Spring 2020

Equus

An annual index turns EQUUS issues into a valuable reference library

Equus1 min read
Equus
Laurie Prinz equuseditor@aimmedia.com Christine Barakat Deb Bennett, PhD; Laura Hillenbrand Eliza R.L. McGraw; Tom Moates Philip Cooper Joe Bertone, DVM, MS, DACVIM Bradford Bentz, VMD; Jerry Black, DVM; Doug Butler, PhD; Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, M
Equus4 min read
Letters
Please consider this a “heads up” and confirmation as to why helmets are so important. About three weeks ago my friend and I were thrown from our horses on the trail. We were on our usual trails, and both horses are steady-eddy, been-there, done-that
Equus2 min readFashion
For Rainy Day Rides
Embossed with a subtle horse design, the Rain Stopper Jacket (suggested retail, $139) from Kerrits is waterproof, seam-sealed and lightweight. The stretchy Hydrotek™ fabric allows freedom of movement, while a mesh-lined back vent adds breathability.
Equus8 min read
Birds In The Barn?
Birds nesting in your barn present a dilemma. Yes, they can be noisy, destructive and messy, but birds help keep the insect population under control and contribute to a balanced ecosystem around your farm. Before deciding whether to try to evict bird
Equus11 min readBiology
Medical Front
A University of Glasgow study confirms something that owners of feisty ponies have long observed—diets high in starch can contribute to “spookier” behavior. To investigate possible correlations between behavior and the gut micro-biome, the researcher
Equus1 min read
After Exertion Let Your Horse Hang With Friends
The best place for a horse to recover after strenuous exercise is with a group of companions rather than alone in a box stall, according to a new study from Sweden. Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala investigate
Equus2 min read
A Way To Boost Deworming Treatments
A study from Spain suggests that parasite-eating fungi may be used to prolong the efficacy of deworming treatments for horses. The life cycles of many parasites that infect horses, including small strongyles, rely on pastures. When parasite eggs are
Equus13 min readPsychology
The Best-kept Secrets Of Riding Success
Our emotions, taken together with the way we respond to these emotions, create what is often called “character.” More than any other factor, character determines the success or failure of your relationship with horses. “Whoa,” you may think, “a disse
Equus1 min read
Healthy Competition
In sports, the definition of “win” is to prevail in victory over others. Seen through this prism, a winner may not be the most attractive person to be around, or the happiest, or the most spiritually fulfilled, but she is the person who most frequent
Equus10 min read
Lost And Found
In retrospect, I know that I did many things wrong on my pack trip into California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. Initially, all was well as I rode my horse, leading a two-pack string, while my boss and a friend hiked behind me. But then I made a basic a
Equus1 min read
Backcountry Survival Kit
Navigation tools: these include a watch, cell phone, map, compass and global positioning system (GPS) unit, with charged batteries Sun protection: sunglasses, sunscreen, hat Insulation: Carry synthetic or wool layers, waterproof/windproof rain jacket
Equus6 min readCrime & Violence
5 Reasons Horse Contracts fail
The woman’s voice on the other end of the line was calm and measured but I could tell this was a difficult discussion for her to have. She had left me a voicemail, stating that her beloved horse was now lame after being leased to someone for only a w
Equus1 min read
Dispute Resolution
Most people think that if a contract is violated, the next step is a lawsuit. While that is certainly one option, another is mediation. If both parties agree to mediation, a neutral party will hear their arguments and work out an agreement between th
Equus1 min readSocial Science
For Illustrative Purposes
Photographs and videos can add more power to contracts and enhance the protections they provide. For example, a lease contract can include the photograph of the horse at the beginning of the agreement so there aren’t any questions about whether the p
Equus2 min read
In Practice: Follow The Fine Print
Shirley was excited when an opportunity arose to lease a horse for her daughter. After 10 years of riding, her daughter wanted her own horse, and a lease would allow Shirley to determine whether she was ready for the responsibilities of ownership. Th
Equus1 min read
In Practice: Visual Aids
When Beth became pregnant, she realized that the best thing for her Fourth Level dressage horse—a Lusitano gelding—was to find him a good temporary home where he could continue his training. A breeder and trainer herself, Beth hoped to find a situati
Equus5 min readMedical
4-Point VACCINATION REFRESHER
It’s easy to go on autopilot when it comes to your horse’s vaccination schedule. Spring rolls around and you simply schedule the same vaccines he received last year. Or may be your veterinarian offers a health plan that includes vaccinations in its r
Equus1 min readMedical
Vaccinations For All Horses
The core vaccines for horses—those recommended for every horse—protect against the following diseases: • eastern/western equine encephalomyelitis—brain and spinal cord inflammation caused by alphaviruses that are usually transmitted by mosquitos. Two
Equus2 min readMedical
Risk-based Vaccinations
The “risk-based” vaccines—recommended for horses only if their health, lifestyle or location puts them at increased risk—protect against the following diseases: • anthrax—a potentially fatal systemic infection caused by the spore-forming bacterium Ba
Equus2 min readMedical
Advanced Age And Immunity
You might think your horse’s advancing age may be reason to alter his vaccination protocol, but if he’s on an appropriate program to begin with, advancing years alone don’t necessitate a change. Likewise, there’s no truth to the notion that older hor
Equus17 min readMedical
Great Horses By Design
Upon his father’s death in 1932, Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. became manager of King Ranch and was named its president three years later when it was incorporated. For the next 50 years, “Mr. Bob” was the prime mover behind King Ranch horse and cattle breed
Equus2 min readMedical
Sewall Wright’s Table Of Relatedness
Several important insights may be gleaned from this table. The degree of relatedness, expressed as a percentage, increases with the number of generations over which inbreeding continues to be carried out. The rate of increase is higher when matings o
Equus5 min read
Genetics Terms Explained
Gene: The unit of inheritance. A gene is a sequence of molecules on the DNA strand that encodes the synthesis of a protein. In Sewall Wright and Kleberg’s time this was not known; geneticists of that era conceptualized genes as discrete particles, of
Equus2 min read
Genetic Principles
This chart, which depicts the inheritance of recessive alleles, is very useful if you want to get a concise idea of why matings with known carriers of genetic diseases are best avoided. A short list of genetic diseases of horses (across all breeds) t
Equus2 min readMedical
Representation Of Mares Brought To Old Sorrel 1921 - 1943
A sketch of Old Sorrel surrounded by various imaginary broodmares, some of Thoroughbred type, others of Billy type, still others more or less mixed. They represent the variety of mares actually brought to Old Sorrel between about 1921 and his last fo
Equus2 min read
Economic Aspects Of Horse Breeding
Career profiles for King Ranch and commercially marketed sons of Old Sorrel: What is a breeder to do with good horses that don’t quite fit his objectives? Horses are lovely creatures, each of which is valuable in its own right. No ethical breeder vie
Equus2 min read
Important Outcross Stallions: The Little Joe Family
Offered at stud from 1910 on by Ott Adams, Little Joe became an important part of King Ranch breeding when Bob Kleberg noticed that mares by him crossed very well on Old Sorrel. Little Joe (1905) is by Traveler out of Jenny. Jenny is by Sykes Rondo,
Equus2 min read
Important Outcross Stallions: The Bold Venture Family
Bold Venture (1933) is by St. Germans of the Isinglass sire-line, out of Possible by Ultimus, a sire-line descendant of Himyar, with tail female tracing to the elegant Glencoe and the redoubtable and durable Sir Archy. Bold Venture is the sire of 194
Equus1 min readHorses
Important Outcross Stallions: The Chicaro Family
Chicaro (1923)—Sired by the imported Thoroughbred *Chicle, Chicaro was the first Thoroughbred purchased by Bob Kleberg as an outcross sire. Before being acquired by the King Ranch, Chicaro had already sired the nearly unbeatable short-track horse Fly
Equus1 min readHorses
Important Outcross Stallions: Government Remount Thoroughbreds
The King Ranch used covers by a number of stallions from the U.S. Army Remount Service. The availability of these high-quality stallions served to boost the quality of horses on thousands of farms and ranches in the western half of the country, not j
Equus1 min readHorses
Meaningful Testing
Was King Ranch performance testing meaningful? Here are a few photos of the Klebergs and ranch foreman Lauro Cavazos, Sr., who along with many other Kineño employees tested King Ranch stallions and mares and rated them for inclusion in the Quarter Ho
Equus5 min read
Leap Of Faith
The little chestnut pony would have to step over the shallow grave of her old herdmate if she were to get on the trailer and make her way to a better life. A fresh start awaited her, but sometimes after you’ve been let down, it’s tough to take that l
Equus7 min read
Consultants
Q: My 11-year-old Quarter Horse gelding has always been healthy, but lately I’ve noticed that he seems to be urinating more than usual. I don’t actually see him emptying his bladder more often, but I do find that I’m removing more wet bedding from hi
Equus1 min read
This Month’s Experts
Heidi Banse, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, is an assistant professor of equine medicine at Louisiana State University. She earned her Bachelor of Science and veterinary degrees at Washington State University and her doctorate at Oklahoma State University. A Dipl
Equus3 min readMedical
Keywords
adjuvant—a substance that enhances the immune response to an antigen; added to vaccines to increase efficacy. antibody—disease-fighting substance produced by the body in response to the presence of an antigen. Coggins test—laboratory blood test for t
Equus3 min read
A Lasting Gift
My old horse has picked up a new habit. She rests her chin on my shoulder, pressing down and holding still. Sugar is 27, a 15-hand Paint mare with two white stockings and an ample blaze on her face that makes her look like a Disney horse. Her mane is

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