Avian Flu

Avian influenza ( AI) is a contagious viral infection caused by the influenza virus Type "A", which can affect several species of food producing birds (chickens, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, etc.), as well as pet birds and wild birds.

Since the 2004 outbreak in the Fraser Valley, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has created an information website on the avian influenza, including the incidences that have occurred in BC as well as the latest information on the disease. To read more click here.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or "Mad Cow Disease" is a progressive, fatal disease of the nervous system of cattle. It is what is known as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). Other TSEs include scrapie in sheep, chronic wasting disease in deer and elk, and Creutzfelt-Jacob Disease (CJD) in humans. Although the exact cause of BSE is unknown, it is associated with the presence of an abnormal protein called a prion. A number of BSE cases have been confirmed in Canadian cattle since the first case detected in 2003.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has press releases regarding the recent cases of BSE, as well as a series of BSE information sheets available on their website. The CFIA, regarding BSE inquiries, can be contacted at 1-800-442-2342.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a severe and highly communicable viral disease that affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats, deer and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. It is an extremely serious livestock illness that spreads quickly via infected and carrier animals, as well as through the air. Currently there are no confirmed cases in Canada.

Horses Need Flax 2

Just the word alone causes a mental notion of health. Egyptian physicians knew of the functional powers of flax thousands of years ago. Commonly grown as a crop on the prairie, flax is a plant that grows about two feet high with small blue flowers. Harvested for food, flax seed is tiny but yields a nutty taste rich in polyunsaturated fats (Omega 3&6). For animals, this is completely relevant as our bodies cannot manufacture but must obtain from food sources and even more important, flax is very low in carbohydrates.

In the last article, we discussed the fuel burning advantages of minimizing the carb intake for horses. Cleaner burning alternatives act like high test fuel with fewer by-products produced in the fuel conversion. If you think of flax being a cleaner fuel like a high octane, there are fewer toxins or wastes clogging up the system. A system without excess toxins allows for thorough oxygen uptake and utilization.

To prepare flaxseed for your horse, it must be ground, cooked or soaked. The seed hulls are small and tough and they won’t be chewed enough to benefit the horse. Flaxseed, either whole or coarsely ground, appears stable to long-term storage at room temperature. Ground flax is best stored in an airtight opaque (no light penetratable) container to avoid seed becoming rancid or spoiled.

Okay, here I go to try to lay it out for you: Humans require a diet that is in about a 9:1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3. With a diet of processed fried North American food, an obvious lack of omega 3 fatty acids interrupts bodily processes contributing ultimately to chronic diseases like cancer, stroke, diabetes and coronary heart disease. For horses, performance factors like inflammation, hoof quality and muscling are encouraging enough to grasp our attention.

I like to think that horses in the old wild free ranging days found their correct ratio of fatty acids. Plants rich in omega 3 forming substances were available in the multitude. Along comes civilization and we offer them high omega 6 and low omega 3 contributing grains and cured hay. In meeting the horse’s nutritional needs for energy, protein, minerals and vitamins, science has not yet recognized the natural habitat provided more. More for hoof quality. More for inflammatory and immunity response. More for self preservation and flight. I think its time we started doing the right thing and provided what is missing and go back to what nature intended.

One apparent sign of your horse’s health is visibly measured by hair coat and hoof quality. I remember a study where flax to be proven to help dry, itchy skin conditions of horse. I will tell you that flax is a precursor involved in many other process within the body. A miracle feed, yes? Flax assists other processes by enhancing and fulfilling the full nutrient requirement. Sure, without it, the body will get along. If that’s okay with you, okay, but if you want to maximize performance, appearance and soundness, then here’s an inside tip we’re giving you.

Owning a horse or training a horse, in our minds, it’s the same thing. You are responsible and should take great pride your horses. Surely, there are secrets gained from reading or sharing tips with horsey buddies, but sometimes, you have to step beyond and have a little faith. Feeding flax seems to a wonder feed. Hey, the Egyptians knew it, thousands of years ago flaxt had healing and health applications. Fed in a ground state, a stabilized flax supplement contributes missing essential nutrients. These nutrients are not only lacking in the diet but are a big part of the equation for the absorption of other nutrients.

	May 19, 2009 FundforAnimals.org | Donate Dear John, Earlier this month, nearly 90 wild horses rescued from abuse and neglect arrived at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Texas, where they are receiving the care they desperately need -- both medical and rehabilitative -- from our dedicated animal care teams. The horses were among more than 200 mustangs The Humane Society of the United States helped rescue from a Nebraska farm, where they were found suffering from starvation, severe parasite infestation, and other ailments. All the horses were taken from the range by the Bureau of Land Management and then sold to the highest bidder -- a controversial practice we're working to stop. The horses are on the mend, but they have a long way to go. Because they're in such terrible shape, we’re in desperate need of support to care for these horses over the next few months and beyond. I invite you to watch our video to meet these special horses, and then please make an emergency donation to help us care for them. The cost of caring for such needy animals -- including special diets to treat malnourishment and medical care for other conditions -- is very high. We urgently need your support to help make the horses healthy and whole again so that when the time comes, they’re ready to be adopted into a loving -- and permanent -- home of their own. We're grateful for your support. Thank you for all you do for animals. Sincerely, Michael Markarian President The Fund for Animals
	Copyright © 2009 The Fund for Animals The Fund for Animals | 200 West 57th Street | New York, NY 10019 | 1-(888)-405-FUND | www.fundforanimals.org

Some people say that horses kept on full livery never form strong ties with their owners. As an owner of a horse on full livery, I am writing this story in defense of all of us busy people who strive to provide the best accommodation for their horses.

I have always viewed and treated my horse as an individual. Always considered his point of view, always allowed him to express his feelings. After all, my horse is my friend, and on occasions, my psychiatrist.

On one particularly gloomy day, I felt I have lost all purpose for existence. The despair somehow left me longing to see my horse, who in time of crisis, is the last candle of hope. Unconsciously, I found myself driving to the stables.

Arriving in the early hours of the afternoon proved to be a good time for some privacy. The stables were deserted, except for the horses of course. Grooms were napping and the office was closed. No riders where there at that hour. I headed directly to my horse's stall, where I expected him to be hiding in the corner, ears drooping, half asleep.

I stood at the door and he came to me eagerly. The sheer joy in his eyes when he saw me had instantly put the world back into focus. Leaning against the stable door, I stroked and patted him. He was calm and content - perhaps too calm - because he rested his head on my arm. The entire weight of his head rested on my upper arm which was atop the stable door. Although his head was solid and painfully heavy, it lifted the weight off my heart. His muzzle was over my shoulder, snugly against my back.

I talked to him of my troubles. His ear never turned away from me... always listening. The words made no sense to him, but he was listening to my voice. He was still and quiet, as if to reassure me that he is indeed listening. The weight of his head was cutting off the circulation to my forearm, but I held him for as long as I could. When I shifted my arm slightly, he lifted his head for a moment, before bringing it down again over my shoulder.

Agony seeped out of my body as easily as rain washes the leaves of a tree. Grief was history. He did not retreat until I decided I had to leave. He was there for me, quietly listening, and, in a way, holding me. It takes a lot of heart from a person to listen to someone else's trouble, so you can imagine how deep the soul of horses are. Such gentle creatures horses can be.

By: Joanne Oemig (maojwo2000@cs.com)

Whoa. A universal word horses understand. Well, most of them understand it. They may choose to ignore it, but they understand it. Spencer doesn’t understand it.

Spencer is a seventeen-year old Canadian Thoroughbred who at some point in his career as a baby horse failed to hear the word whoa. The universal equine vocabulary bypassed his growing brain cells, but he understands other words. He’s compliant when he hears “would you like to go for some grass?” and will leave without me if I’m not quite ready. Another favorite phrase: “time for carrots”. He immediately heads for my tack trunk and begins an in depth search. But whoa somehow got missed.

Whoa is an important word. Whoa is the Supreme Commander of Equine Vernacular. It means “stop whatever behavior you are presently engaged in”. Without whoa the rider is left with pitiful alternatives such as screaming for help or resorting to profanity.

Fortunately, there is an alternate phrase that Spencer has learned. “Stay there.” Now, that makes no sense whatsoever when we’re doing our workout and I’m asking for a downward transition, say from a trot to a walk. But stay there works well on the ground. Addressing a 17hand, full-bodied (plump) Thoroughbred in the manner I would a dog is a little strange, but I have adjusted to it over the years.

When Spencer and I first found each other, I tried to use whoa. It didn’t work. Out of desperation one day, I shook my finger at him and said stay there. That worked. At first I thought it was my body language. Later I realized I could say stay there in any tone of voice without hand gestures and get the same result. He stops what he’s doing and stays there. Amazing.

An interesting episode with the horseshoer (farrier) proved Spencer’s command of the English language. Spencer is a solid citizen who doesn’t need cross ties and other horse paraphernalia for routine acts like grooming and shoeing. I park him in a nice, shady spot, slip the lead rope over his neck so he won’t step on it, and he stands quietly for his shoeing. On this particular occasion he tried to follow me when I needed to fetch something from my tack trunk, leaving the farrier holding an imaginary left hind hoof. The farrier said “whoa”. Spencer kept walking. “WHOA”. “He doesn’t understand whoa”, I said. “Try stay there”. The farrier didn’t believe me, but he tried it. Spencer froze in his tracks.

Whoa. A universal word horses understand. Well, most of them understand it. They may choose to ignore it, but they understand it. Spencer doesn’t understand it.

Spencer is a seventeen-year old Canadian Thoroughbred who at some point in his career as a baby horse failed to hear the word whoa. The universal equine vocabulary bypassed his growing brain cells, but he understands other words. He’s compliant when he hears “would you like to go for some grass?” and will leave without me if I’m not quite ready. Another favorite phrase: “time for carrots”. He immediately heads for my tack trunk and begins an in depth search. But whoa somehow got missed.

Whoa is an important word. Whoa is the Supreme Commander of Equine Vernacular. It means “stop whatever behavior you are presently engaged in”. Without whoa the rider is left with pitiful alternatives such as screaming for help or resorting to profanity.

Fortunately, there is an alternate phrase that Spencer has learned. “Stay there.” Now, that makes no sense whatsoever when we’re doing our workout and I’m asking for a downward transition, say from a trot to a walk. But stay there works well on the ground. Addressing a 17hand, full-bodied (plump) Thoroughbred in the manner I would a dog is a little strange, but I have adjusted to it over the years.

When Spencer and I first found each other, I tried to use whoa. It didn’t work. Out of desperation one day, I shook my finger at him and said stay there. That worked. At first I thought it was my body language. Later I realized I could say stay there in any tone of voice without hand gestures and get the same result. He stops what he’s doing and stays there. Amazing.

An interesting episode with the horseshoer (farrier) proved Spencer’s command of the English language. Spencer is a solid citizen who doesn’t need cross ties and other horse paraphernalia for routine acts like grooming and shoeing. I park him in a nice, shady spot, slip the lead rope over his neck so he won’t step on it, and he stands quietly for his shoeing. On this particular occasion he tried to follow me when I needed to fetch something from my tack trunk, leaving the farrier holding an imaginary left hind hoof. The farrier said “whoa”. Spencer kept walking. “WHOA”. “He doesn’t understand whoa”, I said. “Try stay there”. The farrier didn’t believe me, but he tried it. Spencer froze in his tracks.