It's... ALIVE!

Yes, I'm still here. Yes, I'm alive. Yes, I've been super-crazy-superfragilisticexpialidocious busy. Yes, when I'm not so busy I will post again. Until then, enjoy this little clip I found on youtube.

Kid + Pony + Ostrich + Random Donkey = Awesomeness

Hock Injections: Oy Vey!

I watched my friend’s lesson today. She has a lovely thoroughbred gelding who she has owned since practically forever. He will be 19 next year, and she wants to be proactive in regards to his maintenance and encroaching arthritis. Right now he is in work and is sound. He is starting to show signs of stiffness when he warms up, but it is in the middle of winter and his turnout time has been cut back to only half a day. Recently he started being late to switch his lead behind when going from left to right, which led his owner to believe he was stiff mostly in his right hind leg. An accurate diagnosis, I believe, although there is no heat or swelling. We agreed that it is most likely arthritis starting to set in. After all, this horse raced for three years and was shown extensively in the hunters.

She was also concerned because he had been “extra” lazy but he sure booked it when her instructor gave her a set of spurs, so I’ll chalk that up to being a bum and not pain related. In the hour long lesson he really moved and did tons of trot work, canter work, and at least half a dozen lead changes across the long diagonal. The lesson finished up with him jumping through a grid that ended in a 2’6” oxer which he did about 8 – 10 times without refusing or knocking a rail. Like I said, the guy is sound.

But my friend really wants to stay on top of his maintenance because she is a wonderful horse mama and asked her instructor (who is also the barn owner) what she could do. The instructor’s first response?

Hock Injections.

The instructor went on to say how she found it unbelievable this horse was going as well as he was going at the old age of 18 without having any work done (yeah, it almost sounded like she was saying he needed plastic surgery and yeah, I snickered a little bit). She said hock injections were leaps and bounds ahead of where they had been ten years ago, and that every horse should get them as they age. This brought up a few questions in my mind:

1) At what age is a horse considered old? I don’t find 18 to be that old for a horse. There are 18 year old horses out on the Grand Prix circuit right now. Heck, look at Brentina, who didn’t retire until the age of 19.

2) When did hock injections become “regular maintenance”? When I went to school at Delaware Valley College, ONE out of the forty school horses there was getting its hocks injected. Now granted, it is because the owner who was leasing it to the program was paying the fee, but still…

3) How often do you have to get injections done? How much are they? Once you start, do you have to keep up with them? Can you do them yourself?

4) What the heck do hock injections DO?

Three years ago I had the vet out take a look at Darwin, who has hocks the size of softballs. He was six at the time. The vet immediately recommended hock injections. As I was poor, and my horse was only six, I said no. But as I watched my friend’s lesson and heard her instructor’s suggestions, I realized I don’t know any more about hock injections now than I did back then. So I decided to do a little research. This is what I found out (in a very simplified nutshell).

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[Please Note: Every single website and book I read had contradicting information, from what causes arthritis in the joints to if and when hock injections should be used. After wading through it all I come up with my best interpretation, but the following is not meant to replace any vet’s advice.]

The hock is basically made up of three joints (there are technically four, but for the purpose of this post I’m going to pretend there are really just three): upper, middle, and lower. Between those parts is cartilage. When the horse ages, or through repeated stress (jumping, for example) that cartilage begins to thin, allowing bone to rub on bone. This most commonly occurs in the middle and lower joints first. As you can imagine, this doesn’t feel too good for the horse.

When the cartilage begins to thin, the lower joints naturally want to fuse together. If the LOWER joints fuse, the horse will be able to move pain free. If the UPPER joints fuse the horse will most likely have to be retired from anything other than occasional trail rides and pasture status. However, when a horse begins to show symptoms of stiffness in their hocks it is mostly likely from pain in the lower joints.

Joint injections help with the pain and inflammation during the fusion process. There are a whole bunch of different joint “cocktails” that your vet can choose from. The two most common ingredients are hyaluronic acid (which occurs naturally in the joints and is present in cartilage) and a corticosteroid, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory.

“Medication of joints with the appropriate corticosteroid, at the appropriate dose, in combination with HA, will give excellent pain relief, reduction of inflammation and still be supportive of long-term joint health.” – Dr. Currid.

There is no proof that preventative hock injections (IE injecting the hocks before lameness occurs) does anything to help the horse and some vets believe injecting a healthy joint can actually cause premature degeneration of the cartilage.

How often you need to get the hocks injected varies greatly. Some horses are done twice a year, some as often as every three months. You and your vet will also need to determine WHAT joints need to be injected, depending on where the horse is getting sore (upper or lower). Often there is a “loading period” when you are first starting joint injections, followed by a scheduled maintenance dose.

Many horse owners have had great success with getting their horse’s joints injected. However, there can be side effects, including joint contamination. Make sure you discuss ALL the possible negatives with your vet before getting your horse injected.

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My personal conclusion: If your horse is sound, do not inject their hocks. If they begin to show soreness in their hind end and you suspect their hocks, get a lameness evaluation and x-rays done before you begin injecting willy nilly. If you have an older horse, a low dose of bute to help with the pain and inflammation may be a heck of a lot easier (and less expensive) to give until the joints fuse. Don’t expect hock injections to work miracles. They are intended to help your horse with their pain and inflammation during the natural fusing/degeneration process of their joints, not cure them.

So what do you think? Hock injections yay or nay? Do you get your horse injected? Will you when they get older? Do you know anyone who does?



http://drtanis.com/2011/06/03/hock-injections-101/
http://www.ctrdvm.com/html/jointinjections.html
http://www.oceanstateequine.com/news/checkoutdrcurridsarticleonhockinjectionsinequinejournal.html

It was a very merry Christmas...!

I hope all of you had as wonderful a Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate around this time of the year) as I did. The fiancee and I had to take care of the horses (figures those darn animals would have to eat EVERY single day of the year!) so we couldn't really go anywhere, but we enjoyed handing out extra carrots and peppermint sticks. Of course Darwin and Poppy were the only two horses who didn't want their peppermint sticks. My horses are weird. The dogs loved unwrapping their presents from the dollar store. Who says a $1 plastic hotdog can't buy happiness? On a related note I looked at all of the pictures entered in the Christmas Photo Contest (thank you thank you thank you!) and have posted the winners below:

Best "Holiday Spirit" photo
submitted by SQOTD


Best "Poised Puppies" photo
submitted by Tiffany


Best "Snow Faceplant" photo
submitted by Carol

Christmas Photo Contest

Christmas is right around the corner! Two days, to be exact. In honor of this once a year oh-so-festive holiday, the BM Blog is hosting a contest to see who has the cutest Christmas and/or winter themed picture of their animal(s). It can be a horse, dog, cat, bird, or flying reindeer for all I care. Post a working link in the comments (limit three per person) and first, second, and third place will be announced on Christmas day! In the meantime, enjoy some winter themed pictures of my goof balls from last year.

5 Steps to Making the Best Horse Ad EVER!

It is easy and fun to critique bad horse ads. You know the ones I’m talking about (actually, you can SEE the ones I’m talking about – just scroll down to the next post). We’ve all had quite the chuckle over bad pictures, bad spelling (confirmation, broadmare, sorrul) and even worse, bad wording. But you know what? Writing a good horse ad, an ad that gets you responses from the right kind of people and generates genuine interest in the horse you are trying to sell, is hard. Like, really really hard. So I’ve contrived five steps in an attempt to make it a little easier.

STEP ONE: Take good pictures. This is SO important. Not only will a photo ad place you above text ads in the listings, but a nice picture in an otherwise crappily written ad will make someone sit up and take notice. You can call your Arabian mare beautiful all you want, but until I see a picture to prove it I’m not buying it (har har har, pun intended). A good picture accentuates your horse’s best traits. If you are selling your horse as a jumper, include a nice jumping picture. If you claim your horse is a dressage expert, show them doing dressage. If you don’t have a good picture of your horse doing the things you claim they can do, DO NOT SUBSTITUTE WITH A BAD PICTURE. Sure, maybe your horse does jump with its knees square and tucked under its chin nine times out of ten, but you’re not helping your cause any by showing the one picture where they look like a flying deer.

Nothing beats a nice solid conformation picture. Get your horse cleaned up (I loathe the ads that say “this picture was taking during mud season, sorry!” – if you didn’t care enough to groom your horse before taking sale pics, chances are you didn’t care enough to put good training into them either) and position them on level ground in front of a pretty backdrop (the side of your barn, in front of your outdoor arena, in the middle of a field, I don’t care… just as long as it isn’t in front of your junkyard). Take a few pictures, and then select the best one. Make sure your horse’s ears are up! It sounds like a little thing, but no one wants a grumpy looking horse. You can also spruce the picture up a little by putting your horse in the bridle of their discipline, whether it is hunters, dressage, or western pleasure. Skip the saddle. Here are a few examples of what I consider to be GOOD sale photos:


And a few examples of stupid ones:



People, I don’t care if you can stand on your horse’s back. I will never be standing on their back, so that is not a selling trait for me. It does not tell me your horse is uber bombproof, it just tells me you are uber dumb. Some other basic photo tips:

- Take up to date pictures.
- Throw out any picture that has children crawling on, around, between, or over your horse. Again, it doesn’t show that your horse is special – it just shows that you’re a bad parent.
- Have additional pictures ready to send to interested buyers.


STEP TWO: Remember to include all the important information up front. This includes your horse’s breed, age, gender, height, and trained discipline (IE does dressage, jumpers, reining, or good all around prospect). And be concise! People don’t want to have to wade through a bunch of nonsense to get the basic information. A good example:

“15.3H five year old registered Quarter Horse gelding for sale. Is currently schooling first level dressage, has jumped a 2’6” course and is excellent on trails.”

Bam. It checks off all the basics: height, age, breed, gender (gelding – yay!), and what he does: dressage, jumping, and is good on trails. Now lets look at a bad example:

“Big beautiful horse for sale! Gunner is the easiest horse in the barn to ride. He whinnies every morning when you come to feed him and is a total love bug. He gets along great with other horses and he loves to get out of the ring and go on the trails!! He is really good at dressage, and right now I’m training him at first level. He can also jump and is really good at that too. Gunner is a purebred quarter horse with awesome bloodlines and good conformation. He is really sweet for a five year old and is almost 16H.”

Does it include the basics? Yes. Does it do it in a concise manner that is easy to read? No. So ferret out all the facts about your horse, and put them in the first few sentences. In my opinion, the shorter the better for an ad, but you also have to be careful not to leave information out.

“Five year old QH for sale. Good jumper. Asking $2,500.”

Doesn’t tell me what I need to know.

STEP THREE: List your horse’s accomplishments and/or what they are good at. Have they won any major shows? Have they won local schooling shows? Have they been used in a lesson program? You don’t need to go into great detail, but if you’re horse has won a few blue ribbons don’t be shy. You need to think about your sale ad almost like you would your own resume. Brag about your horse without going overboard.

“Last month Maggie beat out fifteen other horses to win reserve champion at a local hunter show.”

“Jiffy placed second in his very first dressage show doing training level one.”

“Two weeks ago Gunner went on his first hunter pace and was wonderful to ride. He did not refuse one single jump, listened beautifully, and didn’t mind all the other horses. I received many compliments on him from total strangers.”

Again, be concise. Stick to the facts, and don’t stray off course. If you’re trying to sell your horse as a reining champion, talking about how he placed in a jumping class isn’t going to help your cause.

STEP FOUR: If your horse has any bad habits or lameness issues, list them. It will come up eventually (if you’re honest) and it is better to let a potential buyer know your horse had a bowed tendon now than waiting until they’ve driven three hours to your farm. Again, it is all in the wording.

“Maggie bowed her left front tendon two years ago. Since recovering she has been 100% sound and has up to date x-rays.”

“Gunner cribs, but it is controlled with a cribbing collar.”

“Jiffy will do best in an environment where he is turned out by himself.”

“Jax has tender soles, but with front shoes and pads he is 100% sound.”


is so much better than…

“Two years ago Maggie suffered a bowed tendon to her left front leg. After one month of stall rest and two months of cold hosing and hand walking only, she has made a full recovery and is now completely sound.”

“Gunner is a bad cribber, but if he wears his cribbing collar he is fine.”

“Jiffy does not get along well with other horses and he must be turned out by himself at all times.”

“When we first bought Jax he was lame, but after talking with our farrier we discovered he just had very sensitive soles. If he wears shoes and pads he is perfectly sound.”

STEP FIVE: End your ad with a flourish. Include the price, and one more sentence of additional information IF YOU FEEL IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

“Maggie is priced firmly at $5,000. She is truly a wonderful mare with a very successful future ahead of her. Serious inquiries only please.”

“We are asking $2,500 for Gunner or best offer to a good home only. References from a vet and farrier will be required.”

Seriously consider your price, and how you want to word it. If ‘or best offer’ appears anywhere in your ad, you will never get what you are asking. If you don’t want to haggle with people and truly believe your horse is worth what you’re asking, then say the price is firm. Serious inquiries only is always a good touch, as it will deter tire kickers. And I like to see ads that say ‘to a good home only’ because that tells me you really care about your horse.

Now all that’s left is to put your ad together! And here we go:

“Seventeen hand eight year old registered thoroughbred gelding for sale. Currently schooling first level dressage, has shown and won in intro level and training level at the local horse park. Sound and sensible. No vices or bad habits. Very sweet, quiet mannered horse. Only selling due to time constraints. Asking $1,000,000 or best offer. Vet and farrier references will be required, in addition to a home visit.”

I hope this little tutorial was helpful. I challenge all of you reading to write up a little sale ad for your horse and stick in the comments. I bet it will be a lot harder than you think!

Craigslist Christmas Specials

Oh, Craigslist. You have become the Uncle Henry’s of the entire United States (those of you who live in New England will understand that reference). Take a gander at these lovely horses and ponies that can be yours in time for Christmas!

Appaloosa Sport Horse Stallion by Rio's Story Girl and Waps Millinnium. He was born April 2007 and is 4 years old. He is green broke. He is able to walk/trot/canter on the lunge line and walk/trot when ridden. Has a mild disposition and is easy to handle. Currently he is approximately 16 hands tall & still growing. Due to an accident, I am unable to ride for at least a year and he needs to continue his training. I am asking $2000 or best offer to good home only. Hold the phone. You mean I can get a green broke unregistered appy stud for the low bottom price of $2k? Look at that face! That back. Santa, put this guy back under the tree.

Girlie's Confetti Girl was born on April 22, 2009. She was bred by Rio's Story Girl and Waps Spot. She would make a very good Dressage, Hunt Seat or Western horse. She is just beginning her training. She should mature to about 15.2 hands. Confetti Girl is a very flashy appaloosa horse! I am selling her because I am currently going through divorce and need to downsize to 3 horses. I am very tall and prefer horses that are at least 16.2 hands tall and she will not be that tall. She is currently in a run-in shed pasture and gets along well with other horses. Her disposition is quiet and she is very friendly! I am selling her at an extremely low price that is much lower than her Stud Fee and will be very concerned about her new owners as she will only go to a good home! Three guesses as to who fathered THIS lovely lady! Actually, no. I’m in a bad mood, so you get one guess…. DING DING DING! You got it. Daddy is none other than the gooooorgeous appy stud featured above. So what is it, lady? Are you selling your horses because your back is hurt, or because you’re freakishly tall? A better question: if you’re asking $500 for this filly and that price is “much lower than her Stud Fee” how MUCH are you getting for pimping No Back out?

1 mare bred to paint stallion for a paint baby, the other 2 bred to a AQHA stallion. The are ky bred, in BIF, AQHA, Big Money, WCHA all these have money pay outs. It’s a three for six special! Because it is SUCH a good idea in this economy to breed three nondescript mares at the same time and then try to sell them all together. Fat little suckers, aren’t they?






Mare for sale. She looks like a TWH but we are not sure. We was told that she is around 14 yrs old & that she was broke but hadn't been rode in about 8 years however we never attempted to ride her so are selling her as a unbroke horse. She is really gentle & loves attention. Stands about 15hh. asking $200. would make a great broad mare. It is the middle of winter. Where do you think an unbroken “around 14 yrs old” mare is going to end up for $200? If you’re going to get a horse just for the sake of sticking it in your huge cow pasture and looking at it occasionally (which personally I have nothing against, as long as the horse gets basic care and isn’t skin and bones), you can’t decide eight years later to take the horse and sell it. At least not if you have a soul.

Gypsy is a 9 y/o, 16h walking horse mare, registered with WGC's in her bloodlines. She would make an excellent broodmare, or with some work, also a great trail horse. I don't have the time to put into her that she needs, but have ridden her at Wrangler in the past...right now I would say she's not rideable due to trust issues or past training....I have not ridden her in a few months...so am selling her as "green". Excellent ground manners, a very sweet mare. Due to recent circumstances, I have decided to give Gypsy away. When someone gets on her, she shakes and starts bucking. This is beyond my scope of comprehension and I don't know what to do with her besides give her to someone that can maybe get her where she needs to be. Bring your halter, lead and trailer and she's yours. Ah, no, your horse would NOT make an excellent broodmare. What makes you think that? Her stunning conformation or her training/undiagnosed back issues?

Ugh. People are stupid.