2012 Bar F and Pelham Ascot Horse Boots Catalog Now Available

Since 1977, Bar-F Products has continuously focused on developing the right combination of materials, proper fit and craftsmanship. Our spe- cialized manufacturing process ensures that each and every boot is con- structed using the same exacting standards to ensure long term durabil- ity and performance.

Designed with input from top veterinarians and professional horsemen across the country, each boot is entirely handcrafted using only the high- est quality materials. They provide unparalleled protection with maxi- mum comfort. You can purchase more expensive products, but you can- not purchase a better made product. We make our boots for those who want nothing but the best for their horse.

Our mission is simple; to manufacture the highest quality leg protection products possible for your horse. We take great pride in our company, our commitment to customer service and in the products we sell.

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The mPact Stealth Sports Medicine Horse Boot offers you the highest quality Equine Leg Protection.

We are proud to offer the Stealth Boot, which is one of the only Equine Sports Medicine Horse Boots that offers the rider a removable, bilateral ankle support strap. The mPact stops your horse from developing dependence on the extra suspensory support, instead you only use it during high-stress activities.

mPact Stealth Horse Boot

The mPact Stealth Horse Boot features Maxi Grip neoprene construction for complete adjustability. Durable Pebble Grain leather protection in shock and stress areas, with hi-tech impact and shock absorbing Sorbothane protective inserts in strike and impact areas.

The mPact Stealth Equine Horse Boot is an industry leader, offering riders the protection that their horse needs.

Bar F horse boots are trusted by professional trainers and riders across all equine disciplines. These riders know that Bar F horse boots and tack are made from some of the highest quality materials available and offer superior fit and protection allowing them maximum performance during competitions.

Bar F horse boots is proud to announce its 2011 professional endorsements by riders known as industry leaders, including Top Barrel Racing Champion Holly Ricotta, California barrel racer Lyndee Stairs, National and Regional Dressage Championship winner Renee Johnson, the All American Cowgirl Chicks, and more.

To view the full list of professional endorsements and extended bios and pictures Click Here

The 2011 mosquito-borne disease season continues to affect horse owners across the country. The most recent reports indicate Hthat a horse in California and a horse in Nevada have both tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV).

In 2010, the USDA’s National Animal Health Surveillance System reported 125 confirmed cases of WNV in 28 states.

According to the California West Nile Virus Website (produced by the California Department of Public Health, the University of California Davis Center for Vectorborne Diseases, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California), a horse in Los Angeles county recently became the first horse in the state to be confirmed WNV-positive in 2011.

Additionally, a horse in Lyon County, Nev., was confirmed WNV-positive by the Nevada Department of Agriculture’s Animal Disease and Food Safety Laboratory earlier this week, according to a news report from The Record Courier. In the report, Nevada State Veterinarian Phil LaRussa, DVM, encouraged horse owners to seek vaccination for unvaccinated horses, noting that there are numerous products available for all classes of horses.

Clinical signs for WNV include flu-like signs, where the horse seems mildly anorexic and depressed; fine and coarse muscle and skin fasciculations (twitching); hyperesthesia, or hypersensitivity to touch and sound; Changes in mentation (mentality), when horses look like they are daydreaming or “just not with it”; occasional somnolence (drowsiness); propulsive walking (driving or pushing forward, often without control); and “spinal” signs, including asymmetrical weakness. Some horses show asymmetrical or symmetrical ataxia (incoordination on one or both sides, respectively). Equine mortality rate can be as high as 30-40%.

Source thehorse.com

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) continues to frustrate North American horse owners and veterinarians as one of the most common neurologic diseases in horses–and one of the most challenging to diagnose and treat. At the 2011 Western Veterinary Conference, held Feb. 20-24 in Las Vegas, Nev., Steve Reed, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., delivered an overview of the disorder and discussed diagnostic and treatment options.

Background

Reed explained that EPM was first noted in Kentucky and Pennsylvania in the 1970s, and the causative organism (a protozoon called Sarcocystis neurona) was first identified in the 1980s. Later, researchers determined that S. neurona has a two-host life cycle. To complete its life cycle, this organism requires a definitive host (the opossum), which feeds on the muscles of a dead intermediate host (such as a raccoon, skunk, cat, or armadillo) containing S. neurona sarcocysts. Once ingested by the opossum these sarcocysts mature to their infective stage (sporocysts), which the opossum passes in its feces.

Horses, which are generally considered “dead-end hosts” (meaning they typically can’t pass the protozoa on to other animals), contract the disease by ingesting infected matter, often grass or hay contaminated with opossum feces containing S. neurona sporocysts.

Traditionally, the prognosis for EPM has been poor, with many cases ending in euthanasia of the affected horse. While there is no cure for EPM, some treatments can ease the effects of the disease and allow the horse a longer, healthier life with EPM.

Diagnosis

Once infected, horses generally begin to display clinical signs, many of which are consistent with other neurologic diseases, Reed said. These signs include:

• Asymmetric muscle atrophy (wasting);
• Cranial nerve dysfunction;
• Ataxia (incoordination); and
• Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).

Although the disease was first recognized more than 30 years ago, veterinarians have not yet found one single test that presents 100% accurate results, Reed noted. Veterinarians generally begin their diagnosis process with a neurologic exam. A presumptive diagnosis can be made with the neurologic exam alone; however, most veterinarians continue the process by running a blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) test.

These tests, Reed cautioned, will only determine whether the horse has been exposed to the causative agent. At this point, neither is able to render a 100% positive diagnosis of EPM.

Currently, the most common EPM test is a quantitative test using either an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) or a surface antigen-1 ELISA test (SAG-1 ELISA). The test Reed most commonly uses is a ratio test that measures antibody concentration in blood and CSF and compares the two. Older testing methodologies such as the Western blot are still used but lack the benefit of being a quantitative assay. Reed explained, “The (Western blot) gives a reading of positive or negative as to the presence of antibodies in the serum or CSF, but it does not quantify the extent. Nor does it determine if a horse is only showing antibodies from a previous exposure, which can lead to false positive results.”

Another diagnostic tool Reed discussed was the IFAT, which identifies surface antibodies (protein trigger on the surface of a pathogenic bacterium or virus) to S. neurona in a blood sample and indicates whether the horse has been exposed. The IFAT produces a quantifying number, or titer, that expresses the concentration of antibodies circulating in the horse’s blood. In theory, a high concentration of antibodies in the blood indicates the horse is, or has been recently, exposed. Comparative titers taken a few weeks apart indicate if a horse’s antibody level is rising. If the horse has clinical signs of neurologic disease and that titer is rising, then the test confirms active infection.

The IFAT test has been shown to help establish a probability of whether a horse has EPM, but like all tests it is not 100% accurate in confirming EPM. However, the claim is based on a small number of necropsies in an area of the country that has a low frequency of positive EPM cases, Reed cautioned. Another ELISA measuring the surface antigen SnSAG1 has also been used, but some strains of the S. neurona organism do not contain this surface antigen.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center in Lexington have recently developed an ELISA test to detect the surface antigens SnSAG2 and SnSAG 3/4 that appears to be very accurate when the blood and CSF values are compared. A normal concentration of surface antigens is expected in CSF based on the concentration found in the blood, and when the amount in CFS is greater than would be expected based on this ratio, it can be assumed the antibody production in the CSF is a result of primary infection in the nervous system.

Finally, Reed discussed a study that examined this new test in more than 300 blood and CSF samples from horses presented with clinical signs suggestive of EPM. After analyzing the samples and necropsy results, the team noted that the higher the CSF titer level, the more likely the horse is to have EPM.

Treatment

Only a handful of treatment options are available for horses with EPM, Reed noted, adding that several previously available choices have been removed from the market. Two FDA-approved products are currently available for use in treating EPM: ponazuril and diclazuril.

Reed explained that ponazuril (marketed under the trade name Marquis), a paste administered orally over a 28-day period, has been effective in treating EPM in horses. Additionally, few side effects have been noted in treated horses, he noted.

For treatment to be effective the medication must reach a certain detectable level in the blood; Reed noted that in his experience some horses do not reach that blood level until 11 days following the beginning of treatment, and in a typical 28-day course, this means the horse receives just over half the benefit of a full course of treatment. He suggested that a loading dose of the medication (which is not currently within the labeled instructions) might aid in boosting the blood level sooner, and he indicated that the medication’s manufacturer is investigating this possibility.

Reed also discussed a newly released EPM treatment: diclazuril (marketed under the trade name Protazil). He said he believes that this recently FDA-approved pelleted form of an existing EPM treatment will prove very helpful to EPM horses. The recommended dosage for protazil is 1mg/kg body weight fed over a 28-day course, like ponzuril, and its alfalfa-based pellet used as a top-dressing on the horse’s normal grain ration makes it more amenable to some horses than a paste or injection. He also added that it might one day be possible to use pelleted diclazuril as a preventive EPM treatment, but he stressed that no studies have been completed to test this hypothesis.

He also noted that some veterinarians use the injectable medications diclazuril and toltrazuril to treat EPM. Other medications used to aid EPM horses with their clinical signs, but not treat the root cause, are dexamethazone, flunixin meglumine (Banamine), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Reed noted that adding natural vitamin E (not synthetic, as he noted it is not absorbed well) to an EPM horse’s diet could help reduce neurologic signs.

Source thehorse.com

In response to reports of horses being moved on the roads of New Jersey and/or being imported and sold in New Jersey without the medical testing required for transport and to enter the state and with an eye toward protecting well-intentioned horse buyers from unwittingly helping to spread equine infectious diseases, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture strongly reminded horse owners and dealers of the longstanding regulations adopted to protect the health of horses in the state and to protect prospective buyers.

Those regulations require a negative Coggins test, the official test for equine infectious anemia, for transport of horses on public roads and also require a veterinary-signed health certificate for horses brought into New Jersey. Both requirements help ensure equine health. Similar regulations governing transfer of horses (sell, exchange, barter, or give away) require a negative Coggins test within 90 days before the sale or transfer of a horse to protect the animals and the prospective buyer.

The regulations protect New Jersey horses from illnesses that can be caused by exposure to untested horses in the state and entering the state. The Department has followed with concern the movement of horses in state and entry of numerous horses into the state as owners who are unable to keep their animals seek other options for these animals. Some options allow, and therefore can encourage, transport without the required testing, but those options do not include selling the horse to a new owner for the horse to reside in New Jersey.

All horses traveling in and/ or entering New Jersey must have a negative Coggins test and, if imported from another state, a valid interstate health certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian from the state of origin, prior to entry to New Jersey. To sell, exchange, barter, or give away a horse, a negative Coggins test within 90 days before the transfer of the horse is required to protect the animals and the prospective buyer. The requirement for both a negative Coggins test result and a health certificate (for imported horses) provides the minimum requirements for the movement and/or importation of healthy horses to minimize the risk of subsequent disease transmission.

Horse owners or prospective horse owners who have questions about these regulations may call the Division of Animal Health at 609-292-3965.

Source washingtontwp.sunne.ws

Australian horse owners have been urged to be more stringent in checking for bats.

Are Horse Health Passports Needed to Prevent Hendra Virus Spread?

A North Queensland vet at the centre of a 2009 outbreak of hendra virus wants health passports issued for horses.

Tim Annand, from Bowen, says he’s been called out to more suspected, but negative, cases of hendra this year than in any other year.

The fatal illness is transferred from bats to horses, and humans can then catch the virus from the horses.

Dr Tim Annand says better bat tracking systems are needed.

“Be vigilant, if you can, I don’t think it hurts to check trees at night to see if there are lots of bats in them, make sure those horses aren’t under the trees,” he said.

“Not feeding the horses under the trees obviously helps, but I think even removing the horses is a sight better.”

Meanwhile, Biosecurity Queensland is yet to confirm whether a horse reported to have died from a stress-related illness at Mareeba in the far north has been tested for hendra virus.

The horse had been brought to Mareeba from Melbourne for this weekend’s rodeo and died on Tuesday.

Biosecurity officers are still assessing horses at a Kuranda property, after a mare died from hendra virus on Monday.

Biosecurity Queensland and Queensland Health have set up a mobile office on the Kennedy Highway between Kuranda and Mareeba to provide information on the virus.

Nine Queensland properties are under quarantine and six horses have died from hendra virus across the state in the past month.

Source abc.net.au

Hendra Virus

A Third horse was recently put down at a property near Boonah, Australia after testing positive for the deadly Hendra virus.

While parasite resistance is currently a hot topic in the equine community, another form of resistance is taking its toll on horses worldwide: antimicrobial resistance. According to Imogen Johns, BVSc, MRCVS, Dipl. ACVIM, lecturer in equine medicine at the United Kingdom’s Royal Veterinary College in Hertfordshire, the amount of bacteria that has developed resistance to antibiotics since the drugs become commonplace in the 1930s and ’40s is “sobering.” She presented on the topic at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum, held June 15-18 in Denver, Colo.

At the time of their inception into society, antibiotics were considered miracle drugs, contributing to an increased human life expectancy by eight years. But Johns pointed out that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) began to occur within a relatively short time of widespread antibiotic use. This wasn’t originally a problem since 29 new drug classes were developed between 1929 and 1969; however, since then, lack of discovery of new drugs poses a sobering contrast to the rapid and rising resistance of bacteria.

Bacteria can pass resistance genes on to future generations, as well as acquire resistance to multiple drugs–even those to which the bacteria have not been directly exposed. The result of this is the development of “super bugs.” Acquired antimicrobial resistance is now a serious public health concern that needs to be addressed, Johns noted.

The link between AMR in humans and animals tends to focus on food-producing animals medicated for therapeutic reasons or for growth promotion. These animals can potentially transfer antibiotic-resistant bacteria via the food chain (i.e., the humans that consume the animals could be consuming resistant bacteria). If authorities implement antibiotic restrictions for all veterinarians (which is a future possibility) and not just those ministering to food-producing animals, the implications could mean changes in how we manage equine health in the future.

In addition, Johns discussed the role of antibiotic resistance development in commensal bacteria (those that live in harmony and synergy throughout the body), as antibiotics don’t just target pathogenic (disease-causing) strains. Commensal bacteria also have the ability to form a multitude of resistant genes, and once resistant genes have been formed, the commensal bacteria can transfer the genetic information to other commensal forms as well as pathogens, ultimately adding to the antibiotic resistance problem.

For example, some forms of the bacterium E. coli aren’t pathogenic and are actually considered commensals. Johns discussed several studies in which horses with low proportions of resistant E. coli commensal organisms at the time of equine hospital admission had developed more resistant bacteria only six days later. As the duration of a hospital stay persists, there is a significantly increased risk for these organisms to develop AMR. This risk is amplified if the horse receives antimicrobial treatment, particularly if given multiple antibiotics.

Another study Johns described reviewed the persistence of multiple drug resistance over time after horses were discharged from a hospital. By the end of two months the E. coli organisms returned to their pre-treatment levels of antibiotic susceptibility.

Johns stressed to veterinarians and horse owners that antimicrobial drugs should be used with caution and only in cases with an appropriate need for treatment. She added that bacterial cultures and sensitivity testing can help veterinarians choose very specific antibiotics that target the problem, which will likely achieve the best clinical outcome. Applying these strategies, she noted, along with continued AMR surveillance is critical to the future health of both human and animal species.

Source thehorse.com

Australian Government Workers Secure Hendra Virus Scene

A Third horse was recently put down at a property near Boonah, Australia after testing positive for the deadly Hendra virus.

As recently reported by qt.com.au, Queensland chief veterinary officer Dr Rick Symons said the horse at the Mount Alford property was put down yesterday afternoon after becoming sick on Sunday afternoon.

This is the fourth positive Hendra result in south-east Queensland in the past few weeks, three on the Mount Alford property owned by Neil and Liz Fearon and one on a property at Kerry near Beaudesert.

Dr Symons said there was a chance seven other horses on the quarantined Mt Alford property were at risk, despite returning negative tests.

Four properties are now under quarantine, three around Beaudesert and one at Mt Alford, with 35 horses being monitored altogether.

Seven people including two children and vet and former MP Peter Prenzler, who have been in contact with the horses, have been tested for the deadly disease.

All test results have so far returned negative.

Nine people who had been in close contact with a horse that died at Beaudesert last week are also being monitored.

However, all 15 people won’t be in the clear until two more blood samples taken over six weeks also return negative.

The deadly disease has alarmed horse owners across the Scenic Rim region and more than 50 residents have visited an information hub set up in Boonah.

Bunjurgen resident Jeanette Richardson visited the mobile centre to find out more information about Hendra and its possible impact on her partner’s Charbray cattle stud.

“We have a quarter horse on our property and occasionally bats have flown past, so I wanted to find out more and if the Hendra virus affects cattle,” Ms Richardson said.

“We were worried about Hendra when we found out it was at Beaudesert, but now that it’s just a street away from us it’s a bit scary.

“Everyone is worried about it.”

Dr Symons said the information hub provided broad information on Hendra, its impact on animals and humans and an update on what was happening in the area.

“We continue to test suspect horse samples from other locations around Queensland, with as many as five samples a day coming in for assessment,” he said.

“I cannot over-emphasise the need for anyone dealing with sick horses to take appropriate precautions.”

Another outbreak of Hendra was recorded in northern NSW last week.

The horse was put down early on Thursday morning after its health rapidly deteriorated and the property where it lived near Wollongbar had been quarantined.

[Written by Uckele Health & Nutrition for Dressage Daily] The responsibility of owning a horse includes equal parts of fun and hard work, but what happens if you properly feed, train and exercise your horse and he is still hard to handle in some situations, or stresses out when it counts?

Jessica, a serious Dressage student, had this problem, “My horse, Papillon, spent over a year unable to concentrate, pawing in his stall, head shaking, rearing, spooking, bucking, and had gotten to the point I was too scared to canter or even ride him. I had tried a lot of “calming” supplements and Vet recommended treatments, but nothing even began to help him.” There are nutritional answers for these issues that provide support for brain and nervous system function to bring a better balance and improve stress response and recovery.

Jack Grogan, Certified Nutritionist and Chief Science Officer for Uckele Health & Nutrition, has developed formulas for behavioral issues that contain combinations of herbs, vitamins, minerals and amino acids that help soothe, relax, strengthen focus and provide restorative benefits to nervous system function.

Grogan explains, “Whether you have a pleasure horse or you’re preparing your horse for a show, there are a wide spectrum of complete, balanced formulas designed to address specific stressful situations, long-term balance, or pre and post-event.”

Grogan continues, “Horses that have a tendency to overreact to stressful events have metabolisms that are over-energized and utilize more energy than is required for the magnitude of the stressful event that they are experiencing. These horses are difficult to calm, have a tendency to be hyper-excitable and lose focus because of the excess energy usage.” Grogan lists a number of nutrients and plant extracts that can exert a relaxing, stabilizing effect on the brain and nervous system:

• Taurine is an amino acid that supports brain, liver and heart health. A potent antioxidant, it has detoxifying effects in the liver and other tissues, supports a healthy stress response and protects the brain and nervous system from the negative effects of stress.
• L-Tryptophan is a naturally occurring amino acid that supports the production of the neurotransmitter Serotonin, which supports a calm and balanced response to stress.
• GABA is a calming, relaxing brain support nutrient that works well with L-Tryptophan to strengthen the brain and nervous system from the damaging effects of distress.
• Thiamine (B1) supports energy production, formation of red blood cells, good appetite and growth, and balances chemical reactions in the brain and nervous system.
• Glycerosphosphocholine (GPC) is a water soluble phospholipid metabolite that can enter into the brain to support healthy brain function. GPC also aids in stabilizing cell membranes and supports liver function.
• Valerian Root Extract is a powerful herbal extract that supports a calming effect on the brain and nervous system.

On the other hand, Grogan points out that there are also horses that have a decreased level of alertness because they recover from or respond to stressful events too slowly, “They basically lack the metabolic energy and support to effectively manage stress. This causes a net energy decrease in the brain, nervous system and muscles that is caused by under-energy or a slow metabolism. These are the slow-reactors who are consistently energy-deficient.” Nutrients that can help stabilize the brain and nervous system:

• NN DImethylglycine (DMG) supports muscle metabolism, energy production, liver detoxification and efficient cellular oxidation.
• L-Tyrosine is an amino acid that supports the production of norepinephrine and dopamine, which aids in alertness and focus.
• DL-Phenylalanine is a 50/50 blend of two amino acids D-Phenylalanine and L-Phenylalanine which also supports the production of norepinephrine and dopamine, which aids in alertness and focus.
• Glycine Proprionyl L-Carnitine is a specialized form of L-Carnitine, which supports energy metabolism, cellular distribution of nutrients and brain function.

Grogan notes that the plant extract turmeric has special value for both the fast and the slow stress-reactors, “Both of these metabolisms can generate excessive oxidation by-products that can stress the brain and nervous system, interfering with normal brain cell communication. Turmeric has particularly favorable properties that allow these toxic oxidation by-products to be reduced, and therefore can be utilized nicely in formulas for either the fast or the slow-reactors.”

Jessica reports a happy ending for both her and her horse, Papillon, “Three days after starting Focus Calm he was a new horse in the barn, and within a week I was cantering and able to take him on hacks again! Since Papillon started the Focus Calm he is literally focused and calm, and overall a complete joy to ride and work with now!”

*Please note that some show organizations ban the use of certain herbal ingredients. However, every organization is different, so it’s important to check your rule book.

Source www.dressagedaily.com