temperature | Horse Racing Free Tips

Hibernation Habit? Ponies Can Slow Their Metabolic Rates In Freezing Weather

If you've ever wanted to burrow under the covers instead of deal with frigid temperatures, you're not alone – your pony may feel the same way!

Researchers at the University of Göttingen studied metabolic changes in 10 Shetland ponies fed different diets in various weather conditions, reports EQUUS magazine.

For the winter portion of their study, the scientists fed the ponies a diet that met all of their maintenance requirements. They then split the ponies into two groups: one group continued to receive their full ration and the other group had their rations cut to 60 percent of their energy requirements.

The scientists monitored the pony's metabolic rates through vital signs and bloodwork, and found that the ponies which didn't receive the diet that met their energy requirements were able to lower their metabolic rate, which allowed them to conserve energy. The ponies' body temperatures also dropped, which compensated for the decrease in energy supply. Both of these mechanisms allowed the ponies to minimize the loss of energy stores.

Shoes And Hoof Circulation: Is There A Connection?

Specific shoes are often recommended by veterinarians to aid horses facing a variety of issues, from abscesses and lameness to musculoskeletal issues and environmental conditions. These shoes affect the horse's hoof in a variety of ways. A Polish study evaluated how two different types of shoes may affect hoof circulation.

Dr. Marta Mieszkowska and a team of researchers used thermography to measure distal limb temperatures on 16 Warmbloods that had been diagnosed with navicular bone changes or deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) injuries. The horses were divided into two groups: the navicular horses were shod with egg-bar shoes and the DDFT horses were shod with wedge pads.

The egg-bar shoes shifted the horse's weight to the rear of the foot and increased the sole surface. The team noted that the shoes may compress blood vessels and adversely affect soft tissues.

The study showed that since w edge pads force the horse's coffin joint into a more-flexed position, they could increase pressure on an artery while reducing the load on the DDFT.

The research team determined that egg-bar shoes decreased the median temperature of the heel portion of the hoof. Wedge pads decreased the median minimal temperature in the heel and toe of the hoof.

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The authors concluded that horseshoes may have a negative impact on blood circulation in the hoof, and noted that different types of shoes may result in different temperature differences.

Love Withdrawn From Arc With Temperature

Multiple Group 1 winner Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has been withdrawn from the 2021 G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after developing a temperature on Saturday afternoon. One of three for the Coolmore partners entered in Sunday's ParisLongchamp showpiece alongside Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), the 4-year-old filly, who has five Group 1 wins to her name, was most recently second in the G2 Blandford S. at The Curragh on Sept. 12. With her withdrawal, the Arc field is reduced to 14. In 2020, the chestnut was also forced to miss the Arc, although that was due to contaminated feed.

The post Love Withdrawn From Arc With Temperature appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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New App Allows For Real-Time Equine Temperature Monitoring, Location Dissemination And Data Sharing

Merck Animal Health has announced its strategic partnership with Irish-based technology company EquiTrace Ltd., creators of the EquiTrace™ platform. Through the EquiTrace smartphone app, the entire horse care team can securely update and access each horse's GPS location and medical record in one convenient location. The app also works in conjunction with Merck Animal Health's Bio-Thermo® microchips, allowing horse care professionals to instantly read, graph and monitor a horse's temperature.

“This partnership is a natural extension of our commitment to delivering innovative infectious disease management solutions to support improved horse care,” said Ron McDaniel, Director of U.S. Equine Sales, Merck Animal Health. “By enabling convenient digital temperature monitoring, we're able to make life easier for busy veterinary and farm teams while providing them with tools to help efficiently identify illness and monitor disease outbreaks.”

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EquiTrace, which can be used with individual horses or at large barns, is compatible with any microchip but must be coupled with a Bio-Thermo microchip to access the temperature-sensing functionality. Bio-Thermo microchips measure a horse's temperature within one-tenth of a degree[1] and provide access to a horse's identification. Both the EquiTrace app and Bio-Thermo microchips work with the Global Pocket Reader Plus™ and the HomeAgain® UWSR+ microchip readers, and the EquiTrace app is available for iPhones or Androids. In addition, the Bio-Thermo microchip is compliant with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standards 11784 and 1178 and meets requirements of both the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

“We are excited to partner with Merck Animal Health to bring EquiTrace to the U.S.; the technology streamlines health recordkeeping, a task that has traditionally been hard to maintain in busy barns,” says EquiTrace founder Kevin Corley, BVM&S, PhD, DACVIM, DACVECC, MRCVS. “The combination of Bio-Thermo microchips with our software enables rapid identification of temperature fluctuations in a horse at the stroke of a microchip scanner. This is essential to managing infectious diseases, such as equine herpesvirus, influenza and strangles. As an internal medicine specialist, I'm delighted to contribute to a novel temperature monitoring system that's effective without stressing the horse or the barn team.”

EquiTrace data is encrypted, and each barn's data is private. The EquiTrace account owner authorizes others to access data securely through the app. All EquiTrace functions are available with no internet connection for easy access at the barn or on the road. New data is synced when the app is opened with internet connection. To download EquiTrace, visit the App Store or Google Play.