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Flying High: New Study To Develop Guidelines For Horses Traveling By Air

Horses are one of the most frequently transported domestic species in the world; they are frequently moved by vans, ships and planes. Horses that travel between locations are at risk for disease, injury and welfare issues. Many studies have been done on how to alleviate the stresses caused by traveling by road, but little is known on how horses handle traveling by air.

A new study funded by Morris Animal Foundation and spearheaded by Dr. Barbara Padalino, an associate professor of animal science at Italy's Università di Bologna, will investigate what factors increase or decrease the risk of health and behavior issues.

The findings of the study, which involves both stakeholders and researchers, will be used to develop protocols for flight associations like the International Air Transportation Association (IATA). Currently, protocols focus on air safety and cargo requirements, not on equine welfare issues; they are based on experience, with little scientific backing.

It is estimated that nearly 30,000 horses are flown each year. A recent study used 81 flights to Hong Kong and found that for every 100 horses flown, about 11 percent got pneumonia from the flight and 60 percent of flights had at least one horse affected; horses flown in the spring were particularly at risk. That study concluded that flight duration and time of year were risk factors for horses getting sick.

Padalino and her research team hope to use 2,000 horses in their study; these horses will be flying between the United States, Europe, Japan, South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia and New. The study will involve asking questions regarding horse's welfare before, during and up to five days after the flight. This will include questions about heart rate, alertness and body condition scores, among others.

Padalino hypothesizes that horses with less transport experience and training will be more at risk of transport-related problems, as will those horses who have different temperaments. She is hopeful that the study will assist in the creation of protocol to increase the welfare of horses shipping by air, as well as provide an economic benefit to horse owners by reducing health complications.

New App Helps Owners Determine If Horses In Pain

A new smartphone app can help horse owners and caretakers determine if their horse is in pain. A joint project between the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University and Stichting De Paardenkamp, the Equine Pain and Welfare App (EPWA) uses scientific pain measurement to help determine if a call to a veterinarian is warranted.

The app asks for user input on physiological variables, like heart and respiration rate; behaviors like lying down or rolling; and facial expressions that include the movement of the mouth, ears, eyes and nostrils. It then calculates a pain score between 0 and 18; users are advised to contact a vet if the score is above a 5.

The app also has a checklist to see if a horse is showing signs of Cushing's disease. A journal feature allows owners to input how much a horse eats, medications he may take and how often he exercises. It also includes 10 recommendations for equine welfare, and a place to record medical information and appointments.

The app is free from the App Store and Google Play.

For more details, click here (language can be changed through Google translate).

Fall Allergies Can Trigger Equine Asthma, Impact Performance

Just as many humans start to sneeze in the fall, horses also can be affected by seasonal allergies.

Sometimes this is apparent by coughing, but other times, according to Laurent Couëtil, professor of large animal internal medicine in Purdue University's College of Veterinary Medicine, the only sign is that their performance suffers.

Couëtil has spent much of his career treating and researching equine respiratory disease, and he collaborated with three other researchers to argue for the adoption of equine asthma as an official diagnosis in the Equine Veterinary Journal. Equine asthma can flare up as a result of allergies, especially during the fall, which is when many of the traditional spring races were moved.

“We tend to see an increase in horses showing signs of equine asthma during crop harvest season,” he said. “Horses pastured near fields where crops are harvested may be exposed to the dust generated by the combine harvesting crops.” Horses affected by these allergies may develop signs like coughing or increased breathing efforts within a few days of exposure to the dust or allergens and may show impaired performance.

“Other horses with asthma tend to show signs when pollen and molds peak again in the fall,” Couëtil said. “So, the triggers may be different, but horses will show similar symptoms.”

One reason for so many allergy and asthma flare-ups in the fall has to do with feeding. As grass becomes sparse toward the end of the summer or early fall and horses are supplemented with dry hay, more susceptible horses may develop asthma flare-ups.

“Most asthmatic horses are allergic to hay dust,” Couëtil said, “and, therefore, they usually develop clinical signs when fed hay in the barn during the winter months.”

Additionally, feeding round bales is associated with more severe signs because horses are exposed to higher dust levels compared with eating from square bales.

“This is especially true when round bales are left in the field uncovered as they tend to become moldy from exposure to rain and moisture,” Couëtil said.

Couëtil has found that often, less severe asthma symptoms improve when horses are on grass pasture, but during the fall months, this isn't always possible. Feeding low-dust forages can help horses recover and also prevent flare-ups.

“Our recent research demonstrated that athletic horses, such as racehorses, benefit from being fed steamed hay or haylage instead of dry hay,” he said. “These forages result in lower exposure to dust as compared to dry hay, and this translates in lower levels of airway inflammation. Haylage appears to have the strongest beneficial effect, and this effect seems to be linked to higher omega-3 fatty acid content.”

Additional supplementation with nutrients rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like EPA and DHA found in fish oil and algae, can help keep asthmatic horses healthy.

Avoiding exposure to allergy triggers, such as by feeding low-dust forages, can help horses stay healthy and perform at peak levels. During crop harvest season, this might mean keeping the horse in the barn while crops around the stable are harvested.

“If horses continue to show signs of asthma despite environmental management, your veterinarian may prescribe treatment with aerosolized corticosteroids,” Couëtil said.

Taking preventive measures can help minimize horses' exposure to allergens and prevent asthma flare-ups, keeping horses healthy and performing at their best levels.

Couëtil's research is supported by the Grayson Jockey-Club Research Foundation, the state of Indiana and the Purdue Veterinary Medicine research account.

After Year-Long Battle With Drug Resistant Bacteria, OTTB Has Found Patient Partner

When Karen's Gotta Go, a chestnut son of Street Magician, met his future adopter the first time, he made his presence known by playfully grabbing her hair.

“Within minutes of first meeting 'Sully,' he actually grabbed me by the hair,” adopter Lexi Osterhoudt recalled. “He made it very clear, especially at age 4, that he is a very emotional horse. Anything that upsets him, even unintentionally, is met with personal offense, which also was evident by his tendency to drag me to the corner of the ring instead of where I wanted him to go during our first test ride, as he wanted to go be with his friends instead.

“However, over the course of two (test) rides, we reached an agreement and I discovered that positive reinforcement and lots of praise was key to convincing him that whatever we were doing was a good time.”

Throughout the trial process at TAA-accredited New Beginnings and despite his antics, the New Jersey-bred won Osterhoudt over. The gelding never made a start on the track but was a resilient horse who battled an antibiotic resistant bacterial infection for a year at the New Jersey Equine Clinic.

“On the back of 'Sully's' left front leg, right over the middle of his flexor tendon region is the giant pink, hairless scar resulting from the surgery and skin graft performed at the clinic,” Osterhoudt said. “While initially, there were some concerns, the vet supervising his treatment assured us that while it was ugly, she expected him to have a bright future.”

Scar or not, his new adopter was won over by his personality, which had made an impression on his previous owners as well.

“There was something special about him, how forgiving he was, how patient he was, and how he seemed to take such pride in doing right by his 'people,'” Osterhoudt said.

“And he had quite a following—I actually didn't get to keep his race halter, because one of his race owners or trainers wanted to hang onto it for sentimental value. He had obviously left hoofprints on many hearts, and he had already planted one on mine.”

Now, the duo are moving forward in his retraining, but at their own pace as they learn to work together and overcome some mental roadblocks for “Sully.” And even though the gelding has pulled some hijinks that have required some veterinary assistance, Osterhoudt says he remains his upbeat self and seems to take pride in his retraining.

“Patience has been key with Sully,” she said. “Being that we've had to re-start about a half-dozen times, I've learned that the joy isn't in the destination but in the journey. He continues to amaze me every day, and I really think he's proud of what he learns and strives for success.

“We've become the very best of friends navigating all of this together, and it warms my heart every time I hear his whinny when he sees my car pull up to the barn. I love him more than I could've anticipated, and he knows it.”

While the future is unknown, Osterhoudt and “Sully” are content at taking it one day at a time while they focus their energy in the dressage arena.

“At this point, we're going with the flow. I initially adopted 'Sully' with goals to event, but he really shines in dressage,” she said.

“We're working with an incredible trainer and trying to slowly but surely train up the levels in dressage. I think it was the right choice for us both, I love it and 'Sully' has so much potential. We're rehabbing a re-injury of an old tendon currently, so the short term goal is to get him healed up, but who knows where life will take us next.”

This story was originally published by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and was reprinted with permission. Find more success stories like this one at the organization's website.

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