Gustavo Mirabal Bustillos, Gustavo Mirabal’s father

The ancentral horse lived free, grazed pecking grass and walking for 18 hours a day. Unlike this, the modern horse spends much of its time in a small space, just walks or runs an hour a day (affecting their health due to sedentary lifestyle). It does not have access to pastures of different types that allow a balanced diet. If not handled properly the horse’s digestive system can suffer.

The organs of the digestive system of the horse are adapted to the way of life of their ancestors. It is essential to take care of the diet so that the sedentary lifestyle does not affect your digestive system creating problems of colic and other conditions

Capacity of  the horse’s digestive system

The digestive system of the horse is divided into the foregut and hindgut digestive system. They contain the following organs:

• Foregut digestive system: It consists of teeth, tongue, mouth, esophagus, stomach and small intestine.
• Hindgut digestive system: It consists of the large intestine composed of the cecum, colon and rectum.

Among the animals of livestock, the horse is especially different in the proportion that the parts of the horse’s digestive system, foregut and hindgut, take care of the totality of the digestion. In ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) the foregut digestive system is responsible for 85% to 90% of the total digestive capacity.

In the horse, the foregut digestive system only takes 35% to 40% of the total gastrointestinal capacity. Again these differences were compensated by the diversity of pastures that the horse ingested in the wild and the important mobility that it possessed to be free to walk and run. This is due to the small size of theforegut section of the horse’s digestive system with respect to other livestock.

What happens if precautions are not taken?

If the corresponding precautions are not taken, the feeding of the horse can alter the PH of the hindgut digestive system (large intestine). In case the descent is abrupt this causes important alterations in the population of microorganisms that inhabit the digestive system of the horse. This population is composed of anaerobic bacteria, fungi and protozoa that coexist together.

The decrease in pH causes the alteration of the population of microorganisms. This situation damage the hindgut digestive system of the horse and increasing the possibilities of colic. Colic is a condition that affects horses and the most common affections.

It can also produce a disease called subclinical acidosis which is caused by abrupt decrease in pH, causing a decrease in certain organisms critical for the digestion of horses and digestive system of the horse. Specifically, the affected microorganisms are Ruminococcus albus and Fibrobacter succinogenes, which are bacteria that digest fiber. These bacteria tend to disappear when the pH of the horse’s intestine falls below 6.0.

On the other hand, lactate producing and consuming bacteria increase dramatically in the digestive system of the horse. In your hindgut digestive system these are especially harmful noxious. For example Streptococcus bovis begins to produce more lactic acid when it is found at an acid PH producing:
• Loss of appetite
• Inflammation in the walls of the intestine causing discomfort to the animal
• Decrease in the absorption of nutrients and reducing the nutritional efficiency.
• Subclinical acidosis makes horses less able to handle metabolic crisis
• Horses become more susceptible to diarrhea, colic and laminitis

Nature is perfect

The understanding that the horse is an animal destined to graze and walk in free state is automatic when one notices all the care that must be taken when the horse is under an athlete regime. Procure a balanced diet that provides care against colic and subclinical acidosis to protect the digestive system of the horse is essential.

Sources:

https://www.smartpakequine.com/content/horse-digestion

https://stablemanagement.com/articles/basic-equine-digestive-function

https://gustavomirabalcastro.online/salud/sistema-digestivo-del-caballo/

Do you want to know more about equine health and another horse’s topics. Visit us:

https://gustavomirabalcastro.online/english/

http://gustavomirabal.es

https://es.quora.com/profile/Gustavo-Mirabal-Castro

https://www.wattpad.com/497522292-g-c-farm-gustavo-mirabal-castro-en-venezuela-g-c

George Stubbs

In the artistic world there have been outstanding artists in the world of painting. However, some have the particularity of drawing on a specific topic, or have become famous from a recurring theme in his work. The case of George Stubbs is one of these. Stubbs is a renowned British painter who stood out for making paintings alluding to horses.

Stubbs Biography and beginnings

The British painter George Stubbs was born in Liverpool on August 25, 1724 and died in London on July 10, 1806 at 81 years of age.

Painter self-taught and in love with horses and their anatomy. George Stubbs is mainly known for his horse paintings, although this was not the only subject of his works. He also felt a deep passion for equine anatomy as well as for human anatomy. This passion for anatomy influenced the tremendous realism with which he represented horses.

Stubbs was the son of a tanner. The information that is preserved about his life until thirty-three is very dispersed. It i

s found mostly in handwritten notes by a friend artist, Ozias Humphry, at the end of Stubbs’ life.

Stubbs began his artistic training as an apprentice to the painter and engraver Hamlet Winstanley. Soon he was frustrated by Winstanley’s learning method. His method was to copy other works instead of studying and creating.

He found his passion

It is from this moment that he gave free rein to his passion for anatomy and ended up writing in 1766 “The Anatomy of the Horse” after spending a year and a half on a farm in Lincolnshire studying horses.

During his life Stubbs had several patrons who recognized his talent and commissioned many paintings. Some of his greatest patrons were the Duke of Richmond and the Marquis of Rockingham.

Stubbs’ most famous work is “Whistlejacket”, a painting of a wild horse that was enraged and commissioned by the Marquis of Rockingham, along with two other paintings, and whose distinctive feature is funds without any vitality, concentrating attention and energy of the spectator in the vitality of the horse. Currently the paintings are in London at the National Gallery.

Other works of George Stubbs

George also painted other exotic animals, such as lions, tigers, giraffes, monkeys and rhinos, which he observed in private reserves. In turn, he became interested in the subject of a wild horse threatened by a lion, and colored many variations in this area. These and other works became very popular at the time, for the engravings of his work, which emerged in the 1770s and 1780s.

From the end of the 1760s he made some works in enamel. In the 1770s Josiah Wedgwood (a famous English potter and designer) developed a new type of enameled panel at the request of Stubb. Also in the 1770s he drew portraits of isolated dogs for the first time. What attracted numerous commissions of gentlemen who wanted to portray their hunting with dogs. This famous man continued painting until an advanced age.

Finally, Stubbs also made historical paintings, much less appreciated. His son was an engraver and printer. George died in London on July 10, 1806.

Stubbs achieves the perfect representation of the horse anatomically in turn capturing the vital energy of the horses. He managed to transmit all the power and beauty of the animal in its pure essence.

Sources

Sources:

http://www.gustavomirabal.es/mundo-equino/el-caballo-en-la-pintura/

http://www.gustavomirabal.es/arte/el-pintor-de-caballos-george-stubbs/

http://www.gustavomirabal.es/arte/george-stubbs/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stubbs

https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Stubbs

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/george-stubbs

To know more about ecuestrian world visit us: https://gustavomirabalcastro.online/english/ or http://gustavomirabal.es

Known as “the gift from the desert,” this breed was developed for endurance and speed. Some equestrians find the breed too weedy, with conformation that does not meet the standards of a good riding horse. Others consider them the art piece of the horse world—elegant and graceful in appearance and stride. Whatever your opinion, the Akhal Teke is among the rarest, most exotic full-sized breeds in the world, and it is growing in popularity. Until very recently, they were unknown outside of their native homeland of Turkmenistan. Now, however, an estimated 3,500 Akhal Teke horses exist worldwide, with several hundred in North America alone.

Akhal-Teke History and Origins

Body Type

Uses

Color and Markings

Equine rabies is a fatal disease. If a horse contracts rabies there is no second chance, and each year we are reminded of its impact. Two horses have died from rabies just since the end of July.[1] Neither was vaccinated.

With fewer than 100 cases of rabies reported in horses, donkeys and burros every year, it’s easy to disregard the disease. But while the incidence of equine rabies in the United States is low, the fatality rate is high – 100 percent. Furthermore, there is always the significant and serious potential for any infected animal to transmit the disease to humans. That’s why rabies vaccination is considered a core vaccine recommended by the American Association of Equine Practitioners – every horse should be vaccinated, every year.[2]

What is rabies?

Rabies is a virus that causes a neurological disease that can affect all mammals. When an animal is bitten, the virus migrates to the brain where it causes inflammation, known as encephalitis. It is rapidly progressive and invariably fatal. The incubation period – the time between the virus’ entry into the body and the onset of clinical signs – averages 2 to 9 weeks, but may be as long as 15 months.

Veterinarians often state that rabies can look like anything. While some horses exhibit intermittent or continuous signs of aggression, most infected horses are depressed or stuporous. Some may become anorexic and refuse to drink, while others will continue to eat and drink until shortly before death. Obscure lameness and incoordination are relatively common early signs of rabies.

Be extremely cautious and call your veterinarian immediately if your horse has any of the following signs:

• Incoordination (ataxia)
• Urinary incontinence
• Poor performance
• Difficulty swallowing
• Lameness
• Colic
• Bizarre behavior ranging from stupor to aggression and self-mutilation
• Abnormal vocalization
• Paralysis

There is no definitive test to diagnose rabies in a live animal. A rabies diagnosis is often made only after death during postmortem examination of the brain. Rabies generally progresses quickly, so if undiagnosed neurological signs have not rapidly progressed within the first five days, rabies is most likely not the cause.

Risk factors

We see an increased incidence of rabies infections in horses and other livestock in the late summer and fall when wildlife populations peak. Horses contract rabies through the bite of an infected (rabid) animal, such as a raccoon, fox, skunk or bat. A horse’s curiosity can get the best of him, with bites typically occurring on the horse’s face and muzzle or lower limbs. Most exposures aren’t noticed and most bite wounds aren’t found. Since wildlife may enter barns (especially at night), both horses in stalls and those on pasture are at risk of exposure.

Due to the serious threat for human exposure when handling a horse with rabies, any suspected case of equine rabies should be handled as if it were positive until proven otherwise. You may become infected with the rabies virus through contact with saliva or brain/nervous system tissue from a rabid animal. Individuals who have been in contact with a horse since the onset of clinical signs should immediately consult with their physician regarding medical treatment.

Prevention is critical

Few diseases are more feared than rabies, and for good reason. One of the scariest things about the disease is that it is one of the hardest to recognize in horses. And while the odds are low your horse will get rabies, the odds are virtually zero that he will recover if he contracts the disease.

The importance of vaccination of companion animals, including horses, against rabies cannot be overemphasized. Fortunately, safe and highly effective vaccines are available, including EquiRab®, the only rabies vaccine designed, developed and labeled specifically for horses.

Talk to your veterinarian today to ensure your horse is up-to-date on rabies vaccination. For more information, visit www.getvaccinatingright.com.

[1] Equine Disease Communication Center (equinediseasecc.org)

[2] AAEP Core Vaccination Guidelines (www.aaep.org)

Copyright © 2017 Intervet Inc., d/b/a Merck Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.

This article was originaly publish in: https://www.equisearch.com/articles/rabies-in-horses

To know more about equine world go to: https://gustavomirabalcastro.online/english/

The role of the horse in the movie Secretariat

Secretariat is a film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and based on the history of the horse of the same name. The horse was champion and winner of the United States Triple Crown in 1973. The film premiered on October 8, 2010 in the United States and on February 18, 2011 in Spain. It was starring Diane Lane and John Malkovich. In turn directed by Randall Wallace.
Secretariat Movie

Synopsis of “Secretariat”

Penny Chenery was a housewife. But his life changed when his father fell ill and decided to work in his father’s stables, in Meadow Stables, Virginia, United States, while he was recovering. From then on, Penny became very interested in the world of horse racing and entered it. Without thinking that with this, she would achieve a great professional achievement.

This success is achieved with the help of veteran horse trainer Lucien Laurin and thanks to the speed of the horse Secretariat. It is worth noting that Penny will become the first woman to win the Triple Crown. Something that, in addition, has the added merit of winning the prize in a totally macho society dominated by men.

Critics to the movie

According to the website Metacritic obtained positive reviews, with 61%, based on 36 comments of which 21 are positive. On the other hand, it raised around 59 million dollars in the United States. On the other hand, if the international collections are added, the figure reaches 60 million. It should be noted that the budget invested in the production was approximately 35 million.

Secretariat is one of Gustavo Mirabal’s favorite films. Likewise it is one of the most recommended films for horse fanatics

Recording locations

Secretariat was recorded between the states of Louisiana and Kentucky (United States), highlighting the populations of Opelousas, Lafayette or Evangeline Downs. The start and end dates of the filming are unknown.

Movie message

The film sends the audience a message of perseverance and struggle. Secretariat tells us that opportunities are where we least expect it even in those places that we do not want to be and that adverse circumstances place us. It also sends us a message of gender equality where it does not matter if you are a man or a woman, the only thing that matters is the effort and the heart that one puts in the achievement of his objectives. In a world dominated by men Penny Chenery, a housewife, conquered her greatest victory.

Sources consulted

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretariat

http://www.gustavomirabal.es/arte/el-caballo-en-secretariat/

www.gustavomirabal.es/arte/el-caballo-en-la-pelicula-hidalgo/