EVENTS COMING UP NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

Please see below, year-to-date figures of Foal Passports, which includes full pedigree and non-pedigree applications, and Other Services, which includes Changes of Ownership and Endorsements & Importations, processed through the Horse Source system. Data is up to date as of Thursday, 14th November, 2024.

Photo by Jsnewtonian/Adobe StockEach year, hurricanes, wildfires, and severe storms force thousands across the country to evacuate their homes. When preparing for a potential natural disaster, it is best to follow the adage of expect the best but prepare for the worst. Taking the time now to make an emergency and natural disaster preparedness plan for your familyincluding your horses and other animalscan be lifesaving.Table of ContentsToggleStartling Natural Disaster StatisticsHorse Preparedness Before the DisasterHorse IdentificationEmergency KitFaster Response TimeWorking TogetherTrailer PreparationsAct SwiftlyTrue StoryStartling Natural Disaster StatisticsAccording to a survey conducted by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), more than one in five pet owners (including horses) have evacuated their homes due to a disaster situation, and of those evacuees, nearly half have left at least one pet behind at the time of evacuation.Of those who left at least one pet behind, nearly 30 percent cited not having enough time when the disaster struck as their reasoning for doing so, further emphasizing the need to prepare for an emergency in advance.We want to remind horse owners to always bring your horses and other animals with you if you need to evacuate, says Christie Schulte Kappert, senior director of ASPCA Equine Welfare. Leaving a horse or pet behind can expose them to numerous life-threatening hazards, including the inability to escape the impending emergencysuch as flood waters, fires, and high windsas well as having no access to fresh food and water for an unknown period.Horse Preparedness Before the DisasterYour horses should be as equally prepared for a disaster emergency as your facility. The ASPCAs Christie Shulte Kappert makes the following recommendations to ensure their readiness: Horses should be accustomed to wearing a halter. Practice loading on a trailer during calm conditions so horses are on autopilot during an emergency. Horses should be accustomed to being handled by strangers. Work with your neighbors or barn mates to practice loading each others horses so they are used to multiple types of trailers and handlers.Horse IdentificationIn the case that you and your horse become separated during an evacuation, you will need to mark him with some sort of identification so you can be reunited later.According to Schulte Kappert, microchips become a vital lifeline after times of disaster or other unforeseen events.Once a chip is implanted, be certain to register it with the microchips manufacturer, as without registration, the microchip is not linked to any useful data. If you purchase a microchipped horse, be sure to update the personal contact info.If microchipping is not an option, in an emergency Schulte Kappert recommends braiding an ID clip or luggage tag into your horses mane or tail or painting your phone number on his side with non-toxic paint.In instances where microchipping is not available, tattoos can make a good second choice during non-emergency situations.Emergency KitThe ASPCA recommends that the following items be included in your natural disaster or emergency preparedness kit: Contact information for yourself and a confirmed emergency caretaker. Addresses and directions to local or regional sheltering options. Tack/equipment checklist, extra lead ropes, and extra halters. Veterinary records, including a current Coggins. Paperwork proving your ownership of your horse (branding papers, microchip registration, photos). A seven- to 10-day supply of feed, medications, and water and clean buckets. An equine first-aid kit that includes items like bandages, bandage scissors, and any necessary medications.Faster Response TimeSevere weather events are stressful and scary for people and animals.Owners should create an emergency plan customized to their animals, location, facility and the likely scenarios that will cause an emergency; wildfire preparation is very different than a hurricane, says Schulte Kappert. Having a plan for your areas possible scenario(s) will help you stay calm and act swiftly when the emergency arrives. Reach out to your countys emergency management office or extension agents to follow guidelines about the disasters they plan to encounter and how to respond.Hurricanes require a different emergency plan than fires. Customize your plan to the type of disaster youre most likely to encounter. Photo by Satoshi Kina/Adobe StockFor example, she says that many counties have designated fairgrounds as emergency shelters; you can use this type of information in creating your plan.Working TogetherWorking together with your neighbors can also be extremely helpful. Schulte Kappert further recommends creating a phone tree/buddy system with other nearby horse owners and local farms.Consider teaming up with other horse owners to pool your resources, including sharing trailer space and hay, and share your evacuation plans in advance.You may want to share trailer space with other horse owners if you have extra slots or dont own a trailer. Photo by Janet/Adobe StockThis is especially important for owners who board at a public facility or dont own a trailer, she says. If you board, check with the stable owner about their emergency management plans and make sure you and your horse are prepared to respond accordingly.Schulte Kappert also recommends having a plan in place in the event you are away from home when evacuation orders are issued.Identify an emergency caretaker for your horse and other animals in advance and provide them with your plan, she says.Trailer PreparationsAnother part of your emergency natural disaster preparedness plan should include making certain that your trailer is ready for transport at any time. Any time you may need to haul your horse, its important to inspect your trailer and its tire pressure, brake battery, and safety chains or cables.Its critical to have a trailer big enough for all your equines, including a place to tether them inside. If you have advance notice of an impending disaster, hook up your trailer ahead of time.Act SwiftlyWhether it is you or a caretaker, its important to act promptly once evacuation orders have been announced. Schulte Kappert advises planning as if you may not be allowed to return home for at least seven to 10 days. She says that you should follow the instructions of local and state officials and evacuate as soon as possible, as it may take additional time to load your horses, other animals, and supplies.Emergency and natural disaster preparedness does not have to be a daunting task. Instead, having a plan in place can help to make an emergency less frightening for everyone.True StoryRachel Corbman, Director of Equine Services at Colorado Horse Rescue, an ASPCA Right Horse Adoption Partner, shared this true story of why equine disaster preparedness is so important.When we needed to evacuate our herd of 60 from Colorado Horse Rescue (CHR) due to wildfire and smoke, it was crucial that we quickly and calmly identified priorities and delegated tasks to our staff and volunteer team.Leadership first assigned each of our staff members to help oversee a general function: evacuating the horses from CHR, accepting the horses at the evacuation site, or supporting with removal of intellectual property (computers, brand inspections, tack, farm vehicles, et cetera).Simultaneously, one of the team members on site at CHR started calling our emergency contacts list, which includes people who we trust to both handle our horses and/or those who have road-safe trucks and trailers to provide transportation. CHRs fleet of trucks and trailers were also in use.For our large herd, it was important for us to record as much of what was happening as we could. This included the name and contact information of each driver, which horses they hauled, and where they went. (In some cases, you may have more than one evacuation destination, which we did.)All horses were also painted on the hip with CHR in large letters. We sent bonded horses together and chose to send horses with special needs (dietary considerations, medications, et cetera) to private residences rather than the main evacuation site so they could have personal oversight.On the receiving end at the primary evacuation site, volunteers were also recording which horses had arrived, ensuring that all horses were accounted for.We were fortunate that we had enough time to do all of this, which may not always be the case. Its important to consider your situation and listen to law enforcement.An emergency can be dealt with most successfully when youve prepared ahead of time, and having plan to rely on will keep you and your horse as safe as possible during a disaster.If youre a Colorado front range local, CHRs Emergency Preparedness Clinics in partnership with the Boulder Office of Emergency Management are free to attend; visit chr.org for more infoThis article about emergency and natural disaster preparedness appeared in the September 2023 issue of Horse Illustratedmagazine.Click here to subscribe!The post Emergency and Natural Disaster Preparedness with Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Equine charity World Horse Welfare has devised a new initiative a Groom Appreciation Day to show its appreciation for the hardworking yard staff that care for the horses, ponies and donkeys at the charity.The first Groom Appreciation Day takes place today (Friday 15 November) and celebrates the 46 grooms who work across the charitys four rescue and rehoming centres.Anyone who has worked or works with horses will understand the daily challenges they [grooms] face, especially during the winter months, said Tony Tyler, deputy chief executive at World Horse Welfare.For our grooms it can be particularly hard work with horses and ponies that have been neglected, mistreated and poorly handled. We felt their investment in the welfare of these horses, ponies, donkeys and the occasional mule is something to be celebrated.World Horse Welfare wanted to recognise the team of grooms that work 365 days a year, in all weathers and often in challenging situations to look after its 300 residents.Supportive messagesWithout the grooms knowing, supporters of the charity were asked to send in positive messages to read to the grooms on Groom Appreciation Day.The charity were inundated with responses, receiving over 1,000 messages from across the UK. A video of grooms reading some of the messages is below.Nicole OMalley (pictured at the top) is one of the unsung heroes that the charity is celebrating. She is a rehabilitation groom at the charitys Somerset Rescue and Rehoming Centre, Glenda Spooner Farm.One of the most rewarding parts of this job is seeing our ponies come out of their shell when we find new homes for them and then receiving photos and videos of them in the loving homes that they so truly deserve, said Nicole.Further readingTeenager rushed to hospital just hours after eventing winPonies owned by couple banned from keeping animals successfully rehomedLaminitis in horses: essential guide for every ownerThe post World Horse Welfare celebrates its grooms with special day appeared first on Your Horse.

EAI horses might be more sensitive to touch, especially in certain areas, such as the stifle. | Courtesy Christa Lest-LasserreFrench behavior researchers have reported that horses participating in equine-assisted intervention (EAI) programs seem to have significantly increased sensitivity to skin contact compared to conventional riding school horses. This, they said, could be because the horses get touched more than they want, in places they dont want, or in ways they dont particularly like. EAI programs encompass a range of activities involving horses that can be used to promote human physical and mental health.In their study the scientists found that therapy horses had the greatest increase in skin sensitivity in areas commonly brushed by people with mental and developmental disabilities. Their findings suggest EAI horses might experience better welfare if therapists guide patients to groom horses and ponies differently, or if their sessions include less touching, said Martine Hausberger, PhD, researcher at the Laboratory of Animal and Human Ethology (the science of animal behavior), a branch of the French national research center and the University of Rennes.We tend to assume that horses like physical contact, but, as previous studies have shown, weve noticed that doesnt always seem to be true, she said. But in therapy sessions, theres a lot of physical contact between the patient and the horse.Hausberger noted that touch is often the main activity therapists encourage during equine-assisted interventions, said, though many of the participants might prefer mere visual contact. Its like its therapy that has this obligatory aspect of touch even when neither participant actually wants all that tactile contact, she said.Scoring Tactile Reactivity in Riding School and EAI HorsesHorses, including ponies, are among the most utilized species in animal-assisted activities for people with disabilities, such as those with autism spectrum disorders, Hausberger said. Sessions usually include a significant amount of physical touch between the patient and horse, such as grooming and stroking.Hausberger and her fellow researchers noticed equine-assisted activity horses and ponies tended to show less interest in humans and sometimes even more avoidance than horses used in riding lessons for people without disabilities.To investigate, they tested 32 mares and 28 geldings living in one of two riding centers in France. Six of the animals worked exclusively in equine-assisted programs, and 14 worked only as riding school mounts. The rest divided their time between activities at varying percentages.The researchers tested the horses tactile sensitivities by looking for any tremors or skin twitching in response to being touched by four sizes of von Frey filamentssmall, flexible hard plastic sticks with nylon threads branching offon the chest, the base of the withers, and the stifle on both sides. The researchers divided 24 tests into two sessions 30 minutes apart for each horse in a random order. Horses received one point for each tremor, for a maximum of 24 points in the tactile sensitivity score.Scores ranged from 0 to 24, with a very high variation between individual horses. The highest scores, however, consistently occurred in the EAI horses, Hausberger said.In particular, the EAI horses were more than twice as reactive to the thinner filaments than riding school horses were, pointing to a greater tactile sensitivity, she explained. And while all the horses were more sensitive at the stifle than elsewhere on the body, that was especially true for the EAI horses.Interestingly, it was only the full-time EAI horses that showed such a strong difference in tactile sensitivity, Hausberger added. The horses performing mixed work varied little in their tactile sensitivity compared to exclusively riding school horses.By contrast, the riding horses showed higher tactile sensitivity at the withers than therapy horses did, she added.Otherwise, the researchers found no real differences in horses reactions between one side of the body and the other, nor between the two riding centers, Hausberger said. Tactile reactivity also wasnt affected by age, sex, or type of equid (horse vs. pony) did not affect reactivity.People With Disabilities Brush the Hindquarters MoreTo try to understand more about this increased tactile sensitivity in EAI horses, Hausberger and her team then asked 17 people diagnosed with mental or developmental disabilities and 29 people without diagnosed disorders to groom a horse. Specifically, they instructed 46 peopleaged 18 to 45to brush one of 29 horses with a soft brush for one minute on each side, however they wanted.The horses in this study included nine working exclusively as EAI horses, nine working exclusively as riding school horses, and 11 privately owned leisure horses, living on five separate farms in France.Analyses of video footage revealed that the people with diagnosed mental/developmental disabilities spent more time brushing the hindquarters, whereas people without disabilities focused on the front of the horse, she said. The people with disabilities also showed more fragmented actionspicking up the brush, brushing, stopping, then brushing againcompared to those without.Are Therapy Horses Getting Too Much Unwanted Contact?The findings suggest therapy horses might become more reactive to touch because of the way theyre groomed and handled, Hausberger said.That might seem surprising, because its often assumed therapy horses are more tolerant of human contact than riding school horses, she explained. We almost expected them to respond less to tactile stimulation, either because they had become habituated, or because they had been selected by the therapy organizations managers as being less reactive.Horses might also serve as useful therapy animals without being touched, or with very little touch. We just have this fixed idea that interactions with animals should always involve touching, Hausberger said. But maybe its worth considering other approaches, like watching horses from a distance, or interacting with them in ways that dont involve so much touching.Take-Home MessageTo improve the welfare of therapy horses, handlers and therapists might need to reconsider the way horses are touched, said Hausberger. They should carefully watch how each horse responds to physical contact during therapy sessions.Always observe the horse and his reactions, and maybe better manage the way the touch is carried out, she said. The fact that the hindquarters seem to be the privileged zone for people with disabilities may be causing a problem for the animal, so its important to observe and to guide participants to touch horses more favorably.The study, Horses Tactile Reactivity Differs According to the Type of Work: The Example of Equine-Assisted Intervention appeared in Veterinary Sciences, in February 2023.

Adobe stock photoCooper Williams, VMD, DACVSMR, Cert. ISELP, owns Equine Sports Medicine of Maryland, serving horse owners in the Mid-Atlantic region. He focuses on diagnostics and sports medicine in equine athletes and is one of a small group of veterinarians in the world to be certified by the International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology in advanced ultrasound imaging. We caught up with Williams to chat about what attendees can look forward to learning during his AAEP Convention Sunrise Session about ArthramidVet.Understanding ArthramidVetArthramidVet has a 15-year legacy in equine medicine in Europe; however, veterinarians in the U.S. tend to be conservative when adopting new therapies once they become available stateside. Williams was an early adopter of ArthramidVet, a 2.5% intra- articular polyacrylamide gel (iPAAG), using it to manage joint disease in horses since it launched in the U.S. in 2020. The gel functions as a bio-scaffold, bonding with inflamed tissue to strengthen the joint and leading to better function of movement. Like many vets cautious about new treatments, Williams initially limited its use to severe cases in which other interventions had failedspecifically, postarthroscopy in racehorses with severe joint damage.They had significant degenerative changes and cartilage loss, he explained, but we were really pleasantly surprised by a number of those cases with these horses significantly improving and not seeing any problems as a result of using it. Then we were more confident in being able to use ArthramidVet earlier in lots of different cases.As more research emerged revealing the benefits of this therapy, Williams could give clients science-based reasons to choose ArthramidVet, particularly over steroids.Because I specialize in sports medicine and Ive been doing this for a long time, my clients look to me for good advice, and they know that I tell someone what I tell them based on what I would do for my own animal, he said.Adding Diagnostic ImagingBut what truly guides Williams therapeutic recommendations for horses with joint lameness is diagnostic imaging. Because of his extensive background in ultrasound imaging, he has an intricate understanding of the cartilage and bone surfaces in equine jointsinsights he will be sharing with Sunrise Session attendees.Ultrasound is the most accurate tool for bone surface detail, Williams said. Just like using sonar to map out the ocean floor, ultrasound gives you a direct view of what the bone surface looks like.Using ultrasoundin combination with radiographs or other imaging modalitiesto visualize and evaluate the integrity of the joint structures allows you to more fully elucidate diagnostically whats going on in a given region, whatever joint it may be, Williams explained. That way, you can be more accurate about your treatment and what you may or may not be able to accomplish with that treatment. You can give the client information on the chronicity of whats going on in that joint and give them a better idea of prognosis. It also allows you to get a really good baseline and use serial examinations to know how something evolves, devolves, or stays the same with a given case.When hes teaching other veterinarians about advanced ultrasound imaging, Williams said he tries to hammer home the importance of using the diagnostic tool to its full capacity so they can get as much information as possible for themselves, their clients, and the patients. You need an accurate, full diagnosis to be able to treat, rehab, manage, and give a prognosis, he said.Dec. 9 Sunrise SessionFinally, Williams emphasized the importance of taking a multimodal approach to managing horses with joint diseases like synovitis, capsulitis, and osteoarthritis. In addition to injecting the joint space with ArthramidVet hydrogel, this includes weight management, proper hoof care and nutrition, and therapies such as underwater treadmills.Dont miss Dr. Williams presentation at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 9.