Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
deworming and vaccination are recommended to prevent AM and form a part
of the general basic care of horses.
Training is considered a protective factor (Votion et al. 2009), and most
affected horses performed no or only limited exercise at the time of diagnosis
(van Galen et al. 2011a). Training influences muscle metabolism and
intensively exercised horses often receive supplementary feeding and spend
less time at pasture. Moreover, horses are only used intensively for training
from a certain age depending on the discipline, mostly starting at the age of 4
years. To reduce the risk for AM, it can be advised to regularly exercise
grazing horses and to favour non-exercised horses for other preventive
measures. However, if the horse suffers already from subclinical disease it is
probably contra-indicated to work the horse.
Since it is suspected that horses get in contact with the causative agent
while being at pasture, preventive measures limiting pasturing are of major
importance to prevent AM. During high risk seasons (spring and autumn)
and/or during outbreaks it should be advised to stable horses and avoid the
pasture as much as possible (van Galen et al. 2011b). If stabling is however
difficult or impossible or if stabling is considered no good practice for horse
welfare, pasturing should be limited. Full time pasturing, during all seasons
but especially during risk seasons, is clearly a risk factor (Votion et al. 2009;
van Galen et al. 2011b) and owners should be convinced to not full time turn
their horses out on pasture. Less than 6H a day (van Galen et al. 2011b) or
weather dependant pasturing, especially during spring and autumn, (Votion et
al. 2009; van Galen et al. 2011b) are protective factors and are valuable
alternatives if full time stabling is not an option.
Even though is it not suspected that the causative agent directly originates
from the drinking water, water might have an indirect influence on the
development of AM. It has been shown that providing water from the
distribution network and in a tank or a bath are protective factors (Votion et al.
2009). This might avoid that horses go to and drink from water courses and
streams and that they spend time in humid zones. Humidity at pasture has also
been determined as a risk factor and might provide the causative agent with
good conditions to exert its toxicity.
Providing supplementary feeding and a salt block determined as protective
factors (Votion et al. 2009). They should be provided all year round, but
especially during high risk periods. Due to supplementary feeding and a salt
block horses are less prone to eat substances that they would normally not
consume when sufficient nutrients are available, they might be more selective
in grazing, and/or graze less. Moreover, it provides the horse with protective
