Volume 20 • Number 4 www.horse-journal.

com April 2013

Collar or No Collar?
The Cribbing Controversy

Drifting Over
Jumps
Diagnostic
Tools
Budget Crunching, Feeding Garlic,
Oleander Poisoning and more . . .
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Volume 20 • Number 4 www.horse-journal.com April 2013

Around The Barn:

The Cribbing Controversy
It’s not a compulsion. It’s actually meeting a physical need.

C
all it what you want—crib-
bing, crib-biting or wind-suck-
ing—we all know it when we
see it or hear it. The horse latches
onto a horizontal surface with his
front teeth, arches his neck, and
makes a grunting sound while pull-
ing back. Afflicting an estimated 5
to 10% of horses, you’re bound to
see one sooner or later.
Cribbing is often grouped with
other stereotypic behaviors, in-
cluding weaving, stall walking,
self-mutilation and wood chewing.
However, many animal behaviorists
now believe cribbing is more of a
“functional” habit, meaning it meets
a physiological need of the horse.
So what causes cribbing? Most
people believe it’s due to boredom
or mimicry (picking up the habit
from watching another horse do it).
Wrong! Both have been ruled out In some cases, cribbing horses do less damage than actual wood chewers.
by researchers as primary causes.
Exceptions are rare. The more likely MANAGEMENT. It’s unlikely that Common denominators are high-
possible causes are management, any two people maintain their sugar “sweet” feeds composing a
ulcers and heredity. horses in exactly the same manner, large portion of the horse’s diet,
so it’s difficult to isolate a single limited roughage, and long periods
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE component that would trigger crib- with no available feed.
bing. However, researchers agree
2 Editorial that feeding has a lot to do with it. continued on page 3

6 Diagnostic Tools
9 Safety Thought
Consider This . . .
■ Cribbing differs from wood chewing. When a horse cribs,
10 Drifting Over Jumps
he actually grabs the surface and arches his neck. When
12 Budget Crunching he chews wood, he, well, just nibbles or bites the wood.
13 Ask Horse
Journal, Moldy Hay ■ Most horses begin cribbing before the age of 5, so the
proper management of young horses is critical.
14 Feeding Garlic
15 Oleander Poisoning ■ Horses have stopped or greatly lessened their
16 Commentary cribbing, purely with barn management changes.

Editor-in-Chief
Cynthia Foley
Associate Editor
Margaret Freeman
Performance Editor
John Strassburger
Contributing Veterinary Editors
Deb M. Eldredge, DVM,
Grant Miller, DVM
Contributing Farrier Editors
Lee Foley, Steve Kraus, CJF
Contributing Nutrition Editor
Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.
Contributing Writers
Beth Benard, Nancy Butler,
Beth Hyman, Susan Quinn, Esq.
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Horse Journal™ makes every effort to pro-
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however, to replace diagnosis or treat-
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ers should always consult qualified health
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treatment.
Efrem Zimbalist III CHAIRMAN AND CEO
Andrew W. Clurman PRESIDENT AND COO
Brian Sellstrom SENIOR VP AND CFO
Patricia B. Fox SENIOR VP OPERATIONS
EDITORIAL
Editorial:
We Need Our Horse Councils
It’s never been more critical.
F
or many of us, the American AHC membership begins at just
Horse Council (www.horsecoun- $25 per year, and you get a lot for the
cil.org) is an organization we money, including some commercial
know exists. But thatÕs about it. Many discounts.
donÕt even realize there are state horse At the state level, IÕve been amazed at
councils, too. And thatÕs too bad. The the brilliant ideas underway. The Ken-
American Horse Council (AHC) is an tucky Horse Council promotes how to
incredible organization, and many state recognize horse abuse and abandoned
groups are pretty amazing as well. horses and what to do about it: Visit:
One of the most important efforts http://www.kentuckyhorse.org/report-
the AHC makes is through its division ing/ to learn about it. (Yes, people
called the ÒUnwanted Horse Coali- actually turn horses loose in the wild,
tion,Ó which focuses on the welfare and humming ÒBorn Free.Ó)
safety of homeless horses. Its primary The Virginia Horse Council (www.vir-
goal is to educate would-be horse own- giniahorsecouncil.org) offers the ÒRide
ers before they plunk down $500 to Alert 24/7 Emergency Identification
purchase a horse they actually canÕt Support ServiceÓ as part of its mem-
affordÑa horse that then often ends up bership package. It gives you a unique
falling on bad times. As the old say- wristband ID Device, which is recorded
ing goes, ÒStop whining that you canÕt with the Ride Alert 24/7 Emergency
save enough money to buy a horse. If Support Team (www.ridealert.us).
you canÕt buy a horse, you sure as heck Like many state groups, the Iowa
canÕt afford to care for it.Ó Horse Council (www.iowahorsecoun-
The AIM Equine NetworkÑof which cil.org) is working on keeping horse
Horse Journal is partÑbegan its ÒA trails available. (Parents, they also offer
Home For Every HorseÓ program in a scholarship program!)
partnership with the AHCÕs Unwanted I will tell you that not all the state
Horse Coalition. You can visit www. councils I investigated were impres-
equine.com and click on the ÒRescueÓ sive. If your stateÕs group is one of
tab to see the astonishing number of those, maybe it would be worth your
wonderful horses looking for a perma- time to get involved and revive it. ItÕs
nent home. But, IÕm warning you, itÕll more important than ever to support
tear your heart out. these organizations to keep
If youÕre a horse business, trails open, equine laws fair and
you should be aware of what to protect horses.
the American Horse Council
does for us legislatively, with
issues like horseback riding in
parks, taxes and equine busi-
nesses, liability and insurance Cynthia Foley
laws, even USDA rules. Editor-in-Chief
The goal of Horse Journal is to provide practical solutions and hands-on information our readers
can take into the barn and use. We work to make bottom-line recommendations on products we
believe will best serve our readers while standing firm with a back-to-the-basics philosophy on
training, nutrition and horse care. We base our evaluations on field trials, research and experience.
Horse Journal does not accept commercial advertising.
Are you missing out on the online fun at www.horse-journal.com?
Keep up with the informative weekly blogs from our Horse Journal editors.
Sign up for our free monthly newsletter.
facebook.com/horsejournal
2 Horse Journal April 2013

continued from page 1
When cribbers are fed a “sweet-
ened feed” (pellets are usually
bound together with molasses), they
crib 30% of the day vs. 16% of the
day when fed plain oats as their
grain concentrate. Sweets, even
apples and carrots, trigger cribbing
so reliably they’re used to test drug
efficacy for cribbing reduction.
The lack of forage also has an im-
pact on the frequency of cribbing.
Research in the United Kingdom
demonstrated feeding grain caused
the study horses to increase their
cribbing behavior from a baseline of
11 cribbings in 5 minutes to 24 crib-
bings in 5 minutes and the duration
of this elevation was 40 minutes.
After being fed forage, cribbing fell
to 5 attempts in 5 minutes and the
decrease lasted for 50 minutes.
Foals fed a concentrate after wean-
ing are four times more likely to be-
come cribbers than foals fed forage
only. So, if you want the recipe to
produce a cribber, it’s: early wean-
ing, a high concentrate/low forage
diet, infrequent feedings, social
isolation and a stall environment.
ULCERS. Since the advent of
endoscopy for horses, the link
between ulcers and cribbing has
strengthened, but no one will state
unequivocally that one causes the
other. Many horses with ulcers
don’t crib, and some cribbers don’t
have ulcers.
We know foals who crib have
more serious stomach ulceration
than foals that don’t. We also know
that cribbing stimulates the vagus
nerve, which increases stomach pH.
And we know a cribber’s motiva-
tion to crib is equal to his motiva-
tion to eat.
There is a widely held apocryphal
belief that cribbing releases saliva
that then buffers stomach acid.
One small study (two horses with
cannulated parotid glands) demon-
strated the opposite: after 20 crib-
bing efforts, only 1 ml (5 ml = 1 tsp.)
of saliva was produced; by compari-
son, 31 ml of saliva was produced
while consuming 200 grams of
grain. It has been found, however,
that cribbers have a lower baseline
level of saliva than non-cribbers.
Horse Journal
AROUND THE BARN
The Story of Three Cribbers
Over many years of breeding,
I produced three cribbers,
Robo, Len and Nasdaq, repre-
senting 8% of my foals. None
had parents that cribbed,
although all three had a
grandsire that did. (Robo and
Len were full brothers. None
of the other eight full siblings
from that cross cribbed.)
Robo and Len were fed a Note what a gentle grip Len has on the wood.
molasses-based, foal-specific
grain at weaning. Nasdaq got Triple Crown Lite. (I’d gotten smarter by
then.) They all had free-choice hay.
All three were initially maintained as stallions for possible breeding
use. Although they received dawn-to-dusk turnout on good pasture,
Robo and Len’s only social contacts, starting as yearlings, were across-
the-fence interactions. Nasdaq was turned out with young geldings.
All three began cribbing around age 4½. Robo started after he was
sold and boarded at a facility with a two feedings/day regimen and a
small dirt paddock. Len began cribbing when his turnout time was cut
in half, in spite of generous hay and six hours on pasture.
Nasdaq began during a brutal winter, even though he was hayed four
times per day. He was immediately placed in a cribbing strap. When
the strap came off six months later, he resumed infrequent cribbing—
but ONLY when outside. Interestingly, all three started cribbing about
5 months after being gelded.
After successful careers, both Robo and Len retired here. Robo was
ulcer-prone during his 17 years of competition and had two minor
impaction colics in his entire life. He’s now 25. Len, 21, is susceptible
to gas colic if fed coarse hay. They aren’t restricted from cribbing,
although there is angle iron on their stalls to prevent damage. Other
than the dental wear, both are healthy. They rarely crib on pasture
during grazing, but cribbing ramps up again throughout the winter.
Beth Benard, Contributing Writer
Success With Time
I believe that much of a cribber’s problem is due to ulcers com-
bined with the environmental stress of not being allowed to live
like a horse. With the cribber in our family, we decided to imple-
ment strict management changes. He was given maximum turn-
out in a healthy pasture with a variety of grasses. Forage was fed
free-choice and available 24/7, nutrition was optimal, with no sweet
feeds, cereal grains, or sweet treats. He did not wear a cribbing
collar, nor did we use any paints or other crutches. We made sure
he enjoyed socializing with other horses, with plenty of room to
roam, and received regular exercise. His attempts at cribbing were
ignored. It took nearly three years of incredible patience to finally
say he had stopped cribbing, but it was worth every bit of effort.
Dr. Juliet Getty, Nutrition Editor
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m April 2013 3
AROUND THE BARN

To Crib or Not To Crib

Few horses ever completely stop cribbing once
they have the habit. The need to crib is physi-
ological. For that reason, a growing segment of
experts believe horses are better off cribbing
when they feel the “need” and that not being able
to crib only makes things worse.
If you decide to let him crib freely, you still need
to help him kick the habit. Stick rigidly to maxi-
mum turnout on grass, socialization with other
horses, exercise, and no sweets. It could take a
year or more to lessen, and you still may see it
sometimes even after that, but it should become The Dare Collar.
less frequent. (Winter is particularly difficult.)
If you can’t make these changes and don’t want
to allow him to crib, there are commercial op-
tions. However, the paints, vile concoctions, and
noxious sprays we’ve painted on potential crib-
bing surfaces were mostly a waste of time and
money. A desperate horse will crib on his own
knee if necessary.
Electric fences help outdoors, but you shouldn’t
use that in a stall. You’ll just make him more
stressed and desperate to crib. There are surger-
ies to make the horse physically unable to crib,
but we find them ethically questionable.
Anti-cribbing muzzles work but can get expen- The Miracle Collar.
sive. A study done at Cornell demonstrated hors-
es apply an average of 30 kg of force every time they crib. Your muzzled horse will still try to crib, and the force
he puts on the muzzle will eventually bend it. (Grazing muzzles aren’t suitable, as the hole rapidly enlarges.)
Our advice—if you can’t let him go “cold turkey” because of colic concerns or barn rules or something else—is
an anti-cribbing collar, although you still should make those important management changes.

Anti-Cribbing Collars Horse Journal Editor’s Choice

Device Cost Comments

Barclay anti-cribbing collar $157- This emits a low voltage charge whenever the horse attempts to crib. The manufacturer claims it’s no
www.barclayscollar.com $210 stronger than the shock from static electricity or a “bug zapper.” The website also offers instruction
(located in Australia) for adding additional wiring to the sides of the strap if the basic set-up is not effective. It comes with
Best Choices

nylon sides for $157 or with stainless steel/leather sides for $210, which includes shipping.

Dare Cribbing Collar $75 This is a single leather strap with a rectangular box-like attachment at the throat that presses into the
www.schutzbrothers.com horse’s airway when he attempts to crib. Because of the placement of the leather-covered box, this
800-348-0576 collar does not need to be attached as tightly as regular collars.

Weaver Miracle Collar $45 This has two straps—the usual one at the throatlatch, and another across the horse’s brow in front of
his ears. Both straps hold a leather-covered metal throat plate in place. Available in several sizes and
www.weaverleather.com
800-932-8371 with an optional fleece covering. This collar is widely considered to be effective.

Equipe Cribbing Strap $200 Uses two straps, one across the horse’s brow in front of his ears and the other behind the ears. Comes
www.laselleria.com fully lined with natural sheepskin for comfort.
Contact your retailer.

French Cribbing Strap. Generic $30 This thick leather strap has a steel plate at the throat area and needs to be applied quite snugly to be
design. Contact your retailer. effective. We prefer other designs.

Nutcracker style collar. Generic $25 This has uncovered, hinged metal at the throat with a single strap. The strap is designed to prevent
design. Contact your retailer. the horse from completing the throat and neck motions necessary to crib. We prefer other designs.

4 Horse Journal w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m April 2013


Administering antacids to crib-
bers does raise the pH of the
stomach (making it less acidic), but
it doesn’t reduce the frequency of
cribbing. According to a spokes-
person at Merial, the company that
makes the ulcer medicine Gastro-
Gard, no studies have been done
to determine the efficacy of their
product on reducing cribbing.
Cribbing may be the horse’s at-
tempt to release saliva—particular-
ly in the absence of roughage—but
the amount of time spent cribbing
can interfere with roughage intake
when it is available, causing in-
creased ulceration and weight loss.
HEREDITY. There seems to be
little doubt among researchers that
cribbing has a heritable component.
Among breeds, Thoroughbreds hold
the distinction of having the largest
population of cribbers (8.3 to 10%).
However, don’t blame racing. Stan-
dardbreds, which undergo similar
training, feeding and housing regi-
men, have a much lower incidence.
Several studies have confirmed
a high incidence of cribbing in
dressage horses. This discipline
includes many warmbloods, who,
by definition, trace back to Thor-
oughbreds. School, pleasure and
endurance horses have the lowest
reported pools of cribbers.
No one has yet documented the
method of inheritance. It does ap-
pear to be somewhat genetic, and
we know it skips generations. Nev-
ertheless, we can’t state strongly
enough that cribbers should never
be bred, regardless of their confor-
mation or potential.
BOTTOM LINE. If you have a crib-
ber, make every effort to keep forage
or pasture available at all times, us-
ing “slow feeders.” Toss out all the
“sweet” feeds and treats. Check for
ulcers, and maximize turnout on
quality pasture with good buddies.
Cribbing is still a controversial
topic, as there truly is no one cor-
rect answer. That said, experts
agree that whether you use a collar
or choose not to, you still owe it to
your horse to make those critical
management changes.
Article by Contributing Writer Beth
Benard.
Horse Journal
AROUND THE BARN
Should You Buy A Cribber?
Most people hold strong opinions about cribbing. But, surprisingly,
some with direct experience with cribbers respond more favorably to
them. One survey revealed people who have owned them in the past
would not be put off purchasing or caring for another cribber.
Years ago, thee-day event legend Denny Emerson asked famous
riders to name the horse they would choose to ride “if their life de-
pended on it.” He then asked what the horses themselves were like.
Almost to a person, the riders described the horses as “tough,” “dif-
ficult” and “tense.” And most of them were cribbers.
Great horses are not often easy horses. They have big egos and idio-
syncrasies and quirks and foibles. Horses of a lifetime do exist, but
only for riders so skillful, tactful and courageous that they can unlock
and then reveal the brilliance of their equine partners,” Emerson
concluded. So, weigh the purchase of a horse who cribs carefully, but
consider this: If you change his life, he might just change yours.
Cribbing and Your Horse’s Health
Science has confirmed at least one old-time cribbing belief: Cribbers
are prone to colic, making them largely uninsurable due to their high
risk of mortality.
But gas colic isn’t the prob-
lem, as the horse doesn’t
swallow air. In fact, it’s the
release of air from the back
of the throat that causes
the distinctive cribbing
grunt. Researchers claim
a horse swallows air after
cribbing only when he cribs
while eating. No study has
proven cribbers are more
likely to have gas colic than
any other horse.
There may, however, be an Note the wear on this 25-year-old cribber’s teeth.
increased occurrence of im-
paction colic. When horses are prevented from cribbing by whatever
means, gastric motility decreases, setting up an environment ripe for
both ulcers and impaction.
The most serious colic associated with cribbers is called epiploic
foramen entrapment (EFE). This is the most common cause of small
intestine strangulation, a surgical emergency. Cribbers are 10 times
more likely to have EFE than non-cribbers. Even with timely surgical
intervention, only 78% of these horses survive to discharge, and only
34% are alive 2 years later.
Cribbing can also cause mechanical damage to the horse, including
abnormal muscular development and stylo-hyoid osteoarthritis of the
horse’s jaw, both of which can make bitting a challenge. Dental wear
is an obvious complication, with unusual wear patterns on the inci-
sors. Few horses progress to the point where they are unable to graze,
however, and the grinding teeth—the molars—are unaffected.
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m April 2013 5
VETERINARY CARE
Veterinary Care:
Veterinary Diagnostic Tools
Your understanding of the pros and cons of
these high-tech devices may save you money.
H
ave you ever gotten lost in
the conversation with your
veterinarian when he or she
mentions the need to “do a nuke
scan” or “ultrasound” on your
horse? Incredibly, some owners
don’t even ask why a certain diag-
nostic procedure is needed.
On the flip side of the coin, veteri-
narians often gloss over diagnostic
terms, thinking you already under-
stand them. You should always ask
your vet about anything you’re not
sure about, but sometimes you need
at least a little knowledge to even
ask a question.
RADIOGRAPHY. Out of all the
diagnostic modalities, the “x-ray,”
aka radiography, is the most well-
known. However, veterinarians
rarely use the term “x-ray” because
that term only refers to the radio-
active beam taking the picture.
Radiographs refer to the actual
photograph of the body part.
To take a radiograph, the horse
must hold still. In many cases,
the veterinarian will sedate the
horse in order to achieve the level
Digital radiographs being taken of a horse’s neck.
6 Horse Journal
Digital radiography provides high detail
real-time images of bones. They enable
vets to find problems such as the one in this
hock joint (circled) right on the farm.
of cooperation needed to take the
pictures. By sedating the horse, the
veterinarian and expensive equip-
ment are safer, and everyone will
be exposed to less radiation because
pesky “retakes” can be avoided.
And your pocketbook will benefit,
too, as vets charge for each shot.
Veterinarians will commonly take
radiographs first when
trying to determine lame-
ness. This is because
most equine lameness
cases are bone/joint-relat-
ed, making radiography a
handy on-the-farm tool.
Radiology Reality:
• Because many veteri-
narians get into a routine,
they can sometimes
forget to ask you if you’re
pregnant before taking
radiographs. If you’re
pregnant or even could
be, speak up and let the
veterinarian know!
• Digital radiography is
widely considered to be
superior to conventional
analog films. With digi-
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m
tal radiography, the plate transmits
an image to a laptop computer right
there on the farm. Advantages
include: Superior image quality and
the instant ability to retake a shot if
it didn’t turn out well.
• With the advent of digital tech-
nology, the price of radiographs has
increased significantly. Not much
more to say about that. We all just
have to grin and bear it.
• When taking radiographs, it’s
wise to wear lead shielding if
possible (it’s a necessity if you’re
pregnant). Examples of protective
equipment include aprons, gloves
and thyroid shields. If you aren’t
assisting, stand at least 10 feet away
while the images are being taken in
order to minimize “scatter” radia-
tion exposure.
• Although radiographs primarily
look at bone, they can be used to
detect masses in the head as well.
• The “field units” that veteri-
narians bring to the farm are only
powerful enough to look at legs and
feet, the head and neck, and the
withers. Other body parts like the
backbone, the thorax (heart and
lungs) and the abdomen (liver, kid-
neys, spleen, etc.) can only be im-
aged by a powerful wall-mounted
unit found in equine hospitals.
• Even wall-mounted units can’t
generate a beam powerful enough
to penetrate through the hips and
pelvis of a standing horse, however.
• Sometimes, to look at the bones
in the foot, the horse’s shoe will
have to come off. Grin and bear it.
ULTRASOUND. The ultrasound
(or “sonogram”) is the second most
common diagnostic tool used
in equine practice. Ultrasound
machines are digital and com-
pact—often smaller than a laptop
computer! They’re used to look at
soft-tissue structures in most in-
stances. Examples include tendons
and ligaments, eyes, the heart, lung
surfaces, internal organs, and the
ovaries and fetus.
Ultrasound is a dynamic diag-
nostic modality, as it’s more like
a video than a photograph. It can
evaluate how the heart beats, and
even watch direction of blood flow
continued on page 8
April 2013
 VETERINARY CARE

How Do These Diagnostic Devices Work?

Radiography/X-ray: The radiograph image is generated when an imaging plate is placed on one side of the
body part, and the X-ray machine is pointed at it from the other side. When the veterinarian pushes the but-
ton to take the image, a radioactive beam is shot out from the x-ray machine, through the body part, and the
image is captured on the plate.
Ultrasounds: The head of an ultrasound probe has crystals in it that vibrate. When they vibrate, they cause
sound to be released. That sound is directed into the tissue that is being examined. It then bounces off the
tissue and comes back to the probe head. The crystals are then able to measure the time and intensity at
which the sound returns, and then translate that into an image on the computer screen. In a way, it is kind of
like whales and dolphins using sonar in the dark of the ocean to let them know what is around them.
CT Scan/Cat Scan: A CT machine looks somewhat like a gigantic donut with a diving board in the middle. CT
scanning requires the horse to be down, flat out, and under general anesthesia. When scanning the head and
neck, the horse is on his back with his chin outstretched. When looking at a limb, he’s on his side. The ma-
chine works in a similar manner to radiography in the sense that it utilizes ionizing radiation to penetrate and
“photograph” the body tissues. Inside the donut is a camera and a digital “film cassette.” It rotates around the
patient and takes thousands of images in seconds. Those images are all pieced together by a computer to get
a comprehensive 360° characterization of the body part.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging/MRI: MRI works by creating a strong magnetic field when electricity is
passed through wire loops (hence, a magnet). While this is happening, other coils in the magnet send and
receive radio waves. This triggers protons in the body to align themselves. Once aligned, radio waves are
absorbed by the protons, which stimulate spinning. Energy is released after “exciting” the molecules, which in
turn emits energy signals that are picked up by the coil. This information is then sent to a computer that pro-
cesses all the signals and translates them into an image. The final product is a 3-D image representation of the
area being examined. It creates an incredibly accurate and detailed depiction of the body tissue.
Nuclear Scintigraphy: Nuclear scintigraphy utilizes a gamma camera that picks up on gamma radiation
that leaves the body after a special radioactive dye is injected into the horse’s bloodstream. The camera has
crystals in it that scintillate (glow) when they’re struck by gamma photons that a horse emits from its tissues.
The idea is that inflamed tissue will absorb more radioactive dye from the blood. In the end, when the horse is
scanned, areas of inflammation light up as hot spots on the image. Although the images are somewhat crude,
they’re very effective in illuminating areas of inflammation in both soft tissue and in bone.
Thermal Camera: A thermal camera basically looks like a video camera. But, when the thermographer looks
at the horse through the camera, he or she sees light being emitted from the horse in the infrared region of
the light spectrum. Infrared light isn’t reflected but rather emitted from objects. In other words, it’s heat. That
heat, or inflammation, shows up as emitting more light (aka hotter).

Name Slang Terms Primary Use Secondary Use Parts of Body Location Ballpark Cost

Radiography X-Ray Looks at bones, especially Can see masses in the Head, neck, withers, Farm or Depends, but it can run
the legs and feet. sinus and brain. legs and feet. hospital. $500 to $800.

Ultrasound Sonogram Looks at soft-tissue Reproduction, thoracic Just about anywhere Farm or Usually $300 to $500.
musculoskeletal structures and abdominal organs in the body. hospital.
like tendons and ligaments. and rim of pelvis, neck
and spine.

Computed CT Scan or High quality image of Moderate detail for Head, first part of Hospital Usually $2,000 to
Tomography CAT Scan bones (legs, head, and first soft-tissue imaging (legs, neck, and legs. only. $3,000.
few neck vertebrae). head, first few vertebrae).

Magnetic MRI Very high quality detailed Moderate detail quality Depending on system, Hospital Usually $1,500 to
Resonance imaging of soft tissue. for imaging bone. limted to knee down only. $3,000.
Imaging or pastern down.

Nuclear Nuclear Scan, To find inflammation None. Anywhere in the body. Hospital Usually $2,000 to
Scintigraphy “Nuke Scan,” only. $3,000.
Gamma
Camera

Thermal Thermal Scan To look for inflammation by None. Anywhere in the body. Farm or Usually runs between
Camera tissue temperature. hospital. $150 and $250.

Horse Journal w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m April 2013 

VETERINARY CARE
continued from page 6
with technology called “color dop-
pler.” One of our favorite uses of
ultrasound is seeing the heartbeat
of a neonatal foal!
Ultrasound Pointers:
• Rectal ultrasound (as performed
routinely in breeding practices)
comes with risk. When the vet-
erinarian gently slides his or her
arm inside the rectum, there’s a
risk of tearing the rectal wall. In
most cases, this is fatal to the horse.
Again, sedation can help reduce the
likelihood of a tear because it will
relax the mare and stop her from
straining against the veterinarian.
• Ultrasound isn’t as easy as it
looks. If the probe isn’t held cor-
rectly, it can make the image on
the screen look like it is damaged.
With just a slight change in angle,
the image can change dramati-
cally. Therefore, looking at soft-tis-
sue structures from several beam
angles is essential to ruling an
injury in or out.
• While some ultrasound ma-
chines can image soft-tissue struc-
tures through hair soaked with
rubbing alcohol, superior imagery is
achieved when the hair is clipped.
• Diagnostic ultrasound (low-
intensity sound waves) is often
times confused with therapeutic
ultrasound (aka “acoustic shock-
wave”), which is a high-intensity
wave emission (more on therapeutic
ultrasound in an upcoming issue).
The two are quite different. Diag-
nostic ultrasound has no therapeu-
tic capabilities whatsoever.
• We commonly use ultrasound
to diagnose tendon or ligament
injuries in the leg and foot. Keep
in mind that waiting to ultrasound
an injury until seven or more days
after it occurs may be beneficial in
terms of the information that you
can gather. If you have a horse with
a swollen leg, the veterinarian
will likely have you ice the
leg, give the horse NSAIDS,
put a wrap on it, and have the
horse stand still in a stall until
it gets under control. If the
swollen limb is ultrasounded
right away, you’re likely to see
the injury. However, if you
wait about a week, you’re more An MRI image of a horse’s foot.
 Horse Journal w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m April 2013
likely to have an accurate diagno-
sis of the severity of the injury.
In other words, a soft-tissue in-
jury can look mild on ultrasound
on day 1, but if you come back a
week later and look again, it can
look much more severe. This is
important because the extent of
the injury often will determine
the course of treatment.
CompuTEd TomogRAphY.
This diagnostic method can be
thought of as “3D Radiographs on
Steroids.” Sometimes known as a
“CT” or “Cat Scan,” this imaging
system looks in high detail at bone.
It can be used to assess bone in a
three-dimensional aspect, such as
with a catastrophic injury to a joint.
CT scanning requires the horse to
be unconscious and flat out under
general anesthesia. Some equine
hospitals use CT guidance when
performing intricate procedures
such as injecting stem cells into the
foot or into a small tendon or liga-
ment. It’s also used frequently on
horses with dental issues. The CT
scan helps veterinarians determine
which teeth are involved and the
extent of the issue.
CT Bites:
• There is a risk in anesthetiz-
ing the horse (albeit a small one).
There are also risks associated with
horses waking up from anesthesia
(injuries, etc.).
• Sometimes the veterinarians
will use a contrast dye to enhance
an image. The dyes are either
injected into a joint or into the
bloodstream. They’re generally safe.
(Always check to see if your insur-
ance will cover a CT scan. Some
do. See October 2012 issue for more
information.)
mAgNETIC REsoNANCE ImAg-
INg. This diagnostic tool, fre-
quently termed “MRI,” provides an
A CT image of a horse’s foot.
incredibly high level of detail when
looking at soft tissue and slightly
less detail when looking at bone.
It is commonly used to identify
soft-tissue injuries inside the hoof
capsule.
MRI is performed in a hospital set-
ting, although we’re seeing mobile
MRI clinics in the form of a semi-
truck and trailer popping up. MRI
can be performed in a heavily se-
dated standing horse, or in a horse
that is under general anesthesia and
lying down.
Some controversy exists as to
which method and machine is more
accurate. Either way, MRI provides
the veterinarian with an incred-
ibly accurate depiction of the body
tissue.
MRI Tips:
• It doesn’t involve any radiation
like CT scan or radiographs.
• The horse can’t have any metal
on or in the body part being exam-
ined. Horses with screws and/or
plates in a pastern for instance,
can’t have that pastern put into an
MRI machine. Similarly, all shoes
must be off.
• In order for an MRI to be accu-
rate, the horse must be completely
still. As mentioned, some machines
are set up for the horse to be com-
pletely knocked out and laying
down under general anesthesia.
Other machines allow the horse
to stand. But be prepared! The
amount of sedation to get the
horse to stand completely still
can be significant.
• Sometimes veterinarians
will inject the horse with a
contrast medium (a dye for lack
of a better term) in order to en-
hance the imaging capabilities
of the MRI. Very few adverse
reactions in horses have been
 VETERINARY CARE

reported. (Check to see if your in-
surance will pay for an MRI.)
NUCLEAR SCINTIGRAPHY. Hors-
es that have lameness coming from
multiple locations, or lameness
coming from “who knows where”
often end up in front of a Gamma
Camera (also known as Nuke/Nuc
Scanning). With this tool, a horse
is injected with a radioactive dye.
During exact time intervals, a spe-
cial gamma camera is then used to
take photographs of the horse.
Gamma cameras pick up on gam-
ma radiation that leaves the body
after a special radioactive dye is in-
jected into the horse’s bloodstream.
The general idea is that inflamed
tissue will have a more dramatic or
energetic release of gamma radia-
tion due to an increased metabo-
lism that will absorb more radioac-
tive dye from the blood. Areas of
inflammation light up as hot spots
on the image.
For horses with back and spine
pain, or pain coming from the pel-
vic region, nuclear scanning can be
useful. If a horse has poly-arthritis
(inflammation in multiple joints),
nuclear scanning does a good job at
determining which “wheels are the
squeakiest.”
Scintigraphy can be performed
with the horse standing, but the
horse is heavily sedated in order
to achieve stillness. Scintigraphy
is only performed in a hospital
setting, and health regulations
require that the horse remain in the
hospital for a period of time (like
24 hours) after the scan in order to
void all of the radioactive dye from
its body via urination.
Nuclear Scintigraphy Pointers:
• It can find inflammation only.
We all know that pain is associated
with inflammation, so if a nuclear
scan finds “hot spots,” those are
likely sources of pain. But not all
pain is due to inflammation. For
instance, nerves can be irritated or
impinged with no accompanying
inflammation. So, even if the scan
comes out clean, it doesn’t neces-
sarily mean your horse is pain-free.
• The radioactive isotope dye is
safe to inject. Side effects are rarely
reported.
• A lot of horse owners decide to
“go for gusto” and get whole-body
nuclear scans performed when
their horse may really only be lame
in one part of the body.
In most of these cases, the horse
is insured, and the insurance is
paying for the scan. OK, but we
advise you to think long and hard
about “full body scans” and only do
them when necessary. Reason: If
the insurance company gets a full
body scan that shows 15 areas of
significant inflammation, don’t be
surprised if those areas get written
out of your renewal contract. They
count as “pre-existing conditions”
whether they are clinically bother-
ing your horse or not.
THERMAL CAMERA. It’s easy to
confuse nuclear scintigraphy with
a thermal camera, probably because
they both help to locate inflamma-
tion. The similarities stop there,
however.
Scintigraphy is performed in a
hospital and involves a highly tech-
nical photograph of the horse after
he has been injected with radioac-
tive dye. A thermal camera, on the
other hand, can be used right on
the farm and doesn’t involve any
injected substances.
Animals emit infrared light radia-
tion as a result of normal physi-
ological processes. Because tissue
metabolism speeds up in inflamed
areas, they show up through the
thermal camera as an area that is
emitting more light (aka hotter)
than others when a horse is being
viewed through the camera. There-
fore, a thermal camera can be use-
ful for evaluating inflamed areas.
Thermography Facts:
• As promising as this diagnostic
modality sounds, it has many cave-
ats. For instance, the horse needs
to be trotted for about 10 minutes
in order for the camera to “see”
inflamed areas more clearly. Also,
a thermal image can be heavily
influenced by ambient temperature.
Therefore, imaging needs to be
done in a relatively narrow tem-
perature range.
• There are dozens of thermal
imaging systems on the market, at
many different price points. How-
ever, it’s the interpretation of the
results that makes a difference in
your horse’s health. This practice
shouldn’t be performed without
veterinary supervision.
• Thermal cameras give owners a
hint about possible problem areas
in their horses, but they aren’t a
final diagnostic tool. Rather, they
may help to confirm or refute clini-
cal findings in a horse and serve
as a precursor to other advanced
diagnostics.
Article by Contributing Veterinary
Editor Grant Miller, DVM.

Safety Thought:
Don’t Get Tripped Up
Spurs are for when you’re riding only.

O
nce you’re done riding for the day, even if you keep on your heeled
boots, be sure to remove your spurs, especially if they are long-
shanked ones. It’s too easy to trip over your own feet while wearing
spurs. Don’t even think about climbing the stairs or a ladder into the loft
while wearing spurs. The same goes for longeing, where you can not only
trip making a tight turn, but it is easy for the end of the line to get caught
on the spur (although it shouldn’t drop that low to begin with).

Horse Journal w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m April 2013 9

PERFORMANCE

Performance: lean toward his “good” leg, endeav-

oring to get his less sore leg down

Straightness Is Critical
to the ground first, to alleviate the
force of landing.
If the horse has always exhibited a

When You’re Airborne drift, then he’s most likely demon-

strating a long-standing weakness.
The source of this weakness can be
benign (a young horse is simply left-
These exercises teach your horse not to drift. or right-handed and needs more

J
umping to one side
or the other is a
common problem—
one with many poten-
tial causes and just as
many possible cures.
A horse who lacks
straightness over his
fences can get himself
and his rider into a
host of problems—from
missing a carefully
chosen line to the
next fence, to jumping
awkwardly, to knock-
ing down a rail, and to
incurring a refusal or a
run-out. This problem,
commonly called “drift-
ing,” requires focused
consideration on the
part of riders and train-
ers, but once cured the The double X oxer, with rails on the ground in front, encourages the
result will be a horse horse to push off evenly with his hind legs.
who jumps far better
than before.
Several factors can cause a horse
to drift over his jumps, and de-
termining why it’s occurring will
determine which of the numerous
remedies are most likely to solve
the problem.
PHYSICAL REASONS. The first
cause of drifting can be a physi-
cal problem with the horse. If a
previously straight-jumping horse
suddenly develops a drift, the first
place to look is the hind limb on
the same side as the drift. That is,
Consider This . . .
■ Determine the cause of the drift to pinpoint how to fix it.
■ The solution depends on the horse and rider’s experience.
■ Always factor in the rider’s balance and fit of the tack.
the horse will push off the sore leg
less, therefore the “good” leg will
push more, causing the horse to
leave the ground unevenly, creating
the drift. So a horse with pain in
the right hind leg will push himself
to the right over the jump by using
the left leg more.
Another potential source of a
sudden drift can be a sore front
limb that the horse doesn’t want to
land on (usually the lower leg, most
often the hoof). In this case, the
place to look is the opposite front
leg from the drift, as the horse will
strength to become even) or
more serious (a soundness
issue). If the horse suddenly
develops a drift, call in your
veterinarian right away. If a
young or unfit horse demon-
strates a chronic drift, work
through some of the exercises
we describe here, and if you
see no improvement, or wors-
ening, consult your veterinar-
ian or equine chiropractor.
Always check the fit of your
saddle, too. Uneven pressure
on his back can cause a horse
to twist or drift in the air.
RIDER IMPACT. If you’re
sure that your horse doesn’t
have a physical reason for his
the lack of straightness, then
the next place to check is at
yourself, the rider. Although
we often imagine horses
as too big and strong to be
influenced by our weight or
balance, that’s often not true.
Often, it’s simply a case of inex-
perience. As a rider learns the ins
and outs of jumping, it’s natural to
have some missteps with their own
balance, which can affect the horse.
But a horse losing his straightness
can also be indicative of a rider’s
own physical problems.
Ask yourself these questions:
 Are you keeping your weight
evenly balanced in both stirrups?
 When you break over in the
air, are you keeping your chin cen-
tered over the horse’s neck, or are
you ducking to one side of the neck
or another?
 Are your legs equally closed
on the horse’s sides, keeping you
balanced?
This is where an experienced
trainer is extremely valuable.
Experienced eyes on the ground
can pinpoint things a rider is doing
to negatively influence the horse’s

10 Horse Journal w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m April 2013


balance and trajectory. If you have
no access to such help, ask a friend
with a video camera to provide
footage for you to study, to see if
you can pinpoint where the prob-
lem lies. Head-on shots may be the
most valuable, but footage from
every angle, including behind, can
give you clues.
BAD HABITS DIE HARD. If your
horse has a chronic drift and you’ve
ruled out physical causes, then the
unfortunate answer may be that
it’s a training fault—someone has
allowed your horse to develop a bad
habit. If this is the case with your
horse, then you have to think in
terms of retraining his attitude, as
well as his body.
To understand when and why
a horse drifts over fences, we
must understand the mechanics
of a horse’s jump. Drifting occurs
most commonly when a horse ap-
proaches a fence and finds that he’s
going to end up at a deep distance,
close to the base of the fence. This
is a distance that requires the
most effort from the horse, requir-
ing him to really rock back, hold
himself off the fence and use his
hind end powerfully. A horse that
doesn’t want to work that hard (due
to laziness, pain, lack of strength
or lack of experience) will usually
give himself more room to jump the
fence by drifting, thus making the
act of jumping easier.
So, in order to teach the horse to
jump straight, you have to be able
to convince him to work harder to
jump correctly. Once you’ve taught
him the correct technique, it should
be much easier for you to keep him
straight with your aids.
A PROGRESSION. When you’re
planning exercises to teach your
horse to jump straight, view them
as a progression of difficulty. Start
with the more straightforward
exercises and progress to the more
difficult ones when you’re ready.
The purpose of these exercises is
to teach the horse to jump straight
without you working hard to do it.
The rails should do it for you.
Level 1: Jump construction. The
first step to improving straightness
in the air is the construction of the
Horse Journal
PERFORMANCE
jump itself. The good, old-fash-
ioned crossrail is the most basic Encourage Straightness
example of this, but a crossrail can
also be used to construct an X-oxer.
You can also raise or lower one side
of the X, or bring the standards in
narrower, to make the lower/jump-
able area of the fence bigger or
smaller. Younger or greener horses
should have a wider low, jump-
able space than more experienced
A placing rail in front of the first
horses. (Although the crossrail is crossrail sets the horse up for this two-
a standard competition warm-up stride (30-foot) combination.
fence, young horses often struggle
to understand that they aren’t to
jump the top of the X.)
The crossrail can also be used to
construct two types of oxers to help
keep the horse straight. The first
is a crossrail oxer—an oxer with a
straight rail behind it. The second
is an X oxer—two crossrails set Two rails, placed in V shape against
parallel to each other. The crossrail the jump, lead the horse straight to the
oxer is a more optically encourag- center.
ing choice for younger or less expe-
rienced horses and riders, while the
X oxer is a useful choice for more
experienced horses, as it forces
them to maintain their straightness
over a fence with width.
Level 2: Poles on the ground,
perpendicular to the fence. You
can place guide poles on the ground This gymnastic combination—a cross-
on the take-off side of the fence, rail, one stride, to a crossrail oxer—re-
and, depending on the horse, you quires horses to hold a straight line.
Making the Rider Straight
A rider who has jumped for years by ducking and becoming unbal-
anced will require diligent work to correct those issues. But a newly
developed case of crookedness should be easier to fix.
Before you try to fix your own straightness over fences, get straight
on the flat. Make sure your stirrups are even, for starters. Then ride
without stirrups, practicing sitting evenly on both seat bones, while
keeping your hips and shoulders even and your head centered be-
tween your shoulder blades. Even better, ride without stirrups on the
longe line.
The surest method to improve your position over fences is to prac-
tice jumping low grids without stirrups, concentrating on staying in
the middle of your horse as your hips and body follow him over the
jumps. But a certain level of strength and skill is required to make this
exercise safe and worthwhile.
You can also practice your position over low gymnastic grids with
stirrups. Concentrate on keeping both your heels down, on weighting
your stirrups evenly, on keeping your hips and shoulders level, and on
keeping your eyes up by looking straight between your horse’s ears at
something in the distance.
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m April 2013 11
VETERINARY VIEWPOINT
can also place them on the landing
side. For a dedicated drifter, you’ll
need poles on both sides. For a
young or inexperienced horse, rails
on just the take-off side should be
sufficient.
Start with them set rather wide,
say a quarter of the way in on each
side. For a younger horse just need-
ing guidance, that may be enough,
but for a more dedicated drifter,
you’ll need to progressively roll the
poles in farther, until the “lane”
between them is only slightly wider
than the width of the horse’s body.
Level 3: Poles on the fence. This
is the most demanding type of pole
intervention, and it requires a cer-
tain level of accuracy from the rider
and a certain level of experience
from the horse. This step should not
be used with young horses or green
horses or riders. A horse without
the experience to correctly “read” a
fence can become easily confused
by the rails and badly misread the
takeoff, resulting in jumping efforts
that can scare both the horse and
the rider.
Set the poles in an upside-down
V shape, with the narrow point
(approximately 2 feet wide) set on
the front or top rail of the jump and
the poles then reaching down and
outward to the ground in front of
the fence. The top of the poles (the
top of the V) should not stick up
above the jump’s top rail more than
a few inches.
You can build this exercise as a
single jump (vertical or oxer) or
in a gymnastic line of two to four
jumps. A gymnastic line with
V-shaped poles is a particularly
useful exercise for horses who drift
due to weakness or poor training. It
will practically force them to stay
in the middle of the jumps.
BOTTOM LINE. Failure to jump
straight is most often caused by a
horse’s weakness or unsoundness.
After you’ve diagnosed and begun
to correct those problems, the pro-
gressive training we’ve described
should correct this jumping fault.
Don’t expect it to be a magical, one-
time cure, though. It will require
many schooling sessions.
Article by Performance Editor John
Strassburger.
12 Horse Journal
Veterinary Viewpoint:
Budget Crunching
Pinching pennies is always a sound idea.
H
opeful signs say the economy
is improving, but for many of
us it’s still tough financially.
But there are ways to economize
without jeopardizing your horse’s
health. Let’s look at the essentials:
Vaccines: Talk to your veterinar-
ian about vaccines your horse truly
needs (see January 2012). If your
horse is a home body and only goes
for trail rides down through the
neighboring fields, your necessary
vaccines will differ from a horse
out campaigning every weekend.
Check your state law on Cog-
gins testing. No need to have that
expense on an off year, or if your
horse isn’t traveling or planning
to be sold. And you only need a
full health certificate if you plan to
travel across state lines.
Deworming: In this case, you may
have to spend money to save money.
Drop a manure sample off at your
veterinary clinic for a quantitative
evaluation so you know what para-
sites you need to deworm for and
how often (mailing the sample risks
it drying before it arrives at the
lab, skewing results). If you can cut
back on a worming medication or
two, the sample testing will pay for
itself (see February, March 2012).
Feed: Skimping on feed will often
cost you more in the long run. Stick
to the protein and fat content your
horse does well on. But consider a
local feed mill brand in place of a
more expensive national brand. Our
local mill has great feed at equally
great prices.
Look at supplements you’re feed-
ing and evaluate if
your horse truly needs
them. (Talk with your
vet or nutritionist, not
the supplement seller!).
Watch for sales and
coupons. Go in on an
order with friends to
purchase a larger con-
tainer to share, if you
use the same products.
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m
Open supplements are best used up
within 30 days.
Search out sources of fresh grass.
You might find a vacant field nearby
you could “rent” for grazing. If so,
look at your local freebie listings for
inexpensive movable fence. If your
horse isn’t likely to be contained
easily, fit in time to hand graze him.
Look at how you’re feeding your
hay. Loose hay on the ground
may be “natural,” but how much
is wasted? A hay net, especially a
“slow feed” net, can pay for itself in
a short time with a messy horse.
Bedding: You don’t want your
horse dealing with excess manure
or smells, but you can be more
efficient. If you pick out manure
multiple times a day (even twice
is better than once), you can often
save bedding, as your horse hasn’t
scattered his manure all around.
Wet straw can be spread outside
on hot sunny days and will gain a
day or two of added use. (It’s a lot of
work, but if you’re pinched it might
be worth it.) It doesn’t work as well
with damp shavings or pellets.
Frequent stall cleaning and look-
ing at placement of your manure
pile can help cut down on flies.
You’ll save a bundle on fly spray if
your farm invests in fly parasites
(see June 2010). Fly traps are also
cost-effective in the long run, but
they take more effort on your part.
Hoof Care: You might be able
to save a few dollars by combin-
ing a visit with other horse own-
ers nearby, but don’t stretch the
time between visits. If you have a
farrier school nearby,
sometimes student visits
can be arranged at a
discount. If you have a
horse with unusual shoe-
ing requirements though,
stick with your regular
farrier!
Contributing Veterinary
Editor Deb Eldredge,
DVM.
April 2013
 ASK HORSE JOURNAL

Ask Horse Journal: ity. They don’t make a horse hot,

nor do they promote colic.
But regardless of the fiber source,
Hay Pellets Or Stretchers? it is advisable to provide a prebi-
otic (we like Ration Plus at www.
rationplus.com, 800-728-4667)
My horse is somewhat prone to colic and gets to your horse’s diet to boost the
overall numbers of bacteria living
hot on grain. He’s starting to lose weight. in the cecum and large colon. This
will make digestion more efficient,

I
have a 20-year-old Thorough-
bred, hard keeper who is on
pretty good quality grass all day
(quality round bale during winter)
and 3 to 4 large flakes of hay per
evening. He also gets little quality
senior (low starch) grain morn-
ing and night (I am not a big fan
of grain for horses). He started to
lose weight, so we added beet pulp,
which did not work.
I recently started him on 2 large
scoops daily of Blue Seal Hay
Stretcher to gain weight (which
worked), but I would much rather
give him hay pellets than “oat
hulls, etc.,” so I am considering a
switch to hay pellets.
He is somewhat prone to colic
and he tends to get hot on grain, so
I figured timothy hay pellets were
probably the best bet. I would like
your advice on a few things because
there is so much information out
there, I don’t know what is reliable.
1) Do hay pellets generally make a
horse “hot”?
2) Are hay pellets more nutritious
than a hay stretcher (with oat hulls,
alfalfa meal, etc)?
2) Do hay pellets have any omega
3’s? (I may supplement with ground
flax seed for weight and nutrition,
but before I spend money on supple-
ments, I want to know if the pellets
might help with weight gain and
omegas).
3) Do you think the pellets will
Alfalfa hay
pellets won’t
make your
horse hot but
will provide
more calories
and protein.
hay replacers you describe offer
your horse calories via hindgut
microbial digestion. Both types will
provide fiber, and your horse will
benefit from the variety of forages to
boost the overall protein quality.
Rather than a hay stretcher, I
would consider alfalfa pellets to not
only add more calories but to pro-
vide more amino acids that round
out and improve the protein qual-
Fix A Problem:
Hay Molds Sitting In Storage
In warm weather, moisture can
accumulate under bottom bales.
resulting in more calories derived
from forage.
Since your horse is already receiv-
ing forage on a free-choice basis (be
sure he doesn’t run out of hay dur-
ing the night), use the hay pellets as
a carrier for more supplementation.
Omega 3s are an important com-
ponent of the diet and they aren’t
found in hay pellets (or to any large
extent in any hay, for that matter).
Add a ground flaxseed product that
is stabilized. We like Nutra-Flax
(www.horsetech.com, 800-831-3309)
as it has a small amount of calcium
added to balance out the naturally
high levels of phosphorus found
in flax. Feed ½ cup per 400 lbs. of
body weight.
Vitamins and minerals may also
need to be added, especially those
vitamins that no longer exist in hay.
Once fresh grass is cut, dried and
stored, it loses vitamins C, D and
E, plus beta-carotene (used to make
vitamin A) and essential fatty acids.
Consider a comprehensive supple-
ment to fill in all the nutritional
gaps. We like IntegriHoof (www.

help with weight gain?
4) Do hay pellets cause colic?
Nutrition Editor Dr. Juliet Getty
Responds: When a horse needs to
gain weight, it’s important to pay
attention to both the foregut (where
carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
are digested) as well as the hindgut
(where the microbial population
produces digestive enzymes that
digest fibers). The hay pellets or
H
ay stored on top of cement floors can accumulate moisture during
the warmer months. To prevent losing the hay, go to your local
lumber store and purchase a few 2 x 4 boards. For a storage area
of approximately 4 x 8 feet, you’ll need three 8-foot boards and one
piece of plywood. Space the boards evenly apart and put the plywood
on top of that. Then store your hay on the plywood. The hay is off of the
ground with air circulation under the plywood, so the hay won’t absorb
the humidity from the cement floor. Hint: You may think wood pal-
lets would be easier. Think again. Spiders and mice think pallets make
great homes, and wood pallets are not easy to sweep clean.

Horse Journal w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m April 2013 13

ASK HORSE JOURNAL

ka-hi.com, 800-332-5244) and Life
Data Lab’s Farrier’s Formula (www.
lifedatalabs.com, 800-624-1873).
If more calories are needed, you
can add fat in the form of rice bran
or rice bran oil. Avoid soybean or
corn oils since they are too high in
omega 6s, creating an imbalance
that can promote inflammation.
Finally, it’s best to moisten pellets
rather than feeding them dry. Some
horses are prone to choke when
consuming hard pellets at too fast
a rate. Also feed on the ground, us-
ing a ground feeder, rather than one
that is at shoulder height.
TEMPO AND IMPULSION
My horse loses tempo. If I get him
moving nicely forward and try to
collect him a little, he loses impul-
sion. I feel like the gas pedal gets
stuck. What exercises can I do so
that I’m not constantly pulling on
his mouth to get him to slow down,
then urging him forward because
he slows down too much?
Associate Editor Margaret Free-
man responds: You never want
to use a hand aid that is stronger
than the leg aid. It’s important to
remember that connection issues
originate behind the saddle, so if
your horse slows down too much
when you give a hand aid there
wasn’t enough leg to begin with.
Think uphill with all your aids
and also with your position. Too
much rein aid that isn’t backed up
with a leg aid, puts the horse on his
forehand, just as would too much
leg aid not backed up with a steady
rein aid.
Also, if you tend to tilt forward
with your upper body when you use
your hands and legs, this also sends
the horse onto his forehand, so he
loses his balance and either speeds
up or slows down to get comfortable
over his four feet again. If you use
too much leg aid and rotate your
heel up around your knee, this also
tilts you forward and affects the
horses balance.
As for exercises, do frequent quick
transitions. With each transition
evaluate the horse’s response and
assess your aids/position accord-
ingly. Here is an example: Go on a
20-meter circle and alternate post-
ing trot and sitting trot every eight
strides. If the horse changes in any
way when you post or sit—speeds
up, slows down, inverts his neck
—make a change in your equitation
and see how the horse responds the
next time you post or sit.
Another transition exercise is
again on a 20-meter circle. Do
quick trot/walk transitions—trot
several strides, then walk but for
just one step, and trot again. Each
time try for less hand aid on the
downward transition and the
lightest aid you can use that will
achieve a crisp upward transition.
You can do the same thing with
canter/trot transitions, except alter-
nate half a circle of canter with half
a circle of trot.
OLD HORSE JOINT PRODUCTS
The glucosamine/MSM/chondroitin
supplements I’ve used had trace
amounts of each, so I am not con-
vinced they did my old horse any
good. Still, searching hundreds of
supplements is hard. For example,
when I find one with 100mg HA,
they are short of everything else.
What should I do?
Contributing Veterinary Editor
Grant Miller, DVM, responds: Yes,
there are hundreds of joint supple-
ments on the market. Searching
through all of them can be over-
whelming, but we published our
criteria and top picks in January
and February 2012 to help you.
When looking for solutions for
your elderly horse, keep in mind:
1) Following our advice on rec-
ommended levels of ingredients
increases the chance of success.
2) Use a double dose “loading
dose” of a joint supplement for the
first two weeks.
3) Sometimes, oral supplements
need to be changed up a bit. If you
aren’t getting a result with one
brand, try a different product.
4) If you aren’t seeing satisfactory
results with oral supplements, it
may be time to try an injectable like
Legend or Adequan (Sept. 2011).
5) You may even have to use mul-
tiple joint supplements in order to
achieve enough of an effect to keep
an old horse comfortable.
6) Sometimes, a horse needs
actual prescribed medication to
ward away joint pain. One such
medication is Equiloxx/Previcox,
a non-steroidal Cox-2 selective
anti-inflammatory that is designed
for long-term, once-a-day use to aid
in the control of musculoskeletal
inflammation. In more severe cases,
your vet may need to inject corti-
sone directly into the joints to help
control inflammation and pain.
7) Make sure that you determine
how many scoops of the product

Did You Know?

Garlic May Not Be Worth The Risk
It may keep bugs away, but at what cost?

A
llicin, the bug-repelling ingredient in raw garlic, can lead to
Heinz Body anemia when your horse eats it. That’s a disease that
destroys your horse’s red blood cells. Most horses like the taste of
garlic, and they’re happy to consume it. And anecdotal evidence does
show it repels flies. But at what cost? Reduced red blood cells can lead
to exercise intolerance and reduced immunity to disease.
Nutrition Editor Dr. Juliet Getty Opt for a fly sheet or fly parasites instead.

14 Horse Journal w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m April 2013

 RESEARCH NEWS

are required to equal one serving.
Then, make sure that the serving
has decent amounts of supplement
(this is where our recommended in-
gredient levels can come in handy).
8) Weight control and allowing the
horse to be out and moving as much
as possible still remain the most
effective ways to aid in control of
arthritis pain.
9) If you haven’t yet stopped
riding, but you’re noticing that
your horse is increasingly painful
despite the supplements, consider
retiring him.
10) As much as we try to help
owners through various horse is-
sues without telling them to call
their vet, it may be a good idea to
run things past yours when deter-
mining an arthritis management
plan for your horse.
enzymes are up on your horse and
exactly what his diet currently is.
However, that being said, flaxseed
meal is generally not recommended
for older horses with liver problems
due to the protein level. Ask your
vet about milk thistle, which is gen-
erally regarded as safe and effective
for liver problem in many species.
I understand your desire to
increase your horse’s omega 3s. I
suggest trying to find places where
Research News:
Oleander Toxicity
This beautiful shrub can be deadly.
your horse can graze, even if it
means hand walking him to places
with some fresh grass. Avoid areas
along the road due to exhaust
fumes and possible chemicals from
roadwork.
Or, pick grass from around home
(make sure no sprays or lawn treat-
ments are used) and bring that with
you when you go to the barn. But
you must feed it immediately (and
no mower clippings!).

O
No one management plan or

R.A. Howeared@USDA-NRCS Plants Database

supplement will work the same for
every horse. It’s not easy to figure
out what works for your horse, but
don’t give up! It’s worth the effort,
and we’re here to help.
LIVER ENZYMES AND OIL
Is it safe to feed my horse a small
amount of flaxseed oil for its omega
3 benefits? He has raised liver
enzymes and had a biopsy that
showed fibrosis possibly due to
ragwort poisoning, but they say it
could have been another hepatic in-
sult. I gave him six months of hefty
steroids, which made no difference,
so I stopped. He looks great, and I
want to optimize his nutrition to
give him a happy life. He is 21. I
have Dr. Getty’s book on nutrition
and have had advice from some
nutritionists not to feed oil. One has
said that as my horse doesn’t have
“fatty liver syndrome” and he can’t
see that a small amount of flax oil
would do him any harm. My horse
is at livery and not always on good
pasture. At the moment he is box
rested for a tendon injury. He has
spavin in both hocks and ringbone
in his right fore. His normal routine
would be to go out during the day
and stabled at night. Can I feed oil?
Contributing Veterinary Editor
Deb Eldredge DVM responds: I
really can’t give a definitive answer
without knowing exactly what liver
leander is a woody
shrub seen mostly in
southern and western
areas of North America. It’s a
pretty flowering shrub, and
some people keep it as a pot-
ted houseplant. But it doesn’t
belong on a horse farm. The
potency of this toxic plant was
evidenced in the February 15
issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Researchers at the veterinary college at the University of California
at Davis did a retrospective study looking back at cases of oleander
poisoning in 30 horses at the clinic there. Fifty percent of the horses
died, with three dying as they arrived at the clinic or shortly thereaf-
ter. Clearly, a serious toxin.
Signs seen with horses with oleander poisoning include colic, pos-
sibly with diarrhea as well, and kidney damage. The crucial problem
however is changes to heart rhythms. Cardiac symptoms were the
most common cause of death. The horses who did survive had ex-
tended hospital stays with intensive care given.
The scariest part was that many of the horse owners were either un-
aware of any oleander on their property or felt there was no way the
horse could have possibly eaten any oleander. Some of the horses had
been moved to new grazing areas and three of the horses had escaped
and been loose for a period of time.
BOTTOM LINE. If you live in an area where oleander can thrive
outdoors, check your property thoroughly. Twenty leaves of oleander
are enough to kill a horse. Before moving your horse to a new pasture,
walk it completely to rule out any oleander—or any other toxic plants.
We recommend you become familiar with the Cornell Poisonous
Plants database at http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/. Toxic plants
from all over are covered there, not just native New York plants. You
can also visit http://plants.usda.gov/java/ and look up plants. They
generally have excellent photos, too.
Deb M. Eldredge, DVM, Contributing Veterinary Editor

Horse Journal w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m April 2013 15


Commentary:
Faster and Easier: Over-
Medicated Show Horses
Here’s what we horsemen and the
USEF need to do to stop this cycle.
T
he horse world got unwanted
publicity on Dec. 27 when The
New York Times published an
exposé about a pony hunter named
Humble, who collapsed and died at
last May’s Devon (Pa.) Horse Show.
The New York Times reported that
he was scheduled to receive 15 dif-
ferent drug treatments, including
anti-inflammatories, corticosteroids
and muscle relaxant in the three
days before he died. The basis of
their report was a photograph of the
trainer’s daily drug schedule, taken
by the woman who was leasing
Humble.
That woman filed a protest against
the trainer with the U.S. Equestrian
Federation, but their hearing re-
sulted in no action since the trainer
declined to attend the hearing—be-
cause the USEF could not subpoena
her. She had paid for a necropsy
of Humble, but she only released
partial findings, leaving the cause
of death unclear. Maybe Humble’s
death will force a serious USEF in-
TM
ternal conversation about over-medi-
cating competition horses.
The pony’s death also symbolizes
what’s wrong with the larger Ameri-
can culture, dominated by similar
mindsets: Lose weight without alter-
ing your lifestyle; make billions of
dollars without actually earning it;
even communications discourage us
from waiting for anything. These at-
titudes are why so many riders insist
on horses that can “jump clean next
week” or “win tomorrow.”
For trainers, this creates a tremen-
dous pressure, pressure that makes
it tempting to turn to the medicine
cabinet. Sure, the USEF’s leaders
need to keep evolving drug rules.
But rules must continue to
balance the needs of the
horse as an athlete with
moral and cultural values.
The FEI’s no-drugs-at-all
policy is no drug policy
at all. It just pretends that
horses are magical athletes
who don’t suffer injuries in
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training or competition. The USEF
has long had a realistic medication
policy that allows for therapeutic
treatment of working athletes. But
some unethical members always try
to find something that “won’t test,”
something that they can give horses
ever closer to competition “to be
sure it works.” There’s our culture
again—faster, easier.
Some people are pushing for the
AAEP (American Association of
Equine Practitioners) position of no
medications for 12 hours before com-
petition, but that’s the basic intent of
the USEF rules. Perhaps that needs
to be made clearer, for starters.
What else can the USEF do? Make
drug penalties really hurt: longer
suspensions, bigger fines. Require
necropsies on all horses who die at
USEF shows. And make an emer-
gency rule change giving the USEF
power to subpoena members to hear-
ings regarding horses they’re respon-
sible for as owner, rider or trainer.
The courts have previously con-
firmed that the USEF is a member-
ship organization and that participa-
tion in its shows is a privilege, not a
right. So agreement with these rules
must be a term of membership. Don’t
agree? Then you can’t show.
And riders and owners should
know about their horse’s care and be
brave enough to vote with
their checkbook by avoiding
medicine-cabinet trainers.
John Strassburger
Performance Editor