At LEGISequine.com, we are committed to providing education to horse owners to help them keep their horses happy and healthy for a lifetime. In this light, we have teamed up with Douglas Novick, DVM to bring you this series of informative articles.

For most people, the horse ownership journey starts with a pre-purchase exam, but are we all clear on what exactly this entails? In this first installment of our series of articles from Dr. Novick, he shares some important information you should know about what to expect.

A pre-purchase exam is a complete physical and lameness evaluation performed by a veterinarian for a potential buyer of a horse. The purpose is to determine what, if any, health or lameness problems the horse has today and what problems it may develop in the future. People often say that a horse either passed or failed a pre-purchase examination, but this is not an accurate statement. The pre-purchase exam is not a pass/fail situation. With rare exceptions, I have found some problem worth discussing with the potential buyer in every pre-purchase exam I have performed.

Rather than looking at this as a pass/fail, at the end of the exam the potential buyer must determine whether or not they can live with the problems found. If they can live with the problems, they buy the horse. The veterinarian will often provide a letter describing the results of his exam after it is completed.

The exam is divided into three parts: the physical exam, the lameness exam, and additional tests including x-rays and blood and drug tests. The first two parts take about an hour to perform. During the physical exam the doctor listens to the heart, lungs and intestines, takes the temperature of the horse, checks the eyes and teeth, and will usually give you an estimate of the horse's age. If the horse was raced and is tattooed under the upper lip, it is much easier to determine his age.

The balance of the time is spent on the lameness exam. The veterinarian palpates the horse over his entire body, looking for pain, heat, or swelling. He palpates the back along the spine and muscles to detect any back pain. Each leg is palpated top to bottom. Each joint in each leg is evaluated for increased joint fluid or pain on flexion. The tendons and ligaments in each leg are evaluated for pain on palpation.

Each hoof is also examined. The doctor will pick the feet out and apply a hoof tester to the sole of each. A hoof tester looks like a big pair of pliers. It allows the veterinarian to apply point pressure to specific areas along the sole of the hoof. If the horse has a sore spot in the sole of the hoof, he will try to pull away when pressure is applied.

Once the hooves have been inspected, the doctor performs flexion tests on each leg. Flexion tests involve flexing a joint for a period of time. Then the horse is trotted off. If the horse limps in the first few strides, that is considered an indication of soreness in that area. Veterinarians perform individual flexion tests on the knee and fetlock joints in the front legs, while they typically only test the hocks in the hind legs. This is because the hind legs in horses are built in such a way that if you flex one joint, all the joints are flexed so is difficult to evaluate individual joints.

Following the flexion tests, the horse is usually either tacked up and ridden or put on a lunge line. Then the horse is asked to trot and canter in both directions. Again, the doctor is looking for signs of lameness.

The third part of pre-purchase involves any blood tests and x-rays which may be helpful in discovering sources of illness or lameness. In the majority of pre-purchase exams, the front hooves are x-rayed. This is to determine if there are any changes in the navicular bone. The doctor is looking for changes that might be typical of navicular disease or if there are any indications of ring bone or problems in the coffin bone. If during the lameness exam another area shows abnormality, that area will also be x-rayed. The other most common area to x-ray is the hocks. Many performance horses develop arthritis in the hocks. While such arthritis does not mean the end of the horse's athletic career, its presence, called bone spavin, is an important factor when making a buying decision.

The potential buyer may also elect to have blood tests run on the horse. Two of the simplest tests to run are a complete blood count, which checks for anemia and infections, and a chemistry profile, which checks for indications of liver, kidney, or muscle disease.

The veterinarian may also run a drug screen. This tests for many of the drugs used to mask symptoms of lameness or to sedate. An unscrupulous seller might use a sedative drug to present a picture of a calm horse or a pain medication to mask a soundness problem in order to fool a potential buyer. The drug screen at present is somewhat cumbersome because the results are often not available for several days and don't show every type of drug available.

The pre-purchase exam is an enlightening and valuable tool, but it's important to remember that this is a piece of the decision-making process and not a pass/fail situation.

Dr. Douglas Novick is an equine veterinarian serving the Silicon Valley area of California. He focuses on treating Western and English performance horses, including hunter/jumper, dressage, endurance, reining, roping and pleasure horses. Dr. Novick is pleased to team up with LEGISequine.com to bring readers informative articles about many facets of horse care and enjoying their horses in general.

See more of Dr. Novick’s articles and videos at www.novickdvm.com or contact him at 800-998-4650. To learn more about LEGISequine.com or to obtain a quote, visit the website or call 866-844-2331

###

LEG Up News provides public relations and marketing services to the equestrian sport, especially show jumping and dressage. For more information about LEG UP News or to see how we can work for you, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LEGISequine.com is staffed by horse people experienced in many different aspects of the horse industry and provides a wide range of insurance coverage for horse owners, riders, professionals, facilities, and event managers. For more information about LEGISequine.com, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Visit our Facebook page for photos, news, updates, and more.

Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | 866-844-2331 phone | 818-748-1532 fax

LEGISequine.com | 480 W. Riverside Drive, Suite 1 | Burbank, CA 91506

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation has released a report identifying future research priorities for the study of equine colic, including investigations to improve the veterinarian’s ability to diagnosis, treat and prevent the disease. The report was created by the Research Priorities Panel, a group of leading researchers that met during the 10^th International Equine Colic Research Symposium, July 26-28, 2011, in Indianapolis, Ind.

The report is now available here: http://www.aaep.org/foundation_research.htm. Each section of the report includes a list of diseases or   fundamental problems requiring research. The sections are prioritized with an outline of the needed research and funding priorities.

The Symposium, alternating every three years between Europe and North America, is designed to bring together leading researchers, practitioners, residents and graduate students to share knowledge about equine colic, the leading cause of premature death in horses.  As with previous symposiums, this meeting facilitated the exchange of new information about colic among investigators while stimulating new collaborations and ideas for research projects.

Held in conjunction with the AAEP’s 2011 educational meeting “Focus on Colic,” the Symposium featured 45 oral presentations and 72 poster presentations.  After the Symposium, a panel of researchers met to answer specific questions about the direction and cost of future colic research.

“I want to thank all the researchers who volunteered their time to help develop this important document,” said Nathaniel White, II, DVM, symposium co-chair. “I look forward to the equine and veterinary communities embracing and using this information to help horses through much needed equine colic research.”

Similar to other research panels organized by the AAEP Foundation, the meeting allowed equine colic researchers from many disciplines to prioritize the most important aspects of this deadly disease. The panel was also challenged to develop a plan for investigator collaborations on colic research for the next five to 10 years.

The Symposium was presented by AAEP Educational Partner Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.  Additional sponsors for this meeting included the American Quarter Horse Foundation, British Equine Veterinary Association, Bioniche Animal Health, USA, Inc., Equine Feed Oat Project, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, The Horse Trust, Merck Animal Health, Morris Animal Foundation, North American Equine Ranching Information Council, Nutramax Laboratories, Inc., Nutrena and Platinum Performance.  This cooperative effort is helping to identify priorities for equine colic research and will benefit the owner, veterinarian, supporting industries and, most importantly, the horse.

If you wish to support this or other similar workshops that support equine research, please visit www.aaepfoundation.org or call toll free in the United States or Canada at (800) 443-0177 or direct at (859) 233-0147.

For the past 17 years the AAEP Foundation has allocated more than $2.2 million in grants to programs that promote the health of horses. Grant applications for 2012 are due on May 1 and are available at www.aaepfoundation.org.

The AAEP Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, was created in 1994 as the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. The AAEP Foundation’s mission is to improve the health and welfare of the horse through support of research, education, benevolence and the equine community. 

Tips for Picking Quality Forage

Article Courtesy Northwest Horse Forum/The Seattle Times.

Hay is the basis for your horse’s health. Just as a human diet that lacks proper nutrition results in poor health, so too does substandard hay.

It pays to do a little research to learn what you’re buying. Horse owners should be asking sellers about the hay’s nutrient content. Higher protein is desirable, but there is a limit. Alfalfa, for example, is an excellent source of protein and energy. Adult horses require 10-11 percent crude protein in their overall diet while growing horses require 12-14 percent. Pure alfalfa hay can have protein levels exceeding 18 percent. This high level of protein is not required for most horses, which is one reason many growers mix high-protein alfalfa with lower-protein grasses such as timothy.

“Know what you’re feeding,” advises Bobbi Lindemulder, farm planner with Snohomish Conservation District in Lake Stevens, Wash.  If the hay you’re buying hasn’t been tested, Lindemulder suggests buying a bale and getting it tested yourself to evaluate the nutrient content before buying an entire load.
Lindemulder warns that what goes in also comes out. Last year, she and her husband were considering buying alfalfa that contained mustard, but passed because they didn’t want their livestock eating and spreading mustard seeds in their field.

Even premium hay may contain weeds. “Certified weed-free hay” doesn’t mean there are no weeds, only that the weeds haven’t gone to seed, notes Steve Fransen, forage crops specialist at the Washington State University extension office in Prosser. While managed hay fields are typically reliable, even the best pasture management can’t eliminate all weeds from infesting a crop. This is especially true around the pasture margins, where weeds tend to creep into the field.

It pays to know how to identify nuisance weeds such as yellow foxtail that may injure your horse’s gums or otherwise contribute to health issues. If you don’t know what weeds are in your hay, you can take a sample bale to your local Conservation District office or agricultural extension office for inspection.

“Nuisance weeds,” such as yellow foxtail, aren’t toxic to horses but contain sharp awns that may work their way under horses’ gums. This topic came up on the Northwest Horse Forum last fall when a couple of forum members purchased premium hay from Eastern Washington. Their horses developed ulcers and gingivitis from hay that contained large amounts of yellow foxtail.

The infections took many months and veterinary treatments to cure. A veterinarian had to scrape the organic matter from under the horses’ inflamed gums. Medications were required until the infections cleared.

Veterinarian Richard Vetter of Performance Equine Dentistry, Buckley, Wash., said he’s seen cases where veterinarians misdiagnosed gum-related problems. Vigilance and awareness by the owner may alert a vet to the possibility of weed-related infections, especially if it’s noted that hay contains nuisance weeds. Vetter notes that infection can vary within a barn. What bothers one horse may not affect others, said Vetter. He’s seen situations where there have been two horses side by side, one with ulcers and the other without mouth problems.
NWHS


To read the forum discussion on weeds in hay, visit www.seattletimes.com/horseforum. The Northwest Horse Forum is one of many online forums operated by The Seattle Times. The forums are one of the ways that The Seattle Times is reaching out to online communities in an effort to help them share information.
Bobbi Lindemulder, farm planner with Snohomish Conservation District in Lake Stevens can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.    

Reducing pain, increasing mobility

Like aging humans, elder horses accumulate a lifetime’s worth of injuries, scars and body parts that don’t function as well as they did in their prime. Chiropractic care can help a horse living with a chronic problem live as pain-free as possible. Obviously, arthritis is not something that can be cured with chiropractic, but pain we often assume is coming directly from the arthritis can have other sources, and those other sources can be affected in a positive way.

Pain from compensation can be addressed by chiropractic. Compensation is the body changing its biomechanics to work around an injury. Chronic compensation puts extra stress on the body part asked to pick up the slack and work overtime. Muscles working overtime get fatigued and fatigued muscles begin to spasm. A chiropractic adjustment stimulates the nervous system to work efficiently and reduce compensation. This gives spasming muscles a rest, sometimes providing immediate pain relief.

Another consequence of tight, overworked and painful muscles is the resistance to movement they provoke. Widespread soft tissue tightness can involve multiple joints or an entire body region and discourage even basic movement. A severe source of pain can even make moving between the food and water sources a daily challenge for your older animal. Painful movement leads to sedentary habits and overall muscle loss, generating cycles of pain and inflammation. Conversely, if pain is removed, then movement is encouraged and muscle strength builds. Joints remain well supported by healthy muscle tone and moving joints continue to self-lubricate and self-nourish. Movement is very much a friend to an aging body. Reducing pain also reduces the need for pain medication and the concerns of any side effects associated with such drugs.

The musculoskeletal system is one of the most obvious body systems in which older horses begin exhibiting problems. Chiropractic can help in this regard because its ultimate goal is to make the entire nervous system work more efficiently. The benefits of chiropractic extend to every body system. The immune, digestive and nervous systems all get a boost to productivity from being adjusted. A chronic disease anywhere in the body is a constant energy drain that takes energy supplies from other areas. If chiropractic can make the body work more efficiently, then more energy is freed to address the chronic disease and allow easier living despite the animal still having disease.

The story of “Fiona” illustrates how dramatically chiropractic can help an older horse to thrive. Fiona’s story starts off like many others we know. This 29-year-old Thoroughbred mare was removed from a situation of neglect and very, very poor health. She was several hundred pounds underweight and had many health problems accompanying her starvation. Weight was slowly added to her skeletal frame.

At her new home she joined a young Arabian mare as a pasture mate. When her owners started chiropractic care, Fiona had attained a moderate, stable weight. Radiographs of her joints showed severe permanent arthritic changes to several fetlocks. On pasture she was only observed to walk and trot, a lack of mobility assumed to be a consequence of her advanced arthritis. However, after several chiropractic sessions over several months, Fiona’s owners were astounded at the change they saw in this older mare. She was cantering and galloping around the field! True to her Thoroughbred nature, she would actively engage the young Arab mare in races across the pasture. Chiropractic care elevated Fiona’s quality of life dramatically.

Older horses have earned a retirement filled with the best we can offer. Making this time as pain free as possible and keeping their health at a high level are important goals. Chiropractic care is one healthcare option owners can choose to keep providing the very best for their equine companions.

NWHS