Trick or Treat!

"Somehow our devils are never quite what we expect when we meet them face to face.” -- Nelson Demille,
originally uploaded by Rock and Racehorses.

Happy Halloween from The Jurga Report!

It's a Look: Sexy in the Saddle

It's a look: California farrier Raleigh Desiato, originally uploaded by wAnguskirk.

How sexy is your farrier? California farrier Raleigh Desiato had her picture taken a lot during a grueling class in horsehoe making at the Royal Berkshire Show in England, and here's the big news: She won!

If you are not in the farrier world: this is equivalent to a US dressage rider winning a class in Germany. Against Germans. Male British farriers dominate farrier competitions.

Raleigh was probably photographed as much for her absolutely-American fashion sense as for her shoeing ability. The photographer who took the shots had no idea who she was or that she even had a chance to win, he just liked her "look".

Meanwhile, in Birmingham, England, the Horse of the Year Show was rocked by the addition of controversial bad-girl celebrity Katie Price in the dressage masterclass event. Katie turned the normally-staid show on its ear by glamming up the traditional shadbelly coat (including not wearing a white shirt underneath, she opted for a sequined camisole) with glitter, bling, and flash trim. Everywhere.

Katie, whose professional name is just "Jordan", seems to be better known by men then women for some reason. I suspect she might be the British equivalent of a publicity-prone icon like Paris Hilton. She launched a new line of equestrian-wear this fall, presumably for (some) young-thinking female riders and primarily in hot pink. Think: Victoria's Secret in the saddle.

(Photo of Katie Price courtesy of Candy Kirby/Flickr. If you double-click on it you may be able to see the bling trim.)

Despite her risque outfits, or perhaps because of them, Katie has been hired as spokesperson for a new campaign called HOOF designed to encourage urban approval of and interest in horse sports in the run-up to the 2012 London Olympics, which will be held at the very urban Greenwich Park. Katie has made no secret that she would like to ride in the World Cup of dressage in Las Vegas next year and has eye on the Olympic team for Great Britain in 2012. Her fashion sense certainly fits with the Vegas style.

Katie's presence at the horse show brought more publicity to the show than a whole planeload of royals could. Click here to watch a BBC News report on Katie at the Burghley Horse Trials.

Below you will see the tamest photo of Katie Price that I could find. Notice that even the horse's hooves are pink. I thought the contrast between the fashions of Raleigh and Katie at the two equestrian events was remarkable.

Whether we are conscious of it or not, we have a fashion style in the equestrian world, from Wrangler butts in the western world to wearing argyle knee socks and Dansko clogs with saggy-seated breeches in the barn on the English side (guilty as charged). And then there's Equifit's new Tretorn high-fashion riding boots from the grand prix circuit (available in red!) and Dubarry's Irish horizontal striped boots.

Let's not forget polo's sidelines cleavage and Mary Lou Whitney's high couture in the winner's circle of Thoroughbred racing, not to mention the incredible high-style tatoos and black fringed leather of the exercise riders at Saratoga on those warm summer mornings. If I was a fashion photographer, I'd do a shoot of those riders, men and women both. That's quite a look. And the eclectic mix of high-brow and high-fashion outfits sported by eventers when they trot up their horses for the inspection. Endurance, of course, has a high-performance fabric look completely of its own; I credit them with loosening up the fashion sense of the horse world.

With the notable exception of icons like Ms. Whitney and Dubai's Princess Haya, women who work with horses break all the fashion rules...and love every minute of creating a look that will tell you immediately what sort of horse they ride when you see them at the supermarket! Although I'm not sure what I would think if I saw someone dressed this way in the express line...

Who's on your best-dressed list? What's your favorite fashion look in the horse world?

British model Katie Price has launched a clothing line for riders in hot pink. She is the poster girl for British equestrianism in the preparation for the 2012 Olympics in London. Yes, the hooves are pink, too.

Royal Agony: Zara Phillips Horse Injured, Later Euthanized, After Falling at French Event

TSUNAMI II Zara Phillips, originally uploaded by rallycarter.

At the four-star three-day event at Pau in the south of France on Saturday, British rider and reigning world champion eventer Zara Phillips took a bad fall with her horse Tsunami II.

According to our friends at Horse and Hound, the horse did not die on course but was transported to a veterinary clinic and later euthanized because a vertebrae inher neck was fractured.

Phillips broke her collarbone in the fall.

Tsunami II was Phillips' up and coming horse; Pau was their first four-star effort. The mare, owned and bred by Irish rider Melanie Duff, was being groomed as Phillips' hope for the 2012 Olympics, to be held in London, just down the road from her grandmother's home at Buckingham Palace.

Phillips is the daughter of Princess Anne, who also competed at high level in eventing...and also rode racehorses! A last-minute injury to Phillips' horse Toytown meant that she missed her chance to represent Great Britain at the 2008 Olympics.

Royal Ecstasy: Not One But TWO Breeders Cup Winners Owned by FEI President Princess Haya

Two Breeders Cup winners in one day? All in a day's work for Jordan/Dubai royal owner Princess Haya. (FEI photo)

By Fran Jurga Published 25 October 2008 on The Jurga Report

On both sides of the Atlantic today, royal horsewomen felt the intense pleasure and the equally intense pain of being part of the horse sport scene.

For Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, it meant having your name in the headlines for a new sport. Widely known as the president of the Federation Equestrian Internationale (FEI), which is the world governing body of equestrian sports for the Olympics and other international competitions, Princess Haya is equally famous as the wife of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and as the daughter of the late king and queen of Jordan.

As if that weren't enough to keep her busy, she is also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the ruling body of the Olympics, and also Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, which include Dubai.

Add another jewel to Princess Haya's crown: On the program today at California's Santa Anita Racecourse, Princess Haya is listed as the owner of two lightning-fast Thoroughbred racehorses, Donativum and Raven's Pass.

Trained by John Gosden, Raven's Pass slipped into the USA as an unknown and went off as a bit of a longshot, in spite of his impressive record as a turf mile specialist at home in Europe. To American racing fans, he will always be remembered as the spoiler who beat the great American horse Curlin on his home ground. They will forget that Curlin finished fourth, not second, to Raven's Pass. They will only remember that Raven's Pass flew in and stole a race that should have gone to the Great American.

And there's more: Also winning in Princess Haya's name was Juvenile Turf victor Donativum, a mere two-year-old.

Not bad for a woman who is usually seen at a three-day event or a jumping show. Princess Haya is a graduate of Oxford University. She was the first Arab woman to compete internationally and at the Olympics in equestrian sports when she represented Jordan in show jumping.

Click here to learn more about Princess Haya and her glamorous but hard-working horse-centric life.

Head Shy Filly Sticks Her Neck Out

The newspapers are showing this "equine interest" photo this morning. A West Virginia filly named Gracie, while out to pasture, managed to get her head stuck--really stuck--in the trunk of a tree. A passerby noticed her unusual predicament and figured he should go for help...but took a few pictures while waiting for the chainsaws to arrive.

Gracie apparently suffered only minor injuries. But I bet you'll never be able to start a chainsaw anywhere near her again.

Of all the Gracie photos, this one is the best, and was printed in the British Telegraph newspaper.

Click here to read the Telegraph's story about Gracie.

Sign of the Times: Saratoga Teen Lives Out Every Girl's Dream as Rider Trainee at Vienna's Spanish Riding School

The four new rider trainees at Vienna's tradition-embedded Spanish Riding School include for the first time two women, a British-born teenager who has been living in the USA and a native Austrian. (Spanish Riding School photo)

You read that headline correctly: "Girl".

A 17-year-old Saratoga, New York teen has broken through several traditional barriers this month. Sojourner Morrell, who is technically a British citizen, survived the month-long try-out phase as a stableworker and an entrance selection process to become one of four initiate riding student "Eleves" at the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.

Even if an Éleve is given the unique opportunity of training with the Spanish Riding School, this does not necessarily mean that he or she will automatically eventually retire as a Chief Rider. Each prospective Rider is faced with challenging requirements and must meet high personal qualifications. It takes approximately four to six years – depending on the individual’s talent and personal commitment – for an Éleve to progress to the position of an Assistant Rider.

The Éleves are the equivalent to apprentices at the Spanish Riding School. Until now young boys aged between 15 and 16 years were admitted. However, this age limit has been raised so that ideally young people wanting to join the Spanish Riding School have already either completed their school education or an apprenticeship. Sojourner is 17; the female Austrian Eleve is 22.

There’s more to the ideal Rider than just a love for horses and an equestrian talent. The baroque Lipizzaner, bred specifically for the High School of Classical Horsemanship, is smaller and more compact than the average dressage horse today. The rider should match the horse in his or her proportions.

If age and personal requirements fit, it is now a question of an Eleve completing the first four years of the equestrian training under the guidance of an experienced Rider and learning all about the Spanish Riding School. Working in the stables is just as important as learning to care for the saddles, bridles and all the other equipment.

After those first four years the Éleve is officially evaluated by the Director of the Riding School, Ernst Bachinger, and the Riders with regard to his or her skills and also in his or her own ability to pass on to others what has been taught. A positive evaluation will enable the promotion to the position of an Assistant Rider.

An Assistant Rider is expected to train a young stallion independently and present him in a public performance. This phase also takes at least four years and sees the Assistant Rider working closely with the experienced Chief Riders. This is the time the acquired equestrian skills should be developed into an art form and be passed on to a horse. This project demands a great deal of discipline and sensitivity from a young person. Taking into account all these stages, it takes about 8 to 10 years to progress from an Éleve to a Rider.

The tradition of training the art of riding at the Spanish Riding School will remain unchanged: the experienced Chief Rider passing on traditions and expertise to the next generation. An excellent Rider is not only able to train horses but must also be a good teacher. This way the quality of training has been upheld for centuries.

For the first time since the end of the Austrian monarchy, women will sit astride the Lipizzaners of the Spanish Riding School. In the 18th century, during Empress Maria Theresia’s reign it was perfectly normal for the ladies of the royal court to take part in the famous carrousels and equestrian feasts which took place in the Winter Riding School. Allegedly Empress Elisabeth, a superb rider, used the world’s most beautiful riding hall so she could enjoy her personal training sessions beneath the sparkling chandeliers.

The Spanish Riding School has been planning a tour of several US cities for 2010.

Thanks to the Spanish Riding School for explanations of the road that lies ahead for the Eleves.

Au Contraire: On Parisian Billboards, Artistic Thoroughbreds Face Off Against Horse Steak

If you were driving through Paris earlier this month, you'd have seen some of the most spectacular billboard banners in the world. They promoted the Qatar Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe, one of the world's greatest and richest horse races, which was run on the turf at Longchamps...and won by the Aga Khan's spectacular filly Zarkava.

And if you know Paris, you recognize the sculpture details superimposed on the horse as part of the race's namesake, the famous arch and symbol of Paris (detail below).

Who is that horse? It's not Zarkava. London's BBC decided to find out, or perhaps they were tipped off that that was no French horse's head, but rather a British one. Click here to read the BBC web site's story about the model, a gray filly from Berkshire, England.

But what about the other horses of Paris, the ones in the butcher shops? A group called Je Ne Mange Pas De Cheval ("I don't eat horse") also has a horsey billboard in Paris.

If you never thought you'd need your high school French, try to decode the billboard anyway. Rough translation: "How do you like your horse? Free running or plastic-wrapped?"

NOTE: The photo for the horse race banner was taken by my friend, British photographer Tim Flach, whose book EQUUS (no connection to our favorite horse magazine, other than an appreciation for fine horse imagery) is being published this month in the USA. You'll be seeing exclusive sample images from the book in this blog; you can email me for details on how to order a copy of this most extraordinary photography book, which will be the ultimate Christmas gift of 2008! On the cover: Icelandic horses at home in action in their native environment.

Click here to read a post and see a short video on this blog from September 4, 2008 about what Tim Flach saw in a one-eyed rescued horse at a World Horse Welfare farm.

Euthanasia Day: California Non-Profit Helps Horseowners Avoid Slaughter

A few weeks ago I wrote an impassioned blog post calling for reform in the options that horse owners have when choosing to sell or put down an unwanted horse. Among my ideas was that I suggested that AAEP member veterinarians work out a way to subsidize euthanasia on certain days to make it more affordable for owners.

Imagine my surprise today when the Fugly Horse of the Day blog spotlighted a California equine rescue group that is full to the gills with needy horses...and still answering way to many calls from owners with the rote, "Sorry, we're full..." message, knowing that the horse may end up at an auction and then be shipped to a Mexican slaughterhouse.

NorCal Equine Rescue in Oroville is offering euthanasia clinics; the first will be held on December 17th. Financially-strapped horse owners can have their horses euthanized for $25, only about 10% the cost that a veterinarian normally charges. The balance of the fee is to be paid by donations...and with a little publicity from the Fugly Blog, the donations have begun.

Click here to read how the group has planned out the euthanasia clinc, and what the circumstances are in northern California. I don't think they would mind if others copied their idea, but let's give them credit for this one. It is sad to think that it is even necessary, but this option should spare a good number of horses the trauma of the auction and a long long truck ride to a tragic death.

If you can, please donate to the euthanasia initiative. There's a PayPal link ("Donate" button) on the site to make it easy for you.

Hoof Bulb Injuries 101: What Happened to Big Brown?

Earlier today news was released about the disappointing retirement of champion three-year-old Thoroughbred Big Brown. This post will give some background into the type of hoof injury that forced this decision, for those unfamiliar with foot anatomy and injury.

(Double click on photo for a much larger detail view.)

A horse's heel bulbs are similar to the fleshy part of the palm of your hand above the wrist, at the base of your thumb. The bulbs are in the back part of the foot, above the hairline and below the "waist" of the pastern. In this photo, which shows a foot cut in half, it is the brownish zone at the right that bulges out from the hoof. The heel bulbs are comprised of soft tissue, namely the digital cushion, a fat-cartilage mass that fills out the foot and provides multiple cushioning, circulation-enhancing and/or structural functions in maintaining the integrity and strength of the foot. The bulbs are covered with skin and hair and are not protected by hard hoof wall or sole. They are a vulnerable structure. (Photo courtesy of HorseScience.com)

This horse's injury is to the horn-covered heel area just below the skin and hair covered heel bulbs area. The height of the horse's heels and the shape of the bulbs vary from horse to horse.

This stakes horse at Keeneland suffered a heel injury that might have been similar to Big Brown's. Technically the heel bulbs are the area covered with hair, just below the horseshoer's thumb. The area was filled in and covered with acrylic and a glue on Polyflex shoe was applied by Curtis Burns.

This photo was taken when the horse was well into the healing process. Sometimes the hind shoe scrapes down the back of the pastern over the heel bulbs and ripping off part of the heel or pulling off the front shoe. Thoroughbred racehorses frequently suffer from a grabbed quarter, heel bulb lacerations and coronet bruising and cuts because of toe grabs on their shoes. But, as Big Brown showed today, these injuries can occur even without toe grabs; he was not wearing any front shoes at all today.

Frequently a hind foot comes up and strikes the front foot when there is a gait abnormality, such as when horses are galloping on soft turf and the front foot stays on the ground a fraction of a second too long and the hind foot comes forward and strikes it. The injury frequently happens when horses scramble out of the starting gate, and can happen to hind feet when "clipping heels" with another horses.

Some horses have conformational or coordination problems that designate them "hitters" and suffer from chronic lower leg and hoof cuts and bruises and soreness. They usually wear bandages and bell boots when working and have their hind shoes "set back" to reduce the chance of injury when training. Big Brown wore bell boots when schooling for the Belmont to protect his quarter crack patch.

One of Big Brown's feet in the spring of 2008: His heel bulbs are partially recruited into the hoof wall repair for his heel separations. (Ian McKinlay/Tom Curl photo)

How bad can a heel bulb injury be? This is a case at the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital's Podiatry Clinic, as featured in issue #79 of Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Dr. Scott Morrison reconstructed the frog and over time, was able to restore the foot and the young Thoroughbred began its racing career wearing normal raceplates. Heel bulb injuries are common around farms, particularly wire cuts, horses catching a hoof in a cattle guard, pasture injuries, trailer loading mishaps, etc.

Aftermath of a heel bulb laceration: This ex-racehorse shows evidence of a severe injury earlier in its life. The horse is completely sound.

© 2006-2007-2008 The Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.
http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsehealth/

Magna Tracks Adopt Formal Policy: No Transport to Slaughter or Auction From Our Racetracks

(received via press release)

Magna Entertainment Corporation ("MEC") announced today that it has recently formally adopted a company-wide policy promoting the humane treatment of racehorses. Under the policy, any trainer or owner stabling at an MEC facility who directly or indirectly participates in the transport of a horse from an MEC facility to either a slaughterhouse or an auction house engaged in selling horses for slaughter will be prohibited from having stalls at any MEC facility. The policy also applies to any actions related to the transport of a horse from an MEC facility where the ultimate intended result is the horse's slaughter.

Ron Charles, Chief Operating Officer of MEC and President of Santa Anita Park, commented: "Consistent with the long-standing vision of Frank Stronach and management at our racetracks, the policy signifies the Company's strong intent to deal only with those trainers and owners who have the welfare of racehorses as their primary concern."

Frank Stronach, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MEC commented, "The goal of the policy is to forewarn industry participants who participate in the slaughter of racehorses that they are not welcome at any of our facilities across the country. I hope other racetrack owners formally adopt similar policies".

MEC is North America's largest owner and operator of horse racetracks. Among the tracks owned in the USA by MEC are Golden Gate and Santa Anita in California, Gulfstream in Florida, Laurel Park and Pimlico in Maryland, Lone Star Park in Texas, The Meadows in Pennsylvania, Portland Meadows in Oregon, Remington Park in Oklahoma, and Thistledown in Ohio.

Contaminated Round Bale Haylage Blamed for 100 Surrogate Mares' Deaths on Florida Embryo Transfer Farm

State officials and veterinarians in the Ocala, Florida region are investigating a massive death event at an embryo transfer farm near Summerfield. In the past 10 days, dozens of broodmares began showing neurological signs of distress, and often dropped dead in the fields. About 100 horses are believed to be dead.

The farm owners believe the cause to be something in haylage bales, which they purchase from an outside contractor. The farm, which houses 400 "rescued" mares used in embryo transfer services, is the contractor's sole customer, so it is hoped that whatever contaminated the bales was limited to that source.

"[The horses] started trembling and fell on the ground. It was like they were having seizures," said the farm owner, who is also a veterinarian and said that attempts were being made to determine the cause of the horses' deaths.

Moldy hay is a common problem with horses. Dead animals can contaminate hay as well, but probably would not be present in so many bales. That leaves the possibility of botulism.

Dr. Carol Clark, a veterinarian with Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala, provided background information. In the case of botulism, the bacteria Clostridium botulinum produces spores, which stick to the hay when it is cut and baled. The spores become bacteria, which produce a deadly toxin. The bacteria thrive in environments absent of oxygen. In some cases, grass that is cut and wrapped begins to ferment, which is conducive to the deadly bacteria's growth if not handled correctly, Clark said. She commented that the processed hay ("haylage") is typically given to cattle because they are less susceptible to botulism.

The veterinarian/owner said the hay he gave his sick horses was haylage, but that it was "inoculated" to make it safe for horses.

According to an information paper from the government of Ontario on haylage for horses, the warning signs of botulism are that affected horses:

• usually have muscle tremors.
• may be so weak that they cannot stand up.
• lose control of their tongue so it may hang from their mouth.
• can't eat and they drool because they can't swallow.
• may walk stiffly with a short stride or they may be weak and stumble. Their tail may lose its tone.

Please read the complete information paper if you are hoping to save on your hay budget and feed haylage to horses. There are specific commercial haylages made just for horses, with particular grasses and harvesting techniques.

A mysterious footnote to the botulism theory is that it is standard procedure for broodmares to be vaccinated against botulism, since young foals are highly susceptible to the infection.

In an interesting twist of events in this story, a representative of the State of Florida said that it would not be involved because it only investigates health problems related to horse feed, not grass-based hay.

The farm, known as EquiTransfer, is home to about 400 mares, primarily surrogate "receiver" mares, who are used in embryo transfer services provided by the farm, which technically leases the mares for the purpose of carrying another mare's foal and giving birth. One of the owners commented that the farm used "rescued" mares. In 2006, the farm performed 700 embryo transfers and, according to its website, is the largest embryo transfer farm in the Southeast. The farm seems to specialize in breeding Paso Fino horses, plus some Gypsy Vanners, via mare surrogates of any and all breeds.

Ocala.com reports that there had been complaints from local citizens about the condition and welfare of the mares but that no action had been taken by authorities.

Farms like EquiTransfer are increasingly coming under criticism by animal welfare advocates as being the horse equivalent of puppy mills for dogs. One mare can provide several embryos per year although opponents warn that repeated breeding and flushing may put the mare at risk for infection, as well as saturating the market and decreasing the gene pool for breeds for which it is a popular practice. However, sabotage is apparently not suspected.

"It was a surprise to everyone. It was an isolated incident. It's very sad. We rescued those horses to be surrogate mothers," said one of the owners on a local television broadcast.

Click here to watch a video news reports from Central Florida's WFTV. Read an article in today's Gainesville Sun about this tragedy here.

Blogger's Comment: Information for this post was provided via an alert from the RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service. (Thank you!) It is rare for one news story to touch on or hint at so many of the pressing issues in the horse industry today: cost cutting measures on farms, vaccination procedures, feed safety, veterinary ethics, farm management, horse rescues, the cost of hay, market breeding, consumer protection (or lack thereof), ethics of breeding, overbreeding, puppy mills: It's all there. As I was investigating this story, I became more and more amazed. I imagine I will write more stories in the months to come about poisoning of horses from contaminated hay. This one, however, will hopefully and probably not be equaled. Photo below courtesy of Flickr close-up expert fivefiveandahalf.

Hong Kong Revisited: Spend an Educational Evening with Olympic Rider, Horse, Nutritionist and Vet

You are cordially invited to join the US Equestrian Team for an evening of informative discussions about the United States Equestrian Team's "Olympic Story 2008". The evening is presented by Somerset Feed & Grain and sponsored by Pennfield Equine Feeds and Kentucky Equine Research

DATE: October 22, 2008
TIME: 5 PM to 9 PM
LOCATION: The USET Foundation Headquarters at 1040 Pottersville Road in Gladstone, New Jersey
Hors D'ouveres will be served from 5 PM to 6 PM
Photo Session with Philip Dutton and Olympic Mount Connaught 5 PM to 6 PM

Featured Speakers: Nutrition Expert Joe Pagan, B.S.A., M.S., Ph.D; Philip Dutton (Olympic Rider, US Eventing) and Brendan Furlong, D.M.V. B., M.R.C.V.S., US Olympic Team Veterinarian.

In the coming months Pennfield, KER and the USEF will host a series of additional nutritional lectures, USEF fund raisers and programs to educate equine enthusiasts from different riding disciplines by giving them opportunities to meet, learn, and even train with top athletes in the sport.

On the other side of the globe, Dr Peter Huntington and Australian eventer Megan Jones will make a similar presentation at the Equitana Asia Pacific on November 20th.

Mom Always Liked You Best: Wild Horse Research Shows That Mares Pamper Colts More than Fillies

Wild horse mares and foals in Australia are also being studied by the Wild Horse Research Group at the University of Queensland's School of Veterinary Science. GPS transmitters have been attached to some horses to monitor their location and the distances covered. Learn more about the Australian studies at www.wildhorseresearch.com. Australia has more wild horses (and wild camels) than any country on earth. (Photo by Dr Chris Pollitt)

What will a mother sacrifice for her child? Lots more for her son than for her daughter, if she's a wild horse mare.

Researchers from the University of Pretoria in South Africa trekked to the mountains of New Zealand to observe wild horse parental behavior, and suggest that the behavior mirrors human tendencies.

The mares often sacrificed more for colts in order to provide more milk and spent more time playing with colts than with fillies. Physical condition of mares raising colts was often worse than those raising fillies. Researchers presume that the most active and best fed colts developed into the strongest and healthiest stallions. Since horses are polygynous, the mare's genetic influence is increased by a colt who will go on to breed more offspring.

The scientists did mention the catch that if a colt does not grow up to be a dominant male, he will not be able to pass on the mother's genetic code, whereas chances are good that fillies do at least produce a number of offspring over their lifetime.

The scientific research will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Animal Behavior, but is capsulated in a terrific article prepared by the Discovery channel's web site. Comparisons are made to sex-preference studies in human mothers.

I have read studies like this before but this report is interesting because of the focus not just on the size of colts vs fillies but also the physical activity levels. Do colts play more and grow larger and stronger because they receive better care and nutrition from the mares? Or does their larger size and activity level require more nutrition and attention?

Hold Your Horses: Brazil's Glanders Outbreak Snafus International Show Jumping Circuit

Imagine this: Three weeks from now, horses from all over the world are planning to race in the Breeders Cup at California's Santa Anita track. They will fly in from France, from England, from Ireland, South Africa, Canada, Australia, Japan.

Now ramp up to "War of the Worlds" tempo:

Just as the last set of flights are set to wing their way to Los Angeles, word comes that Santa Anita is shut down by a contagious disease. There's a lockdown quarantine. The horses that are there, can't leave. The horses that want to get there to train, can't land. The race day is uncertain. The government veterinarians stand solid. Everything's up in the air, including millions of dollars in purses and the health and well-being of millions and millions and millions of dollars' worth of the world's most valuable horses.

When and if the horses leave, they could spread a disease to farms and training centers and racetracks all over the entire world.

Now, just to make the story even more Dick Francis-esque, make it a disease that is transmittable to humans. A disease that veterinary medicine gloated about erradicating years ago. A disease that is a footnote in the textbooks, because it doesn't "exist" anymore...except in certain third-world countries, once in a while.

The disease is called glanders, and this exact scenario played out last week in Brazil, which was set to host the world finals of the Global Champions Tour in São Paulo this month. Everything looked rosy, and the world's top riders and horses had booked their flights.

And then it happened: an outbreak of glanders. And not just in the host country, but near the host city. National health agencies around the world were consulted: if we take our horses there, can we be sure they will be allowed to re-enter Europe and the USA?

I am happy (I think) to report that the Global Champions Tour will still have its big final in São Paulo. The organizing committee has been able to provide the EU-commission with enough evidence to show that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure the health of the horses. These measures consist of strict quarantine during the horses´ travel and stay in Brazil.

The original date of the final was from 8 to 12 October, but has been postponed for one week setting the new date from 15 to 19 October. Even though the date has been changed, the program of this 5-star event has not.

What happened? The Brazilian veterinary authorities reported on September 8, 2008 that glanders had been detected in a horse in the Sao Paulo region of south-east Brazil. The last time that glanders was reported in the south east of Brazil was in the 1960’s.

Here's another scary sub-story: On the basis of the evidence that is currently available, it is possible that horses have been imported to the UK from this region of Brazil. Records show that since April 2008 four consignments (a total of 5 horses) have been imported into the UK from this area. As a result of the low but not negligible risk to UK horses, DEFRA (the British animal health authorities who handled the 2005 foot and mouth disease outbreak) are in the process of locating, isolating and re-testing the five horses known to have been imported directly to the UK from Brazil since April 2008 as a precautionary measure.

(Brazil, by the way, is a leading horse-producing nation. The native Marchador horses are well-loved and growing in populararity around the world. Fine Quarter horses and Thoroughbreds are bred there. But probably the leading breed for export are Lusitanos; many of the fine Lusitanos in the USA were originally imported from Brazil, not from Portugal.

It is important that equine veterinarians and horse owners around the world familiarize themselves with the clinical signs of glanders and report any suspected cases of the disease, especially in horses which may have originated from South America.

Further information on glanders can be obtained from the DEFRA website,

In North America, an excellent background paper on glanders is available online from the National Institutes for Health.

Finally here is a link to some news about testing for glanders from the University of Kentucky.

Glanders is a disease from the past but it is one of the few that can pass from horses to humans. Glanders and its sister disease, farcy, were the scourge of calvaries in days gone by and its eradication from North America and Europe has been a major step forward for the overall health of the horses who live here.

Like so many things, our progress is not always perfect. One false step and a global health crisis could erupt.

Consider this: the US government has openly published information that it believes that terrorist organizations might use glanders for bioterrorism purposes. It is believed that the German government used glanders for bioterrorist purposes in World War I to slow down the horse-mounted armies of its enemies.

Should you and I lose sleep about glanders? No, I don't think so. But I hope someone at the Department of Homeland Security is up late tonight, and every night, keeping track of this disease and what it might mean to us and our horses...and our world.

Thanks to the British Equine Veterinary Association for the British point of view and information about how they are handling the Brazilian horses.

© 2006-2007-2008 The Jurga Report: Horse Health Headlines. All rights reserved.
http://special.equisearch.com/blog/horsehealth/

This post was originally published on October 7, 2008

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Equine Infectious Anemia Discovered in a Horse in Germany

An update from the International Society for Infections Diseases (ISID) at Harvard University tells us that a horse in the Haan/North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) region of Germany has tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA).

This is the first case in the region in more than 10 years.

German authorities have set up a control zone of 2 km (some sources say 10 km) around the affected farm; movement restrictions are in place, and all horses and donkeys in the zone will be blood tested.

The horse was put down, and the authorities are investigating the possible route of the introduction of the virus.

Cases of EIA are very rare in Germany and occur usually in horses imported from Eastern Europe, where the disease is unfortunately much more common.

An outbreak in Ireland a few years ago basically shut down horse transport and international sales breeding there. That outbreak was linked to contaminated plasma at a pharmaceutical lab.

EIA is the disease that a Coggins test is looking for. It is among the most dangerous and highly contagious of equine diseases.

To learn more: The USDA has an excellent background document on EIA. Click here to access it.

Veterinary Options: Radiation Therapy for Periocular Sarcoid Tumor in Horses

At left: Muffin the mule had irradiated wires sutured into the site where his sarcoid tumor emerged from the skin beneath the eye. In the image below, you will see the tumor site after the wires were removed. (Animal Health Trusts photos)

Sarcoids are the most common form of tumor in horses, donkeys and mules worldwide. Some animals get just a single sarcoid, whereas others may have multiple tumors. The tumors remain within the skin, but can grow and become ulcerated. They can be painful and, if close to the eye, can have a significant effect on vision.

The equine veterinary clinicians of the world are concerned at what appears to be either an increase in the incidence of sarcoids in horses, or at least an increase in the number of cases referred for treatment.

At the Animal Health Trust's equine clinic in Newmarket, England, referrals and research for all sorts of horse-related diseases and lameness problems are common. Some of the world's top sport and race horses are vanned in and out of the clinic. But recently, the clinics were able to help Muffin, a pet mule who resides at the Redwings horse sanctuary nearby.

Sadly, over the past two years, Muffin has needed to spend much of his time in veterinary care while his sarcoid was being treated. Despite a variety of treatments the tumor became more advanced and so Muffin was on his way to the Animal Health Trust for the latest treatment.

Muffin’s sarcoid is below the eye and since it is relatively small, it is not affecting his sight. However, it is likely to be causing soreness and irritation, and now that it has become ulcerated, it is likely to attract flies.

Redwings veterinarian Ruth Morgan said, “We tried all the standard treatments, including creams and a course of chemotherapy; but when we heard that the oncology team at the Animal Health Trust had started treating these sarcoids in horses with iridium, we knew that would be Muffin’s best chance. We were very concerned to treat the condition effectively before it spread closer to his eye and became painful."

The Animal Health Trust's oncologists used a specialized technique known as brachytherapy, which is a form of radiotherapy. This is often the treatment of choice for periocular (around the eye) tumors and also sarcoids that appear at joint sites.

When sarcoids are located on other areas of the body, treatment options vary. Surgical excision often results in aggressive recurrence of the tumor, and so is rarely advocated as a sole treatment. Cryotherapy (topical freezing), Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy, and CO2 laser excision have all been used with varying success. Intralesional treatment with cisplatin or with a cytotoxic cream developed at the University of Liverpool may be options where the sarcoid is in a location suitable for topical treatment, according to the AHT.

Meredith Smith, the AHT Equine Clinician responsible for Muffin’s treatment, explained, “I inserted wires impregnated with a radioactive material (Iridium-192) into the affected area. This is a gold standard of treatment particularly suited to this type of tumor. I am very hopeful that it will improve Muffin’s quality of life significantly. To date, we have had a 100% success rate using this therapy although, to the best of my knowledge, it has not previously been used on a mule.”

Click on this file name's link to download a pdf file from the Animal Health Trust's oncology department explaining much more about brachytherapy for equine sarcoids: AHT_equine_iridium.pdf.

Additional images of equine sarcoids provided by the Animal Health Trust