The Scoop
Equine
News You Can Use.
Compiled
by Jill Haight
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| Joints
Stay Sound with Lubrisyn
Replenishing Hyaluronic Acid in the Performance Horse
Until now, the most effective way of helping a horse perform
more comfortably was to give the animal injections of Hyaluronic
Acid (HA) in its joints or by giving an IV injection. Unfortunately,
the results lasted less than 36 hours, the time it took
the horse to metabolize HA, a naturally occurring substance
and major component of the synovial fluid that cushions
animals’ joints.
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Now
a top equine veterinarian has developed a daily oral supplement
that could eliminate HA injections while providing the same
mobility benefits, day after day. Dr. Steven Allday, a specialist
in equine sports medicine, originally developed LubriSyn™
(sodium hyaluronate) for the thoroughbred racehorses he
treated in Kentucky. This tasteless, odorless, colorless
gel, which is given daily, is now being administered to
all breeds of horses. With its liquid state and high molecular
weight, LubriSyn is easily absorbed by the body and is ideal
for increasing the viscosity of synovial fluid.
High levels of HA are vital
to horses’ mobility
Daily doses of LubriSyn help eliminate highs and lows in
HA levels. Maintaining steadily high levels of HA in the
body can improve a horse’s performance and extend
the careers of working horses by improving the viscosity
of the fluid that cushions their joints.
After
seeing the results of administering HA injections for 20
years and conferring with other veterinarians, Dr. Allday
was convinced that improving horses’ synovial fluid
improved their performance. After extensive testing to determine
the amount of HA that elicits the optimal response, Dr.
Allday developed the current formulation of LubriSyn to
allow horses the benefits of HA every day.
“Hyaluronic
Acid (HA) is the best way to circulate nutrients to improve
joint health. Nothing works more directly than HA,”
said LubriSyn’s developer. Dr. Allday has treated
several Thoroughbred Horses of the Year, as well as many
winners of Triple Crown races.
LubriSyn
has applications for all breeds and ages of horses
LubriSyn has multiple applications, from treating weanlings
with metabolic problems such as OCD and epiphystitis to
developing equine athletes with early DJD and synovitis.
It is an excellent choice for treating older horses with
chronic debilitating osteo-arthritis. LubriSyn covers the
spectrum of joint support supplementation, unlike many competitive
products currently on the market. And while many of those
products are made from sources such as rooster combs, LubriSyn
is extracted from a microbial source, keeping the product
free from any type of contamination.
LubriSyn
is easy to use and affordable
As a daily oral supplement, LubriSyn gives owners more flexibility
and control over their horses’ care. An entire month’s
dosage costs far less than a single injection, and LubriSyn
is easily stored and transported. This patented oral HA
product is manufactured by Halstrum, LLC in Kentucky and
is available through Seminole Feed dealers and veterinarians.
Champions of all equine disciplines use LubriSyn for joint
problems. More information is available at www.lubrisyn.com.
Health
Alert: Equine Herpes Virus Outbreak in Florida
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As of December 21, 2006 eight cases of Equine Herpes Virus
– type 1 (EHV-1) have been confirmed with laboratory
testing from horses, seven in the Wellington area and one
in Ocala, Florida. The
Ocala horse shipped from south Florida and had a direct link
to one of the horses shipped in from New York, on November
29th. Four deaths have been attributed to this disease, although
only one of those cases could be confirmed by laboratory tests.
Nine cases have had neurologic signs. The first case reported
was a horse imported from Europe though the USDA New York
Animal Import Center. |
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State and Federal officials are working closely with veterinarians,
owners, managers, and others in the affected equine industry
to identify potentially exposed animals and suspect cases
and to prevent further spread of the disease.
There are eight quarantined premises, six in the Wellington
area, one in Ocala, Florida, and one in Jupiter, Florida.
Six premises with confirmed cases are under state quarantine
and two premises with suspect neurologic cases are under state
quarantine. Currently, there are not state or federal restrictions
for horse movements into, within, or out of the state of Florida.
Some premises and events have their own entry requirements.
Contact your point of destination for specific information
concerning any restrictions that premises/events may have
imposed.
Industry representatives and state and federal officials have
agreed on a number of steps to contain this outbreak. These
include the identification of potentially exposed animals
with appropriate monitoring and bio-security measures taken,
isolation and treatment of suspected cases, and coordination
of control efforts by industry and state and federal representatives.
The close working relationship between cooperators, stakeholders,
and the public is the key to limiting the spread of this disease.
Although EHV-1 can be a serious disease of horses and the
virus can spread through the air from respiratory infection,
transmission generally requires direct or close contact between
horses. Transmission can also occur through contaminated equipment,
clothing, and hands. Horses with clinical signs should be
isolated and kept 40 feet or more from other horses.
Owners with sick horses should contact their private veterinarian
to examine and treat their horses. Veterinarians suspecting
EHV-1 with neurologic signs are advised to contact state officials
and follow protocols for collecting and submitting appropriate
samples for laboratory diagnosis.
While herpes vaccines are available, none are specifically
labeled for the neurologic form of EHV-1. Concerned owners
should discuss whether vaccination of their animals is recommended,
the type of vaccines available, and the frequency of recommended
vaccination with their veterinarian. Vaccination in the face
of an outbreak will probably not prevent infection but may
lessen respiratory signs and reduce viral shedding with future
exposure.
For more information visit the Florida Association of Equine
Practitioners at www.faep.net.
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Leg Up Program Offers Ready-Made
Lessons About Horses
The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) announces that its new
program, Leg Up: A Ready-to-Use Lesson Series About Arabian
Horses (Leg Up), is available for 4-H leaders, teachers, trainers,
scout troops and anyone else with a need for fun, effective
lessons about horses geared to young people.
There’s no cost to try it, and each Leg Up lesson plan
is a compact and comprehensive presentation suitable for youth.
Plans may be used “as is” or modified to suit
a group’s age or knowledge.
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Leg
Up is already prepared so you don’t have to do any
work. Every Leg Up lesson is free of charge and includes
a comprehensive lecture outline, Arabian horse trivia, games,
and visual aids. While the images used are Arabian horses,
there is a variety of general interest information about
horses included in the program.
Visual aids to accompany each lesson such as flyers, posters,
brochures and breed DVDs are also available. So give your
students a Leg Up with the AHA. For more information or
to download lesson plans visit www.arabianhorses.org/youth/legup.asp.
Andalusians Hit New
Milestone
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The
International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association
(IALHA) has just passed a major milestone with the registration
of its 10,000th purebred Andalusian. Although Andalusians
were practically unknown 30 years ago, this rare breed is
rapidly taking the horse world by storm. Known for their
signature beauty and their fantastic temperaments, Andalusians
are now making their mark as performance horses, especially
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The
10,000th Andalusian registered was the colt Suerte D’
ORO, owned by Gina Rae Hogan of ORO Andalusians in Liberty
Hill, Texas. Gina says that, "Suerte, which means
good luck in Spanish, is an exceptional dressage prospect.
He is the first off-spring of the PRE stallion Saltador
ORO 1, a stallion bred specifically for dressage."
The
IALHA is the only international organization dedicated
to promoting and registering all the bloodlines of the
Iberian horse, including pure Spanish, pure Portuguese,
pure Spanish/Portuguese. The IALHA also has a Half-Andalusian
registry. All IALHA registrations are supported by rigorous
documentation based on genealogy, DNA verification, and
supported by micro chipping.
The
IALHA represents about 2,000 members. It recognizes the
importance of all bloodlines and works to support all
aficionados of the Iberian horse. To lean more about Andalusions
and Lusitanos visit www.IALHA.org.
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New
USEF Dressage Tests for 2007
The
United States Equestrian Federation® (USEF) dressage
tests for training through fourth level are now available.
These new editions become effective with the beginning of
the 2007 USEF competition year and will remain in use for
the next four years.
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“We
are very excited about this new generation of USEF dressage
tests,” said Jennifer Keeler, National Director of
Dressage. “We would like to thank the members of the
USEF Test Writing Subcommittee, including chairperson Kathy
Connelly, Jayne Ayers, Janet Foy, Hilda Gurney, Marianne
Ludwig, Debbie McDonald, Axel Steiner and George Williams.
Everyone devoted an incredible amount of time, energy and
expertise in an effort to make these new tests the best
edition ever.”
As
a continuing service to USEF members, movements for these
dressage tests are now posted on the dressage page at www.usef.org.
Also available is the new edition of the popular USEF Dressage
Test Booklet sponsored by Dressage Today. This convenient
pocket-size booklet, which contains all movements, directives
and test information for training through fourth level,
can be ordered from USEF for a cover price of only $5 each
(plus shipping). For the first time, this booklet also includes
the USDF intro and freestyle tests, creating a complete
national dressage test reference. Order forms are available
on the dressage page of www.usef.org.
For
more information about the 2007 USEF dressage tests, please
visit the dressage page of www.usef.org/content/equestrianSports/disciplines/international/dressage.php
or contact Jennifer Keeler, National Director of Dressage,
(859) 225-2024 or jkeeler@usef.org.
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Jill
Haight editor of ec magazine enjoys competing in combined
driving events with her Arabian Gelding and spending
time with her husband Marty, daughter Kelly and their
eight pet pigs. |
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