HORSE MANAGEMENT NEWSLETTER AND MORE!!!
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Topics in this issue:
1) Special Alert
2) Comments from readers
3) Recommended products and services: Sore No More
4) Rally and rating tips: Creating a plan
5) Questions and answers: Deworming, phosphorus, rice bran, and grease
6) Recommended books, videos, and CD-ROMs: Thinking Riding Volumes 1&2 by
Molly Sivewright
7) Fun and educational websites: Alliance Nutrition, Horse Journal
8) Featured rule: Saddlery
9) Horsey Humor: more Horse Dictionary terms
10) Free item exchange

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Special Alert
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Dear Stormy,

I wanted to alert you to a potentially national epidemic. At first I
thought it was only a club-level condition but then I found it in our
region. I hoped that this would be the extent of the spread but alas at the
neighboring region's rating I found several cases. I am very concerned that
this may become a national problem and I'm hoping that your newsletter can
prevent further spread.

The condition can lead to considerable wear on saddle flaps and potentially
major repair bills. It appears that the symptoms of this condition are
either absence of billet guards (buckle guards) on a saddle with short
billets or if they are present they appear to resist gravity and are
commonly seen well above the girth buckles, thereby negating their intended
use. In some cases in their attempt to resist gravity they creep up above
saddle pad attachments so that the only cure is a major reorganization of
buckles and straps, usually during formal inspection while tensions are at
an all time high. This is obviously a smart disease able to conspire with
other items of tack!

Please act now to stop this condition becoming more widely spread and
infecting a saddle near you.

Clair Spackman
DC Panache PC and D1-C2 examiner

Stormy's note: Yes, this is definitely a national epidemic. Please make
sure that all your short-billeted saddles have a buckle guard on each side.
These buckle guards should be faithfully pulled down to cover the buckles of
your girth. Any top pad straps must be fastened above the buckle guards,
not between the buckle guard and the buckles of your girth. This will
protect your saddle flaps from premature wear. A few saddles (most
Stübbens) have permanent buckle guards sewn in that are large enough to
cover the entire billet area without needing to be pulled down. In this
case, the pad straps can be directly above the girth buckles. In the event
that your saddle didn't come with buckle guards, or they got lost,
replacements can be found at tack stores or can be gotten and reused from
older "retired" saddles.

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Comments from readers
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Hi Stormy,

We've used your excellent article on calculating feed rations in this issue
of Sport Pony Magazine. Thanks for such a good article - when I was taking
my instructor's course with Equine Canada it was hard to find good resources
for feed weights and rations. I forwarded the article to Cathy Chalack, who
conducted the course and is head of the Equine program at Olds College.

Thanks again!

Christy Weese, editor of Sport Pony Magazine
http://www.sportponycanada.com/magazine/

***************************************

Hello Stormy,

Long time! I have a little story to tell you. You know how Pony Club
requires breakaway or all leather halters? I know why (either that or they
shouldn't wear them at all in the stalls. :)

Last summer at our Eventing Rally, when the Stable Manager went in to my
daughter's pony's stall in the morning to get him out, she noticed he did
not have his halter on. So she started to dig around in his stall to find
it and there it was on the stall floor; however, it was moving whenever Hawk
moved...

Sometime during the night, he needed to scratch his left ear with his left
hind foot. He was wearing one of those very thick leather show halters. He
got the left side buckle of the halter stuck between his shoe and hoof! It
was jammed about 3" in there. We cut the halter off, leaving the buckle in
place and contacted the rally farrier. He came out and had to remove the
shoe to get the halter buckle off. The buckle wasn't even bent. I just
replaced the crown piece on the halter, that's it.

He had no lameness issues, no soreness. We are very lucky he's agile and
very strong!

Happy 2006,
Krista Powers
Carbon River Pony Club, Northwest Region Vice Regional Supervisor

Stormy's note: I'm glad you had a breakaway halter! I was trying to think
of other ways this could have been prevented other than leaving the halter
off. Maybe by having bell boots on all 4 feet (and of course, tightly
nailed shoes) the shoe might not have gotten caught on the halter. I'm not
a big fan of leaving bell boots on horses (I've seen that they will
sometimes cause rubs, and in hot weather they can significantly increase the
temperature of and reduce airflow to the hooves and coronary bands.) Since
you know your horse is quite athletic and able to scratch his ear with his
hind hoof, maybe it would be a wise choice to leave on some well-fitted bell
boots and a light-duty, well fitted breakaway halter when he has to spend
the night with his halter on.

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Recommended products and services: Sore No More by Equilite
*******************************************************************

Voted Product of the Year by the Horse Journal (Read more about the Horse
Journal in the "Fun and educational websites" section below.)

Sore No More is an all natural Arnica based herbal liniment that no barn
should be without, according to the Horse Journal. It is a refreshing brace
that can be used under bandages, as a bath rinse, massage liniment, with ice
or heat packs. Wonderful for those with sensitive skin.

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Rally and rating tips: Now is the time...
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I know it's January and the rallies and ratings might seem far away.
Believe it or not, now is the time to sit down with your calendar of
upcoming rallies, ratings, shows, clinics, and other events that you want to
do with your horse and come up with a week-by-week plan to make sure you're
both in shape so you can perform your best.

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Questions and answers
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Hi Stormy,

I was just wondering about the pros and cons of a daily pelleted dewormer
(such as Strongid-C) as opposed to a paste worming rotation. Is one more
effective or "better" than the other? I've heard things about paste wormers
only being effective for a couple days so one should use daily, likewise
I've heard that dailys are too much and cause the worms to become immune to
the dewormer. What is the truth? I read in one of your previous issues
that we may be overdoing it on the deworming program and it's possible that
(depending on where you live of course) you may only need to worm four times
per year. I'm trying to decide what would be best for my horse and there
are so many options I would really appreciate any input you have.
Thanks!

Jessie
C-1, Carbon River PC, Northwest Region

Hi Jessie,

You're definitely asking the right questions. I'll give you the pros and
cons as I understand them.

Reasons to use a daily pelleted dewormer (such as Strongid-C [pyrantel
tartrate])

>>> Your horse will have continuous protection against most internal parasites.
With only paste deworming, the horse's parasite load will start to build back up
within a few hours to a few days after deworming. A study by Phizer (the maker
of Strongid-C) showed that mares treated with pyrantel tartrate had reduced
numbers of parasite eggs, while mares treated with bi-monthly paste dewormers
had increased parasitic egg counts at 6 weeks.

>>> Continuous protection will result in reduced internal inflammation due to
parasites resulting in greater efficiency of digestion. One study suggests that
this efficiency can lead to the horse needing 10-15% less feed.

>>> It's usually easier to get the horse to eat the right amount of daily
dewormer than to make sure all the paste dewormer gets ingested each time.

>>> So far, I haven't heard of any cases of internal parasites building up
resistance to pyrantel tartrate.

Reasons to not use a daily pelleted dewormer

>>> Costs roughly twice as much as bimonthly paste dewormers ($15/month per
1,000 pound horse versus $10-15 every two months per 1,000 pound horse).

>>> Cost of extra time needed to make sure the horse gets the dewormer every
day. If the horse doesn't get any other daily supplements, this can be a
significant drawback.

>>> Daily dewormers are not effective against bots and onchocerca (which cause
summer sores). Phizer recommends paste deworming with Ivermectin twice a year
in addition to daily Strongid-C doses.

>>> I haven't seen any studies about this but it seems to me that if a horse is
on a daily dewormer for an extended period of time and then taken off of it (for
example, the horse gets sold) I would be concerned that the horse's immune
system would be significantly taxed with trying to cope with this "new" threat
of internal parasite migration. Our own bodies are able to build up some level
of natural immunity and ways to cope with the ever-present levels of bacteria
and parasites in our environment by constant exposure. Paste dewormers keep
parasites at bay but still allow the horse to develop their own natural defenses
against the invaders.

Good luck in your war on worms,
Stormy

***************************************

Hi again Stormy,

I was working through the "balancing a ration" worksheet in the B manual and
ran into several questions.

1) My horse is a 14.1-14.2 hh Morgan. Do I use pony values or horse values
when considering his nutritional needs? He certainly isn't built like some
of the "real" ponies I've seen but also not like the other "horses" he
boards with.

2) How big of a gap between what's required and what your horse is likely
getting is big enough to be noticed? For example, if my horse is .005 high
on his phosphorous, is that a big deal given that all the phosphorous
numbers began .0--?

3) I know that it's important that Calcium and Phosphorous be correctly
balanced, but what if the ratio is okay but they're both in excess of what
your horse requires? How much "error" is acceptable to leave on either side
of correct? Is it better to have the amount of the mineral close to what
the horse should need or the ratio close to what it should be? Obviously,
both would be nice.

And finally, the ration worksheet doesn't address lipids at all. I thought
I had read that lipids were pretty important to a horse's well being- how
does one account for those? Loved the "bits and bitting" DVD! Thanks!

Jessie
C-1, Carbon River PC, Northwest Region

Hi Jessie,

For a Morgan of that size I'd tend to look at the horse values, Morgans have
evolved more as horses than ponies. Your other option would be to take the
average between the horse and pony values.

The actual phosphorus number isn't a big deal as long as it's above the
minimum requirement. The bigger issue with calcium and phosphorus is that
they are in proper ratio to each other. Read back in that part of last
month's feature article to calculate the calcium phosphorus ratios. I
haven't heard that there is an upper limit to what is safe for horses as
long as the ratio is between 1:1 and 3:1 (calcium:phosphorus). If you can
find somewhere that specifies an upper limit, please let me know.

Lipids/fats are important, especially for certain conditions that horses can
get, such as EPSM. There is definitely more research you can do on that
front. The "Nutrient Requirements for Horses" would probably be your best
place to start but what they find is the absolute minimum, not the amount
for optimum health. The other difficulty is finding places that list the
amounts of fats in different horse foods. Processed foods will sometimes
have them listed on the feed tag so that's a start.

If you would do some research about fats I'd love to hear what you find and
post it in the newsletter!

Keep up the good research,
Stormy

********************************************

Hi Stormy
I was wondering what rice bran was considered (concentrate, roughage,
supplement).

Thanks,
Allyson
C-2 Deer Creek PC, Sierra Pacific region

Hi Allyson,

That's a darned good question.

From the USPC D manual, "Roughage means bulky food, like grass, hay, and
some special feeds like beet pulp and range cubes [hay cubes]....
Concentrates have more food value [more energy per pound] concentrated in a
smaller amount [than roughages]... concentrates include grain, mixed feeds
and pellets, and supplements." Pony Club considers "supplements" to be a
category of concentrate that includes "Vitamin and mineral supplements
(usually powder or pellets) [that] are sometimes added to the feed in small
amounts when a pony needs extra nutrition."

Wheat bran (commonly just called "bran") is made from ground up wheat hulls.
It is a bulky food, like roughages, but it contains a higher amount of
energy per pound than most roughages (average 1.25 Mcal energy per pound
versus an average .90 Mcal in hays. Because of its high amount of
phosphorus, it should be fed with care, so it doesn't upset the horse's
calcium to phosphorus ratio.

Rice bran is made from ground up rice hulls. It came into wide use as a
horse feed after the publication of the USPC manuals (1995) so the manuals
don't include any information on it. One of the most popular rice bran
products is "Natural Glo" which is stabilized rice bran (that means it has a
much longer shelf life than unstabilized rice bran). Natural Glo rice bran
contains 20% fat and 2.4 Mcal per pound of digestible energy along with
being a natural source of vitamin E and B-complex vitamins. The other bonus
of Natural Glo is that Calcium Carbonate has been added to balance the
calcium:phosphorus ratio to 1:1.

Because the main reason to feed rice bran is to add fat to the horse's diet,
plus the fact that it has high digestible energy, I would list it as a
concentrate. If you are by chance feeding it to add vitamin E (Natrual Glo
provides 1,000 IU/lb vitamin E) and B-complex vitamins, then it would be
listed as a supplement under the concentrate category.

Concentrating on my response...
Stormy

********************************************

Hi again!
I'm sorry for all the mail, but I've had these questions chasing in my mind
and now there's someone knowledgeable I can ask :-D! Thanks for your help
with the nutrition question. We were pretty close on just about everything,
which is interesting since we hadn't specifically formulated anything. I'm
working on how our program could be adjusted to perform just a bit better.
Anyway, I have another question I've been unable to find an answer to.
Right before I bought my current pony, he was "decorated" for a Halloween
party. They used a grease pen on his bum (the kind they say you can write
your name and phone with in case of an emergency) in neon pink- it certainly
would work for an emergency because it's still stuck two months of yucky
weather later. I haven't actively tried to get it off, but now I have a
rating coming up at the end of the month. I've tried scrubbing, brushing,
using a shedding blade but I can't get it off! Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks again!

Jessie
C-1, Carbon River PC, Northwest Region

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in
a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside,
thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --- "WHEW! WHAT
A RIDE!!!"

Hi Jessie,

Well, I had you try peanut butter (the oil in the peanut butter is supposed
to help emulsify other greases) and mechanic's hand soap, and you also tried
citrus-y towelettes made for paint removal. All of these ended up taking
the dirt off and making the grease pen more visible.

I was looking on an endurance riding site (http://www.endurance.net/).
Endurance horses get big numbers on their haunches to identify them during
the race. I'm not sure if it's the same type of grease pen that was used on
your horse but here are the different removal techniques that they
mentioned:

1) Leave it on as a badge of honor until it wears off

2) Regular bar soap or shampoo and hot water

3) Rubbing alcohol or a zit pad and scraping with a bot knife

4) A product called "Goo Gone"

5) Crisco (probably similar properties as peanut butter)

Other than these I'm out of ideas...I'll ask the newsletter readers if
they've heard of anything that works on grease pen. Does anybody know how
to get it out other than waiting for spring shedding?

Stumped,
Stormy

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Recommended books, videos, and CD-ROMs!: Thinking Riding Volumes 1&2
*******************************************************************

Thinking Riding Volumes 1&2 by Molly Sivewright

These books are the main texts used by riders preparing for the British
Horse Society Instructor Certification. Volume 1 is also on the C3
recommended reading list. Volumes 1&2 are on the B/H/H-A/and A enrichment
reading list.

The USPC bookstore writes that they are: "A detailed, systematic,
progressive training course for instructors and those who intend to become
teaching professionals." Sounds like they are perfect for upper level
members who would like to take the next step towards being a great
instructor!

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Fun and educational websites
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Alliance Nutrition ® is a feed company in Illinois that makes feeds not only
for horses but also categories of animals ranging from game birds to cattle,
to swine, deer and more. They have a very informational website at:

http://www.admani.com/AllianceEquine/

They also offer FREE nutrition seminars, see the information below.

Alliance Nutrition Equine Sales Specialists and Sales Representatives are
available across the country to conduct Free equine nutrition seminars for
your groups of horse people. 

Free Door Prizes & Coupons

Typical topics include:

Basic Horse Nutrition
Recent Advances in Equine Nutrition
Feeding for Maximum Reproductive Performance
Should Fats be Fed to Horses?
The Importance of Minerals
Are You Feeding Your Horse Like a Horse?
Fueling the Performance Horse
Feeding Older Horses
Preventing Colic and Founder
Questions and Answers

If you belong to a saddle club, breed association or any other horse-related
group, contact them at:

AN_EquineHelp@...

or call toll free 8 am - 4 pm
EQUINE NUTRITION HELPLINE
1-800-680-8254 Pacific Coast Time

Please Be Sure to Include Your Name, Location, and Phone Number with all
Correspondence.

ADM Alliance Nutrition, Inc. 1000 North 30th Street P.O. Box C1 Quincy, IL
USA 62305-3155

Sounds like a great unmounted lesson to me!

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The Horse Journal

www.horse-journal.com

The horse journal is a valuable resource for anyone who cares for and/or
rides horses and purchases horse supplies. This unique magazine (available
both online and in print) accepts no advertisers (no bias towards any
companies) so they are able to objectively test, rate, and recommend
products and methods of riding and horse management. At only $2.00 per
issue (with a one year's subscription) you will probably end up saving
yourself the full subscription price in the first month when you are able to
buy the best, independently tested blanket (or supplement, or saddle, or
dewormer, or stallion breeding, or half chap, or paddock boot, etc...)
instead of an item that is simply promoted by its maker or the tack store
that carries it.

I subscribed to the Horse Journal when it first came out and I had to stop
subscribing when I went into information-overload because there was simply
too much great information coming at me every month. Now that it's all
organized online and you can search all the back issues, maybe it's time to
subscribe again!

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Featured rule: Saddlery
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2002 Horse Management Handbook page 35 section 23 A:

Girths on English saddles must have at least two buckles at each end and
must be fitted so there are at least two spare holes at the top and one at
the bottom of the billets after they are tightened. Buckle (billet) guards
are required and must be in proper place. Stirrup bars are to be down
(open) for riding. Wither, girth, and saddle pads are optional unless
required for proper fitting of the saddle. Rubber stirrup pads are
discouraged but not penalized when the rider is wearing boots with rubber
soles. Exception: Fillis irons must always have pads. The stirrup iron
should be 1 inch wider than the riders' boots.... If a running martingale
is used, it must be properly adjusted with a stopper at the chest and have
rein stops on each rein, on the bit side of the martingale rings.

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Horsey humor: more Horse Dictionary entries
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Horse Dictionary

> Bog Spavin - The feeling of panic when riding through a muddy area. Also used
to refer to horses who throw a fit at having to go through water puddles.
> Colt - What your mare always gives you when you want a filly.
> Contracted foot - The involuntary/instant reflex of curling one's toes up -
right before a horse steps on your foot.
> Drench - Term used to describe the condition an owner is in after he
administers electrolytes to his horse.
> Endurance ride - The end result when your horse spooks and runs away with you
in the bush.
> Equitation - The ability to keep a smile on your face and proper posture while
your horse tries to pigroot, shy and buck his way around the track.
> Feed - Expensive substance utilized in the manufacture of large quantities of
manure
> Fences - Decorative perimeter structures built to give a horse something to
chew on, scratch against and jump over (see inbreeding).
> Flies - The excuse of choice a horse uses so he can kick you, buck you off or
knock you over - he cannot be punished.
> Founder - 1.) The discovery of your loose mare-some miles from your farm,
usually in a flower bed or hayfield. Used like-"Hey, honey, I found'er."
2.)Founder: A condition that happens to most people after Christmas dinner
> Gallop- The customary gait a horse chooses when returning home
> Gates - Wooden or metal structures built to amuse horses.
> Grooming - The fine art of brushing the dirt from one's horse and applying it
to your own body.
> Hay - A green itchy material that collects between layers of clothing,
especially in unmentionable places.
> Head Tosser - A blonde-haired woman who wears fashion boots while working in
the yards.
> Heaves - The act of unloading a truck full of hay.
> Hobbles - Describes the walking gait of a horse owner after his/her foot has
been stepped on by his/her horse.
> Hoof Pick - Useful, curbed metal tool utilized to remove hardened dog doo from
the treads of your endurance shoes.
> Inbreeding - The breeding results of broken/inadequate paddock fencing.
> Jumping - The characteristic movement that an equine makes when given a
vaccine or has his hooves trimmed.
> Lameness - The condition of most riders after the first few rides each year;
can be a chronic condition in old or weak riders.
> Lead Rope - A long apparatus instrumental in the administration of rope burns.
Also used by excited horses to take a handler for a drag.
> Longeing - A training method a horse uses on its owner with the purpose of
making the owner spin in circles-rendering the owner dizzy and light-headed so
that they get sick and pass out, so the horse can go back to eating.
> Manure spreader - Horse dealers
> Mosquitoes - Radar equipped blood sucking insects that typically reach the
size of small birds.
> Parasites - Small children that get in your way at endurance rides.
> Pinto - A colorful (usually green) coat pattern found on a freshly washed and
sparkling clean gray horse that was left unattended in his paddock for ten
minutes.
> Pony - The true size of the stallion that you bred your mare to via AI - that
was advertised as 15 hands tall.
> Proud Flesh - The external reproductive organs flaunted by a stallion when a
horse of any gender is present. Often displayed at rides.
> Quarter Cracks - The comments that most Arabian owners make about the people
who own Quarter Horses.
> Race - What your heart does when you see the vet bill.
> Rasp - An abrasive, long, flat metal tool used to remove excess skin from the
knuckles.
> Reins - Break-away device used to tie horses with. [Don't try this in Pony
Club!!!]
> Ringworms - Spectators who block your view and gather around the ring sides at
BC workouts.
> Sacking out - A condition caused by Sleeping Sickness (see below). The state
of deep sleep a mare owner will be in at the time a mare actually goes into
labor and foals.
> Saddle - An expensive leather contraption manufactured to give the rider a
false sense of security. Comes in many styles, all feature built-in ejector
seats.
> Saddle Sore - The way the rider's bottom feels the morning after the weekend
at a ride.
> Sleeping Sickness - A disease peculiar to mare owners while waiting for their
mares to foal. Caused by nights of lost sleep, symptoms include irritability,
red baggy eyes and a zombie-like waking state. Can last several weeks.
> Splint - An apparatus that can be applied to various body parts of a rider due
to the parting of the ways of a horse and his passenger.
> Stall - What your truck does on the way to a ride, fifty kilometers from the
closest town.
> Strappers - Heavy, stationary objects used at endurance rides to hold down
chairs and eskies.
> Tack Room - A room where every item necessary to work with or train your horse
has been put, in a place which it cannot be found in less than 30 minutes.
> Twisted Gut - The feeling deep inside that most riders get before a ride
starts.
> Vet Catalog - An illustrated brochure provided to horse owners that features a
wide array of products that are currently out of stock or have been dropped from
a company's inventory.
> Withers - The reason you'll seldom see a man riding bareback.
> Yearling - The age at which all horses completely forget the things you taught
them previously.
> Young stock - A general term used for all equines old enough to bite, kick or
run you over, but not yet old enough to dump you on the ground.

From:
http://www.kansashorsecouncil.com/humor.html

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Free item exchange
********************************************************************

**FREE**FREE**FREE**

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Spike, 21 years young, 15.2 hand bay Pony Club gelding. His owners don't
want to sell him, but he needs a job. They would be willing to do a board
and care lease at your facility. He can come back anytime, and can stay as
long as you'd like. Spike still has a lot left in him. He's in Wilton, CA
at this time at a H/J barn. He's too much horse for a lesson horse...his
trainer would like to see him go to a dressage barn. He loves to jump, but
gets quick. He needs a confident rider with a light hand.

He requires no special shoeing, is an easy keeper on grass hay and LMF
senior. He prefers a buddy, as he gets nervous when he's alone. He has been
the only horse at home for 5 months, but he had two pygmy goats as pals. He
trailers, ties and stands as a gentleman for the farrier.

Please contact: Kathy Sanchez
kathy.sanchez@...
(530) 271-5870

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Submit your free horse-related items or services here. If you or your club
has items they are willing to pass along to a new family, this is a great
place to list them. Listings can come from any part of the country, or even
overseas!

Free items may include but are not limited to:

riding clothes
rally equipment
horse-related games and toys
tack and training equipment
blankets, wraps, halters
books or magazines
horse-related artwork
and of course...horses and ponies!

The recipient may be expected to handle any shipping costs.

Please provide a phone and/or email contact with each listing. Items will
be listed in the next HM Newsletter and will not be renewed unless an
additional email is sent asking for the listing to be continued.

So...clean out your tackroom and make room for more stuff!

To submit your items, simply reply to this email or write to:
stormy@... .

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Call for submissions
********************************************************************

Help make this newsletter the best it can be. Do you have any issues you'd
like to see addressed here? How about ideas for recommended products, books,
or videos? Want to submit your own article, or a question for the questions
and answers section? Send them to: stormy@... and I'll keep a log
of topics and articles for upcoming issues.