Deck the Stalls!

The holidays can be so exhausting! 

Season's greetings friends and "neigh"bors! The holiday season is upon us and I am so excited! Nothing can compare to some soupy, hot bran mash on a chilly night, or one of those sweet and crunchy candy canes that I love so much.  But it's most important this time of year to show how much we appreciate the people we love; after all, it's better to give than to receive! (Or is it?!) Well luckily, the Rutgers Equine Science Center has come up with some great ideas for gifts this holiday season so you can give and receive simultaneously!

Horses LOVE Turkey Day!

After a big dinner, I need a nap!

I can’t believe how quickly the seasons are changing, and Thanksgiving is only a few days away!  For many of you, thoughts of a big, juicy turkey, warm gravy, and sweet pumpkin pie are the things that come to mind in anticipation of the holiday.  I know it sure does for me! But then again, when am I NOT thinking of food?!  Although I won’t be partaking in the feast (my owner says he can’t find a chair large enough for me to sit at the table….I was slightly offended), try to remember to show your equine pals how thankful you are to have them by baking them some homemade goodies!  Every horse deserves to be a little spoiled, and preparing horse treats can be a fun activity for horses and humans alike. 

Dental check up...Float on!

Hey Everybody!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!  The snow couldn’t stop me from getting some treats of my own.  As you already know, I love treats any day of the year and October 31^st is no exception!  I just can’t get enough of those sugary sweet delights!  But with my affection for confections, I need to take good care of my old chompers! I had a recent checkup from my equine dentist friend to help prevent any dental dilemmas. 

The Buzz About Bees

No stings on my nose!

Something strange happened the other day when my friend Magic and I took our annual trip to the apple orchard.  There we were, happily munching on the "fruits" of our labor, when I saw something whiz past my head and go straight for Magic!  I wanted to yell, "Magic, look out!" but my mouth was full of applesauce and before I knew it, the buzzing insect landed right on his nose and STUNG!  Magic threw up his head and snorted in reaction to this unpleasant surprise...my poor friend had been caught completely off guard! As much as it is unfortunate that this blog post comes at my friend's expense, it is important to let you in on the "buzz" about these pesky insects so you don't have your own unfortunate encounter.

Sugar in Grass?? Sweet!

Have I mentioned how much I love this time of year?  Although the weather has been a bit dreary, I took full advantage of one the few nice days we’ve had and went apple picking with my good friend Magic.  The apple orchard is one of my favorite places to be; red delicious snacks above me and lush green grass below!  Speaking of grass, have you noticed how quickly it’s been growing lately? All the precipitation and cooler weather provide the perfect conditions for rapid pasture growth.  But as much as I love grass, I know that you can have too much of a good thing.

You may be surprised to hear that grasses contain large amounts of…sugar!  It’s no wonder why horses love it so much!  But just like humans, an excess of sugar could cause problems for horses.  Grass accumulates sugar and starch throughout the day and uses it for growth overnight, unless there is a freeze.

Consuming high sugar grass can cause a metabolic disorder called laminitis or founder in some horses, especially old guys like me, and also “easy keepers”; the chubby ponies and horses that get fat just thinking about grass.  Although it is not necessarily a bad thing, you should be careful not to use this term with a mare….I once told Christi she was an “easy keeper” and nearly got kicked in the noggin!  

If a horse is an easy keeper or has had laminitis before, limiting sugar intake by grazing it early in the morning before the grasses accumulate sugar (provided there was no overnight freeze) or by using a grazing muzzle throughout the day can hinder the development of metabolic disease.  This is especially important in the spring and fall, when sugar content is at its greatest.  My friends at the Equine Science Center are experts on this type of stuff!  For more information on metabolic disease, check out their Fact Sheet - Metabolic Problems in the Horse: Sorting out the Diagnosis.

 

Well I’m off to lunch…all this talking about grass and sugar is making me hungry! 

Until next time friends,

Lord Nelson

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Boy that rainstorm we had was quite a doozy!  Forget about it raining “cats and dogs”, more like “horses and ponies”!  I hope everyone stayed safe, and for those of you who lost power: now you know what living like a horse is like…it’s not so bad!  Who needs electricity anyway?  The flooding from the storm was something I can sympathize with however; my field was wet and muddy for days.  And because my pasture was littered with puddles, I developed a little skin problem called “scratches”.

You may ask “Scratches?  I think my cat has that!”  Scratches is not a condition itself, but rather a description of a condition that causes skin on the bulbs of the heel and the folds of skin in the pastern area to become red, inflamed, and cracked, often looking like scratch marks.  It’s also called pastern dermatitis, dew poisoning, greasy heel, or mud fever to give you a better idea of what I’m dealing with.  Muddy or wet conditions contribute to a horse developing scratches because the constant moisture not only irritates the delicate skin found at the back of the pasterns and hooves, but provides the perfect conditions for bacterial and fungal infections. 

The first step in treating scratches is to get the horse out of the moist environment.  In my case, my caretaker has been using a homemade remedy to treat my scratches; a mixture of furacin ointment with baby diaper rash cream (zinc oxide).  It may seem funny to treat with diaper rash cream, but the zinc oxide keeps the moisture out to promote healing and the bacterial action of the furacin works on the infection, so it’s the perfect combination!

Have you ever used a home remedy to treat an ailment?  Don’t be afraid to share in the comment section below, or on the Equine Science Center’s Facebook page (esc.rutgers.edu/fb)!

Stay dry friends!

Lord Nelson

Entering the Homestretch of Summer!

Hello Friends,

Sorry I haven't had time to post about my activities lately. Boy has my summer been hectic! I had a great time with my friends from the Harness Horse Youth Foundation; showing them around the research facilities here at Rutgers, putting on an equine treadmill demonstration, and even giving out some goodies for them to remember me by! It was a great time had by all. For pictures from the event, visit our Facebook page and don't forget to "Like" us while you're there!

If You Can't Stand the Heat...

...get out of the sun!

While most of my human friends can enjoy the air conditioning on a hot and humid day, I seek the shade of a tree or run-in shed to keep cool. This heat is tough on any horse, and since I'm (a little) older than most, I have to be especially careful to be sure I'm consuming enough calories to keep my body functioning and maintain a healthy body weight. Some horses may lose as much as 7 to 10 percent of body weight in sweat per hour in extreme temperatures. That's about 9-10 gallons of horse sweat...gross! Dr. Malinowski keeps my diet high in calories by increasing my grain, adding corn oil to my feed, and feeding me a wide variety of...doughnuts!

Water Works!

Hey Kids! Looking for something fun to do next week? Come to the Equine Science Center's Open House from 12 pm to 1 pm on Tuesday, July 12th at the Equine Exercise Physiology Laboratory on College Farm Road on the George H. Cook Campus in New Brunswick! If you ever were curious about what we do at the Equine Science Center, this is a great event for you to find out! Join Dr. Karyn Malinowski as she explains why horses make such great research models for exercise physiology and the various types of research we do at the Center. Guests will also be able to see one of the research mares gallop full speed on our 21-foot equine treadmill...what a treat! This event is free of charge, but it is asked that you pre-register by calling the Equine Science Center at (732) 932-9419.

Fun in the Sun!

Hello Friends,

You know how important it is to protect yourself from the harmful effects of the sun, but what you probably don't know is that horses can get sunburned and need protection as well. You might be thinking: "Doesn't a horse's haircoat shield their skin from the sun?" While this is mostly true for horses that are dark in color, lighter colored horses (particularly appaloosas and paints) are especially susceptible to sunburn due to the lighter pigmentation of the skin. Horses do not experience the full body burn that humans can get when overexposed, but specific areas of a horse's body are also more prone to sun damage, particularly regions with little hair such as the eyes and muzzle.

June - Celebrations and Itchiness!

June is my favorite month of the year! Not only because it marks the official start of summer, or because the school year is finally over, but it is also the Month of the Horse! New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Doug Fisher and the Equine Science Center's own Dr. Malinowski, kicked off the month of the horse on June 10th at the Standardbred Retirement Foundation Farm (the same folks who brought my research horse pals to Rutgers!) by announcing the various events planned to celebrate New Jersey's state animal! It's like a party that lasts all month long!

Horse go to Camp in the Summer, too!

Summer is just around the corner and I'm sure you've probably started planning some adventures over break. But just because school's out it doesn't mean that you should put your brain on a shelf! Summer camps are a great way to have fun while learning new things at the same time...especially when they involve horses!

Have you ever been to the Meadowlands Racetrack or Freehold Raceway and wondered what goes on behind the scenes of harness racing? Although it's not necessarily my forte, some of my best buddies, including Hugme Christi, are harness racehorses and I know that there's a lot of hard work and dedication behind every race held. One of my friends here at the Equine Science Center let me know about a great opportunity for young people hosted by the Harness Horse Youth Foundation. Participants at the week-long camp will be responsible for exercising, caring for, and even racing their own Trottingbred horse. A Trottingbred is a pony-sized horse that is a cross between standardbreds and ponies, and races on either a trot or a pace - Who knew! Dr. Karyn Malinowski, director of the Center, will also present a workshop about my favorite topic: Equine Science 4 Kids!

The camp runs from July 26th through the 30th from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm at Gaitway Farms in Englishtown, NJ. If you're between the ages of 12 and 14 and this sounds like something you would be interested in, log on to www.HHYF.org to sign up!

Next week, my friends at the Equine Science Center will be in Murfreesboro, Tennessee for the Equine Science Society symposium. I'm excited to learn that Equine Science 4 Kids, my favorite place to go on the web, will be presented to the equine science community during the four day conference. Be sure to check out the website to see what the buzz is all about!

Your Buddy,

Lord Nelson

Come to Jersey Fresh!

Hello again friends,

I've mentioned before that the horse is the state animal of New Jersey. We even have more horses per square mile than Kentucky! Speaking of which, did you see the Kentucky Derby last Saturday? What a great race!

This weekend there is a great competition being held at the Horse Park of New Jersey that showcases the equestrian sport of eventing and is sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture's "Jersey Fresh" initiative. The event, which runs from today through Sunday (5/15), attracts some of the nation's best riders and is fantastic fun for the entire family!

Family Fun at Ag Field Day!

We all know that spring brings warmer weather, greener grass, and sunny days...but the best gift of spring is the foals! Here at the Rutgers Equine Science Center, we have one of our very own! Foals are so cute with their fluffy tails and wobbly legs, and are much more developed than newborn humans. The horse is a precocial species, meaning that newborn foals are neurologically mature after birth. This is because horses are prey animals in the wild and are most vulnerable immediately after birth, so they must be able to identify danger and flee if necessary. In fact, a foal will usually stand within an hour of being born (after a few failed attempts of course!). Can you imagine a human baby being able to stand an hour after being born?!

The new Rutgers foal's name is RU Skylark and belongs to one of the mustangs in the Young Horse Teaching and Research Program named RU ShyAnne. Both mother and baby will be on display (along with the other mustangs in the program) at Ag Field Day at Rutgers Day on April 30th at the Red Barn on the G. H. Cook Campus in New Brunswick. If you really fall in love, some of the mustangs will be available for bid at an auction held on Sunday, May 1st at the same location. If buying a real horse is out of the question, stop by the Equine Science Center's stand and get yourself the next best thing...a Lord Nelson beanie baby! They're just as much fun, they'll fit in your car on the ride home, and the best part is you'll never have to clean up after them! I look forward to meeting all of you, my loyal followers, on Saturday!

Your pal,
Lord Nelson

"April Showers bring May Flowers..."

You've heard the phrase "April showers bring May flowers", but rain also brings lush green pastures that horses love! And now is the time for a delicious salad made from dandelions. As the spring season goes on, it makes me happy to see new sprouts of grass grow out of the dirt that dominated the pasture in the winter months. Don't get me wrong; I love hay, but there's nothing like grabbing a huge mouthful of fresh grass from the ground as the sun shines down and a warm breeze makes my tail float in the wind...it's almost enough to make me forget that the rider on my back is trying to get my head up!

Egg-Shaped Third Eye???

Hay Friends,

Remember in my last blog post I promised to share with you the location of a horse's third eye? Well, it's right in front of the ears, hidden underneath the forelock, but you can't see it! Just kidding! Horses don't actually have a REAL third eye - that would be bizarre! They do however have something called a pineal gland in their brain that processes information about the environment, like exposure to daylight, similarly to the actual eye. The pineal is a small reddish brown egg-shaped gland located in the center of the brain tucked between the two hemispheres.

Through a series of chemical reactions, the amount of light, processed through the eye's retina, is sent through various parts of the brain and ultimately received by the pineal gland. The primary functions of the pineal gland are to synthesize and secrete the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is a powerful hormone that plays an important role in adjusting the body to photoperiod and affecting circadian rhythms, such as the sleep-wake cycle, as it processes light exposure. The release of the hormone is not constant however; it is a pattern of the lowest concentrations occurring during daylight hours and peaking at night when it's dark. The varying levels of melatonin tell a horse what season it is and whether or not it should shed its hair or for mares to begin reproductive function. Pretty cool, huh?

Spring IS in the air and my pasture is beginning to sprout new luscious grass. Better for me than hot dogs and peppermints! Did you know that there are different species of grasses grown in horse pastures? Look out for my next blog post, where I'll talk about the different varieties of my most favorite food!

Until next time,

Lord Nelson

"SPRING" into action!

Hay everyone!

I know with this warmer weather we've been having, most of you have been trading in your heavy winter coats for your lighter spring jackets...I know I have! Much like your pet dogs and cats, horses shed their thicker winter coats for their sleeker summer coats as the seasons change. But unlike humans, it is not a direct result of warmer temperatures. So what causes horses to begin shedding their coats in the spring and growing them in the fall? Read on to find out!

Food for thought...

You all know about my "affection for confections", my love for cupcakes and ice cream, but have you ever wondered what other strange things horses eat? Well, it turns out there are lots of strange foods that you would be surprised horse's enjoy...but only in moderation!

Love is in the air!

Hay everyone!

How about this crazy weather we've been having? I've been busy climbing the mountains of snow that have formed in my paddock...the other day my owner couldn't find me because I was behind a snow pile that towered over my head! Check out some of my snow filled pictures in my photo gallery below! I just can't wait for spring to come!

Anyway, Valentine's Day is coming up and love is in the air! I'm looking forward to a romantic day with my gal pal and fellow snow mountain climber HugMe Christi. I'm so in love, that when I see her, my ears perk up, my eyes light up, and my heart starts to beat just a little bit faster! Horses are lovers...we have big hearts! The average weight of an equine heart is between 7 and 9 pounds, but some are even bigger than that...the famous racehorse Secretariat's heart was an estimated 22 pounds! So how does the massive equine heart work? Read more to find out!

What is Lordosis??

Hi friends,

Did you ever see a horse that looks like its belly is pulling its spine toward the ground, causing its back to slope downward just behind its withers? If you aren't sure what I mean, just look at some of the pictures of myself that I've posted here! The condition is commonly known as "sway back" but its scientific name applies more to yours truly..."LORDosis!"

Although the dip in my back may seem to be a cause for concern, it really doesn't bother me or prevent me from living a normal and active life. My owner does make fun of me however; he says eventually, he will have to start strapping the saddle to my belly and riding me upside-down for the saddle to fit properly!

Happy New Year and Happy Birthday!

Hi Friends,

Welcome to 2011! I certainly hope that the recent weather event (the blizzard!) that ended 2010 isn't a prediction of what's yet to come. I'll have more on that a little later - just keep reading!

New Year's Day is always special for horses in the Northern Hemisphere - it marks our birthday! As you can see from my picture, I celebrated enough for all of my fellow equine friends. I actually cheated and celebrated my birthday a day early (December 31) so that I could share my "affection for confections" with my owner, who brought me cupcakes with candles, and one of my caretakers, Josh, whose birthday is New Year's Eve. You may not be able to tell from the picture that I could not contain my excitement when I saw that plateful of cupcakes. Josh said that I was trembling in an effort to reach out and grab one of those treats!