Anxicalm ™–For Management of the Difficult Horse
Contains B Complex, Vitamin C, Amino Acid (l-trytophan), folic Acid & Magnesium
Anxicalm™ is a scientifically designed nutritional supplement to help calm excitable horses in stressful conditions such as competition, travelling or sales, therefore maximising equine performance.
PRIVATEA link between food and mood can be traced to neurotransmitter activity in the brain. Certain micronutrients such as folate (folic acid), magnesium, niacin, and l-tryptophan may decrease feeling of anxiety & nervousness.
¨ Folic Acid: Folic acid appears to have the ability to reduce the high levels of homocysteine associated with anxiety
¨ Magnesium :Is a mineral that may ease anxiety by acting as a muscle relaxant
¨ B Complex vitamins Deficiencies in the B vitamins, particularly B6, B1 and pantothenic acid, have resulted in anxiety. Based on niacin's well-recognised role in promoting sound nerve cell function, some experts recommend this B vitamin for relieving feelings of anxiety and panic.
¨ L-tryptophan: The amino acid L-tryptophan (found in whole milk as well as other foods) is converted to serotonin in the body; increased serotonin levels generally decrease anxiety. Vitamins B6 and C are necessary for the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin.
This highly palatable liquid is particularly useful when fed to calm excitable horses in stressful conditions such as competition, or travelling. Anxicalm can be fed three to four hours prior to competition or travelling or a reduced daily dose.
What is….. Osteoarthritis?
(Degenerative Joint Disease)
We all study our
horses’ legs on a regular basis.
Both, visually and physically we run
our hands over knees, tendons,
fetlocks and down to the hoof, at
any sign of heat we quickly
manoeuvre to the opposing limb and
check temperature ranges. Heat and
swelling in joints, lameness,
shortening of stride, and problems
appearing such as ring bone, and
spavins have us all reaching for the
vet’s telephone number.
Diagram one
Sports horses in
particular are prone to injury or
wear and tear and the development of
Osteoarthritis is no exception. The
condition is more commonly know as
DJD “degenerative joint disease” and
it occurs when the normal process of
cartilage breakdown within joints
exceeds the body’s ability to repair
the damage. Changes to the structure
of the articular cartilage leaves it
thinner and less spongy and
therefore less “shock-absorbing”.
This leads to further damage to the
cartilage from normal wear and
tear. Thus begins a vicious circle
of more inflammation and cartilage
breakdown occurs.
Eventually this may lead to new bone formation around the problem joint.
Factors effecting the development of DJD range from:
Age
Weight
Genetic predisposition
Competition “sports” horses
Infections – such as ligament or tendon infection
Trauma – post op surgery/acute injury
And finally
Mechanical – gait, how the horse moves.
Cartilage at the surface of joints
has a very important shock-absorbing
role. It has a very spongy texture
due to the water held within it by
chondroitin. In diseased arthritic
joints, enzymes cause a loss of
water from the cartilage and result
in thinning and loss of shock
absorption. See diagram two.
Diagram Two
The consequent pain results in further inflammation and the circle continues. Diagnosis should always be through a vet who may use the following procedures for diagnosis:
Clinical examination
Nerve Blocks
X-Rays.
Oral chondroitin and glucosamine can inhibit these enzymes restoring the water holding capacity and shock absorption of diseased joint cartilage.
How do they do that?
Glucosamine, an amino sugar is the starting point for the production of new cartilage and is fundamental to the repair of damaged joints. Glucosamine will stimulate the production of new cartilage whilst inhibiting some of the damaging enzymes in arthritis. It also has some anti-inflammatory properties.
Chondroitin is a major component of the connective tissue in cartilage, tendons, ligaments and even bones. One of its main functions is to attract fluid into cartilage molecules, which is essential for absorbing shock and lubrication of the joint. Similar to Glucosamine it also has anti-inflammatory properties and inhibits degradation enzymes.
What to do?
Firstly discuss all options with your vet. The vet may suggest one of three methods of managing DJD. NSAIDS ( non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), steroids or chondroprotective agents which can be administered by injection or orally. The last option may enhance cartilage production and improve the quality of the cartilage and synovial fluid. Athri Aid is a recent addition to the array of supplements on the British market. It has a unique formulation, combining Glucosamine and Chondroitin with MSM (which acts as a painkiller) and essential co-factors for maximum effect. It is the only clinically validated liquid supplement on the market, and this liquid formulation, when compared to the traditional powder form, produces increased absorption rate.
BENEFITS OF USING FLAIR® NASAL STRIPS IN TRAINING RACEHORSES
WHAT IS A BLEEDER?
To most people a “bleeder” is a horse that has blood at the nostrils during or after training or racing.
ALL HORSES ARE BLEEDERS!
However, research has shown that if horses are ‘scoped (the process of placing a thin tube with a camera inside the windpipe) after galloping or racing, between 40-80% of horses will have some blood visible in the windpipe, but not at the nostrils. That is, you would not know the horse had bled unless you ‘scoped it. If you ‘scope any horse on three different occasions after galloping it will have blood in the windpipe on at least one occasion. If we look even deeper into the lung we know that all horses break blood vessels.
HORSES DO NOT HAVE TO GALLOP TO BLEED.
Research in Japan showed that horses that only cantered at speeds of up to 20 mph (a very slow canter for a racehorse) all had damage to their lungs as a result of broken blood vessels
DAMAGE TO THE LUNG INCREASES WITH SPEED.
The faster a horse gallops, the more damage done to the lung. The more times a horse gallops, the more damage is done. Other factors can also increase how much damage is done to the lung, such as extremes of going (very hard and very soft) and weight carried – the higher the weight, the worse the bleeding.
DAMAGE TO THE LUNG INCREASES THROUGHOUT A HORSES CAREER.
Each time a horse does more than a slow canter, some blood vessels in the lung are broken. At first this damage only affects a small area at the top back part of the lung. With repeated cantering, galloping and racing, the damage does not stay in one place but accumulates and moves further towards the head, affecting more and more of the lung. Thus, the severity and frequency of bleeding observed by ‘scoping after exercise or racing almost always increases with age.
WHAT DOES BLEEDING DO TO THE LUNG?
The blood vessels that break in the lung are almost always the blood vessels of the pulmonary circulation. This is the venous (deoxygenated) blood circulation that comes from the heart and flows through the lung to collect more oxygen. When the vessels are ruptured, they may become blocked or not function normally. If they are repaired they may also become stiffer as scar tissue is not as flexible as normal healthy lung tissue. As might be expected, damaged lung tissue, even if it is repaired, does not function as well and so the horse’s lung capacity and lung function are reduced. As the lung is a limiting factor for performance in racehorses, even small losses of function can have a significant adverse effect on performance.
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR TREATING BLEEDERS?
There are only two proven treatments: Furosemide (Salix, formerly Lasix) and FLAIR® Nasal Strips. Furosemide is a powerful drug which is effective in reducing bleeding by around ~75% the first time it is used. However, there is no evidence to suggest that Furosemide is effective if it is used repeatedly. In addition, to really reduce the damage to the lungs from exercise, the drug would need to be given 4 times a week for most racehorse training programmes.
FLAIR Nasal Strips have been shown to be equally as effective as furosemide in reducing the severity of bleeding following training or racing. In addition, because the FLAIR Strip is a mechanical device, it will be equally as effective every time it is used and could potentially be used on every fast exercise day.
FLAIR® NASAL STRIPS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE USED DURING RACING IN THE UK SO IS THERE ANY POINT IN USING THEM IN TRAINING?
Damage to the lung occurs with every fast piece of work. The damage accumulates over time the more a horse canters and gallops. The more damage is done to the lung the greater its function is reduced, adversely affecting performance. Even if you can’t race with FLAIR Nasal Strips, it makes sense to use them in training to limit how much damage occurs to the lungs so that they are in the best condition possible when it matters……in the race.
Flair® Nasal Strips Protect Horses at All Levels of Competition
Dr. David Marlin*
Until recently Flair Strips have perhaps been viewed by many riders as only being something that a top level competitor would need. This is not true.
When Flair Strips were first introduced, the racing industry immediately saw the benefit of this new invention. It was envisaged that the Strips would reduce the stress of racing on the respiratory system and therefore also have beneficial effects on the body as a whole. This has subsequently been proven through a number of studies published in scientific journals. The use of Strips by upper level competitors in professional sport horse industry has been rapid and widespread. The use of Flair Strips by lower level competitors is less common.
Are Flair Nasal Strips suitable and indicated for use by horses competing in lower level cross country and stadium jumping?
Horses cannot breathe through their mouths. So, the only air they get comes in through their nose. During exercise, the negative pressure caused by breathing in causes the soft tissue that lies over the nasal passages to be drawn inward or “collapse”.
This reduces the diameter of the airway and reduces the amount of oxygen the horse takes in with each breath. Flair Nasal strips work by preventing collapse of the skin over the nasal passages. This reduces the stress on the lungs and increases the amount of air flowing into the lungs. As a result, horses experience less lung stress and less lung bleeding (exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage). Another advantage of the Nasal Strip is that the reduced effort to move air in and out means less stress on the body as a whole during exercise and a faster recovery after exercise.
Why should Flair Nasal Strips be used for horses competing in lower levels of competition?
· Ability - Horses competing at lower levels are often not as athletic as those competing at higher levels of competition. For example, this means a canter for a horse at lower competitive level is harder work than for a horse at a higher competitive level at the same speed of canter
· Fitness - Horses competing at lower levels are often not as fit as those competing at higher levels of competition. A less fit horse will have to work harder at the same speed of exercise as a fit horse would and will also take longer to recover afterwards
· Health – Horses competing at higher levels of competition are often seen regularly by veterinarians. This means that low-grade disease is picked up early and treated. Horses at lower levels of competition are usually seen less frequently by veterinarians and as a result may often be trained and compete with undetected low grade disease of the respiratory system.
· Exercise stress – There is often a perception that a horse that is not competing at a high level, is not working as hard as a horse that competes at the highest level. As mentioned above, horses that are less athletic, less fit and also possibly carrying a low-grade problem are likely to work as hard, if not harder, as a horse competing at the highest level. Imagine yourself trying to keep up in a race with an Olympic marathon runner or Olympic sprinter. They would be working hard but going much faster and performing more efficiently than you, whereas you would probably be working much harder but going much slower and not performing as well.
Question – When should horses at lower levels of competition use Flair Nasal Strips?
Anytime they are undertaking hard work or prolonged exercise or competition. So, if you are going to give your horse a hard training gallop or competing in an event, using a Flair Strip will reduce the amount of lung damage from bleeding in cross country and jumping. In competition, using a Flair Strip will allow your horse to compete with less stress on the respiratory system. This will allow more oxygen to be delivered to the muscles, reduce bleeding, prolong onset of fatigue and provide a swifter recovery after exercise. Horses that are less fatigued are also less likely to make mistakes, which could lead to fences being knocked down, falls or injury.
Summary
· Horses at lower levels of equestrian competition often work as hard and sometimes harder than those at the higher levels.
· All horses experience bleeding in the lungs if they exercise at more than a canter and the damage to the lungs accumulates over time.
· Using Flair Strips during fast canter and gallop work in training and during competition makes more oxygen available to the muscles, delays the onset of fatigue, reducing lung bleeding and results in faster recovery following exercise. This may lead to less mistakes, better performance and a lower risk of injury.
*Dr. David Marlin is the Board Chairman of the International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology; Board Member of the Veterinary Comparative Respiratory Society and editor of Equine and Comparative Exercise Physiology. Dr. Marlin is working with the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) in the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics advising on climate considerations for the Equestrian Disciplines which will be held in Hong Kong. He is also working with the FEI looking at welfare in endurance and is consulting for the International League for the Protection of Horses on welfare issues related to transport of horses in Europe.
Dr David Marlin works as a consultant to Flair Nasal Strips®
Heartburn in Horses?
Well, no not quite but certainly gastric ulcers are extremely common, particularly in sports horses with a 90% incidence reported in racehorses and up to 60+% in the foal population (Hammond et al, 1996).
And the bad news…..?
……It is probably our fault!
Just like all you curry eaters and lager drinkers out there, who perhaps indulge to excess (and yes we are all guilty of that at this time of year!) horses who are on high concentrate and low roughage diets suffer similar symptoms which can include windsucking, box walking and cribbing. This is because horses are grazers and are used to eating 22 hours a day. If they spend much of the day without food excess acid builds up in the stomach. For all the reps’ on the road who drink eight cups of coffee to stay awake but never find time for a bite to eat; we can find horses who live similar lifestyles. Sports horses that compete for a living and travel on the lorry without access to forage can and will continue to produce stomach acid that will irritate the stomach lining if the stomach is empty. Is it any wonder that “sports horses” are often “grumpy, miserable and awkward” to handle whilst being tacked up at a show? How many of us have felt the same when we have not eaten anything for half the day or more?
Gastric Ulcers are not just a competition horse’s ailment, older horses can also suffer and may have signs such as poor appetite, which may also be perceived as a slowness to finish a meal, dullness and lethargy, weight loss, poor body condition, low grade colic and poor attitude. Whilst foals can suffer from poor nursing technique, teeth grinding, rolling on back, increased salivation, diarrhoea, pot belly and a rough coat. It can be agreed that these symptoms are rather ambiguous and could be related to any manner of problems. It is therefore vital that you consult your vet who may examine your horse via an endoscope.
How can I help?
1. The easiest way to maintain your horse’s healthy stomach lining is to turn him out. It is readily accepted that “Doctor Green” will entice the picky feeder, relax and unwind the horse, and allow the horse some quality “free” time. If you can not turn your horse out make sure he has access to hay to “pick at”.
2. The second easy “management practice” would be to look at the quality of the fibre you are feeding, alfalfa, sugarbeet, good quality hay and haylage are extremely suitable with alfalfa having the added benefit that you get relatively little “gutfill or grass belly” if you increase the amount fed. This is especially important in horses doing any serious fast work such as advanced eventers, and racehorses.
3. Managing the timing of feeding is also crucial, allowing the horse to have the smallest feed in the morning before exercise and biggest feed last thing at night when he should be left quiet to eat slowly and always give the horse access to hay/haylage. It really goes back to your rules of feeding and especially “never allowing hard feeds to exceed 2.5 kilos (5lbs)” weigh your feed on a regular basis so you become knowledgeable about the amount your horse is consuming.
4. Feeding stomach buffer. There is a Gastric Ulcer treatment, which is available only from vets, which contains an acid pump inhibitor. If your horse’s gastric ulcers are severe your vet will probably recommend a course of this. If you prefer to feed something you can buy over the counter; Irish Company NutriScience may have the answer in GastroCare. Dr AKA Hill who found that “Gastrocare” has both an initial and long-term effect in performance horses researched this at The University of Limerick.
GastroCare contains Glutamine and Dihydroxy-aluminuim sodium carbonate, Calcium Carbonate and Dicalcium Phosphate. (Phew that’s the science bit over!) Glutamine is a very important factor for the immune system in particular gut mucosal cells. The other components of GastroCare work to buffer gastric acid. (What a horse would give to burp!) Finally Pectin-leicithin fibre helps to reduce the effects of the acid, and will increase the buffer capacity of the stomach content, whilst improving the acid repelling protective layer of the mucosal cells.
So if you consider that having equine gastric upset is like a permanent hangover. Giving your horse Gastrocare is rather like taking Alka-Seltzer after the Christmas party, it will help in the short and long-term. Gastrocare can avert a problem, which is created by the lifestyle we impose on our horses. So on the top of every equine Christmas list would be Gastrocare for a more comfortable New Year.
Summer Hoof Care From the team at Kevin Bacon Hoof Care Products
This article is intended to discuss two British phenomenons: hard and wet ground conditions of the hoof leaving laminitis, pedal osteitis, navicular etc to be discussed by another author in another issue.
The foot is the most common site of all lameness in the horse with the forelimb foot lameness being more prevalent than hind limb. Without correct hoof balance and good hoof maintenance some horses will inevitable go lame or not perform to their optimum. More and more people understand this; through their own experience or the experience of others, but there are still many people who have a miscomprehension of how important a horse’s feet are in relation to soundness.
We should consider whether the horse been suitably shod for the confirmation and the discipline the horse is used for.
Discuss the potential problems with the farrier. Please do not expect a farrier to comment on the work of another; this would be unprofessional, so please do not put a farrier in that uncomfortable position. The question you need to ask and discuss with your own farrier is; can the hoof care be improved on the short and long term? What can you as the owner do between shoeings?
The British Summer brings a host of climatic problems for the hoof. The continual change of temperature, humidity, rainfall and then baking hard ground or, recently, floods can be problematic for the horse’s foot.
Hard Ground Issues
Collectively we at Kevin Bacon hear about the following problems:
“Jarring up” Bruised Soles, Sore feet, Corns, Sandcracks, and Brittle Feet
Some horse are more prone to become “jarred up” on hard ground, in some cases pads or “solepack” can help, be wary of the lack of traction that fitting pads can cause.
Flat footed thin soled horses are most prone to bruising and this is generally created by repetitive trauma to the foot by riding on hard or stony ground. Again pads may help but beware you may lose traction.
A corn is a bruising of the capillaries between the hoof wall and bar at the heel of the foot. A corn is caused by excessive pressure. If the pressure is not eased corns may become infected which can cause lameness for long periods of time. Bar shoes may help in certain cases but seek advice from your farrier. Management of the horse prone to bruising means working with your farrier to create and maintain a stronger hoof wall and sole through trimming and shoeing. Extra care must be taken when using studs on hard ground that you do not unbalance the foot loading weight onto one point of the foot.
Some horses develop multiple splits around the bottom of the hoof wall during dry hot summers. This can lead to infections particularly in the unshod horse, whilst the shod horse becomes prone to losing shoes. Brittle feet and sandcracks both require regular treatment from the farrier whilst horn growth can benefit from supplements containing biotin, methionine, vitamin A and calcium such as Kevin Bacons Hoof Formula or Farriers Formula, which will improve new growth whilst topical applications of Hoof Dressing or hoof grease will keep the feet elastic and supple. The barrier protection of Hoof Dressing will also protect the feet from bacteria.
Wet Ground Conditions
Thrush, Infection in the foot, overreaches cracked heels and mud fever.
Thrush develops due to poor hygiene, failure to clean the feet regularly and leaving the horse standing in dirty damp conditions. Conformation will also play part with deep clefts being especially susceptible. During the summer months we often get phone calls about horses travelling long distances on horse boxes with rubber floors which can have high levels of ammonia and damp conditions; this can manifest itself into thrush and may prevent horses competing due to mild lameness. Other opportunities for summer thrush to occur are – horses on box rest or confined to small areas which have not been properly cleaned out. Prevention of some cases can be straight forward, regular cleaning of the feet with topical application of products such as Hoof Solution to prevent deterioration of frog and sole tissues.
Infections of the foot are probably the most common cause of lameness and the symptoms can occur quite suddenly. Veterinary attention should be sought immediately. Although infections can occur at any time of year we see more cases during wet ground conditions because the white line is softer and more easily penetrated by foreign bodies.
Overreaching is a common problem when riding across wet and heavy ground. Caused by the horse striking the forelimb heel or coronary band by the toe of the hind limb, this can develop into cuts of varying depth and severity depending on surrounding areas bruising. Noting your horse’s conformation and way of moving can assist in the management of this problem. Discuss with your farrier the dilemma and he may be able to shoe the horse in a precautionary way. Simply wearing protective boots when competing on heavy ground, jumping or during fast work may also assist.
Cracked heels and mud fever basically affect the skin above the hoof resulting in swelling, stiffness and lameness. Usually considered a winter ailment, horses stood in deep mud or flood for long periods of time without the opportunity to dry out can create irritation. Once again both ailments become management issues with failure to recognise clinical signs of infection, soft tissue swelling, cracks, skin stretching and splitting and oozing fluid and finally infection. We at Kevin Bacon recommend throughout the seasons that you ensure the horse has the opportunity to dry out! The legs should then be washed with a mild soap such as Active Soap or Hibiscrub, dried and then treated with a topical oil based cream such as Micro-Tek Gel or Spray from Eqyss. Severe cases may need veterinary attention.
Summer hoof care, like any time of year, is subject to good management procedures to maintain healthy feet. The horse’s feet and skin can cope well with extremes of weather when we are prepared to maintain hoof quality with correct feeding, high-quality farriery and excellent stable management. Finally, buying horses with good foot conformation is more likely to maintain healthy sound horse what ever the weather is doing.
