Horse Care | Horse Racing Free Tips

Your Horse May Be Telling You It’s Time For A New Bit; Here’s How To Listen

While enjoying a ride with your best horse, she throws her head in frustration and pins her ears. You chalk it up as an off day, one of many as of late, but it could be much more than that. It could be time to change bits.

“It is important to understand what the bit is doing and what to watch for,” cautions Dr. Chris Blevins, associate professor in Equine Field Service with Kansas State University. “It is our responsibility to keep our horses comfortable.”

If your horse is experiencing bit pain and discomfort, you may notice signs of bit resistance.

“There are several signs of bit resistance,” says Judy Auble, with Toklat and Myler bits. “The best way to determine whether your horse needs a new bit is to pay attention to how your horse reacts to your rein action and rein pressure.”

Could it be time to change bits? Watch for these warning signs:

Inverting, when horses ride with their muzzles held high
Riding behind the vertical, as horses tuck their nose into the chest
Gaping, when horses drop their jaws behind the vertical, relieving tongue pressure
Running through the bit or being heavy on the bit
Riding with their tongue out of the mouth
Consistent throwing of head and pinning of ears

“If you think your horse is experiencing bit resistance, look for the behavior repeated frequently and routinely,” Auble said. “When a horse inverts only once in a while or is fussing because his trail buddies left him on the trail, it could be more of a behavior or training issue.”

When exploring new bit options for your horse, take into consideration not only what you are doing with your horse, but also which mouthpiece best fits your riding style, recommends Dr. Blevins.

Visit ValleyVet.com to continue learning more about horse care.

About Valley Vet Supply

Valley Vet Supply was founded in 1985 by veterinarians to provide customers with the very best animal health solutions. Building on over half a century of experience in veterinary medicine, Valley Vet Supply serves equine, pet and livestock owners with thousands of products and medications hand-selected by Valley Vet Supply founding veterinarians and their professional staff. With an in-house pharmacy that is licensed in all 50 states, and verified through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), Valley Vet Supply is the dedicated source for all things horse, livestock and pet. For more information, please visit ValleyVet.com.

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KHC Partners With University Of Kentucky To Launch 2022 Statewide Equine Survey

The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) has partnered with the University of Kentucky to launch a state-wide survey, which will allow the organization to better serve and protect horses and the horse industry in the Commonwealth.

Just like the agritech, automotive and manufacturing industries are integral to Kentucky's economy, so are equines. The core of this unique economic cluster is its private and commercial horse farms and equine operations, from which hundreds of equine-related businesses stem. These businesses encompass everything from transportation, farm-related and professional services and associations to equine health services, tourism and related businesses. These ancillary businesses create an unmatched competitive advantage for Kentucky's equine industry.

A comprehensive study of the Commonwealth's equine industry was completed in 2012; it was the first survey of its kind to be done since 1977. The 2022 study will once again be a collaborative effort between the Kentucky Horse Council, the University of Kentucky and the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). This information will be beneficial for local and state policymakers, nonprofit organizations and local government officials, among others. The survey, which will provide information critical to Kentucky's equine economy on a county-by-county basis, will:

Provide data for disease surveillance
Keep policy makers informed and engaged proactively
Inform workforce development
Identify emerging markets on which businesses can capitalize

“As the KHC is a non-breed, non-discipline specific organization focused on the protection and development of the Kentucky equine community, the information gleaned from this survey will be invaluable,” said Sarah Coleman, KHC executive director. “We're excited to learn more about the horses residing in the Commonwealth and how we can better assist them and their owners.”

Data obtained from this study are important for the sustained strength and continued growth of Kentucky's equine industry,” says Dr. Jill Stowe, a professor at the University of Kentucky and an equine industry economist. “Decision makers such as entrepreneurs and business owners, equine health providers, and policy makers can utilize this data to make sound, well-informed decisions on important issues facing the industry.”

Once complete, results will be available in county-level fact sheets as well as in a statewide report. All materials will be downloadable from the KHC website, free of charge.

This survey has received financial support from the Kentucky Agriculture Development Fund, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and the Environment; UK Gluck Equine Research Center; the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association; the Kentucky Horse Council and the Kentucky Farm Bureau. It is supported by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the Office of the Kentucky State Veterinarian and Representative Matt Koch. Interested in supporting this effort? Email Danielle Jostes, Equine Philanthropy Director, at danielle.jostes@uky.edu or call 859-218-1176.

Click here to participate in the 2022 Kentucky Equine Survey. Questions can be directed to equine@uky.edu. Information about the 2012 Kentucky Equine Survey can be found at https://equine.ca.uky.edu/kyequinesurvey.

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3D Printer Gives A Draft Horse Reason To Breathe Easier

When Ronnie, a 2,000-pound draft horse owned by an Amish family in Clark, Missouri, started having trouble breathing, he was taken to the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. There, equine veterinarian Joanne Kramer surgically created a hole in the horse's windpipe to help him breathe easier and bypass a permanent airway obstruction.

However, there was still an issue holding Ronnie back. He was a working horse and needed to be in top physical shape to meet the demands of his daily farm tasks.

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“After the tracheotomy, Ronnie was just fine walking around, but he had some extra skin around the hole in the windpipe that kept flapping into the hole when he was out on his family's farm plowing the fields, causing him to tire very easily,” said Kevin Keegan, a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine that oversaw Ronnie's recovery. “What we needed was some type of device to put in the windpipe hole that would allow air to come in while still blocking out the extra skin, dust and bugs.”

So, Keegan teamed up with two undergraduate students in the MU College of Engineering, who are also members of MU's 3D printing club. The collaboration resulted in an innovative solution that highlights the power of precision medicine, one of the key cornerstones of the NextGen Precision Health Initiative.

“We created a device using thermoplastic polyurethane filament, which is a flexible material,” said Holly Anderson, a senior from St. Louis majoring in biomedical engineering. “Most filaments tend to be much harder and stiffer, but we needed something we could squeeze into the horse's trachea that wouldn't crack or deform over time.”

After the first prototype was created, Keegan and the students tried to schedule a meeting with Ronnie's owner, but that turned out trickier than expected because the Amish traditionally do not use cell phones or other forms of technology.

A woman who serves as an intermediary between the Amish community in Clark and the general public was able to help Keegan and the students arrange a time for the visit. But soon after arriving on the farm, they realized the device was too big for Ronnie's hole in the windpipe.

“So, we knew we needed to make some adjustments,” said Griffen Mustion, a junior from Springfield, Missouri, who is majoring in biomedical engineering. “I stuck my fingers into the gap of the horse's throat to see how deep it was, and then we went back to the 3D printing lab to make some tweaks to the device's size, height and depth.”

Eventually, the students found the perfect balance between making the device stiff enough to stay in place, but flexible enough to bend and expand to the right fit. They returned to the Amish farm and successfully inserted the device into Ronnie's trachea, which drastically improved his breathing and allowed him to resume his farm duties with the rest of the draft horses.

“This was a great opportunity to combine my passion for 3D printing with an opportunity to help a patient,” Anderson said. “I've always been interested in how prosthetics can help in the area of biomedical engineering and being able to improve the health of Ronnie the horse was pretty cool, too.”

Mustion added that while the patient was a 2,000 pound horse in this case, the project showcased how 3D printers can be utilized in precision medicine to help animals or people with various health issues.

“3D printing allows you to customize your product so that it fits the patient perfectly,” Mustion said. “With rapid prototyping, you can make tweaks until the product is how you want it, and that ties into precision medicine because we want to design solutions for patients that meet their needs exactly.”

Keegan, who has been an equine veterinarian at MU for the past 30 years, has recently been contacted by a horse owner in Texas with a similar problem to Ronnie's, and the team is now collaborating on another custom device to see if they can help.

“I think this project showed that custom devices for each animal are the way to go moving forward,” Keegan said. “Rather than a one-size-fits-all solution, we can measure the hole in each horse's trachea after the tracheotomy and 3D print a prototype to see if the device fits. I'm just doing my job, but it was a team effort, and I am happy to help.”

CARMAThon Raises $125,000 For Aftercare Programs In California

Brought back for an encore performance, CARMA's summer fundraiser, CARMAthon did not disappoint. The nonprofit dedicated to Thoroughbred aftercare raised more than $125,000 to help fund its programs.

With the help of TVG, CARMAthon shared the spotlight on Pacific Classic Day and shined on social media platforms. TVG's on-air commentators promoted the event throughout the day, highlighting the importance of aftercare for the sport. The network also created and played videos showcasing Thoroughbreds who retired through CARMA's Placement Program in their second careers as sport horses.

“The success of CARMAthon means so much to us and the horses,” said Billy Koch, CARMA's Treasurer and Little Red Feather Racing Founder and Managing Partner. “Taking care of horses is a responsibility and that's the truth and what we're all about. Thank you to everyone who donated to our fundraiser.”

Throughout the month leading up to the big day, CARMAthon hype dominated Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Many supporters could not wait to donate to CARMAthon and began making contributions before the event even started. Once CARMAthon kicked off Saturday morning, donations continued to come in around the clock, even during the early morning and overnight hours.

“We were so touched by the overwhelming success of the event in back-to-back years,” said CARMA Executive Director Lucinda Lovitt. “We didn't know if people would be receptive to another virtual fundraiser but the level of donations, and social media engagement by the racing community, fans, and equine enthusiasts across the country was just amazing.”

CARMAthon donors included TVG Network, Marsha Naify, Samantha Siegel, Oak Tree Racing Foundation, Bob & Jill Baffert, James Perry, Joe & Debby McCloskey, Santa Anita Park, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Amerman Racing, Golden Gate Fields, Madeline Auerbach, MyRaceHorse, Onofrio Pecoraro, Ben Posen, Edward “Rusty” Brown Jr., Mickey Segal, Domenic Savides, Gary Hosman, Rick Gold, Joel & Cathy Eichenberger, Thorbred Stables and Kevin Lane.

For more information and to donate to CARMA at any time, visit CARMA4horses.org or contact Lucinda Lovitt at (626) 574-6622 or lucinda@carma4horses.org.

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