Drastic Measures?

No, necessary measures.

Two years ago, when we first heard of Fitz, then 25 years old, he was living in Maryland and looking for a place to go. He hadn't had any dental attention for some time and his pictures showed he was a little thin.  TREES arranged for an equine dental technician, accompanied by a veterinarian, to examine Fitz' teeth, thinking that if he had his dental issues addressed he would gain weight more easily and be easier to place in a new home.

Addressing Fitz' dental issues, however, was more easily said than done.    At first glance, it was easy to see one incisor jutting sideways from between his lips.  A few other teeth were loose, periodontal disease was out of control and Fitz whole mouth seemed unstable.  Meredith Barlow, the attending dental technician, called TREES from Fitz' side and asked "just how much dental work does TREES want to cover?"

Uh-oh.  Fitz' immediate needs were to have three teeth extracted: two incisors and one canine.  It was agreed to remove the "sideways" incisor and canine and return for the second incisor and a re-evaluation at a later date.

In the meantime, it was becoming obvious that this would be a very "special needs" horse and not one easily placed in a new home. 

Over the next few weeks, space at the Sanctuary became available and the process to bring Fitz here as a resident began.  Fitz arrived in August 2008.

By November, we were looking at this odd sight:

Fitz' gum was deteriorating, exposing the root of this incisor.  The root itself was covered by what was indentified as a "cementoblast."  Cementum is normal material covering the roots of teeth, but this was cementum gone wild.

At about the same time, we noticed that Fitz was very lethargic, and experienced some respiratory distress with very little physical exertion. 

Off to the vet clinic, where ultrasound found a significant bacterial infection in Fitz' heart.  At the same time, the incisor pictured above was removed, revealing infection in the tooth itself and in the jawbone behind it.   Not uncommon in dogs, cats, and humans, it appeared that the massive infection in Fitz' mouth led to bacteria entering the blood stream and lodging in his heart.

This tooth and one other were extracted, treatment for infection was started, and several other teeth were identifed as abnormal, requiring close monitoring.

Meredith, meanwhile, was finding bits and pieces of information about other horses with dental problems similar to Fitz'.  Then, at an AAEP convention..........PAYDIRT!  We finally had a diagnosis.  Fitz suffered Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis.

As study of the syndrome advanced, most researchers agreed the only way to get ahead of the infections and other complications was to remove all of the horse's incisors.  According to all reports, the patients were immediately more comfortable after having affected teeth removed.

But, that seemed drastic!  As time went on, though, it became obvious that might be our only choice to preserve quality of life. 

Fast forward to July 7, 2010:

We could see that the angle of Fitz' incisors were changing drastically.  During our annual Summer Dentathon, xrays showed that none of the incisors were "viable."   None.

Below, the odd angles and exposed roots are easily noticeable.

Even more obvious at this angle.  Notice the small area of root becoming exposed in the area above the little wad of grass, up toward the lip attachment.

In this photo, again notice the tooth exposed the full length of the root.  Areas of decay of the teeth themselves are also easily seen.

Sedation and a little local anesthesia were administered and nine incisors were removed in less than 25 minutes.  That alone is evidence of how unstable and "unattached" these teeth were..

On this tooth, note the cavities at both ends.  Everything in between was decayed.

This tooth was also decayed from one end to the other and broked apart under very little pressure.

This one was completely hollow!

Here - on the left - is an incisor (not from a TREES horse) with a more normal, tapered, appearance.  Note that Fitz' incisor - on the right - is not tapered at all, due to extra cementum layers.  All nine of the incisors removed had the same "fat" appearance.  It is, in part, this extra cementum that pushes the teeth out of their proper positions in the gum and bone.

Fitz is on Day 6 of a 10-day course of antibiotics.  He is already more comfortable.  Naturally, we'll need to make hay available year 'round since he can no longer graze.  Is that in itself a big relief to him?   He is no longer trying to pull grass with extremely unstable teeth. so it may be.

We don't know what to expect next, but we do believe Fitz, now 27, is past the worst of his problems now. 


Big Big Big thanks to Meredith Barlow for researching this very odd issue and to both Meredith and Dr. Tracy Brown for setting our big bay Thoroughbred on the path to better health!

Oh boy! LOOK!

Jubal's usually a pretty non-reactive sort of guy.  What prompted this much interest?

Could it be...........

You bet it could!

"Now, if I could just levitate a bale a or two..............."

Winter Care for Elders

As the forecast calls for the year's first snowfall ("more than a dusting, less than a blanket,") we thought we'd repost our winter care tips:

Wintering Wisely

Under most circumstances harsh winters are more uncomfortable for horse owners than for the horses themselves. When living with seniors, though, it is prudent to practice a little more diligence in snow and ice season. We hope you find these tips useful (and that you will share with us any others you've found helpful in wintering your elders wisely!)

Water - water, water, water! Please remember that horses consuming large amounts of hay will need to drink more water than they do when on pasture. The moisture content of pasture grass is approximately 65-75%, while that of hay is only 8-10%.

It is essential that the water source be kept as free of ice as possible. Not all horses will break through a layer of ice to access the water below. Yes, "wild" horses learn to do that as they grow up around other horses that know outdoor survival techniques. Your horse, however, is not a "wild" creature and may not know how to get to the water under that hard surface. There are several ways to deal with icy water:

One method is to break through and remove ice from the surface. If the ice is merely a thin "skin," a kitchen strainer works fine on small tanks and buckets. Thicker ice or a larger tank requires a larger removal tool. Find an old feed or water bucket and use a 3/4 inch drill bit to drill holes all over the bucket, making your own big strainer. After breaking the ice up with a hammer, simply dip the ice pieces out of the tank. CAUTION: Keep the bucket over the tank until the water drains out! (You will probably not make that mistake twice unless you enjoy working in wet clothes!) Pile the ice pieces where the horse will not have to walk over them to approach the tank. Check tanks and buckets for ice several times during the day.

A second option is to use tank or bucket heaters to keep the water temperature above freezing. There are several types available. Whichever type you choose, remember to keep all electrical cords out of reach of the horses. In addition, please use outlets safely....do not prop open waterproof covers on outdoor outlets, allowing water into the circuit.

If your horses' normal water source is a natural source, such as a pond or stream, consider using a tank which is more easily maintained in frigid temperatures.

Tank or bucket location is another important thing to consider. Winter means less algae growth, but water tanks still must be cleaned regularly. Less algae growth means little when Toothless Wonders drop wads of hay into the water and the heater brews a strong hay tea. When relocating a tank for the winter, be sure to consider drainage in the new site. If you dump a tank for cleaning and the water freezes before it drains away or soaks into frozen ground, the horses may be hesitant to walk up to the tank.

Hay - Roughage is an essential ingredient in any horse's diet, playing a very important role in maintaining gastrointestinal health. During the winter, hay must be provided to replace pasture grass that has gone dormant. But, winter hay is more than just a replacement for grass. Metabolizing hay produces more body heat in the horse than does the metabolism of grains and other concentrates. When the outdoor temperatures drop lower, more hay will be consumed in most cases.

Dentally challenged seniors need special consideration when pasture is unavailable. Some marginally toothed horses can chew tender grass shoots but are unable to eat chewy, stemmy hay. In such cases, a commercial chopped forage may work. Wetting the forage may further aid in swallowing, but it also may create problems of its own. Wet forage will freeze into a solid block in cold temperatures, so serving sizes must be no larger than the horse can eat at one "sitting." A change in hay may make a difference in how well the horse can eat. A very leafy second or third cutting hay can sometimes be chewed when a stemmy first cutting will be wadded and spit out.

A final word on hay is QUALITY. Don't skimp on quality when it comes to this very important ingredient in gut health, nutrition and overall well-being. It was once thought that most winter colic episodes were caused by insufficient water intake. Researchers recently added poor quality roughage to the list of major culprits. When you feed poor quality hay to a horse that cannot chew well in the best of circumstances, and that may have a less than efficient digestive tract, you are tempting fate. Please don't take that risk.

Feed - Some younger horses are able to maintain good health and weight on forages (grass and hay) alone. That is not the case, however, for most senior horses, especially those with dental trouble. Most elders are fed a senior feed throughout the year. Most will also need larger amounts of feed in winter since maintaining normal body temperature requires more calories than are needed in warm weather. Some will need a larger increase, in proportion to summer rations, than others. Monitor the horse's weight closely and make adjustments accordingly. Because winter coats often hide subtle changes in body condition, feel for changes over the ribs, hips, withers and shoulders rather than depending on general appearance. When feed intake must be increased significantly for the winter, consider adding another meal to the daily routine rather than trying to feed enormous amounts less often. If the horse is not already eating his senior ration as a mash, consider soaking. Soaking is yet another way to add to overall water intake.

Shelter - Rainproof, windproof shelter is important for domestic horses' well-being in winter. Trees, especially trees with no leaves, just won't do the trick. Most horses can tolerate rain. Most horses can tolerate moderate wind. But a wet horse in a cold wind can lose body heat at an alarming rate. This is especially true of elders who may not be able to regulate their body temperatures as efficiently as younger horses. Free access to a three sided shed or the interior of a safe barn is ideal. Keeping the horse in a stall during bad weather is another option, but the ability to move about in a shed will help keep body temperatures up. A blanket may be useful during times of confinement when lower activity levels mean less internal heat production. (Remember, though, that prolonged confinement can contribute to respiratory problems and decreased gut motility.)

Footing - Icy ground can be a winter nightmare for both you and your horse. First and foremost, be extremely careful and keep yourself safe. If you take a bad spill, not only might you be seriously injured, but you will also not be able to care for the horses, and everybody will suffer.

No matter how careful you are, you will likely end up with ice in the area of a water tank. One way to combat this problem is to move the tank to a well drained area. If you are in a climate where the daytime temperatures routinely climb above the freezing point, empty and clean tanks early in the day. Doing so will allow water to drain away or dry somewhat before the temperature drops again that night.

If there is no way to avoid ice accumulation in certain areas, sprinkle the area with sand, fine gravel, old bedding or anything else that will help provide traction. One thing to avoid is cat litter. Clay cat litter will absorb a certain amount of moisture, then, especially in high traffic areas, begins to break down into a slimy clay layer that makes things worse rather than better.

If you must lead a horse over icy ground, give him his head, plenty of loose lead, and let him choose his own path. Remember that elders are less agile than they once were and may need a little more time to get where you are asking them to go.

Finally, whether walking on snow, ice or mud, maintaining balance on slippery ground is hard work. This is especially true in horses that have pre-existing unsoundnesses such as arthritis. They will want to rest more often and you may need to speak with your vet about adjustments in pain management until the footing improves.

Snowballs! - No, not the kind you throw at your brother. The kind that form on the bottom of horses' feet. The shape and health of a horses' feet and hooves, and the texture of the snow, are big factors in how much of a problem he will have with snow accumulation. Check you horses' feet often any time there is snow on the ground. Some horses gather so much snow in their feet that their hooves do not touch the ground at all. Under certain conditions, the weight of the horse will compress the snow into an ice ball, making a dangerous situation a very dangerous situation. Snowballs will usually pop right out of the foot with a hoof pick.  (NOTE: In general, shod horses will have a greater tendency to pick up snowballs than barefoot horses.)

Blanketing - As with younger horses, elders vary greatly in the need for a blanket. Don't be tempted to use a blanket based solely on "old age." Many equine elders grow very generous winter coats. Keeping them clean and fluffy will ensure the coats maintain maximum insulating capabilities. Monitor for shivering. A horse can literally lose several pounds during a night of shivering. When blanketing is required, avoid the temptation to put the blanket on and leave it on until spring. Use it only when needed. If the horse is one with a heavy coat, one or two warm days can cause sweating under the blanket, and lead to additional problems.

Getting snowed upon - If you step outside one morning and see four inches of snow perched on your horses back, don't panic. The fact that the snow is not melting proves that the horse's coat is an efficient layer of insulation between his body heat and the layer of snow. It is a good idea, though, to brush the snow off before the temperature rises above freezing. Once the snow begins to melt, it will make the horse wet. Wet + cold = NOT a Good Thing.

Plan ahead -- With today's weather forecasting technology, we usually know of a winter storm well before it arrives. Keep feed, hay and bedding well stocked. Do not run out just before a storm and buy just enough to get you through the storm's predicted lifespan. First, the storm may last longer than expected. Second, maybe (key word is "maybe") you can get to the feed store the moment the snow stops falling, but can the feed distributor get there? If you depend on well water and don't have a generator, fill your water tanks to the brim in case of a power outage. Fill extra tanks and buckets if you have them. (Keep the buckets in the house to prevent freezing.)

Heat - Heat lamps and space heaters in the barn. DON'T.

Keep yourself safe -- Finally in our list of winter tips: Take care of yourself. Use caution on icy ground. Wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Don't risk hypothermia or frostbite, even if you'll "only be out there a minute or two."

And......chin up! Spring will be here soon!

Gracious Nature

There are times when you just have to take time to appreciate the gracious nature of some of our fellow creatures.

At bedtime feeding tonight, while putting out hay for the "front field," I noticed what looked like a light from the barn reflecting on a puddle.  One pile of hay down, second pile ....wait....the puddle moved. It wasn't a puddle.  It was a gianourmous skunk!  OK, she's busily and very happily rooting up all the grubs emerging after the rain.  I'll just make the circle of hay a lot bigger than usual tonight. 

No problems.  We respected each other's personal space and all went well.

But then, Sonny emerged from the shed, having finished his bedtime snack.  "Hey look!  What's that thing?"  Now, our boy Sonny, who is 38, has some pretty impressive cataracts, so had to move in for a closer look.  Klump, klump.klump, klump (Sonny klumps along when not feeling particularly energetic.)  Nose to the ground, klump klump klump.  "Sonny!  SONNY!  STOP!" 

Just as Sonny's nose was about to make contact, Ms Skunk scampered forward about five feet.  Klump klump klump.  Sonny followed.  Again, she scampered. After the third approach-n-scamper, Sonny went on about his business of finding the perfect hay pile and settled in to munch. 

Marye also insisted on a closer look and, again, Ms S graciously scampered a few feet away from the pest.  As I turned off the lights and closed up shop for the night, everyone was contentedly snacking, the horses on their hay and Ms Skunk on her grubs, with not one whiff of odiferous protest.

Thank you, Ms S, for recognizing that our nosy geezers meant you no harm.

Horses are only as dirty as you make them

Today, TREES was blessed to have a group of Shelter Animal Reiki Association volunteers working with several of the horses. We love having SARA volunteers here and can see changes in several of the residents as a result of the SARA program.

This morning, though, one volunteer asked a question that I responded to with a very clear “non-answer,” and for that, I would like to apologize. As we stood in Nathan’s shed talking, I scooted a manure pile against a nearby wall and threw on some uneaten hay that had been tromped into the mud. One volunteer asked why I did that, and I began to explain about Nate’s battle with foot infections and our efforts to keep his foot as clean as possible. Yes, the volunteer nodded, but how did I know he wouldn’t eat that hay? I replied “Oh, he won’t eat it.” That was not an answer and I apologize for so glibly glossing over a valid question.

Before I tackle an explanation, I must admit that I don’t “know” what any given horse may or may not do under any given circumstances. I can make some educated predictions, based on what I know about that horse and its past actions, but that doesn’t mean those predictions will pan out.

Hence I will try to explain why I assumed Nate would not eat the soiled hay.

I assumed Nate would leave the dirty hay right where it was because horses are, by nature, very clean animals if given a choice.

Will horses stand in a shed with a floor layer of solid manure? Yes they will, if that is the only shelter they have.

Do horses spend time loafing where they urinate? Not often unless they are confined to stalls with urine-soaked bedding.

Will a horse drink water so murky that the bottom of the tank cannot be seen? Yes they will, if that’s the only available water source.

Will a horse eat moldy or dirty hay? You bet, if that’s the only thing they are offered.

However….most horses, if given a choice, choose to be clean. Our residents, for the most part, choose certain areas of their fields, paddocks and shed in which they deposit the majority of their manure. They also select specific area for urination. Interestingly, manure areas are always farther from eating areas than are urination areas. Natural means of parasite control, perhaps? On the other hand, if the manure areas are not cleaned on a frequent basis, the horses begin to avoid those areas and drop manure over other sections of the field until few clean areas remain. A good number of our residents even go outside their loafing sheds to answer Nature’s call, and then go back in the shed to resume napping.

Horses will also, obviously, choose clean water over filthy water. Who wouldn’t? Have you ever smelled a stagnant hundred-gallon water tank that hasn’t been scrubbed for a week in the summer? It’s nauseating to many humans. Imagine what it smells like to a horse! We dump and clean our tanks every 2-3 days and, even under those circumstances, have some horses come running to get that first drink of clean water as it flows into the tank. So, are horses forced to drink dirty water really consuming the amounts they need? Maybe not.

The same principles seem to apply to hay and pasture. Horses will not normally graze where there is manure. They will graze those areas if they have no alternative, but given a choice will search out clean grass to eat. Nor will they eat dirty hay if clean hay is available. Do horses with only dirty hay available consume adequate amounts of roughage? Maybe not.

It goes against a horse’s nature to eat, drink, or live in filth if they have other choices. It is my personal theory that people who believe horses are dirty animals feel that way only because they have never observed horses living with the choice to be clean.

And so…..again with apologies for my non-answer of this morning….. having a choice is why I assumed Nate would not eat the soiled hay over the pile of manure before we could pick everything up. He, like the other horses here, has learned that there are always several piles of hay available at all times. He simply sought another, cleaner, area in which to eat.

Thank You’s and other Tidbits

We have a lot of short updates and want to thank a lot of people today, so we’ll try to do it all in one post and hope we don’t leave anyone out.

We’d like to remind local Reiki practitioners that the first Shelter Animal Reiki Association orientation for the TREES program will be this weekend, Saturday, June 20, 10AM – noon. To participate, or for more information, please contact Janet Dobbs

The next Reiki workshop will be Reiki I, for both humans and animals, July 11-12. Saturday will be in McLean, VA, Sunday at Traveller’s Rest in Spotsylvania. For more information.

Our first resident update concerns Jubal. He’s back out with his “herd” (Fitz, Emma and Josh) and seems to be doing just fine. The wound on his fetlock is almost completely healed and almost all of the puffiness gone. Whew!

Lizzie is still gaining weight and doing well. She has settled in to the group including Sonny, Rienzi, Val, Marye and Wade. We’ve discovered she prefers to be called just Liz (not to be confused with “Just Jack” for Will and Grace fans.) Call “LIZ!” and she comes at a trot, but call “LIZZIE,” and she barely acknowledges your presence.

Josh is moving up in the pecking order in his field. Yesterday we noted that Fitz, who towers over Josh and outweighs him by several hundred pounds, was waiting in line behind Josh for a turn at the water tank. (The two boys and Emma all go for a drink immediately after eating a meal.)

Marye is still doing well and has not needed another Aeromask treatment yet this spring. Fingers crossed!

Now, the thank you’s!

First, thank you to Rennie, Gene, Carol, Michaele and Jim for coming to the sanctuary last weekend to help dry the place out after our freakish rainfall. It’s rained a few more times since, but nothing like the approximately 9 inches we got in about 24 hours that week.)

Thank you, too, to Gene and Carol for dropping off a new Wet Vac in case the weird wet weather continues.

Thank you to our neighbor, Patty, for arriving with a smorgasbord of seeds and grains about ten minutes after learning of Elmer’s arrival.

Thank you to COTH’s “Oldenburg Mom” for the gift of ~ 900 pounds of luscious smelling hay and to Samantha for coming along to help unload. Thank you, COTH’s “Nootka” for posting TREES’ contact information, making this donation possible.

Thank you, “Janet’s Dad” for a roll of quilt batting to use as leg wraps.

Thank you to Janet Dobbs’ students all, both Reiki and Animal Communication, who participate in workshops at TREES. It’s always fun to watch people’s faces as they come to understand that all things in nature are connected.

Thank you to everyone who sent prayers and support when Forrest arrived then departed in too short a time. Special thanks to Dr. Amanda Blanton who spent a good portion of her holiday weekend here. Thank you, again, to Gene and Carol for taking over the farm chores so we could focus on Forrest. Thank you Sam for transporting this determined old gentleman. Thank you, Janet, for being with Forrest as he crossed, and to Nelson, for bringing your backhoe out on Memorial Day, then returning a few days later with a donation. It seems Forrest touched a lot of hearts in the few days he was here.

We are continually (and gratefully) overwhelmed by the people who want to help offer retirement/hospice care to special needs elder equine. The horses, though, always feel there should be more visitors (more admirers.) If you’d like to visit and meet our special residents, please email us at info@equineelders.org or call 540-972-0936 (but remember that we’re somewhat telephonically challenged until Verizon comes June 24.)

Feeding Hay to Elders

Most equine senior feeds are described as "complete feeds." The term "complete feed" implies that a horse can maintain good health on that feed alone. While there are some Toothless Wonders that are physically unable to eat anything but a soaked complete feed, all horses require roughage to maintain optimal gut function and good health. Insufficient roughage is a common cause of soft droppings in elderly horses. Many dentally challenged horses live happily for years on a diet of only "complete feeds," but there is nothing like good ol' roughage to keep things moving along in a healthy manner.

The most common sources of roughage for horses are pasture and baled hay, although beet pulp, alfalfa or hay cubes, and bagged chopped forage are viable options in many circumstances.

For horses just beginning to experience dental problems, choice of hay and the manner in which it is presented can mean the difference between eating the hay or "quidding" (wadding the hay into balls, then spitting it out.) First cutting grass hays and alfalfa hays are usually quite coarse and stemmy. Second cutting grass hays are generally very leafy, with few stalks or seed heads, and easier to chew.

When serving hay to elders, it sometimes helps to "shake out" the flakes or books. A loose pile of individual strands allows a horse to pick up smaller mouthfuls than a compacted hay flake permits. (One disadvantage, however, to loose hay piles is their tendency to travel long distances on windy days. Choose a sheltered location when possible.)

Placement of hay can be very important when feeding several horses in one field. Large round bales are often not the best choice for elders, especially when feeding a large group of horses. A large number of horses forced to push toward a single food source is a very unnatural way for these animals to forage. Timid horses do especially poorly in this stress laden situation.

In both photos, above and below, "Lucy," an elderly mare, is the farthest horse on the left, unwilling to push her way toward the hay bale through a crowd of younger, more dominant horses.

A much better way to feed hay to elders (or any groups with submissive horses) is to divide the hay into more portions than there are horses, and place the portions several horse lengths apart. Appropriate spacing of enough hay piles ensures that timid or weak horses will have access to their share.

The horses shown grazing above have voluntarily chosen approximately three body lengths each as their comfort zones. Placing hay portions in a comparable pattern ensures all three can eat in comfort.

In the photo below, the two mares on the left are young, dominant animals who are very comfortable with each other. The mare on the right is a more timid elderly animal. She needs a greater space around her to eat in a relaxed manner. (Note the loosely piled hay as mentioned above.)

Spacing numerous hay piles some distance apart has a second benefit. It allows horses to mimic the meandering fashion in which they graze. Horses wander from one pile of hay to another just as they wander from one patch of grass to the next. It is unnatural for a horse to stand in one spot to eat for long periods of time. The horse's digestive system evolved to serve an animal "on the move," and functions best when he is allowed generous opportunity to perform that movement at will.

"Lucy," approximately 8 months after being moved to Traveller's Rest and a more appropriate feeding style.

The Importance of Roughage in the Senior Horse's Diet

As a follow up to the Manurology 101 post:

The Importance of Roughage in the Senior Horse's Diet

written for Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary by
Amanda Blanton, DVM
Rappahannock Equine Veterinary Clinic

To understand how critical roughage is to a horse’s diet, it is necessary to have a basic understanding of the horse’s gastro-intestinal (GI) anatomy and how the horse’s GI tract handles different types of feed stuffs.

A horse’s GI tract consists of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, cecum, large colon, small colon, rectum, and anus. It takes 48 to 72 hours for feed material to pass through a horse’s entire GI tract. Each portion of the GI tract has a specific function in digestion. The mouth’s functions are prehension (acquiring feed material), mastication (chewing/breaking feed into smaller particles), and swallowing. Feed material is then transported from the mouth to the stomach via the esophagus which has no digestive function of its own.

The horse’s foregut is composed of the stomach and small intestine. Most starches, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals found within feedstuffs are digested and absorbed by enzymes in the foregut (primarily in the small intestine). The cecum, large colon, small colon, and rectum make up the horse’s hindgut which contains micro-organisms (bacteria and protozoa) that break down dietary fiber found in roughage into usable components. These micro-organisms are present in the equine hind gut to digest fiber because horses lack the enzymes required to break down fiber themselves. Due to the horse’s innate hindgut micro-flora, roughage is a necessary component to a horse’s diet. Otherwise, the micro-environment becomes instable and indigestion, colic, diarrhea, etc. result,

Micro-flora instability and resulting indigestion and colic are also caused by rapid changes in feeding routines because the micro-organisms adjust to the new feed slowly. As a result, colic and indigestion can be prevented when changing feeds by making necessary changes slowly.

Recommendations for the amount of roughage (hay, pasture, beet pulp, etc.) required to maintain a healthy hindgut are as follows: no less than 1 percent of body weight, which is 10 pounds/day for the average 1,000 pound horse. Overfeeding concentrates, or grain, can also be detrimental to a horse’s digestive health. When too much grain is fed to a horse, most of it is digested in the small intestine, but some of the feed will spill over into the hindgut where it is rapidly digested, producing large amounts of gas and acid. This excess gas can cause discomfort and result in colic, and if the amount of concentrate consumed is severe (like in a case of grain overload), toxins are released that can result in laminitis (or founder). As a result of the consequences of overfeeding grains, it is recommended that a horse be fed no more than 1 percent of its body weight in grain per day.

Because a horse’s gut functions best when small amounts of feed are moving through it regularly (like when a horse is grazing), it is also a good idea to feed a horse small (over) meals throughout the day. The best way to achieve constant filling of the horse’s GI tract is to maximize the amount of forage being fed in the diet and to minimize the amount of grain in the diet while meeting the horse’s feed and energy requirements. In other words, making forage, or roughage, the base of the diet and supplementing with grain to provide what is lacking in the forage.

This type of forage based diet becomes more difficult when dealing with geriatric horses due to the inability of many older horses to prehend (grab) and masticate (chew) well. This difficulty is due to the normal progression of geriatric tooth wear and tooth loss. Luckily, there are many commercial diets that are “complete” feeds, meaning that they contain both concentrates and fiber. A horse’s complete nutritional needs can be met by feeding these feeds alone; however, their need for long fiber bulk is not met if these feeds are fed exclusively. As a result, horses fed these senior or complete feeds alone often have soft, unformed manure. The mechanical bulk provided in roughage allows feed material to pass through the GI tract at a rate that improves digestive efficiency and reduces the risk of colic. Some examples of feedstuffs that add the necessary long fiber bulk to the diet while being more prehendable for older horses with dental imperfections are beet pulp (soak overnight before feeding) and soaked alfalfa/timothy cubes and pellets. Most of the “complete” or senior feeds also form nice mashes when water is added, making them more prehendable and digestible for the older horse. Contact your veterinarian for specific diet options for your horse.

In addition to processed sources of roughage, all horses, unless they are suffer from a disorder where limited turn-out is required, benefit from regular pasture turn-out. Not only is turn-out and access to pasture good for their minds and bodies, it also stimulates saliva production (even if they are old and drop most of the grass or hay they prehend) which helps buffer stomach acid and reduces the incidence of equine gastric ulcer syndrome.

In summary, keep the hind gut micro-environment happy by doing the following:
--Mimic the natural constant grazing of wild horses by feeding small, frequent meals or by providing free choice hay or turn-out
--Feed 1-1.5% of a horse’s body weight in roughage per day (~10# hay/1000# horse/day)
--Feed no more than 1% of a horse’s body weight in grain per day
--Provide a forage based diet with grain/concentrate supplementation
--Make feeding changes slowly, over at least a 10 day period
--Have a good relationship with your veterinarian and discuss your horse’s specific needs with him/her

© 2009 Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary

.......And a non-Expo-related Thank You!

Thank You to Ruth G for the generous gift of 73 bales of mixed grass hay yesterday. We haven't offered any to the horses yet, but it smells absolutely wonderful to us. We're always happy to get good quality mixed grass forage........horses never evolved to eat only timothy, or only orchardgrass and seem to thrive on a little variety, just as we do.

In Search Of Hay for toothless wonders!

Searching for second/third cutting grass hay for dentally challenged senior horses. If you still have some or know of a supplier with some for sale, please call or email Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary, 540-972-0936 or info@equineelders.org Needed in Spotsylvania, VA 22553

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Effects of Drought on Traveller’s Rest.

Though there have been localized rain showers in the area, this particular farm has not seen any measurable rain since mid-April.

The most obvious result of no rain, easily noticeable as visitors enter the driveway, is the dead, brown pasture.

As of this week we are feeding almost as much hay per day as we normally feed in a mild winter. The problem with that is two-fold. First, we are using hay we would usually reserve for winter forage. Second, a larger annual hay requirement translates into a larger annual economic consideration. Obviously, the more bales of hay we buy, the more money it costs.

There is, however, another factor at work. Many area farmers were able to produce only a fraction of their normal crop during the early summer cutting and will not be able to harvest a second cutting at all. This smaller supply of hay will mean higher prices, if we can find adequate supply at all. The lack of tender, second cutting hay will be particularly hard on our dentally challenged Elders who cannot manage the coarse stems and stalks that make up much of a first cut bale. We do have the option of buying bagged chopped forage or forage cubes, but the bottom line remains this same. Basic care costs could be much higher than usual this winter, not only for TREES, but also for all local horse owners. Rescue facilities and sanctuaries can expect increased number of requests to take in horses this winter.

In addition to the grass and hay issue, the dry weather has other effects on TREES’ Elders. The most troublesome problem is that the ever-present dust is causing bronchial inflammation in at least two of our geldings. Jubal and Sonny both have diminished air movement through their lungs.

To combat the dust somewhat, we are dampening bedding and shed floors once or twice a day, depending on drying time. This may help some, but it does not address the fact that just walking across the fields, the horses kick up a little dust with each step. If there is no relief soon, the next step will be to administer a bronchodilator to help Sonny and Jubal breathe easier.

Under the layer of dust, the ground is almost as hard as concrete. As a result, the horses with arthritis and ringbone are experiencing more aches and pains. Stalls and sheds are being deeply bedded to give the Elders more comfortable places to stand or lie down. More pain management medication is required than usual as well.

One up side to the dry conditions is that we are seeing far less mosquitoes that usual. All in all though, we’d take the mosquitoes if they came with more grass and hay.

Please pray for rain.

Now, this is what we'd like to see!