Volta Oct news

 Firstly Volta would like to Thank his Sponsors!

Barastoc-Ker / Pakenham Produce & Saddlery / Riders Diary /Equestrian Factory Outlet / Horsewyse Magazine

Volta needs to be ” RE-WORMED on the 15TH OCTOBER”. Worming competition starts 7th October. More prizes to win Thanks to Virbac. Prizes listed at bottom of this post.

As you all know Volta has had a rough time and Team Joyce have been very lucky to have a fantastic support group of people in the horse industry who advised us on what to do to help Volta recover quickly. Thanks to Luisa Wood from Kentucky Equine for giving us a Recovery feed regime to get Volta eating again and feeling well.

Here is a copy of what Luisa wrote.

Volta’s minor health concerns over the last few weeks have meant that his diet has required some slight changes. It is impossible to provide our horses with complete protection from colds and infections however when they arise correct nutrition is even more essential to ensure the horse receives adequate support to achieve a full recovery. Nutrients like protein, trace minerals and vitamins such as vitamin E are essential for immune support and to encourage healing. The Barastoc Breed N Grow Volta has been receiving will be providing him with all the nutrients required to achieve optimum health and support.

Due to general discomfort and possible high temperatures, it is common for horses that are ill to lose their appetite. Reduction of feed intake for a few days is generally not concerning, however if the horse completely refuses feed for longer than five days then veterinary assistance will be required as this could severely compromise immunity and health. Appetite stimulants such as B vitamins can be used in these cases. With Volta, ensuring he had access to as much hay as he would eat and limiting his hard feed to amounts he was comfortable to consume was the best thing to do.  Weight loss is also common in sick horses and Volta lost a little condition due to the decreased feed intake over the time he was ill.

Now that Volta is nearly fully recovered and his appetite has returned, his feed levels will need to be increased slightly to achieve an increase in condition. Because lucerne is a great source of energy and protein for growing horses, I have recommended including some amount of lucerne hay along with his usual grass hay, and also to include KER Equi-Jewel with his usual 3kgs of Barastoc Breed N Grow.

KER Equi-Jewel is a high fat low starch stabilized rice bran conditioning supplement that is a great safe energy source for growing horses and highly effective at achieving an increase in condition. Volta may only require as little as 200g of Equi-Jewel daily however up to 1kg could be fed. The amount of Equi-Jewel he receives should be altered depending on his body condition.

For more information on feeding horses for optimum recovery from illness or injury, contact Kentucky Equine Research.

 At 21 months old, Volta’s growth rate is slowing

At 18 months old, Volta is now coming to the end of the period of growth where he is most susceptible to growth abnormalities known as ‘developmental orthopaedic diseases’ or DOD. DOD is an umbrella term for various growth conditions such as osteochondrosis and physitis, of which a significant contributing factor is rapid growth and excess body condition.

Although there are many variables that contribute to DOD, the risk of growth abnormalities developing can be decreased through monitoring growth rates and providing the growing horse with a balanced diet. With Volta, this was achieved through regular weighing and measuring to ensure growth was not occurring too quickly, and by meeting all his nutrient requirements in a balanced way through feeding Barastoc Breed N Grow at the recommended daily level.

Regular weighing of growing horses allows their feeding intake to be altered depending on their growth rate and body condition. Now that Volta is through the critical period of growth, I have recommended decreasing his intake of Breed N Grow to 3kgs daily. Because he is at an ideal weight for his age and is in excellent body condition, I have also recommended taking out the KER Equi-Jewel from his diet, however this could be reintroduced if Volta’s body condition began to drop over the winter months. As Volta is now being stabled most of the time, he will require at least 6kgs of hay at a constant rate to ensure he is consuming the required level of forage daily.

For more information on growing horses and the prevention of DOD, contact Kentucky Equine Research.

Therefore Volta’s new daily feed regime is

Daily Intakes / Feed Amount

KER Equi-Jewel 0 .00 kg
Barastoc Breed and Grow 3 .00 kg
Hay -Lucerne MB 1 .00 kg
Hay -Oaten 9% 2 .00 kg
Hay -Grass 10% 4 .00 kg

Luisa Wood

Nutrition Advisor     http://www.ker.com/staff/lwood/

Kentucky Equine Research (Australasia) Pty Ltd

For this month Team Joyce are showing you Volta having his very first proper full on wash from ” head to hoof “, he was only 12 months old during this session. As you can see by all the pictures and video it was taken when we had not moved all the horses over to the back of the farm. It was all at the old stable block. The prize given away for guessing closest to his correct weight for September were 2 large bottles of Shampoo and Conditioner which was kindly sponsored by Pakenham Produce & Saddlery. This gift went well with the theme of washing!

WASHING:

Oaks Volta had his first bath this month and we think he liked it!.We picked a nice warm pleasant day”. Firstly he was tied with a neck tie. We started off with the hose running slowly and softly placing it on his hooves and then moving up his front legs then his shoulder and back and down the hind legs. We did not wash his face this time just up to his neckline. We always put our shampoo in a 10 litre bucket and fill with water , then using a large sponge we rub them all over so it helps spread the shampoo very evenly over the whole body, we even dunk his tail straight into the bucket and then rub together to soap it up. We then used a rubber curry comb to cleanse the shampoo into his fur.Then we rinsed Volta with the water a little harder this time. With a sweat scraper we scraped all the excess water to help him dry quicker. Volta was a real treasure to bath and we are sure next time he will not mind us washing his face.

 

 

 

Sometimes if your horse seems very frightened of the hose or water, may we suggest you gently hold the hose turned off so they can sniff it and hold it close to their body and against them. Maybe try putting water in a plastic bottle and pour the water over them that way to start with.Always be prepared for them to kick out a little or stomp the ground when the water first hits them. Make sure they are very used to the water before you approach them while hosing.

Lice can also infest your horse if the hair is long. Keep an eye out for small active insects, white or yellowish the size of a pin head. These insects cause severe irritation and rubbing, mostly on the neck and shoulders. To get rid of the lice best to get some insecticide to kill them, it will most likely be a liquid solution to pour on their backs.

Below are some updates on Volta’s teeth. As you can see they are growing larger. He has no deformities and the colour of his gums are a nice pink colour.

This is a video clip of Volta eating

This is a video clip of Volta eating his hay

What is it?

It is called Equimax LV. It  is a low volume, palatable,broad-spectrum worming paste that is up to 100%effective in treating all internal parasites in horses including all three species of tapeworm and all three species of bots. This wormer is a lot slimmer in size and easily fits in your hands.

Why use Equimax LV?

Regular worm treatments with a broad spectrum product such as Equimax LV will significantly reduce the risk of disease and colic attributable to worms and help to maintain the health and vitality of your horse. Extensive internal and independent trials have proven the safety and efficacy of Equimax LV. Safety has been proven in different age groups and life stages of horses including foals, pregnant mares and breeding stallions.It is recommended to practise rotation of wormers to help prevent or slow the development of resistance.

When to use Equimax LV ?

Products should be rotated yearly with one active being used for an entire year and then switching to a different active for the next year. Strategy-T and Equimax LV contain completely different actives so make excellent rotation partners. During a Strategy-T year, Equimax LV needs to be included twice, as Strategy-T does not treat bots. Bots must be treated at the end of autumn and the beginning of spring. All horses should be wormed at least once every 3 months regardless of the conditions in which they are kept. All horses on a property should be wormed at the same time. New horses should be quarantined and wormed before coming onto the property.

•  All wormer effective on all susceptible equine internal parasites, including all three species of tapeworm and all three species of bots
•  Safe to use on all horses including foals, pregnant mares and breeding stallions
•  Treats horses to 700kg
• Ergonomically designed easy to use tube
• Low volume presentation