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Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

While many horses wear leg boots or wraps when working to prevent injury, recent studies report that these boots may increase the temperature leg temperature and harm the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), reports The Horse.

Researchers from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) created a study to determine whether different leg wraps increase the temperature of the leg during exercise. Graduate student Luke Brock explained that the equine lower limb has little muscle below the knee and hock, so it cools itself by taking the heat away from the skin's surface. Using a boot or bandage to the leg creates an insulating effect, which can harm the SDFT.

Heat dissipation depends on leg protection design and application, material permeability, heat produced during exercise, temperature and humidity outside, and rate of ambient air exchange. The MTSU research team compared six types of leg protection: a neoprene boot, perforated neoprene boots, plant-based neoprene boots, cross-country boots, elastic track bandages, and fleece polo wraps.

Each horse wore each type of boot over six exercise sessions, which involved 20 minutes of work followed by 180 minutes of standing recovery. Each horse wore one boot on a foreleg; the other leg served as a control. A special tool was used to measure limb temperature and humidity every minute the horse wore the boot.

The team discovered that the leg not wearing any boot had the lowest temperature. The fleece polo wrap caused the most heat and humidity buildup. All limbs wearing boots rose to temperatures that could harm tendon cells. None of the treated limbs returned to their baseline temperature after the recovery period.

The researchers determined the limb's cooling ability is impaired by boots and wraps, which can damage the SDFT. Before applying boots, the team recommends riders consider the intensity of the workload, the ambient temperature, boot design and material, and how the horse goes.

If a horse wears leg protection, it's best to remove it as soon as possible once the horse is done working, then cold horse the legs, they conclude.

Miniature Horse Has Complete Hip Replacement

Veterinarians at the University of Liverpool have totally replaced the hip of a Miniature Horse. Duncan arrived at the clinic in July severely lame in his hind leg; a CT scan showed that he had dislocated the left hip joint and damaged the head of the femur beyond repair.

Duncan's vet, Dr. Dave Stack, discussed treatment options with some small-animal surgical specialists. As Duncan weighed under 200 pounds, they felt that a total hip replacement was an option to offer pain relief and a good quality of life.

The procedure had been tried before in small ponies but had failed. To be a success, teamwork between equine and small animal surgeons was paramount; anesthesiologists and internal medicine were also integral to a successful outcome.

The surgery team placed a hip implant used on large dogs in Duncan. The gelding stayed in the clinic for over three weeks and required 24/7 supervision. He also required intensive physiotherapy to return to normal function. He is now able to walk and trot almost normally, the vets report.

Study: Too-Tight Nosebands Can Lead To Nasal Bone Damage In Horses

A new study X-rayed the heads of 144 horses and found many showed bony changes where the noseband typically sits. Though the scientists stress that their study doesn't provide evidence of a link between the noseband, its tightness and the lesions, they do feel that the lesions warrant further investigation on welfare grounds.

The use of too-tight nosebands is concerning to veterinarians, scientists and other equine welfare advocates who worry that the device, if used too tightly, causes distress and applies too much pressure to the tissues in the horse's head, potentially injuring both the tissue and the bone beneath it.

The study used 144 mature Warmblood horses, all used in the Mexican Army and based in Mexico City. Each horse began his career in training for dressage, showjumping and eventing. Noseband tightness is not routinely checked with any type of gauge. The horses were evaluated both physically and with an X-ray. The physical exam looked for lesions, pain on palpation or white hairs where the noseband or curb chain rest.

A week later, X-rays were taken and assessed by veterinarian diagnostic imaging specialists who knew nothing about the horses they were studying. The X-rays were examined for bone remodeling, radiographic opacity and soft tissue thickness in the areas where the noseband meets the lower jaw and nasal bones. They reported bone thickening in the nasal bones of 6.9 percent and 8.3 percent of the horses, and bone thinning in 33.3 percent and 56.9 percent of horses. The radiologists found increased bone deposition in 18.8 percent and 32.6 percent of the lower jaws of horses.

The scientists conclude that these results are the first evidence of bone lesions in the areas typically subjected to pressure from restricted nosebands. They note that this deformation of bone for competitive advantage is difficult to justify on ethical grounds.

Read the full study here.

How Does Wildfire Smoke Affect Horse Health?

With over 100 wildfires raging in multiple states, both humans and animals are breathing unhealthy air containing smoke and particulates. These particulates can cause burning eyes, running noses and breathing complications like bronchitis. Smoke can also exacerbate heart and lung issues like congestive heart failure and asthma or heaves.

Though the composition of smoke differs with what is being burned, the particulate matter in the smoke is of the most concern. “Particulate” is a catch-all term used to encompass the mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air. Particulates from smoke are very tiny, enabling them to get to the deepest part of the airways.

Horses that breathe particulates from smoke may have reduced lung function in addition to irritated eyes and respiratory tract. Particulates can also reduce the lung's ability to remove foreign materials like bacteria and pollen.

A healthy horse's respiration rate should be between 12 and 24 breaths per minute. If the horse is breathing consistently more than 30 breaths per minute, is having difficulty breathing, has flared nostrils, is coughing deeply or has abnormal nasal discharge, a veterinarian should be called.

To protect horse health during wildfires:

Limit exercise the horse is smoke is visible
Reduce exposure to dust by feeding dust-free hay or by soaking hay before feeding
Offer fresh water close to grain or hay; water will assist in clearing inhaled particulates
Contact a vet if the horse is coughing or having trouble breathing
Give a horse ideally 4 to 6 weeks to recover from airway damage from wildfire smoke once the air had cleared

The post How Does Wildfire Smoke Affect Horse Health? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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