HAT Chat Articles – April 2008
A word from our
President
Spring has arrived in
Texoma! April is an annual reminder of
my move here twenty years ago with fond memories of the balmy evenings, emerging
green grass accentuated by the spring blooms, the unpredictable weather, and
seeing my first live armadillo. Two years after becoming a
Speaking of unpredictable
weather, you won’t have to worry about the weather for HAT’s first show of the
season on April 19th. Not only is the
arena covered, but so is the warm up area!
Come and join us at Crossfire Arena in
Now on to another
“unpredictable” spring element…that would be my driving…and I caution anyone
out on the roadways to beware! I confess
to not only lifting my foot from the gas pedal, but sometimes hitting the
brakes as the new foals catch my eye! A
bumper sticker with a warning “Caution, I Brake for Foals!” sounds like a great
idea. There are several babies on my
regular routes, five of them paints, sometimes frolicking and cavorting and
other times laying so flat on the ground they can barely be seen. I spotted a new one today, looking so frail on
its long legs. On a recent farm visit,
with my car safely parked, I was
welcomed into the stall of a week old colt who nearly inhaled a visiting
kitten! After breathing in a little
kitty fur, he began sneezing and snorting indignantly. The kitten escaped unharmed. Consider yourselves warned. J
Graduating seniors…you’ve
still got time to submit your scholarship application and essay! The deadline is April 12th with
the scholarship awarded at HAT’s Youth Clinic on May 10th. The adults are not forgotten…details on HAT
Adult Horsemanship series will be announced soon!
Happy Trails to you and Happy
Birthday to Miss Kiva!
It’s Showtime! HAT Spring Show April 19th
It’s finally here – HAT’s
first horse show of the year is coming up on Saturday, April 19th at
Crossfire Ranch Arena in
Unfortunately, we are unable
to offer online registration for this show. We are still working on this
process and hope to offer it later this season.
We hope to see YOU at the
show!
Youth Clinic May 10th
HAT’s busy 2008 schedule
continues next month with our annual Youth Clinic. It will be held on May 10th
at Loy Lake Arena in
This is our sixth year of
offering this clinic, which is produced in cooperation with the Grayson County
Saddlebound 4-H Club. Open to all youth ages 18 and under, the clinician this year
will be Mr. Mick Clark, who was the instructor for our successful Adult
Horsemanship series last year. The best part of all is, this clinic is
absolutely FREE!
ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS: This is your last
chance to send in an application for the Scholarship! The deadline for entries
is April 12. See page 3 of this issue for an application form. The winner of the 2008 HAT Youth Scholarship will
also be announced during the clinic. We hope to see you there!
State/Local
News
Local Facility Closes Its Doors After 32 Years
A
well-known horse facility in
Classical
Training Center (CTC), located off U.S. Highway 75 in Van Alstyne, has closed.
Opened 32 years ago as
An
accomplished horsewoman, trainer, and judge in several disciplines, Joanne
discussed her thoughts for the future.
“I
plan to take some time off this summer to ride and show my own horses,” she
said. “Maybe take them out west and ride in the mountains.”
She
added, “When I return, I hope to relocate to a smaller horse facility in the
Whitesboro or
HAT
wishes Joanne well as she continues in her future endeavors.
- - - - - - -
The Veterinary Medical
Teaching Hospital at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine
& Biomedical Sciences will be adding a veterinary imaging and cancer
treatment center.
“The
The addition of MRI
capabilities will help veterinarians to image and diagnose many conditions and
diseases, especially those of the brain and spinal cord.
“The MRI unit will enhance
our ability to diagnose problems with soft tissues,” said
The cancer center will house
a linear accelerator, a tool that utilizes X ray and electron beams to treat
cancerous tumors in both large and small animals.
“Our radiologists and
oncology faculty using that equipment will keep us on the leading edge of
cancer treatment,” said W. Terry Stiles, hospital director. “This is going to
be a valuable resource not only to our clients, but to our students and our
research faculty.”
At a projected cost of $4.5
million, the imaging and cancer building will have approximately 8,000 square
feet, including space for support personnel. The building is designed for both
small animals and horses. It will be located adjacent to the
The Veterinary Medical
Teaching Hospital (VMTH) of Texas A&M’s
In recent years, the Hospital
has served animals referred from approximately 2,500 veterinarians in 164 of
National
News
Bronson Urges Vaccinations Following Early Onset Of Equine Diseases In
Tallahassee, Florida (March
21) – Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson
is reminding horse owners to take advantage of the vaccines available to
protect their animals against Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile
Virus.
As the weather in
Bronson says the majority of cases
can be prevented through proper vaccinations and booster shots against mosquito
borne illnesses and he is urging horse owners to take action now. In the nine
cases in 2008, six of the horses had not been vaccinated and two had not gotten
booster shots. Only one horse was current with vaccinations.
“I am very concerned about
the high number of cases so early in the year and I hope it doesn’t mean we are
in for a bad year,” Bronson said. “But we can take steps to keep that from
happening, and that is to get the vaccinations done as quickly as possible.”
EEE is a viral disease that
affects the central nervous system and is transmitted to horses by infected
mosquitoes. Signs of the virus include fever, listlessness, stumbling,
circling, coma and usually death. The disease is fatal in horses in 90% of the
cases.
So far this year EEE has been
confirmed in horses in Putnam, Lake, Polk,
- - - - - - -
Reward Offered For Information On Horse Soring
The Humane Society of the
United States (HSUS) has announced it will offer a reward of $10,000 for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of any violator of
“Soring — the deliberate
infliction of pain upon a horse to increase the animal’s entertainment or
monetary value — is incredibly cruel, and must end,” said Keith Dane, director
of equine protection at The Humane Society of the
The practice of soring, which
is associated with Tennessee Walking Horses and other breeds of gaited show
horses, generally involves the applying of chemicals or mechanical devices such
as chains to the legs of the horse to create pain and force an exaggerated,
high-stepping gait. Another soring technique sometimes referred to as “pressure
shoeing” involves cutting a horse’s hoof extremely short and then applying
shoes so that there is excessive pressure on the horse’s sole, creating pain
with each stride. In some instances, foreign objects may be placed between the
hoof and the shoe to create additional pressure on the sole.
A federal law (the 1970 Horse
Protection Act) prohibits soring, as does a
HSUS has set up a toll-free
hotline for persons to call with reports of soring. The number is
1-866-411-TEAM (8326). All calls are confidential, and the identities of all
callers will be protected.
For more information about
the reward program, visit the HSUS website at www.humanesociety.org.
Business
News
Racehorse Welfare and Safety
A cross-section of prominent participants
from the Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry who attended the second
Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit in
The seven areas are: Track
Surfaces; Marketing of the Racing Product; Catastrophic Injuries; Medication
and Laboratories; Industry Education; Welfare of the Thoroughbred; and
Implementation and Regulation.
Among the primary objectives
identified were:
·
The adoption of
the following: “The welfare and safety of the horse should be the guiding
principle in the decision-making process for all segments of the horse racing
industry.”
·
Coordinate all
research regarding equine injuries and/or fatalities on all racing surfaces in
all jurisdictions and publicize the results
·
Create a national
media strategy focusing on industry health and safety initiatives
·
Create a research
and development model for all racing surfaces
·
Continue to
support research to improve the design and utilization of equipment used to
maintain racetrack surfaces
·
Establish a
central laboratory for timely analysis of race track surface materials in order
to monitor track stability and provide a ready resource for track
superintendents
·
Establish uniform
reporting of daily maintenance of race track surfaces
·
Promote the
establishment of necropsy programs in all jurisdictions and support the
training of qualified observers
·
Promote the
standardization of pre-race exam protocol
·
Coordinate a
blue-ribbon panel on equine racing fatalities
·
Analyze the
drug-testing infrastructure to identify cost efficiencies
·
Develop a
research and development program for drug testing in the
·
Establish
national equestrian drug-testing laboratory standards and accreditation
protocol, including a research and development program
·
Establish uniform
regulation of medication usage in sales horses
·
Create a program
with incentives to attract and retain qualified regulatory veterinarians
·
Expand the Groom
Elite program on a national basis to provide training, certification and
continuing education for all backstretch workers responsible for the care and
welfare of race horses
·
Pursue strategies
to stress owner responsibility and ensure that horses no longer wanted are not
subjected to inhumane treatment or circumstances
The summit, which was
coordinated and underwritten by Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and The
Jockey Club, and hosted by Keeneland Association in
The goal of the summit once
again was to identify critical issues that affect horse health and/or shorten
the career of racehorses and to develop action plans to address each issue.
“The original Welfare and
Safety of the Racehorse Summit in October 2006 was not meant to begin and end
with the meeting in
Of the 62 participants at
this summit, 36 of them had not attended the original summit, held October
16-17, 2006, also at Keeneland.
As was the case with the
original summit, a final report and strategic plans from the second Welfare and
Safety of the Racehorse Summit is to be distributed to participants in the next
two to three weeks.
Nick Nicholson, the president
and chief executive officer of Keeneland, commended participants and committee
members from the original summit for remaining deeply involved in their
respective groups and encouraged this year’s participants to do the same.
“This is a great way to bring
people together for the common good and Keeneland is proud not only to play
host to it but to assist the various committees in any way we can,” he said. “I
once again commend Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and The Jockey Club
for putting the summit together.
“At industry conferences,
people often look for a way not to do things, but I think there’s been a
feeling of mutual respect permeating the air at the summit, just as there was
at the last one. Now we have to keep the momentum going and continue to make
progress in the time between summits.”
Monday’s morning session,
which started at 8 a.m. and concluded at 1 p.m., was open to the public and
included presentations by 15 industry representatives as well as a panel
discussion on racing surfaces featuring five track superintendents. Ed Bowen,
the president of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, served as moderator
for the morning session.
Many of the panelists
provided updates on strategic plans and actions that grew out of the original
summit.
Closed discussions of
critical issues and actions plans in breakout groups, facilitated by a team of
staff members from The Jockey Club, were held Monday afternoon. Monday evening,
participants received write-ups on the days’ discussions and were asked to
prioritize the issues in terms of importance.
In the strategic planning
sessions on Tuesday morning, each group focused on the issues and developed a
primary objective, related objective, criteria for success, tasks, responsible
parties, resources, and a timeline to address their issue.
A final report from the
summit was to be distributed to participants before the end of the month.
Grayson-Jockey Club Research
Foundation (www.grayson-jockeyclub.org)
has allocated $1,226,457 to underwrite 24 research projects in 2008, including
14 new projects and the continuation of 10 two-year projects approved in 2007.
Foundation-funded research helps not only Thoroughbreds and racing, but all
breeds and uses of horses. During the last 25 years, the Foundation has
underwritten 239 projects at 35 universities for more than $15.5 million.
Equine Science News
Fear Control With A Calm Companion
Danish research suggests that the presence of a calm companion
may help overcome fear in young horses.
The horse’s initial response to danger is to flee.
While this may improve the chance of survival in the wild, it is potentially
dangerous in the confined spaces more often encountered in the domestic situation.
Frightened horses present a risk both to themselves and to their handlers.
Experienced horses are often used to accompany
youngsters starting to work in traffic or during transportation. Young horses
have to learn to cope with many potentially frightening situations, such as
clipping, hoof trimming, shoeing, and visits from the vet. Could calmer horses
also be used in those situations to help young horses overcome their fear of
new experiences?
A study led by Dr Janne Christensen looked at whether
horses would react less to a standard frightening stimulus if they were
accompanied by a calm horse.
Thirty- six two-year-old Danish Warmblood stallions
were involved in the study. They were placed two at a time in a test arena, in
the middle of which were two feed containers. Opposite the feed containers was
a black plastic bag. This provided the frightening stimulus. While the horses
were eating, someone standing out of their line of sight pulled on a piece of
string to raise the bag.
One of each pair of horses was the subject of the
study and was fitted with a heart rate monitor. Some horses were paired with a
“calm” companion that had been trained previously not to fear the moving black
bag. Others were paired with horses that had not seen the moving black bag
before.
The researchers found that horses paired with a calm
companion showed fewer signs of fear. They returned to feeding sooner after
being exposed to the frightening stimulus. They also had lower heart rates than
did the horses paired with inexperienced companions.
The test was repeated later with the horses being
exposed to the fear-inducing stimulus without a companion present. The
difference between treatment groups persisted.
So, not only did the horses with calm companions show
less fear when exposed to the frightening stimulus, they also seemed to learn
from the experience.
Dr Christensen concludes that there seems to be the
potential for using social influence for reducing fear in horses. Rather than
simply keeping young stock in groups of their own age, it may help to include
older experienced horses. It may be possible to use older companion horses to
help youngsters overcome fear of practices such as dentistry or hoof trimming,
thus reducing the need for sedatives.
She points out that more work has to be done to
determine whether gender, age or social standing in the herd affects the value
of a horse as a calm companion.
For more details see:
Effects of a calm companion on fear reactions in naive
test horses.
JW Christensen, J Malmkvist, BL Nielsen, LJ Keeling.
Equine Vet J (2008) 40, 46 - 50.
© 2008 Equine Science Update
Reprinted with permission
Monthly
Poll
Due to issues with
our online polling service, we have discontinued our monthly polls. Please bear
with us as we work to bring you new polls in the future!
Photos from our March
1 Showmanship Clinic (photos
by Kelsea Bauer)
Extension
Service News
by Eddie Baggs,
CEA-Agriculture
To Seed Or Not To Seed, That Is The Question
February
through May is the time of year we think of establishing, improving or
renovating our bermudagrass pastures. With ten different soil types within
Let’s
go back to 1943 when Coastal bermudagrass was introduced. Named for the Georgia
Coastal Plain Experiment Station where it was developed, Coastal is a F1 hybrid
meaning that it does not produce viable seed, and is a cross between “Tift”
bermudagrass (found in an old cotton patch near
A
second type of bermudagrass is “common” which is propagated by seed. The seeded
varieties do not germinate well at low temperatures, usually when the mean soil
temperatures are 60 degrees F or above. This is usually around April or early
May. When planting in May you can run the risk of missing the rainy season,
which is important when trying to establish bermudagrass. The seeded varieties
produce less forage and do not spread as quickly as their hybrid counterparts,
but cost much less to establish.
If
you are a small acreage owner and are just looking for grazing pasture or
conservation ground cover then a seeded variety such as Wrangler, NK-37 or
Giant, or a blend of varieties work well. These grasses have a more upright
growth habit than common bermuda and are propagated by seed. With minimal
equipment you can seed these yourself without having to hire a custom sprigger
that is needed to plant hybrid sprigs.
The
hybrids are sterile and will not produce viable seed and must be vegetatively
propagated with sprigs, which are root pieces, rooted stolons or runners. This
is done in late winter to early spring into moist soil. This type of planting
is usually reserved for larger acreage due to the expense and special equipment
needed.
Selection
for a soil type should not be a problem; most all of the varieties are adapted
to a wide range of soils. But as with any crop, to get the full potential it
should be planted on a clean, well prepared seed bed free of other plant
competition.
Either
seeded or hybrid bermudagrass is very well established in Denton County and
serves its purpose very well for extended periods if managed properly.
Educational programs conducted by the
A Bit of Humor
Crazy (But
True) Horse Laws, Part 3
·
In
·
It is unlawful to
allow a horse to ride in the back seat of your car in
·
In
·
If you are riding
a bicycle in
·
It is against the
law to let your horse eat a fire hydrant in
·
·
A New Orleans,
Louisiana law from 1898 says: it shall be a misdemeanor for any person to hold,
hitch, or fasten a stallion or any noisy animal within 80 feet of any place of
public worship or during the time Sunday school is in attendance.
·
It is against the
law to use a horse, mule or cattle to take waterfowl.
·
Women of “bad
character” are forbidden to ride horseback in the streets in
·
Horses are
required to wear hats in hot weather in
·
A British law
states that an Englishman must not sell a horse to a Scotsman.
·
Ask The Vet
by Dr. Katie Hayes, DVM
Equine Cushings
Disease (ECD)
This is a problem that stems
from the pituitary gland of the brain and can be caused from neoplasia
(cancer), administration of certain drugs, or an increase in the size of the
pituitary from unknown causes. The result is a higher than normal amount of
cortisol (a naturally occurring steroid) present in circulation. Also, because
of the increased size of the gland (regardless of the cause) the rate and
frequency of other various secretions is affected as well.
ECD occurs mostly in older
horses (usually 18-23 years of age) with an average age of 19. It is suggested
that ponies and Morgans may be more at risk, but there is no proven breed or
gender predilection. Clinical signs include a decrease in shedding, lightening
of hair, weight loss/loss of muscle mass, behavior changes, delayed wound
healing, increased sweating, laminitis (founder), increase in urination and
drinking, and, most distinctively, a long curly hair coat.
Laminitis is the most common
reason for euthanasia of horses with Cushings Disease. Many Cushinoid horses have
problems with chronic and severe sole abscesses caused by the chronic laminitis
and suppressed immune system. ECD is the most common cause of Diabetes Mellitus
due to an increase in insulin insensitivity from the increase in cortisol.
There is a test available to
diagnose Cushings Disease and is an effective method for diagnosing the
condition and therefore treating your horse to help prevent and lessen the
effects of Cushings. Different products are available for treatment and have a
70-80% success rate. Simple actions at home can aid in improvement of this
condition and maximize the horse’s response to drug therapy. Actions such as
good hoof care, nutritional management to avoid obesity, and full body clipping
in the case of long hair coats.
Equine Metabolic
Syndrome (
This is a condition very
similar to Equine Cushings Disease. However, where Cushings is caused by a
disorder of the pituitary,
Since these horses are
overweight there is an excess amount of fat stored in certain areas in the
abdomen. This excess fat secretes cortisol, which leads to insulin resistance
along with other problems and observed conditions. It is interesting to note that
the laminitis that develops is a result of changes in the vessels and increased
clotting within vessels of the feet, similar to atherosclerosis in humans with
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Founder in these horses may be very subtle and may go
unnoticed by owners, the only sign being “stress lines” on the hooves. This
condition has traditionally been diagnosed as Hypothyroidism. It is believed
that true hypothyroidism does not occur in adult horses.
There is also a test
available to diagnose this condition, and requires that your horse be left at
the clinic for a short amount of time while blood tests are run over a 3 hour
period. There is no specific product available for treatment, since the cause
is basically obesity. Due to this fact, the key is prevention. Dietary
restriction and management as well as exercise aimed at decreasing abdominal
obesity could be helpful in preventing this obesity induced laminitis. Feeding
low glycemic index feeds (low carb) can be very helpful as well.
If your horse fits either of
these descriptions or is exhibiting some or all of these clinical signs, you
should have a veterinary exam performed to see if further testing is warranted.
It is important to think about these conditions now since laminitis is such a
big factor and complication with both conditions. Spring is here, and with that
comes fresh new grass and acute flare-ups of laminitis in horses predisposed to
these conditions.
Recipe of the Month
Fiesta Salad Servings: 4
|
6 cups |
Romaine lettuce, torn |
|
|
|
1 can |
(15oz) black beans, drained and rinsed |
|
|
|
1 cup |
frozen corn, thawed and drained |
|
|
|
1-1/2 cups |
chicken, cooked and chopped or cubed |
|
|
|
1/2 cup |
salsa |
|
|
|
1 cup |
crumbled or shredded cheese (Cheddar or three-cheese
blend) |
|
|
|
1/2 cup |
Ranch dressing |
|
|
|
1 cup |
tortilla chips, broken |
|
|
·
Place lettuce in bottom of glass serving bowl or platter.
·
Layer evenly with beans, corn, chicken, salsa, and cheese.
·
Drizzle with dressing and top with chips.
Substitutions:
substitute any canned beans for the black beans.