Please define Neonatal Care for Foals? Do all foals require neonatal care? What are the main cases in which neonatal care is advised?

Merriam-Webster.com defines NEONATE as : a newborn child or mammal. The “Neonatal Period” is the time when the newborn undergoes a physiological adjustment from the uterine environment to extrauterine life. In humans this is considered from birth to one month, however in the more precocious equine, we generally consider this to be the first 7 days of postnatal life. Therefore when considering “neonatal care” we are referring to the routine preventative care and initial assessment of the newborn foal within the first 24 hours of life as well as any further follow up and treatment warranted based on physical exam and basic bloodwork.

All foals should be examined by a veterinary professional as there are many problems that begin with very subtle discrepancies that an owner may not become aware of until disease is advanced. Neonatal foals can deteriorate rapidly, so early detection and treatment is essential for the best outcome. Neonatal care may be required sooner and be more extensive for higher risk foals such as those associated with dystocia (obstructed labor), premature placental separation (red bag), placentitis, prematurity, meconium staining (fetal diarrhea), failure of passive transfer, and those foals who have not stood and nursed by 3-4 hours of age.

Read more: Foal Q & A with Rood & Riddle’s Dr. Laurie Metcalfe

An unfortunate side effect for mares with foaling dates that occur unnaturally early in the year is longer gestations by an average of 10 days and foals born on average 10lbs lighter. Environmental light influences the development of the foal in utero and regulates when a mare will foal.

Nature intended that foals be born during the longer days of late spring and summer – and nature tends to have her way. Stimulating the longer day lengths associated with the natural breeding season by fitting pregnant mares with Equilume Light Masks or Stable Lights has been shown in clinical trials to eliminate these side effects in most mares, instead helping the mare deliver her foal on-time and with an optimum birth weight.

We recommended that Long Day light therapy be initiated for pregnant mares 90 days prior to their foaling due date for best breeding outcomes and optimum foal health.

Read more: The Equilume Light Masks Helps Pregnant Mares Foal on Time with Optimum Birth Weights

by Carolyn Charles

What makes Equine Assisted Skill Development so special? The horse of course!

As horse people, we all know that these majestic creatures are some of the best teachers in the world. We have all experienced the moments, the changes and happiness they have brought to our lives. But why is it that horses are such incredible teachers and help us learn and grow?

1. Horses feel everything!

From being able to hear our hearts beat, to feeling a fly land on them, the sensitivity of the horse is essential to why they are able to teach. This is what allows horses to discern between calm and nervous energy and lets them know how their human team members are feeling. Think about what happens when you cut your finger - sometimes you can feel your heart beat in it. Your body is sending extra help to heal the situation.

Horses are so sensitive that they can sense all of the physiological changes in our bodies. Our heart rate increasing, becoming agitated, frustrated, or when we are living in the moment and being truly authentic. That’s why when horses respond, the participant can make a change in the moment and see the immediate outcome.

Read more: Working with Horses to Develop Skills - Five Reasons Why It Works!

Stereotypic behaviors such as weaving, cribbing, and stall-walking occur commonly in high-performance horses as well as many companion horses. In addition to being unsightly, potentially damaging to the barn, and raising welfare concerns, stereotypic behaviors also result in important health issues such as dental disorders, temporohyoid joint damage, poor performance, weight loss, and colic.

“Cribbing is the most troublesome of these compulsive behaviors. It involves grasping a fixed object with the incisor teeth and aspirating air with an audible grunt,” explained Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research.

The exact reason horses crib remains unknown. Some suggest that cribbing horses have unmet dietary or management needs. Others believe that altered biological functions are the culprits, such as decreased antioxidant levels or increased oxidative stress.

Read more: Possible Link Between Selenium and Cribbing in Horses

by Sarah Nash

For seasonal breeders such as the horse, the lengthening days of spring have long been associated with increased fertility, enhanced performance, improved coat condition and better health and well-being. The duration of light exposure and the quality of the light administered are key to regulating these important physiological changes. Understanding this regulation is a fundamental factor to consider in our management of horses for breeding and performance.

The Duration of Light

The first key understanding is the duration of light exposure. Horses are long-day breeders. Their natural reproductive period coincides with the light-filled days of summer. A normal winter’s day consists of 16 hours of dark and 8 hours of light (Short Day). A summer’s day consists of approximately 16 hours of light and 8 hours of dark (Long Day). It is the rapid transition from Short Day to Long Day that can stimulate early reproductive activity and ovulation in mares. On average, it takes 75 days from initiation of Long Day light treatment to the first ovulation of the season. We recommended that Long Day light therapy begins no later than July 1st (SH)/ December 1^st (NH) to ensure that mares are ready for breeding in time for the official start of the breeding season.

Read more: Lighting For Breeding and Performance

Equitopia traveled to Holland to investigate how a rider's shifting weight in the saddle effects the gait of a horse. Equitation seat specialist Tessa Roos and equine motion analyst Bert Lam strapped Pegasus Gait analysis sensors on a horse and collected data in various positions. www.EquitopiaCenter.com

Read more: Rider Biomechanics: Using Sensors to See How the Rider Influences the Horse (7:24)

by G. Robert Grisel, DVM

Foremost, we should consider the basic rationale behind why horses limp. Is it pain? Is it some biomechanical restriction that prohibits normal movement? Pain might be an inciter in some instances, but the uncomfortable horse actually limps in an attempt to avoid pain. The resulting gait abnormality, therefore, is a voluntary action executed by the horse to circumvent the problem as opposed to an involuntary product of the problem. This is an important distinction, because as observers we don’t directly appreciate the source of the horse’s pain. Rather, we see how the horse alters its movement to escape it.

Visual assessment of the horse’s physical adjustments relies on the art of pattern recognition, which is relatively simple once we know where to look, when to look, and what to look for. This concept is familiar to us, because all of us practice pattern recognition in one form or another in our daily activities/jobs. Horse trainers, for instance, regularly evaluate recurring patterns of body language expressed by riders, both correct and incorrect. Farriers, on the other hand, are accustomed to interpreting various patterns of hoof wear. In all cases, abnormal patterns can give us insight with regard to what might be going on behind the scenes. With practice, we will learn to use our pattern recognition skills to depict visual markers of lameness that were previously imperceptible.

Read more: The Art of Seeing Lameness

by Capt. William E. Simpson II - USMM Ret.

In the latest cooperative effort with a handful of visionary politicians, natural resource advocates and supported by noted wildlife biologist Craig C. Downer, rancher-author William E. Simpson II has opened a new line of communication with Siskiyou County, CA.

Here is an open letter by Craig C. Downer, Wildlife Biologist, followed by a response from Capt. Simpson.

"The pilot test of the Wild Horse Fire Brigade as proposed by Mr. Simpson is both ecologically and economically sound and solidly positioned upon well-established science ^[1]. Cultural and paleontological evidence from the locale shows that wild horses lived in the area of the Soda Mountain Wilderness area of Southern Oregon and Northern California for millennia and up until recent times.

"I spent 3-days on-site touring the landscape on foot and have evaluated the conditions of the local flora and fauna. From my findings, I concur with Mr. Simpson that there is a severe depletion of large-bodied native herbivores here. This situation has led to super- abundant vegetation to become intensively established throughout the landscape, a major portion of which is rocky and of rugged, accentuated topography. At present, the wild horses here are well below their carrying capacity for this particular ecosystem, and this ecosystem could greatly benefit from their increase. Other native herbivores have been and continue to be depleted by a robust population of lions and coyotes. The predated remains of adult and sub-adult wild horses are frequently encountered in this reserve along with scant remains of deer. I concur with Mr. Simpson that the use of livestock for fuel abatement would result in significant loss of animals and financial investment.

Read more: Wild Horses Can Re-balance The Ecosystem: Good For Outdoor Sports; Reduces Wildfires & Toxic Smoke