The old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.” is true, but it can also help or hinder when marketing a horse. Here at the ranch I take all the pictures.. I am not a professional photography by any means, but I still like to have good pictures of my horses. Here are some helpful photography tips I have learned through the years:

• If possible try and use a digital camera. I take hundreds of pictures when marketing a horse, and the digital camera makes this process much easier.
• When shooting out in the pasture I am looking for a clean background, soft lighting (over cast days are great), and I try to take pictures in the morning to get the best expression from the horses.
• When taking pictures of a horse that I want to market I enlist the help of my husband, don’t be afraid to ask someone to come and help!
•  The horse must be clean, so if it needs a bath give it one.
• No matter if you are doing conformation pictures or pictures under saddle use elbow grease and make the horse shine like the gem it is.
• If the horse has a mane that goes all over the place either try to band it or braid it to give a clean look. 
• Pick your background… make sure it isn’t full of clutter.
• When taking conformation pictures really work on setting the horse up squarely as you can. I know how hard this can be, but be patient these conformation shots are very important.
• I love to take pictures of horses under saddle. Change your setting to Sport and start taking pictures. In one night I can take a hundred under saddle pictures, and maybe only one or two will make the cut. But in the end it is worth it!

If you have any tips to share I would like to know what helps you when taking pictures of horses.

When my husband and I first started to show our horse Duns Of Impact we were clueless. When showing AQHA we had to learn fast, and learned don’t be afraid to ask questions. So if you are either showing but have a few questions, or are wanting to get into showing don’t be afraid to ask questions.

First and foremost for your horse to look and do its best it must have the proper nutrition and proper conditioning for the event. No matter the event it takes practice, practice, practice. The saying around here is “If your not practicing your competition is.”

I am that person that has two or three of everything. I have everything in the trailer that I have here at home, as well as a tote that I can take wherever I go. But here is a quick tip… To get that pretty glossy look on your horse’s face I use VO5 for silver hair. It’s cheap, works great, and washes away easily.

What are some tips that you have learned while showing? 

Intervet Inc is conducting a voluntary recall of all doses of PreveNile West Nile Virus Vaccine. I have attached the link to Intervet’s web site, which contains additional information on the recall. Please let other horse owners know of this recall.

http://www.prevenile.com/PDF/PreveNile%20Letter.pdf

Spring has finally arrived, and we have actually had some beautiful days. This winter has been very long and hard on not only us but our horses as well. Before we head out and start to compete it is best to give your horse a spring tune up.

We need to make sure the horse is up-to-date on its worming, vaccinations, farrier, dental, and have your veterinarian exam the horse to make sure that there are no lameness problems. At this time the veterinarian can also take a close look to see if there are any swelling in the joints, or bumps on any ligaments or tendons.  

As always nutrition is and body score need to be take evaluated before climbing in the saddle. An average body score of 4-5 is ideal for hoses competing in most athletic events. If the horse is above or below in body score the feeding regime and physical conditioning may need to be changed to help get the horse in its best physical health.

We must also remember that any quick changes in feed may cause a horse to colic. It is best to make this change over 10-14 day period to lesson that risk.

Also, horses are like other athletes. They need stretch and muscles need to be properly warmed up before training sessions. When getting our horses conditioned in the spring we like to slowly build intensity and duration of the training session.

All these precautions will lead to a healthy horse that will be able to compete at the best of its ability.

Get out and enjoy our horses!

 

In the last issue of Saddle Up we discussed how to prepare the mare for breeding season, but we also need to ensure that the breeding stallion is in proper condition. It is important that for any stallion a breeding soundness exam is done before breeding season. This would include the collection and examination of semen. With an early exam if any problems arise it gives the stallion owner ample time to change how the stallion is managed.  

Pre-breeding season we also need to look at the condition of the stallion. Is he too thin? Is he too fat?  Is the older stallion’s joints bothering him more? Is he getting good exercise? Is he up to date on his shots, wormers, and hoof care?  Does he need his teeth floated? When vaccinating your stallion it is a good idea to administer the shots 60 days prior to the breeding season incase of a reaction. If shots are given during breeding season and a reaction takes place resulting in a fever it would disrupt the breeding schedule.  This is due to the fever affecting sperm production, and sperm takes 60 days to mature in the stallion.

The more we know about the stallion prior to breeding season, the smother it will go. For more information you can view this article on Stallion Management at the TheHorse.com.

 

All of us remember the first time as a child we were able to ride by ourselves. I was six almost seven and I will never forget the day, when I was finally able to ride solo. Baldy was an sorrel overo Missouri Fox Trotter mare that in Grandma’s eyes was better than sliced bread. For my first solo ride Baldy was my mount because if you asked Grandma Baldy was as steady as a rock and would take care of me. (You all know where this is going don’t you.)

My Mom, two of my Aunts, and I headed out on the backside of the farm to a place the horses have been a million of times. Unfortunately, a pheasant got up along a fence line and Baldy thought it was a bomb going off right underneath her. Baldy raced down the hill like a thoroughbred, gave a little buck, I went up and over her neck to the left hand side, and got grass stains down the front of my shirt. My Mom was right there to pick me up off the ground, made sure I wasn’t hurt, wiped away my tears, and had the audacity to tell me to get back on.

I will admit I was crying when I got back on the horse, and I was still crying when we go back to the farm. These were not tears of pain, but these were tears of anger because I had to get back on the horse that I just got bucked off of. When we arrived at home my Dad and Grandpa come over when they saw the front of my shirt, my tears, but both said when you get bucked off you get back on. Which to be honest didn’t make me feel any better.

I did get back on and that was the last time I ever rode Baldy. Still to this day Grandma will tell you Baldy was the best horse since sliced bread. Even though, all four of her granddaughters have a different opinion of Baldy, since she bucked all four of us off at one time or another. We came to realize Baldy was Grandma’s horse, and we were more than happy to keep it that way.

 

Piroplasmosis is a disease that affects horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras. Two parasitic organisms cause the disease, Babesia equi and Babesia caballi, which can be transmitted to horses by ticks. But now contaminated needles have spread this blood borne disease mechanically from animal to animal.

As a result of the enhanced screening program in racetracks, New Mexico has tested over 3,000 horses for equine piroplasmosis, and the NVSL has confirmed 13 horses positive for equine piroplasmosis (Theileria equi).  (At this time they are not related to the 364 positive horses in 12 states.)

Preliminary results of the investigation indicate that the transmission of the organism may have resulted from management practices (use of shared needles or substances between horses) rather than by a tick vector.

It can take a horse 7 to 22 days to show signs of illness. The severity of the disease varies for each animal, but the signs to look for are: appear weak, lack of appetite, fever, anemia, jaundiced mucous membranes, swollen abdomens, labored breathing, roughened hair coats, constipation, and colic.Â

As a result of the current investigation, Canada and several U.S. states have restricted the importation of horses from Texas. Horse owners and veterinarians shipping horses are urged to check with animal health officials in your state of destination to ensure the animals have met all entry requirements.

 

Is she bred? That is the million dollar question. Dr. Garth Sassar at the University of Idaho founded  BioTracking, that recently devleoped a blood test to confirm pregancy in mares that are 70 days post-breeding.   The test measures estrone sulfate in the mare’s plasma, which is a hormone that is produced by the fetal membranes and corpus luteum in the mare’s ovary.  Yet, this test may not work on  mares that are with in a few weeks of foaling due to the possiblity of estrone sulfate levels dropping.

I found BioPryn’s web site to be very informational, and it helped answer many questions that I had about this new test. Plus the reason I wanted to blog about this is not only becuase we have bred mares here at the ranch, but to learn more about the hormones and the testing that can be done. The equine world has come so far on DNA testing and being able to pinpoit that specific gene or hormone, and I enjoy reading and inquiring about these issue.

This past summer I had a great conversation with a long time horse owner at a show about worming schedules. We were both on the same page about worming schedules, rotating wormers, and the record keeping that is needed. After about five minutes she said that she thought the worms were starting to build up a resistance to the wormers on the market. We came home and I forgot about this conversation until I seen this article provided by The Horse.com.

I found it very informative and somewhat alarming. As it states in the article there are no new products coming out to combat these now stronger worms.  I look forward to learning more about this issue, and if or when the pharmaceutical companies are going to develop any new products.

 

This winter already seems longer and colder than any I can remember. During these winter months it is very important that horse(s) stay hydrated to avoid colic and help keep their body warm. Here at the ranch the we insulate our water tanks and have tank heaters to ensure that the water is kept at a tepid temperature. This article at TheHorse.com gives some very good standard advice helping you keep your horse dydrated in the winter.