Willow Way Farms grabbed the title of Supreme Champion when its mare, Puzzle, was awarded the prize at the World Clydesdale Show, in Madison, Wis.

“It was something that a guy always thinks about — winning or hoping to win,” said Allan Gordeyko, who runs Willow Way Farms near Ohaton with his son Wes and daughter-in-law Kristen.

“When it comes true, it’s overwhelming. It’s a great honour.”

The Gordeykos took 12 horses down to the World Clydesdale Show, which is held in Wisconsin every few years. Puzzle, their three-year-old mare, first won Grand Champion Mare and then beat the champion gelding and stallion to capture the Supreme Champion title.

Puzzle will likely be bred next year, and the Gordeykos will continue showing her.

Puzzle beat out about 599 other Clydesdales from across North America for the title — and earned two first-place cheques for $5,000 each in the process.

“We took 12 head down, and I think out of the 12 head, we headed up with seven first prizes, a couple of seconds, and a third,” said Gordeyko. “It was a very good show for us.”

This isn’t the first time that the family has competed in the World Clydesdale Show. In 2011, they came oh so close when Gordeyko’s son’s mare was named Grand Champion mare, but was beaten by the stallion for the Supreme Champion crown.

“We’ve had the champion mare there two times in a row,” said Gordeyko.

The family used to go to the Toronto Royal Winter Fair, but doesn’t do that anymore. Instead, they focus their energies on the Calgary Stampede and a few small shows in Alberta.

They also operate a 3,500-acre grain farm and have some hay land, and have been raising Clydesdales for 50 years. They show the Gentle Giants, breed them, and sell the breeding stock.

“We started because it looked like a hobby and it grew into a part of our operation on the farm. Then we just sort of liked the Clyde horse,” said Gordeyko. “They’ve a nice temperament and we just liked the markings on them.

“They look so nice, with their bay colouring, white legs and white markings.”

Gordeyko said the Clydesdale business has been lucrative and the family has exported horses all over North America.

“We’ve got some in Australia, Alaska, Mexico, and Scotland even. It’s been pretty good to us. It turned out to be more of a business operation than a pleasure thing. But we like horses — the whole family does.”

Clydesdales, which stand between 17 to 18 hands and weigh about a ton, were bred as draft horses but nowadays are more commonly used for pulling wagons or sleighs or leisure pursuits. The horse originated in Scotland, and the Gordeykos brought some genetics over when they were first building their herd.

Budweiser beer company has a famous team of Clydesdales that featured in Super Bowl advertisements. The famous team also travels to agricultural shows like the Calgary Stampede.

“We get people looking to buy Clydes, especially strangers, who want something like Budweiser. They’re kind of a symbol,” said Gordeyko.

There are a few Clydesdale breeders in Alberta, and the industry is growing, but not terribly fast.

Gordeyko said the family doesn’t take holidays — if they go travelling, it’s to a horse show.

“Through the horses, we’ve met so many people,” he said.

Gordeyko has been to Scotland three times, and once judged one of their big shows.

The post Alberta mare tops them all at the World Clydesdale Show appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Although the nutritional demands of individual horses may vary, good-quality grass hays will adequately serve the basic nutritional needs across all classes of horses. Nature itself does not sort the horse into nutritional ‘groupings.’ Any necessary adjustments to the diet of an individual animal or grouping of horses are best made ‘in addition’ to a strong foundation of good-quality forage.

Regional availability ultimately determines what hay is obtainable. However, it is helpful for the horse owner to know about the different types of hay available and be able to identify the stage of maturity of the hay and assess its physical qualities. These characteristics influence the nutritional value of the hay.

Hay is generally classified into three types:

• Grass hays such as timothy, orchardgrass, Kentucky bluegrass and fescues;
• Legumes such as alfalfa and clovers; and
• Mixed hays which are usually a combination of grasses and legumes.

Information regarding the plant type and stage of maturity is easily attainable by identifying the characteristics of the stem and leaves and the nature and number of seed heads. Weed identification is also important — although a few stray weeds often find their way into the hay crop, they need to be the exception.

The gold standard

Timothy is considered the gold standard among grass hays because of its high palatability, easy digestibility, and low-energy yet nutritious profile. Low-energy or energy-sparse forages for horses are not to be confused with a poor-quality diet or diets of low nutritional value. The need and importance for continuous access to fibrous forage and ‘bulk’ in a horse’s diet across all age groups and disciplines is considerable since it mimics the horse’s natural pattern of trickle feeding.

Alfalfa is the most popular legume hay and like grains in the horse’s diet, is ideally used strategically to complement the nutrient profile for certain classes of horses in a particular life stage, physiologic state or under a workload.

Our own senses are wonderful tools for making informed choices about hay.

Choose hay that is as fine stemmed, green and as leafy as possible. This hay will be soft to the touch, flexible, and have a sweet scent. Leafiness is a mark of high quality because the leaves are more digestible than stems and provide more nutrition. Hay is easier to digest and more nutritious when it’s harvested at the vegetative or pre-bloom stage, before the plants mature, flower, and form seeds. Thick coarse stems and plenty of large seed heads in grass hay or flowers in legume hay indicate that the plants were harvested in a mature stage. Often this hay crop is less palatable, less digestible and provides less nutrition.

However, older mature hays with their lower caloric value can often be a good fit for the easy-keeping horse or those struggling with insulin resistance, equine metabolic syndrome, or chronic laminitis. These horses have trouble processing the non-structural carbohydrates (sugars and starches) in the hay. The only way to know for sure the sugar and starch content of these hays is to have an equine forage analysis done.

Hays that are pale and faded can indicate that the crop was bleached and/or weathered by the sun, leached by rain or possibly the crop is of later maturity. One or two rainfalls are not too detrimental to the nutritional quality of the crop and in fact may even be advantageous to horses that are sensitive to sugars because the rain has a tendency to wash them out. Hays that are dark brown or black have at some point had too much moisture and have been spoilt. Hays that have a bluish-coloured tinge come from heavily fertilized soils and have too much nitrogen. They will likely have a bitter taste which many horses don’t readily prefer.

The nose knows

The smell of good-quality hay is crisp, clean and refreshing.

If airborne particles are released when the hay is shaken it usually indicates the hay is mouldy or dusty. Even if the amount of mould or dust appears minor, these hays are best avoided since both dust and mould trigger inflammation of the equine respiratory tract. Hay that is baled too wet will usually be heavy, smell musty or may have a distinct sweet smell that results from caramelization of the sugars. The quality of these hays deteriorates quickly and they are prone to mould.

Many hay producers will have a complete forage analysis readily available upon request. Ideally the hay’s protein content will range between eight and 12 per cent and the hay’s ratio of calcium to phosphorus to magnesium will be approximately 2:1:1. The other number of significant value is the percentage of (NSC) non-structural carbohydrates. This number is an indication of the sugar and starch content of the hay and is generally best when less than 10 per cent. This can be an essential value for those horses that have an individual sensitivity to the amount of sugars in the hay.

Hay that is properly stored, protected from the elements and well ventilated maintains most of its nutritional value for up to two years.

The post Some points to consider when shopping for horse hay appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Most horse owners will immediately consider the expiry dates of drugs and medications, however, there are other items that also carry expiry dates that may be even more relevant to the health of the horse.

First let us consider the most obvious expiry date — that of drugs. Drug safety authorities require drug manufacturers to stamp expiration dates on the products that they sell. The expiration date on the label is the latest date for which the manufacturer can guarantee the full safety and potency of the drug. This is much like the expiry dates on items at the grocery store except most drug products have an expiration date that is one to five years from the date of production. It is not that the drug is no longer ‘any good’ or ‘unsafe’ after the expiry day, rather that drug stability, safety, and potency are no longer assured after the date stamped on the product.

Most medications are remarkably stable, however, stability is greatly affected by storage conditions. If a product was stored outside the recommended temperature range listed on the label (such as in a tack room, vehicle, or horse trailer where it could have got too hot, cold, or damp) the stability of the drug will be negatively impacted as well as the predictability of its actions in the body.

Tablets and powders seem fairly resilient. Stability is a bit more of a concern for liquid drugs, pastes, and gels. Liquid drugs, especially combinations tend to be even less stable, often becoming discoloured, cloudy or precipitating out. Procaine penicillin preparations, a commonly used antibiotic in equine medicine is particularly troublesome when accidentally ‘overheated’ as the ‘procaine’ portion often becomes more soluble and thus more clinically active in the solution. If used it can lead to a higher number of adverse reactions than expected following injection.

Expiry dates apply to dewormers as well. If an improperly stored or expired dewormer is utilized, the horse will likely not receive a sufficient dose and the product will fail to adequately address the horse’s parasite infection. Underdosing is one of many factors than can contribute to parasite resistance.

Herbal products can also suffer from physical instability due to plant quality and processing, presence of impurities, and improper storage and handling.

The use of vaccines beyond their expiry date has very little to no latitude. Vaccines are particularly susceptible to reduced efficacy and increased adverse reactions when ill handled or used beyond their manufacturer’s instructions.

Once a little cache of expired products have been separated it is important to ensure responsible disposal of the products. Most local drugstores and veterinary clinics offer drug disposal programs free of charge. If professional disposal isn’t available the next option is to discard the drugs in a small zip-lock bag with a mixture of undesirable wastes such as coffee grounds or kitty litter.

The expiry dates that are not so obvious in the horse industry are those which pertain to feed products. Human food is tightly regulated with food processors, distributors and retailers complying to ensure the food products placed on the shelves are within date. Unfortunately this does not apply for most horse feeds. Shelf life significantly affects the quality of a horse feed. Shelf life is the length of time a feed is considered to have the nutritional quality and physical characteristics as intended when it was produced by the manufacturer.

Alone, straight grains, flaxseeds and even hay can be stored for years in ideal conditions. However, when the grains, seeds and/or forage are broken or heated during processing and oils, molasses or other liquids have been added, their shelf life is dramatically shortened. Many manufacturers will recommend consumption of commercial grain mixes, textured, pelleted and extruded feeds within 30 to 90 days of manufacturing if the product is stored under proper conditions.

Proper conditions include low humidity and the ‘cooler’ temperatures of the storage facility (including both the feed dealer’s warehouse and the farm), absence of rodents or insects, and that the integrity of the bag be maintained to limit exposure to air. High temperatures, high humidity, pests and air exposure rapidly degrade feed quality. Degradation includes growth of mould and bacteria as well as oxidation that results in loss of vitamins and causes rancidity of oils and essential fatty acids.

Horses are often fed vegetable oils such as soya, corn, and canola through a number of sources — top dressed or in high ‘fat’ textured and/or extruded kibble feeds. High ‘fat’ feeds is a bit of a misnomer since fats are derived from an animal source and are generally not fed to the horse because of their poor palatability. Vegetable oils which are the oils from plants are fed to the horse with increasing frequency.

Although the horse’s appetite will naturally avoid rancid oils, the rancidity of the oil is often masked with grains, molasses and other feed additives. Rancid oils are extremely detrimental to the horse’s digestive system, liver and cellular tissues. Oils vary in their stability depending upon their chemical makeup and type of processing or handling.

Not all oils are the same and the metabolic effects of oils vary from beneficial to extremely harmful depending on the type of oil, how it is processed and how it is fed. Since expiry of the nutritional value of the oils through oxidation and/or rancidity in feed rations amplifies a detriment to the horse’s tissues it becomes a very important expiry date to the health of the horse.

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Both humans and horses yawn, however, the triggers for yawning in horses is not the same as that for the yawn in the human.

Humans take a big intake of fresh air upon inhalation and yawn in response to a transient drop in blood oxygen levels. This creates a physiological adjustment.

The physiology of yawning in horses has not been investigated as closely as that of people, and it is even debatable whether horses are inhaling while yawning or only appear to be doing so. What has captured the interest of the scientific world though regarding yawning in horses is the connection of yawning to the animal’s welfare.

This connection has been so repeatable that the yawning event in horses has been proposed to be a significant marker in evaluating the welfare of horses.

First it will be important to recognize any medical condition(s) which may be initiating excessive yawning in horses. Frequent yawning in horses can be a symptom of gastric ulcers, gastrointestinal discomfort, tempo-mandibular tension/pain, and/or liver distress. Horses frequently yawn following the removal of the bridle, presumably to release the tension in their jaw muscles.

Once medical conditions have been ruled out as a possible trigger for yawning, the yawning ‘event’ may signify the emotional, physical and mental well-being of the horse.

When European researchers studied various groupings of horses with different lifestyles: horses living in stalls, a group of saddle horses living together in a semi-natural turnout situation, and a group of Przewalski (wild) horses in a preserve, their observations found good reason to consider yawning to be a displacement activity in horses to release tension(s).

Horses living is stalls and/or more confined enclosures exhibited a higher incidence of stereotypic behaviours such as cribbing and weaving, as well as yawning. A higher frequency of yawning was related to increased frustration in horses kept in a restricted stabling environment with a lower frequency of yawning observed in undisturbed pastured social groups.

The context and environment within which the horse yawns must be taken into consideration when determining the relevance of the yawn. For example, stabled horses that yawn frequently may be releasing the distress of gastric ulcers and social isolation while horses in turnout situation may be releasing the tension of social interactions with another herdmate and the young horse being ridden may be yawning in response to the relief of pressure from a learning moment.

Horses will also yawn in response to the tension(s) released with meaningful modali

ties and therapies. These can include but are not exclusive to bodywork like chiropractics, massage, craniosacral, acupuncture, hoof or dental care, aromatherapy — even veterinary care. The horse feels the relief in response to the change that has been initiated by the modality.

The horse seeks to feel better and understand its surroundings and environment. The astute and aware horse owner can gather and glean substantial value and practical information about the physical, mental and emotional welfare of a horse when it yawns. The challenge however, lies in correctly decoding the yawn. Is the yawn, just a yawn, or an indication of something more?

The post Is it a good or bad thing when a horse yawns? appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

When a horse grazes it goes through a series of motions, selecting, ripping, and thoroughly chewing the grasses. This process creates a slow and steady trickle of feedstuffs to the digestive system. If, however, the horse is presented with a pile of lawn grass clippings it can quickly consume a very large amount of grass. This is because the rotary mower produces a dense concentration of grasses with a small particle size.

The sudden influx of highly digestible feedstuffs into the horse’s gastrointestinal tract can upset the delicate microbial balance in the hindgut, potentially leading to colic or laminitis (founder). Lawn clippings, like grains, are high in sugars and carbohydrates and their fermentation in the hindgut creates an acidic environment. The acidic environment causes microbes to die and release endotoxins into the bloodstream which in turn can trigger laminitis.

Individual horses vary in their sensitivity to ingestion of grass clippings and the amount consumed. For some horses, it may be of little consequence while for others it can trigger a major metabolic crisis.

Another matter of concern with fresh lawn clippings is the manner in which some horses tend to gulp or bolt down the small, wet, compacted clumps of finely cut grass. The bolus of clippings can become lodged in the esophagus and a condition called ‘choke’ may result. The resolution of choke generally requires the intervention of a veterinarian.

Whenever lawn clippings are piled, the high moisture content of the lawn grass coupled with warm temperatures leads to rapid production of moulds and bacteria in the decaying pile. Horses that consume the contaminated grass clippings may experience colic or diarrhea. The dust and moulds contained within these piles can also trigger respiratory distress in horses sensitive to airborne insults. Therefore, it is prudent to dispose of lawn clippings where horses will not have access to them.

A major consideration often overlooked when feeding lawn grasses to horses is the nature of lawn grass itself. Many lawns are treated with lawn-care products which can contain chemicals, such as herbicides and fertilizers. These chemicals can be detrimental to the horse and the residuals of these chemicals can persist in the grasses for a long time after application.

A final concern of note when lawn grasses are fed to horses is the possibility of inadvertently including small pieces of common ornamental plants such as oleander or Japanese yew and/or noxious weeds such as horsetail which contain toxic substances.

Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is a native plant growing across Canada. This plant contains thiaminase which causes thiamine deficiency in horses. Horses normally avoid these plants. However, when finely chopped into small pieces alongside the grass clippings the horse will be unable to sort them out and can accidentally ingest them with detrimental consequences.

In general it is advisable to avoid feeding lawn grass clippings to horses as the nature of the clippings carries a number of risks for potential harm.

The post There’s a risk when feeding lawn clippings to horses appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Many — well actually all — horses look cosmetically ‘messy’ during the shedding period with a thorough shed usually occurring over a six- to eight-week period. This transition period often accompanies the fickle weather of spring and offers the horse a buffer of comfort until the weather settles into its seasonal warmth. The end of a complete shed usually coincides with the appearance of green grass and a heavy warm spring rain.

The major driver and trigger for shedding in a horse is the increasing hours of daylight that occur around the spring solstice. Ambient temperature, stabling practices, and blanketing will also have an influence upon the shedding, just to a much lesser degree. Grooming and exercise, even 30 minutes a day, expedite the length of the shedding period, most likely because both processes increase the blood flow to the skin and stimulate hair follicles.

Shedding patterns, that is the rate of shedding and order of body parts shed, does exist among horses — with individual horses tending to remain consistent to themselves from year to year. Although the ‘patchy’ shedder can be particularly unsightly, it is rarely a reason for concern unless the horse is pruritic. If the horse is noticeably itchy and the shedding is occurring in patches it would be advisable to examine the horse for external parasites such as chewing and/or biting lice or ticks.

The increase and decrease in daylight hours trigger the production of hormones responsible for hair growth and shedding. In order for the skin and hair coat to stay healthy and for effective shedding to take place, the horse must receive proper nutrition. The quality of the ‘shed’ is highly dependent upon nutrition and hormonal communication within the body. Proper mineral and fatty acid balance are necessary to formulate the hormones which the body relies on to internally signal shedding of the hair coat.

If the horse is not shedding normally it may be a clue that something is awry with the horse’s health. In younger stock, incomplete shedding can be an indication of underlying poor nutrition or parasitism. Typically these horses will stubbornly retain the long ‘cat’ or guard hairs under the belly, chin and throat-latch. Horses that carry a heavy intestinal parasite burden begin to look unthrifty, lose body condition, and shed out poorly as the worms draw nutrients away from the horse. Once dewormed a parasitized horse will quickly shed its remaining winter coat.

One of the most prevalent reasons for failure to shed or inappropriate shedding, particularly in older horses, is equine Cushing’s disease, also known as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). This is a hormonal imbalance common in older horses. Rarely does the change in shedding pattern happen in one season with this condition, rather it occurs over a number of seasons with shedding of the hair coat becoming increasingly troublesome for the horse. Owners who have a historical account of their horse’s shedding are usually best able to detect these early subtle signs. Changes in the hair coat occur steadily over several years.

Most obvious are delayed shedding, increased length of the hair coat and retention of long hairs especially under the jaw, in the jugular groove, underside of the neck, and alongside the backs of the limbs. Hair coats can become excessively long, shaggy and curly. Ponies can show quite a marked hypertrichosis and/or abnormally long and curly hair growth whereas horses will tend to exhibit the more subtle signs of abnormal shedding.

This may simply be longer guard hairs along the legs or a noticeable delay in shedding over the years. These signs are often an early indicator of Cushing’s disease and would warrant further blood work and attention by a veterinarian. Identifying these horses early is critical to their management as many of these horses are particularly sensitive to the development of laminitis and/or founder.

This article was originally published on the Manitoba Co-operator.

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Forage is the foundation of every horse’s diet, and the forage needs to flow steadily through the digestive tract in order to avoid digestive problems. Horses’ stomachs, unlike that of the human, have evolved to produce hydrochloric acid continually, whether or not they are eating.

To offset the continuous secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, the horse requires both a near-constant food source and a food source that requires a lot of chewing. Chewing stimulates the flow of saliva and the alkaline quality of saliva buffers gastric acids. Under natural conditions the horse will produce upwards of 25 or 30 litres of saliva every day.

Hindgut fermentation of fibre also relies on a steady influx of fibre. Ideally the fibre ‘porridge’ that enters the hindgut will have been thoroughly chewed and mixed with saliva and other digestive enzymes. Healthy balance of hindgut fermentation is easily disrupted by gaps in forage flow. As long as the digestive ‘porridge’ is buffered by saliva, contains adequate fibre and flows steadily, the horse’s digestive tract remains healthy.

Although gastric ulcers and colic are the most commonly recognized symptoms of gut distress in the horse, there are many symptoms of gut distress that go unacknowledged. These include, but are not limited to, general ill thrift, vices such as cribbing, weaving, aggression, feed anxiety, gorging, and choke.

Behavioural issues (because the horse is in pain) can also be rooted in gastrointestinal distress as the horse becomes mentally and emotionally unbalanced whenever its digestive system is not functioning well. The symptoms of gut distress can and often do negatively affect training, riding and performance programs. It is surprising and rewarding whenever these problems respond favourably to simply providing the horse with a steady access to free-choice forage.

Horses have an inherent drive to forage and whenever forage is restricted the horse becomes both physiologically and mentally distressed. This type of distress initially elevates cortisol levels and persistently elevated cortisol levels then initiate a problematic hormonal cascade for the horse.

Forage restriction is one of many factors contributing to metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance, equine metabolic syndrome, hypothyroidism and laminitis. Many of these conditions respond favourably to continual access of small amounts of low-energy (low-calorie) long-stem forage.

Slow feeding helps to regulate and stabilize the hormonal dysfunctions that are often at the core of these illnesses. Extending or adding meals will not produce the physical and mental health benefits of free-choice forage.

Horses that have continuous access to forage became mentally relaxed and calm. Over time they generally effectively “self-regulate” themselves, eating only what they need. As a result they are more apt to maintain a healthy body condition.

The slow-feeder industry has grown in response to the basic realization that horses have an inherent need to consume their forage diet slowly and preferably all day long. As their name suggests, slow feeders slow down the rate of forage availability to the horse.

Hay slow feeders employ either a mesh net or a grid system over the horse’s hay with holes that are fairly small, typically between 1.5 and two inches. There are many different styles and sizes of slow feeders, each with its own advantages. Systems vary from feeding flakes of hay in a bag on the ground or within a box system to the feeding of big round bales using a net system. Horses adapt quickly to the new program and often the benefits to the horse are observable within weeks of beginning to slow feed.

Whatever the design of the slow feeder, the feeding level is best kept as close to the ground as possible. A natural “foraging” position allows the horse’s mandible (jawbone) to come down and forward into its proper position to spare stress in the upper neck and temporomandibular (TMJ) joints.

The mandible is then free to move up and down, side to side, and forward and backward without any restriction. This facilitates optimal movement and function of the dental arcade which in turn translates into proper chewing and preparation of the feedstuffs for the horse’s digestive tract. A natural head position further promotes effective drainage of nasal and respiratory passages.

Slow feeding is both a physiological and mental windfall for the horse. This simple change in the delivery of their forage averts a number of symptoms indicative of ill health.

This article was first published on the Manitoba Co-operator.

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The sessions, which are aimed at horse owners, include breathing and performance; equine nutrition; equine acupuncture; common internal problems; and care of performance horses. The event will be held in the Libin Theatre in the Veterinary Medicine Building.

Tickets are $60 (free for youth 15 years old or younger) and include lunch. For more information or to register online, go to the Horse Industry Association of Alberta website.

The post Get the lowdown on equine health appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

First, it is good to know that nature has provided the horse with extremely effective and efficient anatomical, physiological and behavioural mechanisms to adapt to cold weather.

It is important the horse be in adequate body condition when the winter cold arrives. Horses with a moderate body condition score of 5/9 have a sufficient layer of fat to stave off the cold temperatures. Adequate fat cover serves to both insulate the animal’s body from the cold, as well as provide adequate energy reserves. It is healthy, maybe even biologically advantageous to the horse, to lose weight over the cold winter months.

Feed and nutrition are also factors linked to the requirement of whether or not to blanket. Heat is a byproduct created through digestion of long-stem forages or hay. Gut activity provides the horse’s body with a considerable source of internal heat, warming the body from the inside out. An extra measure of hay can be an especially important thermoregulatory bridge during a cold spell or when weather conditions shift with a rapid drop in temperature.

Horses can further warm themselves through the heat generated during muscular activity and movement. A horse feeling chilled will often appear to be restless or unsettled and will become physically active in an attempt to benefit from the warmth of muscular movement. The advantage of movement to the horse is somewhat compromised when horses are kept in small paddocks, turnout areas and confined to small winter drylots. In these environments the horse lives a fairly sedentary life, requiring little movement to forage. This is in contrast to the continuous movement often seen of horses left to paw on well-stocked snow-covered pastures.

Certainly, the healthiest solution for the horse during the winter season is to allow it to grow a long winter coat and provide it with appropriate cold-season nutrition, freedom to move and shelter from the wind and wet into which the horse can easily move in and out of. Cold weather and snow are not problematic for the typical healthy horse.

Horse owners choose to blanket their horses for a number of reasons. Blanketing the horse changes the nature of its hair coat and the changes happen surprisingly quick. The density and/or thickness of the hair coat is reduced and the general length of the hair coat is decreased. This effect is often utilized to reduce the horse’s winter hair coat for showing and performance purposes. The practice of short clipping the entire hair coat in horses or body clipping has become a popular practice to further manage the winter coat. Under these conditions the blanket becomes necessary to maintain the horse’s comfort as its own source of natural warmth and protection is no longer available.

Within a short time of blanketing the horse’s hair coat begins to lose its loft. Lofting is a unique ability of the horse’s hair coat to “puff up.” The physiological process is called piloerection and increases the air content within the hair coat. The loft in a horse’s hair coat traps and warms air next to the horse’s body, insulating and retaining heat, like a duvet quilt. This process requires muscular activity at the level of the hair follicle and like all muscular activity it needs to be active to be strengthened and maintained — use it or lose it. The lack of loft in the hair coat of a horse blanketed through the winter will be in striking contrast to the loft of a horse that has spent the winter unblanketed.

Under certain circumstances, blanketing can be a welcome addition to the care of a horse, especially those horses that are struggling to cope with the added stress of cold weather. These horses could be ill and/or compromised. They may lack body condition for various reasons or perhaps may have been imported from a warmer climate and have not had time to acclimatize. Keep in mind that it does not take very long before a blanketed horse begins to rely on the blanket for warmth, often necessitating that the horse remain blanketed for the duration of the cold season.

If the decision is made to blanket the horse for the winter, then blanket management must be intelligently maintained to constantly adjust for proper blanket fit and weather changes. Both ill-fitting blankets and overblanketing can be quite problematic for the horse, even detrimental to its health.

The unforgiving tightness and rubbing of an ill-fitting blanket causes hair loss, rub sores and over time pressure sores, lack of circulation and structural harm to the neck, withers and shoulders. These annoyances and restrictions may appear as coldness to touch, musculo­skeletal stiffness, choppy strides and/or disjointed movement and soreness in the horse. It can be difficult to connect the symptoms to the blanketing without a detailed examination of the blanket’s fit. Snug-fitting blanket edges while the horse is standing can become quite restrictive when the horse is in motion, or lowering its head to eat. If the horse is consistently blanketed, the blanket’s fit will need ongoing and often daily assessment.

Overblanketing creates trouble for both the horse’s metabolism and health of the skin. When a horse overheats under a blanket it has limited means to cool itself and the added warmth and moisture from sweating makes the skin vulnerable to fungal and bacterial infections.

It is important to remember that if a horse is to be blanketed for a reasonable period of time or a complete season, the coat growth will be compromised. Therefore the decision to properly blanket a horse requires a prudent approach, due diligence, and often a lot of monitoring and work.

This article originally appeared on the Manitoba Co-operator.

The post What to consider when blanketing your horse appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“Keira and myself are registered human physiotherapists,” said Oxtoby. “We both grew up riding horses and we had our own injuries.”

The two say many chiropractors, physiotherapists, or massage therapists, many of the health-care professionals they’ve met don’t understand the dynamics between riding and being able to care for horses.

People who have injuries often have challenges when working with horses. For example, a knee injury can make it difficult to walk out on uneven ground and catch a horse while a shoulder injury makes it difficult to put a saddle on.

The pair met at a physiotherapy school at the University of Alberta in 2012, and came up with the idea of a physiotherapy clinic specializing in treating equestrian riders.

“It expanded into one of the largest problems that we saw, which was injury and dysfunction in horses as well,” said Oxtoby, adding their business is the only one of its kind in Canada.

Horse and equine physiotherapy is a dynamic process that is intricately linked, she said.

“If you have an injury and you’re sitting on your horse asymmetrically or if you feel sore after riding your horse, they need to be paired together,” she said.

Forsyth and Oxtoby opened their human clinic with two treatment beds in Cochrane in March, but also travel to barns to treat riders (as well as at a Calgary-area stable). Their most popular service is mobile clinics.

“We travel across Canada doing clinics where we watch you initially ride for 15 minutes and ideally have a conversation with your coach, or your trainer, or yourself about what is working well and what isn’t working,” said Oxtoby.

After observing riders, one physiotherapist treats the horse and the other treats the human, and they then provide the clients with an exercise and treatment plan.

Most of their clientele comes from the show jumping world — Oxtoby is a dressage rider and Forsyth is a show jumper — but they’re hoping to expand their business to the rodeo world.

Injuries to riders can be very discipline specific, said Oxtoby. Team ropers are more likely to have shoulder injuries, while steer wrestlers will have more back pain.

It’s the same story for horses — dressage horses are more likely to have ligament and tendon injuries, while show jumping horses often suffer from overuse of their hamstrings or pain in the sacroiliac joint.

Since Forsyth and Oxtoby are registered physiotherapists, their services are covered through most benefit plans. They also educate people on how they can prevent injuries, and improve their performance as riders.

“If you’re a barrel racer and your pelvis is asymmetrical, you’re going to turn on one barrel better than the other barrels,” said Oxtoby. “And is that indirectly causing pelvis issues in your horse?”

Problems in the rider’s body can also make big differences to the horse, because humans and horses communicate through body language, she said.

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