May 2018 6 Arizona REAL COUNTRY the magazine Mike Barna Publisher mbarna@963realcountry.com (602) 622-3695 Erika Smith Royal Editor erika963realcountry@gmail.com Misty Voitovski Creative Director Contributing Writers Desiree’Byrne, Kimmie Dillon, Charlie LeSueur, Jim Olson, Robert Piekow, Alan Rockman Bob Roloff, Buddy Uldrikson, JolynYoung, Michele Wilson Arizona Real Country is owned and published by Barna Broadcasting LLC. No person, organization or party can copy or reproduce the content on our website and/or magazine or any part of this publication without a written consent from the editor’s panel and the author of the content, as applicable. The publisher, authors and contributors reserve their rights with regards to copyright of their work. Ask the Vet GELDING A COLT Q: What is the youngest age you can geld a colt? I have an 11 month old colt that I would like to geld before he starts showing stallion like behavior as he lives with 2 mares, neither is his dam. A: I have gelded colts as young as four months without any complications, but the general recommendation is to perform the operation any time after they are about a year old. If you are concerned about him developing stallion behaviors, then why don’t you arrange to have him castrated now? This would place him near a year of age, and gets the job done before the mares start showing serious signs of estrus, and the flies have not have come out yet. ESTRUS BEHAVIORAL SIGNS Q: Since spring is here I was wondering if there were any suggestions for a 17 year old mare that goes into heat. She can become quite unmanageable. I do not want to suppress her heat but is there something that I can do to alleviate her symptoms. A: Behavioral signs of estrus are related to changing hormone levels in the bloodstream. Estrogen levels peak and progesterone drops away, leading to the (often annoying) behavior of a mare who is more interested in finding a date than paying attention to the work at hand. It is actually the higher levels of progesterone in between cycles that suppress these inappropriate moods, so the most successful treatments involve artificially elevating circulating progesterone. This is achieved by administering oral Regumate or a comparable injectable progesterone throughout the months that a mare is actively cycling. If your mare seems to have particularly difficult Follow Arizona Real Country for news, events, giveaways and more! 801 W. Wickenburg Way Wickenburg, AZ 85390 (602) 622-3695 ArizonaRealCountry.com estrous periods, I recommend that you ask your vet to perform a rectal ultrasound to evaluate the cervix, ovaries, and uterus. Conditions such as uterine infection and retained follicles can really complicate things and make a mare seem like she is always in heat if they are left untreated. Remember too that mares undergo a transitional period at the beginning and end of each breeding season where they tend to have strong and irregular heats as their reproductive tracts come online. These usually settle down after a few cycles so it may be worth just waiting it out or using one of those progesterone replacements for a brief period. FOAL IMMUNIZATION Q: My mare reacts badly to vaccines and has not received any for the last 5 years because of it. What is the best way to deal with immunization for her upcoming foal? A: Foals are born with no natural immunity to disease, so they obtain protection by ingesting colostrum immediately after birth from their dam. The maternal antibodies in colostrum are absorbed through the gut via a process called “passive transfer”. Failure of this will result in a foal that is very prone to overwhelming infections (sepsis) and other health complications. The quality and level of antibodies in colostrum is directly dependent on the mare’s immune status, so the colostrum from unvaccinated mares won’t provide coverage for tetanus, rabies, and most of the disease that we try to protect horses from with vaccination. Since you can’t vaccinate a very young foal, there is a several month period where they are quite vulnerable to these infections. The old habit of giving tetanus antitoxin to a newborn has fallen out of favor because the antitoxin (which provides immediate protection, not like a vaccine) can cause devastating serum sickness and liver damage. To ensure maximum colostrum quality, we give mares their booster shots about a month before foaling so their antibody levels are peaking near birth. If your mare reacts badly to vaccines, I would find out which ones are problematic and decide on a schedule that allows you to either prepare her for that shot with some banamine, or decide if you can safely skip it. Many horses are given the more economical “5-way” vaccine which combines multiple vaccinations in one shot. While this is more convenient, I have found the adverse reaction rate to be much higher than when vaccines are split into individual doses and administered over a couple of visits. That way you can also identify if your horse is sensitive to a particular vaccine, and gives you the opportunity to plan for the next shot or try a different brand of vaccine. I suggest that you discuss this with your vet well in advance of her due date so you can come up with an appropriate strategy to protect the health of her baby. SINCE YOU CAN’T VACCINATE A VERY YOUNG FOAL, THERE IS A SEVERAL MONTH PERIOD WHERE THEY ARE QUITE VULNERABLE TO THESE INFECTIONS. To ensure maximum colostrum quality, we give mares their booster shots about a month before foaling so their antibody levels are peaking near birth. If your mare reacts badly to vaccines, I would find out which ones are problematic and decide on a schedule that allows you to either prepare her for that shot with some banamine, or decide if you can safely skip it. Photo by Sini Merikallio