By Lydia Bagley

For many of us summer is in full swing. Temperatures climbing into the high 90′s and a heat index over 100. If you live in one these “warm” climates here are a few recommendations to help keep you and your horses cool while riding this summer.

It’s easy to overlook Lyme disease, but it’s a real illness that can do a lot of damage at any time of the year.

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A horse who just doesn’t seem quite “right” might be a candidate for a Lyme screening.

What is Lyme disease  –   It is a bacterial illness caused by a spirochete called Borrellia burgdorferi. The bacteria are spread by a tick, commonly called the deer tick, and can infect horses, cattle, pets, as well as humans. Lyme disease in horses is quite common for animals living in high risk areas.

Equine Lyme disease is not easy to identify – Early Lyme symptoms, such as fever and irritability, are nonspecific and easy to miss or dismiss as a virus, work-related arthritis or various causes of muscle pain. The most common symptoms are lameness and changes in the animal’s behavior. You may notice the animal shifting frequently from limb to limb, and showing signs of a general stiffness.

Lyme disease in horses is a tricky diagnosis even for experienced veterinarians, since these animals are prone to muscle and joint injuries, so it’s difficult to relate such problems immediately to a bacterial infection. Also, the blood test can only show that the animal has been exposed to the bacteria and that its immune system reacted, but this doesn’t mean that the disease has been triggered.

Symptoms – associated with Lyme infection in horses include:

• Fever (probably early infections)
• Ill-defined, shifting lameness not explained by injury or level of work
• Poor performance
• Personality changes
• Laminitis
• Anterior uveitis (ERU/moonblindness-like eye changes).

Treatment -  Lyme disease in horses is usually treated by intravenous tetracycline or oral doxycycline.  The good news is that, if equine Lyme disease is diagnosed correctly, the animal responds quickly to the treatment, and the first signs of improvement can be seen in 2 to 5 days. If there is no quick response, it’s most likely that the diagnosis was not correct, and the horse has some other problem. You can also use anti-inflammatory drugs against the pain and stiffness and stomach medicine to help the horse cope with the antibiotic treatment – these are useful, but have no influence on the infection itself.

At present, there is no licensed vaccine for equine Lyme disease, but, since vaccines have been developed for dogs and one also exists for humans, there is hope that one for hoses will follow shortly. Until then, the only prevention method is the tick control.   Your horse needs frequent grooming and all the ticks have to be removed quickly.  On horses, the ticks are most likely to be found on the head, throat, stomach or under the tail. Use tweezers to remove the ticks, pulling straight upwards in order to make sure you remove the insect completely; otherwise, mouth parts of the tick may remain imbedded in the animal and infection is still possible. The ticks need to be on the animal for 12 to 24 hours before they can transmit the infection. Also, you can check with the veterinarian about the use of tick repellants; those based on chemical permetherin are particularly effective.

Equine Lyme disease is not contagious, and one sick animal cannot infect the rest. However, an infected animal is a sign that there are ticks in the area, and that the others are at risk as well.

Bottom Line
Lyme infection in horses is real. When untreated, the organisms can be found in a wide variety of body tissues for at least nine months. Muscles and joints are most often infected.

Article From HorsemansNews.com written by Dino Fretterd

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Equine Bodywork Specialist Understanding a horses posture is not very difficult when you apply three concepts. Function, Balance and Gravity. So let’s start with function as it pertains to our topic. Specifically what I am referring to is anatomical function. Every body part has a specific function (as written in anatomy books). Next let’s talk about balance as it pertains to the topic. From the definition in the dictionary it says balance ; [the point of equilibrium]. In other words what ever object you are looking at does not have a greater stress to one side or the other. Gravity is something we all know and understand, it simply pulls toward the ground. So if you now apply these Concepts (not opinions) to three Components of the horse which include the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) , the muscles/joints and the feet(hooves) you have a much clearer understanding of why your horse may stand and perform the way they do. Let’s apply function to the first component, the TMJ.

The function of the TMJ is to open and close the mouth , allow the jaw to move side to side in a variety of directions similar to our TMJ ( like a gyroscope ), and allows anterior/posterior (forward and backward movement). Now let’s apply function of muscles. Muscles contract creating either an extension (away) from the body or flexion (toward the body). Muscles work in a three phase pattern which is excitation-contraction-relaxation. And now we will apply function of the hoof (hooves). Firstly its function is to create a foundation. Next it dictates flight of limb(leg), followed by dissipation of concussive forces(the foot landing on the ground). And then, as the foot lands on the ground, it acts as a pump aiding in lymphatic drainage helping move the synovial fluid secreted every time the joint goes through its articulating motion.

Lets now mention the horse that “stocks up”. Either there is too much pressure on the synovial capsule (think of a leaky faucet and/or the hoof is not making balanced contact on the ground limiting its capability to “pump” the fluid out ( performed by the compression of the bulbous tissue) From here we now include or apply the other two Concepts of balance and gravity which pretty much work hand in hand. If one of these components are NOT in balance then it’s easy to understand that gravity now takes over. Think of a picture hanging on a wall that is slightly tilted to one side. You would agree that it is not balanced. We agree on this because we are looking at it tilted. It’s tilted because it’s not at its point of equilibrium so gravity pulls it to the side of the tilt. Do you have, or know of a horse, that has a preference of direction? (be it right or left) . Well one of the reasons may simply be that his TMJ is out of balance. We have all heard of the saying “where the head goes…..the body will follow”. Well the TMJ dictates where the head goes. Do you know of a horse that likes to carry his/her head up in the air? Or perhaps the horse that travels with a lower head set. Any one of these scenarios changes the proposed weight balance of the horse.

It has been widely noted in many anatomy books that approximately 60% of a horses weight is bore on the front feet] This imbalance of the TMJ then creates muscle tension to stabilize(support), thus putting stress to the musculature. When one muscle contracts [excitation-contraction] to support, its opposing muscle has to stretch [elongate]. So now that we have muscle tension supporting the imbalance, we obviously have a shift of weight. So now let’s look to the feet (hooves). How balance and gravity effect the hooves is easy for anyone to see by understanding this simple fact. The hoof is fluid encompassed and nothing more than a strong fingernail. I use this demonstration. Placing your hand palm facing up , take a finger and press it into your palm to recreate the shape of the hoof you are looking at (for instance if you have a horse with a low heel, you simply apply more pressure to the bottom pad of your finger and your fingertip turns red(where you have just forced the blood)( or think of squeezing one end of a water balloon and watch the fluid being forced to its opposite side) Low heel generally means long toe .Weight distribution dictates foot growth and foot growth is dictated by blood flow. This is what you can learn to do to assess your horse. Learn how to feel, look at and see the spacing and movement of the TMJ . Assess weight bearing by shape of hoof.

Understand how to assess and understand muscle balance. Stretch / strength exercises using reflex points to engage (excite-contract) one muscle making its opposing muscle stretch [elongate] . Allow me to explain this technique in comparison to something everyone can understand. Your telephone has touch tones for each number and symbol. These tones are the same on every phone in the world, which is how we can call anyone in the world (who has a phone number). Every horse I have worked with in my career (thousands in the last 14 years) respond the same way when I touch them in the same place. So by stimulating the weak muscle into a contraction you are getting the tight muscle to elongate and relax (action/reaction). So understanding this allows you to shift hundreds of pounds with ease as you are helping your horse to a more BALANCED POSTURE which translates into BETTER PERFORMANCE. For more info see Dino’s website at dinosbest.info

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By Larri Jo Starkey

Bragging rights and more than $10,000 are on the line in the ranch remuda contest, sponsored by The American Quarter Horse Journal at Battle in the Saddle in Oklahoma City.

During the preliminaries, a cowboy hat-wearing audience watched attentively as horses bred and raised on the ranches they represent competed.

“I think it’s great because the whole deal involves the ranchers,” says Ken Jarosz of Saint Jo, Texas, who drove to Oklahoma City to watch the contest. “It opens people’s attitudes toward how cowboys treat their horses, show their horses and ride them.”

Cowboys who work full-time for the ranches rode their horses in a short reining pattern before a calf was released into the arena. The cowboys boxed the calves on the end of the arena before turning them each way on the long side of the rail and finally roping them and pulling them to a stop.

“We love to watch great performance horses, whether they’re doing something like this or cutting,” says Lloyd Pike of Oklahoma with his wife, Shelly. “We came in last night and watched the cutters, which was really good. We especially enjoyed the World’s Greatest Horseman Shootout.”

The horses involved are ages 4-7.

During the preliminaries, Stoney Jones’ children and wife, Sammy, were willing to offer a prediction: “Tongue River Ranch will win. No doubt about it.”

Tom Moorhouse of the ranch was just as certain of the outcome and had one more belief: (Stoney) will catch. I’d bet on it.

Stoney didn’t make the finals, but Tom’s money was never in danger. Stoney caught.

To see photos from these Battle in the Saddle contests, watch the slide show below. Click on the photos to see the captions. To get complete results, go to www.battleinthesaddle.com

The American Quarter Horse Journal is your one-stop source for everything about the Quarter Horse.

The scammers are at it again!  Beware of e-mails like the one below.

I am kells I got your ads I’m Interested in Buying Your Horse i will Like to know your Last Asking price Best Offer and if you would Accept checks for payment I will make Arrange for the pick up.rnrnThanksrnKellsrnMissionary Ltd (c) 2010rn

kells whitemoore
kellswhitemoore@gmail.com

THIS PERSON HAS BEEN REPORTED AS A SCAMMER!

While the Internet is a safe and convenient place to do business, scammers are out there in “cyber world” targeting unsuspecting consumers.  The LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com website was built to educate you, the consumer, and help prevent you from becoming a victim of an Internet fraud scheme.

If you have any questions about an email you recieve from MyHorseForSale.com, please call us at 405-485-4224.

Aurora, CO–Think today’s teenagers are lazy and lack ambition? You’ll think again when you meet the 2009 Arabian Horse Association Youth of the Year, Katie Pelphrey from Louisville, Ky.

Pelphrey was chosen for the Youth of the Year honor among a field of incredible young individuals who represent the Arabian breed to the greater equine community in ways rarely seen from young people across any sport. Pelphrey stood out from the field with impeccable grades, an incredible amount of dedication to her community and the Arabian horse community, a 12-page winning show record and unbeatable poise.

At Sacred Heart Academy, Pelphrey maintained a 3.8 grade point average and is involved in a slew of activities including the Y-club, National Honor Society (NHS), the Kentucky United Nations Assembly and the Kentucky Youth Assembly. Through NHS she tutored disadvantaged children and worked with the St. Vincent DePaul Santa Shop. She’s volunteered to assist disabled children in a therapeutic riding program and helps out at the YMCA’s after school program.

Entering the University of Kentucky in the fall, Pelphrey plans to take full advantage of her proximity to the World Equestrian Games (WEG) and dedicate her time as a volunteer at the games. From there Pelphrey wants to build on her success as a young leader in the industry, which has included serving as the Arabian Horse Youth Association (AHYA) Vice President and successfully bringing a resolution to the Annual AHA Convention floor and being incremental in getting it passed.

Pelphrey’s talents extend to the show ring. She began showing Class A shows in 2003 in the walk/trot classes and won her first championship at Youth Nationals in 2005 in HA/AA Hunter Seat Eq Not to Jump JT 13 & Under, but by then she had already racked up several top 10s and reserve championships. Pelphrey’s show record stretches about 12 pages long, highlighting wins in dressage, hunter hack, working hunter, hunt seat equitation, in-hand and a few others. “Katie is so athletic and talented. She gets it. She can feel it and knows when to push and when she has to let go and she has a great show ring presence. And wants to win!” says Adrienne Hancock-Leong of Stonehurst Riding Club.

Each year the Youth of the Year subcommittee works to find an AHYA member who is an excellent breed representative. Anyone may nominate an AHYA youth member for the Youth of the Year Award. The regional director or director-at-large must approve Youth of the Year nominees. Nominations must be submitted to the AHA office postmarked no later than September 1. To read more about Youth of the Year visit www.arabianhorses.org/youth.

AHA is a major equine association serving 33,000 members across North America. It registers and maintains a database of more than one million Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses and administers approximately $3 million in annual prize money. AHA produces championship events, recognizes close to 600 Arabian horse shows and distance rides and provides activities and programs that promote breeding and ownership. For information about Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses, call 303-696-4500, e-mail info@ArabianHorses.org or visit ArabianHorses.org

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Aurora, CO (June 8, 2010) — The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) will celebrate ten years at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M. with the 2010 Arabian and Half-Arabian Youth National Championship Horse Show (Youth Nationals), July 24-31. The championship hors witez.come show mixes the country’s best young equestrian talent with youth-spun fun and activities, pouring approximately $10 million into the city’s economy.

Nearly 1,000 Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses and their youth riders will compete in head-to-head competition that ranges a wide variety of disciplines including western, English, dressage and jumping. Classes begin at 8 a.m. each day and are divided into morning, afternoon and evening sessions. Admission to all performances is free for the duration of the show. The entire week is laced with activities planned especially for families to draw the Albuquerque community to the fairgrounds for free, wholesome summer fun.

On the evenings of July 30 and 31, the week’s finalists compete for the national championship in special evening performances after the kids have competed to make their cuts throughout the week.

This year’s youth activities start even before the show begins and are scattered throughout the week. Albuquerque riding students should take advantage of a free clinic put on by the Arabian Professional and Amateur Horseman’s Association (APAHA), July 22, featuring showmanship expert, Laurie Long and hunter pleasure trainer, Wendy Potts. Clinics start at 2 p.m. in the Horseman’s Arena.

AHA corporate partner, Iron Horse Jeans will sponsor a fashion show at 5 p.m. on July 28 in the Lujan A building. Just after the fashion show, spectators have the chance to see an acoustic performance by country artist and Iron Horse Jeans spokesperson, Felicia King.

The Children’s Cancer Fund of New Mexico is the official Youth Nationals Charity and will benefit from proceeds collected in jars placed around the grounds throughout the week and passed around Tingley Coliseum in the evening on July 31. New Mexico children living with cancer will have an opportunity to get an up-close-and-personal, behind-the-scenes, view of Youth Nationals and will also be award presenters.

Youth Nationals always brings a variety of shopping options to Expo New Mexico, where shoppers can enjoy everything for their equine life-style, including tack, show clothing, casual clothing, jewelry, art and more. The Shopping Expo is in the Lujan A Building and is open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., July 24-31.

For more information about Youth Nationals, contact the Arabian Horse Association at (303) 696-4500 and choose option #4 or contact info.comp@arabianhorses.org.

AHA is a major equine association serving 33,000 members across North America. It registers and maintains a database of more than one million Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses and administers approximately $3 million in annual prize money. AHA produces championship events, recognizes close to 600 Arabian horse shows and distance rides and provides activities and programs that promote breeding and ownership. For information about Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses, call 303-696-4500, e-mail info@ArabianHorses.org or visit ArabianHorses.org