Straight From the Horse's Mouth

Rain Rot
Common Misconceptions
 

  The spring rains are great for our pastures but not always great for our horses.  Keep an eye on your horse’s coat for signs of crusting and hair loss on your horse’s face and along his or her back. This may be a result of rain rot.Contrary to popular belief, rain rot is not caused by fungal infection. The real culprit behind rain rot is a bacteria, Dermatophilus congolensis. It has been hypothesized that these bacteria are a normal inhabitant of the skin but with excessive moisture or trauma, the bacteria release “zoospores.”  These spores allow the bacteria to colonize the skin causing matting and crusting.  Most of the time the back and rump are affected but the face and legs can also be involved. 
  Most infections are mild and respond  well  to topical scrubbing with an antibacterial shampoo and gentle removal of the crusts.  We find that lime dip effectively treats rain rot.  It is an inexpensive option available through your Triangle Equine team.
     If possible, affected horses should be kept out of wet conditions until clinical signs resolve.  Horses with rain rot should have their own tack and grooming supplies that are not used on other horses.
   There is a condition of the legs that can look similar to rain rot of which horse owners should be aware.  On the front of the cannon bone, a build up of keritinized skin cells can accumulate causing excessive flaking and hair loss. It is generally seen on hind limbs but can also affect forelimbs.  This should not be confused with a fungus or bacterial infection.  For an unknown reason, the skin cells are not exfoliating well.  This can be easily addressed with gentle currying daily to remove the excess skin cells.
   Please feel free to consult Triangle Equine if you have any questions regarding your horse’s skin.

Spring Safety
 

    Incorporating a spring safety check to your barn’s spring-cleaning regime is a great way to prevent injury!   Nails are a common risk at any stable.  When a horse steps on a nail, there is a risk of the nail going into the coffin joint causing a potentially life threatening joint infection. 
   Nails are commonly left after the farrier or a barn repair.  Windy storms can also result in a paddock full of roofing nails.  We recommend taking a rolling magnet and regularly looking for nails. These magnets are available at most hardware stores for a reasonable price.
   It is also a good idea to comb through your stalls, fencing, and aisles to look for any exposed screws or nails.  These are often the cause of ocular injuries and lacerations.  Even bucket handles can become an issue where they attach to the base of the bucket. Padding these attachments with duct tape is a cheap and simple way to prevent these hooks from hurting your horse.  Regular safety inspections can save you and your horse!

Preventing Laminitis
Low carb diet for horses?
 

   April showers create beautiful lush pastures on your farm.  Unfortunately, this could mean increased risk of pasture laminitis due to the increased carbohydrate content in the grass, the non structural carbs (NCS), to be specific. So how can you avoid laminitis?
  One of the best things  you  can do is keep your horse in   good   body condition year round. Overweight horses, in particular, are at risk for metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is an insulin resistance similar to type II diabetes in humans.  These horses and ponies are at greater risk for pasture associated laminitis.  In fact, one study found that horses with metabolic syndrome are ten times more likely to have a laminitic episode than other horses! 
  The second thing you can do is strategic grazing when sugars in the pasture are at their peak.  This could involve use of a muzzle or limited turnout. Limiting the duration of turnout can be tricky because some studies have shown that ponies will ingest up to 40% of their daily grass in the first 3 hours out on pasture.  This indicates that a grazing muzzle might be a better option. In North Carolina, the highest NSC’s are present around 4-5pm so avoiding grazing in the afternoon is a tactic to decrease NSC intake. The only time of year when this strategy might not work is early spring when NCS’s are also elevated in the morning. 
   Hay can be a pricey option but it is consistently lower in NCS’s if your horse is at risk. Grass hay has the lowest NSC while alfalfa is a bit higher.      Grain would be a poor substitute, as it generally lacks enough fiber to be the core of an equine diet. 
   While it is not necessary to put your horse on the “Atkins diet” it is a good idea to use the spring time to assess your horse’s body condition and risk factors to prevent founder before it happens.  

Welcoming a Newcomer
Safe ways to introduce a new horse to the herd
 

   Spring is a time when many horses are coming and going from horse shows and new additions are often added to the herd.  All of this traffic puts every horse in the barn at increased risk for infectious diseases. 
  Checking up on a newcomer’s vaccination status is very important.  Ideally vaccines should be given at least two weeks before the move to allow time for immunity to build. 
   In a perfect world, all new horses would be isolated from other horses for two weeks.  This means no nose-to-nose contact and use of separate buckets, tack, and grooming equipment.  Staff should also be washing hands before and after working with new horses. 
  If your stable does not have the facilities to accommodate isolation, steps can still be taken to prevent disease.  All new horses can have their temperature taken 1-2 times per day (it should be less than 100.5oF).  Monitoring for nasal discharge and diarrhea is also important. If strict isolation is impossible you can still use separate equipment on new horses.  
    One of the most common issues with new horses is the introduction of upper respiratory infections.  Equine Influenza and Rhino (a herpes virus) are some of the more common infections.  There is a flu/rhino vaccine available that we recommend for all young horses as well as horses that show frequently or live with horses that show. 
   As with most infectious respiratory diseases, these are spread by nose-to-nose contact and respiratory secretions such as sneezing and coughing.
  Strangles is another infectious disease that spreads easily from farm to farm. Some normal horses are carriers of the disease but do not show clinical signs. There is a vaccination available to prevent strangles. There is a mild risk associated with giving this intra-nasal vaccination but it is recommended in certain situations.  Please ask Triangle Equine if you would like more information on vaccination protocols.
  A few extra precautions will help transition your new horse from a stranger to a happy and healthy stable mate!
  *As a final reminder when moving horses: the number one risk for gastric ulcers is a change in stabling and ulcer prevention or treatment should be considered during these times!