The Ultimate Guide to Tire Training

Nick Tumminello shows you a fast, cheap, and easy way to build bigger, stronger legs while drastically improving your level of conditioning and burning off some serious body fat!

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Situps Are Dead

Craig explains why sit-ups and crunches can be dangerous and shares some of his favorite exercises for helping to achieve a tight, well-balanced midsection, along with the sought after six pack. You have no reason to do situps or crunches ever again….and your spine will thank you.

Wannabebig

Five Keys to Getting and Staying Big and Strong

I was there once – a skinny teenager with dreams of being the next Arnold. Now, as a wise old lifter with almost twenty years of weight training experience, I’ve learned a thing or two and I\’m passing them on. Here are the five keys to getting and staying big and strong.

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Dysmorphia Training

Dysmorphia Training (DT) is a radically unique hybrid of the best of the best training methods from both the bodybuilding and powerlifting worlds. DT is the ultimate evolution of the bodybuilding program that will allow you to realize your true genetic potential in both size and strength. Do not be mistaken, despite typical bodybuilding dogma one cannot achieve their ultimate size potential without simultaneously maxing out their absolute strength potential. Want to argue the point? Want to know more? Read on…

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Backside of the Arm!

If you’re a guy and you train with weights chances are 100% you would like to add some girth to your guns. There is no quicker way than to make your triceps bigger. Triceps account for roughly 2/3 of your upper arm measurement. Big triceps command respect no matter where you go and are necessary for a BIG press (bench, overhead etc.).

In this article author extraordinaire Jay Wainwright tells YOU how to pack some beef on the back of your arms. This one is a must read. You WILL find some new tricks to beef up those tris!

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Gestational Weight Gain in Mares

Gestational Weight Gain in Mares

It’s generally known that a mare gains weight during gestation, but University of Kentucky (UK) researchers are studying how much weight a normal mare should gain for the health of the fetus.

A 1,100-pound mare will produce a foal that weighs about 110 pounds, so a normal mare would be expected to gain at least 110 pounds during gestation. However, anecdotal observations suggest that many pregnant mares gain more weight than can be attributed to the developing foal alone. Bryan Cassill, MS, and Laurie Lawrence, PhD, in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at the University of Kentucky collaborated with Stephen Jackson, PhD, of Bluegrass Equine Nutrition, to examine body weight changes in broodmares on a Thoroughbred breeding farm. Preliminary observations were reported at the 2009 Equine Science Society meeting, which was held in Colorado.

The average initial weight of the mares at breeding was 1,272 pounds, but there was a large amount of variation among the mares. The smallest mares weighed about 1,100 pounds and the largest mares weighed more than 1,400 pounds at the beginning of gestation. A previous study reported by UK researchers found that the average Thoroughbred broodmare weighs about 1,300 pounds.

At the end of gestation, the average weight of the mares was about 1,448 pounds. Therefore, average weight gain was 176 pounds. The typical Thoroughbred foal weighed between 115 and 125 pounds, so the weight gained was more than predicted from fetal development alone.

A theoretical method for predicting weight gain in pregnant mares was suggested by the National Research Council in 2007. This method accounts for the development of other “products of conception,” such as the placenta. The body weight gained by the mares in this study was almost the same as predicted from the theoretical equation.

The results of this study and the theoretical equation developed by the NRC suggest mares will increase their body weight by about 13% to 14% by the end of gestation. Therefore, a 1,100 pound mare will gain about 150 pounds while a 1,400-pound mare will gain about 190 pounds during gestation.

The goals of this study were to estimate total weight gain during gestation and document the amount of weight gained as mares progressed through the early, mid, and late stages of pregnancy. Estimates of typical weight gains in pregnant mares at different stages of gestation can be useful to horse owners who are monitoring the progress of a mare’s pregnancy.

It has been reported that most fetal weight gain occurs in the last three months of gestation. Therefore, it would have been expected that body weight gain in mares would be concentrated in the last three months of gestation in this study. However, the results of this study showed this was not the case. Instead, most of the weight gained during gestation occurred between the fifth and ninth months of gestation.

At the end of the fifth month of gestation, mare body weight had increased by about 3%, and by the end of the ninth month, the increase was 11% of the initial weight. A previous study in which researchers studied Quarter Horses showed that mares tended to gain more weight during the middle of a pregnancy than during late pregnancy.

In this study there was no way to determine what types of tissues were being deposited when mares gained weight in early and mid-pregnancy. It is likely that the development of the placenta and the enlargement of the uterus occur during early and mid-pregnancy, but they would not account for the 11% increase in body weight that was observed. Instead, it is possible that the mares increased their own body mass during early pregnancy.

Mid-pregnancy in these mares would have coincided with the fall season (a time of year when many species augment body stores in preparation for winter). By increasing body stores in mid-pregnancy, mares might have been able to utilize those stores in late gestation to meet the nutrient demands of fetal development. It is also possible that the weight gained by mares during early and mid-gestation was retained in the mare after foaling. An increase in nonpregnant weight could occur due to growth in young mares, or to an increase in body fat content in mature mares.

It is also possible that those body stores are not used in late pregnancy, but are mobilized at foaling to meet the needs for initial milk production. The nutrient needs for milk production are much greater than the needs for pregnancy. Most mares will increase food consumption after foaling, but this increase may take several days and it may lag behind the nutrient needs for milk production.

Mares were weighed in the month after foaling to determine post-foaling weight, which was compared to the initial body weight. In this study, the post-foaling weight of young mares (younger than 8 years old) was greater than their initial weight. However, in mature mares (8 years old and older), post-foaling body weight not different from initial body weight. The younger mares increased total body weight by about 15% by the end of pregnancy, while the mature mares increased body weight by 13%.

Body condition is an important determinant of reproductive efficiency. Mares that are thin at foaling are more difficult to get back in foal. Therefore, routine body condition scoring of pregnant mares is an important reproductive management tool.

The most common body condition scoring system uses a 1-to-9 scale. A condition score of 5 is considered moderate; the horse’s ribs can be easily felt but not seen. Mares that enter the breeding season with a condition score of 5 or greater have higher reproductive efficiency than mares that begin the breeding season with a condition score below 5. Therefore, pregnant mares should gain enough weight during gestation so they foal at a body condition of at least 5.

Allowing mares to gain weight in mid-gestation may be a way of ensuring they have adequate body condition at foaling.

Ultimately, further study is necessary to understand the optimal amount of weight a mare should gain during pregnancy.

Laurie Lawrence, PhD, is a professor in the University of Kentucky’s Department of Animal and Food Sciences.

Starving Horse Series: Freeway Shows Signs of Improvement

Starving Horse Series: Freeway Shows Signs of Improvement

Freeway, the starving horse that Sue Thompson of Clayton, Calif., rescued in late 2007 and has rehabilitated over the past year, could be a step closer to recovery. The Quarter Horse-type gelding underwent a checkup yesterday (Jan. 22) at the University of California, Davis, where veterinarians cut back his antibiotics and gave an encouraging prognosis. Freeway isn’t entirely in the clear yet, but shows improvement.

After a diagnosis of chronic pneumonia with anaerobic pulmonary abscesses last July, Thompson has been administering prescribed antibiotics (metronidazole) three times a day, along with probiotics (to assist in keeping his stomach populated with the good kind of bacteria that the antibiotics can negatively affect) and iodide (an expectorant). Freeway coughs only occasionally now, and Thompson reports she hears a tracheal rattle every so often.
UC Davis veterinarians reduced his antibiotics to twice a day and said to discontinue the iodide.

Veterinarians ran a CBC (complete blood count) on Freeway’s blood and a liver panel, which indicated mild elevation in two values, GGT (gamma-glutamyl transferase) and total bilirubin–both indicators of liver function. “My local vet will recheck in a week just to be safe,” reported Thompson. “If after two weeks off antibiotics, no recurrence, he can start a very slow reconditioning program.”

Thoracic X rays showed improvement in overall clearance of Freeway’s lungs, and the suspected abscesses were no longer visible.

Thompson has been instructed to monitor Freeway’s appetite and “fecal character,” discontinuing medications and calling the veterinarian if he goes off his feed or develops a loose stool.

“That glow you’re seeing?” Thompson wrote to people who have been following Freeway’s progress on UltimateDressage.com, “It’s the light at the end of the tunnel. This is not the end of the story, still a couple of trees before we’re clear of the woods, but we’re getting close to the epilogue.”

Safely Increasing Weight in Emaciated Horses

Safely Increasing Weight in Emaciated Horses

Rehabilitating emaciated horses to nutritional health is a challenge–there’s a fine line between not getting results and risking the horse’s health by introducing too much, too soon. Maria Luke, DVM, discussed one system used to facilitate weight gain in these horses at the 2008 Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, held Dec. 6-10 in San Diego, Calif.

Luke focused on horses with body condition scores (BCS) between 1.0 and 2.5. Using the Henneke Body Condition Scoring scale, a horse with a BCS of 1 is emaciated, while acceptable ranges are from 4 to 6, with 5 being ideal.

Feed offered to horses in the study (which were housed at the State of Georgia’s equine impound facility) was not weighed, but it rather was quantified with the system commonly used by horse owners–flakes and scoops. All horses resided in groups arranged by age and temperament. They had the shelter of barns, trees, and/or sheds, and wore blankets temporarily in cold conditions. Additional feed was provided when overnight temperatures dropped below freezing.
To begin the rehabilitation process, caretakers gave the horses oral electrolytes and probiotics on Day 1. During the initial three days, they fed the horses three times daily, with each feeding consisting of a 70% alfalfa/30% timothy flake (5 to 6 pounds) and a flake (3 to 4 pounds) of long-stem coastal Bermuda hay. Luke noted that adding coastal Bermuda hay minimized the transient diarrhea that developed when only the alfalfa mix was offered.

On Day 4, they offered a grain supplement twice daily after feeding hay. Horses less than 3 years of age, or lactating or late-gestation mares, received a pelleted growing-horse ration. Each feeding started with a single cup, and then steadily increased over two weeks to a target 3-quart scoop (4.5 to 5 pounds). Nonlactating and nonpregnant horses ages 4 to 16 years began with 1 cup of oats and ¼ cup forage balancer, and over two weeks their ration steadily increased to a 3-quart scoop of oats and 1 cup of forage balancer at each meal. Horses 17 years old and older or those affected with dental problems were fed senior rations offered as a mash, starting at 1 cup for each meal and increasing over two weeks to the target 3-quart scoop. A daily pinch (less than ¼ tsp) of salt was added to all grain. Caretakers increased grain in quarter-scoop increments, up to 11/2 scoops twice daily, if necessary, to reach target weight gains.

On Day 7 all horses were dewormed (pyrantel pamoate or fenbendazole) and the coastal Bermuda hay was discontinued. A couple of adult horses developed gas colic 24 to 72 hours after deworming, and several weanlings and yearlings developed a cough and whitish nasal discharge that resolved within 10 days.

On Day 10, caretakers added psyllium per label instructions, feeding it monthly to manage sand ingestion that’s typical in starved horses. After the first 30 days, foals less than 6 months old received dewormer monthly (pyrantel pamoate or fenbendazole), while all horses older than 6 months were dewormed every 60 days with ivermectin. Dental corrections were performed once horses reached a BCS of 2 or better.

Once each horse attained a BCS of 5, caretakers cut back on feeding the alfalfa mix by reintroducing coastal Bermuda hay, with a steady target of feeding only coastal Bermuda hay to those not growing, lactating, or pregnant.

Using this strategy resulted in typical monthly weight gains of 7.5% to 12% of the horse’s body weight at the time of admission, and it hastened weight gain as compared to previous rescue guidelines.

Tart Cherry Juice May Reduce Muscle Damage

Tart Cherry Juice May Reduce Muscle Damage

The potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of a tart cherry juice blend given to exercising horses were the topic of a study presented at the 2008 Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) by Norm Ducharme, DVM, MSc, Dipl. ACVS, James Law Professor of Surgery in the Section of Large Animal Surgery at Cornell University.

A recent human study has found that tart cherry juice blend (TCJB) had beneficial effects on exercising muscle. The objective was to determine if TCJB can lessen exercise-induced muscle damage in horses, as measured by serum enzymatic markers.

For the study, six unconditioned horses were randomly divided into two groups. For two weeks prior to exercise, one group received 48 ounces of TCJB every 12 hours while the other received a placebo in the same amount and frequency. Researchers incrementally challenged each horse in its exercise program and took serial blood samples to measure specific muscle marker enzymes. These blood samples were taken at the onset of the study, before and during each exercise test, hourly for the four hours following exercise, then daily for five days after the exercise test.

The exercise test created oxidative stresses on the horses, as evidenced by increases in associated markers of inflammation and muscle damage. The researchers found that TCJB treatment was able to significantly reduce standard markers of muscle damage, aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase. As other markers of oxidative stress and inflammation were not affected by the TCJB treatment, the mechanism of action remains undetermined.

They concluded that supplementation with TCJB might enable horses to return to training sooner than usual following a competitive or rigorous training event due to lessened muscle damage.

Competent Horse Care

Competent Horse Care

Proper care of a horse is a multi-faceted endeavor. In fact, when one looks at the big picture, it is almost overwhelming because there are so many aspects with which to be concerned. However, there is a relatively straightforward approach that will simplify horse care on a 12-month basis.

Unfortunately for some who abhor any form of paperwork, this approach involves record keeping. This can be as simple as hanging a clipboard–with important dates noted–on the tack room wall, or it can be as complicated as maintaining detailed charts for deworming, immunizations, farrier work … the list goes on. Whatever the approach, it is important that you schedule the various procedures and make note when they are carried out.

With minimal effort, you can create an efficient system that you and your veterinarian will come to appreciate. You will know exactly when shots are due, for example, and you will be able to schedule them well in advance. The same is true for farrier work. Making appointments in advance with these two professionals can eliminate frustration for all of you. Guaranteed to create a source of friction is phoning your farrier and demanding that your horse be shod the day before heading out on a weekend trail ride.

There has been research at many institutions to determine appropriate schedules for deworming and immunizations. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has evaluated these findings and has established schedules for when these procedures should be carried out. The recommendations are too involved to be included here, but they are available through AAEP.org or your veterinarian.

The Seasons of Care

Timely deworming, immunizations, and farrier work are only part of the equation. Ongoing observation is required to ensure your horse is properly fed and cared for. You might consider dividing the year into seasons, with special emphasis on appropriate surveillance for varying conditions as the seasons change. For example, conditions affecting a horse’s health might be vastly different during winter layoff than during a hectic and strenuous summer.

Henneke Body Condition Score

Horse owners have a valuable tool for checking equine body condition, thanks to Don Henneke, PhD, who developed a body scoring system in 1983, when he was a graduate student at Texas A&M University. The system involves observing and palpating six parts of the horse–neck, withers, shoulder, ribs, loin, and tailhead. Those six parts are listed as being the most responsive to changes in body fat.

Henneke’s system assigns a numerical value to fat deposits as they occur in these six areas. There are many factors that can be involved in equine body condition: nutrition, activity, weather, parasites, and dental problems, to mention only a few.

To begin with, you must establish a base body condition score. The scores, as promulgated by Henneke, range from 1 to 9. To establish a score for your horse, palpate and study the six areas listed. This means more than just running your hand lightly over the area. Henneke recommended that the pressure applied be more like a massage. For example, press your hand firmly against your horse’s side to get an idea of the fat covering over the ribs. When checking the withers feel all around the area, probing and massaging with your fingers. The same approach should be used for the other four locations.
After thoroughly checking all six areas, assign the horse a score for each area of the body. A horse that has an overall score of 1 is emaciated, while the horse with an overall score of 9 is obese. Most veterinarians recommend that the score of a healthy horse range between 4 and 7, with 5, perhaps, being the ideal.

We won’t provide Henneke’s criteria for each of the numerical scores, but we’ll list what he feels you can expect to find at scores 1, 5, and 9.

Body Condition Score 1 Bone structure of the neck, withers, and shoulder are easily noticeable; ribs protrude prominently; spinous processes of the loin project prominently; and tailhead, pinbones, and hook bones project prominently.

Body Condition Score 5 Neck blends smoothly into the body; withers are rounded over the spinous processes; shoulder blends smoothly into body; ribs cannot be visually distinguished, but they can be easily felt; back is level; and fat around tailhead is beginning to feel soft.

Body Condition Score 9 Fat is beginning to be deposited on the neck, withers, and shoulders; fat over ribs feels spongy; might have slight crease or groove down the back; fat around tailhead feels soft.

It would do well to have the complete Henneke chart in hand when establishing a body condition score. (It can be found at www.TheHorse.com/pdf/nutrition/bcs-poster.pdf.)

The next obvious question is this: How often should you check the body condition score?

The answer can vary for a variety of reasons, from climate to strenuous use to changes in nutrition program, whatever the situation. However, it is recommended the body score be checked at least every two months. It is more important to check the score during the winter months when the horse is carrying a long coat of hair because fat deposition changes then are less discernible to the eye. During that season, it would be well to check the body score on a monthly basis.

Rain Rot

Palpating various body parts regularly during the winter months can provide additional benefits, such as rapid identification of skin problems or external parasites. Geography can play a role in potential problems. For example, when we lived in Kentucky, we were constantly on the alert for rain rot during the rainy winter season. In arid Wyoming where we live now, however, the condition rarely rears its head.

For the uninitiated, rain rot, also called rain scald, is caused by the Dermatophilus bacterium that can only survive in anaerobic conditions–without oxygen. It dies when exposed to air.

Horses with rain rot develop crusty scabs that when pulled off with tufts of hair reveal raw spots. Rain rot is contagious and can be spread through physical contact and shared tack and grooming equipment. The good news is that it rarely causes permanent damage and is readily treatable. If you palpate your horse and feel a series of bumps under the hair, contact your veterinarian immediately to learn about the best approach for treating the condition.

Prevention involves keeping horses with long coats out of wet conditions and frequently grooming them.

External Parasites

External parasites can also be a problem, especially when a horse has a long coat. The presence of lice, for example, can be discovered in the early stages of infestation with close observation and, with your veterinarian’s recommendations, it can be quickly treated and cured.

These tiny, blood-sucking creatures can cause the horse to itch, and the subsequent rubbing can result in loss of hair. According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, lice have a simple lifestyle. They transform from egg to nymph to adult with the entire life cycle completed on the host. The average sucking louse–the most common found on horses–is only one-eighth of an inch long. The female lays eggs attached to hairs that hatch 11 to 20 days later. Nymphs begin sucking blood immediately. They complete their life cycle in two to four weeks.

Dusting powders are available to rid the horse of lice. Prevention centers around good grooming and clean equipment.

Ticks

As this magazine goes to press, spring is arriving in most of the country and another trail riding season is upon us. This time of year is open season for a variety of ticks that have hidden out in animal burrows and other shelters during the cold winter months.

For the layman’s consideration there are four basic ticks–wood ticks, dog ticks, deer ticks, and spinous ear ticks. However, for those who are interested in delving further, it should be noted that there are many species of ticks within each of the four categories.

Ticks are troublesome little arachnids that just as readily attach themselves to humans as to animals. In addition to being irritating, ticks can cause serious maladies to humans and horses: They can spread Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain fever, piroplasmosis, equine infectious anemia, and erlichiosis (a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals), among others.

Ticks have powerful jaws, and once they attach themselves to skin, they can be very difficult to remove. The general recommendation is that you remove them with tweezers, grasping the tick just behind the head and as close to the skin as possible. Pull firmly, but don’t jerk. You want to remove the head as well as the body from where it is attached, and a sharp jerk might pull the body free from the head.

Hugh Philip, PAg, an entomologist with the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands in British Columbia, Canada, tell us that the life span of the common wood tick varies from one to three years and that three hosts are required for its survival. Wood ticks lay eggs in the late spring. When larval ticks hatch, they feed on small rodents, such as mice, and they molt into nymphs that feed on larger rodents, such as rabbits and marmots. Nymphs can molt into adults in the fall. The adults will take refuge underground during the winter, then they emerge to attack large animals and humans the following March to May. If two hosts aren’t present, the nymph might remain in that stage for another year.

Because of their flat body construction, ticks are difficult to kill when removed. The surefire way is to drop them into a container of alcohol.

Hoof Care

If one were to select a single area where most horse owners are negligent in the horse care category, it would likely be hooves, especially during the winter months. For most of us ongoing hoof care is a top priority during show or trail riding season. The “no foot, no horse” adage is uppermost in our minds at that time. We are fully aware that hooves are growing constantly and that hoof condition, along with shoeing when needed, must be maintained in order to have a sound, healthy horse.

Unfortunately we often aren’t quite as careful when the horse is turned out to pasture or paddock at the end of the season. True, the horse’s hoof doesn’t grow as rapidly in the winter as it does in the summer, but it does continue to grow and needs attention on a regular basis, especially if the horse is wintered on pasture grass that does little to cause natural hoof wear.

There is no magic formula for establishing a trimming schedule, says Mike Eppler, a Riverton, Wyo., farrier. Trimming needs during the off-season will vary horse to horse, he says, and the only way one can know what is right for a particular individual is to keep a close eye on hoof wall length and quality and have your farrier out to assess the horse’s feet. With some horses, Eppler says, trimming might be necessary every six to eight weeks even in the winter. With others it might be eight to 10 weeks.

One thing is certain, he says: Lack of attention might result in problems that will compromise the horse’s ability to perform when another riding season rolls around. The problems can range from a piece of hoof breaking off, to cracks that open the door to hoof disease and lameness.

The solution is regular hoof care. Check that schedule posted on the tack room wall to remind yourself when you last had the farrier tend to your horse’s hooves during the off-season.

Take-Home Message

As mentioned at the outset, horse care is an ongoing endeavor, but if we pay close attention to our horse’s needs on a year-round basis, both owner and horse will be happier and the better for it.