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THE HORSE GAZETTE
health
the way of the horse
are you killing the good bugs?
By Eleanor Blazer © 2010
Your horse has bugs!
the small intestine and into the tial. Always make feed changes
in soluble sugars. Horses must the microbial population may by stress, moldy feed or hay,
I’m not trying to be rude,
cecum. slowly and over a period of at
be gradually introduced to this have been killed. A probiotic reactions to vaccinations, sick-
just factual. Your horse has
When the high starch and least 14 days.
type of forage. Some horses may help restore the cecum to ness and poor quality water.
bugs!
sugar meal arrives in the cecum Many horse caretak-
may have to be limited on the its natural healthy balance of Anything that adversely affects
Your horse is a non-
the beneficial bacteria and pro- ers are aware of making the
time allowed to graze or may bacteria and protozoa. the horse in any way may also
ruminant herbivore. In simple
tozoa go crazy. The unnatural switch slowly when changing
not be able to tolerate the lush Probiotics are products upset the delicate bacterial bal-
terms this means he eats plants
rapid fermentation process pro- grain or concentrates, but the
new growth at all. which contain living microor- ance of the cecum.
and does not have multiple
duces lactic acid. Lactic acid same thing must be done when
Treats. If you decide ganisms, live yeast cultures and So, don’t grab the bug
stomachs (a rumen) like a cow
lowers the pH in the hindgut introducing new hay. Whether
to give your horse treats keep enzymes. Be sure the product spray. Be nice to the good bugs
or sheep. But, he does have a
and creates an acidic environ- it is a new load of hay from a
in mind many of them contain was not stored in the sun and is and try to keep them healthy
cecum.
ment (cecal acidosis). This supplier, from a different field
large amounts of sugar or the fresh. (Brewers yeast is killed and happy – your horse will be
The cecum is part of the
in turn kills the good “bugs” or new hay for the season, it
ingredients may be high in yeast, so will not aid the popu- “buggy about you.”
large intestine or hindgut. It
and may lead to the release of should be mixed with the hay
soluble carbohydrates and lation of bugs.) * Proper nutrition and
is a fermentation vat and con-
endotoxins (poison) into the the horse has been eating.
starch. It is possible your horse There is some skepticism management practices can pre-
tains billions of bacteria and
blood. These endotoxins can Green Grass. Even
is receiving large amounts of about whether the probiotic vent many problems associated
protozoa. These “bugs” break
cause colic or laminitis. though horses are designed
sugar in his diet due to the products survive the acid in with caring for horses. You can
down insoluble carbohydrates
There are several situa- to eat forage and are happier
number of treats he is eating. the stomach and the digestive learn how to provide your horse
(fiber) and allow the horse
tions that can create an acidic when in a large field of grass,
If someone gives him a treat enzymes in the small intestine, with a better life-style by taking
to derive energy from a food
environment in the cecum in too much of a good thing can
every time they walk by his but many proponents of the the online course “How to Feed
source that would otherwise be
addition to overfeeding grains make them sick.
stall and he knickers, problems products believe they do work. for Maximum Performance”
indigestible.
that contain soluble carbs. When introducing a
may occur. One thing is for sure – they taught by Eleanor Blazer. Go
Soluble carbohydrates
Rapid Feed Changes. horse to pasture it must be done
Antibiotics and De- don’t hurt; any not utilized will to www.horsecoursesonline.
(starches and sugars) must be
The bacteria and protozoa in slowly. The green forage can
worming Products. If your be washed out of the system. com for more information. Visit
digested in the small intestine.
the cecum must be given time disrupt the microbial balance
horse is on an antibiotic or Other possible problems Eleanor’s web site at www.the-
Grains and most commercially
to adjust when a feed change in the cecum. A horse used to a
has been de-wormed, some of within the cecum are caused wayofhorses.com.
manufactured feeds are high
is being implemented. It takes dry hay diet will have problems
in soluble carbs. If a horse
about three weeks for the mi- when suddenly turned out on
consumes too much feed con-
crobial population to be totally pasture. Plum Creek QUARTER HORSES
taining soluble carbohydrates
adjusted to the new feed and Spring grass and fall
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the feed can get pushed through
digesting at maximum poten- grass after heavy rains are high
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nAIS...ALMOST A BAD MEMORY
(Continued from Page 1.)
S T A L L I O N S E R V I C E
of governmental employees
and private companies, and
NAIS: IT’S NOT OVER YET
the near total dependence on
“People need to stay involved,” says FARFA leader Judith
RFID chips for identification.
McGeary. While NAIS in its previous form is dead, there is still a strong
The new program, as outlined
push for animal traceability. It is imperative that the public stay involved
in the Factsheet, seeks to ad-
with ongoing discussions as to how the program will be revised.
dress these concerns with the
The USDA is meeting with States and Tribal Nations this March
goals of:

and will also meet with animal health officials and working groups through SUGS PLUM BOB HANKERS LITTLE WILLY LITTLE TIGER HANKINS
• Achieving animal
the summer in order to formulate a new animal disease traceability pro-
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undue burden to producers,
McGeary emphasizes, “It’s important for people to be active
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on the State level now, more than ever. The USDA has stated that each
animals moving in interstate
State will choose its own intrastate approach to traceability. We have a new
commerce,
State Veterinarian, Dr. Dee Ellis. The Texas Animal Health Commission’s
• Will be owned and
(TAHC) working group has been made up almost entirely of Agribusiness
administered by the States and
organizations, and we’ll be pushing for them to open the group up to a
Tribal Nations. Federal agency
much broader representation.
involvement will be limited to
“We still have more work in front of us. As the USDA develops
disease traceability,
its new framework, we must be involved and vocal, so that agribusiness
• Will be less feder-
does not develop yet another high-tech, big-industry boondoggle. We

ally intrusive
must be active at the state level to ensure that the state agencies do not
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of identification methods in-
“And we must work to roll back the unfair requirements that
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cluding ear tags and branding.
have already been implemented in Wisconsin and Michigan. Ultimately,
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The USDA is wasting
it is up to us – as animal owners, homesteaders, farmers, ranchers, and
no time in developing a new
consumers -- to build a positive vision for our farms and our food.”
plan. The agency is meeting
You can read more details from USDA at: http://www.aphis.
with States and Tribal Na-
usda.gov/publications/animal_health/content/printable_version/faq_
tions in March 2010 to obtain
traceability.pdf . Horse Megga Store
guidelines and input on what
Go to www.farmandranchfreedom.org to learn more about how you can
they feel should the new dis-
help keep our food safe, protect our privacy, and shield our freedom from
ease traceability framework
government intervention.
and eventual regulations. The
ask the vet
Large Neck Wound & Pestule under Jaw
There is a significant lapse in the time between when these questions are sent in and when the answers appear
in the Gazette newspaper and online. If you feel your horse needs to be seen by a veterinarian do not wait for
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC...and much more than just a feed store!
a response. Call a reputable equine veterinarian in your area and let him/her examine the horse! Take Lookout Road to the Retama Park Guard Station -  Retama Parkway, Selma, Texas
it can lead to a weakening of
and on, for several months. It
Large Neck Wound
the tissue and production of
will almost go away, and then
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My horse had a large
fluid. We also battle tension
come back inflamed and itchy
neck wound from falling on
along the suture line. As
for him. It will squeeze like a
huge zit. The horse has been Western Tack Section with Roping, Barrel, Pleasure, Trail & Children’s Saddles
his stall latch. The vet stitched
inflammation sets in and the
with other horses and none of
the wound within 30 minutes
surrounding tissue swells
them have it. He is a 3-year-old
of the occurrence. The
and fluid accumulates, more Fresh Coastal Hay & Alfalfa • Farrier Supplies & Shoes
Thoroughbred gelding. Sin-
stitches were removed 14 days
and more tension is placed
cerely, Bob Brady, submitted We carry the BEST shavings...not too small, not too large and not too dusty!
later. The next morning the
upon the suture line until the
via HorseGazette.com
entire wound was reopened.
skin is not strong enough to
The vet had to start the entire
hold. Another reason is the
210-651-8228
Dear Bob,
process open again and stitch
horse itself. Moving around Monday - Friday: 8am - 5pm
You should have Saturday: 8am - 12 Noon • Closed Sundays
up the entire wound. Is this a
and just being a horse places
your horse examined by your
common occurrence? Is there
strain on the suture line
veterinarian to try and deter-
something you can suggest
that can exceed its holding
mine what is causing this ap-
to keep this from happening
strength. Stalling the horse
parent abscess. One possible
again? – Thanks, Kelly.
can sometimes help but some
explanation is a tooth root
Submitted via HorseGazette.
situations are unavoidable.
abscess. We commonly see
com.
Bringing the horse to see your
local veterinarian as quickly
tooth root abscesses that pres-
as possible is always advised.
ent as a draining tract along the
Dear Kelly,
bottom of the jaw. Another pos-
Unfortunately this
A fresh wound is much more
sible explanation is strangles.
circumstance occurs not too
likely to heal with primary
Strangles is a well-known
infrequently. Veterinarians
closure. In some circumstances
disease caused by an infection
try to suture wounds to obtain
your veterinarian might want
from bacteria known as Strepto-
a primary closure, which can
to take radiographs or do other 2 x 48 Shed Row
coccus equii. It usually affects
lead to a cosmetic outcome.
diagnostics to determine rather
young horses and presents as
However, there is always a
more advanced wound care
an upper respiratory infection.
risk of the wound reopening,
is required. Wounds can be
The lymph nodes under the jaw
or dehiscence. A few of the
tedious and time consuming,
can then also become infected
major causes of dehiscence are
but with good care and
and abscess. A thorough vet-
contamination of the wound,
persistence most will heal
erinary examination would
tension on the suture line and
with rewarding results. - Dr. 8 x 0 Run-In Shed
likely help determine the proper
0x28 with 8’ Tack
patient compliance. Try as we
Wm. A. Symm & Dr. Ryan
course of action for your horse.
might, it is impossible to clean
Walker
- Dr. Wm. A. Symm & Dr.
the wound of all contamination.
www.deercreekstables.com
Ryan Walker
If the contamination exceeds
Pustule Under Jaw
Visits Dr. Symm & Dr.
(254) 546-2276
the ability of the body to clear
Ryan at www.RetamaEquineHos-
the residual bacteria and debris,
My horse has had
pital.com or http://www.horsega-
a pustule under his jaw, off
zette.com/vet.html
0 x 20 Run-in Shed
Serving Texas & Surrounding States
34 x 22 Aisle Barn
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