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American Quarter HorseTwo AQHA Committees Combine to Form Shows and Pro Horsemen CommitteeThe American Quarter Horse Journal – To better utilize the talents of the professionals within the American Quarter Horse show industry, two American Quarter Horse Association standing committees have been replaced with a new committee: the AQHA Shows and Professional Horsemen Committee. “This is a great integration of professional horsemen,” said AQHA President Peter J. Cofrancesco III. “It’s a forward-thinking recommendation that was considered and approved at the 2011 AQHA Convention and allows professionals on the AQHA Professional Horsemen’s Committee to have input into the programs, events and areas of the show industry where they can have the greatest effect. It streamlines certain areas of the rule-change development, recommendation and adoption process, and it better utilizes the talents and expertise of the professional horsemen pool.” Cofrancesco is quick to point out that the new committee brings together the strengths of both the previous show and professional horsemen’s committees. “We compliment the Professional Horsemen’s Committee for everything it did to get the AQHA Professional Horsemen’s Association up and running,” he added. “With this integration of the two committees, AQHA will be able to develop more programs, membership ideas and more professional horsemen who can be utilized on AQHA committees and task forces for various initiatives. Racing Journal Goes DigitalThe American Quarter Horse Journal, May 12, 2011 — Beginning in July, AQHA will begin publication of a brand-new digital magazine, the Q-Racing Journal, targeting the Association’s racing owners, breeders and fans. The digital magazine will be available at www.aqharacing.com, and its inaugural issues will be open to everyone, not just subscribers. Q-Racing Journal will be a monthly digital publication dedicated to coverage of the American Quarter Horse racing industry. It will feature news, history, industry topics and race statistics. “We believe that with the mobility of the racing community, a digital racing publication makes the most sense, then our American Quarter Horse racing enthusiasts can access the information they need from where they are – from Fort Erie to Los Alamitos,” said AQHA Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Jim Bret Campbell. “Eliminating the expenses of paper, printing and postage allows us to provide a beefier racing-oriented publication that contains the stories, information and statistics that our readers have told us they want, as well as affordable advertising for the racing industry.” Another advantage to producing a digital racing publication is that AQHA will be able to better tie each issue of the magazine to the events – races and sales – that are going on at the time of publication. The American Quarter Horse Journal has featured American Quarter Horse racing since its inception. In 1988, the Quarter Racing Journal was launched as a stand-alone publication. Later renamed The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal, the award-winning magazine returned to the Journal in 2010. For advertising opportunities, contact Racing Account Executive Jim Persinger at (806) 378-4386 or email at jpersinger@aqha.org. American Quarter Horse Association Perfect the Two-Point with Shane GeorgeBalance over your horse’s center of gravity in the two-point position. By AQHA Professional Horseman Shane George with Christine Hamilton for The American Quarter Horse Journal  The red shaded areas in this photo show common problems riders have with the half seat: hands and arms too far back, poorly positioned or swinging lower leg, and rounded shoulders and back. Journal illustration. There are two basic seats for a hunter rider: full seat and half seat. For the hunters and jumpers, it’s important to have the ability to use both. In a “full seat,” you have contact with your seat in the saddle. You sit on the horse’s back, riding each stride in a collected manner. It’s the seat you use in rail work. In a “half seat,” you get up off your seat, out of the saddle and find a balance that’s a little more forward. It allows you to get your balance up and over your lower leg and over the horse’s center of gravity in his shoulder and wither. It’s a dynamic position, giving the rider more flexibility in how he moves with the horse. How much your seat is out of the saddle depends on what you’re doing at the moment. If you’re in between jumps in a course, you might ride with your seat up but closer to the saddle, almost hovering over it. But if you’re going over a jump, your seat will be clearly up out of the saddle. Stolis Winner Works Back into National RankingsThe American Quarter Horse Journal, May 11, 2011 – American Quarter Horse Racing’s all-time leading money earner Stolis Winner got back to the winner’s circle Saturday at Remington Park and back into the AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 poll this week. Winner of Sunday’s Bank of America Remington Championship Challenge (G2), Stolis Winner improved his bankroll to $2,221,911 and vaults to No. 6 in the 2011 balloting. Louisiana Senator and Good Reason SA remain 1-2 in the rankings for 3-year-olds and older this week. Meanwhile, Freighttrain B ran Sunday in the Heritage Place Derby (G2) trials and posted the third-fastest qualifying time to solidify his spot at No. 3 in the national poll. Sam Houston Classic (G2) winner The Louisiana Cartel won his third-straight race of the year Saturday and moves up two spots to No. 4. Meanwhile, Mighty B Valiant leap-frogs Valiant War Hero to top this week’s national rankings for 2-year-olds. Unbeaten in three career starts, Mighty B Valiant dominated his Heritage Place Futurity (G1) trial on Sunday. Also among the juveniles, Fast Prize Jordan debuts in the poll at No. 9 this week after a sharp trial win for the Heritage Place Futurity. AQHA Rule ChangesThe American Quarter Horse Journal — In many cases, AQHA rule changes are the result of recommendations from AQHA members or the various AQHA standing committees. Once approved at convention by the respective AQHA standing committees, the rule changes are then reviewed by the AQHA Executive Committee and approved by the AQHA Board of Directors. The Executive Committee has the final word on all rule changes except changes to the Association’s bylaws and any rules and regulations pertaining to the registration of horses. AQHA standing committee reports are available to the public. American Quarter Horse Association New No. 1 in National PollThe American Quarter Horse Journal, April 13, 2011 – Louisiana Senator leap-frogged Good Reason SA in balloting this week as the new No. 1 in the AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com national poll for older horses. The two top shortliners of 2011 had been nip and tuck in balloting for the past few weeks and pollsters this week gave the edge to the former No. 2. Louisiana Senator won the Leo Stakes (G1) at Remington Park on March 26 for his second victory at the meeting. Meanwhile, Rylees Boy debuted at No. 5 this week, one of three new horses in the Top 10. Also breaking into the poll for the first time this season were PK Fire at No. 8 and Fall For It at No. 10. Gerardo Ochoa’s Rylees Boy captured Sunday’s Bank of America Sunland Championship Challenge (G2) at Sunland Park as a prompt favorite, his second consecutive win in the race. Meanwhile, Mike Abraham and Alfonzo Pasquel’s PK Fire shocked the field as the 37-1 winner of Sunday’s El Primero Del Ano Derby (G2) at Los Alamitos. Brian Hyde’s Fall For It, meanwhile, continues to improve and prove herself a bargain $6,250 claim as Saturday she advanced to five-for-nine lifetime with a win in the La Primera Del Ano Derby (G2), also at Los Alamitos. HERDA – Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia – Buyer Beware!HERDA – Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia – Buyer Beware! Check the bloodline of any AQHA, APHA, ApHC and cross-bred horses of these breeds before you buy! Check your horses’ bloodlines before you breed, too! This is a heart-wrenching story from a woman whose mare was diagnosed with HERDA. By Tara Flanagan and Robin Davison, March 2011: From across the paddock, Penelope (registered name, Quality Sensation) is a striking four year-old paint mare who has nothing but potential. Her athletic build, to-die-for lope and easy disposition indicate that she inherited all the right things.  Robin's horse, Quality Sensation. Click on image for larger view. But get a little closer and you’ll notice the discoloration on her back from saddle sores. The skin around her withers feels corrugated. It’s easily manipulated and doesn’t snap back into place –almost as if the horse is severely dehydrated. I bought my mare in November 2009 and had her hauled from Florida to Colorado. Penelope had an injury on her right hind leg from the trip that required a vet’s attention, and which was unusually slow to heal. Mostly, I was filled with the excitement that came with getting the horse I had dreamed about – Penelope and I were going to show at the National Western Stock Show someday. Typical of many horses who are afflicted by HERDA, or hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia, Penelope started to show signs of the disorder when she developed saddle sores that did not heal in March 2010, about two months after she was started under saddle. A DNA test from UC-Davis revealed that Penelope is HRD/HRD – affected – meaning that she has two copies of the HERDA gene.  Robin's horse, Quality Sensation, showing the skin not popping back into place. Click on image for larger view. Affected horses develop severe lacerations, hematomas, and seromas from minor trauma, frequently resulting in disfiguring scars. Due to their persistent wounds, most horses cannot be ridden or shown competitively and are humanely euthanized. Many horses affected with HERDA are often not diagnosed until they are 1-2 years of age, but severely affected horses may develop signs shortly after birth. Symptoms include stretchy skin that feels “mushy” or “doughy” to the touch. Penelope’s mane, for example, has that doughy feel. Contrary to what the name implies, the disease affects tissues throughout the horse’s body. The proportion of carrier horses is high in certain Quarter Horse disciplines such as cutting, where 28.3% of elite cutting horses are carriers. Therefore, cutting horses that carry HERDA are more prevalent than halter horses that carry HYPP. In fact, 14 of the top 100 cutting sires are carriers whose offspring have earnings in excess of 116 million dollars. The performance traits of these select carriers bloodlines are highly desired, likely increasing the prevalence of HERDA. Although cutting horses have been the subject of most of the study and press about HERDA, the incidence of HERDA in pleasure and reining horses is on the rise. (information provided by Dr. Ann Rashmir) HERDA is found in some descendants of the AQHA sire Poco Bueno. Researchers have named four deceased Quarter Horse stallions that were carriers and produced at least one affected HERDA foal. They are: Dry Doc, Doc O’Lena, Great Pine, and Zippo Pine Bar. These stallions all trace to Poco Bueno through his son and daughter, Poco Pine and Poco Lena. Other breeds affected are the American Paint Horse (APHA), the Appaloosa (ApHC) and any other breed registry that allows out-crossing to AQHA horses. (this information found on http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/ment2befarms/herda.html). As far as the odds go, if you breed a carrier to another carrier you have a 25 percent chance of producing an affected horse (HRD/HRD), 50 percent chance of producing another carrier (N/HRD) and a 25 percent chance of producing a normal horse (N/N). When a normal horse (N/N) is crossed with a carrier (N/HRD), 50 percent of the offspring may be carriers (N/HRD) and 50 percent may be normal (N/N); none of the offspring will be affected (HRD/HRD).
I now board Penelope at a local farm, where she enjoys a shady enclosure. It’s too risky to turn Penelope out with most horses, but we have found a few equine companions for occasional turnout. For now, Penelope is doing well. I have learned that these horses can live many comfortable years with the disorder – provided they aren’t ridden and are kept in a very safe environment.  From the HERDA document from Dr. Ann Rashmir showing an affected horse. Click on image for larger view. So, what can you do? If you plan to buy a quarter horse, paint or appaloosa 4 years old or younger that has several crosses to Poco Bueno, it’s wise to get him/her tested. Require a HERDA test as part of a pre-purchase exam if the horse has Poco Bueno as far back as seven or eight generations. Just looking at the pedigree on registration papers might not be adequate to determine if the horse is at risk. The test only costs $40 (here is the link: http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/horse.php). And it stands to reason that you can’t produce a HERDA affected horse if you don’t breed two carriers. For more information please contact Dr. Ann Rashmir at the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University G209 Veterinary Medical Center, East Lansing, MI 48824-1314, Office (517) 355-1866. A few quick facts: HERDA/hyperelastosis cutis was first reported by Lerner and McCracken in 1978. The DNA test at UC-Davis has been available for 4 years. 2% of all Quarter Horses are carriers of the HERDA gene. (August 1, 2010 issue of Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) AQHA has a ruling on HERDA currently up for review:  From the HERDA document from Dr. Ann Rashmir showing a severely affected horse. Click on image for larger view. A few links on this rapidly emerging genetic disease: http://www.americashorse.tv/health.html?video=4e922025-5abb-48fd-89c1-918335139ead HERDA – A Devastating Defect By Heather Thomas from the Equine Chronicle EC May/June, 2004 http://www.equinechronicle.com/health/herda-a-devastating-defect.html An ABC News video interview with Robin: mms://entriq0lax2wm.fplive.net/entriq0lax2/kmgh/video/20101015155800_45101_001041p1001239p9.wmv http://www.bringinglighttohypp.org/HERDA.html I got this HERDA information from a colleague, Lisa Kemp, who is a multi-award winning writer and marketing consultant for the equine industry. She blogs about equestrian business marketing at http://NoBizLikeHorseBiz.com. She has included HorsesintheSouth.com in many of her articles, one of which was the award winning article about Gabrielle Boiselle that was a featured calendar promotion on my blog. We have more Gabrielle articles on my blog, too – she has her own category http://horsesinthesouth.com/blog/?cat=872. Lisa wrote a 3-part article for TheHorse.com for this HERDA issue. You will need a login to TheHorse.com to read these articles (it’s free; you will just have to sign up). Here is the first article: http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=17175 Negative Equine Piroplasmosis Test Now a RequirementThe American Quarter Horse Journal — Beginning July 1, 2011, all horses entering the grounds for any AQHA world championship show – in Oklahoma City, Amarillo or Houston – will be required to present a certificate of a negative blood test for equine piroplasmosis. The tests must have been completed within the previous six months and will cost exhibitors $30-$40 per horse. Equine piroplasmosis is a disease of horses, donkeys, mules and zebras that is caused by two parasitic organisms, Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. Although, equine piroplasmosis is primarily transmitted to horses by ticks, this bloodborne disease has been spread mechanically from animal to animal by contaminated needles. Currently, racetracks in 11 states have testing requirements for Equine Piroplasmosis and that number will increase. With the potential of an infected racehorse retiring to the show pen, the show industry is vulnerable. “As the industry leader, AQHA needs to be vigilant and establish testing requirements to ensure any case of equine piroplasmosis can’t be traced back to an AQHA event,” said Tom Persechino, AQHA executive director of competition and breed integrity. “We’re encouraging all exhibitors to contact their veterinarians to schedule these tests. If the tests are completed around the second week of July, that horse will be eligible to show at the youth, select and open/amateur world without requiring another test.” 2010 Don Burt Professional Horseman and Horsewoman of the YearThe American Quarter Horse Journal — The Most Valuable Professional and the Don Burt Professional Horseman and Horsewoman of the Year awards were presented tonight during the 2011 AQHA Convention Awards Banquet. The awards were presented by AQHA Corporate Partner Professional’s Choice. Wanda Lounder The Most Valuable Professional or “MVP” of 2010 is Wanda Lounder. Wanda serves as the Maine Quarter Horse Association second vice president as well as the youth co-adviser. She leads with the goals of “bringing the youth in, not as competitors, but as an organization.” Under her leadership, local youth involvement has grown. In a traditionally individualistic sport, Wanda encourages teamwork, saying she wants “the youth not only to compete and grow as competitors, but to grow as a team, as well.” When financial uncertainty jeopardized the local futurities, Wanda stepped up again. Her business, Double L Equestrian Center, sponsored several events, such as the hunter under saddle futurity and non-pro green horse trail futurity, and also small-fry classes. Wanda always makes sure the small-fries are recognized with ribbons and even high-point small-fry trophies. AQHA Hands Out 2010 High-Point AwardsThe American Quarter Horse Journal – At its annual convention in Grapevine, Texas, the American Quarter Horse Association handed out its coveted all-around high-point awards in the youth, amateur and open divisions. Molli Lyn Jacobs and Radical McCue won the Featherlite AQHA Youth All-Around High-Point title; Lindsey Stevenson and RL Cocoas Version won the Featherlite AQHA All-Around Amateur title; and Four Bonnie Bay, owned by Mike St. Clair of Kahoka, Missouri, won the Featherlite Open All-Around High-Point title. All-Around Youth “He’s very athletic and very strong,” says Molli, a high school senior at Garaway High School in Sugarcreek, Ohio. “You could put him through anything, and he’s going to come out stronger than before.” |
