The standard colic surgery needed for horses which do require medical intervention involves putting the horse under general anesthesia, laying him down and opening the horse along his ventral midline. This type of surgery carries additional risk to the horse and adds significantly to the cost of treatment.

A new study has found that a flank incision, made while the horse is standing, may be a good option for specific types of colic. This type of surgery is less risky to the horse and less of a financial strain for the owner.

Dr. Marco Lopes and a study team reviewed records of 26 horses and ponies and one donkey which underwent a standing flank laparotomy between 2003 and 2020. The main reason for the decision to utilize this particular surgery was financial.

Though seven animals were euthanized due to an untreatable condition or a poor chance of survival, 20 of the 30 horses with treatable conditions survived. The surviving horses suffered from small intestine impaction or inflammation, large colon displacement (specifically nephrosplenic ligament entrapment), and sand impaction.

Small colon impaction has already been found to respond well to the standing-flank incision method of treatment.

Study authors found that there are limitations to the surgery. These include:

• The horse must remain still during the operation; one in intense pain from severe colic may not be able to have his pain controlled well enough to complete the surgery
• Peritoneal cavity and abdominal organ access is not as good as with a typical ventral midline incision
• A second incision on the opposite flank may be necessary

The team concluded that a standing flank laparotomy may be a viable approach for abdominopelvic exploration in horses with colic related to the small intestine, cecum, large colon, and peritoneum.

Read more at Equine Science Update.

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The equine portion of the survey, which was conducted by the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) and the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH), was sent to 37 NEWC members and 126 equine rescues. Of those asked, 74 responded. Respondents feel that their organizations will be most impacted by the pandemic during winter months when welfare cases tend to rise because of the increase in costs associated with caring for horses.

It was noted that even with decreased donations, rescues still must attend to the animals in their care. British equine rescue and adoption agencies are once again placing horses into homes, but an increase in horses needing their assistance is expected.

There are nearly 850,000 equines in the United Kingdom with at least 7,000 of those animals were considered at risk before the pandemic hit. The rescues responded that they feel the pandemic will place additional pressure on equine welfare organizations, many of which are already operating at capacity.

Over 83 percent of the responding organizations, both large and small, reported that their fundraising has been impacted with the pandemic, with more than half reporting an income reduction of over 50 percent. Rescues that utilized shops to sell merchandise closed to visitors, greatly impacting their donations. More than 40 percent of organizations furloughed staff and over 70 percent had to reduce or eliminate volunteer help. Despite this bleak financial news, 62 percent of rescues still took in urgent welfare cases during lockdown.

An Equine Emergency Rescue Fund has been established to provide grants to British equine welfare organizations in need of financial assistance.

Read more at HorseTalk.

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In the spring of 2020, the horse racing industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in many racetracks throughout the United States postponing or shortening their race meets.  With limited races available for horses, many owners and smaller training operations and have suffered a financial hit, resulting in the need to retire some of their runners. Due to the possibility of historical numbers of horses needing to be placed in aftercare the We Are Here Initiative has been proactively created for the horses to facilitate their journey from the track to various aftercare organizations nationwide.

Thoroughbred owners and trainers needing to rehome their horses can contact the We Are Here hotline at 833-924-6882 (833-WAH-OTTB), which will provide information regarding the initial steps to be taken.

Thoroughbreds being rehomed to We Are Here must meet certain criteria to be eligible for this program.  Horses must be registered Thoroughbreds trained by a licensed trainer in the United States; horses much be located at a US licensed racetrack or training facility, or verified to be eligible for the 2020 racing season; and horses will need a current Coggins, health certificate, and the completed “We Are Here” documentation.

“When racetracks closed down, I began to worry that the horses and their wonderful caretakers were going to need us at the very moment most aftercare facilities were either closed or dealing with severe financial strain. The Kentucky Horse Park stepped up to the plate to offer 100 stalls, and a partnership was formed with the Secretariat Center to provide a place for these horses to go until such a time as space opens in the various Aftercares nationwide,” says Dorothy Crowell, Deputy Director of We Are Here Initiative and Secretariat Center Board President.

“Horsemen and horsewomen are inherently resilient and supportive of each other in tough times. We all believe our industry will survive the crisis we are currently under, but we recognize these are threatening times in horse racing, not only financially, but in other ways that affect our day to day lives. The We Are Here initiative was put in motion to ensure race horses in need will be safe, cared for and transition to new careers.  Most importantly, through this initiative we hope all horsemen and horsewomen know and understand, We Are Here to support you,” says Eric Hamelback, Executive Director of We Are Here Initiative and CEO of The National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA).

For more information about the We Are Here Initiative, to donate, or to learn more about surrendering Thoroughbreds in your care, please visit www.wahi.info. To contact the We Are Here Hotline, please dial 833-WAH-OTTB (833-924-6882).

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