The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
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10 TheHorse.com THE HORSE March 2018 NEWSFRONT Inquiries to: 859/276-6726 E-Mail: News@TheHorse.com ERICA LARSON, News Editor @TH_EricaLarson Topical Atropine Not Likely Linked to Colic Development If your horse has suffered an eye injury, your veterinarian might have prescribed, among other medications, atropine oint- ment or drops. This medication helps relieve pain associated with ocular inflammation by promoting pupil dilation. "Inflammation in the eye, particularly long- term inflammation, can become very serious and threaten the health and visual capabili- ties of the eye," said Heather Chandler, PhD, an associate professor at The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Optometry, in Columbus. Prior to joining the optometry faculty in 2007 Chandler was a post-doctoral scholar at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine. "Minimizing ocular inflammation and pain can improve both the comfort and prognosis of the eye." However, oral atropine has been associ- ated with slowed equine gastrointestinal movement and an increased colic risk. Some veterinarians and researchers have expressed concern that the topical ocular solution might also cause changes to the horse's digestive system. Still, no published data objectively indicated that ocular atropine could decrease gastrointestinal motility. Chandler and colleagues recently explored the potential connection between topical atropine use and gut motility. The research- ers randomly assigned six healthy geldings to one of two groups and administered a topical treatment to the left eye (either 1% atropine or artificial tears) and left the right eye untreated. For the first day the researchers treated horses every six hours, then reduced treatment to every 12 hours for four more days. After a four-week washout period, the horses received the opposite treatment in the left eye; the right eye went untreated. "Following topical application of atropine to the eye, we did not detect any clinical signs of colic or disruption to gastrointestinal motility," Chandler said. "Additionally, no systemic at- ropine was detected in the horses, indicating that at the doses used, systemic side effects from the topical drug are likely to be minimal." She cautioned the importance of consider- ing that the study conclusions were made in regard to normal, healthy horses: "The findings cannot be directly applied to horses with ocular disease," she said. Learn more at TheHorse.com/40133. —Katie Navarra Katarzyna Majecka, PhD, of the University of Lódz, said while study horses had fewer friendly interac- tions after moving from a small pad- dock to a larger pasture, they clearly benefited from fewer negative interactions. For instance, she said, larger fields allow submissive horses to avoid aggressive ones, which can prevent injuries. In their study, Majecka and Aneta Klawe, MSc, observed riding school horses in two turnout areas: a square drylot with a surface area of about 150 to 180 square meters (about 1,600 to 1,950 square feet) per horse and a larger, irregularly shaped grass pasture that offered about 3,000 square meters (about 32,300 square feet) per horse. While the study confirms what many horse managers have known for years—it's typically better to give horses more space—it begs the ques- tion about what to do when large paddocks aren't available. Should horses be denied turnout with other horses if paddocks are small? "In my opinion the worst thing to do is deny horses access to any kind of paddock at all," Majecka said. "A lot has been written about the advantages of being outdoors for domestic horses, such as better digestion … and mental equilibrium. Likewise, horses are herd animals, and it's important to provide them social interactions. "On the other hand, it is not possible to decisively conclude that a small shared paddock is better than no paddock at all, or a small shared paddock than an individual paddock," she added. "It depends on different circumstances, such as the age of the horses and their temperament. Individual character (level of aggression, etc.) and the specific relationships between given individuals have to be taken into consideration." Get more study findings at TheHorse.com/40093. —Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA ISTOCK.COM Give Horses Their Space During Turnout I f your horse comes in covered in bite marks, you might be wondering how to keep him out of harm's way. Here's some good news: Researchers in Poland have confirmed that larger paddocks lead to fewer negative social interactions (threats of aggression, kicks, etc.) among horses. But the de- crease in unfavorable actions went hand-in-hand with a reduc- tion in positive ones, such as mutual grooming and playing. ANNE M. EBERHARDT/THE HORSE Horses exhibited fewer negative social interactions when turned out in large pastures than in small paddocks.