As he slowly emerged from anesthesia, Buddy opened his eyes and smiled. It was at that moment Diane O'Connor knew she had made the right decision for her 12-year-old malamute/golden retriever mix. It was true: he had lost a hind leg; but along with the diseased extremity, he lost the source of chronic infection and pain that had plagued him for years. Over the weeks that followed, Buddy not only regained his strength, but also his zest for living.

      Diane has had Buddy since he was six weeks old. He's been her constant companion and support during job changes, break-ups, and other vicissitudes of daily life. Buddy is a big dog with what Diane refers to as "malatude." Full of life and energy, Buddy was and is an active dog with a knack for escaping. "He's intuitive," Diane tells me. "He reads my moods and knows when to comfort me. Buddy loves people, children, and other animals, too."

      When Buddy was four years old, Diane realized he had problems with his hind legs: specifically, his knees. After a series of surgeries, Buddy was progressing until he jumped off a deck and broke his knees. As a result he had to undergo yet another surgery to graft the bones together. Add this trauma to the size of a malamute and the knees of a golden retriever. When Diane saw the compromised quality of Buddy's life, she knew she had to help her best friend, "I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been for my vet, Dr. Gary Ailes of Sierra Veterinary in Carson City," Diane tells me. "I was beginning to think that the best thing would be to have him euthanized. But Dr. Ailes encouraged me, and gave me options. I only wanted to do what was best for Buddy."

      In March 2007, Dr. Ailes amputated Buddy's right leg. With the help of physical therapy and follow-up care by Diane and her roommate, a nurse, Buddy regained strength and enough mobility to attempt an unsupervised stroll through his neighborhood.

      Diane has provided Buddy with a canine "wheel chair" that she found on handicappedpets.com, manufactured by a company called Eddie's Wheels. Custom-made for Buddy, this device makes him unstoppable.

      How does Buddy spend his time? In addition to his human family, Buddy shares life with two other canine friends and two cats. He loves to swim at the Sparks Marina with his own lifejacket. Recently, he participated in a Poker Walk sponsored by the Animal Coalition of Tahoe. The idea of a royal flush didn't have has as much appeal for him as the water did: wheels and all he took to the lake. Diane wonders what would have happened if he'd gone out any further. "The weight of his wheel chair would have dragged him under, I suppose. Nothing stops that dog!"

Special Needs Dogs:

Things to Consider
* Before adopting any dog, learn about the genetics of its breed. Certain breeds are prone to specific disorders.
* Assess your financial status. Care of a handicapped pet involves a significant commitment of resources.
* Choose your veterinarian carefully. You will rely on his/her input to help you make the best choices for your animal.
* Consider your dog's quality of life when choosing treatment options. He counts on you to do what is right for him.

    "I wait at the in-gate, on my beautiful, black horse. My horse is shining, my tack is clean, and my boots have been polished. This is what we have been working for. We enter the ring, pick up a canter, and my horse's ears perk waiting for my cues. We approach our first fence in perfect rhythm, take flight, land, and are onto the next jumps, until our course is complete. It is then that we hear the clapping and cheering of the supportive spectators. It is not important whether or not we have placed; what matters is that we have done our best on this course, on this day. This is what the Sierra Nevada Horse Show Association is about."

      The Sierra Nevada Horse Show Association, affectionately known as SNHSA, is a nonprofit organization financed by membership fees and sponsorships. SNHSA is run entirely by volunteers with the objective of encouraging sportsmanship and camaraderie through quality schooling and rated equestrian competitions, which they organize and host throughout the northern Sierra Nevadas. With an average cost of $15 per class, SNHSA shows are a fun and inexpensive way for horse enthusiasts to compete. SNHSA welcomes membership to people of all ages and their events are open to all types and breeds of horses and ponies. To become a member one must complete a membership application accompanied by membership fee of $25, and a $6 fee per horse nominated.

      SNHSA offers Equitation, Hunter, and Jumper classes with 22 divisions that riders can compete in. These divisions are divided according to age, riding ability, and jump height. There are flat classes and jumping classes ranging in height from 2 feet to 4 feet.

      SNHSA horse shows are held at numerous stables throughout the northern Nevada area. Members compete at shows throughout the season from May through October. SNHSA members have fun earning points that accumulate throughout the season. The SNHSA year-end awards banquet is held every year at Thunder Canyon Country Club in Washoe Valley. Our members love to be surprised by the awards that are presented. There are perpetual trophies that are awarded every year. In addition, there are three memorial scholarships awarded every year in memory of Shana Eriksson, Mia Eriksson, and Janice Maclean.

      SNHSA would like to introduce you to some of our member's thoughts and views on our organization. Each member was asked the following questions:
" When did you start riding?
" How long have you been a member of SNHSA?
" What divisions do you compete in?
" What do you like best about SNHSA?
" What is your most memorable SNHSA related moment?

      Betsy Osborne writes: " My daughter Sarah is 10 years old. She started riding when she was five. Sarah has been a member of SNHSA for three years. She competes in Pony Hunters, Short Stirrup, and Mini Hunters. Sarah's favorite part of SNHSA is the year-end awards banquet. She loves accumulating points and seeing how her hard work will be rewarded. Sarah has gained immense confidence because of this organization."

      Cynthia Rowe, an adult amateur rider, writes: " I have been riding all my life. I have been a member of SNHSA for three years. I compete in the Jumper divisions. The best thing about SNHSA are the people. Everyone is nice and helpful. The most memorable SNHSA moment would have to be the first time that I won a year-end award. It was a great feeling to have accomplished one of my goals with riding; to have earned something that my horse and I worked really hard for all show season."

      Callie Tomlinson, a junior rider, writes: "I started riding in 2004, and my first SNHSA show was the same year. I have ridden three different horses over the last three years. I have competed in Equitation, Short Stirrup, Children's Hunters, and the Junior/Amateur Medal. SNHSA has good classes, great prizes, and is close for traveling. They are a great way to school your horse and learn a lot without spending a lot of money. My most memorable SNHSA-related moment would have to be the time I was in the finals of the Shan Eriksson Equitation Classic. The judge had us trade horses, and I got to ride Emma Clark's horse."

      Laurie Alden, a local trainer who owns Zephyr Farms, writes: " I have been riding for a long time! I have been involved with SNHSA for 20 years. My students compete in all SNHSA divisions. What I like best about SNHSA is it gives an opportunity for students to compete and gain experience, so they can be competitive at bigger shows. It also gives beginners an opportunity to show at local levels without the expense of the big shows, this allows more people to participate in the sport."

      Kaleigh Richards, SNHSA president and author of this article, writes: "I have been riding for 30 years. I have been a member of SNHSA since I moved here from Canada seven years ago. I have competed in Jumpers, Equitation, Adult Amateur Hunters, and the Junior/Amateur Medal. What I like best about SNHSA is the camaraderie. I have shown for 25 years, and have never experienced the warmth and support that members of SNHSA show toward each other. My best SNHSA related moment was in 2006, when I received a compliment from a number of trainers, about my horse's improvement from the beginning of the show season to the end."

      If you would like to become a member, sponsor a division, or just want more information, please call Kaleigh Richards at 775-233-0346, or visit their Web site at www.snhsa.org.

When Rehabilitation is Necessary
Or, maybe just exercise
By Peggy Rew, Sparks, NV

That is an excellent question, and one that should be asked by every horse owner. The key to the answer lies in the nature of what your horse eats. As a result of biological silica, a very abrasive mineral present in most plant feeds; animals that eat these feedstuffs experience continual wear on their teeth. Mother Nature has compensated for this fact, by evolving constantly erupting teeth (dentition). Animals from elephants and camels, to deer and horses have what is called, hypsodont dentition. These are teeth that have a long reserve crown within the tooth socket that continue to erupt throughout the animal's lifetime.

      What Do Horses In the Wild Do?

      Research has shown, that horses in the wild and those that live on pasture, graze for an average of 16 to 18 hours each day. Most horses in our area are fed a flake or two of hay twice a day, and may spend three or four hours eating their daily diet. The average 10 year old's cheek teeth are erupting and wearing at a rate of 1/8 inch or more each year. This demonstrates the dynamic nature of the horse's teeth in response to the constant wear they experience. As a result of domestication, and the decreased amount of chewing, we need to assist our equine friends in maintaining normal dentition. This enables ideal function, as well as comfort and sensitivity when being ridden.

      What Kind of Problems Can Arise and How Are They Treated?

      The Cheek Teeth:
The cheek teeth (premolars and molars or PMs/Ms) are the grinding blocks that allow the horse to expose the nutrients within their hay and concentrates to their digestive track for absorption and utilization. The horse's upper PMs/Ms are situated wider apart than the lowers. As a result, sharp points routinely develop on the cheek (buccal) side of the uppers and tongue (lingual) side of the lowers. In order to prevent buccal ulcerations and abrasions, or cuts to the tongue, these sharp points need to be filed down (reduced/reduction). I advocate and apply "bit seats" to all of my patients. This is a process that involves rounding the front edge of all four of the first cheek teeth, to enable the bit to sit most comfortably.

      The procedure also prevents the development of "hooks" that can cause a horse to toss their head when they come into contact with the bit. Horses that have preexisting problems, such as missing teeth or malocclusions (waves, steps, and hooks) require annual attention to correct these problems and maintain proper function.

      The primary cause of these malocclusions, are "tall teeth" (excessive crown) causing excessive wear and premature demise of the opposing teeth. Causes may include abnormal position, trauma, and previously neglected care, but may also develop in "normal" horses over time. The treatment to correct these malocclusions typically involves reducing those teeth with excessive crown, thus preventing continued excessive wear of the opposing teeth. This also allows the shallow teeth to erupt back to their normal crown height, thus restoring normal contact (occlusion) over time. As a part of a dental maintenance program, when a tooth begins developing excessive crown, it should be reduced to prevent the development of a more significant malocclusion.

      The Incisors and Canine Teeth:
Horses evolved using their front teeth (nippers) or incisors to shear off grass feed before moving it back to the cheek teeth for chewing. Most of our horses use their incisors merely to pull a segment of hay out of a flake. As a result, the incisors too may not wear at the rate they would in nature. Excessive length of the incisors increases the distance between the opposing cheek teeth rows (arcades), and can compromise normal grinding and digestion of the feed.

      Malocclusions can also develop involving the incisors and may have a direct effect on the function of the cheek teeth and the normal chewing action. As with the PMs/Ms, reducing the height of excessively tall incisors is the primary method of correcting these problems. If a horse is missing a tooth, whether an incisor or cheek tooth, the opposing tooth will erupt unimpeded. These teeth will need to be reduced each year, as they would if they were in normal occlusion with the missing teeth.

      Canine or bridle teeth have the singular function of weapons and our domestic horses don't require weapons. Most common in geldings and stallions, these teeth are routinely reduced and rounded to prevent lacerations of the tongue or palate, make biting easier, and reduce that chance of trauma.

      What About Youngsters and Old Timers?

      Geriatrics and young horses require some additional consideration. In the horse's first five years of life, they will lose (shed) 24 baby (deciduous) and erupt 36 to 44 permanent teeth (depending on the number of canine and wolf teeth). For most horses, the initial training period is also a time when many changes are occurring within their mouths. Issues that could disrupt the training process include: retained caps (deciduous teeth that do not shed at the appropriate time), asynchronous eruption (one tooth erupting before its' opposing tooth), and the presence wolf teeth (sharp, shallow rooted teeth in a position that can interfere with the bit, and hence should be extracted). As horses mature, it is important to prevent the development of dental issues that could compromise them in their golden years. This involves correcting malocclusions, extracting diseased teeth, and managing the normally occurring changes. Older horses that have developed irreversible problems can be helped with routine, annual care to maintain the best bite possible.

      Dentistry as Preventative Medicine

      Horses, like us, should receive regular dental care. Our goal is to prevent the development of abnormalities that can lead to tooth loss, discomfort when being ridden, and poor nutritional utilization. Equine dentistry in the normal horse is a form of preventative medicine. In horses with inherent malocclusions or other abnormalities, dentistry may correct the problems and/or improve function. Young horses should be examined twice each year to ensure that the eruption process is proceeding normally and addressed as needed. All horses should be examined at least once a year, and receive appropriate preventative and/or restoration dental care on a yearly basis.

Dr. Scott Greene grew up raising horses in the Reno-Sparks area and attended veterinary school at The Ohio State University. His practice, Equine Veterinary Care of Nevada, is limited to equine dentistry and reproduction. He has two dogs, Tripper and Nikki, and a Quarter horse gelding named Tollie. He can be reached at 775-530-6233.