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A tornado survivor

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, horse rescue and tagged with ,
A tornado survivor

Here’s the story of a mare who survived the mare although her pasture mate did not. Click on the photo to access the article.

Trickles of good news are appearing in Oklahoma as people write about family members found alive, horses that survived and other pets that are reunited with their owners.

Tornado damage can be very specific and very random. One neighborhood will be devastated while another, close by is left untouched.

When we lived in the Cleveland area, back in the early 90s, I was caught in a “microburst” which is like a tiny tornado. I was walking my dog and pushing my son in a stroller at the polo field in Chagrin Falls. Suddenly the sky got very dark and the wind picked up. It was very loud, like a train in the distance getting closer.

I sprinted for my car, got my son and dog safely inside and battled with the stroller, which was being battered by the wind. Once inside, I heard a huge crash and saw that in front of me a stand of pine trees had broken mid trunk. My two year old son pointed gravely at them. “See trees fall down!” he said. As he said that, more trees snapped around us, their trunks broken like pencils.

At that point I wondered whether being in the car was a good idea but I had no idea where else to go. Before I could make any more decisions, it was over.

Driving home we saw trees down, power lines broken and dangling, and debris everywhere. We lived only two or three miles from the Polo field. Our house was undamaged but there were downed trees all around it: one landed only inches from the French doors at the back of the house; another had crushed the car of the people who had only the week before decided to buy the house.

One street over from us, a roof had been lifted off a house. We were relatively lucky.

The force of that storm was truly frightening. I can’t even imagine being caught in a Tornado, let alone one of the force that hit in Oklahoma. The devastation is heart breaking, the loss of life is so immensely sad and the force of nature that is contained in a tornado is humbling.

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Building topline

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, English Riding, equestrian, equine massage, horse health, horse training and tagged with , ,
Sheldon's Top line

Sheldon is a bit underweight but he could use some muscle in the right places more than he needs more calories. He doesn’t look bad but with the right muscles he’ll look great.

To build the muscles that strengthen a horse’s topline, first you have to get the horse to work correctly — to use his back, engage his abdominals, and push from behind and connect with your hand.

You can tell when a horse isn’t working correctly. His underneck is too developed, there’s not enough muscle over the back and they might be a bit “saggy” in the belly or back even if they aren’t fat.

Guess what? That describes Sheldon! He is a bit thin right now but mostly he needs to put muscle in the right places. He needs to lose the muscle under his neck and put it on the top of his neck and his back. He’s a bit over muscled and tight in his glutes.

This shows Sheldon over the winter. You can see how easily he hollows his back and braces with his neck -- this is especially true when he's in a situation that causes anxiety.

This shows Sheldon over the winter. You can see how easily he hollows his back and braces with his neck — this is especially true when he’s in a situation that causes anxiety. He’s come a long way since then.

It’s been hard to get Sheldon to use his body correctly but we’re making progress. Partly this is related to conformation. Because of the way his neck ties into his withers – Sheldon naturally carries his head high and it’s easy for him to hollow his back and pull himself along rather than push. And partly it’s because as a race horse no one asked him to use his body the way we want him to now. He needs to learn how to rebalance and simultaneously develop the muscle to carry himself properly.

The body work he had recently certainly helped. Often when a horse is too tight and doesn’t want to move correctly, there is some underlying pain and/or some weakness.  I knew he was tight in his glutes and tender in his SI area; Gary focused on those areas. I never would have had the conviction to use that much pressure. I would have been afraid that it would just hurt and not help. That’s why you bring in the expert.

Before the bodywork I would get a few minutes of really nice work during a ride — times when Sheldon would drop his head, engage his abdominals and push into my hand. Those moments felt great but they didn’t last long.

Now I’m getting the good work sooner and it’s lasting longer. He’s staying nicely in my hand and reaching down into the bridle. His back is coming up and starting to loosen. He can hold it very nicely at the trot and his canter work is getting better every day. The trick now is to work him just enough to build more muscle but not so much that he gets tired and cranky. He’s still not great at the walk. He does better when his feet are moving.

Freedom when I first got him

When I first got Freedom he had no muscle. Look at that skinny neck! And the sagging back.

I’m lucky to have a field to ride where we have a very slight hill. Working a horse on a hill is a great way to encourage them to stretch down and push from behind. Trot poles are also a great way to get a horse to use its back correctly too.

There are “short cuts” to bringing a horse’s head down, such as draw reins, but you have to be very, very careful with them. It’s too easy to focus just on bringing the head down and not achieve engagement from the hind end.  If used tactfully, draw reins can help some horses but I knew that Sheldon would just feel trapped. He had to find his way into a better frame by encouraging him to reach down into my hand and pushing him forward. You might remember that forward can be a bit of a challenge for Sheldon so initially I let him stay inverted as long as he went forward. Now I’m insisting that he moves more correctly.

Freedom last summer

Freedom’s body shape is completely different now that he’s in regular work and uses his body more correctly. Of course, it’s easier for him because his neck ties into his withers in a way that makes it easier for him to stretch down.

My guess is that in the next month or two Sheldon will look completely different. Just take a look at Freedom’s before and after shots. The first picture was taken about two weeks after I got him. He was underweight and had no topline. The second photo is how Freedom looked last year.

Now I’ll admit that Freedom has conformation that makes it easier for him to work properly. His neck ties into his withers much lower than Sheldon’s. Even from the beginning he didn’t have the same issue with hollowing his back — he was curled up behind the bit and needed to learn to stretch properly. In contrast, Sheldon is learning how to use his body in a way that will allow self carriage and will strengthen his back.

How you can help horse owners in Oklahoma

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, Horse care, horse rescue and tagged with , ,
Horses rescued from debris

Some horse have been rescued from the debris; others are missing.

The massive tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma has left at least 24 people dead and hundreds injured — but it has also killed or displaced thousands of animals. Below is a list of ways that you can help the horse community recover.

Please be careful when making donations to check the legitimacy of the charitable organization. Sadly, there are many scammers who take advantage of the good will of others.

In addition to funds, horse owners need supplies and feed for their surviving horses. Many of those who have lost horses have asked for friends to send them photos.

Plain as Bay Eventing

Sky and Randy Weidner’s barn, apartment and truck were destroyed and they lost all 12 horses. Friends have set up the Randall Weidner Catastrophe Trust at the Wells Fargo

Plain as Bay eventing

Plain as Bay Eventing run by Sky and Randy Weidner had their barn and apartment destroyed and lost all twelve horses.

Bank. Donations can also be made through Paypal using rwquarters@yahoo.com.

Oklahoma State University’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences is offering care for animals injured during the storm. Owners and referring veterinarians can call 405/744-7000 to arrange for care. Meanwhile, contributions to defray the cost of this care can be made online at www.cvhs.okstate.edu/oarf or by calling 405/385-5607.

The Benchmark Animal Hospital in Carney, Okla., is offering help to storm-injured animals. Call 405/547-8381 for details.

The Orr family, operators of Orr Family Farm, have established a hotline for those wishing to contribute to the farm’s recovery. Call 405/283-2258 to register.

Blind horse survives tornado

Fiona, a blind horse, managed to get inside her barn before the tornado hit. Although the building collapsed around her, she survived for at least 16 hours before she was found. Click on the photo to be taken to the news story.

Red Earth Feed and Tack in Oklahoma City is collecting contributions of halters, lead ropes, and other equipment, as well as feed and cash contributions to compensate veterinarians providing storm-related animal care. Call 405/478-3424 for details.

The Women’s Horse Industry Network is collecting donations for storm impacted horse owners. Visit www.womenshorseindustry.com or call 615/730-7833 for details.

The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is accepting donations for those affected by the tornadoes. Contributions of non-perishable food items, toiletries, gloves, buckets, and shovels can be brought to the AQHA headquarters in Amarillo, Texas. Call 806/376-4811 for details.

Equi-Center Veterinary Hospital :Michael J Wiley 6600 W Rock Creek Road Norman, OK 73072-2019 405-366-9328 just tell them you want to donate to Tornado victims. You can pay by credit card or send checks. He has many clients that have lost everything.

The Horsemen’s Benevolent Fund

The Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma (TRAO) and the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association (OQHRA) have created a Benevolence Account for horsemen impacted by the storms. 

If you want to make a donation using a credit or debit card please call OQHRA at 405-216-0440.  Checks should be made payable to either TRAO Benevolence Fund or OQHRA Benevolence Fund and put 2014 Tornado on the memo line.  Your donations may be sent to the following locations.  Please download and attach the form to send with your payment.

  • Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma
    2620 NW Expressway Suite A
    Oklahoma City, OK 73112
  • Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association
    P. O. Box 2907
    Edmond, OK 73083

Animal Resource Center, Inc.

Oklahoma Animal Lost & Found Tornado Group

Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Assoc. is taking donations

Horse Feathers Equine Rescue

Horse Feathers is collecting donations via our Hay For The Hungry Program,assisting with feed and medical supplies for those animals displaced by the recent tornados…Donations are tax deductible. PayPal donations may be directed to: plainswindrdr@gmail.com

Horse Evacuations East

Horse Evacuations East (HEE) is an all-volunteer organization created on Facebook as a clearing house of information to assist horse owners in times natural disaster. HEE administrators across the United States volunteer their time on an as needed basis in rotating shifts in times of natural disasters. HEE facilitates horse owners to find transport, shelter and provides a list of volunteers with these resources when a natural disaster hits their area. HEE also offers disaster tips and resources.

The Pet Food Pantry of Oklahoma City

We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all volunteer charity organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives pets and the people who love them by providing pet food to low-income seniors, US Veterans and the homeless.

All donations received are going directly to Oklahoma Tornado disaster victims with animals and the care of animals that were displaced during the storms.

(This list was compiled using information from the COTH forum, http://www.eventingnation.com and http://www.thehorse.com).

Equine Rescue Network

Hope4Horses’ EquineRescueNetwork (ERN) allows equine advocates to connect,
collaborate and contribute to help at risk horses. We are a Registered 501c3 charity.
Donations may be made at www.hope4horses.org. ALL contributions go to help at risk horses.

Please send me the names of other organizations if you know of any I should add to this list.

Another beautiful day in the hunt field

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian, foxhunting and tagged with
Hunting in Berlin

Saturday was another gift: a picture perfect day to go hunting and the opportunity to ride Sugar again. You can see us — we’re right in the center of the frame. This hunt was in Berlin — a territory that we haven’t ridden much in recent years and it’s always a treat to ride in new areas. I’ve only ridden in Berlin twice before and the first time was at my very first hunt, on Kroni. It must have been six or seven years ago!

 

 

 

 

Tongue Tied

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, Horse care, horse health, Thoroughbred Racing and tagged with ,
Many race horses have their tongues tied to prevent DDSP.

Many race horses have their tongues tied to prevent DDSP.

One of my theories about why Sheldon is so unhappy about bits is that, as a race horse, he most likely had his tongue tied during races.

Many trainers routinely tie down a horse’s tongue to prevent the Dorsal Displacement of the Soft Palate (DDSP) or to prevent a horse from getting its tongue over the bit. DDSP can interfere with the epiglottis and create breathing problems and that will slow a horse down.

How does that work?

Stacy Brown, a veterinary student, and Dr. Jeremy D. Hubert Assistant Professor of Equine Surgery address this topic in a paper from the Equine Health Studies Program at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine,

The epiglottis, a relatively rigid structure in the back of the throat, is positioned above the back edge of the soft palate, which is an extension of the hard palate (roof or mouth) and serves to separate the nasal and oral cavities. This anatomical arrangement helps assure that the air is directed into the trachea (windpipe).  However, during eating and swallowing, the soft palate moves upward as the epiglottis flips backward to cover the entry to the trachea.  This shift in the position of the epiglottis occurs so that food and saliva are directed into the esophagus and not into the trachea.  Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) is a condition whereby the epiglottis becomes positioned above the soft palate (Figure 2).  Swallowing should replace the epiglottis to its normal position; however, if this does not occur then a tentative diagnosis of DDSP is provided.

DDSP may be intermittent (the most common) or persistent.  With intermittent displacement, the horse is able to replace the soft palate when swallowing.  When a horse is persistently displaced, the displacement is not corrected when the horse swallows. Because the displacement is not corrected with swallowing in horses with permanent DDSP, these horses are not capable of covering the opening of their trachea during eating, which may lead to coughing and ultimately aspiration pneumonia.

DDSP most commonly occurs in racehorses, but can occur in other types of performance horses, particularly those required to over flex at the poll (i.e. Hackney ponies and Saddlebreds). Owners and trainers often complain that these horses are “choking down” or are “gurgling”. These horses are often observed to be open-mouthed breathing during episodes of this loud, expiratory (while breathing out) gurgling noise.  Once the palate displaces they are unable to breathe sufficiently, which leads to rapid slowing or stopping, at which time, they usually swallow and replace the palate into normal position, causing the gurgling noise to dissipate and the open-mouth breathing to stop. Substantial exercise intolerance occurs during DDSP due to disruption in airflow.  The exercise intolerance and gurgling noise are due to the soft palate creating an expiratory airway obstruction because of its abnormal position. While gurgling is relatively common, DDSP cannot be ruled out in a horse that is exercise intolerant, but does not make a noise. Approximately 30% of horses affected with DDSP reportedly do not make a noise.

Tongue tying may make sense for race horses, but the practice can cause long-term tongue issues which can be tough to fix.

Sheldon's tongue

Sheldon’s tongue always comes out on the right side of his mouth.

In Sheldon’s case, the issue with his tongue comes up (or out) when he’s got a bit in his mouth and he’s feeling stressed. If I’m schooling him in the field, his tongue mostly stays in his mouth; if he’s out on the trails or in a new situation, it comes right out.

With bitless bridle, his tongue stays put.

Recently Sheldon had some body work done and his jaw was obviously bothering him. During the work that was done on his bars, his tongue came out farther than any horse I’d ever seen!

What about you? Have you seen tongue issues like this with OTTBs?

jaw adjustment

When Sheldon was having his TMJ adjusted, his tongue came waaay out of his mouth! After the adjustment he appeared to be a lot more comfortable.