Just Jake - April 2011 Entries

April 2011 Entries

So you want to get educated! Well now is as good a time as any. The next season of online education courses from Equine Guelph starts May 9^th 2011. Some of the most popular courses are already full but don’t worry more will be offered again in September 2011 and January 2012.

The Equine Guelph courses are considered among the best online educational opportunities available worldwide. Management of the Equine Environment, Equine Event Management and Equine Business Management and Risk Management are currently still accepting registrations while Nutrition and Behaviour courses are full for the summer season.

The September line-up of courses includes: Growth and Development, Functional Anatomy, Health and Disease Prevention, Exercise Physiology, Stewardship of the Equine Environment, Equine Business Management and Equine Journalism. As of today these courses are still accepting applicants.

Illustrating the high demand and quality of the Equine Guelph program is the fact that registration is already open for courses starting in January 2012. The January 2012 line-up currently includes: The Equine Industry, and Marketing and Communication in the Equine Industry.

Completion of 10 courses (6 core and 4 elective) gets you a Diploma in Equine Studies.

Spend your online time productively and fill your mind with everything you need to know to be a leading equine professional, or just a better horseman. Check it all out at http://www.equinestudiesdiploma.com/ .

posted @ Monday, April 25, 2011 10:09 AM | Feedback (0) |

Books - The Source of all Knowledge!

I am often asked if I know of any good equine nutrition & management books. Even in this day of instant internet access many people still feel that there may be more validity to actual printed information. There are hundreds of books in the subject available and it is difficult to tell people to try any one over another. A recent email from the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition listed a few titles available from Wiley (www.wiley.com) that those of you who like to have hard copy information may find interesting.

INTRODUCTION TO HORSE NUTRITION. Zoe Davies. Publishers comment: “If you are studying horse nutrition at an introductory level, then this is the ideal book for you. It covers the current syllabuses set out by equine science and management courses, and is particularly suitable for those who lack background knowledge in science”.

EQUINE SCIENCE, 2^ND EDITION. Zoe Davies. Publishers comment: “Describing the structure and function of the various body systems and clearly explaining the scientific rationale behind modern horse husbandry practices”.

INTRODUCTION TO HORSE BIOLOGY: Zoe Davies. Publishers comment: ” Many students have only a limited knowledge of biology before starting a variety of equine courses. Introduction to Horse Biology provides all the information students of equine subjects require.

HORSE AND STABLE MANAGEMENT, 4^TH EDITION. Jeremy Houghton Brown, Sarah Pilliner, Zoe Davies. Publishers comment: “Since the first edition was published in 1984 Horse and Stable Management has become the recognised source of reliable information on all aspects of the practical management of horses and ponies. It is now the established textbook for everyone who owns a horse or works with horses”.

EQUINE NUTRITION AND FEEDING, 4^TH EDITION 2010. David Frape, Publishers comment: “Since the first edition of Equine Nutrition and Feeding was published in 1986, it has become the seminal work on the subject. It covers all the key topics that you need to know for your equine nutrition degree course. This comprehensive and clearly evidenced textbook covers how food is digested and nutrients are used in growing, working and breeding horses. It also explains the scientific basis for calculating nutrient and dietary requirements in an understandable manner, and shows you how to do these calculations. Special attention is also given to grassland and pasture, and to housing and diet-related diseases”.

posted @ Tuesday, April 19, 2011 6:02 AM | Feedback (0) |

Think Safety

The following item was gleaned from the online pages of the Winnipeg Free Press, Friday April 15^th, 2011.

WINNIPEG -- A 20-year-old Winnipeg woman, who was thrown from a horse Sunday at an equestrian centre in the RM of Springfield, has died, RCMP reported today.

Oakbank Mounties had been dispatched to the scene about 6 p.m. The woman was in critical condition when she was transported by helicopter to hospital in Winnipeg. She died Wednesday.

The name of the woman is not being released by police.

The helicopter, brought here nearly two weeks ago for flood rescues, set down around 6 p.m. at The Pine Ridge Equine Centre on Oakwood Road just northeast of the city. It rushed the woman to hospital.

Obviously this is a tragic event and I am sure everyone who reads this will do 2 things. The first is feel the sorrow the young ladies family is experiencing and the second I hope is to reflect on how easily this could happen to any one of us.

Horses are big, powerful and fast animals. Over time we become somewhat over confident and comfortable with our abilities and our relationship with our horses. There is no indication of the nature of this unfortunate accident however the significant fact is that riding a horse is an inherently dangerous activity.

Protect yourself from becoming a statistic. Always wear a helmet and a safety vest. While they may be uncomfortable the protection offered may make the difference between a simple fall and a lifetime of problems. And yes I practice what I preach. I never ride or drive without a helmet and my safety vest. You shouldn’t either!

posted @ Friday, April 15, 2011 8:25 AM | Feedback (1) |

Improving Foal Health Through Maternal Nutrition

It’s foal time again and one of the most dangerous conditions for a foal is diarrhea. Several years ago I discussed this in a Just Jake column and it deserves another look. Foals are born with what is known as a naïve immune system and foal serum is almost devoid of antibodies. Immune response dependent on cell-mediated response is very poor. This means foals have essentially no ability to mount an immune response to infection. Mares produce colostrum during their last two weeks of pregnancy and theoretically, the foal should get a huge blast of antibodies the first time it nurses. These maternal antibodies allow the foal to obtain a passive immunity until its own immune system can produce antibodies.

A foal gets two types of diarrhea. Common foal heat diarrhea is encountered at 7 to 12 days of age and is a low stress problem. The second type of diarrhea is pathogenic in nature. It is caused by various infectious agents such as Clostridium and Salmonella. If a foal has limited antibodies from colostrum this type of diarrhea can be a major health concern. Foals may have limited antibodies because of poor immune function in the mare, inadequate colostrum intake, low colostrum antibody levels and loss of colostrum through pre-parturition lactation.

It is known that a form of sugar found in the cell walls of yeasts stimulates the immune response in different species. This compound is a mannan oligosaccharide or MOS. It was found that feeding MOS resulted in higher antibody levels in blood and colostrum. Feeding MOS lowers intestinal colonization by a number of pathogens and lowers the incidence of illness.

Mares fed MOS in research trials had significantly higher colostrum antibody values. Foal serum antibody values were not affected but foals whose moms were fed MOS had higher antibodies from day 0 and numerically higher values throughout the study. Most important was that over 80% of the untreated foals suffered from diarrhea severe enough to require treatment whereas no MOS fed foals got sick. The researchers concluded, “Data suggest that the MOS supplementation may have caused the mares to secrete additional antibodies in the colostrum and the foals receiving the antibodies were better able to cope with microbial challenges”.

For you as a breeder this research indicates a way to achieve the goal of breeding and growing stronger, healthier foals. By adding MOS to your mare’s daily diet you may give your babies a better start in life. Many feed companies include MOS in their mare and foal feeds. If your supplier does not, ask them to get you some for on farm supplementation. MOS is safe to feed and is a 100% natural way to help your babies grow up healthy on the farm.

posted @ Thursday, April 14, 2011 8:20 AM | Feedback (0) |

Just Jake Site Sections Home Contact Syndication Login Posts 90 Comments 15 Trackbacks 0 Recent Comments. This was very tragic, actually the girl in questio... by Jessica nice Rules by the way i like them by recados Jake, I feel your pain (and my own) as I have spen... by Gail Excellent post. Thank you. by Julie Congrats, Jake, he is a nice horse and deserves th... by Gail Recent Posts Quality Information The Last Lap! Adverting Disaster Under valued or Over Priced Western Fair Archives April, 2012 (2) March, 2012 (1) February, 2012 (1) January, 2012 (5) December, 2011 (4) November, 2011 (6) October, 2011 (4) September, 2011 (4) August, 2011 (4) July, 2011 (3) June, 2011 (6) May, 2011 (4) April, 2011 (4) March, 2011 (4) February, 2011 (4) January, 2011 (4) December, 2010 (4) November, 2010 (4) October, 2010 (4) September, 2010 (4) August, 2010 (4) July, 2010 (4) June, 2010 (4) May, 2010 (2) April 2011 Entries Time For Education So you want to get educated! Well now is as good a time as any. The next season of online education courses from Equine Guelph starts May 9^th 2011. Some of the most popular courses are already full but don’t worry more will be offered again in September 2011 and January 2012. The Equine Guelph courses are considered among the best online educational opportunities available worldwide. Management of the Equine Environment, Equine Event Management and Equine Business Management and Risk Management are currently still accepting registrations while Nutrition and Behaviour courses are full for the summer season. The September line-up of courses includes: Growth and Development, Functional Anatomy, Health and Disease Prevention, Exercise Physiology, Stewardship of the Equine Environment, Equine Business Management and Equine Journalism. As of today these courses are still accepting applicants. Illustrating the high demand and quality of the Equine Guelph program is the fact that registration is already open for courses starting in January 2012. The January 2012 line-up currently includes: The Equine Industry, and Marketing and Communication in the Equine Industry. Completion of 10 courses (6 core and 4 elective) gets you a Diploma in Equine Studies. Spend your online time productively and fill your mind with everything you need to know to be a leading equine professional, or just a better horseman. Check it all out at http://www.equinestudiesdiploma.com/ . posted @ Monday, April 25, 2011 10:09 AM \| Feedback (0) \| Books - The Source of all Knowledge! I am often asked if I know of any good equine nutrition & management books. Even in this day of instant internet access many people still feel that there may be more validity to actual printed information. There are hundreds of books in the subject available and it is difficult to tell people to try any one over another. A recent email from the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition listed a few titles available from Wiley (www.wiley.com) that those of you who like to have hard copy information may find interesting. INTRODUCTION TO HORSE NUTRITION. Zoe Davies. Publishers comment: “If you are studying horse nutrition at an introductory level, then this is the ideal book for you. It covers the current syllabuses set out by equine science and management courses, and is particularly suitable for those who lack background knowledge in science”. EQUINE SCIENCE, 2^ND EDITION. Zoe Davies. Publishers comment: “Describing the structure and function of the various body systems and clearly explaining the scientific rationale behind modern horse husbandry practices”. INTRODUCTION TO HORSE BIOLOGY: Zoe Davies. Publishers comment: ” Many students have only a limited knowledge of biology before starting a variety of equine courses. Introduction to Horse Biology provides all the information students of equine subjects require. HORSE AND STABLE MANAGEMENT, 4^TH EDITION. Jeremy Houghton Brown, Sarah Pilliner, Zoe Davies. Publishers comment: “Since the first edition was published in 1984 Horse and Stable Management has become the recognised source of reliable information on all aspects of the practical management of horses and ponies. It is now the established textbook for everyone who owns a horse or works with horses”. EQUINE NUTRITION AND FEEDING, 4^TH EDITION 2010. David Frape, Publishers comment: “Since the first edition of Equine Nutrition and Feeding was published in 1986, it has become the seminal work on the subject. It covers all the key topics that you need to know for your equine nutrition degree course. This comprehensive and clearly evidenced textbook covers how food is digested and nutrients are used in growing, working and breeding horses. It also explains the scientific basis for calculating nutrient and dietary requirements in an understandable manner, and shows you how to do these calculations. Special attention is also given to grassland and pasture, and to housing and diet-related diseases”. posted @ Tuesday, April 19, 2011 6:02 AM \| Feedback (0) \| Think Safety The following item was gleaned from the online pages of the Winnipeg Free Press, Friday April 15^th, 2011. WINNIPEG -- A 20-year-old Winnipeg woman, who was thrown from a horse Sunday at an equestrian centre in the RM of Springfield, has died, RCMP reported today. Oakbank Mounties had been dispatched to the scene about 6 p.m. The woman was in critical condition when she was transported by helicopter to hospital in Winnipeg. She died Wednesday. The name of the woman is not being released by police. The helicopter, brought here nearly two weeks ago for flood rescues, set down around 6 p.m. at The Pine Ridge Equine Centre on Oakwood Road just northeast of the city. It rushed the woman to hospital. Obviously this is a tragic event and I am sure everyone who reads this will do 2 things. The first is feel the sorrow the young ladies family is experiencing and the second I hope is to reflect on how easily this could happen to any one of us. Horses are big, powerful and fast animals. Over time we become somewhat over confident and comfortable with our abilities and our relationship with our horses. There is no indication of the nature of this unfortunate accident however the significant fact is that riding a horse is an inherently dangerous activity. Protect yourself from becoming a statistic. Always wear a helmet and a safety vest. While they may be uncomfortable the protection offered may make the difference between a simple fall and a lifetime of problems. And yes I practice what I preach. I never ride or drive without a helmet and my safety vest. You shouldn’t either! posted @ Friday, April 15, 2011 8:25 AM \| Feedback (1) \| Improving Foal Health Through Maternal Nutrition It’s foal time again and one of the most dangerous conditions for a foal is diarrhea. Several years ago I discussed this in a Just Jake column and it deserves another look. Foals are born with what is known as a naïve immune system and foal serum is almost devoid of antibodies. Immune response dependent on cell-mediated response is very poor. This means foals have essentially no ability to mount an immune response to infection. Mares produce colostrum during their last two weeks of pregnancy and theoretically, the foal should get a huge blast of antibodies the first time it nurses. These maternal antibodies allow the foal to obtain a passive immunity until its own immune system can produce antibodies. A foal gets two types of diarrhea. Common foal heat diarrhea is encountered at 7 to 12 days of age and is a low stress problem. The second type of diarrhea is pathogenic in nature. It is caused by various infectious agents such as Clostridium and Salmonella. If a foal has limited antibodies from colostrum this type of diarrhea can be a major health concern. Foals may have limited antibodies because of poor immune function in the mare, inadequate colostrum intake, low colostrum antibody levels and loss of colostrum through pre-parturition lactation. It is known that a form of sugar found in the cell walls of yeasts stimulates the immune response in different species. This compound is a mannan oligosaccharide or MOS. It was found that feeding MOS resulted in higher antibody levels in blood and colostrum. Feeding MOS lowers intestinal colonization by a number of pathogens and lowers the incidence of illness. Mares fed MOS in research trials had significantly higher colostrum antibody values. Foal serum antibody values were not affected but foals whose moms were fed MOS had higher antibodies from day 0 and numerically higher values throughout the study. Most important was that over 80% of the untreated foals suffered from diarrhea severe enough to require treatment whereas no MOS fed foals got sick. The researchers concluded, “Data suggest that the MOS supplementation may have caused the mares to secrete additional antibodies in the colostrum and the foals receiving the antibodies were better able to cope with microbial challenges”. For you as a breeder this research indicates a way to achieve the goal of breeding and growing stronger, healthier foals. By adding MOS to your mare’s daily diet you may give your babies a better start in life. Many feed companies include MOS in their mare and foal feeds. If your supplier does not, ask them to get you some for on farm supplementation. MOS is safe to feed and is a 100% natural way to help your babies grow up healthy on the farm. posted @ Thursday, April 14, 2011 8:20 AM \| Feedback (0) \| Copyright © 2005 J. A. (Jake) Davidson