Equine Dental Exams and Floats

I have written before on the importance of getting horses' teeth checked regularly. All my horses over the 26+ years have had dental exams and some level of teeth floating - which is basically correcting the uneven surfaces of the teeth.

As a horse chews forage or other feed in like a circular motion with their upper and lower jaw, uneven surfaces of the teeth can and usually result. This creates sharp points or waves that starts to decrease their ability to chew feed properly, and uncorrected can cause the teeth to cut the inside of the mouth causing pain, and can show up in many other ways such as resistance to biting, riding or turning/rotating their head. You may see partially chewed feed dropping from their mouths or laying on the ground or in the bottom of their feeder. Bad teeth can also cause partially chewed feed to be swallowed increases chances of a intestinal blockage (colic).

The actually floating of the horse's teeth involves using a speculum to open the horse's mouth then a hand rasp or a power rasp is used to draw across the surface of the teeth to correct the issues. It takes training and skill to know what you are seeing in the exam and to use the tools to correct the teeth. It may be hard to find an equine dentist, but if you can find a good one, it's worth the relatively small cost for a dental exam and floating. I have seen non-sedation floating, where the equine dentist works on the horse's mouth without the benefit of the horse being sedated and did not like what I saw. I have viewed videos of what was claimed to be non-sedation floating as well with better results, but it hard to trust videos, and I just can't imagine a horse getting their teeth floated without sedation. While some states do not allow equine dentists that are not Veterinarians to sedate horses, I think it's more common than not for some equine dentists to access sedation drugs and use them. I prefer a Veterinarian to sedate my horses and float their teeth, or to sedate and monitor the horse for a non-Vet equine dentist.

For twenty years or so, I have had my Veterinarian to do the floats, but this year she has partnered with her daughter who is a equine dentist and body work specialist. These are two of the most awesome people anyone could every meet. As a bonus Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF), also known as Magnawave therapy, was performed on my 4 year old with the missing lateral patella ligaments.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field therapy or PEMF, if I am not mistaken, was pioneered by NASA, and uses electromagnetic fields applied through tubes, paddles or mats to increased circulation, decrease inflammation and pain, and enhance cellular repair. I've actually had it done on myself and know it to be effective. It's not a cure, but a therapy. The picture above is Magnawave being applied across the withers and shoulder of my 4 year old, but he also had the Magnawave therapy on his stifle and upper hind legs as well, where he has inflammation in the patella joint due to the missing lateral patella ligaments bilaterally. Horses stand well for this treatment and in the past I have had horse's drop their heads, drool and seem to fall asleep, so I'm pretty sure this therapy works.

      This is the Equine Dentist and Body Care Specialist, She works out         of the greater Phoenix area but does travel like she did coming to El         Paso to service 7 or 8 days worth of clients. If you are going to                 contact her, I suggest text messages.

       Casey Orduno
       915-543-1455
       KC Equine Dentistry and Body Care, LLC

Standlee Forage Podcasts - Continue the Learning

I've been a fan of Standlee Forage, headquartered in Eden Idaho, for years now. Finding their products a very high quality, I use a wide range of them. I've also just become a recent fan of several different podcasts, listening to them as I go about my daily chores or projects. So I was happy to learn, although months behind every one else, that Standlee hosts podcasts on Horse Nutrition. Here is the company announcement on their podcasts called "Beyond the Barn". Hosted by equine nutritionist, Dr. Tania Cubitt, and marketing consultant and livestock owner, Katy Starr, episodes will feature breaking down misconceptions and offering tips for feeding and caring for horses, other livestock and small animals, as well as interviews with other qualified experts and individuals in the agricultural industry and Standlee Premium Western Forage.

New episodes are released bi-weekly on Tuesdays, and are available on Apple and Spotify platforms. Not being a very technical proficient person, I look the podcasts up on the Standlee Forage Podcasts Episodes page through my lap top and send those links via e-mail so I can go to them on my phone and I use handsfree bone microphone over the ear headphones. If any of you are laughing at my lack of technical expertise, well I also admit that I have a rotary dial phone.

Here is a sample of some of the Standlee podcasts and their direct links:

Ep. 024, Why Horses Need to Be Fed Differently During Winter, 50 minutes

Ep 065, What Can Happen If Horses Don’t Drink Enough Water, 38 minutes

Ep 087, Is your horse deficient? The critical role of Vitamin A and E in their diet. 29 minutes

Ep 069, The consequence of ignoring vitamins and minerals for horses. 1 hour 6 minutes

Ep 081, What type of salt does my horse need? 37 minutes

Ep 105, Five Nutrition Mistakes Horse Owners Make in Winter. 18 minutes

You can still go to the Standlee Forage website and read their feed and livestock care articles too.

Horse Abuse and Rescue

Not really what I wanted to write ending this year and going into the promise of the next, but the inhumanity that humans do to horses is not confined by the calendar. The good people at Perfect Harmony Horse Rescue & Sanctuary in Chaparral, New Mexico took in three (3) severely neglected horses on 29 December, confiscated by the New Mexico Livestock Board. Their New Years and the weeks and months following will be spent checking on these horses and providing small amounts at feed at 2-3 hour intervals round the clock. 

 This Rescue, chaired by Marianne Bailey and staffed with her husband Dan and daughter Jessica as well as several volunteers, see the worst in humans and the poorest horses. They never say no, even though it is usually a costly endeavor in funds, labor and the emotional toll, to provide neglected horses with sometimes just days of relief.

To the readers - I'm sorry to ruin your day by displaying pictures of these three horses below, but this is what Marianne and crew deal with on a routine basis. Perfect Harmony is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit and can surely use financial help. No donation is too small as they face a mounting feed, Veterinarian and Farrier bill to care for these horses. 

 If anyone can donate, these are the modes they can accept: 

PayPal at their e-mail, perfectharmony1@aol.com

Venmo at Marianne-Bailey-8

Cash App at $Perfect HarmonyRescue

Checks sent to Perfect Harmony Rescue, 636 Palmas, Chaparral, New Mexico 88081

Care of Feeding of Older Horse - Charlie's example

Recently we had a couple dozen people over for the annual Arena Challenge, some whom we have known for decades. They saw my wife's horse Charlie, a big (15.2 HH) stout sorrel Quarterhorse gelding with 3 white socks and a white stocking. That's him in the picture at right. 

Some of our friends have been seeing him for years and years as my wife rode him in competitions, trail rides and even doing some western dressage. Invariably we were asked "Good Lord, Charlie's been around forever. Just how old is he now?" Well, Charlie is 35 years old. And despite bowing both front tendons a couple years ago, he is doing well. His teeth are all worn down and he is missing a molar or two, but he maintains his weight, and you can even call him heavy, as you can tell from the photo.

Due to his inability to chew long stem hay, it's a colic risk for him to swallow hay that hasn't been chewed fully, Charlie's main diet consists of pellets and alfalfa leaves. He gets fed five times a day and always has fresh, clean water, as should all horses. We really don't turn him out with other horses anymore as we don't want him to get ran around and stress him mentally and to limit stress on his already degraded front end.   So anyway, this is his feeding program, and it has been working well for several years now. The pellets are measured dry prior to soaking.

Morning: 32 ounces of Standlee Timothy Grass pellets and 16 ounces of Standlee Alfalfa pellets, soaked in water. Some days he'll get an apple or carrot diced up small and mixed in.

Mid Morning: 32 ounces of Standlee Timothy Grass pellets soaked in water and about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds of alfalfa leaves. We spread these around several feeders so he keeps busy walking around to find the alfalfa leaves. If the alfalfa has small short stems, we'll feed that but try to limit his consumption of stems.

Mid Day: 32 ounces of Standlee Timothy Grass pellets soaked in water.

Mid Afternoon: Another 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds of alfalfa leaves.

Evening: 32 ounces of Standlee Timothy Grass pellets and 16 ounces of Standlee Alfalfa pellets, soaked in water.

Supplements: About a year ago, I stopped giving him Devils Claw powder and started putting Charlie on a half daily dose of Platinum Performance Complete Joint (CJ) since I use this on a couple other using horses and have had great results.

Medications: For the last two years we have had Carlie on Equioxx daily pain and anti-inflammatory medications - just a small tablet dropper into his pellets which dissolves when the pellets are soaked.  Lately, we have been giving him just a half of an Equioxx tablet on most days as we have concerns over years long use of pain meds. He also receives a dose of Pro-Bios once a week and additionally when the weather changes significantly.

Charlie is an intelligence horse, as most are, but he is special. He has learned to open gates that we have never seen other escape artist horses do, and when he escapes, he runs around our property like mountain lions are chasing him. We have took to chaining up his gates, but sometimes forget........as we do with leaving water hoses on. Sound familiar? We always cringe when he runs around at a full gallop as he'll be lame the next few days, but since we started him on Platinum Performance CJ, he doesn't get lame when he escapes, or when he throws a bucking fit in his paddock, nor does he show chronic front end lameness when he turns in a short radius. The only issue he has is with comfort is when standing for a period on time on the hard rubber padded shoeing or wash stand when being washed, groomed or trimmed. But we solved that problem using Wendy Murdoch's Sure Foot pads. I'll write a product review about those in the near future. We don't know just how long Charlie will be with us, but we do know that he'll be with us for the rest of his natural life. He has paid his dues to us, especially my wife, and we'll do what we can to help him be as mentally and physically sound as he can be.

Horse Rescue's - A No Win Situation

I started this site six years ago with really several purposes in mind. The primary reason to help those horse owners who had no where to turn for help so they could have a resource for a more functional knowledge about horses, develop a better relationship and generally provide a better life for horses.

I ventured into writing about subjects that interest me or I am involved in,....... see "Army Scouts and History", "Mantracking", or "Mustang-Wild Horse Issue", and I have even included some humor along the way - or what passes as humor to me.

One of those subjects that I write about from time to time is Horse Abuse which greatly saddens me.  It's hard to describe abuse - it comes in many forms. Sometimes you just have to say, you'll know it when you see it.   Sometimes it's poor feeding, evident by a poor body condition (like the horse pictured above) or a lack of fresh water.  Sometimes it's very harsh handling where some one else may believe it's just strict training.  Some people look at a horse as just property and not a thinking, feeling animal.   I think that people who keep horses in a small area, like a 12x12 stall, and especially by themselves is a form of abuse.       

In February 2012, I wrote a pretty critical article, Starving Horses in El Paso Texas, on those responsible for abandoning more than 60 horses in West Texas and I received a couple long winded negative replies on that article. I left those comments up in the interest of being fair and letting someone have their say even though they played loose with the facts. In fact, I have only deleted two comments in six years. One time some jerk wrote a reply with filthy language and another time some jackwagon insulted one of my horse. Other than those two comments, I'll let replies stand and let the readers sort it out.

In December 2013, on a request from a reader, I wrote an article about Rough Start Horse Rescue. The reader who asked me to write the article assumed it could provide some (likely not much) exposure for contributions.  The requestor was known to me, however the rescue was not. That article has generated many replies, from the gamment of total support for Rough Start, to derogatory comments, accusations of fraud, and personal attacks on the Rough Start management. I have left those comments up for all to read and sort through.

While I do not run a horse rescue, and likely never will, I do have two horses that are basically rescues. One that a lady kept for almost two years and couldn't keep anymore, so I bought him from her, and another horse that was basically abandoned by a border. However, I have a great deal of respect for people who run legitimate horse rescues. By legitimate I mean people who care for horses, provide a fair life, and work on rehabilitation to either find these horses a home or they will keep until a natural death.

My experience with rescue people are that the constant exposure to abuse, suffered by horses at the hands of humans, takes a heavy toll. I see in dog rescues as well. Animal rescue people sometimes don't possess the most refined people skills, but that, if true, an be chalked up to the abuse of animals by man that they see repeatedly.  And again trying to be fair, there are some people who fall on hard times which prevent them from giving their animals a fair life. Some of these may not know where to turn to for help.

I have also seen or heard of people who have personal problems with local horses rescue management, who sometimes actively work within the community or on social media to degrade these rescues. So the obvious questions may be "Do you have personal knowledge of immoral or fraudulent practices of the rescue? If so, what are those facts?" Or, if you just disagree with how they manage their horses or facility then "Have you tried to help? What have you done to make things better for those horses?"

More than likely there are some horse rescues who use the façade of a rescue in order to fund their hobby with horses. However, the four local rescues I personally know spend a large portion of their own income, not to mention all their time, towards caring for horses nobody wants. The lack of a humane method to get rid of horses, meaning the ban on U.S. based slaughter, certainly does not help the issue of a growing population of unwanted horses. I have written about this as well and I am on the side of re-opening horse slaughter plants for the humane disposal of unwanted horses.......this is different than the shipping of horses to Mexico where they are cruelly treated and even more cruelly slaughtered.   Re-opening U.S. based slaughter plants is in opposition to many rescue people who want all horses to live to a natural death. That is preferred in a perfect world, but not possible in the world we live in, or at least the world as I see it.

Previous articles on the Horse slaughter issue: 

Horse Slaughter Update, December 2011

Slaughter Ban Saving Americas Horses? December 2014

When I ran a large public barn, I had to deal with a diverse group of horse owners, from those who thought their version of horsemanship was superior to all others and deserved special waivers to the rules, to owners who would not provide adequate feed, vet care or farrier services.  I found myself making assumptions based on the poor care of horses that often stemmed from just a lack of experience.  In any event, I could not make a difference in those horses until I figured out the whys of the problem.  So I guess I'm saying when it comes to horse rescues, people may want to find out the facts for themselves and volunteer to help if needed before making harsh judgment calls on these organizations.

Lets Talk About West Nile Virus Again

We all should be pretty grateful for all the rain this year, breaking the drought in much of the affected areas, however with all the rain Texas and other western states have had this year so far, Mosquitos are a larger potential problem than in the recent past. And with Mosquitos come the threat of West Nile Virus, a viral disease transmitted from mosquitos to horses, and from mosquitos to people as well. Horses are pretty susceptible to West Nile, more so than people. Humans who are at risk are usually those who are already immunological weakened. There are still some misperceptions on West Nile such as "an infected horse can infect another horse", and no this is not the case. Only infected mosquitos can infect a horse.

West Nile attacks the nervous system and can cause brain and spinal infection or inflammation. A horse will appear to be drunk - lack of coordination in movement and loss of balance. Other symptoms can be: extreme lethargy; lack of appetite; and, dullness in the eye and other signs of depression such as head pressing on a stall wall or post.

There are other diseases, such as Encephalitis (Venezuelan, Eastern or Western) whose symptoms can mimic West Nile. Only with a blood test can you be sure, and then only supportive care for the symptoms can be done.

A few years ago, when I was running a large horse stables, a boarder brought in a horse and while in quarantine the horse started showing signs of lethargy, dullness, loss of appetite and severe loss of coordination and balance in movement - staggering when trying to turn around. A blood test confirmed West Nile. A week later the horse was pretty sound and was absent all symptoms, although the owner decided to sell the horse anyway. I found a buyer for him and transported the horse to a good home with several young boys who were even able to rope off of this horse.

There are several things a horse owner in a mosquito area can do to minimize risk to his horses. Even though I live in an area without mosquitos, I often trailer 15 miles away, close to the Rio Grande, where mosquitos are present, so the West Nile vaccination is part of my routine April or spring series of immunizations for my horses. In the first few years of the West Nile outbreak it was common for horses to receive an initial shot with a booster a few weeks later.

Taking care to drain or remove sources of stagnant water will help reduce breeding grounds for mosquitos. On most properties you would be amazed at the number of items capable of holding water that would attract mosquitos. Store empty buckets upside down. Open trash cans or dumpsters (without lids) could use a couple drain holes at the bottom to reduce collecting water. At the stables I managed years ago, I would spray insect killer on the manure pit, in-between dumpings, to help reduce chances of mosquitos. Fly spray, not insect killer, can help keep a horse protected as well, although I try to limit my use of fly spray on horses to a minimum. It seems that whenever I use fly spray I can't help but spray myself and go on about the day with the taste in my mouth. I guess that just goes along with me never being accused of having acute coordination.

Anyway, If you have any questions on whether you should vaccinate your horses against West Nile, talk to your Vet. Most Vet's would approach it from the side of caution and urge a West Nile vaccination, but it gives you peace of mind to inoculate your horses, even though the immunization won't keep your horse from getting West Nile, it just give him a better chance of making through the disease if he becomes symptomatic.

The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has reported West Nile present in Harris County (Houston) and Tarrant County (Dallas) and even El Paso County (El Paso) had a human death from West Nile, so it is not necessarily only the really humid areas, or areas close to water sources that are primarily the WNV threat areas.

The United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA- APHIS) keeps track of animal diseases. The map below is the nationwide cases of West Nile Virus from last year. A complete list of counties in the U.S. where West Nile has been confirmed can be accessed here:

What to Look for in a New Horse

Kirk wrote in and asked: "Can you provide some tips or detail what you look for when 'shopping' for a new horse? Once gender, size, breed is determined, what do you specifically look for? Reason for asking, my first horse purchase was less that great, which taught me some great lessons. The horse has an incredible mind, but has limitations on his front end -that's for another question on another day."

Great question Kirk,...I don't know if I can begin do justice in answering it. One of the best places to get a really good young horse is the numerous ranch horse sales. Ranches such as the 6666, Pitchfork, Haythorn, Wagon Wheel, WYO, and a host of others will sell off geldings that they have been using (and training) to the public. These ain't your local sales barn horses. However, making to one of these sales may not be possible for most people. There are many production horse farms that breed for performance events such as reining, cutting, etc. So barring the option of buying from a ranch horse sale or from a large breeding operation, that leaves buying from a private owner or a small horse operation.

First question I'd get an answer to is what do I want to do with a new horse. Am I looking for just a trail -pleasure horse? Maybe a stout, solid horse that can take me up into the mountains for hunting and maybe packing? Is this going to be an arena roping horse? What you want this horse to do should not only impact on the size and chacteristics of what you are looking for, this horse but it's breed as well. Color is way down the line, but it's nice to get a good looking horse.  So I think purpose comes before gender, size and color.  

A Vet check on a prospective purchase and having your farrier look at the horse's feet are good things to do if they are available and if you can pay for it.  AVet check can reveal things like subtle chronic lameness or previous injuries doing a flexion test on the horse's legs.  Maybe you have a knowledgeable friend you can take along to look at prospects - a second set of eyes can help you make a better decision.

I had a Vet Check done on a roping horse prospect years ago.  The vet told me the horse has a heart murmur and he recommended against purchase.  I was convinced that the horse's problems were associated with a lack of nutrition, so against the Vet's advice I bought him.  One of the few times I kept my own counsel and it paid off.  That horse was Roy who I unfortunantly lost to a broken leg not too long ago.  He's the horse in the foreground of the picture above.

The second question I'd ask is why that person is selling the horse. Listen closely to what they say and don't say when you ask this question, and, unfortunantly you will have to read between the lines and take the answers with a grain of salt in most cases.

Some times you can get a great horse that was originally purchased for children who no longer ride, or the owner got too old or has physical problems that don't permit riding anymore....or in today's market, the owner can't afford to keep a horse anymore.

Visually when I looking at a horse I start looking at the overall conformation. What the general body score is. The head being proportionate to the body; not too long or short of neck; the neck not tying in to the chest way too low or too high; what the withers look like - they could be practically non-existant or of medium height or even really high; the length and straightness of the back. Does the overall look of the horse, including his teeth, match which what I am being told the age of the horse is.  Is there any evidence of previous injuries. 

I look at the front and back ends to see if the horse is too narrow based and if the horse looks to be knock kneed or bow legged. What does his hip and overall muscularity look like.

What does his feet look like? Is there too sharp or too narrow of an angle from pastern down the front of the hoof. If so, is this because he was trimmed too long in the toe or did the leave too much heel.

Dished or concaved hooves may be a sign of previous founder and therefore some internal hoof issues that may make him unsound for what you want him for. Is the hoof flaring at the bars? Does the hoof and frog appear to be balanced? What do the hoof walls look like? Are they really thin or do they have a healthy thickness. Sometimes, if a horse is on non-consistent and/or low quality feed the hooves will grow down from the cornorary band with ridges. Speaking of feed, poorly fed horses can be a lot different once they get regular, quality feed.

If everything else is acceptable on the horse except maybe feet in poorly maintained condition, sometimes conistent and good quality feed, and good farrier care, can fix that within 9-12 months. All these considerations is why sometimes paying a farrier to check out a prospect horse can pay off. There are some foot problems that can be migitated with good farrier care and can make that horse functional for you, but there is only so much even the best farrier can do and they can't fix conformational defects.

The owner should allow you work work the horse on a lunge line or in a round pen, and ride the horse. It would be a good idea to find out what Veternarian and Farrier have seen this horse and ask them what they think of this horse.

I would ask to see Vet records on this horse. Owners who don't regular vaccinate or worm their horses maybe be giving you a horse that is going to cause you problems real soon.  Having said all of the above, I like a stout, shorter horse in the height range of 14.3 to 15.1 hand high with a short back, and I prefer geldings that are bays or sorrels. 
Good luck to you Kirk. I'll leave you this little of bit of truth in humor.

Train or Ride Your Horse?

Shari wrote to me and said that she was riding with a small group of friends and someone in the group mentioned that is not always wise to train your horse, that sometimes it is better for the horse just to have an easy ride. Shari asked me if this is something I subscribe to and if so, do I have a schedule or recommended ratio of time of training to just riding time.

I don't differentiate riding and training,.....at least I don't think I do. I think that everytime we are with our horses it is some type of training, whether we are on the ground, leading them on a halter, or being on horseback. How can it not be?

Lets say you take your horse out for a short trail ride with no intent to do anything but just enjoy being horseback. Wouldn't you still correct your horse if need be? And if he doesn't need any correction, wouldn't you be reinforcing whatever he was doing right, be it stopping, or backing, or moving his hind or front end over, side passing, etc.

Maybe you don't have time to ride one day so you are just in your horse's pen asking him to move over while your pick manure,...asking him to back up as you throw feed, ....maybe you are askimg him to drop his head while you put on or remove a fly mask. This may all be things our horse does well but still has some element of training or reinforcing behavior.

I think that person you were riding with meant, more or less, that you have to be careful not to sour your horse, which I whole heartedly agree with.

Imagine a barrel racing horse that when out of his pen only does barrel patterns at full speed. Nobody could blame that horse for being a little sour and not be looking forward to coming out of the pen if all they did was run barrel patterns.

I knew a 20+ year old horse that was yanked out of his stall Friday and Saturdays nights to be trailed to local ropings where two young guys would get 8 or 10 runs each off the same horse. Then that horse would be trailer back to put in his stall for the next 5 days and the routine would start a over again. This was not a fair deal for this old horse. Pretty soon that horse associated getting in the trailer with the work that followed and became trailer resistant.

In fact, I would think that a change up of routine does a horse good. A trail ride for a hunter -jumper, team sorting for dressage horse, obstacle training for a roping horse, etc. Call it cross training, I think it all help those horses become better, safer horses.

Even when you do ride it doesn't mean that each and everytime you work that horse until he is all tired and sweated up. I think you can do good things for a horse's mind by stopping short as long as it's on a good note, even if it is a 10 minute ride, then put him up for the night. I think this gives that horse a release and keeps him fresh, both his body and mind. This can simply be pulling the horse from the stall and grooming him then putting him back.

There is nothing wrong with, and everything right with a easy trail ride, but it still offers many chances to re-inforce some aspect of training and behavior,....two tracking around obstacles, a turn on the forehand, walk to trot transitions, reacting to neck rein pressure......really about anything. You don't need to make it a big deal. I am not good enough to produce a finished horse in my lifetime, although I am sure as heck enjoying the journey (most of the time) as will continue to as long as I consider what's fair for my horses.

I hope this made some sense Shari. This was one of the harder things to articulate. I think you are thinking what's best for your horse so you'll do just fine. Safe journey to you.

Equine Neurological Diseases

The only experience I have had with horses and severe neurological disease was with a horse brought into the stables I was managing, and while in quarantine the horse became symptomatic for and diagnosed with West Nile Virus (WNV). This was around 2004 when WNV was spreading throughout the southern United States.

This particular horse, a flea bitten colored grade gelding, was not in the best condition coming into quarantine as he was bought from the local horse auction where most of the horses went to the killer market. After several days in quarantine this horse started showing signs of severe lethargy, walking stiff and having balance problems. Almost falling over when he tried to turn around. This makes you heart sick to see a horse in this condition.

Other symptoms of West Nile could have included: muscle twitches or tremors; behavior that appears to be depression - pushing head into a wall or fence; tongue sticking out seemingly paralyzed.

We got a Vet in to take blood and it was confirmed that the horse has WNV. We weren't too worried about infection of the horses in the main barn since WNV is transmitted by mosquitoes, with symptoms appearing in a horse 5 days to two weeks from when bitten/infected and the barn was mosquitoe free. I also had bug people from the hospital set traps just to make sure.  Plus WNV cannot be transmitted from one horse to another. Still, the fact that our quaratine was 300 yards or more from the main barn and arenas was comforting.

So the only thing we could do was provide supportive care....Bute, Banamine, and placing water buckets at various levels so the horse could drink easier. I also put bucket loads of sand in a quarantine stall we moved him to in case he fell over, which would not be uncommon to a WNV positive horse.

This horse actually recovered. I hauled him to a family with two young boys who adopted him and were eventually team roping off of this gelding.  There is a even chance this horse can live asympamatic the rest of his life.  

This bulletin, below, came from Western Horseman advertising a television presentation on Equine Neurological Diseases. You can receive e-mail notifications from Western Horseman as well through contacting Western Horseman at info@mktg.westernhorseman.com

Equine neurological diseases have been on the rise over the last few years. Last year, 618 equine cases of WNV were reported, up from 87 in 2011. And in 2011 the infamous EHV-1 outbreak that started in Utah caused significant nationwide concern. Do you know the signs or what to look for if you suspect your horse may be affected? Join us for a one-hour presentation on what you can do to protect your horse from these devastating diseases.

Neurological Diseases: How to protect your horse. On RFD-TV • Monday, April 15, 2013 • 8 p.m. ET.

The show will be broadcast live from Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery in Weatherford, TX with an in-studio audience. Our experts will discuss:

• Preventing horses from contracting WNV

• Importance of biosecurity to protect against EHV-1

• Diagnosing signs and risk factors of EPM

• Additional neurological diseases

Sponsored by Merck Animal Health, the show features leading experts to answer questions from the studio audience, including:

Joe Manning, D.V.M., M.B.A. Equine Technical Services Veterinarian, Merck Animal Health

Chris Ray, D.V.M., Dipl. ACVS Owning Partner, Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery

and, Reese Hand, D.V.M., Dipl. ACVS Associate, Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery

Hoof Injury and Treatment with Vetericyn

I found one of my horses on a Saturday morning (day one) with a primary soft tissue injury on his right inside hoof that impacted the top of the hoof, the coronet band and just above it.  See picture at right.  The most likely cause was stepping on or clipping this spot with his other hoof.

I washed it out with cold water and Betadyne solution flushing it out for a few minutes, dried it with gauze pads, applied Vetericyn ointment from the spray bottle, applied a clean gauze pad as a bandage, then wrapped with vet wrap then placed a soft Bell boot over it. Again, see the picture at right.  This is the wound after I flushed it out with clean cold water and Betadyne and before I applied the Vetericyn. 

For those of you who have not used Vetericyn,.....from the website: Vetericyn is a non-toxic, broad spectrum antimicrobial. It is available as Vetericyn® VF (Veterinary Formula) and Vetericyn®, the over-the-counter formulation. The VF formula is twice as strong as the OTC formula. Puracyn is a similar product, formulated for use in humans.

Vetericyn is an effective germ inhibitor because it is similar to what are released by the body's own immune system to fight disease-causing organisms. Neutrophils, part of the white blood cell team, release oxychorine compounds to get rid of these invaders. Vetericyn is a similar oxychorine compound, producing a similar effect; according to in-vitro studies by Vetericyn.

Vetericyn is non-toxic and non-irritating, commonly used wound cleaners such as hydrogen peroxide damage tissue on a cellular level, and may prolong healing times,..... so hydrogen peroxide is not recommended for use in cleaning out wounds. Vetericyn is a strong oxidant - it disrupts the cell structure of the pathogens (germs) and adds oxygen to the wound area, speeding healing times.

Vetericyn Animal Wound & Infection Care is a one-step topical spray that cleans wounds and kills bacteria including antibiotic-resistant MRSA. This steroid-free, antibiotic-free, no-rinse solution is non-toxic and speeds healing. Vetericyn is based on FDA-cleared Microcyn Technology that is formulated to replicate the actions of your pet's own immune system in fighting infections and healing wounds. This revolutionary antimicrobial Vetericyn wound spray kills antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria as well as fungi, viruses and spores. An oxychlorine compound similar to that produced by the animal's own immune system, Vetericyn Animal Wound and Infection Care will not harm healthy tissue and is pH neutral making it non-stinging when applied.

I have used Vetericyn before, and even the Vetericyn eye ointment with good results. The picture to the right is the wound on the morning of day four, 96 hours later. The picture makes it look worse than it is.  The torn tissue looks filled in; swelling and tenderness seems to be gone.  My horse did not flinch with hand pressure on the wound site.  For the next week I left a soft bell boot on him just to protect the healing site. 

Vetericyn is always on hand with us. 

Horse Care - Neglect Case

Following less than 10 days after I wrote about some people keeping horses literally as back yard pets in un-safe conditions, I turn on the local news and see a report on a home fire.

The news films a man walking (strolls more like it) out of a gate next to his house with a fire burning in the back of the house between the home and garage or shed. The news caster goes on to report that the man's horse was consumed in the fire. I about came unglued. We have this film of man walking calmly off his property while a horse burns alive in his back yard.

While I don't know all the particulars on this case, I do know the type of horse owner this is. One who horse property and care standards ain't any better than the people I wrote about previously (click here for that post). And one who keeps a horse penned up in a small stall not giving the horse a fair life.

I am an advocate for the horse and will not apologize for my comments on these type of people. Chances are they have a dog or two chained up in their yard also. In fact we own seven dogs that previous owners did not take care of, and have run off ending up at my place, where they are welcome as long as they are peaceful (keep the coyotes away).

Back to horses,....what I do know is that these types of horse owners will not change their stripes. Seems like a no brainer that if you're going to have a horse to ride that you want some decent type relationship with such a large animal you are going to potentially trust your life to. Those changes have to be easy, like training a horse, making the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard. I don't know if these means expanded animal control authority or some type of equine social worker,....I just don't know. But I do know that a horse shouldn't burn alive through someone's negligence or lack of care.

Saw another idiot the past couple days also. This guy had a horse for sale parked on a wide spot on the State highway. A little sorrel mare in a trailer for 6 to 8 hours in 100 degree heat. Worst yet, this looked like a cargo trailer with metal railing sides that only came up to the horse shoulder. Unbelieveable.  We hopefully thisis my rant for the month.  Safe Journey.

Horse Care - Selecting a Horse Stables or Boarding Facility.

Jeremy and his wife are in the Army and are re-locating from Kentucky to Missouri, are fairly new to horses and are looking to purchase a horse and board near the Army installation. They apparently found out that the Army Stables where they are going is small, filled up and has a waiting list. They asked what to look in a private or public stables or boarding facility to re-locate their horse to or if they buy a horse after they move.

My answer to Jeremy and his wife: Please go into horse ownership with your eyes wide open. Soldiers often are overwhelmed with long work hours so the care of the horse often falls to the spouse. Ensure you can afford the cost (both money and time wise) and understand what a large committment this entails.

The cost of care and management of your horse at the public/private stables need to be well defined…..just what are you paying for? It is not as simple of just hearing “full care” or “partial care”.

If the stables is a “full care” facility that usually means they feed and water the horse, and pick manure from the stalls. They may or may not provide the feed. Often boarding stables bring loads of hay in at their costs and bill the individual horse owners for what they use.

What do they feed as per type of hay, how much and when?


Where is the hay stored at? Look at it and see the quality. Does any of it look to be molding?


How big are the stalls and are they covered to give some protection from rain and Sun? Are the stalls safe and absent of hazards?


Do they use automatic watering? If not, how big are the stock tanks and do they appear to be regularly cleaned?


Does the Stables require health documentation such as an EIA (Coggins) Test and required immunizations?


Is there a quarantine requirement for new incoming horses?


Does the full care cost also include worming, and if so how often and what schedule are they on?


Does the full care cost include turning the horse out into a turnout? If so, how often?


What areas can you ride in and when? Is there trail riding or open fields, forests or deserts to ride in? Is there an arena or a large round pen available?


Walk around and see if the stalls appear to be excessively dirty. How do the other horses boarded there look? Look particularly the feet (hooves). I would be wary of a stables that allows the owners to neglect hoof care.


How about the horses the owners own,….to they appear to well cared for?


How many other boarders are there? What is the turnover rate? Why are people leaving? Talk to them and see if you could live with their personalities. Often there may be some horse smart people there that you can rely on for help learning.


Do the owners sell horses? If so, this may be horse trading operation where horses at bought at sale barns and rapidly turned over or sold.


Are there operating hours? Or do you have 24/7 access to your horse? Are they any security precautions or measures to protect the horses from unauthorized access?

I may be jaded in my views and experience, but I have seen a lot of low rent operations in business thinking they can make money. In fact, my standing up of this site was intended to help new un-experienced horse owners and even some experienced horse people who may not know there is a better way.

Most of us know there is minimal money making involved in the horses business, so the places you want to avoid are Boarding Facilities that answer most of the above questions in a negative manner. I have seen many facilities that do not require any health documentation; do not have a quarantine process; bring in a load of hay, require all to purchase the hay they provide (and charge double); charge for a non-existent worming program and charge for non-existent turnout,…..all in order to make a buck.

Good luck in your search for a suitable horse and boarding facility. I understand the Army has been closing down a few, if not many, of their Horse Stables facilities on military installations - probably not as important as Tennis programs or basketball courts. Safe journey.