The Humane Society of the United States Rescues Horse Injured During Inaugural Parade

(this story is provided by the Humane Society of the United States)

WASHINGTON (Jan. 20, 2009) -- Just before Tuesday’s presidential inaugural parade was set to begin in the nation’s capitol, alarming news came over The Humane Society of the United States radio: “Horse hit by truck at 4th and Pennsylvania.”

The HSUS Emergency Services team swung into action.

With approximately two million people on hand in the nation’s capital to celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama, The HSUS had been asked by the D.C. Department of Health to provide animal welfare services for this historic event. HSUS staff and volunteers were spread out across the National Mall to assist with animal emergencies, and The HSUS’ mobile command vehicle was situated inside the perimeter of the staging zone to provide support for the police horses and dogs on site.

When the emergency report of an injured horse was sounded, HSUS and Health Department staff immediately alerted Lt. Col. John Stott of the U.S. Army Veterinary Services and the Days End Horse Farm Rescue equine ambulance which was on call with HSUS. The group rushed to the aid of Mouse, a10-year-old appaloosa horse who had suffered a visibly mangled leg and multiple lacerations.

When responders arrived on site they found a bloody scene: Mouse was lying on the ground with his hindquarters suspended in the air and his rear leg caught in the front grill of a heavy-duty truck. Incredibly, Dr. Stott was able to stabilize the horse before he was loaded onto the ambulance and transported to the Prince George’s County Equestrian Center.

“When The HSUS first came upon the scene, things were looking dire for Mouse. I did not think he would survive,” said Scotlund Haisley, senior director of Emergency Services at The HSUS. “Twelve men and women labored for nearly two hours to untangle Mouse’s leg so that he could be transported for further treatment. It is an immense relief to know that this horse is expected to recover from his life-threatening injuries.”

Another happy ending played out earlier in the day for Showtime, a palomino appaloosa cross from the Michigan Multi Jurisdictional Drill Team and Color Guard. A mayday for help was called into the HSUS mobile command unit, stating that Showtime had fallen ill and needed immediate medical attention. HSUS staff and Dr. Stott of the U.S. Army Veterinary Services rushed to the horse’s side. After receiving medical attention, Showtime recovered from his gastric distress and was able to participate in the parade.

“Showtime is 23, and is the only surviving horse from the 1993 inaugural parade,” said his handler, Fran Veal II. “He is quite a special animal, and I am glad that the Department of Health, The HSUS and Dr. Stott were on site to take care of him.”

Although pets were not allowed inside the inaugural festivities, The HSUS was on site to respond to any emergencies, and the HSUS headquarters in downtown Washington was set aside as a temporary shelter for dogs. For the most part, however, attendees heeded warnings to leave their pets at home. HSUS staff and volunteers were prepared for the worst, but thankfully did not face any emergency situations with ‘civilian’ animals in the inauguration parade – although the mobile command center served as a warming station for resting police dogs.

The HSUS was joined by a number of volunteers from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, United Animal Nations, the ASPCA, and Noah’s Wish.

Australian Research Should Help Improve Rider Safety in Eventing

As the Olympics approach, everyone is holding his or her breath in hopes that the eventing goes smoothly and safely, wihtout injury to horses or riders. It sounds like Hong Kong has done everything imaginable to ensure safety. And if there is a typhoon, they have made plans for rescheduling events!

Maybe one day we will look back on the past few years' high rate of injuries and sigh, "If we only knew back then, what we know now..." Moving in that direction, rider and horse safety in the sport could be improved soon thanks to new research in Australia. The study collates and analyzes data on falls and injuries over a period of years for the first time.

The research, funded by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) and supported by the Equestrian Federation of Australia (EFA), is the culmination of a five-year national surveillance program, which shows that the number of injuries per competitor is in fact lower than previously thought.

Eventing is enormously popular in Australia and is conducted around the country at all levels, from young riders at pony clubs to Olympic competitors. This study focussed on the cross-country phase of eventing.

The results of the five-year surveillance program have been entered into a new database known as SHARE (Safety for Riders and Horses in Eventing).

RIRDC's General Manager of Established Industries, Margie Thomson, said the research would help inform those making the rules in equestrian sport.

"This research is important because it is the first time information has been collected for the sport of eventing alone. Most existing data on horse-related injuries and deaths does not distinguish between a whole range of horse-related activities with the potential to cause injury," Thomson said.

The data is based on 1732 rider falls at 444 events around the country between 2002 and 2006 and reveals the rate of rider falls is only three for every 100 starters. This is lower than previously thought.

The fact that the SHARE system of data collection can be used by other nations' equestrian federations offers the possibility of consistent data for international comparison and ultimately, a safer sport around the globe.

The research was prompted by a marked increase in the number of rider falls and fatalities, both in Australia and overseas in the late 1990s, which highlighted that there was little data on the health, social or financial costs of horse-related injuries.

The full report is available at www.rirdc.gov.au.