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Q-TALK FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2005 An AQHA breeder's task force met Tuesday to discuss the stewardship of the American Quarter Horse breed. The task force included leading breeders and researchers who looked at the best ways to deal with genetic diseases and educate breeders about sound breeding practices. Q-TALK ARCHIVE Watch for recommendations from the task force in future issues of the Journal. Yet Another West Nile Virus Update I know I’ve written a lot about West Nile virus this week, but I thought I would let you know one more thing. The USDA recently gave conditional approval for a novel WNV serum antibody product. Serum antibody products help animals that have been exposed to a disease by increasing the antibody level against the disease in the circulatory system. This enhances the animal's ability to neutralize the virus. This new product, which is produced by Colorado Serum Company, is the third WNV serum or plasma product to receive conditional approval. The new product is ready to use straight from the bottle (once it has been warmed to room or body temperature), and it does not require pre-treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. As with any treatment, it cannot be expected to be a cure-all and is best given as soon as WNV infection is suspected. The product is available to veterinarians only. For more information on the new product, click here. For a story about the sale, click here. Hollywood Dun It Daughter Tops Rocky Mountain Horse Sale Little Sis Dun It, a 1999 mare by Hollywood Dun It and out of My Kid Sis by Kaliman was the top seller last weekend at the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association Select Sale at the National Western Stock Show in Denver. Consigned by Glenn Kopp and Janet Haymaker, the brown mare sold to James Covington of Gunnison, Colorado, for $17,250. The top selling gelding at the sale was LDL Mustafa, a 1998 palomino by Little Dors Lena and out of Snake Pit Bear by Okie’s Teddy Bear. Patricia A. Close of Elizabeth, Colorado, had the top bid of $17,000 for the gelding, who was consigned by Darren Miller Stables. The top-selling stallion was Lintons Dapper Dan, a 1998 bay by Docs Stylish Oak and out of Lintons Lady Doc by Mr Linton. Consigned by Kristen York, Rod McDonald of Platteville, Colorado, was the top bidder at $13,500. Of the 112 horses consigned to the sale, 79 sold with an average price of $4,102. The total figure for the sale was $324,050. For the complete sales results, click here. National Western Versatility Ranch Horse Results The AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse competition was this week at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, and here are the results:
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2005 I love reading about the past, especially if it has anything to do with horses. That is why I can’t wait to get my new copy of America’s Horse. It always has fascinating tales about the lives of AQHA members and their horses. Take Becky Newell’s story on Ann Secrest Hanson in the January/February issue. Newell writes how Hanson’s husband Walt convinced her to become a rodeo “pickup man” in the early 1960s after rain delayed the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale and one of the pickup men went home. “Walt drafted Ann to help him when the sale finally resumed, making her one of only a few female pickup riders,” Newell writes. “After that, she worked the sale with him for 20 years. “A stout 5 foot, 4 inches in height, Ann found that picking up cowboys wasn’t too much of a trick. “‘The thing a new pickup man will do is get in the wrong place and cause a wreck,’ she says. ‘The whole thing about picking up is being in the right place at the right time. If one guy picks up the cowboy, then the other guy comes in behind and picks up the horse.’” However, Newell writes not all of Hanson’s pickups were smooth. “‘One time, we were picking up this fellow, and he fell right in front of my horse. Walt was coming along to pick up the horse and Walt ran over the cowboy. It didn’t hurt him; he got up and walked away. So Walt and I were joking about it as we were riding up through the arena. Walt said, ‘Well, we did a good job today, you dropped him and I ran over him.’ It was a joke between us, but a lady in the grandstand heard us and thought Walt was bawling me out for it. So she yelled at Walt to quit bawling me out. It was funny. She thought Walt was serious, and we were just joking around.’” When you get your issue, check the story out. It begins on page 32. Wet Weather and Botulism in Horses A story on TheHorse.com cautions horse owners in wet areas to watch for botulism in their animals. “One veterinarian at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute (HEMI) in Lexington, Kentucky, noted that the hospital has seen a higher incidence of adult botulism cases in the hospital this year. “Veterinarians are attributing this rise to the extremely warm and wet fall and winter that has allowed the causative bacterium, Clostridium botulinum, to flourish in the soil. The bacterium is endemic in certain areas of North America, and in those areas, veterinarians recommend vaccination against the disease. They stress that pregnant mares should be vaccinated to pass antibodies to foals born in botulism-endemic areas to prevent "shaker foal syndrome," as the disease is called in young foals. “The mortality rate in untreated foals is up to 90 percent; in adult horses mortality approaches 70 percent. "‘We need to vaccinate, particularly in this area (Central Kentucky), because of endemic Type B toxin,’ said Stuart Brown, D.V.M., a field veterinarian with HEMI. ‘I worry about horses eating hay out of those big round bales covered in plastic you see in the fields. You want to vaccinate to protect against puncture wound entry of the bacterium, and to protect from contaminated forages.’ “The toxin that causes botulism interferes with neurotransmitters where the nerve signals the muscles. Botulism usually strikes very swiftly. Affected horses lose the ability to swallow and will drop grain and saliva from their lips. They move in a shuffling fashion or drag their toes, and they can show depression, muscle tremors, a protruding tongue, dilated pupils, constipation, colic, shortness of breath, and violent spasms or seizures. “Within 48 hours, horses affected with botulism often are unable to rise. Respiratory paralysis usually forces euthanasia. The severity of symptoms is largely dependent on the amount of toxin the horse receives (either through ingestion or a wound). Less severely affected horses might decline slowly – a characteristic that can confuse diagnosis.” The Secret to a Fast Horse? Have researchers at The Royal Veterinary College in Great Britain discovered the secret behind what makes a fast racehorse? They think so, and it may all come down to being average. In a study, the researchers combined data about the length, shape and structure of horses with analysis of horses in the field to develop mathematical and computer models of horse movement. Using the models, the research team then built theoretical limbs on a computer and used them to test answers to questions such as why 18th-century racehorse Eclipse was so fast, why horses can remain balanced when each leg is off the ground 80 percent of the time during gallop and what limits a horse's maximum gallop speed. "A horse's leg resembles a pogo stick that uses energy stored in the muscles and tendons to propel the animal forwards and upwards,” said. Alan Wilson, D.V.M., Ph.D., the leader of the study. "We have found that the stiffer a horse's leg restricts how quickly it can transmit force to the ground and bounce back up again and also increases the chances of injury. The team has also found that fast horses can bring their legs forward quickly in preparation for the next stride but that this is more difficult and therefore slower for large and long-legged horses." Using portraits of Eclipse and contemporary accounts of the horse running, the researchers reconstructed one of his legs and discovered that his legendary speed may have been due to "averageness." "Analysis shows that Eclipse's body shape and everything about him seems to have been right in the middle of the normal range, suggesting that all the factors for speed were perfectly matched,” Wilson said. More Results from the National Western Stock Show Prolific winners AQHA Professional Horseman Ted Turner and the 2004 AQHA World Championship Show/Oklahoma City Leading Owner Rita Crundwell took the grand champion stallion prize with Reflections Kid (Touchdown Kid x Reflections of Mr by Mr Conclusion). The grand champion amateur stallion went to Ronald Wheeler with A Command Decision (Custom Clu x Silent Memories by Noble Tradition). AQHA Professional Horseman Jack Brizendine took David and Paula Mueller’s Lodi Finest (The Finest Kid x Lodi Go Te by Sonny Go Te) to the grand champion mare title, while Paula Mueller captured the amateur grand champion prize with the mare. The open and amateur grand champion gelding titles went to Prime Time Tommy (Mr Elusive x Annie Bo Dani by Smooth Towns Trouble) and Ina Ginsberg. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2005 The National Western Stock Show is in full swing, and searching through their Web site for show results, I came across an interesting history piece by Kati Christensen about the 99-year-old show.
In it, she writes how the Denver Union Stockyards joined a “few rugged cattlemen” and livestock commission merchants to form the show in order to build the reputation of the western cattle industry. “That was a different era. People traveled by rail, and central livestock markets ruled the industry. Denver was a livestock market on the rise with the potential to be a formidable player in the United States cattle industry, but at the time, most of the major markets were in the Midwest.” Although there had been several attempts to create a national livestock show in Denver before, they had all failed. “But this time would be different. Nearly a century ago, ranchers from around the country convened in front of the Livestock Exchange Building in Denver to found one of the most successful and prolific stock shows in the country.” One of the things I found most interesting about the history of the Denver show is that it was outdoors for a number of years. “The idea of an outdoor January show in Colorado might leave you scratching your head; but, the NWSS founders designed the event to bring cattlemen together, as cold as it might be, that’s the only time of year the ranching industry slows down enough to take a few days off. “The show’s first years were held in the open stockyards or under a canvas tent, creating a rich atmosphere and solid foundation for stories to share for generations. And, anyone spending a little time in the Yards would quickly learn the definition of “Stock Show weather.” If you get a chance, click on the link above and read the story. Speaking of the National Western Stock Show …
The U.S. Equestrian Federation had a reining championship qualifier on Monday in Denver. Aaron Ralston aboard Smart Paul Olena won the event with a score of 221. Talking to Rita Harrington Deer, a friend of Ralston, at the National Reining Horse Association Futurity in December, I learned the 10-year-old stallion was briefly shown in 1997 and 1998, earning more than $10,000 before being retired and turned out in a Colorado pasture with a number of mares. Deer said Ralston and his wife, Meg, had always liked the horse, and convinced the owner in the spring of 2003 to sell him. When they picked him up, Deer said, his condition wasn’t the best and he had many bumps and bites on his body from the mares he was pastured with. But it didn’t take the Ralstons long to get him back in shape, and the couple has earned another $30,000 on him as well as two AQHA reserve world championships in amateur and senior reining in 2004. I look forward to seeing Smart Paul Olena perform again in August at Lexington, Kentucky, when the qualifier winners come together for the USEF Reining Championship. For more on the USEF event, click here. Kentucky Horses are Found Dead and Malnourished Jennifer Hewlett of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that two dead horses – a stallion and a colt – a dead dog, a dead cat and several live animals that were malnourished and dehydrated were found last week on a farm near Lexington, Kentucky. However, the two women responsible for the animals have yet to be located. “Four dehydrated and malnourished horses and three dogs, also needing medical attention, were found on the farm,” Hewlett writes. They were being cared for by local veterinarians yesterday. Chuck and Shawn Deppen, who leased the property to Nancy Nygaard and her daughter, Kathleen, are tending about 20 other horses still on the property. Two other dogs are being housed at the Lexington Humane Society. "'It's definitely up there as one of the more severe cruelty cases or cruelty investigations. It's not the worst, but it's clearly a bad case,' Humane Society spokes-woman Carrie Trapp said. “Dr. Kristy Amer, a veterinarian with Hagyard-Davidson-McGee, which is treating the four sick horses for free, said the animals were in ‘very poor body condition.’ She said the three mares and weanling filly were malnourished and dehydrated. One of them had worms, she said. “The Deppens, who have a home on the farm, found the dead and sick animals after they returned home from vacation, Shawn Deppen said. She called the Humane Society. "‘We went out of town after Christmas and when we came back we realized they (the Nygaards) had done nothing,’ she said.” Multiple animal-cruelty charges have been filed against the two women. They each face six counts of second-degree animal cruelty. It’s a shame this kind of thing continues to happen in our country. To address this problem, the American Association of Equine Practitioners has announced plans for an Unwanted Horse Summit, a one-day conference bringing equine industry leaders together to address the problem of unwanted horses. It will take place April 19 during the American Horse Council's annual meeting in Washington, D.C. "Just as in the dog and cat populations, there are thousands of U.S. horses that are unwanted by their owners," said Scott Palmer, V.M.D., 2005 president of the AAEP. "The AAEP sees the summit as the first step in identifying the many factors that contribute to the number of unwanted horses in the United States and Canada as well as long-term strategies for making their lives better." The Summit will focus on such issues as responsible horse ownership and breeding; long-term care options; and affordable and accessible means of humane euthanasia. The event also will include an opening educational segment devoted to the plight of the unwanted horse. The summit is driven by AAEP's mission to protect the health and welfare of the horse, Palmer said. "Our hope is the summit will generate practical and far-reaching solutions for the problems of unwanted horses," he said. MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2005 Every spring, I vaccinate my horses for rabies. It’s just a habit. It’s highly recommended for horses in Texas and, when I lived in Iowa, my veterinarian there urged me to do so as well. Now there’s a report coming out of Illinois that a LaSalle County horse tested positive for rabies in December. The horse was euthanized and 11 people that were exposed to the animal have received preventive rabies treatment. The state public health veterinarian, Connie Austin, D.V.M., M.P.H., said the horse, which was less than 2 years old, began showing clinical signs of rabies on December 4 and was euthanized December 9 after its condition deteriorated. Results from the state laboratory indicated rabies, and brain samples were sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where the virus infecting the horse was identified as a skunk strain of rabies. "It was important to us to find out whether it was the bat strain or the skunk strain, since the skunk strain can result in epidemics in the skunk population, which can spill over into other animals." Austin said. Any wild animal, like a raccoon, skunk, fox, coyote or bat can have rabies and transmit it to people. Currently, bats are the primary mammal positive for rabies in Illinois. Mark Ernst, D.V.M., acting assistant bureau chief for animal health with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, described these clinical signs that can be seen in an equine rabies case. "You can have the whole gamut – you can go from aggressive behavior to just an animal that is acting depressed. And certainly any abnormal neurological signs would tip you off, too," he said. Additionally, progressive gait abnormalities, incoordination, lameness, colic, hypersensitivity or fever could be indications of rabies, all of which can complicate diagnosis. So, no matter where you live, please consider vaccinating your horse along with your cats and dogs. West Nile Virus Vaccination Guidelines The American Association of Equine Practitioners has released West Nile Virus vaccination guidelines. To check it out, click here. Also, the West Nile virus took a deadly turn in California last year. The virus was discovered in all but one of the Golden State’s 58 counties, leaving only De Norte County without any reported cases. Of the reported West Nile virus cases in 2004, 42.2 percent were fatal. Gregory L. Ferraro, D.V.M., director of the Center for Equine Health at the University of California at Davis, attributes the high number of fatalities to several factors. “There’s an economic barrier in effect here,” he said. “Many people simply can’t afford to call out a veterinarian, have their horses vaccinated, and then have the veterinarian come out again to give the second shot. As a result, when those horses become infected with West Nile, the owners generally elect to have the animals put down rather than have them treated because they can’t afford it.” Depending on where the horse owner lives, Ferraro said vaccinations can cost as much as $100 a shot. Ferraro also said another disturbing factor is that many West Nile virus cases are not being reported to state officials. “In some cases, owners of horses exhibiting signs of West Nile virus instructed their veterinarians to euthanize the horses immediately rather than spend money on confirmative testing or treatment,” he said. So, there’s a possibility that there are even more fatality cases than currently documented. For more information on West Nile virus in California, go to westnile.ca.gov. Remember, vaccinations are an important part of your horse’s health regimen. We spend a lot of money on buying them, feeding them and housing them. They rely on us to take care of them. So, don’t let something horrible happen to them just because you didn’t provide them with the means to combat a serious illness. We have some great vaccinations out there and there is no reason any horse should have to suffer. Don’t Forget … Remember to send me your thoughts, tidbits and other interesting information to tonyag@aqha.org. -Tonya Ratliff-Garrison
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