High Tech Advances in Horse Health - Equine Thermography

Man versus machine

Using military-derived technology and techniques perfected over 30 years, the physiology of your horse can be objectively assessed, identifying those brewing problems. All animals are thermally symmetrical, so deviation from this indicates altered physiological processes which overlay the site of an injury or disease. Graphically mapping the temperature across the skin's surface with Veterinary Thermal Imaging instantly pinpoints problem areas.

Vets and owners have been feeling and palpating legs for centuries to gauge differences in temperature linked to injury. With the advent and application of technology, the degree of accuracy and objectivity that can be attained is far superior. The human hand can detect a difference of 2 degrees Celsius, whereas the Thermal Imaging camera used in Veterinary Thermal Imaging is 40 times more sensitive. When you consider that only a 1 degree Celsius increase may result from some sympathetic dysfunctions, without Veterinary Thermal Imaging, problems could be overlooked rather than promptly treated, which saves money, time, distress and gives better prognoses.

The camera is the size of a camcorder, silent in operation, non-contact, emits no radiation and Imaging can be repeated as often as required. This is ideal for owners, as it removes the hassle of travelling, the need for sedation, stress in the animal, and cost; a full anatomical report costs about the same as one x-ray.

Early Warning System

During a two-year study it was shown that Equine Thermography could effectively and accurately pick up subtle changes in temperature prior to major injury occurring in 95% of cases, and 2-3 weeks before the trainer or Vet became aware. Of those horses that underwent clinical examination for lameness, Thermal Imaging again correctly predicted the site of the injury in 95% of cases.

Most horses don't have just one problem associated with lameness or a bad back. Often there are other secondary causes which may be overlooked, and cause the primary problem to reoccur unless they're also treated. Thermal Imaging is an excellent tool to identify these secondary problems so they can be managed too.

Complete MOT

Whilst Equine Thermography is excellent for detecting leg problems, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Further uses include identifying and assessing;

- bad backs; 

- joint damage; 

- muscular problems; 

- dental pain; 

- skin conditions; 

- nerve dysfunction; 

- foot balance; 

- saddle fitting;

all of which could be picked up within one hour-long Imaging session. As thermal images are objective, and graphically map the extent of an injury and healing progress, owners can review and assess treatments together with their Vet and physiotherapist, getting the horse back into work as soon as possible.

The Communication Factor Between Horse and Man

Communication is just as important to horses as it is to humans. Horses have a desire to be able to communicate; there is also a need to fulfill that desire since it will fill a void within their lives that is also common to mankind.

Once that you do realize that there is an avenue of communication that can be established between you and the horse you will start to realize that the horse has the capacity of having a thought pattern. Next you will start to move from a one-sided conversation thought pattern to one that will allow interaction from both sides and a relationship will start to develop.

Being able to understand that there are structured thought patterns that can be developed by a horse and that they are also capable of communicating with you; it will be realized that the method of communication is quite simple and easy to understand.

To properly understand how a horse communicates you have to be willing to accept that the horse does not have the ability to reason, in plain terms, they can not figure out that there is more than one way to do the same thing. All that they do understand is that they have a specific method or way of accomplishing a task and that is the only way that it can be done. This is the precise point that explains why you cannot deviate in any manner when you ask the horse to accomplish any task. Horses are extremely structured in their society and following that specific pattern, step-by-step, calm them and allow them to understand what is happening.

Our ability of being able to understand that there are many different ways to accomplish the same end result, thus being able to change as well as adapt has allowed us to expand and grow our mental ability. Our ability to reason has placed us in a situation that we take this ability for granted; for since it is second nature and happening without thought we feel that other creatures that we come in contact with can accomplish the same results. In fact the exact opposite is the truth, this is one of the unique features of our species that has placed us above the others. Thus, our ability to reason along with our memory that does allow us to realize that we can file away and categorize past experiences; while allowing us to be able to refer back to specific memories for use at another time.

Although the horse does have a memory, it is somewhat limited in relationship to our own. It has been my experience that the memory of the horse does not include the ability to file experiences away and be able to pull upon that experience for reference at a future date. What the horse does have is a memory that notes experiences, but without the use of any timeline, that is to say that there is no distinction as to how many times an experience was good and how many times that same situation was bad. It remembers the initial experience as either good or bad, therefore every time that the horse is put into that situation where that memory is called upon; it is either good or bad.

I have found that bad experiences can be altered and have the horse start to respond in a favorable fashion. This depends on how the foundation was laid and all experiences from that point on were built upon either a good or bad foundation. In order to make changes in a horse's response to a particular situation you need to tear down what has been built and rebuild the foundation making it a good experience. This goes back to the fact that the horse feels that there is only one way to accomplish what you are asking them to do. So it is better to start out understanding how the mind of the horse does operate before you get started.

It is now becoming known that the human mind goes through various stages of development and when these stages of development happen there is a great surge in the learning ability, the creativity and overall development of individual skills. I believe that horses go through various stages during their development that will allow them to be able to increase their ability to comprehend, learn and develop their motor skills as well. It is our responsibility to watch for and make full advantage of these various stages of development that the horse goes through.

The mental state of the rider/handler is one of the greatest determining factors in the relationship of the horse. You, with an understanding of equine communication, can accomplish a great deal of progress in a relatively short period of time. This can happen in the saddle or on the ground.

The overall concept that needs to be understood is that the rider or the handler needs to be in total control through the projection of both confidence and trust. For once that you have developed the initial trust between you and the horse, the horse will continually turn to you for guidance and reassurance in uncertain times. It is at this point that the horse will start to turn to you and allow you to guide them to the next level. Confidence will develop and build within you as you start to change your outlook and method of operating around and on top of your horse. With the understanding of the communication method of the horse will come the confidence and with the confidence in place the trust will start to build and grow. This will change the mood on and around the horse to be one of calm that will allow the horse to realize that you are no longer something to be constantly watched and analyzed. You are now a friend that has allowed friendship and confidence to build the bridge of trust.

Here is where we need to stress consistency and confidence of the handler that will allow the horse to become consistent and confident as they progress through the process of building a relationship. If you are confident and consistent the horse will be the same. They are looking for the right path to follow and they do want to please you. It is in their nature to want to please and be a member of the herd. If you are confident and consistent, the path to obtaining the necessary trust will be shorter and the relationship with the animal will be built upon a stronger foundation. Once that the foundation is put down and is solid, the building of the relationship will be stronger, more level and will lead to a life-long friendship. There are no leaders in this relationship, only members of the herd having specific jobs to perform. Everyone pulls their own weight and does the tasks that are required of their earned position within that herd.

Introduction of any new horse into a predetermined group of horses and people will start the process all over again; there will be a jockeying of positions and responsibilities of herd members. This can be from the new horse being higher or lower in the overall picture of the herd. Don't forget that there will be an adjustment period any time that a new horse is added to the herd. You must remember that the herd social structure has to follow the required ritual steps that are carved in stone and do not waver. Here is why consistency has to be always foremost and present when dealing with any member of the herd. Consistency breeds confidence due to an unwavering method of accomplishment. This refers the horse's inability to accept change readily and that when change is introduced to quickly they usually react with a "flight" instinct and look for the easiest way out of the situation. We have the ability to pre-judge a situation, its outcome and the reaction that will most likely be received, so it is in our best interest to use that ability each and every chance that we get.

The Physiology of Fear

Fear is a factor in daily life for both the horse and the rider/handler; both horse and rider/handler can conquer it. It has to be done in a manner that both can understand and is best accomplished by the rider/handler taking the initial step and then guiding the horse through the process of calming, starting with relaxing and finally through the projection of trust and confidence. I do need to explain that both the horse and the handler can experience fear, but humans have the ability to reason and then to conquer the fear that has become foremost at the time. We do so by analyzing the point that we at first sense the fear and then process the memory of such an item and then determine if it is worth fearing or not. That is how we analyze fear as human beings, now for the horse's answer ~ I have got to run away! What we need to accomplish is to analyze the fear factor and how both the horse and the rider/handler respond to the fear factor and how it can be controlled.

Most riders that get have problems with a horse over fear compound the problem through the use of their body language to the horse. Let's say that the horse becomes startled at some object, the horse will stop and take a good hard look at the specific item in question, at this point they are waiting for your guidance. It is in the next few seconds of time and the actions that you do and how that is transferred into body language that will determine how the horse will react to your actions. The sudden stopping of the horse has startled you and you are just as unsure as the horse is about the specific item that startled them, you then tense up through most, if not all, of your body, you grab hold of the reins and start to pull back on the bit, your legs clamp around the body of the horse and your mind is racing at the speed of cars running around a NASCAR race track.

Your actions have told the horse the following things to do:

1. Your body tensing up means that you are fearful and that there may be a greater threat than they have found after all you are supposed to be in charge here and if you are ready to run away, the horse will certainly not want to stick around.

2.Your next action was the grabbing of the reins and pulling back on the bit, this lets them know that you are wanting to stop and stop now, no second guessing here and then with the increased pressure of the bit it becomes painful and the horse now has pain in addition to fear to contend with.

3.Once that you legs clamp around the body of the horse it is the same as if someone came up behind you and grabbed you around the waist when you were not expecting it, you go straight into the air and scream, it is no different with the horse except with the inability to process all of this information at one time the horse will revert back to the instinctual thing to do, run away.

It is at this point that you have lost total control of the situation and there is no way to get control, in fact the horse will now bolt to get out of there so fast that the only concern is their preservation and they feel that they cannot depend on you for guidance at this point so you will most likely end up on the ground and the horse far away from you.

The horse does not need to react this way when it becomes startled by anything. In fact if you have the trust of the animal and project confidence at the same time the horse will turn to you with all of its ability and ask you what it should do. And it can be handled in the following manner, same situation only this time we interject a team effort.

The horse has been startled by anything and stops to look at it and then tries to determine what it is. Again it is the first few seconds that are crucial to the total outcome of the potential accident waiting to happen.

1.Once that the horse does stop you will feel the entire body of the horse draw into your seat of the saddle, at this point it is looking to you for the confidence and the guidance as to what it should to in this situation.

2.You MUST remain calm for the sake of both of you. DO NOT tense up, relax, remember you are the one that is in charge ~ so act like it.

3. It would be best to give the horse a loser rein at this point and allow them to see that you have no fear of the item they are startled over, let the horse have a minute to realize that the whole situation meant nothing to you and that there was no need to get so upset.

As you learn to be this way, the horse will build the trust and confidence in your abilities and the fear factor will tend to reduce. Now it may be there with other people who have the tendency to do as the first rider did and tense up, but once that you understand that you can control the situation through your body language to the horse, the better the horse will be in situations that need understanding and positive actions.

Next we must understand that the fear that is in the mind of the rider/handler is one that is transferable to the horse through the use of body language. There are times that the horse shows much more compassion to man than man shows to the horse, there are also times that the horse will not venture into territory that it does know is unsafe, but mankind has to show its superiority and venture in and then have to confront the situation that they create.

The rider/handler can learn quite a bit from just watching and noting a horse's reaction and response to any situation that it does come up against on a daily basis. You can buy all the books you want on the behavior of the horse and you will never learn as much as when you take the time to observe and learn from the horse in their natural settings. Take the time to watch them in the field both alone and within the herd atmosphere. What a horse does on their own is quite a bit different that what a horse will do interacting with other members of their herd.

One other point that needs to be brought out here is reactions that horses have are confused with what we feel they are. Let's take the example of a horse moving away from you, they can move in one of three ways. First they might try to walk over the top of you, with no regard for your safety that is because they have no respect for you. Second, they may push away from you, that is a fear reaction and are just trying to get away form the danger. Third, they back away from you and this is bad news for anyone that has built a relationship with a horse since they are taking their trust and the position that you have been granted away from you.

Until next time "Ride for the Brand".

Let the Horse Understand You

It is a known fact that horses do have a certain amount of intelligence and are able to make decisions that concern them. It is this ability that allows the horse to be able to sense what you are trying to get across to them, it is this same intelligence that allows them to make the decision whether to follow what you are asking them to do. The horse is a "flight or fight" animal and that means that they would rather run away than stand and fight, they will stand their ground and fight, but only if there is no other option. And, if you are asking them to do something that they are unsure of, or do not have the trust in you, then most likely they are not going to stay around. The reaction that you will receive comes from what and how you relate to the horse, be it on their back or on the ground. Some people have called it "feel"; I refer to it as "communication". The communication skills that I do refer to can be accomplished by direct contact with the horse or through the use of your body as a communication tool in an indirect or no contact method.

Once that you are able to understand and properly use these two methods of communication effectively you can control the mind and the body of the horse in a manner that will allow you to have the horse understand what you expect of them.

The mind of the horse operates differently from ours and has an unusual way of processing information, there are many factors and conditions that either help or harm the overall mental state of the horse. First, we must realize that there are certain limitations in dealing with the horse. They have little, if any, ability to reason. If you ask the horse to do something that is unknown to them, they cannot determine the safety factor of what you are asking them to do and if it will hurt them or not. Since the horse has limited reasoning ability it has to be taught that any safe action that can be done on the left side can also be accomplished on the opposite side. It is also important to remember that horses are prey animals, having eyes on either side of their heads. This gives them a greater range of vision, however, what they see on one side does not translate effectively to the other side. They are moving through two worlds of sight at all times. One of the most important points that we have to concede is that we must start to react as the horse does. We have to learn to look at things the way they do and start to realize that once that we start to look at things differently we will start to react differently. What we have to do is become more instinctual in our reactions to objects and situations. This will allow us to be able to successfully learn to properly communicate with horses at their own level.

The first step is to build a bridge of trust. Through your personal and total trust of the horse they will learn to trust you. The length of this step depends upon you and the horse. Just as you have your own personality, abilities and limitations, so does the horse. Here more than any other area you are rewarded for your patience and effort. Remember, you get out what you put into any project. If done correctly, every step that you take allows the horse to learn. Trust comes from within and you must be willing to enter the horse's world both mentally and physically, any indication of your holding back will slow down the entire process of building the bridge of trust.

Humans have developed into a vocal and pitch society where the horse still relies on the use of the body and other senses for communication. Once that you are willing to start using your body as well as your other senses and stop using your voice the faster you will start to build a lasting relationship and have a greater bond between you and the horse. As you become more proficient in using your body and senses as communication tools, you then become more aware of other things that went unnoticed before that time.

Concern for the comfort of the horse is the next step in the building of the bridge of trust. Any horse, just as in people, can be distracted from what is required when discomfort is involved. The best way to compare this is to think of your own self and the items that are comfortable to you, then realizing that the more comfortable that you are, the greater the accomplishments you are able to start and complete. Discomfort can be as distracting to accomplishments as comfort can be to accomplishment.

Any discomfort may be of such a degree that it is so concentrated that it is unable to accomplish any more than just getting one foot in front of the other. In fact the concentration and determination to eliminate that specific discomfort may be so great that you will become totally uncooperative and will do all you can to get it out of your life at that point in time.

There are two important factors to consider in the area of comfort; the care of the feet and legs, as well as the quality of the tack and equipment that you are using.

The care of the feet and legs are of primary importance, due to the fact that through correct care it will allow the horse to be able to move about in a comfortable manner. For what is done to the feet will affect each and every bone and joint, from the foot to the shoulder or the hip, and well beyond into the entire body. Remember, if our feet hurt we can relax, put up our feet or even take off our shoes. When a horse has an uncomfortable set of shoes on they must keep those shoes on until they are removed. This is one of the most overlooked areas of the training and understanding of the performance horse today. For the performance horse, be it any type, has a demanding pace of competitive training. When I do talk of a performance horse it is a horse that is used by a rider in any manner what so ever, they do not have to be in hunter/jumper training, cutting, endurance or any other specialized form of training, if you have a horse and you ride it, it is a performance horse. The proper foot care for your horse is a major maintenance factor that is as important as the regular changing of the oil in your automobile.

All too often the way to judge the quality of foot care is controlled by the cost factor. This brings to mind a particular situation that I was involved in a number of years ago. I was called to a new client's home to come and shoe their new horse. When I got there I found three horses at the house. I shod the horse that I had been called to do; upon completing that job I did ask if they would like to make another appointment for six weeks later. The answer was yes, my next response was if I should schedule enough time for all three of the horses at their home. To my surprise the answer was to schedule time for just the one horse. It appeared from talking to the owner that there were three different farriers doing work there. Each horse had its own farrier. The one horse they had got for $500 and didn't need a very good horseshoer since it was so cheep, the second horse was worth a little more money so it got a little better horseshoer and lastly the new horse was of the greatest value and demanded the best farrier that they could get. The point that I am trying to get across here is it does not matter what your horse costs, they all need good and regular hoof care, by trained professionals.

The second part of comfort is the quality of the tack and equipment goes back to what I was taught by my grandfather, and it was "You can always tell the level of the craftsman by the quality of the tools they choose". So, the quality of the tools that you chose predetermines how far you will go and how committed you are to your project, as well as how strong your belief is. For it is through your commitment to quality tack and equipment, as well as the overall comfort of the horse that will allow you to progress past the point that most people get to in the performance of any animal. Through this total commitment you will allow yourself to put the horse's needs above your own --- allowing you to get more from the horse through asking rather than demanding. I am not saying that you have to go out and buy any and all of the items that everyone says that you need to use in the care of your horse; all that is needed is some common sense. Analyze the situation, look at it as your horse would and then ask yourself if you would like that being done to you or even if you would like to have a specific task preformed on you. If it takes you more than two seconds to analyze and come up with an answer, most likely it will be the wrong answer. Learn to trust your instincts and allow yourself the freedom of being able to trust your own feelings.

The third area in building the bridge of trust is the mind of the horse. I have found it easiest to put it this way; within the horse is the learning ability of a two-year-old human child while at the same time you have to control the physical conditioned body of a college athlete. One of the more important points that I can instill within you is the fact that mankind is on a much higher mental level of ability than that of the horse. And, in realizing that one fact you can then understand that you have the ability to go down to the reasoning level of the horse. But, you can never hope to get the horse to your level of being able to understand. You have the ability to understand what the horse senses, calm the fear of the unknown and then guide them into what it is that you want them to accomplish.

Until next time "Ride for the Brand".

Horses - Nuts About Cobs

No matter what level you compete at or what type of horse you favour, there is one type that has universal appeal, and that is the cob. They're the horse that puts a smile on your face, whether you're looking for a showing star, a riding club all-rounder, a horse who can find a fifth leg out hunting or a partner for the lower levels of affiliated dressage and show jumping.

Cobs are chunky, cheeky and addictive. Whatever you do, there's a cob to suit, whether it's the strimmed and trimmed show variety or one with flowing mane, tail and feathers. With the exception of the Welsh section D or Welsh Cob, which is a breed, cobs are a type. They originated as relatively small, workmanlike horses who could pull a trap to market one day and carry a rider out hunting the next and it's this versatility that helps make them so popular.

Definitions

A show cob in the classic sense is a deep-bodied horse with relatively short legs and plenty of bone. They can be lightweight and able to carry up to 14st or heavyweight and able to carry more than 14st. In both cases they should exceed 148cm but not be over 155cm. Traditionally, it's shown with a hogged mane to display its powerful neck.

Maxi cobs, which from this year have their own final at HOYS, must exceed 155cm but at the same time, they must be true to cob type.

The Welsh Section D is a native breed and excels in all disciplines, under saddle and in harness. It must have true pony character and be over 13.2hh, though there's no upper height limit.

The Welsh Section C is officially a pony of cob type that must not exceed 13.2hh. Both breeds may be of any colour except piebald or skewbald.

Show cobs

Avril Bartolomy bought her first show cob, Miss Minnie, by chance. At the time, she didn't even know what a show cob was; now, Avril is one of the most successful and popular amateur competitors on the circuit and in the nicest possible way, a true cob nut.

She and her husband, Robin, have seven cobs at their Sussex home, ranging from the prolific winning maxi cob, Clantara Shadow Play, to a home-bred coloured youngster, Simply The Best - known as Tina. Both Tina and another maxi cob in the Bartolomy string, Robert The Bruce, are out of Miss Minnie, so Avril has a lot to thank the mare for.

It all began about 15 years ago when she wanted a dapple grey cob to hack in Ashdown Forest. "I looked in the paper and there was an advert for just the right one," she recalls.

Although she had ridden for many years, Avril decided she needed to brush up her skills and went to the multi-talented Ali Remmen - show jumper, course-builder and trainer - for help. Ali told her that Minnie would make a nice show cob. "My first reaction was: 'And just what is a show cob?'" remembers Avril.

Minnie took her all the way to what is now the British Show Horse Association's national championships and after retiring from the show ring, produced three foals. Avril continues not only to compete against and often beat the professionals with the established Clantara Shadow Play and her coloured lightweight, Benetton, but also produces her horses from home, with Robin's help. "I've always gone for the cob type, even before I started showing," she says. "They tend to be sensible and sane and have plenty of character, but no badness. 'Benny' is the naughtiest cob out and will take another horse's rug off over the fence. But I love him to bits. He's a real showman and a pleasure to own. I couldn't manage without Robin's help. He hacks out with me, but I can't get him into the ring."

Avril believes that if you want to succeed with a young show cob, you have to put in time and patience. "Compared to other types, they're slow to mature and take longer to produce," she says. "I don't think they're as naturally flexible as, say, a Thoroughbred and it takes time to get them off their forehand. I don't spend a lot of time in the school, but we do a lot of hillwork."

Another attraction of cobs is that if you have an eye for the right type, you can spot a potential star many people would pass by. This is what happened with Benetton, though Avril insists that she was lucky. "He was in a local dealer's yard," she says. "Someone had asked for a cob and decided when they saw him that he didn't move well enough. He certainly does now, so their loss was my gain!"

The traditional cob

The term "traditional cob" is much used, but, strictly speaking, is a matter of presentation.

"For our society, the only difference between a traditional cob and a show cob is a mane, tail and feathers," says Lynda Lodge, chairman of the British Skewbald and Piebald Association.

The jury's still out on the true definition of gypsy cobs, which can be of any colour. However, Jacquie Bland, who owns Paintball Gypsy Cobs in Cumbria, says they tend to be shorter in the neck with a higher knee action than mainstream show cobs. As well as having their own societies - the Traditional Gypsy Cob Association holds its second annual show at The College, Bedfordshire, in September - they have plenty of devotees.

Welsh cobs

Meirion Jones is as Welsh as his name suggests, but his passion for breeding Welsh Cobs has its roots in America as well as north Wales, home of his Machno Stud.

"My parents and grandparents both had Welsh Cobs, so I grew up with them," he says. "When I was 17 I went to work in the USA, first on a ranch in Wyoming, then in St Louis with Clydesdales for Budweiser and polo ponies. Everyone said Welsh blood was the foundation for good working stock."

Meirion's aim has always been to breed sport ponies and he believes the Welsh breeds can do everything and anything. "Good ones are athletic and also easy keepers - what more can you ask?" he says. "They also have character and presence." His aim is to breed the Ferraris of the sport pony world and his stallions and mares are chosen with that in mind. At the same time, he's strict about only having ponies with good temperaments and native hardiness. "There are no bad characters here," he says.

Bad Behavioral Problems With Horses, Identifying The Causes, Solving The Problem

Throughout my many years of watching horses, I have seen my share of bad horse behavior. Always the very first question I ask myself is, "What would cause that horse to behave in that way?" I take a look at the behavior of the people that are handling that particular animal.  Next, I would take notice to the physical condition of the horse, whether he or she is under or overweight, what kind of equipment is being used on the horse and exactly what it is that is being asked of this particular animal.

All horses cannot be all things. Thoroughbreds, even though they are bred to do so, may not want to be a race horse. Not all horses can be pleasure horses or jumping horses or horses for young children. Just as we all have different desires, so do horses. They cannot sit and tell you what it is that they prefer to do but they can relate this to you by their actions. If you consistently ask a horse to jump over fences and they refuse or keep knocking down the fence, well it just may not be what they want to do. So, a horse that constantly either refuses or ducks out, or falls into fences is considered to be exhibiting bad behavior.  But, there may be other things involved. 

Maybe the horse is being schooled over fences too often or ridden too hard on a daily basis and is being pushed into this bad behavior. Most of the time in my experience, bad behavioral problems in horses are usually caused by human error. Horses that have become what would be considered crazy, by some people, were not born that way. It is because of the desires of human demands or negligence of understanding their desires that are causing them to behave in unusual ways.

Let's say that you are using a saddle that does not fit your horse properly. Every time you ride, your horse's withers are getting more and more sore each time. The muscles start to become atrophied causing less cushion and, in turn, more soreness. Now when you go to put the saddle on your horse, he or she starts moving around a lot, or tries to step on you, or when you go to tighten the girth, your horse seriously tries to bite you. This bad behavior is in direct response of having withers that are so sore that they cannot stand the thought of one more day of pain. 

Or perhaps tightening up the girth too much and causing your horses' girth area to become very sensitive and sore and every time you try to tighten the girth they want to rear up. This is their way of saying, please do not inflict this pain on me another day. They cannot turn around and say, excuse me, please don't tighten that girth up because it really hurts. Instead they rear up. This is there way of trying to communicate with you, and in their world, this body language would be understood.

All I am trying to say is that if a horse starts behaving badly, you need to take a very close look at every aspect of your actions with them. Or, ask yourself what, if anything, has changed recently. Has there been a change of stalls, pastures or different horses turned out with your horse. Does your horse really understand what it is that you are asking of them, or is it possible that they may be confused? If you have a horse that starts flipping over backwards, examine your saddle pad and your saddle. Perhaps the bit you are using is too severe, or maybe your horses back is really sore. Maybe this particular animal needs a different rider. Ask questions about everything.

Sometimes the answer is not very easy to find but I believe that there is always a solution. However, the solution may not always fit into your realm of things and you will have to take that into consideration. Learning to speak horse language is not something that will come to you in a year or two. The longer you have horses in your life, the more hours you spend with them, the more you will understand their language and will be able to communicate with them on their level.

If you have a horse that is turned out with certain horses and he or she is beating up all the other horses, even though this is bad behavior, you may have to either turn this horse out with a different herd of horses or keep this horse away from other horses until you can find a suitable buddy. Sometimes when we have a horse come into our life, certain behaviors have already been developed and there is only so much we can do.

This is not to say that some horses are not born in the correct mental state, but I do not think that the percentage is very high. How a horse is handled from birth makes a major difference in the individual that they become. In the course of breaking yearlings on Thoroughbred farms for five years, many times the yearlings that were the worst to break, after they understood what was expected from them, with time and patience, became the most desired to ride. 

Put yourself in their shoes, look at the problem from a different perspective using the knowledge that you have acquired about horses and perhaps you will be enlightened. Patience and understanding are your best tools in handling a difficult horse. Remember that horses are creatures of habit. Instilling proper behavior into their lives, constantly, over and over may help them to adopt the better behavior.  Most horses will come around providing they are given a fair chance and the love that they truly need.

Ringbone and Sidebone Problems Explained

Although these two types of conditions are often referred to be the one in the same, they are actually quite different.

Let's start with how they are similar. They both affect the foot of the horse and both are a calcification of the bones or the joint area of the feet. That is about where the similarities do end.

How they are different now comes into play. In most cases "Ringbone" is a condition that can appear at the top of the hoof, in the area of the hairline, and is usually caused from an injury, excessive concussion and can be from improper conformation. It can happen due to an injury, excessive shock and concussion, it is a natural occurrence in older horses and in some cases some horses have a tendency to inherent the condition.

"Sidebone" appears in quarters area of the hoof capsule (hoof) and is the solidifying of an internal part of the foot called the "lateral cartilage". This condition appears to basically come from either being inherited or is seen mostly in carriage or driving horses and comes from insufficient care being taken in the lowering of the shafts after they are unharnessed. The shaft could be dropped and hit the outside of the foot in the area of the quarters too many times and cause injury to the lateral cartilage over time.

Ringbone

"Ringbone" is the name given to the situation that appears at various points of the lower leg of the horse. What does happen is that calcium deposits, that are sometime referred to as "bony deposits", attach to the specific parts of the lower leg structure of the horse.

Ringbone is usually and most likely caused by an injury or from excessive work that leads to excessive wear to the specific areas of the lower leg that are affected.

This situation can arise from a strain to the ligaments of the lower leg, possibly a strain or pressure on the various joints of the lower leg, additional possible reasons are cuts that can be received from wire or other similar materials and even something as simple as the constant banging of feet against a fence or corral over a prolonged period of time.

Another point to consider is that of conformation faults that put excessive strain and pressure on specific joints. Horses that are classed as "base wide" put strain on the inside edge of their feet as they stand and support their body weight. When a horse is classed as "base narrow" the strain and pressure is to the outside of their feet as they stand and support their weight. If there is an additional complication, as is most often the case, such as being "toed-in" or "toed-out" there is additional stressed placed on the joints in a second and possible third area of the lower leg.

Ringbone can be divided into different types and classifications; the first that we will discuss will be referred to as "false ringbone". This type of ringbone is referred to, as a false situation due to the deposit of "calcium" is on the sides and in some cases the front of the center area of the long pastern bone.

The next classification of ringbone that we will look at is that of "high ringbone". High ringbone is when the calcium growth happens at the base of the long pastern bone and the top of the short pastern bone. After a period of time these deposits will expand and continue to develop until they have included the area of the joint between the two mentioned bones. Once that this happens there will be quite a bit of soreness and eventually restrict the flexing of that particular joint.

The third type classification that we will discuss is that of ringbone that is referred to as "low ringbone". This has appeared to be the most common of the different ringbone problems. Low ringbone is somewhat similar to the previous type mentioned except that the area that is affected is the area of the lower end of the short pastern bone and the upper area of the coffin bone. This can be and is, in most cases, the most severe of all of the types of ringbone. This is considered the most severe due to the restrictive manner of the area of the leg that is affected. Unlike the other areas of the lower leg that has the availability of soft tissue to allow for the addition of the increased mass area that is created by the addition of the calcium growth, this particular area is restricted by the harder tissue of the hoof wall to restrict the allowable expansion that is allowed in other parts of the lower leg. The additional calcium growth room creates pressure and then pain in the affected area of the foot. The calcium build up in this specific area appears to be on the front of and the sides of the bones that degree it is in its progression.

Shoeing for this type of problem has to be done in a manner that will allow the foot to operate more comfortably. Since we will come up against restriction or even a loss of flexion ~ a mechanical method of allowing the foot to operate more efficiently and properly can be accomplished by the creation of a roller motion action by rounding the toe and raising the heel to allow for less restriction in the roll over portion of movement of the foot and less pressure and strain on the affected joint and/or the tendon or ligament.

Sidebone>

Before we can correctly define what "sidebone" is we must be aware that it does not actually affect a bone ~ it is the condition that happens to specific tissues within the foot capsule. The specifically affected cartilages are the "lateral cartilages" that are located inside of the foot just below the hoof wall structure and situated between that specific structure and the coffin bone. There is a lateral cartilage located on both sides of the foot and measures approximately three inches in length and about one-quarter deep on most saddle type horses. The lateral cartilages are more developed in the front feet than the rear feet. This cartilage is located just below the hairline just above the area of the heels and the length continues into the area of the quarters of the foot.

When the condition of sidebone does happen to a foot it can be from inheritance conditions such as poor conformation or an injury to that specific area of the foot.

The actual "sidebone" condition is a hardening or "calcification" of the lateral cartilages. As previously mentioned this condition can come from poor hoof care techniques or conformational faults, but there are additional factors that can lead to this condition happening.

The pain that is created will be quite acute due to the fact that a soft tissue member is, in essence, being turned into a bony-like structure. This is being accomplished in a confined and unyielding area of the foot capsule. Since the lateral cartilages are now being calcified and is being done in a manner that also enlarges the area that the lateral cartilages require to occupy within the foot as well. It would be like cramming a size-four foot into a size two shoe and to just keep pushing that larger foot into the shoe and never being able to let up on the pressure pushing the foot into that smaller shoe until it was made to fit.

The treatment of this condition starts with rest and the stopping of all work schedules. Next we must make sure that the foot is balanced correctly and allowed to support the horse properly. In addition, the heels of the foot need to be trimmed in a manner that will allow for the greatest amount of frog pressure to be realized.

Proper determination of the condition needs the use of radiographs (x-rays) to eliminate that the condition that is being suffered is not a possible fracture to the wings of the coffin bone. Other possible problems that might need to be eliminated are; gravel, sole abscess or "pedal osteitis".

Until next time "Ride for the Brand"

Navicular Syndrome Explained

Navicular disease, as it is more commonly known, must be looked at and treated as a syndrome rather than a disease, and this is due to the fact that many different parts of the foot could be affected when this syndrome is present.

This is one of the more common lameness factors in horses and is seen to happen in the front feet rather than the rear feet. It also seems to first effect horses from the age of four and up to nine years of age; although it is mainly seen in the front feet, it can affect the rear feet, but is extremely rare to find rear feet that are affected.

Certain breeds are more affected than others and certain breeds react differently to Navicular problems as well. What might be crippling to a Quarter Horse is totally ignored by the Warmblood breeds.

Over the years various theories have come to light about what causes the navicular syndrome to begin. It was first thought to be an arthritic condition that was brought about from either an injury from excessive pounding or hard usage of the front feet of the horse. There are also additional theories that have added to the research and development of a broader understanding of this entire condition. What has been discovered is the fact that certain horses have traits that allow us to pre-determine, with some sort of accuracy, the type of horse that may be more prone to suffer from this condition. Information now tells us that the breed or classifications of horses that has a history in its lineage that have suffered from navicular syndrome are more likely to suffer from navicular problems. This is pre-determined through conformation faults that are inherited from their parents and/or grandparents or in some cases both.

It has also been proven that improper trimming and/or shoeing techniques can contribute to the progression of the navicular syndrome at a faster than normal rate. In reference to horses that are pre-disposed to the condition through conformational faults can have the condition accelerated as well by too strenuous a work schedule or even by being worked in improper ground conditions (to hard a surface for too long a period of time). Further findings have found that an improper diet can also advance the condition at a faster rate of speed that the specific animal may experience.

The front foot that is affected by this condition will also change its appearance as time goes on and the condition progresses in severity. The foot will become "contracted" at the heels and the frog will start to shrink in size ~ with the shrinking of the frog the pressure to it will be reduced and in some cases total eliminated which leads to the added condition of "thrush" in most cases. The foot will appear to become "boxy" in shape as the condition progresses and will become smaller than the less affected foot as well.

Horses that could suffer from navicular disease are ones that have a history in their lineage of preceding horses having the same condition. This is found to be true through conformational traits that are passed from generation to generation. In addition, horses that have too small a foot for the amount of body mass that they have to support are also a high risk factor for this condition. Don't forget horses that do not get adequate pre-conditioning for the work that is asked of them.

The best treatment for navicular disease is through complete and correct farrier techniques using a shoe that properly supports and protects the heel area of the foot with a wide web, all of these factors allow for the maximum benefit of the program to be accomplished and the horse to be aided in their ability to reduce the amount of pain that they are suffering. Additional care must be taken to make sure that the toe of the shoe is shaped in a manner that will allow for the ease of operation and allow for the maximum roll over to be accomplished. The program that is established for the correct and proper maintenance of the horse suffering from this condition needs to be followed on a four to six-week cycle so that the proper angle and position of the foot can be realized at all times, thus allowing the horse to suffer as little amount of pain as possible on a regular basis.

With proper care and treatment most horses can extend their usefulness by up to five years and in some cases even longer. This can be accomplished through a shorter shoeing cycle, more exercise and a good and balanced diet that does not allow for over-feeding.

Proper Treatment for Navicular Problems

In order to properly have the correct procedures be followed there has to be quite a few points that need to be both considered and accomplished. These points are easy enough to explain and sometime difficult to accomplish, since the correct decision and procedures have to be determined and accomplished that are correct for the particular situation that your horse is going through. Additionally, you are at the mercy of persons that may or may not know what is necessary or even required to set your horse onto the most comfortable path to recovery.

There has to be some very basic points that the farrier has to cover within themselves to make sure that they are able and experienced enough to accomplish what is necessary to both start and finish the task at hand. If they do not have the required abilities, they then have to be professional enough to help the horse by referring or bringing to your attention another person that is experienced enough to accomplish what may be necessary. A point of contention here is that just because the average farrier is quite capable of taking care of the day-to-day requirements of the average or good-footed horse, it does not mean that they have the highly skilled ability or the knowledge that is specifically required to help the horse correctly. There are people within the farrier industry that do specialize in what is referred to as "Corrective"or "Orthopedic"style of farrier work. This specialist is what is required at this point. It would also be a major point of progression for your particular farrier to assist the specialist so that knowledge and expansion of abilities can happen. The results of this can be two-fold, the farrier gains the knowledge and the experience of the more advanced education and allows the same farrier the ability to be available in the event that the specialist is unable to get to the horse right away in the event that shoes may be thrown or minor adjustment might be required to be accomplished when the specialist is not readily available. Most specialty farriers have no problem with this arrangement since they have a great amount of workload from being a limited number of themselves to be able to accomplish all of the work that is out there. Any point that allows them to have a bit of the load removed will be greatly appreciated.

The farrier that is chosen to accomplish the work that is required needs not only the experience but the proper amount of confidence has to be in place that will allow them to make the solid judgments that may be necessary as they appear and have to be dealt with in a positive way. The person that you have chosen to accomplish the necessary work must have a positive relationship with the veterinarian that you have been working with on this particular problem, for if you do not look at that point there could be major conflicts in the procedure to follow as the program progresses. Once an initial program has been started it has to be followed and not wavered from; this takes cooperation on both sides of the equation to end up with the correct answer that is right for the horse. The ability to understand the principles of allowing the horse to be balanced from the ground up through the entire body must also be understood, for understanding the complete balance principles there will be a complete understanding of the interior of the foot and its proper and correct operation and position.

One of the most important abilities that a specialist type farrier can have is the ability of being able to look at the problem that is at hand and to visualize within their own mind the finished product before the work is even started. This one ability will allow them to have the finished product always looking them in the face as they progress through the various steps and procedures that will lead to the completion to the program. This is the same as filing a flight plan by a pilot to make sure that they follow the safest and most reasonable path and to get to their required destination in the required time.

As the owner of such an animal that has suffered from this particular foot situation there are also requirements on your side of the fence. You have to be able to change ~ you have to remember that this situation did not occur overnight ~ and can't be fixed over night. The changes that the owner has to make are that they have to be able to start to provide the necessary after care as both the veterinarian and the specialty farrier direct you. What they will be doing is instructing you as to the everyday procedures that are necessary since this situation can be slowed down, but it will never go away. The horse can be made more comfortable, but never totally recover from this particular problem. The shoeing process for a navicular problem is best realized that the overall support of the leg, the foot and the tendon have to be changed and the correct foot balance has to be realized so that the shock and concussion that is introduced to the foot with each step is minimized.

Until next time "Ride for the Brand"

Feeding Horses - Modern Day Issues That Affect Your Horse's Health

The vast array of feeds available in-store these days can make choices confusing, but working out a horse's nutritional requirements does not have to be complicated. Horses have nutrient needs that can be calculated from bodyweight and activity levels. What does make horse nutrition complicated is the process of selecting feeds to balance the nutrient intake with each individual's nutrient requirement, and providing the feeds in a form that suits the digestive system of the horse. It is often a lack of understanding about the relationship between the digestive system of the horse and the form of the feed, and how this affects the horse, that causes confusion.

It is well established in humans that they are what they eat. Obesity is now one of the major disorders in the western world - in both humans and horses. Can correlations and similarities be found between the two species, that can help improve health and well-being?

In order to know where to start it is helpful to look at some known facts. Firstly, pasture alone often does not provide enough nutrients for horses. Consequently, they are fed supplements in the form of concentrates and hay but some concentrates can be considered 'fast foods' - full of energy in the forms of sugars and fats. Many horses are overfed on fast foods, yet under-worked, which can lead to obesity, health and behavioural problems.

MEASURING ENERGY

The non structural carbohydrates (NSC) index in horse feeds equates to the glycemic index (GI) in human foods, and is a way of measuring the energy in foods by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on blood glucose levels. Insulin resistance - now identified as a serious and life-threatening condition in horses, equates to Type 11 diabetes in humans. Many metabolic disorders in horses are associated with high NSC feeds.

Digestion in horses

Digestion in horses is not the same as in cattle and sheep, which have large fore-stomachs. These animals are called ruminants, because they can ruminate, i.e store food in their fore-stomach, or rumen, and regurgitate and re-chew their food to gain more nutrients. By comparison, horses have a small stomach, and have to graze little and often to maintain nutrient intake. Horses graze at least 18 hours per day, i.e. they are 'slow feeders', meaning they eat slowly and the nutrients are absorbed continuously throughout the day.

Slow feeding

The relatively 'new' idea of devising ways to 'slow feed' horses makes a lot of sense. It provides a semi-continuous supply of nutrients to a digestive system designed to digest nutrients on a natural, continuous basis. This can be achieved with roughages and pastures, but is difficult to achieve when feeding high-energy concentrates. Human lifestyles add to the difficulty because many people don't have time or aren't available to feed concentrates little and often throughout the day.

Pulse or shock feeding

Unfortunately, with modern day horses, they often graze pastures designed for cattle, and are held in small paddocks or yards, which means than pasture intake may not be sufficient to deliver the required nutrient intake - especially for active horses in work. To meet the total nutrient demand, the horse often must be supplemented with other feeds, including hay, and processed feeds usually containing grain. Living conditions for horses and the lifestyle and work hours of their owners often determines that most horses are only fed twice or even once per day.

This style of feeding can deliver large loads of nutrients into a digestive system that is designed for a continuous supply. Termed pulse, or shock feeding, it is exacerbated when the feeds contain levels of some digestible nutrients (particularly sugar and starch) that exceed the digestive capacity of the horse's intestines and cause spikes in the concentrations of blood glucose. These concentrated feeds can be considered as 'fast foods'. 'Pulse' feeding 'fast foods' is one of the major factors contributing to the range of metabolic disorders found in horses today.

Feeding concentrates

Horse nutrition is based on mathematics. The nutrient requirement of horses can be calculated, and the nutrient composition of feeds can be measure and described in feed tables. The amount of feed required is a simple calculation; the difficulty is in knowing the effects of feeding concentrated feeds as 'pulse' feeds, rather than 'slow feeds', and knowing when one is over-feeding concentrate feeds.

What is a fast food?

Studies over recent years have identified the sugar and starch content of feeds as being one indicator of the 'fast food' status of a feed. All feeds contain sugar and starch, which are the major energy supplies to the horse. As said previously, the sugar and starch content is called NSC (non structural carbohydrate) and is equal to the glycaemic index (GI) in human nutrition.

The NSC content in a range of Australian horse feeds is shown below (Richards, N. Proc. Aust. Equine Sc. Symp., Vol 2, 2008)

This figure shows that commercially available horse feeds contain a range of NSC concentrations.

Grains also contain varying amounts of NSC, oats 46%, barley 57%, corn 65%, whereas hay contains as low as 7% NSC.

Feeds with higher NSC content are suited to horses in active work with higher energy demand, ie as work load increases, energy supply must increase.

For metabolically sensitive horses, e.g. older, overweight and/or laminitic horses and ponies, and some breeds, the suggested 'safe' NSC requirement is 10-12% in dry matter. It is proposed that feeding more than 12% NSC, and not increasing the horse's work load is a possible reason for the metabolic disorders associated with over-feeding and under-working, because the horse is unable to burn off the additional energy from the glucose derived from the NSC.

NSC Digestion

Carbohydrates are composed of monosaccharides, which can only be absorbed from the intestines as glucose or fructose. Therefore all carbohydrates must be broken down to monosaccharides by various enzymes including amylase, maltase, sucrose and lactase. Amylase is the most important enzyme for digestion of starch. Unlike humans, amylase is not present in saliva in horses, and the horse only produces small amounts of amylase from the pancreas. The horse therefore has limited capacity to digest starch in the intestines.

Metabolic Disorders

The possible effects of overfeeding NSC feeds, in combination with pulse/shock load feeding rather than slow feeding, can be outlined as follows.

The Stomach

The horse's stomach is divided into two sections. The second half has a thick cell wall lining, and the front half has a thin cell wall lining. With slow feeding, the feed enters the first part of the stomach and the horse releases acids into the stomach continuously, to help digest the food. With 'shock' feeding (feeding only twice per day) and feeding high NSC feeds, the horse releases higher levels of acid into the first stomach. The pH level declines, and can cause damage to the thin cell wall lining, causing ulcers. It is preferable to select low NSC feeds to reduce acid release into the first stomach, and feed little and often to avoid pulse/shock loading.

Small Intestines

The small intestine is designed to digest and absorb proteins, carbohydrates, oils, minerals and vitamins. The intestines have a maximum digestive capacity, and this capacity can be overloaded by feeding too much at any one time. They contain a large population of benign micro-oganisms, which live in symbiosis with the horse, i.e. they live together, where the horse provides the 'home' and the food supply, and the microbes digest the feed and provide nutrients to the horse. Dysbiosis occurs when the relationship between the host and the microbes is disturbed, usually when the feed supply to the microbes increases and there is rapid growth of the benign organisms, which can colonise the cell wall lining in the intestines. This may cause Leaky Gut Syndrome, which allows leakage of molecules such as glucose into the blood stream together with microbial toxins and other compounds. Leaky Gut Syndrome is known to occur in humans, and is implicated in Candida albicans. It is possible that Leaky Gut occurs in horses fed high NSC feeds, and causes increased blood glucose. What happens to the increased circulating level of glucose? If the horse does not use the glucose for energy (i.e. for exercise) the glucose has to go somewhere.

The horse releases insulin to enable the passage of glucose into the muscle cells. If there is too much glucose, the horse continues to produce insulin, but the cells lose insulin sensitivy and cease transporting glucose into the muscle cells. The cells become insulin resistant, which is the same as Type II diabetes in humans. Blood sugar levels rise, and insulin levels rise too. The blood sugar must go somewhere, and some can be stored in the fat cells, causing obesity. Increased insulin causes increased cortisol production, which in turn is implicated in laminitis, Cushing's Syndrome and Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). In some breeds, the glucose can be converted into an unusual polysaccharide and stored in the muscles, causing tying-up. It is well known that low NSC feeds should be fed to those horses susceptible to tying-up. Some glucose can also combine with proteins, forming a proteoglycan, which is deposited in connective tissue in the legs, possibly causing swelling and stocking up, lameness and DSLD. It is suggested that selecting low NSC feeds that don't overload the intestines, causing abnormal growth of benign microbes (Dysbiosis), may be a possible means of reducing the effects of some of the feed-related metabolic disorders.

Large Intestines

The small intestine has a maximum capacity to digest sugars and starch. Feeding too much starch can cause starch overload, i.e. the sugars and starch flow on into the hindgut. The hindgut contains a population of microorganisms similar to that in the rumen of cattle. If cattle are overfed on grain, this causes acidosis (grain poisoning); the same effect occurs in horses. The additional sugar/starch is fermented by the microbes, and converted into acids, which are normally absorbed across the wall of the hindgut gut to provide energy. If the rate of fermentation is too high, the microbes produce high levels of acids, which are both absorbed, and also cause a decline in pH (acidity). These acids can cause cell wall damage and leakage of nutrients and microbial toxins into the blood stream. The effect of hindgut acidosis causing laminitis is well described by Dr Chris Pollitt in 'Equine laminitis' for Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Pub.No.01/129.

Hind gut acidosis is also implicated in causing hot and fizzy behaviour in horses.

Feeding low NSC feeds will reduce the flow of fermentable carbohydrates into the hindgut, and therefore reduce the production of acids.

Pulse Feeding

A pasture trail was conducted in which feeds with various levels of NSC were fed to grazing horses (Richards 2010). These included a sweetfeed (33% NSC), a pelleted feed (25% NSC), and CoolStance copra meal (11% NSC). The supplements were fed in two equal feeds, morning and night, in nose-bags to ensure all the food was eaten.

Circulating glucose was measured for six hours after pulse feeding.

Although the sweetfeed had a higher NSC, the digestible NSC was much lower, suggesting that some of the starch in the sweetfeed was passed undigested through the horse.

The results indicated that there was an immediate glucose spike after 'pulse' feeding the sweetfeed and pelleted feed with NSC>20%.

The CoolStance copra meal (NSC 11%) did not increase blood glucose levels above that in the pasture fed horses.

Is low NSC enough?

The pasture trial suggests that some energy feeds such as copra meal can be pulse fed, and yet be digested as a 'slow feed', ie they don't cause a glucose spike. These feeds are low NSC and high DE (digestible energy) because they contain a combination of oil and digestible fibre. Some low NSC feeds are created by diluting the high NSC concentrate with poorly digestible, low NSC fillers, so they are low NSC and low DE, however, these feeds are usually unsuitable for performance horses.

High NSC Feeds and Horse Behavior

There is an age old expression that a horse is 'feeling his oats'. This usually reflects a horse that is grain fed, and underworked, causing it to become 'hot', 'excitable', or 'fizzy'. It is suggested that the glucose spike, and changes in insulin sensitivity arising from feeding high NSC feeds causes some horses to become hyperactive and difficult to manage. Reducing the NSC intake by feeding 'cool feeds' containing oils instead of grain, or increasing roughage is often recommended.

Whilst 'slow feeding' is the natural state for the horse, supplementary feeding is necessary for the modern horse, but shock/pulse feeding is, unfortunately, a function of human lifestyle and work hours.

Some concentrate feeds are 'fast foods' yet there are no labelling requirement for NSC levels in a feed, which is regrettable as feeding above 12% NSC and not increasing the work level may contribute to many metabolic disorders of performance horses. Careful consideration must be given to match the feed to the horse's activity level, so as not to overfeed a high NSC feed and under work the horse. Horse owners can gain much by surfing the web, typing in keywords and following the links to reveal an amazing amount of information, and traditional thought is being challenged all the time.