ANSWER: It’s essential for anybody starting to event to feel comfortable and in control on cross-country. One part of the solution is finding the correct bit for you and your horse. The other is practicing riding in large pastures at home, to improve both your and your horse’s balance and confidence in the open. (Many horses with limited experience riding in the open have trouble finding their own balance on uneven terrain and need to practice doing it just as much as their riders.)

Test your horse’s reaction to a new bit by riding him in a large open field, practicing transitions and riding up and down hills.

© Stacey Nedrow-Wigmore

While selecting your bit, keep two things in mind: First, a bit is only as harsh as you make it. Milder bits can be much more severe than stronger bits if they require you to yank more on your horse’s mouth. Second, different horses like different shapes and styles of bits; there is no perfect bit to suit all horses. So, it may take a little experimentation to find a bit that works for you.

Whenever you change bits, adjust the severity level very gradually—never jump from a mild bit to an extremely severe one. The general progression from milder to stronger bits goes from a loose-ring snaffle to an eggbutt snaffle, a Dee ring, a full-cheek snaffle and then to bits with more leverage such as pelhams, gags, etc.). Your Dee-ring bit is on the milder end of the spectrum and, because it doesn’t seem to be working, I’d try something a little stronger, such as your Tom Thumb, which is actually a good “middle-of-the-road” bit. Like other pelhams, it has a fairly soft mouthpiece with just a little added ­leverage to give you some extra control. I would recommend using rein converters with it, so you don’t have to deal with the complication of riding with double reins.

To be sure that you don’t catch your horse in the mouth in the air over jumps, ride with some sort of breastplate or martingale yoke. This will give you something to hold on to when you feel your balance slipping. It’s a normal instinct to pull on the reins when you feel out of balance or your horse suddenly spooks. Knowing that you have the yoke there to grab ­instead of the reins will raise your comfort level significantly.

You’ll know you’ve gone to too ­severe a bit if your horse starts fighting the contact and throwing his head up and down. Some horses even bolt and run away in reaction to an overly strong bit.

The best way to test your horse’s ­reaction to the bit—and to begin building your confidence on cross-country—is to practice riding out in large open fields, preferably with some hills. Without doing any jumping at first, try walking, trotting and cantering around the fields. Make plenty of transitions: walk to trot, trot to walk, walk to canter, canter to trot, etc. Practice walking up and down the hills, teaching your horse to listen to your transitions and half-halts. Gradually build up to trotting and cantering on the hills.

When you start to feel more comfortable in the open, try trotting a few small cross-country fences. Make sure you feel completely confident doing this before trying it in competition. I even recommend trotting cross-country courses in competition at the lower levels. It helps both horses and riders build confidence, while instilling the idea of staying under control throughout every ride.

Four-star eventer Sharon White was short-listed for the 2007 US Pan American team and selected for US Equestrian Team Developing Rider training sessions in 1996 and 1999–2003. She has trained with top riders and coaches such as Bruce and Buck Davidson, Torrance Watkins, Jim Wofford, Jules Nyssen and Mary Flood. Based in Summit Point, West Virginia, Sharon and her parents, George and Carol White, ­co-own Last Frontier Farm, a full-service training and breeding facility.

This article originally appeared in the January 2009 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

On-again, off-again lameness, low energy levels, a cranky attitude—those signs could point to something as simple as overwork. But Lyme disease could produce all those problems, and it may be a growing problem for horses in parts of the United States. Lyme disease can have long-term complications that include damage to your horse’s joints, skin, nervous system and even vision.

A bacterial disease spread by tick bites, Lyme is a problem for people, dogs and other animals, not just horses. As the ticks that carry this disease slowly expand their range, cases and concern are increasing. Is your horse at risk? If he develops Lyme disease, how will you know, and what should you do? Can you protect him? This article will help you make sense of the threat.

Who’s at Risk?
Lyme disease takes its name from Lyme, Connecticut, where it was first identified in the 1970s. It’s now the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control, which tracks human cases. The disease has popped up in ­almost every state, but CDC figures show that most cases occur in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic and north-central states, with pockets in Pacific and southern states.

While no one collects national statistics on Lyme disease in horses, cases tend to occur in the same areas as human cases, says Thomas J. Divers, DVM, of the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine. Those are all places where the disease-carrying blacklegged ticks—mainly deer ticks and Western blacklegged ticks (photo above)—are common. In some areas up to half the blacklegged tick population may harbor the spiral-shaped bacteria, Borrelia ­burgdorferi (Bb), that cause Lyme disease.

The ticks have three life stages (larva, nymph and adult) and need a blood meal ­before they can molt into the next stage. They pick up the bacteria as larvae and nymphs by feeding on the blood of infected mice, and they transmit the infection to their next hosts—human, horse, dog, deer or any passing mammal or bird. They seem most likely to feed on horses as adults. In cold-winter regions, adults typically appear in early fall, spend the winter dormant in brush and leaf litter and come out again in early spring. This makes early spring and fall prime times for infection. But horses can get Lyme disease whenever infected ticks are active.

CDC statistics show a steady increase in reported cases. In some areas, including parts of Maryland and Virginia and northern New England, human case numbers are up sharply. Maine, for example, went from no cases reported in 1988 to 970 in 2009. Maine state veterinarian Don Hoenig, VMD, says that Lyme disease is turning up in new areas as the vectors—deer ticks—increase their geographic distribution. “We have ticks where we had none six or seven years ago,” he says. Several factors likely contribute to the spread:

• Wildlife populations: Deer and other wildlife hosts, including migratory birds, can carry the ticks and move them to new areas.
• Changing landscapes: In many areas abandoned farmland is reverting to forest, and the ticks prefer forest habitat to fields. They’re often found in the brush of the forest understory and forest edge—and suburban yards, which mimic that habitat.
• Warming climate: Warmer winters ­allow ticks to expand their range northward and to spread disease for more of the year, as they are active whenever the temperature is above 40 F.

Reports of Lyme disease have also ­increased as people have ­become more aware of it. “We’re looking for it more,” Dr. Hoenig says. Lyme is now so prevalent in Maine, he adds, that it’s no longer on the state department of agriculture’s list of reportable diseases.

If your horse is in a region where blacklegged ticks live, he’s at risk. But even if he’s bitten, he may not get sick. Even if a tick is packing the bacteria, it generally must attach and feed for more than 24 hours before it transmits the infection to its new host. And even when a horse is infected, he may not develop any signs of the disease. “There must be a distinction between infection and disease,” says Dr. Divers. Infection is common where the disease-carrying ticks are prevalent—nearly half of adult horses in some areas of the Northeast have been infected. “Clinical disease [disease that produces recognizable signs] does not appear to be common in horses, although we do not have data on this,” he says.

While every horse is different, they tend to fall into categories, and when you run across tendencies you’ve dealt with in the past, a similar procedure usually works.

Most style problems can be solved with gymnastic exercise of one kind or another. The following have been most expeditious in correcting the most common faults I’ve encountered.

Ronnie Mutch, a leading teacher, trainer, judge and illustrator of many books on horses and riding, began his riding career like many others, including George Morris, Victor Hugo-Vidal and Patty Heuckeroth, at the Ox Ridge Hunt Club in Darien, Connecticut, under the guidance of Otto Heuckeroth and Felicia Townsend. During his Junior career, he was a student of Gordon Wright, Teddy Gussenhoven and Al Homewood, who coached him to the AHSA [now the U.S. Equestrian Federation] National Hunter Seat Medal Final at age 15. He was also reserve champion in the ASPCA Maclay National Championship several times. At 18, he was named to the U.S. Equestrian Team.

According to Ronnie, Raymond Burr and Bobby Burke, for whom he catch-rode, were chiefly responsible for his riding style while the years he spent with Dave Kelley were the most influential to him as a trainer and horseman.

Ronnie attended the University of Virginia, where he rode and trained horses for the Hunt Meets, helped form its polo team and was a member of its first intercollegiate squad. After studying at the Parsons School of Design in New York City, he spent 12 years in the advertising business in New York as both a creative director and later a partner in his own firm. During this time, he also rode several jumpers as well as a hunter to the AHSA Working Hunter title.

In 1966, he began to ease out of Madison Avenue, and by 1970 he was devoting his full time to horses. Since then he produced four Horses of the Year and trained Fred Bauer to the 1969 Medal championship and the 1970 Maclay championship and Anna Jane White to the 1971 Maclay championship.

He operated Nimrod Farm in Weston, Connecticut, a combination show stable and a school where 300 students a week were taught and 16 horse shows were held annually.
In 1978, 28 years after Ronnie won the Medal Finals, his son, Bert, won the same championship. In 1983, Ronnie became the creative ­director for Miller’s Harness Company, where he was responsible for the design of advertising campaigns and catalogs. He also remained active in the horse world as a trainer and judge. He passed away in 1999 at age 63.

Since 1999, the

R.W. Mutch Educational Foundation has sponsored the R.W. Mutch Equitation Classic. The Classic, held at both the HITS Thermal and HITS Ocala show series in March, is a two-round class—a gymnastic-type course and a more traditional Medal-type course. During the competition, trainers cannot accompany the riders during the course walk or coach them during the schooling session or performance. In addition to ­being judged in the ring, riders ­receive scores from judges in the schooling area based on how they warm up and prepare their horses. The class is open to ­Junior riders who have won at least one equitation class at any of the major winter circuits.

The foundation also offers an ­annual R.W. Mutch scholarship to a Junior rider whose skills most closely resemble Ronnie’s ideals. With the help of the scholarship, recipients can spend two weeks with a top trainer at a designated location. For more information, visit www.rwmutch.com.

Reprinted from the April 1975 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

Something was clearly wrong with Feelin’ My Oats. The 5-year-old Connemara/Welsh pony, called “Oats,” usually expressed a cheerful interest in everything, especially eating. But on the morning of September 21, 2010, the 13-hand buckskin gelding failed to come in for his grain.

“He was just standing there, real lethargic,” says his owner, Candi Hylton. Her husband, Bernard, put a halter on the pony and walked him in to the barn. Oats’ depressed demeanor suggested that he might be colicking, but he didn’t appear to be in significant pain. A quick check of his temperature revealed it was slightly elevated at 102 degrees. At first Hylton was only a little concerned about the pony, but she became alarmed when Oats stretched out to urinate---and produced a stream of dark, almost coffee-colored, urine.

Thinking quickly, she grabbed a bucket to take a sample. Then she phoned Appalachian Veterinary Services in Christiansburg, Virginia, where she also happened to have worked in the front office years earlier. The on-call veterinarian headed out right away.

Hylton and her husband had been scheduled to deliver Oats and a few other horses from their boarding and training farm to a show at the county fairgrounds that morning. Leaving the sick pony under the watchful eye of the morning barn help, she and Bernard left to deliver the other horses. She would wait anxiously for a call to her cell phone with an update.

The veterinarian who arrived, a recent graduate, immediately knew Oats was in serious trouble. Dark brown or black urine is a sign that the body is excreting debris from damaged cells. Something inside Oats’ body was breaking down and had been for some time. The veterinarian called the office and consulted with the practice owner, Kent Adams, DVM.

“I could tell it was serious from the sound of that first call,” Adams says. The veterinary team still wasn’t sure exactly what they were dealing with: In addition to the dark urine and fever, Oats was lethargic, his heart and respiratory rates were elevated, and his gums were a slightly “muddy” color, indicating that his cells might not be getting enough oxygen.

The veterinarian gave Oats a dose of Banamine to help control any pain he might be experiencing and “tubed” him because of his decreased gut sounds, scant feces on rectal palpation and loss of appetite. The hope was to address any gastrointestinal problems while he considered the diagnostic possibilities for the unusual set of clinical signs. To gather more clues, he pulled a blood sample and headed back to the office to analyze it.

The results of the blood test shocked everyone: Oats had a hematocrit (HCT) of only 14 percent. HCT is a measure of the percentage of red blood cells in the blood; the normal value is 31 to 53. A level of 14 percent is very serious and potentially life-threatening. The pony had so few red blood cells circulating in his bloodstream that his vital organs, and indeed all of his tissues, were slowly being starved of oxygen. The dark urine indicated that red blood cells, and possibly other tissues, were being destroyed inside his body. These signs, combined with Oats’ muddy gums and depressed behavior, plus a careful survey of his turnout paddock, all pointed toward one very serious diagnosis: red maple toxicosis.

Deadly leaves
Red maple toxicosis (poisoning) occurs when horses eat wilted leaves from Acer rubrum trees. Red maples, also called swamp maples or soft maples, are medium-sized trees with distinctly shaped three- to five-lobed green leaves with jagged edges, V-shaped notches between the lobes, bright red stems and silver-white undersides. The trees are native to the eastern United States, but they are planted all over the country. The leaves contain several toxins, most notably gallic acid, that can lead to the destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis). A horse who nibbles on a few fresh green leaves, which are mostly water, isn’t likely to get a toxic dose. But one to three pounds can be a fatal dose for an average adult horse, and half a pound can kill a small pony. As the moisture content of the leaves decreases, the levels of the toxic principle increases: It is generally thought that lush spring growth is less toxic than later summer or early fall leaves.

“It’s a common misconception that [red maple poisoning] happens most frequently in the mid- to late autumn, when leaves turn colors and fall from the trees,” says Adams. “But in reality, in late summer when pastures are short, downed branches are much more of a threat because of both the quantity and appeal of the green leaves. In fact, the majority of cases I see are in late summer following a thunderstorm, when a branch falls and the pastures are sparse. Horses go looking for something to chew on and find those leaves.”

The exact source of the toxicity in red maple leaves has not yet been pinned down, but the effects within the body are well documented: “The toxin attaches to hemoglobin in the red blood cells, rendering them incapable of transporting oxygen,” explains Adams. “Some of the cells rupture, releasing hemoglobin into the bloodstream. That stresses the kidneys by clogging up the blood-filtration system. Meanwhile, the liver and spleen are identifying nonfunctioning cells with damaged hemoglobin and removing them from circulation faster than they can be replaced by the bone marrow. The end result is a horse who is essentially suffocating, with extensive damage to vessel-rich organs that depend on oxygen, like the heart, lungs, brain and kidneys.”

Starved of oxygen, the organs begin to shut down, usually about 72 hours after the horse eats as little as a handful of leaves. Severe colic and laminitis from circulatory dysfunction are common complications. “The spleen can release its stores of red blood cells, but that’s only about 10 percent of the total volume, and those cells will quickly die or be destroyed just like the others,” says Adams.

There is no specific antidote or effective treatment for red maple poisoning, but supportive care, including intravenous fluids and possibly blood transfusions, may help a horse survive. Infusions of vitamin C may also help, if the problem is caught in its earliest stages. “So it comes down to, ‘Can the horse live long enough---can his kidneys and other organs remain functioning long enough---for the toxin to be used up and new blood to not be affected,’” says Adams. “Most of the time, the answer is ‘No, he can’t.’” About 70 percent of horses with red maple toxicity do not survive.

Adams relayed the grim diagnosis to Hylton, who immediately headed home from the fairgrounds, hoping Oats would still be alive when she got there. He was.

Although Oats displayed all of the classic signs of advanced red maple poisoning---and his HCT indicated that he’d eaten at least a couple of pounds of the leaves a day or more before his problem was discovered---his case was distinctly unusual in one way: “In the early stages, even before we see red urine from the hemolysis, the gut slows down, experiences marked irritation and colic sets in. It’s usually a fairly painful process,” says Adams. “So, by the time we identify what’s going on through blood work, the horse is usually in significant pain or refusing to stand.”

Oats was by no means perky, but he was still standing, drinking some and even eating small amounts of hay. Also, his gums were only slightly off in

color, not the deep brownish hue that can be more typical of the condition. Taken together, these signs suggested that he was in the early stages of toxicity or he had gotten only a relatively small dose of the toxin, contrary to his blood work.

“What was remarkable is that he wasn’t panicking and severely stressed,” says Adams. “He was clearly in some discomfort and in distress, but he was staying on his feet. He would start breathing heavily if he moved much, but if you let him stand there, he seemed to be coping very well.” This stoic nature was serving Oats well---when a horse with red maple toxicosis gets agitated and thrashes, he uses up his limited oxygen supplies that much faster and can make the situation worse.

Tough decisions
The Hyltons’ first course of action that day was to find the source of the red maple leaves Oats had eaten to protect the rest of their horses. Although the pony had been in a large pasture that morning, he’d spent the previous day in a sparse “diet” turnout area. “The maple tree was over the diet pen,” says Hylton. “And we’d had a rainstorm. Bernard found a small limb that had fallen off, and you could see where leaves were gone off of it. When Oats is in the diet pen he will literally eat anything that has a leaf.” Bernard removed the limb and searched the property for any others that may have come down.

Meanwhile, Hylton had a long discussion with Adams about treatment options. “The first thing you think of is transporting the horse to a clinic where you can do a blood transfusion,” says Adams. “But given how low his oxygen levels were, the stress of such a trip could very well have killed him.”

Adams also had doubts about the benefits a transfusion might ultimately have for the pony: “Blood transfusions in horses have limited utility because they have so many blood types---you can’t get an exact match. Plus, in cases of red maple poisoning, any blood you do put in is going to be destroyed by the same processes as long as the toxin is circulating. So you get maybe 24 hours of benefit.”

All in all, it seemed better to leave Oats where he was and keep stress to an absolute minimum. His blood results had shown that his kidneys, liver and other vital organs were still functioning, and if he didn’t move around much his respiratory rate was nearly normal. “He was a very sick horse---no doubt about it---but his body seemed to be handling the situation remarkably well at that point,” says Adams. “He seemed to be holding his own.”

The veterinarian was also reluctant to try giving Oats intravenous fluids for fear it could upset the pony’s fragile physiological balance. “You can expand their blood volume with intravenous fluid, which will lower the total [HCT] levels even further,” says Adams. “There’s always the urge to do something, but sometimes you need to step back and make sure what you do doesn’t create a bigger problem.”

After discussing all of these factors, Adams and Hylton arrived at what may seem like a startling treatment plan: They would try to control Oat’s pain and discomfort and not much else---at least for the moment. “This wasn’t a case of ‘Oh, it’s just a pony, let’s wait and see what happens,’” says Adams. “And it wasn’t a case of an owner deciding things weren’t bad enough yet to call a veterinarian. Far from it. There was intense discussion to understand all the nuances and risks before making some very difficult decisions.” Confident that Oats was comfortable and as stable as possible, Hylton remained close by to monitor the pony’s condition.

Hanging on, day by day
Oats’ condition was unchanged the next day. He remained lethargic and slightly feverish with brown urine, all indications that his blood was still under assault from the toxin. And yet he remained on his feet, eating and drinking normally. Hylton watched him nearly continuously for signs of colic or laminitis, but the pony seemed to be holding his own.

A veterinarian from the practice returned to check on Oats that morning, and on the third day, Adams himself came back out to the farm to draw another blood sample to check the gelding’s HCT level. An increase in the number would be a sign that he had turned a corner and that his blood was no longer being destroyed by the toxin or removed by the liver and spleen.

Using a portable unit to run the blood test on site, Adams had results in minutes---and they were shocking. Oats’ HCT had dropped even further, to an astonishing 9 percent. According to the textbooks, a horse with an HCT that low should be in severe distress---or dead. Yet, there stood Oats, very much alive.

Hylton and Adams had another long conversation. The risks associated with transport, transfusions or intravenous fluids were still present, perhaps even greater. And although Oats was undoubtedly getting sicker, he still didn’t seem to “need” the supportive treatments. He showed no outward signs that his condition had worsened. In fact, his urine appeared lighter in color that day, a sign that the destruction of his blood cells was diminishing.

“We decided to let things be,” Hylton says. Oats remained in his stall, kept as quiet as possible while his owner monitored his care: “I was taking his temperature and listening to his gut and heart and giving [the veterinarians] a call several times a day to let them know how he was.”

Receiving these regular reports helped support Adams’ decision to not intervene medically: “Candi is an incredibly knowledgeable and diligent horsewoman. I knew she’d notice any changes and report it immediately.”

But the day after his astonishingly low HCT, Oats began to perk up. He moved around in his stall, and his temperature and heart rate started to come down. After another day, Hylton took him for a short hand-walk outside his stall. He pulled her toward the grass and ate voraciously.

Seven days after the initial veterinary visit, Oats was rechecked and a third blood test performed. This time, the pony’s HCT was 31 percent, edging into the normal range. His liver and kidney functions were normal, and he showed no clinical signs of colic or laminitis. Oats’ body, it seemed, had powered through the worst of red maple toxicity and was well on the road to recovery.

“It’s really a remarkable case,” says Adams. “I wouldn’t have believed the recovery in light of the dramatic lab findings if I hadn’t seen it myself.”

A few weeks later Oats was turned out with the herd again, and several months later Hylton began riding him cautiously. Finally, one year after the day he was found in the field so lethargic and weak, the pony made the trip to the county fair. He has never shown any adverse effects from his ordeal.

Adams uses Oats’ story as a teaching tool in continuing-education seminars for veterinarians. “This case really highlights the complex issues you face when treating red maple poisoning and how understanding the pathology is crucial so you don’t inadvertently make the situation worse; in some cases intravenous fluids or whole blood transfusion might make things worse,” he says. “Plus, it’s nice to be able to present a case with such a good outcome. He really is a remarkable pony.”

This article first appeared in EQUUS issue #425.

In most horses, light exercise can help alleviate muscle soreness after vaccinations. Photo © Celia Strain/EQUUS

Q: What is the proper protocol for exercising your horse after he receives shots? Is it OK to work him or should he have the day off? When I had to have vaccinations because I was traveling out of the country, my arm was sore. Does this happen to horses, too?

A: Just as with people, horses may have a wide range of reactions after receiving vaccinations. The majority of equine vaccines are administered by intramuscular injections, or “shots into the muscle,” on the side of the neck.

For most horses, the

only reaction, if any, is a little local inflammation and soreness at the injection site, which lasts just a few days. Usually, light exercise the day of the vaccinations and the next will actually help make the sore muscles feel better. During these workouts you might notice a little stiffness, but most riders report that they cannot feel any difference. After the first day or two your horse can return to his normal exercise routine and level.

There are some exceptions to this rule: If your horse has significant swelling, a fever or severe stiffness after his vaccinations, talk to your veterinarian before resuming exercise.

Some equine vaccines are administered intranasally---via a fluid or mist shot up the nose. These don’t cause muscle soreness, but they can make a horse run a fever or feel a little depressed, so a day or two of rest might still be a good idea.

Your best bet is to ask your veterinarian whether there is any reason for concern at the time she administers the vaccinations. She will have selected vaccines for their effectiveness and safety and will want to hear about any reactions your horse has had in the past.

Of course, you’ll want to use common sense: Don’t start anything new at the same time as the vaccinations, don’t increase your horse’s workload, don’t exercise him if the weather is excessively hot or cold, and schedule a break in his schedule if he has run a fever or had other significant reactions in the past.

Melinda Freckleton, DVM
Haymarket Veterinary Service
Haymarket, Virginia

Though Shelley has since renamed her rescue “Ellie,” the pony is just as cute as ever.

Ellie

Photo courtesy of Shelley Lauric

“She was just what I needed,” the proud new owner says. “My gelding Cesar died suddenly, while I was leading him, of an aortic aneurysm rupture...he was only 7. He was a big part of what got me through my cerebral aneurysm surgery and recovery from the brain surgery.”

Cesar’s pasture mate, Bryson, had also taken the loss hard, Shelley recalls. “I hoped that getting a friend for him would cheer him up; I had NO idea how much it would help me!” she notes. “I was reading an EQUUS magazine one night and I saw an ad for ‘A Home for Every Horse.’ Ellie is precious and she had so many needs that I was able to meet and get her healthy. Now her VERY high pitched whinny when you walk to the barn puts a smile on everyone's face--and Bryson loves her, too!”

While Shelley and her husband get settled in their new home in Lebanon, New Hampshire, Shelley’s friend and trainer Becky Rose is working with Ellie using natural horsemanship methods. “I am planning for Ellie and [me] to volunteer with a therapy organization up here, so I need to be sure she remembers all the things Becky and I have taught her since I took her home,” Shelley says. “I want to be sure she is safe around children and wheelchairs, etc. She is doing great because she is fearless and also very smart.”

Ellie’s cleverness was evident on the day that Shelley picked her up. “I was worried about how she would load on the trailer,” she says. “I opened it all up and prepared to lead her on. Then she walked right on--and right out the escape door!

“It was so funny. I hadn't even thought about how she could go under the dividers and fit through that door. So, we closed the door and tried again. She hopped right back on. She really is the bravest little pony in the world! And when you see her very puffy forelock blowing in the wind, it makes you laugh out loud every time.”