1964-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1964 June Voice | Page 30

jl HORSES! HORSES, ORSES, by Dr. M. E. Ensminger, Ph.D. Clovis, Californio You're Asking I’m always pleased and honored to have questions asked of me. Now that I’m a hundred years old, it doesn’t bother me in the least to say, “I don’t know.” Here are some recent questions, along with my answers: Q.—What can you tell me about heaves? (This question was part of of a long distance telephone call from a horseman in one of the New England States. I’m glad I wasn’t paying the toll charges. Based on my inability to help, I’ll bet the person making the call also wished she weren’t.) A.—Frankly, I know very little about heaves; and, judging from the lack of agreement relative to treatment, I don’t think anyone else does. Professionally, the di­ sease is given the high sounding name “chronic pulmonary alveo­ lar emphysema”; but in simple, everyday language, it’s called “heaves” or “broken wind.” It is characterized by difficulty in forc­ ing air out of the lungs, resulting in a jerking of the flanks (double flank action) and coughing. The nostrils are often slightly dilated and there is a nasal discharge These signs are exaggerated by dusty hay or dusty stables and by exercise. For the most part, it af­ fects horses 5 years or older, but it has been noted in younger ani­ mals. The exact cause is unknown. It does appear that respiratory infec­ tions are contributory. Some au­ thorities are militant in their be­ lief that heaves are due to an al­ lergy; in particular they incrimi­ nate oats and linseed meal, even to the point of deleting these ingre­ dients from the ration and replac­ ing them with best pulp and soy­ 30 bean meal, respectively. Others are just as vociferous in advocat­ ing that horses afflicted with heaves be fed more oats, and less of something else. Still others, blame dry roughages in general, and legume hays in particular. My personal recommendations relative to treatment are: Avoid dusty or damaged feeds; keep stables well ventilated and dust free; and feed an all-pelleted ration, thereby al­ leviating dust in the feed and les­ sening the distended muscles that accompany “hay bellies.” Q.—Will fescue pastor cause my mare to slink (abort) her foal? A.—No; that’s an old wives tale. Go ahead and use that good grass. If your mare aborts, and you have authoritative and positive proof that fescue pasture caused it, you may turn this columnist out to pasture, Sir. Q.—How should a box stall be prepared for foaling? A.—-Clean thoroughly, disinfect (13-oz. lye per 10 gals, water; use one-half strength solution in scrub­ bing mangers and grain boxes), sprinkle lightly with lime (quick lime; burnt lime), and bed for the occasion. Q.—What is meant by a "quarter crack?" A.—It’s a vertical crack on the side of the hoof; usually corrected by keeping the hoof moist, short­ ening the toes and using a correc­ tive shoe designed for the particu­ lar situation. Q.—My horses are on poor pas­ ture and a considerable distance from my home. Could I self-feed them a salt-feed mixture in pel­ lets? A.—Salt may be used as a gover­ nor — as a way in which to limit feed consumption. But it must be used with discretion and properly. If the pellets are small and hard, horses are apt to swallow them without the salt being fully effec­ tive as an inhibitor, with the re­ sulting hazard of founder. For this reason, I would recommend that you use a salt-feed block con­ taining about 15% salt and 20% protein, rather than pellets. A re­ putable commercial feed company should be able to help you. JULY 1-2 .. . Louisville, Mississippi. JULY 2 . . . Martin, Tennessee. JULY 3 . . . First Annual Civitan Horse Show, Fort Payne, Alabama. Contact A1 Holt, Black Building, 116 First St., Fort Payne, Ala. JULY 3 . . . Dunlap, Tenn. Contact: Owen Fullen, Athens, Tenn. JULY 3 . . . Murfreesboro Summer Horse Show sponsored by Exchange Club of Murfreesboro. Contact John Hood, P. O. Box 1113, Murfreesboro, Tennessee. JULY 3-4 . . . Kosciusko, Mississippi. JULY 3-4 .. . Tazewell County Horse Show, Tazewell, Va. Contact: Roy Rich­ ardson, Tazewell, Va. JULY 4 . . . Athens, Tenn. Contact: Owen Fullen, Athens, Tenn. JULY 4 . . . Annual 4th of July Horse Show, Jonesboro, Tenn. Contact: Horse Show, Box 127 Jonesboro, Tenn. JULY 4 . . . East Point, Georgia Horse Show. Contact: Jimmy Seashole or Mrs. Woodrow Garrett, Whitesburg, Ga. JULY 4 . . . Florence, Alabama. JULY 5-11 . . . Lexington, Kentucky Jr. League Horse Show. JULY 9 . . . Covington, Tennessee. JULY 10 . . . Ripley, Mississippi. JULY 10 . . . Cornersville, Tennessee. JULY 10 . . . 11th Annual Walker County Horse Show. Contact: C. N. McKellar, Box 231, Jasper, Alabama. JULY 10-11 ... Cedartown, Ga. Horse Show. Contact: Jimmy Seashole or Mrs. Woodrow Garrett, Whitesburg, Ga. JULY 11 . . . Thomason, Georgia. JULY 11 . . . Liberality, Madisonville Rt. Tenn. Contact: Owen Fullen, Athens, Tenn. JULY 11 . . . Chapel Hill, Tennessee. JULY 11 . . . Wickliffe, Kentucky. JULY 11 . . . Elizabethton Rhododen­ dron Horse Show. Contact: Eugene Hopson, Elizabeth, Tennessee. - ' s-u-t- Walking Horse