Last week I was in Colorado for the The National Association of Equine Affiliated Academics or NAEAA for short and the Equine Science Society conventions and meetings. The weekend was packed with information on equine and education research. All of the research papers have been published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science including my paper on the visualization of the equine hoof with MR data.

I left with a few good points:

Firstly, wow! there are a ton of excellent equine programs in this country! They range from equine science to management to equestrian studies. They are eager for technology in the classroom and many administrations are pushing for more on-line classes which is good for those of us who enjoy continuing education but cannot get to a classroom. I am working on some new ideas as far as new technology in education for equine studies. The NAEAA is trying to help the academic programs to cooperate and share information and I think this will be very beneficial to Equine Studies’ students.

I left the ESS convention with some new thoughts as well. The biggest issue for me was the emerging problem with parasites. They are becoming immune to the anthelmintics (de-wormers) that are on the market and there are no new drugs on the horizon to combat equine parasites so this is of great concern. It was recommended that all horses have fecal counts (your vet does this to check for parasite eggs) done prior to the administration of de-wormers. If the horse is does not have a high count he should not be given the de-wormer. This may help to slow the growing problem. It was noted that the outward appearance of a horse can be very misleading in this matter. A very healthy looking horse may have very high fecal egg count, so you cannot go by the outward appearance alone. Young horses are more affected because they do not have the natural resistance of an older horse. Managing your pastures is also very important in combating parasites. Pasture rotation is most helpful. Heat will kill the eggs in the pasture. The pasture seems to be the place where most horses are infected. Look for this subject in horse magazines-it is a big one!

There were also many studies done on metabolic syndrome. This has been huge in research. I cannot condense all of it here but a few thoughts that struck me were that a horse with this syndrome can be put on a starvation diet and not lose a pound. (Sounds like some people I know). The scientists are looking along the insulin pathway to try to understand at what level the problem is. The physiology of the insulin pathway is very complex and it may be years before we can appropriately categorize these horses’ pathologies.

We do know that too much sugar in the diet of a horse with metabolic disease is not good. (Same with humans). This point brings us to hay and grass. There is a controversy over which method of testing is appropriate to find the sugar levels, hopefully that will be figured out and standardized soon. In the mean time, I spoke to a few plant scientists who reminded me that in the wild a horse would be grazing a naturally occurring forage that is low in sugars. They need to graze very large expanses of land to get what they need however. This keeps most wild horses free from the problems of their domesticated brothers and sisters. Because they graze large areas they are relatively free from worms as well. With the domestication of horses came smaller pastures and the breeding of modern grasses. The newer grasses are higher in sugar and nutrients to maximize the pasture space available. This has caused us to be feeding levels of sugar that are unhealthy to horses. It is so similar to human consumption of food. More processing of human food has meant more sugar in take and more metabolic disease. What is the answer? I do not have a simple one and neither do the scientists. The best thing to do is have all of your horses roughage and grain analyzed so you know what they are taking in and try to make it as close to ideal as possible. Work with your local feed specialist, equine nutritionist or extension specialist to manage your horses to the optimum level of care.

Some websites you may want to check out are:

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This is one of those times that I am so glad to have a blog to write on. It’s Sunday and I am at a local show, nothing big, mostly amateur riders. I am watching a girl of about 6 or 7 being schooled in the schooling ring before her class. Her instructor is incessantly picking on every single issue she is having and degrading her. She isn’t leaving a moment for the rider to digest what was just said: ‘Your leg is swinging, stop it from swinging-it looks gross!’,‘You look ugly’, ‘I can’t enter you this looks awful, you don’t get it!’ ‘stop looking down, why are you staring at his legs!?’, ‘what is it with this baby stuff!?, come on! Fix It!’, ‘why can’t you get this?’ Not one positive comment has been made to this girl, not to mention the horse is afraid of this woman too. I don’t blame him, so am I.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? I remember this kind of torture! This woman needs to take a psychology class. An instructor should never speak to you in this way. A good instructor is always positive and gives some positive feedback along with the negative. Changing: ‘Your leg is swinging, stop it from swinging-it looks gross!’ to ‘Your leg looks loose, try dropping into your heels and feel your horses side with your calves-right, like that! Good, stay there.’. If the issue isn’t resolved the instructor should try an alternative method like doing a bit of two-point or stopping the rider and placing her leg. She should NEVER tell her student what she is doing is ugly and she should never berate her for not understanding and accomplishing the task. When I teach, if a student doesn’t get it I try to explain it in a different way, I feel that it is my fault that the student didn’t get it, I must have not have communicated it correctly or in a way that particular student understands.

We are lucky as riding instructors, unlike college (which I have also taught) or high school, it is rare to have a student that doesn’t want to be there. Most riders would give anything to please their instructor and to become accomplished riders. This makes our jobs as instructors SO much easier! It should be a pleasant experience for a rider to go to the barn for their lesson. All tasks that the instructor expects the students to do should be explained so that every student understands them. The tasks should be things that the students CAN accomplish, not things that are too difficult for the students’ level. The students should leave the ring feeling like they did well. Not all lessons go well but the instructor should end on a positive note or with positive comments.

FUELING YOUR ATHLETE-Understanding the nature of the horse.

Horses evolved over millions of years into herd animals whose nutritional needs were provided by grazing on large expanses of land. They are continuous grazers, meaning that given the choice they would spend up to 20 hours a day grazing. The equine digestive system evolved to support this type of nourishment and because of this horses have very unique needs that must be taken into account when developing an appropriate feed program. Proper feed management can remedy common problems such as: wood chewing, cribbing, weaving, parasite infestation, certain types of colic, laminitis and developmental orthopedic disease. We often maintain our horses' feeding schedules according to our convenience and not to the needs of our animals. Your mantra should be 'small, frequent feedings and lots of roughage'.

Lets take a closer look at the anatomy of the equine digestive system and how it works:

The horse uses his prehensile lips to pull grass into his mouth where his incisor teeth cut it. His tongue then pushes the grass to his molars where it is ground before swallowing. Healthy teeth are very important to proper digestion. Horses need to grind their food to break the cell walls of the plants that they are ingesting in order to absorb the most nutrients. Horses teeth grow continuously throughout their lifetime this is a necessity for an animal that eats tough fibrous plant material that is often mixed with dust or dirt. If the teeth didn't grow, they would be ground away to nothing a few years.

Salivation is very important in lubricating the food for swallowing. The food then is swallowed it travels down the esophagus by involuntary muscle contractions, through the gastric sphincter into the stomach.

The stomach, to accommodate continuous grazing, releases stomach acid 24 hours a day. The stomach acid begins the process of the chemical breakdown of the food and some nutrients are absorbed through the stomach wall into the bloodstream. The size of the stomach also reflects the continuous grazing process. It is very small in comparison to the size of the animal. Food passes fairly quickly through the stomach by way of the pyloric sphincter into the small intestines.

In the small intestines enzymes work to break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose for energy. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, which will be used to build and maintain protein rich structures such as muscles. Fat is digested by a continuous bile secretion and is used or stored for energy. Many nutrients and minerals such as: calcium, zinc, copper, magnesium and manganese, phosphorus and electrolytes can be absorbed either in the small or large intestine. Nutrients and minerals are absorbed through the walls of the intestines directly into capillaries, which take them to the rest of the body via the bloodstream. Many folds in the lining of the intestines create more surface area, increasing the absorption of nutrients. It can take as little as an hour and a half for the food to pass from the mouth, through the stomach and small intestine to the 'hind gut'. The more food that is fed at one feeding the faster it moves through to the 'hind gut'.

The 'hind gut' is made up of the cecum and large intestines. The cecum is the primary site of fiber digestion, which makes up the majority of the horses diet. The cecum acts as a fermentation vat where the new material coming in sinks and as it ferments rises to the top and exits to the large intestines. The fermentation process is carried out by billions of bacteria and enzymes. The maintenance of proper pH balance, which is 6.6-6.8 in the cecum, is very important to maintain the good bacteria so that proper digestion of fiber can take place. Undigested materials pass through the rectum and are excreted as manure. The entire digestive process takes between 24 to 72 hours.

Every major feed company has a nutritionist on staff to help you create an individual feed program for your horse. Take advantage of this service to fuel your horse appropriately. Make sure you understand that if you are feeding grain and are not feeding the range of portion size suggested on the bag then you are not feeding the correct feed. The basic feedstuff in a horse's diet is roughage (hay/grass). It should be of good quality. 1 pound of hay per 100 pounds of horse is a standard. A horse needs 10-12% protein in their diet, timothy hay is 6-8%, alfalfa can be 14-16%, so you have to know what the hay contains. You also need to know the full nutritional value of your hay/grass. You can have your hay tested by a local feed company or do it yourself.
(find a lab here:Visit Link). Once you know what nutrients your hay provides you know what needs to be fed as a supplement. Grain should be fed only as a supplement to roughage to meet the nutritional/caloric needs of the horse. Every horse is an individual and needs his/her feed program to be individualized for optimum results.

There are many things that can go wrong with the equine digestive system. Good feed management can prevent many of the most common problems. To begin we must remember that horses are continuous grazers.

It is very important to have your vet or dentist check and maintain your horses' teeth every 6-12 months depending on your horses tooth health. Some animals need their teeth floated more often than others especial as they age. Floating is necessary when the horse has unevenness, on the grinding surfaces of the teeth. Floating means that the dentist or vet will use a file to grind down the surfaces so that they are even.

Some symptoms of poor teeth are: weight loss, excessively spilling or drooling of food when eating, tilting the head when eating, choking, and leaving 'hay balls' or little wads of chewed hay on the floor.

Horses can suffer from ulcers. Ulcers are created when the tissue that lines the stomach wall breaks down or becomes ulcerated. This leaves soft tissue exposed to the destructive stomach acid. Stress and/or certain bacteria can cause ulcers but they can also form when a horse is not fed often enough. Remember the horse is secreting stomach acid 24 hours a day and should be grazing up to 20 hours a day. When they do not have access to hay or pasture (so called forage) for long periods of time the stomach becomes more acidic and has nothing to digest other than the stomach walls. Infrequent feeding is a common cause for wood chewing or tree eating, cribbing and other behavior problems as the horse tries to alleviate his hunger.

Remember the size of the horses' stomach? The stomach only holds a few quarts of food, couple this with the fact that horses cannot throw up and you can see how a large meal could have the potential to cause problems. Usually it is a grain meal that causes problems because hay takes longer to chew. Some problems can occur because of large rations intentionally given, others are accidental, some problems are life threatening and your vet should be called especially in the case of accidental over feeding such as a horse breaking into the feed room and gorging on grain. Over intake of feed causes problems beyond the stomach, as we will see

Colic has many causes but is listed here because it can be caused by over feeding of grain, which because of the small stomach causes the grain to pass too quickly through the system allowing it too reach the cecum not fully digested. Sugar kills the fiber
digesting enzymes and bacteria. The death of the good bacteria and the increase in sugar allows for the growth of bad bacteria. As it grows it lowers the pH balance this causes the inability to digest fiber and colic. This is called acid gut syndrome. This process also causes laminitis commonly known as founder. Research has shown a correlation between lower pH in the cecum (that is higher acid) and bad behavior such as pinning ears and so called 'crankiness'.

More specific to laminitis, the proliferation of bad bacteria in the cecum causes a release of toxic substances that enter into the blood stream, travel to the hoof and cause an abnormal release of the enzyme that allows for the breakdown and rebuilding of the laminae in the hoof. Normally this breakdown and rebuilding is a slow process and is how the hoof wall grows. However, when this enzyme is released in large amounts it causes the complete breakdown of the laminae and in most severe cases the outer hoof separates from the pedal bone.


Impaction colic can be caused by dehydration and/or lack of enough salivation. Feeding hay with plenty of fresh water encourages drinking and salivation and reduces the chances of impaction.


Abrupt changes in hay, pasture and/or grain can have the same effect as feed overload. Enzymes and bacteria develop to digest the specific diet of every individual horse. It takes up to three weeks for these enzymes to adjust to different food. Therefore when making any changes in a horses diet it should be done slowly over a three week period. Keep this in mind when introducing a horse to grass or when the pasture has had sudden growth in the spring.


Parasites or worms are a permanent fixture in horses' lives it is not possible to rid an animal of them 100%. If left unchecked they can wreak havoc on the digestive system as well as other systems. Most parasites enter the horses' body by ingestion and survive by eating the nutrients the horse has ingested. Worms can cause blockages and ruptures of digestive organs, scarring of the intestinal lining which lowers the animal's ability to absorb nutrients and loss of nutrition. There are many different types of parasites; some damage the liver, heart, lungs or eyes. It is very important to de-worm the horse regularly in order to kill the parasites before they do permanent damage. Even a small number of worms can disrupt digestion and cause a loss of nutrients. Symptoms of parasite infestation include: loss of weight, 'hay belly', poor coat, and visible parasites in manure.


To effectively deal with parasites you must understand that when you de-worm a horse with a tube de-wormer it kills the majority of the parasites he may have living in his body but not all. When you turn him back out into the pasture he will ingest more parasites and he will be infested once again. So it is absolutely necessary to tube de-worm on a regular basis. Some worms such as tapeworms need specific anthelminics (de-worming drugs) to be killed. Daily de-wormers fed as pellets with the horses' ration are available and keep him nearly worm free but you may still need to use a tube de-wormer annually to kill specific worms. Different worms are found in different climates and regions so the horse owner must form an effective de-worming regiment with his or her local vet in order to keep the horse as free from worms as possible. When de-worming a horse with a large infestation caution must be practiced. A large die off of adult worms can cause a blockage and/or toxicity.

Mycotoxins are toxins that are released by certain molds that grow on grain or hay. Some mycotoxins can be deadly to horses. Always look at and smell hay and grain before feeding it. If it looks or smells funny don't feed it. Store your feedstuff in a dry place not in direct contact with the floor to avoid mold.

Stress can cause many digestive upsets. Stress can cause a horse to go off his feed, have diarrhea, loose weight, colic and have ulcers. Take notice of any behavioral changes that might indicate a problem. Often the horse owner is unaware of things that might cause great stress to a horse. A horses' living arrangement has the largest impact on him. Horses are individuals, some like a large busy farm, some like a small quiet farm. Your horse may need a stall in the main aisle or one in the back corner. Turnout is often a cause of stress. Does your horse get enough time out grazing and playing? Is he happy with the other horses or is he picked on all the time? Loosing a good friend can be difficult for a horse. Moving to a new barn or traveling to shows or clinics can be highly stressful. When moving to a new barn look to see if horses come to greet you at the fronts of the stalls or turn their backs and pin their ears. Are the walls chewed? That is a sure sign of a management problem and stress.

Proper feed management helps the horse to maintain his body to the highest athletic standard it helps to build strong bones, tendons and ligaments, muscles and other tissues. It will help to keep the horse emotionally and physically well. Proper feed management can prevent some common problems and help you get the most from your equine athlete.

If you are near Westchester NY, please check out my summer class "The Equine Athlete" at Westchester Community College: Visit Link

CONFIRMATION

To start the conformation evaluation begin by looking at the overall picture of the horse, from the profile view his body and legs should fit into a square, this means he is conformationally balanced. Look for any blemishes or lumps on his body and notice anything that is different from one side of his body to the other. His underline should be longer than his top-line and nearly level. His neck should also look balanced with his body, not too long and not too short. The point where the neck attaches to the shoulder may vary with different breeds, a lower placed neck would be more desirable for a western horse and a higher set more desirable for a english horse.

The shoulder should have a sloping angle of about 45 degrees. You should be able to draw a line from the center of his shoulder strait down through the center of his fetlock joint. His croup should be well rounded although it varies with different breeds. You should be able to see a strait line from the point of his buttock to the ground. In the lower legs the angle of his pastern should match that of his hoof and should be about the same angle as his shoulder. His hooves should be healthy and clear of cracks and deep ridges.

In the hindquarter view he should be symmetrically muscled over the rump and hind legs. You should be able to draw a strait line from the point of his buttock through to the center of his heel. From the front view his legs should be strait from the shoulder to the ground.

The mechanics of how a horse moves is dependant on his confirmation. Good confirmation means good movement. Bad confirmation not only creates bad movement it also can cause some lameness issues here's why:

Conformational defects cause abnormal stress on certain areas of joints, tendons, ligaments, muscle and bone depending on the defect. For example, a horse that is slightly base wide in front will put more pressure on the inner (medial) knee joint, fetlock joint and hoof because when he moves these areas will have to absorb more of the weight than the outer part of the limb. This will predispose this horse for acute and chronic injury to the medial side of the leg (ringbone, navicular, splints, knee fractures, check ligament injury etc. explain?). When the horse has correct conformation the stress of movement is absorbed evenly down the limbs.

I n addition to confirmation when you are evaluating a prospect you should look at the overall condition of the animal. His coat should be healthy and shiny and he should be in good weight.

Understanding the relationship between conformation and performance will give you a better idea of what you are looking for in your equine athletic partner.

EVALUATING A HORSE FROM THE INSIDE OUT

The way a horse is muscled always gives a good indication of how they have been trained and strengthened. A horse that uses himself well through the back and hind end, is eating correctly, has a well fitted saddle and is fit will have a much more muscular top line than a horse that is worked less frequently or incorrectly or is not getting enough protein in his diet. Look often at your horse to evaluate his progress. Photographs of your horse on a regular basis will show any changes that my not be noticeable from day to day.

A horse owner always has to look at all the pieces of the puzzle that could be causing a problem. A horse that is not carrying himself well could have one or several things going on. He may not have been ridden properly, he may have had an ill-fitting saddle, he may have a lameness issue in his hind end-even a minor one will affect his ability to balance himself properly. If you are working at a high level of dressage and your horse is not developing muscle over his top line it is an indication of a problem. Commonly it is a lack of enough protein in his diet but it could also be an ill-fitting saddle or a problem with his hind end. If you are evaluating a horse for purchase you can look at his musculature as evidence of how he has been trained. If a horse has a large muscle on the front of the neck instead of across the top line he has been pulling on his rider and probably won’t be very balanced which can be corrected with some work if it isn’t a hind end issue that causes him to be heavy in front.

Also remember that your saddle may fit your horse when you begin to fit him up but when he has developed more muscle over the back it may no longer fit him or visa versa. This is a common problem for horses that have different jobs during different seasons. A field hunter, for example, that is ridden dressage in the spring and summer then conditioned for and hunted in the fall and winter will more than likely need two different saddles. The dressage may build up his top line and he will fill out a bit from the strengthening but when he begins to gallop and jump for the hunt season he will trim down and loose a bit of his top line.