HAT Chat Articles – January 2005
A word from our President
I’d like to take this time to
say “thank you” to HAT for allowing me to serve as your President this
year. Debby’s time as President will be
a tough act to follow, but I promise I’ll do my best.
We have many exciting things
planned for this year. Our Shows and
Events Committee has already been working hard on organizing several events,
and there will be others working on activities as the year goes
on.
I would like to make a
special request to all the former HAT members out there to come by and check us
out, maybe by coming to one of our meetings or events, or maybe visiting us
online at our web site or our Yahoo discussion group (you’ll find all our
contact info on page 2 of this issue).
We hope you’ll like what you see, and consider coming back and becoming
part of this group again.
Once again, thank you for the
opportunity to serve HAT in the coming year.
Roger Dougan
HAT President
HAT
Stallion Showcase Coming in February
Due
to scheduling conflicts, the annual Stallion Showcase section will be included
in the February issue of HAT Chat. We regret any inconveniences this may have
caused.
As
in previous years, the Showcase will consist of two sections – the Stud List
and the Showcase Ads. The Stud List includes information provided to HAT Chat regarding Texoma-area stallions in
an easy-to-read directory. The Showcase
Ads features display advertising for stallions in the Stud List. There is no charge for entries in the Stud List,
and Showcase Ads are offered at our regular advertising rates (please see the
rate chart on page 9 for the full list of charges).
The deadline for inclusion in
this year’s Stallion Showcase is January 15th. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to have your
stallion listed!
HAT 2005
Show Schedule
HAT
is pleased to announce its show schedule for 2005 as follows:
Pending
final approvals, all shows will be held at
Look for more details on our
upcoming shows in future issues.
Association News
HAT Contact Information Changes
Effective January 1, some
contact information for HAT has changed.
The new mailing address for
HAT is
Please make any necessary
updates in your address book or telephone listings to reflect these changes.
Buy From Country Supply, Support HAT
Country Supply, a livestock
supply company, offers a program called “Country Care” in which local groups
(horse clubs, rescues, 4H, etc.) can receive donations from customer’s
purchases. To be eligible for the
donations, orders must be placed using a “Country Care code”. HAT is enrolled in this program, and its
Country Care code is, simply, “HAT”.
Here’s how it works:
That’s it! No minimum purchases to make, no forms to
fill out, and no strings attached. What
could be easier?
HAT will receive donations of
up to 5% of the purchase price of each order (excluding shipping charges).
Membership Dues Reminder
If you haven’t paid your HAT membership dues for 2005,
please send them in as soon as possible. Dues are used to pay for the club’s insurance
policy, as well as to fund other activities during the year.
If you’re not a HAT member,
“now” is always the perfect time to join!
Our annual dues are $10 per person or $25 per family. Membership forms are available on the inside
back page of every issue of HAT Chat.
Subscriptions to this
newsletter are also available at the rate of $12 for 12 issues mailed directly
to your door. A subscription form is
also available on the inside back page of this issue. You do not have to be a HAT member to
subscribe, but if you choose to join we’d love to have you! For your convenience, you can pay for both
membership and a subscription in a single check or money order of $22 per
person or $37 per family (but be sure to fill out both forms so we’ll know what
you’re paying for).
Extension Service News
by Eddie Baggs, CEA-Agriculture
How Much Does My Horse Weigh?
Many horse owners have
difficulty estimating their horse’s body weight in the absence of accurate
scales. Knowing the horses precise
weight is important in many areas of overall horse management. Determining daily feed requirements is
probably the most important reason to know the horse’s exact weight. Also, paste wormers and other medications are
designed to be given at specific levels relative to a horse's weight. A study in
Fortunately, there is a
simple formula that can be used to estimate body weights of individual horses
fairly accurately. This formula utilizes
heartgirth circumference, body length measurements,
and an adjustment factor. The horse
weight prediction equation is as follows:
(heartgirth X heartgirth X
body length) = Weight (pounds)
330
Measurements should be taken and
recorded in inches with a plastic tape that is at least 75 inches long.
Heartgirth is a measure of the circumference, taken by running
the tape measure all around the horse, using the highest part of the
withers. Body length is measured from
the point of the shoulder, straight back along the horse's side, and to the
point of the buttock. Be sure that the
tape goes around the end of the horse and shows the actual point of the
buttock, which is usually half the distance from the corner to the tail. Two people will be needed in taking body
length measurements. For owners who are
learning to take measurements for the first time, it is advisable to get an
actual scale weight on the horse and compare it to the prediction
equation. This will help determine
whether or not measurements are being taken from the proper points. The horse should be standing somewhat
square. Furthermore, measurements of a
horse to compare changes in weight over time should always be taken at the same
time of the day, preferably in the morning prior to feeding.
The above mentioned
prediction equation appears to be a more reliable method for estimating weight
than visual observation. The procedure
can be used effectively on many horses, but may not be highly accurate for pregnant
mares or for horses with extreme conformational irregularities, especially very
unbalanced horses. All in all, horse
owners should be able to utilize this simple tool in better managing horses. For more information about the prediction
equation, you may contact the Texas Cooperative Extension -
(940) 349-2880.
My Horse is Gone!
What to Do?
Horse theft, unfortunately,
is always a possibility and fear for horse owners. The proximity of the holidays may also
contribute to incentives for horse thieves to become active. It is important that some precautions are
taken to both protect your horse from becoming a good candidate for a horse
thief, and also to aid in the return of your horse if it is stolen.
All horse owners should have
several things on hand if their horse is ever stolen. They are: a bill of sale or canceled check;
registration papers with brands, marks and scars; a veterinary certificate with
recent Coggins test and vaccinations; and 4 good photos showing brands, marks
and scars updated yearly. Your first
call should be to the sheriff's department (and livestock patrol) and then to
the city police (whatever the jurisdiction) and the state police. After contacts, if you are certain of theft
(sometimes a horse will jump a fence or wander...), then contact the Sheriff's
Posse, Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, Cattle
Raisers Association, F.B.I. or U.S. Marshall, all USDA licensed equine
slaughterhouses in the U.S. and Mexico, and your neighbors. It would be a very
good idea to be at the closest slaughter house (such as Beltex
in
As the days go on, keep in
contact with the slaughter houses (a horse will bring $200-700 regardless of
condition), and law enforcement daily. Contact breed registries as well as equine and large animal
veterinarians, feed stores, horse magazines and newspapers. The placement of fliers will also be
important.
Simply branding your horse in
an obvious place may help avoid theft or at the very least, aid in a swift
recovery. Make sure that the brand is
registered with the county and the Cattle Raisers Association. While tattoos are also good, they might get
missed at an auction or a slaughterhouse where they may not be looking in the
mouth. Another good tip is to secure
your property. Check fences, gates,
locks and provide lots of light to help spot anybody that should not be on your
property.
Educational programs conducted by the
Upcoming Events
Rose Hill Stables Shows
Rose Hill Stables in Anna has
announced two events scheduled for January and February.
A Jumping Show will be held
on January 16th, followed by a two-day Schooling Day and Combined
Test on February 12-13 (schooling on the 12th, and the test on the
13th). Unfortunately,
specific details and entry information were not available for either event at
press time.
For more information, please
contact Felicia Abbott at (972) 924-2549 or by e-mail to
felicia@rosehillstables.com. You may
also visit their website at www.rosehillstables.com.
The Denton County Extension
Horse Committee is sponsoring a Foal Clinic on Saturday, January 29th. The clinic will be held in the Community Room
at Point Bank in Pilot Point (at the corner of Highway 377 and FM 1192), and
will run from
Clinic topics include Pre-
& Post-Partum Management; Nutrition for Mares and Foals; and Sire
Selection. Scheduled speakers include:
Following the speaker
presentations, participants may go on a tour of Edgewood/Lanning Inc. Quarter
Horse Ranch hosted by Bill & Ann Lanning.
In addition, there will be a
mini trade show with representatives from Progressive Nutrition, Martindale
Feed Mills, Merial, Bluebonnet Feeds, Xylo of
Oklahoma, and Triad on hand.
The fee for this clinic is
$12 for participants ages 13 and older, and $6 for
ages 12 and under. Registrations and
payments must be received in the Denton County Extension office by January 25th.
For more information or to
register, contact the Denton County Extension office at (940) 349-2880 or (972)
434-8812.
Purina Mills Workshops
Once again, Purina Mills is
bringing its Horse Owner’s Workshop (HOW) series to the Texoma area. These workshops, part of Purina’s Equine
Education Seminars program, bring specialists in equine nutrition, training, and
veterinary medicine together with horse owners to discuss the latest
developments in their fields. Horse
owners who attend HOW sessions also have the opportunity to ask questions about
their individual horse’s needs or situations.
Everyone who attends a
workshop receives valuable information and product savings coupons, as well as
the opportunity to enter drawings for prizes offered by Purina and its HOW
sponsors (which include such companies as Lexol, Oster, Pfizer, Exiss Trailers,
PMI Nutrition, Carhartt, 3M Vetrap,
and John Deere).
The best part of all is that
it costs nothing to attend! All you have
to do is call or go by a location where a HOW event is being held and
register. All the currently scheduled
workshops in the Texoma area are listed in the Activities Calendar. Seating is limited, so be sure to sign up
early.
For more information about
HOW, contact Purina Mills at (800) 227-8941 or visit their website
http://horse.purinamills.com.
Ask The
Vet
by Dr. Katie Hayes, DVM
Winter Tips – Part 2
·
Water heater
When
the temperatures are freezing in late December and January, putting a
water-heating element in the trough will prevent freezing.
·
Check tin around barns and sheds
Now
that there are cold rains, horses get under and hang out by sheds and
barns. Check around the bottom where the
tin meets the ground for areas where erosion has caused the soil to run off
leaving it exposed. Horses can step by
the edge of the tin and the soil gives way, allowing the foot under the tin and
resulting in a bad cut. Put a strip of
plywood on both sides of the exposed tin or repack the dirt.
·
Supplements for pregnant mares
Research
has proven that our grains and hay are deficient in trace minerals and that
this deficiency causes poor bones, cartilage and tendons in the developing
fetus. Feeding your
pregnant mare vitamin/mineral supplements high in copper and zinc while she is
pregnant, especially in the last half of pregnancy, can help prevent crooked
legs, OCD faults in cartilage, and strong tendons.
Be
sure to check the label of the supplement that is only for horses. Calf Manna, Anamax,
and Grow & Show are supplements for all animals so they are low in copper
(only 20 ppm).
The supplement should have these levels of copper, zinc and manganese:
Vitamin Mineral Pellet Loose Horse Mineral
Copper 175-275 PPM Copper 120%
Zinc 375-750 PPM Zinc 250%
Manganese 240-650 PPM Manganese 150%
The
best horse supplements with these levels are Buckeye Feed’s “Grow N Win” 32%,
Bluebonnet’s “Stride”, Progressive’s Pro Advantage (grass formula) and
Martindale Feed Mills “Excel” equine balancer.
Feed 2 lbs of these supplements/day. 1 coffee cup is 1/2 lb of supplement so you
feed 4 cups/day added to the feed.
As
a less expensive alternative, you can feed mineral with grain as a supplement
at a rate of 2 ounces per day. Horses
usually don’t eat the mineral blocks so buy the bag of loose horse mineral. Purina makes a
This Month’s Recipe
Easy Skillet Breakfast Serves
6
1 lb potatoes,
peeled and cubed (about 3-1/2 cups)
6 slices bacon,
chopped
1/2 of a medium
red pepper, chopped
1 small
onion, chopped
6 medium eggs
1 cup shredded
Cheddar cheese
(optional) salsa or picante sauce
·
Place potatoes in
a large saucepan and cover with water.
Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
Drain and set aside.
·
Cook bacon in a large
nonstick skillet on medium-high heat.
Remove bacon, drain and set aside.
Wipe out excess grease from skillet.
Add red pepper and onion to skillet.
Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add potatoes and cook an additional 10 minutes,
stirring occasionally.
·
Make six small
wells in the potato mixture. Crack open
one raw egg into each well. Sprinkle
evenly with bacon and cheese. Cover and
cook 5 to 8 minutes or until eggs are set.
Serve with salsa if desired.