Monthly Archives: August 2009

Secretariat movie makers looking for their star(s)

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Equestrian video, historical horses, Horse breeds, horse racing, Thoroughbred Racing and tagged with , , , , , ,
Secretariat at the Belmont Stakes. (Photo from www.belmontstakes.com)

Secretariat at the Belmont Stakes. (Photo from www.belmontstakes.com)

If you’ve always thought your horse looked a lot like racing great Secretariat, here’s your chance to find out if he makes the grade. He doesn’t even need to be fast.

Walt Disney Pictures is shooting the movie Secretariat later this year and the producer of the film, Mayhem Pictures is conducting an online “casting call” looking for horses to portray the legendary stallion.

According to a press release, interested horse owners may email photographs of their equine, big-screen hopeful to casting@secretariat.com. Applicants also must complete an online Secretariat casting form at www.secretariat.com, where additional information about the casting call can also be found.

All photographs will be personally reviewed by the lead wrangler for Secretariat, Rusty Hendrickson, who was in charge of horse selection for such recent major motion pictures as Seabiscuit and Dreamer.

“The three main qualities I’m looking for in a horse to portray Secretariat are looks, temperament, and soundness,” Hendrickson said. “A big flashy chestnut would obviously have an inherent advantage, but I’m going to need at least two main Secretariats and perhaps four stand-ins. I know that he was one of a kind, but we’ll do the best we can.

“A calm temperament is particularly key, especially when multiple takes are involved. But applicants need not feel that they must have an identical-looking horse to be considered. We can do wonders with equine makeup for the white facial markings and the three white socks.

“Our horses need to be sound — but racing experience is not a necessity. And Secretariat’s short back and round hip are somewhat reminiscent of American Quarter Horses, so owners of that breed should also feel free to make submissions.”

I’ve looked at Freedom from every angle but sadly, other than being a chestnut Thoroughbred who raced, he doesn’t look much like Secretariat.

For everyone who has forgotten what a Triple Crown Winner looks like, here are Secretariat’s Triple Crown races:

Should vets dispense drugs or write prescriptions?

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, Horse care and tagged with , , ,

Recently I wrote a post about the cost of prescription drugs for horses (How to keep prescription drug costs for horses under control). One of my suggestions was to get your vet to write prescriptions which you can have filled at one of the myriad online pharmacies.

But what if your vet will only fill the prescriptions themselves? There’s been a recen thread on the Chronicle of the Horse Forums that talks about the pros and cons of having your vet supply your horses drugs.

I asked about getting a prescrption for Adequan and explained that I can’t do the shots at the clinic because I’d have to rent a truck/trailer to haul down each time (and the barn owner is perfectly capable and does a good job with IM shots) and she agreed to write a prescription and let me do my own only if I bought it from them!

Apparently this problem is common.

I have complained to my vet about his drug prices. Everyone in his office just shrugs at me. But his mark ups are out of sight! $65/vile of Adequan. $95/1K bottle of Isoxuprine. $38/100ml bottle of Dex which is 7 bucks at valley vet. I am perfectly happy to pay more for drugs from the vet but I mean really….three and four times more than they are for sale everywhere else. I think it is really a bad business decision. The mark up should be just low enough to make me never get my drugs somewhere else. They have called in a prescription for me so I could include it in my Smartpak. I am going to investigate whether it is legal for them to refuse. I don’t like saying things like that to my vet though as in “it is illegal for you to refuse”. I mean we should like and respect one another…

As my vet said once, chiding me for buying cheap isoxuprine from the barn manager, “You may save a few bucks, but she’s not coming in the middle of the night to save your horse.”

the main reason why I switched to the vet I currently use is because I got tired of getting brought to the cleaners for simple Rx stuff (um try 600.00 for a loading dose of Adequan!) and then them refusing to write a script so I can understand the OP’s frustration at the same time.

This is one of my pet peeves too. My (former) vet has a ridiculous markup on some of her meds….

$100/1 bottle Isoxsuprine (~$30 at Valley Vet)
$100/1 bottle Acetyl-D-Glucosamine (~$50 at Heartland)

I tried to get a box of Adequan from my horse’s Oregon vet and they wanted to charge me $900!!!! I was like… holy ridiculous mark up! Called my local vet and got it for $340, and they even shipped it for me.

My vet doesn’t have a problem with writing a ‘script. He does charge $20 for a year long prescription but most of the time I save that much right off the bat. I do buy drugs from him when I don’t have them on hand and can’t them quickly enough. SMZs? I try to have them around, but I’ll pay the convenience price if I need them that day. Same with most other drugs.

I’ve spoken to my veterinary practice about some of their charges because I probably would buy from them if the prices were close enough. In some cases I’m buying the drug for less than my vet pays because I buy from the large on-line pharmaceutical companies who are able to pass along their volume discounts.

So what are the reasons why some people believe in buying only from their vet?

I discussed this with my vet a while ago. My vet also being my best friend in the world. She explained that she did the work up, the exams, the films, etc. for me and my horse and that because of the time she put in, I should get the meds from her rather than a discount house. She obviously makes money from the sale of the meds and also it helps them keep tabs on what is going into their clients’ horses in the way of medications. She can look up my horse’s record any time and see that he got a full Adequan series on such a date and therefore should/shouldn’t get more now. ETC. Also, when you buy from a discount house, you have no way of knowing if the drug has expired.

As my vet said once, chiding me for buying cheap isoxuprine from the barn manager, “You may save a few bucks, but she’s not coming in the middle of the night to save your horse.”

I guess my feeling is that I’m already paying my vet for the work up, the exams and the films. Actually, my vet would like me to be able to afford the medications that my horse needs and has never tried to make me feel guilty about buying drugs elsewhere. My small animal vet goes even further: she dispenses only emergency meds — she actually has done the research and recommends the least expensive place to buy meds and phones in the prescription with no ‘script fee.

The American Veterinary Medical Association says vets should provide prescriptions if asked.

Quoted from that site:
“Q: A client asked me to write a prescription rather than dispense a prescription drug out of my clinic. What are my rights and responsibilities?
A: The AVMA developed a position statement to guide your actions. The AVMA encourages veterinarians to honor client requests to prescribe rather than dispense a drug when a veterinarian-client-patient relationship exists and the veterinarian has determined that the drug is medically necessary. If the veterinarian does not have a veterinarian-client-patient relationship or does not believe the drug is medically indicated, the veterinarian should not write the prescription.

If the veterinarian has determined that dispensing the drug from the clinic may be best for the patient or client, the veterinarian may wish to explain the reasons for this to the client. If, however, the client prefers a prescription to a dispensed drug, veterinarians should honor client requests to prescribe rather than dispense a drug. The client has the option of filling a prescription at any pharmacy.

Some state regulations require a veterinarian to provide a prescription rather than dispense a drug when requested by the client. None of these laws require the veterinarian to write a prescription in the absence of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship or if the drug is not medically indicated. Veterinarians should ascertain state requirements by contacting the Board of Veterinary Medicine in the state(s) in which they are licensed. Also, depending upon the state, Board of Pharmacy regulations may also apply to veterinarians as handlers of prescription drugs. Therefore, veterinarians should make themselves aware of any pertinent Board of Pharmacy regulations in their state. State veterinary medical associations work on your behalf to monitor state issues that affect veterinary medicine and may be a very helpful resource.”

So, what do all of you think?

Patches: The Coolest Horse

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, Equestrian video, equine humor, horse training and tagged with , , , ,

I’ve never thought about training my horse to ride in my car. I’d have a hard time fitting Freedom into my Sequoia unless I could convince him to stick his head out the sun roof.

Patches, however, seems to relish sitting in his owners’ convertible. He has a blissful expression on his face as he sticks his head over the front of the windscreen, kind of like a very big dog.

He must be a common site around town because the folks at the drive through window at McDonalds don’t blink an eye when the car drives through. Maybe they didn’t realize the cheeseburger was for him!

It’s definitely worth watching this one!

Horseback riding in shorts?

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian and tagged with , , ,

Judging by the videos I see on YouTube, lots of people ride their horses in shorts during the summer. Okay, it’s an appealing idea and maybe a way to stay cool.

But in my experience is so darn uncomfortable! I’ve tried riding with full chaps (too hot and sticky, and if you zip wrong, it’s incredibly painful), half chaps (it’s okay but from the knee up, I find it’s too sticky and uncomfortable and my legs get chafed, with either a bareback pad or a saddle); no chaps (that’s really uncomfortable as the insides of my calves were rubbed raw).

So, what’s the trick? Let me on on your secrets!

Putting together a first aid kit

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in First Aid, Horse care, horse health and tagged with , , , ,
If you dont want to put together your own first aid kit, the Practikit Plus is a good choice

If you don't want to put together your own first aid kit, the Practikit Plus is a good choice

With a rash of minor injuries at the barn lately it’s caused me to look carefully at our communal supplies. Having essential supplies at hand can make a difference when your horse is uncomfortable or injured and you can save money by ordering essentials in bulk and certainly it’s better to have them on hand (especially the prescription drugs) than to have to buy them at the last minute for top dollar.

So, what should you have in your first aid kit?

  • Ace
  • Alcohol
  • Animalintex
  • Antibacterial ointment
  • Banamine
  • Betadine/antiseptic scrub
  • Bute
  • Clippers
  • Disposable gloves
  • Duct tape
  • Epsom salts
  • Eye wash
  • Gauze pads (sterile)
  • Hoof packing
  • Hoof pick
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Magnapaste
  • Nolvalsan
  • No Bow cotton wraps
  • Petroleum jelly
  • Saline solution
  • Saran wrap
  • Stethoscope
  • Sheet cotton
  • Sissors
  • SMZs (oral antibiotics)
  • Standing Wraps
  • Syringes and needles
  • Thermometer
  • Vet Wrap

If you would rather buy a kit rather than assemble your own, the Practikit is the best one I’ve been able to find.

Research shows cribbing is NOT a learned behavior

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Barn Management, Horse breeds, Horse care, horse health and tagged with , , , ,

An article published today in The Horse, Cribbing is Not a Learned Behavior, supports many of the conclusions that I’ve come to as the owner of a cribber.

While many people assume that cribbing is, essentially, contagious and don’t want their horses to be stabled near one, the research shows that genetic predisposition is a factor, especially among Thoroughbreds.

The research conducted at Cornell University by Julia D. Albright, MA, DVM and her colleagues, which included a survey of horse owners showed that while 49% of owners thought cribbing was a learned behavior, only 1% of cribbers actually started cribbing after exposure to another cribber.

“Cribbing seems to start at a fairly young age, and after the horse begins to display the behavior the initiating factors probably aren’t contributing,” Albright said. “In other words, if you have a young horse, we recommend weaning in groups in a pasture and with little creep feed. However, if you have a 10-year-old cribber, lots of pasture time probably won’t make a difference.”

Social isolation and being housed next to an aggressive horse might aggravate a crib-biter.

“Horses are social animals whose natural ecology is grazing at least 16 hours a day in groups. It just makes sense that to have healthy, less stressed horses, we should try to mimic this situation,”
she said.

“Cribbing is complicated and probably caused by many factors,” said Albright. “These horses aren’t ‘bad,’ and we should stop physically and verbally punishing, shocking, and isolating them. For the health of the cribbers (and barn), the behavior should probably be stemmed with a cribbing collar, a diet low in concentrates and high in roughage, and pasture time.”

But don’t call it a vice. “These horses have a true neurologic pathology, comparable to obsessive compulsive behaviors in humans,” she said.

The study, “Crib-biting in U.S. horses: breed predispositions and owner perceptions of aetiology,” was published in the May issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal.

Read my previous series on cribbing:

Cribbing: Presumed Causes

Does Cribbing Cause Health Problems?

Cribbing: Prevention

Miniature horse or battery operated toy?

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, Horse breeds, horse health, horses, humor and tagged with , , , ,
Koda is only slightly bigger than the cat at the veterinary clinic.

Koda is only slightly bigger than the cat at the veterinary clinic.

Koda is so small that he is often mistaken for a battery operated toy! He’s smaller than a Labrador retriever  and only a little larger than a cat.

Koda is a miniature horse that also suffers from dwarfism. He stands just 59 cm (23 1/4″) tall and is the smallest horse in Australia.

Koda was born with a host of health problems. He needed surgery to correct his buckled legs and he still looks kind of funny — his lower jaw juts out, his eyes bulge and he has a wrinkled nose.

Thanks to vet Andy Lynch and veterinary nurse Karen Stephenson, Koda has received both the veterinary care and the encouragement to make it through his first year of life. While many didn’t think he’d make it, this plucky little pony has an oversized personality and is making friends everywhere.

Make sure to check out the YouTube video below where you can listen to Dr. Lynch talk about Koda and his surgeries.

Koda is only 23 1/4" inches tall.

Koda is only 23 1/4" inches tall.

Koda is so much smaller than this average sized horse that it's hard to believe they are the same species.

Koda is so much smaller than this average sized horse that it's hard to believe they are the same species.

Treating Cellulitis in horses

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, Equine lameness, Horse care, horse health and tagged with , ,
Freedom's left knee was very swollen. You can see the scrape on the outside of the knee.

Freedom's left knee was very swollen. You can see the scrape on the outside of the knee.

On Monday night I showed up at the barn around 7:00 p.m. to ride once the day cooled off. To my dismay I found that Freedom’s knee was hugely swollen. I had wrapped his legs because he’d felt a bit stocked up the night before and because the swelling had no where to go except the knee, the effect was horrifying. Visualize a grapefruit.

Almost immediately I saw the cause: a scrape less than an inch long. Before I called the vet I scrubbed the wound to make sure it wasn’t a puncture wound (didn’t look like it to me, but a puncture would where a joint is involved can be very serious). Normally I would also shave the area around the cut but I had sent my clipper blades out to be sharpened!  My guess was cellulitis but since it involved a joint I wanted to makes sure I got the right treatment for it.

Cellulitis is a skin infection that is caused by bacteria. It’s entry point is a cut or even a small scrape (it’s amazing how small that scrape can be!) and becomes a subcutaneous infection. It manifests itself in heat and swelling in just one limb. The horse frequently will run a temperature. Sometimes your horse will be lame; in Freedom’s case his knee was tender but he was sound. The treatment is generally oral antibiotics (if you don’t catch it early enough sometimes you need IM antibiotics) and cold hosing.

Treatment for cellulitis includes oral antibiotics, cold hosing and exercise.

Treatment for cellulitis includes oral antibiotics, cold hosing and exercise.

Once I  had an idea of the problem,  I started searching for my SMZs. I usually have at least a starting dose on hand for those times when I have have an “after hours” problem. This time I came up empty handed.

At this point I called my vet. I reviewed what I’d found, he confirmed that it was likely cellulitis and since I had no antibiotics on hand he offered to leave me the SMZs at his home office instead making an emergency call (and racking up the related fee).  I felt much more comfortable starting the treatment that night even if it wasn’t until 10:30 p.m. Even better, my husband was close to the vet and was able to stop by and pick up the meds.

Tuesday I was pretty disappointed. I had hoped that the antibiotics and several rounds of cold hosing would help reduce the swelling. I turned him out for a bit to get him moving but by mid-afternoon, I hadn’t seen much of a change. Once again, because it involved his knee, I was worried.

A call to the vet calmed me down and gave me another treatment: exercise. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a horse with cellulitis so I had either forgotten that exercise would help, or had never known. Certainly, his knee looked so terrible that I wouldn’t have considered riding him without my vet’s recommendation. My vet explained that antibiotics alone are often not enough to bring down the swelling. He told me that exercise was very important to improve lymphatic drainage and that I needed to take him out and get his heart rate up. Way cool. Doctor’s orders are to take my horse out for a gallop! It worked like a charm. Freedom was still sound and his knee looked much better after I being ridden.

He continued to improve this week and his knee is almost back to normal. I told my husband that I had a prescription to for daily rides that would probably be necessary for at least another week.

Doing a little research on cellulitis I found that a study conducted by the Ontario Veterinary College in Canada. Interestingly, in their study they found that most cellulitis affected hind limbs and that Thoroughbreds were “significantly over-represented compared to any other breed.” I wonder what would make them more prone to those types of skin infections.