HORSES - 14
Copper Deficiency
Are usually highlighted by fence chewing and Mud Fever / Greasy Heel. Dosage: 1/2 teaspoon of Copper Sulphate daily for a few days only with a tablespoon of Dolomite as an antidote.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Cod Liver Oil and Copper Sulphate can be added to the hot water that soaks the Grain. (Thoroughly Mix before the Liquid is poured on the Grain.) Then switch to daily Seaweed Meal.
If the Soil is deficient and not top - dressed according to the Soil Analysis all of the above will have to be continued to be fed on a daily basis. If analyzed and top dressed to suite it will still take a Year or more if there is Drought before the missing Minerals can reach the Grass. A second Analysis should be taken to ensure the balance is then correct and if so the Dolomite can be cut back to once a day.
As long as Hard Feed is brought in to the property it will be necessary to feed the previous Supplements, as it will have been grown with Artificial Chemicals and Fertilizers.
Dry Mares on Pasture: Mix Dolomite and Seaweed 50/50 and put into Self - Feeders with out there being any chance of Weather effecting it.
Stallions: The same for Stallions, as their Fertility may be effected also and may even become irreversible.
Horses on Bore Water: must be given Apple Cider Vinegar to prevent Urinary Calculi developing. (Zinc and Selenium is particularly important as the Prostate Gland has the highest concentration of Zinc of any Gland in the Body.) Sperm requires Selenium to remain healthy or their Tails / Flagellum become weak and drop off and cannot sustain their journey. Both are contained in Seaweed Meal, which can be supplied by 1 x Tablespoon daily in the feed or in Self - Feeders in the Shed taken as required by the Horse.
A weekly allowance of Cod Liver Oil provides Vitamins A and D to ensure it is kept up. Vitamin A is to ensure Sterility does not occur.
Weaning
*Weanlings must have a proper diet at all times together with nearly 1/2 the Minerals and good grazing is also important also as the Pasture is usually still poor during this period. Plenty of plain, well grown Hay should be supplied. Grass and Clover is O.K., but the Clover must not exceed 50% of the diet. Also a Hard Feed is required composed of 1 x part Lucerne Chaff, 1 x part Oaten Chaff,1 x part Bran,1/2 part Grain all mixed together with Supplements added.
Conditioning
*At least 6 weeks of pre - training is required to ensure the Muscles and Tendons of the Legs and Body are as fit as they can be or the Legs will suffer from strain and Windgalls may occur. (20 minutes road - work is needed prior to working out each day or every time they are exercised.) If the Horse is only worked once a week they must also receive exercise 2 x other times as well to relieve the boredom and Mental strain of remaining in the same place.
With Interval Training the Legs are not strengthened properly to carry the weight as they must have at least the same amount of Roadwork as they do on Interval Training on a collected Trot and extended Walk. Also more Horses are broken down on Soft going then on Hard.
Blood
An important Diagnostic Aid, but useless if the Horse's Mineral and Vitamin requirements are not included in the diet.
Blood is made up of 40% Corpuscles, and approximately 60% Plasma which can be 40 - 70 parts of the total Blood composed of 90% water that include suspended Enzymes, Fats, Gases, Minerals, Proteins and other substances. Plasma Protein is composed of Albumin, Fibrinogen and Globulin with a trained horse 5.4 - 8.6 G / 100 ml with outstanding horses 6.8 G / 100ml TPP. Increase above the pattern of the normal horse with an increase in RBC and PVC may indicate Dehydration. If Protein levels decrease this may be an indication of Liver, Kidney, Nutrition or Parasite problems. If Albumin and Globulin decrease this may also indicate problems. with Albumen indicating Parasites, and Globulin a lowered resistance. 0.8 - 1.
Alkaline Phosphatase / AP is an Enzyme that breaks down Phosphates with elevated levels of normal counts in foals during Bone growth and in adults indicates disease in Bones, Liver and Kidneys. 39 - 119 i u.
Aspartate Aminotransperase / AAT is an Enzyme, which is increased when there is damage to the Muscle or Liver Tissues, but also after exercise. Counts are only reliable after 12 hours of rest or 3 days after racing or swimming especially. AAT range 100 i u - 440 i u over 440 i u is an indication of Muscle damage such as Tying Up.
Creatinine Kinase / CK: An increase up to 100 i u and over indicates damage to the Skeletal and Heart Muscle.
Lactic Dehydrogenise / LDH: An Enzyme normally 100 i u Lac - Dehystrate units found in the Heart, Lung, Liver and Muscle Tissue that based on normal counts indicates damage to any of these.
Urea: Produced in the Liver as waste from Protein Metabolism with healthy horses recording 20 mg / 100 ml. Any Blood Urea Nitrogen increase indicates disease in the Kidneys.
Corpuscles / Cells: 3 Classifications / Red, White and Platelets.
Red Blood Cells / RBC / Erythrocytes: contain Haemoglobin to transport Oxygen and is dependent on their Iron and Copper intake and are formed in the Bone Marrow, Liver and Spleen circulating in the Blood Stream for approximately 130 days reducing in size as they disintegrate or they are absorbed. For racehorses taken after a 12 hour rest period from the Jugular Vein and put in bottles / tubes containing an anti - coagulant and cooled down to 4 degrees C - 10 degrees C and the Cell count to be done as soon as possible and the normal range is 6.5 - 12.5 million per cmm. A lower count from horses spelling or 12 million plus from dehydrated or fractious horses. Best in the 9 - 11.5 range.
White Blood Cells / WBC: Leucocytes are responsible for the health of the Body controlling the Stress caused by Infections, Immune reactions, Injuries and Allergies. Horses below normal will have a great increase in the number of White Blood Cells. A healthy horse has 5,000 - 10,000 White Blood Cells per cmm made up of Eosinophytes, Lymphocytes, Monocytes and Neutrophites that indicate the progression or regression of any disease and any count over 10,000 indicates a problem.
Blood Analysis: 3 Classifications also. *Biochemistry, *Microbiology and *Haematology.
*Biochemistry: ascertains the Mineral status of the Blood by testing for Electrolytes, Enzymes and Proteins.
*Microbiology: is used to detect Organisms in the Blood to establish Sensitivity and resistance to any Drugs to be used.
Using Vitamin C therapeutically, Infections cannot be resistant to it.
*Haematology: is the complete Red Cell, White Cell and Platelet count.
Haemoglobin / HB: is the Red Cell count. The Respiratory Pigment composed of Globulin / Protein and Haem Complex containing an Iron Molecule that carriers Oxygen. Normal - 14.6 - 16 g / 100 ml.
Packed Cell Volume / Haematocrit / PCV: Red Cell to Plasma ratio of compressed RBC in a given volume.
Mean Corpuscular Volume / MCV is the calculated mean size of RBC / Red Blood Cells by dividing PCV / Packed Cell Volume by the number of R.B.C. per cmm. Used to determine if at its peak, undertrained or requires a spell providing the horse is healthy and not suffering from Anaemia, which is under 30 um x 3. Normal (40 - 47 u m x 3. Spelled 48 um x 3 - 52 um x 3. Training : Decreases from 40 um x 3 - 47 um x 3. Over Trained: Decreases to 39 um x 3.
Haemoglobin Concentration / MCHC is derived by dividing the Haemoglobin level by the PVC / Packed Volume Cell Volume. Normal 32 - 38.
Mean Corpuscular Content / MCH per Red Blood Cell derived at by dividing the Haemoglobin by the number of Red Blood Cells per cmm. 13 - 18.
Sedimentation Rate / ESR: The Blood is collected in a bottle containing an anti - coagulant so that it will not coagulate into a dark - red jelly substance with a remaining yellow fluid / Serum, and it separates slowly into a dark red sediment consisting of the Cell constituents of the Blood above which transparent green to yellow fluid accumulates measured in special tubes over 10, 20 and 30 minutes, which reveal the sedimentation rate. 20 - 40 units per hour.
Total White Cells / Leucocytes / WCC.
In addition there are also Basophils, Eosonophils, Lymphocytes, Neutrophils, Moncytes and Platelets to consider.
N.B: Laboratories can still make mistakes, so a second Sample should be taken if a serious problem seems to persist and this can be sent to another Independent Laboratory.