*New* The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - Who's Who *pics*
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Posted on 01/31/2005 8:31:31 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
*New* The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - Who's Who *pics*
Free Republic has a lot of horse people that have found each other on other threads…. And since we all like to talk horses, how about a thread where it is not off-topic, but is THE topic?
This is a horse chat thread where we share ideas, ask for input from other horsemen, and talk about our riding and horse-keeping. We have a lot of different kinds of riders and horses, and a lot to share. In the previous threads we have had a great time talking through lessons, training, horse lamenesses, illnesses and pregnancies... and always sharing pictures and stories.
I always have a link to this thread on my profile page, so if you have something to say and can't find the thread in latest posts… look for it there and wake the thread up!
I also have a ping list for horse threads that are of interest, and Becky pings everyone most mornings. Let Becky (Paynoattentionmanbehindthecurtain) and/or me know if you would like to be on the ping list. As FreeRepublic is a political site, our politics and other issues will probably blend in…. There are many issues for horsemen that touch politics… land use, animal rights/abuse cases that make the news…. Legislation that might affect horse owners.
So... like the previous threads, this is intended as fun place to come and share stories, pictures, questions and chit-chat, unguided and unmoderated and that we come together here as friends. There are lots of ways of doing things and we all have our quirks, tricks and specialties that are neat to learn about.
Previous threads:
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - thread ONE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread TWO!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread THREE!
New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!
I know of a person who bought a horse for her daughter just because the horse had a pretty tail. The damn daughter nearly ended up getting killed.
Definately. ;~D
This has been fun to talk about, it's too cold and muddy here to ride.
I think what AmericanMom and I are saying is that it's the combination of things that make him not a good horse. I do think he's a nice looking horse but his conformation sucks and going by the sellers description, he's got some serious problems that will take a considerable amount of time to work out.
It will be close to impossible to match that horse up with the right person. People with the experience to handle the horse will be put off by his price and conformation. Inexperienced people will be put off by his behavior. Not much left. She was a sucker and now she's hoping to find another sucker.
I like the ones who want to buy a baby horse to give to their small child, so they can grow up together and have the perfect relationship.
Subject: [netposse] Whisper syndrome update.
I have now received several more reports of recent horse deaths with these unique symptoms. Obviously some of these deaths may be other disorders but the symptoms are unique enough to be very alarming. I have also been asked several questions which this message should answer. Let me say that I am not a veterinarian and am not trying to play one. I am very much hoping that I will get this far enough along that the veterinary community will pick up on it and take the ball. I have two who are beginning to do just that.
I am calling this Whisper Syndrome until we know what it is. Here are updated facts. This disease is devastating and kills very fast. You must catch it early and hit it with antibiotics, but do not take this to mean a vet does not need to be involved, just make sure he is given this information.
Stage 1 symptoms: Strange uncharacteristic, isolated stumble, trip, stretching step, head gesture, or other apparently neurological sign. These are often dismissed due to age or other factors. Turning head sideways while lying down (not looking at flanks like colic). Pawing at floor of stall, and or circling. Change of habitual patterns of behavior / confusion. Some of these symptoms obviously mimic colic, but rolling and looking back at the sides is not common.
Lack of appetite or chewing but not swallowing. Aversion to water. Dehydration. No elevated temperature, and possibly a subnormal temperature (96-99.8 is typical). Blood work will show drop in lymphocytes. Heart rate may not be elevated. Some signs of colic (caused by colitis that results). It is often treated as colic, losing critical time and resulting in death. Even if your vet is relatively sure you are dealing with colic, have him or her run blood tests immediately.
Stage 2 symptoms: Difficulty walking or refusal to move from a standing position. Difficulty getting up. Sudden collapse. Shivering. White count may or may not elevate.
Stage 3 symptoms: Shock, seizures, erratic breathing, death
Death results in 12 hours to 4 days. No horses reported have survived other than our two who were given Naxcel, but penicillin may work. We are assuming here that ours all had Whisper syndrome, but this is a reasonable assumption given the fact that all occurred within weeks of each other. This is classic among horses who have died of the syndrome. Antibiotics are often not prescribed in time because of the lack of a temperature. Blood work should be done immediately to determine if the antibiotics are indicated.
It strikes multiple horses at a single facility and in most but not all cases it is horses that are eating round bales. It does not appear to be communicable from horse to horse, at least directly. It may be communicated via feces but this is only speculation. It strikes where no horses have entered the population for months or years. If there has been the death of one or more horses with these symptoms, it is crucial to watch the others very closely.
What Whisper Symptom is: It could be botulism but vets are in disagreement on the likelihood of this because it appears to respond to antibiotics better than would be expected with botulism. Tests will prove or disprove one classic case in two weeks.
It is probably bacterial in nature given its apparent response to antibiotics. It is far deadlier than moldy hay (which is bad enough). It does not cause liver damage. Slight brain swelling may be evident at necropsy.
What we know Whisper syndrome is NOT: It is not believed to be related to mold, although mold may be present. It is not EPM. It is not Rhino or EHV-1 (Equine Herpes Virus) There is a serious outbreak of EHV-1 in Virginia right now. please read http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05057/463330.stm It is not West Nile virus. It is not Rabies (although some symptoms look like rabies).
Where: Owners in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and upstate New York have all reported similar cases. The location of other cases is not yet determined and it may be more widely spread. There is an intense cluster in Virginia.
If you have seen these symptoms or if you lose or have lost a horse to similar symptoms please try to have a necropsy done by a state laboratory (not an individual vet), and please let me know right away. Hollandtech @ earthlink . net (remove spaces). Ask them to test for botulism (this requires injecting a mouse).
Here is what I will need to know:
How many of the symptoms were present? Were multiple horses at the facility and were others affected? What treatment was given and what were the results? Were round bales being fed? Was anything fed from the ground? Was feed tested? Where did this occur and how recently. Was a necropsy performed? Can we have access to it?
Thanks, and I pray I will not hear of more deaths. There were two deaths last night and one this morning reported to me. Each reminds me of the terrible death of Whisper. Please cross post at will. You do not need my further permission to do so.
Thank you,
John Holland
That is bizarre. It reminds me of all those Kentucky foals dying.
It is very bizarre. Appears to be localized to a small area of the east coast also. I can see the problem, the symptoms mimic so many things.
Holland is now calling it the 'Whisper Syndrome'. The signs of trouble are soooo very subtle or misleading. Even the vets are getting blind-sided by this.
Holland is thinking 'botulism'. But it seems a little strange that so many different states have so many 'quickly dead' horses and the only 'common link' is hay. Does that mean that all these dead horses, in all these states, have eaten hay from ONE producer????
And if it IS 'common' botulism, then WHY haven't the vets figured that out?
Anyway, very frightening. I've made note of it, just in case it heads west.
A grower/producer might have shipped up and down the East Coast. Probably has distributors, hence the local concentrations.
With most of the cases clustered in VA, probably going to turn out to be feed produced there that was shipped to distributors elsewhere.
I recall a case years ago when mercury-treated seed grain somehow got mislabelled and into the food supply. A bunch of sharecroppers in Mississippi ended up dead, or blind/brain damaged from mercury poisoning. But there were isolated clusters that followed the distribution chain.
check this out. I think it looks fun and I might need it. I got my new state line tack catalog today.
Cindy, since your trainer likes for you to ride bareback occasionally, you might like this pad. They give you more, "stick to itedness" than just riding plain bareback.
http://www.statelinetack.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441808087&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302024175&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302029173&bmUID=1109728340418
I wonder how long it will take them to figure out what it is killing those horses. Did they ever figure out what was killing the Kentucky foals?
*bangs head on desk* Oy. Yeah, those are classic.
That was a fun discussion today, wasn't it? When I posted that comment this morning I never thought it would turn into a day long debate.
My 11 year old son has decided he wants to earn extra money for an internet ready watch. (what the heck is that?) He's doing the laundry and he mopped the kitchen floor.
http://agdirect.com/scripts/hrsdetl.exe?1076285372&0
http://horse.classifieds.equine.com/horses/784251.html
The agdirect ad is the first ad and the one I almost bought that horse from. (he didn't pass a vet check)
The horseclassifieds ad is the one from the people who bought the horse and already resold him.
He sticks at exactly 17.2h. He was NOT put out to pasture for a couple of years by a pregnant owner, that is a total fabrication.
I always though botulism was from toxins in cans where no air present. I just looked it up and the germ can be found in soil and an animals digestive track too. Strange. I would have though the horses had something else going on or were being poisoned.
She doesn't want me on a pad. She isn't having me do this to learn to ride bareback but to "improve" my confidence. She's telling me nothing wrong with my riding skills.
Ohhhhhhh, I thought you were just working on balance. Well, if nothing else, they keep your clothes clean.
Mack, this is the horse we discussed before. He didn't pass a vet check so I offered the owner a little more than half of what they were asking for him. You asked me why I would buy a horse that wouldn't vet out and I told you that he was a nice horse, not a mean bone in his body. Remember?
http://agdirect.com/scripts/hrsdetl.exe?1076285372&0
http://horse.classifieds.equine.com/horses/784251.html
The agdirect ad is the first ad and the one I almost bought that horse from. (he didn't pass a vet check)
The horseclassifieds ad is the one from the people who bought the horse and already resold him.
He sticks at exactly 17.2h. He was NOT put out to pasture for a couple of years by a pregnant owner, that is a total fabrication
It is balance too. When I'm thinking about it, I'm grabbing the rein and "oh, oh. oh!". When, I'm talking, I have a good seat and in and out of turns real smooth until I think about what I'm doing":') I have no intention of riding bareback outside of the arena. It's just an exercise like when she takes my stirrups away.
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