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Buddy Up: Stressed Horses Respond Better With A Friend

Horses that are stressed or scared are better able to cope when they have another horse nearby. Whether they know the horse or not is of little consequence; the presence of another horse can reduce the first horse's reaction to what is scaring him and can calm him down after the scare, reports The Horse.

Dr. Claire Ricci-Bonot led a study that paired 32 riding school horses with a companion horse they did or did not know.

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Half the companion horses were taught to not react to an opening umbrella or a striped gymnastics ball being placed near their hooves. The test horses, either with or without a companion they may have been familiar with, were then exposed to the objects.

The research team measured the test horses' heart rates and reactions, discovering that the horses reacted more calmly to the ball when they had a companion with them, whether they knew the other horse or not.

Their fearful reaction to the umbrella was the same with and without a companion, but the test horse's heart rate decreased more rapidly when paired with a companion than when alone. This discovery suggests that a companion has a post-reaction calming effect.

Dewormers Will Require A Prescription In 2022; Irish Horse Owners Unhappy

Horse owners in the United States, Ireland, and England have been able to purchase deworming medication without a veterinary prescription for years. In Ireland, that will change on January 28, 2022, when a veterinarian will be required to prescribe deworming medications for horse owners; they will no longer be able to order them online or purchase them at their local farm and fleet store.

Current European Union regulations require dewormers to be available only by prescription.

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The Irish Department of Agriculture and the Health Products Regulatory Authority identified conclusive evidence of widespread resistance to wormers: benzimidazole, levamisole, ivermectin and moxidectin are becoming increasingly ineffective at treating worms.

The new Irish regulatory measure is an attempt to slow drug resistance in the country by ensuring the dewormers are only being used when necessary.

There is concern among horse and farm owners that veterinarians will try to capitalize on the tightening of dewormer access as there are no mechanisms in place to remove or limit the economic incentive from medical sales. Smuggling dewormers into the country is also a concern.

Read more at AgriDirect and Westgate Labs.

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Sore Back? Skip The Bute

Horse owners have been known to take medications prescribed to the animals in their care, despite the possible dangers. While some anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, and dewormers may be the same in both human and equine medicine, but their formulations can be vastly different; because of this, human ingestion of equine drugs isn't recommended.

An American woman experiencing severe back pain attempted to take some phenylbutazone (Bute) that had been prescribed for one of the horses in her care. She took three doses of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), each suitable for a 400-pound horse, reports the journal Clinics and Practice.

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Three days later, the woman went to the hospital complaining of nausea, vomiting and weakness, which she said she had been experiencing for two weeks. She often had back pain that was controlled by use of over-the-counter naproxen, but reported that this episode was exceptionally painful, which is why she ingested the Bute.

She presented to the hospital with nearly low blood pressure, a high heart rate, and normal O2 levels, as well as dry mucous membranes. Blood work showed a low white blood count, low platelet levels, elevated liver enzymes, and acute kidney injury. Her urine blood screen showed use of amphetamines and marijuana.

Poison control and toxicology were engaged once it was discovered she had ingested the Bute, but no antidote was recommended. She was given an N-acetyl cysteine and sodium bicarbonate drip because of the suspected acute liver damage caused by the phenylbutazone.

After three days of in-hospital treatment, the woman was feeling better and checked herself out.

Though phenylbutazone was used in human medicine for the treatment of multiple forms of arthritis, it was removed from the human medicinal arsenal in 1970 because of an increased risk of agranulocytosis, a life-threatening blood disorder.

Equine Assisted Therapy Major Launched At Emory & Henry College

Emory & Henry College will begin offering a new bachelor's of art degree in Equine Assisted Therapy, starting in Fall 2021.

The Equine Assisted Therapy major is an interdisciplinary major blending psychology and equine studies courses, designed to provide students with a thorough knowledge of human psychology and psychopathology and how horses may be used in order to improve the psychological functioning of a wide range of individuals.

“This interdisciplinary program blends the college's expertise in equine studies and psychology to create an opportunity for students who are interested in utilizing their knowledge and love of horses in order to offer therapeutic services to children and adults,” says Jessica Denniston, Clinical Assistant Professor of Equine Studies. “This major provides an excellent path for students interested in receiving graduate training in various mental health fields as well as allied fields such as occupational therapy.”

The program will be based on the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) model of practice, so students will be prepared to become an EAGALA certified therapist. EAGALA is recognized as the standard-setting organization in this field.

Graduates will be prepared for careers such as equine specialist for a therapeutic center, mental health specialist, working in a residential therapy setting, managing a therapy program as well as graduate studies in programs such as Emory & Henry's master's of Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

For more information, please visit www.ehc.edu/equinetherapy. To apply, visit www.ehc.edu/apply.

About Emory & Henry College:

Located in the Highlands of Virginia, Emory & Henry offers a community filled with engaged students who choose to contribute to society and make a difference. Consistently ranked among the nation's best private liberal arts institutions, Emory & Henry has more than 80 academic majors and tracks, including the new Schools of Nursing and Business, and an average class size of 14 students making individualized education a priority. Students are connected to the world of work through our distinctive van Vlissingen Center for Career and Professional Development and Student Success Centers. Through integrated liberal arts learning and hands-on experiences all students are supported to connect their classroom experiences and projects with domestic or global travel, internships and civic engagement. Visit www.ehc.edu for more information.

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