Traveling Equine Clinic Rolls Into Western Performance and Breed Shows

by Fran Jurga | 15 August 2009 | The Jurga Report



"Is there a vet on the grounds?" You know that sound in a horse owner's or groom's voice when they ask that question. They sound a little thin, a little higher octave than usual.

The answer? "Um, yeah, parked over by B Barn. Working out of an SUV. Blue, I think," you say pointing vaguely over your shoulder, wishing them luck.

And sometimes you don't even know, unless the event has started and the vet is on duty at a prescribed spot rather than working in the stabling area.

But that's not the case when the Texas-based practice known simply as Equine Sports Medicine rolls onto the grounds of a big show, usually in the Central time zone. It's not just a team of vets who cover the show; they actually bring an entire vet clinic, housed in a converted stock car trailer, and a staff of technicians.

A hydraulic ramp comes down, revealing climate-controlling doors. Generators power lights and equipment. Inside, the vets work in air-conditioned comfort (or heat, depending on the time of year) and the horses relax while they go through radiography or have a joint injected or are examined for pre-purchase or any ailment.

I remember when Dr. Alan Donnell announced that this clinic-on-wheels was his plan. He's now on the road with two of these mobile clinics, plus an all-star crew of veterinarians and support staff.

This week, they're at the Reichert Celebration and National Snaffle Bit Futurity in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Next week, they'll head down the road to Amarillo, Texas for the AQHA Select Show. Their schedule this year takes them from Arizona in the west to Florida in the east, and as far north as Columbus, Ohio for the Quarter Horse Congress. When they go home--if they ever do--it's to Pilot Point, Texas.

I hope you enjoy this little peek inside the mobile clinic, which was provided by a local television station. Maybe they'll be be rolling into an event you'll be attending some day soon. Don't worry, you won't have a hard time finding them!

Clones Will Be Left at the Gate in Oklahoma if Governor Signs Legislation

by Fran Jurga | 9 April 2009 | The Jurga Report

Thanks to our friends at the Quarter Horse Racing Journal and American Quarter Horse Association for the "ears up" about horse-related legislation in Oklahoma that is headed for the Governor's office to be signed.

No, it's not equine dentists this time: The AQHA announced yesterday that Oklahoma has banned clones and (if I am reading this article correctly) their offspring from racing in the state.

Click here to read the Racing Journal's article.

An article in the Oklahoman newspaper has some quotes but some of the points aren't quite clear, since it is unlikely that clones themselves would be racing anyway.

It seems to me that the whole point of commercial cloning (vs sentimental cloning of a pet) is for breeding. Legislation like this would take a lot of wind out of cloning's sails. And sales. It's interesting that the clones would be banned from racing but not showing or commercial breeding or sales.

The story gets even murkier when you get down to realizing that if the AQHA doesn't even register clones, this is a "just in case" piece of legislation--in effect, closing the barn door before the clone gets out.

Will clones have a big C branded into their foreheads for all to see? They look just like other horses, after all, and their offspring will too. And a clone's DNA test will not look like something from a mountaintop in Transylvania.

The cloning story continues to write itself, right in front of our eyes. I urge you all to read more about this fascinating subject. Sooner or later, no matter where you live or no matter what breed of horse you may show or race or breed or own, or what equestrian sport discipline you choose, you'll be hearing about cloning.

This subject has rekindled my interest in equine reproduction, which had been eclipsed by my total obsession with lameness for many years. When the first clone goes lame, it will be my story.

Click here for a one-stop archive of recent articles here on the Jurga Report about the AQHA's struggle with finding a reasonable resolution to this issue.

And stay tuned, both to this blog and AQHA sources for more cloning news as it happens.

Equine Herpesvirus Confirmed in Oklahoma; Biosecurity Stressed For Horse Owners

(public service announcement for horse owners)

Oklahoma City—State Veterinarian, Becky Brewer, confirmed today that a state horse has tested positive for Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) and has been placed under quarantine. Further tests are being conducted to determine if this is a relatively new strain of virus.

“EHV is a very common equine virus and until recently was more easily controlled with biosecurity measures and a good vaccination program,” Brewer said. “The virus has undergone a genetic mutation that can infect even vaccinated horses.”

The new strain has a high mortality rate as opposed to the more common forms of EHV, she adds.

“We must stress that we don’t yet know if this is in fact the new EHV-1 virus,” Brewer said. “Samples have been sent to a laboratory in California for final confirmation and we will have the results some time next week.”

EHV-1 is a respiratory disease and may be spread through the air, on tack, horse trailers and other forms of direct or indirect contact. Anyone contacting horses should change clothes, disinfect boots or shoes and wash their hands with soap and water before having contact with horses at another facility.

“Vaccination and biosecurity are our best methods of dealing with this disease and we are urging horse owners to take this issue seriously,” Brewer said.

An EHV fact sheet is available on the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry website at http://www.oda.state.ok.us/ais.htm. Updates will also be posted on the agency’s blog at www.agblog.ok.gov.

ODAFF policy prevents the location of quarantined animals or the identification of their owners to be released unless necessary to protect the public.

CEM Update: Oklahoma Mare Under Quarantine After Exposure to Infected Stallion

Oklahoma agriculture officials are warning horse breeders that, to date, one Oklahoma mare has been identified as having been in contact with a Quarter horse stallion in Kentucky infected with contagious equine metritis (CEM), a serious venereal disease affecting horses.

The mare is under quarantine and state officials said that it is not considered a health threat of any kind.

“This is a disease that poses no threat to humans but it could potentially pose a serious economic threat to our state’s horse industry,” said State Veterinarian, Becky Brewer. “It is transmitted between animals during breeding and at this time we have no documentation that it can be spread through artificial insemination.”

Infected stallions can carry the CEM bacteria yet show no clinical signs of the disease. Brewer informed horse owners that detecting the disease is difficult and requires multiple tests over a period of about a week to determine if a horse is infected.

Infected horses can be successfully treated with antibiotics.

“The most important thing for Oklahoma horse breeders to know at this point is that the disease is here and biosecurity measures are critical,” Brewer said. “We have no knowledge of any infected stallions in Oklahoma and owners should be cautious before shipping a mare out of state for breeding.

“Breeders collecting semen for artificial insemination should also make sure they thoroughly clean and disinfect collecting equipment after each use,” she said. “This is how it is being spread and keeping this equipment clean is important.”

Breeding season is just beginning in most parts of the Northern Hemisphere.