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Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: Shifting Gears, For The Good Of The Horse

I began this column at the start of 2020. I had no idea where it would lead, nor did anyone have an idea how the entire year of 2020 would play out. The goal, which the title of the series, “Thoroughbred Makeover Diaries,” reflected, was that I would chronicle my journey to the 2020 Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover. This was to be an especially unique journey for me because I spent the previous five years “talking” about the Thoroughbred Makeover as the event's announcer, and now I would be “doing” it by retraining and competing with my first OTTB straight off the track.

In the year and a half since I started sharing my adventures, the direction of my column has been full of many twists and turns, highs and lows, and rewarding and frustrating moments. It's been about what the character Ferris Bueller says in the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off, “The question isn't what are we going to do. The question is what aren't we going to do.”

Putting “Thoroughbred Makeover” in my GPS has inspired a route that includes learning about the mind and body of the Thoroughbred sporthorse, learning about life lessons that OTTBs teach us, learning about the awesome and humbling responsibility we have to these special animals and how the racing and aftercare industries sometimes meet it and sometimes fall short, and learning that we're not in complete control of where the journey leads.

Because I've tried to follow Ferris Bueller's most famous advice from the movie, “Life moves pretty fast; if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it,” I'm rebranding this column to reflect how the Thoroughbred Makeover represents so much more than the Thoroughbred Makeover.

Welcome to “Horowitz on OTTBs,” where I'll continue to explore the many roads of aftercare. To start, this will be the first in a three-part mini-series called “Not Every Horse.”

In Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the main characters' day that ultimately changes their lives includes going to a Chicago Cubs game. The journey I started retraining a retired racehorse was with an Illinois-bred named after the Cubs, the 2016 bay mare Cubbie Girl North.

My goal was to event with Cubbie at the Thoroughbred Makeover. There was never any doubt about her physical ability to do that. She jumped over the 4-foot vinyl fencing that lined our arena the first time we free-jumped her in January 2020, one month into our retraining. (See “Mind Over Matter.”)

I've documented that our challenges were mental. I wrote in “Riding An OTTB Isn't So Different From Playing Poker.”

The extreme highs and lows have come on top of each other, like when Cubbie busted my chin open and gave me seven stitches three days before we would go on to surpass Ashley's and my expectations by completing our first recognized event.

Cubbie has zero patience for gray areas when she's being ridden, but I'm still learning. I'm not a professional like Ashley and don't have the same tact and skill set for dealing with a horse that wants to become dangerous when things don't go her way. After a disagreement in dressage warm-up for our last event in October, my goal went from success to simply survival. We did survive dressage — with the second-worst score across all levels and all divisions at a show with 195 riders — and even managed to go double clear with no jumping or time faults in cross country and in stadium jumping. But our communication has broken down.

The last time I rode Cubbie was during our stadium jumping round at the Windermere Run Horse Trials in Missouri in October 2020. During our warmup, Cubbie got angry when I asked her pick up the right-lead canter. So, I was relieved knowing that the jumper course started to the left. Cubbie did switch to the right lead over the jumps when we changed directions. We had a clear round, but the good result was insignificant compared to the challenges we faced in our journey.

OTTB Cubbie has found a new partner in Nicole

I subsequently had our veterinarian do extensive evaluation on Cubbie to determine that the issue was anger and not injury. It was becoming clear that Cubbie and I were not an effective match. I decided to give Cubbie a chance with a young, up-and-coming eventing trainer, Nicole Dayberry, a senior at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs majoring in business management with minors in marketing and psychology and hopes of starting her own equine business. I leased Cubbie to Nicole in January 2021.

Over the next few months, Nicole would send me updates about how she and Cubbie were doing, and I decided to visit them at MaeBree Ranch in Larkspur, Colo., on June 21.

There are differences between Nicole and me in the approaches we took to Cubbie. With the Thoroughbred Makeover as our intended destination 10 months after Cubbie and I started working together, I pushed Cubbie and myself to reach certain benchmarks at certain times. Nicole has not pushed it when it comes to working with Cubbie. She spent months adjusting Cubbie's diet and doing bodywork on the mare. She put Cubbie on a magnesium supplement and gave her chiropractic and MagnaWave treatments. She's bestowed on Cubbie a number of nicknames, like Miss Girl, North, and Ladybug.

“I like spoiling her as much as I can,” Nicole said.

Nicole said she had only jumped Cubbie “maybe twice” prior to working her at the walk, trot, and canter on the flat and then popping her over a jump during my visit.

“She's so quiet for me, and she's been so workable,” Nicole said. “She's happy and fun to work with, and everything comes as it comes.”

Nicole was happy. Cubbie was happy. And, as someone who truly loves Cubbie, I was happy.

The big lesson from my story with Cubbie is that the first home a retired racehorse has off the track may not be the best match. I wish that Cubbie and I could have continued our journey to the Thoroughbred Makeover and beyond, but that would be selfish to put myself and my horse in a position where we weren't able to effectively grow. I found another path for Cubbie with Nicole that is more suitable for her, and it put a smile on my face to see the mare I love find success off the track, even if it wasn't how I originally scripted it.

“I couldn't imagine my life without her,” Nicole told me when I asked if she'd be interested in buying Cubbie after the lease.

Not every horse thrives in every home right off the track. Yes, I wanted to be that home for Cubbie, but for people that truly love their horses, the focus should be on what's actually best for the horse. That may very well be a second home or a third home. We can make a difference by being part of a horse's journey, even if we're not the final destination.

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Selecting Horse Hay: Separating Fact From Fiction

Horse people are often described as picky, fussy or difficult when it comes to hay selection. This description is not surprising because many horses are either very valuable or viewed as part of the family.

It is often a lack of knowledge about selecting quality hay that gives horse owners a bad name and forces them to pay more for hay than their neighbors with other types of livestock. Myths develop because of a piece of truth that becomes inflated and held as absolute truth without justification. To improve our knowledge of hay selection, here are a few common myths about hay, how these myths came to be accepted and, finally, “the truth.”

Note: For the purposes of this article, “high quality hay” refers to hay with a high nutritive value.

Myth: Second cutting hay is always the best cutting.

How it came about: The number one factor that determines hay quality is stage of maturity at harvest. Cool season grasses such as orchardgrass and timothy will produce a seedhead in the spring, often just in time for the first cutting. For the hay producer, this means an increase in yield and therefore more bales can be harvested and sold. However, this also means that fiber is elevated in the crop, therefore reducing quality. Because seedheads are only produced one time per year in cool season grasses, subsequent cuttings do not contain them and second or later cuttings will be generally less fibrous as a result. Second cuttings tend to cure more quickly and are less likely to experience rain damage; both contribute to higher quality relative to first cutting.

Truth: First cutting hay can be high quality if cut early and second cutting can be low quality if it cut late. Stage of maturity and other management factors affect hay quality at harvest. High quality (or low quality) hay can be harvested from late spring to late fall if weather and management conditions are right. Quality should never be assessed based on cutting number, but on a laboratory-performed analysis.

Myth: Horses require higher quality hay than cattle.

How it came about: Some horses, especially those with high nutrient requirements, do require higher quality hay than cattle. Horses and cattle have very different digestive tracts. Cattle are ruminants and are able to breakdown fiber very efficiently, whereas horses are monogastrics with a functional large intestine (hindgut fermenters) and are less efficient at fiber digestion. Therefore, cattle can perform well on lower quality hay that horses cannot digest well.

Truth: Individual needs of the animal should dictate the quality of hay provided. An easy-keeping Quarter Horse in light work does not need the same quality of hay as a Thoroughbred at the peak of its racing career. Similarly, an open Angus cow does not need the same quality of hay that a high producing dairy Holstein needs at the peak of lactation. Consider the current body condition, level of work and pasture availability of your horse. Then choose hay that will meet the needs of your horse without excess based on a hay test.

Myth: (Fill in the blank) is the best type of hay.

How it came about: Statements such as this often come from horse owners that have moved from one area of the country (or world) to another and are not accustomed to the local hay. Different forages are adapted to different soils and climate conditions, so the most common hays available for horses vary among regions.

Truth: Hay quality is not about the forage species or even the variety. Forage species used for hay will fall into one of two categories: grasses or legumes. Grasses can include orchardgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, bermudagrass, timothy, teff and smooth bromegrass. Legumes include alfalfa, red and white clover, lespedeza and birdsfoot trefoil. When managed and harvested correctly, legumes will be higher in quality than grasses; however there will be little difference between different grasses or between different legumes when all other factors are held constant. Buying quality, local hay will likely save money due to reduced transportation costs. Make sure to address any concerns with a specific grass or legume species, such as endophyte infected tall fescue. If you are concerned about feeding a certain species of hay, ask your local county extension agent or equine nutritionist about it.

Myth: Forage stored as round hay bales or as silage contain diseases such as botulism and should not be fed to horses.

How it came about: The botulism bacterium prefers moist conditions and is commonly found in the soil, in stream sediments and in the intestinal tracts of fish and mammals. Silage (haylage) by definition is stored with higher moisture than hay, and when not properly handled, can allow the botulism bacterium to flourish. Hay that is conserved in large round bales is usually baled at a similar (often lower) moisture content as small square bales and thus is different than haylage. However, if round hay bales are stored outside, they can get wet from rain, encouraging the growth of bacteria and mold.

Truth: Proper storage, handling and feeding of round hay bales will minimize the risk of botulism in horses. Round hay bales should be covered when stored and fed using a hay feeder to reduce contamination from trampling and urination. Round bales that show clear signs of mold should not be fed to horses. Feeding silage to horses is much more common in other countries than in the U.S. Silage should be put up at the proper moisture content for the style of storage, kept airtight until feeding and fed quickly to reduce the risk of botulism. Silage should always be tested for forage quality before feeding. In botulism prone areas, a veterinarian should be consulted about the use of silage and the inclusion of a vaccination against botulism to protect horses.

Myth: Don't feed hay that has been rained on.

How it came about: Rain negatively affects hay in a variety of ways:

Rain on recently cut hay can prolong plant respiration and reduce energy content.

Rain on legumes will cause leaves to separate from the stems (called leaf shatter) and therefore remove the more nutritious portion of the plant. Fibrous stems will then be more concentrated in the final product, causing a decrease in quality.

Rain will also cause leaching of sugar and other carbohydrates, proteins and minerals.

Heavy rain can splash soil up onto curing hay, which can increase dustiness and rapidity of molding.

Truth: Rained on hay can be acceptable quality. While rain usually negatively affects hay, to what degree depends on several factors, including what type of hay is being harvested, how much/how intense the rain fell, stage of curing when it rained and what the producer has done to counteract these negative effects. For example, if light rain occurs within a day of cutting, it has very little effect on hay quality. All hay, especially material that has been rained on should be tested for quality and inspected for mold or dustiness before use.

Myth: Hay should be stored for six weeks before feeding.

How it came about: This myth likely came about from hay testing. After hay is stored in a barn, it will continue to cure for four to eight weeks. During this curing period, the quality of the hay can change slightly.

Truth: Hay can be fed at any time after harvesting. Hay should not be tested until it has been stored for six to eight weeks to increase the accuracy of the hay test. While feeding hay sooner will not be harmful to horses, it will be difficult to balance the ration because the quality of the hay is unknown.

Myth: Green is good; brown is bad.

How it came about: Often, hay that has been harvested too late or mishandled will lose its green color due to processes such as heating and bleaching. Green hay is less likely to have gone through these processes and more likely to be of quality.

Truth: A hay test is the only way to truly evaluate quality. No quality factors directly affect color or vice versa. Therefore, color is an inconsistent factor to evaluate the quality of hay.

Myth: Feeding hay causes a large, distended digestive tract, known as a hay belly.

How it came about: Hay belly usually results when malnourished horses are provided large quantities of low quality, high fiber hay. The horse will usually be thin over the neck, withers, ribs and hindquarters; however the belly will appear large because the horse is consuming large amounts of hay.

Truth: A balanced ration that includes quality pasture or hay will maintain a horse at an ideal condition without excessive gut fill.

It is important to remember that horses evolved consuming forage, and whether in the form of pasture or hay, is an important component in the equine diet. Choosing hay for your horse will depend on your horse's current condition, work level, pasture availability and the logistics of management on your farm. Hay should always be inspected and found to be free from contaminants such as weeds, insects, mold, dust and other foreign material. The nutritional value of the hay should also be evaluated prior to feeding so that a ration can be formulated that will meet the needs of your particular horse.

Study: Can Adoption Combat Wild Horse Overpopulation?

In March of 2020, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) estimated that there were about 95,000 wild horses and burros living on federal land, with an additional 50,000 being kept in holding facilities – more than triple the number of animals for appropriate land management, reports The Horse.

The BLM says that private adoptions of these wild animals are key to controlling the overpopulation problem. Dr. Jill Stowe, a University of Kentucky associate professor of agricultural economics, and Hannah White, Stowe's student, created a survey to determine what horse owners thought about this solution to overpopulation. The team created a survey that was shared on social media to try to determine if enough people were willing to adopt one of these animals to eliminate the excess of animals.

The survey received 2,247 responses from horse owners who were over 18 years old. The research team found that more than 90 percent of those surveyed would be receptive to adopting a wild horse or burro in some capacity.

The scientists also found that “ … respondents are willing to pay an average of $282.03 more for a horse that has received training for basic ground manners and $539.21 more for a horse that has been started under saddle as compared with a completely unhandled horse,” reports Stowe.

Additionally, previous wild horse and burro adopters are willing to pay more, indicating that their first adoption experience was positive.

The team found that the two biggest barriers to adopting a wild horse or burro was accessibility to appropriate facilities and lack of experience, skills and time to start an unhandled horse.

Stowe concluded that if 4 to 5 percent of horse-owning households in the United State adopted one wild horse or burro, the 70,000-animal surplus could be eliminated. She suggested that education of horse owners on adoption requirements, training of horses and targeted information dissemination could help place more wild horses and burros.

Is Your Horse Stressed? Boehringer Ingelheim Has A Special Soundtrack For Them — No, Really

Boehringer Ingelheim is focused on helping keep horses safe and “sound” when it comes to stress with the release of a music track specially designed to help reduce stress in horses. Research shows stress can quickly turn into equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS), with one study showing horses can develop stomach ulcers in as few as five days.

The musical arrangement features soothing music designed with the horse in mind. The track was created by Janet Marlow, sound behaviorist, composer, researcher and founder of Pet Acoustics Inc. Marlow focused on creating rhythms and melodies composed for the listening comfort of the horse, including specific pitch, tone and frequencies. Studies show that playing music can help balance equine behavior because it helps mask outside sounds and vibrations, as well as provide a positive and relaxing effect.

“When Boehringer Ingelheim expressed an interest in doing something to help manage stress in horses, I was extremely interested based on my research in this area,” said Janet Marlow, founder of Pet Acoustics. “It's all about composing music and modifying the decibel and frequency levels of each note for the comfortable hearing range of the animal. Using this process, we have tested music through clinical studies at veterinary hospitals, barns, etc. to see the music elicit a release of physical tensions and stress behaviors.”

To access it, veterinarians and horse owners can visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoekmWDxfuaOGuL1ELoPIGQ/videos. Visitors will be able to play the music track and video, as well as gain access to additional resources on stress, EGUS, and ways to help prevent it.

This includes information on the use of Ulcergard^® (omeprazole), to help reduce the creation of acid in a horse's stomach during times of stress, helping to maintain optimal gastric health. For ulcer prevention, horses should be given ULCERGARD once daily during these stressful periods. ULCERGARD is the only prevention for equine gastric ulcers that is proven to be safe, effective and approved by the FDA.

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