Tag Archives: Horse Care

Adequan Hunter Highlights Competition at All 2011 HITS Horse Shows and the Marshall & Sterling League

©ESI Photography. HITS' Kristen Vale and Mary Moeller congratulate Katie Milton and If You Say So after winning the Adequan Hunter Championship at the 2010 Marshall & Sterling League National Finals.

SAUGERTIES, NY (January 28, 2011) — HITS, Inc. is pleased to announce that Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc., manufacturers of Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan), the only FDA-approved disease modifying osteoarthritic drug treatment for equine non-infectious degenerative joint disease, will once again sponsor the popular Adequan Hunter Division at all HITS horse shows nationwide.

Luitpold Animal Health believes that the demands on show horses, particularly at the top performance level, require attention to details and a solid plan for maintaining soundness.

Adequan i.m. is the flagship equine product from Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Unlike corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which only ease the source of pain and decrease inflammation of the synovial membrane, Adequan i.m. breaks the destructive disease cycle associated with osteoarthritis. It helps to restore the natural cycle of “wear and repair” within a joint and blocks the enzymes that damage joints and restores synovial lubrication within the joint. The treatment regime of 1 intramuscular injection every 4 days for 7 treatments protects cartilage structure, inhibits cartilage damage and stimulates the natural cartilage repair process. It also decreases inflammation and relieves the pain associated with DJD.

Continue reading Adequan Hunter Highlights Competition at All 2011 HITS Horse Shows and the Marshall & Sterling League

Jade Hunter, Sire of Azeri, Euthanized

Jade Hunter at Old Friends. Photo by Rick Capone

GEORGETOWN, KY – JANUARY 24, 2011 – Jade Hunter, multiple GR1 winner and sire of Horse of the Year Azeri, was humanely euthanized Sunday afternoon (January 23) at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute due to complications from colic.

The 27-year-old stallion had been pensioned at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY, since 2009.

“Jade Hunter was a very proud and confident stallion with an intelligence that matched his beauty,” said Old Friends president and founder Michael Blowen. “It’s very hard on all his caretakers to lose him and Polish Navy [who died Jan. 6] so close together.”

Bred in Kentucky, Jade Hunter (Mr. Prospector-Jadana (IRE), by Pharly) was bought for $700,000 by Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Stud at the 1985 Keeneland yearling sale and raced in both Europe and North America.

Continue reading Jade Hunter, Sire of Azeri, Euthanized

Tip of the Week – Get Joints

If the joints don’t move well, the body doesn’t move well.  The ability to flex, extend and rotate the joints in the horse’s legs and spine sets the parameters for that athlete’s ability.

Many things contribute to joint problems such as nutritional imbalances, GI problems, trauma (acute or chronic), genetic pre-disposition, conformation, poor shoeing/trimming, metabolic disorders, normal “wear and tear,” and infections (systemic or in the joint).

A simple sprained fetlock as a yearling that isn’t treated appropriately can start the cartilage deterioration that will progress into arthritis and cause lameness a few years later.

Aggressive effective treatment of all joint injuries and continual preventative care are key to long term joint health, especially in the equine athlete.

Continue reading Tip of the Week – Get Joints

NEW Thoroughbred Retirement Program Opens in South Florida

Wellington, FL – The Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA), with the support of Gulfstream Park, Calder Race Course, and the South Florida jockey colony, recognizing the need for a South Florida based Thoroughbred retirement program, has formed TRAC, a retirement, retraining and placement group dedicated to horses that end their racing careers at one of the two race tracks.

TRAC (Thoroughbred Retirement and Adoptive Care) also has strong support from professional jockeys who race in Florida and throughout the United States, industry professionals, businesses and horse lovers. Horses entering the TRAC program receive hands-on care, professional retraining and the chance for a second career. The program strives to find suitable adopters and homes for every horse. Many retired Thoroughbreds move on to second careers in the show world as hunters, jumpers, eventers or dressage horses. Some achieve success on the polo field, on trails, in therapeutic riding programs or simply as loving companions.

“Our efforts depend on a strong alliance between race tracks, industry officials, horsemen, owners, trainers, jockeys and fans,” said Phil Combest, TRAC Advisory Committee member, race horse owner and FHBPA official. “The racing industry is demonstrating its support through purse contributions and annual donations. But we need everyone’s to make sure all our retired horses receive basic care, retraining, and veterinary care,” continued Combest.

Continue reading NEW Thoroughbred Retirement Program Opens in South Florida

Madeleine Pickens Responds to BLM’s 1/21/11 Announcement Regarding Saving America’s Mustangs Eco-Sanctuary Plan

On behalf of America’s wild horses, American taxpayers, and my Saving America’s Mustang Foundation, I would like to express my deep disappointment in the BLM’s late Friday (January 21st) evening press release announcing its rejection of my proposal to create an eco-sanctuary for wild horses in Nevada.

Not even one month ago, on January 4, 2011 in Las Vegas, BLM director Bob Abbey stated publicly that my idea “has merit and deserves serious consideration.” Today, he has rejected the project, notifying the media, but providing my foundation with no explanation, despite our three years of hard work on the plan.

My eco-sanctuary proposal offers a cost-effective solution to the problem of the BLM’s roundup and warehousing of as many as 40,000 wild horses in off-the-range holding facilities. It is exactly the kind of public/private partnership solution that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has stated is essential to reform of the wild horse and burro program.

So imagine my astonishment when I read in the news release that my plan didn’t save money.  During our three years of work, BLM officials at every level acknowledged in meetings with me that the eco-sanctuary plan saves the taxpayers money.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=13031

Neglected Arkansas Horses Make Major Progress with ASPCA, Community Support

Since early December, we’ve been keeping you up to date on our work in Fulton County, Arkansas, rehabilitating more than 100 neglected horses rescued from a horse trader’s farm. The horses have spent a little more than a month under the ASPCA’s care at a temporary stable in Mountain Home, Arkansas, receiving veterinary attention, good eats and treats, and the chance to run and play in a pasture.

The tireless work of our Field Investigations and Response Team is paying off. All the rescued horses have been putting on weight and are “getting better by the day,” says Kyle Held, ASPCA Midwest Director of Field Investigations and Response.

But it’s not just professionals who are making a difference for these amazing horses — community members continually visit the stable to lend a hand. A local reporter for the Baxter Bulletin shows up every morning to feed carrots to a few of his favorite horses, and sometimes four or five individuals show up in one day to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Area businesses and residents have had pizzas and other food delivered to the stable to help keep us going strong, and donations continue to pour in to the local supply store, Orscheln Farm & Home, to help defray the costs of feed, horse tack, insulated clothes and other necessary items.

Continue reading Neglected Arkansas Horses Make Major Progress with ASPCA, Community Support

It’s not too late! You have one day to save 400 mustangs in the Great Divide Basin HMA in Wyoming’s Red Desert. Please act now…

Dear Friends & Supporters,
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is asking for public comments on its proposal to remove 600 wild horses from the Great Basin Divide Herd Management Area (HMA) in Wyoming’s Red Desert region. The BLM says that this 1,215 square area can only sustain 415 to 600 horses. BLM claims 1,000 mustangs live in the area. Meanwhile, the BLM authorizes thousands of cattle to graze this same area. According to BLM statistics, Wyoming has the second highest wild horse population in the nation, yet the latest available BLM population figures (FY 2009) estimate just 5,000 horses. The state has reduced the areas where wild horses are allowed to roam by nearly half in the last four decades and aims reduce the overall population further to just 3,700 horses. Less than three months ago, BLM captured and removed over 2,000 wild horses from another area of Wyoming’s pristine Red Desert region in the Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek Herd Management Areas.

Urge the BLM to implement a fertility control program instead of a capture and removal operation, and undertake a process to increase Appropriate Management Levels (AMLs) for wild horses and decrease livestock grazing in this federally-designated wild horse area.  Please personalize the message below.

Click here to TAKE ACTION to voice opposition to BLM Proposal to remove 400-600 mustangs in Wyoming

Also, please TAKE ACTION today to stop the Antelope Complex gather in late January 2011.

Also, please join in on the discussions on our Facebook fan page today. www.facebook.com/mustangmonument and on Twitter: @mpickens.

Visit her website for up to the minute information: www.savingamericasmustangs.org.

Also check out the Mustang Monument Wild Horse Eco Sanctuary Page: www.mustangmonument.com.

Become a supporter of the wild horse issue: Click here.

Saving America’s Mustangs

2683 Via de la Valle

# G313

Del Mar, California 92014

Everglades Dressage Hosts Successful Lameness Seminar with French Olympic Team Veterinarian Philippe Benoit, DVM

Dr Benoit and the gathered veterinarians and vet students manually diagnose lameness issues before using advanced imaging technology to back up the diagnosis. (Photo courtesy of JRPR)

Wellington, FL (January 21, 2011) – Accomplished dressage rider and trainer Bethany Peslar, who operates a training and competition facility at her Everglades Dressage Farm in Wellington, recently hosted a lameness seminar for veterinarians. The seminar, which focused on diagnosing lameness, featured Philippe Benoit, DVM, the veterinarian for the French Olympic team at the 2004 Games, and was attended by veterinarians and veterinarian students from around the country.

“This seminar was a great success and I was really pleased to host it at Everglades Dressage,” Peslar said. “We have hosted these seminars before and really enjoy the fact that we are able to contribute to the industry and give back to the veterinarians who work so hard to keep our horses healthy and sound.”

Dr. Benoit, one of the top international horse show veterinarians in the world, taught an in-depth approach to diagnosing lameness during the seminar. “His approach is much more biomechanical than we traditionally learn in the United States,” said Diane Isbell, DVM, who has her own practice in California. “I have attended these seminars before at Everglades, which is a fantastic facility, and it has totally changed my practice and enabled me to help horses and owners in ways I never had before.”

Continue reading Everglades Dressage Hosts Successful Lameness Seminar with French Olympic Team Veterinarian Philippe Benoit, DVM

Background Info on Diamonds in the Rough Horse Rescue

By Diane Walsh

I volunteer at a non-profit 501C horse rescue/rehab/retirement facility down here in St. Augustine, FL.  We are the only such organization in our region and are currently home to 13 horses at different levels of rehabilitation. We are also home to a very famous mare, Awaiting Justice, who is the great grand-daughter of the Triple Crown Winner, Secretariat!  Why is she so famous? As a filly, she was owned by Garrett Redmond of Kentucky, who legally sought the right to name her Sally Hemmings after Thomas Jefferson’s famous slave and reputed lover. Redmond made international headlines when he sued The Jockey Club for that right but lost the suit. Awaiting Justice went on to race at Churchill Downs, but was eventually sold by Mr. Redmond, sold again and then again until she ended up at a horse boarding facility in St. Augustine area. A boarder at the facility did not want to go to the trouble of shipping her (Awaiting Justice) back home, so the mare was sold to the students for about $1.00, left at the boarding facility.

Last year, Marie Matte, the founder of Diamonds in the Rough, received an urgent call from the mother of one of the students who had purchased the mare that she (the mare) was in an advanced state of starvation at the nearby boarding facility. Marie brought the mare back to the farm and provided her with the necessary medical attention, food, shelter and love she so richly deserved. Today, Serafina, as we’ve renamed her, is a happy, healthy and vibrant personality here at the farm. Another member of our farm is a descendant of War Admiral and Man o’ War! Celebrity lineage doesn’t get better than this in the world of horse rescue!

Diane Walsh

Advertising/Admin Assist

The Record

One News Place

St. Augustine, FL 32086

diane.walsh@staugustine.com

Update on BLM, Antelope Complex Gather, & Politico Campaign Launch

Dear Friends & Supporters,
We thoughtfully planned out an online and print campaign in Politico to run today, January 18th. It was the best outlet to target the right audience to get the most attention and a solution to the wild horse issues we are facing.

The audience is composed of the country’s innovators and high-end consumers:

  • Thought Leaders and Opinion Influencers
  • Key Decision Makers in Business and Finance
  • Investors
  • Community Leaders and Concerned Citizens
  • Journalists
  • Educators
  • Federal, State & Local Elected Officials and Policymakers

With one click you can reach:

2010 Site stats:
3,723,219 Unique Visitors
10,064,124 Visits
25,230,687 Page views
Source: Google Analytics

Demographics:
18-34 yrs old – 10%
35-49 yrs old – 39%
50+ yrs old – 47%
Male – 73% / Female – 27%
Average HHI 60k-100k – 30%
Average HHI over $100k – 42%
College – 49%
Graduate School – 34%
Source: Quantcast

Please TAKE ACTION today to stop the Antelope Complex gather this January 2011.

Continue reading Update on BLM, Antelope Complex Gather, & Politico Campaign Launch