Phage therapy is an alternative and/or complementary approach to traditional antibiotics for treating bacterial infections. A naturally occurring virus, bacteriophage infect bacteria but not humans. The virus self-replicates inside the bacteria, which harnesses bacterial machinery for DNA and protein synthesis and ultimately kills the bacteria by lysis of the cell.
“This collaboration furthers Elanco’s commitment to aggressively seek and develop antibiotic alternatives as outlined in our comprehensive antibiotic stewardship plan,” says Jeff Simmons, President, Elanco Animal Health. “Innovative research will be key to protecting both human and animal health while safeguarding antibiotics for future generations.”
“Providing alternatives to current antibiotic treatments is a key health objective. We are excited to apply EnBiotix’s engineered phage technology platform in the animal health field with Elanco,” says Jeffrey D. Wager MD, Chairman & CEO of EnBiotix, Inc.
Making Horses Feel Better
When her hands reach a certain spot on Baby’s shoulders, he blinks, and she knows he is holding tension in that area. Becker simply rests her hand there for a few moments. It isn’t long before Baby lets out a deep breath and licks his lips. Becker knows he has released the tension in that area.
“Every movement means something,” she says. “It may be a change in breathing, or the horse may yawn, paw, or rub his face on something.”
A horse’s reaction is affected by his personality. “Baby is an introvert, so he holds his cards close to his chest,” she says. “Extroverted horses will show the signs sooner.”
Becker continues moving her hands down the horse’s body, stopping and repeating the process in other areas where Baby has communicated tension. In some spots, she applies slightly more pressure, yet is still very gentle. “It doesn’t look like I’m doing a lot, but you can see in the horse’s face when he releases and relaxes,” she says. “When horses release the tension, endorphins are released, and they begin to get a relaxed, dopey look on their face.”
As she works, Baby’s face becomes noticeably more relaxed, and he seems much more at ease. The tension in his body visibly melts away. “They really can't help but release the tension if you stay light and watch,” Becker says. “It’s like ‘the force.’ They can’t resist.”
Horses tend to accumulate a lot of tension in their bodies, and it’s for a very primal reason. Becker explains that since they are prey animals, horses are always on the lookout for predators and find it difficult to relax. They need to appear strong to potential predators, so they work very hard to avoid showing any outward signs of pain or weakness. “They always have that sense of nervousness as a result of the fight-or-flight response in the sympathetic nervous system,” she explains. “This bodywork works on the emotional side as well as physical, to help them deal with that stress and tension.”
A Method to the Massage
Becker is a certified equine massage therapist and has studied the Masterson Method of Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork (www.noatz.com). This interactive method, which Becker practices on Baby, teaches people to recognize and use the horse’s response to touch, allowing the animal to release tension.Jim Masterson has been teaching his equine bodywork system for more than 10 years. He has served as the equine massage therapist for several U.S. Equestrian Teams and for clients competing in the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale, the international governing body for all Olympic equestrian disciplines) World Cup, Pan American, and World Games competitions.
Becker, a lifelong horse enthusiast, first saw Masterson in a demonstration of his method at the 2011 Horse Fair at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. “I was so amazed at how little he had to do to get the horse to release tension,” she says. “I had to learn this. I wanted to make horses feel good like that.”
Masterson teaches his method all over the world but is based in Fairfield, Iowa, less than two hours from Becker’s farm near Milo. She took classes at the Masterson headquarters and became a certified equine massage therapist in October 2013. “Jim is brilliant,” Becker says. “The beauty is its simplicity. There's no forcing the horses to move, and you work with them.”
Helping Horses
Now, in addition to her day job as the city clerk for Melcher Dallas, Iowa, and her duties as the wife of a farmer and the mom of three busy sons, Becker travels around southern Iowa to perform bodywork on horses. “I go to them, because if they were brought to me, they would have the added stress of being in an unfamiliar environment, and it would be much trickier to get them to release tension,” she says.When she begins working with a new horse, Becker says sometimes it takes the animal a while to warm up to the bodywork. “Horses don’t want to show signs of weakness and release in front of humans, who are predators,” she says. “We break the ice, and they relax and enjoy it. The next time, they’re glad to see me.”
Generally, a bodywork session takes between 60 and 90 minutes. Clients include horses who are ridden occasionally, those used for trail rides, and horses participating in performance activities like racing, barrel racing, showing, and other equestrian events. Becker says horses show an immediate release after a treatment and continue relaxing for days afterward. “They are so much looser,” she says. “They have an improved range of motion in a relaxed state; they want to flex better, and they move better.”
Becker can perform bodywork on horses once a week if needed, but she doesn’t want to dull the animals to the sensation by doing it much more frequently than that. Performance horses may need full weekly treatments or just certain points every few days.
For barrel-racing horses, Becker recommends a treatment three to four days before a race. That gives the horses time to relax afterwards so they don’t overextend during a race and injure themselves. A treatment one or two days after a race is also recommended.
Working horses once a month will help keep them supple. “A big reason why horses get hurt is because they get tense,” Becker says. If clients say their horses seem hurt and need a treatment, she recommends they see a veterinarian first to rule out any injuries. She may begin treatment once an injury has started to heal.
Teaching Others
In addition to performing bodywork, Becker is certified to lead one-day clinics, where she teaches seven main Masterson Method techniques. Most attendees come to learn how to perform the techniques on their own horses, although some will go on to take additional classes and become certified. “People care about their horses and want to make sure their animals feel good,” Becker says. “They want to keep their horses healthy and supple.”
During her classes, Becker explains how bodywork may help horses who are perceived as troublemakers. “If horse are bucking, being head shy, or not picking up their feet, that may not be a behavior issue,” Becker says. “It may be because of pain.” After using the Masterson techniques, she says, “It’s amazing to watch them feel better.”
One of Becker’s favorite things about using the Masterson Method and teaching it to other horse enthusiasts is that it helps develop a strong emotional connection between human and horse. “Anybody can do this and make his or her horse feel better. The bonding is really important. This will help you build a relationship with your horse on such a deep level,” she says. “Happy horses, happy owners.”
noatz.com
0 Response to "Elanco Explores Antibiotic Alternatives Through Partnership With EnBiotix and Making Horses Feel Better"
Post a Comment