Highly Effective Grooming

In many cases, what makes the difference in horse grooming results is not talent but technique. Observe several skillful groomers at work and you are likely to notice similarities in how they approach their tasks. Many of their hard-earned horse grooming skills come from instruction and practice— but that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from simply observing and imitating their methods. That’s why we surveyed several first-rate groomers, both professional and amateur, and compiled this list of their seven “habits.” Most of these are relatively simple and require little, if any, extra effort, but employed together they are sure to transform an adequate horse grooming job into an impressive one. Read on to take your skills with a brush and curry to the next level.

1. Use the right tools

If a carpenter is only as good as his tools, so is a groomer. A quick peek into the grooming kit of a highly effective groomer reveals items vital to getting the job done, along with some useful “extras.”

• Currycombs. Traditional curries—hard, black rubber devices with concentric teethed ovals—are the brush of choice for removing dried, caked-on mud from a horse’s coat, or loosening dirt and shedding hair. Newer curries are made of softer rubber and have fingerlike projections that penetrate into the coat. They are less useful for scraping through dried mud, but massage the horse as they dislodge deep dirt. Rubber grooming mitts offer similar benefits and are particularly good for hard-to-curry areas of the legs and belly.

• Brushes. The best groomers have several brushes, each designed to tackle different cleaning challenges. Dandy brushes have stiff to medium bristles, making them good for removing heavier dirt and mud. In fact, if a horse has only small patches of caked-on dirt, a dandy brush can substitute for a currycomb–simply use a quick back-and-forth motion across the soiled area. Body brushes, which have softer, more closely set bristles, pick up finer dirt and dust and distribute natural skin oils that contribute to an overall shine.

• Sponges, rags and wipes. Final touches can make all the difference when it comes to grooming, and the best groomers always have an assortment of clean wiping paraphernalia on hand. Old bath towels cut into small squares are the perfect size for applying silicone sprays or giving a final rubdown to a coat. Disposable grooming wipes, pretreated with a product, are a convenient alternative. It’s best to have at least two sponges—one for the eyes and nose and the other for the dock and udder area—that are color-coded to avoid confusing which is to be used where.

• Silicone spray. You can make a horse look slick and shiny just through skillful grooming, but silicone spray makes it a lot easier. Effective groomers utilize these products in many ways. Spritzed on the surface of a body brush, silicone sprays act as a magnet for coat-dulling dust. Applied to a tail, they help detangle strands while minimizing breakage. And sprayed as a finishing touch, they add shine and coat each hair shaft so dirt slides off. Savvy groomers know silicone sprays don’t replace grooming time and effort, but they do maximize their benefits

2. Lay on the elbow grease

For evidence of another effective grooming habit, check out your friend’s toned biceps: Good grooming is hard work. The best currying job, for example, has some muscle behind it. You need to apply some pressure to reach embedded dirt or release as much of the dead hair as possible. In addition, this massaging action stimulates circulation and releases the natural oils.

But brushing is less a matter of strength than stamina. A few quick flicks of the dandy brush over the body will only get a horse “surface clean.” For best results, you’ll need to apply multiple short, swift strokes that follow the direction the hair lies. End each stroke with an upward flick to pull the dirt out of the coat. Work from the front of the horse to the back, ultimately pushing dirt off the horse’s rump.

Alternate brushing arms as you work. Not only will you reduce fatigue, but you’ll build up your own muscles more symmetrically. (Of course, a grooming vacuum can replace the brushes entirely, but you won’t get the skin massage and dispersal of oils that vigorous brushing provides.)

Once you’ve finished with the dandy brush, pick up the body brush and repeat the entire process. This softer brush flattens the coat, picks up dust and brings out the shine. The more strokes you can get in, the better your results will be. Keep a curry in your opposite hand and wipe the dandy brush on it after every few strokes to clean off the dirt as you go. In thin-skinned horses or during the summer months when coats are sparse, it may be the only brush you’ll need.

When your arms feel like lead, you are nearly done. All that remains is a rubdown with a towel or soft brush to remove any remaining dust. Use short strokes that follow the hair growth.

3. Shampoo sparingly

You won’t see the most effective groomers toiling in the wash stall very often. That’s because they know hitting the suds too frequently can do more harm than good, stripping away the natural skin oil (sebum) that gives a coat its shine. Sebum also protects the skin from insects and hosts friendly bacteria that help keep harmful fungi, parasites and other pathogens at bay.

Too many soapy baths will also leave the horse’s skin dry and itchy, which may cause him to rub his skin, mane and tail. As an alternative to bathing, effective groomers are more likely to rinse a horse with plain water to get rid of minor dirt or sponge him down with a liniment after a workout. But when a real cleansing is needed, it’s important to choose the right products. There are shampoos formulated for frequent use, deep cleaning, to enhance light or dark coat colors, or block ultraviolet rays.

When using a new type of shampoo, it’s smart to try it on a small area of your horse’s body and wait 24 hours to check for an allergic reaction before proceeding. Some horses have sensitive skin and may break out in hives when exposed to certain ingredients.

At bath time, use the minimum amount of shampoo specified on the bottle—usually one capful in a bucket of water. Instead of applying shampoo directly on a wet coat, put it in a bucket of water and sponge it on. This will distribute it more evenly and make it easier to rinse.

For an especially dirty coat, scrub with a currycomb or grooming mitt. When you are finished with the suds, rinse, rinse and rinse again. This task is easier with a watering “gun,” which has several speed and spray settings. You can widen the stream to cover larger areas, like the barrel and flanks, then soften the flow for sensitive spots. You’re not done with this step until you use a sweat scraper and not a single soap bubble appears.

The bathing secret of many great groomers is a finishing rinse—a quick sponge down with water containing a conditioner or light oil to replace whatever shine the soap may have taken away.

4. Handle manes and tails with care

The crowning glory of any well-groomed horse is a thick, flowing tail and a full, healthy mane. Good groomers take a literal “hands-on” approach to achieving both, because they know the most effective tools for detangling the mane and tail are their own fingers. For best results, start by dousing the mane and tail in a detangler, such as a conditioner or a silicone spray. Then “comb” through sections of hair with your fingers, stopping to gently massage out tough knots and burrs. Use a comb only after you’ve finished with your “finger grooming.” Start at the bottom and work your way upward.

If you’ve washed your horse’s mane and tail, rinse thoroughly. Like soap residue on a coat, suds left in a mane or tail will leave it dull and itchy. A horse who rubs his tail or crest in an effort to find relief can leave ugly bald patches, and the hairs may not grow back as readily as those on the body.

5. Feed for a good coat

Great groomers are usually astute horsepeople. They know no amount of grooming or application of hair-care products will make a horse look good if his diet is lacking in key nutrients. They will notice a lack of luster in their horses and consult with their veterinarian to rule out health issues, such as Cushing’s syndrome or internal parasites, that can lead to a dull coat.

In addition to diagnosing and treating any illnesses, a veterinarian can also review a horse’s diet and suggest adding a supplement to support skin and coat health. Dozens of commercial formulas for enhancing coat health and shine are on the market. Common ingredients include omega fatty acids as well as vitamins and minerals to support general health, and biotin, a B vitamin that contributes to the health of skin and hoof horn. Vegetable oils can also add shine to a horse’s coat—consider pouring a tablespoon or two of corn oil over his feed daily.

6. Trim carefully

Effective groomers can wield clippers in a way that accentuates a horse’s conformation and keeps him looking tidy without compromising his well-being. Show standards dictate some clipping conventions, but if your only goal is a good-looking pleasure horse, follow these guidelines:

• Trim the long hairs under the jaw for a tidy profile. Botflies like to lay their eggs on these long hairs, so keeping them short helps deter these pests. A close trim will also help you detect and treat any scabs and scurf left by black flies and gnats, which like to congregate in this area in hot weather.

• Leave the long hairs around a horse’s eyes alone. These are tactile hairs, known as vibrissae, similar to a cat’s whiskers in their sensitivity. They protect the eyes by triggering the blink reflex when something touches them.

• You can tidy up muzzle hairs that are extremely long, but these are vibrissae as well, so leave several inches intact to help your horse explore what is directly under his nose, such as delicate blades of grass.

• Clip very fuzzy ears by pinching them closed and trimming only those hairs that protrude beyond the edges. Do not clip out the interiors of the ears—those hairs protect against insects and are best left alone.

• Trim fetlocks with electric trimmers in a downward direction, following the growth of hair. Clip any tufts of hair high up on the cannon bone and behind the knee in the same manner.

• Trim the long “cat” hairs under the belly of older or shedding horses by running the trimmers in the direction of the hair, just below the surface of the coat. In many cases, a shedding blade alone will remove these.

7. Be consistent

Effective groomers approach their tasks with vision and purpose. To them, a grooming session is more than “knocking the dirt off” the saddle area before tacking up—it’s an all-over body treatment designed to not only make a horse look his best, but to lay the groundwork to keep him looking good again tomorrow.

They pay as much attention to a horse’s coat each day as they do his legs, lungs or eyes. In addition to regular daily grooming sessions, they pick up a brush in the idle moments of the day and use it as a tool to learn more about their horse. They know a horse’s ticklish parts and itchy spots and can tell you just how long he’s had that scab on his hindquarters or when that rub spot appeared on his shoulders. In other words, the secret to highly effective grooming is essentially highly effective horsemanship.


http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/7-habits-for-highly-effective-horse-grooming/

Groupon: $79 for Wenger Swiss Military Watch Gift Set

CEM - Contagious equine metritis

As economic globalization increases, disease can speedily spread among continents. One disease that severely affects breeding businesses domestically and internationally is contagious equine metritis (CEM).

Although CEM is found mainly in Europe, cases have recently been diagnosed in the U.S.—including within the Appaloosa and Quarter Horse breeds. CEM is curable and responds readily to treatment, though breeders and health officials are advised to take the disease very seriously.

Local veterinarians must report this sexually transmitted disease to state and federal area veterinarians when suspected or confirmed. CEM impacts breeders by restricting movement to and from affected breeding premises until the treated horses are confirmed free of the bacterium, Taylorella equigenitalis. Many countries have introduced strict import regulations to prevent its introduction into their horse populations.

Symptoms: Metritis is defined as inflammation of the womb, and symptoms in mares include temporary infertility even in the absence of visible signs. The incubation period is from two to 14 days, and some mares develop a vaginal discharge lasting a few days to two weeks within a week or two after breeding. However in some mares, the only sign may be a return to estrus heat after a shortened estrus cycle. Rarely, abortion occurs at about seven months gestation in the affected pregnant mare.

In stallions, CEM bacteria reside in the folds of the external genitalia, particularly the urethral fossa and its associated sinus. It’s largely undetectable without laboratory culture or by breeding to several test mares and culturing them.
Both mares and stallions may be asymptomatic carriers.

Diagnosis: Laboratory tests from swabs of the genital tract can detect T. equigenitalis in culture or through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The organism is difficult to culture because other, faster-growing organisms obtained on the swab can obscure the slower-growing T. equigenitalis.

Treatment: In both the mare and the stallion, treatment includes a combination of scrubbing the external genitalia with an antiseptic such as Chlorhexidine, and applying antimicrobial ointment such as nitrofurazone or silvadene. In most cases, one round of treatment is effective but sometimes two or even three rounds are required.

Prevention: CEM spreads from mare to stallion or stallion to mare in two ways: during mating and through use of contaminated semen during artificial insemination. Isolation of stallions from mares, and treatment that’s confirmed successful by a veterinarian, effectively prevent the disease from spreading.

CEM can also spread congenitally via an infected mare to her foal. And, CEM can spread through contaminated breeding equipment, instruments or handlers, making fastidious breeding hygiene a necessity.

King Plaudit ApHC Hall of fame

King Plaudit ApHC Hall of Fame

King Plaudit (Red Plaudit x Cheyenne Maid), foaled in May of 1964, was a product of the legendary Colorado horseman Hank Wiescamp’s breeding program. A chestnut with a large white blanket accentuated by a blaze face and four white stockings, King Plaudit was sired by Weiscamp’s stallion Red Plaudit, making him a paternal half-brother to future Appaloosa superstar Prince Plaudit. But King Plaudit was able to make his mark on the Appaloosa breed on his own terms—he was a sterling example of quality and type, with eye-catching Appaloosa color to boot. King Plaudit soon attracted the interest of Wallace Barbee, a Missouri horseman looking to take his Appaloosa breeding program to the next level. After visiting Wiescamp’s Colorado ranch, Wallace purchased the young colt and began showing him at halter to great success—33 undefeated halter titles in one year.

Following his stellar career in the halter ring, King Plaudit settled into life as the senior stallion at Wallace’s Bar-B-Ranch. His first foals were born in 1968, and in 1969 his first large foal crop arrived. Among those 1969 foals was one of King Plaudit’s first National Champions, a refined chestnut blanketed filly named Plaudit Doll, who won the weanling fillies class at the ApHC’s 22nd National Show in 1969. King Plaudit’s foals quickly became ubiquitous in halter rings throughout the country, but King Plaudit wasn’t just a sire of quality halter horses. In the next several years the get of King Plaudit would begin flexing their muscles in performance events as well. Foals such as Schoolgirl Plaudit, Show Plaudit, Sissy Plaudit, and Socialite Plaudit earned wins in a wide variety of events including hunter under saddle, reining, trail, and western pleasure. A few of King Plaudit’s get even branched out into the racing world; his son Splash Plaudit, himself a halter champion, sired 25 ApHC race starters which earned over $272,000 at the track. In addition to his race-winning get, Splash Plaudit also sired halter and performance champions, such as bronze performance medallion-earner Diamond Splash.

By the mid-1970s, King Plaudit’s popularity was soaring: His get were winning in the show ring, King Plaudit himself was winning Get of Sire titles, and ads for the stallion and his get could be found frequently in the Appaloosa News. King Plaudit’s status as a highly sought-after Appaloosa stallion led owner Wallace Barbee to syndicate the stallion in 1974.

By the early 1980s, both King Plaudit and many of his get had more than proven themselves as serious show ring competitors, as well as quality producers. King Plaudit’s final foal crop was born in 1983, but his get could be found in the show ring long after his last foals were born. Today, many horses with pedigrees tracing to King Plaudit continue to bring in the ribbons.

King Plaudit sired a total of 437 ApHC-registered horses, which earned a total of 413 performance points, 117 halter points, 21 Registers of Merit, and four bronze medallions.

http://www.appaloosajournal.com/2011/03/2010-hall-of-fame/

Chocolatey Appaloosa stallion

Chocolatey

The 2005 stallion Chocolatey has been successful at the Appaloosa National and World shows and also on the Open circuit. Making an impact in western pleasure classes at prestigious events like the Southern Belle and Reichart shows, Chocolatey is a great ambassador for the breed.

He is a descendant of two Hall of Fame (HOF) stallions on both sides of his pedigree:
The Executive rose to prominence in the 1970’s with Lew Eklund and George Minic campaigning him and sired 301 registered foals who earned over 5000 points, 57 bronze medallions, one silver medallion and multiple championship titles. He was inducted into the HOF in 1993.

Bright Eyes Brother and the legendary Cecil Dobbin were one of the most influential horse-human pairs in Appaloosa history. Though Bright Eyes Brother only sired 146 registered foals, many of them excelled in show events and race, and three went on to be inducted into the HOF. He was inducted in 1988.
Owned by Noelle Schmidt of New Jersey, Chocolatey’s first foal crop hit the ground in 2009 and promises to be as talented and acclaimed as their Hall of Fame ancestors.

http://www.appaloosajournal.com/2010/08/chocolatey/

EHV-1 Virus outbreak

The horse community is on high alert due to an outbreak of a contagious and potentially deadly equine virus that has prompted regulatory and industry organizations to institute quarantines and travel restrictions in Arizona and other western states.

The Arizona Department of Agriculture confirmed the first case of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) in an Arizona horse on May 17. The horse was exhibiting symptoms of severe neurological disease, adding to the numerous recent reports of EHV-1 among horse owners across the U.S. and Canada.

“In an outbreak of EHV-1 neurologic such as we are experiencing now, the disease can reach high morbidity and case fatality rates,” said William Moyer, president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

To date, one horse fatality and three confirmed cases of EHV-1 have been reported in Arizona.

EHV-1 is a highly contagious airborne virus that spreads quickly among horses, but is not dangerous to humans.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the current outbreak can be traced to horses attending the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Western National Championship event held April 29-May 8 in Ogden, Utah.

A report issued by USDA on May 19 indicated 21 Arizona horses were exposed at the Ogden event, with 67 Arizona horses secondarily exposed.

Dr. John Hunt, Arizona’s state veterinarian, said that all of the horses and premises in Arizona known to have been exposed through the Ogden event are under close observation, and as of press time, no new cases of neurological disease have been observed.

The incubation period after exposure to EHV-1 is one to two days, with fever then setting in. Neurologic symptoms typically manifest eight to 12 days after exposure.

Early symptoms of the virus can mimic many other illnesses, explained Dr. Abbie Reidhead, owner of Holbrook Veterinary Clinic. It’s when horses begin to exhibit neurologic symptoms, indicating that the horse has the more serious neurological form of the virus, that horses may begin a rapid decline.

Reidhead encourages horse owners to promptly seek medical advice if their animals show symptoms such as runny nose, lack of appetite and fever.

More serious symptoms include poor coordination, hind end weakness, lethargy and urine dribbling.

There is not a vaccine or a specific treatment for EHV-1, although antiviral drugs may be of some help prior to neurological symptoms setting in. Anti-inflammatory drugs are also widely recommended.

“Memorial Day weekend is one of the biggest horse event weekends of the year and kind of kicks off the rodeo season, but we’re encouraging people not to take their horses anywhere,” said Reidhead.

Her advice is echoed by regulatory and industry organizations across the country, with Hunt emphasizing that it’s at events where horses are brought together from different places that the virus is more likely to spread. In response to the outbreak, several horse-related events in Arizona have been cancelled and some horse parks have temporarily closed.

Locally, the Navajo County Fairgrounds is responding to biosecurity guidelines that call for a 21-day quarantine of all horses in boarding facilities, directing facility managers to not let boarded horses leave the premises until the quarantine, which is currently in effect until June 10, is lifted.

“We can’t let the horses that are already here leave the area, and we can’t receive overnight travelers unless owners have written clearance from a vet, dated no more than two days prior, that says their horses do not have the virus,” said Leia Barbea-Haro, secretary at the Navajo County Fairgrounds.

Reidhead said that the situation needs more monitoring before it can be said for sure when quarantines will be lifted and the danger declared over.

“The Department of Agriculture needs more time to determine where all the confirmed cases are and how the outbreak is spreading before it can say when the health alert will be lifted,” she noted.

Reidhead explained that owners aren’t likely to find the virus among their horses if they haven’t traveled recently or allowed other horses to visit their premises.

As of press time, she had not seen any cases among her patients, nor had she heard of any cases in the area.

“Keeping your horses home is the best bet until the outbreak passes,” Reidhead concluded. “It’s not worth losing your horse over one rodeo. ”

Updates on the status of the virus are posted weekly at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/ehv/.

http://www.azjournal.com/2011/06/01/horse-virus-has-owners-on-guard/

Indelible image appaloosa stallion

Indelible image appaloosa stallion, By "The Secret"

With every breeding share:

 $1,000 will be deposited to the Promotion, Incentive, and Futurity account. It will be fully funded at $20,000. That money will be available for the syndicate members to decide how much and where we spend it. We have it before we spend it! There are no unknown surprises in the mail for added expenses. There will be an Indelible Image Futurity each year. It will be held during the World Show (similar to NSBA). Every Indelible Image foal or get in the designated classes are entered automatically. We pay back to 3 places. The first year will be current year foals. The second year will be current year, yearling halter foals and yearling longe line and Hunter In Hand. The third year; the members decide. We anticipate the payback will be $1,000 to 1st, $750 to 2nd, $500 to 3rd. You do not have to win the World Show class, but be placed in the top ten.

$1,000 will be paid back to the horse by Indelible Image with the highest number of open points at the end of the year. A minimum of 10 points will be needed to qualify. Every horse by Indelible Image will receive $100 for the first open halter point earned every year the first 5 years of the syndicate. At that time it will be decided by the shareholders. All advertising and training fees will be taken from the promotion account owned by the syndicate. Each share will be fully insured. All benefits are transferable with the sale of your Indelible Image foal.   

We want people looking for Indelible Image foals first.

Our goal is to breed good mares and reward the owners for the hard work. We are competing with ourselves and the promoting our own breeding program. If each share holder earned one point on their foals, we would move Indelible Image to the top of the leading breeders list which would be one more star on the resume for your foal. We have a very limited number of mares. The way we plan to expand the broodmare band is to offer breeding shares to a few good mare owners that share our philosophy, and want to own a part of the stallion they are promoting. We want to share the success along the way. We would love to see a crowd in the win picture!  He was test bred in 2009. He settled a mare on the first cooled semen shipment. His first foal will arrive in January 2010.  Watch the website. Let us know what you think! We think he is pretty special.

Breeding shares available for the 2011 Breeding season!

Two breedings will be available to the share 

holder the for the “life of the horse”. Of course, there are all those legal things in the “what if” category. The first year we will offer each share for $5,000. The cost of owning will be based on 20 shares. It will be minimal. Projected at $50 a month or less. That includes, vet, farrier, insurance, and promotion. All monthly fees will be deposited to the promotional account that will include training, etc. You can’t even feed a horse for that. 

The Indeliblie Image Syndicate is going to be a little more than your average syndicate. We will be a “marketing group”. We are looking for a few good breeders that share our philosophy. We have a couple of great mares that are consistent producers. We want you to own a part of the bragging rights, right up to the stallion’s name. 

Website:

http://www.anawesomesecret.com/IndelibleImage.html

Pedigree:

http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/indelible+image3

Shares available