Irish Student Researcher Wins Prestigious "Thesis of the Year" Award for Analyisis of Thoroughbred Foaling Data

The United Kingdom has something we Americans don't have: a thesis competition for equine science majors at universities.

Soraya Morscher from University of Limerick in Ireland is the 2007 winner of the Eqvalan Equine Thesis of the Year competition, sponsored by Merical. She reported her research into records of 1297 foalings over 13 years at a stud farm in Kildare. This data study was a much larger analysis than has ever been attempted before.

“Considering the economic value of Thoroughbred foals, there is precious little information about what are considered 'normal' foalings,” she said.

Her winning thesis: “An Analysis of Peri-Parturient and Postnatal Events in Thoroughbreds”, was selected from research theses submitted by universities in the UK and Ireland.

Soraya’s research showed that 83 per cent of births took place during the night; the average duration of foaling was 34 minutes with 93 per cent completed within an hour; and the interval from birth to nursing averaged 92 minutes, but was longer for first foaling mares and longer for colt foals than fillies.

Soraya has just started a two year Masters degree in Equine Science.

This competition, which is run by the Royal Agricultural Society of England and sponsored by Merial Animal Health, is open to every agricultural and equine university and college in the UK.

Second prize winner was Hannah Snart of Nottingham Trent University for her huge survey of injuries of dressage horses on different training surfaces. Among Hannah’s findings was that sand-only surface had the greatest injury risk. However, she found that this risk reduced the more a horse used the surface.

The winner of the 2006 award was Rachel Kay from Nottingham Trent University for her thesis titled "The Effect of Creating Surrogate Companionship on Physiology and Behavior of Horses During Transportation".

AQHA Urges Opposition to Congressional Anti-Slaughter Bill: Veterinarians for Equine Welfare Take Aim at AVMA Anti-Slaughter Position

Ready...aim...publicize!

The escalating mood in the country as Congress's anti-slaughter bill nears voting time is fascinating to watch. The bill has been amended to include strict restrictions on transporting horses intended for slaughter.

The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), which has taken a bold pro-slaughter position on the issue, sent an "action alert" email to its membership, urging them to contact their Congressional representatives. The email suggests the transport restrictions may affect the freedom on AQHA members to move their own horses.

From the AQHA email:

"TRANSPORTING ANY HORSE FOR ANY ACTIVITY MAY BE AT RISK!

"This bill may have far-reaching effects on our members and their ability to buy and sell horses. Members may sell horses unaware of the buyer's intent with the animal and to where it may be transported, possibly resulting in legal ramifications for the seller. This legislation is vague and ambiguous and its passage could have far-reaching consequences. We urge you to contact the senators of your state and voice your opposition to this legislation and the funding to enact it...."

Meanwhile, not to be outdone, the organization Veterinarians for Equine Welfare (VEW), lead by animal behaviorist Nicholas Dodman, visited Washington and issued a press release criticizing the American Veterinary Medical Association's affiliation with meat-packing interest.

To a mere observer of the whole slaughter issue, I think the larger point here is that these organizations (including VEW) are establishing policy that is based on politics, and little is being done to present the pros and cons of the issue to their members or to the public. It's a lot like a national organization or labor union (think: police chiefs, teachers, miners, doctors) endorsing a candidate for US President: did they poll their members? No. A committee evaluated the candidates' position statements and decided which one would support that organization's political agenda. That's how politics works, but it is unsettling to see this at work in the horse world, where horse ownership is such an emotional issue and where people voluntarily become members of breed and sport organizations.

Organizations like the AQHA have members all over the country and from all backgrounds; a blanket opposition policy seems unproductive in light of what the largest breed organization could bring to the table in terms of brain power, resources, and influence to affect a compromise or at least an alternative policy.

Like the VEW, I can see through "news" that is reported in national newspapers and web sites that is obviously placed to present an image of America's horse economy being in a state of panic because of over-supply and "unwanted" horses and that these problems would otherwise just go away if slaughter was retarted.

Someone recently told me a rumor that huge factory ships are anchored off the west coast of the USA. They are floating slaughterhouses for horses that cannot be legally slaughtered in California. The entrails are thrown to the sharks, no doubt. No proof that these ships exist, of course.

Likewise, if you wanted to cross the border into Mexico or Canada this fall, you wouldn't be able to get through because the traffic is backed up behind convoys of trucks full of horses headed to slaughter. Just rumors, of course...started by whom?

Is the Congressional bill the answer? Sadly, I think not, because even if it passes, politics will make sure that there is no money to enforce it, or some other political tactic will be employed to hold it up in court.

We don't need more lawsuits, we need a solution, and it starts with educating horse owners of their responsibilities to their horses and discouraging the "recreational" breeding of backyard horses ("The kids could raise a foal! What fun!") and over-breeding of potential race and show horses for (possible) profit that is approaching "puppy mill" status.

I know that veterinarians profit from vanity and spec-profit breeding but I think that educating owners to take better care of the horses they already have might balance things out. Shifting racing and showing rewards to events for mature horses might extend showing and racing careers and increase the value of older horses, too, as would publicity for the usefulness of middle-aged and "senior" horses for recreational use.

What are your ideas for solutions? Please don't tell me you are "pro" or "anti" slaughter. Tell me what can be done to bring the American horse industry back together instead of splitting it apart.

Sheikh's Stud Sets New Precedent in Breeding: Mares Booked by Quota, not by Finances

A startling fact popped off the page of one of the racing magazines the other day. It said that one popular Thoroughbred sire breeds a mare every four hours, around the clock, during the breeding season.

While that assignment puts impressive physical stress on a horse, I was also thinking about the financial math of this marathon.

Encosta de Lago — the first horse in Australia confirmed with the Equine Influenza — has been stranded in quarantine for weeks. Encosta de Lago is Australia's top stallion this year and would normally serve more than 100 mares during a season at a fee of $200,000 a mare. If he serves no mares this season, that is at least $20 million of lost potential income for one stallion alone.

Shadwell Stud in England, owned by Sheikh Hamdan of Dubai, has just adopted a policy worldwide of restricting their stallions to 85 mares. This has made the task of allocating nominations difficult in view of the fact that they have received over 300 applications from mare owners hoping to breed to their popular stallion Nayef in 2008.

Horse Health Words of the Week: Edema and Inflammation

Two words that are often confused are edema (or oedema in older or British books) and inflammation. What's the difference--and does it matter?

For most horse owners, the safest words are to use like "swollen", "weeping", "pus-filled" and "irritated" if you are describing a condition over the phone to a veterinarian. It is always best to use descriptive words that will give the vet (or the person taking the message for the vet) rather than to misuse technical or medical words and send an incorrect message.

Then again, there's that chilling moment when you read a report on your horse or hear a vet describing "edematous swelling" and you wonder, in a panic, what that word means.

In the most simple terms, "edema" means "fluid-filled" and a common description is edema of the limbs. When you see a horse with puffy legs, you can gently press the hide and feel the soft swelling beneath. Fluid is trapped under the skin, perhaps because of a toxic reaction or a lymph system problem; there are many causes of edema.

"Pulmonary edema" means fluid in the lungs.

Inflammation is a word used to describe the body's localized reaction to trauma. When that stifle hits the oxer or the bared wire slices a pastern, the body reacts with a set of "911" coded responses to get rid of infection: send white blood cells, swell up, turn red, get hot, etc. Inflammatory responses vary with the animal, the environment and the injury. Edema may be the result of one of these responses but for a simple cut or trauma, the edema is usually limited to the general area of the injury.

If you don't understand what a veterinarian tells you, or what is written on a report, ask for an explanation. It is very important for an owner to understand the horse's condition and symptoms and, especially, the treatment.

Have you updated the first aid and medical books on your shelf lately? It's important to have a couple of up-to-date reference books on hand. If you refer to books that are published in England, you may find that some terms are different from what your American vet uses. You need a book with the latest information on parasites, infectious diseases, and therapy for injuries. EPM, West Nile Virus, shock wave therapy, and Tildren are examples of new diseases and treatments that wouldn't be in a book older than 2005.

A book that I reach for all the time is The Horse's Health from A to Z by Peter Rossdale FRCVS, a leading British vet. It is a very, very thorough dictionary of equine veterinary words, with lengthy explanations of important concepts. It is really helpful to check spelling, too!

Biomechanics Researcher Will Speak in Florida at Dressage and Equine Vet Conventions

Dr. Hilary Clayton will lecture on the nature of footing, in all its depths and shapes and surfaces, at the United States Dressage Federation Convention this week in Orlando, Florida at the Disney Coronado Resort. Hilary will speak on Friday, November 30, both in the morning and again in the afternoon. The title of the lecture is "Impact of Arena Footing on Soundness". The USDF convention has an extensive program on horse health, and lameness in particular, this year.

Next week, Dr. Clayton will lecture on her latest research on the temporomandibular joint, reporting on how horses chew hay and pellets. That lecture will be on Wednesday, December 5 at 11:05 a.m. as part of a seminar on dentistry at the American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, also in Orlando, but at the Orange County Convention Center.

Watch for a new book and dvd set coming soon from Dr. Clayton, who is the Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

If you are attending either the USDF or AAEP conventions (or both), say hello to your faithful blogger!

In the photo: Palamino warmblood stallion Treliver Decanter from Treliver Stud in Buckinghamshire, England makes good use of his arena's footing.

More Info: "On to Hong Kong” Pre-Olympic Horse Health and Welfare Conference

(invitation courtesy of the FEI)

The FEI wishes to announce “On to Hong Kong”, a Workshop to assist National Federations to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong. The event, to be organized together with the FEI’s Welfare Sub-committee, will take place in the auditorium of the Olympic museum in Lausanne on the 17th of February 2008.

The objective of the workshop will be to provide chef de missions, riders, vets with the latest updates and to promote the health and welfare of the horses by making the information collected at the August 2007 Test Event available to all Federation officials, veterinarians, riders, Chefs d’Equipe and others.

The workshop will be open to all for a registration fee. However depending on number of participants registered by 1 December, the FEI may need to limit the number of participation by NF due to seat restrictions.

Saturday 16.02.2008
• Late afternoon: Arrival of participants
• Evening: Welcome and reception on presentation of personal invitation at Lausanne Palace Hotel followed by dinner in attendance of HRH Princess Haya.

Sunday 17.02.2008
• Registration and distribution of proceedings
• Welcome: Dr Andrew Higgins, Chairman of the FEI Welfare Sub-Committee
• Setting the scene: John McEwen, Chairman of the FEI Veterinary Committee
• Hong Kong is Getting Ready: Mr WK Lam, CEO BOCOG/ Equestrian Company
• Overview of facilities and local arrangements: Dr Chris Riggs, Head of Veterinary Clinical Services, Hong Kong Jockey Club
• Horse importation requirements: Dr Keith Watkins, HKG
• Horse transportation logistics: Martin H. Atock, Managing Director, Peden Bloodstock, Leyenburg, Rheurdt, Germany
• Question and answer session
• Understanding the weather situation in Hong Kong for the Olympic Games; the results of a two year study with the Hong Kong Observatory: Professor Leo Jeffcott, VetMedDr, University of Sydney, Australia, Veterinary Delegate for the 2008 Olympic Games
• Air conditioned facilities and cooling stations: Dr David Marlin, David Marlin Consulting Ltd, Newmarket, UK
• Results of horse monitoring: Dr Catherine W. Kohn, Professor, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Ohio State University, USA
• Panel discussion - question and answer session
• Conclusion: Dr Catherine W. Kohn
• Closing of the meeting: Dr Andrew Higgins

An Application Form is available on the FEI website at (Deadline 1 December 2007)
http://www.horsesport.org/veterinary/welfare/welfare.htm?sub=veterinary&active=veterinary3

Should you have any further questions, please contact Nina Wittek at n.wittek@horsesport.org

Horse Health on the Web: NC State Vet School's Equine Opthamology Site

This photo from the NCSU equine opthamology web site shows the typical appearance of glaucoma. Many eye problems are clearly illustrated on the web site.

Many people ask me if I spend my entire life surfing the web looking for news stories. The answer: I wish that was the case! Luckily for me, I have a network of contacts all over the world who funnel news stories to me. But I do admit to keeping a list of sites that I check every once in a while to see what late and great information may have been added. I am always happy to share resources with readers.

Vet school sites are always worth checking, but many are geared toward prospective students or internal use rather than outreach education. An encouraging trend has been for veterinary "centers of excellence" to develop and host web sites on specific topics. Two of the very best are Dr. Chris Pollitt's laminitisresearch.org site from the Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit at the University of Queensland and Dr. Hilary Clayton's McPhail Equine Performance Center site on equine biomechanics.

The list is growing! Add to the list the in-depth site on equine opthamology from North Carolina State's vet school.

According to the site, the Equine Ophthalmology Program at NC State University is the only program in the world devoted to the research and treatment of equine ocular disease. The clinical service there accepts referral patients from the entire east coast.

NC State is considered an international leader in the field of equine ophthalmology; while I hope you never need the information on specialist sites like these, it's good to have them bookmarked in your browser to share with a friend or just to enrich your own knowledge of horse health.

Do you have a favorite horse health education reference site? If so, click on the "comments" button below and share the URL with other readers of The Jurga Report (and me)! Thanks!

Event Horse and Rider Die on Cross-Country in Florida

A double tragedy marred the Florida International 3-Day Event and Ocala Fall Horse Trials at the Florida Horse Park in Ocala, Florida on Saturday. British/American rider Eleanor Brennan and her 11-year-old mount Mister Barnabus both died when the horse allegedly stumbled, throwing the rider over his head. The horse then came down on top of the rider, according to reports in the Ocala newspaper.

Brennan, a British rider, had been training in Virginia before the event.

This is the third time the event has been held; last year a rider was killed as well. The event was a CCI** as well as a Training Level 3-Day (long format) and a horse trials offering Preliminary, Novice Beginner Novice and Entry levels.

Colorado State University Receives $3 Million Gift to Establish Chair in Equine Orthopedic Medicine

(received via press release and posted in its entirety)

Colorado State University today announced a $3 million gift to establish a university chair in equine orthopedics in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The gift is from Abigail K. Kawananakoa of Hawaii; the chair marks the second in equine programs at the university this semester.

The Abigail K. Kawananakoa University Chair in Equine Musculoskeletal Integrative Therapies will reside in the university's prestigious Gail Holmes Equine Orthopaedic Research Center. The chair follows the August announcement of a chair in equine reproduction, marking two such $3 million gifts to the college to support equine research and medicine this semester and the third such chair in the Orthopaedic Research Center.

A faculty member has not yet been named to the position.

"This generous gift reflects Abigail Kawananakoa's deep love of horses and commitment to advancing the frontiers of equine orthopedics," said Colorado State President Larry Penley. "This is a commitment shared by Colorado State faculty who are at the forefront in expanding knowledge of human and animal musculoskeletal health. The creation of the Kawananakoa chair offers the opportunity to expand our equine research program while also providing critical support for students from Hawaii with a passion for veterinary medicine."

The Orthopaedic Research Center at Colorado State is known worldwide for its research and clinical work to prevent joint problems in equine athletes such as racehorses and cutting horses and for researching ways to heal orthopedic injuries including gene therapy and novel cartilage healing techniques, with some recently expanded work in human athletes.

"This gift supports important research at Colorado State that benefits both horses and humans," said Dr. Lance Perryman, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. "The university's Equine Orthopaedic Research Center is known internationally for its innovative research that addresses orthopedic injuries and osteoarthritis including better methods of early diagnosis and new therapeutic targets. In addition, faculty and staff at the center apply that knowledge to equine athletes and share their discoveries with experts in human orthopedic medicine."

The gift to Colorado State will likely directly benefit veterinary medicine in Hawaii, Kawananakoa's home state. The university has a strong tuition exchange program arrangement with Hawaii through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. The WICHE program allows students from states without veterinary programs to compete for slots at Colorado State University with fees paid by their state of residency. Since the program's inception in 1972, more than 160 students from Hawaii have graduated from Colorado State's veterinary program and have returned home to practice.

"This chair completes our strategic plan in acquiring scientific support for rehabilitative manipulative therapies for musculoskeletal conditions, an area that is lacking in scientific based evidence for the horse," said Dr. Wayne McIlwraith, director of the research center. "I have had a long and rewarding relationship with Abigail and we are pleased and honored to house the chair in Miss Kawananakoa's name and look forward to the research discoveries and treatments to equine and human athletes the chair will support."

Kawananakoa has bred and raced multiple champion quarter horses. Her horses have won the two biggest quarter horse races in the U.S.; the All American Futurity with A Classic Dash and the Los Alamitos Million with Evening Snow. Both of these horses had arthroscopic surgery by Dr. McIlwraith.

The Equine Orthopaedic Center treats injuries of the world's finest horses. Successes include After Market, arguably the best Thoroughbred on grass in the United States this year. After Market came back from arthroscopic surgery by McIlwraith for a sesamoid fracture and won the Grade 1 Charley Whittingham at Hollywood Park and the Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap at Delmar this summer. He is on his way to the World Championship Thoroughbred Breeder's Cup Races.

Other recent successes include CD Lights, a renowned cutting horse who developed problems in the right hock. After surgery at the center, he made good progress and in 2006 was the National Cutting Horse Association World Champion stallion as well as Reserve World Champion and Open World Finals Champion.

Note to readers: Reading between the lines, the Abigail K. Kawananakoa University Chair in Equine Musculoskeletal Integrative Therapies is not fully disclosed in this press release. "Integrative therapies" is a term used to describe traditional and non-traditional medical concepts; it is a euphemism popularized by human doctor and author Andrew Weil, among others. I believe this will be the first such chair in equine medicine and hope that CSU will issue more details on how the Chair might be involved in the diagnosis and treatment of lameness problems at CSU. This is probably the bigger "news" in this story, in the long run and I will share more with you when I know more. --Fran Jurga)

World Equine Health Update: Equine Influenza Now in Mongolia

Lifeng Hao of Mongolia's Emergency Situations Agency confirmed on November 16th that more than 8000 horses have contracted equine influenza (EI) in the two western Mongolian provinces of Khovd and Bayan-Olgii, which border China and Kazahkstan. Other reports put the total as high as 11,000 sick horses. Nine horses are reported dead from the disease.

As reported on this blog last week, more than 5000 horses in China's Xinjiang province, near the Mongolian border, have contracted EI.

Reports say that the two provinces have been quarantined, and sick horses have been isolated and disinfected. The Mongolian government is sending a large number of vaccinations to the area.

Mongolia is a great livestock nation with over two million horses. Equine influenza last occurred in Mongolia in 1992, in Khovd. At the time, 13,000 horses were infected.

Equine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Recent outbreaks have also recently occurred in Japan and Australia.

Making a Big Comeback: Trailer Wreck Belgians Move On to New Lives

It's a new day for the 40-or-so draft horses rescued from an overturned double-decker tractor-trailer in Wadsworth, Illinois; the blog reported on the horrific wreck that occured two Saturdays ago. The horses have been recuperating at a local farm; their latest challenge has been a mild form of strangles that has gone through the herd.

Donna Ewing of the Hooved Animal Rescue and Protection Society (HARPS) has taken over responsibility for the herd. She told me on Friday that all the horses have been placed in homes. Among her criteria was the ability of a new owner to isolate the adoptee horse. Twelve horses have already gone to new homes. Some will require ongoing vet care. Ewing said she received inquiries from as far away as Sweden and Australia.

The horses will leave with official Coggins tests, too, which they did not have when they were being trucked.

Linda Gordon, HARPS photographer, has created a lovely slide show of images of the horses in their recovery state (lovely except for the strangles abscesses you'll see under some of the jaws).

According to Donna Ewing, the horses were all in good flesh and had been muzzle-clipped for the auction. She said all were halter broke and seemed accustomed to being handled.

USDA Seeks to Clarify Definition of Horses Bound for Slaughter

APHIS-2006-0168-0001 - Veterinary Services Proposed Rule on Commercial Transportation of Equines to Slaughter OPEN for Public Comment until January 7, 2008

NOTICE FROM THE USDA/APHIS -- We are proposing to amend the regulations regarding the commercial transportation of equines to slaughter to add a definition of equine for slaughter and make other changes that will extend the protections afforded by the regulations to equines bound for slaughter but delivered first to an assembly point, feedlot, or stockyard. This action would further ensure the humane treatment of such equines by helping to ensure that the unique and special needs of equines in commercial transportation to slaughter are met.

Click here to go to a government site that will point you to the process of commenting on this new regulation and definition.

Smoke Threatens Horse Health

(this post courtesy of the University of California at Davis)

As illustrated by recent wildfires in Southern California, smoke and related air pollution from wildfires pose serious health problems for horses, as well as people, notes an equine veterinarian at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Smoke is an unhealthy combination of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, soot, hydrocarbons and other organic substances. Smoke particulates, which are a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air, irritate horses' eyes and respiratory tracts, and hamper their breathing.

"Owners should limit their horses' activity when smoke is visible," said veterinary professor John Madigan. "It's also important to provide them with plenty of fresh water, which keeps airways moist and helps the horse clear inhaled particulates."

Because horses drink most of their water within two hours after eating hay, it's especially important to provide the water close to their feeders. To minimize the horse's exposure to dust, which can cause further irritation, owners should feed dust-free hay or actually soak the hay in water before giving it to the horse, Madigan suggests.

If the horse is having difficulty breathing, a veterinarian should be brought in to make sure the horse has not developed a bacterial infection accompanied by bronchitis or pneumonia.

It may take four to six weeks for smoke-induced damage to heal, during which time the horse should not be exercised. Premature exercise may aggravate the condition, delaying healing and compromising the horse's performance for many weeks or months.

"If the horse has further smoke-related problems, such as persistent cough, nasal discharge, fever, or labored breathing, the owner should contact a veterinarian, who may prescribe respiratory medications such as bronchial dilators or other treatments that will hydrate the horse's airway passages and reduce inflammation," Madigan said. "The veterinarian also may recommend tests to determine whether a secondary bacterial infection is contributing the horse's respiratory problems."

British Horse Owners Warned of African Horse Sickness Risk

The confirmed outbreak of Bluetongue disease in a cow on a farm in England is a sharp reminder that African Horse Sickness (AHS) could strike the UK at any time. Experts with the Horse Trust warn that the impact of this disease on the horse industry would be devastating.

It is significant that the outbreak is just over the North Sea from Belgium, where recent outbreaks of Bluetongue have been reported, and very close to the cradle of the British horse racing industry at Newmarket.

African Horse Sickness is the same virus family as Bluetongue and is transmitted by the same species of biting midges. Paul Jepson, Chief Executive and Veterinary Director of The Horse Trust said, "At the moment there is no evidence that African Horse Sickness exists anywhere in Europe and, although it has the same potential as Bluetongue to reach the UK, there is no cause for panic."

Jepson will outline the threat when he speaks at the Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding Seminar at Cheltenham racecourse today.

African Horse Sickness is a much more dramatic disease than Bluetongue and infected horses are usually severely ill, with a very high mortality rate. All infected animals are required to be slaughtered to limit spread of the disease.

The Horse Trust is working to develop strategies for monitoring, prevention and control of the disease. The approach of winter should produce a reduction in the midge population and potential spread of the disease.

Scientists believe global warming and the known presence of relevant midges in the UK now makes an AHS outbreak more likely. AHS was diagnosed in Spain between 1987 and 1990 and in Portugal in 1989 but was eradicated using slaughter policies, movement restrictions, vaccination and midge control

Live vaccines are available in South Africa, where AHS is endemic, but these vaccines are not licensed for use in Europe. The Horse Trust wants similar development of AHS vaccines in Europe as is now taking place for bluetongue.

It is hoped that a safe and effective vaccine will become available for use in controlling an outbreak of African Horse Sickness in the future.

Castle Gift Helps Launch Laminitis Institute at Penn Vet

KENNETT SQUARE, PA ­ The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine today announced a gift of $1 million from philanthropists Marianne and John K. Castle to support its laminitis research. “We are enormously grateful for the Castles' generosity. Their thoughtful philanthropy leverages two of the University’s strengths, research and the translation of research into medicine for both animals and humans,” said Penn President Dr. Amy Gutmann.

In speaking about the gift, Mr. Castle said, “Marianne and I are thrilled to be able to support Dr. Orsini and the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in their research. Our hope is that the knowledge acquired will be important in helping both animals and humankind."

In addition to funding research in laminitis, the Castles’ gift will support the institute directorship, which will be held by Dr. James Orsini, Associate Professor of Surgery at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center campus. In 2001, Dr. Orsini founded the First International Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot, building on his many years of experience treating patients afflicted with this condition. The biennial conference is funded in large part by the Castles, in memory of their beloved horse Spot, who died from laminitis.

“John and Marianne Castle have been long-time champions of advancing laminitis research,” said Dr. Orsini. “Their magnanimous support has been vital in the progress made to date. We are excited about the new opportunities this gift provides to make significant inroads into understanding this disease and translating that research into new ways to treat and prevent laminitis.”

When fully funded, the institute will include new research laboratories, funding for research projects at Penn Vet, and in collaboration with other institutions, a home-care treatment model, support for student research opportunities, and improved clinical facilities. “The Castles’ generosity will allow us take a significant step forward in creating a research institute dedicated to sharing and advancing the breadth of knowledge about this deadly condition,” said Dr. Joan C. Hendricks, the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine.

Here Comes Rags!

The Daily Racing Form and MSNBC are reporting that Rags to Riches will soon ship from her layup at Ashford Stud in Kentucky to trainer Todd Pletcher's West Coast winter training center at Hollywood Park in California. She'll return to training slowly, with hopes for a start in the spring. Rags has been sidelined since fall, when she suffered a hairline fracture in her pastern. After winning the Belmont Stakes in June, the popular filly rested all summer, sidelined by various ailments.

Kazak Herdsmen Will Use GPS to Track Przewalski Horses Released in the Wild

The web site www.chinaview.cn is reporting that three herdsmen from an ethnic Kazak group have been hired to assist the Xinjiang Przewalski's Horses Propagation Research Center in tracing and monitoring horses that are released into the wild.

The three recruits were selected from more than 200 herdsman by a six-member international team who are in Kamaray, northern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, preparing to release more captive-bred, endangered Przewalski's horses into the wild.

The three Kazak herders learned how to use GPS when searching for the horses in the wilderness.

The breed has existed for 60 million years and is the world's only true surviving wild horse species. They were first revealed to the world in 1879 when Russian explorer Nikolay Przewalski discovered them in Xinjiang.

A German party captured 52 horses in 1890 and transported them back to Hamburg, but only 28 survived the journey. The thousand or so Przewalski's horses in the world, including those in Xinjiang, are said to be the offspring of those survivors and all were bred in captivity, through preservation programs at zoos.

Not far from the wild region where the captive-bred Przewalskis were released is a territory where more than 5000 domesticated horses have become ill recently with Equine Influenza (EI). Hopefully the horses will not be affected by the illness. Wouldn't you love to have been at the tryouts for the job?

Eventing SuperHorse Winsome Adante Retired

The United States has lost its most dominant international competitition horse of this century. The owner, vets and rider of three-day-event horse Winsome Adante have collectively made the difficult decision to retire him due to soundness issues in a hind leg.

The horse's illustrious career includes three victories at the Rolex Kentucky CCI****, a Team gold medal at the 2002 World Equestrian Games, Team bronze and Individual silver medals at the 2004 Olympics, a third place finish at the Badminton CCI**** in 2007, wins at the 2000 Radnor CCI** and the 2001 Blenheim CCI*** and countless horse trials victories.

Owned by Linda Wachtmeister of Plain Dealing Farm in Virginia and ridden by Kim Severson, ‘Dan’ and Kim won the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** every time they contested it, both in the traditional format (with roads and tracks and steeplechase) and the new short format. Victories in 2002, 2004 and 2005 proved that Dan was invincible at the Lexington, Kentucky event and he was also the US Eventing Association’s Horse of the Year following each of his Rolex victories.
“It was a hard decision but it was also an easy decision,” said Wachtmeister. “He had been in a stall for a long time because of a previous injury and he wouldn’t have been ready for the Olympics. He needed to go out in the field and live the rest of his life. We had always hoped he would go to the Olympics again but I’m so proud of what he has accomplished. I never dreamed that my family would get to go to the Olympics because of him.”

The 14-year-old English Thoroughbred sustained an injury to a hind suspensory ligament and Severson and Wachtmeister determined that after all he has given them the best thing for Dan would be to let him live in the field at Plain Dealing Farm in Scottsville, Virginia.

“He’s been so sound and done so much for us,” said Severson. “It was a difficult decision but we don’t want to hurt him and he’s happy now living out in the field.”

Thanks to Joanie Morris of the US Equestrian Federation for her help with this post and congratulations to the horse's team for a conservative decision that will not put the horse at risk for further injury by forcing him to compete next year to qualify for the Olympics. He leaves some very big shoes to fill and the USA loses Kim Severson's valuable experience at the top of international sport. Hopefully her new horses will keep her at the top of the sport.

Equine Herpes: One Small Amino Acid, One Big Health Concern

Welsh Mountain ponies were used in the study at Cornell.

From a Special Report provided by Cornell University's Krishna Ramanujan:

Sometimes, a small change can make a big difference. Such is the case with the horse herpes virus: A change in just one amino acid can make all the difference between triggering a cold or a life-threatening neurological disorder.

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine microbiologists have shown that a single amino acid variation in an enzyme that is part of the DNA copying process of equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) creates a different type of EHV-1, which causes the neurological disorders in horses. Both types of EHV-1 can also cause abortions.

The researchers' paper is published in the Nov. 9 issue of PLoS Pathogens, published by the Public Library of Science.

The horse herpes virus, a close relative of the chickenpox virus in humans, lives in horses' nostrils and is commonly spread by droplets in the air. And horses remain infected for life. Recently, veterinarians noticed a rise in outbreaks of the neurological form of EHV-1, which can devastate entire herds. Close to one-third of horses that develop the neurological disease end up dying or being euthanized.

"There are apparently two distinct pathotypes of EHV-1 out there, and one is more likely than the other to cause the neurological disease. This study provides the ultimate proof," said Klaus Osterrieder, the paper's senior author who is professor of virology in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine.

After cloning the genome of the virus obtained from a mare that had both lost a fetus and developed neurological symptoms, the researchers then altered one amino acid in the viral enzyme known as DNA polymerase and rendered the virus unable to cause neurological disease. The amino acid change reduced levels of the virus in the horse's bloodstream, and lower levels of the virus reached the central nervous system. The mutation also made the virus more susceptible to antiviral drugs. The researchers believe the reduced replication and levels of virus in the blood may be why one form of the virus does not cause neurological disorders.

"The two pathotypes replicate to similar levels in the horse's nose and spread to other horses with similar efficiency, so interventions should be equally rigorous for all infections," said Osterrieder.

The fact that EHV-1 is a virus and, thus, does not respond to antibiotics underscores the need for prevention, which includes limiting contact and using separate feeders for infected horses. Also, handlers should be careful not to transfer the virus with their clothes, shoes, hands and gear. While vaccines are available that create an immune response against the EHV-1 respiratory disease, no vaccine is currently known to efficiently protect horses against the neurological disease. Only a few vaccines were shown to protect against abortion.

The researchers postulate that herpes viruses evolve toward strains that produce less disease, so they think that the more virulent neurological strain is older than the milder type of EHV-1.

Note: I am attending a conference on farriery this weekend at Cornell's vet school and this important horse health news story is literally breaking right under my nose! --Fran Jurga

What Did You Do Saturday Night? First-Person Account of Trailer Wreck Rescue Upload

It was just another quiet Saturday night at Free Horse Farm in Wisconsin...until the phone rang and veterinarian Kevin Nelson answered it. But it wasn't a colic this time. A confused 911 dispatcher called the young family out into the darkest Saturday night a horseperson can imagine.

The Jurga Report has posted a file for you to download; this pdf file is a first-hand account of the trailer wreck rescue effort in Wadsworth, Illinois on October 27. A tractor-trailer rig ran a stop light and hit a truck; the double-decker trailer crashed to its side. Trapped inside were 59 draft horses on their way from an auction to whatever fate awaited them. Fate, as they say, intervened.

Event rider Deanna Hertrich and Dr. Kevin Nelson were two of the first people to arrive at the scene. Deanna was moved to put pen to paper immediately afterwards and recorded her experience. She was kind enough to share it with me, and allow me to pass it on to you.

What if this accident happened in your town? On your road? What if your own trailer flipped in a traffic accident, ramp side down? Does your town fire/rescue crew know how to handle horses? Would the horsepeople in your community turn out at night to help horses owned by strangers, horses covered with manure and potentially dangerous from stress and panic and pain?

I hope the horsepeople in Wadsworth, Illinois receive some recognition for their efforts and their compassion on that Saturday night. If there is an "up" side to this story it is how fortunate for those horses that the wreck happened in that town.

Please click on the file name below to download Deanna's first-person story and try to imagine where you would fit into an emergency involving horses in your community. Learn what to do. Learn how to do it. And do all you can to insure that your horses are safe, on the road and at home.

JurgaReportSatNight.pdf

Shop (for your horse) Til You Drop at Equine Affaire

Horse owners in the Northeast are polishing their credit cards in anticipation of an all-out retail assault at the 10th Annual Equine Affaire all-breed and all-sport horse fair in West Springfield, Mass. Hotels are sold out for miles around.

Once the obligatory clothes, books, jewelry and boots for yourself are in the bag(s), horse owners will be able to pursue new healthcare products for their horses. The offerings of feed supplements will surely top the list, along with low-carb feed options and hoof boots. Some of the new products to premiere there and to check out include the herbal poultice from Sore-No-More, the "Barn Bag" feed completer from Life Data Labs, plus 101 new ideas for keeping our horse both clean and warm this winter.

Another nice feature of Equine Affaire is that equine hospitals in the region host booths where you can chat with vets and learn about new services like MRI, shock wave and nutrition consulting.

Sage advice from a veteran: arrive early, dress in layers, wear comfortable shoes, get (and keep) receipts for everything, bring notepads or business cards for all the contacts you will make. And most of all, have a plan! Identify the seminars you want to attend, and visit the booths systematically.

Go through the program before you start and write down the numbers of booths with products or services you want to see. Make the list in order by booth number so you can avoid crisscrossing the fairgrounds. There are at least five buildings to explore, not to mention the stables and arenas!

If you shop at the home store chain "Ikea", bring along one of their huge trough-like bags (which are also good for taking hay to a trail ride or one-day show--someone in the horse biz should be marketing those bags). Ikea bags hold more than any shopping bag and have shoulder straps and closing snaps. That's how you will be able to spot a blog writer at Equine Affaire--look for a woman lugging an Ikea bag full of purchases! Stop me and say hello!

And, last but not least,visit your friends at EquiSearch.com in the "Better Living Center" building, booths 532/533 and 619/620, and give your input on this blog!

China Reports 5500 Cases of Equine Influenza

The AustralAsian epizootic news story continues today with the reporting of a large outbreak of Equine Influenza (EI or "horse flu") in China, near the border of Kazakhstan. Jia Youling, National Chief Veterinary Officer of the People's Republic of China has reported more than 5500 cases in the province of Xinjiang to the World Organisation for Animal Health. This is China's first outbreak in 13 years.

As many as 130,000 horses are at risk of infection in the counties of Altay, Burqin, Fuhai, Fuyun, Habahe, Jemnay and Qinghe, Youling said in the report. Xinjiang province borders Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia.

Fear of disease outbreaks in China was one reason why the 2008 Olympic equestrian sports will not be held on the mainland; they will be on the island of Hong Kong to protect international horses from Chinese horse diseases.

The Harbin Veterinary Research Institute published a report in which they found the outbreak was caused by the H3N8 strain of flu, which isn't usually fatal for animals or dangerous to people. However, there is always a risk of mutation and the recent EI outbreaks in Japan, Singapore, Australia and now China are giving the world animal health statiticians something to ponder.

Purdue's Veterinary Homeland Security Program Receives Certification

(edited from a longer press release)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Veterinary Homeland Security Certificate Program, a graduate-level distance-learning program at Purdue University, has gained national certification as a curriculum for response personnel in the event of a major animal health emergency.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, examined and reviewed courses in the program, which is part of Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine and managed by the Purdue Homeland Security Institute.

The agency granted the program certification because it complies with National Animal Health Emergency Management System guidelines, which are set up to deal with animal health incidents.

Since coursework began in May of 2006, there have been 62 students enrolled from 27 states, the District of Columbia and Singapore. The majority are private practice veterinarians, but there also are professionals enrolled from the military, U.S. Department of Agriculture, public health departments, animal health departments and veterinary schools. Some students are veterinary technicians, and others are applying the coursework to degrees in public health. Veterinary students also are participating.

To qualify for the certificate, students have four years to complete nine courses, which are available 24 hours a day online or by CD.

Lectures include a range of topics that address issues such as swine disease, rabies, anthrax and plague.

The program is a cooperative effort among the Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue Homeland Security Institute, Indiana Board of Animal Health, Indiana State Police and Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

More information is available online at http://www.BiosecurityCenter.org.