New confirmed cases of equine herpesvirus-1 raise concern.

Pfizer encourages horse owners to vaccinate regularly and quarantine when horses return from a trip to ensure a healthy stable. AVMA photo.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Pfizer

Outbreaks of diseases such as equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (the neurological form of equine herpesvirus-1), eastern equine encephalomyelitis and West Nile virus have spread across the country over the past few years, raising concern among horse owners. These outbreaks have scared many into not competing at venues they may have gone to in the past. Some have stopped traveling with their horses altogether, while others have taken precautions but continue to show their horses as planned.

2012 has barely just begun, but it has not been disease-free for horses in the United States. On January 5, equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy, or EHM, also referred to as neurological rhino, was confirmed in a mare in North Carolina¹. In addition, as of January 13, five horses have tested positive for EHV-1 in Orange County, California².

Many equestrians have already made their move to the warmer climates of California, Florida and Texas to compete in the winter circuits. With the help of your veterinarian and careful precautionary measures, experts suggest that there is no reason not to compete as usual.

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All horses, whether they are competing or staying on the farm, should be vaccinated against the core diseases, including tetanus, eastern and western equine encephalomyelitis, West Nile virus and rabies. In addition, depending on the region, veterinarians may recommend vaccinating against some of the risk-based diseases, such as equine herpesvirus, equine influenza and strangles. Be sure to consult a veterinarian about which vaccines may be necessary for your horse. For horses that do a great deal of traveling, vaccinations alone may not be enough. In these instances, many veterinarians recommend adding an immunomodulator to help support and boost your horse’s immune system. Read the rest of this entry »

Keeping good records can help horse owners track behavioral and medical problems.

Kelly Hess realized her barrel racing horse's performance suffered after she purchased a new saddle. Journal photo.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

When Kelly Hess started riding Stats Master in August 2003, the palomino gelding was everything she wanted in a green barrel horse.

Kelly and “Tater” were making good progress, steadily improving their run times. Then in March 2004, they hit a performance wall.

“He quit turning the first barrel,” Kelly says.

That’s a problem for a barrel racer. Kelly began trying to track the issue.

Small improvements would be followed by big disasters.

“It was horrible,” Kelly says. “He was mad, he pawed, he reared in the alley. Horrible, horrible, and it’s not like my horse. He’s very low-key, always. So I knew there was something wrong, and I had no idea what it was.”

Finally Kelly, who videotapes all her barrel runs, sat down and watched the videos of Tater, comparing them to the simple, complete records she keeps on each horse. She tagged the culprit: a new saddle.

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“When I went back and looked at the date I purchased this saddle, that’s when things started falling apart,” she says, pointing to an entry in her books. “That’s February 7. A month later is when I started having problems. The saddle did not fit. It was evidently pinching him really badly in the withers. Read the rest of this entry »

Help protect the horses on the road and the herd on the farm from unwanted diseases.

Don't leave your winning ride to chance by not properly protecting your horse from disease. Journal photo.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Pfizer

Travel has become a way of life for many American Quarter Horses and riders competing on the regional and national AQHA circuits. Many start early in January covering long distances to earn points, coveted titles and a chance to qualify for one of the AQHA world shows. While transportation is necessary for competition horses, it can be stressful for even the most seasoned traveler. With a wellness care program, horse owners can help minimize the stress of travel and help keep horses healthy and physically ready to perform. It’s not only important to take precautions for those horses on the road, but it is also imperative to help protect the herd on the farm from any diseases that could be brought in.

Keeping a horse comfortable and hydrated during transport is vital to helping reduce stress. There are a variety of opinions about the direction in which horses should travel — forward, backward or diagonal — and the correct answer may depend on the horse’s preference and trailer design. For horses who find transport stressful, a change in orientation may be worth trying. Try to keep sheets, blankets and other protective wear to a minimum in warm or hot weather and keep the horses as well-ventilated as possible. Horses that are given forage to eat during transport tend to fare better than those that are not. Fiber will help keep the horse occupied, hydrated and help ensure a healthy gut¹.

Read the HYPP Survival Guide, an AQHA FREE report, for complete information about handling this neurological disease.

Careful management during travel and other times of stress can help reduce health risks to horses. Owners need to carefully monitor horses for symptoms such as weight loss, elevated body temperature, lethargy or lack of appetite. Often, these systems are due to dehydration or the physical energy expelled by the horse in the trailer. Also, colic symptoms or laminitis can be caused by stress. Any unusual symptoms or signs of distress should be noted, and owners should consult with a veterinarian for appropriate treatment.

Stress from traveling may affect a horse’s immune system due to the release of stress hormones and dehydration from sweating. Using an immunomodulator can help stimulate and prepare a horse’s immune system to function more effectively. Immunomodulators should be administered prior to exposure to stressful situations such as horse shows, transportation or exposure to disease. ZYLEXIS® from Pfizer Animal Health is a demonstrated safe and effective immunomodulator that helps to reduce upper respiratory disease caused by equine herpesvirus types 1 and 4. Immunomodulators should not be used in horses with a fever or showing signs of clinical disease. Owners should discuss their options with a veterinarian.

Ensuring that horses are current on their vaccinations is important to the health of any horse, whether they are traveling or at home on the farm. Pfizer Animal Health’s equine product portfolio includes a number of vaccines, including WEST-NILE® INNOVATOR, FLUVAC® INNOVATOR and PINNACLE® I.N. Be sure to consult with a veterinarian before starting any vaccination program.

Horses that typically stay on the farm can be susceptible to contracting diseases from horses after they return from a show. Working with a veterinarian to help keep these horses current on their vaccinations and deworming program can help protect them from contracting unwanted diseases. Whenever possible, it is a good idea to keep horses returning from a competition separated from the herd for two weeks. Taking show horses’ temperatures daily for a week after returning home from competition is a good management practice to catch any potential illness early².

Want to know how to prevent HYPP attacks? AQHA’s FREE HYPP Survival Guide report teaches you how reducing stress for your horse can help manage attacks.

Simple biosecurity practices can also help protect horses that are traveling, as well as the remainder of the herd. Keep your facility and trailers clean and try to minimize insect populations, because they (as well as opossums, skunks and other critters) can all carry and transmit a disease agent². Practice good barn hygiene when you arrive at the destination facility and daily on the farm. Disinfect stalls prior to moving your horses in and do not use common water buckets or feed areas at event grounds. Other items that should not be shared include twitches, lip chains, halters or other items that may touch a horse’s eyes, nose or mouth.

Simple practices at home and on the road can help reduce stress on horses and help keep the whole herd healthy. The winter season can be an especially stressful time, as often horses that are traveling to winter venues are crossing back and forth between warm and cold climates, which can increase their risk of contracting infectious disease. Be sure to consult a veterinarian at any signs of illness.

All brands are the property of Pfizer Inc., its affiliates, and/or its licensors. ©2012 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved

^1. Marlin, David. Reducing Travel Stress for your Horse. July 23, 2009. Available at: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horse-care-index/1370/286681.html. Accessed on December 6, 2011.
^2. Corum, Stephanie. Creating a Horse Quarantine. TheHorse.com. September 12, 2011. Available at: http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=18815. Accessed on December 6, 2011.

A barrel-racing enthusiast becomes a believer.

Barrel racer Jessica Abel and her horse Flash N Frenchman prevent equine stomach ulcers caused by the stress of training and competing. Photo courtesy of Merial.

 From AQHA Corporate Partner Merial  

When barrel racer Jessica Abel of Holton, Kansas, tried to get her American Quarter Horse Flash N Frenchman ready for a run at the Lincoln Barrel Bash & Hawki Futurity, she was unpleasantly surprised. 

“When I went to saddle him before the race on Friday, he was extremely agitated and was kicking and biting at me. His behavior was completely out of character; he just is not that kind of horse,” she says. 

When Jessica shared his behavior and other clinical signs with her two veterinarians, they both made the presumptive diagnosis that Flash N Frenchman (also known as “Duke”) could be suffering from equine stomach ulcers. Because of the travel distance required to have Duke undergo a gastric endoscopic examination, both veterinarians advised Jessica to forego the diagnostic procedure and try treating Duke using Gastrogard (omeprazole), the only FDA-approved product for the treatment of equine stomach ulcers.¹ Read the rest of this entry »

Know the three A’s of EPM symptoms in horses.

In a neurological test, a normal horse can resist a pull on the tail. Journal photo.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis is a neurological disease caused by a tiny parasite. Opossums carry the parasite, and horses contract the disease by eating feed or drinking water contaminated by opossum feces.

The EPM symptoms in horses include the three A’s: Asymmetrical ataxia (incoordination) with or without muscle atrophy (degeneration).

EPM Symptoms in Horses

Signs of EPM vary from horse to horse, depending on where the protozoa attack the nervous system. Onset of the disease is most common in summer and fall months, and symptoms can develop slowly or present themselves within several days. They can range from mild to severe. Often the first indications are stiffness, asymmetrical gaits and cranial nerve deficits. Symptoms include ataxia (incoordination), spasticity (stiffness, abnormal gaits or lameness, muscle atrophy, paralysis, difficulty swallowing, head tilt, seizures and collapse, abnormal sweating, loss of sensation and poor balance). Incoordination and weakness are often exacerbated by going up or down slopes or movement when the head is elevated. Cranial nerves control function of the head, so if affected, the horse might have paralysis of the face, problems coordinating actions (chewing, dropping feed, etc.), swallowing or vocalizing.

“I’ve had people report that they noticed when the horse whinnied, it sounded different,” Dr. Kenton Morgan, an equine veterinary specialist for Pfizer Animal Health, says.

A horse suspected of having the disease should be inspected by a veterinarian as soon as possible. The first step is a general examination, followed by a neurological exam. The neurological exam includes assessing the cranial nerve function and working down the body to make sure the sensations are normal. Neurological deficiencies are scored from 0 (none) to 4 (obvious abnormalities). Cranial nerve checks include making sure the nerves that control eye dilation, blinking and the gag reflex work properly. Problems the vet might watch for in the neck include lack of flexibility or abnormal muscling. The vet will perform a panniculus reflex test, using a blunt object (such as a ballpoint pen) to press on the skin all the way down the backbone. A normal horse will twitch the skin, as if trying to rid himself of a fly. There are also gait assessments (known as proprioceptive tests) that include watching the horse back, circle and move on an incline. The examiner might also test the horse’s balance by pulling his tail while walking. If the horse loses his balance or is unable to resist the pull, this shows neurological damage. At a halt, the vet will also move one of the horse’s legs across his opposing leg to check the horse’s awareness of where his feet are (the horse should return the moved leg to its normal position within 30 seconds).

EPM is a devastating disease. Learn all you can about it and be prepared in case it happens to your horse. Let AQHA help with our FREE EPM report.

If there are signs of EPM, an owner might choose to start treatment without knowing for sure what it is. However, to confirm a diagnosis, a blood and cerebrospinal fluid analysis can be done on the horse. The blood test will only tell if the horse has been exposed to the protozoa, not if he has the disease. A spinal tap, however, will reveal if the protozoa has accessed the nervous system.

Studies estimate that only 40 percent of horses affected by the disease are able to recover fully, although according to Dr. Morgan, up to 60 percent are able to improve to some degree following treatment.

EPM Quick Symptoms Checklist

• Incoordination (ataxia): stiff, stilted movements (spasticity); abnormal gait or lameness.

• Incoordination and weakness that worsens when going up or down slopes or when the head is elevated.

• Muscle atrophy, most noticeable along the topline or in the large muscles of the hindquarters, but sometimes involving the muscles of the face or front limbs.

Since approximately 50 percent of U.S. horses have been exposed to the organism responsible for EPM, it is extremely important to know the signs of infection. Early detection and treatment are key to recovery. Download AQHA’s FREE EPM report to start protecting your horse.

• Paralysis of muscles of the eyes, face or front limbs.

• Difficulty swallowing.

• Seizures or collapse.

• Abnormal sweating.

• Loss of sensation along the face, neck or body.

• Head tilt with poor balance; horse may assume a splay-footed stance or lean against stall walls for support.

It’s a standard procedure to pull the wolf teeth in a riding horse.

This diagram shows the location of wolf teeth. Journal illustration.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

They say they are annoying to the horse.

They cause bitting problems.

They are not needed.

They need to be pulled.

These are the comments from trainer who routinely have wolf teeth pulled from riding horses.

“As a general rule, I recommend that  wolf teeth be pulled on all horses, and I would especially advise doing so on performance horses and racehorses,” says equine practitioner and reining horse competitor Dr. Tim Bartlett of Vincennes, Indiana. “It’s one less problem to worry about, and there is no purpose for them.” Read the rest of this entry »

Some products just don’t make “cents.”

Stress often triggers ulcers, which can develop very quickly. Journal illustration.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Merial

Dr. Kevin Keane of Sports Medicine Associates of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, has a list of clients that ranges from hall of fame race horse trainers to Olympic-level riders in multiple disciplines. As veterinarian to these top horsemen and women, he also sees horses involved in every level of competition and training and knows from experience that all of them can be prone to developing equine stomach ulcers.^{1 Read the rest of this entry »}

Not all foals are born with straight legs.

This diagram illustrates the carpal region when viewed from the front of the horse. Journal illustration.

By Dr. Susan M. Stover in The American Quarter Horse Journal

Crooked legs often worry a breeder or owner.

Many times, these irregularities end up being temporary and correct themselves, but sometimes, therapy must be taken early on to correct a more serious irregularity. Read the rest of this entry »

Quarter Horse enthusiast named Merial Stay on Guard spokeswoman.

Lyndsey Tait and Skys Blue Star stay on guard. Merial photo.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Merial

Lyndsey Tait and her American Quarter Horse Skys Blue Star have been together since he was a yearling and she was just 13.

During the decade since the two became partners, they have developed a rare and special bond. Lyndsey, even though she was so young, was the first one to ride Sky. She could also go into his stall while he was napping, and the big gray simply continued to doze with Lyndsey sitting on top of him. Read the rest of this entry »

Help your horse stay healthy in colder temperatures.

Horse owners and managers need to pay close attention to their horses’ body condition, particularly as temperatures drop. Journal photo.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Pfizer

Maintaining a healthy horse through rigorous show schedules and mosquito season can be difficult.

However, adding in winter elements such as cooler temperatures, snow and ice can present a whole new set of challenges. Read the rest of this entry »

Have a plan before disaster strikes your barn.

If the pasture has good fencing and limited trees, it is probably best to leave the horses outside during a natural disaster. Journal photo.

By Dr. Dana N. Zimmel, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, for the American Association of Equine Practitioners
 

Hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and fire are the most common natural disasters in the state of Florida. 

Large animals were killed during 1992’s Hurricane Andrew by collapsing barns, electrocution, kidney failure secondary to dehydration and being hit and killed on roadways or tangled in barbed wire after escaping from their pasture. Read the rest of this entry »

Is your mare getting the care she needs to produce a healthy, happy foal?

Are your broodmares ready for foaling season? Journal photo.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Pfizer

Many American Quarter Horse mares are now pregnant and waiting for the spring foaling season.

The goal of any breeder is to keep the mare healthy throughout the pregnancy and then deliver a normal, vivacious foal. Read the rest of this entry »