Alpinepub’s Weblog

“There are few things more beautiful than a healthy, well mannered horse or pony. Man takes care of ‘em and God blesses ‘em!”

Anyone who is around horses knows how much their legs are subject to stress and how great the potential for injury, particularly with performance horses. Learning how to apply leg wraps, fitting the right boots for a horse, protecting a horse’s legs while traveling, as well as providing supportive care during lameness and injury is critical to the health, well-being and longevity of an animal.

There are so many different kinds of wraps and bandages for so many particular needs, I was really ignorant about the whole subject until I stumbled on the book, “How to use Leg Wraps, Bandages and Boots: Supportive Leg Care for Your Horse” by Sue. A. Allen. What a perfect book to keep in the barn, near the arena or anywhere where horses are!

Along with chapters on polo wraps for working horses, track bandages for sporting horses and standing wraps and boots for working horses, there’s also lots of information on how to decide when a leg injury requires bandaging. She also includes different kinds of therapies – cold, poultice and gels, and lets the reader know when it is time to prescribe complete stall rest.

Quite noteworthy is Allen’s philosophy for the main preventive medicine of all - starting and adhering to routines that will help a young horse develop good, strong legs and feet from the start. Starting a horse too young, before his legs have time to properly develop, is all too likely to cause permanent damage. The proper use of leg wraps and/or boots provide the stability and support tender young legs need once the training program has begun. Making sure not to ask too much of an older horse that is out of condition will help ease the stress on legs as well. Wise advice for any of us with horses. Those legs aren’t always as sturdy as we think!

I didn’t really know that polo bandages are flannel bandages used on all horses but primarily when training begins and during schooling or exercising. They are used on hunters, jumpers, dressage horses, reining horses, and all riding horses that have an interference problem.

Track bandages are knitted and usually used during training of racehorses and jumpers. When properly applied (I learned how with this book!), they give excellent support to hard-working legs. Quilted leg wraps are used for padding under bandages for shipping and therapeutic purposes. There are stall or standing bandages, elastic bandages, cotton leg wrap sheets and bandaging cotton.

As for boots, there are many varieties available that provide protective support and padding for a working horse’s legs with each type suiting a particular need. Padded boots soften the hard knocks that occur on high jump rails or from interference of another foot. Reining horses need protection on the hind fetlocks from fast stops and spinning turns. Many trainers, both English and Western, use splint or tendon boots, or combination boots, on young show horses. The book is great in explaining the use of boots as an alternative to bandages as well as how to buy the correct size for a proper fit.

I quite agree with the author when she says, “anyone who loves horses becomes wonderfully addicted to them”. Since I don’t raise racehorses, I had not really thought too much about the importance of bandages. Knowing so much more after reading this book about leg injuries, preventative care and the use of bandages and boots is really helping me to take better care of my own horses.

“How to use Leg Wraps, Bandages and Boots: Supportive Leg Care for Your Horse” is available through Alpine Publications, 800-777-7257; alpinepub.com

We have always supported purebred dogs and feel strongly that buying a purebred puppy from a reputable breeder is the safest and best way to get a puppy that fits your lifestyle, is healthy, and will grow up to be the dog you expected. Today, rescue groups abound, and most of them promote rescue dogs (the largest percentage of which are mixed breeds) over a puppy from a breeder.  Rescue dogs come from many place . . . street dogs, dumped dogs, unwanted litters of unsocialized puppies, pets someone relinquished for a variety of reasons, puppy mills whose dogs were confiscated for lack of care, etc. Rescuers believe such dogs make better pets, that mixed breeds (regardless of background and care) are healthier than purebreds, and that it is our duty to save almost every unwanted dog from whatever source before producing any more purebreds, however royal their pedigree or how talented they are at their work.

How did we get to this state? What have we, as purebred dog breeders done to rate so poorly in society? Have we over bred and based decisions on money or wins rather than the good of the dog? What do you think? 

•  Are purebred dogs as healthy today as they were 50 or 25 years ago?

•  Are genetic defects increasing?

•  Have we improved on our dog’s temperament and ability to function as “dogs,” or are the changes merely cosmetic?

•  Are purebreds more or less healthy than mixed breeds?

•  Do most reputable purebred breeders stand behind their dogs

with health and temperament guarantees

•  Do breeders who compete in conformation or performance events

really provide new owners with a healthier, more dependable working

or performance dog, or pet, than those obtained from pet stores

or shelters?

TELL US YOUR EXPERIENCES!

These questions will be explored in more depth in an upcoming book by breeder/judges Johan and Edith Gallant entitled SOS DOG, to be released fall 2008 by Alpine Publications.

If you happened to browse through the Vet Med Today, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, you might have seen the great review of Jennifer Coates, DVM, book, Dictionary of Veterinary Terms: Vet-Speak Deciphered for the Non-Veterinarian.

If not, and chances are good that you didn’t, then I’ll provide it for you here:

Dictionary of Veterinary Terms: Vet-Speak Deciphered for the Non-Veterinarian is a useful glossary for those associated with the veterinary profession without benefit of a formal veterinary education. It is a simple and straightforward presentation of almost every term a veterinary assistant, office manager, kennel worker, or any other key staff member might need to clarify or spell during the course of his or her typical workday. The definitions are easy to understand, and common as well as scientific terms and phrases are included. Appendices include an extensive table that lists common names, major uses, and possible side effects of drugs often used in veterinary medicine as well as a table of acronyms and abbreviations; formulae for converting weights, units and measures; and a chart of common reproduction information (i.e. gestation duration) that is sure to be referenced often. The volume is slim but suitably priced, and it is apt to be tucked beside the telephone or computer monitor of most veterinary practices. The only failing of the book is that it does not provide pronunciation guidance for the many words it defines; staff members who wish to converse expertly with the knowledge they gain from perusing this otherwise useful book are left to fend for themselves phonetically.

This review was written by Leslie Sinclair, DVM.

It must have been an oversight to neglect having a pronunciation guide for the terms. I agree that that would have made it a bit easier. But now that Dr. Sinclair was kind enough to bring it to our attention, perhaps we can do something about it in a later edition.

As an owner of dogs, cats, horses, mules and poultry, I can attest to having a copy of this book on my bookshelf. I have been fortunate enough to not to have to use if except for minor cases, but it does help to understand the very interesting words that the veterinarian says while he, or she, is talking about your pet.

This just in!! A review from the Midwest Book Review on How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With DVD!

How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With DVD is an instructional DVD to properly caring for and training a new puppy 8 weeks to 5 months old. From providing health care and socialization, to basic house training, teaching simple commands, giving appropriate praise and discipline, and much more How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With walks the viewer step-by-step with vividly clear demonstrations. Ideal for young people as well as adults, How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With is enthusiastically recommended especially for anyone considering getting their first puppy.

Good news for all of you Japanese Chin fanciers! Elisabeth Legl, Sweden, is working on the revision of The Japanese Chin: Dog from the Land of the Rising Sun. She has sent us those sections which she feels needed updated; Betty, our owner/editor worked diligently to place all of the changes in the correct spot; yours truly proofed it; then it was sent back to Elisabeth to double check and make any final adjustments. She has luckily only found a few, so those changes/corrections will be fixed in the manuscript, then it should be ready to go to the printers!

First published in April, 2002, this has been a popular book for those who love the Japanese Chin. Elisabeth , a long-time admirer of the Eastern Asian breeds, offers a goldmine of insights in this book on the Japanese Chin.

This basic breed book covers such topics as selection, care, breeding, and the Chin Standard. Where it really shines, however, is in the discussion of breed history. The author has spent years collecting books on Chinese and Japanese dogs and studying the history and culture of Japan. This has helped her put this little breed in historical perspective.

Understanding the history and purpose of a breed can help explain its nature and temperament. “The culture of Japan…has its origin in China. The first Chin that came to Japan was probably a gift from the Emperor of China to the royal court of Japan, where he passed his days under the protection of mighty monarchs and was never seen by any but the most privilege persons, until one day he fell into the hands of the common people and - with amazing adaptability - made a new home in the West. Only those who have looked upon his illustrious past can fully comprehend his dignified character.”

The author continues with such topics as breeding, training, and showing. She also includes breed standards from not only the AKC, but from Japan, Canada and England as well. The work is well illustrated with photos of Chins from various countries. This edition includes a delectable color section offering beautiful pictures of the diminutive Japanese Chin.

The book is a must for anyone who loves the breed or who is considering purchasing their first Chin. We are currently running a special introductory offer for this informative book. Order before June 30, 2008 and receive $10 off of the retail price of $28.95! Make sure that you let our customer service lady know that you are ordering from the Blog! Go to www.alpinepub.com and go to Dog Breed Books for more information.

Hi all!

For those of you who enjoy going out and spending time with your dogs, we have great news! Agility Start to Finish is at the printers!!!!!!

This excellent book is written by well known trainer, competitor and teacher, Diane Bauman, of New Jersey, with her friend Jessica Ajoux. For those of you who don’t know Diane, she has been actively training and successfully competing with dogs for over 30 years in obedience, agility, herding, and tracking. She trained the first Afghan Hound to achieve an MX (Master Excellent) and MXJ (Master Excellent Jumpers). The same Afghan Hound also had multiple High In Trial awards in AKC Obedience! She has participated on the AKC World Agility Team in 1998, 1999, and 2000 …with her MACH 3 American Cocker Spaniel “Torville” winning Gold in 1998 and Silver in 2000. Many of her dogs that she has trained and competed with are older rescue dogs. She owns Bauman’s DogDome in NJ, and is a frequent guest speaker at seminars. She is building a website at www.dianebauman.com, so you may want to check back to see when it is up!

Jessica Ajoux is also very active in the agility world. When not competing in the ring, you can find Jessica judging at USDAA events as well as working with people in training their dogs for the active sport of agility. She has since expanded her knowledge of dog training through involvement in Tracking, Herding, Frisbee and Obedience. Find out more about her on her website: http://readygoagility.com/ .

You can find both of these great ladies at Bauman’s DogDome in NJ! If you want to learn more about agility, these are the ladies to meet and train under!

See you in the ring!!

Although this company has been around for many years, this is the first time we have ventured into the world of the internet other than our website at www.alpinepub.com.

We are excited to bring you into our world of publishing. This year we will be publishing a number of books on dogs and horses. There are a few revisions that we will be bringing in, namely our Japanese Chin book, written by Elizabeth Legl, with plans of our Shetland Sheepdog bible, Sheltie Talk, being revised, as well as our Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever book. The Japanese Chin is slated to come out late spring, early summer. We will keep you posted on the others as they become available.

The book that I am really looking forward to is Agility: Start to Finish, written by Diane Bauman with Jessica Ajoux. Bauman is a well-known trainer based out of New Jersey who has over 30 years of experience in training dogs. She was the first to place a MACH on an Afghan Hound, which to me is amazing, as being a sight hound, Afghans are not noted for having the temperament one usually sees in agility competition. We are planning on having this book available, hot off the press, mid-April. Think my 12 year old Aussie can handle it?