Founded in 1944 by Joanna Phillips

A non profit organization incorporated under California law to aid and encourage the breeding, exhibiting and use of Arabian Horses

Horses In Winter

As the weather turns cold, many horses are ridden less and less. It is easy to become relaxed in a horse's daily care since they are not being used as often. However, horses still require much care and attention throughout the winter. Here are just a few of the points to think about when caring for your horses during those frigid winter months.

·         For a horse to be an "easy keeper" during the winter he needs to be free of parasites, in good flesh, and properly immunized going into the winter. We tend to think that if we are cold, our horses must be cold. Not necessarily so. Preconditioning horses before the onset of cold temperatures helps to reduce the effect of cold weather on the horse and will reduce his nutritional needs to maintain weight. A horse shouldn't lose weight in the winter. In fact, a little extra layer of fat to fend off the cold won't hurt. Fat cover acts as an insulator and provides energy reserves during stress. Altering your feeding program for the upcoming winter by providing some extra calories will allow horses to lay down an insulating layer of fat under the skin.

·         The winter coat is a horse's first defense from the cold. When allowed to grow, a horse's natural coat acts as a thermal blanket. A winter coat is also naturally greasy, which helps repel snow, ice and sleet. Horses that are to be maintained outside should be allowed to grow long hair coat, plus the hair within the ears and around the fetlocks should not be clipped throughout the winter months. Stabled horses may need blanketing when they are turned out during the day, but the best blanket for an out-side horse is his own full winter coat.

·         Falling temperatures, wind and wet conditions cause a tremendous demand on the horse's body for heat production. As with all warm-blooded animals, horses must maintain their body temperature to survive. The environmental temperature and the heat produced within the body determine the extent to which heat must be conserved. The body does little to regulate heat generation and heat loss when the environmental temperatures are within ranges of the animal's comfort zone or the "thermal neu­tral zone.^" As environmental temperatures fall below the minimal temperature of the comfort zone or "critical temperature," heat production is increased by the body by speeding up chemical reactions which produce heat.

·         The combination of cold wind and rain or sleet is probably the worst case scenario for a horse. Under those conditions, without shelter, he can quickly become chilled. Older horses, in particular, tend to have difficulty maintaining their internal temperatures in such circumstances. The effects of falling temperatures, wind and wet conditions will put a enormous requirement on the horse's body for heat production. How much body condition a horse loses depends on the severity and duration of the cold season and the amount of energy the horse receives from its feed.

·         Know in advance what you are going to feed during the winter months. When first frost kills your summer pasture is not the time to decide on a winter feeding program and it can be detrimental to your horse. When the temperatures dip, the best heat source for your horse is extra hay. During the cold weather it is best to increase the amount of hay, not concentrated feeds. Hay is digested in the cecum and colon which results in heat production by bacterial fermentation.

·         Without water, nothing in your horse's body will function. Water should be available at all times. Water should be maintained between 45-65 degrees F and any ice crystals should be removed. If you are in an area that has regular freezing, check the water supply twice daily as horses will drink 8 to 12 gallons a day.

·         Stalling is not necessary for all horses but protection from the winter elements is necessary. Horses acclimate to winter conditions extremely well but need to be able to escape the bitter winds and moisture. A small, three sided run in shed or timberline to provide escape from strong winds and snow or ice is often all that is necessary for pastured horses. Horses provided shelter will require less feed, can more easily maintain body weight and are less stressed. These effects make the cost of sheds and windbreaks more attractive by reducing feed bills and reducing stress related sickness.

·         Care should be taken when leaving younger, less experienced horses on winter pasture. Running an older horse as a "baby sitter" can help teach the youngsters how to find shelter, food and water.

Consult your local equine veterinarian when you have questions or concerns about your horses health and well-being. Create and maintain a proper winter management plan for your horses and they will respond by coming out of winter fit and ready for the new year.

Submitted by Debbie Price                                                                          Thank You Debbie for the information !.^f.'

Making the Most of Vaccinations

That leads me to a word about adverse reactions. Even if you do everything correctly, there's always a chance for adverse reactions. These include:

·        Acute allergic reactions-called anaphylaxis. In this situation, your horse's immune system responds too strongly to the anti­gen that's administered-leading to events that can result in collapse or even death. Anaphylactic reactions, although fright­ening, are extremely rare.

·        Local injection site reactions-ranging from sore spots in the muscle to the formation of an abscess. Note: Abscesses can occur if bacteria enter the skin during the vaccination proc­esses, although it's also possible for your horse to develop a sterile abscess-one that contains no bacteria-simply because of the way his body responds to the vaccine.

Barb Crabbe, DVM, is an equine practitioner in Oregon City, Ore., whose practice is 70 percent dressage horses. A lifelong horsewoman, she is an equestrian journalist, a US. Dressage Federation "L" graduate and has competed through Prix St. Georges.

Married With Horses: A Husband Shares His Story

Have you ever wondered how your spouse cares for your horses while you're out of town? Share a morning with a husband who is "married with horses."  By Jeremy Law

I feel rather fortunate. It took me only 30 years to decipher the meaning of my life, and ironically, the success is completely unrelated to my college philosophy major. For me, the realization occurred when I met the woman I wanted to marry. I fell in love with her instantly. I also fell in love with her two children; her two hairy, four-legged, occasionally moody, sixteen-hand-tall, hay-eating children.

Yes, my wife is a horsewoman. Before we were married I did not know quite what this meant. Some people believe that certain individuals are interested in horses in the way that others may like dogs, cats or hamsters. I have had dogs, cats and hamsters. Equine ownership is something entirely unique. Horses are not pets; they are a lifestyle.

I will never say to anyone: "My wife has horses." If your life partner owns horses, you also own horses. Caring for our horses has changed much about my life. I can no longer imagine sleeping late, and I don't mind at all. I look forward to the sunrise, even if I go to bed late. I enjoy the sound and smell of breaking off flakes of hay. I savor the scrape of the scoop against the inside of the bucket as I mix beet pulp with grain. I think the click of an electric fence is a comfort, and I even find a freshly mucked stall to be terribly satisfying. This is quite fortunate considering my wife travels with her job.

"Have a great trip," I say as I help her to the skycap with her luggage, "The boys and I will be just fine." I check my pocket to make sure I have my phone list: farrier, vet, neighbor, trainer and a long list of our horsey friends. I kiss her goodbye and navigate light traffic to return to our house.

It's 7 a.m. and 26 degrees. I'm starving, so, I feed everyone else first. I go out to the stalls where the horses stand waiting. I do my best to give our two horses some hay to eat while I soak the beet pulp. They manage to eat most of the hay before I even get the stall door open.

I figure they need some water to drink with their meal, but the previous night was well below freezing and using the water hose is not an option. I grab a couple of buckets and run to the house to get them water. I run back. I grab two new buckets. I measure out differing amounts of beet pulp for each, and run back to the house for more hot water, wondering if I'm even doing any of this correctly. I run back to the stalls and set the buckets of pulp aside to soak.

I jog out to the pasture with a roofing hammer and spend far too long breaking up the ice in the trough. When I'm done, I am soaked, freezing and there is definitely not enough water in the trough for the horses. So it's back to the house. Then it's back to the pasture, several times. I grab the beet pulp and measure out the proper amounts of grain and several supplements and mix it all together. The horses hear me stirring their food and with some snorting and whinnying they let me know I'm taking way too long. While our horses eat, I portion out some kibble for our cats, kibble for one of our dogs and canned food for the other.

Now, the horses figure that yelling at me is a fine way to tell me they're ready to go out. So I lead one horse into the pasture, hold onto him while I fiddle with the four strands of the electric gate, then I fiddle with getting his halter off. When I return to the stalls, the other horse is not feeling much like wearing a halter this morning. I remain calm for 10 minutes and countless attempts at putting the halter on. It pays off. I lead him out, hold him while I fiddle with opening the gate, then hold him while I get it closed. Now he won't let me take his halter off. Ten more minutes of my being calm, but persistent and he finally relents. I look at my watch. It's two minutes past eight, and I'm late for work.

A while later, I am at work, seated and looking out the window, wondering if I put the right blankets on the horses. If it rains today I may return home to get them in. What did these animals do before we came along? More correctly: what did we do before these animals came along? What did I do, for that matter?

I can't imagine being satisfied with any other kind of life. I love being married with horses. Tonight, my wife will call from another city, and I'll ask her some horse questions and tell her that we all miss and love her. We are considering getting another horse and show season starts in less than a month, but those are probably adventures for another time.

Jeremy Law and his wife, Kimberly, live on a small farm in Grifton, N.C., with their two cats, two dogs and two horses.
Submitted by Laurie Henkel

Which of Your Horse's Legs is Lame?

This article is excerpted from the book Hands-On Senior Horse Care by Karen Hayes, DVM, MS, and Sue Copeland.

In most cases, pinpointing lameness in your horse's legs isn't difficult if you follow these steps.

What you're looking for:

	Head-bob: Your horse's head bobs UP when a sore forelimb hits the ground. His head bobs DOWN when a sore hind limb hits the ground. (Tip: A head-bob is easiest to see when your horse is trotted toward you. As a general rule, the more pronounced the bob, the more severe the pain.)
	Hip-hike or hip-drop: The hip on one side rises HIGHER and or/sinks LOWER than the other side. (Tip: This is easiest to see when your horse is trotted away from you. Make it more visible by sticking a piece of white adhesive tape on each hip to give your eye a reference point.)
	Toe-drag: The toe of the affected hind limb drags the ground on the forward swing.
	Shortened stride: The stride on one leg is shorter than the stride on the other legs.

Now, locate the lame leg:

Follow these steps. Call your veterinarian if you observe any sign of injury or lameness in Steps 1, 2 or 3. If you still can't ferret out the lameness, call your vet for help.

Step 1. Examine your horse's legs and feet for external evidence of injury.

	Stand him squarely on solid, level ground, and then visually examine each leg and coronary band for bumps, swellings, wounds, discharges or other such problems.
	Feel each hoof for excess heat, and then check the strength of your horse's digital pulse (using the thumb and middle fingers of your right hind, feel behind and on either side of his lower fetlock--above the sesamoid area--with your palm on the front and fingers rapped toward the back until you feel a faint pulse.)
	Pick up, clean and examine each foot for nails, cracks, bruises or other abnormalities. Note any resistance, which could indicate pain in another foot, hence his reluctance to increase the load there.

Step 2. Watch your horse trot a straight line. Lameness that's barely perceptible at the walk can become more evident at the trot.

	Find a flat, smooth surface with solid footing.
	Recruit a helper. Give her a crop or whip, if necessary, to help get your horse trotting in-hand.
	Have your helper trot the horse on a straight line away from you, for about 50 feet, loosely holding the lead so as not to inhibit a head-bob. Then have the pair trot toward you, then past you, so you can view the horse from the front and side.
	Repeat the exercise two to three times. If you still can't identify the lame leg(s), one of three things could be happening:

1. Your horse may be too lame, fresh or uncomfortable to cooperate.
2. The lameness is bilateral or too subtle to show up on a straight line.
3. There is no lameness.

Step 3. Lunge your horse.

Have your helper lunge the horse in both directions, gradually tightening the circle. Or have your helper trot him in circles in-hand. As a general rule, the tighter the circle, the more pronounced the lameness. Still can't see the problem's origin? Call your vet.

Submitted by Laurie Henkel

The second installment of a very funny story on the topic of foaling. Submitted by Laurie Henkel

Fighting Foaling Frenzy & Surviving Foaling Season
By Kelly S. Sharpe

Your local tack shop will probably have foaling announcements. They usually come in packages of twelve, with envelopes. Buy two. You can spend the waiting time addressing the envelopes and filling in all the information except the date and whether it is a colt or filly. If you cannot find foaling announcements, just pick up a couple of packs of baby announcements at your local Hallmark shop. Be sure and cross out "boy" and "girl", and write in "colt" or "filly". Otherwise, it startles a recipient to find out you've had a 95 lb. baby. Be sure to get a big pink or blue bow for your mailbox. (What's really fun is if you have two mares that foal within a month or two of each other, and you get a colt and a filly. It startles passing motorists to see a pink bow on your mailbox only a short time after seeing a blue one.) Be careful with "It's A Boy" or "It's A Girl" balloons in the barn. Some mares are firmly convinced balloons are aliens that have come to earth to round up all the mares and take them to some strange planet where they'll become school horses for spoiled six-year- olds.

Don't forget a baby halter. They come in pink and blue, and have a little strap hanging from the bottom, theoretically for ease of catching the newborn. Don't be misled by this strap. Its actual purpose is so the newborn can drag you around the pasture. Which color should you buy? That's easy; buy one of each. Keep the color you need, and give the other one to a friend who may not be as well prepared as you when their mare foals.

Write down your vet's phone number in a conspicuous place - such as on the inside wall of your barn with a can of Day-Glo spray paint. “I don't care how long you've had his or her number memorized, you will forget it”. It's important to be able to reach your vet in case of emergency, such as getting up and down repeatedly after contractions begin, and nothing happening, or obvious abdominal distress unrelated to foaling. If you experience either of these symptoms, call your vet immediately. Your farrier's number is not really necessary - few mares feel the sudden need for shoes right after foaling. Of course, if she feels very strongly about shoes, I would certainly recommend giving her whatever she wants.

It is always helpful to know the signs that foaling is imminent. Any good book on horse care will include this information, or your vet will be more than happy to discuss it with you. Basically, when you see a hoof emerge from under the mare's tail, you can be pretty sure foaling is very close. There are other signs, such as the worst rainstorm in fifty years blowing up at 8 pm, or an unexpected visit from relatives you haven't seen in twenty years, but the hoof test is really the only 100% reliable one I've found. The "waxing over" thing is okay - if your mare's udder is a little waxy, you can assume she will foal sometime in the next month or so. That should narrow it down a bit for you, anyway. Your mare's personality is a good indicator of how easy or difficult the birth will be. If she is a timid, nervous mare who shies at everything, she will foal quickly and easily with no problems. If she's a sturdy, no-nonsense honest mare that'll take you through a minefield and never blink at the explosions, the foal will be born upside down and sideways.

Please resist the urge to grab the foal's front legs and yank it out to find out what it is. Also, resist the impulse to shove it back in and ask the mare to work on it a little longer. Foals in the process of being born may not look like your mental picture of a brand-new baby, especially if you've never seen one. Their ears are wet and folded back against their heads, and they have an expression on their faces that seems to say, "I have absolutely no idea what is happening to me, but when I get myself together, I'm sure I won't like it." When the foal is completely out, try to refrain from gathering it in your arms and running to the house with it to raise it yourself. It's a major temptation, I know, but pretty soon it's going to realize how hungry it is and it's going to want a meal. Then what are you going to do? Better to leave it with its mother, at least for six months or so. Then it's yours forever.

Friends and family are going to want to come over to see the new arrival. If you can get them to wait a day or so, your mare will really appreciate it. Having a baby is strenuous business, and she needs a little time to get herself together. Besides, the baby needs some time to get his eyes working. He may not recognize someone he's already met if he didn't see them well. Waiting a day or two before allowing visitors also gives you time to clean up the gruesome remains of the event. Empty pizza boxes, cookie and M&M bags, and cola bottles scattered throughout the barn detract from the professional image you work so hard to maintain.
So your long-awaited baby is on the ground (or standing up). Congratulations! What are you going to do with it? Do you remember saying nineteen months ago when you first bred your mare, "I can always sell the baby and get my stud fee back, at least"? Okay, so write the ad. What are you waiting for? Write it now, and maybe you can sell it by weaning time.

Oh, what the heck. You can always decide about selling it later. In fact, it's such a nice baby! Did you remember to call the stallion owners and tell them it had been born? No? Then take a good long look at it so you can describe it exactly. Be sure and look closely at its perfect head, and shoulder angle. That stallion sure did cross well with your mare, didn't he? In fact, maybe the stallion owner would be willing to make you a deal on a repeat breeding! Why not! After all, you've got your foaling kit container and you survived foaling once! Go for it!

* One word of warning: When Domino's arrives with your pizza; don't take your eyes off the mare for a minute while paying for it. Many unsuspecting owners have blithely tripped outside to get their pizza and returned to the barn five minutes later to find the mare smirking and the foal standing and enjoying his first meal. Besides being disappointed that you missed the whole thing, you'll forget about your pizza and the dogs will get it. Then you'll have to call Domino's again and wait another thirty minutes!

Memories

60 Years of Horse Shows

SOME THOUGHTS BY SCOTT W. DUNN

The AHASC Fall Show is an institution. It has been one of the go-to shows during my forty years of involvement with the Arabian horse industry.

Many of my distinct memories revolve around one class in particular: the Working Cow Horse class. The remembrances, unfortunately, are not based on any particular horses’ performance and there were some very good ones, but instead, are based upon my Dad’s organization and handling of the cattle. Norman K. Dunn, or Norm, to many of his friends grew up in Colorado raising cattle. He knew how to work around them, some of us did not have that experience—namely Nick Guriel, Charlie Perez, Steve Norman, Alan Sanders, many other Cal Poly students and I.

The show usually obtained their working cow horse cattle from one family, Clarence and Tyke Minetti, who raise cattle in Santa Maria and own the Far Western Restaurant in Guadalupe. The cattle that they usually provided weighed 400-550 pounds, each. The staff that Dad assembled would help construct some pipe enclosures at the out gate area. The cattle did not have much exposure to pipe fencing; and most of us had little current experience in moving cattle. Another complicating factor was that, since we were all at least 21, we typically would consume adult beverages before the Working Cow class began. This may have been to bolster our confidence and/or lack of skill or perhaps as a preventative anesthetic. As one might imagine, by the time the class began, those on the “cow crew” could feel little pain. We were ready to tackle those cattle no matter what! Literally, some of the stouter fellows did in fact “tackle” some of these cattle that weighed two-three times their weight.

Most people who have been around cattle know that certain amount of calm is necessary. The movement of these cattle, one at a time, was anything but calm. We became loud and this only served to excite the cattle further. The more agitated the cattle were, the more likely they were to try on run through one of us, or to try to duck under the pipe fencing and pull or move it. This became a tradition that we all looked forward to, sort of a Southern Cal version of the running of the bulls. It didn’t take long for many of our friends to come and view from the seats or railing above the out gate. Their glee and cheering only encouraged us to do more dangerous moves. By the time the class was over, usually 7-15 head of cattle had been through our handling procedure. I don’t know how much weight the cattle lost over this, but many of us had bumps and bruises that we would begin recalling the next morning.

Carol Mann also reminded me recently, that one time a cow escaped the pipe corrals and made its way to the local shopping center before it was rounded up.

The working cow horse classes that were overseen by my Dad will always be something that I will remember about the Southern Cal Fall Show. They were raucous and fun for all concerned.

Sincerely, Scott W. Dunn

Recipe for the Month

Horsey YumYums

1 cup grated apple

1 cup grated carrots

½ cup oatmeal

½ cup flour

2 teaspoons molasses

½ teaspoon brown sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients well.

Spoon into small balls, and place them on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Allow them to cool, and your ready to serve.

Your Horse’s Vital Signs

When you suspect colic and call your vet, they'll need to know your horse's vital signs. Here's how you can get accurate readings for temperature, pulse and gut sounds.

Taking your horse's temperature. Use a glass or electronic rectal thermometer (available at tack/feed stores, and through veterinary-supply catalogs). If you use a glass one, tie a string with a clip on the end to the thermometer's end loop. Shake down a glass thermometer; activate an electronic one. Lubricate the tip with a dab of K-Y or petroleum jelly; spit can work here as well in a pinch.

Tie your horse and gently insert the thermometer into his anus the depth of about two inches. Clip a glass thermometer to his tail for security. Hold the thermometer in place. Wait about two minutes for a glass thermometer to register; 30 seconds for an electric one (listen for the beep). Remove the thermometer and record your reading. His normal temperature range is between 99 and 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to take your horse's pulse

Place your horse's left front foot forward (if he's standing). Place the stethoscope against the chest wall, just beneath the left elbow. You need to push the scope as far forward under the elbow as possible. Listen for the "lub-dub" sound of his heartbeat. Count the number of beats in a 15-second period, and multiply that number by four to determine his beats-per-minute (bpm). An average resting heart rate is between 30 and 40 bpm.

How to listen for gut sounds

Hold a stethoscope against your horse's lower flank for at least one minute. Move the stethoscope higher on his flank and listen again. Move to his other flank and repeat. Normally you'll hear two to four soft bubbles/gurgles per minute, and one loud grumbling sound every two to three minutes. If his gut sounds are louder and/or more frequent, he may be experiencing mild colic. If you hear nothing (and your stethoscope is working) he may be experiencing severe colic. Silence indicates no gut movement.

Article submitted by Laurie Henkel

Information for this column was borrowed from an article by Karen E. N. Hayes, an equine practitioner

Good Things About Husbands

Contrary to the popular T-shirt and bumper sticker slogan that states "The more I know men, the more I love my horse," husbands do have advantages over horses, as this amusing Top Fifteen list proves.

1. Husbands are less expensive to shoe.

2. Feeding a husband doesn't require anything that even mildly compares with the hassle of putting up hay.
3. A lame husband can still work.
4. A husband with a belly-ache doesn't have to be walked.
5. Husbands don't try to scratch their heads on your back.
6. They're better able to understand puns.
7. If they're playing hard to catch you *may* be able to run them down on foot.
8. They know their name.
9. They pay their own bills.
10. They apologize when they step on your toes.
11. No saddle fitting problems.
12. They seldom refuse to get in the vehicle.
13. They don't panic, yelling and running all through the house when you leave them alone. (unless you left the kids too)
14. For a nominal fee you can hire someone else to clip them.

15. They don't like the lady next door just as well as you just because she fed him 3 days straight.

Submitted by Laurie Henkel, however, the original author is unknown.

The McCoy’s

Ever since I read in your AHASC newsletter regarding the passing of Helen McCoy, I have been meaning to drop you folks a line. I do not think enough could ever be said/written about the McCoy accomplishments and their contributions to your club, the Arabian Industry and to mankind itself. They were just a wonderful couple.

I'll never forget the time I was attending an Arab show at Fairplex - Pomona back in the early 1990's. I was standing at ringside and up came a crowd of people and there was Frank McCoy standing in the middle of the crowd. He finally made his way over at ring side and I literally saw the show come to a halt. There were people all around and everyone was trying to talk to him all at once. Even the exhibitors in the arena were stopping in front of him and wishing him well and carrying on conversations with him. I was really impressed with the whole scene.

It was shortly thereafter I visited the McCoys at their home and again, I was impressed with them and all their contributions to the breed. Down through the years I have read and heard about the McCoy's and their story and it is all so true. They were really good folks and their devotion to the breed was really exceptional. We definitely need more folks like the McCoy's in our lives and in this world. I have been into horses all my life and into many breeds; however, I am amazed at how many of you - - your lives are intertwined and bound together forever through the breed and Arabian horse bloodlines.

I really feel fortunate that I was able to attend the dedication ceremony of the McCoy Equestrian Center. I will never forget that day watching Mrs. McCoy drive around in her golf cart greeting new and old friends. She just looked so beautiful on that day and she just beamed with all the excitement going on around her. I wouldn't have missed it for the world! She really was such a wonderful, gracious and giving lady.

There are and have been many wonderful folks in the Arabian breed. I know I have many favorites, especially when it comes to some of the ladies within the breed. I really feel fortunate to have met the McCoy’s. I have no doubt that the AHASC misses their presence. The McCoy’s have and will continue to be an example for all of us to emulate. I, for one, could never forget them.

Sincerely yours,
Val Sibert AHASC member since 1979
 

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