A is for
Axis or Atlas
B is
for Breastbone
C is
for Cranium
D is
for Distal Sesamoid Bone
E is
for External Frontal Crest
F is
for Femur
G is
for Guttural Pouch - sorry, not really a bone or ligament!
H is
for Hyoid Bone
I is
for Ischium
J is
for Joint
K is
for Knee
L is
for Lumbar Vertebra
M is
for Maxilla
N is
for Nuchal Ligament
O is
for Olecranon Process
P is
for Pisiform bone
Q is
for - no, don't think there is one.
R is
for Radius
S is
for Scapular Cartilage
T is
for Tibia
U is
for Ulna
V is
for Vertebra
W is
for Withers ( is all I can find)
X is
for Xiphoid cartilage of sternum
Y is for - any suggestions?
Z is
for Zygomatic Arch
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Until next time!
Jo
It is that time of year again with
the nights getting colder that you might change your horse or pony from 24/7
turnout so that they come in to a stable at night. I recently read an article which suggests
that you need to make this change as gradual as possible.
A 2009 study at the School of
Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham (Sutton Bonington
Campus), looked at whether a change from pasture to stabling is a risk factor for
colic in horses. The aim of the study was to
investigate the effect of a change in management from pasture with no
controlled exercise to stabling with light exercise on aspects of
gastrointestinal function related to large colon impaction.
How we manage our horses is
affected by different factors, such as season, geographic region, horse’s
breed, age or use, and finances. Most horses in the UK have some access to
pasture throughout the year, but are also stabled at some time, which means
that most will experience management changes.
Simple colonic obstruction and
distension (SCOD) is one of the common causes of colic. Risk factors for SCOD
are a recent change in exercise, increased time spent in a stable (with
stabling 24 hrs/day associated with the greatest risk), and a recent change in
concentrate feeding. Pelvic flexure impactions are the most common type of
SCOD, this type is often associated with transferring a horse from pastured to
stabled management.
Previous research has not
established whether the underlying cause of impactions is dehydration of
ingested food, an alteration in motility, or both. The aim of this study was to
investigate the effects of a management change from pasture with no controlled
exercise to stabling with light exercise on large intestinal motility water
intake.
Seven horses aged 6-10 years of
different breeds with no history of gastrointestinal disease within the
previous 12 months and a body condition score of 4.
- The horses were monitored while
at pasture 24 hrs a day, and for 14 days following a transition to a stabling
regime with light controlled exercise. All horses were at pasture for a minimum
of 3 weeks prior to the study. The horses had constant access to fresh water,
no controlled exercise and no supplemental feed.
- Under the stabled management
regime, horses were housed individually on shavings, with continuous access to
fresh water. Hay was fed twice-daily according to body weight and condition
score. No concentrates were fed. Horses were exercised for up to 60 minutes.
Drinking water intake, faecal
output and faecal dry matter were measured. Motility of the caecum, sternal
flexure and left colon (contractions per minute) were measured twice daily by
transcutaneous ultrasound.
Results:
- Drinking water intake was significantly
higher on all days post stabling compared with when horses were at pasture. In
the stabling regime, drinking water intake was greatest on Day 10 after
stabling.
- Faecal output was significantly
lower on all days post management change compared with when horses were at
pasture. Lowest faecal output was recorded on Day 3 after stabling and the
highest faecal output after stabling was on Day 10.
- Faecal dry matter content was
significantly higher on all days post stabling compared with when horses were
at pasture. The highest percentage of faecal dry matter was recorded on Day 1
post stabling.
- Large intestinal motility was
significantly decreased in all regions of the large colon on Day 2.
There were significant changes in
large intestinal motility patterns and parameters relating to gastrointestinal
water balance during a transition from pasture to stabled management,
particularly during the first 5 days.
Overall, the horses in the
stabling regime were drinking significantly more water, but producing less
water in their faeces, which suggests significant changes in fluid movement
across the gastrointestinal tract between the 2 management regimes. The
duration and pattern of changes following the transition to stabling was
interesting, particularly in the context of SCOD. Both drinking water intake
and faecal water content showed an abrupt significant change immediately
following the change in management.
However, the pattern of changes
and peaks differed between the 2 parameters. Some of the highest values for
drinking water intake were in the first 3 days, but with a second higher peak
resulting in the greatest intake 10 days post stabling. Rapid changes in faecal
water content in response to changes in hydration have been reported
previously, consistent with this early response. This second peak may
correspond to the changes in the content of the colon and the bacterial flora
gradually changing in response to a new diet.
Drinking water intake is
dependent on a number of factors including environmental conditions, exercise,
diet and feeding patterns. In this study, environmental conditions were
similar, and differences in diet, activity levels and feeding patterns are
likely to be the main factors.
Faecal output and dry matter: –
the pattern of changes was slightly different for faecal parameters. The
greatest changes (highest faecal dry matter and lowest faecal output values)
were recorded on the first day of the stabling regime. The gastrointestinal
tract holds large volumes of water and can act as a reservoir to maintain
circulatory fluid volumes. Fluid transit through the equine gastrointestinal
tract is rapid, and the small colon also has a role in the retention of faeces
and absorption of water. Ingested food transit is slower, with changes in
colonic bacterial population and the dry matter content of ingested food and
faeces in the colon occurring more than 28 hrs after a change in diet between
forage types with different dry matter content.
The rapid changes in faecal water
content in the current study probably represent a response to changes in
hydration or electrolyte levels, or changes in activity level, and/or stress
associated with management change. There are marked differences in the dry
matter content of hay and grass. The continued increase in water intake,
combined with stabilisation of the faecal dry matter content probably reflects
the slower changes in ingested food content, as the horses were adapting to the
increased dry matter of the feed.
Large intestinal mobility: – the
ultrasound assessments showed significant motility changes in the first 5 days
post stabling.
Overall, this study showed that
drinking water intake, faecal output, faecal dry matter content and large
intestinal motility change significantly in horses during a transition from
pasture to stabled management.
Together, these changes will result in a slowing and drying of ingested food,
which was most significant within the first 5 days, suggesting a possible cause
for large intestinal impactions in horses moving from pasture to stabled
management.
This study did not identify either faecal dehydration or motility changes as
the main factor affected by the management change – instead there were
significant changes in both. It seems likely that dysfunction may result from
interactions between different components of gastro-intestinal physiology, or a
failure to adapt and compensate for the changes.
So what does this mean for the us?
The study seems to back up what has often been said about making changes to a
horse’s diet. Change must be made gradually as far as is possible to allow the
gastrointestinal tract and the colonic bacterial population to adjust. For me
this means my horses are never in or out 24/7. In the summer they come in out
of the heat and flies for some of the day, in the winter they are out in the
day and tucked up with plenty of hay at night.
This has been more difficult with Basil at the moment so I will have to
be careful when he is allowed more hay and I can start bringing them all in at
night.
Just something to think about!
Taken from
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.12238/pdf
Have you seen last week's vlog 'One Day in September' on my You Tube channel.
Horse Life
and Love. Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.
You can also follow me on Facebook and
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Until next time!
Jo
