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Vol. 25 • No. 7
The Mid-South Equine Newsmagazine Since 1992
MARCH 2015
2. March, 2015 • Mid-South Horse Review www.midsouthhorsereview.com
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CoNteNts • vol. 25 • No. 7 LOVE FOR HORSES -It’s what makes the Horse Review the Horse Review
ON THE COVER: Our annual foals and foaling issue. A bay mare guides her newborn colt across the shallows in the Chincoteague National wildlife refuge, Assateague island, virginia. Photo by Bonnie gruenberg, a midwife, nurse practitioner, former riding instructor, and writer. two of her books are about wild horses: Hoofprints in the Sand and The Wild Horse Dilemma.
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Mare and her newborn foal at Masterson Farms, Somerville, TN. (photo by Dr. Colin Anderson)
Cutting horse action at the Dixie National 50th Anniversary Show. (photo by Emily Peak Photography)
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Here’s Looking At You! One of the new foals at Masterson Farms. (Photo by Dr. Colin Anderson)
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Top 3-yo colt Far Right, winner of the Southwest Stakes (Gr. 3) at Oaklawn, Hot Springs, AR on Feb. 22, 2015 (Oaklawn/Coady Photography)
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Piper Huffman at the National Championship at Ames Plantation. Husband Larry Huffman is handler for Whippoorwill Blue Blood. (Vera Courtndy photo)
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www.midsouthhorsereview.com March, 2015 • Mid-South Horse Review 3.
4. March, 2015 • Mid-South Horse Review www.midsouthhorsereview. com
When Two Spines Align
Book & art nook
interest at all in learning how to sit on your horse, in any discipline, in a way that maximizes the ability of the horse to carry you in comfort, this book will help you find your way. in the first chapter, Beth writes, “riders don’t usually realize when their undisciplined seats slosh, slide and shove. some think that ‘using the seat’ means shoving every stride.” in the chapters that follow she describes the correct alignment of the rider’s seat to achieve a working balance with the horse’s movement. she gives exercises to help the rider develop the feel of being in the center of the horse’s movement, not above it or behind it, or ahead of it. she describes the passive seat and the active seat, and
then continues to the separation of the rider’s aids and their combination to achieve more advanced movements. in dressage, we trainers are often guilty of “dressage speak.” we have more than a few phrases which we use among ourselves because we share a common understanding of what we mean by these words. But i have to admit that they make little or no sense to people outside the discipline. this book is full of small insets, giving the definition of concepts using the description in the dressage manuals, but at the same time breaking down the concept into pieces that build an understanding of what that concept actually accomplishes, with respect to the balance of the horse. Halfhalts, putting the horse in front of the leg, putting the horse on the bit, bringing the horse off the fore hand, are all examples of short phrases that often cause writers to engage in paragraphs of print. Beth avoids the pitfalls of long and wordy explanations by using pictures and diagrams to show the meaning of the concept. she gives many exercises that the rider can use to feel her way to understanding. on almost every page, there are pictures with clear captions. of great importance to me, the riders in the pictures uniformly demonstrate the balance and alignment that the book advocates. far too often, i pick up a book that is well written and suggests good exercises, but the accompanying pictures show riders who are leaning behind the vertical and riding be-
hind the movement. Here there are no riders who are tense in their balance or loose in their seats; no horses who are over bent and behind the vertical. i hate it when i give a book to a student and have to tell her to ignore the pictures! there is also a dvd that accompanies the book: How Riders Work: a guide to riding your horse in balance. this is the best presentation i have seen! i have shown this dvd to numerous students, and every one wants to take it home. But it’s not my library, at least until those other copies i have ordered arrive. i am a very firm believer in the unconscious power of our minds – the motor neurons that record and rehearse movements that we see, which work even when we are sitting down and not actively participating. that being true, no one should spend time watching bad riders. this dvd is full of good riding! i make no apologies to my students for showing it, and they are encouraged to watch it over and over again. the information, like that in the book, is concise and well-organized. it is not a training manual for horses, but it is one for riders. About the author: Beth Baumert trains horses and riders at Cloverlea dressage llC in Columbia, Ct. she is a usdf Certified instructor and was the first editor of dressage today. Beth has long been interested in rider education. Published by: trafalgar square Books. visit: www.horseandriderbooks.com
sues surrounding these wild horses in The Wild Horse Dilemma: Conflicts and Controversies of the East Coast Herds. she documents first hand their lives, social structure, and relationships with humans, based on a foundation of objectivity and scientific integrity. “my goal was to create a trusted resource that is useful to professionals yet intriguing to laypeople,” she said, “but my respect for and fascination with these horses shines through.” gruenberg spent two decades in the
field observing these wild horses and human behavior toward them. she examined historical records and genetic studies, dissected folklore and journalism, and exposed many unexamined assumptions about them. she asked tough questions about them. Are these animals native or reintroduced exotic imports? wild or feral? what might be gained by saving wild horses from extinction, and what might be lost if they died out? How did these horses come to exist on these particular lands? The Wild Horse Dilemma is an extensively researched and documented account of the history, genetics, social structure, lives, ecological impact, human attitudes toward these wild horses, and much more. she begins with examining the conflicting attitudes and controversial historical accounts of these wild, or feral? horses. How we define them often determines our attitudes toward them. she follows this opening chapter with a chapter on mustang management and the political policy side of human behavior toward these horses. “to understand the conflicts affecting the … herds in the east, we should look carefully at passions aroused by, precedents set for, and assumptions made about the mostly larger, lower-profile herds in the west.” the rest of the book is a chapter on each of the east coast herds listed above and concludes with a chapter on the au-
thor’s commentary. each chapter ends with multiple pages of references cited, and each chapter includes Bonnie’s amazing photographs of the horses from each particular herd. she writes: “…enigmatic is the pull wild horses have on our souls. we resonate with horses at a level much deeper than rationality. many people who have never been close to a living horse identify with its power, grace, and independence and appreciate its beauty…” then there are others who believe: “the horses shouldn’t be here at all! they aren’t native wildlife, and i don’t understand why the Park service allows them to remain.” gruenberg delves in depth in these wandering bands of horses, describing their social structure, mating behavior – stallions’ behavior and mare’s receptivity, reproduction/fertility rates, infant mortality rates, bachelor bands of colts, their longevity, and the human induced factors that affect them. she informs the reader with her own observations, scientific research data, and information gleaned from government agencies charged with their management. she details the types of “birth control” measures used on mustangs, their effectiveness or ineffectiveness, and the results in variation of herd size over time. she informs about the ecological niche
By Peggy Gaboury when i got to the usdf Convention this year, i was happy to see two big tables of books from trafalgar square Publishers. recent conventions have not been graced by any of the big equine book publishers. for specialty books that do not make the general book stores, it can be hard to learn about them. Because the focus in my riding and teaching program is strongly on the influence of the rider’s seat (as opposed to the rider’s reins), my eyes jumped immediately to two books: When Two Spines Align: Dressage Dynamics by Beth Baumert and Rider and Horse Back to Back by susanne von dietze. i picked up my bag of newly acquired treasures and walked into one of the longer, more perfunctory meetings at the convention and began to read. there are books that you start to read and quickly find yourself thinking, “oh, i need to underline that.” And then there is another place and another and another passage to be noted. this is one of those books! there is nothing here that is not important. the writing is clear, concise, and fresh. it is accessible to any reader, and makes sense even if you do not have a degree in bio-mechanics. if you have any
The Wild Horse Dilemma Review by Nancy Brannon, Ph.D. when most folks think of mustangs and/or wild horses, those roaming the western plains usually come to mind, or maybe the Chincoteague ponies. many don’t realize that there are several herds of wild horses on the Atlantic shore. these herds are on Assateague island (above and below the maryland-virginia state line); on Chincoteague, virginia and the Chincoteague National wildlife refuge; on Carrituck Banks, North Carolina; on ocracoke, North Carolina; on shackleford Banks, Carrot island, and Cedar island, North Carolina; and on Cumberland island, georgia. wild horses have lived on these barrier islands for hundreds of years, but their history, ecological niche and impact on their habitats is often misunderstood and misinterpreted by lay people, government officials, and scholars alike. Bonnie gruenberg, a healthcare professional and lifelong equestrian, examines the controversial and often conflicting is-
Banker Horses, a rare strain of Colonial Spanish Horse, on Cedar Island, N C
www.midsouthhorsereview.com March, 2015 • Mid-South Horse Review 5. these horses occupy and their grazing im- of factors,” writes Jay kirkpatrick, “and pacts on the land. included here are the the largest single factor controlling the fate human-made limitations on their grazing of wild horses anywhere will be public habits, such as fences, and the human de- opinion.” gruenberg believes “the Amerivelopment that brings changes in sand can public cares passionately about the dunes, grasses, and the natural “migration” fate of wild horses, and the majority of us of sands along the shore. Conflicts be- want to see them remain wild and indetween horses and humans occur as devel- pendent.” As comprehensive and detailed as the opment encroaches on land for horses. some encounters of wild horses with hu- book is, it has two basic flaws. when one mans are rather humorous, and show the has such a massive amount of information intelligence and lack or fear in these ani- as gruenberg has, it is too tempting to mals as they raid camps for food or hold want to include everything. the book up traffic. there are also sad accounts of would be a much better read with tighter stress, injury and death to these horses in editing. the chapters tend to ramble from failed human attempts to “harness” them one topic to the next, albeit related ones; or “manage” them. she also documents there is repetition that could have been the decades of the slaughter houses when eliminated; and some of the minute details horsemeat was a viable global commodity could have been omitted while still makand mustangs were regularly rounded up ing the basic point. one piece of advice i would give any writer: have skilled edito feed the horsemeat processing plants. “while some federal officials have sup- tors! even a good story, if not well-told, ported the horses as free-roaming wildlife, will lose the reader’s interest. the other is others have tried to discredit them through the black and white photographs in the intense disinformation campaigns,” label- book. while black and white photos have ing them as “non-native, feral, and exotic their place, these seem rather bland comto justify removing them as pests and in- pared to her stunning color photos as seen truders,” she summarizes. “the future of on her websites. the wild horse is dependent on a number
Same bay mare and foal as on cover Return swim to Assateague. See more photos at www.bonniephoto.com or www.BonnieGruenberg.com
6. March, 2015 • Mid-South Horse Review www.midsouthhorsereview. com
Clinician Dan James shows bridless work.
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www.midsouthhorsereview.com March, 2015 • Mid-South Horse Review 7. back and bridleless. “stick to a program and learn how to achieve your goals,” James told the audience. “spend more time with the bridle and saddle on than you spend without. i promise, if you can’t do it with the saddle Article & photos by Allison A. Rehnborg and bridle on first, you won’t be able to do in late february, 2015 winter storm it bareback and bridleless.” James finished octavia succeeded in icing roads, freezing his demonstration by riding backwards at stock tanks, and shutting down schools the canter and sliding stop. and businesses all over tennessee. it also finally, we watched Bobby richards brewed up some of the worst cases of dissect the gait, quality, and character of cabin fever we’ve ever seen. so when the several two-year-olds in training as he dissouthern equine expo opened its doors on cussed four classes commonly found in february 20, we couldn’t wait to bundle any tennessee walking Horse show: up and head over to the tennessee miller country pleasure, trail pleasure, lite-shod, Coliseum in murfreesboro for a weekend and park pleasure. all about horses. Now in its third year, the “every class entails a different kind of expo has grown by leaps and bounds, shoe, and different shoes equal a different adding a colt-starting and trail competistyle of horse. But no matter which class tions, but its primary focus continues to be you’re showing in, the basic elements lectures, clinics, and hands-on demos – all don’t change,” richards said. “you want Dan James riding bareback, bridless, and backwards. put on by renowned equine professionals. the horse moving its shoulders and head, this year’s expo featured headliner Horses sprint as fast as 55 mph – but it’s using aids to develop suppleness in the shifting its weight to its hindquarters, and dan James, a world-class Australian horse the biomechanical design of the horse’s horse. over-striding.” trainer with a penchant for riding bare- legs that enables it to attain such high while the inclement weather caused a “when we teach a horse a movement, back, bridleless, and backward. other cli- speeds. like a “pogo stick,” the horse’s we want to teach him how we ask, not just significant drop in attendance, the 2015 nicians included vaquero horsemen mark lower leg is composed of elastic tendons how to perform the movement,” whitesell southern equine expo didn’t fail to deand miranda lyon, multiple world Cham- that turn it into a coil of energy, springing said. “if you ask more strongly, all you get liver plenty of entertaining and informapion stephanie lynn, and mounted shooter the horse into action with each stride. is an increase in tension, not an increase in tive clinics, a wide variety of vendors, and dianne lipham, as well as local profesother ways the horse boosts its athletic skill or ability. Ask with a light, soft aid, tons of lectures, demos, and competitions. sionals like mtsu Horse science profes- prowess include respiration locomotion and look for little movements, rather than Check out www.southernequineexpo.com sor dr. Holly spooner and equine coupling and “natural blood-doping.” At big ones.” and make plans to attend next year’s chiropractor dr. Alex vear of gallatin, the canter and gallop, the horse’s body whitesell stressed that there is no southern equine expo. tennessee. couples each stride with a breath (for a equipment that can teach a horse to gait. with multiple sessions going on at any ratio of 1:1) through a “visceral piston.” instead, he said it’s all about developing given time, the three-day event over- At speed, the horse’s body acts like a bil- the horse’s natural abilities with condiflowed with learning opportunities. we lows: as the horse stretches out, its gut re- tioning and supportive exercises. can’t provide you with a play-by-play of treats, making room for the lungs to “if you tell me you can’t get your horse the entire expo, but here’s an inside look expand with air. As the horse’s underline to gait, i’ll ask, ‘did you develop the musat a few of the sessions we got to visit: contracts to finish a stride, its gut crowds cles in your horse that make him gait? or first, we swung by the miller Club for forward into the diaphragm and lungs, did you just ask him to gait?’” whitesell dr. Holly spooner’s presentation on forcing the horse to exhale. this action al- said. equine exercise physiology. the mtsu lows the horse to attain respiration rates as then we followed one of the gaited Horse science professor provided a rivet- high as 130-140 breaths per minute. horses from whitesell’s clinic over to the ing presentation on why the horse makes the horse can also drastically increase west Arena, where dr. vear performed a such a phenomenal athlete. we already its red blood cell counts during exercise. chiropractic demonstration. every week, know that thoroughbreds routinely run at when the horse exercises, its spleen con- dr. vear splits his practice in gallatin, 40 mph over distances, while Quarter tracts, forcing stored excess red blood cells tennessee, adjusting humans three days a into the bloodstream. week and adjusting horses, dogs, and even more red blood cells dairy cattle the other three days a week. (above) Dr. Vear performs a chiroequal more oxygen, “like people, the horse possesses a practic adjustment, as his wife, Anne which equals an in- brain, spinal cord, and nerves,” dr. vear Marie, holds the horse. (below) Larry creased ability to per- said. “Chiropractic work involves assess- Whitesell and a clinic participant disform ing micro- and macro-traumas, such as cuss aids and suppleness. After the lecture misalignment of the vertebra, that can alter by dr. spooner, we function and even cause lameness and headed downstairs to back pain.” the east Arena to dr. vear adjusted the horse before a learn about the basics small crowd of onlookers, detailing exerof improving gait in cises and stretches that horse owners can gaited horses from do at home to maintain a horse’s “spinal clinician larry hygiene.” whitesell, a gaited Next, we trotted into the Coliseum to horseman of interna- witness headliner dan James’ session on tional renown. dur- the importance of using progression in riding his clinic, titled ing bareback and bridleless. using one of “improving gait in his own horses to demonstrate, James pergaited Horses,” formed a series of reining maneuvers – whitesell worked first, with normal tack; then by removing with three gaited the bridle and adding a simple collar horses and riders in around the base of the horse’s neck; then (above) Gaited horse trainer Larry Whitesell and assistant the round pen, stress- by removing all the tack, performing large trainer Jennifer Bauer work with a participant’s horse. ing the importance of and small circles and sliding stops, bare-
Southern Equine Expo
8. March, 2015 • Mid-South Horse Review www.midsouthhorsereview. com
Ask The Veterinarian Do you have questions about your horse’s health? The veterinarians at Full Circle Equine Services – Drs. Kakki Wright and Ellen Yungmeyer – answer your questions. Submit your questions to their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/FullCircleEq. This month’s question, again, asks what are the most common emergencies seen in our practice? by Dr. Kakki Wright and Dr. Ellen Yungmeyer
Common Emergencies, Pt.2 dr. kakki wright and dr. ellen yungmeyer are completing the two-part article about the ten most common emergencies seen in our practice. last month, we discussed the fearsome five – colic, sudden lameness, lacerations, eye injuries and laminitis. following are next five most common emergencies. 6. CHOKE. Quick, who knows the Heimlich maneuver? Just kidding. Horse choke is not the same scenario we think of when a person has food lodged in the airway, because it is caused by a bolus of food lodged in the esophagus. How
horse health care
do you know when a horse is choking? the most obvious sign is profuse nasal discharge, often containing feed material. some horses will hold their neck in a strange position and make repetitive chewing or gagging noises. why do horses choke? sometimes, choke is just a onetime freak incident. unfortunately, some horses become prone to it due to poor dentition, a tendency to eat too fast, or abnormalities in the function of the esophagus. while choking, they usually aspirate some saliva and feed material into their lungs, so many horses that choke end up needing treatment for pneumonia. what to do? take away all feed and call your veterinarian! 7. DYSTOCIA. dystocia is defined as difficult or prolonged labor. when a mare is foaling, there can be a lot of variation in what is considered “normal” behavior and progress. then, how do i know when to call the veterinarian? thankfully, there a few hard and fast rules to follow. one, is that the second stage of l a b o r should not take longer than one hour. the second stage of labor begins when the mare’s amnion ruptures (like water breaking in a human) and concludes when the foal is fully expelled from the birth canal. Another rule of thumb is that if 15 minutes pass without any progress, there is likely a problem, such as malpositioning of the foal. finally, the mare needs to pass her placenta within 3 hours
of foaling. A retained placenta can lead to serious illness and even death of the mare. observe your mare’s labor, especially if it is her first foal or she has had problems delivering previous foals. if she isn’t meeting any of these time guidelines, call your veterinarian immediately! dystocia is a time sensitive emergency and action needs to be taken quickly in order to have a live foal delivered and preserve the health of the mare. 8. FOAL EMERGENCIES. Just as there are time limits on mom’s progress during and after foaling, the foal needs to meet several milestones, as well. A new foal s h o u l d stand within one hour of birth and be successfully nursing within two hours. failure to do so could be a sign of prematurity, and missing out on colostrum (mare’s first milk containing antibodies) will leave the foal susceptible to life-threatening infections. if your foal does not stand and nurse, it needs to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. in the following weeks and months, even with foals that do get adequate immunity from colostrum, it is important to watch for lameness, joint swelling, coughing, hard breathing, nasal discharge, swelling or redness of the umbilical stump, diarrhea, or general malaise, all of which could be signs of infection. Normal temperature for a foal is 99.5° – 102°f, so if your foal has a fever, any of the above signs, or just isn’t doing its normal foal routine of
nursing, playing and sleeping, it should be seen by a veterinarian. foals are relatively fragile compared to adult horses, so anything out of the ordinary that you might “wait and see how it goes” in an adult horse is probably reason to call your veterinarian in the case of a foal. for mom and baby’s health, remember the 1, 2, 3 rule: once the foal is born, it should be standing in 1 hour and nursing in 2 hours and the mare should pass her placenta within 3 hours of giving birth. equine reproduction has a sequence of foaling photos: www.equine-reproduction.com/articles/foaling.shtml 9. DOWN HORSE. this is one of the most common emergencies we see during the winter months, especially in older horses. what causes a horse to be “down?” Horses lie down and are unable to get up for a variety of reasons, but the most urgent point is that they can’t survive for long on the ground. Horses are not meant to lie on one side for more than a couple of hours. the weight of their body occludes blood flow to muscles and nerves, potentially leading to permanent damage and the lung on the down side collapses. unable to get to feed and water, they become dehydrated and debilitated within a few days. what can you do about it? there’s one trick that makes a difference in many cases! often, if the horse can be rolled to its other side and you can get its feet positioned downhill, the horse can stand up on its own. this can be dangerous, so if the horse is thrashing and kicking or in a confined space, do not attempt this on your own. How-
www.midsouthhorsereview.com March, 2015 • Mid-South Horse Review 9. ever, if you can safely wrap a lead rope around the fet- so be careful if this situation arises and call your veterilock (ankle) of each down leg and pull the horse over to narian! we could go and on listing other emergency condiits other side, the horse will often be able to get up on his/her own. if you succeed, you may still need to call tions, more than one of you is probably wondering why i your veterinarian to address the underlying issue, but at didn’t mention pneumonia or diarrhea or a host of other least the horse is on its feet. if you do not succeed in get- cases that have presented under dire circumstances. ting the horse up, it definitely warrants picking up the those listed above are the most common emergencies seen in my practice, but certainly not the only ones. the phone! 10. NEuROLOGIC DISEASE. Any abrupt change truth is – any emergency that you have encountered is in the neurologic status of a horse is considered an emer- memorable and unpleasant. there are many established gency. what constitutes abnormal neurologic behavior? horsemen out there who can handle emergency situations there is a huge variety, but in general any movement that and i thank you for it, because it makes the veterinarian’s seems weak, job easier to have good eyes to help with an evaluation uncoordinated, prior to arriving (how fast do we need to drive?) regardor uncon- ing your veterinarian, the bottom line is, “when in doubt trolled, or any call them out!” it is always better to err on the side of behavior that caution than have done too little too late. in our experiseems as if the ence, catching an emergency early often makes the difhorse is con- ference between a quick, favorable outcome versus a fused. Ataxia protracted and unfavorable one. is the term we use to describe poor control of the limbs resulting in a wobbly gait – in an ataxic horse you may see swaying, tripping, and failure to step over/around obstacles. with certain types of neurologic diseases, horses will display muscle tremors or extreme rigidity or flaccidity of leg and back muscles, as well as throat and facial muscles. this can lead to problems chewing and swallowing or weak, droopy ears and eyelids. severe neurologic behavior can include circling, pressing the head against the wall, sudden blindness, etc. why are these things an emergency? Neurologic diseases are an emergency because of their tendency to progress quickly and, the more severe the horse becomes, the less chance of reCartoon courtesy of Ian Culley, Happy Horse Carcovery and the more danger to the horse and caretaker. toon Corral. Visit: www.happyhorsecartoons.com
10. March, 2015 • Mid-South Horse Review www.midsouthhorsereview. com
Spring Foaling
January through June is a busy time of year at masterson farms, somerville, tN, where stallion collection and semen processing, foaling mares, artificial insemination, embryo transfers and foal care are all happening simultaneously. the team effort of farm manager Amanda ringer, Attending veterinarian dr. Colin Anderson, and resident veterinarian dr. Hope Burge keep the busy schedule running like clockwork. the folks at masterson farms take all precautions possible to ensure that foaling is safe and healthy. mares are monitored closely during the last month of pregnancy. two electronic devices, the foal Alert and the Breeder Alert, as well as cameras mounted in the stalls, are used to signal when the mare is in labor. A foaling cart with everything that might be needed for both the mare and the foal is wheeled to the stall as soon as the mare starts to deliver. there are towels; foal blankets; medical supplies for the mare if she is having problems; medical supplies for the foal if he/she is in distress. “it’s essentially a crash cart for troubled labor or dystocia (the medical term),” said dr. Anderson. “we have a foaling checklist of things that we do and monitor for the mares and the new foals.” following are the guidelines. Before Foaling: (1) give a series of equine herpes virus vaccinations (one approved for pregnant mares) at 5, 7, and 9 months of gestation. equine herpes virus can cause late term abortion in the mare. (2) within 4 to 6 weeks of the due date, the pregnant mares are given all annual vaccinations. “we think that the antibodies produced in response to the vaccines may get produced in the mare’s colostrum and thus benefit the foal as well. the foals survive on the mother’s immunity for about 3 to 6 months of age (average 4 months), until they start to build their own antibodies. this is a way to help protect the foal from infection,” Anderson said. (3) de-worm the mare to decrease the amount of parasite eggs that the foal could potentially ingest early in life. this can be done within two weeks of the due date. (4) Check mammary development within the last 60 days of the pregnancy. “if there are no signs of milk production within the last month there are options for treatment,” Anderson recommended. (5) within 2 weeks of the due date, if the mare has a Caslicks, remove it at this time. A Caslicks is a surgical procedure where a section of the vulva is sutured together to prevent ascending infection. if you do this at the beginning of pregnancy, then you want to remove it before foaling because you don’t want the mare to tear,” Anderson explained. the Caslicks procedure was developed by e. A. Caslick, dvm, to help protect against infection. one of the most com-
A 2015 RL Best of Sudden foal just born - in France mon sources is contamination of the vagina by fecal material that drops into the vulva. this contamination can cause vaginal infection, which can spread to the uterus. (6) use of a foal Alert or Breeder Alert if available, which is put on the mare about two weeks before the mare’s due date. “ these devices will send out a signal or alarm to alert us that the mare is in labor and is a critical part of our monitoring program here at the farm,” dr. Anderson stated. (7) foaling time predictor kits can also be used. “these are handy,” said Anderson. “we have found them to be really reliable when the mare is close to foaling.” these tests use the mares milk to predict how close the mare is to foaling. At Foaling: (1) when the mare is close to foaling, wrap her tail. this prevents contamination. (2) Clean the perineal area and the udder. this possibly prevents the foal from picking up as many parasite eggs and bacteria. (3) every mare owner should know what a normal presentation looks like and, consequently, an abnormal presentation. “for a normal presentation, you want to see a clear/translucent amniotic sac; two front legs; and know that the head is between the legs,” Anderson explained. “if you see a red sac, this indicates premature placental separation – the placenta is coming first or with the foal. it is important to call the veterinarian, and you will need to tear the placenta or the foal can suffocate. the foal can tear the amniotic sac easily, but not the placenta. unfortunately, this is an occurrence in west tennessee because of endophyte infected fescue. the endophyte infected fescue can also cause agalactia, no milk production, and also prolonged gestation (time that is mare is pregnant).” (4) if you have an abnormal presentation, call the veterinarian immediately! with horses, there are usually no “simple” complications with foaling. if there is a problem it is almost always serious and can be severe and life threatening to the mare or foal; often both. Anderson continued, “sometimes the veterinarian can talk clients through correcting some problems
Mother gets a lick from her new foal at Masterson Farms, Somerville, TN. while he/she is on the way. time is a huge factor! foaling takes about 20 to 30 minutes; if 45 minutes have elapsed and the foal is still not born, you may be losing the foal.”(5) depending on your experience, it is a good idea to call your veterinarian as soon as the mare starts foaling, or better – give your veterinarian a “heads up” that the mare is close to foaling. “Be very proactive,” Anderson recommended. “don’t delay! timing is critical!” After Foaling: (1) the foal should stand within the first hour. most stand within the first 10-15 minutes. if the foal is not standing within an hour, call your veterinarian. (2) the foal should nurse within the first 3 hours, often it is within the first hour. if not, call your veterinarian. (3) the mare should pass the placenta within 6 hours of foaling. “if the mare foals in a stall, tie it up so the mare is not stepping on it and so she doesn’t tear it,” Anderson recommended. “you don’t want the mare to retain any part of the placenta. even a tiny piece can cause a mare to become very ill,” Anderson said. (4) dip the umbilical stump (a source of neonatal infection) with dilute chlorhexidine solution or providone iodine solution. Just put it in a small cup and dip the stump. it is important to do this within the first 24 hours. (5) the foal should pass the meconium, the mucous plug, aka the first bowel movement, in the first 2 to 3 hours of life. they usually pass it after they nurse. if they don’t, the foal will have discomfort, signified by flagging and wrenching the tail. in this case, the foal may need an enema.
(6) the foal must get adequate colostrum – very important! this is the only immunity the foal has at first. to make sure the foal gets sufficient antibodies, check the igg level in the foal’s blood within 12 to 24 hours of delivery. this test can even be done on the farm with a simple snap test kit. the reading should be >/= 800 mg/ deciliter. if the reading is
