Horse Care | Horse Racing Free Tips

Is Cold Weather Hoof Pain Laminitis? Not Necessarily

Though cooler weather energizes most horses, dropping temperatures can be a pain—literally—for horses that develop hoof pain as temperatures drop. Though what is considered “too cold” can vary by horse, some horses become painful in temperatures just above freezing: 40 degrees F. Pain generally disappears as soon as the temperature rises above this threshold.

Though it's sometimes called “winter laminitis,” there's no evidence of inflammation and often no changes that can be discerned on an X-ray. The cause is a failure of the hoof to effectively respond to changes in circulation caused by the cold. This cold-induced pain is temporary, but can be significant.

In a healthy horse, cold temperatures will cause the blood flow to limbs and hooves to be reduced. Cold temperatures cause the arteriovenous shunts in the hooves to open and divert blood back to the horse's core to preserve body heat. This mechanism will also periodically close the shunts and send blood to the tissues so that oxygen and nutrient levels don't get too low.

This system doesn't work in horses that have cold-induced hoof pain; the tissues don't receive shunts open, but don't occasionally send adequate blood flow to the hooves.

Horses with cold-induced hoof pain can be assisted by blanketing them to help conserve body heat. Wrapping their legs can also help; lined shipping boots work well as they cover the heels and coronary band, preventing rain and snow from getting into the boots. Adding Jiaogulan, a Chinese herb, to an affected horse's diet may also help. Jiaogulan stimulates the production of nitric acid, which is turned into a potent vasodilator in the body.

Though painful, cold-weather hoof pain is temporary and can be managed to keep a horse more comfortable.

Prisma Partners With B.W. Furlong & Associates, Company To Receive Inaugural Imaging System

Prisma has come to mutually agreeable terms with B.W. Furlong & Associates to be the recipient of Prisma's first robotic imaging system. This agreement represents a significant milestone that validates the equine veterinary community's demand for Prisma's novel technology that produces full-body imaging of a conscious and standing horse.

“Our strategy in establishing relationships with some of the country's largest and most prestigious practices was twofold,” said Michael Silver, Prisma's founder and CEO.

“Firstly, these practices were an invaluable resource during the early development process that ensured that the system would work well for the equine patient. Secondly, as we approach commercial readiness, we want to have a few early systems out in the field to ensure they will function perfectly prior to scalable operations. Meeting or exceeding our customer's expectations is of paramount importance.”

Prisma and B.W. Furlong have been in discussions for nearly a year, during which time the advancement of the system's development and functionality were able to be demonstrated and documented.

“It's undeniable that Prisma's system's capability to perform distal limb and head C.T. imaging of a conscious horse, plus image the axial skeleton and abdomen represents a material advancement for equine diagnostics and their health and welfare,” said B.W. Furlong's founder Brandan Furlong, MVB MRCVS. “We've been able to monitor and vet the progress of the system's development and are excited by the prospect of getting their inaugural system. We're equally enthusiastic about having this technology to perform more comprehensive diagnostics and deliver exceptional patient care.”

Silver estimates that the system will be ready for installation by late 2021. Prisma is in discussions with several other top veterinary practices as additional potential candidates to receive one of its early systems.

Learn more about Prisma here.

Learn more about B.W. Furlong here.

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Lost And Found Presented By LubriSynHA: Wise Dan And Lo Presti Still Best Friends, Homebodies After The Track

Hall of Famer Wise Dan and his trainer Charlie LoPresti always have been homebodies. Now they can enjoy more of that hominess together in Lexington, Ky., at Forest Lane Farm, which is owned and operated by LoPresti and his wife Amy.

During his stellar career, Wise Dan wintered at Forest Lane which has become his permanent residence. The 13-year-old Wiseman's Ferry gelding closed his career in 2014 with a $7.6-million bankroll and 23-2-0 record in 31 starts. His 11 Grade 1 victories include the Breeders' Cup Mile in 2012 and 2013, the same seasons he earned Eclipse Awards as Horse of the Year, champion older horse and champion grass horse for a total of six trophies. He was named to the Hall of Fame this year.

Admirers have not forgotten Wise Dan and routinely send cards, holiday greetings and treats. Although he has made guest appearances at Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Park, Wise Dan has not left the property since starring in a fundraiser at Old Friends Equine in nearby Georgetown last year. LoPresti is reluctant to take Wise Dan out of his familiar surroundings but welcomes visitors by appointment, including the gelding's former jockeys and their families.

“He has people who want to see him and if we can accommodate them, we will,” LoPresti said. “John Velazquez has been out numerous times and Jose Lezcano came to see him when he was in town for the Breeders' Cup. I even legged him up so he could sit on him in the stall.”

When not mingling with guests, Wise Dan does a whole lot of nothing in his natural yet pampered lifestyle. He spends most of his time in a spacious paddock with his G2-winning half brother Successful Dan, a 14-year-old Successful Appeal gelding who banked just shy of $1 million while winning eight of 15 starts. The sons of the winning Wolf Power mare Lisa Danielle were bred and raced by Morton Fink, who passed away in 2019 at age 89.

The siblings are brought into the barn each morning for breakfast and grooming. Then they “just hang out” in their stalls until being turned back out in mid-afternoon after an early dinner. This is their routine unless extreme weather such as an ice storm keeps them stabled.

“They like to be outside,” LoPresti said. “Cold weather doesn't bother them. They grow a good winter coats. The more time horses are outside, the better off they are.”

LoPresti said he offered them blankets but they were intent on pulling them off each other.

Describing himself as semi-retired, LoPresti will be spending more time with “the Dans” this winter while he concentrates on breaking yearlings instead of commuting to Keeneland where he trained racehorses year-round for the past two decades.

“I enjoy the young horses and taking care of the farm,” he said. “And there is much less pressure.”

A photo of Wise Dan winning the Firecracker H. won the 2013 Eclipse Award for Photography. Photo was taken by Jamie Radosevich-Hernandez

Looking back

Wise Dan was a fan favorite for countless reasons including his somewhat humble beginnings, longevity at the highest level, the loyalty between LoPresti and Fink and their horse of a lifetime, and Wise Dan's remarkable comeback.

Fink owned and bred Thoroughbreds for more than half his life with considerable success before Wise Dan and his elder brother came to him through sentimentality and incredible good fortune. As Fink downsized his Thoroughbred holdings, he was unwilling to part with just one of his horses because she was named for his granddaughter. So he kept the somewhat ordinary mare and bred her to Kentucky stallions with moderate breeding fees.

The results have been astounding. In addition to Wise Dan and Successful Dan, Lisa Danielle has produced six runners that earned nearly $200,000 each at the track including stakes winner Our Royal Dancer and G2-placed Enchanting Lisa.

As a racer, Wise Dan was particularly popular at Keeneland, where he is the only horse to win seven stakes races. His status as a local hero was maximized because he was a year-round Lexington residence. Except for trips for stakes engagements, Wise Dan was housed at Keeneland or Forest Lane. When he took his show on the road, he made the locals proud with triumphs at Santa Anita in two Breeders' Cups and at Woodbine in two renewals of the Woodbine Mile.

Of all his accomplishments and fond memories, the one LoPresti thinks of first when looking back on Wise Dan's career was his score in Saratoga's Bernard Baruch Handicap in the summer of 2014. Just three months earlier, Wise Dan underwent emergency colic surgery. His recovery is testament to his greatness.

“I had a lump in my throat because horses usually don't come back to that level the way he did,” LoPresti said. “I was very fortunate. I was just a little trainer with 15 or 20 horses. I never thought that doing things the way I did — not traveling, not having multiple divisions, turning horses out for winter — that I would ever have a horse like Wise Dan. It was just amazing.”

The post Lost And Found Presented By LubriSynHA: Wise Dan And Lo Presti Still Best Friends, Homebodies After The Track appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Disqualified For Trimming Whiskers? New Rule For International Competition

The international governing body for equestrian sport has banned horse owners from trimming the whiskers of horses that compete in international competition in 2021.

The rule was passed at the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) general assembly in the veterinary regulations session. Beginning in July 2021, any horse that has had his whiskers removed will be disqualified from FEI-sanctioned events unless a vet deems the whisker removal necessary.

The exact wording of the rule reads: “if the horse's sensory hairs have been clipped and/or shaven or in any other way removed unless individual sensory hairs have been removed by a veterinarian to prevent pain or discomfort for the horse.” The measure was passed unanimously.

The FEI veterinary committee believes a horse that has had his whiskers trimmed has a reduction in sensory ability. This ruling aligns the organization's rules with legislation in multiple other national federations, including Germany, France and Switzerland.

The US Equestrian Federation is concerned about the subjectivity of the clipping of sensory hairs, which they feel may lead to irregular enforcement at competitions. One specific concern raised by the Federation is the length of the sensory hair around the eyes, which could possibly become trapped in the blinkers on the bridle of driving horses. The Federation asked that the changes be removed and addressed when a complete review of the veterinary rules are conducted.