Innholdsfortegnelse for H&R Monthly March 2021 i Horse & Rider

In the late 1980s, a mysterious disease ROCKED the Quarter Horse world, as well as breeds crossed with Quarter Horses. Horses suffering muscle tremors, weakness, collapse, and even death made headlines when the cause was traced to a genetic disease attributed to a prominent Quarter Horse bloodline. When researchers announced that HYPP (hyperkalemic periodic paralysis) linked to one very famous stallion named Impressive, there was an uproar in breeding barns across the country. A decade later breeders began to accept the importance of reducing the spread of this deadly disease. In 1998, the American Quarter Horse Association adopted a rule requiring all foals descending from Impressive to be tested for HYPP, with results listed on their registration papers. In 2007, horses carrying two genes for this disease were no longer…

Immediately following birth: • A bright flashlight, for visibility.• Two one-foot-long pieces of clean cotton string, for tying off your foal’s umbilical stump--if and only if it bleeds excessively.• Two three-foot-long pieces of clean cotton string, for tying up the afterbirth (see Afterbirth Protocol below).• Scissors to trim the string.• A clean squeeze bottle filled with umbilical-stump disinfectant. I use a solution of chlorhexidine (Nolvasan). Consult your vet for his/her preference. A few hours after foaling: • A pre-warmed Fleet enema. (To warm, place it in a water bath that’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit, then keep it in an insulated Thermos bottle or coffee carafe.)• A woven-plastic feed sack (which won’t weaken when it gets wet) for the afterbirth (see Afterbirth Protocol below). Foaling Dos and Don’ts • DO note the…

I’ve been in the barn for hundreds of foaling events, but I still get nervous. The mare becomes restless and uncomfortable. I work on my deep-breathing exercises. The telltale white bubble appears at the mare’s vulva. I quell the urge to run into the stall and deliver the foal myself. I see one front leg…my heart rate increases. A second front leg…I start to sweat. Finally, a nose… and I start to breathe a little easier. About 20 to 30 minutes later, when the baby’s made his entrance into the world (OK, so I usually help him out just a little bit), I breathe a great big sigh of relief. If you’ve ever foaled out a mare yourself, you know exactly what I mean. Is it your first time? Better…

The call came in at 2 a.m. “We have a filly, born 30 minutes ago. Everything went fine, but something doesn’t seem quite right,” my client explained. I started asking my usual questions when I heard the voice of the experienced foaling attendant in the background. “I want her to come. Now.” And I was up and on my way. I arrived to find a beautiful bay filly standing in the stall next to her attentive mother. Her vital signs were normal; she seemed pretty strong and stable, and… sure enough, not quite right. Although she was making half-hearted attempts to nurse, she didn’t really seem to care all that much and spent most of her time wandering around, staring at the corners of the stall. Even when we directed…