Horse Care | Horse Racing Free Tips

Oops: How Old Is That Injury?

Horses love to find ways to injure themselves and it's not always easy to determine if the lump, bump or scrape is new or old, especially if the horse isn't groomed every day or if he's sporting a long, thick winter coat. When a lump or bump is discovered, a few things can be done to determine if it's fresh and requires a call to the vet or if it's old and just now being noticed.

The feel of a lump can indicate if it's new or old: New injuries are often soft to the touch from fluid that pools in the area. A new injury will often feel hot to the touch. An older injury tends to feel firmer as it's made up of scar tissue or calcification; it will be the same temperature as the surrounding skin.

If the horse reacts to palpation, it's most likely a newer injury. Sensitivity to touch is associated with the same inflammation that causes the soft feel.

A call to the veterinarian may be in order if the lump or bump is new and if the horse is lame. Older injuries that have healed and are nothing to be alarmed about.

Keys To A Seamless Career Change, From Shedrow To Breeding Shed

Stallions that transition from the racetrack to the breeding shed must learn a whole new routine and lifestyle. The AQHA recently published a few tips to ease the potentially stressful transition and to keep the new stallion mentally and physically fit.

A horse that changes careers should have his feeding program evaluated to ensure he is receiving the right amount of calories for his work load. Though it may not be as physically intense as racing, a breeding career still requires adequate caloric intake to ensure horse health, which helps safeguard semen health as well.

When the stallion isn't actively breeding, his feeding program should again be evaluated and potentially reduced. An overweight stallion that is asked to breed has additional strain placed on his joints as he breeds a mare or mounts a dummy.

The way a horse behaves has a lot to do with the amount of activity the horse does and how many calories he burns off. Turnout is helpful to keep a horse mentally sound as it allows him to release tension from breeding in a less-structured program than ridden work. A horse that gets enough exercise is tractable and able to be handled both in the shed and on the ground.

A well-defined routine can be key to keeping a stallion happy and his handlers safe. Certain cues can be used to let a stallion know what's coming, whether that is turnout time or a trip to the shed; this helps him focus and gives him parameters of what is expected of him during each part of his day. The ability to separate “work” (the breeding shed) from “play” (turnout or ridden work) is important to prevent the horse from having to guess what's coming next and keeping a stallion mentally happy.

Woman Reunites With Missing Horse After Eight Years

Kayla Pevytoe of Magnolia, Texas, had been searching for her childhood horse, “Dixie,” for over eight years. Kayla lost track of her horse in 2013, when the mare was sold without her knowledge. Kayla tried to locate the mare using social media posts on her own pages and in other equine groups, and searched on horse sale sites and auction websites to no avail.

In 2021, people responding to Pevytoe's Facebook post encouraged her to contact NetPosse, also called Stolen Horse International. Pevytoe filed a “Searching for Horse” report on the NetPosse website. The website generated a flyer and volunteers issued a NetPosse Alert, similar to an Amber Alert for humans. The alert was posted on social media platforms, included in the organization's e-newsletter and given to network partners.

This time, the plea for information on Dixie was seen by the right person, and one of Dixie's former owners let Kayla know she had sold the mare six months prior to seeing the alert.

Pevytoe updated her report and the information was again disseminated on multiple platforms. Two days after the update went out, she got a call from a woman who thought her friend might have bought Dixie from an auction. The new owners then reached out to Pevytoe and agreed to sell the mare back to her former owner.

Pevytoe and her husband drove nearly nine hours to pick up the beloved mare, who was very thin. Dixie seemed to remember her old owner, perking up at her name.

Pevytoe believes the mare had moved at least six times in nearly eight years.

Research Update: The Effect Of A Half Pad On Pressure Distribution

Half pads are used in many English riding disciplines to correct saddle fit, help distribute rider weight and absorb impact. Most half pads are constructed using wool, gel, or foam, and can be of varying thicknesses. The objective of a recent study, conducted in the United Kingdom, was to determine how half pad type affected the distribution of pressure under a well-fitting saddle.

Twelve high-level dressage horses tacked with properly fitting dressage saddles were ridden in a seated trot and canter on both the left and right rein. Horses were ridden with four half pad treatments, which included a control (only a cotton saddle cloth was placed under the saddle), gel half pad (viscoelastic gel pad not shaped to the horse's back), wool half pad (1-inch thick, natural wool pad shaped to the horse's back with a mesh spine channel connecting the two wool side panels), and foam half pad (1 inch thick, foam pad shaped to the horse's back with a mesh spine connecting the two foam side panels). All half pads were placed on top of a cotton saddle cloth and were “tented” into the saddle gullet to provide wither clearance.

At the trot and canter, pressure under the front of the saddle was greatest when using gel half pads, but remained similar between the wool and foam half pads compared to the control. Pressure was reduced in the back half of the saddle when fitted with a wool half pad at the trot, and when fitted with either a wool or foam half pad at the canter compared to the control. Researchers observed that the gel half pads tended to shift and flatten over the withers during riding compared to the wool and foam half pads, which remained “tented” into the saddle gullet. They hypothesized that the change in position may have led to the increased pressure at the front of the saddle. The researchers concluded that wool and foam half pads could help reduce pressure towards the back of well-fitting saddles at the canter, however, riders should consult with a professional saddle fitter to discuss if different half pads are suitable on an individual horse and rider basis.

Read more at the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science.

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