Sacroiliac Pain - the Quiet Lameness

We all know what a lame horse looks like.

You’ve probably seen it in your own horse if they’ve ever had a bruised sole or hoof abscess.

They hobble around, and we often see the characteristic head bob. Most commonly this kind of lameness has something to do with their hooves and some kind of trauma to the hoof or leg. Frequently, this can be corrected by a good Farrier and a spell.

The kind of lameness that doesn’t show up with the characteristic lameness symptoms can often be due to the way we are riding and the way the horse is developing - and most commonly I see start with the pelvis not being aligned. This lameness is known as Sacroiliac Pain.

As riders we put a lot of stress on the horse’s sacroiliac joint. It is designed to be a very flexible area of their body but it also gives support to the rest of their back.

Misaligned pelvis, riding crooked, and lacking engagement of the postural muscles can all increase this pain.

“Long the neck, shorten the body”, Manolo Mandez

 Rectifying this lameness will need the incorporation of veterinary and chiropractic attention along with physical redevelopment through correct training methods.

Sign up to be the first invited into our course Foundations to Equine Development: Green to Self Carriage, where we go step by step through the exercises horses need for a sound back.

First Aid for Horses: The Heart

Do you know your horses average heart rate?

I bet you don’t.

Yet it’s one of the most important baseline readings to evaluate illness, pain, stress and overexertion in your horse.

About the heart rate

Taking the pulse rate via the maxillary artery under the jaw.

A normal resting heart rate for a horse is between 28-45 beats per minute, however this is not true for every horse. Some may have a heart beat much lower, as low as 24, and some may reach as high as 50. Each 'lub-dub' counts as 1 single full heart beat.

Anxiety, pain and exercise can also increase a horse’s heart rate to as much as 200 beats per minute.

It is a good idea to have a fair understanding of what is normal for your horse, so you can identify when they are unwell. A baseline should be done over several days, during different times of the day, and after different levels of activity, to give you the best understanding of what is normal for your horse.

How to take a heart rate for a horse

To assess the heart or pulse rate, you will need a timer (watch or phone) to monitor as you count the beats. It is easiest to do the counting for 15 or 30 seconds, then times the result by 4 or 2 respectively.

There are also some great pet apps that you can download for heart or respiration rates that make the job significantly easier, and quite a few of them are free! I personally like Cardalis, which is a free app for tracking respiration rate in dogs, but works just as well for respiration and pulse rates in other animals too; but there are plenty out there, just use one that works best for you.

Locations for Taking the Heart or Pulse Rate

Taking the digital pulse rate

There are 4 ways to take the heart or pulse rate of your horse:

1. Use a stethoscope to listen to the heart. Place the stethoscope on the left side of the chest just under and behind the elbow.

2. Take the pulse rate via the Maxillary artery (under the jaw). Cup your hand on the left side of the jaw with 2 fingers under the inside of the cheek. Feel along until you left side of the jaw with 2 fingers under the inside of the cheek. Feel along until you can feel a consistent beat.

3. Take the pulse rate via the Digital artery (near the fetlock). The groove just above and below the outside of the fetlock is the best place to locate the digital pulse. Due to the location, it can be difficult to hold the pulse and count for the allotted time, so the digital pulse is more often used to indicate if there is a problem with the leg or foot.

4. Take the pulse rate via the Radial artery (inside the front knee). This is the equivalent of the wrist in people, but can be very difficult to find in some horses. Place your fingers on the inside of the knee about 3/4 of the way around to the back.

What is abnormal?

This can vary, but here are a few times I would look for further help:

• The heart rate is consistently significantly higher than normal without any reason (i.e. no workout or stress factors applied). For example, if your horse’s normal heart rate is 30 beats per minute and has been sitting higher at 75 beats per minute for over half an hour, I would be suspicious.

• The respiration rate is also high, or the breathing exaggerated, without exertion or stress.

• There are signs of pain such as lameness, or colic symptoms.

• Listening the heart through the stethoscope is muffled, or sounds a bit like a washing machine, or has a gallop rhythm (this is hard to explain without having heard one before, so if your vet ever mentions it, ask the to listen as well).

• You cannot find a digital pulse and you suspect injury to the leg

• You feel heat around the fetlock and the digital pulse seems to be quite ‘thumpy’

• There is suspected blood loss, the pulse is weak and gums are pale.

As always, if you have concerns, seek professional assistance. But understanding what is normal and therefore abnormal for your horse may lead to faster treatment, which may save your horses life.

4 Causes of the “Girthy” Horse – and How to Rectify Them

Have you ever seen a girthy horse?

The one that seems to dislike the saddle the minute you place it on, ears back, non-friendly nose nudges or even nips as you do up the girth? Or perhaps the horse that tosses his head and thrashes around, rearing or even falling?

It’s not fun.

As an owner of one of those horses, we want to make them as comfortable as possible, but we still want to ride them – so how can we overcome the issues?

Your horse could be telling you he is uncomfortable, he is in pain, or it could be behavioural.

The way to overcome a girthy horse is to first know the root cause of the problem.

Here are 4 common reasons horses become girthy, and what you can do.

Poor tack fit

If the saddle or saddle pad are not fitted correctly, the tree of the saddle is twisted, or the girth is regularly pinching the skin, this could result in the unwanted girthy behaviour.

The Fix: ensure all tack is properly fitted. Do some research or even get a professional to reevaluate. You may have to invest in new or additional pads or specialised equipment, such as shoulder relief girths.

Abdominal Pain

Some horses may be living with chronic abdominal pain, such as that caused by ulcers, and the simple action of tacking up can create more discomfort.

The Fix: Identify if there are any other signs of abdominal discomfort, such as loose stools, dry stools, fussy eating, difficulty maintaining weight, or poorly digestion (evidence of grain in the manure). If there is, consult with your veterinarian about appropriate treatment, which can include further investigation, dietary changes or supplements.

Chiropractic Issues

If you horse has poor alignment across the back, shoulders, ribs or pelvis, you may get some negative reactions when tacking up. This could be a combination of currently pain or remembered pain.

The Fix: Chiro review is in order regularly for any horse, but applying training scale correctly can reduce the likelihood of misalignment occurring. Register here to find out  more about our course Foundations of Equine Development Green to Self Carriage.

Behaviour

Horses are often a lot smarter than most people give them credit for. They have a strong memory, so painful or scary moments, such as improperly introducing them to the saddle when they were being broken in, could create lingering issues.

Also, horses have an incredible ability to learn behaviours that give them the release they seek. In the case of a horse that may be girthy, it may have started out as an attempt to get out of work, and once that worked, they repeat.

The Fix: Behaviour issues can be difficult and lengthy to fix, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. And when you understand the basis underlying the correct behaviour training for horses, it becomes a simpler process (although it may not take any less time, it just depends on the issue). A horse that is fearful will often stop breathing (read about these horses here), and you will need to help them overcome that. If you have a horse that has learnt these behaviours because of positive stimulus, training on pressure/release is ideally suited (read more here).

Girthy horses can be annoying, and sometimes dangerous, but we shouldn’t give up.

First Aid for Horses: Shock

Have you ever seen a horse in shock?

I have.

You may have as well, but didn’t realise what you were looking at.

Shock in horses is very much like it is for humans. It is the bodies way of coping with imminent death, where we end up with a sudden decrease in both blood circulation and blood pressure.

Shock, untreated, can kill.

It can be very subtle or extremely obvious when a horse goes into shock.

What causes shock?

Shock can occur for several reasons:

• Blood loss

• Severe pain, such as colic or an injury

• Septic shock from an infection turned toxic

• Dehydration

• Severe allergic reaction

• Extreme response to fear or emotional trauma

What are the symptoms of shock?

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Healthy, pink gums. Horses in shock will usually have a white or grey appearance in their gums, with the exception of septic shock.

A horse that is in shock may display several of these symptoms

• Pale mucus membranes (such as the gums, nostrils and eyelids), leaning towards white or grey in colour as opposed to a healthy pink. Septic shock can show up as bright red gums, or with a purple tinge to the gums near the teeth.

• Slow capillary refill time. To test this, hold your thumb or finger on the gum and press for a few seconds. This should leave a white mark. Then count how long it takes for the colour to return to normal. Healthy capillary refill time is under 2 seconds.

• Depression

• Shivering, cool to touch

• Rapid weak pulse (particularly if it’s over 80 beats per minute)

• Rapid breathing that is shallow

• Profuse sweating

• Anxiety or confusion

• Temperature may be low (but not always)

• The horse may lie down

What to do if I suspect my horse is in shock?

This, and I cannot stress this enough, is a serious emergency. It is time to get your vet to your horse NOW– not in 5 minutes, not in an hour.

Identify if there are any suspicious signs, such as an injury, or bleeding, and ask the vet what you can do. The more information you can provide your vet, the more likely they are to triage your emergency as the highest priority and bust a tail to get to your paddock.

There is little else you can do until the vet arrives. If your horse is cold or shivering, you may cover the horse with a blanket to try to keep their temperature regulated, but be aware they can just as quickly overheat in this situation. Stay with your horse and continue to monitor the situation, keeping them as calm as possible. If you can, relocate them to a safe location such as a barn or feeding yards, and place a halter on them. You may be able to offer them some water.

Once your vet arrives, they will assess and advise you of the best course of action. Depending on the likely cause of the problem, they may suggest anything from intravenous fluids (a drip), electrolyte injections, or other medications, as well as stemming any major haemorrhage if blood loss is the cause of shock. Their primary goal is to first stabilise the shock, then act on treatment accordingly.

Remember, shock can kill. Understand the signs and you could save your horses life.

First Aid for Horses – Colic

Colic is a scary thought for most horse owners, which conjures up images of long nights in the paddock with the horse and large veterinary bills. Let’s delve deeper and define this concerning problem.

Enteroliths from a horse, a cause of colic.

Colic, by definition, is any abdominal condition that causes pain, so in reality is a symptom of a problem, not the actual disease itself. Colic for some horses can be life threatening, and yet for others may be chronic and create discomfort for a long period of time. Colic may require surgical or medical intervention, or may be able to treated with diet or home remedies, but it can be difficult to determine the cause without medical attention and therefore is something we should be consulting our veterinarian about. Colic is widely considered to be the leading cause of premature death in horses.

What are the causes of colic?

There are a number of different causes of colic, which can make management of this issue complex.

Timpanic colic - also known as gas or spasmodic colic, is often caused by a change in diet, although parasites may also be a factor. The build up of gas may be due to excess fermentation or the slowing of the passage of the gas. While gas colic may self-resolve, it can lead to torsion or displacement, which can be life-threatening.

Torsion and volvulus – this is where the intestine twists upon itself, and may obstruct the blood supply to areas of the GI tract. Prognosis is not great for many of these horses and early intervention is a must if they are to survive.

Displacement – this happens when a portion of the large intestine shifts. It can be a result of excess gas. The relocation may disrupt the standard motility or movement of the gut, and therefore create other issues as well. Medical or surgical intervention may be required.

Intasusseption  - a form of colic in which a piece of intestine "telescopes" within a portion of itself, usually because a section of the bowel has become paralysed. It is kind of like a snake eating its tail. This is a life-threatening cause of colic that will require urgent surgical intervention.

Impaction – impaction is where a large clump of food or grit (like sand) form a clump in the bowel and create a blockage. It may resolve with medical intervention although occasionally surgery is required. Impaction most commonly occurs in winter, when there is less water intake and an increase in drier food supplied (i.e. hay), in horses with dental issues (poor mastication) or in horses kept on sandy or high dirt-to-grass pasture.

Parasites – heavy worm burdens may cause temporary blockages. It is important to carefully de-worm theses horses as they can have a serious immune reaction that can result in fatal peritonitis.

Other causes of colic – Tumors, Toxins, Colitis, Gastric Ulceration, Hernias, Enteroliths (mineral stones of the gut)

Dog sitting, a potential sign of colic

How can I tell if my horse has colic?

Early symptoms of colic

• Turning the head toward the flank
• Biting or kicking at the flank or abdomen
• Pawing at the ground
• Restlessness
• Depression
• Repeatedly lying down and getting up, or attempting to lie down
• Decrease or lack of appetite
• No or decreased bowel movements (note, passing manure is not a sign they do not have colic, as colic based in the upper GI tract will still pass manure for a while)
• Stretching out as if to urinate, but not urinating
• Decrease in abdominal sounds, or even no abdominal sounds

As the colic symptoms worsen and the horse is in more pain, you may see

• Sweating
• Rapid respiration
• Elevated pulse rate
• Rolling

flank biting, another sign of colic

What to do if my horse has colic?

• The very first thing to do is get in contact with your veterinarian. Colic can begin mildly but advance very quickly into a life-threatening condition. Be sure to describe the symptoms you are seeing and ask if your vet believes gentle exercise will help.
• Try to keep your horse from rolling. Rolling may twist the bowel and complicate the issue (however – safety first: a wildly thrashing horse may kill you). However, if you horse is just wanting to rest, it may be ok for him to lie down (check with your vet).
• Avoid feeding your horse hay or hard feed while you wait for the vet to attend.
• DO NOT administer any pain relief before your vet has examined your horse. This can mask the symptoms and lead to a misdiagnosis, and possibly the death of your horse.

How can I prevent colic?

There is no proven ways to prevent colic in horses, but some ways to help reduce the chances of your horse developing colic include:

• Introducing new feed gradually
• Avoid excess high sugar feeds
• Keep access to plenty of clean water
• Maintain a schedule of consistency
• If living in a sandy paddock, add psyllium husk to the feed, or avoid sandy paddocks altogether
• Ensure proper parasite control is maintained

Colic is a disease that is feared by horse owners, but with early, correct intervention many horses will recover. Get familiar with the symptoms, be proactive in intervention, and keep doing everything in your power to help reduce the risk of your horse experiencing this pain.

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Feeding Your Horse (Part 3) - Nutrients

So far, we have run over calculating your horse’s energy requirements, and how to feed your horse. Today we will examine the actual benefit and use of their nutrients.

This guide will be exceptionally useful if you find your horse experiences regular issues such as laminitis, dry skin or low immunity.

Macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Fats, Protein)

Macronutrients provide the bulk of our horse’s energy or calorie intake. They also serve an important function in the overall way their bodies work.

Carbohydrates (sugar, starch and dietary fibre)

Carbohydrates form the bulk of feed for horses and comprise of 2 main categories – simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Sugars and simple carbohydrates and starch and dietary fibre fall under the category of complex carbs.

Starches and simple sugars are found most commonly in grains and concentrated feed. Excessive levels of these can contribute to blood sugar fluctuations and potentially contribute to conditions such as laminitis, cushings disease and tying up. Starches and simple sugars are easily digested absorbed by the small intestine. Starches require a particular enzyme to be broken down into simple sugars before they can be absorbed, and thus can become overloaded when a large quantity of concentrated feed is eaten, making it important to provide these in a limited quantity per feeding (see Part 2 for more information)

Dietary fibre or ‘roughage’ is exceptionally important for horses. Their gastro-intestinal tract, which actually is similar to humans in make-up, has evolved over several millennia to be able to ferment and digest the maximum quantity of nutrition out of dietary fibre. The ceacum(the equivalent to the now redundant human appendix) is responsible for housing the bacteria and protozoa that helps ferment and break down fibre for use within the body. The intestinal tract of the horse is also quite long, allowing a slower transit of food for maximum nutrient absorption.

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a description of how much a feed increases blood glucose level. Foods with a high GI increase blood sugar quickly. Foods with a low GI still affect blood sugar levels, but not as much or as fast.

Physical effects of high GI feeds

High GI feeds can generally be eaten faster. Less chewing produces less saliva. Saliva provides a buffer in the stomach to neutralize the acid, so less saliva can lead to more acid in stomach and result in stomach ulcers

High GI foods tend to move faster through the gut, which can create colic.

The speed and high sugar may create abnormal or unhealthy bacterial growth in the ceacum, which influences the development of inflammation, toxin release, colic and laminits.

Sugar and starch is absorbed quickly resulting in fluctuations of blood glucose level and insulin release. This increases the risk of cushings, laminitis, colic, tying up and equine metabolic syndrome

Foods with a high GI

Foods with a high Glycemic Index are high in sugar and often low in protein and fat. Most commonly are seeds and grains, as they contain all the sugar a seed requires to sprout. Sprouted seeds contain less sugar and therefore are a lower GI. Examples of high GI foods include:

• Sweet feed
• Corn
• Oats
• Barley

Foods with a low GI

Foods that are low GI are generally high in fat or protein AND dietary fibre. Most commonly examples are the hulls of the seed and also:

• Wheat bran
• Speedi‐beet
• Alfalfa
• Rice bran
• Soy bean hulls

Protein

Despite being herbivores, horses still need protein. This doesn’t mean you need to run out a cook up a steak or two (would you eat your former neighbor anyway?) as horses can receive and digest amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, from plants.

Protein is an important part of growth and is require as building blocks for muscle and other body tissues. It is also essential for healing and repair as well as general function, including the production of enzymes and hormones. Thus protein is an important component of the diet, even though it is only required in smaller amounts.

Mature adult horses require 8-10% of the total feed to consist of protein. Working doesn’t significantly impact this though we tend to feed at the higher end of the ratio to help recovery (bearing in mind that a horse in work has a higher energy requirement, so the same size horse in work will receive more grams of protein, but could still be fend the same percentage of protein in feed as a non-working horse). A young horse in growth stage requires significantly higher percentage of protein in their feed, being between 14-16%, to help with the growth phase. Geriatric horses also may need a similar protein percentage to growing horses (as their ability to effectively use protein decreases, their oral intake may need to increase), but their liver and kidney functions should be examined prior to increasing the feed as higher protein diets make these organs work harder and may exacerbate deterioration.  Pregnancy and lactation also need higher protein than a mature adult horse.

Below are some protein averages in common feeds, and you can see more specific protein requirements in the earlier chart.

Fat

Fat has a bad reputation, but is critical for our overall function. Omega 3, 6 and 9 play important parts in our inflammatory processes, vitamin absorption, and offer twice the energy to protein or carbohydrates on a per gram basis. The benefits of a high fat diet is generally that you can feed smaller quantities and provide more energy, but using the correct ratio of omega 3/6/9 can have significant benefits on overall health, and particularly for skin and coat issues.

Feeds that are high in fat include mill run, rice bran and wheat bran.

However, overfeeding high fat feeds can result in the deposit of fat around the liver and heart which is not beneficial to the horses overall health.

Micronutrients

Micronutrients are nutrients that don’t provide energy but are essential for the body to function accurately. These are our vitamins and minerals, and also include some substrates that act in vitamin-like ways.

The list of micronutrients is extensive, so we will focus on a key few. If you are keen to know more, you can read them here in the MSD Mercks Veterinary Manual.

Calcium & Phosphorous

Because of the way our horses are built and work, the skeletal frame is exceptionally important and therefore calcium and phosphorous should be given some important considerations.

"Excessive intakes of certain minerals may be as harmful as deficiencies; therefore, mineral supplements should complement the composition of the basic ration. For example, if the horse is consuming mostly roughage with little or no grain, phosphorus is more likely to be in short supply, especially for growth, than calcium. However, if more grain than roughage is being fed, a deficit of calcium is much more common. The total mineral contribution and availability from all parts of the ration (forages and roughages, concentrates, and all supplements) should be considered when evaluating the mineral intake." Merck Vet Manual

Calcium and phosphorous are required in greater quantities during growth, pregnancy and lactation than for a mature horse. Geriatric horses may require higher phosphorous than mature horses but calcium should be monitored and reduced, especially if renal function is compromised.

Both calcium and phosphorous play an important part in the development of bone, but also in areas such as cell membrane protection and neural function. The calcium:phosphorous ratio should be in balance of ideally 1.5 calcium to 1 phosphorous.

Salt

Salt (sodium chloride) requirements are largely influenced by the work, or more accurately, sweat production. Horses will generally self regulate salt intake and as such should have free access to salt blocks or licks.

A Note about Supplements and Additives

• Multi vitamin – find a well reputed source to ensure the horse gets its dietary vitamins and minerals
• Oil – calorie dense option to increase weight. Feed no more than 500mL. 250mL of oil has roughly the same calorie content of 2.5kg of oats. Balance of omega 3, 6 and 9 is important in feeding oil. Try to avoid over feeding omega 6. Ensure that you use cold pressed oil and store in a cool environment out of direct sunlight.
• Soybean meal ‐ contains the full spectrum of essential amino acids. Great sources of protein for muscle mass and over health
• Psyllium husks – 1 cup a week can help maintain motility of bowels and may reduce incidence of colic

There are plenty of other supplements and additives each with their own merits. Horse feed is an art not a science, if you find something that works for your horse use it, if you are using something that doesn’t seem to be working, don’t use it. Feeding horses is expensive enough without feeding additives that aren’t doing anything!

The Pain is Real – Coping with Arthritis in Horses

What is arthritis

Arthritis, also known as Osteoarthritis (OA) or Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD), is a disease that creates pain and inflammation in a horse’s joint.

Arthritis is a progressive disease where the cartilage in the joint is slowly degraded or worn away. As the cartilage wears, it exposes bone and nerve endings, becoming extremely painful and inflamed and leading to symptoms such as lameness, joint swelling and general discomfort. Unfortunately, arthritis is a chronic disease that cannot be cured, so management is key, and the earlier we intervene, the better the outcome is for the horse.

The cause of arthritis in horses includes injuries to the joint, age (progressive wear), or infection. With the arthritis caused by injury, the symptoms of arthritis may become visible long after the initial cause. It is not a stretch to say that every horse that has lead an active life is going to develop some form of arthritis if they live past middle age.

The earlier we intervene, the better the prognosis is for our horses.

How can you tell if your horse has arthritis?

If your horse has been in some level of work, or had an injury, or over the age of 18, it is likely your horse has arthritis.

You can monitor for symptoms such as:

• Favouring a limb or side, even if there is weight bearing

• Lameness and limping

• Swelling in the joint

• Intermittent tenderness in the joint

The only accurate way to diagnose arthritis is via a radiograph (x-ray), however most vets can identify the potential diagnosis of arthritis via clinical history and examination.

How can we reduce the likelihood of a horse developing arthritis?

While there is no evidence that we can prevent arthritis, there are steps we can take to reduce or delay the onset arthritis in our horses. And it starts as soon as they are born.

In young foals and weanlings, the correct nutrition can actually impact the potential for OA to develop. A diet that is in excess or limited in selected nutrients, including total calories, can misbalance the ratio at which the body forms its bones, cartilage and muscles, thus increasing the risk of joint issues. Restricted exercise can also unbalance the musculoskeletal development.

Younger horses, from 2-5 years, should not be started under saddle until they are physically mature. Once started, the process should be gradual to allow for correct skeletal and muscular development – no matter how fast they respond to the work.

In mature horses we should ensure that we work their bodies in balance, ensure they have correct training to cope with the physical burden of a rider – and ensure our riding is balanced also. It is also a good idea to keep your horses’ body condition score between 4-6.

In our older horses, it may seem counter-intuitive but exercise really does help reduce arthritis or the symptoms.

Other things you can do that could help reduce the risk of arthritis developing include:

• Correct physical conditioning through training

• Ensure proper farrier care is taken through all stages of life

• Allow periods of rest when exercising and developing your horse – a pause in training will often do more good than harm

• Identify potential causes for injury and be proactive about post-injury arthritis management

• Keep an ideal body weight and condition to keep lean muscle mass, especially in older horses

My horse has arthritis- what can I do?

There are multiple options for managing arthritis in your horse. Remember, the aim here is to reduce the pain of arthritis while slowing the progression, as unfortunately there is no cure.

Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID’s): Your vet may prescribe these to provide short term pain relief for both mild but more usually severe pain associated with arthritis. These drugs reduce inflammation but must be prescribed and should be used with caution as they may have side effects when used long term, such as upsetting the gut lining or impacting on major organs. Discuss the use of these with your vet as options.

Corticosteriod injections: These injections aren’t used frequently as they can have many negative side effects, but your vet may use these intermittently to dramatically reduce the inflammation in the joint and give other solutions, such as nutraceuticals and exercise, a chance to impact. These can only be administered by your veterinarian.

Pentosan Polysulphate Sodium (PPS): Studies have shown therapeutic levels in synovial fluid (the fluid that helps reduce friction in the joints) following intramuscular injections. These injections are delivered once weekly in a series of 4 injections, and on occasion the injection may be administered directly into the joint. There are fewer side effects with PPS but should be used in caution with other medications, and always under veterinary supervision.

Nutraceuticals: There are many oral nutraceuticals on the market. Some contain glucosamine or chondrotin, which are essential building blocks of healthy cartilage, and there are many other products with a range of natural or herbal extracts that may have benefits to arthritic joints in horses. Some nutraceuticals may help improve synovial fluid output, some may reduce inflammation and swelling. Unfortunately, not all supplements are created equal, nor do they have to have studies to prove their efficacy (or in some cases that do have studies, they may not be on horses). Speak to your vet about your best options rather than wasting your money on 4-5 different options. And note – what works for one horse may not work for the next. (If you want me to do some research on the strength of efficacy of studies of any nutraceuticals you are using or interested in, please comment below!)

Acupuncture, acupressure and light therapy: These are therapies that, from a number of horse owners, seems to have some benefit. I am not aware of any studies but from personal experience feel these are great options if they are available to you.

Exercise: gentle exercises that help to stretch the limb and move the affected joint without too much pressure are crucial for long term health of the muscle and reduction of pain. In actual fact, running through the dressage training scale from the very foundations is a great way to realign muscular development that can help support painful joints. Your horse will let you know when they have reached their maximum movement capabilities.

Hydrotherapy and swimming are also great exercises that allow your horse to perform a range of motions without having to weight bear. A limb that is toned with strong muscle is more likely to have good blood flow and therefore more impact from medications and supplements, as opposed to a limb that has muscle atrophy.

Chiropractic sessions: While your chiropractor can not work miracles by reversing the arthritis already developed, they are crucial to help ensure that any movement abnormalities (that occur due to the pain in one or more limbs) don’t become a permanent change to their conformation, to reduce the likelihood of muscular atrophy and also reduce the damage to non-arthritic limbs.

Would you like to share your experience with arthritis in horses or ask a question? Comment below!

Feeding Your Horse (Part 2): Calculating Feeding Requirements

Today we are going to share some tips on calculating feed for your horse.

With such a wide variety of feeding options and a massive number of variables with every single horse (size of paddock, turn out hours, paddock mates, along with physiological changes), it’s a small wonder so many of us have questions about feeding our horses.

Calculating feed quantities is absolutely a mix of science and art. We will share the science and allow you to play with the art depending on your situation.

So here are some facts:

a) A guide to calculating feed breakdown based on a healthy horse at various stages of health

• Horses require at least 1.5% of their body weight in food each day, and can eat up to a maximum of 2.5-3% depending on energy requirements, activity level, age, and size of the horse (notably weanlings and ponies will exceed these maximums if on good pasture).
• Roughage (including grass) should make up a minimum of 50% of their total diet, and recommended to be at least 1.5-2% of their body weight. Roughage is exceptionally important to aid digestion, feed gut flora and provide satiety.
• It is with the above point that you can assume that a lot of healthy, mature horses that are maintaining or in light work can maintain solely or almost solely on roughage, with very little grain supplementation, with horses in intense work needing a higher percentage of concentrate supplemented (see charts a & b).
• Older horses, growing horses, reproducing horses or horses with illnesses have varying requirements based on body condition, muscle condition, disease and growth requirements, and require more in-depth analysis for feeding calculations.
• Concentrates (high sugar/energy foods) fed at greater than 0.5% of your horses’ body weight in a single feed can seriously disrupt the gut flora and digestion, and predisposes your horse to all manner of gastric problems including ulcers, colic and laminitis. If your horse needs a larger percentage of concentrate in the feed, ensure to split the feeds over several meals to avoid problems (chart c).
• Feeding more than 50% of the total feed as a concentrate has also been well documented to increase the risk of several problems including laminitis and colic.
• Large feeds (greater than 0.25% of the horses body weight) of concentrates should not be offered within 1 hour of stressful situations (heavy exercise, transport), nor to exhausted horses.

b) An approximation of the feed for a horse, which can alter depending on body condition, feed selection and general health.

c) Maximum recommended concentrate per feed (not day) by horses body weight

Feeding for energy

While we initially start by looking at the total weight of food compared to body weight, we must also consider the energy requirements.

Example 1:

A 500kg horse in light work with a body condition score of 5 requires 69.9 MegaJoules per day to maintain healthy energy and weight (see Part 1: Calculating Energy Requirements for full details).

Energy Requirement: 69.9 MJ

Estimated feed intake based on weight: 9.75kg

Roughage intake approximation: 7.8-9.75kg

Concentrate intake approximation: 0-1.95kg (Note: maximum concentrate in single feed should not exceed 2.5kg for a 500kg horse)

Through pasture yield calculations, we estimate that this horse is eating at least 6kg of pasture each day (I'll go more into detail on how to calculate that in a later segment).

average energy and protein from common feed souces

Pasture average intake: 8.5MJ/kg or 51MJ

Leaving 18.9MJ to make up in additional food, at least 1.8kg in roughage.

Lucerne: 8MJ/kg x 1.8kg = 14.4MJ.

There is now 4.5MJ left to feed for.

Barley: 13MJ/kg. 350g will provide 4.5MJ.

Total Weight of Food: Pasture (6kg) + Lucerne (1.8kg) + Barley (350g) = 8.15kg, or 1.63% of total body weight.

This is less than the 1.75% body weight recommendation, but contains higher than 50% roughage and meets the required energy needs for a 500kg horse in light work.

Example 2

Same horse, but now it is winter and the pasture is not yielding as well.

Energy Requirement: 69.9 MJ

Estimated feed intake: 9.75kg

Roughage intake approximation: 7.8-9.75kg

Concentrate intake approximation: 0-1.95kg (Note: maximum concentrate in single feed should not exceed 2.5kg for a 500kg horse)

Through pasture yield calculations, we estimate that this horse is eating at least 6kg of pasture each day.

Pasture average intake: 5MJ/kg or a total of 30MJ.

Leaving 39.9MJ to make up in additional food, at least 1.8kg in roughage.

Lucerne: 8MJ/kg x 1.8kg = 14.4MJ.

There is now 25.5MJ left to feed for.

Barley: 13MJ/kg. 1.95kg would offer the missing 25.5MJ.

Total Weight of Food: Pasture (6kg) + Lucerne (1.8kg) + Barley (1.95kg) = 9.75kg, or 1.75% of total body weight.

Hopefully, this has given you a great starting point at calculating feeding requirements. Later this month we will release more information on nutrient requirements and estimating your pasture's yield.

Feeding a horse is a combination of art and science. Each horse has different requirements depending on their age, reproductive status, work level, body condition and health status. This blog is intended as a guide for feeding of mature horses that are not reproducing, have an ideal body condition score between 4 and 6, are healthy and may or may not be in work. If you have an aged horse, breeding horse, is a growing horse or is an unwell horse we recommend you speak with your veterinarian for support in feeding your horse. Equestrian Movement and their staff accept no responsibility for any actions undertaken as a result or in part due to this blog.

Information sources: MSD Veterinary Manual, Rowan Barbary Feed

Feeding Your Horse (Part 1): Calculating Energy Requirements

Feeding your horse is a combination of art and science. Scientifically, we know there is a minimum requirement for energy, and that particular feeds provide typical levels of that energy. Artfully, every horse, paddock, feed and lifestyle is different, which makes it extremely difficult to comfortably make an exact assumption for every single horse in the world.

How we combine the science and the art will determine how we can successfully manage the feed for our own horses in each individual scenario.

To help you with Feeding Your Horse, we are releasing these blogs in 4 parts:

1. Calculating the energy requirements for your horse (or herd)
2. Calculating Feed Quantities
3. Nutrients Requirements
4. Calculating Pasture Yield

In each we will discuss both the science and the art, so you can be as informed as possible for your own horses.

Today we are going to discuss energy requirements for your horse.

What is Energy?

Energy is referred to as calories or joules - or in the case of horses, megacalories or megajoules (we will be using megajoules for the purpose of this discussion as this is what most measurements in Australia are in, however if you wish to convert to megacalories click here).

Energy is required for everything we do - in fact, if the minimum energy requirement (known as Resting Energy Requirement) if not met, we can no longer function and will cause muscle wastage as our body utilises our own body fat and protein reserves in an attempt to function normally, and eventually organ failure and death.

Excess energy, on the other hand, is energy that cannot be used in normal daily activity (Digestible Energy Requirement) and is therefore stored as fat. This excess energy storage results in increased inflammation, weight gain, increased pain (there is actually a study that shows excess fat increases the response stimuli to pain!!), improper function of our body and organs and can reduce our lifespan.

Energy, which is provided through nutrition, is very important to manage correctly.

How much energy does my horse need?

The Digestible Energy that your horse requires is reliant on many factors:

• Age and growth/reproductive status
• Gelded or Entire
• Workload

Dietary Energy Requirements for horses varies depending on multiple factors. For full details, including other weight ranges, growth and reproductive status, click here (cited: MSD Veterinary Manual)

Light Work: a horse used for pleasure riding, early training or ridden 1-3 times per week.

Medium Work: a horse worked for performance 5 days per week

Intense Work: a racing horse or polo horse, where significant energy is expending in a short period of time.

My horse is a good/poor doer?

Some horses get fat on the smell of grass, and others loose weight just while eating it. This is where the art comes in!

Use this data as a starting baseline, but tweak your feeding requirements to each individual as required - monitor, tweak, and continue to monitor and tweak as needed. Some poor doers need a higher grain diet, and some good doers can do without much or any supplemental feeding.

My Horse Needs to Loose or Gain Weight

The energy requirements listed above are for horses at maintenance, or in work, with a body condition score between 4-6 (see our Horse Health Facts: Weight Management for more details). In the case of horses need to gain weight, their requirements are higher, and it's the opposite for horses needing to loose weight.

We will discuss actual feeding requirements in Part 2.

Do you have any questions about Calculating Energy for your Horse? Comment Below!

DISCLAIMER - this is a guideline and should be followed under the advice of your treating veterinarian. Equestrian Movement holds no responsibility for any actions undertaken as a part of this guide and only aims to share the research and insights into animal care so owners can simplify their own processes where possible and use it in conjunction with their veterinarians advice. 

17 Easy Exercises to Develop a Bond With Your Horse

Establishing a bond with your horse is a lengthy and complex process. Here are some exercises and activities that can help you do just that.

Exercises to establish respect and discipline

1.     When you walk they walk. When you stop they stop.

2.     Backing up

3.     Inviting them in and sending them away

4.     Moving away from pressure – forward, sideways, backwards

5.     Giving to pressure - flexing

6.     Sending them away from their food when you feed them

These exercises (except the feeding) are the first things I will do with an unknown horse and commonly called groundwork. Before I hop on a horse I want to know how the horse reacts to pressure, how far the horse can be pushed before he/she reacts, how the horse reacts, how the horse shows his/her discomfort before he/she has a hissy fit and how to settle him/her from there. I want to see how he/she moves, if there is any stiffness, irregularity or strain in the movement and if me sitting on them is going to antagonise this. I want to know how well he/she takes to being bossed around and what he/she will do when they are. This can generally give me a fairly good idea of their personality within the first half hour of working with them. It also gives me a good idea of where to start with the exercises.

These exercises are also the basis of a good horse that shows discipline and manners, similar to a child saying please and thank. A mindful horse should follow when you walk, not walk over the top of you when you stop, back away from you and out of your space when asked and step into your space when invited. They should give to pressure and react to a cue when asked. If these qualities are established on the ground it is a lot easier to create them under saddle.

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Exercises to establish a rapport

7.      Take them for lead line walks.

8.      Grooming

9.      Appreciate your horses individuality and its little behavioural quirks it uses to communicate.

10.   Wander around the paddock with them while they are grazing. Leave little treats around the paddock for them to find. Take a book and a chair out and sit with them while they graze.

11.   Show affection toward your horse and feel affection toward your horse. This may sound strange but our horses work best if we are present with them. If we are thinking about other things going on outside that environment or at home or other aspects of our life we lose that connection with our horse. Stay present with them, breath them in, feel them and let your heart expand.

12.   Be grateful for each and every moment you have with your horse.

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Exercises to calm and relax

13. Breathing. Breath in for 7 hold for 7 out for 5. Reset your heart rate and breathing rate.

Take responsibility for your energetic state. It can be helpful to do some meditation tutorials. Your energy feeds your horses energy. If your energy raises out of fear or excitement your horses will as well. Horses work in a herd mentality ready to run at a moments notice. As soon as they feel the horses around them become more alert and less relaxed they will be ready to run. This is what they feel from you when you are tense and alert. They don’t realise its their behavior making you nervous, they are ready for the predator to jump out of the bushes and eat them. If you want your horse to be relaxed, you need to channel your inner grazing horse. A horse with its head down eating is a relaxed horse, it is not threatened and feels safe.

14. Give your horse a massage with a tennis ball. Horses love a good massage and using a tennis ball is the easiest way for anyone who has no particular training in massage. It can loosen and soften the tension out of their body and help them feel calm and relaxed and enjoy your company.

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Some final notes

15. Work together through the learning phase:

• learning

• trying everything other than what you want

• acceptance

16. Communication is a 2 way street

If you want your horse to be kind and appreciative, you need to be kind and appreciative. When your horse reaches out to you appreciate and reciprocate. Touching their nose to you, physical contact, other ways your horse tries to connect with you. Show that you are aware, or they will stop.

17. But above all be fair, be firm and be consistent.

First Aid for Horses: Respiration Rate & Breathing

How many breaths your horse takes in a minute can be an important indicator of many conditions, including pain, heart or lung issues.

So what exactly is normal?

Healthy respiration rate for most horses is generally between 8 and 15 breaths per
minute, although it is higher in foals and can be significantly higher just after exercise.

A very relaxed horse can have a rate as low as 4 breaths per minute - that is usually a VERY relaxed horse.

The breathing itself should be calm and unexaggerrated, with relatively even spaces between each inhalation.

What is abnormal breathing?

• Breathing rate over 15 breaths per minute at rest
• Deep movement in the chest at rest- where the chest and/or abdomen have large, exaggerated movement - may indicate serious issues
• Noisy inhalation may indicate a problem, particularly with the upper respiratory tract
• Wheezing or coughing during exercise may also indicate some issues.

How to take a respiratory rate

1. Allow the horse to settle and relax.
2. Count the number of breaths for 30 seconds.
3. Multiply that number by 2 - wallah!

There are some really great apps available for free that can help you easily monitor, count and record the respiratory rate - just search your relevant app store.

If you notice abnormalities, contact you veterinarian for advise.

When it’s time to say good-bye (and what you need to know)

There comes a time in every life when that life must come to an end. This is just as true for our horses as it is for our cats, our dogs and the people we love (and some we don’t).

The end of any life is a difficult situation. It sucks, it’s horrible but it’s also undeniable. As a veterinary nurse, I stood by and held many paws or stroked many faces as they passed over to the next realm. And as a veterinary nurse, I cried with each and every single passing. Without fail.

What can make it even more difficult is when the owner doesn’t know what to expect in the process. This could be from never having been through the situation before, or fear of the discussion, or simply not being told by the professional care team at the time of the event.

Although this is rather a morbid topic to bring up, I wanted to share some of the common questions about the process, both during and following, and hopefully prepare you for the situation if and when it arises (in the far future, preferably).

What is Euthanasia, and what happens?

Euthanasia by injection is a large overdose of an anaesthetic. Your horse will feel tired, relaxed and the sensation of falling asleep.

Initially, a sedative will be given to your horse via an injection into the vein. This will help relax your horse and they will generally lie down as a response. Then the vet will administer the euthanasia medication into the same vein via injection. This injection stops the brain functioning almost immediately, breathing generally ceases within 1-2 minutes and the heart will stop within 1-5 minutes.

It can sometimes be necessary to administer more of the injection than the initial dose – don’t be alarmed, as your horse can no longer feel or hear what is happening. In very few cases, your horse may twitch or sigh – again, don’t be alarmed, this is an involuntary response to the body dying, not to your horse feeling pain.

There are other methods of Euthanasia, but I have never been present or would want to be present as a veterinary nurse in those situations.

How do I know when it is time?

Every case is different, as is every horse and owner, and it can be difficult to pinpoint an exact time or scenario. However, I feel if your horse is in significant, unrelenting pain, or can no longer eat or walk, it is a good indicator that now is the time. But each owner needs to come to this decision based on your own preparedness and your own horses’ requirements. Talking with your vet or veterinary nurse can be a significant help in making that decision.

What happens to my horse after the Euthanasia?

This will depend largely on you and your local laws.

There are some councils that allow burial on your own property, if you wish. You will need to organise or hire some machinery to dig a burial plot large and deep enough, and also to move the body into the burial plot.

There are also some companies that can perform a cremation, either individually or with other animals. An individual cremation means you can have the ashes returned to you.

It is not advisable to try to sell the body of a horse euthanised by injection for horse meat.

How long should I grieve for?

This is a deeply personal question I have been asked many times, and there is no straightforward answer. Factors such as your own bond with your horse, your own experiences with death, your support network, your coping mechanisms, and the circumstances of the passing will strongly influence your grieving process.

It is ok to take a long time to grieve – we have an intrinsic bond with horses we rarely share with any other animal (how often do you jump on the back of 400kg plus animal regularly and trust that they wont kill you on purpose) and their parting can leave a large hole in our lives.

And is as equally ok to only take a short time to grieve – you are processing your horses departure from your life and preparing for the next phase of your life.

But what I will say is do not ‘not grieve’. Take the time you need, surround yourself with love, support and possibly a lot of comfort food.

If you feel you can’t seem to move on from the loss, it is perfectly normal and can be very helpful to seek professional advice. It can also be helpful to talk about your loss with your vet or vet nurse, although they are generally not trained as councillors can offer some sound information to help you feel at ease with your decision.

How do I tell my children about this?

Children can find it hard to understand the departure of a loved one, and also that you are grieving. Depending on your child’s age he or she may have a different level of understanding of the process.

There are no straightforward answers to this one, but a few things I would suggest:

·        If you are religious, it can be helpful to use your religious experiences to explain.

·        It can be helpful to explain that your horse was very sick and in a lot of pain, so it was kinder to perform the euthanasia.

·        I would generally recommend not using the terms ‘put to sleep’, ‘God has taken them’ or ‘they had an injection’ – this can make them fearful or resentful of regular, everyday occurances.

·        Allow your child to grieve and see you grieve. This is a normal process for everyone.

·        If you are uncertain, seek professional advice or read some articles written by professional sources.

When should I get another horse?

This will definitely depend on you and your family, both 2 and 4-legged. Sometimes another horse will help heal the hole that was left behind, and sometimes it wont. It is important not to feel guilty if or when you do adopt another horse – you are not replacing the one you lost, simply moving forward with life. And knowing that you can give another animal the love that they are missing could go towards your own healing process.

The loss of a beloved family member, whether that of a horse or a person, is deeply personal. I hope that some of this information can help you prepare or process your own experience.

First Aid for Horses: A Dose of Medicine

Sooner or later, you are unfortunately going to have a situation where your horse is required to take medicine. For some horses, this is as simple as adding to their food. For others, it's a nightmare. 

How can we get a horse to take medicine? We've collated a few tricks to help you succeed!

1. Mix with their regular feed

Sometimes, changes to the usual routine can make horses suspicious and less likely to cooperate. Try adding the medication to their normal feed and see how they respond. It may be worth introducing the medication at a lower dose initially to get them used to the subtle differences

It can also help to add some water to the feed to hide the powder.

2. Bran mash or molasses

Bran mash or molasses can be a great treat for some horses. Before you know it - medications are gone!

3. Apple sauce

Again, another sweet treat! You can make powder or pastes into an apple sauce slurry and place it in their feed bowl. Alternatively, if you have a wide tipped syringe, dose it like a wormer. If apple sauce isn't up your horses alley, you can try strained carrots or pears - these jars of baby food are an ideal single dose size!

4. Sandwich

Powders, smaller pellets and pastes can all be put between a folded piece of bread for a quickly gobbled dose. For powders and pellets, put something sticky on the bread, like molasses, jam or peanut butter. Remember, these are just treats to hide med's, so don't go overboard!

5. Hollow Apple

Try partially coring an apple, making sure not to go all the way through. Add the medication, then use part of the core to 'cork' it. This works really well if you use smaller apples and your horse is happy to take big bites (preferably the full apple).

6. When all else fails, ask your vet for an injection

Some medications are available in an injection - and your vet may be able to provide the injections or dose your horse regularly themselves.

HOT TIP:

If you use some of the treats, like apple sauce syringes or jam sandwiches, regularly or semi-regularly without medication, your horse will be much more willing to gobble it down when it comes to medication time!

What tricks do you use to get your horse to take their medicine?

Need to know more about horse first aid? Click here for more articles.

First Aid for Horses: Temperature

A normal rectal temperature for a horse is 37.2-38.3°C

Learning how to take your horses temperature is an important skill for horse owners.

An unhealthy temperature can indicate the horse has an infection or disease, and is a good indicator for monitoring the progress of the problem.

Our first aid kit should contain:

• 1 or more thermometers, either digital or mercury
• 1 form of lubricant, such as Vaseline or KY Jelly
• A form of cleanser to sterilise and clean pre and post use (rubbing alcohol or chlorhexidine)
• Gloves

The procedure:

1. Ensure your horse is safely restrained and calm.
2. Cleans the thermometer and apply lubrication to the tip.
3. Gently move to the back of the horse.
4. Using one hand, lift the tail slightly to one side.
5. Using the other hand, insert the thermometer into the rectum NO FURTHER THAN HALFWAY UP THE THERMOMETER ARM, using a gentle twisting motion.
6. Angle the thermometer slightly so the inserted tip is angled upwards.
7. Start the thermometer reading until beeps, or for 3 minutes if a mercury thermometer.
8. Once finished, gently remove the thermometer from the rectum and read.

Tips:

• Always stand to the side of your horse to avoid being kicked.
• It is best to take your horses temperature after they have evacuated their bowels - faeces in the rectum can give you a falsely high reading.
• Have a piece of string tied to the thermometer and maintain hold of the thermometer when in use. Yes, horses can 'suck in' the thermometer and no, it has never happened to me. If it does happen, contact your veterinarian for advice.
• If you receive an abnormal temperature reading, repeat again and again in an hour. If the temperature stays consistently high, especially over 38.7°C, consult your veterinarian for advice.

Some notes about horsemanship...

Some notes about how a relationship is strengthened and how a horse learns:

·       Always work from your heart

·        If you want to be part of their herd, they need to be part of your family

·       A relationship is defined by its hard times. How you guide your horse through difficult times will shape its behavior in difficult situations.

·       Don’t become emotionally engaged in an argument. Work through the frustration and find a resolution, instead of fighting.

·        Take the lead

·        Be consistent with establishing manners

·        Follow through

·        Develop your skills well enough that you trust in yourself around the horse.

·        The horse learns from the release of pressure, not the application.

·        Use your voice and use the same words and pitch for the same things. Horses can pick up on words the same way as dogs can.

·        Use positive reinforcement

·        Don’t be afraid to discipline your horse if it intentionally hurts you. Knowing how you will discipline is important and also what works for your horse. Finding the level of pressure best suited to your horse is key. You want to find the point just past ignorance, but before reactivity where I call responsivity. This sweet spot is different for every horse and rider combination.

·        Listen to how they respond to cues. Do they understand what you are expecting of them?

Attention + focus = connection

Connection is key. Not only do we need to learn how to keep our horses relaxed attention and focus on us but so do we have to keep our relaxed focus and attention on them. How many times have you gone down to the yard with the to do list, the shopping list, the conversation with your boss, the argument you had with a friend all jumbling around in your head only to come away feeling worse because you’ve had the worst training session?

If you join our free facebook group we have a free training in there on exactly what to do to start building a connection with your horse today!! What a great way to spend the holidays!