It's a Wee Problem

When you walk into a dirty stable or yard and become overpowered by the smell of urine what do you think? "Clean it you lazy stable-hand/owner" or do you think that maybe there is an uderlying problem?
If a stable is regularly cleaned and the base allowed to dry out or even limed a stable should not be overly smelly, even with a fresh "wet spot" that's been uncovered shouldn't make your eyes water. If it does then there may be a problem!
Recently I started work for a new client and one of her horse's stables is almost bucket worthy ( as in I need a bucket as I am going to be sick) with an overpowering ammonia smell. At first I just thought that the last person to be cleaning the stables hadn't taken the wet out, so I set to and cleaned it all out. Next day the smell is still putrid and nearly burned my eyes out of their sockets when I uncovered the wet. So what's the probable answer? Excess Protein.

So many horse owners believe protein = energy, it is the one thing about feed that makes me want to strangle people. I like to tell them that when they eat a steak do they want to run up the walls??? Or maybe is that when they drink too much red cordial and eat too many sweeties? Protein helps build muscle and is utilised, but not stored, by the horse. Excess protein is broken down into ammonia and excreted through urine. Too much protein in the diet and your horse's wee will be evil enough to strip paint off your car.

So if your horse's wee smells like your bathroom cleaner then maybe it may be time to re-evaluate your feeding regime!

If you'd like to learn more:

Excerpt from Revised Understanding Equine Nutrition: Protein

Know your Horse

Recently at the stables we had a horse come down with a mysterious illness. Symptoms much like colic, stretching, not drinking or eating properly, little poo and very obvious muscle contractions in the stomach. Along with this he had a high temp and increased heart rate. ( He's ok now) What made me really proud of his owner was that she KNEW his resting heart rate and his normal afternoon tempurature ( see EI coming to Aus did have one, albeit small, silver lining, most people now know these things!). Since I already know how much water each horse drinks, and their output, from there it's easier to tell what was going on and be able to inform the vet appropriately. His recovery time was reduced by our knowledge of what is "normal" for this horse.... yeah the vet had something to do with it as well! Being able to determine their return to normal, and in some cases through normal and out the other side, may make the difference between their being lasting side-effects from an illness, like kidney disfunction or secondary stress colic.

So go out there and discover some things about your horse that you don't know. Heart rates (resting and in work), how many poos your horse does a day ( both daytime and night time), how much water he drinks ( again day/night) and his normal tempurature ( morning/afternoon). All this will help you determine if your horse is getting sick, or is in pain from an injury. They are some of the most important things you should know, and can be the difference between you calling the vet this morning, and rushing out to the vet hospital this afternoon! It may even be more important than knowing which side is his bad side for changes, or his favourite treat!!!!

General Knowledge:
Average Resting Respiratory Rate 8-16 breaths/min
Average Temp. 36.5 - 38.5 C
Average Resting Pulse Rate 25-45 bpm
Average water intake 20-40L/day ( depending on size/conditions)

There is a lot of variation between "averages" and this is why it is so important to know the average specific to YOUR horse.

Owners who let their horses down

Getting the farrier to come to your horse seems such a simple chore, a given part of horse life. It should be simple and hassle-free, and for many of us something that seems to happen like magic during the day.

The Farrier arrives, gets your horse from the paddock, ties them up somewhere safe and goes to work. All is happy and easy as the horse stands still and the farrier does his thing.....
This is where it quite often goes wrong. The horse has not had sufficient work with it to understand it needs to stand still for the farrier, so he prances about and makes life dangerous for the poor bastard hanging off his hooves. Whose fault is this?
As an owner the farrier is generally the one to blame, or the horse is "just bad for the farrier". What it comes down to is its the owner letting the horse down. Pure and simple. As an owner it is your responsibility to train your horse to be accepting of the farrier and the positions he will hold legs in, the noises he will make and the time he has to be tied up for. It seems such a simple thing, and yet it can be the difference between your horse getting a great job done on his feet, and him getting a 'that'll do' job because any longer spent underneath your demon-on-four-legs would reduce the life expectancy of a farrier.
Next time your horse is overdue to be shod, and your farrier won't return your calls, stop and think before you point the finger. Is it the farrier or maybe is it you letting your horse down?

Breaking the Ice

I care for other people's horses, it's not my job it's my life, I couldn't escape it even if I wanted to. Thankfully I don't, although sometimes the people who are owned by these horses almost drive me to the point of insanity, they also make me laugh and most importantly make me learn, so I have learned to live with them and some have even become friends. I know a lot of people look at horse workers and assume they are stupid because of their chosen profession - and maybe I am, but at least I am trying, because we will never know everything.
Over the past few years I have been learning a lot from these horses, their humans and especially my own horse. What has scared me most is how little people actually know about their horse, or even horses in general. Basic things that can mean an injury down the track is avoided, or you catch a colic before it becomes a surgery case or worse.
If I can help someone learn one thing about their horse which may help it in the future I will be happy for a lifetime! Hopefully my experiences with these horses will help, or at least make you laugh.

Tricky