Innehållsförteckning för January 2015 från Equus

Weaving success story I read “Curbing a Weaver” (Consultants, EQUUS 447) with great interest. I work with horses at a rescue stable, and it is common for them to exhibit stereotypies such as weaving and cribbing. I agree that exercise is an important part of curbing these behaviors. One of our horses became a weaver while he was a breeding stallion who was mostly kept in a box stall away from other horses and had very inconsistent training. We gelded him, but he was still very difficult and dangerous to handle. His weaving was so extreme that he would work himself into a sweat, and we had trouble keeping weight on him. When he recently started lunging over the rails of his paddock to bite people, I decided he needed…

ORTHOPEDICS A pastern joint problem Q: Recently I saw a horse who was recovering from surgery for annular ligament constriction on the hind legs. Apparently, he had been “knuckling over” because the annular ligament was constricting the pastern in the hind legs. I had never heard of this condition before. Can you tell me more about it? Carolyn Kay Harper Philomath, Oregon A: To understand how things can go wrong in the pastern joint, you first need to appreciate how the tendons and ligaments work together when they’re healthy. The palmar-plantar annular ligaments are very tough, fibrous structures that wrap horizontally around the back of fetlock joints. In addition to supporting and stabilizing the joints, the annular ligaments support the flexor tendons, which run down the back of the horse’s…

A new study confirms that delays can be deadly when it comes to treating colic involving a so-called “twisted gut.” In a joint effort between Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital and Colorado State University, researchers reviewed records from 896 broodmares treated for large colon volvulus, a painful type of colic in which the intestine twists on itself, between 1986 and 2011. “Large colon volvulus is a common cause of colic in Kentucky broodmares around the time of foaling, and this made for a good group of horses to study this disease,” says Eileen Hackett, DVM. “However, this problem can affect many different breeds of horses all over the world, and as the lesion is identical, it is likely that the findings from this study are relevant to all horses.” The…

anaplasmosis (formerly equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis)---disease caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which is transmitted by ticks. Most cases occur in northern California, but the disease has been seen all over the country. Signs include fever, lethargy, poor appetite and swelling of the limbs. bar shoe---horseshoe with no opening between the heels; forms a continuous circle; used to extend the base of support to the rear of the heels. colitis---inflammation of the colon. corticosteroids---analogs of the hormone cortisol produced primarily by the adrenal glands; they may be natural or synthetically produced for injection. dopamine---one of the neurotransmitters, chemical “messengers” that aid in transmitting nerve impulses across synapses between nerve cells. equine influenza---acute viral infection involving the respiratory tract. Influenza is marked by inflammation of the nasal mucosa, the pharynx, the conjunctiva,…

Prying a solid chunk of ice out of a horse’s shoe can be difficult, and an ordinary hoof pick may not be up to the task. Leaving the ice in place to thaw on its own is not a good idea— even inside the barn, the ice may not melt readily, and in the meantime your horse is risking serious injury with every step. It may be tempting to go after the hunk with a chisel or a screwdriver, but you want to avoid using sharp objects. You could easily cause a puncture wound to the sole or frog. Instead, try one of these methods: ⊲ A small hammer can be effective if you tap the flat side of it gently against the side of the shoe (never the hoof…

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