by Alessandra Deerinck

The connection between humans and horses has always been strong and universally evident ... Opposites attract. Horses do not change their surroundings, adapt to survive wherever they find food, water and other horses, and live always alert, completely immersed in the environment. On the other side of the spectrum, man, by nature, tends to modify everything to fulfill his life needs. For example, he builds houses that allow him to live in safety, abstracting himself from the surrounding environment.

When man met the horse he tamed it, because it seemed a resource to improve life ... and so it was! Over the centuries, humans have even modified the original equine species, creating breeds that have genetic traits that can satisfy human needs and desires. The horse has been able to adapt to survive in conditions that are extremely different from the natural ones for him, allowing man to build entire civilizations. Nowadays the original functions that the horse has had in human life are performed by mechanical means, but, once again, due to their flexible nature, horses still find a place in our life as men of the twenty-first century.

Read more: Communication Between Human and Horse

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.

Read more: Research into Development of the Foal’s Gut Could Advance Treatment of Critical Cases of Diarrhea

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.

Read more: Mosquitoes Undeterred by Drought – 4 Tips to Protect Your Horse

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?

Read more: An Equine Methionine Crisis is Brewing

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.

Read more: Sugar Does Not Cause Equine Metabolic Syndrome

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.

Read more: Welcome to London College of Animal Osteopathy (LCAO) (2:17)

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.

Read more: Katie Navarra Coaching - Reset: Reconnect: Reframe