September 2022 Issue

Page 34 September 2022 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN By Malorie de la Mare Dear Mal… The Philadelphia TV news recently had a story about horses at an agricultural high school in Phil- adelphia. Apparently, sometime during the night, people climbed the fence into a pasture where there were several horses. The peo- ple chopped off big chunks of the horses’ manes. One of the news- casters said that horsehair is very valuable and that might be one of the reasons for this bizarre act of vandalism. Someone else said that horses need their manes to protect them from flies and biting insects. I can’t believe a few inches of mane hair would bring any money, but I do wonder about the biting insects thing. Do horses need their manes to help them ward off bugs? -Sad for the Horses Dear Sad… Let me begin with a rant, please. Vandalism is a revolting stain on our neighborhoods and public places. Vandalism directed at an animal is beyond revolting. Whoever committed this utterly cruel and stupid act should be shorn of their own hair—not all of it, just big chunks of it. Then they should be sentenced to several months of taking care of horses—feeding them, grooming them, cleaning their feet, bathing them, and walking them back and forth from the barn to the pasture. They should be forced to learn about horses and the role horses have played in humanity’s prog- ress. They should have to write an apology to the horses they vandalized and to the people who care for the horses. (End of rant.) So, let’s dispel the myth of the value of a couple of clumps of horsehair. There are uses for horsehair, for brushes, fabrics and even jewelry. But the creeps who chopped off clumps of mane from those horses are not likely to find anyone willing to buy the hair. So, do horses actually need their manes? There are horses whose manes are clipped, or roached, and there are horses whose manes are left extremely long. A mane can help protect a horse from biting insects. Where horses are vulnerable to predators, the mane is thought to help protect the horses’ necks. The horses in Philadelphia whose manes were vandalized won’t suffer any long term problems. Their manes will grow back, but in the meantime, fly masks can protect their faces from insects and fly spray can help keep bugs off the rest of the horse. The bigger issue here is the Go ahead... Ask da Mare Mane Cutting = Vandalism reality that there are people who are utterly callous and ignorant and think it’s okay to violate an animal this way. Dear Mal… It’s hot! Everyone says you should keep your pets in the house where it’s cool. And yet, I still see horses in fields near my house. Shouldn’t they be inside too? I worry every time I drive by the horse farms and see these poor creatures. The heat seems even worse this year than in the past, and I’m wondering if you think I should do something. -Worried Dear Worried… Thank you for your com- passion! During this hot, dry weather it’s always a good idea to take special notice of animals that spend a lot of time outside. For several weeks this summer in eastern Pennsylvania we’ve had days in which the outside tempera- ture and humidity are extremely high. Generally, when the tem- perature, added to the humidity, is greater than 150, a horse’s cooling efficiency is greatly reduced. So, as you can see, on days when the temperature is 90+ and the humid- ity is 60 per cent or greater, there is potential for heat stress and even greater complications when horses are being ridden or exercised. If the horses you see don’t have ac- cess to shade and fresh water, they could be at risk of overheating. Of course, you would need to be up close to the horses to see if they’re getting stressed. Signs of heat stress include profuse sweating, increased heart rate, a body tem- perature higher than 103, etc., all of which would be hard to detect as you are driving by on the road. Horses that are quietly grazing, or just standing around under trees are probably not stressed. Unfortu- nately, this part of the country has had very little rain this summer, in addition to excessive heat. So, the pastures that were lush and green throughout the spring have become parched and brown, creating yet another issue for horse farms. People who operate horse farms are likely to be attentive to the con- ditions out in their pastures, but if you’re truly concerned, you might try stopping at the farm and talking to the owners. They would prob- ably appreciate your concern and it could be a great opportunity for you to learn more about these in- credible, beautiful animals. Again, thank you for your compassion! Have a question for Mal? Email her at PAEquest@aol. com. Get FREE copies of East Coast Equestrian to distribute at your event! Email steph@eastcoastequestrian.net at least 8 weeks before your event with the name and date, and we will ship you copies to distribute to exhibitors at no charge. The news East Coast horse owners need to know