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continued on page 3 Volume 19 • Number 12 December 2012 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 2 Editorial 5 Laser Therapy 8 Turns: Forehand and Haunches 10 Wound Case Study 12 Book Review 13 Equine Privacy 14 Ask HJ, Safety Thought 15 2012 Index, Dr. Getty 16 Commentary Saddles: www.horse-journal.com Horse Journal on the Web Read the news, views, notices, breaking news at www.horse-journal.com For subscribers only: All back articles available on the web. Our experts blog about competition, controversies and barn life. Synthetic Saddles Rock Quality design, fit options and a good look at an affordable price. From left, the Thorowgood T8, Thorowgood T4, Wintec Pro Dressage, Tekna S-Line Dressage. I f you’ve gone saddle shopping with a small budget, you know the quality available in leather saddles for less than $1,000 is just not there. That leaves a choice of buying a used leather saddle (and being sure there’s no broken or repaired tree), settling for a new in- expensive leather saddle (and living with the imperfections) or giving up on leather and going synthetic. The simplest, safest route is a new synthetic saddle. Few people will even know your saddle’s not leather as you ride by. Or even if it’s sit- ting on the saddle rack, really. Plus, you can skip that time-consuming saddle soaping. When our test saddles arrived, the first comment was always, “That’s not leather?” The four saddles we had—the Tekna S-Line dressage, the Wintec Pro dressage, the Thorow- good T4 dressage and the hybrid Thorowgood T8 dressage—showed great attention to design. They not only looked like leather, they were virtually just as pliable. Plus, the material is much more scratch and mold resistant. The colors are deep and rich. Stitching is even and tight. The designs are intuitive and rider friendly. These saddles lack nothing when it comes to quality construction. CLEANING AND ACCESSORIES. Of course, nearly everyone knows that synthetic saddles are cleaned with water. (Really. Don’t use any- thing else.) You must keep them out of the sun while they’re drying and not expose them to high heat, such as blow drying them or locking them in a hot car (which isn’t good for leather either). Other than that, they’re a piece of cake. The suede- like areas did collect dusty debris, but we wiped that off with a dry cloth between washings. We used leather stirrup leathers and girths on these saddles without problem. You can also purchase matching bridles, girths and leath- ers, if you prefer. While we’ve heard that leather can cause a squeak when used on synthetic materials, we didn’t have that problem. TEKNA S-LINE. The Tekna S-Line saddle from English Riding Supply is available in a smooth or suede- like finish. We chose the smooth fin- ish, and it was wonderful, appearing very much like leather. The saddle was comfortable with padded, shaped knee rolls and a moveable knee block. The material is breath- able. It had the longest stirrup bar in

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Volume 19 • Number 12 December 2012

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

2 Editorial

5 Laser Therapy8 Turns: Forehand and Haunches10 Wound Case Study12 Book Review13 Equine Privacy14 Ask HJ, Safety Thought 15 2012 Index, Dr. Getty16 Commentary

Saddles:

www.horse-journal.com

Horse Journal on the WebRead the news, views, notices, breaking news at

www.horse-journal.comFor subscribers only: All back articles available on the web.

Our experts blog about competition, controversies and barn life.

Synthetic Saddles RockQuality design, fit options and a good look at an affordable price.

From left, the Thorowgood T8, Thorowgood T4, Wintec Pro Dressage, Tekna S-Line Dressage.

If you’ve gone saddle shopping with a small budget, you know the quality available in leather

saddles for less than $1,000 is just not there. That leaves a choice of buying a used leather saddle (and being sure there’s no broken or repaired tree), settling for a new in-expensive leather saddle (and living with the imperfections) or giving up on leather and going synthetic.

The simplest, safest route is a new synthetic saddle. Few people will even know your saddle’s not leather as you ride by. Or even if it’s sit-ting on the saddle rack, really. Plus, you can skip that time-consuming saddle soaping.

When our test saddles arrived, the first comment was always, “That’s not leather?” The four saddles we had—the Tekna S-Line dressage, the Wintec Pro dressage, the Thorow-good T4 dressage and the hybrid Thorowgood T8 dressage—showed great attention to design.

They not only looked like leather,

they were virtually just as pliable. Plus, the material is much more scratch and mold resistant. The colors are deep and rich. Stitching is even and tight. The designs are intuitive and rider friendly. These saddles lack nothing when it comes to quality construction.

CleaNiNg aND aCCeSSoRieS. Of course, nearly everyone knows that synthetic saddles are cleaned with water. (Really. Don’t use any-thing else.) You must keep them out of the sun while they’re drying and not expose them to high heat, such as blow drying them or locking them in a hot car (which isn’t good for leather either). Other than that, they’re a piece of cake. The suede-like areas did collect dusty debris,

but we wiped that off with a dry cloth between washings.

We used leather stirrup leathers and girths on these saddles without problem. You can also purchase matching bridles, girths and leath-ers, if you prefer. While we’ve heard that leather can cause a squeak when used on synthetic materials, we didn’t have that problem.

TekNa S-liNe. The Tekna S-Line saddle from English Riding Supply is available in a smooth or suede-like finish. We chose the smooth fin-ish, and it was wonderful, appearing very much like leather. The saddle was comfortable with padded, shaped knee rolls and a moveable knee block. The material is breath-able. It had the longest stirrup bar in

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Editor-in-ChiefCynthia Foley

Associate EditorMargaret Freeman

Performance EditorJohn Strassburger

Contributing Veterinary EditorsDeb M. Eldredge, DVM,

Grant Miller, DVM

Contributing Farrier EditorsLee Foley, Steve Kraus, CJF

Contributing Nutrition EditorJuliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

Contributing WritersBeth Benard, Nancy Butler,

Beth Hyman, Susan Quinn, Esq.

Editorial Offices6538 Van Buren Road

Warners, NY 13164315-468-0627

[email protected]

Subscription ServicesPO Box 420234

Palm Coast, FL 32142800-829-9145

www.horse-journal.com/cs

Reprints and Web-PostingJennifer Knapp

[email protected]

Horse Journal™ (ISSN No. 1097-6949; usps 011-874) is published monthly by Cruz Bay Publishing, LLC, an Active Interest Media company. The known office of publica-tion is at 475 Sansome St., Suite 850, San Francisco, CA 94111. Periodicals postage paid at San Francisco, CA and at addition-al mailing offices. Copyright © 2012, Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Printed in U.S.A. Revenue Canada GST Account #128044658.

Subscriptions: $49 annually (12 issues). Single copies are $8. Bulk rate subscrip-tions for organizations and educational institutions are available upon request. Postmaster: Please send address changes to Horse Journal, PO Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142. Canadian changes to Horse Journal, PO Box 39, Norwich, ON, N0J 1P0. Canada Publishing Agreement Number #40016479.

Horse Journal™ makes every effort to pro-vide information on horse health, care and treatment that is authoritative, re-liable and practical. It is not intended, however, to replace diagnosis or treat-ment by a veterinarian or other qualified health professional. Horse Journal does not assume any legal responsibility. Read-ers should always consult qualified health care providers for specific diagnosis and treatment.

eDiToRial

Efrem Zimbalist III CHAIRMAN AND CEOAndrew W. Clurman PRESIDENT AND COOBrian Sellstrom SENIOR VP AND CFOPatricia B. Fox SENIOR VP OPERATIONS

� Horse Journal December �01�

The goal of Horse Journal is to provide practical solutions and hands-on information our readers can take into the barn and use. We work to make bottom-line recommendations on products we believe will best serve our readers while standing firm with a back-to-the-basics philosophy on training, nutrition and horse care. We base our evaluations on field trials, research and experience. Horse Journal does not accept commercial advertising.

are you missing out on the online fun at www.horse-journal.com? keep up with the informative weekly blogs from our Horse Journal editors.

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Editorial:Careful Spending

Quality items can cost less in the long run.

As the last pieces of the barn building fall into place, like footing, we prepare for the move.

Moving every 10 years or so makes you eliminate clutter. That’s because, when you’re

packing, you find making the “I don’t need that” decision far easier.

Well, if you count my time as a young girl, we’ve been in the same barn for 40 years. And since we’re moving into the new barn shortly, I’ve started sort-ing, deciding what to keep, toss or garage sale.

Things I know we’ll never use again, including a huge number of bits and some young-horse train-ing devices, will go. The barn carts we’ve had since 2005 will be pared down, but we’ll certainly keep the Sce-nic Road Gorilla Wheelbarrow. It’s been “doing stalls” ever since it wheeled into the barn seven years ago. We’ve aired the tires a couple times, but otherwise it’s perfect. Its award as Best Buy and Top Choice was well deserved. At a price of under $200 in 2005, its cost is about $3 a month so far.

The other standout cart is the Agri-Fab #45 Cart. You wouldn’t expect a one-year warranty cart to compare to Scenic Road’s 10-year warranty, but it did. Our testers said the Agri-Fab cart was durable, and they were right. There’s a loose edging piece and a few chips in the bed, but otherwise, it’s worked hard carting hay, bedding and more around the farm for years.

That County Dresprix saddle is still dear to my heart. It’s the one I simply had to have way back in the first year of Horse Journal. Our testers were skepti-cal of its adjustable flap, but after the field trial they thought it was outstand-ing, and so have I for nearly 19 years now. It’s been through four horses,

and might need a little reflocking now, but other-wise it’s in amaz-ingly good shape. Longevity. That’s what we all want.

I still wear the Tredsteps half chaps I bought in 1998 after our field trial. The decade-old BMB halters remain my favorites,

and our Union Hill Lettia saddle pads haven’t started to show wear yet. These were all relatively pricey items, recom-mended by Horse Journal, and they’ve proven to be worth every penny.

This holiday season, consider giving quality gifts that people can use for years to come. Maybe initially it won’t seem like that $25 Haas brush is much of a gift, but eight years from now, when your friend is moving to another barn, you’ll be sure it’s a favorite that goes with her, just as mine will.

Cynthia FoleyEditor-in-Chief

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Saddle Billets Flaps and panels Gullet Tree Seat

Tekna S-Line$625www.englishsupply.com866-569-1600

Y-strap long billets, slightly thick.

Movable knee block.The latex-wool flocking is thick, comfortable and smooth. A saddle fitter can manipulate this combination.

Uses Quick Change Gullet system $25 each.

Lightweight syntheticFive-year warranty

We found the nicely padded seat comfortable with a medium twist and depth.

Wintec Pro$850www.wintec.net.auContact your local dealer

Y-strap billets, pretty thick, but they’re adjustable in length and placement. The front billet can be moved on the Velcro the knee block sits on and secured in place.

Equigrip panels. Movable knee block. Choice of wool or CAIR Cushion panels. Easy Change Riser Solution also available to adjust panels. $100.

Easy Change Gullet System(set $100; individually $25).

ElastiFlex treeLifetime warranty

The foam makes the seat very comfortable, although it was a bit stiffer than the other test saddles. The suede-like seat was grippy. It has a medium deep seat with a narrow twist.

Thorowgood T4$625www.thorowgood.comwww.doversaddlery.com800-406-8204

Long billets with three placement options, including Y-strap. The billets were also the longest in our trial.

Suede-like seat and knee rolls. Movable knee block. Flocking is British wool.

Changeable gullets.$29 each.

SimaTree saddle tree Lifetime warranty

Suede-like material on seat and knee rolls. Medium twist, medium depth.

Thorowgood T8 hybrid$825www.thorowgood.comwww.doversaddlery.com800-406-8204

Long billets with three placement options, including Y-strap. The billets were also the longest in our trial.

Leather flaps and knee rolls, the rest of the saddle is synthetic. Movable knee block. Flocking is British wool.

Changeable gullets.$29 each.

SimaTree saddle tree Lifetime warranty

Supple, comfortable leather. Medium twist, medium depth seat.

SaDDleS

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All of the saddles had movable knee rolls.

Horse Journal Editor’s ChoiceSynthetic Dressage Saddles

the trial, and changing stirrups was a breeze.

The long, shaped flaps add to its pretty design. The pommel is slightly cut back, which we liked.

When we rode, the saddle felt already broken in. It allows a nice close-contact feel of your horse.

Although we only had the me-dium-size changeable gullet the saddle came with, we pulled it out and put it back just to see what it was like. You do really need to pull this saddle apart to get the job done, but it’s not difficult. We would like to see a little Velcro on the flap that hides entry to the adjustable gullet, and we’d appreciate a couple spare screws, just in case one gets lost, but English Riding Supply said they will send you one if needed.

WiNTeC PRo DReSSage. The Wintec Pro comes in an Equisuede/microfiber finish. We chose wool flocking, but you can also get the CAIR Cushion System.

When you first mount up, you may feel like you’re sitting on a cloud, probably due to its layer of foam cushioning. But it’s extremely com-fortable, especially with its narrow twist, and you quickly adjust to it.

The panels are well-padded and appear breathable. Wintec says it’s an “Equigrip” lining, designed to help stabilize the saddle. The saddle has an overgirth attached to the flaps. It looks like it’s used to keep the flaps close to the horse, to ensure they won’t interfere with your leg and feel. It was an extra step tacking up, but worth it.

Changing the gullet was the easi-est of all these saddles. Long gone

are those notorious days of strug-gling with the gullet.

The only thing that bugged us was the added foam on the saddle skirt and upper corner of the flap. It didn’t interfere with riding or feel, but we felt it added to a puffy look.

THoRoWgooD. The T4 Thorow-

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SaDDleS

Replacement Interchangeable Gullets

We found the Wintec Easy Change Gullet System simplest to do, as it opened and closed with ease.

The gullets are color-coded (pictured are two of the Thorowgood gullets).

Wintec offers a device through separate pur-chase that helps you determine which gullet your horse needs.

Tekna (knee roll removed). Wintec billets.The Thorowgood billets and billet rings.

good is a fully synthetic model with suede-like seat and knee rolls, while the T8 is a hybrid, mean-ing it’s mainly synthetic but has a leather seat, flaps and knee rolls.

Both saddles are beautiful and comfortable. The design and look is very upscale, and the long flaps on the saddle seem to promote a longer leg. Test riders said they were auto-matically in the perfect spot when they mounted (one rider said her sitting trot was twice as easy). The T4’s suede-like seat was grippy but comfortable and barely noticeable. Our horses moved wonderfully.

The panels are flocked with wool that’s easily accessible by your saddle fitter. In fact, Thorowgood takes over-the-counter saddles to

almost custom level with a variety of panels and trees for cobs, wide horses, high or low withers and so on. From there, you can tweak the fit further with the gullets.

That, however, was a little tougher than the Wintec, and we found the hex screw that came with the saddle didn’t work as well as the one from our own tool box, but that’s a minor thing. The flap over the change area isn’t Velcro-ed, but it held in place well.

BoTTom liNe. Your saddle deci-sion starts with 1) Does it fit the horse? and 2) Does it fit the rider? Only then should you think price, and synthetics can save you a bun-dle. We would be happy with any of

these saddles, but our favorite was the Thorowgood T4. It’s well-priced, well-designed and comfortable. Plus, we applaud the multiple fit options beyond the gullet change. If you’re not ready for full synthetic, go $200 more for the T8’s leather seat and flaps.

One last thought: If you want a gullet-change saddle to use on a variety of horses frequently, con-sider the Genesis tree fit system (see September 2012). The tree width changes with a few simple clicks of the tree. Of course, you pay for that simplicity, compared to the syn-thetics, as the all-leather Toulouse Genesis Aachen dressage saddle we used cost $1650.

Article by Horse Journal staff.

Each of these saddles allows you to adjust the tree from narrow to wide with a gullet. While It’s not dif-ficult to change a gullet, using screwdrivers and hex keys, it’s not a quick process either. Also, although the gullets look and change similarly, they aren’t interchangeable among brands. Be aware that gul-

lets can add considerably to the cost of your saddle (each comes with a medium gullet). Wintec sells a gullet changer set with the sizing gauge and five gullets for $100, which is cheaper than purchasing them individually, but you won’t likely need them all if you’re using the saddle on only one horse.

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VeTeRiNaRY CaRe

Veterinary Care:

laser Therapy Relieves muscle Soreness

Type of Laser Company

ThorDDV

Several different packages available.

Equine Thor Photomedicinewww.equinethor.com877-355-3151

Vetrolaser Cold Laser

Includes safety glasses.

Vetrolaserwww.vetrolaser.com800-742-8433

Luminex Vet Laser

Rentals available.

Respond Systemswww.respondsystems.com800-722.1228

Pegasus Therapy Laser System

Financing available.

Pegasus Therapy Laserswww.pegasuslaser.com302-709-3901

PTL Pegasus Therapy Laser LiteCurewww.litecure.com877-627-3858

K-Series Veterinary Cube

Financing available.

K-Laser USAwww.k-laserusa.com866-595-7749

Almost all horse people, no matter what rid-ing discipline they

choose, universally agree that training and showing can at times push horses to their physical limits. Natu-rally, with increased physi-cal demands in athletic endeavors, comes increased strain on the body and the potential for injury. To com-bat this, horse enthusiasts continually seek new ways to help their horses through preventative health mea-sures and cutting-edge therapies. One such therapy is gaining rapid and widespread recognition for having a beneficial effect on horses: Laser Therapy.

WHaT iS a laSeR? Many of us think of LASERS as a high-tech weapon that is featured in a James Bond movie . . . but in actuality, lasers have been adapted over the years to be able to assist us with everything from relieving muscle soreness to working right beside us in our computer printers. LASER is the acronym for Light Amplifi-cation by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. In plain English? A laser is a device that generates an intense, highly focused beam of light, but it’s different than the light around us in several ways.

The most important difference is that laser light consists of one wavelength while the light around us is composed of many different wavelengths. Another key dif-ference about laser light is that it can be generated at a frequency far higher than our eyes can detect. Lasers are made with different light frequencies with different power

outputs. Lasers with high outputs can actually cut and cauterize (burn) tissues, which make them ideal for precision cutting during surgery. In this article, we are go-ing to focus on low-enery output

the greatest potential risk, but of course, also shows the most signifi-cant potential therapeutic effects. Isn’t this always the case?

Class 3 and 4 lasers are commonly marketed to horse owners. Class 4 lasers will in some cases generate between 10 and 12 watts of power at anywhere between 400 nanometer and 1,200 nanometer wavelengths (600 to 1,100 are most common).

These wavelengths can permit the laser beam to penetrate into the body up to six inches in depth, making them popular for treating musculoskeletal ailments in horses. However, this is not to say that Class 4 lasers are the only ones that a horse owner should consider.

Class 3 lasers, which in most circumstances only penetrate into the skin lay-ers, can be useful for helping wounds to heal, or for use on the lower limbs.

Choosing a laser that has versatility is critical, since different ailments will

respond appropriately to different types of laser therapy.

TYPeS of laSeRS. Within the genre of therapeutic lasers, there

Bes

t Ch

oice

s

Recommended laser Therapy Units

therapeutic lasers.

THeRaPeUTiC laSeRS. Therapeu-tic lasers are often termed “cold lasers” or “low-level lasers” mainly because they have a relatively low power output and they usually do not heat up the skin sur-face. These charac-teristics make them relatively safe for everyday use. How-ever, there are some risks in using lasers.

The FDA classifies lasers according to the potential haz-ards that they can present.Therapeutic lasers are classed between class 1 and class 4. Class 4 poses

Units cost thousands, putting a purchase out of reach for many of us, but not a rental.

Laser therapy, like this Pegasus unit, is a good choice for mus-culoskeletal injuries.

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are cold-wave lasers and cold-pulse lasers. Cold-wave lasers emit a single, uninterrupted light beam at a fixed power output and wave-length. Often termed an “acupunc-ture laser,” this type of laser is used commonly for that purpose (in place of needles that must be placed by a veterinarian). It is also often used for various skin conditions and wound healing.

Cold-pulse lasers are used when deeper tissue penetration is re-quired (such as with muscle ail-ments or problems that occur deep into the subcutaneous and muscle layers). This type of therapy in-volves the laser emitting alternat-ing red and infrared light at high energy output levels for short bursts of time. By alternating pulse types, this laser therapy can successfully penetrate deep into tissues without causing burning to the surface lay-ers of skin.

But what are therapeutic lasers actually doing? Research indicates that in order for tissues to show

2. Laser therapy can improve mi-crocirculation. That means it can help prevent blood from becoming stagnant in the narrow capillary beds of the circulatory system. Im-proved micro-circulation after laser irradiation promotes accelerated recovery after injury.

For instance, edema in a swollen leg can resolve much faster, bruises can dissipate quicker, and healing can move along at a much faster pace because improved blood flow means that more oxygen and nu-trients will be delivered to tissues under repair.

3. Laser light (especially that in wave form) can pierce the tissue at varying depths. Therefore, it can mimic an acupuncture needle. (For more information on the effects of acupuncture see, May 2012.) Just like acupuncture, laser therapy has been proven to have a beneficial effect on nerve cells and on the pro-duction of beta-endorphins.

Laser acupuncture appeals to horse owners whose horses fear needles, or to those who want to provide more acutherapy to their horses in between acupuncture ses-sions with the veterinarian.

Laser acupuncture can be success-ful (if the operator accurately ap-plies the laser beam to an acupoint) in blocking painful stimuli by decreasing the sensitivity at nerve endings. Therefore, anything from a bee sting to arthritis can poten-tially be helped by laser acupunc-ture (which of course is also the case with traditional acupuncture).

laSeR USe iN HoRSeS. There may come a day when the cost of lasers enables them to sit next to the hoof pick in everyone’s brush box. For now, their cost will likely make them not feasible for most horse owners to use on a day-to-day basis. However, for horses recover-ing from an injury or for folks that are heavily involved in competi-tion, they prove themselves to be a worthy investment or rental.

Laser treatments are painless and simple, as long as you know where to point the laser. It’s similar to holding a flashlight close to your horse’s skin. But finding sore spots may require veterinary help.

The Respond System is a long-time Horse Journal favorite. Prices for the Luminex Vet Laser start at $7700 with three-month rentals starting at $1625.

some type of reaction to laser light, they must receive somewhere be-tween 1 and 5 joules per treatment.

A joule is a unit of energy measurement. Joules can be delivered relatively quickly with powerful class 4 lasers. For instance, the recom-mended “standard” dose of 1 to 5 joules can be delivered in as little as 10 to 15 minutes depend-ing on the size of the area treated.

A class 3 laser, which is less powerful than a

class 4, can deliver the standard dose, but usually it can’t penetrate as deep into the body tissues and the same dose takes much longer (25 to 35 minutes) to deliver. When applied to the correct location, for the right period of time, with the right energy output, lasers can:

1. There is strong evidence to suggest that the energy produced by cold-laser therapy is absorbed by the enzymes of damaged cells. These cells then show increased regenerative activities because their mitochondria (aka power factories) increase their activity in response to the energy from the laser. This leads to increased production of healthy cell tissue, which results in improved tissue repair as well as reduced pain and inflammation.

Translation: This can help im-prove the tensile (load bearing and elastic) strength of, say, an injured tendon or a ligament that receives cold-laser therapy during rehab. Not only can it shorten the time of healing, but it can improve the quality of healing.

Safety First!No matter what type of laser you use, always protect your eyes, your horse’s eyes, and the eyes of anyone around you. Laser light can dam-age the retina without any pain sensation. Even worse, many lasers generate a light beam at a wavelength that our eyes can’t detect, therefore giving someone the illusion that the laser is off when it actu-ally could be on! Remember to wear laser light protectant goggles when using a laser and never point the laser at an eye, whether horse or human.

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Don’t Confuse LED Lights with Lasers!Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) differ from lasers, yet many get the two confused. There are approximately 1,800 studies in human literature that indicate legitimate medical uses of lasers. Studies that cite the beneficial effects of LED lights are far fewer.

Some manufacturers of LED systems will cite laser studies in support of their products, and vice versa to a smaller degree. Make sure to do your homework if you’re purchasing an LED or a laser system. What are you hoping that the device can do for your horse? LEDs work on the skin surface and have been shown to aid in wound healing. Lasers can also aid in wound healing, but also penetrate deeper into body tissues, in some cases, to help regenerate damaged tissue, aid in circulation, and mimic acupuncture to help control pain.

Also, take caution when using some LEDs because they can cre-ate heat at the skin surface, which is contraindicated for most acute conditions. By contrast, laser therapy stays cool and can be safely and easily paired with other therapeutic treatments.

What To Look For In A Laser OK, they’re costly, but the therapeutic benefits for your horse may make it worth financing the purchase or renting a unit. If you’re in the market for a laser, you may want to consider the following advice:

1. Class 3 or class 4 lasers are reported to show the most significant effects in horses, with class 4 being preferable in most cases.

2. Finding a laser with versatility (in terms of power output) will in-crease the number of ailments it can assist you with.

3. It’s difficult to recommend a minimum power output and light fre-quency since different ailments will respond to different laser setting configurations. But, as a general rule of thumb, a 10 watt laser with at least 660 nanometer wavelength will prove to be useful in many com-mon horse ailments.

4. Portability is important. Some lasers are bulky and heavy while oth-ers are basically handheld and can travel easily to a show.

5. Finding a laser that can provide both cold-wave and cold-pulse settings is recommended (cold-pulse laser therapy really penetrates deeper into the body).

6. Ask about warranties. Some offer them, some do not. You can also check into rentals, leasing and financing options.

In addition, if you plan on using a laser on acupoints, your veterinar-ian will have to point out the exact location of the points that he or she wants you to work on. The average laser treatment only takes about five to 10 minutes per area, so the use of a laser could easily be integrated into the grooming routine on a daily basis.

Other than avoiding pointing the laser at the eyes (see safety side-bar), no major adverse reactions with cold-laser therapy have been reported (due to their low-wattage output). Lasers have reportedly been helpful in:

• Improved healing time and quality of tissue repair in wounds or soft-tissue injuries

• Relieving inflammation (pain, heat, swelling/ edema, redness)

• Trigger point/ myofascial and muscle pain relief

• Acupuncture adjunct or in ap-propriate cases, substitution

• Calming effect• Improved athletic performance• Easing back pain• Laminitis• Assisting sinus drainage• Increasing the immune response

by activating lymphocytes (immune cells).

BoTTom liNe. Equine laser therapy is gaining momentum as more horse owners report beneficial effects of using therapeutic lasers on their horses. However, lasers are a complicated device, and trying to determine which setting, for which ailment, and what laser to purchase can be an overwhelming task. You will want to work with an expert rather than just go on your own.

To help your horse, a laser must have the right power and tissue penetration capabilities for what

British eventer Zara Phillips using a THOR LED.

The Vetrolaser cold laser head.

you’re treating. It must be used at the right time, at the right exact location, and at the right settings.

If you feel that laser may be a therapeutic modality that you want

to try in your horse, use safety pre-cautions and do your homework on therapy recommendations.

Article by Contributing Veterinary Editor Grant Miller, DVM.

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PeRfoRmaNCe

In our July article “Body Build-ing,” we discussed the use of turns on the haunches and

the forehand as part of a set of exercises to increase your horse’s core strength. We’re now going to explain how to introduce these concepts to the horse, so you can accomplish these movements.

An important part of any train-ing is the ability to put your horse’s body parts, like the haunches or forehand, where you want them. It’s a skill that’s applicable to any discipline, even trail riding (for instance, pushing the horse closer to a gate to open or close it).

Throughout the training and use of these exercises, it’s vital to always maintain your horse’s for-ward energy. And as we attempt to introduce this work, it would not be surprising to have moments where the horse “gets stuck” and wants to step backward in confusion.

So always be sure to monitor the forward energy carefully, and re-member to take plenty of truly for-ward breaks while practicing these movements. Once you’ve executed a few turns, then go to a more for-ward exercise, such as trotting or cantering large figures.

Similarly, do not attempt these exercises until the horse has a reli-able “forward button”—when you close your leg, your horse steps out willingly or performs the upward transition you’re asking for—and until you have enough body control to have mostly independent hands, seat and legs and are able to apply them correctly whenever needed.

TURNS oN THe foReHaND. It’s always easier to start with a fence on one side, to help define where the horse can go, so start by walk-ing down the long side of an arena. Pick a spot where you’re going to

Turns on The forehand and The Haunches are important exercisesThey can help your horse build important core strength.

Performance:

start to ask for the turn on the fore-hand, and as you approach the spot, begin to half-halt by pulsing the reins softly, closing your legs, and slowing and closing your seat.

As the horse steps underneath himself and compresses his stride, bring your outside (fence side) leg slightly back toward the middle of his body. Increase the half-halt so the horse stops his forward motion, and as you do that increase the pressure of your outside leg.

Keep your reins straight and short, and keep the horse’s neck slightly bent to the outside. Pulse the out-side leg along the horse’s side until you feel the horse take a sideways step, with the outside hind leg, away from your leg. Your initial goal should be one or two sideways steps away from the pulsing outside leg, and then immediately walk straight forward out of the turn.

As your horse gains understand-ing and builds confidence, increase the number of sideways steps. Work on feeling his hind legs move in your seat and back. You should ask with your leg and feel him pick up the corresponding hind leg and step

across the other hind leg as you ask him rhythmically to do it—never stepping back. The horse’s hind legs should make a half-circle around the forelegs remain stepping ac-tively in place.

Your first benchmark should be being able to do a complete half-turn. Do no more than one of these half-turns per long side initially, so that you can maintain an active, forward walk in between the turns. Remember, always think “forward.”

miSTakeS Will HaPPeN. Once you and your horse are performing steady, rhythmic turns on the fore-hand along the rail, it’s time to try doing a full turn on the centerline or elsewhere in the arena.

Turn down the centerline and picture in your mind’s eye which direction you’ll be turning. Initially plan on three-quarters of a turn and immediately walk forward out of the turn. If that goes well, attempt the full turn. If at any point the horse becomes stuck or steps back-ward as he’s rotating, walk imme-diately forward, wherever you are, and try again.

In the turn on the forehand, the horse’s hind legs should rhymically step around the rotating, stepping front legs.

For the turn on the haunches, the horse’s front legs turn around the hind legs, which should walk in place.

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PERFORMANCE

Consider This (for the Rider): Stay tall, square and seated on your seat bones. When you reposition your legs, do it from the hip socket, not by pinching your knee and swinging your lower leg backward.

Keep a steady, pulsating contact (not a gripping contact) on the horse’s mouth with the reins.

Consider This (for the Horse): While some bend is required, beware of over-bending or “breaking the horse in half” on either turn. Too much bend will cause as many problems as too little bend.

Be sure the horse always steps forward out of the turn and does not take even one backward step during or immediately after the exercise.

Remember that, at its most basic level, a turn on the forehand is ceasing the forward motion and channeling it to lateral movement. Although the horse is not travel-ing straight ahead, he’s still “going forward,” at least mentally.

From the rider’s perspective, there will likely be some mistakes and adjustments as you figure out the balance between the rein aids containing the horse and the leg aids moving him sideways. There will be moments when the rein aid becomes too strong and the horse stalls out or steps backward, and there will be times when the leg aid is too strong and the horse squirts forward or just swings sideways.

When these mistakes happen, don’t get frustrated—simply walk forward and try again. In time, the balance point between your rein aid and your leg aids will feel natural and easy to find.

TURNS oN THe HaUNCHeS. Once you and your horse have become competent at turns on the forehand, you can move on to turns on the haunches, which are con-siderably harder. Again, start on the long side of an arena, next to the rail. Begin to half-halt as above, only this time you’ll ask your horse for a definite inside bend. Put your inside leg in the middle of the horse’s body, and the outside leg slightly behind the girth. Also turn both your hands slightly to the inside (the direction of the turn) so that the outside rein can help bring the horse’s shoulder around.

As you start to half-halt to slow and collect the horse, try to feel when each hind leg is in the air as the horse steps. (It should corre-spond with your use of the alternat-ing leg aids you use at the walk.) If you can apply the corresponding leg while each foot is in the air, you’ll help the horse to understand how his feet should move.

Apply the outside leg to start swinging his body sideways, but be careful not to displace the haunch-es to the inside. Keep your inside leg active in order to keep the in-side hind foot moving, as the horse should continue to step in the same rhythm as in his normal walk, not

just spin on the inside hind leg. Just as with the turns on the fore-

hand, start with one or two steps and then walk forward. Gradually build up to a full half-turn along the rail, eventually leading to a full 360-degree turn on the centerline.

In both the turn on the forehand and the turn on the haunches, one end of the horse will make small active steps relatively in place, where the feet clear the ground and the joints keep bending, while the other end makes a larger circle. An inside “pivot” hoof should never be settled firmly into the ground.

“Too Big.” When starting out, haunches turns will most likely be “too big,” that is the horse keeps

stepping but wanders a bit from his original location. While train-ing, this is a perfectly acceptable starting place, as long as the horse is keeping his momentum, direc-tion and step. With time, strength and the refinement of the rider’s aids, the circumference of the turn should get smaller and smaller, until the steps of the hind legs are nearly in place.

Should you run into road blocks with either of these exercises, getting help on the ground can help get you over the challenges. Most likely, your aids are not clear enough or they’re accidentally preventing the horse from moving his body correctly. But if your horse really isn’t getting the idea of the sideways step, a helper encouraging him from the ground with a whip (light touches and taps, not hits or strikes) can help them help grasp what your aids are asking.

BoTTom liNe. Once you’ve got both of these turns mastered, you can use them in a variety of ways and for a variety of purposes, including improving your horse’s body strength. You can use then on the trails for maneuverability and as a “check in” for your horse’s at-tention and rideability.

Article by Performance Editor John Strassburger.

When teaching either turn, walk forward energetically between turns to maintain active steps.

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CaSe STUDY

Case Study:

At first the wound didn’t seem as if it would be a big deal—just one of those injuries that

horses suffer to “annoy” you. We never imagined that it would re-quire a surgical procedure, take 90 days to heal, and radically change my competition plans for the year.

It began in late March, when my mare Firebolt, aka Alba, came in from her night turn-out with a deep abrasion (think serious road rash) on the outside of her right hind leg, just above the coronet band and just in front of the outside heel. I sus-pected she’d brushed against a rock.

I cleaned it with Betadine soap and sprayed it with an antiseptic and—since we were to drive 500 miles in a few days to compete in open preliminary and we were in the midst of a rainy, muddy Cali-fornia winter—I decided to confine her to her stall to keep the wound clean and dry.

my lesson in Wound CareA seemingly simple injury results in a four-month break in training time.

may 9

may 14

may 19

may 24

June 2

Five days after debriding, Alba’s wound is still swollen and red.

Healthy pink skin starts to fill in.

Healthy skin is winning the battle.

At three weeks, only a small hole is left.

Healthy skin has closed the wound.

That strategy worked well initial-ly, as Alba earned her best dressage score ever (30.00) and was one of only three horses in the division to jump completely faultlessly around the cross-country course, to finish fifth. And when we got home, the wound looked to be healing well, so I started turning her out again.

But the wound only became worse. It turned red and angry looking and painful. Alba was obvi-ously not wanting to bring her right leg under her and push off. It also started developing proud flesh and was more painful.

CleaN, moiST aND STill. That’s when I asked Dr. Grant Miller, my Horse Journal colleague, to look at Alba’s wound. Grant said he should immediately surgically debride the wound—which means to cut off the growing proud flesh. The wound needed to be kept clean and moist with a wrap and wound dressing, and we needed to limit Alba’s movement, which meant she was confined to her stall with only 10 minutes of hand grazing per day.

Grant showed us how to put silver sulfadiazine cream on a non-stick pad, then wrap gauze around the hoof and leg to hold it in place. Then we wrapped an entire ad-hesive bandage around the hoof and lower leg (similar to what you do for an abscess) with an outer criss-cross pattern of duct tape to envelope the entire hoof and lower leg. We changed the bandage every two to four days, depending on how quickly Alba wore through it.

CRoSSeD fiNgeRS. Grant per-formed the debridement on May 4, nearly six weeks after the injury happened. Alba was supposed to contest the classic-format CCI1* at Rebecca Farm in Montana on July 12-15—nine weeks away.

With her wound healed, Alba returns to jumping cross-country courses.

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CaSe STUDY

So while Grant dexterously cut away the proud flesh and Alba’s leg bled profusely, I crossed my fingers. I was particularly eager since Alba, a 15.2-hand, appendix Quarter Horse mare, had proven that she is a fine three-day event horse.

As the weeks progressed, the wound healed steadily, but Grant warned that riding her again before the wound had healed completely would be one of the worst things I could do. So, I canceled her entry in what was to be her final horse trial before the Rebecca Farm three-day event. That left four to five weeks of training and conditioning time between putting her back to work and the July three-day event.

Unusually, my primary concern wasn’t her cross-country fitness. She was extremely fit when she began stall rest. But how much of an effect would five weeks of stall confinement have? I wasn’t sure.

My greater concern was Alba’s show jumping practice. The only thing Alba had done before her pre-vious owner abandoned her with us in 2008 was barrel race, and the di-rective of “20 seconds, as fast as you can!” has never entirely left her.

Show jumping reminds her most of barrel racing, and my strategy for dealing with that memory is to school her over a limited number of relatively low jumps two or three times a week. Basically, I try to keep show jumping from being a big deal to her.

RiDiNg agaiN! Finally, on June 5, Grant said we could stop wrap-ping Alba’s leg and start light work. I spent the first week just walking her, to help her regain her strength and suppleness. On June 12, I opti-mistically sent Alba’s entry to the July three-day.

The most obvious effect of her in-carceration was that her right hind foot had grown about half an inch longer than her left—because she wasn’t standing on the hoof or us-ing the leg. Our farrier, Mike Piro, trimmed her on June 14. He didn’t drastically trim that hind foot, con-cerned that he’d make her sore.

After Alba had been trimmed, I started to work her on the flat, and I noticed that she was still swinging

Don’t Wait! Suture If You CanIf you’ve had horses for a long time, you’ve probably cared for dozens of wounds, so you know that it’s not a one-treatment-fits-all situation. Wounds can be tricky. Most are obviously minor; some clearly require veterinary care. Alba’s wound appeared minor, but we didn’t antici-pate the proud flesh.

“If there is any possible way to suture a fresh wound, that’s ideal to accelerate healing and minimize down time,” Grant Miller, DVM, said. “In order to be suturable, the wound must be less than a few hours old (usually eight hours is the maximum on a wound in that location). Wounds that extend partial thickness (through two layers of skin) or extend full thickness (through all three layers of skin) are eligible to be sutured. Suturing wounds allows them to heal by primary intention, which cuts the healing time way down. If they’re not sutured, they must heal by secondary intention, which takes much longer.”

Grant added, “Any wound will benefit from being cleaned daily with a non-irritating antiseptic, such as Vetricyn, dilute Betadine, or even water. Then, if it’s wrapped, it will be protected from the nasty envi-ronment and be clean and moist. Keeping the horse still minimizes irritation (rubbing from movement), which allows it to heal faster.”

Location Is Key In Leg WoundsWhere a wound is located on a horse’s leg can often have consider-able impact on how quickly and how well it heals. “The farther down on a limb the wound is, the more difficult it can be to heal,” explained Dr. Grant Miller. “This can be due to the excessive movement of the lower limbs, to the fact that the skin is more or less stretched over bone, to leaving very little wiggle room, and it can be due to the wound being closer to the muddy or dusty or manure-laden or bug-infested ground.”

The difficulty of healing Alba’s wound reminded me of my own leg two years ago. I was kicked on the front of my right shin, about six inches above the ankle, while ponying a horse, and the impact cut the front of my right leg (through half-chaps, two knee socks and breech-es). I took off my half-chaps after riding and was surprised to see that I was bleeding. We cleaned it with Betadine and wrapped it, but two days later it was horribly and painfully infected.

Despite medical care, the wound refused to heal. In fact, it got bigger. The nurse said that was because of the location—at the front of my shin, where the skin is stretched tightly across the tibia’s edge, with no fat. Basically, every time I took a step, I tore it open more.

A skin graft didn’t hold, and right after that, we left for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. There, Dr. Mike Tomlinson, an FEI veterinarian, suggested I try the Game Ready cold-compression bandage. Game Ready had a booth at the WEG, so he told them to expect me, and I sat in their booth with my leg wrapped every day for 15 or 16 days.

For the first time in two months, we could see my leg healing. Back home, we rented a machine for two more months, and almost every day, while I sat at my computer, I wore it, for as long as four hours. By December the wound was completely healed, with a lovely scar.

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meDia CRiTiQUe

NATURE, NURTURE AND HORSES. BY PAUL BELASIK. HARD COVER. 2012. TRAFALGAR SQUARE BOOKS.

$31.95. AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.HORSEBOOKS ETC.COM OR 800-952-5813.

Istruggled with reviewing Paul Belasik’s new book. In 2010, I was thrown from a three-year-old the first time I tried to

mount her and then was helicoptored, bare-ly conscious, from our farm to the hosptial intensive-care unit. The doctors’ consensus was that my ASTM/SEI-certified helmet and ASTM/SEI-certified crash vest saved my life. In the combined 40 years of starting babies between my wife and me, this is the only serious injury either one of us has had.

I tell this story because the problem I have with Belasik’s thought-provoking and beautifully photographed book is that not only does he not wear a helmet or any other protective gear, but he also does not encourage anyone else to do so.

He does address this issue in a note at the beginning of the book, and while he doesn’t exactly say, “Don’t wear a helmet,” I got the impres-sion that he doesn’t consider it necessary, if you train your horse as he suggests. I can speak from personal experience that all it takes is one explosive moment to change your life and those of your loved ones. So, for this reason, I cannot recommend this book.

But it’s a shame that Belasik so glibly dismisses this safety issue, because he expresses some interesting ideas in the pages. And they are greatly enhanced by the extensive photographs. The format of the book follows four of Belasik’s homebreds from birth and through their first year of under-saddle training. The three fillies and one colt, having pedigrees that include Thoroughbred, continental warmblood, and Iberian broodstock, are detailed as individuals throughout their various milestones.

I really enjoyed Belasik’s explorations of each horse’s individual character and his discussion of guiding and shaping their training progress. I also enjoyed reading about his personal training methodol-ogies, some of which are quite different from others that I’ve studied. For instance, he puts an emphasis on the horse being in a frame at a far earlier point in the training than I’ve seen before.

While this book is written by, and presumably for, dressage riders, I believe the concepts being discussed here would be helpful for anyone who starts youngsters. But without appropriate safety measures, I worry that someone could be seriously injured.

Bottom Line: While the format and guiding philosophy of this book are excellent, I can’t get past some of the glaring safety issues es-poused in it. Belasik provides much food for thought in starting young horses, but I worry emulating it could prove risky.

Best suited for: People with enough experience in dealing with young horses to use some of his strong and interesting ideas but able to discard those that are dangerous or not applicable to their disci-pline’s objectives.

You’ll be disappointed if: You are a newbie to young horses looking for basic information. Or someone who feels strongly about the impor-tance of safety around horses.

John Strassburger, Performance Editor

Media Critique:

Nature, Nurture and Horses

her right hind leg abnormally. We suspected that Alba was suf-

fering from a compensation injury, that the right hind was weak from six or seven weeks of abnormal or non-use, and that the left front shoulder was tight or stiff from her attempting to displace her weight on to it. It would be 10 days before our equine chiropractor, Dr. Su-zanne Guyton, would be here.

But that was 10 days I didn’t have, if we were to get to Rebecca Farm. I canceled the entries.

THe RigHT DeCiSioN. Skipping the three-day was the right deci-sion. Even with her chiropractic ad-justment, it took two weeks before Alba felt 100 percent. I spent those two weeks stretching and massag-ing her myself and doing numerous stretching, strengthening and sup-pling exercises under saddle.

When I spoke with Grant again, he said, “Alba’s wound healed better than I expected, due to the fact that you actually followed and stuck to my recommendations and did not deviate halfway through and make it worse again—which is what the majority of the clients do because they listen to somebody other than their vet.”

Grant also prescribed rubbing vitamin E oil into the wound site for several weeks, to prevent the build-up of scar tissue and assist the body in replacing genuine tis-sue at the wound site. “Scar tissue is just filler tissue—it has very poor load transferability and virtually no elasticity,” Grant told me.

RegRoUPiNg. After four-plus months away from competition, Alba returned to competition at Woodside in mid-August, the start of her prep for the classic-format CCI1* at the Galway Downs Inter-national Three-Day Event, which ended up canceled. She was cer-tainly ready for cross-country and zoomed around the course per-fectly, as if she hadn’t been away at all. Her next two trials went equally well, and I’m now preparing Alba to move up to intermediate level next spring.

Article by Performance Editor John Strassburger.

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VeTeRiNaRY VieWPoiNT

On a daily basis, veterinarians have the incredible privilege of being able to step foot onto

several different properties and peek into people’s lives. In some cases, we also have the difficult task of having to talk with own-ers about problems occurring with their horse. Much of our conver-sation is devoted to developing a mutual understanding of what’s going on with the horse and then to formulate a plan.

For instance: Suzy calls her vet-erinarian to come look at her horse with a right front lameness. The veterinarian confirms the horse is lame and then isolates it to the foot.

The veterinarian asks about any previous diagnoses on the foot or if it’s happened before. If a cause for the problem isn’t apparent, the veterinarian will usually give the owner a list of possibilities, like a sole bruise or coffin-joint arthritis. The veterinarian may then recom-mend further diagnostics such as radiographs or ultrasound.

It’s important to remember that, at this point, no diagnosis has been made. Just because the veterinarian mentions coffin-joint arthritis, that doesn’t mean the horse absolutely has it. Yes, the horse is lame. No, we don’t know why yet.

Sometimes the veterinarian may have to leave and come back with the proper equipment, which leaves a waiting period in which a ner-vous owner calms her nerves by speaking with friends or perusing the Internet. (We at Horse Journal hope that owners doing research stop by and search our database!)

All too often, though, through friends and the Internet, horse own-ers get ahead of themselves on the diagnosis. Veterinarians are some-times surprised to learn that the

Veterinary Viewpoint:

keep Your Horse’s medical information QuietIt’s in your best interest to take a page from health care’s privacy laws into your barn.

horse has been assigned a diagnosis by the Congress of the Barn Aisle, based on the vet’s preliminary con-sultation. All too often these efforts (while well-meaning) cost the horse owner time and money because they steer things off course.

Of course, we all like to seek counsel and solace in conversations with barn friends. However, talk-ing with too many people can hurt more than it helps.

It’s best if veterinary visits are attended by only those who need to be present and that chit-chat about a horse’s health is limited to persons who need to know it. This helps avoid unwanted opinions and theories from others.

There are two major reasons for this position statement:

1) Veterinarians don’t want horse owners to be confused about what may be going on with their horses.

If an audience “participates” in a lameness exam, the owner may be inundated with secondary opinions the instant the veterinarian goes out to the truck. This can create confusion and an unwanted de-tour from the facts. It’s vital to the horse’s well-being that owners have a clear, precise understanding of the horse’s condition.

What this boils down to is, for the lifelong health of the animal, things must be clear and factual. If a horse’s medical history is clouded with irrelevant and unqualified “barn diagnoses,” it can cost both the horse and the owner later.

2) Veterinarians want to protect the reputation of the

horse. If gossip gets out about a horse having a problem he actually doesn’t have, that equates to some-one stating that a car has been in a wreck when it hasn’t. Unconfirmed declarations can create major issues for future use and resale.

Here’s an example: A well-mean-ing farrier accidently trims a horse too short and the horse is sore for a couple of weeks. The owner calls the vet after the horse has remained “ouchy” for a couple of weeks. The vet explains that it’s likely that the horse has just been trimmed a bit short, and that sometimes it can take many weeks for lameness to resolve. The vet explains that, just based on a phone conversation, he can’t be certain of what’s going on. There’s always the possibility of something else, like laminitis or hoof abscesses.

The vet goes on to say that in order to know for sure, he or she would have to see the horse, perform a physical exam and possibly take radiographs in order to definitively confirm the cause of the lameness.

At this point, the horse owner doesn’t want to commit several hundred dollars to a veterinary vis-it, so she starts soliciting opinions. Because the veterinarian mentioned laminitis, the word around the barn is that the horse has foundered. Once gossip like this gets started, it’s difficult to stomp it out.

In some instances, owners will start their own treatment for an unconfirmed diagnosis. This can waste time and money and, in a few cases, even exacerbate the horse’s real problem.

BoTTom liNe. We all want what is best for our horses. But sometimes, in an effort to help them, concerned owners and barn friends can create more harm than good. Keep your horse’s conditions private, and discuss them only with those who need to know.

Grant Miller, DVM, Contributing Veteri-nary Editor.Dr. Grant Miller

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aSk HoRSe JoURNal

No one can watch their horses 24/7, unless they can afford to hire night watchmen. For those of us who can’t do that, locking the pasture gate is a good preventative to both theft and mischief. It takes an extra

minute or so to unlock the gate when it’s time for the horses to come in, but it helps avoid potentially liable situations (see November 2012), such as the neighbor kids thinking it would be fun to let the horses out to run. That said, never lock your horses in the barn because, in the event of an emergen-cy, like a fire, those precious seconds opening the lock could be tragic.

Protect Yourself: lock Pasture gates

It keeps the neighborhood rascals away.

Ask Horse Journal:

Safety Thought:

My horse willingly jumps verticals, but doesn’t like to jump oxers and usually

refuses them. When she does jump oxers, she jumps over them as if they’re filled with alligators. What do you think is wrong and what should I do?

Performance Editor John Stras-sburger responds: The first thing I’d do, especially if the horse shows other spooky behaviors, is to have your veterinarian examine her eyes. If her eyes seem fine, a soundness evaluation wouldn’t be a bad idea, to confirm she doesn’t have a physi-cal reason for not wanting to jump width, like on an oxer.

Assuming there isn’t a sound-ness reason for her distrust of oxers versus other types of jumps, the solution is to break down the ques-tion, take time and repeat. Most often, horses with an oxer issue are just struggling to understand the question—they’re struggling to read the dimensions of the fence and to understand how they’re supposed to clear it.

Start with two poles on the ground, rolled flush together. Trot and canter back and forth over them. When the horse is doing that easily, start roll-

She Won’t Jump oxersYour horse probably doesn’t understand the question.

ing the rails slightly farther apart (to a max of about 18 inches). Continue trotting and cantering back and forth over them, closing your legs to urge the horse to leave the ground, encouraging the horse to jump up and across the width.

Once that exercise is going easily, build a small oxer, no higher than 12 to 18 inches. Be sure to make the front rail and back rail different and contrasting colors so the dimensions of the obstacle are clear to the horse.

Start with the front rail placed in the cups on one end but on the ground on the other end (like half of a crossrail). You can set the back rail normally, in both cups.

Trot positively to the oxer, keeping the horse straight and in the middle of the jump with your legs and reins. You want a bold, forward—but not fast—gait; keep your horse at a con-trolled pace and allow her to focus on the jump, not on you. You don’t want the horse running at the fence, as speed will not help. You want the horse to understand the question, not blast over it without looking.

It’s this moment where having a rider with experience over fences is often important. You want the horse to understand that giving up is not an option; you want her to sort out

the question. That means you need someone with experience to keep positive pressure on the horse and to be able to ride it out as she sorts out jumping over the fence the first few times. (Your horse may continue to jump it like a scalded cat at first.) You also need to have the experience to know when to back off and when to keep pressing. If this doesn’t define your abilities, a few sessions with an experienced trainer would be your best bet.

Keep trotting over the oxer with the lowered half-rail until the horse is jumping it easily. Then put the front rail up on both sets of cups to create a true parallel oxer. But set the front rail two holes lower than the back rail, again to help the horse see the dimensions of the obstacle.

Once the horse is doing the tiny oxer well, you’ll need to assess the best way forward. If your horse still seems anxious about the oxer, then I would leave a tiny one set up in your ring and jump it once or twice daily for a while. Sometimes consistent repetition is your best training tool. If the horse seems relatively comfort-able quickly, then you should add size to the oxer over the course of several jump schools.

You can also change the oxer from offset to square, and add them in combinations. Always start with a relatively easy oxer, and keep it available throughout the school in case you need to backtrack and re-establish confidence.

Time and repetition of educational oxer exercises should help your horse overcome her oxer phobia.

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Horse Journal w w w.horse -journal.com December �01� 1�

2012 aNNUal iNDeX

We’re happy to announce that Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D., has joined Horse Journal. With her down-to-earth approach to equine nutrition, she will

give you the same Horse Journal unbiased look at supple-ments, feeds and other products and recommend the ones she knows are the best choices and best values.

An equine nutrition specialist, Dr. Getty has been called a “pioneer in free choice forage feeding.” Her book “Feed Your Horse Like A Horse” received strong reviews, including one that said she did a better job explaining nutrition than even Horse Journal and EQUUS.

“Feeding your horse properly doesn’t have to be a chal-lenge,” she said. Driven by her lifelong passion for horses, she makes sense out of those mind-numbing scientific research studies, using a whole-horse approach to horse care and nutrition.

A professor at the University of North Texas for over 20 years, Dr. Getty now runs her own private nutrition consultation company, Getty Equine Nutrition LLC (www.gettyequinenutrition.com). She also serves on the prestigious advisory panel of the Equine Sciences Academy (www.equinesciencesacademy.com).

Dr. getty Joins Horse Journal

ApparelAir Vests 5/12 p1Jeans, Riding 2/12 p1Saddle Skirt 4/12 p12

Barn/Horse ManagementBlanket/Pad Washes 1/12 p7Blankets, Winter Turnout 9/12 p1Brushes 7/12 p7Clipper Tension Knob 9/12 p14Clippers, Do-It-All 4/12 p11Currying 10/12 p1Eucalyptus 9/12 p14Fans, Stall 7/12 p13Hay Availability 9/12 p10Hay, Slow Feeding 4/12 p14Liniments 4/12 p10Mares, Managing 11/12 p12Massage Products 11/12 p10Minis 8/12 p5Parasites 2/12 p13, 3/12 p8Poulticing 5/12 p10Skin Problems 7/12 p1, 8/12 p3Sticky Legs/Blankets 2/12 p15Radios 4/12 p13Vacuums, Pasture 5/12 p14Weaning, Early 8/12 p1

Books/Media“40 Fundamentals of English

Riding” 4/12 p13“Barefoot Horse” 11/12 p13“Beyond Horse Massage” 10/12

p4“Horse Senses” 5/12 p10“The Horse’s Pain-Free Back and

Saddle-Fit Book” 9/12 p9“Jane Savoie’s Dressage 101”

3/12 p12“Nature, Nurture and Horses”

12/12 p12“Raja: Store of a Racehorse” 6/12

p14“Rider and Horse Back to Back”

6/12 p14“Seven Deadly Sins of Dressage”

7/12 p11“Still Riding at 80” 1/12 p10“Zen Mind, Zen Horse” s/12 p1

Editorials/CommentaryBarn/Open in Winter 12/12 p16 Clothes and Horse Sport 9/12

p16Confidence, Rider 6/12 p16Do-It-Yourselfers 10/12 p2Euthanasia 7/12 p10 Fairness to Pet Owners Act 5/12

p2Feel 4/12 p16Flurry’s Story 1/12 p2Green Barn 4/12 p6Horses Enjoy Work 11/12 p4Hospice 1/12 p11Hot Weather Care 7/12 p2Insurance 10/12 p9Internet Rating Site 3/12 p16Kids/ Self-Reliance 7/12 p16Learn More Than Riding 10/12

p16Legs, Feeling 2/12 p16Liability 8/12 p16; 11/12 p2Med Info/Private 12/12 p13Natural Environmentalists 8/12

p13

Pharmacies, Internet 5/12 p11Prepurchase Exam 3/12 p7Preventive Exam 6/12 p6Rescue Groups 3/12 p2Skin Problems 8/12 p2Spending 2/12 p2, 12/12 p2Stress and Ulcers 6/12 p2Towing Costs 5/12 p16Trainer/Rider/Horse Triumvirate

11/12 p16Weight/Fitness 4/12 p2

LettersBack Issues 1/12 p15Blanket Repair 4/12 p15Cushing’s/Joint Pain 3/12 p15EPM Case History 6/12 p15Environment/Chemicals 10/12

p15Hoof Boot Size 1/12 p15Itching 9/12 p15Leg Heat Sensor 4/12 p15Med-Alert Bracelet 2/12 p15Mounting Safety 10/12 p15Music in Barn 6/12 p15Patience 4/12 p15Pasture Vacuums 7/12 p15Recycling 9/12 p15Tack Storage 1/12 p15Tetanus Vaccine 2/12 p15Trailering 7/12 p15Ulcers 8/12 p14

Miscellaneous AHP Awards 8/12 p15Ariat Sale 8/12 p15Farrier, Staff 9/12 p15Horse Journal Upgrades 9/12 p2 Insurance 9/12 p8, 10/12 p5,

11/12 p1Nutritionist, Staff 12/12 p15Pharmacies, Internet 9/12 p13

NutritionDevil’s Claw Dosage 5/12 p14Hay Alternative 9/12 p19

Hay Drive 10/12 p15IR Horses/Carbs 3/12 p10Joint Supplements, Oral 1/12 p1,

2/12 p6Kounty Buffet Recall 5/12 p15Loading Dose 7/12 p15NASC 1/12 p6Salt 10/12 p13Vitamin E/Selenium 6/12 p7

Performance/Training/RidingBalance Exercises 5/12 p14Behavior, Investigating 6/12 p9Body Building Exercises 8/12 p10Bossy, Smart Horse 6/12 p13Canter Exercises 11/12 p15Conditioning/Fitness 1/12 p8Jumping Oxers 12/12 p13Pressing On 2/12 p11Respect 3/12 p13Turns on Forehand/Haunches

12/12 p8Warm-Up Stiff Side 7/12 p16

SafetyAir Vests 5/12 p1Arena Rails 5/12 p11Barn Door Chain 3/12 p12Equipment/Behavior 8/12 p14Halters, Leather/Trailers 1/12 p11Helmet Care 9/12 p9Hot Horse/Warm Water 6/12 p11ID Bracelet 9/12 p14Mounting Patience 7/12 p6Pasture Gates/Locking 12/12 p14Road Crossing 4/12 p12Slopes, Steep 10/12 p12Steel-Toed Boots 2/12 p10Trailer Tying 11/12 p12

Summer CareFly Armor 8/12 p12Fly Control 5/12 p13Hoof Care 6/12 p15Skin Problems 7/12 p1, 8/12 p3

TackAachen Dressage Saddle 9/12

p11Conditioning 3/12 p1Grab Strap 1/12 p13Happy Mouth Bit Recall 8/12 p15Saddles, Synthetic Dressage

12/12 p1Women/Saddle Choice 4/12 p1Yoke, Racing 10/12 p13

Veterinary Acupuncture 5/12 p6Bug Bite Allergy 6/12 p12Colic 9/12 p12Developmental Disease 8/12 p3Eastern Medicine 1/12 p16EPM 4/12 p5Euthanasia 7/12 p10Hock Pain 11/12 p5Hot/Cold Therapy 11/12 p6Laminitis/Mini 1/12 p14Laser Therapy 12/12 p5Ligaments 4/12 p7Lyme Disease 7/12 p12Moxidectin vs. Fenbendazole

5/12 p15NCS 10/12 p14Pergolide 4/12 p14, 5/12 p15Pigeon Fever 10/12 p10Poulticing 5/12 p9Rabies, New Strain 5/12 p15Rehab Walking 10/12 p13Skin, Itchy 7/12 p1, 8/12 p3Teeth/Older Horses 2/12 p15Tendon Healing 3/12 p4Ulcers 6/12 p1; 8/12 p14 Vaccination Choices 1/12 p12Weight Loss Diet 6/12 p12West Nile Disease 10/12 p14Wound Care 12/12 p10

Winter CareBlankets, Turnout 9/12 p1Cold Temps 1/12 p15Neck Covers 11/12 p15

2012 index

Dr. Juliet M. Getty

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open Barn = Healthy Barn

A recurring theme at Horse Journal is to let your horse be a horse: Turn out as much as

possible. Start with forage to deter-mine diet. Vary the exercise routine as much as possible.

Therefore, there is one common horse-keeping practice in the win-ter that drives us batty, which is to shut up a barn tight the instant the temperature dips below 60°. The corollary to this is to swathe a horse in blankets up to his nose.

People tend to gauge the comfort level inside a barn by their own needs rather than that of the horses, which can be completely comfort-able in colder temperatures. A more important consideration is that horses require fresh air to remain healthy, gobs and gobs of fresh air.

Horses put out a lot of body heat, and a closed barn readily collects that heat and the humidity that goes with it. A barn that is shut up for hours at a time and accumulates dust puts a severe strain on the horse’s respiratory system. If horses in your barn are getting sick, you

Closing a barn up tight in winter can lead to respiratory problems.

should consider opening the doors and windows more, not shutting them tight. It’s a contradiction to wet down the hay of a horse with respiratory problems and then lock him in a completely closed barn.

Nature provided the horse with excellent winter insulation. A coat that is in good condition will fluff up and protect the horse against cold and, to some degree, against wind and rain. A horse that is clipped, of course, needs extra protection as does a horse whose condition is compromised by age or illness.

But, barn managers can be driven nuts by board-ers who leave them with elab-orate memos of how a horse needs a specific level of blanket-ing to meet each minute climate change, not realizing that a horse doesn’t need to curl up

in front of a cozy fire in the evening in order to be comfortable.

We can’t suggest guidelines here about closing the barn in bad weath-er because everyone’s barn structure varies, including whether it’s shed-row, center-aisle, hay storage above stalls, bank-built, and so on. Then there’s your individual winter cli-mate adding to the mix. You’ll need to make the call based on your own

conditions and whether your horses are unclipped, clipped and blanketed, or a mix.

But start here: Unless snow or driving rain is actually blowing down the aisle, think twice before you shut your barn up tight.

Margaret FreemanAssociate Editor