Fall 2019

Equus

An annual index turns EQUUS issues into a valuable reference library

Equus3 min readHorses
Letters
I read and re-read “Sons of the Great Ones” (Conformation Insights, EQUUS 497) by Deb Bennett, PhD. What an amazing piece of work. I was interested in the complete article but particularly the part about Hard Twist, Cowboy P-12 and Mame Taylor. My gr
Equus3 min readPsychology
The Reins Of Life
Horses provide education, rehabilitation and exhilaration for children and adults from all walks of life. Equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) come in many forms. These can range from equine courses for nurses, inmates and professionals th
Equus7 min read
Consultants
Have a question about your horse’s health, care or training? Our experts offer solutions for a range of equine-management problems. Write to EQUUS Consultants, P.O. Box 7510, Falls Church, Virginia 22040; email: EQLetters@aimmedia.com. Send photos wh
Equus3 min read
Rescue Horses Rescuing Youth
Two things have defined Tracy Cookman since childhood: her drive to help those unable to help themselves and her love of horses. In 2009, those two passions came together when she organized the rescue of 11 PMU foals from slaughter—an act that would
Equus3 min read
Helping Horses Heal After Colic Surgery
Horses who undergo a program of abdominal strengthening exercises after colic surgery may resume work more quickly and perform better when they return to competition, according to new research from Michigan State University (MSU). Recovery from colic
Equus3 min readMedical
Steroids And Laminitis: A Weak Link?
A new study from England offers yet another challenge to the long-held belief that corticosteroids increase a horse’s risk of developing laminitis, a potentially devastating inflammatory condition affecting the hooves. “The concern that corticosteroi
Equus1 min read
Wild Parsnip: Another Weed To Worry About
Researchers in Utah have discovered that wild parsnip---an invasive weed found throughout the United States---can cause phototoxic reactions in horses even if they don’t eat it. Many photosensitive skin reactions occur after a horse ingests a plant t
Equus3 min readPsychology
Medical Students Learn Horse Sense
Horses are helping to train the next generation of medical doctors—but not in the ways you might think. Instead of serving as models for comparative physiology or subjects for the practice surgeries, they are being used to teach medical students how
Equus1 min read
Surprising Findings About Obese Horses
Many an obese horse has been labelled “lazy” or “gluttonous,” but new research from North Carolina State University suggests that, when allowed to make their own choices, most overweight horses do not eat more than their lean peers, nor are they less
Equus4 min read
How Do Horses Perceive Death?
A sad event provided researchers in Portugal with a rare opportunity to observe how feral horses react to the death of a herd mate and to collect data that may advance understanding of emotions and intelligence in all horses. Scientists from the Univ
Equus9 min read
YOUR AUTUMN HORSE CARE Checklist
Of all the seasons, fall may be the most beloved. Poet and journalist William Cullen Bryant called the season “the year’s last, loveliest smile.” For people who care for horses, the appeal is easy to see. Gone are the bugs and heat of summer, but the
Equus8 min read
A Horse Owner’s Guide To Herbs
Herbal supplements for horses have gone from novel to mainstream in the last 40 years, just as they have for people. Their appeal is undeniable. After all, herbs were our first medications. In ancient Greece, for example, willow bark---the source of
Equus9 min readHorses
Joint-Friendly Training Strategies
It’s a constant concern with horses in sport: how to shield those all-important fetlocks, knees, elbows, hocks, stifles, shoulders and hips (the list goes on!) from wear and tear. Even the spine consists of a series of joints that are subject to inju
Equus2 min read
When Behavior Signals Dental Pain
Owners often overlook difficulty eating, bit evasions, antisocial behavior and other signs of dental pain in horses, according to a new study from Finland. Researchers at the University of Helsinki surveyed the owners of 47 horses who had cheek teeth
Equus1 min readMedical
Beyond Wear And Tear
To understand how arthritis develops, consider how limb joints function. The ends of long bones are covered by articular cartilage, which is made up of 80 percent water. The remainder is collagen and long chains of proteins called proteoglycans, whic
Equus2 min read
Seeing Spots
Beginning about 29,000 years ago, people living near what is now Pech Merle, France, walked deep into a cave and painted their world on the walls. Together with numerous handprints, they created more than 800 distinct images, including mammoths, biso
Equus3 min read
Cherry on Top
The photos of the sorrel mare showed a horse with warm eyes and an elegant carriage. She was a beautiful horse with an uncertain future, and we at The Mustang Acres Farm were committed to ensuring she wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands. In May 2017 I
Equus25 min read
The End Of The Open Range
Over the past two centuries, the cattle industry in America has undergone profound change. While farmers in Colonial times commonly kept a few steers to slaughter for meat and hides, as settlers crossed the Mississippi the raising of beef became a fu
Equus1 min readHorses
Early Horses
Ace of Hearts (1904, 14:2 hands) was by The Dunderstadt Horse by Sykes Rondo, out of Queen by Dedier (a.k.a. Old D.J.). This early foundational stallion appears somewhere in the pedigree of all the horses named in this article. Correctly conformed, s
Equus2 min read
The King P-234 Group
King P-234 (1932, 14:3 hands) was by Zantanon out of Jabalina, a granddaughter of Yellow Jacket. Jabalina’s dam was a mare by Traveler. King’s registration number is always listed with his name to distinguish him from many other “Kings.” King P-234 i
Equus4 min read
Ranch-breds And Show Horses
Driftwood (1932, 14:2 hands) was by Miller Boy by the Hobart Horse by John Wilkins (1905) by Peter McCue, out of the Comer Mare by Barlow by Lock’s Rondo. The Comer Mare’s dam was a Thoroughbred from Kentucky. Driftwood was handsome, smoothly and cor
Equus3 min read
Barn Dogs
Q: My 11-year-old Jack Russell terrier needs to have some dental work done. He otherwise is in good health but I’m scared of anesthesia at his age. Do the risks of complications outweigh the risks of dental problems at this age? Is there a safer anes
Equus6 min read
Freeze Frame
In my gut, I knew this wouldn’t go well. I sat on my stunt horse, Jim, as we waited for our cue. We were in full Western tack, and ahead of us was an open-topped buckboard wagon with four large, spoked wheels. A photographer was setting up nearby. Th
Equus2 min read
Blessed Are the Barn Dogs
Smartmouth™ is a long-lasting, multi-tasking dental chew that cleans teeth, freshens breath, supports joint health and so much more. When fed daily, Smartmouth™ gives your dog the essential vitamins he needs for optimal health. Its uniquely designed
Equus9 min read
How Breezy Beat Cancer
We’ve always had working horses on our family ranch. We use them to move, gather and sort cattle in pastures and out on the range. So in 1996, when we were short on a horse, we moved quickly to find a replacement---a work mount for my daughter Andrea
Equus2 min read
STOCK & TRADE
Product: Zen Equine Calming Pastes Description: Because horses have different biological responses to stress, Zen pastes come in two formulas. Zen-X is for horses who exhibit behaviors such as stall walking, weaving and overreactions to stimuli. Ingr
Equus3 min read
Keywords
articular---pertaining to a joint. Banamine---trade name of flunixin meglumine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to control inflammation and pain primarily associated with colic and muscle injuries. body condition score (BCS)---a designatio
Equus3 min read
Labor Of Love
I’ll always remember the day I met Pete. I had been riding for about three years---my childhood dream had come true, and muddy boots and horsehair were finally my new normal. To my delight I discovered I was getting good at it, too. Then came the day

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