To protect your horse’s legs during a trip, bandages may be a good idea. Bandages will protect their legs from injury, especially if your horse has been known to kick in the trailer or stall. Also, if there is a sudden stop or turn while trailering, it will protect his legs from potentially getting banged up and bruised.

There are many kinds of bandages and wraps available for this purpose. They range from regular standing bandages (pillow wraps with polos) to more full coverage quilted leg wraps that go from the carpus to the foot and from the hock to the foot. It is very important that your horse be familiar with wraps before just putting him on a trailer with them on. Try applying standing bandages or the trailering bandages for a couple nights or days to get him used to them.

You want to make sure that you know how to properly secure the bandages in place. A loose bandage or one that comes partially undone during the ride may cause more problems than it is preventing. Have your trainer or Veterinarian show you how to put on leg protection properly and have them watch you do it to make sure you are getting it snug enough without being too tight.

Sedations

There are many pros and cons to sedating your horse for a trailer ride. In my opinion, sedation should only be used if there is no other option. It may be dangerous for your horse in the back of a moving trailer while sedated if he cannot respond quickly and appropriately to turns and stops.
If you know ahead of time that you will need to trailer your horse somewhere, then you should start with some trailer training to get him used to getting into and out of the trailer without the use of sedatives.

In some circumstances, when there is no other option and you have to use sedation, you should have a Veterinarian administer the medication. They will be able to judge what an appropriate level is and what the horse will tolerate for the ride, depending on the duration.

For longer trailer rides (multiple days), it may not be feasible to keep the horse sedated. Some trailer companies may offer to keep the horse sedated as needed. It is important to know if the company is reputable and whether the person sedating the horse is qualified to do so. Having your horse trained to trailer without the need for sedation will avoid these circumstances.

Medications

There are many medications that may be of benefit for your horse for longer trailer rides.
These include Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS), particularly Flunixin Meglimine (Banamine), electrolytes or vitamins. NSAIDS can be beneficial to prevent colic or muscle fatigue. Always check with your veterinarian first before randomly administrating these medications during a long ride.

Electrolytes or vitamins can be administered orally before a long ride and may help prevent dehydration or fatigue.

Calling and scheduling an appointment with your Veterinarian for the day that you are leaving so they can administer mineral oil, water and electrolytes orally via a naso-gastric tube can be beneficial; especially if your horse may be prone to colic or it will be a long trip in hot weather.

If you are transporting your horse to a horse show, it is important to follow all regulations pertaining to medication administration prior to showing. This includes any medications given for the trailer ride, especially sedatives, which, for the most part, are against most association rules. Again, good planning and practice trailering will prevent the need for the use of sedatives.

Planning Ahead

With the hot summer months ahead, a little planning may be beneficial to ensure that your horse is cool and comfortable for the upcoming journey, whether to a local horse show, or across the state or country.

Try calling the hauler to find out if they can trailer overnight or in the early morning hours when it is cooler.

If you will be crossing state lines, you will need to have the appropriate paperwork ready. Call your Veterinarian to schedule an appointment at least one to two weeks ahead of time. Different states require different tests and paperwork. Either call the hauler or your Veterinarian to find this information. A negative Coggins Test for Equine Infectious Anemia is required to cross state lines in the United States; however, some states require a negative test within 6 months and others within 12 months. It will take a few days to get the blood test back, so plan accordingly. Your Vet cannot write a health certificate without this test. Please keep in mind that Hawaii has stringent import requirements, so it may take longer than two weeks.

If you will be traveling out of the country, then more notice may be necessary. Not only will you have to have a negative Coggins test, but different countries have different entrance requirements. Your transport company should have all the necessary information regarding which tests and vaccines are needed. Many require that vaccines be administered at least 2 weeks prior to transport. Also, a health certificate must be issued and approved by the USDA. This will take time and cost additional.

To feed or not to feed?

There are many differing opinions on feeding a horse while trailering. A lot depends on the temperament of your horse, length of travel and reason for trailering.
Reasons not to have food available for trailering:

• Your horse is sick and needing to go to the hospital. Follow the recommendations of the Veterinarian attending to your horse.
• It will be a short trip
• Your horse is prone to choking or colic when eating while trailering

Reasons to feed your horse while trailering:

• It is a long trip
• Your horse is calmer when being fed while trailering

Please do not feed cubes or pellets when trailering as this has been shown to lead to choke. If possible, it is my opinion that food be withheld when trailering to prevent problems.
Always stop often on long trips to allow the horses access to fresh water.

Trailer Training

To get your horse used to trailering, you will need to practice. Nothing is worse than being in an emergency situation (such as the numerous times we have had to evacuate in Southern California during the wild fires), and not being able to load your horse in a timely fashion. Some people I know have had to leave their horse behind in such a situation because it would not get in the trailer. Do not get stuck in this position. A little forethought and planning when you first get a horse is all you need. There are lots of techniques, so reading some of the many books and articles on the subject or talking to a trainer or experienced hauler may help to figure out what the problem is and how to help your horse overcome their fears.

There are many things to consider when evaluating why a horse will not get into a trailer. First, is the trailer too small for your horse? If the horse can touch the top of the trailer with his head while standing normally, they may feel claustrophobic, and worse, may injure themselves if they try to lift their head. Is it too dark? Some trailers look like dark holes. Try putting a light in the front compartment to the horse can see where it is going. Sometimes this is all it takes. Does the horse have a hard time traveling alone? A buddy can make all the difference when transporting a horse. Think about taking his/her stable mate along for the ride, if possible. Have you checked the trailer for bees or wasps nests, especially if it has been sitting for a while? You would be surprised how often this happens. I don’t blame the horse for not wanting to get on the trailer with angry bees!! Lastly, does your horse have arthritis or is it in pain? This may play into the design of the trailer. If the trailer has a “step up” as opposed to a ramp, will your horse be able to negotiate this step? Can you back up the step up trailer to a curb or higher area, so the horse can walk on instead of stepping up?

Training techniques are varied and should be evaluated based on your horses needs. Overall, if the horse learns he/she can back up forcibly, then they have won, and you will have a difficult time getting them into the trailer. Some techniques involve utilizing the horses desire to back, and making them back up far further than they wanted to go. Once they get tired of backing up, then move forward again. If they try to back up again, then, again, make them back up more. Every time the horse gets away with stepping away from the trailer door or backing up, he has won. Persistence and patience is key.

Some include putting the trailer with food in it in the horse’s enclosure and allowing the horse to get used to the trailer on its own accord and going into the trailer to eat when it gets hungry. This may be helpful; however, using food may be problematic when you need to transport your horse, for example, to go to the hospital.

Other techniques use the concept of annoyance to encourage the horse into the trailer. Using a stick, you gently “rap” on the horse’s legs or rump repeatedly while it is outside of the trailer door. When the horse takes a step forward, the annoying behavior stops, however, when they refuse to continue forward, or try to take a step backwards, the annoying behavior resumes. Pretty soon the horse learns that when he/she moves forward, it is a good thing and the annoyance stops. This is a pretty useful technique and eliminates the necessity of a food incentive.

Manhandling a horse into the trailer is usually not a good idea, and enforces the negative experience. However, if necessary, this may be needed in an emergency situation.

Emergency Trailering

It is a good idea to always have a list of haulers in your area, especially if you do not have a trailer of your own. Some areas even have horse ambulances that operate 24/7. This will save you a lot of headache and anxiety in the case of an emergency at 2:00am, when your horse needs to be transported to the hospital and you do not have one available. I advise having owners keep a stall card on the door of their horse’s stall with the following information:

• Owner’s name and emergency contact number
• Veterinarian’s emergency phone number
• Insurance information (if insured)
• Hauler name and phone number

This way the information is handy and you won’t have to look for it when you are stressed in an emergency.

Remember: A little preparation goes a long way!

There have been many advances in the last few years regarding treatment options for healing and regenerating damaged tissues. One of the most interesting and cutting edge procedures available in veterinary medicine today is stem cell therapy. Stem cells may be derived from bone marrow or from adipose (fat) tissue. It is harvested from the horse’s own body, processed and re-injected into the damaged area. There are now a few companies that provide this service. The process has a two-step approach:

1. A small incision in the gluteal region (the area next to the tail head on
   the rump) is made just under the skin. We collect fat and send it to Vet-Stem in Poway, California, for processing. The stem cells and growth factors are harvested and concentrated. The syringe is then returned the next day for injection into the site.
2. Next, a veterinarian uses ultrasound, radiographs or MRI to direct the stem cells into the area of need. Stem cell companies can also bank extra cells for future injections, if needed and if enough stem cells were harvested.

Benefits: The cells harvested and injected will turn into the type of cell needed in the area where it was injected. This helps provide the body with the necessary building blocks to repair the damaged tissue instead of waiting for the body to try to repair that area on its own. Other growth factors are also injected with the stem cells to help promote healing and inflammation relief in the area.

Rehabilitation: All of this new technology, however, will not work without a plan of rehabilitation. As with human medicine, physical therapy is an important part to healing the damaged areas and limiting the amount of scar tissue and adhesions that may form. This scar tissue can weaken an area in the long run and limit the flexibility of the tendon or ligaments in question, causing continued pain and lameness. The unfortunate reality of rehabilitation in horses is that we cannot tell them to stay off the leg for a while. This means that, initially, while we are trying to reduce the pain and inflammation of the area, we have to keep in mind that they will still be walking on the injured limb. Stall rest and anti-inflammatories are the initial key to the comfort of the horse.

Once the pain and inflammation have subsided, then hand-walking begins. It is important to start hand-walking early to prevent adhesions from forming. Starting slowly and increasing the time spent and the walking surface are important. Over the next few weeks to months, depending on the type and location of the injury, frequent assessments are made to determine if the horse is sound enough and the injury healed enough to move on to the next level. Each level consists of introducing increased time of a type of exercise (hand-walking, walking under saddle, trotting, cantering) and type of footing (hard ground, soft ground, sand, straight lines only or adding turns).

If a setback occurs, then you will have to reassess the program and take a step back until the horse is sound enough to move forward. This can be a long process depending on the severity of the injury. Not all injuries can be cured. Some are severe and may never result in a sound horse; however, trying to get the horse as comfortable as possible is a realistic goal. Time and patience are a necessity, but the rewards of a sound horse are priceless.

Cost: The cost of the procedure from the harvest to the injection typically starts at $2,500. This is without any additional fees for imaging or diagnostics. Many insurance companies are starting to cover these expenses.

Results: Although we cannot say for sure whether the stem cells worked, past case experiences tell us that this lesion would most likely not have healed with conservative therapy alone. Jesse’s positive clinical response to stem cell therapy is what we use to gauge this treatment as a success.

When I looked at the pain in the eyes of my 11-year-old Spanish Arabian, Bold Brahim (Jesse), and saw his non-weightbearing front leg, I promised I would do everything possible for him. At that particular moment on a rainy day in February, the mystery of how he suddenly went lame did not matter as my focus shifted to healing. With a grade-5 lameness rating (5 being the worst), I continued down the path of typical vet care—hoof testers, X-rays, visual assessments, feeling for heat, pain medication and waiting. But after several weeks, Jesse’s condition worsened and I realized it was time to explore other diagnostics.

Bone Scan & MRI
In April, we took a two-hour trailer ride south to California Equine Orthopedics in San Marcos, California, to see Dr. Mark Martinelli for a bone scan and standing MRI. There would be no more speculation and process of elimination. I would finally know what was wrong. The next day, I learned that Jesse had a deep flexor tendon injury. The severity of it was written across Dr. Martinelli’s face. He suggested that I return to meet with him and his colleague, Dr. Norm Rantanen, which I did. They shared in detail the harsh reality of Jesse’s condition, explaining that he had a very uncommon injury in the right front hoof capsule and that three centimeters of his deep flexor tendon were completely destroyed.

Then, they introduced the possibility of stem cell treatment with the caveat that, though there had been several successful soft tissue recovery cases, there were no other cases like Jesse’s for them to reference and no guarantees. Since there weren’t any pieces of tendon to surgically put back together, filling the empty space with stem cells seemed the only option, but I wasn’t convinced. They recommended another MRI in four to six weeks to see how the tendon was doing. I was also referred to Dr. Sylvia Greenman, an equine rehabilitation/leg specialist, who would soon become a new friend.

Walk This Way
At our first appointment, Dr. Greenman prescribed pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, medications to increase blood flow to the tendon and something to protect Jesse’s stomach. After the prescriptions were filled, I was delighted to learn that we were going to begin physical therapy—hand-walking to promote healing and prevent adhesions, leg wraps for extra support during walks and barefoot farrier instructions that included “a lot of hoof.” Then came the difficult reality check. She said that it would take a minimum of 15 to 18 months for the tendon to heal, if it was going to heal.

So, one hoof and one boot at a time, side by side, seven days a week, our rehabilitation journey began with Dr. Greenman as our coach. Jesse’s body became our compass as the painfully slow process of growing the tendon back began. We started hand-walking on hard surfaces in straight lines for five minutes and carefully increased the time as he improved. When we reached 20 minutes, all medications were stopped so Jesse’s leg could “talk” to us without symptoms being masked by drugs. To my dismay, short stepping returned, and the rehabilitation rollercoaster began.

Stem Cell Treatment
The veterinarians encouraged me again to consider increasing the odds for Jesse’s recovery with stem cell treatment. After researching online and getting approval from my equine insurance carrier (The Equestrian Group in Scottsdale, Arizona), I agreed. Dr. Greenman harvested fat from Jesse’s left hind buttock, which is a newer process than the more common sternum harvesting. Then, she packaged the sample and sent it to Vet-Stem in Southern California for the lab process of separating the stem cells and preparing syringes. We intended to harvest enough cells to freeze some for another treatment later but, due to the cell count in the sample, the lab work only yielded one syringe. One chance for the procedure was all we had, unless I chose to put Jesse through another difficult cell harvesting surgery.

We made another trip to San Marcos for a second MRI before Drs. Martinelli and Rantanen carefully piloted the ultrasound and MRI-guided injection of Jesse’s cells into the void in his tendon. After the procedure, they shared new MRI images with me that indicated a reduction of swelling and a very slight improvement in the tendon with no visible adhesions. But, along with that glimmer of hope, Dr. Rantanen cautioned that the tendon was the consistency of oatmeal. It would take very little to cause it to fall apart.

Two Years of Rehabilitation
The daily walks continued. Jesse and I patiently persevered. My sense of humor returned as we increased our walks to 30 minutes and then, in late summer, we reached 60 minutes with no signs of lameness—a major hurdle overcome. Our reward, four months after diagnosis, was to finally incorporate weight-bearing and walking under saddle. The light at the end of the tunnel finally began to shine.

More methodical work was before me, coupled with trying to keep my spirited horse quiet. We started with 30 minutes of hand-walking followed by 30 minutes of walking under saddle, then 20 minutes in-hand followed by 40 minutes under saddle, until he stayed sound at 60 minutes under saddle.

Trotting under saddle was incrementally added in the fall. First, we did five minutes of trotting after 55 minutes of walking with the goal of 20 minutes of trotting before moving on to canter. In November, we had almost reached our 20-minute mark when we had our first major setback. One cool and breezy morning while I was riding, Jesse let his pent up energy go—bucking, twisting and turning. Our hardearned soundness disappeared. Short-term medications were prescribed, and we were back to hand-walking only. Per Dr. Greenman’s request, his front feet were carefully shod to provide additional support.

We worked through the November setback until April when Jesse was again diagnosed as sound at the walk and trot. Then, shortly after we received approval to go back to walking and trotting under saddle, he had another energy explosion in-hand. Say it’s not so! was all I could think as Dr. Greenman announced a grade 2 out of 5 lameness—the worse Jesse had been in many months. Medications for a short time and walking on hard surfaces in straight lines was again the all-toofamiliar regime. Over the next four months, Jesse improved significantly but, in September, there was still a slight lameness—grade 1. So, we stopped trotting, continued walking and scheduled monthly vet checks as faith and perseverance grounded me.

Two years after Jesse’s injury, Dr. Greenman met me at the stables and I held my breath as I snapped a longe line on his halter. With his head held high, he sure-footedly trotted, cantered and bucked as our wonderful vet looked on wearing a telling smile. He was sound again. We did it! Rehabilitation now shifted to improving Jesse’s overall fitness. We gradually increased the load on the tendon at the trot and canter and began working in the sand arena again, instead of just on hard surfaces.

During the uncertainty of our long healing journey, I always believed in my heart that the human/animal bond can, indeed, overcome obstacles. As I walked beside Jesse each day with a prayer on my lips, the light never left his eyes and the special people we needed appeared as we defied the odds together.

Diane Barber welcomes inquiries about her healing journey with Jesse at her Web site equestriandesignery.com.

First, a clinical examination is performed, focusing on the horse’s eyes, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal systems to identify underlying conditions.

Next, soundness examination is performed by first using flexion tests. By isolating/flexing the leg joints and asking the horse to “jog off”, the horse can be evaluated for lameness isolated to specific areas. This helps to indicate which joint(s) should be radiographed, or if ultrasound of tendons/ligaments is warranted. An evaluation of the horse on a lunge line is also done to observe the horse at a walk, trot, and canter while bending both left and right.

After the soundness exam, further diagnostics are discussed with the buyer. It may be suggested that radiographs be taken if lameness was elicited during the exam. Many clients prefer to take full sets of radiographs as a baseline for comparison in case of future injury, or to utilize as an aid for selling the horse in the future.

Additional tests that may be included in the exam at the buyer’s request include drug screening, endoscopy, ultrasound, or nuclear scintigraphy.

The veterinarian’s job is neither to pass nor fail the horse. Rather, it is to provide you with information regarding any existing medical problems and to discuss those problems with you so that you can make an informed pre-purchase decision. Your veterinarian can advise you about the horse’s current physical condition, but cannot predict the future. The decision to buy is yours alone to make, but your veterinarian can be a valuable partner in the process of providing you with objective, health-related information.

Essential Documents:

• Veterinarian’s number by each phone, including emergency numbers
• Back-up or referring veterinarian’s number
• Directions and phone number of equine referral surgery clinic
• Names and phone numbers of nearby friends and neighbors who can assist you in an emergency while you wait for the veterinarian
• Names and phone numbers of haulers available to transport your horse, if you do not own your own trailer, if your horse needs to go to the hospital (You don’t know how frustrating it is trying to find a ride for your horse at 2:00am if you are not prepared!!)

Essential Items:

• Cotton Roll
• Cling wrap
• Gauze pads, in assorted sizes
• Sharp scissors
• Cup or container
• Rectal thermometer with string & clip attached
• Surgical scrub & antiseptic solution
• Latex gloves
• Saline solution
• Stethoscope
• Clippers

It is important to catch dental problems early. If a horse starts behaving abnormally, dental problems should be considered as a potential cause. Waiting too long may increase the difficulty of remedying certain conditions or may even make remedy impossible. According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the following indicators of dental problems will help you know when to seek veterinary attention for your horse:

• Loss of feed from mouth while eating, difficulty with chewing, or excessive salivation.
• Loss of body condition.
• Large or undigested feed particles (long stems or whole grain) in manure.
• Head tilting or tossing, bit chewing, tongue lolling, fighting the bit or resisting bridling.
• Poor performance, such as lugging on the bridle, failing to turn or stop, even bucking.
• Foul odor from mouth or nostrils, or traces of blood from the mouth.
• Nasal discharge or swelling of the face, jaw or mouth tissues.

Oral exams should be an essential part of an annual physical examination by a veterinarian. Every dental exam provides the opportunity to perform routine preventative dental maintenance. Mature horses should get a thorough dental exam at least once a year, and horses 2 – 5 years old should be examined twice yearly.

For more information about proper dental care, ask your equine veterinarian for “Dental Care: The Importance of Maintaining the Health of Your Horse’s Mouth,” a brochure provided by the AAEP in conjunction with Educational Partner Bayer Healthcare – Animal Health Division. Additional information is available on the AAEP’s Web site at www.aaep.org.