What Do You Fear Most: H1N1 or EEE?

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


If you turn on the news (or do you just not turn it off?), you will hear a lot about H1N1, or the "coming plague" that seems destined to hit us this fall, but the mosquitoes are having a field day on the east coast and gulf coast.

You'll hear that a man in central New York State has died from Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).

Randomly-trapped mosquitoes all over eastern Massachusetts have tested positive for EEE and in some towns near Cape Cod, state health authorities have raised the alert level for mosquitoes from moderate to high after discovering that mosquitoes there were infected with not one but two viruses dangerous to humans--both EEE and West Nile virus (WNV).

In Maine, 14 horses have died from EEE.

In Virginia, seven horses have died from EEE and one from WNV. Wherever you look, the story is the same. Louisiana has been hit hard as well.

Outdoor after-school activities are being canceled for children and northern New England is gearing up for the big country fair season, but public health officials are urging people to take precautions.

When I was a little girl, a family friend was bitten by a mosquito at a horse show (don't ask me how they knew exactly where the bite happened) and she became ill with EEE. It was horrible, but she did survive. My parents never allowed us to go to an event at that fairground ever again and I have never forgotten that EEE is a real risk to humans and horses.

And it's not over yet. Mosquito season can and will last until November in many areas. A frost should be coming to Maine any day now, and it will be welcome, in terms of killing the mosquitoes.

Assuming that your horses are vaccinated and you have checked to find out if fall boosters are needed or not, take the time to review the basic prevention steps with everyone who lives or works or plays on your property:

• If possible, stay inside between dusk and dark, when mosquitoes are most active.
• When outside between dusk and dark, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
• Use an insect repellent with DEET or Picaridin according to manufacturer's directions when outside. Oil of lemon eucalyptus and IR3535 have been found to provide protection similar to repellents with low concentrations of DEET.
• Put screens on windows and make sure they do not have holes.
• Eliminate standing water and other mosquito breeding locations from your property. Do not alter natural water bodies.
  (Tips provided by the state of New Hampshire)

And what about our own flu shot? The fall and early winter are great times for riding, plus there are so many year-end shows and events to attend -- don't miss any of it if you can help it! Find out about both "regular" flu and H1N1 innoculations and what your risk factors are. And if you get sick, stay home.

Which do I fear? EEE, no doubt about that. What do I dread? H1N1, because even if it doesn't happen, it will disrupt our lives in some way and have more of a direct effect. But those of us who are outside and/or live near mosquito-invested zones have to take the warnings seriously.

It's a matter of life and death, for humans and horses.

Are you around horses that haven't been vaccinated? A lot of people opted to save money this spring and skipped EEE, especially in areas where the disease hasn't been a problem. That's what happened in Maine. Be sure you know what the symptoms are.

Click here to read a Maine veterinarian's description of the symptoms in the first case of EEE in her county.

And please don't stay home from the fairs, unless you are at high risk for complications of the flu. Country fairs are vital to regional economies and one of the last great ways to get out and connect with rural traditions and your agricultural friends and neighbors. Please support them...just make sure you have some repellent handy, cover up, and wash your hands a lot.

See you there!

UPDATE: Since this post was originally written, the first case of EEE ever reported in Maritime Canada has resulted in the death of a horse in Nova Scotia.

Equine Piroplasmosis Confirmed in Ireland

by Fran Jurga | 9 September 2009 | The Jurga Report at Equisearch.com


This statement has been published by the Irish government after a highly unusual disease situation was discovered on a Thoroughbred stud farm there:

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has today confirmed the occurrence of Equine Piroplasmosis (EP) in a number of Thoroughbred horses in an equine facility in county Meath.

Piroplasmosis is a tick-borne protozoan disease of horses, mules, donkeys and zebra. It is caused by blood parasites - Theleria equi and Babesia caballi and gives rise to anaemia and jaundice in affected animals. The disease is not readily contagious and has no Zoonotic implications and therefore no public health concerns arise.

A notifiable disease in Ireland since July 2009, it has not been officially reported in this country before although it is understood that a previous incursion did take place. The disease is present in Mediterranean countries but is not present in the US, Canada, the UK or Australia.

The facility in question has been served with a movement restriction notice and epidemiological investigations are underway to establish the origin of the disease and the extent of the spread, if any, to other locations.

The Department has been in contact with industry representatives who have been informed of the situation. A meeting with industry representatives has been arranged to discuss the implications for animal movement and the measures appropriate to address the threat posed by the disease.

(end of statement)

Note: the statement contains an error. EP has been found in the United States, this year in Missouri and last year in Florida. EP is a highly-feared disease and is often the reason why horses from certain Mediterranean countries cannot be directly imported into other countries. EP is also a deciding factor is where major competitions are held, since many people fear that an outbreak would possibly strand horses in a country for quarantine reasons, or infect them directly.

EP in Ireland is particularly chilling because the island nation is a huge exporter of horses. Flat and jump racing horses from Ireland routinely get on ferries and travel to England, Scotland or even France to race, especially during the winter months, and foxhunting in Ireland is a tourist season in and of itself. The most high-profile Thoroughbred trainer in Europe, Aidan O'Brien, is headquartered at Ballydoyle near Tipperary and travels from there to race all over the world.

As the world shrinks, equine diseases are becoming global, not local. EP in Ireland? A sign of the times, and not a good one.

Australian Vet Killed by Hendra Virus After Trying to Save Infected Horses Lives

by Fran Jurga | 2 September 2009 | The Jurga Report

I hate to write to this story. I hate to have to tell you this. Again.

A young Australian veterinarian has died in a Queensland hospital after spending two weeks in a coma. He is the second veterinarian in as many years to die from the Hendra virus transmitted by a sick horse.

Alister Rodgers (inset photo, left) was treating horses infected with the highly contagious Hendra virus at a stud farm in Queensland, and in spite of treatment with anti-viral drugs when the diagnosis of the horse was made, became ill and spent two weeks in a coma. He died yesterday.

Along with Alister Rodgers, three exposed stud farm workers of varying ages were also treated with anti-viral medication. All four, and the stud farm owner, were kept under close observation in a hospital and later released except for Rodgers. Only he became ill.

According to the Equestrian Queensland branch of the Equestrian Federation of Australia, the stud farm will now be under quarantine for months. No horse movement can take place until the quarantine is lifted. Also, because of the threat of HeV to human health, minimal interaction is taking place with horses and only basic husbandry can be done.

"A supportive horse community is a strong horse community," says EQ in their appeal. They would know, after getting through the Equine Influenza outbreak in Australia last year; EQ hopes to raise money to help the farm meet its payrole and feed its horses.

The deadly Hendra Virus (HeV) has not been widely documented outside of Australia. It is carried by a specific type of fruit bat and, for some reason, reappears almost annually in horses in the Australian state of Queensland. It is named for a suburb of Brisbane, where it was first discovered and killed a horse trainer.

Click here for general information about how Hendra virus affects horses and humans.

Click here to read about last summer's outbreak of Hendra virus in Queensland.

Click here to read about the death almost exactly one year ago of Queensland vet Ben Cuneen who was also treating an infected horses when he contracted the virus. The veterinarians there really are at great risk.

I don't think this story is getting nearly enough publicity. This is a tragic loss of a young professional's life. This disease is like something out of a horror movie and I hope that the Australia medical and biotechnology experts will soon unravel its mystery and protect both horses and humans from future threats.

Gordon Woods, Mule Cloning Researcher, Has Died

One of the most ironically but fitting aspects of the advent of equine cloning in the United States is that the pioneer clones were not graceful show horses or robust athletes but champion racing mules from the Northwest who received genes not just for racing but for personality of their species.

Pioneering scientists who wanted to be taken seriously were always a bit in danger of being upstaged by their product.

One of those pioneers died this week. Dr Gordon Woods led the team at the University of Idaho that produced the world’s first equine clone – a perfect mule foal named Idaho Gem – on May 4, 2003. Idaho Gem’s brothers – Utah Pioneer and Idaho Star – were born later that year. The accomplishment thrust the team’s research onto the international stage.

As scientifically and commercially significant as the cloning was to the horse industry, Dr. Woods was most excited about further exploring the connection between the cellular biology that led to the clone success and the cellular activity associated with age-onset diseases in humans such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease. After the cloning project, he continued to use the horse as a model for better understanding human health, and moved on to Colorado State University, where he was working at the time of his death.

Dr Woods earned his doctor of veterinary medicine degree at Colorado State University in 1975 and completed his residency in large animal reproduction at the University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center. He then enrolled at the University of Wisconsin where he worked with Dr. O.J. Ginther and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in reproductive biology. He joined the faculty of the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in 1983 as an assistant professor.

He returned to Idaho in 1986, founding the Northwest Equine Reproduction Laboratory and teaching at Washington State University and later at the University of Idaho where he served as a professor in the Department of Animal and Veterinary Science. In 2007, he moved his program to Colorado State.

He founded a private company, CancEr2, to explore basic research on the physiological bases of cancer and also served as president of EquinE2, a company created to commercialize horse reproduction technology and was a principal in another company, ClonE2, which was formed to offer horse cloning services commercially.

Donations in Dr Woods' memory may be sent to a fund at "Colorado 4-H Foundation/OMK," Colorado State University Extension, 4040 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins CO 80523-4040.

Thanks to Colorado State University for their help with this news. I remember when all three of the cloned mules were going to run in the same race. I'm very sorry to hear that we've lost Dr. Woods, after having written so many articles about his work and the mules. He truly was a pioneer.

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!

Health Alert: Pennsylvania Issues EHV Quarantine for Allegheny County Stable

(The following is a statement from the State of Pennsylvania, provided verbatim to avoid misinformation)

Horses at Rolling Hills Ranch stable in Bridgeville, Allegheny County, have been quarantined after at least three horses tested positive for the neurologic form of Equine Herpesvirus, or EHV-1, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said today.

There is no threat to human health from EHV-1.

"Equine Herpesvirus causes upper respiratory infection and can cause severe neurological disease in horses," said Wolff. "The quarantine was put in place to restrict the movement of horses from the stable and contain the virus."

The quarantine covers the entire property, including five barns housing more than 100 horses. It will remain in effect until a period of 21 days has elapsed without relevant clinical signs in any horses. At that point, all horses will be tested for EHV-1 and the quarantine will be released when all horses test negative.

The attending veterinarian at Rolling Hills Ranch recognized symptoms in several horses consistent with the neurologic form of EHV-1 and alerted the Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services on July 19.

Symptoms of the neurologic form of EHV-1 include loss of coordination, weakness or paralysis of the hind limbs, and incontinence. While other forms of EHV-1 occur commonly in horses, the neurologic form is considered a dangerous transmissible disease.

Presently, the bureau is testing and monitoring horses at Rolling Hills Ranch. Horse owners who have boarded their animals at the facility since July 7 should contact their local veterinarians if a horse exhibits symptoms of the neurologic form of EHV-1. Owners with further concerns may call the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services at 717-772-2852.

For more information about the bureau visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us and click on "Animal and Plant Health" on the left navigation.

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.

FBI and State Officials Seek Horses Removed from Quarantine After Testing Positive for Disease in Missouri

The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced on Friday that two quarantined horses that tested positive for equine piroplasmosis are missing from a Raytown, Missouri equine center, located in Jackson County. Equine piroplasmosis is a bloodborne disease only transmitted to horses by ticks and mechanically from animal to animal by contaminated needles. Humans are at no risk of being affected by this disease.

On June 4, the Department of Agriculture was notified of a piroplasmosis-positive horse and immediately took action by placing a quarantine on the Raytown Equine Center; all of the horses at the facility were put on 24-hour surveillance. The quarantine, enacted by the Missouri State Veterinarian, was put in place to prevent movement of any horses from the equine center. Two horses were illegally removed from the premises Wednesday night, when locks were cut from building doors and stalls. These horses are micro-chipped.

The Department is working with local, county and state officials as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation to locate the horses.

Seven horses tested positive for equine piroplasmosis on June 9. Thursday, with consent of the horse's owners, five piroplasmosis-positive horses were euthanized. An equine piroplasmosis-infected horse will show symptoms in mild forms such as weakness and lack of appetite. More acute cases include fever, anemia, jaundice, a swollen abdomen and labored breathing. Horses that survive the acute phase of infection may continue to carry the parasites for long periods of time. There is no cure for equine piroplasmosis.

For more information, please contact the Missouri Department of Agriculture at (573) 751-3377, which supplied the information for this blog post through its Missouri Ag Connection network.

Disease Watch: Equine Piroplasmosis Case in Missouri

by Fran Jurga | 13 June 2009 | The Jurga Report
According to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of United States Department of Agriculture, a horse in Jackson County, Missouri has tested posted for equine piroplasmosis, a tick-borne disease. The affected horse is a seven-year-old Quarter horse gelding purchased six months ago and has been housed on the owner's premises since then. In addition to the affected horse, there are 63 other animals on the property including horses, ponies and mules. A quarantine is in effect.

On June 2, the affected index horse was presented to a veterinary medical hospital in Kansas for acute illness consistent with infection of a blood-borne pathogen. The horse was placed under quarantine and isolation. The following day, laboratory samples were submitted to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL).

On June 6, the Missouri Department of Agriculture issued a written quarantine of the affected premises. A subsequent inspection of the animals and the premises revealed no ticks.

When the tests came back on the horse revealing a positive result for equine piroplasmosis (Theileria equi), plans were made to test additional horses on the premises.

Click here for a USDA document with more information about equine piraplasmosis. You might also like to read about the cases in Florida last year; check the August and September 2008 archives of The Jurga Report by scrolling through the list of archives in the right-hand column of the blog.

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.

Video Insight: Strangles Signs, Treatment and Prevention

by Fran Jurga | 4 December 2008 | The Jurga Report on Equisearch.com



An enterprising group of veterinarians has launched vetstoria.com, an online community for horse owners seeking access to video-based education on horse diseases and health concerns.

As a sample, I am posting for you an important description of the disease we call "Strangles". This time of year many horses are changing barns (or owners) and coming in from long summer turnout. Barns, blankets and buckets combine with new stalls, new trailers, new handlers to increase the risk of highly contagious diseases like strangles.

I have witnessed strangles firsthand, and more than once, and I can testify that this is a disease that you do not want your horse to experience. My horse was at a boarding barn on the farm of a horse dealer, and lots of horses came and went. We always assumed that the strangles outbreaks were related to some horse that had shipped in, but we never really knew. It could have been spread in so many ways, but it is also possible that a resident horse was a carrier and only occasionally shed the bacteria.

It seemed like the innocent boarder horses went through a ritual of falling victim to the disease. The owners were devastated. It was heartbreaking to watch the horses endure the disease, particularly when it advanced into bastard strangles.

Take the time to watch this video and learn the signs of strangles. Talk to your veterinarian about how to prevent the disease, and if vaccination is something you should consider.

Thanks to Vetstoria.com's vets for making this video available.

Careers in Equine Health: What's the Best Vet School? How Do You Get Advice on Colleges?

This is the time of year when students are thinking very hard about the next steps in their education. High school and college students who are hoping to find a rewarding career in veterinary medicine need to do a lot of research to pick between the programs (equine science or equine studies?) (is an associate's degree a good way to get started?) (pre-vet or bio major?) and, especially, to zero in on the vet school of their choice, if they want to pursue a DVM degree.

Choosing any career with animals does not begin with blindly signing up for a few courses at your local community college. You need a plan. Before taking any course at any school, a prospective student needs the help of a professional career adviser to avoid wasting time and money--and risking great disappointment when you apply for a job or further study.

With all the talk about careers in the horse industry, and all the schools that offer programs, there is very little talk about how to find a professional adviser who can sift through the available choices with a student to find the best investment of time and money. I hope that someone will leave a comment on this post and let us know that there is a national network of equine career advisers and how to access the services of its members.

More and more, vet school classes in the USA are divided between bright young straight-from-undergrad students who have a lock on study skills and back-to-school older students who are perhaps techs or from other fields who finally have the finances or the time or the motivation to finish their education.

The older students may be wiser about the real world out there and, if they have been working in the field, the reality of their chosen profession. Bu they also may have children at home, need to work while in school, or find that their study skills are a bit rusty compared to the ultra-sharp 22 year olds who are their lab partners.

It's great that the two types of students can learn from each other, and that vet school classes are so much more diverse than ever before.

US News and World Report kindly ranks graduate schools for every degree. I have yet to find a ranking of vet tech programs (I hope there is one; please post a link or resource!) but I know of several books that can be helpful.

A good place to start is with the book Horse Schools by Angelia Almos. It lists everything from farrier schools or masters' programs and contains all sorts of contact and "drill deeper" information.

Prospective students should watch for career days at colleges and universities and for programs like open houses at vet clinics and hospitals. When the top vets and techs have a day off from surgery and procedures, they can take the time to really talk to you, and that's exactly why those open days are held.

In case you are wondering, here's the 2007 ranking of vet schools by US News and World Report:

1. Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine
2. (tie) Colorado State University and the University of California-Davis
4. University of Pennsylvania
5. (tie) North Carolina State University, The Ohio State University, Texas A&M University-College Station and the University of Wisconsin-Madison
9. Michigan State University
10. University of Minnesota.

Before you panic that your chosen university or alma mater didn't make the list, please note that this ranking is for the entire vet school, covering all species. Schools have great disparity when it comes to equine services and the expertise connected to it. We all know that some schools are very strong in dairy and swine, or cats and dogs, and you only have to read the posts in this blog to know which ones are leading the way with research and surgical/treatment advances in equine veterinary medicine.

There is no such thing as a "bad" vet school, since all undergo very careful scrutiny in order to be accredited. If a school loses its accreditation or is on probation, prospective students should be aware of that, and a professional career adviser should know those facts.

A great resource for anyone considering applying to vet school is to study the information on the web site of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). Learn the lingo. Learn the names. Memorize the dates and deadlines.

Always aim for the best possible program you can afford, and look into financial aid, work-study and scholarship opportunities that may be available. You can live your dream, as long as you know the process and what to expect. Go for it!

Hurricane and Disease Worries Hit New York Racing with a One-Two Punch Today

Summer's over.

Thoroughbred racing in New York migrated back to Belmont Park near New York City on Friday, only to have Tropical Storm Hanna pelt the track with rain today. Sunny Saratoga seemed like distant memory. Slickers came out, and races went on, but talk turned to other threats as the storm headed up the coast toward Boston.

According to New York City news sources and the Daily Racing Form, a three-year-old gelding who shipped down from Saratoga earlier this week was euthanized today. The horse had a fever and was unable to stand.

The barn where the horse was stabled, which houses horses for several trainers, is now under quarantine and a laboratory in Kentucky is conducting tests to determine if the horse suffered from a contagious disease, such as Equine Herpes virus (EHV).

The dead horse had the clever name "Smell My Carrots". Test results are expected Tuesday. Other horses in the barn will not be allowed to race, train on the main track, or mingle with other horses.

Many of the top stakes horses in the country are stabled at Belmont for the rich fall stakes series, however several--including Breeders Cup winner Kip De Ville and veteran campaigner Better Talk Now--are currently in Toronto for a rich weekend of racing at Woodbine. A disease outbreak at Belmont could affect the shipment of such top horses to New York. Horses stabled at Saratoga for racing through Labor Day have now dispersed all over the United States and Canada.

Except one (and surely some others): Horse of the Year Curlin stayed behind in Saratoga to train there so he is not directly affected by the Belmont situation. He will run at Belmont on September 27 in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Equine Herpes virus is a highly contagious disease that has several strains, including some mutations with neurological symptoms that make it difficult for a horse to stand or walk. Hopefully the horse was sick for some other reason.

Still Riding with Barbaro...And You?

It was exactly two years ago this week that surgeon Dean Richardson of the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center announced that Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was suffering from laminitis as a complication of his surgery to repair multiple fractures in his right hind leg.

As they say, the rest is history. Five months later, Barbaro was dead; the decision to euthanize him was made when he developed laminitis in his front feet.

I can't tell you that our understanding and treatment options for laminitis have improved radically in two years. But I can tell you that progress has been made on the funding front. Pfizer Animal Health joined forces with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) to create The Barbaro Fund, which helps fund research into laminitis.

The University of Pennsylvania has created the world's first Laminitis Institute at the New Bolton Center campus, under the direction of Dr. James Orsini.

Information from the Fourth International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot, held in November 2007, is being disseminated to veterinarians, farriers, and horse owners in the field. Hopefully, horses are receiving better preventative and early-intervention care because of the conference; watch for news of the Fifth conference, to be held in November 2009, to be announced soon. Check www.laminitisconference.com for updates.

However you give and whatever you give, please do give. Pfizer has created blue memory bands for Barbaro, which can be purchased at tack shops and feed stores where counter displays of Pfizer wormers are used. For just a few dollars, you can join the Barbaro memory collective.

If you can give more and do more, please do. Watch this blog for lots more news about laminitis research that will help your horse, and every horse, avoid the most painful disease imaginable.

Secretariat, Affirmed, Sunday Silence, and Barbaro are just a few of the famous Kentucky Derby winners who died because of this terrible condition.

Your horse, my horse, and any horse could be next.

Michigan State Vet School Opens New Clinic for Horses with Back Pain

Sport horse specialist Rob Van Wessum DVM will direct diagnosis and treatment at the new back pain clinic for horses at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. (MSU photo)

In mid-June, Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will officially open the McPhail Equine Back Pain Clinic to meet the needs of horses with problems in their spines and back muscles. The clinic has a unique combination of professional expertise and state-of-the-art technology that holds great promise for horses with back pain.

According to the clinic’s director, Dr. Rob van Wessum, at least ten to fifteen percent of equine lameness problems can be traced to problems in the back. “If we did more research, I wouldn’t be surprised to find that the percentage is actually higher,” he says. “People will often try to treat the lameness as a problem in the leg, when the problem is really in the back.”

Other performance issues, such as bucking, rearing, stiffness, and a general resistance to work can also be signs of a back problem, even if there are no overt signs of lameness, he adds.

In the last three years, Van Wessum has worked with about 500 equine back pain cases at the MSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) and reports that nearly all are now performing at their original level or higher. By opening a clinic at the VTH specifically devoted to this area, he hopes to bring this success to a wider audience.

Van Wessum himself is part of the formula for success. In addition to his 17 years of clinical expertise as a sport horse lameness clinician, he has experience as an internationally known rider, trainer, and judge in the sport of dressage.

Van Wessum uses several types of imaging to help pinpoint problems and treat them more accurately – fluoroscopy, Doppler ultrasound, bone scans, and (soon) MRI. Treatment is followed with a tailor-made rehabilitation program that is designed to increase the horse’s range of motion and speed gradually.

Client education is an essential part of the program.

“We show clients anatomical models and videos of how horses move and give thorough explanations during the clinical exam. If they understand why we are prescribing certain rehabilitation techniques they can, and do, become really committed partners in the rehabilitation process.”

He also will work with the client’s local veterinarian during the horse’s rehabilitation and will provide the vet with a video of the exam and all the information learned during the horse’s visit.

People are already bringing their horses from around the country to meet with van Wessum, and he makes it as easy for them as possible.

“We can help arrange transportation with a certified transporter and arrange hotel accommodations,” he says. “We do all the diagnosis and treatment in a reasonable amount of time, two or three days, so that clients don’t find it too hard to stay here with their horses.”

To schedule an appointment at the McPhail Equine Back Pain Clinic, contact the MSU Large Animal Hospital at (517) 353-9710.

Are You My Mother? Surrogatehood Surges in Sport Horse Scene

Lucinda Fredericks (human on right) hopes to ride her mare Headley Britannia (center) in the Olympics this summer. The other two mares, Bear and Pippa, will be carrying the star event horse's foals, sired by French show jumper Jaguar Mail.

It was a wry chuckle heard round the horse world: On April 1, the venerable British horse sports weekly Horse and Hound stuck its tongue in its veddy Briddish cheek and announced that an exclusive new four-star three-day event would be held in England. What's the hitch? All entrants must prove that record-setting Badminton and Burghley winner Headley Britannia is their mother. April Fool!

Or was it?

In reality, both Headley Britannia and her semen-provider-by-courier, the top French show-jumping stallion Jaguar Mail, could both be competing in Hong Kong at the Olympics this summer, while their offspring are in utero back home in England, thanks to receiver mares. Their first foal was born to the surrogate dam this spring and is already being syndicated by Headley Brittania's owner, Australian team rider Lucinda Fredericks.

One can joke about the popularity of embryo transfer in performance horses, but the reality is that more and more owners of valuable mares--regardless of age--are opting to use their horses as cash cows while the market is strong for sport or performance horses of fashionable bloodlines.

Embryo transfer calls for the breeding of the mare, usually by artificial insemination, when she comes into her normal cycle. The developing embryo is then flushed from her uterus and implanted in a receiver or "surrogate" mare whose cycle coincides with the genetic mother's. The surrogate is often a less valuable horse who might not normally be reproducing. The genetic mother mare is back in training within a few weeks of the breeding and never suffers any of the risks or hardships of pregnancy or motherhood.

Embryo transfer can be done any number of times and there seems to be no limit to the embryos a mare can produce (hence the jokes about Headley Britannia), other than that only one embryo per cycle can be harvested.

The new technology means that mare owners can potentially receive some financial rewards from the mare, just as performance stallion owners harvest semen during a break from showing.

Embryo transfer in the USA took off in Texas and Oklahoma about ten years ago with the reining and cutting horse mares and now owners of show jumpers and dressage mares are lining up for the breeding stocks. Palm Beach Equine Clinic in Wellington, Florida recently acquired a reproduction-specialty facility in Aiken, South Carolina where 90 receiver mares are stabled and undergo the inbound transfer. The embryos travel by Federal Express from Wellington.

Mare owners can breed a young mare a couple of times a year, with potential for more than 15 years of multiple offspring without losing performance time. Mares as young as two may be bred.

There are ethical concerns, of course. In this age of unwanted horses and uncertain finances, do we really need to mushroom the foal crop of warmbloods? Should the ethical decision of "to breed or not to breed" be based on the perceived monetary value of a horse? Is it ok to keep flushing embryos out of an unsound mare if the owner happens to be able to acquire some semen from a fashionable European sire? Are mare owners shrinking the gene pool?

Many mares in training have been on hormones or Regumate-type steroid compounds to control their cycles, and now the trend is to revert to encouraging cycling again, when and if it is convenient, of course.

Many people opted out of breeding this year because they have believed the information fed to them that there is an over-population of horses in this country. Many people are opting for expensive surgery and special shoes and rehab programs for injured horses rather than engaging in the "throw away" economy of horse ownership in which trainers pressure owners to always have a number of horses in training for different divisions or of different ages.

There are no regulations on embryo transfer. If you think your mare is wonderful, and you can afford it, you can keep breeding her and keep flushing her, regardless of whether there is a potential market for her offspring.

The potential benefits of embryo transfer are huge for mares with good breeding value who should not or cannot task the risks of pregnancy or motherhood, particularly mares with laminitis, for whom full-term pregnancy can be painful or life-threatening.

Perhaps mare owners should go through ethical counseling before they make the decision to cash out their mares. Are they simply maximizing a cash investment or are they consciously breeding for the future of the American horse industry?

A demand has been created on the producer side and the veterinary profession is happy to oblige. Whether the demand exists on the buyer end of things remains to be seen. It's a matter of dollars and sense.

To learn more: Read an article in today's Palm Beach Post about the new embryo transfer services offered at Palm Beach Equine Clinic. The article includes a very good explanation of the process and how Palm Beach Equine is managing this new service.

Sport horse mares are better investments than ever, thanks to breeding technology. Palm Beach Post photo.

EHV-1 Surfaces Again at Racetracks in California

Dr. Rick Arthur, equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), announced yesterday that two barns are under quarantine at Los Alamitos Race Course following the deaths of two horses from the Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1). One was a stable pony and the other a racehorse. Lab results are pending on other suspected cases.

Elsewhere in California, a mare at Golden Gate Fields near San Francisco aborted a fetus, which subsequently tested positive for EHV-1, although the mare tested negative according to the CHRB. Biosecurity measures are in place at that track.

Dr. Byars to Assess Wellington Situation at Thursday Meeting

The following is a press release received by The Jurga Report from Stadium Jumping Inc., via USEF. Phelps Sports' contact Ken Kraus reported this afternoon that Stadium Jumping is providing the location for the meeting but is not involved in the meeting.

(begin press release)
Wellington, FL – January 3, 2007 – Stadium Jumping, Inc. the producers of the Winter Equestrian Festival, the nation’s largest and longest running equestrian series, has announced that the Jockey Club will once again be made available for an important public forum to discuss the on-going EHV outbreak. The gathering will take place on Thursday morning at 11 a.m. The club is located alongside the Internationale Arena on the showgrounds located at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida.

This will be the second Thursday in a row that area equestrians have assembled at the Jockey Club to discuss the EHV outbreak in Wellington.

“We feel it’s important to make our facility available for these types of community discussions,” said Eugene R. Mische, the President of Stadium Jumping, Inc. “We’re happy that Dr. Byars has agreed to lend his expert opinion to this on-going situation, and I look forward to hearing his assessment of where we’ve been and where we stand now. I also think it’s important,” Mische added, “that our area horsemen have a chance to voice any concerns they may have as we work our way to the start of the 2007 WEF show season.”

The key meeting was requested by Dr. John Steele and Dr. Ben Schachter, two respected Wellington area veterinarians, with over eighty years of experience between them. The meeting was called to bring concerned area equestrians up to date on the current EHV situation in Wellington, and will feature Dr. Doug Byars, the former head of Internal Medicine at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee in Lexington, Kentucky. The panel will also include Dr. Fred Petersen.

Byars is a recognized expert on the EHV virus, and will bring to the meeting his independent assessment of the EHV outbreak in Wellington following a complete tour of the area ‘hot spots’ on Wednesday.

Everyone in the Wellington community is welcome to attend this forum, beginning at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

(end press release)

Background article for horse owners on Equine Herpes Virus and, in particular, EHV-1, from the American Association of Equine Practitioners

Photo: John Steele DVM, show horse specialist veterinarian from Vernon, NY, and Ben Schacter DVM of Wellington Equine Associates in Lake Worth, Florida, were instrumental in bringing equine disease specialist Doug Byars DVM to Florida to assess the EHV outbreak. Dr. Steele travels to Florida in the winter months to provide services to his clients at their winter shows. Photo kindly provided by Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports.com