Your Horse's Heart: Equine Heart Rate and Rhythm Studies

by Fran Jurga | 27 October 2009 | The Jurga Report at Equisearch.com

How much do you know about your horse's heart? Not much, probably. It works--but did you know that the horse's heart is one of the most amazing among all the mammal species?

I always remember people saying that Secretariat's heart was massively larger than that of a normal horse, and that the heart of the great New Zealand runner Phar Lap is preserved in a museum somewhere and people still come to look at it.

But if you own a racehorse or an eventer or an endurance horse, you're probably acutely aware of your horse's cardiovascular system and with the use of heart-rate monitors to keep up with how and when in the exercise or competition cycle your horse is putting his or her heart to full capacity use.

The recent deaths of so many event horses because of cardiopulmonary failure is reason alone to want to know more about how the heart works under stress.







These two videos are from my "greatest hits" album on YouTube.com; they comprise a short documentary made by Ontario Veterinary College last year on their latest research and clinical efforts to improve understanding and care of the horse's heart.

I hope you will watch it and keep an eye out for lots more information about how the horse's heart works, both at rest and under stress. Much of the information is new and all of it adds to our body of knowledge to take better care of our horses, by knowing them better from the start.

Thanks to Ontario Veterinary College for making these videos available to share with you.

Remembering Secretariat: Laminitis Is Still With Us (But This Conference Will Help)

by Fran Jurga | 4 October 2009 | The Jurga Report at Equisearch.com

Can you imagine "the tremendous machine" that was Secretariat gimping around on sore feet? The Great One knew the horrible pain of chronic laminitis in his later years. (This great photo is featured on www.secretariat.com, where you can purchase it and stare at it for hours, which is what I plan to do.)

Today is one of the horse world's sad anniversary days.

I remember the shock I felt on October 4, 1989 when I received the news that Secretariat had been euthanized at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky.

All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Secretariat back together again, as the nursery rhyme goes. His feet were ravaged by a long-term fight with chronic laminitis, an insidious form of the terrible disease that often includes painful relapses, recurrent abscesses and hoof capsule deformation.

Secretariat probably had good days and bad days. How horrible it must have been to watch such a proud, great horse on one of his bad days. A lame Secretariat would break your heart.

Twenty years later, famous and not-so-famous horses still fight chronic laminitis as well as many other forms of the disease. We all remember Barbaro, who fought the support limb dysfunction form of laminitis. Aged horses and certain breeds like Morgans suffer from a form of insulin resistance that can cycle with the seasons and cause insidious low grade laminitis. Hospitalized horses are still at risk for laminitis following colic surgery and especially in conjunction with diseases like colitis and Potomac horse fever. Drug reactions cause laminitis. Retained placentas in broodmares cause laminitis. Extreme hoof concussion, such as running on pavement, can cause a horrible mechanical form of laminitis called road founder. The list goes on and on.

That's right. Twenty years after Secretariat's death and the list goes on and on. After all this time, not one form of the disease has been nicely tied up, with all its questions answered, from research to treatment. Not one has been solved. And there are so many.

Over the past 20 years I have raised a lot of money for laminitis research, both directly and indirectly. I have put most of the money I raised into the hands of the Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation and the Animal Health Foundation and hoped for the best.

And now I am going to find out what the best have to offer.

From November 6 to 8, I will be glued to a seat in the audience at the Fifth International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot in West Palm Beach, Florida. For three days, I will be embedded with the world's foremost minds on the subject, both from the academic and field practice aspects of the disease.

Among the many advances in laminitis research and treatment to be unveiled at the 2009 laminitis conference in Florida will be 3-D CT imaging. These images are all constructed from CT scans of a single foot, a Standardbred with chronic laminitis in Queensland, Australia, and were taken at the same time. They were converted with Mimics, a commercial medical imaging software, by Dr Simon Collins at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, England, who will present this new technology at the conference. You can see both how the outer hoof capsule deformed and the inner blood supply and bone surface were damaged. These images grace the cover of the conference Proceedings book.

A roster of universities from four continents will present their latest research, and world leader Dr Chris Pollitt will convey his latest findings, along with his groundbreaking research on wild horse feet from the Australian outback, as he attempts to quantify truly normal hoof processes against which laminitis's hideously abnormal processes can be legitimately compared.

Farriers and farrier/vets will show new shoes and boots and bandages and trims and ways to tell how and if the hoof is healing. Forage expert Katy Watt will look at how and when and why we put our horses out at grass. She might even add "if" this time--should some horses be out on grass ever, at all?

This conference will be a giant step forward for laminitis, a sound stride in a shaky world where many of us know not so much exactly what to do, but that we are compelled to do something by the pain that we see in our horses' eyes. So often, owners of laminitic horses waste time and money and emotional energy; the money spent attending this conference is small compared to a year's worth of exotic supplements or medications or even a single fee for applying a designer shoeing system that may be all wrong for a horse at a certain stage in the disease process.

If you have an interest in laminitis, a foundered horse in your barn, or a veterinarian, farrier or vet student whose career you support, I hope you will see the value in this conference and consider attending or sending an envoy.

I'll save you a seat.

Learn lots more about the speakers, program topics, and the unique multi-disciplinary approach to learning about laminitis and hoof diseases at www.laminitisconference.com.

Favorite Art: A Perfect Horse for the Fourth of July and a Preview of One of This Summer's Leading Events

Don't you agree? This red-white-and-blue gesture depends a lot on negative space to create the unmistakable image of a horse's head, and it's one of my favorite logos in a long time.

Just when you think you have seen a horse's head interpreted every possible way, some creative mind takes it to a new dimension!

Surprise, surprise, though--this horse is not an American creation at all.

This image will represent the Alltech FEI European Dressage and Showjumping Championships, which will take place at England's famed Windsor Castle outside London in late August. Yes, the Queen Herself has invited everyone over to her suburban home for a very special competition.

With the announcement of title sponsorship by the American-based international animal nutrition giant Alltech, the Europeans have more of a tie to the USA than previously thought. Alltech, of course, is also the title sponsor of the FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky next year.

This beautiful artwork was created by Brand Electioneering, a British marketing firm.

To learn more about the plans for the Alltech FEI European Championships, watch this little video of the announcement of Alltech's sponsorship, hosted by the event's managing director Simon Brooks-Ward with Dr Pearce Lyons of Alltech...and some surprise guests at the end.



A press release about the event deems it "the most important equestrian event to be held in the United Kingdom this decade". Some US riders may qualify to compete in the non-championship events.

Thanks to Showjumping Unplugged for releasing this tape.

Five-Time German Dressage Olympian's Horse Tests Positive for Banned Medication

Just a few weeks ago, Germany's equestrian federation sent seismic shock waves through the horse showing world by disbanding its national teams after show-jumping riders began to tell shocking tales of medication and manipulation of their horses to bring home gold medals. Germany promised heads would roll.

So this morning's news was more shocking than ever, read through that lens.

According to the Associated Press and confirmed by Horse and Hound and English-language newspapers in Germany, double Olympic gold medalist Isabel Werth has been suspended from competition and will attend a hearing later this week to answer charges that her horse Whisper tested positive for an anti-psychotic medication at the competition at Wiesbaden on May 30, 2009.

“This is a catastrophy for equestrian sports," said Breido Graf zu Rantzau, president of the equestrian federation, in the Associated Press report.

All sources confirm that Isabel has been suspended; however the system includes a backup: the "B" sample may still be tested and prove her innocent of illegal doping. While the investigation continues, she will not be able to compete at Aachen, the biggest competition for German riders in the run-up to this summer's European Dressage Championships.

Should the "B" sample test positive, Werth would face punishment by both the FEI and German authorities.

Up to this time, most emphasis on doping has centered on show jumping.

Headshaker Horses, Head Here for Resources and Research

by Fran Jurga | 19 June 2009 | The Jurga Report at Equisearch.com

Sometimes I finish writing an article for a magazine or a post for this blog and I look at my desk in amazement: piles of books, files strewn everywhere, journals falling on the floor, three monitor screens flashing information. Is it information overload or is it...information nirvana?

If you're like me, you haven't given up on books and files and journals and notes from conferences to do your research on your horse's health problems. But you love the ease of surfing the net to make sure that there's nothing new that you've missed, providing you can trust the source.

But in my library I can go back and research horsecare as it was practiced 100 years ago or 50 years ago or 25 years ago, with the same ease that the internet carries me deeper and deeper into the Right Now.

One condition in horses that brings many people to The Jurga Report and lots of other sites is the problem called headshaking. It's usually getting worse in horses this time of year, which is why I've put this post together now. The bright sunlight seems to irritate headshaker horses, and they're going to it now. When I go to shows and events now, I see more and more horses with those discreet little nets over their noses, and I'm so glad if they are working.

Headshaking is a subject that fascinates all of us, perhaps because it still eludes explanation. We really don't understand it, but so many of us have been around a horse that has this problem, that we've spent a lot of time pondering it. How many truly great horses have had performance careers curtailed because of headshaking? And how many horses in general just could live a happier, less stressful life without the annoyance of headshaking?

A question that really bothers me is why I don't read more about headshaking in the old books. Did they have a secret remedy that didn't survive into the modern times? Or was headshaking simply not as common then as it is now? And why does it seem to be more common each year?

The University of Lincoln in England has created the most comprehensive resource that I've seen on the problem, and they include both their own research and others. Click here to go there and have a look, but be prepared to spend some time.

This group of researchers has surveyed owners of headshaker horses through a project called the National Equine Headshaking Survey and created a site that is absolutely overflowing with literature citations, links, video, illustrations, and advice for owners. It's very inspiring and would make a great model for anyone considering an information-based site on a horse health problem. They've done a great job.

Headshaking is a seasonal problem for many horses, and the new lightweight nosenets are giving some relief, so I hope you will check those out if you haven't already. The University of Liverpool vet hospital has a page about their program of surgery for treatment of headshaking as a form of neuropathy.

Medication, nasal sprays, homeopathic Capstar...all are options that work for some horses, but there still doesn't seem to be one solution that works for all horses and fits the budgets of all owners.

I'm looking forward to that Eureka! day when we can post the news that a definitive answer to the headshaking mystery has been found. In the meantime, the University of Lincoln's web site comes very close and they are so sympathetic to horses suffering from headshaking that you feel that you truly do have a friend out there on the web. And your headshaking horse does, too.

Photo credit: Stock Exchange

Video: A Foal Finds A Stand-in Mom at Vet College Hospital

by Fran Jurga | 14 May 2009 | The Jurga Report

Here's a quick out-take: a goat allows an abandoned foal to nurse at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. Thanks to the Associated Press and our friends at the British social video site, TrotonTV.com for the heads-up on this clip.

Double Video: Mustangs Before and After Rescue at Three Strikes Ranch in Nebraska

by Fran Jurga | 12 May 2009 | The Jurga Report

You've heard about it on the news, now you can see it with your own eyes. The Humane Society of the United States has put together two short newsreel videos showing the conditions at the Three Strikes Ranch in Nebraska, where 200 Mustangs were rescued last month. A second video is a bit more upbeat, chronicling the transport of over 100 of them to Cleveland Amory's Black Beauty Ranch in Texas, where they will have a chance to eat and rest and heal.

Warning, as they say: Graphic content!

Polo Deaths Video: Did ESPN's Investigation Tell Us Anything We Didn't Already Know?

by Fran Jurga | 7 May 2009 | The Jurga Report



ESPN's E-60 investigation of the Palm Beach polo pony death debacle aired Tuesday night. In case you missed it, I've posted it for you to watch and share.

Maybe there's nothing new here, but at least it's more elegantly presented than what we have been seeing. I expected something much edgier but this comes across quite sympathetic to the polo community, as befitting a sports network production.

The trouble is, I don't think that this story is over yet. Far from it, is my prediction. You'll be seeing these faces again; this is a nice ending to chapter one.

Once again, ESPN has impressed me with their willingness to take on a horse-related story from a fringe, non-televised sport outside their for-profit realm; they have also made it possible to share the entire segment with The Jurga Report readers. Thank you!

Please check the April 2009 archives of The Jurga Report for additional posts on the tragic polo pony deaths.

What Do Martha Stewart and Fran Jurga Have In Common? More Than You Might Think...

by Fran Jurga | 5 May 2009 | The Jurga Report

For the past year or so, Martha Stewart has been blogging about her veterinarian, Dr. Elizabeth Kilgallon, and her progress in diagnosing and treating a degenerative hock issue found in Martyn, one of Stewart's Friesian horses. But is she after my job?

Martha Stewart and I have a lot in common, actually. Sure, there are the horses in common, but there's more than just that. She's the head of a media empire. I'm the head of a media empire, too, if you count all my readers who work for royal stables in places like Dubai and Oman.

Martha's on Twitter; I'm on Twitter. The only difference is that she has 557,627 more followers than I do. And she isn't following me.

I follow her, though. I have to keep an eye on this woman because she's obviously trying to take over my turf, and I'll tell you why.

Martha introduced her blog readers to her lay equine dentist, Brian Stuart, and didn't apologize for not using a vet to float her horse's teeth.

You see, Martha and I are both involved with horses. And we both are bloggers.

I wasn't worried at first, when I heard she was starting a blog...but did she have to do such a good job of it? I read her blog because I thought it would inspire me to be a better blogger.

And then, when she blogged about what goes on when her horseshoer, my friend Linda Friedman, stops by to pedicure the feet of her Friesians, I didn't feel threatened. I was thrilled that someone of Martha's stature was writing about farriers, and there's no farrier more deserving of a good write-up that Linda Friedman. Martha knows how to pick a farrier.

This spring, Stewart is updating us on Martyn's progress, including precise recommendations of the therapy regimens and equipment used...even the therapists!

But now that one of her horses is lame and she's blogging away on the minute details of its therapy, I'm having to stop and think about what this woman's real motives are. I think that Martha may be after my job.

Through Martha's blog, we're meeting the horse dentist, the saddle fitter (Kate Athanas-Wilson), the Game Ready cold therapy expert and I'm starting to wonder if there is a better cared for barn of horses in the Northeast. It's as if Martha has been reading every article I ever wrote in eveyr horse magazine ever printed in the last 20 years. "Advice to horse owners: hire the best professionals....start at the feet and work up...."

Martha seems genuinely interested in what each and every one of these professionals does for a living, she raves about their interesting tools, and she's keen to know what they are doing and how it will affect her horse.

We all know how difficult hock problems can be, but Martha is determined to get to the bottom of Martyn's problem and she has assembled a cadre of top-notch horse health professionals and state-of-the-art equipment to help her horse. Bravo!

Blog readers were treated to details of Martyn's Game Ready cold therapy treatments, provided by Jamie Miles.

Here are some links to horse health posts on the Martha Stewart Blog that you might enjoy:

Click here to read about Martyn's hock lameness diagnosis.

Click here to read about Martyn's massage therapy session.

Click here to read about Linda Friedman's winter shoes for the Friesians.

Click here to see a photo album of Martha riding her horses in the snow this winter.

I think the horse world has a great friend in Martha Stewart. She's blogging and Tweeting in our language, so check it out! Just remember to come back here to your own tribe.

You can also follow Martha on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MarthaStewart

Will Martha design a perfect interior for Linda Friedman's farrier rig? Linda's probably happy with it the way it is but Martha might have some ideas!

All photos on this post mirror from www.themarthablog.com.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Statement on Polo Horse Deaths

This is the statement I have been waiting for, from the State of Florida, which confirms that the deaths of the polo ponies in Wellington, Florida on Sunday afternoon were not related to a disease outbreak or public health concern.

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson has launched an investigation into the deaths of 21 horses that collapsed after arriving in Wellington, Florida, for a polo match. Initially, 14 horses died by Sunday evening and an additional seven died overnight.

Because of the very rapid onset of sickness and death, state officials suspect these deaths were a result of an adverse drug reaction or toxicity. At this time there is no evidence that these horses were affected with an infectious or contagious disease as there are no other horses affected at this time.

The department's Division of Animal Industry, headed up by the State Veterinarian, is involved in the investigation. The department's Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement is also participating and working with local law enforcement.

The horses have been transported to a Department of Agriculture laboratory in Kissimmee and to the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine for necropsies and toxicology testing. It could take several days before any test results are in or a cause of death is known.

"Obviously, this is a tragic situation and we are working hard to determine what happened," Bronson said. "But it would be irresponsible to speculate on what may have killed the horses. We will wait until the facts are in before making any specific comments on the case."

The horses were part of a team from Caracas, Venezuela, scheduled to play Sunday in match at the U.S. Open Polo Championship in Palm Beach County. The Lechuza Caracas team had been kept at the team's complex near the polo stadium. The horses were reportedly not showing any signs of illness as of Sunday morning. When the horses were offloaded at the event, some of the animals were dead and the remaining animals were showing severe symptoms of depression, respiratory problems, poor coordination, and recumbency. Despite treatment by veterinarians on site, these animals also died within a brief period of time.

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services officials will wait until test results are available before determining the next step in the investigation.

(end of statement)

So, the new question is: What happened to these horses? The answer: we may never know who did what to those horses and whether it was intentional or accidental. We all surely want to believe that it was an accident.

Yesterday was a dark, dark day for animal welfare and the credibility of horse sports. There's a lot of explaining to do but unless criminal charges are filed and an arrest is made, I wonder if we will ever find out what really happened.

Please read more posts on the Jurga Report about this news story.

Polo Tragedy in Florida as Venezuelan Horses Die at US Open

Reports from Wellington, Florida tonight are that a growing number of horses, as many as 14 and possibly more, died this afternoon and that several horses are gravely ill on the grounds of the International Polo Club Palm Beach, according to spectators and reports published on the web sites of the the Palm Beach Post, Sun Sentinel and Palm Beach Daily News.

While the accounts on the three web sites disagree on details, all three reports agree that the horses were all part of La LeChuza Caracas, the South American team headed by Venezuelan banker Victor Vargas. The team, one of the highest-regarded in the world, has been participating in the International Finals tournament in Wellington. The horses that died were very valuable animals.

Update: an 11 p.m. report from KTLA-TV agrees that 14 horses died and suggests the worst, that all the horses may have suffered a drug reaction and that some horses went down in the trailer en route to the match and were dead on arrival.

At this time this situation does not appear to be initiating any kind of a widespread health alert to the general horse population in Florida or to affect any livestock transport into or out of the state or county. An announcement should be made in a day or two from the state veterinarian or agriculture officials, who will conduct post-mortem examinations of the bodies. Several reports suggest that the bodies are being turned over to the diagnostic laboratory in Kissimmee, Florida.

I will update this post if I have more details. Thanks to everyone who has supplied information so far; I hope this is one of those stories that is not as bad as it sounds. I'm sorry that it is difficult to do much more than pass on links to local reports when a story breaks on Sunday afternoon, but it is safer than quoting an incorrect report published elsewhere.

Tears of Joy and Sorrow for Americans at Historic Dressage World Cup as US Horses Alternately Win...and Stumble

by Fran Jurga | 16 April 2009 | The Jurga Report

I'm gobsmacked again: the American flag is flying high over the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas tonight, where the American combination of rider Steffen Peters and the black 11-year-old Dutch gelding Ravel put in an astounding performance to beat the best that Europe and the world could send to our desert to compete.

For those of you not familiar with international dressage: this is one for the record books and would be like the USA winning the soccer World Cup! It's not over yet; tonight's Grand Prix was like the short program in ice skating; the freestyle on Saturday night will give the Europeans some chances to catch up, should Peters lose form.

Peters and Ravel not only bested Olympic gold medalists, World Cup winners, World Champions, and European Champions tonight, he beat his closest rival, defending champion Anky Van Grunsven of Holland, by almost four full points.

As elated as we all should be for Peters, save some concern for his teammate, Leslie Morse, whose horse Kingston started his test without incident and suddenly went lame in the arena.

USEF Dressage veterinarian Dr. Rick Mitchell has had the 17-year-old stallion under his care since the horse arrived in Las Vegas on Monday and said in a statement provided by the US Equestrian Federation that Kingston had been training well and looked very much on form in Wednesday’s training session in the main arena.

Dr. Mitchell, in his typical routine at a horse show with the US horses, observed Kingston in the warm-up and then went to the arena to watch Morse’s fellow American Jan Ebeling. And with good reason: Ebeling and the 12-year-old Oldenburg mare Rafalca were the lead off combination for the entire Grand Prix. Rafalca, owned by Ann Romney and Beth Meyer, was clearly unsettled by the environment and atmosphere in the arena and was fractious in the arena, according to a memo from USEF. Rafalca's low score will not allow that US combination to continue on to Saturday's freestyle.

When Kingston began his test it was clear that he had some discomfort in the left front leg, something that was a surprise to all connected with the horse, as he has had no problems in this leg during the preparation for this competition.

Rider Morse said: "I could tell in the first corner, he felt unbalanced and I knew he wasn’t right. We respect the Ground Jury’s decision to ring the bell and we all agreed it was absolutely in the best interest of the horse which is always the most important consideration. Kingston has just been a gift for the last nine years and has introduced me to this level of competition.”

“We need to further examine Kingston to determine the nature and extent of the injury,” said Dr. Mitchell. “Everyone is devastated for Leslie and the horse.”

Thanks to Joanie Morris of the US Equestrian Federation for her assistance with this post.

History Repeats Itself in Las Vegas: Crowd Favorite Goes Lame Before Dressage World Cup

The headline this morning on Dutch dressage rider Anky Van Grunsven's web site says it all: "Parzival teruggetrokken!" (Parzival withdrawn!)

The last time the FEI World Cup was held in Las Vegas, we were all eager to see the sensational Danish mare Blue Hors Matine perform. She had been runner-up at the World Equestrian Games in 2006 in Aachen, Germany; could Andreas Helgstrand and the graceful gray beat Anky van Grunsven and Isabel Werth? The world was interested....and then devastated. The horse was injured before the event even began.

And this year, we have the same situation. Holland's Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival made the trip after winning three qualifiers at home in Europe and being runners-up to Isabel Werth at Aachen in 2008. They are the sensation of Europe and are actually placed higher in Las Vegas than Anky, who is there as defending champion but had limited competition this year because of her sore back.

But on Wednesday the 12-year-old Parzival was taken to the veterinary area when he appeared unlevel. According to the Dutch Warmblood news society (KWPN), an ultrasound revealed a tendon injury and Cornelissen has withdrawn him.

Adelinde has only recently become a professional rider, after traveling to Hong Kong as the Dutch team's reserve rider. She speaks perfect English and will be a great ambassador for Holland wherever she goes but, had she been able to ride, she just might have changed the course of dressage history.

Remember her name, and let's hope that Parzival's injury is only minor. This horse has true star power.

I'm gobsmacked.

Ok, Dog's Done...Will a Pony Be Next?

by Fran Jurga | Updated 13 April 2009 | The Jurga Report

President Obama introduces his daughter to the family's new puppy, Bo. Or could it possibly have been the other way around? The First Daughters have a soft spot for ponies, too; their aunt made sure a copy of Molly the Pony's book about the rescued amputee Katrina survivor went to the White House with Malia and Sasha. Someone should tell them that Caroline Kennedy kept a pony named Macaroni on the White House lawn! By the way, Bo, a six-month old Portuguese water dog, is a gift from Senator and Mrs. Edward Kennedy to Sasha and Malia. (Pete Souza photo courtesy of Whitehouse.gov blog)

President Obama got off pretty easily; surely Senator Kennedy remembers Macaroni the Pony's time at the White House. That's Caroline Kennedy asking her dad to hold the reins for a minute. (White House Historical Society photo)

My computer was smoking when I turned it on this morning. Humane organizations are disappointed, to say the least, in the Obama family's acceptance of the Kennedy gift puppy, which is a purebred dog from a breeder who has bred some of the Kennedys' own dogs.

I am sure the puppy mills around the country have been preparing for this moment, when the tousled-top rasta Bo would be unveiled. Portuguese water spaniels are popular around here, and I know quite a few. They're great dogs, especially if you have a boat or live near the beach. I guess the Obamas are coming here this summer for a vacation on Martha's Vineyard, so Bo might get to see some water then.

In the meantime, if the White House gardens have a water garden, this pup will be in it, you can bet on that. One of Senator Kennedy's dogs is named "Splash" for a reason!

Because of the allergy problem, there was no easy answer for the Obamas, and I think they should be let off the hook this time. I don't think that a cash donation to a Washington shelter will do much good. Their clout as new dog owners, asking people to look for their next dogs at shelters and rescue organizations, might be more helpful.

I just hope Bo is neutered! Bob Barker would probably march on the White House if he's not. Publicly announcing that Bo has been neutered might also help raise a lot of awareness and spur more people to action.

Jackie Kennedy (Onassis) rode in Middleburg during her years at the White House. Let's hope the Obamas find their way to that horsey edge of Washington's world. We'll greet them with open arms, and a leg up.

"A lot of shelter dogs are mutts--like me," President Obama said when he announced that the family would be getting a dog and that he preferred a shelter dog, but had concerns about his daughter's allergies. This pro-adoption poster was designed after Obama's "Hope" campaign poster.

The Legend Will Ride On with All of Us: Equestrian Icon Sally Swift Has Died

by Fran Jurga | 2 April 2009 | The Jurga Report at Equisearch.com

The Zen Mistress of Equestrianism, Sally Swift received the Equine Industry Vision Award in 2008 at the age of 95. She traveled from her home in Vermont to the American Horse Publications convention in Saratoga Springs, New York. Sally may have been delighted to win that award...but we were all even more delighted to see her! (Daniel K. Lew/AHP Photo)

Let your eyes go soft tonight: Sally Swift died this afternoon.

Few details are available yet, but when they are, Equisearch.com will have them, so please check back soon and often.

Update April 3, 2009: Plans for a memorial service in honor of Swift are underway and will be announced at www.centeredriding.org . In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Centered Riding, Inc. P.O. Box 157, Perkiomenville, PA 28074; Windham County Humane Society, 916 W. River Road, Brattleboro, VT 05301; The Heifer International Foundation, 1015 Louisiana St., P.O. Box 727, Little Rock, AR 72203; or Amnesty International, 16th Floor, 5 Penn Plaza, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10001.

In the meantime, click here to read a great and recent article about Sally Swift and the concept of Centered Riding.

It is impossible to write about Sally Swift without including her theory of Centered Riding. Before any of us had bought our first yoga mat, Sally had us doing breathing exercises in the saddle. She taught about using "soft eyes" to see what is beyond your sharp-focus tunnel-vision view as you ride. And she had us aware of our spines, our horses' spines and the way that we could (and probably did) pass tension through the reins and through our seats and through our legs. She had us aware of where we were in space, using principles from yoga, martial arts and a host of way-ahead-of-the-rest-of-the-word resources that are now standard training tools for athletes in all sports.

If you could learn something from her great book Centered Riding, it was that the time you spent in the saddle was a microcosm of the rest of your life. The book became a cult literary classic, a sort of "Riding on the Right Side of Your Brain". And it still is.

Sally Swift suffered from scoliosis (lateral curvature of the spine) from childhood and spent her life not so much overcoming her disability as learning how to utilize her mind to ride the way that would be most effective for herself and her horse.

I don't know if Sally Swift ever competed in equestrian sports, yet her name is up there with the likes of Bill Steinkraus and George Morris. Sally Swift's medals and ribbons were the confidence and the wonder that she brought out in people, helping them enjoy their horses more than they ever had.

For me, Sally Swift was the nice lady up the road. She was just a few hours away, just over the border in Vermont. I was always going to visit her on her farm. I would get to it next. It was on the list.

You know, you probably have a list of your own: that list of the 100 things in the horse world that you promise yourself you'll do, or that you dream of doing. Most of us never made it down that road in Vermont, but I can be pretty sure that a trip to Vermont to actually ride with Sally Swift was on that list for many, many people who will read this blog tonight.

Sally Swift rode into our lives like the zen equivalent of gangbusters and, in a single book, changed the way we thought about riding a horse. She taught us that if we would just stop beating ourselves up and start breathing, the rest would come naturally.

Last year, Sally wrote in her newsletter: "Centered Riding is not about lofty ideals or selling books. For me, Centered represents all that is good in today’s world, and the people I have come to know through this “centered” journey have become my friends and family. As I write this today, I realize that Centered Riding was my vision of what can be when we tear down the human armor and give a little of ourselves to one another and our four legged friends."

You'll always be riding with us, Sally Swift.

Rest in Roses: Kentucky Derby Champion Alysheba Was Euthanized Last Night

by Fran Jurga   |  28 March 2009  |  The Jurga Report at Equisearch.com

As the horse racing world gears up for an exciting afternoon of racing with the the 2009 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, a pall of sadness drifts across the landscape. It's source? An empty stall at the Kentucky Horse Park outside Lexington.

"Alysheba" is the name on the stall plate.

The Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year was humanely euthanized at 11:13 pm Friday at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, a short trot across Iron Works Parkway from the Horse Park. The 25-year-old stallion was buried this morning at the Hall of Champions, across from the grave of the legendary John Henry.

Alysheba fell in his stall on Friday afternoon and was not able to get up. Hagyard's Dr. Nathan Slovis was immediately called to the Kentucky Horse Park, and an equine ambulance transported Alysheba up the long driveway and across the road. Dr. Slovis and his team treated Alysheba and evaluated his condition. By evening, it was clear that he had sustained an insurmountable injury.

“Due to a chronic degenerative spinal condition that led to ataxia and instability, Alysheba fell in his stall yesterday injuring his right hind femur,” said Kathy Hopkins, Kentucky Horse Park Director of Equine Operations. “Complicated by his advanced age, this trauma resulted in severe pain that did not respond to analgesic therapy. The resulting pain and suffering, and the inability to stand unaided, led to a joint decision for euthanasia. This very difficult decision was made by the veterinary staff of Hagyard Medical, the veterinary staff of His Majesty King Abdullah, and those who loved and cared for him at the Kentucky Horse Park.”

From  John Nicholson, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park: “Discussions with Dr. Slovis and King Abdullah’s team, however, led us to conclude that this was the right thing to do for Alysheba, and Hagyard’s staff performed admirably in such a difficult situation. I am grateful to His Majesty for giving us the opportunity to enjoy this special horse and share him again with his many fans, and I am happy that his last days were spent here on his native soil.”

Frank McGovern, General Manager of King Abdullah’s stables in Saudi Arabia, participated in the decision and thanked the park staff for trying to save Alysheba. He stated “his injury is one of those incidents that is not uncommon in older horses, and, unfortunately, nothing can ever be done. I am glad that he was back home and enjoying the first shoots of Spring before this happened.” He added his thanks to the Kentucky Horse Park team “for their work in making Alysheba a star again.”

Before coming to the Kentucky Horse Park, Alysheba spent the previous eight years of his life in the royal stables of His Majesty King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, after standing his first years at stud at William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky. Known on the track as “America’s horse,” he was sent to the Kentucky Horse Park as a gift to the American people in October 2008.

Bred by Preston Madden at Hamburg Place in Lexington, Alysheba (Alydar-Bel Sheba, by Lt. Stevens) was sold as a yearling to Dorothy and Pam Scharbauer for $500,000. They campaigned him under the guidance of Hall of Fame trainer, Jack Van Berg, who said, “He stuck out like a diamond in a rock pile.” Later, Van Berg observed, “He was so smart he knew what he was doing all the time.”

Alysheba won the 1987 Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), Super Derby (G1), and an Eclipse Award as Champion 3-year-old colt. As a 4-year-old, he was even better, winning six Grade 1 stakes: the Strub Stakes, Santa Anita Handicap, Iselin Handicap, Woodward Stakes, Meadowlands Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He was ridden in 17 consecutive starts by Hall of Fame Jockey, Chris McCarron. Alysheba is listed at #42 on The Blood-Horse magazine’s list of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century, one notch above another Kentucky Derby-winner, Northern Dancer.

His career highlights also included Horse of the Year honors and track records for 1 1/4 miles at Belmont and The Meadowlands. Along the way, he defeated Risen Star, Forty Niner, Bet Twice, Seeking the Gold, and another Kentucky Derby-winner, the ill-fated Ferdinand. Until two-time Horse of the Year Cigar came along, Alysheba was the world’s richest Thoroughbred, with earnings of $6,679,242.

A memorial service for Alysheba will be planned at a later date.

Who could ever forget Alysheba and Ferdinand, two great Kentucky Derby winners, racing neck and neck down the middle of the track? Thanks for the memories, Alysheba.

Thanks to the Kentucky Horse Park for assistance with this post. ESPN will broadcast the Florida Derby at 5 p.m. today and may have more information and possibly a look back at Alysheba, although I don't know what their plans are.

Animal Planet's JOCKEYS Expanded to an Hour; New Series Airs Late Summer 2009

by Fran Jurga | 23 March 2009 | The Jurga Report at Equisearch.com

Will Canadian jockey Chantal Sutherland find love and career success at Santa Anita? Animal Planet will continue to follow her romantic and equine exploits in an extension of the reality series JOCKEYS. Still unknown: why do so many jockey silks include those little bow ties? (Animal Planet photo)

Do you miss the thrills and spills (there certainly were a lot of those) of the Animal Planet reality series JOCKEYS? The inaugural run of the series ended March 13 but Animal Planet announced today that the filming will resume and that the episodes will be expanded to an hour each for the sophomore season.

Adding to the intrigue will be the addition to two very well known jockeys, Garrett Gomez and Corey Nakatani, who join California regulars Aaron Gryder, Mike Smith, Alex Solis, Kayla Stra, Chantal Sutherland and Joe Talamo. Original cast member John Court will not return, as he is relocating to Kentucky.

The freshman season brought Animal Planet viewers into the lives of jockeys who raced at the renowned Santa Anita Race Track during 2009's 30-day Oak Tree meet, the first racing done on the track's new Pro-Ride artificial surface.

The successful first season brought in more than 9.2 million unique viewers, so Animal Planet plans a quick followup second season order with seven hour-long episodes set to premiere late this summer.

This season, viewers also can expect to see more of professional handicapper Jimmy the Hat and West Coast Regional Manager of the Jockeys' Guild, Darrell Haire.

Let's hope they remember that the horses are the reason that many of us watched the series...and that the network is, after all, called "Animal" Planet. JOCKEYS gets ten bonus points and a gold star in my book for the links on its web site to CANTER and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.

More mention of what becomes of the horses after the jockeys hop off for the last time would be a great addition to the series. At a track like Santa Anita, there's nowhere to go but down; horses that don't succeed there are dropped down in class to cheaper races at cheaper tracks. If one of the jockeys spoke out about Thoroughbred retirement and/or welfare issues in racing, this series would really win my heart. 

Likewise, the producers could find the horses that the jocks rode in the first series and ask "Where are they now?" I'd like to know, wouldn't you? Or is asking a reality show to have a conscience too much to ask?

Someone in Louisville Loves This Blog...and Told the World!

by Fran Jurga | 16 March 2009 | The Jurga Report
Writing this blog reminds me of being on stage in a play. The lights are so bright, you can't see beyond the stage apron. Is there a full house...or will your words just echo around an empty hall? When I hit the "Publish" button for today's post, will there be the hoped-for wave of laughter, maybe a smattering of polite applause...or an uncomfortable silence, with a cough or two?

Blogging has taught me to take a lot of risks. I have to open my email account to anyone who posts a comment. I have to read and then delete the obscene, abusive or overtly commercial messages left by drive-by comment thugs. I scrutinize statistics of unique visits, page views, referring sites and landing pages.

But I don't have a clue who you. the readers, are or, some days, if you are.

Imagine my surprise when I found out that The Jurga Report was recently the subject of a very favorable and flattering article in one of my favorite daily newspapers, The Louisville Courier-Journal. Reporter Diane Heilenman, it turns out, is a regular reader of this blog and she wasn't afraid to tell the world. Then Google News picked up the story...and for a few days, the blog picked up steam and a few rows of new readers from the Louisville area.

Thank you, Diane, for tuning in to this blog and for sharing your enthusiasm with the world. I am still shocked at your kind words and the paper's nice graphic presentation of the article about the blog.

The newspapers lately are filled with stories about web predators, identity thieves, viruses, and rip-off schemes. Every time you download a file, do you wonder who--or what--might be hitchhiking a ride into your hard drive? Do you screen your email through filters and guard your "white list" like its a key to your inner sanctum? It just might be, if you believe what you read in the newspaper.

I'd like to encourage everyone who reads this blog to stay safe on the web, but also to take some chances. Find new web sites and blogs and forums that are out there waiting for you, beyond the Yahoos and the Googles and breed/sport horse sites of this world. Explore the world, not just the USA, and re-discover how much fun the web used to be, before we all became paranoid and security-crazed.

You can be safe and surf at the same time, so head out there today and have a good time. Just don't lose the bookmark or RSS feed of The Jurga Report. I'll still be here when you get back, with some interesting news. You can count on that.

Thanks for reading The Jurga Report, whoever you all are!

Favorite Video: Learn About Ringworm in Horses

by Fran Jurga | 8 March 2009 | The Jurga Report at Equisearch.com



Those friendly vets at Vetstoria TV are back with another horse health podcast. This time the subject is the highly contagious fungus ringworm, a problem I hope you and your horse don't ever have to endure!

Ringworm is one reason that buying used sheets and blankets and even saddle pads is a little risky. Be sure you thoroughly wash everything, and keep tack for horses separate and clean.

Vetstoria.com is a British veterinary project; previously we posted their excellent video on strangles. Their web site has a fantastic library of short health videos for dog and cat owners, and with some encouragement, may soon offer more equine videos.

Champion Dressage Horse Brentina Treated for Colic

by Fran Jurga | 11 February 2009 | The Jurga Report

Debbie McDonald and Brentina, from the USET Athlete Portrait Campaign Project fundraiser

Yes, the Internet reports are true: America's sweetheart dressage champion Brentina was treated for colic yesterday. Equisearch.com's Nancy Jaffer has an exclusive report on the surgery and its outcome; click here to read all the details.

The 16-year-old Hanoverian mare, ridden in the Pan Am Games, World Cup, World Equestrian Games, and Olympics by Idaho's Debbie McDonald, will be formally retired from competition on April 17 in a special ceremony at the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas. Brentina is owned by Peggy and Parry Thomas.

Aim a prayer at Hailey, Idaho tonight, as Brentina begins her recovery.

Good-bye, New York! Beloved Kentucky Derby Winner Funny Cide Will Retire to Kentucky Horse Park

by Fran Jurga | 26 November 2008 | The Jurga Report at Equisearch.com

Funny Cide at Belmont Park, originally uploaded by wRock and Racehorses.

Horse lovers in New York will be in mourning this Thanksgiving. The Kentucky Horse Park announced today that beloved Funny Cide, winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) will become the newest resident of the Kentucky Horse Park when he packs his bags and moves south on December 5.

Since his retirement as a race horse in 2007, the eight-year-old gelding has been used as Barclay Tagg’s stable pony on the track in New York and Florida. According to Barclay, “The rigors of racing and training for several years have started to cause him mild discomfort recently as he continued working on a regular basis as my stable pony.”

Funny Cide was an overachieving New York-bred racehorse who captured the imagination of New York racegoers and the nation. No one ever told him that New York breds were not supposed to win the Kentucky Derby, but win he did...and the Preakness...and other graded stakes. His popularity with New York horse lovers and betters grew as he aged, and some people turned out at Saratoga just to see if they could catch a glimpse of him in his retirement, being ridden by trainer Barclay Tagg in the early morning light.

Funny Cide Facts: Funny Cide (Distorted Humor – Belle’s Good Cide, by Slewacide) was bred by William Casner and Kenny Troutt’s WinStar Farm in a collaborative venture with McMahon Thoroughbreds of Saratoga Springs, New York where he was foaled, raised and then sold as a yearling for $22,000 at the August 2001 Fasig-Tipton NY Bred Preferred Yearlings Sale. He was later purchased privately as a two-year old by Sackatoga Stable for $75,000. For them he went on to earn $3,529,412 and an Eclipse Award as Champion Three-Year-Old Colt, becoming the highest-earning New York-bred in history for trainer Barclay Tagg, under Jose Santos. His nine stakes wins also included the prestigious Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).

Funny Cide has his own website, FunnyCide.com, and a fan club.

The public is invited to the Kentucky Horse Park for Funny Cide’s Welcome Reception on Friday, December 5 at 2 p.m. Funny Cide will join another Kentucky Derby winner, Alysheba, who came to the park in October.

I hope they don't make fun of his New Yawk accent! And I hope he never loses it!

Thanks to Sarah Andrews (Rock and Racehorses) for her great photo of Funny Cide at Belmont Park with assistant trainer Robin Smullen up.

Brumbies Steal the Show at Australia's Equitana Asia-Pacific

Written by Fran Jurga | 19 November 2008 | The Jurga Report at EquiSearch.com


As the curtain rose today on the Equitana Asia-Pacific exhibition in Melbourne, Victoria, Australian horse lovers must have breathed a sigh of relief. Just a year ago, the blockbuster event had to be canceled as Equine Influenza (EI) swept through the neighboring state of New South Wales and, further north, through Queensland.

As thousands of horses sniffled and coughed, racetracks shut down, rodeos and shows were canceled. All horse transport stopped. You couldn't even trailer your horse to a trainer or ship a mare to be bred. It was the first time the highly-contagious disease had been known in Australia. It gripped the nation's equine economy by the throat and held on for six months. At one point, there were doubts that Australian horses and riders would be allowed to compete at the 2008 Olympics. It was a dark time.

Equitana was one of the many events canceled but it was re-scheudled for this year. This huge festival of horsedom includes exhibitions, a giant trade show, clinics, nightly circus-like performing horse acts, and the creation of a re-united tribe, for a few days anyway, that is relaxing and enjoying the shows.

How would you choose between clinics by Australia's Olympic eventer Clayton Fredericks, the USA's natural horse-couple of Pat and Linda Parelli, or the Danish dressage rider Andreas Helgstrand? Tough one.

I know one clinic I wouldn't want to miss. Greg Powell is the man from snowy river, himself, a brumby (Australian for wild horse) expert who has been active to save the wild horses of the New South Wales mountain ranges. Greg has been working with a program called Youth Off the Streets that involves troubled kids in the training of brumbies. I think I would make time to listen to anyone who says things like:

"As a society we (should be) embarrassed about what we've done to our wild horses," he said yesterday in an interview with The Age newspaper as he prepped his crew of brumbies for his Equitana show. "The street kids get swept under the carpet in the same way." They say that three months out with the brumbies is worth five years of counseling and therapy.

Madeleine Pickens, are you reading this? (See Monday's post on this blog about Texas equine activist Ms. Pickens, who is working to "adopt" the 30,000 or so wild horses currently penned by the US government; she's going to need some helpers when and if her plan succeeds.)

Click here to read the rest of the article in The Age about Greg, or click here to go to his web site.

And call me if you can tell me how he got four wild horses to pose for that picture.

Churchill Downs Turns Pink, from the Spires to the Backside

posted by Fran Jurga | 17 November 2008 | The Jurga Report on Equisearch.com

If they had run the Derby yesterday, the blanket of roses draped over the winner's withers would have been pink instead of the traditional red ones.

Yesterday was not "business as usual" at the iconic Louisville racetrack, as 900 breast cancer survivors joined the state's First Lady, Jane Beshear, in raising awareness and funds for the prevention of breast cancer among the racetrack's employees.

Beshear's "Horses and Hope" program has been hosting awareness events at Kentucky's racetracks through October. Beshear has built on her relationships in the equine industry to deliver breast cancer education and services to racetrack workers and their families by hosting fundraising events at the state's tracks. So many supporters showed up at Churchill Downs that a second dining room had to be turned over to the group!

"There are over 80,000 equine related employees across the Bluegrass, many of whom are uninsured or underinsured," Beshear points out. "These individuals are the backbone of our signature industry and I am committed to giving back to the people that help to make Kentucky the horse capital of the world."

A committee of women who work in the equine industry is the engine that drives the program. It's called "The Pink Stable" and yesterday they turned the racetrack pink! Pink is the symbolic color of breast cancer awareness and fund-raising and not a color normally seen at the racetrack. All that changed yesterday!

Jockeys, outriders and grooms wore pink clothing or accents, and a pink cosmopolitan was the drink of the day. Winston, the mascot horse of the Kentucky Derby Museum, wore panniers as he circulated through the crowd so that donations to cancer research could be deposited in his saddle bags. A feature race was the "Horses and Hope" Stakes, and cancer survivors were invited to pose for the win photo in the winners circle.

While the fundraising group partied in the clubhouse, a mobile medical unit was set up in the stable area, offering breast cancer awareness information and free mammograms to women working in the barns and at the track.

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the twin spires of Churchill Downs have been swathed in pink spotlights.

It's wonderful to see an initiative like this to help racetrack workers. The event also brought 900 racegoers, mostly women, to the racetrack to meet Jane Beshear and be part of the fundraiser. Many of those women are probably not regular visitors to Churchill Down, so horse racing won, too!