, splinter or develop sharp projections; that won’t entrap a foot or leg; that has enough height to deter a horse from trying to jump out; and that is highly visible. Other tips for risk management for pastured horses include:

◆ Gate bolts that stick out should be cut flush with the post.
◆ Protective caps should be applied on the top of T-posts if using electric fencing.
◆ Use reliable clips and latches that horses can’t undo to escape.
◆ If your property already has fencing in place that isn’t particularly horse-safe, like barbed wire, smooth wire strand, thick cable material, or rickety wood posts or planks, it’s a good idea to install electric fencing on the inside of the perimeter to discourage horses from getting too close to the fence line and being injured.
◆ Make sure there is plenty of room for a large group of horses to be able to get away from each other. Horses need room to move away from a more dominant herd member.
◆ Check that the fence line doesn’t create areas where a horse could become trapped.
◆ Make sure there are at least two entrances/exits in loafing sheds so a horse can’t get pinned in a corner.
◆ A loafing shed should be large enough to accommodate as many horses as want to shelter from inclement weather, or make sure you provide a sufficient number of sheds in difficult climates.
◆ On the interior of the paddock, remove or fence out hazards, like culverts, ditches, ponds or dangerous waterways, farm equipment, downed wire, roofing or shed materials, poisonous trees (such as maple and Russian olive) or fruit-bearing trees.

Look at everything with a critical eye for the possibility of injury. Preventive maintenance prevents vet bills! Eliminate any hazards that could cause an avoidable accident.

Putting Horses Together

It might seem that because horses are social animals, they can just be turned out together right away. But that isn’t always the best approach.

There are a number of strategies to help ease territorial disputes. Some of these suggestions take a while to put into play, but taking the appropriate amount of time is a better way to reduce the risk of injury.

Separate social groups into geldings with geldings or mares with mares. This cuts down on rivalries and dynamics of mare versus gelding behavior, or spats caused by protective behavior between genders, especially with mares in heat.

Specific age groups do better when grouped together, too: weanlings with weanlings, yearlings with yearlings, and seniors with seniors, for example.

Making Introductions

One of the most important tips for risk management in pastured horses is to set up an area where new horses can meet herd members over the fence in a “welcome pen” for seven to 10 days before they are completely together.

You’ll want to separate a horse that is new to the property for two to three weeks prior to ensure he’s not incubating an infectious disease. Once the horse has passed that timeline and is obviously healthy, then the meet-over-a- safe-fence tactic can begin. Confrontations of charging and kicking may occur over food, so for a new horse in a small enclosure, place the feeding area as far from the fence as possible.

Based on which herd members visit the new horse and how they appear to get along over the fence, pick a seemingly compatible herd member and turn that individual out with the new horse in a paddock or field separate from the herd. This allows them to buddy up a bit so when the new horse is introduced to the entire herd, the original herd member eases the new horse into acceptance by the others.

Before putting him in a new environment, walk the new horse along the fence line in both directions to show him the limits of his new universe. Show him any hazards that can’t be removed or fenced out.

Horses need to see everything with both eyes for it to really to stick in their minds. Circle everything clockwise and counter-clockwise, letting him ook and smell as you make the rounds. Then he won’t be surprised by sudden physical encounters of landscape or fencing when running and playing in that enclosure.

When turning a new horse out into a herd for the first time, monitor their interactions those first few days so you can step in and break up any trouble. Horses that tend to be disruptive or cause repeated injuries to others should be removed from the herd and housed separately or with other compatible horses.

Feeding times can be fraught with disputes and aggressive behavior in otherwise tractable horses. Make sure there are sufficient feeding stations and hay piles spread far enough apart so that bully horses can’t shove a less dominant horse away from food.

Older horses generally do better when grouped with similarly aged herd members since they often eat more slowly. It’s important that food is still available if they wander off before finishing, which isn’t likely to be the case if senior horses are pastured with younger ones.

Risk Management for Pastured Horses Includes Herd Immunity

Another important feature of horses being in a herd is to minimize the risk of infectious disease. Immunization against infectious disease on a regular schedule of most, if not all, herd members helps to optimize herd immunity. This preventive practice is important not just for horses that travel off the farm for shows and clinics, but also for resident horses that remain in place.

Letting horses be horses by giving them the opportunity to live in a herd is one of the best management tools you can provide for your horse’s well-being. Taking precautions to ensure safety and limit risk of injury by thinking about risk management for pastured horses makes this strategy work. Your horse will feel better both mentally and physically and will perform better, giving you a more enjoyable partnership in your equestrian adventures.

All course material

This article on the risk management for pastured horses originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

Further Reading

• Caring for the Pasture Kept Horse
• 8 Ways to Improve Your Pasture
• Are There Poisonous Plants in Your Horse’s Pasture?

The post Harmony in the Herd: Risk Management for Pastured Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

It may seem as if West Nile virus has always been a threat to horses. However, it only arrived on the Northeastern shores of the United States just two decades ago in 1999. Within a short three-year period, the virus was found across the country in 15,000 horses in 41 states. You might be asking, “How did it spread so quickly?” We’ll take a look at what West Nile virus is and how it affects your horse, the risks and how it is transmitted, plus specific preventive measures you can you take to protect your horse.

West Nile Virus Symptoms to Watch For

West Nile virus (WNV) is an infectious disease that attacks the neurological system of horses and humans, and to a lesser extent a variety of other species (goats, sheep, llamas, dogs, bears and reptiles). The blood-brain barrier normally limits access by bacteria, viruses, and fungi to the nervous system, but WNV is able to cross that barrier to cause inflammation and damage to the brain and spinal cord.

How this manifests depends on which areas of the central nervous system are affected. Common symptoms vary both in location and severity. Some horses become ataxic (uncoordinated) in the hind limbs. The horse stumbles, drags its toes, and may lilt to one side more than the other. There is often muscle twitching or tremors in the face, muzzle and lips, and/or in the neck, shoulders and chest. The horse may have trouble swallowing or experience impaired vision.

Normally tractable and calm horses might become hypersensitive to touch and/or sound. Fever and depression are common symptoms, along with limb weakness. In severe cases, the horse may wander aimlessly, develop convulsions, or become paralyzed in the rear quarters and go down on the ground, unable to rise. Death occurs in 30 to 40 percent of cases. Of those that survive, as many as 40 percent of cases persist with neurologic gait and behavior symptoms for six months, and some deficits may persist indefinitely.

Other mosquito-borne viruses, such as Eastern or Western encephalomyelitis (EEE and WEE), have similar clinical signs to West Nile virus. Blood testing provides a definitive diagnosis.

Since WNV was first seen in the United States, many companies have worked to create an effective vaccine to protect against the disease.

Going Viral

Transmission of WNV relies on interplay between birds and mosquitoes, particularly Culex species mosquitoes. Birds are the reservoir for the virus, and many (like crows, ravens, jays, house finches, owls and hawks) often succumb to the infection.

If a mosquito bites an infected bird, it can carry the virus to horse or human (and to other birds) when it takes its next blood meal.

If you see dead birds on your property, notify your public health official and have them tested for WNV. If you have chickens on your property, move them to a location far away from the horses. Only a small amount of virus circulates in horse or human blood following a bite from an infected mosquito. This is good news because this small amount of blood-borne virus is not transmissible between horse and horse, human and human, or horse and human. Horses and humans are considered “dead-end” hosts.

Another welcome piece of good news is that not every horse or every human exposed to the virus actually develops the disease.

The Risks for West Nile Virus

All horses are at risk of contracting WNV if the right precautions aren’t taken. Other notable factors include:
◆ Horses that have not received a full series of WNV immunizations or have had inadequate number of vaccine boosters are at high risk of contracting the disease.
◆ Horses older than 15 are more at risk of developing severe neurological signs and dying as a consequence of the infection.
◆ Horses developing signs later in mosquito season (weeks 36-38) have less favorable odds of survival than horses infected with WNV clinical signs earlier (weeks 31-33).

In temperate climates, West Nile virus tends to appear in the mid to late summer months, lasting until a good killing frost that eliminates mosquitoes.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) considers WNV vaccine to be a core vaccine that should be given to all horses at least once a year.

Immunization

Since WNV was first seen in the United States, many companies have worked to create an effective vaccine to protect against the disease. To date, there are four or five different commercial vaccines against WNV for horses, yet none for humans.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) considers the WNV vaccine to be a core vaccine that should be given to all horses at least once a year. Immunization coverage is simple, with a two-dose series for adult horses. The horse is given the initial vaccine and then boosted with a second dose four to six weeks later, with the timing dependent on the type of WNV vaccine used. This is then boosted annually before mosquitoes start to hatch.

In some parts of the country where mosquitoes are abundant year-round, it may be necessary to boost the vaccine twice a year.

Foals need to be vaccinated with a three-dose series with timing that depends on the vaccination status of the mare; ask your vet for more information if you own a foal.

Property Management

Anything that can hold standing water is considered a mosquito breeding ground: gutters, flowerpots, buckets, swimming pool covers, wading pools, discarded tires, wheelbarrows, bird baths, and tractor buckets, to name a few.

DRAINAGE: Even a hoof print in mud or near a water tank is able to hold sufficient water for mosquito larvae to hatch. Turn water containers over and drill holes in the bottom to facilitate drainage when appropriate. Establish good drainage around the barn, stalls and runs. Apply gravel to areas driven over by cars and farm implements to eliminate mud and tire tracks that can hold water.

STANDING WATER: Clean stock tanks regularly to remove debris and make them less attractive to breeding mosquitoes. Ditches, creeks and ponds are also mosquito habitats; ponds can be managed with aeration systems and with larvae-eating fish.

KILL THE LIGHTS: Eliminate incandescent bulb lights around the barn and paddocks, as these are mosquito attractants. These lights placed elsewhere on the property lure mosquitoes away from horse proximity. Bug “zapper” devices kill roaming mosquitoes.

CREATE PHYSICAL BARRIERS: This is accomplished by using fl y masks, fly sheets, fly boots, and insect repellent. Permethrin-containing repellents are useful but may need frequent application.

MISTING SYSTEMS: Barns can be misted regularly with chemical insecticides. Take care to spray into cracks and corners of the barn where mosquitoes often lurk.

FANS: During active mosquito hours (dawn and dusk), it helps to aim a fan at a stalled horse to create a sufficient breeze that mosquitoes can’t negotiate. Screens on the windows and stall doors also limit mosquito access.

Attention to management details, along with immunization, is the most reliable way of protecting your horse against WNV infection.

This article on West Nile virus originally appeared in the August 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

Further Reading

• West Nile Still a Threat for Horses
• West Nile Virus: 10 Tips for Reducing the Risk at Your Farm

The post Warding Off West Nile: Protecting Your Horse from West Nile Virus appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Trail riding is a fun opportunity to form a lasting bond with your horse while taking in the beauty of the surrounding landscape. The last thing you want to think about is what could go wrong, but even the most casual ride can result in calamity. If it happens to you, you’ll be glad you took the time to plan ahead. Here are a few things to consider before hitting the trail and steps you can take to be prepared to deal with trail riding emergencies.

One important piece of advice is to always let someone know where you are going—especially if you’re heading out solo. Leave a voicemail message, note, or talk to someone in person about your plans and how long you expect to be gone. And, once you decide on that route, don’t be tempted to deviate from it no matter how interesting another path might appear.

You may begin your ride with clear blue skies, but inclement weather can pop up unexpectedly. Pack a cantle bag with weather protection: rain jacket with hood, down vest or polar fleece pullover, gloves, and a light hat or ear covers.

It’s also a good idea to pack some matches or a lighter, a small flashlight, and a space blanket. Most of these items are fairly lightweight and fit in a cantle pack. Make sure your cell phone is well charged and keep all emergency numbers up-to-date in your list of contacts. Be sure to wear your helmet, too.

Packing a basic first-aid kit is always recommended. Just a few simple supplies can make the difference (see “First-Aid to Go” below).

A few of the suggested items in the first-aid kit will require advice from your veterinarian for proper use.

What kinds of trail riding emergencies might develop on trail?

Lacerations or Puncture Wounds

While leg boots provide some protection, lacerations and puncture wounds are common, especially when riding on wooded and/or rocky trails. When possible, use salt water (½ tablespoon of salt per quart of water) in a syringe to irrigate the wound, apply topical antibiotic ointment, and bandage.

It’s not always possible to immediately wash out the wound, but covering it with a light bandage prevents further wound contamination.

Most wounds don’t bleed profusely unless an artery or vein has been cut. If bleeding persists, make a pressure bandage by rolling up a piece of gauze, applying it over the wound and securing it in place with adhesive bandage material.

It takes at least 12 minutes for blood to clot, so don’t be tempted to keep looking at the wound to see if the bleeding has stopped. It is best to leave it alone and keep your horse standing quietly.

Muscle Cramps or Tying Up

Muscle cramps, also called tying up or myositis, typically develop in the large muscles of the haunches or thighs, making it uncomfortable enough that your horse won’t want to move.

At first, you may feel an uneven or shortened stride, or your horse may show a more obvious hitching lameness. Some horses are very sensitive to muscle pain, and along with sweating may become more demonstrative, going to the ground as if in colic pain.

Muscle cramps can develop due to dehydration, overheating, or because a horse looses an abundance of electrolytes (body salts) from lengthy periods of sweating during hours of exercise. Also, sudden cool or wet weather might chill the muscles, leading to cramps.

Horses afflicted with equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (EPSSM) can also cramp; eliminating grains and feeding a high-fat diet best manages this syndrome.

If your horse develops cramps, let him rest by the side of the trail to graze and drink when possible. A 2-ounce dose of electrolytes might be helpful, especially following a good drink. A light massage may help unkink knotted muscles. If there is a cold wind or wet weather, cover his haunches with a rump rug, blanket, or warm jacket if available.

Tendon Strain and Sprain

A tendon injury can happen unexpectedly as a result of muscle fatigue or if a horse jams his leg while still moving forward. If there is a cold, running creek nearby, stand your horse in it for half an hour or so to lessen the inflammatory response that creates swelling and pain.

If you have a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID like phenylbutazone, flunixin, or firocoxib) in your emergency kit, you can give him a small dose based on your vet’s prior recommendation.

Hand-walk your horse back to the trailer or the barn and call your vet. Apply an ice boot or whatever cold therapy you have available to the tendon injury once you reach the barn while waiting for your vet.

Loose or Pulled Horseshoe

Hopefully your multi-tool has a file on it to rasp away the nail heads that secure your horse’s shoe to his hoof. A pair of pliers in your cantle bag is helpful to pull off the shoe.

Work with your farrier in advance so you know the correct way to pull a shoe without ripping off too much hoof wall. Most horses do fine barefoot for a short distance, especially behind, but front feet do better if protected with a boot after losing a shoe. Have a hoof boot fi t for your horse in your emergency kit.

Choke

Choke is caused by an obstruction in the esophagus, and usually occurs when eating dry food or horse cookies. A dehydrated horse is more likely to develop choke due to reduced saliva production. Green grass with its high moisture content is not usually the culprit. A choking horse coughs and gags repeatedly, often spewing green, frothy material from his nostrils. He may act colicky or distressed.

Choke is one of the true trail riding emergencies, requiring immediate veterinary intervention, so call for help or make your way to your trailer or barn as quickly as possible. A short-acting sedative given to your horse may relax esophageal muscles enough to allow passage of the obstruction. Be sure to withhold food and water until the choke is fully resolved.

Colic

One of the most concerning trail riding emergencies would be colic. Colic simply describes abdominal pain. Its signs take many forms:

◆ The horse doesn’t want to eat.
◆ Rather than drinking, he just plays with the water.
◆ He rolls his upper lip in the flehmen response.
◆ He may paw the ground and/or kick at his belly.
◆ He lies down quietly and/or starts to roll and thrash.

Pain causes an increased heart rate (more than 44 beats per minute), and often the respiratory rate is also elevated (more than 20 breaths per minute).

Mucous membranes should be pink, and capillary refill time less than two minutes; any deviations from normal are important to note.

Intestinal sounds may be diminished or could be overly active. You’ll need the stethoscope in your first-aid kit to monitor heart rate and gut sounds. Report information about vital signs to your vet once you make contact.

Pain causes an increased heart rate (more than 44 beats per minute), and often the respiratory rate is also elevated (more than 20 breaths per minute).

Some colic conditions, like gas colic, may resolve if you longe your horse for 10 to 15 minutes at a vigorous trot. If this doesn’t help, you may need to use the sedative in your first aid kit. Give it to your horse and head for the trailer or the barn to call the vet. Refrain from giving Banamine (flunixin) unless you speak to your vet and get the go-ahead to do so.

Eye Injuries

If your horse is squinting or there is tearing from the eye, he may have been hit in the eye by foliage or dirt and debris that scratched the cornea. This is where the non-steroidal eye ointment in your first-aid kit comes in handy.

These are just a few of the more common trail riding emergencies you may encounter. The best medicine is always to be prepared.

This article on trail riding emergencies originally appeared in the August 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

Further Reading

• Trail Riding Tips
• Trail Riding: Avoiding Trail Trauma
• Trail Riding Safety for the No-Cell-Signal Zone

The post Emergency Response: Dealing with Trail Riding Emergencies appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

When I was recently in Massachusetts walking in the woods with my friend and her dog, a constant refrain I heard was, “Stay on the path! Do not venture into the grass or the woods.” The reason: ticks. Perhaps you’ve been similarly advised to be particularly observant in looking for ticks after riding your horse through woods or fields. This is good advice for those of you living in areas where Lyme disease is present. Lyme disease is caused by infection with the bacteria species Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease is passed to horses, people, and dogs through insect carriers, namely ticks. 

The particular culprits are the Ixodes ticks (black-legged and deer ticks), which flourish in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, upper Midwest, and in pockets of the Northwest. The disease is named after Lyme, Conn., where it was first identified in 1975. 

Climate change is expanding not only the range of the Ixodes ticks but also their numbers as they thrive due to extended warm seasons in many areas; ticks favor temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. More cases of exposure to Lyme disease are documented each year, and almost every state is now seeing cases in people and dogs, meaning that horses, too, can become infected.

How is it Contracted?
Currently there is only a vaccine for dogs, so protection for your horse is based on knowing how the disease is contracted and how to avoid tick bites. Not all horses bitten by an infective tick actually develop the disease, but they do develop antibodies, which are identified through testing.

The areas of the country where Lyme ticks are widespread are also home to white-footed mice and gray squirrels, birds, and large wild mammals (like deer) that serve as a reservoir for Borrelia bacteria. When Ixodes ticks obtain a blood meal from an infected mammal, they can then spread Borrelia bacteria to the next animal they bite. 

One bit of good of news is that transfer of bacteria from a tick bite to a horse generally requires about 24 hours of tick attachment. Finding and removing ticks immediately improves the chances that your horse won’t develop an infection. If a tick is present for longer than 24 hours, Borrelia spreads through the horse’s connective tissue and into the blood to cause systemic infection.

Blood tests are able to detect antibodies that indicate exposure, but such tests are not reliable until three to four weeks following a tick bite. Exposure does not always mean a horse develops active infection. The experts recommend testing only horses with clinical signs that point to Lyme disease.

Treatment
Treatments for horses come from multiple sources: human treatment guidelines, testing the B. burgdorferi bacteria in the lab to see which antibiotics kill it or limit growth, as well as anecdotal reports. In general, tetracycline and derivatives, as well as penicillin and cephalosporins, are used to combat Lyme disease infection. 

There haven’t been enough clinical trials to evaluate which drugs best treat the myriad of clinical signs associated with Lyme disease. While some drugs may work well in humans, oral medications work very differently in humans and horses, so using human treatments is not reliable for horses. 

Length of treatment time is also not well-defined. Current recommendations suggest basing treatment duration primarily on the horse’s clinical response, and to a lesser extent on decline in blood antibody levels. Horses may test positive for Borrelia antibodies for months, and even years, despite aggressive and prolonged antibiotic treatment and recovery.

The longer a horse has an active infection before being treated, the less successful the treatment will be. There’s also a poor prognosis for horses that have developed neuroborreliosis. Lyme-induced uveitis also has a poor prognosis for vision restoration. 

It’s likely that Lyme disease is overdiagnosed in endemic areas. Exposure to the bacteria does not guarantee that a horse will develop clinical disease. For horses that test positive to Borrelia antibodies, it’s important to exclude other potential causes before starting antimicrobial therapy.

Prevention
Tick control is essential to prevention. Check your horse often and remove ticks as soon as possible. Environmental control is helpful through landscaping practices. Ticks prefer woodland habitats and areas abundant with tall grass and piles of leaves, especially at the boundaries of these areas. 

Fewer ticks are found in areas that are clean, dry, sunlit, regularly disturbed, and well-maintained. When possible, keep horses away from wooded areas and transition zones into wooded areas. Mow pastures and clear away leaves and debris. Exclude deer as much as possible from areas with horses. 

However, ticks can still survive in stalls and pastures even during cold temperatures, although they don’t do well with freeze-thaw cycles. Inspect your horse daily year-round if you live in an area endemic with Lyme disease. 

Meticulously check the belly, groin, under the tail and mane, beneath the chin, within the armpits, and the lower legs. While ticks can attach anywhere, they are often found in softer areas with finer hair. 

If you find a tick on your horse, remove it in its entirety, taking care not to leave any mouthparts embedded in your horse’s skin. Wear gloves and grasp the tick’s mouthparts with tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Apply gentle upward traction without twisting. Once removed, you can destroy the tick by any number of methods: a) with flame; b) immersion in a jar of rubbing alcohol; or c) flushing it down the toilet. 

Application of insecticides, like permethrin or cypermethrin wipe-on or spray products, shampoos or powders to your horse’s hair coat are helpful, although there is no guarantee that insecticides prevent ticks from attaching, biting, and transmitting disease. Topical insecticide treatments are effective for only four to eight hours and need frequent reapplication. 

Off-label use of canine Lyme disease vaccine has been attempted in horses, but protective antibody levels drop significantly within four months.

The Bottom Line
For areas of the country where Lyme disease is prevalent, you can still enjoy riding your horses out on wooded trails and through the fields. Just be aware that you’ll need to spend extra time going over your horse carefully to locate and remove any ticks that may have shared the ride with your horse or attached while your horse was out in pasture. Prompt removal within hours is key to curtailing risk of infection with Lyme disease. 

NANCY S. LOVING, DVM, is a performance horse veterinarian based in Boulder, Colo., and is the author of All Horse Systems Go.

This article originally appeared in the July 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Lyme Time appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.