Two things I learned Tuesday night: (1) It's a really good idea to keep your horses' vaccinations up to date and (2) the second cutting of hay has more nutritional value than the first.
A friend asked me if I wanted to go to a lecture on neurologic diseases in horses sponsored by Unionville Equine Associates. When she added that dinner was involved and that she would drive, I jumped at the chance.
It was actually a really interesting evening (though not as entertaining as a previous fully illustrated presentation on worms, I'm told).
First we saw a presentation on Lameness Locator, an ingenious new diagnostic tool developed by Equinosis.
Then veterinarian Rob Keene discussed West Nile Virus, Eastern and Western encephalitis, rabies, influenza, equine herpes virus, and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). EPM is caused by a protozoan called Sarcocystis neurona, which Dr. Keene said "loves the central nervous system of the horse." The opossum is a key source.
And finally Dave from Oxford Feed & Lumber spoke about proper nutrition for horses (he's the one who ventured that opinion on hay).
Thanks to John W. Lee, Jr., DVM, Unionville Equine's founder, for inviting us to such a useful evening -- and for the Capriotti's subs and nifty tote bags.
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