Horses will usually avoid toxic plants, but if they are hungry, bored or curious enough, they might be willing to try something new.  Good pasture management, including regular mowing and smart planting, along with common sense can eliminate many potential hazards.  Plenty of good forage will help deter a horse from sampling toxic plants, chewing fences or picking up vices.  It will also help maintain normal gut function.

Below is a brief (i.e. not all-inclusive) list of some of the common plants that have the potential to harm horses, along with symptoms of toxicity.  The information was summarized from the Horse Owner’s Field Guide to Toxic Plants by Sandra Burger.

Alsike Clover: Photosensitivity, slobbers

Black Walnut: If used for bedding, can cause symptoms of laminitis, leg swelling, depression

Boxwood: Often used for landscaping. One pound of leaves can kill a horse. GI upset, blood in stool, respiratory distress

Horsechestnut: Often used as a decorative planting. Toxins affect the nervous system, may cause twitching or incoordination

Hydrangea: Contains cyanide. Labored breathing, weakness, gastroenteritis, bloody diarrhea

Japanese Yew, related to American Yew (Ground Hemlock): Some reactions are immediate, other delayed. Confusion, diarrhea, decrease in circulation and death

Mistletoe: Sudden death with major poisoning, colic in less severe cases

Nightshade varieties: Weakness, twitching, congestion in heart, lungs and spleen

Oak Tree: Anorexia, excessive thirst/urination, bloody diarrhea, kidney & liver damage

Poison Hemlock: Pupil dilation, trembling, cold extremities, paralysis, death

Pokeweed: Blood in stool, muscle weakness, salivation

Red Clover: If allowed to become moldy, a fungal toxin is produced (evidenced by brown spots seen on the leaves) causing salivation, stiffness or diarrhea.

Red Maple Tree: Anemia, causing depression and pale mucous membranes

Rhododendron: Excessive salivation, depression, colic, kidney and/or liver damage

St. John’s Wort: Photosensitivity, increased temperature and heart rate

A lot of the symptoms described above could be characterized as “non-specific.”  Any time a horse seems weak, depressed, has blood in the stool or shows any sign of abnormal behavior or attitude, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.  For further reading, some excellent sources of information are listed below.  There are some websites that have links and pictures, all are guaranteed to teach you something you didn’t know.  The book, Horse Owner’s Field Guide to Toxic Plants, comes highly recommended, complete with summaries and pictures.  More info below:

Great Resources

• Horse Owner’s Field Guide to Toxic Plants by Sandra M. Burger (Breakthrough Publications, 1996)

• Rutgers University Equine Science Center Website — http://www.esc.rutgers.edu/ask_expert/Poisonous_Plants.htm

• ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center Website for Toxic Plants & Horses — http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_horsetoxicplants

• Cornell University Poisonous Plants Informational Database — http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/alphalist.html

Basics of the Equine Heart
Nettie R. Liburt, MS, PhD
Equine Specialist, Kent Nutrition Group

The cardiovascular system is a dynamic one, designed to transport water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, energy fuels, electrolytes, hormones and other metabolic products throughout the body [1]. At the center of the system is a muscular pump known as the heart. In Thoroughbreds, the average weight of the heart is 1% of mass, or approximately 9-11 pounds [1]. Weight may vary depending on training status, size of horse or breed. (Note that in comparison, a human heart weighs somewhere in the range of 0.5 – 0.8 pounds, and is about the size of your fist [3])!

Like the human heart, the equine heart has 4 chambers – the left and right atria (top half) and the left and right ventricles (bottom half). Blood with fresh oxygen from the lungs flows into the left atria via pulmonary veins. When the left atrium contracts, this oxygenated blood is pumped to the left ventricle. Left ventricular contraction sends the blood out to the tissues in the body through the aorta [1,2]. Blood carrying carbon dioxide returns to the right atria from the body via both the superior and inferior vena cava, then upon atrial contraction, to the right ventricle. The right ventricle pumps this blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, where carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen [1,2].

The atria are smaller and less muscular than ventricles, but they function to help fill the ventricles with blood [2]. Valves between the atria and ventricles prevent backflow of blood [2] (see diagram). The left side of the heart ensures oxygenated blood reaches the entire body [1]. The left ventricle pumps against the back pressure of arterial circulation [2], and is thus larger than the right [2]. The left ventricle is often referred to as the “pressure pump,” whereas the right ventricle is referred to as the “volume pump” [2]. The right side of the heart pumps deoxygenated blood returning from the body to the lungs to exchange carbon dioxide for fresh oxygen. Then, the cycle repeats.

Diagram from [1], p. 130.

The heart beats without external nerve supply because the heart muscle generates the electrical impulse responsible for contraction “on site” [2]. This occurs via the action of a built-in pacemaker, known as the sinoatrial (SA) node [2]. A coordinated series of electrical conductions regulate contraction of the atria to ensure filling of the ventricles, followed by contraction of the ventricles themselves.

Cardiac output is a measure of blood that flows out of the left side of the heart per minute, and it depends on heart rate and the volume of blood pumped out of the heart with each beat [2]. Resting cardiac output for a horse is about 25 liters per minute, which is what a human can achieve only at maximum exercise effort [2]! Elite equine athletes can increase cardiac output up to 300 liters per minute during exercise [2]. Increased cardiac output allows a greater proportion of blood to circulate to working muscles and heart, helping to sustain work, while diverting blood from the digestive tract, kidney and other organs [2].

Blood volume is the combined volume of plasma and cells in the blood [1]. It is a factor in the measure of cardiac output, and it can change during exercise or excitement [1, 2]. Horses have the ability to increase their blood volume from about 40 liters at rest to 50 liters during exercise, due in part to contraction of the spleen and diversion of fluids from other areas of the body [1, 2]. Splenic contraction does not occur in humans, but in your horse, it results in a greater number of red blood cells available to carry oxygen to working muscles. It has been speculated that this phenomenon contributes to the great athleticism of horses.

It is important to know what is normal for your horse. At rest, a horse’s normal heart rate is usually in the range of 30-40 beats per minute (bpm) [4]. Maximal heart rates have been recorded in the range of 215-245 bpm when working at peak exercise [1]. To put this in perspective, consider that the American Heart Association describes typical resting heart rate in healthy humans as between 60-80 bpm, and maximum heart rate was traditionally estimated using the formula, 220 – age in years. Thus, the average adult has a maximum heart rate considerably lower than the average equine! Unusually elevated heart rates in horses at rest may indicate pain, stress or excitement. It is wise to know how to take your horse’s pulse. Take the pulse several times over the course of a few days to get an idea of what is normal for your horse, and seek medical help if you have questions or concerns.

The horse is a unique and phenomenal athlete with incredible capability. You may now have new respect for how much “heart” your horse really has!

References
1. Evans, DL. The cardiovascular system: anatomy, physiology and adaptations to exercise and training. In: Hodgson, DR, Rose, RJ, editors. The Athletic Horse: Principles and practice of equine sports medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 1994, p. 129-144.

2. Marlin, D, Nankervis, K. The cardiovascular system. In: Equine Exercise Physiology. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Science, Ltd; 2002, p.55-72.

3. MacDonald, M. Your Body: The Missing Manual. Sebastopol, CA: Pogue Press, 2009.

4. Pavord, T, Pavord, M. Knowing your horse. In: The complete equine veterinary manual. Cincinnati, OH: F&W Publications, 2007, p. 8-35.

Equine Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP) is an inherited muscle disorder characterized by abnormal muscle movement or activity. The disorder is found primarily in Quarter Horses with a genetic link to the stallion ‘Impressive’. Impressive was used extensively as a sire in many breeding programs for over 25 years, leaving many descendants potentially affected with HYPP.

Symptoms of Equine HYPP include muscle rigidity, fasciculations (spasms), weakness, irregular movement, repeated yawning, prolapse of the third eyelid and involuntary recumbency (collapse). These symptoms may vary from mild to intense, depending on the horse. In extreme cases, if the heart muscle is affected, the disorder may lead to heart failure and death. Yet, many horses carrying the gene for HYPP may not show any signs of the disorder and lead normal lives. Given that Equine HYPP is genetic, however, future breeding of horses carrying the gene should be carefully evaluated.

For horses with HYPP, research at Texas A&M University has suggested that some horses can be managed to prevent the HYPP symptoms from occurring by feeding a low-potassium diet. In this study, horses with the gene for HYPP exhibited some degree of HYPP symptoms when total diet potassium levels were at 1.9% and 2.9%. The HYPP horses fed 1.1% potassium in the total diet did not exhibit any symptoms. Thus, recommendations are to keep potassium below 1.5% in the TOTAL diet.

Total diet potassium level includes not only the grain ration provided, but also the hay and/or pasture fed. All Kent Nutrition Group grain rations are below 1.2% potassium, with the sweet feeds being lowest, followed by low- to moderate-fiber pellets and nuggets, then the high-fiber pellets and nuggets. The hay fed along with these grain rations, however, may not be low. Typically, good-quality hay will contain between 1.8% – 2.5% potassium.

For horses exhibiting symptoms of HYPP, one viable alternative is to feed greater amounts of a higher fiber feed and reduce the amount of hay fed to keep potassium levels low. In addition, feeding a hay/fiber substitute type product in place of some of the hay would reduce potassium in the total diet. Even though the potassium level is higher in these higher fiber feeds, by reducing the amount of hay fed and feeding more high-fiber “grain,” the TOTAL potassium in the diet is reduced.

These researchers also suggested that managing horses with HYPP may involve more than just the percent potassium in the feed. Their recommendation was to feed smaller amounts more often (more ‘meals’) to reduce the amount of potassium absorbed in the blood at a given time. The use of pasture will further spread the intake of potassium over time as moisture and availability make it difficult for horses to eat large amounts at once.

Many other factors, such as exercise, may also trigger an episode of Equine HYPP. While further research is needed to fully understand all factors that may lead to an episode of HYPP, current recommendations are to alter feed management practices and provide less than 1.5% potassium in the TOTAL diet.

Article originally appeared in Quail Forever magazine.

The e-collar is a useful and powerful tool that can greatly extend your reach as a trainer. When used correctly, an e-collar can be a great aid in the training and control of your hunting spaniel. Incorrect use, though, can do more harm to your dog than you can imagine. For this reason, it is important to train yourself on proper e-collar usage before you introduce one to your dog. 

Getting Started

If you’re going to use an e-collar on your dog, you should plan on using it all of the time. Have your dog wear the e-collar during all training sessions and whenever you’re hunting. This helps avoid getting your dog “collar-wise”. A collar-wise dog will recognize that certain types of correction only occur when the collar is on and will learn to behave differently when he’s wearing the collar than when he isn’t. 

Next, I recommend you follow two very important rules with regard to e-collar usage. Rule number one is, don’t “wing it”. You should have a plan for collar use and you should follow that plan carefully to maximize training effectiveness. Rule number two is that you should never, ever push the transmitter button in anger. The e-collar is intended as a control rather than a punishment. 

On dogs with advanced collar conditioning, you can use the e-collar to reinforce virtually any known command. For the typical hunter, though, I recommend limiting use of the e-collar to fewer specific situations. Probably the most important situation is to control to spaniel’s range while hunting. When your dog ranges out too far, you should train him to return on your call or whistle. The e-collar should be used to reinforce this command only if the dog refuses to return. Even then, you should start with the lowest level stimulation to which the dog responds and increase the level as necessary until the dog obeys. After he obeys, you should also give him some praise to mix in some positive reinforcement. 

Choosing a Collar

We generally recommend an e-collar that is simple and reliable. A collar with more bells and whistles than you need can just increase the risk of confusing your dog. Tone and vibration settings can encourage you to nag your dog into believing you’re not serious every time. The nick setting can be useful for collar-conditioned dogs but may have limited value to the typical hunter. One feature I consider absolutely necessary for all users, though, is variable intensity. When your spaniel misbehaves in one of your pre-determined ways, you should start stimulating him at the lowest level he recognizes and increase only if he continues the misbehavior. For this reason, you need a collar that allows you to change stimulation levels quickly and easily from the transmitter. 

One final thing we recommend is to never use the e-collar when your dog is out of sight. If you don’t know what he’s doing he might be working a bird. You certainly don’t want to punish your dog for doing what you want and stimulating him might make him bird shy. I’ll also say one last time, because it is so important, that you should not use an e-collar in anger. If you can’t control your temper you probably should not use an e-collar on your dog.

To learn more about Jason’s training methods, visit www.lighthousekennels.com.

Winterizing Your Horse

As the leaves turn color and autumn heads towards winter, now is a good time to make a list of things to do to properly winterize your horse.

 Float teeth
 Body score
 Pregnancy check
 Insulate water tank
 Test forage
 Provide shelter
 Check blankets
 Provide mineral
 Group animals
 Deworm

When floating an animal’s teeth it may become necessary to use a power float. Over the years a horse’s mouth may wear unevenly so that his teeth may wave. Teeth that are longer in one part of his mouth may need to be ground down so his whole mouth has a nice even bite. All his teeth need to meet properly when he chews so feed becomes evenly ground for good digestion. A veterinarian can make this decision as to how best to repair teeth. Horses with poor teeth or bite may need to be on a pelleted diet like the Dynasty line as pellets need less chewing.
Body scoring your horse helps determine his need for calories. A body score of 5 or 6 on the Henneke chart should be proper for a horse going into winter. If your horse scores less than ideal remember it takes around 6000 kcals of energy above maintenance levels to put on one pound of gain. With this in mind it takes 40 to 60 pounds of gain to move an average sized horse one body condition score. The Kent Equine Evaluator will give you an indication as to how many kcals of energy will be needed by the horse per day. His lifestyle and activity level are taken into consideration in calculating needs to maintain his body weight. All Kent Equine products have a digestible energy value for you to use to help calculate your horses’ ration. Don’t forget to count the calories from his hay.
It is always wise to pregnancy check exposed mares as this will help determine ration needs and whether she needs housing at foaling time.
Water needs to be a consideration for your horse in the winter. A 1,000 pound horse will need to consume on the average 10 to 12 gallons per day. Make sure your horse has access to this amount of clear clean warm water during frigid temperatures.
Taking a sample of your forages will help you balance your horses ration for energy intakes.
Your horse has special needs in extreme weather and may need the protection of shelter. For each 1 degree F. decrease in temperature below critical temperature [30 to 50 degrees F.] there is an increase of 1% in the digestible energy needs of the horse. Also, if your horse is recuperating from an injury or illness his digestible energy needs will be 1.3 to 1.5 times higher than normal.
Blankets can also be used to protect your horse. A rule of thumb would be if it is cool enough for a sweater for you it is cool enough for a blanket to be needed by a horse. This would be true of a horse with little winter hair. Wet or dirty blankets are worse than no blankets.
Horses have daily requirements for several vitamins and minerals. Provide free choice access to Equestrians Choice® mineral or Equine Choice® Turnout.
Younger, older and timid animals may need to be grouped or fed separately from other herd members. These animals may not be prepared to hold there own in a group situation and therefore lose out on proper nutrition.
Last on the list but certainly not least is the need to deworm your animals. It has been noted that some resistance has been seen to certain deworming compounds. Consult your Veterinarian and feed store to access a good dewormer like Kent’s’ Safeguard® paste dewormer.
Properly winterizing your horse early will result in a nice healthy animal when spring arrives and it time to enjoy riding once again.

Greg Powers
Regional Sales Manager

Styling a horse’s mane and tail is fun and a great way to spend quality time with your horse. But did you know that you can tie a ribbon to your horse’s tail for safety reasons?

Following are some universal color guides that you can apply when you hit the trail.

A Red Ribbon in a horse’s tail is a warning to the other riders that your horse might kick. As we all know this does happen and if you are behind a kicker you know that you need to keep a pretty safe distance between you and the horse with the red ribbon. This ribbon tied near the top of the tail is a safety precaution that visually says my horse may kick if you get too close.

A Yellow Ribbon tied near the top of the tail indicates the horse is a stallion. As it might not apply that he could be a red ribbon horse, it does indicate to the others, especially the mares of his status. Stallions are know to be very protective of mares and by keeping a safe distance you could eliminate any situations that might occur.

A White Ribbon tied to the tail is not a warning sign, but a “For Sale” sign. Although this is not as widely used as the yellow and red ribbons, it is becoming more popular in the trail riding circles to indicate this great horse is available.

So if you are trail riding on a Stallion that kicks and is for sale, you will have a colorful tail. And good luck with the sale.

Research data from the Kent Nutrition Group’s (KNG) Product Development Center (PDC), as well as field trials, have shown that calves exposed to stress situations benefited from the intake of KNG’s BoVantage product.  Intakes are stimulated and average daily gains enhanced, as well as morbidity and mortality decreases.  Having established BoVantage firmly in the receiving cattle arena, the next step was to look at the response of growing and finishing cattle to the nutritional package.

The initial study in which data were examined as to the effect of BoVantage on overall feedlot performance was conducted in 2007.  Cattle fed BoVantage from Day 1 of the grower phase until slaughter were observed to gain faster (P < .05) in a linear fashion compared to control steers through stimulated dry matter intakes (linear, P < .01).  Cattle fed BoVantage throughout the trial (157 days on feed) were 25.12 lbs. heavier at slaughter than control, non-BoVantage steers.  Adding the additional feed consumption over the study, plus the BoVantage cost, returned about $5.50/head.  This economic was calculated when fat cattle were being sold for $90/cwt.  However, when fed cattle prices declined to the mid-80’s, this scenario became non-profitable.  Some additional examination of the data revealed that about 85-90% of the cattle’s response to BoVantage occurred the last 28 days prior to harvest.  This might be a savings in the cost of BoVantage while maintaining the great majority of feedlot performance thus increasing profitability when fat cattle prices are low.

Initial research concerning this late growth period of BoVantage feeding started in 2009 and finished in 2010.  As this study was being planned, it became apparent that an FDA approved growth promotant, Optaflexx (ractopamine HCl, Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, Indiana), might be a good fit in concurrent feeding with BoVantage as it has a 4-6 week preharvest feeding recommendation.  Optaflexx is cleared in cattle with a claim for enhanced rate of gain, improved feed efficiency and increased carcass leanness.  The treatments evaluated the last 28 days prior to harvest and the cattle’s corresponding 28-day performance data are seen in Table 1.  All cattle received the same basal diet of shelled corn, dried distillers grains with solubles, KNG Co-Product Balancer 800R and limited corn silage.  The BoVantage was provided through KNG’s BoVantage product (#8111) and the Optaflexx by KNG’s Cattleflex®1600 (#8528).  All steer calves were implanted with TE-IS and TE-S Component implants (Elanco, Greenfield, Indiana). 

Table 1

Effect of BoVantage & Optaflexx on

Finishing Steer Performance 28 Days Prior to Harvest

*BoVantage last 28 days only.

**BoVantage w/Optaflexx (200 mg/hd/day) for 28 days.

^abcdLSD (P < .15)

Control cattle (Treatment 1) gained slower (P < .15) than all other treatment groups.  The addition of BoVantage (Treatment 3) stimulated (P < .15) ADG compared to controls as did Optaflexx (Treatment 2) and BoVantage + Optaflexx (Treatment 4) with the combination of BoVantage and Optaflexx supporting the best rate of gain.  These dual additions resulted in strictly an additive response with each addition resulting in a stepwise improvement.  All dry matter intake (DMI) data from test cattle were similar

(P > .15) to that of control steers.  Trends suggest that BoVantage stimulates DMI; a similar response to previous BoVantage work as it relates to intake.  The feeding of BoVantage does not generally improve feed efficiency and this study supports that statement.  However, the addition of Optaflexx demonstrates its typical effect of decreasing the amount of feed required per unit of gain (P < .15).

Carcass data were collected on an individual steer basis.  The quality of these cattle was considered less than average and the large variability within treatment groups made statistical differences difficult to detect.  Nevertheless, strong trends were apparent.  Steers assigned to receive BoVantage plus Optaflexx (Treatment 4) tended to have less internal fat (P > .05) and higher hot carcass weights (P > .05) than other treatment groups. 

KNG has formulated and priced a BoVantage w/Optaflexx nutritional package (#8107, bag and #8108, bulk) that is to be included in a 70% dry matter, finishing, totally mixed ration (TMR) at the rate of 25# per ton.  The economics of using this new product in the diets of finishing cattle prior to slaughter (this study’s data extrapolated to 30 days) are summarized by Table 2.

Table 2

Effect of Additive on 30 Days of Feeding Prior to Slaughter

Economics

*$.95/lb live weight.

   **$115/ton of dry matter

^aCost BoVantage ($19/50# bag) for 30 days (33 lb feed/hd/day).

Cost Optaflexx (Cattleflex 1600, $.34/4 oz) for 30 days.

Cost BoVantage w/Optaflexx ($52/50 lb bag) for 30 days based on

32.7# feed intake/hd/day.

Using current costs of ingredients and products (see Table 2 footnotes), the use of BoVantage alone, a month prior to harvest would generate about $1.00 per head net profit while Optaflexx alone would net $7.25/head and the combination of the two products, $9.36 per head.  Previous KNG performance data from the PDC in which the data in the last 30 days was extrapolated from the study showed higher rates of gain in cattle fed BoVantage compared to control groups, which led to higher returns on investment (ROI).  Since dry matter intakes are increased in cattle fed BoVantage, any decrease in corn or co-products would result in higher ROI.  Nevertheless, data from this trial indicate that the feeding of BoVantage plus Optaflexx returns a large profit per head to the producer.

Optaflexx is a registered trademark of Elanco Animal Health.

We have generally recommended a particle size of 750 to 850 microns in growing-finishing diets.  Compared to a coarse grind (i.e., 1000 to 1200 microns), the finer grinds do require checking feeders more often because there can be some bridging of feed in the feeders.

Is it worth taking a little time each day to make sure a feeder is flowing?  Or should the easier approach be taken and grind feed at 1000 to 1200 microns which flows freely through bins and feeders?  To answer these questions, compare the effect on feed efficiency of 800 vs. 1100 microns by using the following equation which was developed in university trials involving finishing pigs from 120 to 240 pounds. 

Feed/Gain = Particle Size x 0.000415175 + 3.066333

By reducing particle size from 1100 to 800 microns, feed efficiency was improved by 0.12, and feed required per pig was reduced by 14.4 pounds.  The savings in diet cost per finishing pigs was $1.26!  Keep in mind that these projections were from 120 to 240 pounds and thus do not include the cost savings in growing pigs and those fed out to heavier weights.  Based on the finishing numbers alone, an operation producing 60,000 pigs a year would save over $75,000. 

Given the higher prices for corn, in recent years, it would be imperative that we grind corn finer to increase the bottom line to swine producers.

Article originally appeared in “On the Wing”, a monthly email newsletter by Pheasants Forever.

Health & More Birds

With the hunting season just around the corner, now is a good time to start thinking about conditioning your canine athlete for early season performance. We wouldn’t think about going out and running ten miles one day without some prior physical training and it doesn’t make any more sense to expect it from our dogs. By getting our dogs in shape before the season, we go a long way toward ensuring a healthier and more effective hunting companion.

A high level of physical fitness contributes to a dog’s mental fitness because a tired dog will focus less on commands and finding birds. Risk of injury is also reduced during both training and hunting when muscles and tendons are strong and joints well lubricated. Training the body to recover from a work out will prepare your dog for longer hunts and more days hunting.

Before You Start

Before you get to work, it is important to consider three factors that can have a tremendous impact on your dog’s ability to function at a high level. We recommend you think of the following before starting any conditioning program.

1)    See Your Vet – A good overall examination will ensure that your dog is fit for training and free from clinical problems and parasites that could adversely affect health and performance.

2)    Choose A Quality Food – Rather than focus on a specific brand let’s just agree that nutrition is very important. Your dog must consume high quality protein to build and repair muscle tissue while supporting his immune system and overall health with high quality vitamins and trace minerals.

3)    Replenish Fluids – Making sure that your dog stays hydrated may be the single greatest factor in health during hunting. If he won’t drink water, find a good hydration supplement to encourage him to drink.

3 Steps To Fitness

Now we’ll get into the meat of the conditioning program. We base our conditioning program around three basic areas that compliment one another for a complete workout of the entire body and organs. You don’t need to do everything every day but you should try to do something each day.

1) Roadwork – We road our dogs on gravel early in the morning when traffic is sparse. We hook four dogs to a harness to pull a four-wheeler three miles with the engine off. This helps build endurance and strength while conditioning the paws for the rigors of hunting. This should be done at least three days per week.

2) Fieldwork – During the heat of the afternoon, we “free lance” our dogs by letting them run and hunt in large pastured areas at a slow but steady pace. This allows the dog to improve lung capacity and scenting abilities at the same time. It is important to condition a dog in the same heat of the day that they will be exposed to during hunting. We “free lance” our dogs only on days that we don’t do roadwork and for no more than 45 minutes.

3) Swimming – We swim our dogs several nights a week to work different muscle groups while creating less stress on joints and tendons. We have noticed a big improvement in performance since introducing this to our program. We limit this to no more than an hour and often swim with them.

Developing a solid conditioning program is very important to the health and longevity of our canine friends. Make sure that you work into condition over a 30-45 day period before the start of the season. In the end, a fit dog is a better hunter and you’ll see better overall health and more birds in your freezer.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com

Article originally appeared in Quail Forever magazine.

An Extension Of You

There are many sporting breeds for upland bird hunting and everyone has a personal preference. In my experience, many types and breeds of dogs can be effective hunters. Most sporting breeds produce well rounded companions with the genetics to excel while hunting in the field or on the lake. A good bird dog, regardless of breed, will give you a longer reach and the ability to find, point or flush and retrieve more birds than you could on your own. The shooting part, though, is up to you.

Upland Types

There are three general categories sporting dogs used for upland bird hunting: Flushing, Pointing and Retrieving. Each type has its own strengths and characteristics in addition to variations among the breeds within each type. Following is a very general overview of what you can expect from a hunting companion of each type. Keep in mind that these are general statements and you may see significant differences not just among different breeds but also between dogs of the same breed.

Pointing Breeds

As a breeder and trainer of pointing dogs for many years I’m a little biased. Pointing dogs fit my hunting style best but I have enjoyed hunting with Flushers and Retrievers as well.

• Hunting Strengths – Pointing breeds are often somewhat smaller and leaner than retrievers and capable of covering a lot of ground due to tremendous athleticism. Some breeds have less speed but still exhibit great endurance. They will generally hunt within gun range and, upon finding a bird, they will lock on point and give you time to approach for a comfortable shot. Most pointing breeds will naturally retrieve to hand.
• Common Breeds – Brittany, English Setter, German Shorthaired Pointer, German Wirehaired Pointer and Pointer (English).

 Retrieving Breeds

Retrievers include the most popular registered breed (Labrador Retriever) according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). This is generally considered to be a result of the intelligence and social nature of the breed.

• Hunting Strengths – Retrieving breeds are known for their versatility and their ability to withstand extreme cold be it snow, ice or water. They generally have a more rugged build but maintain good speed and agility. They will quarter in front of the hunter to flush upland birds and should stay within comfortable gun range. As you can tell from the name, they are enthusiastic retrievers of upland birds and they love the water.
• Common Breeds – Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever.

 Flushing Breeds

Flushers also include some breeds that are very popular as house companions due to their size, appearance and disposition. For the most part, Spaniels populate the flushing category.

• Hunting Strengths – Flushing breeds are generally smaller in stature than many pointing and retrieving counterparts. They will quarter in front of the hunter to flush birds and should also stay within comfortable gun range. Like Retrievers, they are very comfortable in water and have coats that are well suited to extreme cold. Flushers will naturally retrieve to hand and are well known for their stamina.
• Common Breeds – Boykin Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel and English Springer Spaniel.

 Many Good Choices

The thing to remember is that the best bird dog is the one that fits your hunting style. Research breeds and find one with the traits and qualities you desire. Training and hunting with an instinctive hunting companion can provide many years of outdoor enjoyment. If you don’t have the time or experience to train him, we encourage you to work with a professional to bring out the natural gifts of whatever breed you choose.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com.