It appears that strangles is becoming a serious issue this year. Several racetracks in the East have had to shut down or quarantine because of the disease, and now a strangles outbreak in Los Angeles has placed a boarding stable under quarantine.

The stables, which is located in northern Los Angeles County, has more than 60 horses that are under close observation. The outbreak of the highly contagious upper respiratory disease caused by the Streptococcus equi bacterium flared up at the stable in November 2004, and the L.A. County Department of Health Services Disease Control division began the stable lockdown the week of March 13.

"We were informed of the outbreak about four months into the situation," said Patrick Ryan, D.V.M., chief veterinarian for LADHS. "We've alerted most of (the horse owners in) north Los Angeles County regarding the outbreak, telling them they should continue to guard their horses against the disease."

Only the infected stable was quarantined.

Ryan and the LADHS became involved when one of the horse owners at the stable contacted the department.

"Apparently their control efforts were not effective, and not all the horse owners were aware of what was going on," he said. 

Horses had been moved on and off the premises before the implemented quarantine. Sixteen horses became clinically ill and one horse was sick for more than a month and was eventually euthanatized.

"Several changes in stable management have been made and the situation appears to be under control," Ryan said. He hoped to lift the quarantine this week.

The disease is also hampering preparations for the Kentucky Derby, which is about a month away.

Most racehorse trainers ship their horses to the Bluegrass State just before or after key Derby prep races. But strangles has caused some horsemen to rethink their plans.

The most recent outbreak of strangles has been at the Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Florida. The center's general manager, Gary Van Den Broek, said last week that five horses were diagnosed with strangles on March 23. 

The facility has placed those horses and 36 others that might have been exposed on a strict quarantine, Van Den Broek said. Fifty-one other horses in nearby barns are under restrictions, he said, in an effort to contain the outbreak.

The measures are similar to those taken at the Churchill Downs-operated Trackside training facility in Louisville, Kentucky, where portions of two barns were placed under quarantine March 11 after a suspected case of strangles was identified the previous day. Of the 49 horses tested in connection with that suspected case, 24 have been cleared. Seven have tested positive on the most recent test and the others have results pending or must undergo further testing, Churchill Downs spokesman John Asher said.

Horses with strangles usually have a rapid onset of fever, followed by swelling and abscess formation in their lymph nodes, which narrows the horse's airway passages. It is seldom fatal but can sideline a horse for several weeks. 

Strangles is commonly spread when susceptible horses come into direct contact with pus or mucus from a sick animal, or through contact with contaminated water or tack materials or with a person who has come into contact with an infected horse. It is not spread through the air. 

"The horses that are most at risk are the younger horses, 2 years old and younger, because they haven't usually been exposed. Previous exposure helps develop immunity," Ryan said. "Many times they have not even been vaccinated for strangles."

How long a strangles vaccine confers immunity depends on many factors, and horse owners should consult with their veterinarians on how often they should vaccinate.  

For more information on strangles, click here.

Clay Walker, left, and Tom Watson helped raise more than half a million dollars for MS and ALS research.

Walker/Watson Challenge Raises More Than $300,000 for MS and ALS

Country music singer Clay Walker and professional golfer Tom Watson were the hosts of a cutting event, dinner, auction and concert on Saturday that raised more than $e00,000 for Multiple Sclerosis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or “Lou Gehrig’s disease.”

Walker, who was diagnosed with MS nine years ago, is in remission thanks to a medication, Copaxone, that he takes every day. Watson’s long-time friend and caddy, Bruce Edwards, died of ALS in 2004.

Bob Avila, Chics Magic Potion Win NRCHA Stakes

AQHA Professional Horseman Bob Avila closed the 2005 National Reined Cow Horse Association Stakes with a win aboard Chics Magic Potion, the same horse he won the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Championship on in 2003. The NRCHA Stakes, which began Wednesday, concluded Sunday at the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, Arizona.

The Temecula, California, trainer finished seventh in the preliminaries out of 76 open entries, scoring a 649.5 composite (210/219.5/220). The top 20 finishers advanced to Sunday's finals, where Bob and “Magic” (Smart Chic Olena x Remedys Magic Potion by Remedys Reply) earned a 655 composite (217/219.5/218.5) for the title.

He actually tied John Ward, riding Mister Smoking (Mister Dual Pep x Miss Smoking Leo by Mr Gun Smoke) but Avila's 218.5 in the cow work guaranteed the win and a check for $25,204.

“I think he probably had one of the biggest first turns you could have,” Bob said of Magic in his finals cow work. “My cow kind of jumped out of there, and I had to pick up and hold him back because he was really ahead of the cow. It was a good thing, but it was a bad thing as far as controlling. So I kind of went and did a big loop around there and did another left turn and then did a short right turn and went to the middle and circled up. It was probably not the way I wanted to do it but it worked out.”

Kenneth Banks owns Magic, who was also the reserve AQHA world champion in junior reining with Avila in 2004.

“He just keeps giving. When I want him, he just gives it to me,” Bob said of the stallion. “He's my buddy; he's a pet. He's a very cool horse.” 

Laurie Bricker and Wrightway Mister won the amateur NRCHA Stakes title on Sunday in Tucson, Arizona.

Laurie Bricker picked up the amateur title aboard Wrightway Mister (Mister Dual Pep x Double R Cody by Double R Doc) at the event on Sunday. The pair had a 212 in the herd work, 193 in the dry work and 211 in the fence work.

“We got lucky out of the herd and got some good cattle. Neither one of us were very good in the reined work, so I thought we'd try it again going down the fence,” Bricker said following her run. “He was good on the cow, both in the herd work and going down the fence.”

Bridle Spectacular classes were also offered during the Stakes competition. These classes allow the industry's top futurity and derby horses to continue their career as bridle horses and still compete for an enticing purse.

Primos Bob Acre (Teninas First x Bob Acre Angelena by Bob Acre Doc) was one of those great young horses and continues to dominate competition with owner Dema Paul of Cave Creek, Arizona. His latest win is the non-pro Bridle Spectacular in Tucson. He marked a 221/214/218.5 for a 653.5 composite.

“He's just a phenomenal horse,” Paul said of her gelding. “I'll never have another one like him. I've had some offers to sell him but we make such a good pair, and I don't feel that I need to. He doesn't owe us anything.”

On Saturday, Ron Emmons won the open Bridle Spectacular riding Roo Star (Gallo Del Cielo x Anna Paulena by Doc O’Lena). The pair marked a 210/218/220.5 for a 648.5 composite.

“He would have been better in the herd, but I drew a really bad cow on the first cow and had some penalties. He was really good on the next two cows out of the herd here and got me back even,” Emmons said. “I just figured I'd just show him as good as I could in the reining and down the fence. It worked out well.”

In the open hackamore, Lyn Anderson rode Ill Smoke Smart (Senors Lil Brudder x Smoke Time Tuck by Doc Tom Tucker) to the championship for owner Kathryn Schaefer. The pair earned a 142.5 in the rein work and a 148 down the fence for a 290.5 composite.

Steve Greenberg picked up the non-pro hackamore title riding Haida The Spots (Teninas First x My Marie Laveau by Haidas Lil Pep). They earned a 281.5 composite with 139.5 in the rein work and 142 down the fence.

In the open two-rein class, Todd Crawford won the title aboard Major Spark (Shining Spark x Majors Serendipity by Major Bonanza) for Dawn Ehrenford. The pair posted 146 in the rein work and 150 down the fence to take the title with a 196 composite.

For complete results from the NRCHA Stakes and Bridle Spectacular, click here.

Maryland Horses with Neurological Illness Euthanatized

Three horses succumbed to neurological illness and were euthanatized at the Columbia Horse Center in Columbia, Maryland, late last month, according to Fred T. Lewis, D.V.M., the animals' attending veterinarian. TheHorse.com reports two more horses at the facility developed signs of the yet-unidentified disease, but are recuperating well, he added.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) reported on March 30 that rabies has been eliminated as a potential diagnosis on the deceased horses, and that more test results should be available by the end of the week.

Lewis treated the cases at the CHC, which stables about 60 horses and is a hunter/jumper lesson, boarding and show facility.

Gross post-mortem examinations on the three deceased animals revealed nothing unusual. Examination of the brains revealed no signs of rabies. The spinal cords will be sectioned and examined for pathological signs of other neurologic illnesses, said Lewis. Blood samples and nasal cultures were also taken and sent to diagnostic labs.

"While we didn't expect rabies as a cause of illness, we are leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to determine an accurate diagnosis," said James I. Fearer, D.V.M., acting state veterinarian for Maryland in an MDA statement.

Lewis believes that the disease is infectious and that it is probably airborne, but has been contained to the facility.

"Until a diagnosis is made, precautionary measures on the farm will remain in place,” Fearer said. "Based on what we know about this isolated occurrence, horse owners and the equine community should continue with their everyday activities and with their plans for competitions. As always, we urge horse owners to monitor the health of their animals as they always do and to work with their private veterinarians with any concerns."

— Tonya Ratliff-Garrison