Barbaro's Resting Place Still Undecided

The AP's Richard Rosenblatt reported today in his syndicated sports article that several public locations are being considered by Roy and Gretchen Jackson, owners of the late, great Barbaro, for an official gravesite where the public could visit.

The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, and the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, are two possibilities, according to Rosenblatt.

Rosenblatt also attributes a comment to Mrs. Jackson that a horse-related museum may be on the drawing board for Pennsylvania, and that will be a possibility as well.

Barbaro was cremated and the article states that no semen was collected from him.

EHV-1 Surfaces Again at Racetracks in California

Dr. Rick Arthur, equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), announced yesterday that two barns are under quarantine at Los Alamitos Race Course following the deaths of two horses from the Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1). One was a stable pony and the other a racehorse. Lab results are pending on other suspected cases.

Elsewhere in California, a mare at Golden Gate Fields near San Francisco aborted a fetus, which subsequently tested positive for EHV-1, although the mare tested negative according to the CHRB. Biosecurity measures are in place at that track.

“The Hoss Died!”

Latte or capacucino, which would it be? I tried not to look at the pastries in the case.

The wind whipped through the little coffee shop as another customer came in from the brisk New England cold. Hats and mittens and scarves decorated the tiny tables. There's hardly room for a cup of coffee once you get all your wrappings off. I knew that the steam on the windows would soon turn to frost.

“Hey, Hey! Didja heah?” the big voice boomed from the back of the shop. “The hoss just died!”

Everyone turned. The pastry chef looked up. Eyes were blank for a while, then they nodded. “Oh…no…you’re kidding!””

“I thought he was getting better!”

“Naaaawwwwwwww…….”

“Weren’t they going to send him to Kentucky or something?”

Everyone knew who “the hoss” was. No one had to explain. And everyone had a comment or a murmur in response to the announcement.

On our little island, there are few horses. These were fishermen, clamdiggers, ice-shovelers, boat builders, out-of-work actors, a landscape painter, a minister and (I think) a well-known playwright. Horses aren’t part of the lives of most of them, unless they’re down at the beach when some riders are out galloping.

Suddenly, they all turned and looked at me. “Hey, Francesca, you’re a writer. You oughta write about that hoss.”

Now it was my turn to murmur, nod, shrug.

“Because, you know,” the Sicilian pastry chef informed me quite authoritatively, “A lot of people know that hoss. And you know, they really cared about him. Geez, what a shame. What a shame!”

For the past 10 years or so, I have heard every subject discussed in that coffee shop, except perhaps horses. Finally, the subject came up. And the place went quiet.

But that was yesterday. Today they’re back arguing about politics again. The volume is turned way up. Everyone speaks at the same time. A lot of hands wave in the air. Coffee gets spilled. Gloves fall to the floor and get wet in the puddles that your boots made on the linoleum. The place is so small, it's hard to push your chair back.

Yesterday, the announcement of the death of “the hoss”, 300 miles away in Pennsylvania, silenced the place. Maybe they didn’t know his name, and didn’t know what laminitis was, but they knew his struggle, and they were touched to silence.

I am sure that scene was repeated in a thousand general stores, pubs, coffee shops, and gas stations yesterday. Everyone had been pulling for that “hoss,” as we say in Gloucester. The world may be falling apart, sea level may be rising, politics may be bitter, everyone's got the flu, and the real estate market is slipping but the hoss was getting better. His recovery was one miracle we dared to imagine.

Breaking through to people’s hearts at a time like this was a miracle in itself. Thanks, Barbaro.

© 2006-2007 The Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.
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Barbaro's Final Update

At around 10:30 this morning, after spending a restless night on his feet in his stall at New Bolton Center, 2006 Kentucky Derby Barbaro was euthanized by his surgeon Dr. Dean Richardson.

I was able to participate in a press briefing from Dr. Richardson this afternoon and can share this information:

1. The decision to euthanize Barbaro was not related to a re-fracture of his leg. To take weight off his foundered left hind, Barbaro bore increased weight on the right hind and severely bruised the lateral heel, which lead to an abscess in that heel area.

2. Barbaro did develop laminitis in both front feet.

3. On Sunday night, Barbaro did not lie down. Richardson said the horse is usually quiet at night and lies down to sleep. He did not do that last night and Richardson said it was the first night the horse had been in distress. The horse's distress was in spite of pain medication and the use of the sling. "We couldn't control his pain," Richardson said.

4. On Monday morning, Barbaro was relatively comfortable in his sling and alert. He ate his grass brought to him by his owners. He was given a heavy dose of tranquilizer and then an overdose of anesthesia through a catheter that was already in his neck.

5. "It could not have been more peaceful," Richardson stressed.

In retrospect, Richardson commented, "There were some Eureka! moments. But this is how science works, it's more like a gradual accumulation of expertise. I am sure I made mistakes, or, I should say, I am sure there were things I could have done better. You have to believe that you will get better at your job, otherwise why would you go to work in the morning?"

Referring to the cascade of events leading to the decision to euthanize the horse, Richardson said, "It's like a deck of cards. If one thing starts to go, others follow."

"My only gratification," he said near the end of the conference, "Is that he had eight or nine months of being a happy horse a majority of the time."

The press conference ended about 4:30 this afternoon.

External Fixation for Barbaro's Right Hind Leg

Left: Barbaro's right hind leg as it appeared on radiographs in November. This leg is now equipped with an external fixation device for support; pins were surgically implanted through the leg to attach to a brace.

A sobering statement from New Bolton Center this morning:

"On Saturday, January 27, Barbaro was taken back to surgery because we could not keep him comfortable on his right hind foot. That foot developed a deep subsolar abscess secondary to bruising when he went through a period of discomfort on the left hind foot. It is not laminitis but the undermining of the sole and part of the lateral heel region are potentially just as serious.

"We attempted to manage the right hind foot in a cast and then in a custom fabricated brace but it was impossible to have access to the foot for treatment as well as acceptable stability and comfort.

"We elected to place his right hind in an external skeletal fixation device in order to provide the foot a chance to heal. This means that two steel pins have been placed transversely through his right hind cannon bone. These pins are connected to external sidebars that in turn are connected to a lightweight alloy foot plate. This results in the horse eliminating all weight bearing from the foot; the horse's weight is borne through the pins across his cannon bone.

"There is significant risk in this approach but we believed it was our only option given the worsening of the right hind foot problem. The major risk of the external skeletal fixation device is that the bone bearing the weight can fracture. Unfortunately, we felt we needed to take this risk because this approach offered our only hope of keeping Barbaro acceptably comfortable.

"He had a perfect recovery from anesthesia and has been in and out of the sling since then. His left hind foot appears to be stable at this time. We remain concerned about both front feet. Remarkably, his attitude and appetite were excellent overnight.

"We will continue to treat Barbaro aggressively as long as he remains bright, alert and eating. This is another significant setback that exemplifies how complex his medical situation remains because both hind limbs have major problems."

External fixation for laminitis and other conditions is not an unproven technique for New Bolton. The hospital's Dr. David Nunamaker is probably the world's leading expert on this type of support. Photos of similar fixations from Hoofcare & Lameness files will be added to this story when I am back in the office.

From Gretchen Jackson, owner of Barbaro, on Saturday:

"He's got a lot of issues, and not any of them is bad enough to say goodbye. But put together it's not a good day for Barbaro," Mrs. Jackson told Mike Jensen of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Scott Morrison DVM, consultant on Barbaro's foundered left hind foot, was at home in Kentucky yesterday.

Journalist Jensen recently won an Eclipse Award, racing's highest honor, for his reporting on Barbaro. He is basically embedded at New Bolton Center, somewhere near the reception desk.

Post University to Host Forum on EHV February 9 with Connecticut State Veterinarian

The Equine Resources Committee at Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut has convened a panel of experts, including state veterinarian Dr. Mary Jane Lis, to discuss the recent outbreak of the Equine Herpes Virus-One in an information session at 7:15 p.m. Friday, February 9, in room 201 of the Drubner Center.

The panel will give the latest overview on EHV-1, including how it develops, the symptoms and treatments as well as preventative measures.There will be information on the status of quarantines in the state and how to control the spread of this disease.The panel will also discuss issues connected with the overall handling of horses to prevent the spread of any communicable disease now and in the future.

This is critical information, as anyone handling horses must be careful that they do not inadvertently spread disease not only from one horse to another, but from one barn to another. The expert panel will include the state veterinarian and other experts and veterinarians from the area, and will be followed by a question and answer period.

The virus has already caused many cancellations of shows and made many horses sick. One horse was treated for the disease at Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, near Waterbury; across the state, the horse farm at the University of Connecticut has been quarantined, with more than a dozen cases.

Tickets will be available for a price of $10 at the door. Those seeking additional information may call 203-596-4631 or e-mail CBaker@post.edu.

Post University has a very active equine studies and management program, as well as therapeutic riding, intercollegiate horse show teams, and student boarders.

British 'Chaser Owner Presents Gift to Horse Charity

More news of charitable largesse from our British counterparts...

Editor's Note: Kauto Star (left, shown with owner Clive Smith at donation presentation) is a British "National Hunt" horse who is poised on the brink of superstardom. He has already won two legs of the Betfair Million and should he win this year's Cheltenham Gold Cup, he receives the bonus prize of a million pounds (US $2 million, approximately).

Last week, some money changed hands in England. Money traveled from The Big Horse down to the The Little Guys when Clive Smith, owner of top chaser Kauto Star, presented The Brooke, Britain’s largest overseas equine welfare charity, with a £125,000 (approximately $250,000 in US dollars) check on behalf of Betfair. The donation is in recognition of the millions of horses around the world that are not as fortunate as Kauto Star.

As Kauto Star prepares for his bid to win the Gold Cup in March, a striking comparison can be made between such prized equine talent and those horses, donkeys and mules tirelessly working in some of the poorest communities in the world. From Afghanistan to Jordan, Kenya to Guatemala, the Brooke’s teams of mobile veterinary units reach the most vulnerable equine animals and provide help where it is most needed.

Clive Smith said: “Racehorses in training in this country are lucky enough to have the best care possible, which throws the conditions experienced by the Brooke’s beneficiaries into sharp relief. It is therefore important that charities such as these remain in the public eye and I am pleased to be associated with such a fantastic cause.”

The Cheltenham Gold Cup, by the way, has 49 horses entered. Kauto Star, who won his last four starts, is on course to follow Best Pal and Desert Orchid as household names in British jump racing, should he win.

"The Brooke" was founded in Egypt in 1934 by a compassionate Englishwoman, Mrs. Dorothy Brooke. She wanted to save ex-cavalry horses abandoned by the British, American and Australian military in Egypt after World War I. From humble beginnings as The Old Warhorse Memorial Hospital, the Brooke has grown into an international lifesaving charity with outreach programs all over the world.

The charity's veterinary programs reach over 500,000 working equine animals each year in Egypt, Jordan, India, Pakistan and Ethiopia, and through partnerships in Afghanistan, Kenya, Israel and Guatemala, ensuring they are healthy, happy and fit for work--and benefiting the several million family members who are supported by their labors.

To learn more, visit http://www.thebrooke.org.

Barbaro Update: Cast changes, heel abscess in right hind

From the University of Pennsylvania today:

“Barbaro was placed under anesthesia yesterday to have his left hind foot cast replaced,” said Dr. Dean W. Richardson, Chief of Surgery. “We also removed the cast on his right hind leg and replaced it with a custom-fabricated plastic and steel orthotic brace to give his foot additional support.” An abscess near the lateral heel of his right hind foot was drained, and the brace that was applied will allow more regular treatment of that foot.

“Barbaro had another smooth pool-recovery and has been comfortable with an excellent attitude and appetite since then,” said Dr. Richardson. “We will probably replace his left hind foot cast under anesthesia again at least two or three times at roughly two-week intervals if his comfort is maintained. We were very pleased with the progress of his left hind foot since the last cast was applied.”

In addition, new shoes were placed on both front feet for additional support.

Waltham and Royal Veterinary College Organize British Laminitis Conference in March

(edited from press release received 25 January)

The WALTHAM® Equine Studies Group and the Royal Veterinary College have joined forces to host a laminitis conference at The Royal Veterinary College at North Mymms, Hertfordshire in England on Saturday March 24, 2007. Targeted at vets, researchers and others interested in the condition, the conference includes recent research findings and advice with respect to laminitis.

Pat Harris MRCVS, head of the WALTHAM® Equine Studies Group will chair the conference; she said: "This conference should bring you up to date with the current thinking on the pathophysiology of laminitis and how to manage affected animals. In addition, we will provide exciting new insights into ways that may help us to predict which animals are more likely to suffer from this debilitating condition, as well as management strategies that may reduce the risk of an episode occurring."

The program covers key aspects of laminitis, its possible causes and management regimens. Annette Longland BSc, PhD will discuss "Starch, sugar, and fructans: what are they and how important are they?". Jonathan Elliott MRCVS (Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology) will look at new insights into the cause. Ray Geor PhD, DACVIM will examine the role of obesity and insulin resistance. Pat Harris will cover the nutritional counter-measures to laminitis. Celia Marr PhD, MRCVS will examine the medical management of the acutely laminitic Horse. Simon Curtis FWCF HonAssocRCVS will explain the role of the farrier in the management of laminitis. Nicola Menzies-Gow MRCVS (Lecturer in Equine Medicine) will provide insights based on various laminitis field studies. Jonathan Elliott will present a paper by Simon Bailey MRCVS (Lecturer in Veterinary Pharmacology) examining how an increased risk of suffering from this condition may be predicted now and in the future.

To register for the conference please telephone Kerry Knight on (011+ from the USA) +44 (0) 1908 576258. The fee is £30 (approximately $60US), which includes lunch and a full copy of the proceedings.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's first and largest veterinary school and a constituent College of the University of London. Equine laminitis has been a focus for researchers at the College for the past 15 years. The research team involved includes pharmacologists, endothelial cell biologists, bacteriologists, endocrinologists and epidemiologists. The group has made significant steps towards understanding the link between events in the gastrointestinal tract and failure of the dermal-epidermal bonds within the hoof laminae. Recent work has turned to understanding the factors making some horses and ponies particularly susceptible to bouts of laminitis.

EHV Found in Dutchess County, New York...Maybe?

Rural, affluent Dutchess County, New York is the latest hot spot on the Equine Herpes Virus map. Cornell University county extension offices in the country reported on Monday that the virus has been discovered, and more news should be available shortly.

If you live in Dutchess County and want more information, try these links; at the time of this posting, there is little information available. One veterinarian from the immediate area claimed that the horse in question was not confirmed to have EHV. The state of New York usually is excellent about communications, so check the web for updates before you panic.

Two outbreaks of EHV occured in the past month in nearby Connecticut. Dutchess County is not far from Fairfield Equine Associates, site of one of the outbreaks.

Here are some good links to seek more information if you live in the area:

Dutchess County Agriculture Extension Office in Millbrook

New York State Horse Council

Recommended site for general infomration on Equine Herpes Virus:

University of Florida vet school's information site on EHV

The initial official information to date:

"Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County has announced that EHV-1 has been diagnosed in a horse residing in Dutchess County, New York. EHV-1 is the widely used short form for a commonly occurring form of Equine Herpes Virus. A diagnosis of EHV-1 of concern due to its communicability, its abortive effect on pregnant broodmares, and a form of the virus that is appearing that causes neurological symptoms that can cause death.

"Your vigilance is critical not only with watching out for clinical signs, but using the appropriate biosecurity measures as well.

Suggested steps posted by Ms. Jennifer E. Fimbel, Livestock Resource Educator of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Dutchess County:

"Please use the posted link on the New York State Agriculture and Markets website - http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/ehv1.html

"Follow that link to the procedures outlined by the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Science. These articles are easy to access, easy to read and fully downloadable."

Dutchess County is home to horsey communities like Millbrook, Amenia, Pawling, and Rhinebeck. Many Thoroughbred and Standardbred breeding farms are in the county; eventing, hunter/jumper shows, and foxhunting are popular there, as well, but almost all breeds and types of horses are found in the county. A recent New York Times travel section article about Pawling was titled "Billionaires Welcome!" Pawling is one of the few towns in the area that has not outlawed private helipads on farms. Martha Stewart lives in Dutchess County with her four Dutch Friesians.

Dutchess County lies along the Hudson River bordering Connecticut, south of Albany, about 70 miles north of Manhattan. It is a lovely place to be a horse. It is also chilling to think about an outbreak in this area because so many horses are in transit from and to trainers and racetracks; breeding season is also in full swing for the Thoroughbred farms there.

Eclipse Awards Ceremony Honors The Trials of Barbaro; Top Racing Honors Go to Bernardini and Invasor; Prado Named Top Jockey

Perhaps I haven't paid enough attention to the Eclipse Awards ("Horse of the Year") given at the start of each year for performances in the year before. There is always a lot of suspense around the age categories, and speculation on which Eclipse winner will be named Horse of the Year. But I don't remember so much media attention--ever--as there was for tonight's ceremony in Los Angeles.

This year, wounded Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was a candidate for Best Three-Year-Old Colt and, had he won his division, he might have become the first Horse of the Year to be crowned in the confines of an equine hospital's ICU stall.

That was not to be case; three-year-old colt honors fell on the handsome neck of Bernardini, trained by Kieran McLaughlin. Bernardini won the fateful Preakness Stakes in which Barbaro pulled up with a dangling hind leg.

As if choreographed for a Hollywood script, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's "Moment of the Year" was emergence of Barbaro from his seven hour surgery at New Bolton Center the following day.

Horse of the Year honors went to Invasor, the champion from Uruguay who headed north and won his USA races, including the Breeders Cup Classic, with his ears pricked.

But wait a minute, cue Barbaro again: A "Special Eclipse" was given to Barbaro's owners, the Jacksons, and to Dean Richardson DVM, Barbaro's astute surgeon who stayed on to become his personal veterinarian and media spokesperson.

Add an Eclipse Award for best jockey to Barbaro's pilot, Edgar Prado (who can forget those photos of him patting Barbaro while double-wrapped inside surgical gowns?). Tonight's Eclipse Awards were as much about Barbaro and his fight for survival as they were about racing.

Now that's a change. Barbaro has brought tremendous attention and publicity to racing and we are about to embark on a new Triple Crown trail. And the producers of the awards ceremony played to the crowd.

How sad that it took a horse's pain and suffering to bring mainstream media attention to racing. Sound horses are relegated to a score box buried in the sports section; a champion with a broken leg dangling from a sling makes the front page.

Invasor's pricked Uruguayan ears and Bernardini's handsome neck might be forgotten quickly by the public once the champions leave the racetrack (Bernardini is already gone to the breeding shed), but no one will forget the post-op picture of Barbaro dangling over the recovery pool.

Bring on the next class of aspiring champions. It would be nice to report that New Bolton Center put away the sling and drained the recovery pool and Barbaro moved on to a rehabilitation barn. I'll look forward to writing that Hollywood ending.

The Health of the Horse World: Sheikh Buys Saratoga Springs (NY) Landmark

Darley Stable, owned by Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, has purchased the 106-acre landmark training farm known as Stonerside Stable, a stone's thrown from the stabling area of 150-year-old Saratoga Racecourse. In the opposite direction, the farm is near Saratoga's new "racino" gambling palace at the harness track. Stonerside literally straddles the two worlds of horseracing, past and (what some believe to be) future.

Stonerside, known as Greentree when it was owned by the fabled Whitney racing family, is an expanse of green along Nelson Avenue. The farm's old stables have been preserved and the farm is nestled among tall, old trees. A one-mile private training track dominates the property.

It's too early to tell what changes Darley might make to the property or if restrictions may be in place to prevent changes to the scenic spot. Or if they will change the name.

The commitment of a farm like Darley to the brief racing season at Saratoga is an indicator of the appeal of the town and its racing culture. As far as I know, Darley currently does not breed mares or raise any foals for New York's in-state breeding program but the planting of an internationl racing corporation's flag in the soil of a new state has to be seen as good news for the local economy and the future of summer racing at Saratoga.

Darley's homebred Bernardini won the Jim Dandy and Travers, two of Saratoga's richest stakes races, in 2006.

"We noticed that the horses seemed to thrive mentally and physically up there," said Jim Bell, Darley's president of American operations, in yesterday's Saratogian newspaper. "It's just a tremendous training facility. That was the driving force behind the purchase. Our investment has truly been for the horses."

Who wouldn't thrive at Stonerside? I have been fortunate to stroll its grounds many times in my Saratoga adventures. I have always called this place "Horse Heaven on Earth." If the essence of the farm could be bottled, it would be a top-selling supplement. And I'd buy some for myself.

To read an excellent article about Darley's acquisition of Stonerside, read Sunday's Saratogian summary of the transaction.

A note about Darley: Education plays an interesting role at Darley, which operates an innovative Thoroughbred industry education program called "Darley Flying Start."

Once accepted, a group of 20 or so adult students spend two years touring the world of racing--Australia, Kentucky, Newmarket (UK), Dubai, etc.--while completing formal courses and work-study internships in various areas of breeding, farm management and racing, with a large emphasis on horse health and management. Perhaps Stonerside in Saratoga will become a stop on this top-class educational circuit.

© 2006-2007 The Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.
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Texas Cowboys Didn't Eat Their Horses, Judge Says in State Slaughter Ruling

"The lone cowboy riding his horse on a Texas trail is a cinematic icon. Not once in memory did the cowboy eat his horse," wrote Judge Fortunato Benavides, one of three judges in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, Louisiana who ruled on Friday in favor of enforcement of a 1949 Texas state law outlawing horse slaughter in the state. The ruling had been declared invalid because a federal law permits horse slaughter but the judges upheld the decision. How and when it will be enforced is not known at this time, but if the Texas law does shut down the two horsemeat plants in the state, only one slaughterhouse, in Illinois, will operate in the USA.

Meanwhile, slaughter plant owners claim they do not have to shut down and that the judgment may not be final.

To learn more: the web is lit up today with this story. Here are some links:

HSUS news report (HSUS filed a friend-of-the-court brief in this hearing)

Dallas Morning News report

Statement from the slaughter plant owners

More on this story: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 100,800 American horses were slaughtered in three foreign-owned slaughter houses operating in the USA in 2006. Opponents of the slaughter ban argue the practice constitutes a humane way to kill old animals, but USDA statistics show that more than 92 percent of horses slaughtered in the U.S. are not old and infirm but in good condition.

There is currently no legislation in the USA to prohibit the export of horses for slaughter. Thousands of US horses are slaughtered in Mexico, Canada, and Japan each year.

Legislation to ban the slaughter of American horses nationwide was introduced this week in the 110th Congress, and Friday's Texas court ruling will give further momentum to the federal legislative effort.

In the U.S. Senate, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, S. 311, was launched Jan. 17 by Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.), with 12 original cosponsors. In the U.S. House, Reps. Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.) Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), John Spratt (D-S.C.), and Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) introduced a companion bill, H.R. 503, the same day with 62 original cosponsors.

The measure received tremendous bipartisan support in the 109th Congress, winning a vote of 263 to 146 in the House. It stalled in the Senate in late 2006, however, and was not brought up for a vote before Congress adjourned, even though a similar effort had been overwhelmingly approved by the Senate in 2005.

This is a complex issue that goes far beyond the fact that more horses will be slaughtered for meat this week. Banning horse slaughter would necessitate a cultural revolution in the American horse industry and the launch of a euthanasia/disposal-for-profit industry.

In England, ads for horse crematoriums dot the classified pages of horse magazines. Still, the International Fund for Horses reports that 35,000 horses a year are slaughtered in that country, which would be a higher per-capita ratio of horses than in the USA.

Horse slaughter politics that started in the USA are now spreading around the world. There are no easy answers and this is an important issue for all to consider. Read everything you can, from both sides of the killer pens. The horses deserve solutions and options, not more arguments about simply "yes" or "no" to the slaughter debate.

© 2006-2007 The Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.
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Equine Sports Medicine Center Slated for Ocala, Florida

(This information is extracted from a press release)

Ocala, Florida, January 19, 2007 - Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center (KESMARC) and Main Street Management Services, Inc. (Main Street) today announced the formation of a joint venture to build a world-class equine sports medicine facility in Ocala, Florida. The new center will be an integral part of the re-development of the 426-acre Farnsworth Farm into an equestrian community. Groundbreaking is scheduled for second quarter of 2007 with targeted completion by the beginning of 2008.

Dedicated to the recovery and conditioning of horses from all disciplines, KESMARC-Florida will offer complete rehabilitation, including:
- Post-surgical through return-to-training
- Conditioning after lay-off
- Pre-conditioning prior to training/competing.

"With KESMARC-Florida, we have the opportunity to utilize decades of combined equine experience to design and establish the most professional rehabilitation center for horses world-wide," stated Shelena Hoberg, CHT, EqcTPM.

KESMARC-Florida, will feature a world class hyperbaric (oxygen) center which will be second to none, as well as:
- Equine swimming pool
- Two eurocisers
- Waterciser
- Aqua treadmill
- Indoor polytrack
- 20-stall climate-controlled barn
- Additional housing for 70 horse.

KESMARC's "Hub" and Kirsten Johnson will act as technical advisers during the design and
construction phases of the new facility as well as manage and operate the Center upon completion. As a driving force behind hyperbaric veterinary research at the Gluck Equine Research Center, the Johnsons have pioneered the development and application of innovative therapies for equine athletes.

Located just outside of Lexington, Kentucky, the current KESMARC facility includes a swimming pool, aqua treadmill, a eurociser (free-style automatic walker), and a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

SINGLE BRITISH HORSE CHARITY PUMPS £1 MILLION (approx. US$2 million) INTO EQUINE RESEARCH

Via press release and history files on hand
(FRIDAY JANUARY 19) The Horse Trust, based in Great Britain, has committed a further £1 million (approximately $2 million in USD) to equine research and clinical scholarships. The Trust, formerly known as the Home of Rest for Horses, created five clinical scholarships and five scientific research grants following the recent meeting of its Scientific Committee.

Paul Jepson, Chief Executive and Veterinary Director of the Trust said, "The Horse Trust's investment in equine research illustrates the charity's commitment to the health and welfare of all horses, to reduce pain and suffering and find cures and treatments to a variety of diseases."

THE HORSE TRUST'S 2007 GRANTS:

University of Bristol: Veterinary School Clinical Scholarship in Equine Studies
(Dentistry) £ 80,000
University of Edinburgh: Clinical Scholarship in Equine Studies £ 80,000
University of Glasgow: Veterinary Clinical Scholarship in Equine Clinical
Studies £ 80,000
University of Liverpool: Mucin gene expression in the equine respiratory tract
in response to disease relevant mediators £ 136,285
Animal Health Trust: A nationwide system for surveillance of equine grass
sickness - Phase 1: Development and implementation £ 89,873
Royal Veterinary College: Clinical Scholarship in Equine Clinical Epidemiology £ 80,000 Royal Veterinary College: Down-regulation of neutrophil accumulation in equine
inflammatory disease £ 182,056
UCL Institute of Orthopaedics: Age related changes to matrix turnover in functionally distinct equine tendons - an important determinant of susceptibility to tendonitis in horses £ 145,422
University of Liverpool : Equine geriatric health and welfare in the UK £131,560
University of Liverpool: Clinical Scholarship in Equine Gastroenterology £80,000
TOTAL £1,085,196

The Horse Trust is the largest provider of funds for equine welfare in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1886, it is the oldest horse charity in the UK. Miss Ann Lindo, inspired by the book 'Black Beauty' and determined to do something about the plight of working horses, set up a home of rest for horses, mules and donkeys at a farm near London. Fittingly its first resident was an overworked London cab horse.

During the First World War, "The Home" provided the prototype of an early motorised horse ambulance to help the evacuation of wounded horses from the front lines in France.

When the number of working horses depending on a recovery farm declined in the mid-20th century, the group formed a foundation with the purpose of giving grants to aid the welfare of horses.

The Horse Trust is committed to a program of welfare, science and education: it funds research into equine diseases; gives grants to help build and equip equine hospitals throughout the country and works to raise awareness of the importance of cost, care and commitment to responsible horse ownership. The Horse Trust also manages The Home of Rest for Horses which, funded solely by donations and legacies, provides lifetime sanctuary for more than 100 retired working horses, ponies and donkeys.

Editor's note: Great Britain is home to 1.35 million horses, according to the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA); The Horse Trust is one of many funding sources there, although it is the largest. By way of comparison in the USA, which is home to between 6 and 10 million horses (depending on whose figures you accept), the largest funding charity is the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, which allocated $957,260 to research projects in 2006. According to the watchdog web site charitynavigator.org, that foundation allocates approximately $750,000 per year to research. The American Quarter Horse Foundation allocated approximately $500,000 for research support this year. No doubt the contributions of The Horse Trust are resulting in new medical and welfare benefits to horses all over the world.

Cornell Study Encouraging for Platelet-Rich Plasma Use in Tendon Injuries

Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy is a relatively new buzzword in the continuing search for better, safer, and faster recovery of horses with tendon injuries. In the current issue of the Journal of Orthopedic Research, Cornell researchers Schnabel, Mohammed, et al reported encouraging data when evaluating platelet-rich plasma's effects on the tissue of a superficial digital extensor tendon of a horse under experimental laboratory conditions.

Visit the PRP Blog for more information on the Cornell study.

EHV Spreads Through Quarantined UConn Horse Herd; University to Host Symposium on Disease in March

According to the University web site's special page about the Equine Herpes Virus (EHV) outbreak, 21 of 80 horses are now affected, and five have shown neurological symptoms of the disease. No horses have been euthanized, and all are expected to recover.

Please scroll down to the January 9 story on this blog about the outbreak at UConn and the horses housed at the facility.

Today's UConn announcement states: "Some of the horses that are ill at the UCONN facility have exhibited fever and respiratory disease and some have exhibited the neurological form of the disease. Affected horses are being tested and treated to minimize discomfort. In the meantime, the stables are being sanitized regularly and coursework directly involving the horses, polo practice and other activities has been temporarily suspended."

The University of Connecticut has announced that it will host a symposium on equine disease outbreaks and EHV in particular. The New England Conference on Equine Health and Management will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2007 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.at the Ratcliffe Hicks Arena at UConn's Storrs Campus. A registration fee of $5 will be charged.

Sponsored by the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Department of Animal Science,the conference will feature Dr. Sanchez of Tufts University, who is handling the current UConn EHV outbreak. Additional speakeres will be Dr. Sandra Bushmich on biosecurity and Dr. Jenifer Nadeau on best management practices for disaster preparedness. Other topics will include senior equine management, podiatry, horse manure management, etc.

For more information, contact Dr. Jenifer Nadeau (jenifer.nadeau@uconn.edu) or call her office: 860 486 4471.

Get Involved: Volunteer at the 2008 Olympics Equestrian Events

More than 7,000 applications from would-be volunteers at the 2008 Olympics equestrian events in Hong Kong have been received, a spokesman for the organizers announced on January 16.

The spokesman said that 750 of the applicants were shortlisted with potential for becoming leader-volunteers, pending interviews.

These interviews will be wrapped up by this week, with the notification of the 100 leader-volunteers to be made probably by the first week in February.

The spokesman added that the first residential training session will be held "after the Lunar New Year holidays," probably in March; 2007 is the year of the boar, by the way.

Experienced trainers of Olympic events from Australia will be in Hong Kong to advise on the program of leader-volunteers, the spokesman said.

Those not selected in the first batch of leader-trainers will be invited to indicate their continued interest in becoming general volunteers and to update their information.

Phase two of the recruitment will target universities, language schools and international schools as well as retired government servants.

The spokesman said applications are still open for persons interested in becoming volunteers for the Olympics Equestrian Events, which will be held for the first time on Chinese soil, in Hong Kong in August 2008.

The equestrian events were moved from Beijing to the island of Hong Kong because of fears about horse health security in Beijing. The trade-off will be Hong Kong's humid, sub-tropical climate and its potentially adverse effects on warmblood horses.

A test event will be held in August this year.

At total of 1,800 volunteers will be needed for the equestrian events; this opportunity would also be useful for anyone hoping to volunteer for the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games, to be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY.

Interested in applying? Learn more about the application process by visiting www.equestrian2008.org.

Sign me up!

Nigerian Polo Suffers Disease Outbreak

It's amazing, this blog business. You never know who's reading your posts...or where they are reading them.

The recent flurry of news about Equine Herpes Virus (EHV) in odd corners of the USA brought to light another outbreak of this highly infectious but increasingly common equine disease. And that location is far from the normal spotlight of our equestrian and racing reporting.

The news comes from Lagos, Nigeria, where polo is a National Big Deal. Polo clubs abound there and elsewhere in Africa, where a lively mix of Indian and Pakistani import workers share a love for the sport with the native Nigerians. And just to make it even more international, the ponies are a mix of expensive Argentine imports and native crossbreds.

Unfortunately, there are fewer polo ponies in Nigeria this week than last week. A recurrent outbreak of a disease thought to be EHV at other polo clubs in the country has now reached the capitol city, and our source says that 40 ponies died last week alone there.

The story might end here except that, in the literature of EHV there lies a documentation in the 1990s of a very high rate of EHV exposure in Nigerian polo ponies. It is probably the only study I have ever seen of Nigerian horses; it came from the vet school at the University of Ibadan there.

To quote the study's abstract: "Eighty-two percent of horses tested with known antigen had precipitating antibodies to EHV-1 while 43% of sera tested against antigen prepared from nasal discharges were positive suggesting that the virus was being excreted in the nasal discharges and probably acting as a source of infection for incontact animals as occurs in on-going acute infections. The result of this study indicates a high prevalence of EHV-1 activity among polo horses in Nigeria and demonstrates the ubiquitous distribution of the virus in a country that has not been previously investigated."

A previous study had documented the high incidence of toxoplasmosis in the polo ponies and compared the parasite counts in the Argentine ponies in comparison to the native ponies.

A quick check locally disclosed that the Nigerian team played in Newport, Rhode Island's international tournament this summer and that teams from around the world visit Nigeria for their international tournaments, which includes a worldwide military polo tournament.

Apparently, polo and golf are the nation's preferred sports.

UPDATE TO THIS STORY (January 18) from the International Society for Infectious Diseases: "Indications from equine veterinarians from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan currently investigating the Lagos polo outbreaks (in conjunction with the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), in Vom, Nigeria, which is the principal veterinary research institute in Nigeria, point rather to African horse sickness as the most likely diagnosis."

By the way, if you're interested in polo and/or racing in Africa, head to your local independently-owned bookshop and pick up a copy of West with the Night by Beryl Markham. This beautifully written memoir of life in the horse world of Kenya by one of earliest women flying aces reads like "Out of Africa" meets "Seabiscuit"...and it's all true. Horses trained by Ms. Markham won the Kenya Derby six times. But there's much more to this book that her string of victories. Her battle with a mysterious disease that affected the muscles of her racehorse is fascinating.

Special Eclipse Award for Barbaro's Owners, UPenn

(From an NTRA Press Release) The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) today announced that Roy and Gretchen Jackson and the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at New Bolton Center, have been honored with the 2006 Special Eclipse Award. The Special Eclipse Award, which is presented by the National Turf Writers Association, Daily Racing Form and the NTRA, honors outstanding individual achievements in, or contributions to, the sport of Thoroughbred racing.

The Jacksons, owners of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, and the representatives from the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, who were responsible for the horse’s emergency surgery and continued recovery, will be presented the Special Eclipse at the 36th annual Eclipse Awards on Monday, January 22 at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.

In the hours that followed the near fatal injury to Barbaro in the 131st Preakness Stakes on May 20 in Baltimore, the nation’s attention was focused on the Jacksons -- who campaigned Barbaro with trainer Michael Matz and jockey Edgar Prado -- and the veterinary staff at the New Bolton Center, led by chief of surgery, Dr. Dean Richardson. In the difficult first hours of the crisis, the Jacksons took every reasonable measure to save Babaro’s life, and demonstrated great strength and compassion as an outpouring of hope and prayers flowed in to the New Bolton Center from well wishers around the world.

“We’ve tried to do the right thing from the start,” said Roy Jackson. “It’s been a surreal journey for us since the start of 2006 with a lot of ups and downs, but it is a real highlight in this journey to be recognized by the industry in this fashion,” said Roy Jackson. “It’s not just for ourselves,” Jackson, continued, “but also for Barbaro. He’s been the one taking us on this journey.”

Commenting on the New Bolton Center, Jackson added, “They have been remarkable throughout the whole process. Dean Richardson has done a wonderful job in explaining Barbaro’s condition to the general public in layman’s terms. Barbaro has brought them to the forefront, but they’ve been able to do remarkable things through combined research between the medical school and the vet school. They are leaders in their field.”

“Penn Vet is honored to represent the veterinary profession by receiving this extremely prestigious award from the Thoroughbred racing industry,” said Dr. Joan C. Hendricks, the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “As veterinarians, we are grateful for the expressions of confidence in the care we provide and are appreciative of the outpouring of support we have received from around the nation during the past year. I am proud of our profession's role in improving the racing industry.”

--end press release--

Editor's comment: Barbaro is also a candidate for the Eclipse Award for best three-year-old colt; should he win that category, he would qualify for Horse of the Year. Voting closed at the end of 2006, so it is not likely that Barbaro's recent problems would have gained him any sympathy votes. Lava Man and Bernardini, who won the Preakness Stakes in which Barbaro was injured, are also nominated. As I understand the speculations as I read the Thoroughbred Blogger Alliance commentators, Bernardini is favored, and Invasor (who in turn beat Bernardini in the Breeders Cup) is favored for best older horse. Both of those horses are owned by members of the royal family of Dubai.

Invasor and Lava Man, a gelding, will be back to race again in 2007; Bernardini has been retired and sent to stud, a move that has disappointed thousands of racing fans.

More Anesthesia, Second Tenotomy on Left Hind, Cast on Right Hind for Barbaro

Statement received from the University of Pennsylvania today:

As previously planned, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was placed under general anesthesia this morning to fully examine his left hind foot. “While his condition was unchanged over the last two days, we were unable to fully assess his left hind foot with him in his stall,” said Dr. Dean W. Richardson, Chief of Surgery. “In today’s procedure, another area of undermined hoof wall was removed. The left hind deep digital flexor tendon was cut to help decrease the pull on the coffin bone by that tendon. This was previously done in July, but the tendon had healed and was pulling on the coffin bone, contributing to the malalignment of the coffin bone. Because he has been more uncomfortable on his left hind, we put a cast back on the right hind lower limb for additional support. ”

Dr. Richardson reports that “Barbaro was awoken from anesthesia once more in the recovery-pool and had an uneventful recovery. He continues to receive intensive management for his discomfort on the left hind foot.”

Barbaro remains in the Intensive Care Unit of Penn’s George D. Widener Hospital at New Bolton Center.

Barbaro Clarification: Richardson Explains Cast Did Not Cause Flare-Up in Hoof

The American public received a good lesson in the frustration of dealing with laminitis this week, as injured racehorse Barbaro experienced a flare-up of discomfort in his foundered foot. The episode began less than a week after a foot cast was applied by Rood and Riddle veterinarian Scott Morrison to stabilize the foot.

Surgeon Dean Richardson clarified today that the horse's problem is the sub-quality hoof growth, not the cast itself, in an interview with Dan Gelston.

"The medial aspect of the hoof was always going to be a problem because of the way it was healing," Richardson told Gelston, whose stories are distributed worldwide by the Associated Press (AP). "The cast did not cause this problem. This issue with the foot was probably inevitable."

Photo caption: Dr. Scott Morrison tends to a low-rise hoof cast on Thoroughbred mare Banjolene at the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. Photo courtesy of Dr. Morrison; © Hoofcare & Lameness Journal

HSUS Assists Horses Affected by Disaster in US West

Severe drought and past wildfires have made feeding horses in the Western United States difficult at best. These ecological disruptions have caused a shortage of hay and alfalfa. Two donations by The Humane Society of the United States hope to help feed horses in need.

* The Humane Society of the United States today announced the results of auctioned VIP Indy car-racing packages that helped raise money for horse sanctuaries in the upper Midwest and Western states. $30,588 will go to sanctuaries and horse rescue groups in Alaska, Idaho, North Dakota and South Dakota that have been impacted by severe drought and other factors such as wildfires. The VIP packages were generously donated by Mari George, the Chairman of the Board of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

* The Humane Society of the United States today also announced a $15,000 donation to the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros in South Dakota. The money will be used to feed the organization's three herds suffering from the Category 4 drought.

HSUS Disaster Services aims to help animals involved in emergency situations. For more information on HSUS Disaster Services, visit www.hsus.org/disastercenter.

Barbaro Close-Up: Morrison Comments on Healing Process in Laminitis

In an interview Thursday with the Louisville Courier-Journal's Jennie Rees, Rood and Riddle veterinarian Scott Morrison discussed the process of healing, or re-growth, in a laminitic foot, and Barbaro's laminitic foot in particular.

According to Morrison and statements from New Bolton Center, star-patient and national focus Barbaro is experiencing a deficit in re-growth of the hoof wall on the inner (medial) portion of his left hind foot. This is the foot that was ravaged by laminitis damage in July and August. His right hind leg was broken and then surgically repaired after a breakdown in the Preakness Stakes in May.

"It's all part of that same story," he said. "This is all part of that rehabilitation of the foot. The horse's foot had a grim prognosis in July, and I wouldn't say that's changed much yet."

"For a foot to rehabilitate it's got to grow hoof wall around all regions of the foot," Morrison said. "Not just half. The fact that he's growing half a foot doesn't mean he's half way there. You have to show signs of true growth everywhere.

". . . During the process of rehabilitating a foot, there are pieces that are going to be weak and are going to need to be trimmed off and tended to. Any time there is instability there is going to lameness and pain because the horse has to bear weight while he's rehabilitating this new hoof. It's not like you can just put him on bed rest like a person or hand him some crutches."

Morrison said he speaks daily with Richardson and did so twice Tuesday and again by midday Wednesday. Morrison said he thinks Barbaro's left hind foot will be bandaged for several days "and probably eventually go back to another foot cast."

Morrison said the setback is one of the many "secondary complications that can occur when you're trying to grow back a foot."

Still, he said he has had several cases where horses have recovered after losing their entire hoof wall to laminitis. He said it's possible Barbaro will begin growing new hoof wall on the inner side of the foot.

"Sometimes it can take several months" just to begin growing, he said. "In other cases they never do generate new hoof wall.

"Obviously, I hope it's just a minor setback, that he's got some soreness from the continued structural instability of that foot."

Click here to read the full article.

California Study Documents Horse Heart Rate Coherence and Links to Human Interaction

(Via Newswise Press Release, Edited for The Jurga Report) — Can a horse’s heart rhythms reflect its emotional state? Do horses respond to the emotional state of a nearby human?

Yes, according to data collected in a pilot study conducted by
Alliant International University Professor Ellen S. Kaye Gehrke, PhD and the Institute of HeartMath.

When in contact, a horse’s heart rate may mirror a human’s emotions, signifying a close unspoken form of communication between man and beast, writes Gehrke. The horse as emotion detector may be the key to eliminating invasive procedures such as those that measure cortisol, a stress hormone.

According to Gehrke, horses have long been known to be sensitive to their environments. The preliminary research project “Horses and Humans Energetics: The Study of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Between Horses and Humans” is the first step to proving horses to be as equally sensitive to the humans within that environment.

For years humans have reported emotional bonds with animals. Horses are often used therapeutically with emotionally and mentally ill and handicapped children and adults. This pilot study is the beginning of many studies to provide the research and data to support these reported bonds.

The study took place at Dr. Gehrke’s San Diego ranch where ECG recorders were placed on her and four of her horses. The subjects were monitored during a 24-hour period in which the horses experienced normal conditions and activities such as eating, grooming, being alone, and being ridden and accompanied by Gehrke.

The ECG recorders projected increased coherent heart rate variability (HRV) patterns for the horses during times of close, calm contact between them and Dr. Gehrke, who said that coherent HRV patterns are the result of positive emotions and that they facilitate brain function.

“Horses receive information from body language and give feedback. They don’t think very much, they feel. They are very emotional and honest,” said Dr. Gehrke. “They also have a powerful impact on your sense of self and ability to lead.”

As a professor at the Business Management Division of Alliant’s Marshall Goldsmith School of Management, Dr. Gehrke often brings students to her
Rolling Horse Ranch for human development, leadership and team-building. Gehrke trains wild horses--and future business leaders--at the ranch.

Dr. Gehrke continues to collect more data and plans to eventually conduct similar studies with canines to better match humans with service dogs.


© 2006-2007 The Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.
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Barbaro Update: The Sling is Back

The latest from New Bolton Center, received this morning:

"Barbaro is stable and acceptably comfortable.

"Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro's management has been changed to include sling support for several hours during the day, according to Dr. Dean W. Richardson, Chief of Surgery.

"He is getting up and down on his own and continues to eat and have stable vital signs. Radiographs (X-rays) taken yesterday revealed no additional complications in either hind leg. We are considering several additional therapeutic options at this time. He is stable and acceptably comfortable."

Laminitis therapy is a roller coaster ride, at best. It is not productive to try to read between the lines of the carefully-written reports from New Bolton Center. Client confidentiality and university liability require a precise choice of words.

However, in no way does this report, or yesterday's missive, indicate that the horse has suffered a recurrence of the laminitis itself. The problem is in the management of the partially-regrown hoof wall and in achieving a goal of optimal weightbearing/load share on both hind legs. Remember that both hind hooves and shoes have been adjusted, trimmed or treated recently and the horse surely reacted to one or more of those adjustments and/or pressure of the cast on the exposed hoof tissue.

Adjustments of appliances and minor surgical procedures during therapy are routine parts of the process, sometimes based on trial and error and sometimes on compromise.

Updates and insights will be posted on this blog.

EHV Problems Move to Southern California

Our friends at The Blood-Horse are reporting that three horses at Los Alamitos racetrack in Southern California have tested positive for Equine Herpes Virus, Type 1 (EHV-1).

Los Alamitos is best known for its after-dark Quarter horse racing circuit, but it is also unique in that, at different times, you might find Thoroughbreds, Paints, Appaloosas, or Arabians racing there too. The track is located south of Los Angeles, between Long Beach and Anaheim.

Last week, as reported in this blog, California state officials quarantined three racetracks in Northern California when a racehorse tested positive for EHV-1.

19th Annual Equine Reproduction Workshop in Vermont

The University of Vermont ("UVM") Morgan Horse Farm, the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, and the Middlebury (Vermont) Large Animal Clinic will host the 19^th Annual Reproduction Workshop beginning the afternoon of Friday, March 30 and continuing for a full day on Saturday, March 31, 2007.

The Workshop will be held at the Middlebury Inn, 14 Court Square, in Middlebury, Vermont, which is near the UVM Morgan Farm and the Middlebury Large Animal Clinic.

Dr. Donald Hunt and associates are skilled veterinary practitioners in equine reproduction and physiology. They will discuss managing the uses of lights, hormones, and ultrasound in a breeding program; anatomy and physiology of the mare and stallion; embryo transfer; artificial insemination; and foaling/neonatal care.

The topics covered by Dr. Josie Davis of the University of Vermont's Equine Studies Program and Katie Ballard, Director of Research and Equine Program Coordinator at Miner Institute, will include updates on materials, techniques and procedures for collecting, processing and transporting fresh-cooled and frozen stallion semen.

The staff of the UVM Morgan Horse Farm, Miner Institute and the veterinarians will guide workshop participants through hands-on participation and demonstrations of ultrasound, teasing procedures, semen collection and processing, artificial insemination and frozen semen handling. The important step of training the inexperienced stallion to the breeding phantom is also demonstrated.

The registration fee of $250 includes workshop materials and meals. Spaces are limited to 25 participants and become filled well in advance.

Call the UVM Morgan Horse Farm at (802) 388-2011, Monday through Friday, for further information.

Barbaro: Cast Removed at New Bolton Center

This update was received this morning from the University of Pennsylvania:

"Barbaro has had a significant setback over the last 24 hours. He became acutely more uncomfortable on his left hind foot. The foot cast was removed and some new separation of the medial (inside) portion of his hoof was found. This required some additional debridement (removal of the damaged tissue) last night.

"He is being treated much more aggressively at this time for his discomfort. He is continuing to eat well and is otherwise stable."

A foot cast was re-applied to Barbaro's laminitic foot a week ago by laminitis-specialist veterinarian Scott Morrison of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. Scroll down to read more about the cast and Dr. Morrison's comments about its design and use.

Mike Jensen, staff writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer was at New Bolton Center this morning and filed this report just before noon.

© 2006-2007 The Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.
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Rood and Riddle Foot-Specialist Veterinarian Will Speak on Laminitis at Veterinary Conference Next Week

Bryan T. Fraley DVM will present a full day's program on laminitis and foot therapy at the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando, Florida on Wednesday, January 17. Dr. Fraley is a foot-specialist veterinarian at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, where he is works with Scott Morrison DVM on laminitis and other hoof problems. Morrison recently made headlines for his consulting role in treating racehorse Barbaro's laminitic left hind foot at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.

Fraley's topics will be: Acute Sinker Syndrome Diagnosis and Therapeutic Options, Management of Severe Foot Infections, Treatment Options for Acute and Chronic Laminitis, Brief Review of Some Interesting Podiatry Cases, and How to Apply Foot Casts with Axial Support for Sinker Syndrome and Cast Shoes for a Multitude of Foot Conditions.

The conference, which continues through the weekend, will be held at the Gaylord Palms resort and conference center in Orlando. It is one of the largest meetings of veterinarians in the world.

EIA Outbreak in Ireland Linked to Contaminated Plasma

Ireland is the latest pin in the map for regions affected by unusual outbreaks of equine disease. In Ireland, horses are a major export, and anything that might affect the health of the horse population or possibly cause a quarantine or export ban is of vital importance.


Veterinarian Joe Collins of Veterinary Ireland's Equine Group wrote a thoughtful editorial in today's Irish Examiner newspaper:

"(Equine Infectious Anemia) EIA has affected only about 30 horses to date, but the disease outbreak is far more important than this number would suggest. About 20,000 Coggins blood tests have been run. Horses and premises have been placed under Department of Agriculture and Food (DAF) Restriction Orders.

"Why so? Remember our experience of foot-and-mouth disease.

"Our international trade in horses may not rival the meat export trade in financial terms but it's high profile stuff and growing too - we have an enviable reputation to protect and the people to do it."

He continues:

"It is generally believed that a batch of unlicensed, contaminated imported plasma was the source of disease. Both Germany and Italy suffered EIA outbreaks in 2006. The root cause is similar: ever increasing movement of horses and medicines. An edge-of-Europe island nation we may be, but we're big in the business: people and pasture are our unfailing assets when it comes to the horse industry....We stand many of the world's premier stallions. The equine gene pool is vibrant here. And governments financially support their breeders to upgrade by trading here."

He concludes his poignant editorial with an ominous prediction:

"In a vulnerable population of horses like ours we can expect that most of those exposed will develop disease. The signs can be severe: profound fever, weakness, anaemia and death. They may be more subtle: dullness, loss of appetite, jaundice, swelling of the limbs, apparent recovery.

"The former group of horses represent a regrettable loss to the individual owner, the latter a significant risk to the industry as a whole. 'Recovered' horses don't recover fully. They remain persistent carriers of virus and a possible source of spread to others.

"They must be removed."

Ireland's best-known equine hospital, Troytown Veterinary Hospital in County Kildare, has been closed by the outbreak. The National Hunt Racing season is in full swing, with horses criss-crossing the Irish Sea to compete in Ireland and England.

The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association is strongly recommending that all mares to be covered in 2007 have two negative EIA certificates from a recognised laboratory. The first should be taken this month, and the second should be be taken within 28 days prior to transport to studs or foaling units.

The newspaper ran a multi-page special section on the equine industry; the site requires registration, but it may be worth it to read about this equine health issue from the perspective of an island nation with a strong horse economy.

Link to Joe Collins editorial: "It's far more important than numbers would suggest"

© 2006-2007 The Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.

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EHV Outbreak Closes Horse Farm at the University of Connecticut

The University of Connecticut in Storrs reported an outbreak of Equine Herpes virus (EHV) today. Three of 72 horses housed on the campus there have become ill with the disease. The Connecticut Department of Agriculture has quarantined the premises and activities such as the state's upcoming auction of rescue horses have been postponed.

According to a news release from state veterinarian Mary Lis, the rescued animals are housed at the Department's Large Animal Rescue Facility and have had no exposure to UConn's horses.

The University, known casually as "UConn", has a very active equine studies program, a Morgan horse breeding farm, intercollegiate horse show teams, and a polo squad at the school's rural campus northeast of Hartford.

No word yet whether the outbreak is of the neurological form of the disease or not. Last week, a horse admitted for surgery at Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Connecticut was diagnosed with the neurological form of EHV. Newtown is near the New York border, quite a distance from Storrs.

Some not so trivial horse data from the UConn web site includes these facts: "Connecticut has approximately 60,000 horses, which exceeds any other New England state, and ranks second in the nation in horses per square mile. It is interesting to note that three of the top ten states in horse density are located in New England, and five of the top ten are in the Northeast."

Also for consideration is that Connecticut is the wealthiest state in the United States on a per capita basis, and its citizens are among the best educated. There is one horse for every 58 people in the state according to the state department of agriculture.


© 2006-2007 THE JURGA REPORT: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.

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Exclusive! Dr. Morrison Describes Barbaro's New Hoof Cast for Laminitis Therapy

Left: Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital's Scott Morrison DVM finishing tendon surgery on a laminitic horse.(Hoofcare & Lameness Journal file photo)

On Wednesday, January 3, Scott Morrison DVM of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky traveled to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania to create a temporary supportive foot cast for Barbaro, the champion 2006 three-year-old colt whose right hind leg shattered soon after the start of the Preakness Stakes last May.

Barbaro has been a patient at the University of Pennsylvania's Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the university's rural vet school campus called New Bolton Center for more than six months. In July and August, after surviving several surgeries to repair his broken leg, the colt fought the painful mechanical form of laminitis in his "good" hind leg.

Known as "support-limb laminitis," this poorly-understood and often-deadly complication of fracture repair in horses can result in necrosis (death) of the fiber-like bed of tissue ("lamina") that bonds the hoof capsule to the bone. Unlike normal laminitis, which most often affects both front feet or all four feet, support-limb laminitis affects only the "good" leg that is overloaded when a horse favors one injured limb.

Barbaro was left with one broken leg and one hoofless one, but he struggled to survive. The damage to his laminitic foot, and the slow growth of new tissue, continues to be a grave concern of his caregivers.

Laminitis is the devastating disease that ended the lives of great racehorses like Secretariat and Sunday Silence, the Standardbred champion Nihilator, and more recently, the two great European champion dressage mares, Annastasia and Poetin.

Morrison, who heads Rood and Riddle's innovative podiatry clinic, was sought as a consultant to assist with the foundered (a common term for a foot that has been ravaged by the disease of laminitis) foot. He first saw the horse on December 20 for an evaluation, then returned on Wednesday to try to help stabilize the foot.

On Friday, January 5, Dr. Morrison told me that the cast was applied, "because the foot is so unstable. He's just not growing enough wall on the medial (inner) side, and he's bearing most of his weight on the arthrodesis (surgically-fused) leg."

Morrison padded the bottom of the foot with thick felt soaked in Betadine (iodine solution); the hoof wall was padded with Goretex fabric padding which was then covered with 3M casting tape. The cast extends up over the pastern area to just below the fetlock, according to Dr. Morrison.

"He lands on his toe when he walks," Morrison commented, "and that needed to be addressed. I had asked them to take radiographs before I got there, and they showed demineralization (thinning or actual deterioration) of the coffin bone (pyramid-shaped bone in the base of the foot, encased by hoof capsule) at the toe and on the medial (inside) wing.

"I attached a big aluminum bar shoe to the bottom of the cast to help with derotation, to try to get that coffin bone more parallel to the ground."

Morrison observed that the horse was uncomfortable at first with the change in footwear, but that surgeon Dean Richardson reported the horse was more comfortable with it the next morning.

An ancillary purpose of the cast is to stabilize the foot in the event that the horse needs to be moved out of his intensive care unit home at New Bolton Center. Speculation is that the horse will be moved to an as-yet unnamed farm, possibly in central Kentucky, to continue treatment in a more active setting. No date has been announced for his discharge from New Bolton.

Dr. Morrison is the founder and head of the podiatry clinic at Rood and Riddle; his unit is the largest hoof-specialist clinic in the world. The clinic currently employs four foot-specialist veterinarians and five lameness-specialist farriers, as well as a staff of technicians and administrative support staff. Morrison is a specialist in laminitis and consults on cases all over the world. He is a faculty member for the upcoming 4th International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot, to be held in West Palm Beach, Florida in early November 2007.

In his role as a contributing editor to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal, Dr. Morrison recently published an article chronicling his successful transplant of frog tissue on the bottom of an injured foot via the punch biopsy tool method; he was able to create a germinating bed of new frog tissue in a damaged area.

Ironically, he is probably most renowned for an unforgettable article detailing his successful deliberate implantation of sterile maggots in the foot to aid in the debridement of infected hoof tissue. That article can be downloaded as a pdf (Adobe Acrobat) file at http://www.hoofcare.com. No word yet if there are maggots in Barbaro's future.

© 2006-2007 THE JURGA REPORT: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.

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Video of Wellington Virus Briefing Posted on Internet Site

A videotape of the Thursday, January 4 briefing to the Wellington horse community and local veterinarians by equine medical expert T. Douglas Byars DVM is available for viewing on the Phelps Sports web site. Other content on the site may require payment, but the video is posted in the spirit of public service. The video is approximately one hour long.

Link to Phelps Sports web site

The video can be run on your PC while you do something else, since it is the audio that is important. Just do listen.

It is obvious that there are some gray areas about the length of quarantine and the safety of "return to normal" for the people and horses affected by this outbreak. Dr. Byars downplays the severity of the disease and provides some good information.

However, I'm not sure that the meeting assuaged the fears of owners and trainers who have not yet shipped their horses to Wellington for the show and polo seasons.

One person in the audience posed the question of show horses being "stuck" in Wellington if a horse tests positive after the shows start. Many horses also change hands during the show season, not to mention barns, and trainers will need to be diligent about knowing where horses have been, and when they were there, in the event of a positive test result.

Dr. Byars was adamant that the likelihood of a second outbreak was small.

Here are links to articles from today's South Florida newspapers about the meeting:

Palm Beach Post January 5, 2007 report

South Florida Sun-Sentinel report for January 5, 2007

Meanwhile, out in California, the recent outbreak that quarantined Bay Area racetracks appears to be much less severe than anticipated. Here's a link to the Daily Racing Form update on that situation:

Daily Racing Form report for January 5, 2007

Please see yesterday's posts for specific details about the Wellington meeting.

© 2006-2007 The Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.

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Wellington Turns Out for Virus Meeting; Byars Offers Expert Advice and Praise

Several hundred people found their way to the Jockey Club in Wellington, Florida today to hear Stadium Jumping chief executive Gene Mische introduce distinguished equine medical expert Doug Byars DVM, DACVIM, DACVECC of Lexington, Kentucky.

Byars was brought to Wellington as an independent consultant by two show-specialist veterinarians, John Steele of New York and Ben Schachter of Lake Worth, Florida. With them, the Kentucky veterinarian toured the area, met with officials, and then reported his findings to the large gathering of horsepeople and veterinarians.

No major news came out of today's meetings, but several key points were reiterated.

According to a quick summary received from impromptu reporter Sandy Johnson on the scene, the chief items reported by Byars and the horse show organizers were:

1. In Byars' opinion, (the state of) "Florida has done a very good job containing the outbreak";

2. Major horse shows should be able to begin as soon as January 12th (Littlewood Farm) and January 24th (Stadium Jumping);

3. Wellington's trail system, which links many properties and is used by competitors to "hack" to the shows from their home barns, will reopen by the estimated date of January 10;

4. Stadium Jumping's showgrounds and barns are accepting incoming horses, with health and vaccination documentation required. The requirements for the Winter Equestrian Festival are listed at http://www.stadiumjumping.com/sj/index.cfm

5. A portion of the quarantine area has been relocated to a polo field; it will house quarantined horses moved from the Palm Beach Equestrian Sports Complex, on the other side of the road.

Sandy reported that security is tight around the new quarantine zone.

I asked her about manure removal in the village. Manure removal from the farms and the showgrounds is always a controversial topic from the environmental standpoint, but equine public health may factor into the current manure disposal protocols. Sandy said that she saw three manure trucks today, and that all three were covered, which is not always the case in Wellington. No confirmation of how or if manure is being removed from specific quarantine areas or showgrounds, but the State of Florida has published explicit manure removal policies to be followed. (To view these directions on the State of Florida's web site; go to http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/ai/ehv1/manure_bedding_protocol.shtml)

Thanks to Sandy Johnson for fighting the crowds and reporting in!

© 2006-2007 The Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.

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US Dressage Federation Cancels Wellington Seminar with Dr. Hilary Clayton

From web site of the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), comes this announcement:

Update on the Succeed FEI Level Trainer's Conference

"After continuous monitoring of the EHV1 virus outbreak in the Wellington, Florida area, USDF regrets to inform you that the FEI Level Trainers' Conference scheduled for January 14-15 has been cancelled. Also cancelled is the associated Biomechanics of the Pyramid of Training and Saddle Fitting Seminar. USDF intends to hold an FEI Level Trainers' Conference in January 2008.

"Although the risk of additional transmission of the disease is low, USDF believes holding the event is not worth compromising the potential welfare of the horses. The 12 known cases seem to be contained within the quarantined facilities. However, not enough time has passed to say that there is no risk of new cases emerging outside of the known facilities. Gathering the hundreds of people and many horses for the FEI Level Trainers' Conference increases the risk of transference. Shows through January 7th have been postponed and other shows scheduled for the near future are considering postponing or operating on a restricted basis.

"Anyone already registered for this year's conference will be fully refunded. We are sorry for the inconvenience auditors may incur, but USDF believes we need to cooperate with the horse community and place the welfare of the horses first.

"Questions regarding refunds can be directed to Katherine Robertson:
Phone: 859-971-2277 Email: krobertson@usdf.org

© 2006-2007 The Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.

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Connecticut Clinic Isolates and Monitors EHV-positive Patient

Here's an update from Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Connecticut:

"We are pleased to announce that the horse in our hospital that developed a fever post-surgically and tested positive on a nasal swab for EHV-1 continues to recover nicely. He has not displayed any neurologic signs since the onset of his fever on December 24, 2006.

"The remaining horses at our facility are still in good health and have not shown signs of EHV-1 infection. We have maintained contact with owners, trainers and stable managers for horses that were at our facility since the infected horse was admitted. None of these horses have displayed clinical signs consistent with EHV-1.

"The advice of several prominent equine epidemiologists is being sought to determine the best course of action dealing with this virus into the future."

A detailed article about Fairfield Equine's steps to manage the infected horse, including comments from veterinarian Mark Baus, appeared in the local newspaper, the Newtown Bee.

Note: epidemiology of this disease is not a simple matter. Many healthy horses might test positive for the presence of the virus. Stress, as when a horse undergoes surgery, is thought to be one of several factors that might cause a horse to become ill or shed the virus. Learn more in this comprehensive article from the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

© 2006-2007 The Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.

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Vet Clinic Initiates Law Suit Against State of Florida

Newspapers in South Florida are reporting that Palm Beach Equine Clinic of Wellington, Florida is suing the state of Florida over inaccurate information released during the recent EHV-1 outbreak in Wellington.

Links to stories elsewhere on the Internet:

4 January South Florida Sun-Sentinel report

4 January Palm Beach Post report

Background article for horse owners on Equine Herpes Virus and, in particular, EHV-1, from the American Association of Equine Practitioners

Palm Beach Equine Clinic: Public Statement on Disease Outbreak

The following is a prepared statement from Palm Beach Equine Clinic in Wellington, Florida. It is provided here unchanged, in its entirety.

Palm Beach Equine Clinic would like to thank everyone for their patience during the Wellington EHV-1 outbreak.

Contrary to media reports Palm Beach Equine Clinic was not the initial site of the EVH-1 outbreak. We did however admit a horse on December 2^nd; four days after it had arrived on the initial shipment from Europe and discharged it from our hospital on December 3^rd. This horse tested positive to PCR of nasal swabs and buffy coat on December 18^th.

Unfortunately, the doctors at Palm Beach Equine Clinic were unaware of the multiple sick horses and of the neurological cases associated with that European shipment. These horses were being treated by other veterinarians in our area, and until December 15^th we had no knowledge that the horse admitted to our hospital on December 2^nd was part of that shipment of EHV-1 positive horses.

As soon as we were aware of the situation we contacted via the telephone, fax and by mail all veterinarians who referred cases to our clinic between December 1^st and December 14^th.

As of December 14^th we have not accepted any horses into our hospital nor have we discharged any horses with the exception of one that went to a farm also under state mandated quarantine. Our hospital has been under a strict voluntary quarantine protocol since December 14^th. There are currently four horses at our clinic with no known exposure. They have all tested negative on PCR of the nasal swabs and buffy coat. These four horses are stabled in a separate isolation tent awaiting the results of a second testing on December 26th. We have one horse in our separate quarantine facility which tested positive on December 18^th. There is another horse sharing this quarantine facility which was suspect on December 16^th but has since tested negative.

There is a link between our clinic and the positive horse in Ocala and the horse that was euthanized at Payson Park. We have traced these exposures to the positive horse currently in our quarantine facility and the original horse admitted on December 2^nd. Since the treating veterinarians for both these horses were either contacted by us or aware of the situation here in Wellington those horses have been isolated and we hope no virus transmission to other horses has occurred. Both these veterinarians should be commended for their immediate actions which likely saved both Ocala and Payson Park from an all out outbreak.

The doctors at Palm Beach Equine Clinic would like to thank all those from the State of Florida Department of Agriculture, especially Michael Short, DVM for all their efforts in helping us contain this outbreak. We would also like to thank all the Wellington veterinarians who have shared information and joined forces in trying to prevent the spread of this virus.

We are very pleased to announce that we will re-open our hospital and receiving new cases beginning January 2, 2007.

Respectfully,

The Doctors of Palm Beach Equine Clinic

Background article for horse owners on Equine Herpes Virus and, in particular, EHV-1, from the American Association of Equine Practitioners

Dr. Byars to Assess Wellington Situation at Thursday Meeting

The following is a press release received by The Jurga Report from Stadium Jumping Inc., via USEF. Phelps Sports' contact Ken Kraus reported this afternoon that Stadium Jumping is providing the location for the meeting but is not involved in the meeting.

(begin press release)
Wellington, FL – January 3, 2007 – Stadium Jumping, Inc. the producers of the Winter Equestrian Festival, the nation’s largest and longest running equestrian series, has announced that the Jockey Club will once again be made available for an important public forum to discuss the on-going EHV outbreak. The gathering will take place on Thursday morning at 11 a.m. The club is located alongside the Internationale Arena on the showgrounds located at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida.

This will be the second Thursday in a row that area equestrians have assembled at the Jockey Club to discuss the EHV outbreak in Wellington.

“We feel it’s important to make our facility available for these types of community discussions,” said Eugene R. Mische, the President of Stadium Jumping, Inc. “We’re happy that Dr. Byars has agreed to lend his expert opinion to this on-going situation, and I look forward to hearing his assessment of where we’ve been and where we stand now. I also think it’s important,” Mische added, “that our area horsemen have a chance to voice any concerns they may have as we work our way to the start of the 2007 WEF show season.”

The key meeting was requested by Dr. John Steele and Dr. Ben Schachter, two respected Wellington area veterinarians, with over eighty years of experience between them. The meeting was called to bring concerned area equestrians up to date on the current EHV situation in Wellington, and will feature Dr. Doug Byars, the former head of Internal Medicine at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee in Lexington, Kentucky. The panel will also include Dr. Fred Petersen.

Byars is a recognized expert on the EHV virus, and will bring to the meeting his independent assessment of the EHV outbreak in Wellington following a complete tour of the area ‘hot spots’ on Wednesday.

Everyone in the Wellington community is welcome to attend this forum, beginning at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

(end press release)

Background article for horse owners on Equine Herpes Virus and, in particular, EHV-1, from the American Association of Equine Practitioners

Photo: John Steele DVM, show horse specialist veterinarian from Vernon, NY, and Ben Schacter DVM of Wellington Equine Associates in Lake Worth, Florida, were instrumental in bringing equine disease specialist Doug Byars DVM to Florida to assess the EHV outbreak. Dr. Steele travels to Florida in the winter months to provide services to his clients at their winter shows. Photo kindly provided by Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports.com

Wellington Update: Facts Unfold as the Smoke Clears

I was lucky to be able to interview Rob Boswell DVM of the Palm Beach Equine Clinic as he was preparing to re-open his vet clinic in Wellington, Florida today. The clinic has been affected by a long voluntary quarantine since December 15.

Now that things have settled down a bit, and no horses have been diagnosed outside the quarantine area (several barns are still under quarantine), there is time to reflect on the outbreak and how it was handled and reported.

When I first heard about the outbreak, I had just stepped off the plane from Palm Beach, where I had coincidentally spent a day in a meeting with Dr. Boswell. He had no idea that a sick horse at his clinic had EHV-1. He wouldn't have been chatting with me if that had been the case.

When I heard the news, I wanted to turn around and be there, on the front lines, so that I could experience the horsiest hamlet in the USA going into prevention mode. I was sure that it would only be one horse, or maybe two, that would be directly affected, but that we could all learn about how a disease is headed off at the pass. Then I thought, "Silly, it will be over before you can get there."

Now it's almost three weeks later, and a lot of people's lives have been turned upside down. They say the outbreak itself is over, but the quarantines go on. And horses are arriving to begin the show season.

As it turned out, I never went back to Wellington, and had to depend on the local press, the state of Florida, the Florida Association of Equine Practitioners, and whoever I could reach by phone to report from the scene. Sandy Johnson was terrific as my remote eyes and ears, describing what she saw and heard and touched and, most of all, felt. She reported that some farms slammed their gates, while some people ventured out and sought advice and expert opinions. But it is obvious that advice was in short supply and the horse world rumor mill was at an all-time high.

At stake were the reputations of horsemen, veterinarians, state officials, federal officials. Also at stake of course, were the lives of horses.

Since I couldn't report in the first person on these stories, I provided links to stories from the local press in South Florida. Many of these articles may have implied that Palm Beach Equine Clinic was the source of the virus, but a more careful reading of each of these articles should disclose that the source was a group of horses that arrived in Wellington from the import station in New York. These horses arrived and were stabled in Wellington for several days. One of these horses went to Palm Beach Equine on December 2, and was discharged on December 3. The horse did not contract the disease at the clinic; it was sick on admission.

According to Dr. Boswell, his clinic was not informed that the horse that had been in the clinic had EHV for quite some time.

At the heart of this problem is that, according to Dr. Boswell, in the state of Florida, EHV is not a "reportable" disease in the eyes of state government health officials. It is "reportable" in New York, New Jersey and some other states. For public health reasons, some diseases are listed so that veterinarians must report any cases to state officials, but this list varies from state to state.

While the people in Wellington, Florida associated with the sick horses may have discovered the cause of the illness, they had no mandate to report it. The "gray areas" surrounding this virus--which horses actually "test" positive for the disease, when and how horses show symptoms, and how the disease is transmitted--make this a tangled web for public health enforcement. Add in the high mobility of race and show and polo horses in the USA, and you have a recipe for outbreaks that can occur anytime the tipping point is reached.

The question harkens back to the old Watergate hearing days: "What did you know and when did you know it?"

In my conversations with horse owners here, I find that few if any really know what EHV is and most believed that their vaccinations would protect their horses. After a brief scare at nearby Fairfield Equine Clinic last week, many started to ask me for resources to more information on the disease. I have not spoken to one owner who understood that a new strain of EHV causes neurological symptoms.

A meeting will be held on Thursday in Wellington so that community members and the media can hear comments on how the outbreak was handled and how the ongoing quarantines and prevention methods might be handled. The comments will be from Doug Byars DVM of Lexington, Kentucky, an expert on infectious diseases and internal medicine. Dr. Byars' opinions are being sought by two leading area veterinarians, John Steele DVM and Ben Schacter DVM, because they respect his opinion and they want to know what is in the best interest of their clients and the horses in their care.

We should all be listening closely to Thursday's meeting. I hope someone tape records it and posts it online as a podcast.

What if it happened in your community, at a show where your horse was stabled, or in your very own barn? Is EHV a reportable disease in your state? Do you know how to find out?

It can happen anywhere. The fact that it has happened recently at a college (Findlay University in Ohio), and at racetracks may make it seem like a remote possibility for your barn.

Ask anyone in Wellington, Florida and they will likely raise an eyebrow and smirk, "Think again."

Background article for horse owners on Equine Herpes Virus and, in particular, EHV-1, from the American Association of Equine Practitioners

Florida Virus: End of the Year Update on the Ongoing Story

Once again, conflicting news is coming out of South Florida regarding the status of the disease outbreak.

The Florida Association of Equine Practitioners (FAEP) and the State of Florida's Animal Industry web site are reporting that the outbreak is contained, and are sounding optimistic that "the show must go on."

Meanwhile, the Palm Beach Post reported on Friday that another horse tested positive, and a horse has been isolated on the Gulf coast of Florida while veterinarians there await test results to see if the horse, which had been exposed to the Wellington horses, tests positive for EHV-1.

On December 31, the Palm Beach Post reported the death of another horse, the sixth fatality in the Florida outbreak.

Several veterinarians and about 40 trainers, owners, and riders met at the Jockey Club in Wellington, Florida on December 28. Dr. Michael Short from the State of Florida Department of Agriculture was also there to answer questions.

The FAEP, on its web site, reports no known new cases of EHV-1 since the horse at Victory Lane tested positive. The barn where it is stabled is currently under a state quarantine and, according to the most recent report by FAEP, there currently is no known link to this horse and any of the other cases in Wellington.

Guidelines for when horses might begin shipping to Wellington for the upcoming shows and the polo season were discussed at the meeting. Horse show organizers Stadium Jumping and Littlewood Farm, who both cancelled holiday shows, appear comfortable with horses beginning to enter their stabling sometime between January 2nd and January 8th. The conditions or requirements for those horses have not yet been finalized by Stadium Jumping.

Rob Boswell DVM of Palm Beach Equine Clinic discussed the hospital's timeline of the initial case that was admitted to his facility. This detailed report has been linked to this report for those who wish to analyze that aspect of the outbreak.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Palm Beach Post attributes news of another case to the State of Florida Department of Agriculture, but there is no mention of this case on the official web site. According to the Post, the first new positive case since December 22, a horse named Lipton, was identified at S&L Farms in Wellington, and there are two new suspect cases at the Palm Beach Equestrian Sports Center.

The Florida Horse Park in Ocala has cancelled an endurance event and polo match this weekend.

Please check back; news may be added throughout the weekend and this conflict in information may clear up. However, official news may be scarce because of the long holiday weekend. I am sorry if this reports sound contradictory, but feel it is best to post news as it is provided to me.

Here are our most recent links:

1 January 2007
University of California at Davis Information Page on EHV (general information on virus, not the current outbreak)

31 December
Palm Beach Post 31 December Report on Sixth Horse to Die

30 December
Palm Beach Post 30 December Report of a New Case

Lee County horse isolated on Gulf coast of Florida, veterinarians await test results

Sun-Sentinel article detailing "wait and see" shippers on December 29

Sun-Sentinel Summary of Cases, Timeline as of 28 December

The State of Florida has added a downloadable PDF file of information on EHV in Spanish; scroll down to the list of documents

The State of Florida has expanded information on its web site about EHV and includes a list of quarantined premises and a timeline of the outbreak

Horse show host Littlewood Farms, which has not been directly affected by any cases, issues strict guidelines and requirements for shippers-in

Florida Horse Park update as posted on USeventing.com

Florida Horse Park home page with video (loads slowly) update from Tom Warriner

Horse Shows in the Sun (HITS) has published health requirements for the upcoming shows in Ocala. HITS showgrounds are not affected by any virus restrictions.

The Palm Beach Post actually had a reporter at the Wellington meeting on the 28th; read this article for quotes from veterinarians and trainers who attended