Surgardine as a Thrush and Wound Treatment

My OTTB, Freedom, had a massive abscess blow out his heel a few weeks ago. While he’s sound on it, the exit hole has left a crack in his heel that extends up to his coronary band! To stabilize the hoof capsule, my farrier put on a bar shoe, but she also recommended packing the area with “Sugardine”, a combination of 10% povidone iodine, or Betadine, and sugar.

I’d certainly heard about the use of Surgardine in the past as a standard home remedy for thrush. I also know that SugarDyne is now marketed as a standalone treatment. So I looked into the science behind the concept. 

It turns out that sugar has been used as a wound treatment for centuries. Sugar is an antimicrobial agent. It inhibits bacterial growth, draws fluids, and is gentle on new tissue. Combine it with an iodine solution and you have a substance that does an excellent job at preventing infection and which is easy to use. In fact, in many countries, a sugar therapy is still used over antibiotics to treat infected wounds because the ingredients are readily available, inexpensive, portable and effective. The makers of “Sore No More” also recommend mixing their “The Sauce” product with sugar to make an effective treatment for thrush and abscesses.

When using Sugardine as a therapy, it’s important to pack the area several times a day  as the efficacy of the solution wanes as it becomes diluted.

According to Wiki Answers, the efficacy of sugar is impressive:

A variety of case reports provide amazing data supporting the use of sugar in treating infected wounds. Dr. Leon Herszage treated 120 cases of infected wounds and other superficial lesions with ordinary granulated sugar purchased in a supermarket. The sugar was not mixed with any anti-septic, and no antibiotics were used concurrently. Of these 120 cases, there was a 99.2 percent cure rate, with a time of cure varying between 9 days to 17 weeks. Odor and secretions from the wound usually diminished within 24 hours and disappeared in 72 to 96 hours from onset of treatment.

Sugardine is easy to make: simply mix white granulated sugar with either 10% providone iodine or Betadine until you have thick mixture about the consistency of honey — approximately twice the amount of sugar to the iodine, but exact proportions are not critical. Keep it in a covered container and it will last indefinitely.

When using Sugardine to treat a hoof ailment such as thrush — or in my case, trying to keep the area where the abscess drained free from bacteria — you should clean and debride the area then pack it with gauze (or a cotton ball) soaked in Sugardine. I’m using gauze pads that I’m inserting into the crack left by the abscess. If you’re treating for thrush, you should pack the Sugardine into the clefts. Unlike some home remedies for thrush (such as bleach), Sugardine is not caustic and it will not damage healthy tissue. It can also be used on scrapes, cuts and, on humans, to treat burns. 

Blanketing Doesn’t Keep Horses from Growing Winter Coats

Icelandic Horse (www.wikimedia.org)

Contrary to what many people think, horses don’t grow winter coats because temperatures drop. Rather, it is a response to the length of the day. As days get shorter, horses’ coats get longer. 

This means that some of the “traditional” methods of trying to reduce a horse’s winter coat, such as early blanketing or keeping them in a heated a barn, actually have no effect.

To keep a horse’s coat short (without clipping) many show barns use lighting to artificially lengthen the day and “fool” the horse into not growing a winter coat.

Researchers at Texas A&M University’s Department of Equine Scientists tested the theory that exposing horses to 16 hours of “daylight” (the length of the day on the summer solstice) to find out if it would retard fall hair growth or cause early shedding. The experiment was conducted on 16 horses (yearlings and two year olds) that were randomly assigned to normal or extended day length groups.

The project started October 1 when the extended day length (ED) group started receiving 16 hours of day light per day and the non-extended day length (NED) groups received natural day light only.  All horses were housed in the same non-heated barn and none of the horses were blanketed throughout the project. 

On day 1 the hair on a 1×2 inch square, under the mane, was clipped then shaved to skin level. Hair from these areas was reclipped on days 28 and 56 and measured for growth.  

After 28 days, the two groups showed approximately equal growth. But from there, the differences became obvious. On the last day of the experiment, December 6th, the hair on the NED group was nearly three times longer than the hair on the ED group.

Surprisingly, you don’t need special lamps to achieve this effect: you can use standard incandescent or fluorescent lights placed over, or close to, a horse’s stall. Horses have shown a response with as little as 3 foot candles of light (one foot candle is the amount of light that a birthday cake candle generates from one foot away), but 10 foot candles of light is the standard recommendation. Essentially, if you can read a newspaper from any location in the stall, you have enough light. 

To achieve the effect, horses need to receive 16 continuous hours of light (natural and artificial) and 8 hours of darkness. 24 hours of continuous light doesn’t do the trick; there needs to be a period of darkness. Most barn owners use timers to achieve the desired amount of light.

The other effect of keeping horses under lights is that mares will continue to come into season.

Sometimes it Helps to be Tired

Freedom and I are still grieving, but we are keeping busy and moving forward. He needs a job and I need to be riding.

On Saturday, I took him hunting. Normally, the hunt in this territory is relatively short, but very pretty. I thought it would be good for both of us. It was a great hunt, but it was not short. 

To begin with, Saturday was the Blessing of the Hounds. For those who don’t hunt, the Blessing of the Hounds is a celebration that marks the start of the formal hunting season. It is a tradition that dates back to the eighth century (when it was associated with St. Hubert, the patron saint of hunters) and it encompasses not just the hounds, but also the horses, riders and the fox (if there is one!). This ritual was brought to the American Colonies in the 17th Century.

At my hunt, the Blessing for the past two years has been a blending of traditions: it was performed by native americans who infused the ceremony with a spiritual quality that speaks to the history of our land along side the history of fox hunting. The songs, drum beats and the smoke used in the blessing ceremony are an amazing way to start the hunt, although not always appreciated by the horses. Below is a video from the 2007 Blessing of the Hounds.

Freedom was remarkably calm during the ceremony. It’s hard for him to stand for so long, especially when there are a lot of distractions such as beating drums. When the hounds were cast and the horses moved off, he was more than ready! 

I guess the hounds were more than ready, too, because shortly after the first cast, they pack eschewed the scent that had been dragged by our “foxes” and took off after deer, leaving the field to ride the remaining two portions of the hunt without them! 

The territory around Monument Street in Concord is exceptionally beautiful at this time of year so we all enjoyed the ride. There was still a lot of color in the trees and it was a good temperature for being out. We had some good gallops through the fields and covered far more ground than I had anticipated. I think that in the end we were out for three hours. 

Now Freedom is somewhat like the Energizer Bunny. He has a lot of endurance and plenty of speed. About a year after I got him, I took him to a large field near my barn and decided to gallop him around it until he was tired. Then I planned to push him a bit more so that he would listen to me and then be grateful to stop. After we’d circled the field 12 times, I was too tired and gave up! So, when his tail started to drag at the end of the hunt, it was quite an accomplishment. It also kept him quiet for the rest of the day; he was content to hang out in his pasture and snooze in the sun.

Move Over Wing Tempo – Elmer Sets New Competitive Trail Riding Record!

This past weekend, Elmer Bandit and his owner/rider Mary Anna Wood achieved a new record for lifetime competitive trail riding: 20,720 miles. The 37-year old half-arabian gelding passed the previous record held by Wing Tempo this past weekend when he completed the 29-mile North American Trail Ride Conference at Kanopolis State Park near Lindsborg, Kansas. 

Elmer’s pace during the event averaged 5.25 mph. Think about it: if you take that pace and apply it to his competitive miles, that would be 3,946.6 hours or 164 and a half continuous days of riding. And those numbers are only for his competitive miles; they don’t include the countless miles and hours spent training and conditioning.

20,720 miles covers a lot of ground. It is the equivalent of riding from San Francisco to New York and back four times! Or riding from New York to Hong Kong . . . and back! 

Mary Anna currently has no plans to retire Elmer. Who knows how much farther the two can go.

Read more about Elmer’s latest accomplishment.

Suffolk Downs Holds its Annual Showcase on Sunday

As racing begins to wind down for the season at Suffolk Downs, the number of horses that will need non-racing careers is beginning to rise. Given the uncertainty facing the economy, there will be more horses than ever who need a soft landing. If you are looking for a “prospect” or just a horse to hack around on, there is probably an OTTB at Suffolk who is looking for you! 

For the past three years CANTER New England has hosted a Showcase at the track as a way to show prospective buyers to a large selection of available horses. The Showcase is Sunday, October 26th from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Certainly, it’s a great way to get an introduction to horse shopping on a race track because, let’s face it, visiting the track on your own is intimidating. The first time I walked the shed row I was ready to take home everything in sight, just to get them out of there!

CANTER volunteers have seen the horses (sometimes following a horse’s career for years) and know the trainers. They can help you figure out what horse might be suitable for the type of riding you want to do and help you evaluate the impact that old injuries or just plain lack of calories can have on a horse.

Here are just some of the horses that I would like to take a closer look at. A complete list of horses for sale by their trainers can be found here. 

Confident Heart: Dark chestnut with chrome, 16.2/16.3 hands, 8 years old. ”Confident Heart” is a tall, very fancy mare with fabulous bone and popping dapples! She has a Warmblood physique, mustang endurance, and a puppy dog personality. Trainer has put a lot of time and great care into this mare, “because I really, really love her!” Regretfully selling, as Heart is showing she’s just plain tired of racing after 6+ years on the track. She is a kind, gentle mare who is described around the backside as “the easiest horse to ride.” This is a SUPERB broodmare prospect who will have no trouble getting into the Warmblood approved books. Price: $2,000 OBO – very negotiable to the right person; trainer most concerned with finding a great home. Contact Jill Lorenz at  603-479-5098 or corgifun00@aol.com.

The Big Ugly (near white 17 hands, 8 years old) has a name that’s not only unfortunate, it’s entirely inaccurate, too! There is nothing even close to ugly about this mare; she’s tall, striking, kind…and has LOTS of off-the-track training and show experience. Beautiful form over fences…has gone up to 2′6″, always keeps her knees nice and tight, and is very intuitive about a course and judging distances. A whiz at flying lead changes, too! Has run primarily on turf, and has stayed sound and in great shape throughout her career. She’s been with the same owner/trainer for years, and her excellent care shows in her open, friendly nature. Her sister is a star in the Oldenburg Main Mare book and The Big Ugly could easily follow in her footsteps as a sporthorse broodmare, too. Price: $3,999 firm. Serious inquiries, please, to Henry Rosenthal at 603-568-8804.

“Buzzin Around” (Dark gray with roaning, 15.2 hands, 5 years old) is described by his trainer as “one in a million – he has the best personality.” This adorable boy (check out those bangs in his photo) is a born ham…always charming in exchange for attention and petting. Trainer notes with loving frustration that Buzz is sound but “never gets anything done on the track because he’s too busy clowning around.” Price: $3,000 negotiable. Call Bernie Bramante, 617-291-5104.

“Sol Royale” (bright chestnut with chrome, 15.2  hands (and growing!), 3 years old) is a showstopper…he is just incredibly handsome. He is a grandson of Secretariat, and his lineage shows in every way, from his gleaming copper coat to his solid, sizeable build (he has a big barrel that will take up a lot of leg) and classy demeanor. Sol would seem to be the ideal hunter/jumper prospect…he is a fancy mover, has a quiet and gentle disposition, and is very friendly…so laid back that trainer’s girlfriend leads him around without a chain. He also has the chrome and flash to catch the judges’ eye in the show ring! Sol is lightly raced…he’s sound but shows zero interest in emulating his famous ancestors. Has now started under-saddle work and loves being a riding horse. Price: $3,500 firm. Call Alan Lockhart, 508-415-9022, or e-mail alpal2187@yahoo.com.

“Tom Who” (dark bay, 16.1 hands, 7 years old) is his trainer’s absolute favorite: he couldn’t rave enough about this big, showstopping boy! “I HATE to sell him,” he lamented, but there aren’t enough stalls at the track where he’s headed. Tom is still the picture of health and horsepower after 60+ starts; he’s not all that interested in racing anymore, but looks like a million bucks and clearly wants a J-O-B…this is a horse that will rise to the occasion every time you ride him. Very regal animal with tons of presence and a great brain. He’s even started ponying other horses to the starting gate, and is proving to be a fast learner. A quality horse in every way…don’t miss out. Price: $3,000 firm. Serious inquiries, please, to Dave Lezell, 781-956-0404. 

“Panky Hanky” (liver chestnut, 15.2 hands (and growing!), 3 years old) looks like a combination of sturdy QH and adorable pony – he is VERY attractive, nicely put together, and flashy. Snazzy boy with a distinct blaze. An elegant mover, too…once you can get him going: he’d much rather stop and eat! Did have a knee chip taken out some time ago, but knee has healed completely and does not appear to be bothering him. Trainer is headed to Puerto Rico and can’t take him along, so is pricing to sell. PRICE REDUCED: $1,500 negotiable to a great home; trainer leaving very soon, MUST SELL! NEW PHONE # FOR TRAINER: Call Greg Rivera, 508-685-3616.

These horses are all being sold by their trainers but CANTER New England also has several horses that are available for adoption. Keep in mind that CANTER always recommends that you have a pre-purchase exam performed on a horse before you buy.

If you can’t make it to the Showcase, or don’t have room in your barn for another horse, please donate to your local CANTER affiliate. Every dollar helps the horses as the organization is run completely by volunteers.

Do Horses Grieve?

Years ago when I bought my first horse, Bogie, I asked the instructor at the barn why he was always turned out alone. She told me that he had bonded very strongly to another gelding and had been turned out with him for years. When the other horse died, Bogie refused to accept a substitute. He preferred to be alone.

Freedom was very strongly bonded to Kroni.

Freedom, my TB, is definitely grieving the loss of his friend. Since day 1 Freedom always wanted to be near Kroni. They were almost always next to each other in the pasture and they would stand side by side in their stalls.

There were certainly times when Freedom drove Kroni to distraction. Freedom always wanted to play and the two of them put on quite a show: they would rear and paw the air, or play halter tag. Sometimes Freedom would sneak up behind Kroni and grab his blanket or fly sheet with his teeth and pull until Kroni kicked out. Freedom would dance around and then come back and do it over and over again.

When Kroni  became sick, Freedom was acutely aware of his discomfort. He spent much of his day standing near his friend, nuzzling him or just keeping him company. Even when Kroni retreated to the comfort of his stall, Freedom came in and stood in the aisle or grazed close to the barn.

When we tried to get Kroni back on his feet Tuesday, when his legs would no longer obey the commands of his brain, we had to sedate Freedom because he became so upset. We needed to sedate him a second time when we loaded Kroni on the trailer, strapped to the glide.

My husband and I checked on Freedom the night that Kroni went to Tufts. When he heard us drive up, he came running through his paddock whinnying and agitated. He was looking for Kroni and not content to see only humans.

Yesterday I couldn’t bear to be at the barn. I checked on him a few times, but didn’t spend much time with him. Freedom is normally an “in your pocket” kind of horse. He loves human attention and will always come in from the field to find out what you are doing. But he didn’t want me to touch him. He was quivering and anxious, pacing back and forth. A friend told me that he spent much of his time looking off down the trails, as if expecting Kroni to come walking home.

Today I felt guilt about leaving Freedom to deal with his grief. Even if I’m sad at least I know what happened to Kroni. Freedom knows only that he’s gone.

Like yesterday, he didn’t really want to be touched. I could catch him but he was fidgity. He refused point blank to walk into the barn.

I saddled him up and took him for a long hack. It was good for both of us to go somewhere and move forward. Certainly he seemed calmer after we returned.

The grieving process is intense. According to the Pet Hotline on the Washington State University Web site, there are three distinct phases.

1. Numbness: (also shock, denial, or a sense of unreality). In this first phase, our minds slowly begin to adjust to the new reality that we have lost a loved one. Because this is such a difficult time, thinking about or experiencing the grief constantly would be too painful. So, we vacillate between knowing and not knowing, or believing and not believing that the loss has happened and is a reality. Give yourself time to come to terms with the loss. It can last from hours to several weeks.

2. Disorganization: This is a time of personal chaos, as we try to adjust to the world without our lost loved-one. During this phase, we are intensely aware of the reality of the loss, but would do almost anything to escape it. Strong emotion and exhaustion permeate this time and grievers find it difficult to participate in many of their normal activities. The experiences of anger, extreme sadness, depression, despair and jealousy of other’s who haven’t experienced such a loss are all a normal part of grieving. It is during this time that a person slowly understands all the implications of the loss, and figures out how to live again. This experience may last from days to a year or more.

3. Reorganization: (also recovery, reconciliation and acceptance). The disorganized, disrupted time a person experiences slowly finds a new balance point. The grief process slowly progresses and the person in mourning becomes aware that the physical signs of grief are fading and that the exhaustion isn’t as profound. Although the pain of the loss remains, the unbearably quality of it begins to lift. Hope returns. Life seems possible again.

I would say that Freedom and I vacillate between phase 1 and phase 2. All we can do is keep moving forward.

Note: my husband found a short article that was published in the New York Times back in 

horse-grief2

When Political Correctness Extends to the Race Track

From The Onion, a video segment that made me laugh on a day when I needed it!

First Openly Gay Racehorse To Compete Sunday

My Handsome and Beloved Kronefurst Crossed the Rainbow Bridge

When I posted yesterday morning, I was cautiously optimistic about Kroni’s health. Unfortunately, when I came to check him mid-day, he was down and not able to get up.

With the help of many people, including an extraordinary team from the MSPCA, we transported Kroni to Tufts for emergency care. I have never been to an emergency veterinary center before and I was completely impressed by both the professional standards and care. The team that worked on him was amazing. I hope never again to participate in such an event, but they were great.

The preliminary results from his blood work and spinal fluid were still inconclusive. There was no glaringly obvious explanation to what was making him so sick. I stayed until he came out of anesthesia so that he knew I was there. I tried to explain to him that we were trying to help. Sadly, whatever afflicted him was more than he could recover from. They called me at 8:30 this morning to tell me he had just passed.

Kroni was an important part of my family for the past 12 years. He provided an extraodinary amount of fun and pleasure. He was a fantastic hunt horse, a brave and curious trail horse, and a horse that was safe enough to take my husband for some rides.

I found him through some friends in upstate New York where he was bred. His future at that time was uncertain; he was owned by a 15 year old girl who had run away from home. The barn where he was boarded was going to sell him to pay for back board. A mutual friend paid the bill and brought him to her barn. When I first sat on him, I knew he was “the one.” I’d been looking for a new horse for close to a year at that time and he was everything I wanted.

Of course, he was a few more things, too. Kroni had some training issues that made him a difficult ride at the beginning. He had a tendency to rear and he could be stubborn as all get out. With the help of a few great trainers and a lot of patience, he overcame those issues. Eventually, I found a job that he loved — as a hunt horse — and he excelled at it. I could hunt him first flight in a bitless bridle and always feel completely in control. He could anticipate what I wanted and was always game for every fence and every type of terrain .

I only had the chance to hunt him once this fall as he had just come back into work after growing out his front feet. It was just 10 days ago and it was one of the most beautiful hunts of the season. It’s an exceptionally nice territory, especially at this time of year when the fall colors were at their full glory. It was a splendid day and a very nice hunt. I will treasure that last ride with him. For him to die just 10 days later is almost incomprehensible.

For me, Kroni was probably my horse of a lifetime. I had always envisioned watching him graze contentedly into his retirement and I’m so sorry that will not come to pass. I know he had the best of all possible care at the end, which is a small comfort. I just hope he knew we were trying to help him.

The Rainbow Bridge Story

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal who has been especially close to someone dies, that pet goes to the Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food and water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

Animals who were ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them from days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one thing: they miss someone very special to them; the person they left behind.

All of the animals run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to break away from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. Happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…