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.
Issue link: https://thehorse.epubxp.com/i/551477
TheHorse.com THE HORSE September 2015 12 ENDOPHYTE-INFECTED FESCUE CONCERNS We found (The Ergot Alka- loid Enigma video, TheHorse. com/36011) very interesting since there are many fescue producers in our area. We took great care and several years to find good fescue-free pasture for our small Thor- oughbred farm in Oregon. It was very difficult to find a pasture that was free of fescue or ryegrass in our area. We're fortunate in having found 20 acres that were originally an army remount station in the 1920s and 1930s. Pasture is indeed very intensive to maintain and keep in good condition. We have spent countless hours pulling, cutting, and hand-spraying weeds and invasive plants. We appreciate the information you provide on your website as well as information (we get) from our local extension agent. Fred and Joan Oregon MORE DISASTER VOLUNTEER ADVICE In reference to Dr. Bill Moyer's Across the Fence column, "Before You Volunteer at a Disaster Site," which ran on page 50 of the July issue: Prospective volunteers should seek out existing organiza- tions in their area. Southeast Pennsylvania Search and Rescue is one such voluntary organization in my area. Other organizations might include: ■ State animal rescue teams; ■ County animal rescue teams; ■ Humane societies; ■ Nonprofits involved with emergency rescue, not sheltering; ■ Shelters or rehab centers; and ■ Veterinary disaster assis- tance teams. In addition to large-scale disasters, these organizations may be active in single family or barn disasters, truck or trailer accidents, and similar emergency activities. They are usually credentialed and or dis- patched by the local au- thorities and may be able to provide workman's comp and public and professional liabil- ity insurance to responders. There are never enough volunteers, but trained volun- teers have a multiplier effect because they already know what to do and how to do it in dangerous surroundings. Irv Lichtenstein via e-mail STARTING HORSES YOUNG AND UNSOUNDNESS Thanks to my colleague Dr. Josh Zacharias and to The Horse for his article ("From Toeing In to Toeing Out") on page 48 of the July 2015 issue. In it he mentions that "... A horse is considered skeletally mature by age 2 or 3 in regard to growth plate closure. How- ever, there is a lesser degree of continued and slow growth through age 4 or 5." In my 59 years as a vet- erinarian, the most common cause of unsoundness I have seen is too much work at too young an age. When I graduated, the only futurities were in racing. Now they are everywhere. A horse is not "mature" until age 5. Not until then is it ready for hard work (e.g., reining, cutting, barrel racing, jumping). Horsemanship, in general, has improved greatly since the late 20th century. The one exception—driven by greed, ignorance, and ego—has been the increased use of excessive work by immature horses. I do ground training until a horse is 4. I do get on them at 2 and just walk them around four or five times. Training un- der saddle comes as a 4-year- old. Training for specific disciplines begins at 5. Waiting a year or two can pay off with 10 to 20 years of usefulness at the horse's old age. I've seen too many horses 5 to 7 years of age with crippling unsoundness due to excessive work as a 2- or 3-year-old. When I was young, we referred to 4- and 5-year-olds as "colts." They are! Today the most widely accepted age to start colts under saddle is 2, and I often see horses several months younger under saddle. That profits my profession and the pharmaceutical industry, but it is deadly for the creature most of us state that we love— the horse. Robert M. Miller, DVM Thousand Oaks, California LETTERS Letters@TheHorse.com E-mail us at Letters@TheHorse.com, or write us at The Horse, 3101 Beaumont Centre Circle, Suite 100, Lexington, KY 40513. Letters may be edited for space limitations and must include the author's name and contact information. On Facebook we asked you to share the strangest thing your horse has ever eaten. The responses were both surprising and hilarious! Jennifer Decker We used to keep feeder fish (like goldfish) in our larger, outdoor water tanks to help reduce algae buildup in the summer, but they kept disappearing. We figured it was the birds or possibly raccoons—until we saw one of the Oldenburg geldings dunk his head into the tank and come up chewing. Suddenly, his very clean but often damp fly mask made sense. And his coat looked great! Debra Linboe My smartphone. I guess technically he didn't eat it, but it was worthless by the time I retrieved it. Adele Buzzard My Miniature will drink your cup of coffee if you leave it in his reach. Penny Ivy Thompson Our pony gulped a paper towel that a kid was using to hold a pickle at a show. It happened so fast I had to reach way in there quickly to grab it. She steals food from little kids all the time at shows so we have to keep them at bay. Lia Scott Salami and cheese that I was snacking on at a horse show. That same horse's favorite snack were "orange slice" candies (like gum drops in texture), and he would drink soda from bottles and beer from cans! John Merryman Dirt. In one particular spot on the trails. He does it every time we go past that place. Weirdo! y This opinion column is for topics of importance to the horse industry. If there is a topic you want covered, or if you'd like to submit an article for possible inclusion, contact Stephanie L. Church, Editor-in-Chief, The Horse Media Group LLC, Beaumont Centre Circle, Suite 100, Lexington, KY 40513; schurch@TheHorse.com. Articles contained therein are not representative of opinions held by either The Horse or the American Association of Equine Practitioners. ACROSStheFENCE WILLIAM MoYEr, DVM, DIPL. ACVSMr TheHorse.com/Across-The-Fence I f you choose to volunteer in an emer- gency or disaster situation, there are a number of very important factors to consider before loading up and leaving— even if the destination is local: ■ Have both a personal and family evacu - ation plan in the event you're a victim. ■ Do not deploy anywhere, even locally, without accessing accurate situational reports to learn about the risks and haz - ards. Keep in mind that these might not be available immediately after the event. ■ If possible, determine if the skill sets needed (or likely to be) are clearly in your field of expertise. This might include shipping horses, setting up temporary shelters, acquiring resources, offering veterinary medical assistance, etc. ■ Determine what you'll be able to access personally at either the staging or work - ing area. Is housing, food, and/or trans- portation, etc. being provided? Don't go into a disaster area blindly. Consider also your own potential medical needs. ■ What are the credentialing require - ments? What kind of identification and approval do you need to get into the staging or critical area? Veterinarians crossing state lines need to know ahead of time what licensing issues might arise. I've noticed that it's not unusual for vol - unteers to be denied access to the area. ■ If you self-deploy as a volunteer, be sure to inform family, friends, and busi - ness associates, providing them with an agenda and means of communication. ■ Upon arriving at the staging or criti - cal area, determine the communica- tion resources. In my experience, cell phones are often of no use. The chain of communication and, thus, command may only be through certain individu - als. Communication among responders is almost always a dilemma. Under- standing the principles of the Incident Command System is essential. ■ At the staging area or site, determine who is in charge of the entire opera - tion (who you report to) and how those communications are handled. ■ You're probably better equipped to deal with a local disaster than a remote one, as you understand the availability and acquisition of resources and potential risks and hazards. If you're going into a less-familiar area and have friends or contacts nearby, they might be your first means for information about resources. ■ Note that power might not be available and fuel for generators and vehicles could be difficult to obtain. ■ Unless you're the designated public information officer, beware of provid - ing information to the press. Also be careful about taking and circulating pictures. The release of erroneous in - formation can lead to further problems. In my present role with the Texas A&M; veterinary team, along with four decades of experience, I've become very familiar with how chaotic these situations can be. Whether it's an explosion, flood, wildfire, hurricane, or other event, both injured and "stray" animals abound. It's unusual to find loose animals that have any usable form of identification. Thus, determining animals' ownership and returning those rescued can be a dilemma. Some animals are past anyone's ability to save and must be humanely eutha - nized. Yet veterinarians must perform the procedure without an owner present; this is best addressed by obtaining at least two professional (licensed veterinary) opinions. My experience is that volunteers lack - ing necessary skill sets, situational aware- ness, and common sense end up causing additional problems. Disasters can pose many potentially life-threatening haz - ards (down power lines, open gas lines, chemical spills, rushing water, criminal activity, etc.). Human safety is absolutely critical; remember that human recovery and safety always take precedence over animal recovery in these scenarios. One very useful step you can take prior to a dilemma is to contact your county/ jurisdiction emergency operations center, which is required to have an animal is - sues committee. Ideally, such a committee develops plans for evacuation, animal sheltering, and veterinary medical opera - tions. By making contact, you can deter- mine how to volunteer and network and what kind of credentialing is available. A successful operation—and by that I mean returning as many healthy animals back to their owners as possible—re - quires an enormous amount of coordina- tion and communication at all levels. The rewards, however, are simply untold! h About the Author W illiam Moyer, DVM, Dipl. ACVSMr, is a former professor of equine sports medicine at and an active member of Texas A&M; University's Veterinary Emergency Team. He's been both a volunteer and a leader in a variety of disaster situations, including barn fires, wildfires, tor nadoes, hurricanes, and chemical plant explosions. Before You Volunteer at a Disaster Site Some disaster areas, such as Moore, Oklahoma, after the 2013 tornado, can look like war zones. WIKIMEDIA CoMMonS; MAj. GEoff LEGLEr