A record crowd turned out for the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center's (MARE Center) 4th annual daylong equine educational seminar, entitled, "Keeping Horses Happy, Healthy, and Whole: Advances in Equine Health Care Management." Seminar participants were enthusiastic and inquisitive, which was evident through a comment made by one of them, "This is the best event yet and I've attended all of them here. I've learned so much!"

Six invited speakers, all of whom are veterinarians, shared information regarding their specialties with the attentive audience. Exhibits and hands-on demonstrations were presented by speakers on their respective topics, such as Dr. Jana Froeling's presentation on chiropractic and acupuncture for horses.

Dr. Jana Froeling, with Full Circle Equine Service – www.fullserviceequinecentner.com - in Amissville, Va., talked about the importance of equine chiropractic and acupuncture services, which she demonstrated on "Tess," one of the MARE center's research mares. An equine chiropractic evaluation involves not only asking the owner for a detailed history of the animal, but also includes using palpations to examine the horse by means of touch. Chiropractic can improve performance in many horses and can contribute to a longer, healthier life. Equine acupuncture involves manipulating the nervous system to produce therapeutic effects and is one of five tenets of traditional Chinese medicine. She stated that one lesson she hoped participants would take away from her lecture was that "chiropractic and acupuncture can be used anytime in keeping the horse healthy."

Foot care in the horse is paramount to the horse's performance and longevity. The term "foot" refers to the hoof and all of the structures within it. Dr. Scott Pleasant, a veterinarian and professor with the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine – www.vetmed.vt.edu - in Blacksburg, Va., gave a comprehensive presentation on equine foot care. Pleasant stated, "The key to strong, healthy feet are good conformation and proper foot care." He discussed with the audience topics such as foot conformation, when and why to shoe horses, trimming techniques, and how environmental factors affect foot care. Throughout his talk, Pleasant used actual horse hooves and lower limbs to point out the anatomy of the foot and to show the audience how feet on the horse looks when affected by different ailments. The audience asked Pleasant many questions about the angle of the hoof. Hoof angle is a term used to describe the alignment from the hoof in relation to pastern bones, which lead from the horse's "ankle" to the hoof. Proper angle is important for blood flow to the hoof and to reduce strain tendons in the lower leg. During lunch break, Bill Johnson, who attended the seminar, said, "I'm going to remember this business about the angles. I got a much clearer picture and I liked the models Dr. Pleasant presented."

Dr. Mark V. Crisman, a veterinarian and professor with the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Va., spoke on new vaccines for horses. He also reviewed and updated general vaccinations programs, including when, why, and what type of vaccines should be used to keep horses healthy. Crisman explained that these factors can help horse owners decide which vaccines to use and depends on how much exposure the horse has to a given infectious/contagious disease. For example, the horse that stays at home in the pasture will not need some of the vaccines, such as for influenza, that a horse that travels frequently for racing or showing needs. Pam Wisor, who attended the seminar stated, "I'm glad to find out from Dr. Crisman that some vaccinations are not necessary for my horses, if they were not previously exposed to certain diseases. I think I vaccinate out of habit, but maybe I don't have to do so much of it now."

"Like kids, start your horse at the dentist early", was the opening remark from Dr.Claudia True, a veterinarian at Woodside Equine Clinic, in Ashburn, Va., - www.woodsideequineclinic.com. Using an equine skull, complete with a removable tooth, True talked about the structure and diseases of the teeth and mouth in horses. She explained, using the removable tooth, how long horse teeth actually are and how important knowing the anatomy of the horse's mouth is for the owner. Poor dental care in the horse may result in weight loss, dropping feed, or chewing "funny". If not properly cared for these issues can result in poor performance because tooth pain may cause the horse not to handle properly while riding and further complicate the horse's overall health. Joan Jernigan, a client of True's and a seminar participant said, "I didn't realize the teeth went back so far. Dr. True did dental surgery on one of my horses. This was after several attempts with other vets to correct a problem. Her work is top quality." Eighty percent of True's patients at Woodside Equine Clinic require equine dentistry care.