HEALTH & EDUCATION

Health & Education

We all want the best care possible for our horses. The Heath & Education section covers both Learning Institutions, Organizations as well as many sources for equine assistance including Veterinarians and Farriers.

For those who want a to formally study horses, the Education section includes College Riding, Equine Studies, and Veterinary Schools. Learn about the wide variety of horses in the Horse Breeds section. Supplements and Treatments Therapy are also included in the section.

Everyone can learn from Fine Art and there are some specialty Museums that might surprise you.

Horses as a therapy partner enrich the lives of the disabled. These facilities are listed in our Therapeutic Riding section. To help children and young adults build confidence and grow emotionally, please see the resources available on the Youth Outreach page.

Looking for a place to keep your horse? You can find it in the Horse Boarding section. Traveling? Find a Shipping company or Horse Sitting service if your horse is staying home!

Want to stay up to date with the latest training clinics or professional conferences? Take a look at our Calendar of Events for Health & Education for the dates and locations of upcoming events.

Do we need to add more? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!

MacNicol describes the complexities of the equine microbial environment that begin to develop at birth, how it very quickly starts to reflect that of the mare and how rapidly a foal adapts so it can consume forage. (Photo Credit: Jolene Purdue)

by Jackie Bellamy-Zions, Equine Guelph

The foal’s gut undergoes many changes as it develops rapidly. More and more, we are learning how the colonization of a gut correlates to good health. Exploring the differences in foal microbiomes and how those differences may tie in with overall health has PhD Candidate, Jennifer MacNicol, very excited about the potential advancements the research could yield in the field of equine neonatal care.

MacNicol, from the Department of Animal Bioscience at the Ontario Agricultural College will be working under the direction of Ontario Veterinary College researcher, Dr. Luis Arroyo, in a project planned to begin this summer studying mare/foal pairs to gain knowledge of how the horse’s gut environment matures. Research in genomics is rapidly expanding our knowledge of digestive health but is it is not well understood why diarrhea can become life-threatening in some foals while others recover without additional symptoms.

An entomologist and veterinarian discuss the unremitting mosquito.

While much of the Western half of the United States endures near historic drought levels, one might anticipate this year’s mosquito season to be a walk in the park.

No Rain, No Problem for Mosquitoes

“Just because we don’t have rain, doesn’t mean we don’t have mosquitoes,” explains Department Head for Entomology and Plant Pathology at Oklahoma State University, and former livestock entomologist, Justin Talley, PhD. “Some of the most significant West Nile virus outbreak years have been associated without significant rainfall. Be aware, just because you don’t see water, doesn’t mean there are no breeding areas around.”

Dr. Talley shared how the Culex mosquito, which is responsible for transmitting core equine diseases such as West Nile virus (WNV), can populate in the most unsuspecting places. Standing, puddling water is not needed. “One would think that wet years equal more equine West Nile virus cases; however, the type of mosquitoes transmitting these equine diseases can develop in muddy water or a storm drain. There’s a lot of water you don’t see.”

Even a tiny hole in a tree – with just a bit of water – is enough for the Culex mosquito to repopulate within.

“The thing about mosquitoes is they’re very diverse in the habitat they can modify to, and it’s their adaptive behaviors that allow them to be successful,” Dr. Talley said.

I've written about soil, sulfur and Methionine deficiency often. But everything I see says it's getting worse. - Dr. Eleanor Kellon, Staff Veterinary Specialist for Uckele Health & Nutrition

Methionine is an essential amino acid, meaning horses must get it from their diet. It is critical in protein synthesis since many proteins start with methionine and without it synthesis will stop.

Methionine is the king of the sulfur-containing amino acids which give strength to hair, hoof horn, skin and tendons/ligaments. It is the precursor for SAM-e, a mood stabilizer, and the major antioxidant glutathione.

Methionine is a methyl donor required for the synthesis of L-creatine and L-carnosine. These compounds are critical to muscle function and athletic performance.

Soybean, peas and beet pulp are poor methionine sources. Historically, grains, brans and other seed meals were adequate sources. Hays easily met the 0.2% sulfur content most authorities recommend to support production of good levels of sulfur-containing amino acids. This is changing.

I am increasingly seeing hay analyses with sulfur below 0.2%, even below 0.1%. This means soil levels are low so grains will also be affected. What’s going on?

Iron deficiency anemia does not exist in adult horses. - Eleanor M. Kellon, VMD

It's common knowledge that horses with anemia and performance horses should get iron supplements to build their blood – right? Wrong!

Close to 70% of the body's active — not stored — iron is in the red blood cell pigment hemoglobin where it functions to bind oxygen from the lungs and carry it to the tissues. Iron is also the active binding element of myoglobin, the pigment that makes muscle red and acts to temporarily store oxygen in muscle and deliver it to the aerobic metabolic pathways for generation of energy. Iron is an indispensable component of hundreds of other proteins and enzymes in the body.

The body also takes advantage of iron's high reactivity to shuttle free electrons in the chain reaction that generates energy from foods in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). A few antioxidant enzymes also use iron, and iron is used in body systems that detect dangerously low levels of oxygen.

However, iron's free and easy contribution in free radical reactions can have a black side. In white blood cells it is used to generate free radicals which are used to destroy invading organisms. When unchecked, that same capacity to generate free radicals can easily damage tissues.

While horses can be anemic for a variety of reasons, iron deficiency is not one of them. Except for foals raised in stalls with no access to dirt, iron deficiency anemia has never been found in a horse.

Read more: Beware Supplemental Iron

It's a common belief, however diet does not cause metabolic syndrome. - Eleanor M. Kellon, VMD

The wrong diet exacerbates equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) but it doesn't actually cause it.

It's easy to see where the idea came from. When a horse/pony/donkey has metabolic syndrome it is very important to limit the sugar and starch in the diet. Starch is digested to glucose before being absorbed. The higher the intake, the higher the animal's insulin levels will go and the higher the laminitis risk.

However, these abnormal elevations don't happen with every horse, and evidence continues to grow that metabolic syndrome is genetic.

London College of Animal Osteopathy (LCAO) is a global leader in animal osteopathic education. LCAO provides the highest level of training to veterinary and osteopathic communities, as well as advanced musculoskeletal professionals seeking qualification in animal osteopathy.

We recently attended Katie Navarra’s seminar: Reset: Reconnect: Reframe. Since the seminar involved a horse, we expected something very different such as best approaches and ways to connect with a horse.

However, the horse was not the subject of the learning session but was instrumental in serving as a catalyst to achieve greater goals. We were pleasantly surprised how much we learned. We know Katie Navarra is an accomplished equine journalist and learned that she is an amazing coach.

In this seminar, she promised we would:

Get honest feedback about what stands in our (or our team’s way to achieving remarkable results.
Uncover what we were tolerating and identify next steps to achieving our goals and more purposeful interactions with others.
Gain clarity on what energizes use, enabling us to maximize our professional pursuits.
Recognize the strengths you bring to the field and how to leverage those to protect your mental health.

Dr. Laurie Metcalfe reviews what is involved in a new foal exam and the importance of prevention and early detection of potential problems to give a foal the best chance for success.

Common signs of ‘misbehavior’ can be a direct result of pain.

When Korrina Tomes-Hughes – horsewoman, wife and mother of four – acquired a horse who often squealed and kicked out, she told her husband they had a year to solve the issues. “If a horse isn’t safe, they don’t stay at our house,” she said. “Considering a 1,200-pound horse versus our littlest kid of 40 pounds, there can be no taking chances when it comes to safety.”

It is important to bring up any behavior-related issues with your veterinarian, so they can examine your horse for any potential pain and discomfort that may be directing the behavior you’re seeing. And, that’s just what this family did. “You can’t just write [a horse] off for a bad day, or even a bad week. And when you have a mare, you especially have to make sure she is comfortable,” she said.

Pinpointing the Problem

To diagnose the issue, Korrina’s veterinarian examined the mare, Cash Flip Seven, and soon discovered the mare’s estrus cycle was to blame for her, at times, poor behavior. “When she cycles, she cycles hard. It’s painful for her,” said Korrina. She was acting up because of the pain she experienced from estrus, which is common, according to a study conducted by University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. The study noted several behaviors directly linked to overall physical discomfort, which can often be overlooked and labeled as “mareish.”