University of Bristol to give series of talks on Horses

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL
Talking horses

Horse lovers in and around North Somerset are in for a treat with the launch next month of a series of talks by leading experts on key aspects of horse welfare.

The series will open on February 18 2008 with a talk by Dr Alistair Barr on fractures in horses’ legs. The next event, on March 4, will deal with dietary issues and will be given by Kate Lugsden of Bailey’s Horse Feeds, who are sponsoring the series. Equine artificial insemination will be the subject of a talk on March 25 by surgeon Tim Randle, while on April 8 Professor Christine Nicol will discuss the prevention of abnormal behaviour in horses. Clinician Geoff Lane will focus on the care of horses’ teeth on April 15, and equine rehabilitation will be the subject of the final talk on April 29 by Dr Cathy Fuller and Sam Franklin.

All six events are being organised by the University of Bristol’s renowned School of Veterinary Science at Langford. The School incorporates the Bristol Equine Centre, which the University has been developing over the past decade into one of the world’s foremost facilities of its kind.

Professor Avril Waterman-Pearson, Head of the Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, said: “The Equine Centre is of national and international importance for its teaching, research and clinical work, but it’s also part of the local equine community.

“We’re keen to develop our relationship with all those who care for and work with horses. These talks will be a great way of opening up the Equine Centre to more people who share our enthusiasm and want to learn more.”

Professor Waterman-Pearson added that money raised from the events would be put towards the development of a new equine surgery suite and intensive care unit at Langford. This will complement the diagnostic facilities, equine sports medicine unit and clinical stables that already form parts of the Equine Centre.

All the events will take place at the School of Veterinary Science at Langford, starting at 7pm with welcome drinks. Tickets cost £8 and can be booked in advance by telephoning Bristol 928 9502.

Article from: www.bristol.ac.uk 

Campaign to eradicate strangles – International strangles conference

On May 28th 2008, The Royal School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh will be hosting an international strangles conference. The event will be attended by veterinary specialists from around the world, to discuss the recent advancements in research of the prevention of strangles.  The conference is the result of a partnership between The British Horse Society and The Animal Health Trust.

Further information about the conference and booking forms can be found here Animal Health Trust 

What is Strangles?

Strangles (Streptococcus equi) is a highly contagious disease. It is
treatable, but can be fatal. Younger horses are generally more at
risk, but any horse can develop the disease. The incubation period of
Strangles is around 2 weeks, but outbreaks can occur up to 3 weeks or
more after an initial outbreak. New rescued horses should be closely
monitored and swabbed for signs of the disease.

What to look out for: nasal discharge, a high temperature depression,
lack of appetite, cough and swollen glands on the head and neck, these
can develop into abcesses. Once abcesses have formed, they will need
to be lanced by a veterinary surgeon. If you suspect strangles,
contact your vet immediately. Strangles can be transmitted not just
through one horses contact with another, but also through contact via
humans, tack, equipment and feed. So all tack and stable equipment
will need to be disinfected and a strict disinfection routine will
need to be carried out by anyone who has contact with the horse who
then has contact with other equines. ie disinfection of hands, boots
etc. Also people from other areas outside
the infected yard should stay away from the infected area. Any
vehicles leaving the yard should also be disinfected. Strangles is
known to survive longer in water, and outbreaks often occur as a
result of a shared water source.

Treatment is possible with antibiotics but vets generally do not
recommend this due to the fact that antibiotics kill off good bacteria
in the system.Horses kept comfortable and with a good supply of feed
and water will generally fight off the disease with their own immune
system but will need to be monitored carefully, and you will need to
keep in close contact with your vet.

Vaccination: You will need to discuss a vaccination programme with
your vet to see if he thinks vaccination is necessary. Horses at high
risk, ie rescued horses of unknown origin will need to have two
initial vaccinations four weeks apart, followed by a re-vaccination
with a single dose four times a year at three month intervals. If no
outbreak occurs, no additional vaccinations after this are required.

Strangles is also known as ‘bastard’ strangles. It’s not hard to see why!

Puffa, The AHT, & The British Horse Society – Serious About Strangles Campaign

“The AHT and The British Horse Society have joined forces to launch a campaign to increase awareness of Strangles and raise vital funds. Together they plan to raise £250,000 to accelerate research into the development of diagnosis and prevention – ultimately to eliminate the disease. Your donation can help us reach this crucial target.” (from www.seriousaboutstrangles.com) Visit Serious About Strangles for further information.

Book recommendation – On track and barefoot – keeping horses, naturally

Anyone who has their own horse knows the value of keeping their horse in the most natural way possible. The domesticated horse is forced to live very unnaturally compared to his wild cousins and ancestors, who will spend their days continuously on the move.

If you would like to learn about keeping your horses in a more natural way, read Paddock Paradise – a guide to natural horse boarding by Jaime Jackson.

“The barefoot grazing idea outlined in his book is very simple, but very clever. He suggests making a track around the perimeter of your field for your horses to live on all year long.

Food, water, shelter etc are positioned around it, in different places, so encouraging the horses to remain on the move all the time. The idea is quite amazing, so simple but yet unique in the horse world today.

Paddock Paradise is well worth reading in order to gain greater understanding of this barefoot grazing concept. The theory is all there, it is then just a matter of transfering that theory into practice, in your own particular situation.”

From successful-natural-horsecare.com

How to deal with mud fever

It’s mud season, here we go again! How quickly it comes around! For horses and ponies that suffer from mud fever, it’s a miserable time of year. Here are some tips to help you manage mud fever.

The problem of mud fever is difficult to combat in horses that are living out, since the bacteria that are usually present on the surface of the skin don’t normally become a problem until they meet wet and muddy conditions. If it is at all possible to bring the horse in, even for a few hours ie long enough for the limbs to dry out completely and remain dry for a short period of time, it will actually help to minimise the problem. If there is no possibility of bringing your horse in, the alternative is to try one of the various barrier creams and powders currently available on the market. These products claim to waterproof the skin, and help to protect against mud fever.

If an infection is already present, gently wash the area to loosen scabs, do not pick the scabs off, (yuck, I do apologise, but it has to be said!) Then dry the limbs thoroughly and apply an anti-bacterial cream, powder or ointment. This will help to stop the infection from spreading. Please note that any cream, powder or ointment applied will not penetrate the scab. So if scabs are still present, then so is an infection.

In severe cases, it may be necessary to seek veterinary assistance and stable the horse all the time, or only allow the horse to be turned out onto a dry all-weather surface.

Creams Ointments and Powders to try:

Mudgard from NAF: Natural Animal Feeds – barrier cream (use in conjunction with NAF MSM ointment and NAF teatree oil shampoo)