When Monty Roberts met Prince Harry...

I really hope to be able to write, that – when Monty Roberts met Prince Harry together they transformed mental health care for traumatised servicemen and women. That would be brilliant! I can’t write it yet, but if two people could get together and change how we treat mental trauma in the armed forces, it would probably be these two!

Monty Roberts is to meet up with Prince Harry to discuss how to use Monty’s techniques to best help servicemen. As Monty says 

“They lose trust and then they bring them home and they slap them on the back and say ‘thank you for your service — go be a civilian, love your wife, love your children, respect your boss, get a job, goodbye’. And typically that’s how they’re put back into civilian life and it doesn’t work. They find they are disturbed by what they went through. And what we can do with horses to build back that trust is just off the charts.”

Monty’s methods of building trust in horses, are hoped to be put to use in re-building trust in servicemen and women.

Traditionally the armed forces have been less than capable in dealing with mental trauma in its personnel. Hopefully with the support of Prince Harry, who himself served with The Household Cavalry for 10 years, including two tours of Afghanistan, and Monty Roberts, who is a trusted advisor to the Queen, they could potentially transform how we treat our servicemen and women. 

Research evaluating risk factors for the development of pasture associated laminitis.

We all know ponies that are “prone” to laminitis and others, which despite being overweight and stuffed full of grass, never get laminitis. A study into the reasons behind this may hold some answers.

A study was carried to look at any factors that may affect the pre-disposition of a horse or pony getting laminitis. The study looked at 446 equines, mainly Welsh, Shetlands and Cobs, who had never previously had laminitis. Of these 72% were overweight.

They were tested using the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) which illustrates the behaviour of insulin dysregulation, without testing for it intravenously. The results for serum adiponectin and insulin post-dexamethasone, amongst others, were recorded. Results were recorded from the owners over the next three years.

After 1 year, 18 cases of laminitis were reported. After 2 years, 30 cases and after 3 years, 44. The study concluded that low levels of plasma adiponectin, and high levels of serum basal and insulin post-dexamethasone were significantly associated with the development of laminitis.

Obviously how we care for our horses and ponies that are likely to be prone to laminitis is very important. Speak to your vet if you have any concerns or would like more help managing your horse or pony’s health. But it is worth bearing in mind that some horses and ponies are simply pre-disposed to laminitis and it is not always a reflection of the level of care.

Menzies-Gow, N., Harris, P. and Elliott, J. (2016). Prospective cohort study evaluating risk factors for the development of pasture-associated laminitis in the United Kingdom. Equine Vet J.

Rain sheets and breathability…

Have you ever worn a waterproof coat with a sleeveless or short sleeved t-shirt underneath? Horrible isn’t it? The heat and perspiration from your bare skin causes moisture on the inside of your waterproof, leaving you feeling clammy, uncomfortable and wondering if you would be better off wet!

Imagine what a horse feels like…Horses in their natural state have an amazing coat – it keeps them warm, cool, dry and protected. We with our, albeit well-intentioned, intervention alter their coat so it no longer does the job and then attempt to replicate it with rugs.

Rain sheets are rated for breathability, but the breathability is reduced the moment rain covers the pores, at which point the perspiration and condensation begins to build up under the rug, leaving the horse with the same clammy feeling that we humans so dislike.

Most turnouts have a fill layer which enables the moisture to be wicked away from the skin. If you want to just use a rain sheet, make sure you put on an under rug to help prevent the build-up of moisture. There are various innovative rugs out there to help with this problem and to ensure that you are giving your horse the best possible care.

The relationship between foot conformation, foot placement and lameness...

A study was carried out to determine whether there is a correlation between foot conformation, foot placement and lameness or asymmetry.

When horses are examined for lameness these factors are all taken into consideration, however little research has been done into the correlation between the three. This study was carried out by final year students at the Royal Veterinary College.

43 horses were used for this study, 10 from the RVC’s teaching herd (not currently ridden) and the other 33 from private yards. The horses used were all perceived to be sound by their owners.

With foot conformation significant differences were found between the left and right hooves. Foot placement in walk was generally lateral heel, and in trot the most common was lateral. Using the symmetry index SI on the poll, only 22 of the horses were assessed as sound! Which makes an interesting point into lameness, the variation between the scientific indicator and whether a horse is fit for purpose.

There was no dramatic relationship between any of the areas tested, however the study did reveal some interesting outcomes. There was a strong correlation between movement asymmetry and a shorter/narrower hoof. There is not, however, any real correlation between foot placement to either movement asymmetry or conformation. This suggests that horses have an inherent way of placing their feet which is not affected by their conformation, but may be effected by other external factors.

Which in essence backs up the old proverb of “no foot, no horse.” Which is as apt today as it ever was, and is always worth bearing in mind when going to look at a horse for sale!

Wilson, A., Agass, R., Vaux, S., Sherlock, E., Day, P., Pfau, T. and Weller, R. (2014). Foot placement of the equine forelimb: Relationship between foot conformation, foot placement and movement asymmetry. Equine Vet J, 48(1), pp.90-96.

A new 'gold standard' register of animal musculoskeletal practitioners

Have you ever wished your horse could talk?  Many of the people I visit as a Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist have said they do, because it would make it so much easier to know what's wrong.  The guilt of discovering that your horse has been in pain for some period of time without you knowing is not much fun, an experience I've personally shared with plenty of others.  Horses are incredible animals, and will often keep going despite considerable discomfort, simply because they're trying their best for us.  

My new book and DVD, 'Understanding Horse Performance: Brain, Pain or Training?' is at heart explaining that horses can only communicate pain or discomfort through their behaviour or performance, and giving tips and tricks on how owners can begin to make the distinction between a horse who is being naughty, a horse who doesn't understand, and a horse who is genuinely saying ouch.

A major difficulty is knowing who to trust to help you to determine this.  Most horses can be persuaded to do most things if the rider is strong enough, but that doesn't mean that's right.  If the horse is more afraid of the rider than he is of the pain, then he'll do as the rider tells him.  If he loves his job and the adrenalin masks the pain, he could be exacerbating the damage each time he works.  Your vet is a good place to start, but for the 'niggles' that don't cause lameness, a physical therapist can be really useful.  So how do you find the right one amongst the myriad available?  

If you've followed my work over the past few years, you'll know that one of my 'soap boxes' is that the title 'Animal Physiotherapist' or 'Veterinary Physiotherapist' is not protected, so anyone can set up to treat animals with no qualifications whatsoever.  This has led to a variety of courses springing up (there's a lot of money to be earned providing courses!), with students gaining a variety of qualifications, including a couple of courses offering a Masters degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy.  To the general public (and most horse owners), it's difficult to differentiate between the Veterinary Physiotherapist who completed a Bachelors degree in Physiotherapy including a minimum of 1000 hours on clinical placement, spent at least a couple of years working in the human field (usually in the NHS), and went on to do a Masters degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy, from the student who did a Bachelors degree in Art History (for example) and went on to complete a Masters degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy.  And often equally difficult to differentiate these from the student who completed an Animal Physiotherapy course lasting a few weekends.  Because they all seem to have the same title: Animal Physiotherapist, or Veterinary Physiotherapist.  Of course qualification isn't everything, there is far more to take into account, and some people have more of an aptitude for working with animals than others. The number of hours studying though, the depth of material studied, and the stringency of the examinations, vary widely, and this results in varying quality of assessment and treatment for your much loved animal - horse, dog or cat, with resulting potential animal welfare risks.

Today an announcement was made that could bring an end to this confusion, for the benefit of companion animals throughout the UK (and of course their owners!).  RAMP, the Register of Animal Musculoskeletal Practitioners, was described in the Horse and Hound as 'a new gold standard register', supported by both DEFRA and vets.  Dr Vav Simon, of the McTimoney Chiropractic Association, said "Currently, it's impossible for owners to know who does what, and what that means".  The RAMP website will list members, making it a one stop shop for animal owners looking for a well qualified, experienced, insured, musculoskeletal practitioner.  Which can only be a good thing, as far as I can see, for animals as well as their owners!

You can see a copy of the article by clicking here.

I'm really excited to hear this news, and believe it's a great step forwards.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this emotive subject!  

5 things to love about autumn riding...

The nights are drawing in and the days are getting shorter, but it's not all doom and gloom, here are our 5 favourite things about horses in the autumn...

1: No more flies! This, alone, is cause for celebration! Lovely crisp air with not a fly in sight, nor wasp, nor hornet, nor horsefly!

2: Clipping. Well, maybe not the actual clipping, (though we will bring you some handy hits for clipping soon!) but clipped horses look just like girls coming out of the hairdressers - all shiny and happy!

3: Beautiful autumn hacks. The colours at autumn are just so stunning, and we often have perfect weather in the autumn, usually better riding weather than the heat of the summer.

4: Mucking out. I know some people hate it, but there are few things in the world more satisfying than a freshly mucked out bed all ready for coming in time.

5: Training and thinking time. The summer is usually spent in a frantic twirl of competitions, long hacks, family holidays, children, more competitions. It is so nice in Autumn to take a breather and look back at where you have come from and think about aims for the coming year. It is a chance to reflect, to catch up on some reading, and learn some new tips to make next year even better!

Have you ever struggled to decide which rug to put on your horse?

In the U.K. it's a constant struggle to decide which rug to put on your horse. You go to the yard at 6am and it's pouring with rain, so you put a rug on only for the sun to come out by 11am, and you to find your horse is sweltering by the time you get back to the yard at 6pm. Or it's bright sunshine first thing in the morning so you turn your horse out naked, then feel guilty all day because it's poured with rain for most of it!

A new study carried out in Norway and published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science won't resolve this problem for you, but excitingly it does add to the increasing bank of evidence that horses understand more than has previously been believed. In this particular case, 23 horses were taught to understand the difference between 3 boards with simple designs on them: one indicating 'rug on', one indicating 'rug off', and one indicating 'no change'. In later tests, all 23 horses were shown to be able to make relevant and appropriate decisions as to whether or not to wear a rug. In the hot weather, all the trained horses opted for 'rug off' if they were wearing a rug at the time, or 'no change' if they weren't wearing a rug. In colder weather, the horses wearing rugs opted for 'no change', and the horses without rugs indicated they'd like to be wrapped up warm, all except 2 horses who opted for 'no change'. In really cold weather, all the horses opted to wear a rug.

The training was done by a highly experienced trainer using positive reinforcement only (clicker training method), and 2 experienced helpers. I'm sure that the experience of the trainer went a long way towards the success of this trial. I am a great fan of positive reinforcement techniques, and I recognise how much skill is involved. However I have seen inexperienced people confusing their horses using similar techniques, and given the power of a horse and it's motivation for food reward, this can lead to disastrous consequences. 

I know we shouldn't anthropomorphise, but I'm sure we've all seen a horse who is clearly happy, sad, angry or fed up. I'm not saying that we can provide a perfect world for horses - what's the chances of that, when we're nowhere near it for humans even?! And I'm not saying that we should always give horses what they ask for - any parent will tell you that won't work! We all have to work through some uneases and discomforts to achieve, and I believe in the majority of cases that the same applies to horses. The gaping difference is that as humans we're able to express our uneases and discomforts and choose whether or not to work through them - horses don't have that option. This is something I explain to people on a daily basis when I'm working as a Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist - it's important to know as much as possible about the level of comfort or discomfort your horse is in, so that you can make a more educated decision as to how much to ask of him. Low levels of discomfort don't usually mean we should stop working, in fact they are often relieved by the strengthening and weight loss effects of work (you'll know of someone I'm sure who has been advised to exercise to relieve a sore back, for example). An experienced and knowledgeable pair of hands can help you to understand your horse better, and you can find your local Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist in the U.K. at www.acpat.co.uk.

I've often wished I could understand horses better, and be able to give them what it is that they need to be comfortable, peaceful, calm and relaxed. It seems to me that this study is a small step towards this, if nothing else through encouraging people to recognise that horses do have needs and desires, just like us.

Sue Palmer MCSP

www.thehorsephysio.co.uk

Head shaking – a new treatment…?

A recent study looked at whether PENS percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy is a safe and effective form of treatment for trigeminal-mediated headshaking in horses.

At present there are limited resources to treat headshaking in horses, and the PENS treatment is already recommended under NICE guidelines for the safe and effective treatment of humans. The PENS treatment works by inserting a probe which stimulates the relevant nerve according to a pattern and frequency determined by treating humans using the same method. The treatment is then repeated as the effects wear off.

In this study seven horses with severe headshaking were treated. All seven coped with the treatment well, two horses had an increase in symptoms for three days after the treatment. Six horses showed signs of remission after the first treatment and five continued to improve after the second treatment. The average remission time for the first treatment was 3.8 days increasing to 20 weeks after the fourth treatment.

As with humans it was not possible to achieve a 100% success rate, however as safe treatment without side-effects it proves to be a good solution to headshaking treatment. It is believed that the effectiveness of the treatment increases as the operator becomes more skilled with the placement of the probe, which could bode well for the future as this treatment becomes more mainstream.

As an interesting aside, out of the seven horses involved in the study, three of them managed to injure themselves over the next few months, and were either turned away or put on box rest. Which just goes to prove that horses are endlessly inventive with their injuries!

If you have had any experience with headshaking in horses, please get in touch, or contact your vet with your concerns.

Roberts, V., Patel, N. and Tremaine, W. (2015). Neuromodulation using percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for the management of trigeminal-mediated headshaking: A safe procedure resulting in medium-term remission in five of seven horses. Equine Vet J, 48(2), pp.201-204.

Tips and solutions to help feed horses from the ground.

We had a great response to our blog on “How tooth wear varies between captive and free-ranging equids.” To read this in full click here. Due to this, we have complied some top tips and great feeding solutions to help you to feed your horse from the ground. As studies show the angle of the horse’s jaw while feeding has a huge impact on their dental health, if possible please feed your horses from the ground.

Top tips:

·         Ensure that the surface is clean and dust free.

·         Check there is enough space between the horse’s feed area and their bedding and water, to prevent them getting them all mixed up!

·         Be inventive – if money is tight there are lots of inventive ways to feed hay off the floor without buying a purpose built item, just check that your horse can’t injure itself.

If you have the money to spend on a specialist piece of equipment – check out a selection of hay feeding solutions below:

• Haylo 
• The Haycube
• The Hay Bar 
• The Hay Pillow 
• Easigrazer 

How do you feed your horses? Do you have any great tips, or inventive ways to feed your horses safely from the ground? Have you used any of the products listed above? Please share your feeding experiences with us!