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!

The daughter of an equestrian and team roper -- and granddaughter of a 4-H horsemanship leader and farrier -- 3-year-old Payton was simply born into the horse world. Smiling ear-to-ear pictured upon her pony, Taco, with a blue ribbon on his bridle, it’s easy to see the family passion runs deep. She’s a horse girl through and through.

For parents with children who dream of getting a horse one day, or maybe already have horses and would like to help start their kids off on the right hoof with horseback riding, where does one begin?

Ashley Wheeler -- ranch rider, former collegiate equestrian, wife and mom of Payton -- explains three key factors that helped to encourage young Payton’s love for and involvement with horses.

1: It’s her decision.

“She loves her pony, Taco -- a little Palomino pony with stocking legs and blue eyes. She goes to horse shows with us, and she goes out with us when my husband ropes. She’s playing in the arena when we ride.

We make sure that it is her choice and her decision to be involved in horses. Of course, my husband and I want her to be involved in horses, but we know that it’s her choice, and it has to be a decision that she makes.

If she wants to ride when she gets home every day, she wants to. But if she says she doesn't want to ride today, then we're not going to force it. So, anytime she shows the interest, we support it fully, but we're never going to say, ‘Hey, we have to ride.’

I've seen kids that have been forced to ride, and as soon as they can stop, they do. We want to encourage them to be involved, whether it's showing or barrels -- whatever -- but it needs to be their idea. And while that's kind of frustrating, at the same time, it is awesome when you see her be excited about it.”

2: Horse care is a priority.

“We have a similar approach to my dad's, when I was a little kid. ‘We have these animals, and it's our job to take care of them.’ That's definitely something that was important to my parents [both horsemen] when growing up. Payton continues to get more and more involved in the horses as she gets older. She’s even started helping me clean stalls now. She understands that if it's hot outside, we need to go check the water for the horses, or that Taco is hungry, and we need to go feed him breakfast.”

3: She has a kid-safe pony or horse.

“I see a lot of people wanting to get a young horse for their young kids, so they can ‘grow together.’ But I think there is nothing better than a ‘been there, done that’ safe, older horse for a kid. I believe these horses know it’s a reward for being good for their earlier parts in life. They get to be brushed on and have bows put into their mane.”

Find everything needed to support your young rider’s love for horses, including tack, horse riding helmets and more at ValleyVet.com.

This safety video brought to you by Certified Horsemanship Association (www.cha.horse)

Fred and Stan will demonstrate an easy and safe method of putting up a Highline for your horse.

CHA Master Instructor and Clinician Mitzi Summers explains the hows and whys of long lining or double lunging a horse in this educational video by the Certified Horsemanship Association

For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse. To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse

By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

Researchers from Poland set out to determine the effect of music played in the barn, on the emotional state of race horses. Many horse owners have found that music has an apparent calming effect on fear, aggression, and overall stress. Race horses, in particular, have demands of increased cardiac activity and speed that may be improved through music exposure.

Forty 3-year-old Arabian horses were placed in a barn where they listened to specifically composed music [i] for five hours each day. Their emotional state was assessed by measuring heart rates at rest, saddling, and warm-up walking. Racing performance and number of wins were also recorded. At the end of each month, for three months, data were compared to a control group of horses subjected to the same activity, without having listened to music.

Results

The music positively impacted the emotional state and performance of treated horses, compared to the control group. What was so remarkable was that the effect was noticeable throughout every activity, even during the heightened excitement of being ridden at a gallop.

Even more noteworthy was the positive influence the music had after the second and third months, improving with each subsequent month, exhibited by the number of races won. Beyond three months, however, the impact leveled off, presumably because the horses became accustomed to the music.

Implications for your horses

Horses are individuals and respond to stress in a variety of ways. This study offers one approach toward helping your horse calm down and better respond to performance demands.

But all horses, not just athletes, can benefit from a relaxed, stress-free environment.

Increased amount of stall confinement, often seen with the onset of winter weather, can agitate many horses. Soft music, such as was used in this study (see endnote for more information), can be a useful tool in helping your horse cope with being indoors, as well as veterinary and farrier visits, travel, and other stressors.

Study

Stachurska, A., Janczarek, I., Wilk, I., and Kedzierski, W., 2015. Does music influence emotional state in race horses? Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 35(5), 650-656.

[i] Composed by Janet Marlow of Pet Acoustics, a specialist in music for animals. Her music can be purchased at www.petacoustics.com

This article originally appeared on Getty Equine Nutrition and is published here with permission.

Find more informative articles in our section on Health & Education.

A horse may need to be sedated at various points in its life. Whether it is undergoing a dental procedure, veterinary examination or surgery, sedation will ensure the horse remains safe, cooperative and free from pain and distress throughout the entire process.

By inducing muscle relaxation and reducing anxiety or fear in a horse, sedation allows veterinarians and trainers to carry out treatment and care for an animal, ensuring they remain still for an extended period, reducing the risk of injury or discomfort. The amount of sedative given to a horse will depend on the treatment or procedure required and should always be administered under the supervision of a trained veterinarian. In this article, we will look at what to expect when sedating a horse for the first time.

Light Sedation

The administration of a light sedative aims to put a horse into a relaxed state while still allowing it to remain responsive. This may be required to calm a horse and help reduce its anxiety when undertaking activities such as clipping or other routine care. When under light sedation a horse will still be responsive, and can even ‘spook’ at certain stimuli, such as unexpected sights or sounds. A veterinarian may prescribe a light sedative for owners to administer to their horses with clear instructions on how to do so to ensure the horse’s safety and well-being.

Medium Sedation

Medium sedation will induce a deeper level of relaxation in a horse. As a result, the horse will become very calm and display a sleepy appearance which may include a drooping lower lip and lowered head. As the horse may become slightly unstable on its feet, some support is advised to prevent it from falling.

This standing sedation is often used when scanning a horse for tendon and ligament injuries and for dental procedures such as removing wolf teeth as it puts the horse in a semiconscious state, allowing the veterinarian to safely and effectively handle the animal and perform the necessary treatment.

Heavy Sedation

This level of sedation will induce high levels of drowsiness and relaxation in a horse and will require a veterinarian to be present throughout the procedure. A horse that is heavily sedated will typically appear very tired and sleepy with its lower lip and head dropping towards the ground.

Despite their unsteadiness, horses usually remain standing when administered with a heavy sedative. This should be done in a safe and closely confined area that has a supportive surface to prevent the horse from receiving any injuries. Heavy sedation is typically used for invasive procedures such as extensive dental work or when suturing wounds to ensure the horse remains calm and manageable throughout.

Recovery

Horses tend to recover relatively quickly from sedation, although the exact duration will depend on the drug and the level of sedation administered. During their recovery, horses should be provided with a quiet and safe environment that is free from draughts, as profuse sweating is also likely during this time. Any feed or other edible items should be removed to prevent the horse from attempting to eat them and choking. Once the effects of the sedative have worn off the horse can gradually begin resuming its normal activities.

An experienced veterinarian can provide more information and advice on safely sedating a horse.

You can find more intriguing articles in our section on Health & Education.

Photo courtesy of Kentucky Equine Research

By Kentucky Equine Research Staff

Fiber fermentation in the hindgut provides the horse with energy to grow, work, and play. The fiber fraction of a horse’s diet typically comes from pasture or hay, but there are forage alternatives that can help supplement energy, benefit the digestive system, and provide fiber for horses that have trouble chewing traditional forage.

One such forage alternative is beet pulp. According to Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a nutritionist at Kentucky Equine Research, “Beet pulp is an energy-rich source of digestible fiber that helps promote a healthy microbial population in the hindgut.”

Beet pulp is a byproduct of the sugar beet industry. Sugar beets are grown and harvested to make sucrose and sugar, and beet pulp is the plant material left over once the sugar has been removed. Because of the processing, beet pulp contains minimal sugar.

“Dried beet pulp products are usually available with or without added molasses. The sugar content of unmolassed beet pulp shreds is less than 10%, making it a safe feed for horses that need a low-sugar diet. Shreds with added molasses contain, on average, less than 15% sugar,” explained Crandell.

Beet pulp is considered a prebiotic, meaning it is beneficial to the millions of microbes in the horse’s hindgut. A robust, well-functioning microbiome contributes to overall health. Despite its prebiotic benefit, beet pulp should never be the sole fiber source of the diet. Beet pulp is low in protein (typically 8-10% crude protein) and rich in calcium but is devoid of vitamins and low in other minerals. While research reported in Nutrient Requirements of Horses, published by the National Research Council, showed that a diet consisting of 45-55% beet pulp had no negative effects on the horses consuming it, beet pulp alone will not provide sufficient nutrients, noted Crandell.

Beet pulp can be used to help underweight horses gain weight, as it provides approximately 1,000 kcals per pound (one quart of dry beet pulp shreds weighs approximately 0.5-0.6 pounds). Byproducts of microbial fermentation of beet pulp in the hindgut include volatile fatty acids, or VFAs, which are absorbed and turned into energy. This energy does not cause a spike in glucose or insulin and is released slowly for a more steady supply. Beet pulp is a common ingredient in commercial grain concentrates because of its energy density and benefit to the microbiome.

Beet pulp can also be used as a top-dressed supplement. Soaking is recommended because beet pulp holds moisture, making it useful for adding water to the digestive system.* Dry shreds will not swell in the throat or stomach when fed appropriately. If feeding beet pulp pellets, soaking is required because of the hardness of the pellet and the significant change in volume once pellets are wet.

Beet pulp has an unfair reputation for causing choke in horses. Choke can be caused by any feedstuff, including forages, that are eaten greedily and swallowed without proper chewing.

In summary, beet pulp is an option for adding energy and promoting digestive health in horses. Contact a KER nutrition advisor for advice on whether beet pulp is right for your horse.

"Work with the nature of the horse" ~ Monty Roberts
In part two of this new online video series, Monty works to put the first halter on Cinder, a wild horse, outside of the gentling chute.

"To blame a horse for anything is like blaming the night for being dark" ~ Monty Roberts

In this online video series, Monty works with a wild horse called Cinder.

In this episode, Dr. Charlie Scoggin and Dr. Maria Schnobrich take you on an in-depth exploration of the commercial opening of the state-of-the-art in vitro fertilization (IVF) lab at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. They spotlight the groundbreaking techniques shaping the future of equine reproduction, and in particular, they discuss the significance of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of the intricate process of ICSI fertilization and its role in overcoming various reproductive challenges in horses. This technology is enhancing success rates and opening new possibilities for horse owners and breeders.