May 2021 Issue

Page 22 May 2021 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Go ahead...Ask da Mare By Malorie de la Mare Dear Mal… I’ve wanted to ride horses for as long as I can remember. Growing up, my family had a lot of other priorities, so horseback riding was never in the cards for me. So, I finally got out of college, got a job and bought a car so I could drive to riding lessons after work. This has not gone over well with my parents and my friends. I can’t tell you how many people have told me to “grow up.” And worse! But riding lessons have brought me so much joy, and riding makes me feel so…complete. I’m in my own apartment—sparsely furnished, but still I’m indepen- dent. So, I’m wondering what everyone is so upset about. I’m happy. I’m doing something I’ve dreamed of all my life. My friends spend their extra cash on other things that are truly not important to me. I do try to spend some time with them. Friends Mock My Horsey Dream But they have zero interest in understanding what it is about horses that strikes such a chord in my heart. Sometimes it makes me wonder if I’m not seeing the world the same way everyone else does. Do you think I’m being immature? -Horse Crazy Dear Horse Crazy… The world is living through a slow-moving catastrophe. So many people have died from the Coronavirus that it’s hard to comprehend. Virtually every shred of the lives we thought we had has been torn apart. You have found joy. You have fulfilled a lifelong dream. I cannot imagine how stingy and wounded someone would have to be to tell you anything other than “congratulations.” Serious- ly. If we have learned anything from the pandemic, it should be this: live. Find joy. Be kind and keep a generous heart. Many people are afraid to chase their dreams. That doesn’t mean they get to chide you for chasing yours. Don’t focus on the voices of people who can’t understand how important this is to you. Focus instead on why they are so intent on bringing you down. What is causing their pain? Friends look past the words and try to find the reasons. It’s not up to you to persuade your friends that horses are wonderful. They should be kind enough to see how happy your riding makes you. So, no, you are not being immature. You are being what every young person should be: fearless, joyful and considerate of others. Ride on! Dear Mal… My horse grew a beautiful, silky coat during the winter, and he’s shedding it out now…sort of. It seems to be a very slow process. I’ve been trying to help him, by brushing and using the curry comb vigorously. It’s a great arm workout, by the way. But there’s still so much hair! My horse is 20 years old, healthy and seems pretty content. Is it possi- ble there’s something wrong with him? Or am I just being overly anxious about his shaggy coat? I don’t remember this taking so much time in the past. What do you think might be going on with him? I’m covered with horse hair every time I leave the barn, and can’t believe he has any hair left on his body! -Hairy Dear Hairy… At his age, your horse is a prime candidate for what people refer to as Cushing’s disease. The actual condition is Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), and as you might guess, it is related to the pituitary gland, which regulates the production of certain hor- mones. Often the first sign horse owners report is their horses’ failure to shed their winter coats. PPID is pretty common, and it progresses slowly; it’s manageable, but not curable. But, don’t get all panicky yet. Your horse might just be a slow shedder. You should talk to your vet, and have her examine your horse. While there’s not always a definitive diagnosis, your vet can help you understand other symptoms you may have overlooked. Excessive thirst, excessive sweating (yeah, that heavy coat might cause some of that), weight loss, lethar- gy—these are indicators that your horse may have PPID. Before you get all worked up, though, it’s best to give your vet a call. You may not realize the coat-growing/coat-shedding process is not a function of the weather. Instead, it’s your horse’s physiological response to the amount of light he’s exposed to. After the solstice in June, when the amount of daily daylight begins to diminish, your horse’s eyes recognize less light. That initiates a chain of events in your horse’s hormonal system. All kinds of activity involving the pineal gland, the pituitary gland and the thyroid results in the stimulation of hair growth. The opposite happens after the solstice in December, when the days become longer. In that instance, the hormonal activity initiates shedding. It’s complicated! But as you can imagine, there may be a dozen reasons why your horse is not shedding quickly. That’s why your vet can help you solve the puzzle. Although there is not a cure for PPID (IF THAT IS WHAT YOUR HORSE IS EXPERIENCING!) there are some dietary and pharmaceuti- cal interventions your vet may recommend. So, continue to curry and fuss over your horse, call your vet, and don’t pull your own hair out over this! Have a question for Mal? Email her at PAEquest@aol. com.