Winter Tips for Your Horse

In many parts of the country it is bitterly cold this year. Here are some tips to help your equine friend make it through.

Although normally cold weather planning begins earlier in the year, especially the fall, there are still some cold weather management tips that can be put into practice now.

 There are two types of cold to consider. Acute cold weather is the type that comes on suddenly, like in a cold snap. Chronic cold weather stays in a locality for a long period of time. Often it is the acute weather that is the most hazardous because the horses are not used to it and owners are not as prepared.

No matter which type you are experiencing this winter season you need to make sure that your horse has suitable shelter, dry bedding, good quality feed, and access to clean water. During the cold winter season your horse should eat between 1.5 to 2 percent of his or her body weight daily in order to maintain a good weight. What is known as the lower critical temperature is the point at which a mature horse, having had time to acclimate to the cold, can tolerate a drop to 5 degrees fahrenheit. Anything below this, the horse must increase calories in order to produce more heat or reduce heat loss to retain their core body temperature. A good rule of thumb is that when the temps drop to minus 5 degrees add another 2 to 3 more pounds of hay per day. Extra forage is great for those cold snaps; however, if the hay is limited, a concentrated feed may be gradually added to their diet.

Horses going through an acute cold weather condition need to be watched carefully. Remember it is always easier to add some weight to a horse to help them get through those cold winter months earlier in the season, such as the fall, rather than try to keep their weight up when the cold weather hits and the calories start dropping off of them. This practice is known as “bulking up for winter.” If you have any questions about doing this, contact your veterinarian.

If you choose to blanket your horse during the long winter months, be sure that the blanket is both waterproof and windproof.  A blanket that allows your horse to get wet and cold can greatly affect their ability to maintain their core body temperature, so be sure to repair any small holes with tape used for repairing tents and other heavily used outdoor equipment.  This kind of tape can often be found at sporting goods stores. It’s always a good idea to keep an extra blanket on hand in case your horse rips his blanket so badly that it cannot be repaired. Once you start blanketing during the cold weather it is important to continue doing so until the weather warms up.

If possible, keep a heater in your horses’ water, and add some loose salt to their diet. Most feed stores sell loose salt; it is relatively inexpensive, and even a small amount of table salt will do. These things will encourage your horse to drink and thus stave off the dreaded cold weather colic.

Using some of these tips to help your equine friend during the cold winter months will give you peace of mind and keep your horse happy and healthy.

How to Keep Your Barrel Racing Horse Calm Going to the Gate

Many barrel racing horses get highly agitated as they approach the gate into the arena. This type of agitated behavior can also be seen on many racehorses. They are anticipating the fun and excitement, the “high” of running the pattern and racing home to the finish line. However, this agitation can become a dangerous propensity for rearing and after a time the horse may become so difficult that the horse and rider must be led into the arena. Not only is this behavior hazardous and unsafe, it is also difficult to sell a horse that acts in such an unruly manner.

It is important to stop this type of behavior long before it gets started. Here are some ideas that you might consider doing with your young barrel prospect.

1.    Use the arena to work your horse in other stimulating exercises that keep him mentally and physically engaged. Don’t always just go to the arena just to run barrels.

2.    Change up your barrel racing practice by just walking into the arena, trotting or loping around it, and then going on a trail ride one or two days a week.

3.    If you are already having problems, walk your horse in circles by the entrance of the arena. Be sure to ride in a relaxed manner. Ride so that you continue circling closer and closer to the gate. If you need to ride with two hands to keep your horse more relaxed, then do so. Once the horse is relaxed, walk quietly into the ring. Be sure to stay grounded and quiet yourself as you do this so that your horse does not react to tension in your body. Once inside the arena, stand the horse in front of the barrels. Repeat this as many times as is necessary until your horse stands calmly. Then simply leave the arena. Repeat these steps until the horse can go through the gate and be in front of the barrels without getting upset and agitated. Only after the horse has learned to stay cool and collected should you begin running your pattern again. Remember, running the barrels is the reward for your horse. They become addicted to it; therefore, changing their routine and doing other things with your equine friend is a great way to keep him or her mentally and physically grounded.

4.    Using the a RevitaVet pad over the poll area for 10 minutes on # 7 about an hour before showing, will generally calm a horse down dramatically, and in most cases, will remove the nervousness.  This method is applied currently for Event horses, Dressage, Barrel Racing horses, and in Thoroughbred racing.  Also a self contained PollCap works very well.  See the link attached or go to the pollcap page on the RevitaVet website:  http://revitavet.com/Pages/PollCap.html  

RevitaVet Sponsored Riders Recognized

Another great Eventing season came to a close and I think that some recognition is deserved here.
Eventing highlights: RevitaVet had fourteen (14) sponsored riders finishing in the top 50 in the USEA High Point Championship. Although many riders had accomplished a lot in 2013 and had a good year, 2013 was mostly about Buck Davidson, who overwhelmed everyone this year with a total of 1050 points as well as coming out on top in the Advanced and Intermediate Adult Rider. Buck also finished 3rd HSBC.

FEI World point standings. Phillip Dutton at #2, as well as 12th in the HSBC FEI Standings. Sally Cousins finished 3rd Overall while she was also Top Lady Rider and seems to be making a habit of this for the past several years. Lauren Kieffer at # 5 and 2nd Top Lady Rider. Michael Pollard at #7. Hawley Bennett-Awad at # 11. Kim Severson at #20. James Alliston at #21. Barbara Crabo at #24. Julie Wolfert at #31 was also named to the USEF 2014 Developing Riders/Eventing Program. Frankie Thieriot at #32, also was named Top Adult Amateur and her mount Uphoria was named Intermediate Horse of the Year. Katy Groesbeck at #35 was also awarded the $30,000 Rebecca Broussard Developing Rider Grant as well as selected to the USEF 2014 Developing Riders/Eventing Program. Allison Springer at #40. Becky Holder at #43. On a more personal note, Jordan Linstedt and RevitaVet Capato won their first Advanced event and went on to compete successfully in the CIC*** Good job every one.

Other RevitaVet sponsored Eventers are listed in no particular order based in California: Pam Fisher, Gina Miles, Tamra Smith, Erin Kellerhouse, David Adamo, Andrea Baxter, Robyn Fisher, Alexa Kim-Perkiel (UT), Olivia Loiacono, Kelly Pugh, Bunnie Sexton, Jennifer Wooten and Tiana Coudray (trains in the UK). Christa Gandolfo(FL), Nina Ligon(VA), Allie Knowles(KY), Karen O’Neal(WA), Whitney Weston(NC), Nicole Jones-Taylor(TX), Melissa McMaster(FL).
From Canada: Rebecca Howard, Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch, Selena O’Hanlon, Penny Rowland. Clayton Fredericks(AUS).

Thank You All For Your Continued Support and Have A Great 2014 Competition Season.

Fabulous Testimonial from a Happy RevitaVet User!!

Dear Tom and RevitaVet, 

As a member of the UC Davis 3 Day Event Team I would like to thank you for your sponsorship and providing us with one of your unique, effective healing systems. Three members on our team have horses that are unfortunately suffering from tendon injuries, and we are all so thankful that we can speed up the healing process with our RevitaVet system. 

For me personally, it has completely changed the outlook on my horse’s recovery from her left front suspensory branch tear that occurred in November. After a scary first ultra sound and a diagnosis of a serious injury, I opted for Platelet Rich Plasma treatment to hopefully speed recovery and improve functionality of the healed tendon. To my great disappointment, 2 months later, the injury looked just as it did on day 1. Fearing my horse would never recover from this injury, I turned to RevitaVet and began using it daily. 

Two months after I began using RevitaVet, her ultra sounds look incredible and show remarkable healing that even PRP treatment could not promote. I will continue to use this astonishing system throughout the rest of her rehab process and beyond, as I am convinced it was the saving grace for my horse and I.  

Many thanks, 

Rebecca and Ricochet 

Video Explanation & Demo of RevitaVet IR2!

Check out this video on the explanation of the benefits of the RevitaVet system and it's many uses!

Video Link

Shoes or Barefoot

Conflicting ideas exist concerning the need for shoes.  Some people believe that shoes are completely unnecessary, while others feel uncomfortable if their mount is not shod every six to eight weeks. 

If you are considering removing your horse’s shoes, the most imperative thing to contemplate is whether or not your particular mount can go throughout his or her day unshod and still remain comfortable.  But how do you know if your horse is going to end up lame, possibly for weeks or months, if you pull his or her shoes?  The answer is quite simple:  if the horse grows more hoof than he or she wears down, then it’s a pretty safe bet that your horse can go without shoes at least while they are having some time off and the workload is light.  If on the other hand, your horse wears his or her hooves down faster than they grow, either shoes will have to constant necessity or the conditions in which the horse lives will have to be modified.  Often horses that have good hard hooves, good conformation and that live on dry hard ground will do fine without shoes even when riding on rocky ground.  If a horse lives in softer footing and then is asked to work on hard terrain, this might create a problem.

Keep in mind that some horses inherit the inability to go without shoes; consequently it is a good idea to talk to your veterinarian or your farrier before pulling your horse’s shoes.  Shoeing just two of your equine friend’s feet is also an option.  Choose either the fronts or the backs depending on how they wear.  Of course it is best to try pulling the shoes during the time of year when they are not working daily.  This will give them a chance to adapt.  There are those equines who become sore right after the shoes are pulled, especially if they live on hard packed ground.  Putting a 7% iodine solution painted onto the sole of the foot for a week or two can help.  Applying pine tar is also a solution.  Both of these products will help to toughen the soles that are soft and will assist in alleviating soreness. 

If you choose to allow your horse to go barefoot, be sure to remind your farrier that you need to keep your horse's hooves trimmed a little longer.  This means that the hoof wall, sole and the frog will be trimmed less than when your horse wears shoes.  Remember that your farrier has a busy schedule and works with many horses throughout the month, so he or she may forget that you are not trimming them as short as when your horse is shod. So, a gentle reminder is always a good idea.  Some horses will have to be trimmed more often and some less often depending on the way their hooves wear down and the time of year.  As you know, the seasons do affect hoof growth.

Watch the hoof wall for wear, check for bruises, underrun heels, or damaged frogs along with tenderness to determine if your horse can go without shoes for any length of time.

What are the benefits of allowing a horse to go barefoot?  Pete Ramey is a professional in the field of natural hoof care practitioners, and he says: “It's not about the foot alone; it's about improved overall health. Recent blood-flow studies by Robert Bowker, VMD, PhD, show that the horse's foot gets at least twice as much circulation when he or she is barefoot on yielding terrain, as compared to when he or she is wearing a metal shoe. The back part of the foot is designed by nature to flex, twist and distort with uneven terrain and turns--it helps reduce stress and prevent injury to joints, ligaments and tendons. Metal shoes prevent most of that twisting and flexion the hoof was designed for.”

“Every horseshoeing textbook I've read (and I've read all or most of them) clearly states that we farriers should avoid back-to-back shoeing, and allow shod horses a barefoot period to allow the hooves to heal. But the books fail to teach how to actually make a foot improve during that bare period. It's simply amazing how much a competent trimmer and six months of barefootedness can improve most hooves.” 

So consider taking the shoes off during part of the year, and see if it doesn’t help to improve the condition of your horse’s hooves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Horses: How Fat is Too Fat

During the summer season, because many horses have access to green grass, they are
going to gain weight, but how fat can a horse get before it becomes unhealthy?  This is
an age old question amongst horse enthusiasts.  Some horses are “easy keepers,” while
others can eat all day and not increase their weight. 

Professional trainers and breeders must be highly aware of this issue, and consequently
they have developed a scoring system that can help any horse lover determine if their
equine friend is a little too plump. The easiest way to determine if a horse is too fat is to feel the middle of the rib cage.  If you must press your hand down hard to feel the ribs, then you need to start reducing the amount of feed that you are giving, and or create an exercise regime. Remember to
reduce the feed slowly so that your horse’s digestive system can adapt. If, however, you can easily feel the ribs, but not see them, then your horse is carrying the correct amount of weight. Keep in mind that some horses can get fat even while being fed just grass hay, and others will only gain weight when their diet is supplemented with grain.  Digestion and metabolic rates factor into these conditions.   Vitamins and minerals are also another important component in keeping your horse’s digestive system running optimally.  The types of minerals that can be depleted from the soil are dependent on where you live and where your hay is grown.  Talk to your feed dealer and or your veterinarian to find out what minerals might be lacking from your horse’s diet, and check with your veterinarian if you are considering adding a vitamin and mineral supplement.  If you are going to turn your horse out on pasture, be sure to keep in mind that early spring and winter grasses contain carbohydrates that escalate the levels of starches and carbohydrates in the horse’s system.  In other words, they act like grain, and just like grain, must be introduced slowly in order to avoid problems like founder.

Getting your horse out on trail rides or doing work in an arena will also pay off by
helping them to maintain a better body weight and muscle condition.  Wet down a saddle
blanket to keep them cool during the hot summer months, and be sure to wear clothing,
and other sun protection for you. 

Keeping yourself conditioned by exercising is equally important for you too.  Power
Yoga, Pilates, Running, Biking, Hiking and Weight Training are just a few ways in which
you can keep fit and flexible.  If you live near the ocean, consider taking up snorkeling as
it provides both cardio and muscle conditioning that your body will need to ride and be
your best in the saddle.