In This Issue
Beating the Summer Blues
Following are some great tips and good facts to know about keeping your horse cool and comfortable in these hot summer months!
 
In the stall:
- Always provide fresh, clean water in ample amounts and check often in the heat
- Provide air circulation if there is no breeze, safely hang a fan directed into your horse's stall, this can also provide insect relief as bugs don't land as much when it windy.         - Remember, even if there's a breeze in the aisleway, there might be none in your horse's stall.  Walk in to your horse's stall from time to time to make sure he's not in a hot box.
- Minimize dust by keeping bedding somewhat moist, removing your horse from the stall while its being cleaned, wetting hay to reduce dust and keep the air cleaner.
- Provide a salt/mineral block in the horse's stall so they can get added minerals they might sweat out in the heat.  Horses for the most part are very capable of regulating their salt intake given the chance.
 
During turnout:
- Make sure your horse has a place to get out of the sun that is comfortable, and as bug- free as possible. If the only shady spot is where all the bugs hang out, your horse might suffer in the sun instead.
- A fly mask keeps bugs at bay but it also works to shade a horse's eyes from harmful sunlight
-Consider nighttime turnout if it's possible, some horses do much better and are much happier in their stalls during the day and being out during the darker, cooler evening hours.
Is your horse sweating? 
Horses can spontaneously stop sweating at any point in their lives.  Sometimes, you can figure out that it was brought on by a change in location or routine.  Other times, there is nothing to relate it to at all.  At times, you might notice that your horse begins to tire much faster than normal or can't seem to "catch his breath".  When taking the tack off, notice if there is a sweat mark under the saddle pad, under the headstall, browband, etc.  Anhydrosis (not sweating) can be a life threatening condition if not addressed immediately.  If you suspect your horse has stopped sweating, call us today.  There are things you can do to jump start your horse's body to sweat again. 
 

July 23, 2014

Sorry for the delay in getting out this month's newsletter, we've been very busy!  We are very excited to announce that our new associate, Dr. Stephanie Shen is in Massachusetts and starting her rounds with us!   Please help us in welcoming this talented veterinarian to our practice.  She will be riding with Dr. Nostrant and Kari, meeting all our wonderful clients along the way.  Also in this issue, the third in our joint series, the stifle is the joint of the month.  And some very timely tips on keeping your horse cool in this hot, New England summer.

Welcome To The Practice!

 

North Bridge Equine Associates is very excited to announce the addition of Dr. Stephanie Shen to our practice on July 17, 2014. Dr. Shen brings over 5 years of extensive experience as an equine veterinarian with exceptional skills in acupuncture and equine sports medicine. The addition of Dr. Shen and the growth of North Bridge Equine will allow us to provide the most comprehensive and consistent veterinary care for your horses and exceptional service to you our clients.

 

Dr. Stephanie Shen grew up in western Massachusetts and was bitten by the horse bug at an early age.  As a junior she rode hunters and jumpers locally and then spent 10 years involved exclusively with Morgans and Saddlebreds.  She completed her undergraduate studies at Clark University in Worcester Massachusetts majoring in Biochemistry.  Her love of animals and science brought her to Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary medicine, where she graduated in 2008 with excellence in equine medicine. Following graduation she completed an intensive, rotating internship at Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center in Ringoes, New Jersey where she was exposed to a high and varied caseload of both medical, surgical, and sports medicine cases.  Dr. Shen then worked for five years as an associate at a well-respected, private equine practice in bucolic Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The practice focused on sports medicine and exceptional ambulatory care. 

 

Dr. Shen has strong interests in equine sports medicine and integrative care of the equine athlete. She is currently in the process of obtaining her veterinary acupuncture certification and has particular interest in ophthalmology. Dr. Shen is excited to be back in the New England area close to family.  She looks forward to meeting the horses of Northbridge Equine and helping their people fulfill their goals.  She is also wicked excited to say "wicked" without being heckled! 

 

 

Thank you for your continued loyalty to North Bridge Equine and please help us welcome Dr. Shen!

 


Oh Go Stifle Yourself
The Equine Stifle
Radiograph of a stifle taken from the side showing the femur on top with the patella and tibia on the bottom.
A horse's stifle is analogous to the human knee.  It's
 the joint that
 connects the femur to the tibia.  They have a knee cap just like us, called the patella.  The joint also features very similar soft tissue structures.  The stifle is the horse's largest synovial joint, it is surrounded and affected by some of the horse's largest and most powerful muscles.  Since the joint isn't subjected to the same repetitive compression as our two most often injected joints (the hock and coffin joint), it is not injected as regularly.  That being said, it does fall into the third place in our line up.  The problems that arise most often in the stifle are a consequence of its location and purpose in the equine athlete.  This joint is supported by the massive muscles of the hindquarters.  When a horse is fit, these muscles take the brunt of a horse's explosive movements and sudden acceleration and deceleration so the stifle joint stays protected and can
The stifle is the main joint of flexion and propulsion in many upper level movements.
 continue to do its job of articulating the hind leg.  Because of its size, the stifle joint can become very inflamed and not effect the horse's performance, unlike the coffin joint that has little ability to expand within the hoof capsule.  As with any joint though, there's comes a point when the inflammation does begin to effect the athlete's performance, and that's when the veterinarian needs to be brought in the relieve the issue.  Veterinarians use many means to figure out if the stifle joint is a source of pain.  When stifles become inflamed, they produce copious amounts of joint fluid, which can be palpated through the skin.  Carrying excessive fluid in a joint can be a sign of performance limiting pain.  Flexions to tease out if the stifle is sore, as well as ultrasound, radiographs, and analgesic blocking of the joint can all be modalities utilized by your vet to establish if injecting the stifles will resolve lameness issues and get your horse performing at its peak again.  As with all other joints in the horse, it takes an educated eye and hand to interpret the whole horse and all the diagnostics done to pinpoint the cause of pain and the best way to resolve it. This is very important, horses can suffer the same tendon, ligament, meniscal and cartilage injuries that a person suffers from in their knee.  Making sure your horse doesn't have a soft tissue injury is job one for the vet once they establish the stifle as the cause of lameness.   

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Riding in the Heat
Following are some great tips to use when you and your equine partner brave the heat and humidity!

-Before work on hot days, sponge your horse down, particularly their chest and groin and down the legs to start the evaporative cooling process for them.
-Take frequent breaks during intense work to allow for cooling and reduction in respiratory rate.
-Allow your horse a longer cooldown under saddle to help begin to bring his temperature down towards normal again.
-Once you've dismounted keep your horse moving, pause to take off the tack and hose/sponge your horse.
- Walk, Hose, Scrape, Repeat! 
-Walking allows your horse's body to safely cool itself and keep muscles healthy as they cool and remove lactic acid build up. 
-Hosing with cold water all over the body hastens the body's cooling attempts.  Cold water has no detrimental side effects on the large muscle groups. Some horses are still quite reactive and offering warmer water on their backs is ok, cold water should still be used on the neck, legs, and under belly whenever possible.
-Sweat scraping the body removes excess water from the hair coat, skipping this steps counteracts the cooling effects of hosing.  When left dripping the water acts as an insulator of heat against the skin.  it heats up to match body temperature and will actually keep your horse hotter longer.  By scraping this water away you allow the more natural evaportive cooling to occur as the air can move across the wet coat, cooling the water directly on the skin.
-Keep walking until your horse's coat has begun to feel warm, not hot, to the touch, and respiration is back to normal.
-NOTE: some horses have a delayed response to high exertion and don't show immediate signs of being overheated.  Check on your horse for 20-40 minutes after their coolout to make sure this isn't the case.  It's always a good idea to check on your horse in the hour after a hard workout in the heat or any time.
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Concord, MA 01742

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