Purina and Hall’s Feed & Seed Store Show “HOW” To Care For Horses Horse Owners Workshop In Collierville, TN May 11 By Tommy Brannon A full house of approximately 50 horse people filled Hall’s Feed & Seed in Collierville, TN on May 11 for the “HOW,” Horse Owners Workshop, conducted by Land O Lakes Purina Mills. The speakers were Jon Law, Purina representative for the Mid-South; Rusty Bane, Equine Specialist for the Nashville Purina mill; and Dr. Jenifer Dunlap, DVM of Dunlap Equine Services, Somerville TN. An audience participant, Emily Dilley, was the southeast regional winner of the Senior Horse Tales essay contest. She wrote about her blind 33-year- old horse Foxy, who improved Emily’s ability to cope with her Cerebral Palsy. Jon Law introduced the group to a few new, and some tried and true, Purina products for both horses and dogs. Every horse owner has at least one dog. Infinia Holistic is a new line of dog food that will be available soon. It has L-Carnitine for better metabolism and has no gluten, no soya, wheat or corn fillers. Rusty Bane talked about the vast array of equine products offered by Purina and how each product benefits horses for particular needs for performance, age and condition. He emphasized the fact that energy is fuel for the horse and the digestive system is delicate and unique. One has to feed the horse’s whole digestive system - from the dental, to the stomach, to the small intestine, to the cecum, to the large intestine, to the small intestine. Each part of the digestive system needs to be addressed; feed, forage, vitamins, minerals, and microorganisms all need to be tested and adjusted to the needs of each horse. He went into great detail about fats, carbohydrates, protein and fiber. Rusty said one can usually tell when a horse’s feeding and exercise program are not correct, especially with a senior horse. He may have a case of “ADR” (ain’t doin right). Dr. Jenifer Dunlap, DVM gave a very in-depth PowerPoint presentation about Laminitis and founder. She said we diagnose laminitis as founder if there is rotation of the coffin bone. It is not known why some horses are more susceptible than others, but easy keepers and ponies are much more prone to it. Laminitis is the number two killer of horses, second only to colic. Too much rich spring pasture; brood mares retaining the placenta; severe colic, mainly from overfeeding; shipping fever caused by trailering for long distances and time with the head tied; severe load bearing injuries; and Cushing’s disease are some of the causes of laminitis. She discussed the various preventative measures and treatments available; then took questions from the audience. There were a number of door prizes given out and participants had the chance to register for National Grand Prizes of a custom-built horse trailer, a John Deere Gator, Wrangler western wear, Carhartt gift certificate, and a ton of Purina Horse Feed. For more information on the Horse Owners Workshop visit http://horse.purinamills.com/events/events.asp. To read Emily Dilley’s essay visit http://www.equinesenior.com/Winners/Southeast/index.htm