The USs first specialised medical facility for donkeys is set to open next month in Grayson County in Texas.The Center for the Advancement of Donkeys is a new initiative by Oscars Place, adonkey adoption and sanctuary in Hopland, California that has saved almost 500 donkeys destined for slaughter over the last five years.Millions of donkeys around the world are slaughtered for their skin each year. Demand for donkey skin has increased significantly in recentyears due to the popularity of ejiao, a gelatin product used in traditional Chinese medicine and commonly found in cosmetics, which is made by boiling donkey skin.In the US, many donkeys, including pregnant females, are sold at auction to kill pen buyers, who purchase them for slaughter and their hides.The new hospital, which opens on Saturday 5 September, will provide early medical assessment and treatment near one of the largest donkey kill pen auctions in the US.The Center for the Advancement of Donkeys will open in Texas next month.Health checksIn nearly all cases, we dont know the health status of the donkeys we are saving, said Oscars Place co-founder and CEO Ron King. We may unknowingly save a donkey that is seriously ill, only to put it on a trailer for a 32-hour transport alongside healthy animals, putting in jeopardy the health of all the animals.This Center is the first of its kind and is built specifically to receive donkeys immediately, diagnose them accurately, and begin their recovery quickly.When the donkeys are healthy and fit to travel, they will be transported to the organisations adoption centre and sanctuary in Northern California.Increased capacityCurrently, Oscars Place cares for nearly 160 donkeys at its adoption centre in Hopland, and has an additional 70 donkeys living at its sanctuary in Potter Valley. Once the new hospital opens it will allow the charity to house and care for up to 500 donkeys at a time. Facilities at the Center for the Advancement of Donkeys will include a covered intake and assessment arena; temperature-controlled, bio-secure stalls; separate recovery housing for donkeys with strangles, asinine herpes, flu, and other contagious conditions; an on-site lab and pharmacy; an isolation ward for critical-care donkeys; and 40 acres of grazing with shelters, ponds and space for rehabilitation.We want the new facility to be more than a hospital; we want it to be the epicenter for collecting data, training veterinarians, and advancing the science of donkey medicine, said Ron. We will continue our laser focus on rescuing and rehabilitating donkeys in need, but we are committed to investing in training the next generation of veterinarians.Training the next generationThe Center will also offer internships, externships and residency programmes to veterinary students and graduates as well as practising veterinarians.It is hoped that Oscars Place will expand its educational partnerships to include Texas-based veterinary schools.When we transform how donkeys are viewed and treated, we will improve the welfare of donkeys for decades to come, said Ron.Our mission is clear: We want to help create a better world for donkeys. The Center for the Advancement of Donkeys will allow us to do more and do it better.Photo credit: Oscars Place.Related contentCharity asks Senegal totake a stand against the donkey skin tradeBrooke attends UN High-Level Meeting to tackle antimicrobial resistanceIt is vital to protect them: Presenter Angela Rippon speaks out on donkey skin tradeA terrific moment: African Union bans donkey skin tradeThe post First US donkey hospital to open in Texas appeared first on Your Horse.

Becky Moody was left frustrated but determined after a mistake-strewn start to her dressage World Championship campaign at Aachen in Germany today (11 August), while Fiona Bigwood celebrated a landmark appearance with her home-bred Donna Bella in the first half of Britains team dressage grand prix campaign.Becky and Jagerbomb (pictured top) finished on 73.82%, well below the combinations season average, after the exuberant gelding struggled to settle in the vast Aachen arena. Yet there were flashes of the partnerships considerable quality, most notably in the piaffes, as Becky fought to salvage as much as possible for the British team Becky and the British team currently lie in silver medal position. We didnt get off to the best side in the world, Becky admitted. He was just a little too excited and distracted when we went in there.The problems came from the start when Jagerbomb was unsettled in the halt before moving into the collected work, and then broke into canter during the first extended trot.I didnt quite have the balance where I needed it, Becky explained. But we pulled it back, and we still got some really good bits, and he came back to me with it.The Yorkshire rider was particularly pleased with the way Jagerbomb recovered, producing some of his best piaffe work despite the difficult opening.It was certainly not the mark that I wanted to put on the board for the team, she said. But after a difficult start, we did probably some of our best piaffes. The trot half-passes were better in the test than they were in the warm-up. So I was pleased that I managed to pull as much of it back as I did, but obviously very, very frustrated with the bits that I didnt get right.There was also another mistake, when Jagerbomb lost focus coming out of a pirouette, but Becky was quick to stress the importance of moving on rather than allowing one error to affect the rest of the test.Its definitely something as a top competition rider you have to be able to do not focus on the mistake thats happened, but really go to, What can I do to try to either pull it back or at least not lose any more? she said.My focus was really on just doing the rest of the work without taking unnecessary risks, but trying to get the best marks I could.Becky believes the extraordinary scale of Aachens main arena played a part in Jagerbombs loss of concentration. She likes the gelding hot and energetic, but today felt his attention was simply being drawn too far away from her.I think its just such an unusual arena. Its incredible, and its huge, but its all quite far away, she said. I did just feel his focus strayed too far from me. Whereas when everything is closer, I somehow feel like he stays a little bit closer to me too.She now plans to make some subtle adjustments before Fridays grand prix special.I know the special really suits him, she said. Id probably be a bit more prepared, a little more cautious with the first extension. But otherwise the test really helps to get him focused and with you, with all the transitions, the changes and the half-passes.There was also reassurance from coach and team-mate Carl Hester immediately after Beckys test.Dont beat yourself up, was Carls advice.A really special moment: Fiona Bigwood reflects on Aachen performance For Fiona, 11 years after riding Atterupgaards Orthilia to European team silver at Aachen, she returned with her former mares daughter, Donna Bella (pictured above).The 10-year-old, who is still relatively inexperienced at grand prix level, scored 69.35% on her World Championship debut to leave them 15th individually at the halfway stage. She was unsettled by the cameras and then produced two additional one-time changes, but Fiona was delighted with the way her young mare coped with the occasion.Im absolutely delighted, said Fiona. Shes only 10, she hasnt done a huge amount of grand prixs, and to come to one of the biggest venues in the world and do that. Shes unbelievable.The one-time changes were Fionas main frustration.The mistakes in the one-time tempis were really irritating, Fiona said. I had the 15, I thought Id got her to stop and then she did two more. It was my fault, rider error. But the whole year shes hardly made any mistakes, so its okay.Fiona resisted asking too much of Donna Bella as she wanted to build confidence, rather than going for every possible mark.Shes 10, and in the extensions youre probably better to, instead of asking for the eights and nines, play it safe and get a nice seven rather than risking a break, she explained.I just wanted to give her confidence in there, because I could feel as I was coming in shed be thinking, This is a bigger atmosphere than Ive ever been in.Its really nice to bring Atterupgaards Orthilias daughter here and do the same thing its a really special moment, she said. Theyre both very similar. They both go and try their hardest. Fiona sees plenty of potential for Donna Bella to follow in her dams footsteps.Ive got a lot of love for this mar, she said. Shes got the brain and the talent, and over the winter Ive now got a period to improve. Obviously, I know theres stuff that needs improving, and hopefully shell come out looking stronger next year.With Britains first two scores now on the board, the pressure shifts to Carl Hester and Lottie Fry tomorrow. Germany currently lead the way in the team competition on 75.96% after Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD poerformed a solid test to also lead individually. Australia is in bronze medal position thanks to Simone Pearces 73.92% score with Will Marq. The dressage continues tomorrow at 7.20am UK time. Image: FEI/Leanjo de KosterRelated contentHow to watch the 2026 FEI World Championships on TV and via livestreamFEI introduces online abuse protection measures ahead of World ChampionshipsBritish eventing, showjumping and dressage teams announced for World ChampionshipsWhats happening, when? The full 2026 FEI World Championships timetableThe post Becky Moody battles back as Fiona Bigwood savours special Aachen moment for Great Britain appeared first on Your Horse.

Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) is pleased to announce the expansion of its Genetic and Genomic Services programme, providing breeders and owners with access to advanced DNA-based tools to support equine health, pedigree verification, breed development and informed breeding decisions.As genomic technologies continue to transform livestock and equine breeding globally, HSI has invested in developing practical and accessible genomic services tailored to the needs of Irish breeders and studbooks. These services support more accurate pedigree recording, enhanced breeding programme participation, improved genetic information and responsible breeding decisions.The services currently available through HSI include:Parentage Discovery TestingParentage Discovery Testing enables owners of horses and ponies with unknown, incomplete or uncertain breeding records to identify potential parents and relatives through HSIs extensive genomic database. The service also provides breed composition analysis, helping establish a horses likely ancestry and supporting eligibility for studbook entry where breeding programme rules permit.Genomic Grade Up for Irish Draught HorsesThe Genomic Grade Up programme provides Irish Draught breeders with an alternative pathway for horses with incomplete pedigrees to gain recognition within the Irish Draught breeding programme. Through genomic analysis, eligible animals can be assessed for inclusion in the supplementary section of the Irish Draught Studbook, helping to preserve and develop this important native breed.Hoof Wall Separation Disease (HWSD) TestingHSI is also pleased to offer testing for Hoof Wall Separation Disease (HWSD), an inherited condition primarily associated with the Connemara Pony breed, however, is evident in several other equine breeds as carried through into various populations due to Connemara cross breeding. The test allows breeders and owners to identify whether a horse is clear, a carrier, or affected by the condition, enabling informed breeding decisions.Fragile Foal Syndrome (FFS) TestingFragile Foal Syndrome (FFS) testing is now available through HSIs genomic services. FFS is a hereditary connective tissue disorder, breeding two carriers means there is a 25% chance the foal will be affected and not survive. Identifying carrier animals allows breeders to make responsible mating decisions and reduce the risk of producing affected offspring.Dr Sonja Egan, Head of Breeding, Innovation & Development at Horse Sport Ireland, said:The transition from microsatellite to SNP genotyping has transformed the opportunities available to Irish breeders. While the primary driver was to improve the accuracy and efficiency of parentage verification, access to SNP data also allows us to develop a growing range of genomic tools and health screening services. Through our ongoing investment in genomics, and the work of our in-house geneticist Dr Jennifer Doyle, Horse Sport Ireland is continually identifying, developing and validating new tests that can be delivered through the genetic information made available through SNP genotyping. This enables breeders to access practical, evidence-based information that supports horse health, welfare and breeding decisions, while ensuring the Irish sport horse sector remains at the forefront of international innovations in equine genetics.For further information on HSI Genetic and Genomic Services, visit the homepage HERE.This service is aligned with priority 2: Excellence in Breeding and High Performance SportThe post Horse Sport Ireland Expands Genomic Services to Support Irish Breeders appeared first on .

Take the stress out of your dressage day, casual but smart clothes, no plaiting and relaxed atmosphere. We are running pony club tests that are being used at Home Championships to give a practice run...