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“Imprint Training” Finds Worldwide Acceptance
number of neuromuscular pathways that a horse needs to perform increases with the intricacy of the event. The cardiovascular system usually is conditioned very rapidly and can serve as a measuring stick for fitness. Monitoring heart rates, respiration rates, and weight can be used as indicators of fitness. All of these systems are affected by nutrition. The nutritional requirements can be broken down into several categories including: energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and water. Energy is the most important component of the diet for the performance horse. Energy requirements are determined by the size of the horse, the amount of work it does and individual variation, which can range over 30%. The base of the feeding program is hay, which must be fed at a minimum of 1% of the horse's weight or 10 lb for a 1000 Ib horse. If the hay is of high quality, usually about 20 -25 lb meets the energy requirements of most idle horses. Moderate work on a daily basis can increase the energy requirement as much as 70%. A horse working for an hour or more per day cannot consume enough hay to meet its energy needs. Horses training for cross-country and other strenuous activities should be fed 5 to 8 lb of grain per day in addition to a good quality hay. The type of hay fed will affect how much grain will be needed to maintain proper body condition. If a grass hay is fed, more grain will be needed than if a legume hay is fed. Legume hays include alfalfa and clover hays. They are higher in energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins than most grass hays. All types of hay are dramatically affected by the maturity of the hay. More mature hay is less digestible. The protein requirements of mature horses are very low and are usually met when feed is increased to meet the energy needs. A 10% protein feed is adequate for mature horses. Two- yearolds require 12% crude protein in the
Volume 14, Number 7, 1994
diet. Vitamin A and E need to be supplemented daily by the addition of 20,000 IU vitamin A and 1000 mgs vitamin E. The B vitamins and folio acid need to be supplemented when horses are in training. The minerals calcium and phosphorus are important for the skeletal integrity and many physiological functions. Proper amounts and correct ratios of these essential nutrients are critical. A mature horse weighing about 1100 lb needs 30 grams of calcium and 22 grams of phosphorus in a ratio close to 2 to 1. Your veterinarian or county extension agent can help you evaluate mineral nutrition. Many areas of the country are deficient in selenium and other trace minerals. Inquire about your area and supplement as needed. Electrolytes are minerals that are lost when an animal Sweats and they should be replaced only as needed. Offer the horse electrolytes mixed in water, but always be sure to offer the horse plain water also. The only time a horse should not have access to water is immediately after a hard work. Their are several metabolic problems associated with exercise and training. Three of the most common are tying-up, colic, and laminitis. All of these conditions can be exasperated by intense exercise and feeding high levels of grain. There are many causes for each disorder but, as a general rule, there are certain precautions that should be taken. Erratic training schedules, particularly hard work followed by rest followed by resumption of work can predispose tying-up. Tying-up is more common in fillies and nervous horses. Long warm-ups lasting 45 minutes can be beneficial; also, cut the grain in half and increase the hay portion of the diet on days when horses are not worked. The role of electrolyte supplementation in tying-up is not clear. The best advice seems to be to supplement only
when horses are worked hard and sweat excessively. Colic is common in horses doing strenuous work and kept in stalls more than 12 hours a day. Moldy feed, inconsistent feeding schedules, poor quality feeds, inadequate water intake, and numerous other management problems can cause colic. Laminitis is also a disease with numerous causes; nutritionally, the number one cause is excessive grain intake. You can reduce grain by 3 lb per day and maintain similar energy intakes by supplementing with 2 cups of a vegetable oil a day. Careful management and regular veterinary care including deworming and dental work are important for the well-being of performance horses.
"IMPRINT TRAINING" FINDS WORLDWIDE ACCEPTANCE
When veterinarian Robert M. Miller of Thousand Oaks, California, came up with the idea of intensively training newborn foals in 1966, it was not well accepted by his clientele. Miller had found that with an hour of training immediately after birth of the foal, followed by another hour of training the following day, he could permanently shape the manners, responses, and attitude of the foal. The technique worked so quickly and lastingly because it was done during the postpartum imprinting period and other critical learning times (CLT's) of the foal's life. In the years that followed, only a few people accepted his non-traditional ideas, although those few were invariably enthused with the results. It wasn't until 1986, when he made a video, Imprint Training of the Foal, on the training technique that the idea began to catch on. Then in 1991, with the publication of his book, Imprint Training of the
391
Newborn Foal, the technique swept through the entire horse industry. All breeds, including racehorses, in North America and abroad, are now being imprint trained with consistent success. Among Thoroughbred farms that use imprint training are: Golden Eagle of Ramona, California, the leading stakes producing farm in the world, according to Miller; Malibu Valley Farms, the first to imprint train all foals; and Flag-Is-Up of Solvang, California, owned by Monty Roberts, one of the world's greatest horsemen. In 1993, stories about the technique started to appear in foreign language horse publications. Imprint Training of the Newborn Foal is now available in French translation. In France, the technique is known as "La M6thode Miller." Spanish and German editions are being worked on. Dr. C6cile Clamour Carbonell, an equine practitioner in Spain uses the techniques in her horsemanship clinics. Miller, who thought he was retired, now has trouble keeping up with the international demand for seminars on imprint training. He reports he is very pleased with the response after a quarter of a century of rejection." He says, "Imprint training is one hundred percent effective if performed correctly, and results in a better mannered foal that is more receptive to performance training later on." Miller notes, "It makes life a lot easier for those who work with horses, especially veterinarians." Along with his video on imprint training, Miller has two other videos available:Influencing the Horse's Mind and the latest video, Control of the Horse. In Control of the Horse, Miller demonstrates the proper and humane way to use the twitch and describes many alternative methods of restraint. He discusses the chemical, physical, and psychological forms of restraining horses. He specifically focuses on the physical restraint of the horse. He shows
392
the proper use of the twitch and why the horse responds to this type of restraint. Miller says, "The twitch is a legitimate tool for controlling horses, but like the bit, it is grossly misused and overused." All of the Miller videos are available from Video Horse World Productions, 205 W. Plymouth St., Bremen, IN 46506. Phone 219-546-5652 or FAX 219-546-3203. The book, Imprint Training the Newborn Foal is available from Veterinary Data, P.O. Box 1209, Wildomar, CA 92595. Cost of the book is $13.95 U.S., $23.95 for overseas.
HTA MOVES HEADQUARTERS TO TUCSON The Harness Tracks of America has moved its headquarters to Tucson. A trade organization serving the harness industry and its 38 member tracks since 1954, HTA sponsors research projects, issues a weekly newsletter titled Track Topics, represents tracks on councils and at conventions, and issues monthly management reports. Stan Bergstein, a member of harness racing'sLivingHallofFame is the executive vice-president of HTA, a position he has held for 30 years. Bergstein is a strong supporter of the Race Track Industry Program at the University of Arizona and expects to offer student internships and "a lot of hands-on association with our (HTA) office." The previous headquarters of HTA was located at Far Hills, New Jersey.
Flies of the family Tabanidae (tabanids) are referred to as horse flies or deer flies. There are over 100 species and subspecies of tabanids in Louisi-
Horse Fly
ana, according to Dr. Clinton Depew. Don Mock, extension entomologies at Kansas State University, says you can do something to make the life of horses more comfortable. "The approaches to fly control can range from getting horses away from cattle to chemical use, or a combination." Stable flies, those house-fly size, blood-feeding insects are painful biters, concentrating on legs and feet. Mock recommends wiping and spraying horses and premises and trapping flies. Prevention includes cleaning the area and, in difficult cases, moving the horses away from other livestock confinement facilities. Face flies, also the size of house flies, cluster about the eyes and nostrils, attracted to the protein in the eye
D'
eer Fly
FLY FEED: HORSES Stable flies, face flies, horn flies, eye gnats, horse flies, deer flies, black flies, mosquitoes, and biting gnats look upon a horse as one big meal. And this is only in Kansas!
and nasal fluids. With their rasping, microscopic teeth, they irritate eye tissues and can transmit a parasitic eye worm that can cause partial blindness.
JOURNAL OF EQUINE VETERINARY SCIENCE
Volume 14, Number 7, 1994
diet. Vitamin A and E need to be supplemented daily by the addition of 20,000 IU vitamin A and 1000 mgs vitamin E. The B vitamins and folio acid need to be supplemented when horses are in training. The minerals calcium and phosphorus are important for the skeletal integrity and many physiological functions. Proper amounts and correct ratios of these essential nutrients are critical. A mature horse weighing about 1100 lb needs 30 grams of calcium and 22 grams of phosphorus in a ratio close to 2 to 1. Your veterinarian or county extension agent can help you evaluate mineral nutrition. Many areas of the country are deficient in selenium and other trace minerals. Inquire about your area and supplement as needed. Electrolytes are minerals that are lost when an animal Sweats and they should be replaced only as needed. Offer the horse electrolytes mixed in water, but always be sure to offer the horse plain water also. The only time a horse should not have access to water is immediately after a hard work. Their are several metabolic problems associated with exercise and training. Three of the most common are tying-up, colic, and laminitis. All of these conditions can be exasperated by intense exercise and feeding high levels of grain. There are many causes for each disorder but, as a general rule, there are certain precautions that should be taken. Erratic training schedules, particularly hard work followed by rest followed by resumption of work can predispose tying-up. Tying-up is more common in fillies and nervous horses. Long warm-ups lasting 45 minutes can be beneficial; also, cut the grain in half and increase the hay portion of the diet on days when horses are not worked. The role of electrolyte supplementation in tying-up is not clear. The best advice seems to be to supplement only
when horses are worked hard and sweat excessively. Colic is common in horses doing strenuous work and kept in stalls more than 12 hours a day. Moldy feed, inconsistent feeding schedules, poor quality feeds, inadequate water intake, and numerous other management problems can cause colic. Laminitis is also a disease with numerous causes; nutritionally, the number one cause is excessive grain intake. You can reduce grain by 3 lb per day and maintain similar energy intakes by supplementing with 2 cups of a vegetable oil a day. Careful management and regular veterinary care including deworming and dental work are important for the well-being of performance horses.
"IMPRINT TRAINING" FINDS WORLDWIDE ACCEPTANCE
When veterinarian Robert M. Miller of Thousand Oaks, California, came up with the idea of intensively training newborn foals in 1966, it was not well accepted by his clientele. Miller had found that with an hour of training immediately after birth of the foal, followed by another hour of training the following day, he could permanently shape the manners, responses, and attitude of the foal. The technique worked so quickly and lastingly because it was done during the postpartum imprinting period and other critical learning times (CLT's) of the foal's life. In the years that followed, only a few people accepted his non-traditional ideas, although those few were invariably enthused with the results. It wasn't until 1986, when he made a video, Imprint Training of the Foal, on the training technique that the idea began to catch on. Then in 1991, with the publication of his book, Imprint Training of the
391
Newborn Foal, the technique swept through the entire horse industry. All breeds, including racehorses, in North America and abroad, are now being imprint trained with consistent success. Among Thoroughbred farms that use imprint training are: Golden Eagle of Ramona, California, the leading stakes producing farm in the world, according to Miller; Malibu Valley Farms, the first to imprint train all foals; and Flag-Is-Up of Solvang, California, owned by Monty Roberts, one of the world's greatest horsemen. In 1993, stories about the technique started to appear in foreign language horse publications. Imprint Training of the Newborn Foal is now available in French translation. In France, the technique is known as "La M6thode Miller." Spanish and German editions are being worked on. Dr. C6cile Clamour Carbonell, an equine practitioner in Spain uses the techniques in her horsemanship clinics. Miller, who thought he was retired, now has trouble keeping up with the international demand for seminars on imprint training. He reports he is very pleased with the response after a quarter of a century of rejection." He says, "Imprint training is one hundred percent effective if performed correctly, and results in a better mannered foal that is more receptive to performance training later on." Miller notes, "It makes life a lot easier for those who work with horses, especially veterinarians." Along with his video on imprint training, Miller has two other videos available:Influencing the Horse's Mind and the latest video, Control of the Horse. In Control of the Horse, Miller demonstrates the proper and humane way to use the twitch and describes many alternative methods of restraint. He discusses the chemical, physical, and psychological forms of restraining horses. He specifically focuses on the physical restraint of the horse. He shows
392
the proper use of the twitch and why the horse responds to this type of restraint. Miller says, "The twitch is a legitimate tool for controlling horses, but like the bit, it is grossly misused and overused." All of the Miller videos are available from Video Horse World Productions, 205 W. Plymouth St., Bremen, IN 46506. Phone 219-546-5652 or FAX 219-546-3203. The book, Imprint Training the Newborn Foal is available from Veterinary Data, P.O. Box 1209, Wildomar, CA 92595. Cost of the book is $13.95 U.S., $23.95 for overseas.
HTA MOVES HEADQUARTERS TO TUCSON The Harness Tracks of America has moved its headquarters to Tucson. A trade organization serving the harness industry and its 38 member tracks since 1954, HTA sponsors research projects, issues a weekly newsletter titled Track Topics, represents tracks on councils and at conventions, and issues monthly management reports. Stan Bergstein, a member of harness racing'sLivingHallofFame is the executive vice-president of HTA, a position he has held for 30 years. Bergstein is a strong supporter of the Race Track Industry Program at the University of Arizona and expects to offer student internships and "a lot of hands-on association with our (HTA) office." The previous headquarters of HTA was located at Far Hills, New Jersey.
Flies of the family Tabanidae (tabanids) are referred to as horse flies or deer flies. There are over 100 species and subspecies of tabanids in Louisi-
Horse Fly
ana, according to Dr. Clinton Depew. Don Mock, extension entomologies at Kansas State University, says you can do something to make the life of horses more comfortable. "The approaches to fly control can range from getting horses away from cattle to chemical use, or a combination." Stable flies, those house-fly size, blood-feeding insects are painful biters, concentrating on legs and feet. Mock recommends wiping and spraying horses and premises and trapping flies. Prevention includes cleaning the area and, in difficult cases, moving the horses away from other livestock confinement facilities. Face flies, also the size of house flies, cluster about the eyes and nostrils, attracted to the protein in the eye
D'
eer Fly
FLY FEED: HORSES Stable flies, face flies, horn flies, eye gnats, horse flies, deer flies, black flies, mosquitoes, and biting gnats look upon a horse as one big meal. And this is only in Kansas!
and nasal fluids. With their rasping, microscopic teeth, they irritate eye tissues and can transmit a parasitic eye worm that can cause partial blindness.
JOURNAL OF EQUINE VETERINARY SCIENCE