Lyme Disease and Horses

Lyme Disease and Horses

Recently, I was in our local tack store and was talking with the owner who inquired about our horses. How they were doing with Lyme this year was the topic we were discussing. A woman who was obviously listening to us piped up with the statement that: there is no such thing as Lyme disease in horses. After I closed my hanging jaw, I asked her where she got her information. She informed me her vet told her that Lyme Disease does not affect horses. Without being downright rude, I suggested she find a new vet. I am not sure how many believe this statement or not, but I am here to tell you there is definitely Lyme Disease and it does affect horses - and not in a good way.

Several years ago, when we leased a barn and pasture, all of our horses were infected with Lyme. I’m sure it was due to poor pasture management over which we had no control, no matter how much we asked for it and despite it being part of our rental agreement. Simple mowing would have sufficed to keep ticks to a minimum, as they will not hide anywhere in the grass where sun can reach them. But it got to a point where we actually had to hire someone from off the farm to come and mow the pastures to keep the weeds, parasites and tick population down. It was a horrible place and we didn’t like it but we were rather stuck there for a time. Sadly, all the horses were infected and treated but it did leave some residual effects on them.

Most people think Lyme Disease amounts to some flu-like symptoms, some achy joints, a little fatigue and then it’s over. No big deal, right? Few realize that Lyme can affect nearly every system in the body, causing a wide array of symptoms from fever and aches, arthritis, heart irregularities, vision problems or blindness, neuromuscular disease, neuropathy, and even symptoms like those of MS and Parkinson’s, to name just a few! In fact, tests in laboratory animals have shown that in just 3 hours after being infected with the disease-causing bacteria, Lyme can enter the central nervous system where it can do serious damage, cause meningitis, encephalitis, and/or seizures and even cause death. The Lyme spirochete itself is very effective at destroying nerve cells.

Around the time the horses were infected, my daughter was also infected with the typical bulls-eye rash on her stomach, but she couldn’t find anyone to treat her. One idiot doctor (a so-called “Lyme specialist) told her the rash wasn’t big enough to be Lyme – it had to be the size of a dinner plate before he could give her a simple course of doxycycline!!! Her infection not only involved the classic flu-like symptoms and joint inflammation, but also entered her central nervous system where it had some unpleasant, lasting effects including neuropathies, vision changes, involuntary muscle movements, and an array of cognitive and neurological symptoms. Even after taking several month-long courses of powerful antibiotics, she has lasting damage including being afflicted with fibromyalgia.

Finding treatment was even more difficult, as testing for Lyme is imperfect, to say the least, and many Lyme infections fail to show up in blood tests, either because the body fails to mount an immune response (Lyme is notorious for being able to “hide” from the immune system) or because the bacteria are not present in significant quantities in the bloodstream; often in such cases they will be identified in the spinal fluid through a spinal tap instead; it is also often found in joint fluid and body tissues. So the tests are a great tool, but are only part of a complete diagnosis – they often do not tell the whole story.

A patient complaining of Lyme symptoms will often be ignored, shuffled around or prescribed anti-depressants rather than being treated with antibiotics, giving the infection a chance to do real, permanent damage. My daughter finally found a doctor to treat her after months of searching, at which point she needed to see a neurologist and a rheumatologist, among others, and required a series of additional tests including brain MRIs. Having waited so long to receive treatment, she still has recurring bouts of symptoms that can be attributed to Lyme.

It is estimated that 50% of ticks in the Northeast carry the Lyme spirochete, and Lyme is common across the US and found around the world, though not every bite from an infected tick transmits the disease, nor does exposure to the bacteria necessarily mean you will get the disease.

I would strongly urge everyone to check out the links below for what Lyme is and how to spot it and treat it in the horse. Human sites can be found on Web M.D. or other medical sites. The only thing I would caution is that most sites claim that if you are blood-tested for Lyme’s and it comes back negative, that means you don’t have it. This is not always the case; it simply means the spirochetes may not be active at the time the test was taken, your immune system may not be fighting it, it may be working in another part of your body, or you may have one of the strains not tested for.

As for the horse symptoms, I have seen all different symptoms in my horses from just general ouchiness/grouchiness to joint and even – more controversially - respiratory problems. We had a horse come into the barn at one time for training and he was so super-sensitive his skin would twitch if you even tried to touch him, much less groom or ride him. We had the vet out to do a Lyme test and she said it was the highest titer she had ever seen! If your horse is exhibiting unusual behavior changes, gait abnormalities, sensitivity or unusual spookiness, crankiness or just isn’t “right,” it may be wise to consider Lyme. Also, don’t depend on a fever to help diagnose a problem - we’ve found that Lyme (in both my daughter and the horses) tended to have the opposite effect: their temperatures were lower than normal! However, I am sure this differs from case to case. In fact, Lyme will look and act different in each individual; no two cases are alike.

Another fallacy we’ve encountered over the years is that after three days on antibiotics you (or your horse) will be feeling much better. This is not always the case. Bear in mind that, when taking antibiotics for Lyme, the initial stages will often feel worse than the disease, and so it will appear the treatment is not working. This is because as the spirochete dies off it releases a toxin into the system. Being sicker after the first few doses of antibiotics may mean you have a significant infection on your hands but that treatment is working, so don’t be discouraged.

It’s a good idea to have the titers taken; we do this at least twice a year. It’s also a good idea to talk with your vet about treating with antibiotics for at least a month if your horse’s symptoms are suspicious of Lyme regardless of what the blood tests say. Doxycycline is relatively cheap, and the costs of not treating are high. They now have a Lyme’s vaccination that we are trying out in hopes it will prevent further infection in the future.

Here are a few informative links to check out on Lyme’s:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease

http://www.netpets.org/horses/healthspa/lyme.html

http://www.myhorse.com/health/preventative/lyme_disease_in_horses_requires_health_treatment.aspx#top

http://www.lyme.org/otherdis/ld.html

Until next time

Quote for Today

The day you put off vaccinations is the day your horse will be exposed.

Getting On Board

' DUSTY '

" I hope you don't think you're getting on me - my tack is clean and you might mess up my braids " !

Getting On Board

Have you ever given much thought to how mounting affects your horse? Could it have deeper implications than we may realize? We seem to be obsessed with every other aspect of horseback riding and our horses’ care, yet seldom take the time to examine the technique with which we get from ground to saddle.

Unless, of course, there is a problem getting aboard safely; then we may stop to examine what went wrong and how to fix it.

It may be time to look at how we hoist ourselves into the saddle and its effects on our horses.

The Physical Forces of Mounting

Mounting a horse causes more stress and complications to the horse’s balance than you might think. The equine is designed with a relatively long body, with their feet comparatively close together. In addition, their body mass is carried relatively high off the ground; this particular design then makes them stable lengthwise but unstable crosswise. To a small extent, these genetics make the horse slightly off balance when mounting from the side. Putting your foot in the stirrup causes the saddle to pull a bit to the left, which in turn causes the horse’s weight to shift to his left legs, which then lightens his right side. To work against the pull, he must raise his back on the left side as well as swing his head/neck and hindquarters to the right to counteract this force. By doing this, the horse is reacting to the sensation that he is falling over and correcting his base of support and equilibrium. When taking up the reins while mounting the rider inhibits the horse's natural rebalancing maneuvers also. The horse might try to step forward, extend his head and neck, or swing them to the opposite side trying to counterbalance, but the rider usually will try to prevent this with the reins.

Other problems may occur while mounting, such as allowing your toe to dig into his ribs; this may cause the horse to shy away to the right, further complicating the mounting process. His natural reaction to being poked in the ribs is to move away, often leaving the rider to exacerbate this tendency by pulling the reins - this could have you spinning in circles.

Another thing to consider is torque. When weight is forced into the stirrup the horse may be required to take a step toward the rider or sideways away from the rider as the riders’ weight rotates onto/into the saddle. During mounting, the saddle twists or torques toward the rider pulling across the spine, particularly the withers, on the off side, and pushing downward into the muscles of the back on the near side. The horse bends or twists to the right, his right-side muscles drop to avoid the pressure from the panels, while those on the left side of the spine bulge upward as the horse attempts to support the burden of the mounting rider. This obviously puts considerable stress on the horse’s body.

Stop and consider all you are doing just by having your foot in the stirrup with some weight behind it, and you will see mounting isn’t as simple to the horse as it is to you, the rider. Following are a few techniques for mounting a horse.

Getting a Leg Up

Getting a “leg up” is probably one of the best and least stressful ways to mount a horse. If you can find a friend to help you, here’s how to do it:

With both reins in your left hand, face the horse, place your left hand on the withers and your right hand on the waist of the saddle for balance, crook your left leg, have your assistant take hold of your shin and hoist you up. Sometimes it helps if you do a little jump just as your helper is lifting for some added momentum. When you reach an appropriate height, you can use your hands, positioned on the withers and saddle, to help pull you up and over, as you lower yourself gently into the saddle. You should descend straight down and land gently with your weight evenly distributed. If you can catch your stirrups on the way down, all the better. It’s a little more work for the rider but, the up-side to this is the saddle is not twisted against the spine, withers and muscles. This takes some time, patience and coordination to learn correctly. In the beginning you may do a few embarrassing “belly flops” and have to wriggle yourself into the saddle or, if your assistant is too enthusiastic, you might go right over the other side to kiss the dirt. I did see this happen one time to a trainer and the look on his face was priceless. (Hate to say it, but he had it coming.)

Mounting from the Ground

If you’re athletic and graceful, being able to mount correctly from the ground is a check in the plus column. However, if you’re older or are less athletic, this could be a demanding exercise in futility and frustration - or just downright impossible. But, inevitability, there will be times when it’s the only way you have to get on, so it pays to know how to do it right. If you care to try it, this is how to go about it:

Take both reins in your left hand and place your hand on the wither for balance; stand close to your horse facing his butt; turn the stirrup toward you and put your foot in it; make sure your toe is pointing into the girth and not his ribs; then you pivot around on your right leg until you are facing the saddle or even the horse’s shoulder - you may need to hop a little to get closer and at the right angle for mounting; once in position, place your left hand on the withers (or grab a hunk of mane if you need a little extra help hoisting yourself up; place your left hand on the waist of the saddle (don’t grab the cantle and pull – this will jam the tree of your saddle into the horse’s spine!); then spring, hop, jump however you have to get up there, pushing down on your hands (not pulling) for help and balance; then, as you balance on your hands, swing your leg over and try to get your foot into the right stirrup before you land gently in the saddle. Don’t just heave yourself up and plop down on the saddle in a heap.

If your horse is tall, lengthen the stirrup leather until your foot can reach the stirrup and swing into the saddle from there. If you are on a trail ride and need to get off for any reason, but find it hard to mount from the ground, look for a huge rock or log anything to give you a boost. Sometimes uneven ground can give you that little extra advantage you need to be able to mount.

Mounting Block

The ever-popular mounting block is one means to help diminish the demands on horses’ backs and makes the mounting process a pleasant experience for all involved. For the horse, it minimizes the torque from the saddle as a rider mounts. The rider also benefits because it reduces the strain of having to pull up and onto the horse from the ground.

We always try to use a mounting block and the taller the better. We have some smaller horses that don’t even require putting your foot in the stirrup, but just slipping on. This could be dangerous if the horse moved away (Dusty!), so I do use the near stirrup every time I mount. Even though you do not have to pull yourself up, it is still a good idea to place your hands on the wither and saddle for balance; the right hand on the saddle can even help to stabilize the saddle as you climb on.

If you decide to get a mounting block, I suggest that it be sturdy and set on level ground. The last thing you need is a teeter-totter while you’re trying to mount. my daughter who is an excellent horse woman once ended up underneath her horse when the mounting block tipped over mid-mount... luckily no one was hurt and we all had a good laugh, but it’s generally the kind of thing to avoid....

A mounting block can be bought pre-made or you can build one yourself from wood, stone or any material that is sturdy, weatherproof and gives decent traction. We’ve seen some creative ones over the years, so use your imagination. It should have a flat surface on top possibly with some kind of non-slip tread for grip. My personal favorite is a mounting block with steps going down either side, so you can go up or down as needed and not have to jump off one side if your horse moves.

For me, the mounting block is the only way to go; I think it’s the safest and least stressful way to mount for horse and rider. I’d be interested in hearing what your preferred method of mounting is. Until next time Quote for Today He who needs a mounting block had better not fall off in the middle of the field.

Selecting The Right Trainer

An Oldie But A Goodie

While recently checking through my Archives, I've come across some past posts I think not many have had the chance to read since they were the first posts published. I have decided to re-post them for a short while. We are very busy at the moment with a brand new addition to the family and I don't have the time to think let alone post. I hope you enjoy theses posts and find them helpful, if you haven't already read them.

SELECTING THE RIGHT TRAINER

Finding the right trainer may seem like an intimidating task. This is the most important decision you will make concerning your riding. Beginning lessons are of the utmost importance. Simply put, without the proper basic training, your riding may be sufficient to get you going, but you will always struggle with certain aspects of riding. So how do you find the ideal trainer for you? The only way is to do the groundwork.

Visit barns in your area and ask to watch different trainers give a lesson... Talk to the trainers you feel comfortable with. Ask them their philosophy of riding and training students. This will give you a clue what to expect from them. If they seem anxious to put you in their lesson program and get you to shows, this is not the viewpoint you are looking for at this stage. Another thing to think about when you choose a trainer: You should be up front with the trainer and let them know that you are visiting different barns and taking lessons elsewhere, to see where you fit in best. This way they will not be offended if you decide not to train with them. Any trainer will take a student on, but are reluctant to let them go. Of course, egos and pocketbooks are always involved. Remember, the horse community is very small and you are bound to see the same groups of people occasionally, at shows or clinics etc., so always use tact when you decide to leave one trainer for another.

The Basics

Trainers should be willing to teach the basics and should be concerned with your safety and the horses’. At times, I feel the trainer’s ego may get in the way of their compassion and common sense. Regrettably, it is also about decisions based on making money, sometimes at the cost of their horses and clients. A good trainer will take the time to answer all of your questions. You need someone who allows you to take as much time as you require learning the basics. Teaching you how to groom, tack up, and lead a horse properly is a good foundation. When time comes to ride, take it slow, do mounting lessons, and walk on the lunge, this will give you a feel for the horse’s movement, your own balance and the proper position. It is also a chance to be acclimated to the new atmosphere. This may all sound too easy, but there are important safety issues to learn here. When you are able to accomplish these things safely at the walk, only then is it permissible to go on to the trot and eventually the canter. The key is not to let anyone rush you into uncomfortable situations sooner than you feel ready. Any trainer who does not want to take the time to teach the basics, more than likely is not the one for you.

Of course, you will also want to see the types of lesson horses available for beginner lessons. Obviously, you want an older experienced school horse that has, ‘been there, done that’. In one of my earliest lessons, I was put on a thoroughbred straight off the racetrack; my trainer assured me it was safe. Not knowing any better, I did it. Suffice it to say, it was quite a ride, but it was not a positive experience. A situation like that does not do much for your confidence. I fell off in another lesson on the same horse, as I was “teaching” him to jump cross rails: he stopped; I went straight over his head and landed on my back. The up side was that one of us made it to the other side of the jump. That was my first fall ever… lots of fun. This was a case of being pushed along to fast for my abilities.

Patience and Respect

Also, in your lessons if you find that your trainer is belittling you or losing their patience, it is not out of the question to stop and inform them that you don‘t appreciate being at the receiving end of a tirade. Never lose your temper. There are tactful ways to handle this situation. I have seen many trainers abuse their students to the point of a student being in tears or so nervous they just continue making mistakes. Trainer abuse is always unacceptable. If a trainer cannot act in a professional manner, they should not be schooling you. Many people are actually fearful of speaking up and so they just go on taking the mistreatment directed at them or their horse. I am here to tell you there is absolutely no reason you have to put up with this kind of behavior. Remember, you are a client who is actually paying good money for these lessons. When was the last time you went into a shop for a service and paid money to be abused? You would not take it there, so why would you take it from someone giving you a riding lesson? I would suggest talking to the trainer in a calm manner, in private, and explaining to him/her that they are making you feel less confident, and more nervous. You should both be able to come to an agreement about your training preferences. If you don‘t get the response you want, then you know what to do.

Qualifications

Ask what qualifications the trainer has, you will come across many trainers who have at sometime in their career won a few blue ribbons or maybe a prestigious award, which more than likely means something only to them. It is usually not relevant and some will even boost themselves a little by giving the illusion that they are at the top of their game. The longer ago their accomplishment was the more they remember what a great rider they are. A trainer may have been or still is a good rider, but not all are good instructors. Next, we have the young crowd who has decided this is the life for them. They get to hang around the barn all day, give up-down lessons to pony kids and beginners, and ride absentee boarder’s horses and feel like they are relevant in the horse world - when they probably should not be giving lessons to a dog. Anybody can don the trainers cap and give lessons to whomever they wish. There is such a disregard for safety here; it is astonishing accidents that are more devastating do not happen more frequently. Most troubling is parents with young children who put their child in danger without knowing it. Assuming a trainer is just that, someone qualified to teach, the child is handed over to incompetence. Parents need to do a little homework as well. Here is an example why it is so important to make inquiries:

I once boarded at a barn, where the owner hired his niece as a trainer; mind you, the girl could not even do a proper sitting trot or post on the correct diagonal, and would actually canter her horses through the aisles of the barn. Not too dangerous…. I could go on with stories like this, I won’t, except for one thing I still can not believe seeing; this “trainer” once changed horses by putting one foot in the stirrup of the horse she was going to ride while her other foot was in the stirrup of the horse she was dismounting. If one of these horses decided to move, she would have been a wishbone. Her qualifications for being a trainer, besides being related to someone who owned a stable, were that she watched riding videos. Duh…?

Organizations like the American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA) have courses that test trainers to a point and offer levels of qualification. ARIA is not the best qualification system and this organization still needs to be improved, but it is all we have at present. At least their trainers have some of the basics they need to teach and these qualifications represent a minimum standard of proficiency.

The Bottom Line

It is a time-consuming process of trial and error until you hit upon someone you feel safe and confident with. Beware, though, there are many frauds out there, so take your time before you settle on one trainer or another. Finding the perfect trainer is comparable to finding the ‘Missing Link’ it is an impossible task, for there are no perfect trainers or perfect horses.

I would love to hear from you about your experiences with trainers, good or bad, and hear how you dealt with a problem or how you found the ideal trainer for you

Until next time.

Quote for Today

"As he knotted the reins and took his stand, the horse's soul came into his hand, and up from the mouth that held the steel came an innermost word, half thought, half feel."

-- John Masefield