Spur Ridge to host first horse ?Health-A-Palooza?

Area horse owners can benefit from the expertise of three animal-care professionals at the first equine ?Health-A-Palooza? workshop planned in conjunction with the Marion County Fair.

The gathering, sponsored by Spur Ridge Vet Hospital, Marion, is planned for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wed?nesday, July 27, at the Scout House in Hillsboro?s Memorial Park.

Four horse-health topics will be addressed: internal parasite resistance, dental abnormalities and corrections, feed strategies and lameness evaluation.

?We generally do a health owner and farmer presentation at least annually,? said veterinarian Brendan Kraus, Spur Ridge owner. ?We?ve been wanting to do a bigger one, more of an event style. This was just the year for it, I guess.?

The presentation on parasite resistance, which has been a topic for years, will be led by the Midwest representative from Merial, a world-leading animal health-care company based in Georgia.

The presentation will cover some of the myths about deworming and rotational deworming, and will introduce ?refugia,? a new strategy intended to slow the development of resistance on a farm.

It also will offer recommendations on how to identify which horses on a farm are shedding the majority of worm eggs and what can be done to reduce this contamination.

Kraus will follow with a review of the evolution of equine tooth anatomy and its connection to abnormal occlusion.

His presentation will include pictures of oral problems in horses and the equipment used to treat the problems. Kraus will present a video that outlines a dental procedure from start to finish. The video includes unique footage from inside the horse?s mouth.

Cole Camac of Fort Scott will discuss ?Forage First? and the evolution of horse feeds and will review some of the common problems with traditional feeds.

Camac is employed by ADM Alliance Nutrition, an Illinois-based company that supplies ingredients that make animal feed more nutritious.

The ?Forage First? line of feed is intended to supplement a hay or grass diet with a unique system that increases energy without adding potentially dan?ger?ous carbohydrates.

Kraus will cap the evening with a live demonstration of a lameness evaluation, including a review of some of the anatomical issues that are evaluated during a standard exam. Among those are hoof testing, palpitation of the leg structures, and baseline movement.

The exam will progress through stress flexion of the lower and upper legs, and attenders will be able to watch for changes in the gait resulting from the tests.

Spur Ridge is asking that people interested in attending the workshop RSVP to Spur Ridge by July 25 by calling 620-381-2100.

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