MyHoofPrints

Mandatory stable registration splits group

FORT COLLINS, Colorado --The word “must” split the group in charge of developing new land use rules for equestrian operations Tuesday night. Must stable owners register with the county or should it be optional?

Working group members split in a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” consensus test of this line: “The owner of the equestrian operation must complete and sign an Equestrian Operation Registration Certificate prior to operation.”

Under this proposal, even stables with “Use by Right” would have to register with the county.

“I don’t think they should have to do that,” said working group member Wendy Chase. Working group member Jill Cook added, “I think we’re gonna get a lot of negative press for “must”. It changes the whole demeanor of this group.”

Working group members asked what would happen if equestrian operations failed to register. “If it’s in the code and you haven’t done it, and the neighbor complains, then you start not being compliant. Ignorance is not an excuse,” said Hoffman.

Several working group members supported the position that business owners should expect to have to register. “If you’re gonna do this (run a stable), you’re gonna have to fill something out,” said working group member LuAnn Goodyear.

Study facilitator Linda Hoffman tabled the debate for further discussion -- time permitting -- before the proposal becomes official. County commissioners are set to vote on new rules for equestrian operations on December 14.

Working group member Joe Andrews suggested that language from the Right to Farm policy be included in any proposed rules to protect the agricultural nature of equestrian operations. As the proposed rules read now, “This takes the Right to Farm Act away from us,” said Chase.

Under the new plan, equestrian operations would use a formula to determine what level of review they would undergo for county approval. Review levels include use by right, administrative review, minor special review, and special review. There have been no specifics attached, but the intent behind Administrative Review was to make it more affordable for small-to-medium stables to get approval.

“We’re talking about this administrative review being a few hundred dollars,” said Hoffman.

In the administrative review rules, several working group members urged removal of language limiting equestrian operation hours to between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Others said hours were important because they protect neighbors.

“The point is we’re protecting neighbors who don’t have a voice,” said Hoffman. (There is no provision for public comment under Administrative Review.) “We’re at the point where we’re trying to find a balance.” The group redefined hours to apply to “routine” operations (versus all operations), and changed hours to between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Safe and adequate access and adequate on-site parking would also be required for approvals requiring review.

The working group's proposal will be discussed by the Agricultural Advisory Board and the Environmental Advisory Board, according to Hoffman.

Hoffman said she is receiving phone inquiries primarily about the proposed transition program for existing equestrian operations, and the working group will need to deal with the issue in more detail, especially with regard to what constitutes an existing business.

Next public meetings:
•Thursday, October 29, 2009-6:00 p.m., The Ranch, Thomas M. McKee 4-H Building, Crossroads Blvd and I-25, Loveland, Colorado.
•Tuesday, November 3, 2009-6:00 p.m., Larimer County Courthouse Offices Building, Hearing Room, 1st Floor, 200 W. Oak Street, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Rabid horse: Colorado's first in 25 years

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — A rabid horse has died in El Paso County, underscoring the critical importance of vaccinating pets and livestock and avoiding wild animals, according to the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment.
“Rabies infection in horses is rare,” said Public Health Director Kandi Buckland, R.N., M.P.A. “We anticipate that the infection was caused by skunk rabies, which greatly concerns us because it would indicate that rabies is not only spreading in the county, but also crossing animal species and increasing the risk to people.”
“It is critically important for people to vaccinate their pets and their livestock against rabies and to avoid contact with wild mammals,” Buckland said. “Prevention is key because rabies is a fatal disease once symptoms begin.”
The horse, which was euthanized Friday, had lab tests to confirm it had rabies. Public health experts believe that the horse was exposed to a skunk on its home property in Black Forest area. Colorado has not recorded a horse with rabies in at least 25 years, according to officials at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
In addition to the horse, El Paso County has recorded six confirmed cases of rabies in skunks this year, part of a statewide spread of rabies.  Prior to this summer the last time a rabid skunk was reported in El Paso County was 1970.
The infected skunks have so far been found in northern and eastern El Paso County. “At this point, we are worried that more areas throughout El Paso County will be affected by skunk rabies,” Buckland said.
Vaccination can successfully protect your pet and livestock from rabies infection should an exposure occur. Undervaccinated pets are at significant risk for acquiring rabies from skunks, which then may bring the risk for rabies into the home.
Rabies infects the brain and other parts of the central nervous system, causing brain swelling and damage, and ultimately death. Rabies is spread primarily through the bite of rabid animals, resulting in the spread of the disease through their infected saliva. Rabies also can be spread when saliva from an infected animal gets into open wounds, cuts or enters through membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth. No cure exists for rabies once symptoms appear. Preventive medication is available for people known or suspected to have been bitten or exposed to the saliva of a rabid animal.
In addition to ensuring that pets and livestock are vaccinated properly against rabies, the Health Department recommends these prevention steps:
•         Don’t feed wild animals or allow your pets around them. Be sure to teach children to stay away from wild mammals.
•         Vaccinate your dogs and cats.
•         Contact your veterinarian to discuss vaccinating horses and other equines, as well as other livestock.
•         Contact your veterinarian if your dog or cat is bitten or scratched by a wild animal, such as skunks, bats, foxes or raccoons.
•         If you suspect you’ve been exposed to a rabid animal, contact your physician without delay.
•         If you observe a wild mammal acting strangely, especially a skunk, or if you find a dead skunk that isn’t on your property, stay away from it. Strange behavior for a skunk would include being out and about during daytime hours. 
•         If you must remove a dead skunk on your property, wear rubber gloves or lift the carcass with a shovel or other tool, and double bag it for the trash.

For more information, visit www.elpasocountyhealth.org.  

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Rabies claims Colorado horse

Rabies has claimed a Colorado horse, according to the El Paso County Health Department. Public information officer Susan Wheelan confirmed reports of the recent case, but had no further details. Rabies is always fatal to animals. Once an animal contracts the disease, there is no cure.
A horse with rabies could theoretically infect a human through a bite. However in humans, prompt post-exposure vaccination may stop the virus.
Whether to use the relatively new vaccine for horses has been controversial because horse owners fear possible vaccine reactions, and there have been no cases of rabies in Colorado horses for many years. Wheelan said she expected a detailed statement from the El Paso County Health Department later today.

Hair trigger: Horse hates clippers

My Morgan gelding, who is now a solid Level 4 (Colorado 4-H) Hunt Seat and Western horse with a nice show record, started life with us a bit crazed. One of the things he hated the worst was clippers. Even if we just turned the clippers on, he would raise his head out of our reach and roll his eyes at us.
This horse is 16.2+ hands tall, probably one of the tallest Morgans in the registry. When he decided he didn't want to do something, we had to figure out very creative work-arounds. We tried all sorts of bribery and even resorted to a twitch, but nothing worked. Clippings always ended in a violent contest with horse and people traumatized.
Finally, my veterinarian suggested creating positive associations with the clippers by making our horse very relaxed while clipping. He prescribed a tranquilizer for us to use the next three or four times we clipped our gelding. It worked. By the fifth clipping, we could gently clip our boy's bridle path, whiskers and legs without fearing for our lives.
We don't generally subscribe to the "better living through chemicals" approach, but this idea worked for a very tough case, and I would recommend it as long as you consult first with your veterinarian. We now keep this horse and others desensitized to clippers by making trimming with clippers a regular part of grooming, and we find the Wahl Pocket Pro ideal for this type of work.

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Hay burners: What it costs to feed a horse

Just before the big recession hit, feed prices skyrocketed in our area. People began cutting out grain for their horses, switching to lower-quality hay, or selling their horses altogether. As the recession continued, people began giving horses away, and many off-the-track Thoroughbreds were shipped off for dog food because nobody would take them. Suddenly, the cash consumed by a horse’s feed needs

We developed a spreadsheet to price hay by the pound. Our clients can request hay feed changes any time and get a pretty good idea of what their orders will cost them.

became critical. At our stable, we have always supported feeding horses what they need, and will not tolerate low body scores (skinny horses). However, we needed a way to accurately project what a horse required, which in turn would give us a way to assess costs. Research into the Horse Industry Handbook, Feeding and Care of the Horse and the Colorado 4-H Horse Project Manual revealed that:

1. Larger horses eat more hay (up to .025 percent of their body weight)
2. Active horses eat more (a horse’s work schedule can increase hay consumption by 50, 100 or 150 percent)
3. Nervous horses eat more (horses that pace or play a lot are voluntarily increasing their workload)
4. Metabolism varies among horses, giving us the “easy keepers” v. the “hard keepers”.

We developed a spreadsheet to price hay by the pound. Our clients can request hay feed changes any time and get a pretty good idea of what their orders will cost them. Finally, we have a way to fairly price hay so that people pay for what their horse uses. Click here to download our spreadsheet and plug in your own numbers. (We hope to expand this at some point to include grain – stay tuned.)

Heat attack: Sprinklers to the rescue

One summer, we took in a new horse, an older mare that was in pretty bad shape. Her people had been feeding her, but her teeth were bad, and she was not properly processing her food. She came to us very skinny and weak. Late one afternoon of that summer, the mare went down with heat exhaustion.
Through gradual application of cold water on her legs, and carefully moving up her body, we were able to get her standing. As we continued dribbling hose water on her body, the mare's temperature went back to normal.
This mare was proof that, like humans, really young and very old horses often have trouble regulating their body temperature to cope with the weather. When it’s hot, darker horses also may have trouble staying cool.
Besides providing plenty of fresh water, when the afternoon becomes intolerably hot, we cool our horses off with some good old sprinkler play. We lash heavy duty sprinklers to fence posts and turn on the water.
Horses will position themselves to get in the spray (click on photo to enlarge), and some will stick their noses in the water stream, and roll up their lips. Note: Never blast a hot horse directly on their body, especially in the girth area, with cold hose water. You could give them a heart attack.
Back to the sprinklers -- You don’t have to leave the water on all afternoon. In fact, purchasing timers will ensure water is not left on forever and wasted. A side benefit of sprinkler play is dust reduction, which is better for the horses’ respiratory systems, reduces erosion, and keeps nearby neighbors who may complain about stable dust happy.

On guard: Dark side of new horse land use rules

EDITORIAL

FORT COLLINS, Colorado -- We have switched to month-to-month contracts from our traditional year-long plan, largely because Larimer County’s new land use rules could wreak havoc on us and our clients. We are on guard against a lose-lose business deal.
Coincidentally, my daughter recently visited the Colorado Horse Park and learned that their clients pay $1,400 per month in board. While the horse park is a much fancier facility than many in this county, it occured to me that if badly handled, new rules could skyrocket board in Larimer County and:

• Blacklist stables that have been in business less than 30 years
• Destroy stables unable to afford the new "playing field"
• Create approval fees and associated costs – in the tens of thousands of dollars -- that would be passed on to clients
• Make it illegal to board a certain number of horses
• Create higher costs or make it illegal to have horse events, clinics, or teach riding, including non-profit activities like 4-H and Pony Club
• Dictate stringent, one-size-fits-all methods for managing traffic, dust, lights, manure and other stable “byproducts” that translate to higher costs – for us and again, for our clients
• Fail to solve the issue that started all of this -- complaints by neighbors who own property next to irresponsible horse owners.

If you have followed Hoofprints on this issue, you know that we try to take the positive view, that the proposal under development for a December vote by county commissioners will result in a win-win situation for everybody.
However, this is for those who keep asking, “Why should we care anyway?” Now you know. Get involved. Get educated. Let your county government know where you stand.
You can also contact members of the working group in charge of developing the new policies.
For first-hand facts, attend the next land use working group meeting: Tuesday, August 25, 6 p.m., Larimer County Courthouse Offices Building, Boyd Lake Conference Room, 1st Floor, 200 W. Oak Street, Fort Collins, Colorado. The public is allowed to observe these meetings, but no comments will be taken.
Mark your calendars for the next public feedback meetings:
Thursday, September 10, 2009-6:00 p.m., The Ranch, Thomas M. McKee Building, Loveland, Colorado.Tuesday, September 15, 2009-6:00 p.m., Larimer County Courthouse Offices Building, Hearing Room, 1st Floor, 200 W. Oak Street, Fort Collins, Colorado.

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Horse dies of rabies; humans exposed?

Rabies has reared its ugly head with the death of a horse in Texas. Worse, humans who came into contact with the horse’s saliva may have been exposed to the deadly disease, according to TheHorse.com. The horse, a mare, was at the Scurry County Rodeo in mid-July and died July 30. It tested positive for rabies August 5. More than 250 contestants from Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas competed in the rodeo. While transmission at the rodeo arena is unlikely, it is possible if the horse’s saliva came into contact with an open wound or the horse bit a human or another animal. Sadly, this could have been prevented if the horse had received the new rabies vaccine.
Hoofprints: Gambling on rabies vaccine
Hoofprints: Rabies experiment works

Green idea solves hoof-soak blues

Less than a month after I bought my first horse at age 12, she stepped on a nail and punctured the sole of her right front foot. Novice horse owners that my parents and I were, we took a pair of pliers and pulled the nail out. This turned out to be the worst thing we could do. Again, novices that we were – we had no 4-H horse project in Santa Clara County, California from which to learn – we thought everything was fine … until our horse went down with a high fever. The veterinarian discovered the terrible infection in her hoof. The nail hole had closed, but the injury festered from the inside, and my lovely, kind mare developed an abscess. We faced six weeks of twice-daily soaks in hot water laced with Epsom salts. After about 10 kicked-over buckets, we hated the soaks almost as much as my mare did. Fast forward to the present … a stable client solves the kicked-over-bucket problem and accomplishes “green” recycling with used intravenous bags. A veterinarian, this client has easy access to used IV bags. Yes, they are still clean. The seal between the bag and the body prevents germs from going backwards into the bag. If this makes your spine crawl, your veterinarian could probably get you a fresh supply, or you could look online. Chopped off at the top, layered with epsom salts, and cotton at the bottom, filled with hot water, the bag is bandaged in place. (Note: If you cannot get an IV bag, why not try a heavy duty zippered storage bag?) No more kicked over buckets. No more lost medicine. No more angry horses. No more angry people. What a concept!

New land use rules: 'Ain't so damn easy'

FORT COLLINS, Colorado -- As it juggled public welfare, measurability, scalability, neighborhood interactions and existing law, the working group in charge of developing new land use rules for horse facilities edged toward agreement Tuesday night.
 “This whole idea of being a good neighbor. That ain’t so damn easy,” said working group member Dennis Goeltl, who later urged the group to create a concrete policy that people could rely on as the county grows.
The group was appointed earlier this year by county commissioners to study new rules for horse facilities, partly in response to a small but persistent problem with neighbor complaints against horse property owners in general. But members disagreed Tuesday night about how much control Larimer County should have over horse businesses.
“I don’t think government has any business telling people how to manage their horses,” said Wendy Chase.
“If we get into over regulating … I think that you’re actually limiting the ability of folks to manage their places,” added Pat Hall.
“There needs to be enough structure to protect us in two ways,” said Joe Andrews. “One, the planning department needs to administer this equally across the board … and two, there needs to be enough structure so that they’re not given a blank check, and require people to do things that are absolutely ridiculous.”