What we know as “mud fever” is part of a complex syndrome called Equine Pastern Dermatitis. This condition can develop when the skin of the lower leg is exposed to continuing wet conditions. It can also be related to allergies to biting insects or contact irritants. Even sunburn damage of white areas involving the lower leg can lead to this condition. There are many complicating factors such as bacterial and fungal organisms, and even mites (they look like little tiny crabs under the microscope!) that can make the problem worse.
Prevention starts with pasture and paddock management. It is very important to have horses in pastures or paddocks that have well-drained soil, not on wetlands or in boggy areas that are continuously wet. In areas where horses congregate, like at feeders or watering troughs or at entrances and exits from fields it can be helpful to stabilize the area with a layer of crusher-run gravel, shale or other aggregate. It can also be helpful to raise these areas slightly to encourage drainage. As they say, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”!
Management during the wet seasons, which are Spring and Fall, involves keeping the lower leg areas clean and dry. This is where good grooming techniques come in. We all brush our horses at PARD before we ride, but there is a lot of time in between when we are not riding. The boys are checked regularly and they are groomed, and even ridden or exercised, by our wonderful PARD volunteers. Due to Covid-19 restrictions this has been done primarily by Board members and a very small number of select volunteers who are allowed to be on the property. During our program season, usually from June to September, our boys are looked after by many more volunteers and even some of the riders. We cannot thank our dedicated horse lovers enough!
Mud fever can start with tiny scabs on the skin that have pus under them. There can sometimes be patchy hair loss as well. When it progresses, there can be larger areas of thickened infected skin that can be more difficult to treat. Early diagnosis and treatment is very important.
Treatment of Equine Pastern Dermatitis (mud fever) involves sorting out the cause and treating appropriately. The PARD boys have an excellent veterinarian who comes to the farm when they need preventive health care, and also if they have any medical problems. We even have two veterinarians on the Board of Directors! The health of our boys is important to all of us. Treating mud fever involves cleaning & drying the affected areas, and applying topical therapy to deal with infection and inflammation. In severe cases there is sometimes a need to use injectable medications such as antibiotics and medications to deal with inflammation or allergy. Our PARD veterinarian can sort out the best treatment plan.
There are also conditions that can affect the foot in wet environments, like Thrush, but we will deal with those when we take a closer look at the foot and associated problems that can occur in a future newsletter. ​

By Kathy Carruthers, Program Director
For the first time in PARD’s history, PARD was not able to serve our riders by running a full therapeutic program in 2020 due the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic. This was a great disappointment to our riders, their families/care givers, board members, volunteers, and Instructors. 
PARD followed the consistently updated rules and regulations regarding the pandemic put out by the government of Ontario, the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association, Equine Canada, and Ontario Equine in order to remain compliant with all standards. Unfortunately, by following these regulations meant we were unable to run the Tuesday and Thursday riding program.
However, the one independent Rider currently in the PARD program was able to participate in lessons in between lock downs of our therapeutic facility and our host barn Wendon Hill’s facility.
3 of PARD’s Instructors and our Physiotherapist consultant were planning on attending the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA) Conference just outside of Calgary, Alberta but this too was cancelled at the last moment.
The four instructors, Chris, Wendy, Sarah, and I were able to virtually attend several educational courses online hosted by CanTRA that were focused on both humans and equines. The hours logged from attending these webinars are eligible for updating hours for both certified instructors and instructor candidates.  

Kathy Carruthers
Program Director
PARD Therapeutic Riding

By Angela Muir, Chairperson
In the future, when I look back at 2020, I’m going to choose to remember the strength and resilience we found in ourselves and each other during such challenging times, as opposed to all the disappointments and obstacles we’ve had to endure. It’s easy to focus on the missed opportunities and connections, and even easier to complain about the sacrifices we’ve had to make. Feeling blue during a pandemic is totally normal, so I take inspiration from our riders and instead try to focus on what we are able to do these days like spending time with my kids and husband hiking and exploring our community. 

At PARD, cancelling the 2020 seasons was a hard decision but so important for the safety of everyone involved. Almost harder was the last-minute cancellation of the 2020 Charity Games Show. Less than 24hrs before the event outdoor restrictions tightened up ahead of the ‘second wave’ in the fall. Luckily PARD was blessed by an outpouring of support and understanding from all the registered riders and volunteers. With no regular season and no fundraisers for the year, PARD has been trying to boost our online presence to keep connected with our monthly newsletter. Our instructors also went the extra mile to send personalized Christmas cards to our riders to help lift spirits! 

I want to thank the 2020 Board of Directors for all their hard work. With so much going on in their personal and work lives, they continued to advocate for our riders and the program so we could look forward to another season. And to all those supporters and volunteers who continue to look out for PARD and act with our best interest in mind...you know who you are...THANK YOU!

Sincerely,
Angela Muir
Chairperson | PARD Therapeutic Riding

PARD is very fortunate to have a dedicated group of volunteers form the 2021 Board of Directors. PARD is a registered charity run solely by volunteers. PARD doesn’t receive regular government funding so the Board of Directors are busy all year-round planning fundraisers and writing grant requests. But from June to September the main focus is on delivering high quality therapeutic riding lessons to riders of all ages and abilities. PARD is pleased to welcome three new members to the board this year, and grateful to those returning from last year. 

2021 PARD BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
​Angie Muir, President    (2012)
Julia Dean, Treasurer    (2007)
Dr. Cathy Rae, Secretary    (2012)

Kathy Carruthers, Program Director    (1994)
Sarah Magee-Graham, Director    (2008)
Crystal Edwards, Director    (2010)
Mary Babcock, Director     (2018)
Dr. Melody Campbell, Director    (2019)
Darlene Pearson, Director    (2019)
Phil Adams, Volunteer Director    (2021)
Alex Bernacki, Director    (2021)
Catherina de Goede, Director    (2021)

By Dr. Melody Campbell March 2021
​Take a moment to dream about something you never thought you could do. Bungee jumping, skydiving, mountain climbing, heliskiing are a few of the activities that only a few of us ever get to experience. Now, picture yourself with the challenges associated with physical or mental special needs. With these challenges in mind notice how narrow and limited the dreaming and opportunities become. What if we could open a door of access to an activity that not only provides fun and social interaction, but actually benefits you physically and emotionally? That door is PARD Therapeutic Riding!
We know that horses are great to be around. They can sense and connect with our emotions. They can show us things about ourselves, like courage and determination. There are also therapeutic physical benefits when you are riding a horse. The way horses walk directly affects the rider’s pelvic area, as explained below, creating the movements that humans use to walk.

Horses have large hearts and they can provide a calming, peaceful presence just by being there for us.
There is a therapeutic benefit when you are around horses, either on the ground or in the saddle. They can reduce a person’s blood pressure and heart rate which can calm physical symptoms such as anxiety and stress. When you are in the saddle the motion of the horse walking mimics the way our muscles work when we walk on the ground. The PARD boys are experts at providing therapeutic benefits to our riders!
Horses are beautiful and majestic whether they are standing still or moving.
Our Pard boys are sensitive and kind. They are also patient and gentle. Horses are naturally empathetic. Because they are a prey animal and typically live in groups or herds, they instantly pick up on emotions within the group so they can react appropriately to avoid being attacked by predators. This means they also know exactly how we are feeling. Can you imagine how powerful that is within the human-horse bond? No wonder we love them!​

By Dr. Melody Campbell January 30, 2021
​
Brrrrrr! It is cold outside right now but we have the horses well protected! They are all outside during the day, eating of course. Horses are designed to eat small amounts of grass or hay all day long. This is called ‘trickle feeding’. Bobby, our smallest boy, has a stall in the barn where he stays all night. Doc, NuBuck, Stormy, and Frank are outside all night. 

Did you know that our horses have clothes? When they are outside all the time without clothes on, some horses can grow a very thick coat of hair that helps protect them in the winter months. Some horse breeds don’t grow very thick coats. The Thoroughbred and the Arabian (Bobby) come to mind. In order to protect horses in the cold, and even rain, there are a variety of blankets (called “rugs” in Britain) and sheets that can be layered one on top of another depending on the weather. It can be a challenge to figure out which blankets and sheets to put on a horse each day as the weather can be so changeable!

Just like a pair of tights, the strength of a horse blanket can be determined by its ‘denier’. This term applies to the outer shell of a blanket that is worn outside in the open air. It is a measure of the thickness of the individual thread used in the yarn weave. The higher the denier number the stronger and thicker the blanket. Some horses can be ‘blanket wreckers’ or a ‘rug Houdini’ in that they don’t tolerate having a blanket on and so they are very skillful at damaging or removing their blankets. At PARD we have a different problem, with Doc destroying any blanket that Stormy is wearing. He pulls the blanket off and shreds it!! As you can imagine, horse blankets can be fairly expensive, particularly when you have someone like Doc in the herd. We have not figured out why he does this, and he isn’t talking.​

After a long and disappointing 2020 season, PARD thought our riders could use a little Christmas cheer! So with the help of @MegGillisPhotography and a few amazing volunteers the boys had their first photo shoot! The results were very handsome, they may have a modelling career in store for retirement.