Volta July news

1 July 2012/Comments Off/Team Joyce news

FREE!!

Now is the time to try the New Barastoc Horse Block. Get one for FREE. Details outlined below!

Stabling your horse:

A good stable needs good ventilation, lots of air circulation. Volta’s NEW stable is a good size where he can lay down very comfortably without being cramped and when he gets older he will be able to spread his legs right out to relax without touching the walls on either side. His stable has a water bin instead of automatic drinkers. We feel by having a water bin and having to refill it ourselves every morning and night we can see exactly how much water he is drinking. Then we would know if he is not drinking enough and determine of he is unwell. His walls are all made of strong wood rails and his bedding is sawdust. The roof above is nice and high so he cannot hit his head even if he is playing and rears up out of delight. The side walls up the top have mesh so he can see what is next to him and see out where ever he looks, we think this helps to keep them interested in what is going on around them so they do not get bored and it also creates good air ventilation. Volta is still able to go out into his lush green paddock on nice days to have a run and kick up his heels and squeal in delight of being free! It is very important that we make sure Volta’s diet is specially designed to get all the requirements for a growing youngster. As he is not on grass all the time he needs constant care , interest in his weight gain and overall body score condition.Bonding with Volta is alot easier because he sees us everyday nearly all day. He watches us clean, sweep and feed, he listens to us talk and to the radio. He loves the movements and business going on around him. Most horses will react the same,they basically love the routine and personal connections you get from having them in your surroundings everyday. Volta loves being in the warm , dry cosy bed instead of the muddy, wet cold ground. KING OAKS VOLTA!!

Volta sniffing his new stable and eating some grass hay

Volta drinking

Volta looking out the laser lite

Happy Volta

Grooming a stabled horse

The daily plan for grooming a stabled horse is more involved than that of the grass kept horse/pony and will take longer to do.The best time to do it is after exercise when the horse’s circulation is at its peak. It is also a good wind-down exercise for the horse as it relaxes them mentally and physically.Stabled horses are in a very artificial environment. In the wild they would be in a herd situation and be able nudge each other and rub on trees etc.. Volta only has the stable walls to rub on so each day we tie him up sometimes in the stable or the isle and he is brushed all over. We use a soft body brush first and a dandy brush for the legs,mane and tail. Volta absolutely loves being groomed,he knows that after he has eaten his breakfast he will be groomed. He loves his routine.

This picture shows Volta in his paddock condition looking very " muddy".

Volta having a hose to try and remove ALL that mud!

Volta in his new stable rubbing his face after his hose down

Volta next to his best friend LH Beckham

Do you want to know some truths about Volta?

Volta does not like you rubbing behind his EARS.

Volta LOVES being GROOMED, and he loves the Barastoc Horse Block

FREE when you buy any 3 bags of Barastoc feed at Pakenham Produce & Saddlery on sale 30th June - 14th July

So palatable and tasty!

Below is some feeding advice direct from Ker Nutritionist

Luisa Wood

Equi-Jewel:

Must have in Volta's feed regime to achieve the best body condition

This high fat, low starch stabilized rice bran conditioning supplement is an ideal way to achieve weight maintenance for Volta in a safe way. Studies have shown that diets high in starch can contribute to the risk of growth abnormalities and providing energy in the form of fat is preferable. It is essential to monitor the condition of young horses throughout their development, as being underweight can compromise growth and overweight horses risk growth abnormalities through the overloading of growth plates. Although Volta is receiving around 400g of Equi-Jewel daily, the amount of Equi-Jewel fed daily should be altered according to the young horse’s body condition.

Luisa Wood

Nutrition Advisor

Kentucky Equine Research (Australasia) Pty Ltd

Volta looking very happy clean, warm & dry.

Get WORMING right from the start:

Team Joyce have decided to highlight “worming” in a more detailed post every month. We shall add a section each month covering many different reasons of why,what to use and when! Most of us just go and buy a paste mostly the one on special then take it home and give it to the horse and think jobs done. But there is a lot more to it really. Worming your horse properly each time when they are due is very important. Giving them the right amount relative to their weight is also a must. It is very important to use the correct type of worm paste for the season of the year. Eg: Winter,Spring, Summer and Autumn. Another major factor is what type of paste is required for a youngster exactly like VOLTA!

Did you know that there are certain pastes for horses 0-2 years? Neither did we” but we shall share our knowledge with those who find this worming topic interesting and wish to learn more. Volta needs to be wormed every 8 weeks and we need to give him a paste called Equimax Elevation until he reaches the age of 2 . This paste is recommended for young horses because of the immature immune systems of foals and young horses , it makes them far more susceptible to worms than older animals. Some worm species are very common in young horses but rarely seen in older horses as they develop a natural immunity as they age. Young animals are also more susceptible to damage caused by worms due to their smaller size. Immature lungs and digestive systems are easily damaged by migrating worms.

Ascarids. ( The worm most dangerous to young horses.)
The large roundworm or ascarid primarily affects horses less than two years of age. Ascarids are the most common parasite in young horses because they are such large worms and can quickly develop into life threatening numbers. Ascarids have the potential to cause liver damage, which is repairable, and lung damage, which is permanent.

Young horses should be wormed with EQUIMAX ELEVATION® Oral Paste for Horses from six weeks of age until they are two years old. Volta will be RE-WORMED on the 15th July with Equimax Elevation.

EQUIMAX® ELEVATION Oral Paste for Horses.
The best way to treat and control worms in young horses.

There is no wormer on the market quite like EQUIMAX ELEVATION®

A unique formulation of three active ingredients designed to combat mectin resistance, EQUIMAX ELEVATION® Oral Paste for Horses is particularly suitable for worming young horses from six weeks to 24 months. That’s because young horses need special protection from potentially mectin resistant ascarids, a problem worm in horses under two years old.
EQUIMAX ELEVATION® Oral Paste for Horses kills all the important internal parasites of horses including tapeworms and bots – with a single, easy to administer, dose.
EQUIMAX ELEVATION® Oral Paste for Horses has a double action against nematodes and tapeworms due to the unique combination of the three active ingredients: ivermectin, praziquantel and pyrantel.

Available at Pakenham Produce & Saddlery store

How much of the Equimax Elevation shall we give to Volta on 15th July?

Team Joyce shall outline next month how we worked out the amount of paste we need to give to Volta. But first we need to put the weight tape around him closer to 15th July. On the 1st August we will update his weight and measurements.

There are 2 ways to try and work out the amount of paste required for it to work properly in your pony or horses gut.

1. Using a Virbac weight tape which can be purchased at Pakenham Produce & Saddlery

2. Weight estimation formula outlined below

So you are 100% sure on how much your Horse/pony weighs? Why not take the test and feel assured that they are getting the best outcomes from your wormer by correctly dosing, the weight tape is a great way to gauge your horses approximate weight.

Which paste you ask?

Volta prefers Equimax Elevation as its specifically designed to be used in horses/ponies 2 years and under. When Volta reaches two he will then be placed on a slow rotation program to unsure that he will be covered all year round.

Next month we shall highlight the benefits of using Equimax being what type & when being time of the year , followed up in August with Strategy T and the importance of the slow rotation plan and why!

“Stay tuned each month and we shall bring to you more information on worming horses. Please watch the clip below to start our first edition of worming. The Parasite Puzzle Part 1 and 2