100 Miles in Twenty Four Hours

What does it take to go one hundred miles in twenty four hours or less, with temperatures above 100 - and then be judged "fit to continue"?

Dedication, training, conditioning, good hoof care and a great foundation diet!

The top endurance horses in the U.S. go on and on. We see them year after year - healthy, sound whether barefoot and booted or shod, with lots of reserve.  What they were fed three or six months ago can make the difference between winning the Tevis or Haggin cups or not making those tough last few miles.

Congratulations to Take A Break and rider Rusty Toth on their first place Tevis win.  Haggin cup winner Julioslastchance, ridden by Suzanne Hedgecock, was deemed the Top Ten horse "in the most superior physical condition" following the race.

Watch these two amazing horses in action and consider what the right diet, great hoof care and a consistent conditioning program could do for your horse.

2013 TEVIS & HAGGIN CUP WINNERS Gold Country Videos

Best regards,

Patti - in very warm Vail AZ
Don't forget the salt!

Links

Western States Trail Foundation http://www.teviscup.org

Paula Johnston http://www.youtube.com/user/TravelTimePaula

NO Laminitis! 2013 Conference http://www.nolaminitis.org

Dr. Kellon Live with ECIR's Jaini Clougher

In case you missed the live interview with Dr. Eleanor Kellon and ECIR Group Inc president Dr. Jaini Clougher, go to http://traffic.libsyn.com/jpr/The_Jefferson_Exchange_06_10_2013_Hour_1A.mp3 to listen to the archived interview.

Jefferson Public Radio covers the Oregon and Northern California area including Jacksonville, where the NO Laminitis! 2013 conference - featuring Eleanor Kellon, VMD and Hoof Physiologist Robert Bowker, VMD, Phd - will be held in September.

The Oregon Veterinary Examining Board has approved the conference program for 13 Continuing Education credits - a great opportunity for your vet or other equine professional to enjoy an informative weekend in a beautiful area.  Lots of points of interest for other members of the family, and a short trip to some of the major BLM Mustang Herd Management areas. Lots more information at http://www.nolaminitis.org.

Best regards,

Patti in Vail AZ

- waiting for summer monsoons

Lethal Beauty

Cardiac glycosides, the primary toxins in oleander, can cause an irregular or erratic heart rate, which may be racing initially, later slowing to below normal. Kidney failure, colic and CNS symptoms from drowsiness to seizures and collapse may occur. 

In the Southwest, Oleander is everywhere. Its evergreen foliage and beautiful flowers make it an attractive landscape plant, used extensively in new housing developments and along roadways. But its beauty hides a deadly danger - just four oleander leaves can kill an adult horse.  Dry leaves that blow into your horse’s paddock are as deadly as those on the plant.

From the latest UC Davis CEH Horse Report: Oleander Poisoning: The Preventable Illness -
"Oleander is one of the most poisonous plants and contains numerous toxic compounds, many of which can be deadly to people and animals. It is especially dangerous to horses, as it is sweet. Symptoms of a poisoned horse include severe diarrhea, colic and abnormal heartbeat." (Read the entire article)

Unsuspecting newcomers to the area may have oleander planted in close proximity to their horses - or your new neighbors may have planted an oleander hedge right next to your horses' turnout fence line. If this is the case, you may have to resort to offering to pay for and help plant a safer replacement. This may be much less expensive in the long run than the potential veterinary bill and can keep you on better terms with your neighbors - they likely were simply unaware that these plants could harm your horses.

Any plants that are removed should be bagged and taken off the property as soon as possible as the dried leaves are as toxic as the live plant.  Toxicity can also occur from inhaling smoke from burning oleander leaves and wood.

One of the most complete listings of poisonous plants is the Cornell University Poisonous Plants Informational Database which lists plants by both common name and scientific name.

Another excellent resource is A Guide to Plant Poisoning of Animals in North America from IVIS (International Veterinary Information Service), which lists plants by systems affected - very helpful if your horse is showing symptoms and you and your vet are trying to determine a possible cause.  Accessing IVIS does require registration (which is free).

If you’re uncertain of your skill at identifying plants you can consult with your state’s local Cooperative Extension agent to walk your land with you to identify potential problem plants.

Best regards,

Patti in Vail AZ

- where I hope to see everyone keep their horses safe.

LINKS

UC Davis CEH Horse Report http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ceh/current.cfm

Cornell University Department of Animal Science:  

Plants Poisonous to Livestock and other Animals Database 

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/index.html

International Veterinary Information System (IVIS)

A Guide to Plant Poisoning of Animals in North America

http://www.ivis.org/special_books/Knight/toc.asp

Cooperative Extension System

Each U.S. state and territory has a state office at its land-grant university and a network of local or regional offices. These offices are staffed by one or more experts who provide useful, practical, and research-based information to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers, and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes.

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

Tracking Clinical Signs

Not every horse owner has the resources for serial testing - repeated blood work or imaging - to judge the effectiveness of a medication or treatment and may need to learn how to objectively use clinical signs to assess their horse's progress.

"So, take some paper and write down (really write it down, as a week from now it will be fuzzy) his overall appearance, how much back sag he has, if his eyes are clear or goopy, his coat condition, etc. being as objective as you can.

Rate his attitude on a scale from 0 to 10 (0 depressed, lethargic - 10 happy,curious), his activity (0 lying down all the time - 10 galloping with tail flagged), your assessment of his hoof pain (0 can't put weight on foot for trimming - 10 sound on gravel at trot, maybe a 5 for sound at a trot in boots), sweating (0 for anhydrosis - 10 for excessive sweating).

Put a brief word description next to each score to remind you exactly what you meant when you re-score him in a few days or a week. Take a picture or two to go with, put the pages away in his notebook. 

Do this again in 4-7 days and compare it to the first assessment, then decide if you feel his medication should be increased or if he's shown improvement and you'll hold steady." 

Providing an ongoing objective assessment record can be a valuable tool for working with your veterinarian and keep both of you from guessing if a treatment is effective.  You can view or download the Clinical Signs Tracker here.

Update - using the tracker can help you assess how well your anti-allergy program is working!

Best regards,

Patti in Vail AZ

where it's finally seasonally warm and lovely

Links

http://www.desertequinebalance.com/articles/clinical-signs

http://www.desertequinebalance.com/articles/allergic-skin-reaction