HLOA NEWS LETTER!!!

2005-08-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

*~HLOA NEWS LETTER~*

MEETING TOMMROW!!!!! BE THERE!!!!!!!!!

Ok well that was the most important news lol. I will try to make this news letter more intresting then the last one!!! lol

Sticking to my One topic Idea I am going to write about vaulting. I have been quite intrested by it for the past few days so here is what i found out. Vaulting is just like doing gymnastics/ballet on a horses back! Girls and boys do moves and routines on a horses back, they are judged on a score from 1 to 10 on how well they moved and how graceful they looked. It sounds hard to me but fun!!!The vaulters practice twice a week during the fall but every day for two hours in the summer so they can get ready for competitions!!! WOW!!!!

Now if that dosen't amaze you i don't know what will!!! Ok now about the horse (the part we have all been waiting for lol). Most teams use Belgians and Clydesales because they are big and gentle. A horse had to train for a long time, it has to be used to riders jumping twirling and spinning on its back! Below is a picture of some on the jumps the riders do!!! WOW!!! Visit www.americanvaulting.org if you want to learn more.

All I have to say is "be VERY AMAZED!!!

HLOA News Letter

2005-08-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

~*HLOA News Letter*~

Horse Dies During Pull at Fair!

BANGOR - A Belgian horse died in the middle of a pulling event on Friday evening at the Bangor State Fair from what staff members believe to be a heart attack."It had a heart attack and was dead before it hit the ground," Maine Department of Agriculture Commissioner Robert Spear said Monday. The horse, competing in the 2,900-pound class, reportedly was pulling about twice its weight when it collapsed, according to fair staffers. The animal was owned by Blaine Tolman of Lincoln. Efforts made Monday to reach Tolman were unsuccessful.Spear said someone on the scene tried to give nitroglycerin to the animal, but it was too late.A veterinarian from Dover-Foxcroft was called to the scene and drew blood from the horse. A blood panel was expected to be done Monday night, Norma Worley, state animal welfare director, said Monday.The blood tests would show if any other conditions existed that might have caused the horse to collapse. A necropsy will not be done because Maine doesn't have the proper facilities to do such tests, Worley said.Worley, who has been in her position for about 21/2 years, said it was the first death at a Maine horse pull of which she was aware. Asked if there was a concern about animal deaths during pulling events, the director said, "Our only concern is [when] the rules established are not followed."Worley said it would be hard to tell at this point what factors played into the death unless an observer came forward and contacted her. Two years ago, two racehorses died in the same weekend at Bangor Raceway, one of a heart attack, the other from an apparent aneurysm. Horse deaths during pulling events are not unusual, according to state fair staff.On Friday night, the horses in this particular class were pulling 400-pound blocks between two white chalk lines 110 feet apart. In the competition, the horse that pulls the weight back and forth the most times in five minutes wins that event.Bob Patterson, ring staffer, said Monday afternoon that he has seen about a half-dozen horses die during similar competitions."I don't think it affects [the competition] that bad," Patterson said. "It's not the first time it's happened.""It was a while getting back into the rhythm of pulling [Friday night]," pulling superintendent Herb Mosher said Monday afternoon.The issue of animal welfare in pulling events has been raised in Maine several times in the past. In 1997, three incidents of alleged abuse in ox pulling events triggered revisions in the state pulling regulations in March 1998. While most of the revisions were dropped, it was hoped that pulling enthusiasts were made aware of concerns.Worley said Monday that, ideally, there would be a veterinarian at every competition, but finding a veterinarian willing to participate and the funds to support the practice would be tough. There was no veterinarian on scene Friday evening.On Monday afternoon, the third day of pulling at the Bangor State Fair was in full swing, with four two-horse teams participating in the 3,300-pound weight class.The handlers used reins to control the horses, yelled words of encouragement and occasionally released the whip on the horses' hindquarters.According to Wayne Haskell of Garland, who has been pulling for about 25 years, horses used to work "10 times" as hard on the farm and in the woods. He also said that these days, horses are more conditioned and better fed, which allows them to compete on this level. Haskell said he lost a horse four years ago outside of the ring from a condition called "twisted gut.""It just happens," Haskell said. "You've got to move on."

Horse flown to Britain for cancer treatment -- (July 31)

A horse in the US who developed a cancerous tumour on his eye was flown to Britain for treatment after his owner could not find a vet to treat him. Mindy Elgart's six-year-old Max had just won the regional heats of the USA Dressage Championship and was tipped to go on to international success. Ms Elgart consulted US experts who could only offer a 30% chance of survival. The New Jersey woman heard about the work of Professor Derek Knottenbelt, at Leahurst Equine hospital, in Wirral, Merseyside, who uses a radiation treatment similar to that used on humans and has had a 90% success rate. By re-mortgaging her house and with the help of friends she raised the $US25,000 needed to get Max to the centre and for his treatment.
Max underwent 13 days of a treatment called brachytherapy, which meant wires directing radiation were implanted round his eye and nose, followed by two days in isolation. He is due to fly back to the US this week.
Professor Knottenbelt said it would have been cheaper to fly him to the horse, but he would not have been able to take the radiation equipment needed.

World News

NZ World Archives
Send news/press releases to info@horsetalk.co.nz.
Horse flown to Britain for cancer treatment BHS Hall of Fame laureates announced Public horse cloning offered Top cutting sire dies Olympic horse events for HK DNA study sheds light on equine origins NY race groups join to end slaughter

Horse flown to Britain for cancer treatment -- (July 31) A horse in the US who developed a cancerous tumour on his eye was flown to Britain for treatment after his owner could not find a vet to treat him.
Mindy Elgart's six-year-old Max had just won the regional heats of the USA Dressage Championship and was tipped to go on to international success. Ms Elgart consulted US experts who could only offer a 30% chance of survival. The New Jersey woman heard about the work of Professor Derek Knottenbelt, at Leahurst Equine hospital, in Wirral, Merseyside, who uses a radiation treatment similar to that used on humans and has had a 90% success rate. By re-mortgaging her house and with the help of friends she raised the $US25,000 needed to get Max to the centre and for his treatment.
Max underwent 13 days of a treatment called brachytherapy, which meant wires directing radiation were implanted round his eye and nose, followed by two days in isolation. He is due to fly back to the US this week.
Professor Knottenbelt said it would have been cheaper to fly him to the horse, but he would not have been able to take the radiation equipment needed.
Back to top
BHS Hall of Fame laureates announced -- (Aug 1) The first laureates for The British Horse Society Equestrian Hall of Fame were announced at the Royal International Horse Show, Hickstead, on July 31. The idea of BHS President Noel Edmonds, the BHS Hall of Fame recognises those who have achieved equestrian fame through their excellence.
The initial list, which comprises those whose greatest equestrian achievements were celebrated in past years, is as follows:
Riders:
HRH The Princess Royal (Achieved international success, including winning the European Three Day Event Champs on Doublet and as a member of the British Eventing team at the Montreal Olympics).
Colonel Sir Michael Ansell (The architect of Britain's postwar equestrian revival, Chairman of The British Horse Society & BSJA for 20 years. First president of the British Equestrian Federation)
George Bowman (Nineteen times Carriage Driving British National Champion)
David Broome (Won King George V Cup a record six times, double Olympic Bronze, won the World Championship on Beethoven)
Cynthia Haydon (Britain's leading Whip in the postwar years of 20th century)
Lorna Johnstone (Oldest female Olympic competitor ever, dressage Munich 1972)
Virginia (Ginny) Leng (Double Olympic bronze, eventing)
Colonel Harry Llewellyn (Olympic Gold medallist on Foxhunter at the Stockholm Olympics)
Richard Meade (Triple Gold medallist eventer)
Anna Sewell (Author of Black Beauty who campaigned for equine welfare in the 19th century and was responsible for getting the bearing rein banned)
Harvey Smith (Won Hickstead a record seven times, over 50 Grand Prixs, and represented Britain at two Olympics)
Pat Smythe (First lady showjumper to achieve popularity among British public, won a team Bronze medal at the Stockholm Olympics)
Sheila Wilcox (First UK lady eventer to achieve major success at international level, Badminton etc. Won Badminton Horse Trials for three consecutive years)
Dorian Williams (The first major equestrian commentator on BBC Televsion to capture mass audiences, and greatly popularise the sports in postwar Britain)
Mrs. VDS Williams (Pioneer of British dressage)
Horses:
Be Fair (Won Badminton with Lucinda Green in 1973)
Cornishman (Double Olympic Gold, eventing)
Doublet (Won Burghley three day event in 1971 with HRH Princess Anne)
Dutch Courage (Bronze medallist at World Championships)
Foxhunter (Olympic Gold medallist show jumping)
High & Mighty (Won Badminton in 1957 and 1958 with Shelia Wilcox)
King's Warrior (Triple winner of HOYS Champion Show Hunter class)
Merely a Monarch (Winner of Burghley and Badminton Horse Trials)
Milton (Only horse outside of racing to win over ?1 million, including double Olympic gold)
Penwood Forge Mill (Won European Championships, King George V Gold Cup and the Horse and Hounds Cup within six days)
Priceless (Olympic team Silver and individual Bronze, eventing)
Sefton (Survived IRA bombing in London 1982)
Stroller (Only pony to compete at international level among horses and win consistently, including an Olympic silver medal with his owner-rider Marion Mould)
A further list of equestrian heroes, both human and equine, who are currently at the pinnacle of their careers will be announced next year.
A panel considered the nominations - for 26 horses and 46 people - submitted via the Hall of Fame page on the BHS website, and the Panel's decision will doubtless satisfy a large proportion of those who provided nominations, although some will be disappointed that their heroes have not made it into the Hall of Fame.
Back to top
Public horse cloning offered -- (Jul 27) Cloning has been offered to the public for the first time by a US company, and it will cost $US367,350. There's also a patent royalty fee of 15% based on the number of clones produced and their estimated value, says HorseCloning.com's Peter Kagel. For that price, owners could get from 0 to 16 clones.
Cloning will be performed by the same University of Idaho team, headed by the renowned Gordon Woods, PhD, which successfully cloned 3 mules in 2003.
"It's a bit of a gamble with a huge potential payoff," says Kagel. "Because while there are no guarantees, and on the bottom end you could end up with no clones, on the top end it is estimated, due to advances in science and cloning protocols since 2003, that you could end up with 16 clones from the 100 mares that will be impregnated with your horse's DNA.
"Horse cloning is the wave of the future," Kagel went on. "People are only going to clone quality horses, the top-of-the-bloodline champions. Eventually cloning will allow today's economically unattainable horse to be purchased by the middle-class horse aficionado.
"There will come a time when the ban on racing cloned horses will be lifted because breeders will realise that they will make a lot more money cloning and racing the clones rather than just breeding non-clones, which, after all, is nothing more than an expensive grand experiment that usually falls flat. One of Dr. Woods' cloned mules will be on the mule racing circuit next year. The genie is working his way out of the bottle," he says.
"The public will not ignore that the inevitable horse races with clones will have faster times than regular horse races. Races between identical clones will be particularly interesting because the outcome will boil down to either the difference between the trainers and/or the jockeys. The breeders and racetrack owners will come to know that the public wants to see the fastest horses regardless of their origin."
He pointed at top racehorse Cigar, who retired to stud but proved sterile. "An Italian insurance company, which failed to require a simple sterility test, had to pay $25,000,000 to Cigar's owners. Crazy as it seems, the insurance company, after taking possession of Cigar, will not allow Cigar's cloning because it is afraid of bad publicity. The hysteria around cloning horses is unfathomable. It is now illegal to clone horses in Great Britain even though the first animal ever cloned, Dolly the sheep, was cloned in Scotland," he says.
"The evidence is solid that clones appear to be normal, have the ability to bear offspring and live just as long if not longer than regularly bred animals."
Citing a quote in a newspaper interview with Dr. Woods, Kagel stated, "The evidence is clear that a by-product of the sciences involved in cloning will help us understand how to defeat diseases like cancer."
"We only have the capacity this year to clone one horse, and the deadline for putting money down is August 15, so it's 'first come, first served,'" Kagel said. "This is because the sun governs the cloning season, and we're starting late.
"Most importantly, we are not just talking about racehorses for this one-time opportunity - far from it. We are talking about cloning incredible Peruvian Pasos, champion cutting horses, Lipizzans, Palominos, Arabians, Hanovarians, Norwegian Fjords, Clydesdales, champion jumpers and what-have-you."
Back to top
Top cutting sire dies -- (Jul 20) One of the cutting horse industry's greatest sires, Peppy San Badger, was euthanatized on July 8 in his paddock at King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas. Sired by Mr San Peppy and out of the great mare Sugar Badger, the stallion, affectionately known as "Little Peppy," was one of the all-time leading sires in National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) history.
Because of his age and deteriorating health, King Ranch management and family members made the decision to euthanatize the 31-year-old horse.
Ranch management reported that Little Peppy had done quite well during the past several years. He was retired in a paddock behind the Creek Barn where he was content to live a quiet life.
Little Peppy is known by most for his exceptional cutting abilities in the arena and out with the herd. It was those moves that rendered him a standing ovation after winning the 1977 NCHA Futurity. The Futurity championship was only the beginning, however. He then won the 1978 NCHA Derby, was the 1979 Reserve World Champion, and also won the 1981 NCHA Finals. Throughout his show career, the stallion accumulated earnings of $172,710. He then followed in the footsteps of his sire, Mr San Peppy, into the NCHA Hall of Fame in December 1980.
Besides his accomplishments in the cutting arena, Little Peppy was the all-time leading sire of NCHA competition cutting horses until he was surpassed two years ago. However, his offspring continue to keep his name and the famed King Ranch in the limelight.
According to AQHA records, out of 19 foal crops, Little Peppy sired 2323 foals with a combined 7195.5 lifetime points in all divisions. According to King Ranch, offspring sired by Little Peppy have won some $25 million.
Little Peppy's bloodline remains predominant in the remuda at King Ranch, and the legendary horse will continue to have an important role in King Ranch's future breeding programme.
"He was a gift, you know," said King Ranch Quarter Horse Manager Cody Crider. "You can plan and breed all you want, but you won't get a horse like this 'on purpose,' even though we will all keep on trying."
Little Peppy's grave marker will now stand among other greats such as Old Sorrel, Wimpy, Assault, Middleground, Anita Chica, and Mr San Peppy at the King Ranch Headquarters.
Back to top
Olympic horse events for HK -- (Jul 8) The IOC confirmed today the decision of Beijing Organising Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) that the equestrian competitions of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad would be held in Hong Kong.
The FEI was unable to have the venue changed back to the heart of the 2008 Olympic Games. The main reason given by BOCOG to move the equestrian competitions to Hong Kong surrounded the quarantine and inability to set up and enforce an adequate disease-free zone for horses in China. Although these were mentioned in Beijing's bid when securing the Games, at the time it did not appear to be the insurmountable obstacle that it has now become.
Even if the decision is difficult to accept by many in the equestrian community, the FEI will now turn its full attention to ensure that there is an outstanding Olympic equestrian competition staged in Hong Kong in 2008.
The FEI has confidence in the ability of Hong Kong to stage horse sport and looks forward to joining forces with BOCOG. Hong Kong's experience in hosting international equestrian events is well known, even if a number of issues still remain to be solved. A study on the climate will be conducted this summer, to determine the competition formats and schedules, as the normal weather patterns suggest an extremely hot and humid environment for horses as well as excessive rains and typhoons which could interfere with the timetabling of events. A number of safeguards will be established as the welfare of the competing horses is paramount. The Hong Kong Jockey Club will be integral to this co-operation and it is acknowledged that they already have the best veterinary services in Asia.
Back to top
DNA study sheds light on equine origins -- (Jul 4) New DNA studies are shedding more light on the origin of the horse.
After the Ice Age 11,000 years ago, there were thought to be about 50 species and subspecies of horse in North American. But now ancient DNA has revealed just two species, the now-extinct stilt-legged horses, and the caballines, thought to be the ancestors of the domestic horse.
The analysis of mitochondrial DNA from fossilised bones has been possible only in recent years. In the open access journal PLoS Biology, Drs Jaco Weinstock and Alan Cooper and colleagues use ancient DNA to argue that the Hippidion genus is younger than previously thought and that American stilt-legged horses were American endemics, not Asian emigres. Their analysis has also whittled down the taxonomy of North American species to just two. "I think the biggest issue is that we showed the apparent lack of species diversity in North American horses in the Late Pleistocene - as horses are a poster child of evolution," says Cooper.
To explore the origins of the horses, the authors examined mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) extracted from fossilized horse bones. Mitochondria, which have their own genome, contain a stretch of sequence that's useful for inferring evolutionary relationships: though the region undergoes high mutation rates, the patterns of mutations remain stable over thousands of generations. The mtDNA analysis of the South and North American horses provided evidence that stilt-legged horses, the Hippidion genus, and caballine, or true horses, all arose from a common lineage.
The authors showed that the Hippidion genus is only 3 million years old, a much more recent date than previously believed. "South American horses were thought to stem from a very old lineage of fossil forms in North America," Cooper says. "And instead, our data show that they probably diverged and moved into South America around three million years ago, during the great biotic interchange that occurred when the Panama Isthmus was established."
And while morphological similarities between American stilt-legged horses and certain Eurasian caballines (a group that includes both the domestic horse and the nearly extinct Przewalskii horse of Mongolia) suggest that the stilt-legged horses once trekked across the Bering Strait, the new PLoS Biology study shows that the American and Eurasian horses' genomes are too distinct for this theory. "We found that the stilt-legged horse in North America was in fact a home-grown endemic, and had just converged morphologically, probably due to shared environments," Cooper explains.
The study also suggests that all the North American caballines - traditionally classified as multiple species based on their diverse size - belong to the same species. Thus, only two horse lineages lived in North America during the Late Pleistocene, the stilt-legged horses and the caballines. Though the different horses in each species "varied in size and shape quite a bit" regionally and temporally, Cooper explains, "we see no genetic evidence that these are different species."
If true, the study's new model could provide a tool for exploring how environmental adaptations give rise to morphological variation.

NY race groups join to end slaughter -- (Jul 4)

A voluntary starting fee for gallopers in New York has been instigated to help fight horse slaughter.
The Ferdinand Fee is to honour 1986 Kentucky Derby winner and 1987 US Horse of the Year Ferdinand, who ended up in Japan and was eventually killed for human consumption in 2002.
The fee has been brought about by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and the New York Racing Association.
All money raised will be distributed to horse rescue and retraining programmes through Blue Horse Charities and Thoroughbred Charities of America. In 1989, there were 348,400 horses slaughtered in the US for human consumption overseas. But in 2004 that figure reduced to 65,976, because only three slaughter houses are left in operation.
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act is before the US House of Representtivs

Our Club!!! Members Please Read

Our meeting will be held at the club fourm Saturday at 3 as usual! Please be there, we will be discussing what we want to do as a club and make rule and other very important things! thanks you!

First Rate Advies to First-Aid

2005-07-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

Cuts

Minor cuts and scratches are the most common injuries to horses. The type and location of the cut or scratch and how the horse got the cut can affect the severity of the problem. The most helpful saying a horse owner can learn is "when in doubt, call the vet"! Below are the types of cuts and scratches a horse usually gets.

Clean-cut (incised): probably cause by something sharp. It could be serious if there is a lot of bleeding. If edges of the wound appear clean and straight the wound can be a lot deeper into the skin than they may first appear.

Torn (lacerated): caused by something hard but not blunt, like barbed wire. The edges of the wound are NOT clean and straight, although bleeding is not usually as bad as the clean-cut wounds. There may be swelling.

Puncture: caused by a piercing object, like a nail or thorn. These wounds can be deeper than the external wound suggests, and they have more a risk of infection.

Grazes (abrasions): may not look bad but have a large surface area that is likley to get infection; there is often associated bruising and they can take a long time to heal.

Bruises, lumps, swellings and inflammation (even in the absence of an obvious wound) can be evidence of an underlying injury, and veterinary advice should be sought.

Now that we know that the cuts look like and how they are caused here is how to treat them.

The aims of treatment of wounds are to
· stop the bleeding (duhhh)
· clean and prevent infection
· promote correct healing
. Inflammation and swelling can be reduced by addressing their cause, and by applying cooling treatments.
All treatments should be carried out in accordance with veterinary advice.

Ok to start cleaning the wound you need to use a clean swab that was soaked in warm water to clean the area (REMEMBER: if the area is to large to use just one swab be sure that you have a new one each time!). Then rinse with cold water to reduse the swelling. Put on a bandage to stop the bleeding 9if it is bleeding) until the vet can arrive.

EQgal.

Equine Dreams

HLOA NEWS LETTER!!!

HLOA News Letter

First Rate Advies to First-Aid

Equine Dreams