Georgia and libby enjoyed their ice creams after a busy day spring cleaning in the sunshine. Fabulous job!
Some of you will have met the very lovely Dennis. He is retired now from his dressage job for our daughter, but he is very useful keeping our in-patients company.
Today he enjoyed the crows plucking his winter coat! Saves us a job!!
Our lovely joiners have been working really hard today fixing all the trusses in place. They sent me this birdās eye view video!
ļæ¼The builders are back working full throttle now itās warmed up! The first truss went in this morning for the clinic roof!!
We are hoping to be in our shiny new offices with client meeting room, reception (with plenty of tea, coffee,biscuits!) and a cosy staff room sometime early April!
Yayyyyyyš¤š¤š¤ššš
Nerve blocking ā why do we do it?
In order to maximise the success of treating lameness in a horse, it is important we know exactly the site or structure that the pain is originating from. In human hospitals, many of you will have experienced x-rays and ultrasound scans performed by a doctor, and of course these procedures are very common in horse practice too. However, if weāre going to image, it should be as targeted as possible. Also, without confirming where the pain is coming from, even if we find something on imaging, we wonāt know for sure whether itās to blame for the lameness! Thatās why in almost all lameness investigations, the use of nerve blocking is vital, making the work-up as efficient as possible. This minimises the inconvenience the horse is put through and avoids the owner paying for unnecessary procedures by taking the guesswork out of the whole process.
What is a nerve block?
A nerve block is performed by injecting small quantities of local anaesthetic around selected nerves, so we can numb a defined region of the lame limb e.g. heel, foot, pastern, fetlock etc. We then compare the level of lameness after the block with that before. A significant improvement in the lameness after blocking confirms that the numbed region contains the structure which is giving rise to the lameness. Nerve blocks are not confined to the limbs, but are commonly performed in the back, pelvis and even the head.
Performing a nerve block
1) Firstly, we find the action at which the lameness is most obvious e.g. lunge on a hard surface on the left rein, or ridden at trot on the right rein.
2) We then video this so we have a record of the movement of the horse prior to blocking.
3) Perform the nerve block (usually starting with the heel region unless the initial examination suggests the problem is more likely elsewhere). Obviously, nerve blocking means injecting (albeit with small needles). We aim to make this as tolerable for the horse as possible -
Poor performance
Poor performance is when something is stopping your horse from achieving its full athletic potential. A poor performance investigation is the work-up to identify why there has been a drop off in performance. Once we have found the reason for the poor performance, this then puts us in the strongest position to introduce the changes or treatments that best ensure your horse is returned to its normal athletic ability.
The possible causes of poor performance in a horse are many and varied such as:
- Weight gain/loss
- Hormone changes/disease (e.g. mareās cycle, Cushings disease, Equine Metabolic Syndrome)
- Management changes causing psychological stress (turnout, stabling, choice of companions, etc.)
- Breathing issues (air quality, dust in forage)
- Training issues
These are just a few factors that could possibly affect performance. The most common reason for poor performance, however, is pain.
Sources of pain
1) Lameness ā the single most important reason why a horse will not perform to its level is the development of musculoskeletal pain. Experiencing discomfort when ridden means the horse will try and find a different way of moving to minimise the pain. This way of moving will be much less efficient that the normal way resulting in an aversion to work, working in a different way, reactive temperament when asked to work, and decreased stamina.
2) Back/neck pain ā particularly apparent when horse is ridden, usually not obvious when worked from the floor.
3) Dental pain - regular dental care is now an important feature of most ownersā care for their horse. This means it is a less common reason for poor performance.
4) Stomach ulcers ā usually secondary to stress caused by musculoskeletal pain, especially back pain, (i.e. treating only the ulcers may not be sufficient to resolve the poor performance) but can be primary because of psychological stress or infection.
A to Z of sending lameness assessment videos
1) Video of your horse on straight line
- Wear hat and gloves
- No rugs please!
- Stand on the left side holding the lead rope in your right hand
- Hard,flat enclosed surface (safe!), 20 - 30 metres in length
- Some horses may need a bridle for extra control.
Walk away and back once
then
Trot away and back once.
The camera operator should:
- Include name of horse and owner in the message
- Best if camera is in portrait orientation
- Include all of the horse in the view (not just the legs!)
- If possible, zone in on the horse at trotting away, and zone out again on trotting back.
2) Video of your horse at lunge
- An arena if possible.
- 20 metre circle
- 2 circles on left rein
then
2 circles on right rein.
- Again, all of the horse in the view.
- Best if camera is in landscape orientation.
3) Video of your horse at ridden exercise
One large lap on each rein at appropriate paces.
All of horse and rider in view
Best if camera is in landscape orientation.
Please call the office for our Whatsapp number (if you donāt already have it!).
As we all prepare for the first cold spell of the winter, here is Gil ( and friends!) with a few top tips!
Top 10 tips for cold weather
1. Rug appropriately ā make sure your horse is warm and the coat isnāt standing up (indicating cold) but at the same time, you want to avoid excessive rugging. Horses are good at keeping themselves warm if theyāre not clipped ā once clipped, the horse has an instrument removed that it had used to keep itself warm, so you must rug to compensate for this.
2. Hold off clipping ā following on from number 1, an unclipped horse is easier to keep warm so perhaps best, if you can, to hold off on clipping until the cold spell has passed.
3. Feed plenty of forage. Up to 70% of the heat a horse generates is produced in the hind gut with the fermentation of roughage. Therefore, a diet high in fibre (hay/haylage) will keep the internal combustion engine firing!
4. Consider feeding hay/haylage in field. The grass is much more likely to be poor at this time of year (lower levels of nutrients) and there may simply not be sufficient quantity to meet your horseās needs.
5. Beware of ice! Hard flat surfaces ā concrete, tarmac etc. ā can be very slippy at this time so be careful as this is when injuries can occur. Also, arena surfaces may be hard and rutted with no give in the surface, increasing the likelihood of injury ā if so, stick to walk when in the school!
6. Water access must be 24/7 ā failure to drink can increase the risk of colic, especially impactions. Freezing weather means your horse may not be able to access water ā either a layer of thick ice forming on the water bucket, or the automatic drinkers rendered out of action. Check the buckets regularly and break any ice cover present. You could try a (edible proof!) ball in the bucket to prevent ice fully covering the water.
7. Cold water can cause pain in those horses with sensitive teeth, making them reluctant to drink ā this is most common in olde
Autumn worming made simple(!)
In the late autumn/winter, every horse and pony (without exception!) should be given a treatment for the larval stage of the small red worm which emerges from where it has been hibernating in the gut wall at this time of year. Additionally, treatment for tapeworm should be given after the first frost of the season ā this is because one of the stages of the life cycle of the tapeworm lives in the oribatid mite that is found on the pasture but is killed by the frost.
Since we have now had our first frost of the winter (finally!), you can go ahead and treat at the same time for both small redworm and tapeworm, the most common disease-causing worms in the UK.
Only two products are licensed for the larval small red worm, Equest and Panacur Guard, but Equest Pramox also contains a drug to treat tapeworm. We would therefore advise that you now give each of your horses and ponies an Equest Pramox for a convenient single treatment to best protect them against disease caused by these two worms.
Ever heard of Atypical Myopathyā¦ more commonly known as Sycamore Poisoning?
Here is Gil with all you need to know.
Atypical myopathy (āSycamore poisoningā) is a potentially fatal disease of horses caused by eating Sycamore seeds (āhelicoptersā), sycamore leaves, or the young saplings in the spring. A toxin found in these causes muscle damage, particularly to those muscles used to stand, to breathe, and the muscle of the heart. Affected horses can display a range of signs but typically become very dull, weak, tremble, show signs of pain, and may be unable to lift their heads or even remain standing. Emergency intensive veterinary treatment is required, but is not always successful. However, prompt treatment means some cases can recover very quickly so if you suspect your horse may be showing signs, contact your vet ASAP.
Signs of Atypical Myopathy to look out for
ā Muscle soreness
ā Muscle stiffness
ā Muscle tremors
ā Weakness
ā Lethargy
ā Fast or laboured breathing
ā Reluctance to work
ā Red or brown urine
ā Choke
ā Whinnying
ā Head tossing or low head carriage
ā Fast or irregular heart beat
ā Sudden death
Treatment
Large quantities of intravenous fluids must be given to flush the toxin from the system and to support organ function since horses with atypical myopathy tend to become very dehydrated. This is called āfluid therapyā and requires 24/7 care, so referral to an equine hospital is necessary. Supplementary vitamins and minerals have also been shown to be helpful. Initially recovery is slow, but should the horse survive, it should return to work with no long-term effects of the disease.
Preventing Atypical Myopathy
As ever, prevention is hugely preferable to cure. With Sycamore seeds, leaves, and the saplings (in spring) the only known source of the toxin, check the fields your hors
