I don't know about you, but I am always wondering about the answer to this question so when I got a link to this article I couldn't wait to look it up. For the first time, I read a great explanation of what's happening in the world of innovation for parasite control and I learned something new about ivermectin. Hopefully this link will work so you can read the entire article written by an expert in specifically in the field of parasite control.
According to the evening news here tonight, the EHV-1 virus has officially been contained in our state. The number of confirmed cases of the virus in Washington state has remained at 8. The newscaster said that all eight of those horses were exposed in Utah and will continue to be under quarantine for several more weeks. I know there have been rumors that the virus had spread in Washington beyond those horses exposed at the Cutting Horse show in Utah. However, for the number to still be at 8 horses that rumor must be in error.
The Region 5 off site qualifier and All Arabian Sport Horse Regional Championships began this week at Donida Farms in Auburn, WA. Exhibitors were informed earlier in the week that the show would abide by the state recommendations for equine events and make use of the form posted online Exhibitors were told to review the form and bring it with them to the event.
Looking over the form, I found the recommendations to include biosecurity measures which included a "No Temperature" policy which was spelled out on the form as well as statements horses had not been at facilities housing exposed horses. The form required the participants signature.
Also this week our state vet suspended the waiver of health papers requirements for horses entering our state from Oregon or Idaho. This waiver has been in effect for as long as I can remember. How this is affected by today's announcement or how long it will be suspended, I guess time will tell. For more information about the EPV-1 virus and Washington state see the state vet website at Hot Topics.
The foal in this picture is Chase. He is Storm's full brother and shown at about 4 months old.
Over the course of the spring I posted a couple of blog posts Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis and then
More on DSLD, Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis
about the illness known as DSLD. The motivation of my posts had very much to do with people's criticism of my breeding my mare, Solidare, who had dropped fetlocks. It's been clear from the start that dispite information to the contrary many people assume any horse with dropped fetlocks is a victim of that disease and therefore should not be considered a breeding horse. I had hoped more information might educate people so I put myself out there but pretty much things did not change. Most kept a tight lip, their beliefs to themselves and continued to believe that Solidare was a DSLD mare.
As a breeder I take my job very seriously and would never consider breeding an animal I thought would contribute harmful genes to the breed or maybe even worse yet, produce animals that would be unable to perform the purpose for which they have been bred because of a heritable disease. Not only can I not afford to make such a mistake, I believe it is unethical to engage in such practices. My belief about Solidare was based on my experience with the mare and had nothing to do with some thick layer of denial shielding me from the real truth.
I remember my first encounter with that accusation that I wouldn't see something right before my eyes because of denial. It was about the condition of my daughter, Lindsay, after her brain surgery. Those doctors in the rehabitilitation division of Seattle Children's discharged Lindsay when she was still in a wheel chair and required 24 hour a day care. My insistance that Lindsay had way more progress to make was met with closed minds on the part of the professionals. I was the one accused of being closed off and unwilling to see reality. Yet today, Lindsay is my number one help around this place. She has so far exceeded the expectations of any of those "experts" they don't even know what hit them.
I guess the current question about my beliefs would have to do with Solidare's condition and my supposed denial about that as well. Were Solidare's dropped fetlocks really due to the ill fated pregnancy so many years ago as I believe, or were they because of disease? The only way to answer that question would be examination after death. DSLD which has been renamed Equine Systemic Proteoglycan Accumulation can only be determined by visual inspection of affected organs and tissues. For a diagnosis of the disease it takes the presence of excessive amounts of proteoglycans in affected tissues. "Abnormal accumulation of proteoglycans between collagen and elastic fibers rather than specific collagen fibril abnormalities is the most prominent histological feature of DSLD"
Being a person who challenges my own thinking as a way to keep myself on track, I felt I should have this question answered despite my beliefs. With three daughters of Solidare's that I very much want to breed and now a colt who looks like he will be stallion quality, it's pretty darn important I not make a mistake. I'd made the decision early on when the time came, Solidare would be examined to be absolutely sure I was on the right page.
Unfortunately on Solidare's last day, I was a basket case and the thought of examining my mare for this disease was the farthest thing from my mind. It was NOT, however, the farthest thing from my vet's mind who knows me well enough to know what I would want. Solidare was carefully examined to the specific cause of her dropped fetlocks.
My vet found that Solidare's achilles tendon had migrated. Specifically the achilles tendon is the combined superficial and deep flexor tendon. Not only can trauma occur to cause issues with the legs but the tendon is susceptible to luxation where it comes out of normal track and runs over the calcaneus (this is the back bone that forms the hock). Although this situation indeed happened at the end of the pregnancy where Soldiare went well passed her due date and was over saturated with the hormones responsible for relaxing the pelvic area readying the birth canal for the passage of the foal, it is hard to know if the relaxation itself caused the problem or some external force on the tendon in it's relaxed state caused it. Either way it is considered to be an injury. The luxation (movement) of the tendon from it's normal track is the injury responsible for Solidare's dropped fetlocks.
In addition the tissues were examined and found to be normal and healthy showing no signs of the disease. Thus further supporting the fact the dropped fetlocks resulted not from disease to any tissue but from injury.
Fortunately, in this situation with Solidare, I was there to experience what had happened to my mare. Because I saw first hand the changes in the mare's body from the excess hormones I was able to understand how she ended up dropping in the fetlocks, as was my vet at the time. I think this is important because had it been different, Solidare might have never had another foal. Considering the quality of those foals I think that might be considered a loss to the breed as a whole as well as a loss to my breeding program.
I doubt that Solidare was an isolated case. It is safe to assume if she ended up in this situation from injury, others horses do as well. I would hope that people dealing with individuals with dropped fetlocks but have no idea how or when the situation developed might be opened minded to the possibility that DSLD is not always the only answer. It would be a shame to lose some individuals from the breeding pool for something that was "assumed" instead of something based on fact.
I've known for years that it is not uncommon to find old broodmares dropped in the fetlocks like Solidare. Following along the development of their produce has revealed no recurrence of this phenomenon. Mostly it's occurrence seems to manifest in mares who have had many foals or gone well over term. Some of those over term occurrences have been even more dramatic than dropped fetlocks. I have seen mares lose the strength in the straps to their backs causing them to drop dramatically. Just another example of what can happen when Mother Nature over does her job but important to know when you're a breeder trying to figure out what is good stock to breed and what is not.
NOTE: I didn't do this post to vindicate Solidare. In my mind she needed no vindication. I always knew she was a great mare. Nothing has changed. I did this for her foals, they deserve to be valued as the individuals that they are and not condemned based on misinformation and fear. They deserve the opportunity to contribute to this breed I love so much. I hope they get the opportunity to do that.
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One of my earlier posts about Solidare led to a comment about DSLD (Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis). Because this disease is believed to be a genetic disorder I think it is important to mention it here. The most comprehensive Information on the subject is the actual study that renamed this disease as ESPA (Equine Systemic Proteoglycan Accumulation).
This illness is a debilitating disease. It is extremely painful and easily cripples affected horses. It strikes not just the suspensory ligament as was first believed but can affect all connective tissue throughout the horse's body including in the eye and in the heart of the horse.
The most commonly recognized expression is in the fetlock area of the horse. That can be seen in all four legs or just the front or back with the horse dropping down suddenly or digressing over time. Even when the disease manifests with dropped fetlocks in only two legs, the other two legs are affected as well. That can be seen by the thickening of the suspensory ligament which may happen gradually or be present right from onset.
The disease can be diagnosed with an assortment of symptoms and usually require ultra sound of tendons and ligaments for confirmation.
Symptoms can include sudden onset of heat, pain and swelling in the suspensory branches and/or fetlock area.
Those areas or even the entire suspensory ligament of the horse may be painful upon palpation.
Ligaments and tendons may palpate as lumpy, hard or extremely mushy.
Horses may have abnormally high iron levels.
They may have abnormally loose skin.
They may look much older than they actually are.
There are also an assortment of behaviors indicative of neurological disease that indicate a horse may be a victim of DSLD. Because of the neurological aspects of these symptoms some horses may be misdiagnosed as having EPM (Equine Protozoal Myloencphepalytis) or WNV (West Nile Virus) when in fact DSLD is the culprit.
I believe this disease was referenced in regard to Solidare because of her dropped fetlocks. This is indeed one of the symptoms of this disease but it takes more symptoms than just dropped fetlocks to diagnosis this debilitating disease.
Solidare did not manifest any of those other symptoms at the time of her injury and to this day she does not have the tell tale thickening of the suspensory ligaments in her front legs that would have presented long ago has this been the cause of her dropped fetlocks. Any similar symptoms she has developed over time are consistent with her history and do not indicate a change of diagnosis.
It is important to remember not all horses with dropped fetlocks have DSLD/ESPA. There are other medical reasons a horse could end up with this condition and those reasons are investigated in process of diagnosis of DSLD/ESPA. A horse, like Solidare, that has an injury/illness history to warrant the condition of her fetlocks does not fit the profile of a DSLD/ESPA horse and some of the new treatment protocols for DSLD/ESPA are actually contrary to proper treatment for her.
Dr Deb Bennett stated she would not remove a horse from a breeding population for dropped fetlocks alone. I also know that Sheila Varian does not eliminate broodmares from her breeding program solely on dropped fetlocks. It's from her I learned about the feed additive she uses on her mares in similar condition that has brought Solidare some relief.
I believe it's very important to consider DSLD/ESPA as a possible diagnosis for any horse dropped down on the fetlock. It should not, however, be considered to be THE answer to all fetlock issues. The most important thing for the horse is to have a CORRECT diagnosis whatever that might be.
We've lived on this farm for over twenty years. In all of that time I've never seen a tick or heard of one anywhere in our neck of the woods. Western Washington just isn't known as tick country from anything I can tell. At least the kind that bother horses, that is.
That doesn't mean I don't keep my eyes open for the nasty little buggers. Who knows when they might find a way to creep into our lives and mess with our heads a bit while they're dining on our horses.................right??
Eastern Washington on the other hand is tick country. The insects prefer the hot dry climate that side of the Cascade Mountains provides. On the occasion I've taken Arabian horses to that side of the mountains I've paid special attention for sign of the nasty little creatures.
I have to admit in the middle of winter (I realize it is supposed to be spring but it's definitely still acting like winter here) the last think I expected to find on one of my horses was a tick. But guess what, that's exactly what I found on Dandy's shoulder last week.
At first I thought it was fungus. I've certainly been battling that kind of health issue with my Arabian horses for a considerable part of this winter. With the moist, windy, cold temperatures the climate has been particularly kind to the kinds of fungus that plague horses.
This raised up tuft of hair looked just like another lesion of fungus ready to pop exposing the usual gray skin that tells of its existence. Only scrapping at it with my fingernail when the hair flaked off what was exposed was a rounded, red ugly something or other I didn't expect.
Having never actually seen a tick on a horse before I really didn't know for sure so I called for Richard. With one glance he confirmed my suspicion, poor Dandy definitely had a tick embedded in his shoulder and not just any tick, this was one hurken mother, I can tell you.
After some work, Richard extricated the thing from Dandy's flesh. Then we treated the sore and dusted the horse looking carefully for anymore of the nasty buggers.
But that's not the end of this tick story. Yesterday I found two more of the blood sucking creatures. This time on Dandy's head (which Richard tells me in where they usually start their infestation on a horse.). One was right in a crease at the base of Dandy's ear. The other was embedded in his forelock.
I've checked out my others horses. So far not one of them has been found with a tick. I can't even imagine where these ticks could be coming from since they're just not known in this part of the country.
Well, actually, the more I think about it, the more I suspect that hay we received because of flooding damage on our farm? That hay came from eastern Washington and ticks have been known to travel in hay.
That hay is stored right over Dandy's stall. None of the other horses are positioned with the hay overhead like that. If the ticks were in the hay, they could fall right down onto poor Dandy. Since that's my only theory, I'm going to have to figure out how to "treat" this source to get rid of the ticks.
The hay is nearly gone. But even at that, the loft will have to be treated as a precautionary measure. The problem is so many insecticides are now banned finding something to kill these ticks could be a real chore. Any suggestions would certainly be appreciated! In the meantime Dandy seems none the worse for wear although his shoulder is still sore and he's pretty cranky about having that ear touched. Poor Boy!
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Reading through other blogs today, I came across this post
Down on the farm...Lethal White It tells the writer's heart breaking experience with a lethal white foal. It got me thinking with breeding season just around the corner here in the northern hemisphere, this is probably a good time to talk about genetic disorders in horses.
While there are many genetic disorders in the equine world, I'm going to target the lethals that I am aware of with one exception. I would be remiss to not include HyPP in the AQHA. While this gene causes death in only very extreme cases, it is truly insidious.
In the lethal category there is the lethal white gene in the overo and both SCID (formerly known as CID) and Lavender Foal Syndrome in the Arabian. With both of the Arabian genes it is possible for it to manifest in descendants of the Arabian horse so half Arabians are not exempt from scrutiny.
All four of these genetic diseases are caused by a recessive gene. What that means is that it takes a gene from both parents for the disease to manifest itself. A horse that has only one gene for the disease is considered to be a "carrier" of the disease. A carrier will not ever manifest symptoms. It only has the ability to "pass" the gene on to its offspring providing. Breeding two "carrier" horses has a 25% chance of producing a foal free of the gene, a 50% chance of producing a carrier and a 25% of producing an "affected" foal. "Affected" means the resulting foal has the disease.
Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis
HyPP has been traced back to the stallion, Impressive. It is a neurological disorder that can express itself across a full spectrum from no outward signs at all to death. Also those horses that do show symptoms can do so sporadically making it much more difficult for the uninformed horse owner to identify.
From the website Bringing Light to HyPP
HyPP affects the sodium channels of afflicted horses and overloads the system with high potassium levels that cause episodes which may include: mild muscle twitching that is undetectable to the human eye; noticeable muscle twitching; "crawling" skin, ranging from slight to very noticeable and usually from the back flank area forward; hind quarter paralysis; excessive yawning; and paralysis of the muscles surrounding the heart and/or lungs, causing death due to heart attack or suffocation.
Because symptoms are not always detected and horses are not being tested, carrier horses are unknowingly being bred to carrier horses. The numbers of affected horses are growing within the breed. In addition unsuspecting buyers are being sold horses who sporadically manifest symptoms. Neither scenario is good for the horse industry.
I would advise readers to please visit the above website for more information on this disease. There is a genetic test to identify carriers of this disease.
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
SCID previously known as CID (Combined Immunodeficiency) causes the foal to be born with a severely compromised immune system that cannot be fixed. The foal must be euthanized or die an agonizing death. Lacking immune capacity, such foals will succumb before 5 months of age of massive infections.
SCID foals were identified as early as the 1960s in Australia. Records of their birth in the United States didn't happen until the late 1970s. Because there was no known way to determine where this curse came from, rumors spread like wildfire. Horses and breeder's reputations were destroyed by talk without evidence. Many didn't talk about it at all for fear that they might become the subject of such rumors.
The year that Legs was born, 1996, VetGen perfected the test to identify the carriers of SCID. Since the test made it possible to determine the carriers of the disease, it was time to get this thing out of the closet and into the open. Never again did any breeder need to lose a cherished foal from this disease.
The Paradigm Has Shifted was written after the test for this disorder was available It tells in layman's terms about the disease and responsible breeding practices now that horses can be tested to determine carriers. Having the test available has changed the history of the Arabian horse.
It is important to note that a carrier can be ANY horse with Arabian blood, it does not have to be a purebred. Many people believe (and I used to be one of them) that only purebreds can carry this gene. That is NOT the case. Even breeders of half Arabian horses when mating two horses that each carry Arabian blood should be testing their breeding stock. They can lose foals from SCID by breeding two carrier horses.
Lavender Foal Syndrome
The second lethal genetic disorder known to Arabian horses is Lavender Foal Syndrome . It is found in straight Egyptian breed horses mostly but can happen in horses with certain Egyptian bloodlines in the pedigree.
A foal born with this syndrome tends to have an odd coloration as an indicator. The actual problem is within the brain, the neuro centers don't work properly causing the foals to have rigid arched backs and necks with heads up high. The foals are unable to stand. The only way this disorder can be positively identified is through brain tissue from affected foals.
This disorder is very rare and relatively new. Little is known about it other than it is lethal. There are studies being conducted but it is imperative that samples from suspected affected foals be submitted for use in these studies. Most importantly required is brain tissue. Contact information and instructions for submission of samples are here This disease can be stopped on if those affected by it today will participate these studies.
Some of you may remember that I witnessed the birth of a Lavender foal in the 2007 foaling season. I wrote about that experience Lavender Foal Syndrome - An Arabian Horse Breeders Nightmare http://risingrainbow.blogspot.com/2007/06/lavender-foal-syndrome-arabian-horse.html I also wrote a follow up regarding breeding issues Breeding Carriers of Lavender Foal Syndrome in Arabian Horses
All of these genetic disorders are devastating to the owners and breeders who experience them. Through education, testing and co-operation with studies, it is possible to restrict and eventually eliminate this heart-ache. Please check out the included links for more complete information. Have a happy, informed and successful breeding season.
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Part One of the Baby Boomer Series
Rhythm's Story starts here
It was really difficult to haul my Arabian horse, Rhythm, over to the vet that day. As much as I needed to know what was happening, I was afraid to know more. On the drive over it kept running through my head, what more can happen to me and this horse? First he had fractured his skull and now what were we facing.
At first when the vet looked at the horse, he just did it visually. Immediately on seeing the size of the one testicle, he turned to me and said, "This horse is a cryptorchid."
I insisted the horse had two testicles ever since he was born. The only time I'd ever even seen him with only one showing was just recently. But the vet kept insisting, using the size of the one testicle to prove his point. Normally when a stallion has only one descended testis, it will grow much larger to compensate for the one trapped up inside the body cavity.
As insistent as the vet was, I was more insistent. Not only that I was beginning to get pissed. This vet had been my vet for a while. I expected with all of our dealings he should know by now that I KNOW my horses! I expected a little trust on his part. I expected him to hear what I was telling him instead of being closed minded.
Finally, he decided to lay the horse down to manually examine him. I think he only did it because it was the only way he was going to shut me up. So he gave the horse a sedative and laid him out on the ground.
Once the horse was drugged enough to secure him. The vet tied up one leg up out of the way like he would to geld him. That way he could safely palpate the horse's scrotum and also the inguinal ring without getting his head kicked off.
Looking back at it, it really was kind of a funny sight in an odd sort of way. The horse had one leg in the air and was laid out on his back as the vet was poking and prodding and oohhing and awwing. The comments were "There it is...........No.......it's not.......oh, maybe.........yes..........no...........oh yes, here it is. What is this? Oh, I think it's another testicle.......no, it's not........yes, but it's on the other side of the inguinal ring...........oh no........here's the ring" changing at about every probe. It just went on and on. But finally the verdict was in. The horse had two descended testicles just like I said. But one had atrophied to the size of a walnut.
It took some phone calling to vet schools around the country for my vet to even have an idea about this problem. The consensus was that either by injury or some kind of virus, the one testicle had suffered some kind of trauma causing it to atrophy.
There was no way of knowing which had occurred. There was a slight possibility that the testicle would heal and return to its original size and function. The recommendation was to give it six months. If it hadn't shown signs of recovery by then, it wasn't going to happen.
So there I was with my answer to why the horse didn't want to lope. It was obvious . The walnut sized testicle was right up there being pinched between the horse's two back legs every time I asked him to lope. No wonder the horse was resistant.
This horse was more valuable as a stallion than as a gelding. I had to give him the time to see if he would heal. There was no point in asking Rhythm to do something when he was in pain. Riding him during this time would only cause problems down the road. Training was going on hold.
Everything was on hold. My dreams, my business plan, all in one fell swoop had come to a screeching halt. It's amazing to me how fast life can change sometimes. One minute I'm breathing just fine and the next the wind has been sucked right out of me. I didn't even know what to think.
At the end of six months, if the testicle hadn't recovered, I was going to have to make a decision. The horse would still be a viable breeding horse but performance would definitely be out of the question.
To be continued...................
This would be Rhythm, doing what Rhythm does best! Showing how cool he thinks he is!
Rhythm's Story - The Problem Part 2
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The series on LFS began with the post Lavender Foal Syndrome - An Arabian Horse Breeders Nightmare followed by Breeding Carriers of Lavender Foal Syndrome in Arabian Horses
Once an Arabian horse has been identified as a carrier of Lavender Foal Syndrome, the next question is what do you do with that horse.Some people think that all known carriers should never be bred again to eliminate the gene.
There are huge problems to that line of thinking. While a defective gene may be eliminated a bit sooner than if carriers are bred, many useful genes are being removed from the gene pool as well. And it must be remembered, that by never breeding a known carrier to a known carrier, it still is possible to eliminate the problematic gene.
How long it would take to eliminate the problematic gene either way would be an impossible guess without knowing the actual number of carriers. But I was very surprised to learn at a conference on SCIDS how short the time to eliminate that gene would be with responsible breeding. Because LFS is far more rare than SCIDS, I would expect in even shorter time frame would be likely.
To understand the problems with eliminating all carriers from breeding, you must understand some of the facts about the Arabian horse and it's genetics. The Arabian horse has the most limited gene pool of any breed of horse. Other breeds have been contrived from crossing one type of horse (one gene pool) with another (second gene pool) to produce a specific model (more diverse gene pool). Incidentally, most light breeds will trace back to an Arabian horse in their blood. The Arabian horse, however, is as Mother Nature created it.
We humans over the centuries have selectively bred the Arabian horse for specific traits to refine the horse to our needs or desires but we have never gone outside the gene pool that Mother Nature created.
The integrity of that gene pool has been protected over the centuries and continues to be protected by the Arabian Horse Association. Preservation of the Arabian horse is that organization's utmost goal.
Arabians are the earliest known breed of horse and its blood is pure. That is pretty much the mantra of AHA and other Arabian breed organizations around the world. There are no, nor can there be, any provisions for out cross to correct issues with in gene pool of the Arabian horse. To do so would eliminate the Arabian horse. It is what it is.
Keeping this in mind to no longer breed carriers at all is to eliminate all their genes from the gene pool. This would make this already limited gene pool even more limited. That would open the door for other recessive, non-desirable traits to be strengthened.
Think of it as concentrating the blood. Once you remove the carriers, you are left with an even more closely related group of horses than you had before. You have removed some of the diversity from the gene pool making the doubling of recessives more likely.
Some breeding programs practice inbreeding. The purpose of inbreeding is to strengthen suitable desirable traits that are recessive in nature. But inbreeding also strengthens recessive genes that are undesirable. The breeder who knowingly practices inbreeding doesn't get to pick and choose. There is always an unknown risk. That inbreed offspring can turn out really fantastic or really, really awful. Seeking that outstanding individual, those breeders are willing to take that risk.
With the concentration of the gene pool caused by removing carriers, it's like forced inbreeding only it's forced on the entire breed instead of selective inbreeding by some individuals. The effect will be upon the entire gene pool of the Arabian horse instead of just one herd.
The mathematics involved tell us that effect would be dramatic This close breeding makes it easier to match up recessive genes because concentration makes them more dense in the sample. Somewhere down the road could be a disease or diseases or other genetic flaw even more devastating than LFS just waiting for the right combinations of recessives to be paired for the problem to emerge.
Removing carrier horses from the gene pool could be devastating to the breed.The health of the gene pool of the Arabian horse is dependent on keeping as many viable breeding horses active and participating as possible.
Knowing that it's important to keep breeding carrier horses to maintain the diversity of the gene pool, breeding decisions regarding these horses need to be made in an informed manner. Far more accurate and healthy breeding decisions can be made with knowledge than with guesses.
Once a test is found, those horses will be able to breed to clear horses knowing the variety of our gene pool is being protected without it being at the expense of people's hearts and the proliferation of this toxic gene. In the meantime, the health of the gene pool will be dependent on breeders being open and honest about LFS so that others can make as informed decisions as possible until a test is available and still use known carriers as breeding stock.
Because it is so rare, there are few cases to study to garner data needed to establish reliable information. Anyone having or who knows someone who has had a lavender foal is requested to contact researchers http://www.arabians-international.com/LFS.html to help find and isolate this killer of Arabian Foals.
For more information on Lavender Foal Syndrome
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I would like to calirfy a couple of things from yesterday's post, Lavender Foal Syndrome - An Arabian Horse Breeders Nightmare The foal that I was watching on marestare was euthanized early yesterday morning, I'm sorry if I left anyone thinking otherwise. Until the tests are done, the status on this foal will be that it is suspected of being the latest victim of the deadly Lavender Foal Syndrome.
To update on that foal, the owner of the foal tried to contact Cornell University but because of the weekend was unable to speak with them directly. However, the owner and vet did have the information necessary to take samples from the foal for the University's study on LFS and will be sent off post haste.
Once it is determined the foal was indeed an LFS foal, the owner will be assisting the university in obtaining samples from related horses from their herd to further assist the study. Those samples will be from both parents as well as those horses's parents and probably any siblings of any or all of these primary horses.
The more samples of related horses the university gets, the easier it will be to be for them to locate genetic indicators (or markers). While the death of this foal is tragic, it will be providing valuable input for the geneticists who will hopefully someday soon) find the responsible gene. Once the gene has been isolated then the work can begin engineering a test to screen for it.
A test to screen for possible carriers will be a huge relief to the Arabian horse breeding community. Just as the advent of the SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency) test has done. Breeders of Arabian horses will be able to test their breeding stock and make informed decisions about which horses to cross without the added risk of hidden genetic killers.
That brings us to what you need to know to make informed decisions when breeding with animals that you know carry fatal traits such as LFS or SCID (this disease is recessive as well, and the following statistics and probilities etc will be the same)
Lavender Foal Syndrome is devastating to the breeder who encounters it. Not only have they lost a foal they planned and dreamed about for 11 long months but they are also left in the awkward position of having a breeding horse that is a know carrier of the genetic disorder.
Because the sydrome is considered to be recessive, one gene must be contributed by each parent for a foal to get the lethal combination that results in the expression of this rare neurological disorder.
Once a victim has been identified as having Lavender Foal Syndrome, that automatically classifies each parent as a carrier of the disorder. While it may not be possible to know which parent of the carrier horse contributed the fateful gene, there is no question that the parent of the afflicted foal is a carrier. (I'll address grandparents and direct relatives later.)
The decisions of how to breed carrier horses are based pretty much on the odds. If you have a know carrier, you know that that carrier statistically will contribute that affected gene 50% of the time. That should translate to half of that horse's offspring will also be carries, however, Mother Nature is not that co-operative.
Just like the flip of the coin, odds may hold out over millions of test but can vary greatly in small increments. This translates to each time you breed to that horse to a NON-carrier you have a 50-50 chance you will get a carrier foal. But you also have that same chance you will produce a clear foal. There is no chance, breeding to a non-carrier of producing a lethal foal.
It does not mean half the foals will be carriers and half will be non-carriers. Good example my mare, Aana, who has had 5 colts in a row, statistically she should have given birth to an even mix of colts and fillies. Aana has defied the odds. Odds are only odds, not specifics.
So the question is, if you breed a carrier to a carrier what are the chances? Breeding two carriers there is a 25% chance the mating will produce a non-carrier. There is a 50% chance of producing a carrier. There is a 25% chance of producing a lethal foal.
More on LFS to come!
Because it is so rare, there are few cases to study to garner data needed to establish reliable information. Anyone having or who knows someone who has had a lavender foal is requested to contact researchers http://www.arabians-international.com/LFS.html to help find and isolate this killer of Arabian Foals.
For more information on Lavender Foal Syndrome
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A couple of days ago I posted about the Arabian mare, Bey Aana, coming into heat and the foal experiencing the tell-tale diarrhea that can accompany that event. Life Lessons Interrupts Show Clipping Foal Heat in the Arabian Mare
I began a course of treatment with Bio-Sponge to alleviate the intestinal disturbance and monitored the colt for improvement. With signs of improvement in the colt's stool consistency, I hoped we were out of the woods. But since diarrhea can be so devastating to foals I continued to monitor the colt carefully.
By yesterday afternoon, it was obvious that while the Bio-Sponge was relieving the diarrhea in Aana's colt, the horse just was not feeling well. Despite the lessening severity of the diarrhea, the colt was getting more and more listless. By last evening the colt was only getting up to nurse. The young horse was haphazard in his attempts to nurse and sleeping the rest of the time.
I went out to the barn and checked his capillary refill (this is done by pressing firmly with the thumb on the upper gum and observing the rate at which the blood flow returns to the area. Instant refill denotes proper hydration, anything less than immediate refill indicates the degree of dehydration.) Fortunately, his capillary refill was good and the colt was not dehydrated. I also took his temperature and it was 101.2 degrees which would be high for an adult horse but only low grade for a foal.
Even though his temperature was not alarming and his capillary refill was not good, I was concerned about this foal. I put a blanket on him because he seemed to be cold and went into the house to monitor him on the computer.Things can turn so quickly with them at this age and his listlessness was disconcerting.
I stayed up until about 3:30 am watching him on the cam. By that time the colt had increased the amount of time he was nursing and he seemed to be feeling a little better. I posted on his thread on Mare Stare asking for eyes to help observe the colt's behavior so I would have complete information to give the vet when he came the next day. Then I went to bed to get a few hours of sleep.
In the morning I called the vet and then gave the colt a quarter of a tube of Probios as directed by the vet. Jack would come to check the colt as soon as possible.
Once the vet arrived he checked the colts IgG scores. Diarrhea can pull IgG scores down to dangerous levels. The colts were well over 1000. Capillary refill was also good. His navel looked good as well. The colt still has a low grade temp even though he was acting like he felt better. The little varmint even tried to kick the vet over the blood draw. The colt still has diarrhea but it's much better with the Bio_Sponge.But the vet said foals like this can go up and down pretty quickly so he would need to be monitored closely. Just because he seemed to be improving, didn't mean he would stay that way. Jack also mentioned that he routinely gives foals Probios twice a day throughout the foal heat and the first regular heat cycle to help alleviate the symptoms of gastric distress possible during those times. (After this many foals, you'd think I would have heard this by now. I'd been told to administer half a tube at birth and the other half at seven days, which I had done with this colt.)
So for the time being, I'll be continuing the Bio-Sponge and giving him Probios twice a day. Monitoring his temp and capillary refill and keeping track of how much he's nursing and his behavior.
I posted on Mare Stare that " continued prayers and eyes would be appreciated. Jack says we won't be out of the woods probably until the mare is out of heat and just because he's better right now doesn't mean he won't take a bad turn.
It would have been nice to have more specific news but that's horses for ya. I guess it is what it is. "
I administered more Bio-Sponge and Probios this evening. Washed the poor little guy's bottom and slathered Desitin on the burns left by the ravaging diarrhea. Now I watch and wait.
So for the time being, guess I'm holding my breath, crossing my fingers and hoping for the best with a few dozen prayers thrown in for good measure. This is one of the scary parts of breeding horses, caring for fragile foals.
Bey Aana and her foal are on live webcam
For information on my other horses see my website Rising Rainbow Arabians
Arabian horse Arabian horses horses foal scours foal diarrhea foal heat
Foal Heat in the Arabian Mare
I planned on doing the final segment on clipping for the Arabian show circuit, but sometimes life jumps up and interrupts my plans. No only did one of my pictures for the post get lost, but the Bey Aana's new foal required my immediate attention.
Usually at the onset of what the experts call the foal heat (the first heat cycle after the mare has foaled) the foal will experience diarrhea. Newborn foals are highly susceptible to the ravages of the intestinal disorder and cam succumb to fatal dehydration in an extremely short amount of time. So diarrhea from any cause, and particularly the foal heat is not to be taken lightly.
Over the years I've heard different explanations for the occurrence of this disorder in newborns. Some say the change in hormone levels from the mare's heat cycle affect the milk in a manner that is difficult for the foal's system to tolerate.
Others believe that the timing is coincidence. The foal heat of the mare has no effect on the newborn. They believe the bacteria etc of the foal's new environment impacts it's digestive tract causing the diarrhea.
Regardless of which is correct, the upset of the balance of the newborn foal's intestinal tract must be monitored and, if possible, resolved as quickly as possible.
In some foals the diarrhea will be so severe the foal will experience burns along its butt checks and down its legs. Diarrhea this severe is dangerous for the foal. While the burns can be treated easily with Desitin, the possibility of the foal being dangerously dehydrated is great. A veterinarian should be consulted in such cases.
If you are new to caring for a newborn foal, contact your veterinarian at any signs of diarrhea in the foal. New foals can die from diarrhea in less than 24 hours. It's better to be safe that sorry.
To help ease the severity of the foal heat, I always make sure the mare's udder is washes thoroughly before the foal nurses the first time. I also administer pro-biotics to the foal at birth, day 4 and day 7. Normally, I use Probios at a 1/2 tube for each dose.
So today, Aana's newborn colt is beginning a bout of severe diarrhea. While the colt does not have burns yet, his back side was covered and his legs clear down past his hocks with thin acidy feces of the type that causes such burns.
I carefully washed his little bottom and legs with warm water and a very mild soap. Then rinsed it thoroughly. I also began administering BioSponge.
This product is an intestinal adsorbent that is formulated specifically to deal with diahrea in horses and particularly foals. It is administered orally with water. After the first dose or two is fairly easy to give the foal so it doesn't taste bad. The product is pro-biotics that help re-establish the delicate balance of the foal's gut. It can be administered for 2 - 4 times a day.
In my book, BioSponge is a lifesaver. It has taken the stress of dealing with diarrhea much easier. The product really turns even the most difficult cases in foals around quickly. While as a precautionary measure, I will apply a protective coating of Desitin to this foal's bottom to circumvent burning, with the BioSponge this event without that kind of damage. Even the worst cases will last a few days at most, where otherwise it might go on for a week to ten days sometimes longer.
Aana's foal has already gotten used to being administered the Bio-Sponge mixed with water in a large dose syringe. He has a smudge of the medication on the side of his mouth, but his tummy is already settling.
Arabian horse Arabian horses horses foul scours foal diarrhea foal heat
After the Daffodil Show
Part 1 of Rachel and Grandma and an Arabian Horse
After Dandy had taken those three lame steps, I felt like my world had crumbled. I was so worried that something serious was wrong with the horse. Part of me thought that something serious would have shown up right away but the fear had a big hold on me. Rachel needed this horse and I needed him to be sound for her.
Before we got our stuff together to leave the show, Rachel sponged Dandy down with the Vetrolin liniment again. While she took care of that I went to see Cindi for another massage.
While I had a terrible headache and was very stiff, I thought I was doing much better than expected for such a difficult fall. Cindi wasn't as impressed with my condition. She worked again on my problem areas and gave me strict orders to get off my feet and take care of myself. I assured her I would once my horse got the care he needed.
First thing Monday morning the chiropractor returned my phone call from Saturday. While it had been frustrating to not be able to get him sooner, I was relieved that he would see Dandy at noon. At least the horse wasn't going to have to go another day without getting some help.
When Dale arrived at the barn he confirmed my suspicions about Dandy's condition. The horse had an extreme rotation in the second vertebrae in his neck (probably caused by me when I was launched off his back with the reins in my hand). He had hyper extended his shoulder*which happened when his leg slipped out from under him) and also had an extreme rotation in his pelvis with some really odd swelling. There was lots of muscle soreness and heat as well.
Dandy was to be on stall rest for the first 72 hours (normally the swelling continues for 72 hours and then begins to recede) and then he was to be long trotted each day for ten minutes with no collection involved to help stretch out the sore muscles. After the workout, he was to get the warm vetrolin liniment rinse. In addition he was to have massages as needed. The first one was scheduled for the following day. Dale would do a recheck on him in a week to determine how he was healing.
When Dale left the barn, the bewildered look was finally gone from the gelding's eyes. He remained very quiet, barely moving around his stall but the fact that look had finally left him was a relief.
The next few days went about the same. Dandy has had enough chiropractic and massage work in his life, that even when it really hurts, he understands it is helping so he tolerates the work well. But the horse was in more than the usual amount of pain and actually threatened the massage therapist a couple of times when a particularly sore spot was worked. The horse didn't ever get aggressive but the threats spoke volumes.
Despite what things looked like in the beginning by Saturday on the lunge line, the horse was getting pretty frisky. He was frustrated with not being allowed to canter and more than one time told Rachel all about it by shaking his head at her when she made him resume the trot. There was no sign of the lameness we had seen on Sunday. I suspected the it had been caused by a nerve in his croup or back being pinched. Dale thought the horse's condition was consistent with that type of manifestation.
Dale worked on Dandy again the following Tuesday. He found the horse to be in really good shape considering the injuries he had seen the week before. The chiropractor did some minor adjustments in the problem areas of his neck, shoulder and pelvis but overall the horse was doing great. Dale approved the horse going back to work. Rachel had her horse back.
I don't know if the fall impacted Rachel's fear level about riding or not. If it did, it wasn't showing. The accident did have an impact on Rachel's parents however. While the they had always know that horse back riding can be dangerous, I don't think they had considered it could happen to Rachel. Knowing how broke this Arabian gelding is, I think they had thought injury was a non-issue. Seeing me go down on the horse had opened their eyes. If someone with my skill level could have that kind of accident what risk was there for Rachel?
To be continued.....
A Setback
Arabian horse arabian horses horses horse Lame Horse
Taking into consideration that I currently had three mature stallions (my herd sire and two youngsters), two 3 year old stallion, one 2 year old colt and two yearling colts and one suckling colt, it was definitely time to make some tough decisions.
I had really expected to have one of the older stallions under saddle and sold by now. The appearance of the twins last year really messed up my farm plan and it would probably be a couple of years before I could get things back on track. I just wasn't willing to hold out that long with that many intact male horses.
The mature stallions are past the hard part as far as teaching them to be gentlemen. So that meant the younger ones would be the one's to be gelded. .Once our tax refund arrived, I made an appointment with the vet
Well, last Saturday was the big day. Four colts on my farm had a date with the veterinarian. The weather co-operated and stayed dry so we could geld them in the grass.
I'm pretty sure if any of them had a clue what was waiting for them, the horses wouldn't have been so willing to come with me out of their stalls. All of them were good getting their sedatives behaving in a gentlemanly manner. Other than the vet looking at me as each horse came out and asking me if I was sure I really wanted to geld this horse (4 times he did that to me) things went fairly smoothly.
The surgeries each had their own little issues, seems like that's always the way it goes. The biggest problem at the time was the last colt to be gelded, Scandalous Trouble, the twin. Even though he was out cold, he didn't like the idea much and every time they tried to touch his testicle it retracted deep inside. They finally had to deaden the muscle that controlled it to be able to finish the operation.
Getting a horse to its feet after it's out with a sedative is an art form as far as I'm concerned, particularly with Arabian horses. Other breeds tend to stay down until they're ready to get up but Arabians usually will try to rise when they are really still to groggy to be doing so.
Over the years, I've seen some wrecks when vets weren't prepared for the early risers. Last time I had horses gelded here, I had one of those wrecks. Scandalous Chase got up way too early and fell a number of times cutting his stifle and skinning his knees. He ended up with about twenty stitches.
This time was different. Jack Gillette really understands how horses move and where they're going even when they're under the influence. After watching him get the first horse, Scandalous Pursuit, to his feet, I knew I wouldn't have to worry about wrecks getting up.
I can explain exactly what he did but timing was a big part of it. I know he pulled the horses front leg way forward and then pulled it's head back like the horse was going to scratch its flank. With that leverage when the horse started to rise he pulled it around in a circle and just kept pulling the horse in the circle until it got its feet well under itself.
After a horse has been gelded it needs to be monitored and exercised. This article by Cherry Hill has a thorough description of the necessary aftercare.
I've dealt with a number of geldings over the years and am used to the routine. I have had some horses that experienced an excessive amount of swelling but nothing that ever got too complicated. This time was different. Not only did the weather turn ugly so that it was difficult to get the horses as much exercise as I would have liked but one of the horses experienced complications.
The first horse that we gelded, Scandalous Pursuit, seemed to be sorer than the other horses . As the days went on I realized the actual swelling seemed to be different than normal. It appeared more localized in the area of the horse's scrotum instead of spreading across the entire area including the sheath. His sheath was swollen but it looked like it was a different compartment that the scrotum. For all of the newly gelded horses I had ever dealt with before, including my other three horses now, the swelling looked like one continuous event.
At first the difference was subtle and I wasn't quite sure but by Tuesday I believed there was a problem and called the vet. Jack came back out, mildly sedated and examined the horse. He found that the gelding had thrown large clots. As you might imagine, clots can be very dangerous. The horse had to be more heavily sedated to get the clots out and then he was flushed out with an iodine and water solution. We hoped that one treatment would be enough but looking at him again this evening, I'm not so sure. I think I'll be calling the vet again in the morning.
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Raising Arabian horses, I have to make decisions about which colts stay intact and which become geldings. The easiest decisions to make in this circumstance are those based on manners or quality.
I don't have any problem gelding a top notch colt if he's behaving badly. Safety is an important issue on any breeding farm. My helpers are my husband, Dave, and my daughter, Lindsay. Both love horses but neither are very adept at handling them, so the behavior of all of my horses, let alone the colts and stallions is very important. In my opnion, there is no excuse for a horse being pushy, least of all a colt or stallion. That kind of behavior is not tolerated.
To date I haven't gelded a colt yet because of bad manners. I work hard with my foals from the time they're born to insure they know their place and Dave and Lindsay can easily deal with them. Lindsay doesn't handle (as in lead or turnout) the mature stallions and Dave would just as soon not but does if I am gone.
To help determine quality, I have a friend, Jean, with a lot of experience in the Arabian horse industry. She helps me go through my herd and make breeding decisions as well as decisions about geldings. She helps keep me on the straight and narrow. If I don't see flaws in my horses, I know she will point them out to me.
For the most part, she agrees with me about my horses. I'm pretty hard on judging my Arabian horses. There's nothing that scares me more as a breeder than becoming barn blind. I work hard to see that that does not happen. I believe the thing that will put you out of business the fastest in the Arabian horse industry is not seeing what your animals really are.
The only time that Jean and I have disagreed about a horse, I wanted to geld a colt that she thought was exquisite. Not hearing those words from her often, I acquiesced to her judgement. Today I'm glad that I did. That colt has grown into a remarkable individual.
Sometimes the decision to geld a horse must be based on medical circumstances. Last year I gelded a stallion who had a testicle that began to shrink. We never did figure out whether it was an illness or an injury that caused this. . While the stallion was still capable of breeding, the shrunken testicle was pinching the horse when he was being worked and interfered with his performance. After giving the horse some time to heal, the horse was gelded when the testicle did not return to normal size
Sometimes for me the decision to geld a horse is based solely on logistics. I live on a small piece of property for the number of horses I own. Trying to get all of the horses turnout is difficult enough without the constraints of having a large number of stallions.
Stallions require their own turnout (which they trash by running the fence line). Many people do not even turn them out next to other horses. Colts I turn out together until the time they get too competitive and it looks like one might get hurt. Once that happens, they, too, must be separated and the turnout situations gets even more complicated.
What that means is even though a colt is the quality it takes to be a stallion, it's still just so much easier to live with them as geldings than as stallions. There is less liability with them as geldings. I can put them out safely together and they get more time out. Dealing with them as geldings is much easier on Lindsay and Dave especially when I am gone to horse shows.
I would prefer to not have anymore than two mature stallions on my farm. Currently, I have three. To take a top notch colt and geld it just because our lives (and probably its) will be easier is still a difficult decision to make. But it's a decision I have to make.
Spring is here and as the new foals begin to arrive, they are not the only new young creatures showing up on the scene. Also beginning to hatch are the larvae of the Eastern Tent Caterpillars and Forest Tent Caterpillars. What does this have to do with your horse or my Arabian horses?
You may remember in 2001 there were a large number of thoroughbred foals dying in Kentucky and no one knew why. The problem was threatening the racehorse industry and it was imperative to the economy of the state that the reason behind the deaths be identified.
I remember hearing the stories about the dying foals and updates as the numbers of foals increased but don't recall ever hearing what was being done to solve the mystery
I also didn't hear that it wasn't just the thoroughbred farms but 17 other breeds of horses affected. At least one report states was not just limited to the one area of Kentucky. It spread over a number of states. By the time the epidemic ran it's course 4,000 mares had aborted with economic losses reaching $500 million.
The outbreak was catastrophic. The new stories covered the globe as concerns spread about threats to the world horse industry. The state department and FBI were involved wondering about the possibility of contagion associated with agri-terrorism
Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome was the name given to the phenomenon that included death to fetuses in all stages of development and even foals born alive but dying. What does this have to do with Eastern Tent Caterpillars. Unveiling a Six-Legged Equine Assassin: Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome describes how the caterpillar became suspect.
Studies were done that proved the caterpillars were the problem but still no one knew specifically why the caterpillars were killing the horse fetuses and foals.
"A series of studies over the next five years has subsequently revealed that horses will inadvertently eat the caterpillars and that the caterpillar hairs embed into the lining of the alimentary tract. Once that protective barrier is breached, normal alimentary tract bacteria may gain access to and reproduce in sites with reduced immunity, such as the fetus and placenta. Fetal death from these alimentary tract bacteria is the hallmark of MRLS. " Quote from MRLS: Eastern and Forest Tent Caterpillars Currently Feeding
The time is right for spraying for caterpillar larvae and keeping these pests out of horse pastures where they might be ingested. While the epidemic was restricted to the Kentucky area where the wild cherry trees this particular species of caterpillars thrives, it would seem to me that making sure that any kind of caterpillar larvae in any part of the country might be wise.
The Kentucky outbreak was what it was because of the large numbers of horses it affected and the economic impact to the horse industry. That's what spawned all the research. The numbers of the larvae were also larger than the norm which contributed to the disaster.
To date, no one's really looking at the effect across the board to horses in general that might ingest caterpillar larvae of any kind. It seems to me that MRLS could easily be the explanation for odd abortions across the country. While it may be a while before science catches up, I think spraying for caterpillars this time of year is a simple enough precautionary step to use to protect my Arabian horses just in case MRLS isn't just restricted to these two forms of caterpillars.
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There's lots of discussion about whether the sheath of a male horse should be cleaned on a regular basis or not. And lots of people just have no clue that such a task should even be considered. So here is my two cents worth on the cleaning of sheathes in Arabian horses or any other male horses for that matter.
I think that the question of to clean or not to clean can be directly affected by the enviroment of the horse. My horses are all stalled so I don't know anything about the status of outside horses, but I find the tidy horses don't need cleaning like the untidy ones. I also found that for the brief period of time that we used pellets for bedding, I had more sheath related problems than on white shavings. Cedar shavings also cause problems here. That leads me to believe that the status of irritants withing the horse's sheath is directly related to what he lays down in.
A squeaky clean penis at all times is not good for the horse. He needs the natural lubricants provided by smegma. However dirt, sand and other debris are attracted and trapped by the smegma and are as big a problem as a lack of natural lubricants. Foreign matter in the smegma can also alter it's usefullness. What that means is you have to judge each horse on it's individual circumstances. All male horses should probably be checked once or twice a year to see what their individual status might be.
Some horses are more sensitive to cleaning than others. Usually the light skin is more sensitive than dark skin. Red skin in an area that should be light skin indicates irritation and should be cleaned but gently.
To minimize soreness and swelling, use a good sheath cleaner and let it set and soften up the smegma. If the smegma is stuck forcing it to come loose will make the horse sore. It takes longer to keep applying the cleaner and allowing it to sit but in the long run the horse will be more comfortable.
When cleaning the sheath it is important to look for a bean. The bean is a pale, kidney-shaped accumulation of smegma in a small pouch just inside the urethra. So looking at the end of the horse's penis you will see the opening (urethra) in the center. All around it is a small pouch, the bean will be in there. Pushing gently with the end of your thumb into that pouch will usually push it up and out.
Some horses will drop to be cleaned, others will not and some will only drop partially. Some people let their vet do the cleaning. Others get a tranquilizer from their vet so they can do the cleaning themselves. I prefer to teach my horses to drop and do the cleaning without the use of tranquilizers. When using tranquilizers on male horses it is important to know that some relaxants can permanently cause the horse to no longer be able to retract his penis up into the sheath. This is rare but it does happen, so you need to be informed of the risks with the particular tranquilizer you might use.
There are some horses who might experience pain and swelling after cleaning the sheath. Symptoms like this should resolve within a few days, if not contact your vet. for more information on sheath cleanining
Since I wrote my series of blog articles on Sassy (the mare carrying her fourth set of twins) and Laurietta's story, my Arabian horse blog statistics indicate there are a considerable number of searches being directed towards my horse blog around the issue of red bag deliveries in (Arabian) horses. So many in fact it appears to warrant a post and an image link about this particular complication of foaling in the Arabian horse and other breeds of horses .
While I have never had to deal with a red bag delivery in my Arabian horse business. I have studied extensively about it's occurrence in horses. I have also witnessed red bag deliveries on the live foaling cams on Mare Stare.
Red bag delivery is a layman's term for the foaling complication known as premature placental separation in horses. Under normal foaling conditions this red structure (known as the chorioallantois) ruptures at the cervical star (portion of the placenta where all the blood vessels merge together and form the umbilical cord) and the foal within the white sack (amnion) present through the birth canal. Occasionally, the chorioallanatois is too thick and the foal (Arabian horse) is unable to break through. This causes the structure to separate from the mare's (horses) uterus and it precedes the foal through the birth canal.
The reason this is unsafe is the red structure provides the foal (horse) all of it's nutrients, oxygen etc to stay alive. Once this separation begins, the foal is oxygen deprived and can die or suffer extensive damage if not delivered immediately.
If red bag (see red bag image) presents it should be immediately (but carefully) cut with scissors and the foal should be gently pulled from the mare. Before pulling the foal, it is also important to remember that it is possible to have other foaling complications in conjunction with a red bag delivery. Once the membrane of the red bag has been cut, the position of the foal should be determined before pulling on the foal. If the foal is in the proper position (two front feet with bottoms of hooves down and nose following closely behind) It is important to pull the foal in conjunction with the mare's contractions. Pulling against the contractions can cause the mare's (Arabian horses) uterus to prolapse (come out and turn inside out)
Also, when pulling a foal (Arabian horse), keep in mind that one foot should be positioned slightly ahead of the other foot. This allows the shoulders to come out at an angle instead of straight across. The shoulders will be able to move through a narrower opening that way making it easier on the mare and the foal (and the person pulling).
You want to get the entire foal out as quickly as possible. Some people think once you are past the shoulders the hard part is done, but a foal is still vulnerable when it is only out to that point. The constriction associated with the mare's contractions can suffocate a foal that is halfway in and halfway out. This is not a time to stop pulling, just keep it in time with the mare's contractions. Once the foal is out it should be watched closely for signs of hypoxia (oxygen deprivation or dummy foal syndrome).
In the event of a red bag delivery with a malpresenting foal, it will be necessary to reach inside the mare to ascertain the position of the foal. I keep the long examine gloves (I get them from my vet) on hand in my foaling supplies along with the scissors needed to cut a red bag. I also keep my finger nails cut short and keep them as clean as possible when I'm anticipating a foaling. This way the risk of infecting a mare can be minimized.
Anytime I have a problem with a foaling, I get my vet on the phone immediately. If the problem is a malpresentation, I keep him on the phone so I can describe to him what's happening and answer any questions. Then he walks me through what I need to do and answers any questions while he heads to my farm. It helps a lot with my confidence. I think adrenaline works a lot better with confidence than with fear.
For more complete information on red bag deliveries and the causes.
Arabian horse Arabian horses horses horse foaling complications red bag delivery
The beginning of the twins story starts here
While we awaited the biopsy results on the growth we'd removed from the Arabian mare's (horse) nose, the horse was getting antibiotics and having her wound flushed twice a day. The Arabian mare had taken the twins (horses) in stride and all of the care and visitors that had gone along with it. But the mare (horse) was not taking kindly to having her nose messed with anymore. It was obviously very sore and the horse didn't want it touched. Flushing the wound was a tricky operation complicated by the presence of the twins (horses).
It wasn't just about not running over the two small Arabian horses, it was about keeping them out of our hair. Trying to do anything in that stall that didn't involve the twins (Arabian horses) meant you were fair game for their antics. Just because the mare (Arabian horse) was bouncing around the stall trying to avoid treatment wasn't enough to deter the twins (Arabian horses). The two small foals (horses) were bored being cooped up and anything at all that looked like it could be entertaining was top priority on their list.
Normally, I can do almost anything with any of my Arabian horses without a halter. I groom, pick feet, worm and even do some treatments without any restraint. But in this circumstance I needed a halter and help. There was no way the Arabian mare (horse) was going to stand still for getting her wound flushed.That meant two people to do the treatment and two people for the twins (Arabian horses) to pick on.
Untying shoes has always been one of their favorite tricks but they also enjoy biting on clothes, removing things from pockets, pulling hair, sticking their head between your legs or under you arms (the what's ya doing ploy). If you happen to be closer to the ground, sucking on ears is a real delightful treat for the little monsters (Arabian horses). There's nothing they like better than playing with their human friends, whether the friends are in the mood or not. And one thing about the twins (Arabian horses) they are smart, smart, smart. Defensive maneuvers against them are fruitless. Didn't take them long to learn how to tag team to keep things interesting.
You might think that you could avoid two little horses trying to be annoying and just get the task at hand done. But it was definitely one of those situations you had to see to believe. It probably resembled a three ring circus as we tried to keep the mare still enough to flush the wound while the twins attacked us. And attack us they did. Their first plan was to separate us from our target. Trouble pushed between Dave and the mare while Surprise wormed her way in between me and the mare, leaning against me trying to push me over. Trouble kicked his mom to get her to back up and Dave started laughing, so things went downhill from there. The twins (Arabian horses) have learned that they are cute and laughter eggs them on. What should have taken a couple of minutes ended up taking ten and I was a sweaty mess. Wrestling with the twins (Arabian horses) and Vee (Arabian mare) trying to get her wound flushed while Dave spent most of his time howling in the corner.
It was a long five days treating that wound. Each time I came into the stall, the twins (Arabian horses) had a new plan. They would look at what I was carrying and know the drill. The game was on. I gave up on getting any help from Dave. I got farther by putting the mare up against the wall with her butt in the corner than I had with him holding her. I learned to empty my pockets before coming into the stall, wear footwear without laces and keep all zippers zipped up out of the twins (Arabian horses) reach. The fewer clothes I had on the better because sweating was a given (don't most people sweat when they wrestle?) and the twins really liked playing with my clothes. The more I was wearing, the more the twins (Arabian horses) had to entertain themselves. Anything with buttons could end up button less and the list goes on.
Somehow I did get antibiotics down the mare and keep the wound flushed and medicated as well. The results of the biopsy came back and the growth was non cancerous. When the drain was finally removed from the wound, Vee (horse) must have felt better because the mare soon quit being so sensitive about her nose. But I think the twins (Arabian horses) were probably disappointed, their twice a day play sessions had come to an end.
To be continued..... here
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GS Khochise & Scandalous
The beginning of the Baby Boomer Dream starts here
Before I begin on the adventure of breeding my dream Arabian horse, Scandalous, to the son, GS Khochise, of the legendary Khemosabi, let me give you a little background both Arabian horses, Scandalous and GS Khochise. I've always like to have the names of my horses reflect their personality in some way. While I didn't name this horse, Scandalous definitely suited the mare. The breeder, Shannon Armstrong, had settled on that name because as a young filly, she had come into heat very early and well, her behavior was pretty scandalous. As the mare matured, her behavior in heat didn't change much. She was very vocal and the horse did a lot wall kicking.
In the big training facility, the trainers had an apartment up over the front part of the building. Below them were the office, groom rooms, tack room, wash rack and laundry rooms supposedly so the Arabian horses wouldn't be keeping them up at night. The stalls themselves were the big Barnmaster metal stall, which can be pretty noisy with kicking horses. So in the far back of the barn there were a number of stalls with rubber mats on the walls. Scandalous was relegated to one of those, and she could still keep a person up a night when she was in heat.
Scandalous had one foal before I bought the mare. She was only covered by the stallion, Aikon once. Everything went smoothly. The only exception was she did experience a small tear in delivery that required a couple of stitches. The mare had a large, flashy bay colt with four white socks, star, strip and snip and a huge attitude. Aidol thought he was the king of the hill. The colt had just been weaned when I began working at the show facility and the mare was 'recuperating' from the little monster chewing all of her mane and tail off. (He matured to be 15.2H and did awesome in the show ring as a western horse at age 3.)
While GS Khochise was relatively an unknown in the breeding shed as a sire of winning Arabian get. His half-Arabian get were tearing up the show ring in western pleasure and already included national winners. GS Khochise himself had a limited show record with a regional championship in a 3 year old halter futurity and other local and regional wins. Later in his life however, Khochise would change owners and his star would begin to rise. GS Khochise would become the winningest Arabian show horse in history with 38 national titles and over 70 regional awards in various disciplines including halter, show hack, hunter pleasure, western pleasure and trail.
Fast forward two years, I was still working at the Arabian horse training/show barn but most of the horses there were show horses. A couple of the stallions there were breeding mares but not a lot. I was getting a little bit of experience understanding breeding, mares cycling etc. but still had a lot to learn. When it came time to breed my own mare, I was asking lots of questions but mostly doing what I was told.
We had the Arabian mare (horse) cultured in preparation for breeding. Once the results confirmed the mare was clean, she was bred. The stallion had a heavy show schedule but the mare's 'scandalous" nature adapted well to his limited time at home. All we had to do was tease her once or twice and the mare would come right into heat. The mare was covered once and the stallion was off and gone to another Arabian horse show.
About fourteen days after the mare was bred, I came into work one day to find my mare had been examined by the vet via ultrasound.(unbeknown to me or I'd have been there) Scandalous had settled twins. They hadn't pinched one of the twins because I wasn't there to authorize the procedure. But the following day a different vet was at the facility and the trainers had him pinch off one of the follicles. Then the trainers packed up Arabian horses and equipment and off they went to another Arabian horse show while I stayed at the farm, barn sitting. While they were gone the first vet came back one evening to deal with Scandalous's twin pregnancy and I had my first experience with an irate vet (and I do mean screaming at me irate) because he'd come out of his way to take care of my mare. I guess it's ironic that my very first experience in breeding Arabian horses started off on a rocky road with a mare that settled twins. I quickly learned the way not to get stuck in the middle was to be in charge. To do that meant I had to do a lot more reading and so it started.
When the mare was checked again, I was there. Scandalous was open. The mare had absorbed the second pregnancy as well. Again she graciously accommodated us by coming right back into heat when we teased her with the stallion. It was a good thing too, because the show string was leaving in just a couple of days and this time they were to be gone for three full weeks. GS Khochise was one of the horses going to be gone that full duration. So the mare was covered once by the stallion and then he went off to the Regional Championship shows. There he won one of his first regional championships in western pleasure.
Scandalous stayed in heat for four more days after the stallion left. I counted every day knowing the longer she stayed in heat the less likely we were to catch her. By the time we hit day four we figured there was no way that the Arabian mare was bred. There was no way a stallion's semen would live that long. Or would it? When the mare (horse) was ultra sounded fourteen days after she went out of heat, Scandalous was checked in foal with a single pregnancy. GS Khochise had inherited the fertility (and motility) of his legendary father, Khemosabi who was still settling mares up until he died at 33. My dream of being a horse woman and breeding Arabian horses was off and running, I had a foal due in June of 1990. No farm, but I was on my way!
To be continued....
Part 7
Arabian horse Arabian horses horses horse dream horse twin horses
