LOW COUNTRY SADDLE CLUB HORSE TALK

LOW COUNTRY SADDLE CLUB
Charleston Area's Friendly Trail RidingClub

HORSE TALK

TO SHOE OR NOT TO SHOE......??

Here are some opinions from club members:

Update May 2005 - after 6 months, my horses feet are in better shape than they have ever been in . I attribute this to the natural barefoot trim. Elena Lamberson

Elena Lamberson: I recently had Rory Adair come by and perform a natural barefoot trim on my 3 horses. Two of them (Peruvian Pasos) have had some hoof problems. They had shoes for about 7 yrs and I removed the shoes about 3 months ago. The result was that the Peruvians became "tender footed." I sent an email message out to LCSC members to come see how this was done. Only TWO club members (besides me) showed up to see this. It was incredible how much we learned about HORSES FEET. Rory showed a videotape made by equine veterinarians about the Mustang's feet and how a natural foot appears - this was extremely interesting. Shoeing your horses will change their hooves - and not for the best. I am convinced and all 3 of my horses will get barefoot trims from now on.

Kim Sturgeon: This is a controversial issue, but I don't mind expressing my personal opinion and experiences. I shoed my horses for years (a TB mare and an Arab gelding) with no real problems and then went to no shoes for over a year but still had my horses trimmed by a traditional farrier. Both with shoes and without my TB mare always had cracks in front, flared feet and she tripped a lot in front. This was true with two different traditional farriers. Last summer both my horses developed white line disease, most likely from all the rain/wet and because the cracks allowed the disease to invade and spread, and my mare was quite sore in front. At the suggestion of several friends (but not my regular farrier), I decided to try a real barefoot trimmer.

Now almost a year later I have never been more pleased with how my horses
hooves look, their degree of soundness and the way they are moving!! The
cracks are gone, the hooves look strong, balanced and beautiful and my mare
rarely trips anymore.

There is a very big difference between just taking your horse's shoes off and
still doing a traditional trim (which is based on shaping the foot for SHOES),
and a barefoot trim that returns the hoof to it's natural shape and restores
proper hoof mechanism and strength.

We are lucky here in the Charleston area to have a very good "natural/barefoot" trimmer (he calls himself a Hoof Specialist) named Rory Adair. I'm sure he would welcome the opportunity to talk to those of you who might be interested in learning more about barefoot/natural trimming that heals and strengthens hooves.

As for tenderness on hard/rough surfaces... my horses are now much less tender than they ever were with a traditional trim. But to some degree you have to ride your horse on varied terrain daily in order to strengthen the hooves for all types of terrain. If you only ride on soft ground most of the time and
then go to hard/rocky terrain, most horses will be slightly tender because
their hooves are not accustomed to that terrain.

Virginia Richardson: the only time we put shoes own our Mustangs are when we go to Whetstone which is an all rock trail. in the low country they do not need any shoes

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM EQUINE HEALTH BY BAYER http://www.yourhorseshealth.com/health_care/colic.html

RECOGNIZING COLIC

A major problem for you as a horse owner is identifying the signs of colic. That's because signs can vary greatly between individuals and may also depend on the severity of the pain. However, among the more common signs are:

	Turning the head toward the flank
	Pawing
	Kicking or biting at the abdomen
	Stretching out as if to urinate without doing so
	Repeatedly lying down and getting up or attempting to do so
	Rolling, especially violent rolling
	Sitting in a dog-like position, or lying on the back
	Lack of appetite (anorexia)
	Putting head down to water without drinking
	Lack of bowel movements, as evidenced by the small number of manure piles
	Absence of, or reduced, digestive sounds
	Sweating
	Rapid respiration and/or flared nostrils
	Elevated pulse rate (greater than 52 beats per minute)
	Depression
	Lip curling (Flehmen response)
	Cool extremities

TAKING IMMEDIATE ACTION

Time is perhaps the most critical factor if colic is to be successfully treated. While a number of cases resolve without medical intervention, a significant percentage do require prompt medical care, including emergency surgery. If you suspect your horse is suffering from colic, the following action plan is suggested:

1. Remove all food and water.

2. Notify your veterinarian immediately.

3. Be prepared to provide the following specific information:

	Pulse rate
	Respiratory rate (breathing)
	Rectal temperature
	Color of mucous membranes
	Capillary refill time (tested by pressing on gums adjacent to teeth, releasing, then counting the seconds it takes for color to return)
	Behavioral signs, such as pawing, kicking, rolling, depression, etc.
	Digestive noises, or lack of them
	Bowel movements, including color, consistency and frequency
	Any recent changes in management, feeding, or exercise
	Medical history, including deworming and any past episodes of abdominal pain
	Breeding history and pregnancy status if the patient is a mare, and recent breeding history if the patient is a stallion
	Insurance status and value of the horse (NOTE: The insurance carrier should be notified if surgery or euthanasia is being considered).

4. Keep horse as calm and comfortable as possible. Allow the animal to lie down if it appears to be resting and is not at risk of injury.

5. If the horse is rolling or behaving violently, attempt to walk the horse slowly.

6. Do not administer drugs unless specifically directed to do so by your equine practitioner. Drugs may camouflage problems and interfere with accurate diagnosis.

7. Follow your veterinarian's advice exactly and await his or her arrival.

CLASSIFYING COLIC

The exact steps your veterinarian will follow will depend on his or her findings. For example, some colics can only be resolved through surgery. Even though there are myriad causes, most colics fall into one of three groups:

I. Intestinal Dysfunction. This is the most common category and simply means that the horse's bowels are not working properly. It includes such things as gas distention, impaction, spasms, and paralysis.

II. Intestinal Accidents. These occur less frequently, and include displacements, torsions, and hernias, whereby sections of the intestine become trapped or pinched in body cavities. Some horses seem anatomically predisposed to such problems. Intestinal accidents almost always require emergency surgery.

III. Enteritis or Ulcerations. These are colics related to inflammations, infections, and lesions within the digestive tract. They can be caused by numerous factors, including stress, disease, salmonellosis, and parasites.

PREVENTING COLIC

While horses seem predisposed to colic due to the anatomy and function of their digestive tracts, management can play a key role in prevention. Although not every case is avoidable, the following guidelines can maximize the horse's health and reduce the risk of colic:

	Establish a set daily routine -- including feeding and exercise schedules -- and stick to it.
	Feed a high quality diet comprised primarily of roughage.
	Avoid feeding excessive grain and energy-dense supplements. (At least half the horse's energy requirement should be supplied through hay or forage. A better guide is that twice as much energy should be supplied from a roughage source than from concentrates.)
	Divide daily concentrate rations into two or more smaller feedings rather than one large one to avoid overloading the horse's digestive tract. Hay is best fed free-choice.
	Set up a regular parasite control program with the help of your equine practitioner. Utilize fecal samples to determine its effectiveness.
	Provide exercise and/or turnout on a daily basis.
	Change the intensity/duration of an exercise regimen gradually.
	Provide fresh, clean water at all times. (The only exception is when the horse is excessively hot. Then it should be given small sips of lukewarm water until it has recovered.)
	Avoid medications unless they are prescribed by your equine practitioner, especially pain-relief drugs (analgesics), which can cause ulcers.
	Check hay, bedding, pasture, and environment for potentially toxic substances, such as blister beetles, noxious weeds, and other ingestible foreign matter.
	Avoid putting feed on the ground, especially in sandy soils.
	Make dietary and other management changes as gradually as possible.
	Reduce stress. Horses experiencing changes in environment or workloads are at high risk of intestinal dysfunction.
	Pay special attention to animals when transporting them or changing their surroundings, such as at shows.
	Observe foaling mares pre- and postpartum for any signs of colic. Also watch carefully any horses who have had a previous bout with colic. They may be at greater risk.
	Maintain accurate records of management, feeding practices, and health.

SUMMARY

Virtually any horse is susceptible to colic. Age, sex, and breed differences in susceptibility seem to be relatively minor. The type of colic seen appears to relate to geographic or regional differences, probably due to environmental factors such as sandy soil or climatic stress.

Importantly, what this tells us is that, with conscientious care and management, we have the potential to reduce and control colic, the number one killer of horses.

These pages are frequently updated and maintained by Debbie McDaniel