Colic is one of the many horse wonders and is something every horse owner should think about even if their horse has never had a colic episode. Colic can happen and does happen when least expected.
Colic is definitely on the top of the list for health risks to horses, and being prepared to care for a horse that is colicing is essential. There are a multitude of preventative measures to take in order to reduce the risk of colic. Though more times than not, there are underlying reasons for colic, but in times “mystery” colic may occur while horses are away from their owner (boarding/training).
Preventing Colic:
Parasite Control – a solid parasite control program is too often overlooked by many horse owners and even more barn managers. Working with a veterinarian can be very helpful. Horse owners can always take precaution by keeping equines on a good de-worming program, though it may not do much good if the rest of the barn horses are full of parasites.
There are many good de-wormers out there, but following a de-worming schedule is imperative. If the barn you board at leaves it up to horse owners to de-worm their horses, ask them how they know if the horses are getting de-wormed?
Also, don’t forget to keep track of your de-worming schedule, and getting a fecal test for parasites once a year doesn’t hurt to know how your de-worming program is working.
Dental Care – proper dental intervention is also another colic preventative. A veterinarian should see most horses a minimum of two times per year for vaccinations. During those visits, the horse’s teeth should be checked for sharp points and “floated” by the veterinarian or equine dentist if needed. Do not let horses go more than a year without having their teeth checked by a veterinarian. Sharp teeth can lead to improper eating (or not at all), an proper digestion (along with a steady diet) are essential to colic preventions.
Feeding & Diet – as just mentioned, a good, regular, feeding routine is paramount for horse health and colic prevention. Same time, same feed, everyday. Some horses are incredibly sensitive to having feed times changed, even minimally.
If changing feed, do it gradually. This goes for hay AND grain. If you are feeding your own horse, don’t wait until you run out of hay or grain to make a run to the feed store for more. They could be out of your brand and type of hay. Make sure you have enough “reserve” feed to make a gradual switch if need be.
Cribbing – cribbing or windsucking can cause gas-colic from swallowed air. If you have a cribber or a windsucker, do what you can to eliminate their ability to crib or windsuck. The more the horse does this, the more prone they are to colic.
Sand – Horses who eat of the ground in sandy regions of the world can actually build up sand in their guts, causing impaction. There are plenty of sand-colic prevention supplements to be fed between once a year or even daily. Local vetrinarians are the best sort of sand-colic prevention info.
On sand-colic, there is nothing worse than a horse colicing from something very preventable.
Prevention is the best “cure” for colic.
If a horse undergoes a colic episode, the decision to put a horse through colic surgery can also be difficult. If without horse health insurance or not aren’t participating in a previnticare program, financially, colic surgery may not be viable for the average horse owner. Even if finances aren’t a question, colic surgery and recovery can be absolutely miserable for the horse.
Regardless, colic prevention should be top of mind for all equine owners. If new to horses and still not understanding what horse colic is, PLEASE READ UP!
I know we’ve (I’ve) been dealing a lot here lately with horse cruelty/welfare issues, and so I hope you don’t think I (citizen.K) is turning soft. PETA and I are not friends.
But, having just recently learned about a ridiculous “cultural” ritual called horse tripping I was astonished to see this practice isn’t just automatically outlawed under animal cruelty statutes.
Horse Tripping Is…
The practice of Charros (or Mexican cowboy’s) by wherein they lasso the legs of a galloping horse so they trip, fall, and often times sustain a fatal injury.
Ummmm…again, why is horse tripping not automatically illegal due to laws already protecting animals from abuse and inhumane treatment?
Weak Answer
Apparently, the question with banning this practice, in some states, is that there are politics involved. Apparently most politicians in states where horse tripping is coomon are afraid of alienating ethnic VOTERS by passing a law they feel would signify a singling out a specific group.
Grrrrrr.
Supporters argue that horse-tripping events are an important part of Mexican history and culture.
I’m appalled the legalities of horse tripping is even a question. I am even more appalled that legislation banning horse tripping has died on Arizona’s Senate floor (shame on you, Arizona).
I, for one, cannot believe there is such a huge group of people trying to stop slaughter yet few people campaigning against horse tripping (torture). I personally would rather see a horse go to slaughter than end up at one of these rodeos. Sure, there are fewer horses involved in horse tripping, but abuse is still abuse.
There really needs to be an additional bill passed to make the incredibly sick practice of horse tripping illegal?
If citizen.K were so inclined to re-take up the law enforcement badge (with an eye for animal cruelty investigation), banning horse tripping would be the first stop on my docket.
Although, that is how Aceytl-D Glucosamine was originally presented to me. “It’s generic Adequan, works just as good, exactly the same formula, but generic!”
Not exactly.
Aceytl-D Glucosamine is NOT a generic Adequan nor is it exactly the same formula. It is a completely different compound and it cannot be compaired to Adequan or Legend.
Aceytl-D Glucosumine (100mg/ml) is an injectable form of Glucosamine. It is an IM (intra-muscular) injection, that is generally prescribed the same as both Adequan or Legend:
1-5ml injection every 4 days 7 times then once a month thereafter.
While I did research BEFORE I decided to give this particular product a try, in my research I found that, well, there isn’t much research or data out there on Acetyl-D Glucosamine. There was ONE study done, and funded by Luitpold (the manufacturer of Adequan) that showed Acetyl-D Glucosamine was NOT as effective as Adequan. Depending on where you read the information from the study determines if you find out if Acetyl-D Glucosamine was effective at all. Some say there was no improvement in the horses of the study, others claim the study only went on to show if the results were comparable, which they were not.
The other, questionable fact regarding Aceytl-D Glucosamine is that the drug is NOT FDA approved. This basically means that the drug did not undergo a testing process to ensure “claimed” results and safety.
Was I nervous about injecting my horse with something that wasn’t FDA approved? Well, since I wasn’t looking into a new sedative or another drug that can possibly have side effects EVEN when being FDA approved, nor was I treating something that required a result such as colic, founder, infection, etc, I felt pretty secure (in other words, NO).
I also talked to several other people who had used the product along with several vets who recommended it or claimed “it couldn’t hurt”. No one reported any side effects (other than one related ONLY to the injection site, but her mare ALWAYS reacted to injections of any kind).
The horse I’ve tried Aceytl-D Glucosamine with is a 10 year old Holsteiner gelding. He is an upper level jumper who has shown some stiffness and weakness behind. Mostly, he had been having trouble getting to the base of a jump and rocking back on his hocks. He did have X-rays done which showed minimal changes in the joint. I hate to inject joints, but did end up injecting his joints with a cortisone/hyaluronic acid (HA) injection.
Although I was very happy with the results of the hock injection, I still felt this guy needed a little continued help for his joints. I had, in the past, tried several different oral joint supplements noting only one I found made a difference. I have also used the injectible therapy of Legend IV and actually did not notice an improvement in his movement and comfort.
The oral joint supplement I was using was great, but very expensive. Costing about $65 a month, I was about to put him on Adequan since the price is comparable (outside of the initial dosage requirements). I had used Adequan in the past on many horses; this horse, however had only seen Adequan once before a show.
I wasn’t sure how effective Aceytl-D Glucosamine would be. Since Legend was less effective than the oral joint supplement, I was apprehensive to invest $350 for the loading doses of one injection every 4 days for 28 days.
Then I heard about the “generic Adequan”, Aceytl-D Glucosamine, and thought even with the loading dose routine being similar, $50 was a lot less to try than $350.
So, I tried Aceytl-D Glucosamine. You know what? It worked; I think it worked quite well.
I took my guy off the oral supplement shortly before starting the Aceytl-D Glucosamine. I noticed a difference in his push from behind about 4 days after discontinuing the oral joint supplement. It seemed to take the full 28 days, or 7 injections before I noticed the Aceytl-D Glucosamine working. But, it worked, and it worked great. I would say it was equivalent to the oral joint supplement, if not a little better. Overall, he was moving very fluid, very comfortable, but most importantly, he was happier jumping. He always loved jumping, but when off the oral joint supplement and often times even on the oral joint supplement, he would have days that jumping was more work than fun.
He has been on Aceytl-D Glucosamine now for 3 month,s and I would say he acts like when he was a 5 yr old and just starting to jump! Although I’m sure Acetyl-D Glucosamine isn’t for every horse, neither is Legend, Adequan, or oral joint supplements. I have seen Legend work wonders for some horses while having no effect on others. I have seen Adequan more consistently effective, but if not dealing with major arthritis, trying the Aceytl-D Glucosamine is a very economical choice. Plus, it can’t hurt.
Aceytl-D Glucosamine is by prescription only, so talk to your vet. It seems like a great product to try, especially if on a tight budget. Talking with others, I have heard people starting younger horses on this as a preventative. Of course, there is no research to prove Aceytl-D Glucosamine could effectively prevent arthritis to occur, but it could be a cheap, non-invasive therapy to try.
I’ve found Aceytl-D Glucosamine is not a miracle cure, is not the same as Adequan or Legend, but is an economic alternative to finding comfort in an aging and performance equine.
Citizen Horse Says Thumbs Up to Aceytle-D Glucosamine.
I couldn’t help it. Last week it was reported SmartPak flew past the 150 millionth supplement mark. As I’ve said before, genius! SmartPak has led horse owners to a revolution of supplement feeding, convenience, and often times, throwing money into the shavings!
While there are definitely supplements that horses might need (especially regional nutrients), for the most part, supplements give horse owners a sense of purpose and accomplishment; peace of mind even their horse is receiving the best possible feed ingredients to enhance their coat, joint mobility, hooves, immune system, muscles, tendons, ligaments, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, energy, and weight. SmartPak even sells horse supplements to control flies, control moody mares, calm spastic horses, and alleviate wood chewing!
I mean come on! There is a supplement for everyone’s needs. Not necessarily for every horse’s needs, but the horses don’t have credit cards.
While I have fallen victim to images of great, miraculous effects supplementation can have on my horses’ health and performance, I in tune, have simplified my feeding program. Essentially, unless a horse ties up, is prone to colic, needs some extra calories, or is deficient in a major mineral (usually selenium), horse supplements are really unnecessary.
Many equine health studies explain that many horses (like people) are over supplemented and conclude the benefits of most supplements are still questionable. In theory, if a horse has bad feet, biotin MUST make his feet better. But in reality, that horse is most likely NOT deficient in biotin or any other vitamin/mineral essential to hoof quality. That horse really just has bad feet, genetically. Proper hoof care may improve horse’s feet, and a supplement after a year’s time MIGHT make a difference, but determining if that difference has come from the supplement or from other factors is nearly impossible.
When it comes to feeding horse supplements, talk to a vet about what you are feeding your horse and why. Then stop feeding all those useless supplements and put your money into something more realistic (i.e. drop join supplements in favor of Adequine, skip vitamins in favor of…well…new tack, really).
But in leu of cutting back on horse supplements, you could continue to make SmartPak and all the supplement companies that are sold through them rich. Then they can get to their 200 millionth “supplement served” mark that much quicker!
– Citizen Horse Opinion of Supplements That Don’t Suck
MSM
Platinum Performance
selenium (for horses known deficient)
Vitamin E (for horses with tie up issues)
daily dewormer if you choose
only 25% of hoof supplements (must research ingredients needs/condition)
only 25% of all joint supplements (must research ingredients needs/condition)
So, here is yet another example of where the activist, the rescuer, the anti-slaughter people, and all the desperate pleas to help all the horses falls apart. Maybe I’m just that far out of the loop or I missed some big HUGE, enthusiastic news story that swept the horse world away…
…buuuuuuuuuuuut, I couldn’t find that story. I can’t seem to find any information regarding Premarin mares, PMU foals, or anything other rescue news pertaining to the horse urine industry newer than 2004.
What happened?
Did a more interesting, ground breaking, newsworthy, or noteworthy cause come along? Slaughter didn’t end in the US until 2007, so maybe all the people working on the Premarin issue put their time and energy into that.
But aren’t many, if not most, Premarin farms in Canada? Wouldn’t that mean foals and some mares are still GOING TO SLAUGHTER? Maybe horse slaughter protesting is only important in the US? I mean, I guess that’s Canada’s problem, and we all know Canadian horses aren’t as important as American horses.
I’m stumped.
I will say, from my research, all I can tell is that Premarin is still manufactured and prescribed, there don’t seem to be any active Premarin rescues (at least not online), and the only recent PMU rescue information is from the new Humane Society of the Untied States Horse Sactuary and Rescue Facility opening in Oregon.
Then I stumbled upon a story, shadowed, not very obvious, concerning Canadian horse welfare. The information was regarding the population of PMU horses (both mares and foals). Apparently, in 2002, a research study concluded long-term, high doses of hormones were putting (human) women at risk for breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots. This prompted a new Premarin drug formula containing lower hormone levels, and thusly, less Pregnant Mare Urine was needed to produce the drug.
The cut in pharmaceutical production put farmers out of business and more importantly, horses out of a job (a terrible job, but still a job). Approximately 20,000 horses had to find “new homes” throughout Canada and the United States. In some other various articles, snippets, and archived rescue data between 2003-2004, I found many rescues going to sale houses, directly to kill buyers, and slaughterhouses, to buy many PMU mares. Who is to say how many horses found homes, or found their end on a European dinner plate? Obviously, no clear data exists to answer that question.
However, the nice, friendly, ever giving Wyeth pharmaceutical company whom has always cared about horse welfare formed a seven-member advisory board to help find homes for the horses that worked so hard to make them lots of money. Here is a quote from one of the board members:
“Many of the mares went to embryo transfer facilities as recipient mares, while the younger horses wound up in various riding programs. Although some found their way to the Bouvry slaughter plant in Fort Macleod, the vast majority were placed in new homes in the eastern and western United States.”
Gee, how many?
Honestly, NONE of those horses should have wound up at a slaughter house. The kind folks from the nice, friendly pharmaceutical company should have paid to either euthanize the animals OR have them live out their days somewhere nice (though we would hate for a “slave-care” line item to cut into drug company profits).
Currently, there are still 5,600 mares on the Premarin production line. Lucky them. It’s too bad they don’t have anyone campaigning for their quality of life increases anymore. I’m sure the pregnant mares are much happier now. I’m sure it’s all nice and cozy for them. I mean the “ranches” have websites! They must not be hiding anything, right?
Yup, that could be it. The hard core Premarin activists must simply have been appeased. Makes sense that none of the existing Premarin mares are foals are being mistreated! I mean, come on! The non-profit North American Equine Ranching Information Council (NAERIC) is on the job! They’re not a shill for the pharmaceutical industry, are they?
By the way, please go to the NAERIC website: how creepy is that? Street drug dealers host better business fronts.
And so because of the Premarin industry, we still have an unknown standard of pregnant mare care, questionable ends for each foal, and up to 5,600 “by-product” foals produced every year needing homes. All this for the barbaric practice of collecting pregnant mare urine for use in a silly drug with MANY other synthetic options.
I’m not saying I have space in my back yard for all (or any) of the unwanted Premarin foals, and I certainly don’t have the time to secretly infiltrate the NAERIC ranks, but to all the former activisty people who took up the Premarin cause in the early 2000’s like it was the second coming (of Elvis):
Is the Premarin rescue job really done?
Or from a gratis marketing level, is has the Premarin cause simply been played out?
Okay, so I felt pretty dumb for constantly being corrected about where the Olympics were being held. It has been in my mind the 2008 Olympics were being held in Hong Kong. Much to my surprise, they are in fact officially being held in Beijing.
I received a link to the new controversy surrounding the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, coined “Olympic Haze”. On June 23rd, 2008, ESPN published a story about the Olympic Haze of Beijing and the horrible air quality of the city. Interestingly, I found that although the games are being held August 8th, suddenly a little over a month BEFORE the Olympics there is concern about the air quality and its effects on the athletes.
Hmmmm. Isn’t that something that would have been considered, well, before they chose a city? American human athletes are going to be given special masks to help with the detrimental effects the pollution in Beijing has on their lungs. I’m unsure if these masks are to be worn during competition or just prior to the athletes’ event, but suddenly athletes are voicing their concerns and previous experience competing in the icky Beijing air.
After being corrected on numerous occasions that the 2008 Olympics were in Beijing and NOT Hong Kong, my first thought was “I wouldn’t send my horse into that smog, and I can’t imagine any other rider would either.”
And here we have it; the equestrian events ARE being held in Hong Kong where there is less pollution. The FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale), the BOCOG (Beijing Committee for the Olympic Games), and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) worked together to come to the decision to hold the equestrian events in Hong Kong rather than Beijing.
Why?
Well, concerns of infectious disease contraction from the China horse population initiated the planning. But in 2005, the Hong Kong location was already in the works with disease being a concern, Beijing pollution woes up for consideration, and the proximity to the Hong Kong airport suggested easier equine transportation. Funny how the FEI was on top of the horses’ abilities to withstand the climate (including the air quality) for the 2008 Olympics, but apparently no one considered the human athletes ability to withstand smog.
Well, at least I realized WHY I would think the Olympics were in Hong Kong; the equestrian events are the only part of the Olympics that I have any interest in. Not really knowing why the Olympics were being held in two different cities, I just assumed the equestrian events were the lowest interest so who cared if they are in the same city.
Too wrong!
It’s almost hard to feel bad for the human athletes only because if the equestrian venues had taken air pollution into consideration AND made arrangements, why then didn’t the IOC take human athletes health into consideration? Is it because human athletes aren’t worth money? I’m sure each of the Olympic horses has a big price tag of liability attached!
I’m happy to hear these provisions were made, with a first ever Olympic air-conditioned training arena. I bet that would have been nice for the 1996 Hotlanta Olympic Games.
While I’m sure it will be sad to see, as American athletes have experienced in Beijing in the past, vomiting during competition, and dropping out due to exhaustion, I am happy to hear the equestrian athletes (both horse and human) will be in a better environment to compete healthily and comfortably.
apparently, the animal's instincts toward seeking a cooling shower are also misguided
Recently, a woman with many, MANY years of horse experience told me I shouldn’t turn my horse outside after a bath because “water is an insulator and will keep them hot.”
I never thought I would question my own logic when it came to the cooling effects of evaporation, but the ridiculousness of the statement convinced me I was suffering from hearing dyslexia.
Me: I’m sorry, what was that?
Woman: I can’t believe you do that…you know water is an insulator.
For the better part of two decades, this woman has been considered a horse “professional”.
“You know those [post ride baths] are why he’s loosing weight.”
I was dumbfounded. Had this woman never played in the lawn sprinkler as a young child? Had this woman never taken part in a rogue, neighborhood fire hydrant opening? Had she never taken a dip in a pool on a 90 degree Fahrenheit day?
Was I really going to have to explain the properties of evaporation to a woman who in the past has been paid to train and care for horses?
Answer: No. I say this a lot, and it’s especially true for the horse world, but you can’t reason with crazy people. And don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard a lot of crazy things from crazy horse people, but this was just stupid.
I stood there dumbfounded. I must have looked like a moron. After a ride and cool down in the heat of summer, I’ve never deviated from a well-deserved bath, the sweat scrape, a nice stall lunch, and turnout back to the pasture. Who was this horse woman and what planet did she come from?
She continued.
Woman: You know the water is why he’s loosing weight.
!!!
Yes, weight loss has been a problem recently; factors I had seen contributing were the new terrible hay, the heavy workload, and the fact the barn managers were having 8 year old kids campers feeding breakfast and dinner. In more ways than one, a barn move has been a few months overdue.
And now that super-triple-crazies were stalking my wash stall practices, I began thinking my problems at this barn had multiplied to the level only full-time security guards could handle.
Where has common sense gone!?
Me: Actually, evaporation works to cool the body.”
She argued with me.
As my gaze-of-opposite-amazement grew, I started making a b-line for the car. Safety. I needed safety. I knew I needed to leave, quickly. There was nothing for me to do here.
I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. I tried to fathom she had read, somewhere, that water was an insulator, PERIOD. But even after that leap, how could one fail to understand the capacity of water insulation and how it relates to a horse being wet?
Factoring in semantics, water IS an insulator of temperature, meaning, water requires high amounts of heat energy to raise said temperature.
However, water being seen as an insulator is a whole different story. How does one not understand the cooling effects of water droplets in relation to heat transfer and the state change from liquid to gas? I assumed this woman must never shower, ever. She must have never seen a coach assailed by his winning team with a bucket of cooled sports drink. She must of never seen a dog shiver in the rain. She must have never visited a desert.
One thing is for sure; she must be stopped. She must be stopped from owning or caring for animals. She must be stopped, at least, from ever talking to me again.
Needless to say, I left the barn, completely beside myself.
To anyone else confused about the cooling powers of water, lets talk 3rd grade science.
Water requires high energy/heat for evaporation, and evaporation is inversely related to cooling of ambient temperature. When ambient temperature approaches body temperature, the rate of heat loss slows to the point that very little heat can be removed from the body by any of these means. That’s when evaporation becomes important. Ergo wet horse.
One way to cool a horse in a hurry is to soak a horse with cold water. First, the cold water comes in direct contact with the skin, heat is added to the water by conduction (from body temperature) accomplishing some cooling; a temperature difference of, say 95°F skin temperature relative to 55°F water temperature being the driving force. But more importantly, some water will be evaporated from the skin surface, removing over 1000 BTUs for every pound of water evaporated. Increasing air movement with a fan or wind speeds heat loss from the combination of evaporation and convection.
So, we now understand evaporation does happen when a horse is wet AND evaporation is a cooling mechanism.
American horse regions are more different than similar.
Hunter/Jumper horse care pressures and priorities take various shapes across America. I have lived in many states around the country and have always found the horse boarding, training, and showing communities so very different. Here are my observations:
Upper Midwest Horse World (Illinois & Wisconsin Vicinity)
Boarding here is straightforward. Priorities are very strange. The cost of board is relative to the amenities (indoor arena size and heat). Oddly, location doesn’t play much into the cost. Even if a barn is close in to a metro area, if they don’t have specific amenities or facilities, or a big show clientele, the cost of board is generally less.
Trainers here have very specific goals (or call them requirements). A shows, Open shows, no shows. Most of the time, you gotta fit within their regimen or else.
Big emphasis on coolness is the Midwest. Big thought that good riders are made by fancy tack. No, not just fancy tack, trendy, expensive tack. It’s gotta be an $800, brand new Edgewood bridle or the trendy saddle of the times (I think that’s Antares right now). One obviously can’t have that cool of a jumper if one doesn’t have cool jumper boots or the figure eight noseband. In the Midwest, “great” riders are not made by skill, talent, drive, or even major riding accomplishments (such as winning in Florida), it’s really about how cool you look.
Texas
Texas is a country onto itself, and though there is much to deservedly hate about Texas, they have a pretty well rounded, and large, Hunter/Jumper community. In Texas, there are many different boarding options depending on budget, and with trainers and barn, there is room for all different goals and budgets.
Texas, not just for cowboys or Western riding, has some really nice Hunter/Jumper barns. They don’t always LOOK that nice, in fact, some may even look quite scary, but overall the people and horses are more reflective of the actual Hunter/Jumper “quality” of the region.
Atmosphere is barn dependent. Super snobby, gossipy barns aren’t necessarily the bigger A show barns. Lots of room for the super laid back, do whatever, wear whatever, look however rider, and those aren’t even the backyard, Open show barns. When it comes to riding horses in Texas, there are lots of choices that don’t mean sacrificing quality for sanity.
So, good for Texas.
That being said, I hate Texas. Don’t move there.
The Rocky Mountains, or basically, Colorado
One of the most interesting areas of the American horse world. Actually more “cowboy” than Texas, it is also more laid back than anywhere else I have been.
The show community is unusually laid back with a very, very informal air. More of an emphasis on riding, having fun, and reaching goals than material objects, who you know, and talking bulls**t. Most importantly, even the well-to-do’s didn’t act as such and were always very respectful and helpful to those who weren’t.
That’s not to say there isn’t politics, backstabbing, and gossiping in Colorado. I mean, come on, we’re talking American women in the horse industry, right? But in Colorado, the great thing is one CAN actually stay out of snarky environments, where in many other areas it’s unavoidable on some levels.
One Rocky Mountain caveat though; lots of spoiled rotten California girls sent to Boulder for school with their “Colorado” horse. Yeah, I said “Colorado” horse. While not every one of these girls is intolerable, most of ‘em are not horse people, and more importantly, not riders. Simply the California influx into Colorado are good at sitting atop well schooled, very nice horses. Their numbers are growing exponentially.
All in all, the Rockies are a great place to ride and show horses. Outside of the West Coast transplants, the Colorado riding community is definitely a draw, but the drive to the barn is an absolute chore.
Pacific Northwest
Saddest state of American horse world. Completely divided quality, care, facilities, and amenities. No such thing as middle ground. Lots of money in hoity-toity A show barns, also lot’s of scary, backyard places. Middle places trade off amenities. 40 acres of great turnout, no ring. Huge indoor, terrible footing, scary turnout. Wonderful outdoor (six months a year), 80′x40′ indoor “arena”, no turnout.
Atmosphere in any case is completely intolerable.
Maybe it’s the influx of California blood. Yes, that is a huge negative. Even more-so than Colorado, The Pacific Northwest houses tons of spoiled California girls who suddenly aren’t in California anymore.
It rains a lot in this area, and older barns have not held up well. The strangest thing about the American Pacific Northwest is the amount of horses; they’re everywhere. Barns are everywhere, but, the knowledge is questionable at best. This poses a problem when you don’t mind being at a barn that isn’t “pretty”, the care isn’t all that pretty either. Not a good mix.
Can’t emphasize how much there is no middle ground in this region. You either are at THE Hunter/Jumper barn where you and your horse are only measured by your monthly budget (which better be large), or you are at a sh**hole.
New England Horse World
When I think of the east coast, I think HUNTER JUMPER CAPITAL USA! Barns here are very established, very limited new construction. Also like the Pacific Northwest, barns between A show crazy and backyard boarding are almost non-existent, but horse care and knowledge is much better.
Most all horse people in New England are nice, straightforward, and to the point (Citizen Horse doth appreciate highly!)
I see a lot of lower level Hunters with a bit of an uppity-tude. But generally, New England barns seem to lack a lot of personality, not in a bad way. There’s no air of anything in particular at most barns. The New England atmosphere is simple and uncomplicated, much like the people. There are horses, and barns, and people, and riders. Very little B.S. in this area.
Also, more part-time riders in New England; more leased horses.
Also, there is a FANTASTIC vet in Vermont. Lorie alone could make New England rule, but for the most part, the no-nonsense nature of the North East leaves it tops on my list.
As I said before, I’ve lived all over the place and shown competitively in even more spots. Based on my own personal observations on American horse boarding, showing, training, and environments across the country, your mileage may vary.
horseshoes are not evil. marketing schemes might be.
Believe it or not, they are calling it a movement. Barefoot, natural trimming franchises are the new hot trend in horse care. It is a beautiful scam that has been developed specifically to target the inexperienced horseman or horsewoman. The fad has swept the horse world off its shoes and into new barefoot ground where lots and lots of horses are gimping around wishing the pain would stop.
How this movement came to be is a mystery, but Dr. Hiltrud Strasser, a German veterinarian, has been credited as the first to develop this new, radical, strong woman craze on “natural” holistic hoof care. Dr. Strasser has been described as “a rebel”. A woman who isn’t afraid to stand up to conformity. A woman who created a system, of hoof care conformity, to break conformity. A woman with a method, no, a state of mind, that asks all horse owners to think alike on the care about their horse’s feet.
Of course, those in the barefoot movement believe if you aren’t following this new, trendy, horse care method, you must be abusing your horse (for more on that concept, if you haven’t already, stop by the pro-clicker training comments). People who are completely brainwashed by a method or system see only black or white. Of course, if you aren’t clicker training, you MUST be training your horse by brutally beating them. Again, if you aren’t using natural barefoot trimming, you MUST be torturing your horse with horseshoes. Oh the humanity!
Farrier work should under no circumstances cause lameness, footsoreness, shortened stride, or any other displays of pain or discomfort.
As another genius horse person marketing scheme, the target audience, once again, is middle aged women who are hypersensitive to notions of bad things happening, anywhere. The Strasser barefoot method, the clicker training method, and the natural horsemanship method all exist, thrive on, and cultivate scare tactics to further their followings and resulting profits. That sound familiar to anyone?
Yet, do any of these people realize that fitting their horse into this Strasser method of trimming, or any other natural “balance” barefoot trimming method is like making every person wear the same size shoe? How is that correct, or natural? Or pain free?
The Barefoot movementers say trimming every horse foot exactly the same is the way “nature intended”, but yet, they call it abusive to nail a shoe on a horse’s foot, a shoe that fits that horse and enables comfort, traction and shock absorption?
Dr. Strasser has stated herself that her trim may cause death to a horse. What??? Oh, right, but it’s because the horse’s heart cannot heal from the abuse of shoes and a stall. What reasonable person reads that and thinks, “Yes, I need to free my horse from the abuse of a stall and shoes, so I will trim my horse with this method. If he dies, at least I freed him”?
That’s just nuts.
Don’t get me wrong. Dr. Strasser has some good points outside of actually touching a horse’s hoof. Yes, some horses, and almost all pleasure, pet and/or trail horses should live outside 24/7. But, a few of my own horses who lived their first 3 years outside 24/7 would not be happy being outside 24/7 now. No matter what, not every horse can be cared for the same.
Let’s say that again.
Not every horse can be cared for the same.
This is where the “nuts” part of the natural barefoot/Strasser trim comes into play. Each horse’s individual temperament, conformation, health, and job necessitate different care.
And long before Dr. Strasser hit the foot care scene, fore-thinking equestrians knew frequent trims (meaning, weekly, every other week, etc.) and low angles could be beneficial to keeping a horse’s foot balanced, most especially for corrective shodding or treating, for example, navicular and founder.
But, NOT EVERY HORSE’S FOOT IS THE SAME!!!! There is a lot more to equine hoof soundness and happiness than just cutting off so much hoof that the horse’s body has no choice but to increase bloodflow to the region.
Dr. Strasser no doubt has credentials to back up her hoof anatomy knowledge, but all in all she has zero practical, statistical data proving successes of her methods. As stated elsewhere, her insistence that horseshoe nails numb the equine’s foot is so off the wall unproven or tested that it doesn’t even rise to the level of hypothesis. The Strasser trim is also often marketed as a do-it-yourself system (just the right confidence builder insecure women need!), but hoof care is a science that can not be taught by reading one book or attending one clinic. Doing so, buying into a DIY “natural” barefoot trim attitude gives one just enough knowledge to do serious damage.
Trimming a hoof should never, ever leave a horse footsore.
Many horses have been euthanized after a Strasser trim, and horse owners and natural barefoot “farriers” alike have been charged in animal cruelty cases for using the Strasser trim and causing pain and suffering to horses. Horses dying and owners being charge for cruelty themselves should be enough of a red flag for everyone to stay away from Strasser’s naturally balanced, hoof care trimming method. Yet, there are still many advocates for Strasser’s scheme, and even more Strasser franchises going up around the world.
Some barefoot, natural horse care fanatics do actually see the Strasser trim as not only too radical, but also risky for their horses’ health. But, even these natural barefoot fanatics still don’t see any other option besides “natural” balanced, barefoot horse trims. Now available WITH shoes! Adding shoes to a naturally balanced, barefoot horse trims is like adding a McDonalds meal to your vegan, organic diet!
Now, the other methods of “natural” hoof and whole horse care have involved many different “developers”, thus creating different factions of followers. The common thread with each, “unique”, best-ever-everything-else-is-murderous-system is that they are all following the word natural. If barefoot trimmers are following “natural”, wild horse practices, why are they trimming their feet at all? Are there wild farriers that live out in the plains where the wild horses stop every once in a while to get their feet trimmed (and what’s natural about a horse sitting, or playing with a rubber ball?)
Moreover, susceptible people often forget that horses are no longer wild. You cannot put the genie back in the bottle. Just willing your horse’s foot, with a knife, to take the shape of a mythical, perfect, naturally existing horse hoof of yesteryear will not make it so. Taking a horse with horrible feet and cutting them with a stencil does not make them perfect, great, or natural, no matter how long you try.
So many inexperienced backyard breeders have produced so many terribly conformed horses; a special barefoot hoof trim will not conquer their genetics. In many cases, it may be your responsibility to put shoes on a horse with foot problems instead of mandating the horse conform to your needs as a system follower.
“I don’t see any lameness, he just doesn’t like to walk on rocks.”
The fad within this barefoot market is so strange to me. In so many ways, why not just find a great farrier? A great farrier is going to leave a horse barefoot if that is what is best for the horse. I have had many barefoot horses, some of which competed through 4′ jumpers barefoot even, only to get shoes on for bigger fences, for better traction, or for shock absorption. Since all of these horses that were able to live and compete barefoot also had awesome feet, my farriers would leave them without shoes until needed.
The most memorable experiences I’ve had with natural barefoot trimming, or natural balanced trims, were witnessing the soreness the horses experience after a trim, even after receiving these trims for over a year. These horses would be footsore for over a week AFTER a barefoot trim. The horses were in agony when walking through rocks, or walking on concrete.
Are there no hard surfaces in the wild?
I would be told, “Oh, that’s normal”, or in some cases, “I don’t see any lameness, he just doesn’t like to walk on rocks.” No horse my farrier has ever left barefoot has ever, ever been footsore. Not on rocks, not walking to and from pastures, not on any surface at any point.
Having a farrier work on your horse, whether you put shoes on or not, should under no circumstances cause lameness, footsoreness, shortened stride, or any other displays of pain and/or discomfort. You should be able to get on and ride your horse with no problems immediately after your farrier works on him. If you can’t, have a lengthy conversation with your farrier. If it happens a second time, find a new farrier. If that farrier is you, please stop playing farrier.
The number one most important element in horse care, and horse training, is uniqueness. Every horse is unique and must be treated and cared for as an individual. Following methods, fads, or systems limits the ability to tailor for your horse’s conformation, temperament, personality, and health. Why do all these radical people think that every horse should fit into a mold? What is even more interesting is that these are the people who claim other horse people are just scared of change or something new. When it comes to “natural” horse practice dissident, fear of the new is not an issue. Most good horse people take knowledge from every reputable source, method, and system, pull out what might be useful, and apply it when it is applicable. But above all, responsible horse people know THERE IS NO MOLD.
There is no magic button, no magic book, no magic savior, or no magic set of beliefs that will cause a horse to bond with you. Your program of beliefs are not special, and you are not suddenly rising to the top of all whom ever cared for horses, simply because your system title includes a derivative of the word “nature”.
And in this world, there are a lot of conventional farriers that shoe horses who don’t necessarily need it. It is also very true that a horse that has worn shoes for a long time will need time to adjust to being barefoot. Without the accustomed support of a shoe, hoof walls may chip and crack for a few trims until the nail holes grow out and the hoof becomes stronger, but never should this adjustment period include footsoreness.
And though it’s obvious the closed minded nature of anyone buying into these “natural” themed horse care/training, marketing schemes bothers me, the natural barefoot trimmers actually make me angry. Natural trims cause pain and suffering for far too many horses.
One thing is for sure, I’ll never give up horseshoes. I absolutely love torturing my horses by mounting, cold, cruel metal to their feet. The classically trained, traditional farrier and I have such a laugh at all the discomfort the horses experience while being shod! Oh, and the hot shoeing!
The courtesy and manners my horses show the farrier are surely just done out of fear; their blackened hearts singed from years of unnatural hoof trims, metal tearing their mouth apart, and all the abuse from spurs, whips, and nosechains. In fact, one of my horses is so dull and hates the farrier and the evil shoes he tacks on so much, that he stands perfectly still and tries to play with the handkerchief in the farrier’s back pocket!
Silly, tortured horse!
Shoes or no shoes, lets work away from the marketing schemes. Horse people are already crazy enough without all this bad propaganda.
I find cribbing horses extremely saddening. I have owned two cribbers, including my first pony Rikki. Luckily for me, neither horse cribbed while wearing a traditional metal hinged cribbing strap (they didn’t make fancy, miracle cribbing collars back when I was a wee equestrian).
Interestingly, there seemed to be an abundance of cribbing horses when I was younger. I guess much of that had to do with limited to no turnout for stabled horses. Now, boarding and training facilities offer more turnout options, and I think more importantly, young horses have much more opportunity for turnout, thus eliminated the cribbing behavior from starting.
Cribbing is not the same as wood chewing. Many people, still, call their horse a “cribber” when they are actually wood chewers, or as I like to call them, “beavers”. Cribbing is when a horse grasps an object between his incisor teeth and inhales air into the esophagus while emitting an audible grunting noise. I have actually seen horses try to crib air; that is more amply called windsucking.
Across the country, I have seen many, many more cribbing horses on the East Coast. My guess is the main contributing factors to my non-scientific, geographical crib densities study are:
limited turnout
smaller stalls
darker and older barns
Funny, I think there are more smokers (humans) on the East Coast too. Maybe there is something bigger at work here than just turnout.
Although many cribbers also tend to be a bit on the thin side, there is some new information suggesting less grain could benefit a cribbing horse and possibly help deter the behavior altogether. Also, potentially offering up unlimited hay can be a viable option for some, but others fighting the economics of hay purchasing, unlimited hay could be a bank-busting cure.
Cribbing collars and cribbing straps can limit the amount a horse cribs, but it does not totally eliminate the behavior. Turnout seems to be the best solution for a horse that cribs, but some horses are diehard cribbers, even in turnout. These horses SHOULD wear a cribbing collar or strap at all times, but this warrants dangers.
A horse wearing a strap or collar outside in turnout could easily get the device caught on a variety of objects (fence post, tree branch, other horse’s teeth). I hate seeing horses outside with any sort of headgear, and don’t even get me started on macro horse turnout with some barns leaving the halter on!
Whatever the case may be with horse cribbing, it’s really sad to watch. Depression, boredom, anxiety? Environment? Genetics? Unfortunately, no one knows for sure the root causes of horse cribbing. Until then, you’re stuck with my pop-scientific answers.
