Equilume light the way

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All about thermal imaging for horses from FLIR

Regenerative Therapy aiding return to racing

New TopSpec UlsaKind® Cubes

New TopSpec UlsaKind cubes are formulated to be highly sympathetic to the equine digestive system, even when it is compromised by excess acidity. 

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The formula is very low in starch and sugar and high in fibre but still has a conditioning index of 12MJ/kg making these cubes both 'Non-Heating' and conditioning. 

TopSpec UlsaKind cubes are ideal in those circumstances where the internal surface of the stomach has been eroded, because they contain very high levels of β-glucans which coat the stomach lining with a protective film.

These β-glucans also slow the rate of passage of feed through the stomach and intestines. In the stomach this means that the periods of time when the stomach is empty and therefore highly acidic, are reduced. It also means that the small intestine has more time to absorb nutrients reducing the levels of carbohydrate reaching the hindgut and potentially leading to excess lactic acid production. This effect is augmented by the addition of a source of pectin to the formula.

The β-glucans in TopSpec UlsaKind cubes also bind to sugars in the intestine, slowing their absorption and so lowering the glycaemic index of the feed.

 The TopSpec UlsaKind formula also contains 1% of a marine-derived ingredient with established buffering properties. This calcium and magnesium-rich substance has been scientifically proven to reduce the environmental acidity under simulated in vitro equine stomach digestive conditions for up to six hours.

Omega 3 fatty acids are provided by two sources of linseed and the ratio of Omega 

3:6 is higher than in most traditional horsefeeds. Omega 3 fatty acids are less inflammatory than Omega 6 fatty acids.

Soya oil is included in the formula as it has been proven to soothe eroded areas of the stomach lining.

The highly digestible fibre in these cubes helps to promote the beneficial bacteria in the hindgut therefore further helping to maintain a healthy hindgut environment.

Sodium, calcium and magnesium are added to the blend to provide the correct level of these major minerals. The calcium and magnesium also help to slightly negate excess acidity in the stomach.

TopSpec UlsaKind cubes are also highly suitable for any horses or ponies requiring a low-starch/high-fibre diet for other reasons; please contact our nutritionists for feeding advice relating to any specific health problems.

For further information please contact the Multiple Award-Winning Helpline on 01845 565030 or visit www.topspec.com 

Equi-N-Ice - cold compression treatment

Equi-N-Ice is an innovative, clinically proven and effective cold compression treatment for horses. Equi-N-Ice works by drawing heat out as opposed to other products that work by trying to drive cold in, such as ice packs. With Equi-N-Ice, there is no refrigeration, no mess, no mixing and no unpleasant smell. It is specially designed to conform to all the competition rules set by the FEI and all equestrian governing bodies.

Equi-N-Ice comes in a convenient reusable bandage, which is impregnated with a special cooling fluid which treats the area by rapid evaporation once applied. Cold compression is well documented as the most effective way of treating inflammation, swelling and bruising of muscles, tendons and ligaments; with Equi-N-Ice, the skin is as much as 15 degrees cooler once the bandage has been removed.

The bandage has it’s own natural elasticity, providing support and comes in a handy pack that can be resealed easily and quickly, so is an essential part of your first aid bag, whether at the barn or on the road.

Once washed, it’s so easy to re-apply the special non-irritant coolant to make the bandage damp again, and ready to store until needed again. The coolant is supplied in a handy plastic spray bottle, making it easy to re-apply without taking off the bandage.

To compliment the Equi-N-Ice bandage is The Rapid Cooler Rug, which is a quick and efficient, ideal for pre and post race, after exercise, while traveling and in all hot climates. The Rapid Cooler Rug is made from Coolmax® fabric, known for its ‘cool’ properties in reducing skin temperatures in human athletes, drawing the heat and sweat away and provides hours of cooling.

For more information visit www.equisportsint.com

or contact Joanne Louder tel: 912 281 3590

email: joanne@physicoolsports.com.au

Ionicare - successful, expedited recovery

Tim Ritchey, trainer of Afleet Alex, had a problem. Two of his most promising young horses had come up with tendon lesions.

An ultrasound in September 2012 of a prize 2-year old thoroughbred filly showed a 12% Palmar Border Lesion right front superficial digital flexor tendon.

On the same day a promising 2-year old thoroughbred colt injured his right front superficial digital flexor tendon. An ultrasound diagnosis confirmed an acute 7% Core Lesion.

The typical chance of recovery from this type of injury with traditional modes of therapy is at best about 50%. His vet, Dr. Kathleen Anderson, DVM (Vice President of the AAEP) of Equine Veterinary Care at Fair Hill Training Center, suggested he try a recently released technology to treat the problem. 

On Dr. Anderson’s, recommendation, Tim started daily therapy with the IoniCare® System 3, along with hand walking for both horses. Follow up ultrasounds in October showed “significant improvement” in both cases.

Tim and Dr. Anderson were excited to see that ultrasounds in December  showed “excellent healing” in both cases.

Based on the ultrasound and clinical exam, both horses were able to resume training in early January 2013. Because newly healed tissue has not had time to mature, and isn’t as stable as mature tissue, the horses were brought along carefully.

The filly has raced six times (3 wins and 2 thirds). She continues on daily IoniCare therapy and is racing sound.

The colt has raced 7 times (2 wins and 2 seconds). The tendon has remained sound and daily maintenance IoniCare therapy continues. 

Ritchey says "In my 40 years around the track, this is by far the most successful form of therapy with the quickest recovery time of any system I have encountered or experienced." He is currently using the System on nearly all his horses either for injury treatment or maintenance.

Dr. Anderson commented 

“Soft tissue injuries in racehorses often frustrate owners, trainers and veterinarians with a slow rate of healing and frequent re-occurrence. I have observed encouraging outcomes on both upper level event horses and thoroughbred racehorses with focused rehabilitation and maintenance programs utilizing the IoniCare unit. Clinical and ultrasound findings both support these observations. Definitely worth a try!”

According to System developer Equine OrthoCare, LLC, the patent pending IoniCare System 3 is based on the principle that external electrical field therapy positively influences the repair mechanisms of bone, cartilage and other connective tissue. It has been specifically designed and adapted to apply a proven technology for horses.

The System delivers a patented, low amplitude, subliminal electrical signal to the treatment site. This unique signal creates a specific electrical field within the treatment site designed to mimic or enhance the internal electrical fields that are naturally produced in the body. 

Daniel V. Flynn, V.M.D., past president of AAEP, medical director Equine OrthoCare, and the man with the most clinical experience with the System, reports: 

“Common tendon and ligament injuries of the lower limb respond very well to the IoniCare System. A significant reduction in healing time is seen and the size of the injured tendon or ligament remains closer to normal. This is confirmed by diagnostic ultrasound.”

Other prominent vets who have had success treating soft tissue injuries with the IoniCare System include Gayle W. Trotter, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS (Co-editor of the standard text Joint Disease in the Horse), and  Scott Morrison, DVM, (Podiatry Specialist, The Podiatry Center, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Lexington, KY)

Equine OrthoCare says the effectiveness of the IoniCare System in treating causes of equine lameness has been demonstrated by years of field testing by equine veterinarians, trainers and horse owners in the United States. This versatile non-drug, non-invasive technology has been used in equine veterinary practice to successfully treat joint and connective tissue injuries including bone, cartilage, tendon and ligament. When properly used, the System is safe and has no known adverse side effects. Its design allows for treatment of two sites simultaneously, and can be used on multiple horses each day.

For more information call 855-446-6422, or visit www.ionicare.com

Increasing Equine Fitness

Horses, like humans, experience the seemingly inevitable onslaught of aging. Stiffness, reduced energy, limited mobility and (not surprisingly) downright irritability are symptoms most of us are familiar with!

A wealth of research now shows a direct correlation between athletic injury, age-related decline and decreased performance, and the degeneration of connective tissues and associated structures i.e. ligaments, tendons, fascia, bone, blood vessels, and more.

Over time and with use, connective tissue becomes dry and inflexible due to reduced stability of cell membranes and limited production of glycosaminoglycan (moisture-holding structures). This can be the cause of a range of conditions including osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease, osteochondrosis, laminitis to name but a few. In all cases, inflammation is a universal complaint. Chronic inflammation induces fatigue, dampens enthusiasm and ensures poor performance—also signs and symptoms of accelerated aging. Therefore, what appears to be an inevitable degenerative process might actually be an acute or chronic condition that is both preventable and treatable.

If pain is the problem, RECOVERY EQ is a potent solution that targets the root causes of the pain. By inhibiting damage to cells, curbing inflammation, relaxing tension and increasing a cell’s ability to receive hormones, RECOVERY often brings results far beyond expectations.

Recovery EQ has been developed over 10 years to improve circulation to tissues, speed repair and slow or halt tissue damage. The primary active ingredient is Nutricol, a potent blend of naturally-occurring substances derived from foods that have been shown in numerous clinical studies to profoundly affect cell health. Nutricol, is a proprietary blending of plant nutrients known as polyphenols. These are the same substances that have made green tea and red grapes the subject of much scientific study in recent years. Nutricol decreases trauma - from chronic lameness, surgery, injury and over-training – by both increasing the cell's resistance to damage & improving its ability to repair damage.

For more information, please go to www.recoveryeq.com

Published in North American Trainer Fall/Winter 2013 Issue 30

Horse Weigh launch new 'space age' weighing platform

The “Goodwood” is the new super lightweight weighing platform from Horse Weigh, using Formula One and aerospace technology.  Each half of the platform weighs only 31.31lbs (14.2kg), has its own transport bag and may be carried on a shoulder. It is assembled in less than 2 minutes. If you are taking your horses abroad, your “Goodwood” goes too.  Bluetooth recording technology of all data is standard. 

The “Goodwood” was launched at the Coronation Festival at Buckingham Palace in July. (Horse Weigh is a Royal Warrant Holder supplying horse weighing equipment to HM The Queen.) The Goodwood is taking Europe by storm - deliveries have already been made. It is now available in North America, and great interest has already been received.

Weighing is ideal for maintaining the optimum winning weight of racehorses.  Regular weighing will pick up a problem before your eye does.  It is also useful to monitor the recovery weight after travel nationally and internationally. By monitoring the weight a trainer can decide whether to advance a horse’s training or hold it back and thus not waste valuable time.  Owners are requesting the optimum winning weight of their horses and wanting their trainers to weigh.  Some trainers report that owners ‘expect’ them to weigh weekly. 

This platform has been field-tested by racehorses in rehabilitation, by foals, mares and stallions during the spring and summer at Shadwell Estate Co Ltd and at The Royal Studs. 

Studs weigh regularly to monitor growth and adjust feed accordingly; stallions can be maintained at their optimum weight during the covering season.  Weighing can be carried out in the paddocks instead of bringing the horses back to the stables so saving time for staff and stress to horses.  

This portable platform is popular with vets who may have to operate out in the paddocks.  An accurate weight means an accurate amount of anaesthetic; the accuracy guarantee is +/- 1%. 

Champion trainer elect, Richard Hannon says “Horse Weigh platforms are a very helpful training aid to monitor the horses’ weights.  We always weigh them before and after a run and then again a few days later to see how quickly they regained the weight which they lost during a run.”

“Sky Lantern is weighed regularly like all the horses; probable Breeder’s Cup contender Toronado is weighed every week and we could see that he was putting on condition, which just confirmed our thoughts that he was really improving and in great form for Royal Ascot.”

For more details contact: 

william@horseweigh.com

 Tel: +44 (0) 1939 220667

 Published in North American Trainer Fall/Winter 2013 Issue 30 

Speed Silks™ - the latest uniform in technology

Earlier this Fall, Darby Racing Technology, LLC, launched an incredible new product for racing horsemen and jockeys - Speed Silks™.

Speed Silks is a revolutionary new equine jockey uniform made almost entirely from Aero Dimplex®, an ultra-lightweight, aerodynamically-engineered fabric that is textured to reduce drag. 

Speed Silks inventor, Matt Darby, says “Cyclists have been wearing uniforms made of Aero Dimplex for a few years. Even some competitive runners have adopted it, but the technology has never been used in horse racing until now”.

The use of Aero Dimplex is key to the design of Speed Silks; it is the industry standard in the world of competitive cycling and, according to manufacturer SwissTech, it’s the highest-rated aerodynamic fabric between 14 and 47 miles per hour. 

The entire Speed Silks line includes four products: colors (jerseys), helmet covers, pants and boot sleeves. All Speed Silks products are form-fitting; that, in addition to the special material from which they are made, reduces the amount of aerodynamic drag the jockey’s body creates in 3 ways:

• The “kite tail” effect – A jockey’s colors and pants make a lot of noise during a race. That noise is his clothing flapping in the wind. Every single flap pulls backwards on the jockey and therefore, the horse. We call it the “kite tail effect.” All Speed Silks products are form-fitting and almost seamless, so they don’t flap in the wind as the horse and jockey move through the air. Even Speed Silks pants conform to the rider’s body.

Skin friction - is the friction created as air is dragged across a surface; in this case, the jockey. The textured surface of the Aero Dimplex creates tiny pockets of turbulence along the surface of the jockey. While it may seem counter-intuitive, that’s what allows the rider to “slip” through the air more freely. 

Form drag – As a jockey moves through the air, a low-pressure pocket develops behind him. Cyclists and NASCAR drivers already know about this phenomenon, and take advantage of it by “drafting” closely behind another competitor. Race horses can’t “draft,” but Aero Dimplex’s special texture decreases the size of this low-pressure pocket by allowing the air to flow more smoothly around the rider. This reduces the backward pull on the jockey.

Darby says his product solves a problem many horsemen don’t even realize they have. “A jockey wearing traditional, old fashioned gear is basically a big parachute on top of the horse,” he says. “But since jockeys have worn loose, baggy uniforms for a hundred years or more, most owners and trainers never really think about it. I spent about two and half years building and testing a complete head-to-toe uniform designed from the ground up with a jockey in mind. Speed Silks will cover the rider from head to ankles in an aerodynamic shell of Aero Dimplex.

The colors, helmet covers and pants are all fully customizable. Anything you can dream of, we can put on the product in very bright, vibrant colors…owner colors, sponsor logos, anything. I’ll put a photo of your grandkids on your back if you ask me to. And the photo will look great.”

All Speed Silks products are available from Darby Racing Technology at www.SpeedSilks.com. Questions can be e-mailed to info@SpeedSilks.com. Matt Darby can be reached by phone at 806-570-6920. Follow on Twitter: @SpeedSilks.

Speed Silks™ is a trademark of Darby Racing Technology, LLC, in the US and in other countries.

Aero Dimplex® is the registered trademark of Schoeller Textil AG and may be registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries.

Published in North American Trainer Fall/Winter 2013 Issue 30

Equilume™ – Lighting the way in the global equine industry

An exciting and innovative new product is currently being rolled out across the Northern and Southern Hemisphere’s Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry.  Equilume, an Irish-based company, is poised to become the world leader in the research and development of light therapy solutions to assist the global horse industry maximize reproductive efficiency and performance. The Equilume Light Mask is a breakthrough product developed from novel research conducted at University College Dublin by Dr. Barbara Anne Murphy and Professor John Sheridan. It is an automated headpiece for horses that provides the optimum level of blue light to a single eye to successfully advance the breeding season but with other important applications for trainers.

The universal birth date for Thoroughbreds of January 1st poses a number of significant problems for breeders, including difficulty ensuring mares are reproductively active early in the year, prolonged gestation lengths and reduced average foal birth weights.  The Equilume Light Mask has been scientifically shown to advance the reproductively active period of the mare as effectively as standard indoor lighting regimes. An ideal application is for use on maiden mares in their final months of training to kick-start their reproductive activity before beginning a stud career. For pregnant mares, it prevents prolonged gestation lengths and increases average foal birth weights. An additional response to the light treatment is the early shedding of the winter coat, a desirable consequence for many performance and sales animals. In fact, a recent scientific study conducted by the JRA revealed that an extended light regime early in the year increases muscle mass in Thoroughbred colts.

Dr Murphy’s early research on circadian rhythms in horses suggests that the light mask will also benefit traveling racehorses by preventing jet lag effects on performance. Studies will soon be underway to further validate this application. 

The mask itself fits comfortably under the headcollar and provides low intensity blue light to the horse’s right eye. It is completely labor free and once activated at 4pm between Nov 15th and Dec 1st, will come on automatically each day at dusk and stay lighting until 11pm. Rigorous testing of the durability and reliability of the light mask have been conducted on farms across three continents over the last two seasons. 

Detailed information on the product, the research, the trials and testimonials from users can be found online at www.equilume.com

Published in North American Trainer Fall/Winter 2013 Issue 30