All posts by Associate Editor

Caligula’s Horse, Incitatus – from an interesting email I just got

The Roman Senate governed Ancient Rome for five centuries. It looked much like the Congress today. The purpose of the Roman Senate was to rule in accordance with the wishes of the Roman People. The building in which the Roman Senate met, the “Curia Julia,” still stands in Rome today.

In 27 B.C., Augustus Caesar formally took control of Rome, and established the Roman Empire. But the Roman Emperors didn’t abolish the Senate. Instead, the Roman Senate continued to meet, for five more centuries, doing pretty much nothing.

During the Roman Empire, the Emperor held all the power. The Senate was simply a debating society, chosen by the Emperor, and serving at his pleasure. To prove this point, in 39 A.D., Emperor Caligula appointed his horse, Incitatus, to the Roman Senate.

What we are heading for, here in America, is something very much like that. The way things are going, Big Money will choose our “leaders” in Congress, and they will serve at Big Money’s pleasure.

Big Money doesn’t put horses in Congress. Just the hind-quarters of horses.

Hmmm…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incitatus

Caligula Introduces Senator Incitatus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J6-t2mtNtU&feature=player_embedded

American Quarter Horse Reining to Be Featured on NBC Sports

The American Quarter Horse Journal — During the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, September 25 – October 10, in Lexington, Kentucky, NBC Sports will provide six and a half hours of reining event coverage. AQHA is an official sponsor of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the official breed sponsor of reining.

Coverage Schedule on NBC Sports

  • Sunday, September 26, live coverage from noon to 1:30 p.m. EDT, featuring team reining competition
  • Sunday, October 3, from 1 to 4 p.m. EDT, featuring individual reining competition
  • Sunday, October 10, from 4 to 6 p.m. EDT, reining featured as part of the overall WEG recap

This TV coverage marks the largest commitment a network has ever made to equestrian sports in U.S. television history.

Continue reading American Quarter Horse Reining to Be Featured on NBC Sports

NBC Networks Unite for Most Live U.S. TV Coverage of Equestrian Sports in History

Universal Sports, NBC Sports and UniversalSports.com to cover more than 80 hours of 2010 World Equestrian Games

September 22, 2010: Universal Sports and NBC Sports are teaming up to provide fans with the most extensive live television coverage of equestrian sports in U.S. history. NBC Sports will air 8 ½ hours of LIVE coverage on three consecutive weekends, beginning this Saturday at 12 Noon ET. Universal Sports will show more than 15 hours LIVE, including the majority of the show jumping competition. Universal Sports will also air taped broadcasts of the Reining Final, the Dressage Freestyle, the Driving competition and the Vaulting Final. The joint effort will include more than 30 hours of live and taped television coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. This total amount of U.S. television coverage is unprecedented for equestrian sports in this country.

This prestigious international event is being held at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington from September 25 to October 10. Lexington-area cable operator Insight Communications will offer the Universal Sports network to its subscribers on a trial basis beginning on September 24, allowing local horse enthusiasts to watch the action from start to finish.

Continue reading NBC Networks Unite for Most Live U.S. TV Coverage of Equestrian Sports in History

NBC to Broadcast 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Opening Ceremonies in Kentucky

September 23, 2010 – LEXINGTON, KY – 1 Day to Go – When the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games officially begin on Saturday, Kentuckians will have the opportunity to witness the pageantry and excitement of the opening ceremonies as most of the state’s NBC affiliates broadcast the event live from 7:00–9:00 p.m. EST Saturday.

The following Kentucky NBC affiliates will be carrying the live show:

·         WLEX, Lexington

·         WAVE, Louisville

·         WLWT, Cincinnati

·         WNKY, Bowling Green

·         WPSD, Paducah

·         WFIE, Evansville (Indiana)

The broadcast will be produced by Carr-Hughes Productions, the official host broadcaster of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Heading up the production will be five-time Emmy winner Jim Carr, 20-year Olympic veteran Bob Hughes and acclaimed director Brian Douglas, who led the complete broadcast production of two Olympics. The show will be hosted by Nancy Cox and Kevin Christopher of WLEX – Lexington.

Continue reading NBC to Broadcast 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Opening Ceremonies in Kentucky

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 – Preview

MAKING HISTORY IN KENTUCKY…..

22 September 2010 – History will be made when the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games opens on Saturday 25 September in the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, one of the world’s most evocative permanent equestrian centres located in the heart of the USA’s famed ‘Blue Grass Horse Country’.

It is the sixth occasion that the competitive disciplines have come together to take part in  the world’s greatest equestrian extravaganza, but the first time that the Games have been held outside Europe and the first time they have had a title sponsor – the animal nutrition company Alltech.

When the nominated entries were received last month, over 900 athletes and 1,300 horses were listed, and while this number will reduce as selections are finalised over the next few days the scale of the event is enormous.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12170

A Comfortable Jaw = A Happy Horse

Many unhappy, possibly spooky, one sided, intermittently lame horses have TMJ (temporomandibular joint) distress. The biomechanics of the TMJ are directly related to a horse’s posture, balance, rhythm, and general well being. The jaw joint is grossly overlooked by horsemen, veterinarians, and even equine dentists.  It is the closest joint in the body to the brain and brain stem and is flooded with proprioceptors that tell the body where it is in space.

Many dental practitioners are far too focused on smoothing up those molar tables without even considering how their work affects the TMJ. Now with the advent of SO many new power instruments on the market it is easy to get over aggressive with the floating.

Even though horses do have continually erupting teeth, there is only so much tooth that can erupt over a year’s time and that amount diminishes significantly as horses age. We see horses in our practice daily that have been overfloated in the molars to the extent that their table angles have been flattened and even sometimes reversed.  These table angles are necessary for proper guidance to the jaw joint. It also leaves the horse riding on his incisors (front teeth) with little or NO molar contact. These horses go into TMJ Myofascial pain syndrome trying to clench the muscles that close the jaw in an effort to get their molars back in contact.

Continue reading A Comfortable Jaw = A Happy Horse

What You Eat Is What You Are

There are many factors to consider when trying to manage a horse’s weight or have them gain weight.  To start with, the feed quality and source of calories within the feed is critical.  We all know eating fat promotes gaining fat more than eating protein does.  Did you know the quality of that fat affects the health of the cells throughout the body and that eating “bad” fats will decrease overall health and performance?  A feed should be palatable, digestible, consistent, and made with high quality ingredients.

Next are the teeth.  Proper dentition is needed to chew the feed, thereby increasing the surface area exposed for digestion (the “tip” for dental care is coming soon).

Then there is the stomach and intestinal tract where the feed is mixed with digestive enzymes and the microflora (bacteria and yeast) that are necessary to break down the food particles for absorption.  A deficiency or imbalance of these enzymes, bacteria, and/or yeast, known as dysbiosis, can lead to poor digestion, malabsorption, and weight loss regardless of the feed quality or quantity given.   Long term dysbiosis leads to leaky gut syndrome which creates a pro-inflammatory state within the body leading to a wide variety of problems varying from sore muscles and joints to laminitis and/or allergies.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12166

“Cowboy Man” Lyle Lovett to Headline 2010 Alltech FEI WEG Closing Ceremonies

September 21, 2010 – LEXINGTON, KY – One of America’s finest songwriters, Lyle Lovett, will bring the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games to a vibrant finale at the October 10th closing ceremonies in Lexington, Ky.

Known for his versatility and musicality across many genres, from country and bluegrass to swing, folk ballads, gospel and blues, the four-time Grammy Award winner and his Large Band will provide a musical bookend to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games’ closing ceremonies’ celebration of iconic moments in U.S. history and culture.

Lovett has celebrated nearly 30 years of hits including “If I Had a Boat,” “Nobody Knows Me,” “South Texas Girl,” “That’s Right (You’re Not from Texas),” “She’s No Lady,” and his groundbreaking single, “Cowboy Man.” On his 14th album, “Natural Forces” released last year, Lovett croons a poignant line that speaks to his equestrian spirit: “Home is where my horse is.”

Continue reading “Cowboy Man” Lyle Lovett to Headline 2010 Alltech FEI WEG Closing Ceremonies

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Athlete Biographies Now Available Online

9/20/2010 – Biographies are now available for all athletes competing at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, providing up-to-date information for media and fans on all the athletes competing in Kentucky.

Information will be updated on a regular basis by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).

Athlete biographies can be accessed through the Media Center page of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Web site.

Media Contact:
Amy Walker
Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
awalker@feigames2010.org
(859) 255-2010

USEF Names U.S. Dressage Team for 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

September 17 2010 – Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named the following horse/rider combinations to the U.S. Dressage Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games to be held September 25-October 10, 2010 at the Kentucky Horse Park.

The following horse/rider combinations have been named to the team (in ranked order):

Name/Age/Hometown/Horse/Age/Sex/Breed/Owner

Tina Konyot/ 48/Palm City, FL/Calecto V/12/S/Danish Warmblood/Tina Konyot and John Byrialsen
Todd Flettrich/40/Royal Palm Beach, FL/Otto/14/G/Danish Warmblood/Cherry Knoll Farm
Katherine Bateson-Chandler/35/Wellington, FL/Nartan/15/G/KWPN/Jane Forbes Clark
Steffen Peters/45/San Diego, CA/Ravel/12/G/KWPN/Four Winds Farm

The following horse/rider combinations have been named as substitutes (in ranked order):

Catherine Haddad/46/Vechta, Germany/Winyamaro/10/G/Hanoverian/Catherine Haddad
Pierre St. Jacques/45/Anthony, FL/Lucky Tiger/15/G/Danish Warmblood/Pierre St. Jacques
Sue Blinks/52/Encinitas, CA/Robin Hood/12/G/Dutch Warmblood/The Minnesota Group, LLC
Jan Ebeling/51/Moorpark, CA/Rafalca/13/M/Oldenberg/Ann Romney and Amy Ebeling

By Joanie Morris