HAT Chat Articles – October 2006
A word from our President
Okay, so the weather cooled off for about two weeks, and
then summer came back for one last visit. That didn’t slow us down – the end of
September was really busy! Did you get a chance to come out to our events?
The response for our Foal Handling Clinic on the 23rd
was absolutely amazing. All of the spaces filled up so quickly we had to start
a waiting list! It was very well organized, and Pat Linderman
was an excellent clinician. My thanks to Kathy Bagnell and
Sandra Shiver for putting this clinic together, and to Kathy and her husband
for hosting it at their farm in Calera.
Our Autumn Show on the 30th had a really good
turnout as well. My thanks to judge Leonard Roy for keeping the classes moving
along, and to all our volunteers who helped make the day run very smoothly. I
wish to offer a very special thanks to Sally Thomason for stepping in at the
last minute to help when our show manager, Sheila Johnson, became seriously ill
and was laid up in the hospital. Sheila is resting at home now, and we all wish
her a speedy recovery.
October may be a little slower than last month, but don’t
let it fool you…our annual Futurity is just around the corner. We made some
changes to the format this year that I think everyone will like, and you can
read more about them in this issue.
Also just around the corner is our Stallion Showcase and
Auction. Look for more on that here and
in November.
Roger Dougan
HAT President
Foal Handling Clinic a Success
HAT’s first-ever Foal Handling Clinic on September 23rd
was a huge success, with an overwhelming response. Look for a feature story and
photos from this event on page 5 of this issue
Autumn Show Well Attended
HAT’s third show of the season on September 30th
at Loy Lake Arena in
Our thanks to everyone for coming out and spending the day
with us!
Futurity Coming Up November 12th
HAT’s final show of the year is coming up fast – our annual
Open Weanling & Yearling Futurity and Open Show will be held on Sunday, November 12th. Registration opens at
As announced in the September issue, we have made several
changes in the format for our Futurity. Details of the new format are provided
on page 4 of this issue.
For competitors working toward the Year-End High Point
award, this show will be your last chance to earn points. The winners will
receive their awards at the HAT year-end holiday potluck dinner on December
7th.
Stallion Showcase Issue in December
If you are planning to breed your mares in 2007, you won’t
want to miss our annual Stallion Showcase.
For the first time, we will be including the Showcase in our December
issue to give you an earlier opportunity to start planning for the coming season
(in the past, the Showcase was published in January or February).
As in years past, we will offer both the Stud List and Showcase Ads for stallion owners. Stud List entries are free, and Showcase Ads are priced the same as our regular display ads (see the Advertising Pages for our rate card). All stallion ads will also be featured on our website. The deadline for submitting ads to appear in the Showcase is November 17th, so don’t wait until the last minute!
2006 HAT Futurity Format
The 2006 HAT Open Weanling & Yearling Futurity consists
of two levels: Classes and Champion
Classes
There are five classes:
Weanlings Yearlings
- Weanling Colts & Geldings - Yearling Colts
- Weanling Fillies -
Yearling Fillies
-
Yearling Geldings
The judge will review all of the entries in each individual
class, and determine the 1st through 6th placings.
The 1st
and 2nd place winners in each class will advance to the Champion
level. If your horse takes 1st
or 2nd place in a class, you will be asked to stay with your horse
in a holding area in or near the arena until the judge is ready to perform the Champion
judging for Grand and Reserve.
Champion
There are two Champion groups:
- Weanlings
- Yearlings
The judge will review the 1st and 2nd
place winners from both of the Weanling classes as a single group, and select a
Grand Champion Weanling and a Reserve Champion Weanling from the group.
The judge will review the 1st and 2nd
place winners from all three of the Yearling classes as a single group, and
select a Grand Champion Yearling and a Reserve Champion Yearling from the
group.
PLEASE NOTE! IN DETERMINING PLACINGS, THE JUDGE’S
DECISIONS ARE FINAL
Awards
Classes – Ribbons and jackpot money awarded to 1st
through 3rd places; ribbons awarded to 4th through 6th
places
Champions – Trophies awarded to Grand and Reserve Champions
Jackpot and Added
Money
$40 out of every entry fee paid goes into a 100%-payout
jackpot at the Class level only. HAT
will also supplement each class jackpot with $30 in added money. Jackpot money will be paid out to the top
three places in each Class (in the event there are less than three entries in a
Class, the payouts for each placing in that class will be adjusted to ensure a
100% payout). There are no additional
payouts for the Champion level.
The payout amounts for each class placing depend on the
number of horses entered. Winning
payouts will be calculated and awarded after the Futurity is concluded and all results
have been verified by the Show Secretary.
All jackpot payouts will be made by check.
A list of placings and payouts will be published in the
December issue of the HAT Chat
newsletter and on the HAT website at www.hat-texoma.org.
Special Feature
HAT’s First-Ever Foal Handling Clinic
by Sandra
Shiver
The morning weather of thunderstorms, heavy rain, and
lightning did not deter folks from attending the HAT Foal Handling Clinic held
Pat Linderman, Equine Behavior
Specialist, provided insight to working with foals. Two foals had been haltered,
but had “issues”. One had been haltered once and the other had never been
haltered. Each provided unique handling problems as Pat showed us how to
communicate with them, how to release, then reward, reward, reward. We saw how
strong a seemingly small foal can be and how quickly they react, demonstrating
that a safe enclosure is vital. We learned the importance of timing and how
much we have to learn about timing.
The handling techniques demonstrated are applicable to horses of all ages and everyone left feeling they had benefited by attending the clinic. A variety of simple equipment was used during the day with the advantages explained and when to use what.
At the day’s end, there were four foals, ages four to nine
months, who were eagerly leading with a loose line. A concern of most students
is whether or not they can do with their horse what a clinician makes look so
easy. Kathy Bagnell demonstrated that yes, she could handle her filly just like
Pat had been doing.
Kathy summed up what she took away from the clinic. “We must
give the foals more credit for their ability to learn at such a young age. Even
though the foals have the ability to learn, their innocence should still be
protected by us as their teachers. This time of learning is of importance in
establishing the foundation for future learning. If my ‘gut
feeling’ tells me something is not correct, I need to stop my activity.
Either the foal is not ready, or I am not ready.”
State/Local News
Hauling Livestock from
To
help prevent the spread of VS,
“VS
can cause susceptible livestock to develop blisters and lesions in the mouth,
on the muzzle or teats, or above the hooves,” said Dr. Hillman. “When the
disease affects cattle or other cloven-hoofed animals, animal health officials
and producers are immediately concerned, as these clinical signs mimic those of
foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), the world’s costliest, highly contagious disease.
Horses, though not susceptible to FMD, certainly can become infected with VS,
and it can take several weeks for animals to heal. During this time, the
painful sores may cause affected animals to become lame, or refuse to eat,
drink or allow their offspring to nurse.”
“There
is no vaccine for VS, so prevention is the key, and that includes controlling
insects such as culicoides gnats and black flies,
which are the primary vectors for the disease, and keeping infected animals
away from ‘clean’ stock, as infection also can be spread from animal to
animal,” explained Dr. Hillman.
“If
blisters or lesions appear in livestock of any species, the owner or manager
should contact their accredited veterinarian or the Texas Animal Health
Commission as soon as possible, so a disease investigation can be launched,” he
said. “Laboratory testing to confirm the diagnosis can be run at no charge to
the livestock owner.” Treatment of VS-infected animals consists of supportive
care, and in some cases, antibiotics to prevent secondary infections in the
open sores. Although VS is rarely fatal, production losses can be substantial,
particularly in dairies. In nearly all states, VS-infected animals and their
herd mates are quarantined until at least 30 days after all lesions have
healed.
In
addition to causing animals to suffer, VS can result in trade embargoes with
Dr.
Hillman said more information about VS is available on the TAHC web site at http://www.tahc.state.tx.us.
The TAHC headquarters may be reached at 1-800-550-8242.
Bob Hillman, DVM
* Executive Director
(800) 550-8242 *
FAX (512) 719-0719
For info,
contact Carla Everett, information officer,
at 1-800-550-8242, ext. 710, or
ceverett@tahc.state.tx.us
National News
American Riding Instructors Association
Looking For
The “Top 50 Riding Instructors In
Riding Instructor magazine, a quarterly publication of the American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA), has announced that as part of the magazine’s commitment to promoting excellence in the teaching of riding and training of students, 50 outstanding instructors will be selected each year, starting in 2006, for the magazine’s “Top 50 Riding Instructors in America” list. This list will be published each year in the magazine’s Summer issue, and winners will receive their awards during the annual National Riding Instructors Convention.
Charlotte Kneeland, magazine
editor, said, “We want our ‘Top 50 Riding Instructors in
Nominations must include a biographical sketch (up to 200
words) of the instructor and his/her accomplishments. Self-nominations are
accepted. Nominations may be submitted by e-mail or in writing, and must be
received no later than
For more information or to submit a nomination, contact ARIA
by calling (239) 948-3232, sending an e-mail to ARIA@riding-instructor.com or
mailing to Riding Instructor Magazine,
28801 Trenton Court, Bonita Springs, FL 34134.
- - - - - - -
Tennessee Walking
Horse Invitational To Decide Grand Champion
The largest Tennessee Walking Horse organization has
announced it will hold a new event in November to name a grand champion, after
the breed’s annual championship show ended in a controversy over federal
inspections for animal abuse.
The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association (TWHBEA)
announced plans for the event after several top horses were disqualified from
the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, which was held August 23 to
September 2. Only three out of the nine horses in the World Grand Championship
class passed a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection for soring, which is the practice of irritating the horse’s
foreleg and/or hoof to force them into a high-stepping gait. In addition, a top
horse owner was banned from competition for two years after offering to pay
those three trainers not to compete.
According to Jerrold Pedigo, TWHBEA President,
the association (which is also the breed’s registry) wanted to press ahead with
the new event and name a World Grand Champion this year in an effort to blunt
the negative publicity that resulted from the controversy. “The World Grand Champion
becomes the face of our industry for 12 months,” Pedigo
said. “We have an obligation to continue such a grand tradition.”
It was the first time the World Grand Champion had not been selected in the
68-year history of the National Celebration. Concerns of lower turnouts as a
result of this incident have caused several other shows scheduled later in the
year to be canceled.
Pedigo explained that the show
circuit is one of the most important ways that the breed gains popularity among
the general public and horse enthusiasts. He believes Walking Horse enthusiasts will
continue to support the circuit. “It’s disappointing to see some shows that
have chosen not to continue, but we need to continue to provide successful
venues for people to show these horses,” he said.
The Tennessee Walking Horse Invitational will comprise 50 different classes
and a total purse of $150,000 with the final class naming the World Grand Champion
to receive $15,000. The Invitational
will be held November 24-25 at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in
The inspection process for the Invitational will follow USDA guidelines
with no difference from any other TWHBEA show, Pedigo
said. “The inspections will be in compliance with the Horse Protection Act.”
For more information, call TWHBEA at (931) 359-1574 or visit their website
at www.twhbea.com.
Equine Science News
Head Position Affects Eye Pressure
Intraocular (inside the eye) pressure readings are used in the diagnosis of
equine glaucoma. Researchers with the
In the study, researchers measured intraocular pressure with the horses’
heads positioned both above and below heart level. They discovered there were significant
differences in the readings taken in each position. The ages, sexes, and neck
lengths of the horses appeared to have no effect on the pressure readings.
The researchers wrote, “Failure to maintain a consistent head position
between intraocular pressure measurements could potentially prevent the
meaningful interpretation of perceived aberrations or changes in the
intraocular pressure.”
- - - - - - -
A Veterinary Degree Leads to Varied Careers
Fall is here, and that means many children and adults are going back to
school to continue their education. Pursuing higher education is a proven means
for advancing a career, and veterinary medicine offers several career choices
for people who like to work with animals, most notably being a veterinarian.
Most veterinary school graduates have their sights set on treating our
family pets, but many other opportunities are available in fields like large
and exotic animal medicine, pharmaceuticals, food safety, human health, world
hunger, and global conservation. Astronaut Richard M. Linnehan,
DVM joined two NASA spaceflights, first the Life Sciences and Microgravity
Spacelab mission and later the Neurolab mission. A
bit closer to home but still with the stars, movies from The Alamo to 50 First Dates
used the services of on-set veterinarians as consultants and to provide care to
animals on the movie sets.
“We need more licensed veterinarians to fill the demand in all areas of the
profession,” says Ron Faoro,
DVM, president of the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA).
“In recent years, we’ve seen veterinarian contributions to global health in
both humans and animals. For example, it is veterinary science that informs and
protects us in the battle against avian influenza.” Potential for work in
public health, government inspection services, and research and development
continues to open up for veterinary graduates. About one-third of U.S. Army
Corps Veterinary officers are involved in wide-ranging scientific research,
from breast cancer studies to vaccine development.
Just over half of the nation’s 65,000 licensed veterinarians work with our
pet population. In
Some veterinary graduates choose to continue on to graduate school or
residencies, specializing in internal medicine,
surgery, laboratory animal medicine, pathology, pharmacology, and avian
practice medicine. Those involved in research develop new treatments for
animals while studying the conditions and diseases that affect both animals and
humans.
There are other careers in veterinary medicine as well, such as Registered
Veterinary Technicians (RVTs), veterinary assistants,
and hospital managers. RVTs are trained professionals
who work as highly skilled assistants to veterinarians and researchers,
assisting veterinarians with surgery, exams, administering medications,
bandaging, and laboratory tests. Most states (including
There are 28 veterinary schools in the
The
Extension Service News
by Eddie Baggs, CEA-Agriculture
Are Clovers The Answer?
With the lack of
standing and baled forages in this part of the state, many producers will be
over-seeding pastures and praying for fall rains. Traditionally small grains
such as wheat, oats and ryegrass have been the choice. Taking into
consideration that fertilizer cost have risen 45%
since 2003, some may be looking at another strategy to reduce cost, replenish
nitrogen into the soil and have winter grazing.
The planting of
cool-season annual legumes such as clovers might fit the bill. Clovers such as
Ball and Berseem are well suited for the wide range
of soils and pH levels that we have in
There is a down side
as usual. Stocking rates will need to be reduced to let the clover establish to
at least a height of four inches, which should be around early March. Grazing
animals will also have the potential for bloat, and spring chemical weed
control will be limited at best.
Planting should be
done in October. If over-seeding into an established pasture, grass should be
less than 2 inches in height, and before or after seeding drag a light disk or
harrow over the pasture to put the seed into contact with the soil. Be sure the
clover seed is coated with a pre-inoculate. If
un-coated seed is purchased, inoculate seed within 24 hours of planting and
store seed in a cool, shaded area until planting.
In some forage
systems clover will be a good alternative, with good management and planting
practices.
Educational programs conducted by the
A Bit of Humor
Defining Riders and
Their Horses
This Month: Backyard
Rider
The Rider:
The Backyard Rider
can be found in summer wearing shorts and tank top, and in winter wearing flannel
nightgown, buck boots, and down jacket. Drives a Ford Tempo filled with dirty
blankets and dog hair. Usually has deformed toes on
the right foot from being stepped on in the Wal-Mart sneakers that are worn for
riding. Roots need touching up to hide the grey. 2-horse bumper pull behind
barn filled with sawdust/hay. Can be found trying to teach
her horse to come into the kitchen to eat so she doesn’t have to walk all the
way to the barn.
The Horse:
Snook’ums
is the backyard rider’s horse. Big head, with the stride of a
gerbil. Duct tape holding shoe on until farrier gets out next month. Has
a little Quarter, Arab, Standardbred, Tennessee Walker, and Shetland blood. Mane cut with scissors straight
across. He’s been there so long she forgot how she got him or where he came
from. Frequently seen ambling around the yard. Been known to join family picnics on the back porch.
Frequently Overheard in Conversation:
“It’s too hot/cold/wet/dry to ride.”
“Has anyone seen Snook’ums? Last I
saw he was across the road in the cornfield.”
“Where’s my Metamucil?”
“Here’s a picture of Snook’ums
when he was 43 years young!”
“I used to show.”
“Snook’ums, stop slobbering on
me.”
Ask The Vet
by Dr. Katie Hayes, DVM
New Worming Recommendations
At the Intervet seminar I attended
in August there was a lecture concerning the growing parasite resistance to our
wormers, with no new wormers on the horizon being developed.
The new recommendations for worming to
decrease resistance is to do fecals and worm only
when necessary. Horses always kept in stalls with no pasture time do not have
to be wormed every 2 months, but only twice per year (once in the Spring for the intestinal encysted larvae hatch and again 30
days after the first frost for bots). Horses in pastures need to be wormed 3-4
times a year depending on parasite load. Foals and yearlings have to be wormed
more often (6 times per year). Daily wormers are showing resistance, especially
in hot moist climates.
The following information about these new recommendations is
from an article in the Horse Journal.
It’s Not a
One-For-All Deal
Healthy adult horses often do quite well with minimal
wormings. This is because their digestive tract develops a strong immunity to
parasites over time. Horses with low levels of exposure and in stables with
good barn-management practices are further protected by not having to deal with
large parasite challenges on a routine basis.
However, the strength of adult-parasite immunity varies
tremendously among individual horses. In any given group of horses on an
identical worming schedule, you’re likely to find some that test with low/no
parasites and others with high burdens. The stress of an injury or illness can
also reduce immunity in any horse, and both very young and very old horses have
special needs.
Daily Wormers
The use of daily, low-dose pyrantel
tartrate wormers (Strongid C was the flagship product and now there are a
number of brand choices for the same drug) has been popular for many years. The
goal is to kill recently ingested larvae of commonly problematic worms before
they get a chance to mature or do damage.
Horses on daily wormers also need periodic treatments for
bots. Although not currently labeled for this use, studies have shown that
daily low-dose pyrantel tartrate is effective in
tapeworm infestations. The problem comes with effectiveness against small
strongyles (Cyathostomes), now considered to be
the major parasite problem of horses.
Even when first introduced, this drug showed variable
ability to reduce small strongyles egg counts; sometimes high, sometimes only
80% reductions or less. This could actually be a bit of a plus for a healthy
adult horse, since the few left behind means there will still be low-level
stimulation of natural immunity. However, for high-risk horses, including the
very young and old, daily wormers often don’t offer enough protection.
Resistance to the pyrantel family of wormers is also
becoming increasingly common. There’s some epidemiological evidence to suggest
that widespread use of daily wormers might be hastening the process of
resistance. This means that if you think a daily wormer is the ideal choice for
a high-risk horse, it may be exactly the opposite.
If starting a daily wormer for a horse with a known history
of parasite problems, be sure to do FECRT (fecal egg count reduction testing)
four weeks after starting the product, or eight weeks after if you wormed with
ivermectin before starting the daily.
All horses on daily wormers should have FEC (fecal egg
counts) checked at least once a year to make sure the product is getting the
job done. This can be done mid-grazing season, or right before your regular,
annual ivermectin bot worming. High-risk horses should be checked more
frequently, especially it there are any signs of problems (poor growth,
potbelly, poor coat, diarrhea, or other digestive upset).
Resistance Worries
Before considering worming schedules, we need to understand
what’s going on in terms of parasite resistance to current drugs. Widespread
problems have been documented for resistance or the benzimidazoles (febendazole/Safeguard
and oxibendazole currently on the market), the
pyrantels (Strongid) and phenothiazine. This had led
to growing concerns that the important parasites will eventually become
resistant to ivermectin and moxidectin, too, although it hasn’t happened yet.
You may have seen claims that rotating wormers helps to
avoid appearance of resistant parasites. Unfortunately, there’s no strong proof
that is true. With the benzimidazoles, for example, resistance develops quickly
after only a small number of treatments. This has led to a sharp drop in the
number of benzimidazole products available on the
market and a tendency to substitute pyrantels in a rotation with ivermectin
instead.
However, as we stated in the daily wormer section, pyrantel resistance is becoming widespread too. Higher
doses and combinations of drugs (e.g. febendazole with pyrantel)
generally don’t solve the problem. This leaves moxidectin and ivermectin as
resistance-free options (except for possibly ivermectin and roundworms).
Changing Strategy
The growing resistance problems had led to increasing
emphasis on changing worming programs from the usual “worm every x number of
days” approach to a more selective approach that involves proper management to
reduce risks and identifies horses that need special attention:
·
To begin, run fecal egg counts (FEC) on all
horses prior to their next scheduled worming.
·
If fecals are negative
or counts very low, don’t treat the horses.
·
Horses that need worming should have follow-up
fecal egg counts done to determine the FECRT (fecal egg count reduction
testing) to make sure the product used actually is effective.
·
In addition to targeted treatment of only horses
with high egg counts, consider timed treatments at the beginning, middle and
end of grazing season rather than regularly year round.
·
Periodically monitor post-treatment egg counts
in high-risk horses to make sure parasite resistance isn’t developing.
·
Establish a sane cutoff for FEC results that
lead to a worming. Not treating horses with low egg counts (below 100 to 200
eggs per gram) helps to keep that horse’s immune system well stimulated and
decreases the percentage of eggs in the environment from parasites that have
been exposed to drugs and may have become resistant.
·
Instead of rotating between wormers with each
treatment (called fast rotation), consider a slow rotation approach where each
drug is used for at least a year, or until post-treatment egg counts show
resistance. This is the method commonly used to reduce resistance problems with
other farm animals, but it’s been slow to make its way over to horse management
strategies.
·
Isolate new horses and don’t allow access to
paddocks or fields until the horse has been treated with ivermectin or
moxidectin. If using any other wormer, you must do an after-treatment egg count
to be sure it was effective and the horse isn’t shedding resistant worms into
your environment.
·
Follow this with a larvacidal dosing of
five-day, double dose febendazole, and keep the horse on ivermectin every six
to eight weeks or moxidectin every 10 to 12 weeks for one or two treatments.
·
Never allow your horse to eat off the ground or
graze away from home when in areas of heavy horse traffic.
·
Remove manure from paddocks and stalls at least
once a day.
·
Drag fields, especially when there is crowding,
to break up manure piles and expose larvae to the killing effects of drying and
sunlight. If you can remove the horses after dragging the field for two to
three weeks, all the better. Drag the fields only during the hottest times of
the year, when the drying-resistant infectious larvae of strongyles are the
most metabolically active and will die quicker.
Bottom Line
Worming by the calendar according to product recommendations
is easiest, but growing parasite resistance problems are making it less
feasible. If you own several horses or manage a large farm, the measures above
are particularly important. If you own only one or two horses and keep them on
your own farm, you still need to realize some of the current approaches to
worming may have already induced resistance in your horses.
Doing fecal egg counts doesn’t have to mean a lot of
expense. Talk to your veterinarian. Costs can probably be reduced to about the
same as worming if you collect the samples yourself and take them to the
office.
Odds are you may not have to worm after all, and not
treating horses that don’t need it will delay resistance problems developing.
If your horse does need treatment, sampling two weeks after worming will tell
you if your product choice is effective, information you need to know before
serious problems develop.
As far as choosing a brand of wormer, determine first the
type of drug(s) you need in the product, and then let cost be your guide. There
are a large number of “generic” brand wormer choices, especially in the
category of ivermectin. Purchasing wormer pastes in quantity can be a
money-saving step, but it’s not going to help if your horse doesn’t need all
those frequent doses.
Recipe of the Month
Baked Apples with Butterscotch Topping Servings: 4
4 baking apples
(McIntosh, Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious, or Granny Smith)
1 lemon,
cut in half
1/2
cup raisins
2
tbsp honey
3/4
cup chopped walnuts or
pecans
1/2
cup butterscotch topping
·
Preheat oven to 325°
F. Core the apples using an apple corer (don’t cut them in half). Remove the
peel from the upper 1/3 of each apple. To prevent browning, rub the peeled part
with the lemon and squeeze a few drops of lemon juice inside each cut apple.
Place the apples in a 9-inch square baking dish.
·
In a small bowl,
combine the raisins, honey, and 2 tablespoons of the chopped nuts. Stuff each
apple with the raisin mixture. Pour a little water in the bottom of the baking
dish, to about 1/4-inch deep.
·
Bake uncovered 45 to
60 minutes or until the apples are tender (not mushy). Remove from oven and cool
for about 10 minutes before serving.
·
To serve, place each
apple on a serving plate, drizzle with some of the sauce from the pan and the
butterscotch topping, then top with the remaining nuts.