A Veterinary Outreach Tradition

The view from the top

What November means to me: turkey (of course), warm days and cool nights (usually), northern wave swells and a cooling ocean (freezing already), the end of pelagic fishing (it never really started this year), and an annual trip to the Havasupai Reservation in the bottom of the Grand Canyon. VCF (Veterinary Christian Foundation) led by Dr. Rick Marshall has been providing annual veterinary services to the Supai Tribe for 27 years. Traditionally, we travel to Peach Springs, Arizona, on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and overnight at the Hualapai Lodge on Route 66. Sunday morning finds us motoring to Hilltop, 60 miles to the north, readying ourselves for the eight mile, 2000 foot drop from the Canyon rim. Monday and Tuesday are work days and Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, we helicopter out so all can be home for the holiday. This year we flew out in a snow storm.

Supai

The valley floor

The mailman is packed and leaving for Hilltop

Packing his own feed

Supai, Arizona, is the only town in America still served by the US Postal service on horseback. There are no roads. There are no cars or trucks. One walks or rides on horseback or takes the helicopter (when it is running) to get down. Once in Supai, one walks or rides on horseback. A few have a golf cart. There are several tractors and back-hoes for maintenance of the trails and paths and campgrounds at the magnificent Falls. The first of three, Navajo Falls, is located about 1.5 miles further down the Canyon from Supai. The majority of the commerce is based on horse transportation of goods, services, and tourists. All the horse feed (bags of pellets) is imported into the canyon on horseback. The pack trains haul the majority of the Tribal needs down the hill daily with the helicopter supplying the rest on the two days it routinely flies. 

The Havasupai people have inhabited this spot for the last 800 years and until the reservation system was forced upon them. Traditionally, Winters were spent on the plains above the canyon where they hunted wildlife,  gathered pine nuts and traded with other Tribes. In the Spring, they returned to the Canyon, living in the cracks of the walls and farmed the small river valley. They have never been known to be a militant people but rather shy.

Dr. Chandler always enjoys his work in Supai.

My first trip was in 1994 along with my wife of three weeks, Rhonda. That experience has had a prolonged and profound impact on my family. All of our kids (3) have made multiple trips with us since and I have had the pleasure of both Dr. Chandler's and Dr. Oman's company on trips as well. I've met dozens of dedicated people willing to donate their time, expertise, and resources to the Supai community for nothing more than the satisfaction of "loving thy neighbor as you love yourself". 

This past November, there were 34 in the VCF group: 10 veterinarians, 4 junior veterinary students, several medical technicians, a couple of contractors, family members, a fireman, and the remainder were from various churches from California and Nevada. After arriving in Supai on Sunday afternoon, we participated in a huge turkey dinner for the community in the church where over 100 people were served. There are approximately 600 inhabitants. Several hundred live outside the reservation in Phoenix, Flagstaff, Kingman etc. Those people always miss their home in the Canyon.

Havasupai Bible Church (and Veterinary Clinic)

For two days, the veterinarians provide their services. Neutering (spays and castrations) dogs and cats is paramount for animal population control. All that are brought to the church based improvised veterinary clinic are vaccinated and wormed and health issues are attended to. Rabies is a problem for the community so it is essential the dogs and horses receive rabies vaccinations. Last year, one of our veterinarians ended up having to take the rabies prophylaxis treatment when he was bitten and the dog died later the next day! On the large animal side, we vaccinated (West Nile, 5 way, and Rabies) and wormed about 250 horses/mules; a small number since many animals were turned out on the new grass above the Canyon. Dr. White, from northern California, floated teeth and used the opportunity to teach the vet students proper dentistry. I castrated horses and performed other surgeries deemed necessary while students and "horse people" did the vaccinations and wormings. All in all, the process becomes an efficient machine after the first few hours of "cluster". The rest of the VCF group have their own activities: construction, children's outreach, women's outreach, and making acquaintances providing encouragement and prayer when asked.

Small animal surgery recovery room

Pack horses on the way down.

Over the last two years, the Supai village has been the victim of flooding. Rain falling miles away washed down the Canyon floor, through the lower extent of the village and over the Falls into the campground. They have been economically devastated as a result. The campground is closed and once again they are attempting to resurrect it so tourism can return. The village of Supai is closed to outsiders at this time. The Lodge and the restaurant closed down. More jobs lost. Packers have no work without tourists (normally 60K people a year) and commerce.

The Havasupai Lodge at the bottom

I'm not asking for anything from you, our cherished clients. I wanted you to know about the Havasupai people and the efforts made to serve them. If you have interest, you should plan on visiting Supai this Summer. You can trailer your horses to hilltop, ride down to the campground and spend some relaxing time with your family and friends. The packers will deliver pellets to you and there is water everywhere (the river). Otherwise,you could walk down and stay in the Lodge and take day hikes to the Falls, explore the old living quarters in the cracks of the walls and there are wall paintings from the "Old Ones" to explore. But, I will warn you, it is as close to third world as you can get in the continental US. You won't be pampered but you will be contributing to a society that needs your visit and consumerism.

I am certainly happy to answer any questions. Try "Google-ing" Havasupai Tribe. There is quite a bit of information available.           Greg Smith, DVM

Narrow path, tall walls

Sunday night after the community dinner

Nice elk rack

On the top of Navajo Falls 

Dr's Cuadras, Smith, and Oman on the chopper out

Equine Holiday Cheering

The pictures are of an aged mare that was rescued by a rescue facility. One of our clients re-rescued the mare. To be sure the rescue facility was giving good and proper care but had her for a relatively short time before our good hearted human made "Honey Bunny" her own. She has made a wonderful transformation, I hope you agree.

In the near future, you will be hearing more from the San Diego Equine Safety Net Coalition of which ECLAP is one of four equine veterinary practices to be on the Board along with horse rescue facility owners and county officials. Our aim is to "Keep the horse in its home" by offering material, educational and veterinary help to horse owners struggling to do so. The Coalition is on the brink of findings ways to identify horses and their owners that have a TRUE need of a temporary helping hand. We will be providing several educational opportunities to the horse owning community in 2011 and asking your help in identifying animals in need.

To Blanket or Not to Blanket (Does my horse need one?)

Deciding when to blanket your horse can be  challenging, especially in San Diego.  When your friends in Minnesota are laughing at you because you blanket your horse, just explain to them how you actually had frost on your car in late November.  The northerners just can't believe that it can actually freeze here in sunny SoCal.  Cold winter nights combined with thin coats (developed after multiple 100 plus degree summer days) can produce some easily chilled horses. 

Blanketing needs will vary from horse to horse based on their coat condition and tolerance for the cold weather.  You will find that horses that have moved to San Diego from colder climates, will develop much thicker winter coats.  

Here are some simple yes or no questions that can help you determine if your horse should be blanketed. A "yes" answer to any one means your horse would appreciate a little extra insulation.

1. Is it below 50 degrees Fahrenheit? Even if your horse has a natural (unclipped) haircoat, he may appreciate a blanket at this temperature. This is just a general rule of thumb, since other factors (such as wind, humidity and/or precipitation) may call for a blanket when it's warmer. On the other hand, some horses acclimate to colder temperatures, especially those with thick haircoats.
2. Is his coat clipped? If so, your horse may need a blanket (or at least a sheet) when the mercury drops|}below 60 degrees F.
3. Does he usually live indoors? If your horse lives even part of the time in a warm barn, he'll feel the cold more than a horse that lives outside full time.
4. Does he live in an open pasture? A full-time outdoor horse will grow a heavy coat to ward off the elements, but wind and rain can destroy that insulating effect. If there's no shelter in his pasture, he may need wind- and water-resistant horse clothing to stay warm.
5. Is his stall drafty? Drafts in your barn may have the same effect as outside breezes--they blow away that layer of warm air next to your horse's skin, making him feel colder.
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6. Is he shivering? Don't go by formulas--check your horse to see whether he's too cold. If he's shivering, blanket him (or add blankets) and get him to a shelter. (To see if your horse is too warm, slide your hand under his blanket; if he's sweaty, he needs a lighter covering, or none at all.)

It is important to remember to remove blankets in the morning as temperatures can get really high on many San Diego winter days.  
These question have been adapted from an article written by Dr. Hower-Moritz that was published in horse and rider magazine.