The barn that brings them all together

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This article was published 21/08/2017 (3128 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An upcoming free clinic focusing on horse health will have more of a hands-on feel this year.

Poco-Razz Farm will hold its sixth annual First Aid for Horses clinic on Thurs., Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. at the farm, which is located at 130 Greenview Rd. in south St. Vital, south of the Perimeter Highway off St. Mary’s Road.

The clinic will be conducted by Dr. Steve Snell of Central Veterinary Services. Jim Shapiro, who owns the farm with his wife, Christina, said following a presentation by Snell, there will be a hands-on session using several demonstration horses when attendees will be divided into groups and the subjects will include how to use a stethoscope, determine a horse’s respiration rate, take a pulse, listen for gut sounds, check for hydration, and obtain a body condition score. This year’s featured health topic will be equine infectious anemia, also known as swamp fever.

Shapiro, 77, said the clinic is educational and informative for horse owners, who often don’t know what to do if their horses become sick.

“It’s extremely important, as many people don’t know how to care for their horses,” Shapiro said, noting that many of the boarders at his farm come from the Fort Richmond and Charleswood areas.

“If they get sick, people are either inclined to ignore the symptoms or panic and overreact. If a vet gets an alleged emergency phone call, then he has to drop what he’s doing, which could be an actual emergency, so from the vet’s perspective, this will hopefully reduce the trips he has to take. It’s essential to know how to treat your horse if it’s hurt or sick, but it’s also important to know if your horse isn’t hurt or sick.”

Boarder Ann Colledge, who regularly visits her horse, Willow, said the clinic is a helpful complement to the year-round services offered by Poco-Razz Farm.

“This is a place for happy boarders and happy riders,” said Colledge, 77, who lives in Tuxedo.

“It’s a wonderful place to be. There’s lots of pasture and forest, and the horses are kept in the most natural way possible, as well as receiving their annual vaccinations and deworming four times a year. The clinic is very informative, and it helps update riders about things we don’t know about.”   

   
Poco-Razz employee Kally Hodyr, who will be attending University 1 at the University of Manitoba in the fall, helped organize the volunteers, direct traffic and help attendees park their vehicles at last year’s clinic, said the farm is a community made up of individuals with interesting backgrounds and experiences.

“Everyone that comes here has their own unique background,” said Hodyr, 18, who lives in Bridgwater Forest.

“For me, I live in the city and work out here in the country, so I get to see two different perspectives. The barn brings people together, and we’re also learning from each other.” 

 
St. Vital resident and farm employee Nikki Beaton, whose horse, Zariyah, is a boarder there, said the clinic plays an important role in the horse community.

“As a horse owner, it’s important to have a basic understanding of how to take care of your animal and how to monitor basic vital signs,” said Beaton, 28, who is studying to be a veterinary technician at Red River College.

“This will help owners give as much information as possible to the vet as possible, which will help the vet understand what’s going on. This year’s clinic is particularly significant, as they will be incorporating more hands-on demonstrations.”

Chairs and refreshments will be provided at the rain or shine event, Shapiro said. Space is limited, so call 204-255-4717 to register. Go online at pocorazzfarm.ca for more information.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com