Fall is upon us and many of us are beginning to turn our heads toward the AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City. Here are a few tips to keep your show horses healthy and ready for competition.
The two most common health problems encountered at large horse shows are colic and respiratory disease. Both are brought on by fatigue due to long-distance hauling, barns with poor ventilation, changes in the horse’s daily routine, exposure to sick or subclinical horses, or inadequate water consumption.
Respiratory Diseases
When it comes to protecting your horses from respiratory disease, Mom was right! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Prevention of respiratory disease is a three-fold process.
The first is to vaccinate your horses against the most common respiratory diseases, equine influenza virus (flu) and equine rhinopneumonitis virus (rhino), at least two to three weeks before the scheduled trip. Even if your horses have been vaccinated earlier in the year, a booster vaccination will bolster their immune system and provide added protection. It is also a good idea to visit with your local equine veterinarian to determine if there are any other vaccinations that he or she recommends.
The second strategy is to prevent, as much as possible, exposure to the viruses and bacteria that cause respiratory disease. Most respiratory disease are “social diseases” that are transmitted horse to horse by contact, coughing, sharing items such as waterers, feed buckets, stalls or even the same airspace. Don’t underestimate the value of reducing exposure to these diseases by cleaning and disinfecting the stall area before moving your horse in. If the horse that occupied the stall prior to your horse was sick, it is very likely that the causative agent is still present.
Of course, you won’t be able to eliminate all the potentially harmful organisms from a stall or equipment, but you can dramatically reduce the number of bacterial and viral agents by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the stall. Make sure you remove as much dust and dirt as possible from the entire stall, including the door, floor and walls. A simple shop vac works well and a piece of PVC pipe makes a great nozzle extension to reach high areas.
Then apply a disinfectant with a stiff brush to all areas of the stall, including latches, buckets, etc. A chlorahexadine-type disinfectant works well, but your veterinarian is the best source of information on the brand of disinfectant you should use. Allow the stall to air dry, which doesn’t take very long, before rebedding. If the stall has a strong ammonia odor due to urine accumulation, put a thin coat of agricultural lime on the floor before rebedding. This will reduce odor and discourage the growth of bacteria. However, make sure the stall is well bedded and the horse doesn’t have direct contact with the lime, because it could burn the horse’s skin.
The third strategy in preventing respiratory disease at a crowded horse show is to ensure that your horse’s stall is well-ventilated. As a rule of thumb, a barn should have at least eight to 10 air exchanges per hour. That means that all of the air in a building should be completely replaced every six to seven minutes. The proper amount of air movement is about two miles per hour, a small amount of airflow that should feel like a very faint breeze.
Most horse show stall areas have good ceiling height that allows the stagnant air to rise, but there are seldom enough open doors or windows to provide the amount of fresh air needed to create good air circulation and meet the air exchange rule of thumb. Ideally, air should come in through windows and doors and go out through vents in the roof. If you can’t secure stalls that are near windows or doors that can be opened to provide fresh air, use fans set on low speed to move the air. Even during cold weather, good ventilation is critical.
Unfortunately, many horse owners believe that during the fall and winter months barns should be kept closed up and warm. This only serves to create moisture, odor build up and stagnant air, which are perfect breeding grounds for harmful viruses, bacteria and molds to proliferate. Given the choice between a warm, stuffy barn and a cold, well-ventilated one, always choose the latter. Layering horse sheets and blankets can always be done to provide warmth if you feel your horse is getting chilled.
Colic
Colic is the second major cause of illness at horse shows. Colic is not a disease, but rather a variety of abdominal pain-causing conditions such as excessive gas, blockage or twisting (strangulation), and/or cramping of the intestines. In a well managed horse that is on a good parasite control program, colic is most often due to inadequate water consumption, a change in feeding schedule or a change in feed.
Horses are browsers and are designed to graze forage 14 to 18 hours a day. Their intestinal tract is designed for constant use, not high-concentrate meals once or twice a day. However, there are a number of things that can be done to prevent colic in show horses or horses that are stalled most of the time.
For most horses, 15 to 20 pounds of good-quality grass hay alone meets energy requirements and provides plenty of fiber to keep the horse’s intestinal tract working properly. If grain must be fed to maintain body weight, divide it into three or more small servings a day so the horse doesn’t have to process a heavy load of concentrates all at once. Keep the horse’s feeding program consistent: same hay, same grain, same amount and same times of day.
Provide your horse with plenty of exercise and keep its work routine regular: same time every day, same amount of work. Provide plenty of fresh, clean water and make sure the horse is drinking. If the horse is a finicky drinker and it’s not practical to bring water from home, learn to camouflage the taste of unfamiliar water by mixing 1/4th cup of vinegar, molasses or a package of Kool-Aid mix in five gallons of water at home for a week or so before the trip. The horse will become accustomed to the new flavor, which can then be used on the road to mask the taste of strange water.
Remember that maintaining a horse’s routine and consistent monitoring are the key to keeping him healthy on the road. Good luck at the big show!
