HAT Chat Articles – December 2007
A word from our
President
Season Greetings,
What a great turnout and fun day for the first ever joint
show between HAT and CNHA as “first” and “fun” became the theme for the day!
The day started fast and furious as exhibitors lined up at registration,
anxious to get ready for their first class.
After a moving opening ceremony with a prayer from Jody House, a lovely
national anthem by Kara Hawkins, and flag presentation by Ashton Downs and
Jennifer Purvis, we swung into full gear. Reining was first up with a record number of exhibitors. Next came pole
bending, the first time in a while
that a speed class appeared on our schedule. Lovely horses filled the halter
and performance classes with a spectacular color class. There were several
exhibitors and horses showing in their first
show. There were many who were showing at a HAT show for the first time. Great prizes were awarded to
the first place winners in all the
classes with a tie for first in the
lead line class, a crowd favorite with some great little riders! We had an
exhibitor from
My mailbox seems to be filled with advertisements and flyers for holiday gift ideas. Many are very tempting! Yet I find myself wishing for simpler gifts. At the top of the list is more time with my family and friends…and, of course, with my horse! What’s on your wish list? Maybe a new blanket, saddle, truck, trailer, or even a new horse? Maybe a HAT membership or HAT Chat subscription? Maybe an opportunity to learn more about riding or caring for your horse or pony? Ah, if wishes were horses…we all would ride! My holiday wish for you is to ride with the wind in peace and happiness!
HAT/CNHA Open Show
HAT and the Choctaw Nation
Horseman’s Association (CNHA) held their first-ever open horse show together on
November 17th at the Choctaw Arena in Durant. From the opening
ceremony at 9am to the final English Equitation class at 7pm, it was a full day
of showing. Some 65 competitors came out from all over the area, including 11
in Reining, 3 in Gaited Horses, and a Lead Line class with 3 young competitors
who were so tough the judge had no choice but to declare a tie and award all of
them blue ribbons!
The Choctaw Arena was
expertly managed by the CNHA and Choctaw staff, with announcer Jody House
keeping the show and the crowd moving along throughout the day.
In addition to special gifts
for the first place finishers in each class, there were drawings for everyone
including the audience in the stands to win a variety of great prizes and
gifts, including
Complete show results are
printed in this issue.
HAT and CNHA would like to
thank all of their sponsors and volunteers for all of their hard work to make
this show a great success.
Stallion Showcase
Postponed To January
Due to technical problems,
our annual Stallion Showcase has been delayed and will appear in our January
2008 issue. We regret this delay.
However, this change in
schedule does give everyone who missed the November deadline one more chance to
submit their ads for the upcoming Showcase! The new deadline to submit ads is Friday, December 21. Advertising copy
can be e-mailed to HAT or mailed to the HAT office (see “How to Contact HAT” at
the bottom of this page).
Don’t wait – December 22nd
is coming up fast!
We would like to give “a tip of the HAT” to all of the volunteers who helped to make the HAT/CNHA Open Show a big success:
|
Kathy
Bagnell |
|
|
Michele
Beard |
Cindy
Carter |
|
Matthew
Bernier |
Frank
Deal |
|
Mike
Bernier |
Rhonda
Farrimond |
|
Robin
Chouteau |
Jody
Goodson |
|
Roger
Dougan |
Shanis
Goodson |
|
|
Jody
House |
|
Joel
Gibson |
Kelly
Savage |
|
David
Mitchell |
Peggy
Savage |
|
Sandra
Shiver |
|
|
Gerry
Snipes |
Kara
Hawkins - Nathional Anthem |
|
Sharla
Stevenson |
Ashton
|
|
Denise
Stokes |
Jennifer
Purvis - Carried the Choctaw flag |
THANK YOU!
Kids Corral
To Parents: In what
has become an annual tradition here at HAT Chat, we are pleased to present the
classic poem “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”, or “A Visit from St.
Nicholas”, by Clement Clarke Moore.
We hope you enjoy
sharing this story with your family. Oh,
and don’t forget to leave cookies and milk sitting out for Santa on Christmas
Eve!
“’Twas the Night Before
Christmas”
by Clement Clarke Moore
‘Twas the night
before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature
was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings
were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St.
Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were
nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of
sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her
‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled
down for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the
lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the
bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the
window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the
shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the
breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre
of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my
wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh,
and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old
driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a
moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than
eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled,
and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now, Dasher!
now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on
Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the
porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away!
dash away! dash away all!”
As dry leaves
that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet
with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the
house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh
full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a
twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and
pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my
hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney
St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed
all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes
were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys
he had flung on his back,
And he looked
like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes, how
they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were
like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little
mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of
his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a
pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it
encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad
face and a little round belly,
That shook when
he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and
plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed
when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye
and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to
know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a
word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all
the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his
finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod,
up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his
sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all
flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him
exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO
ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!”
State/Local
News
Habitat for Horses and
Habitat for Horses Inc. and
Texas Horse Park Inc. recently announced their plan to partner in developing a
new, state of the art horse rescue facility within the
The plan for the Texas Horse
Park includes a world class equestrian competition facility able to host
national and international events as well as a community center which will
accommodate a school of horsemanship with scholarship riding programs for neighborhood
children, therapeutic riding and, now, a 30 stall barn designed specifically
with rescued horses in mind.
The rescue barn will be
managed by Habitat for Horses and will include amenities such as Intensive Care
Unit stalls, an operating room and an office that will allow Habitat staff and
veterinarians to remain near their horses at all times. Habitat for Horses will
work heavily with law enforcement and Texas A&M veterinarians to get
rescued horses well again.
Jerry Finch, president of
Habitat for Horses, when asked about the partnership, highlighted the shared
goals of the two organizations. “Habitat for Horses and
The two organizations share
the perspective that rehabilitated horses are a great value and are developing
programs that utilize the horse for the benefit of the rider. Equine Assisted
Psychotherapy, for instance, allows horses to aid in the healing of an abused
spouse or a neglected child. Habitat’s facility at the
Chelsea Chapman, Outreach
Coordinator for the
Currently, both Habitat for
Horses and
- - - - - - -
Four Plead in
Four defendants charged after
a July 29 raid on an illegal
Jeroldo Ruiz, 46, will serve
a five-year deferred sentence and pay a $5,000 fine after pleading guilty to
one felony count of conspiracy against the state. He also pleaded guilty to one
felony count of managing unlawful proceeds, and he received a five-year
deferred sentence and a $2,500 fine on that charge. As the track’s manager over
vendors and employees, Ruiz collected vendors’ rental fees and paid employees
at the Red River Playground. He also agreed to forfeit property seized in the
raid, including $12,000 in cash.
Martin Trejo, 35, received a
10-year suspended sentence and a $10,000 fine on one felony count of conspiracy
against the state; a two year suspended sentence and a $1,000 fine on one
felony count of commercial gambling; a five-year deferred sentence and a
$20,000 assessment to the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission (OHRC) on one felony
count of charging an admission fee at an unlicensed horse racing track; and a
five-year suspended sentence on one felony count of managing unlawful proceeds.
Trejo was an organizer at the track.
Juan Rocha, 39, pleaded
guilty to one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to commit gambling on the
premises. He was sentenced to a two-year deferred sentence.
The track’s main organizer
also pleaded guilty to numerous felony charges. Jesus Romero, aka Jesse Romero,
46, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against the state, 22 counts of
commercial gambling, 26 counts of charging an admission at an unlicensed horse
racing track and one count of managing unlawful proceeds. Romero’s sentencing
is set for 2 p.m. on January 22 before Judge Charles Roberts in Love County
District Court.
All of the defendants who
pleaded will also pay court costs.
Including these defendants,
16 people have now pleaded guilty in the investigation of the Red River
Playground.
“Today’s guilty pleas mark
the disposition of all the criminal cases currently filed in conjunction with
this investigation,” Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said. “The
investigation, however, is ongoing.”
The defendants were all
charged July 31 after an investigation by the OHRC and the Oklahoma State
Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).
The OHRC and the OSBI were
assisted in the raid by officers from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Office
of the Attorney General, the Chickasaw Nation Light Horsemen and the Oklahoma
Department of Agriculture. The case is being prosecuted by the attorney
general’s office.
National
News
BLM Wild Horse Facility Reopens Following Salmonella Outbreak
The Bureau of Land
Management’s
Cultures done at that time
identified salmonella as a factor complicating the horses’ recovery from
drought conditions on the range. Two, more recent rounds of cultures, taken two
weeks apart, have not isolated any more salmonella.
The 805
Since early September when
983 horses from the
The death losses decreased
dramatically in early October and have remained low for the past month. During
that time the corrals have been cleaned and common areas, chutes, feeders,
gates and waterers have been cleaned and disinfected. On the advice of the
Washoe County Public Health Department, the manure from the corrals will be
composted on site for 30 days and then disposed of in the county landfill.
The voluntary movement
restriction, closure and other safety measures were put in place to safeguard
the health and welfare of the animals at this and other BLM facilities as well
as protect the public health since salmonella can be transmitted to people. Employees
followed bio-safety protocols including minimizing traffic in affected areas of
the facility, disinfecting vehicles and equipment, wearing dedicated and
protective clothing and frequent hand washing. No employees became sick and at
this time there is no indication there is still an increased risk of illness
from salmonella.
The
Facility management worked
closely with the BLM’s private veterinarian as well as the State Veterinarian,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture and
The
- - - - - - -
According to monitoring data
provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the total number of West Nile Virus (WNV)
cases reported in 2007 dramatically decreased over previous years.
As of October 19, the total
number of confirmed cases of WNV in horses nationwide was 334. This represents
a 70% decrease from 2006, in which 1,086 cases were reported. The number of
cases has decreased annually since it peaked in 2002 at 15,257.
The number of cases reported
each year since WNV was first detected in the
1999
– 25
2000
– 60
2001
– 738
2002
– 15,257
2003
– 5,181
2004
– 1,406
2005
– 1,088
2006
– 1,086
2007
– 334 (through October)
29 states reported cases of
WNV in 2007. The top five states reporting cases were
Legislative
Update
American Horse Council’s National Issues Fall Forum Tackles Major
Industry Concerns
The American Horse Council’s
(AHC) recent National Issues Fall Forum was a resounding success. Over 100
industry professionals and horse enthusiasts from every sector of the equine
world gathered at Keeneland Racetrack on November 2nd for important updates on
some of the horse world’s hottest topics and primary concerns. Complete
details, including several presentation downloads, are now available on the
AHC’s web site: www.horsecouncil.org
The fall forum topics covered
included:
Preserving Our Land
and Use--Conservation Easements,
by attorney Margaret M. Graves, a board member of Bluegrass Conservancy, and
attorney Shannon Bishop Arvin, of Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC. Attendees were
given an overview of how land is protected, and the various prices, fees,
taxes, and concerns that are involved. Various easement and conservation
programs were highlighted, with special consideration given to programs
initiated by the state of
Own
Responsibly--Spread the Word, Latest from the Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) with Katy Carter of the UHC, Kristin Hix of The
Jockey Club, and Sally Baker of the American Association of Equine
Practitioners. Katy Carter stated that no one currently knows how many horses
go unwanted each year in the
Federal Legislation
and Regulations Affecting the Industry by AHC President Jay Hickey. In his discussion of several changes to
federal laws and regulations, Mr. Hickey focused on efforts that are currently
being made to offer the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security
Act of 2007, better known as AgJOBS, as an amendment to the Farm Bill or any
other legislation to be considered by the Senate. AgJOBS (S.340) is a comprehensive
solution to many of the horse industry’s immigration problems with respect to
H-2A workers at horse breeding farms and ranches. Mr. Hickey also discussed the
provisions in the Senate farm bill that would make horses eligible for federal
emergency assistance; the “Preserving our Equine Heritage on Public Land Act,”
legislation just introduced by Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) that would require
federal land managers to consider the historic and traditional use of horses on
public lands in any exclusionary effort; and the Equine Equity Act, which
includes several favorable tax changes for horses.
Keeping the IRS at
Bay--Federal Tax Laws for Horse Owners, by attorney Doug Romaine of Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC. Mr. Romaine
focused on the differences between so-called “hobby” equine activities versus
“business” activities in relation to the various ways in which the Internal
Revenue Service distinguishes between the two. By focusing on a strong business
model and, “carrying out your horse activities in a business-like manner” those
involved in the horse industry can be better prepared should the IRS audit
their activities. Among the best advice given, Mr. Romaine also suggested that
horse owners and breeders keep separate books and ledgers for their horse business,
perhaps even, “by horse” in order to distinguish profits (or losses) on a
horse-by-horse basis.
The Ins and Outs of
Movement--Import/Export Issues for Horse Owners, by Andrea Morgan, DVM, Associate Deputy
Administrator for Regional Operations, USDA. Dr. Morgan explained the
import-export laws for horses in and out of the
The Sleeping
Giant--Update on Equine Piroplasmosis (EP), by Kent Fowler, DVM, Chief Animal Health Branch,
California Department of Food and Agriculture. Currently, EP is classified as a
“foreign-animal disease.” Dr. Fowler’s presentation highlighted all the
essential safeguards that the equine industry can take to make sure that EP
remains foreign and isolated. Dr. Fowler explained how EP is transmitted by
ticks and has been shown to have a twenty-percent fatality rate among equines.
Fowler reviewed the various red-blood cell affecting symptoms associated with
the disease, which he warned, “often go undiagnosed.” Fowler also remarked on
the various measures the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and others are
taking to make sure EP does not become endemic to the
Do You Have A Match?--Immigration
Issues Facing the Horse Industry,
by attorney Charles R. Baesler Jr. of Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC. As a compliment
to some of the broader immigration issues discussed earlier in the day by the
AHC, Mr. Baesler went into a more in-depth analysis of H-2A and H-2B alien
workers, as the current rules apply to the horse industry. Baesler noted that
getting such workers admitted is quite often, “complicated and time-consuming.”
He explained the so-called “no-match” letters in relation to the governments
pursuit of workers with questionable or falsified documentation. Baesler
emphasized the importance of clarity and consistency when dealing with alien
workers and federal agencies.
This is only the second time
the AHC has held a major National Issues Forum outside of
The AHC’s National Issues
Fall Forum was sponsored by event host Keeneland Association; The Kentucky
Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders;
Equestrian Services, LLC; Spring Mountain Vineyard’s “Chateau Chevalier”
wine-label, and Blood-Horse Publications.
Equine Science News
A Simplified AI Protocol For Using Frozen Semen
Artificial Insemination is becoming increasingly popular
amongst horse breeders and owners.
It gives the mare owner a wider choice of stallions than
would otherwise be available. The mare, with foal at foot, does not have to
travel long distances to reach the chosen stallion. There is no physical
contact between the stallion and the mare, avoiding the risk of injury and
reducing the risk of disease transmission.
However, it is necessary to preserve the semen in some
way to keep it viable until it reaches the mare. Two methods of preserving
semen are available – chilling and freezing.
Frozen semen has advantages for the stud owner. Only a
small volume of semen is needed. Usually, each dose contains less than 5ml of
extended semen, so multiple doses can be prepared from each collection. It is
easy for the stallion to combine competing with a breeding career. Semen
collection can be arranged at a convenient time and is not dictated by the
recipient mare being in season. Frozen semen can be stored indefinitely and be
readily available when requested.
In contrast, while it is relatively simple to process and
use chilled semen, the main difficulty to be overcome with using it is the need
to predict the day of ovulation so the semen can be collected and delivered on
time. This has created problems, particularly in the
Once thawed, the frozen sperm do not survive as long as
those in fresh or chilled semen. So when using frozen semen it is important to
make sure the mare is inseminated close to the time of ovulation. Historically
this has meant that multiple examinations are needed to monitor the size of the
ovarian follicle as it gets near to ovulating – up to four examinations a day.
This need for precise timing of insemination has been one of the reasons for
the initial lack of enthusiasm for the use of frozen/thawed semen for
artificial insemination.
Using frozen/thawed semen has also been commonly believed
to be less reliable. However, recent experience suggests this may no longer be
true.
Speaking at the recent British Equine Veterinary
Association meeting on equine artificial insemination, Carolyne Crowe BSc
BVetMet MRCVS of the Willesley Equine Clinic showed it is possible to get good
results using a fixed time protocol with frozen semen.
She described the results achieved over two breeding
seasons by following a standardised procedure for both chilled and frozen
semen. From a total of 139 mares bred with frozen semen, 115 (83%) became
pregnant. In comparison, 78 (70%) of 112 mares inseminated with chilled semen
were pregnant. Mrs. Crowe said, “I’m not saying that frozen is better than
chilled – but equal.” However, she prefers to work with frozen rather than
chilled semen because of the ease of use. You can have the semen in stock so
there is no problem if ovulation occurs at the weekend.
She explained that she usually used one full dose of
semen (>300 Million sperm) before and after ovulation – although in seven
mares she used half a dose each time. Ideally, only those mares less than 15
years old with a good breeding history were admitted onto the frozen semen
breeding programme. All mares were checked to make sure they were clean from
infection when they came into season.
Mrs. Crowe concluded that the convenience and commercial
advantages of using frozen semen for the stallion owner do not have to be at
the expense of the mare owner in financial terms or conception rates.
From BEVA AI Refresher Course,
Frozen Semen AI Protocol
Day 1. 8am When the largest follicle
reaches 30-35mm with marked oedema of the uterus, and the cervix is relaxed.
Inject deslorelin subcutaneously.
Day 2. 8am Ultrasound scan to
check that the follicle is still present
Day 2. 8pm Ultrasound scan to
check that the follicle is still present. Inseminate mare.
Day 3. 8am: Ultrasound scan to
check that the mare has ovulated. Inseminate mare again.
If the mare has not ovulated by
this stage (only 7 of 139 had not done so) check again every 6 hours. If fluid
is noticed at the second insemination or the mare has a history of previous
post-mating insemination endometritis treat with antibiotics and saline
flushing and antibiotics 6 hours later.
Day 4. 8am: Ultrasound scan to
check for post insemination endometritis. All mares are given crystalline
penicillin and framomycin into the uterus. Oxytocin is used routinely. If any
fluid is seen in the uterus, it is flushed with sterile saline and checked the
following day as well..
© 2007 Equine Science Update
Reprinted with permission
[Editor’s Note: This article is provided for
information only. Please consult your veterinarian to determine if the procedures
outlined in this article are appropriate for your operation. HAT will not be
responsible for accidents, injuries, or losses of any type resulting from the
use of any procedures or products featured in this newsletter or on its
website.]
Monthly
Poll
Last month we asked:
This month’s question: Which
of the following services do you use on your horses?
To vote in our monthly poll,
go to www.hat-texoma.org and scroll
down to “Monthly Poll” on the home page. The results of this month’s question
will be published in our next issue. Be sure to stop by and cast your vote!
Extension
Service News
by Eddie Baggs,
CEA-Agriculture
Prussic Acid Poisoning
With
our first frost of the year, we must be aware of potential grazing problems
with certain plant varieties. Prussic acid poisoning is one of the most toxic
and rapidly acting of any common poison. It is also called hydrocyanic acid or
cyanide poisoning. Cryogenic compounds can develop in plants that are stressed
in the rumen the compounds are converted to cyanide, which can kill livestock.
Livestock
can show symptoms of intoxication within 5 minutes of eating plants with the
poison, and may die within 15 minutes. Salivation and labored breathing occurs
first, followed by muscular tremors, uncoordinated movements, bloating,
convulsions and death from respiratory failure.
Although
there is usually little danger of prussic acid poisoning, it can accumulate in
plants in the sorghum family such as
To
prevent prussic acid poisoning: Do not graze any of the cyanogenic-accumulating
plants (sorghums) that have been subject to drought or injury unless they are
tested for hydrocyanic acid. If plants have been damaged by herbicides or
frost, defer grazing until they either are well recovered from injury or cut
for hay, or after a killing freeze and the plants have been allowed to dry. Do
not graze plants in the sorghum family until they are 2 to 3 feet tall. Graze
second-growth sorghums with caution if growing conditions are poor. Remove all
livestock from the feed source when an animal is found to have died suddenly
after grazing forages under poor growing conditions. Prevent animals from
grazing wilted plants or those with young tillers. After plants have grown
rapidly, such as shortly after a rain or irrigation on previously
drought-stressed fields, or warm weather after a cool period, wait at least 2
weeks after the plants begin to grow before grazing.
Educational programs conducted by the
A Bit of Humor
An
Equestrian “Martha Stewart” Style Christmas
1.
Take red and
green tape and cover your horse’s halter for a festive look.
2.
Trim your horse’s
hooves with pinking shears and stencil a different holiday picture on each
hoof.
3.
Tie ribbons on
the muck tub and decorate the handle with bells. Whenever your horse poops,
skip up the aisle shaking the tub, humming “Here Comes Santa Claus.”
4.
Spray paint the
pitchfork gold and decorate with raffia and holly.
5.
Place a fresh
lemon slice in your horse’s new silver water bucket.
6.
Stamp out carrot
and apple treats with copper cookie cutters and decorate with royal icing and a
number 2 rosette tip.
7.
Collect mane and
tail hair and hang in wire baskets outside the barn for the birds.
8.
Let the farm dogs
drink eggnog from the toilet bowl.
9.
Restuff all your
pillows with horse hair saved from body clipping.
10.
French braid your
horse’s tail intertwining red, gold, and green threads, and make him wear a
Santa hat.
11.
Dress up like
Santa. Put antlers on your horse. Hitch him up to manure spreader and drive
around the farm yelling “On Donner, On Blitzen, etc.”
12.
Use fresh manure
to form manger scene figures.
13.
Decorate
yourself, your horse, and your tack with Christmas tree lights. Use methane
from your most flatulent horse to power the whole system.
14.
Soak your white
polos in starch. While still wet, form into angels. When dry, hang up around
the barn.
15.
Coat the barn
cats in Elmer’s glue and roll in red and green glitter.
16.
Take the chain
harrow and spell out “Merry Christmas” in your neighbor’s hay field so people
in airplanes can read it.
17.
Change cross ties
in barn to braided red licorice. Hot glue candy canes at 3 inch intervals.
18.
Fill the automatic
waterers with hot buttered rum.
19.
Hang mistletoe
over the stallion’s door and let all the “girls” stop by for a kiss.
20.
Train your
geldings to write “Merry Christmas” in the snow!
Ask The Vet
by Dr. Katie Hayes, DVM
Gastric Ulcers
Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome
(EGUS) is a condition in horses in which they develop ulcers in the stomach.
These ulcers can be so severe they can lead to decreased performance, abdominal
pain (colic), or even death associated with ulcer perforation. Ulcers may be
caused by many different factors such as stress, diet, illness, medications, or
a combination of these.
The most common cause of
ulcers in horses is stress. Up to 90% of Thoroughbreds in training may have
ulcers, and while the incidence of ulcers in other breeds may be lower, the
stress of training is a common cause of ulcers in all breeds. Horses that live
at home and are pastured between high-intensity events have a much lower
incidence of ulcers than those who are kept away from home, though some studies
have shown that even horses that are transported and stalled at a low-intensity
event such as a show still have a higher incidence of ulcers than do those who
are not kept more than a few days at an event.
Diet plays an important role
in the development of gastric ulcers. Because they are grazers, horses secrete
gastric acids all the time, as opposed to humans who only secrete acid at meal
time. Due to the acid in the stomach all the time, it is essential that horses
have access to hay or pasture all the time. This may be one reason why horses
that are pastured between events have a much lower incidence of ulcers than
those who are stalled. Also, horses with high grain diets are far more likely
to develop ulcers. Those that are fed more than 5 lbs of grain every 5-6 hours
may develop ulcers in as little as two hours from feeding. Interestingly, a
diet high in calcium and protein, like that found in alfalfa hay, are
protective to the stomach and may help prevent ulcers. So for those looking for
a feed that is higher in protein, alfalfa may be a better choice than grain.
You may not ever know if your
horse has ulcers. Most cases go unnoticed and are only diagnosable by
endoscopic examination. Other cases may cause signs from decreased performance
and weight loss to repeated colic and diarrhea. The most common sign of ulcers
in the adult horse is decreased appetite for grain. These horses may start to
eat their feed and then leave the grain to eat hay or grass. In foals, gastric
ulcers usually cause signs of colic, most recognizable by a foal rolling up on
its back.
Some horses will be able to
fully heal their ulcers with pasture rest, minimizing their stress and allowing
them grass free-choice, but for many pasture is simply not enough or not
practical. There are several products available to treat gastric ulcers in
horses; the most effective is omeprazole, sold commercially as GastroGard. One
study showed that 88% of horses healed their ulcerations with eight days of
treatment with omeprazole, and even more with the recommended 28-day treatment
regimen. After treatment with GastroGard a horse can be placed on UlcerGard,
which is a low dose omeprazole used to prevent ulcers from reoccurring.
Omeprazole is also effective in preventing ulcers in horses that are exposed to
a stressful event when started three days before the event and continuing
treatment for two days after the event. Another product, seabuckthorn berry
(SeaBuck Complete) looks promising for treating and preventing ulcers. Neighlox
and U Guard are other feed additives that help prevent ulcers. For relief of
pain or inflammation, Equioxx paste does not cause ulcers in the stomach or the
large colon like
Management for prevention of
ulcers is: provide free choice roughage and pasture turnout; feed no or minimal
amounts of grain; and be aware that stressful situations such as travel, shows,
weaning, or stall confinement can lead to ulcers.
Gastric ulcers can
dramatically affect your horse and lead to decreased performance or even colic,
so it is important that all owners are aware of the causes, signs of the
condition, and the treatment and prevention measures. Any horse can develop
ulcers, but with the added stresses of performance training and showing it is
particularly important to protect your horse and your investment with proper
diet, husbandry, and veterinary care.
Recipe of the Month
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2 cups |
cubed ham |
2 cups |
milk |
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1 pkg |
(10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained |
1/2 cup |
mayonnaise |
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2 cups |
shredded sharp Cheddar cheese |
2 tbsp |
flour |
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1 pkg |
(6 oz) seasoned croutons |
2 tsp |
dry mustard |
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4 |
eggs |
2 tsp |
dried basil leaves |
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Mix ham, broccoli, cheese, and croutons; place in 13 x 9 baking dish.
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In a medium bowl, beat eggs and milk with a wire whisk until well
blended. Add mayonnaise, flour, and seasonings, and mix well. Pour over ham mixture.
Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.