North East Scotland Highland Pony Enthusiasts Society

March 2007 News
On behalf of the committee I would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who came along to the AGM - especially to all the new members! For a committee it was a fantastic sight to see and gives us great enthusiasm for what we are doing and the way forward for the club.

The Club's Activities for 2007 were arranged at the AGM, please see our "Activities" page for more details.

We are still in the process of confirming a couple of dates and venues but if you are interested in any of the events we are hoping to hold PLEASE contact Susie and I will keep you up to date - on email or the phone - so nobody misses out.

As you know we purchased a load lugger towards the end of last year to act as storage/transportation and a self sufficient show unit. Following this we have applied for a lottery grant to assist the club with kitting out the trailer and adding to our resources in terms of jumps/dressage arena etc. We should have an answer by Friday 13 April.

 

 

In light of it being the club's 25th anniversary, Karen has kindly trawled through all the club records to create a potted history of the club. Unfortunately the records for the club between 1989 and 1994 appear to have gone missing. In particular we are missing committee information for 1992 and 1993. If any member has any NESHPES files/information from that time could they please get in touch to allow Karen to complete the document. Or if you have any knowledge of the committee from that time please do get in touch!! We are hoping someone may have a forgotten box of information in their loft!

General News
As a disease which sadly affects a great deal of horses throughout the North-east Equine Grass Sickness is never far from our thoughts. Throughout each year North East of Scotland Highland Pony Enthusiast Society (NESHPES) and members of the North-east horse community embark on a number of fundraising efforts to raise much needed money towards research and supporting the continuing work that the Fund does.

One yearly event is a fundraising evening organised by Karen and Robin Stewart. This year the evening was held at The Douglas Arms in Banchory and saw family, friends and the North-east equine community put their hands in their pockets and enjoy a great night of entertainment and good company.

Over the year £700 has been raised for the fund. Now on to fundraising for 2007!!!!

Fundraising Focus - Equine Grass Sickness
Unfortunately Equine Grass Sickness is a well known disease in the North East of Scotland. In fact the first recorded case of the disease came from a farmer in the Dundee area in 1907. From that point on the area has proved to be one of the worst affected in the world.

Within the club a number of people have sadly experienced the complicated disease at first hand and it is because of this that the club continues to support and promote the work of the Equine Grass Sickness Fund whenever it can.

Due to the clubs continuing support towards the Equine Grass Sickness Fund Karen Stewart and myself were invited to attend a day at the Moredun Centre and Dick Vet School, Edinburgh to hear about the latest research developments.

For those who have not experienced the disease before the name appears to be misleading as it is assumed to be linked with all animals eating the same grass. If only it was that simple however. The condition is known to attack the animal’s nervous system within a very short space of time. Unfortunately in most cases once symptoms are visible the damage has already occurred. Around 600 horses are affected every year and it is fatal in around 95% of those. Cases are classed as acute, mild and chronic, with mild and chronic being most likely to respond to treatment.
Excessive weight and condition loss are linked to the shutting down of gut action and visible signs of depression and lack of interest follow making it very difficult to encourage the animal to eat. The disease attacks all ages and breeds of animals from the child’s pony to the fully fit eventer. There is no proven hereditary link although there is a possibility of generic susceptibility. It is only recently that the racing world has admitted that they also experience the disease.

The Dick Vet School in Edinburgh has been one of the leading lights in treating and investigating the disease for a number of years. Through their partnership with the fund a unique network of experience and advice has been built and is used to help those experiencing the horrible disease. Unfortunately in most cases the disease proves fatal within days of diagnoses. However some do survive, with most being in the hands of specialist nurses at the Dick Vet. This is invaluable time in the process of understanding the condition and in return the fund helps owners with the cost of the intensive nursing care.

As yet the cause and cure remains out of reach however recent investigation points to the links between the Clostridium botulinum type C bacterium and toxin, which lies dormant in all equine guts. The disease is triggered when the gut environment changes leading to increased toxin development. Triggers are wide and varied and include infection through an open wound, exposure to soil when grazing or the feeding of cut grass and changes to the type or quantity of hard feed. Horses experiencing recent changes or stressful situations may also become affected. Some field management techniques have also been discussed but remain unproven, including the presence of clover. Currently, diagnosis in a living animal is difficult, but testing via skin biopsy and eyelash tests are being investigated.

Signs of the disease include drooping eyelashes, increased saliva production, difficulty in swallowing, crusty and bleeding nose, nervous system degeneration (primarily showing in patchy sweating and shivering) and the onset of colic like symptoms as the digestive system shuts down. The visual state of the nose along with the extent of saliva production is very important in deeming the survival of an animal.

Although many reports have recently stated that a vaccine for the disease is on its way the reality is that it may be five to ten years before it happens. The vaccine is likely to be used to prevent cases deteriorating rather than as a wide spread preventative measure such as the flu jab. The main hurdle is funding the required licensing. It was recently reported that the fund received around £1 million from the Arabian racing world, through the Dubai Millennium fund, however the reality is that the fund only received $300,000. Barely enough to fund three years research. The funds main concern at the moment is to raise awareness and increase fundraising throughout the country.

Prevention of such a complicate disease is not clear-cut. Careful monitoring of animals experiencing change is recommended. Most cases occur in the Spring and early Summer (between April and July), although it is seen at all times of the year, following dry, warm spells lasting for over ten days. Connections with wormers used and field management, such as chain harrowing is present, however the importance of this is questionable as the majority of equines experience these factors at the susceptible time of year. Horses fed hay or haylage on a daily basis appear to have higher antibody levels in their bodies protecting them against the disease.

The club has a number of information sheets on EGS for members and also contact details for anyone wishing to lend a hand with any fundraising ideas. These can also be picked up in Country Ways, Aberdeen. For a link to their website please see the contacts page.