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.

Larry-tariat: Secretariat Star Will Be a North Dakota Thoroughbred Named Larry

by Fran Jurga | 23 August 2009 | The Jurga Report

Larry the North Dakota Thoroughbred is ready for his close-up...and Disney apparently likes what it sees.

When I first heard about the casting call for Secretariat look-alikes, I thought that the stories of the submissions might be more interesting than the actual movie. And it turns out that I might have been right.

Just look at one of the winners.

While some of us thought that Point Given should come out of his deluxe stall at Three Chimneys and leave his stud career behind for a while, it turns out that Secretariat will not be played by a Kentucky blueblood. And not even by a Southern California runner.

No, think again. Think of the most unlikely state that has Thoroughbred racing and then cue the Rocky theme: here comes Larry the Thoroughbred, all the way from his happy home at the North Dakota Horse Park in that most famous of North Dakota towns, Fargo. (Cue the wood chipper from Fargo, the movie. Why couldn't Marge Gunderson play Penny Chenery? I loved that movie.)

Secretariat is scheduled to begin filming this fall in Kentucky (even though Secretariat himself was from Virginia) and Larry, whose real name is Cyclone Larry, has been sold to Disney for the duration of production. He'll be given back at the end of filming.

North Dakota Horse Park General Manager Heather Benson knew she had the right horse when she heard what Disney was seeking.

“They were looking for a big, bright chestnut Thoroughbred with a happy attitude and good health and Larry fit that to a T,” said Heather. “We sent in his photos and biography to their website, www.secretariat.com, and a week later Larry got the call to Hollywood!”

Disney Head Wrangler, Rusty Hendrickson will have three-year-old Larry shipped to the Kentucky-based training center sometime during the week of August 28. Until then, the new Hollywood “star” will reside at the North Dakota Horse Park and remain in training.

Heather said that Larry will need some help from a makeup artist to match Secretariat in the markings department; Disney countered with "no problem!"

Larry proudly paraded in front of the grandstand yesterday at the races, though he probably wondered what all the fuss was about. The track celebrated his good fortune with dollar beer and hot dogs, and a turnout of 2500 racing fans for a 12-race card, too.

It sounds like Larry comes from a pretty great place. The horse park is unique in that it is a racetrack but also the site of the North Dakota State University Equine Sciences Department.

Click here to become a fan of Larry-tariat on Facebook.

Larry showing off his color and physique that helped him get the role of Secretariat. Photos are mirrored from Larry's Fan Page on Facebook.com.

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Does Your Horse Look Like Secretariat? Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses Sought for Disney Movie Casting Call

"I'm ready for my closeup..."

The possible implications of this press release could make a better movie than even the story of Secretariat the great racehorse Himself. I wonder if the filmmakers realize that every owner of a chestnut horse with a rounded rump absolutely believes that his or her horse is a dead ringer for Secretariat? In spite of a sway back or a calcified knee or wild white markings, they all believe their chestnuts are the second coming of Big Red. In fact, that's why they wanted a chestnut in the first place!

If nothing else, this casting call will be great for the business of equine photographers, who should be offering a "Secretariat Casting Call Photo Package" special shoot during August.

NOTE: The press release does not say when the casting call ends, but the submission form specifies that the photos must be submitted before August 31. Besides, the horses will start getting winter coats right after that, so the time to photograph them is right now!

(The following information was received today via press release from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and is also posted on www.secretariat.com)

In preparation for the shooting later this year of the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures’ movie Secretariat, Mayhem Pictures, the producers of the film, will conduct an open, online “casting call” for horses to portray the legendary 1973 Triple Crown winner.

Interested horse owners may email photographs of their equine, big-screen hopeful to casting@secretariat.com. Applicants must also complete an online Secretariat casting form at www.secretariat.com, where additional information about the casting call can also be found. All photographs will be personally reviewed by the lead wrangler for “Secretariat”, Rusty Hendrickson, who was also in charge of horse selection for such recent major motion pictures as Seabiscuit and Dreamer.

“The three main qualities I’m looking for in a horse to portray Secretariat are looks, temperament and soundness,” said Hendrickson. “A big flashy chestnut would obviously have an inherent advantage, but I’m going to need at least two main Secretariats and perhaps four stand-ins. I know that he was one of a kind, but we’ll do the best we can. A calm temperament is particularly key, especially when multiple takes are involved.

"But applicants need not feel that they must have an identical looking horse to be considered. We can do wonders with equine makeup for the white facial markings and the three white socks. Our horses need to be sound—but racing experience is not a necessity. And Secretariat’s short back and round hip are somewhat reminiscent of American Quarter Horses, so owners of that breed should also feel free to make submissions.”

“We feel we have a compelling story to tell in our movie, and we want the imagery to be as accurate as possible,” said Mark Ciardi, producer for Mayhem Pictures. “This Secretariat casting call will help us to find the very best Secretariats possible to portray the iconic chestnut champion.”

“The selection of the horses to portray Secretariat is a matter of great interest to me,” said Penny Chenery, Secretariat's owner. “I am delighted Disney is embracing the challenge of finding the best representative for my handsome colt.”

Kentucky's Maker's Mark Secretariat Center Helps Racehorses Begin a New Life

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



Darley Newman, host of the PBS television series Equitrekking, is usually off somewhere exotic, riding through vineyards or trotting up a mountainside in some place where I'd love to be.

Recently, though, Darley took a trip closer to home and visited the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's Maker's Mark Secretariat Center at the Kentucky Horse Park outside Lexington, Kentucky.

In this brief clip, Darley interviews Susanna Thomas about the prospects of King Dee, a big gray Thoroughbred gelding who escaped slaughter but has needed many hours of careful, thoughtful rehabilitation as he begins his new career as a riding horse.

If you are headed to Kentucky and plan to visit the Kentucky Horse Park, make the center part of your tour. The center welcomes visitors between the hours of 9 and 2, Monday through Saturdays, with interactive demonstrations on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11. To contact the Secretariat Center about horse adoption, call 859-246-3080.

To learn more about Darley and her tv show, look not much further than where you already are. Darley is my fellow blogger here at Equisearch.com, and you can follow her adventures on PBS and watch for her posts here, on her blog.

Secretariat's Owner Honored by Smith College

Penny Chenery is best known for her work in Thoroughbred horse racing and as owner of the celebrated racehorse, Secretariat, who won the Triple Crown but she also a name in the alumna book of Smith College here in Massachusetts. Smith has just announced that she will receive the Smith College Medal in 2009 in recognition for her accomplishments in the horse world.

After leaving Smith in the midst of World War II, Chenery took over her father’s stables when he became ill, and she has received many awards including the Thoroughbred industry’s highest award, the Eclipse Award of Merit, in 2005.

Chenery has been dubbed the “The First Lady of Racing.” Those who know her talk about her class, determination and integrity – and her commitment to the horses. Upon the retirement of Secretariat to Claiborne Farm, she insisted that he would be available to the public for viewing as she felt he belonged to the United States and the world.

Chenery has served on numerous boards, both in the horse racing industry and outside of it. She has worked to promote equine research and Thoroughbred retirement and rehabilitation. Of note, she helped found the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), an organization dedicated to the prevention of the slaughter of retired racehorses, which finds them new careers. The TRF works with prisons to retrain the horses and has a positive impact on the inmates.

As president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association from 1976-84, Chenery was the first woman to lead a national horse racing organization. In 1983, she was one of the first three women elected to membership in the previously all-male Jockey Club.

Smith tells us that Chenery graduated in the class of 1943; nher mother, sister and two cousins also attended Smith.

The Smith College Medal was established in 1962 to recognize alumnae “who, in the judgment of the trustees, exemplify in their lives and work the true purpose of a liberal arts education.”

The college is also horse-friendly and has an equestrian center on its beautiful campus in Northampton, Massachusetts.