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Diana de RosaGet Ready for a Barn Night Blast at the Washington International Horse Show
The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), the leading year-end championship horse show in the country, is pleased to announce the popular kid-centric Barn Night will return to the show on Thursday Oct. 27, 2011. The 53rd Annual Washington International Horse Show will take place Oct. 25-30 at Verizon Center in Washington, DC. Starting at 6:00 PM, Thursday, Oct. 27, WIHS will welcome local barns and horse enthusiasts for Barn Night 2011. Barn Night offers a fun and exciting evening for riders, their barnmates, friends, and families to celebrate equestrian sport and pay tribute to those that excel at all levels of hunter jumper competition. “We are creating a spectacular night of exciting competition and special exhibitions by equestrian stars, as well as interactive contests for kids and teens with great prizes,” said show Executive Director, Bridget Love Meehan. Breyer Animal Creations will be joining Barn Night this year with Stablemates Painting on the concourse, free for kids 12 and under. In addition, special prizes will be given out for the first 100 kids to arrive for the big night courtesy of Breyer. Kids’ Day Returns to the Washington International Horse ShowFree Pony Rides, Georgetown Cupcakes, Smithsonian and More! 
Washington, DC, October 11, 2011 – On Saturday, October 29, 2011, as Olympians and their horses get ready for the President’s Cup Grand Prix and junior riders practice in the schooling ring to compete at the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), a team will be erecting a tent on F Street outside Verizon Center and the Hotel Monaco for WIHS Kids’ Day, to be held from 10am-2pm. This free, family-friendly event will offer kids an opportunity to ride and meet ponies and learn about equestrian sport. FAST FACTS: -WIHS Kids’ Day will host free pony rides -Meadowbrook Stable will host a grooming station -Horse shoe painting with the U.S. Army’s Caisson Platoon -Book nook and arts and crafts hosted by Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Tip of the Week – Colic or Diarrhea
Horses may have colic without diarrhea, diarrhea without colic, and colic with diarrhea, depending on the cause. Colic is defined as acute abdominal pain. Colic does not indicate the cause, location, or source of the abdominal pain. Diarrhea is defined as passage of fecal material that has increased water content. There are many types and causes of colic such as: ulcers, dysbiosis (imbalance of good and bad bacteria and yeast), leaky gut syndrome, gas distension, obstruction/impaction, intestinal twists, hernias, foreign bodies, parasites, toxins, medications, infections (bacterial, fungal, and viral), spasms, and more. There are also many possible causes of diarrhea such as: ulcers/dysbiosis/leaky gut syndrome, parasites, toxins, infections (bacterial, fungal, and viral), medications (NSAIDs/antibiotics), cancer, and more. Tip of the Week – How to Make a Horse Sweat
Initially when you talk about how to make a horse sweat it sounds much like leading a horse to water. So I’ll make it clear: this simple protocol may or may not work for your horse but it has proven to work for many others. In the least, I hope it will provide direction in case you find your horse slipping into symptoms of anhidrosis. This tip is not completely about anhidrosis because that is a tip in its own right. However, if your horse exhibits continued instances of non-sweating a diagnosis of anhidrosis may be around the corner. As with any abnormal body response early detection and treatment is key. Anhidrosis is also known as the “non-sweating disease.” In the early stages you may see horses panting heavily, even beyond cessation of work. Visually there will be very little, patchy or no sweat as well as an elevated pulse and increased body temperature. If you witness these symptoms immediate veterinarian care is recommended. Sweating is how the body cools itself. Thus the initial protocol is to provide means of cooling the horse with a cool mist of water or sponging, fans, shade and exposure to a breeze/wind. For preventative care balanced minerals, vitamins and electrolytes need to be incorporated into the diet. Tip of the Week – Protection from Imported Fire Ants
Fire ants first entered the United States about 1918, near Mobile, Alabama. They then reached Mississippi around 1930. Today fire ants have inhabited much of the Southeast. Importation included two species. Red imported fire ants are the most common, but some areas have black imported fire ants. Fire ants nest in the soil within large colonies containing tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. A fire ant queen lays a few eggs that eventually become workers. These first workers then help care for their younger sisters and the colony begins to grow. Fire ants vary in size, but all are capable of stinging. Once they attack, they spread by swarming and are very aggressive. Here’s how to protect your horse if they live in your area. Pouring boiling water into the mound will kill a lot of ants quickly, but often misses the queen and fails to kill ants that are out foraging. There is research that indicates application of hydramethylnon directly to the mound is a better choice. Elimination of the colony may take up to a week. Diatomaceous Earth (DE) has achieved acceptable levels of fire ant control, although results are inconsistent. The key is to kill the queen; killing thousands of workers only stimulates the queen to lay more eggs. This tip was brought to you by Kendra Helfter (www.abcplus.biz) and KAM Animal Services, home of KAM’s “Equine Learning Circle” FREE webinars, which take place monthly. These webinars are an expansion of KAM’s weekly tips. Go to www.kamanimalservices.com to sign up for the next webinar. Healthy Horse Tip – What to Do When the Panic Is On!Hurricane, Fire, Toxicity, Infectious Disease: KAM’s Next FREE Webinar – September 26, 2011 
September 1, 2011 — KAM’s Equine Learning Circle FREE webinars have covered numerous topics such as gut health, feed and supplements, teeth, joints, worming, fungus and so much more. The response has been extremely positive with lots more to come. The next webinar on September 26 will focus on preparing for an emergency situation. Take a moment now and sign up for this next free webinar by going to www.kamanimalservices.com. In this webinar the panelists will talk about infectious disease, hurricane evacuation, fire and smoke, environmental toxicity and biosecurity. When we are faced with any of these situations it’s critical that we be prepared for the “worst.” This webinar will guide you through the steps you need to take to be prepared. Title: When the Panic Is On – What to Do! Tip of the Week – Lyme Disease – Just a Tick Away
Interestingly enough, tick-borne Lyme Disease was first reported in 1975 near Lyme, Connecticut. A tick carrying the bacteria will transfer the bacteria by biting through the skin of the horse in order to begin feeding. The initial response is usually inflammation surrounding the tick bite. Other symptoms are fever, lameness, poor performance, behavior/attitude change, laminitis and uveitis (moon blindness). Insulin resistance can also be found in a laminitic Lyme horse. Lyme may present itself with recurrent fevers along with the presence of stiff and/or painful joints and muscles. In fact, you may witness these symptoms prior to the bloodwork indicating Lyme. Lyme Disease is difficult to diagnose in horses. Examine your horse daily simply by brushing. In addition, it has been suggested that once your horse has been diagnosed with Lyme Disease to recheck the titer three months after the determined treatment has ended. Increased titers at this time could mean there is still an active infection. Early detection followed by a quick diagnosis and treatment is key! This tip was brought to you by Kendra Helfter (www.abcplus.biz) and KAM Animal Services, home of KAM’s “Equine Learning Circle” FREE webinars, which take place monthly. These webinars are an expansion of KAM’s weekly tips. Go to www.kamanimalservices.com to sign up for the next webinar on September 26 which will focus on what to do in an equine emergency (hurricane, fire, toxicity, infectious disease). The FREE webinars will conclude with a question and answer session, so be ready with your questions. Tip of the Week – Platelet Rich Plasma = PRP
PRP stands for Platelet Rich Plasma, or blood plasma with concentrated platelet content. Platelets are derived from stem cells in the patient’s bone marrow. As platelets come into contact with the damaged collagen and endothelial cells, a fibrin clot forms and growth factors are recruited and released. Two growth factors are of particular interest in dealing with orthopedic injuries. Platelets release transforming growth factor beta and platelet derived growth factor upon activation at an injured site. These growth factors and others act synergistically to enhance access of healthy inflammatory cells to the area of tissue injury, formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), formation of new connective tissue (fibroplasia) and regeneration of injured tissues. Injection of PRP is a recommended treatment option for both sub-acute and chronic tendon and ligament injuries. Certain arthroscopic procedures are also incorporating the use of PRP in equine surgery. Healthy Horse Tip – What to Do When the Panic Is On!Hurricane, Fire, Toxicity, Infectious Disease: KAM’s Next FREE Webinar – September 26, 2011 
September 1, 2011 — KAM’s Equine Learning Circle FREE webinars have covered numerous topics such as gut health, feed and supplements, teeth, joints, worming, fungus and so much more. The response has been extremely positive with lots more to come. The next webinar on September 26 will focus on preparing for an emergency situation. Take a moment now and sign up for this next free webinar by going to www.kamanimalservices.com. In this webinar the panelists will talk about infectious disease, hurricane evacuation, fire and smoke, environmental toxicity and biosecurity. When we are faced with any of these situations it’s critical that we be prepared for the “worst.” This webinar will guide you through the steps you need to take to be prepared. Title: When the Panic Is On – What to Do! Tip of the Week – Horses May Benefit from Adult Derived Stem Cells
Equine tendon, ligament, and joint injuries are some of the most frequently seen problems in clinical veterinary practice. These lead to joint instability, degenerative joint disease, and reduced performance. Osteoarthritis is one of the main causes of lameness in horses and involves the deterioration of joint cartilage leading to pain and inflammation. Conventional therapies involve intra-articular medications such as hyaluronic acid and/or steroids, rest, shockwave therapy, Polysulfated glycosaminoglycans, hyaluronic acid, IRAP and PRP. Adult derived stem cells are a relatively new means of treating acute and chronic tendon injuries, suspensory and collateral ligament injuries and osteoarthritis in horses. Adult derived stem cells are concentrated and autologous to the patients in which they are used. Research is ongoing pertaining to how stem cells offer regeneration of injured tissues. The process begins either by the collection and storage of umbilical cord blood in a foal or by harvesting 50 grams of adipose tissue (fat) or 20-40 cc of bone marrow from the sternum or hip under standing sedation in adults. These samples are in turn sent overnight to commercial laboratories where they are processed for pleuripotent stem cells. These initial cells are then cultured in a lab and expanded to produce 5 to 30 million cells for injection back into the patient depending on the injury being treated and patient’s age and relative health. Stem cells are injected back into an injured joint or ligament or tendon with ultrasound guidance when needed or after arthroscopy if appropriate. Additional stem cells can be cryo-preserved dependent on the initial cell yield and used for subsequent regenerative therapy treatments. Get more info at www.alpinehospital.com. This tip was brought to you by Chuck Maker, DVM (www.alpinehospital.com) and KAM Animal Services, home of KAM’s “Equine Learning Circle” FREE webinars, which take place monthly. These webinars are an expansion of KAM’s weekly tips. Go to www.kamanimalservices.com to sign up for the next webinar. The FREE webinars will conclude with a question and answer session, so be ready with your questions. |
