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Q-TALK Q-TALK ARCHIVE FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005 Don’t know if this is a good sign for the horse market, but the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports that the claiming of Thoroughbred racehorses is up at Hot Springs’ Oak Lawn Park. Through the first 22 days of the meet, which began January 21, there have been 125 claims, an increase of 28 percent over the corresponding period in 2004. “With 44 more claims over the next 10 racing days, Oaklawn is on pace for approximately 290 claims, almost 100 more than the average the past eight meetings. “If claiming is indeed the sign of healthy business, business is booming in Hot Springs. ‘They’ll claim anything and everything here,’ said trainer Lynn Whiting, who lost six horses to claims, roughly half his stable, during the first 19 days of the meeting. ‘It’s unbelievable.’” We’ll have to wait and see if this “claiming frenzy” transfers into an improved market for performance and recreation horses though. Alleged Sniper Kills Alabama Quarter Horse WAFF in Huntsville, Alabama, reports that an alleged sniper has killed several livestock in Madison County, Alabama, including a Quarter Horse in the New Market/Hazel Green area near the Tennessee state line. The dead horse named Lucy was buried this week. The 20-year-old mare was one of Tim Britton's favorites. His wife discovered Lucy's body this past weekend. She had been shot, apparently with a rifle. The Brittons live near woods but deer hunting season is over. They don't believe Lucy's death was caused by a confused hunter. "Takes a low person to do it. It ain't no man that done it cause he'd come forward to me; you know what I'm saying," Britton told WAFF. Britton said other livestock have been intentionally killed in this same area. Owners in the area are taking measures to secure their horses. Police are searching for suspects. AQHA life member Earl Britton of New Market, Alabama, is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in this case. If you have information that could help them solve this case, call him at (256) 828-8877. Quarter Horse Owner Sued Over Breeding Contract A case in Queensland, Australia, could affect how breeding contracts using frozen semen are written. Kirsty Needham of the Sydney Morning Herald writes that an Australian tribunal ruled that chilled or frozen semen is no substitute for live cover in a case involving a prize-winning Quarter Horse stallion that failed to produce a viable foal. The mare's owners paid $1,000 for the services of a 10-year-old Queensland Quarter Horse. But the mare produced a foal that had to be euthanized shortly after birth because it was a hermaphrodite. Although the breeding contract allowed for another breeding, the stallion and its owner had returned to Texas. Three batches of chilled semen were dispatched from the United States but failed to impregnate the mare. The mare’s owners lodged a claim in the NSW Consumer Tribunal alleging a breach of the stallion's service contract. The tribunal ruled a further offer of the stallion’s frozen semen did not fulfill the terms of the contract. After the foal’s death, the mare’s owners contacted the owner of the stallion and both agreed to service another mare, which then foaled successfully. However, the stallion owner refused to submit a breeder’s certificate for the foal unless a fee of $1,500 was paid. The tribunal ruled that, given the stallion's 50 percent success rate, the mare’s owners did not have to pay the other mare's service fee. Jim McFarlane, a horse reproduction expert at the University of New England, told Needham the tribunal's ruling would be controversial within breeding circles and result in owners seeking more explicit clauses in contracts. "The main problem with horses is they are not bred to be fertile. It is hard to get a horse pregnant," he told her. National Geographic Highlights Horse’s Evolution On their Web site, National Geographic’s James Owen writes about how paleontologist Bruce J. MacFadden has discovered that the evolution of horses involved many more twists and turns than previously thought. “Modern steeds did not follow a relatively smooth transition from the diminutive, fox-like forest browsers that were their earliest ancestors to those impressive, open-plains athletes we know today. Rather, horses fluctuated considerably in form and size over time. “MacFadden, who is the vertebrate-paleontology curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, said horses have proved especially popular with evolutionary scientists. "’There is a long, continuous fossil sequence of horses extending 55 million years in North America, providing the tangible evidence to trace individual steps or changes in evolution over a prolonged period,’ he said. “Kathleen Hunt, a biologist at the University of Washington in Seattle, said the modern-day horse is ‘merely one twig on a once flourishing bush of equine species. We only have the illusion of straight-line evolution because Equus is the only twig that survived.’ “MacFadden, the study author, agrees that horse evolution was, in fact, a pretty messy affair—a jumble of evolutionary processes such as random genetic variation and natural selection.” MacFadden also dispelled the popular theory that horses started off the size of small dogs and grew progressively bigger. “From the tooth-fossil evidence, MacFadden found that during an explosion in horse diversity some 20 million years ago, many species got smaller as well as larger. He was able to estimate their body size because teeth are proportional to the sizes of the horses the teeth once belonged to. “These findings contradict what is known as Cope's Law, an idea based on the work of 19th-century paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope. The law states that within any group of animals there is a tendency for descendants to grow progressively larger. "’There are so many exceptions where you go from small to large and back to small again that you have to ask how many exceptions to the rule you can accept before the central concept is no longer correct,’ MacFadden said. THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2005
Jim Helzer of Arlington, Texas, was elected to the AQHA Executive Committee during the Association’s 2005 Convention in St. Louis this week. Born in Loveland, Colorado, Helzer began racing American Quarter Horses in his home state in 1962. Since then, Helzer and his wife, Marilyn, have successfully raced Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds throughout the United States. The most noteworthy Quarter Horse campaigned by the Helzers was Refrigerator (by Rare Jet and out of Native Parr by the Thoroughbred Heisanative). The 1998 gelding was the sport’s world champion in 1992 and ’93. The winner of the 1990 All American Futurity (G1) after the Helzers supplemented him to the race for $50,000, Refrigerator is currently Quarter Horse racing’s leading all-time money earner at $2,126,309. He is the only three-time winner of the Grade 1 Champion of Champions, the sport’s richest and most prestigious race for older horses. In 1980, the Helzers acquired Hempens Jet (by Thoroughbred Hempen and out of Baby Joy Jet by Jet Deck) as a yearling for $8,000. Racing from 1981-86, the 1979 gelding won 18 of 79 races – including the 1983 Rainbow Silver Cup – and earned $271,083. “During the ‘60s and ‘70s, the only thing Marilyn and I had were cheap horses,” said Helzer. “(Hempens Jet) alone allowed us to be successful in the horse business.” Helzer has been an AQHA Director and chairman of the AQHA Racing Council. He also is a member and past president of the Texas Quarter Horse Association and a member and past director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association. Currently, Helzer also serves on the board of the Texas Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association as its president and as a member of the Texas Horsemen’s Partnership management committee. Prepare a Foaling Kit It’s foaling season again if you don’t have a foaling kit yet, now would be the time to put one together. Several subscribers to PleasureHorseForum.com gave advice on what they put in their kits. Here are some of their suggestions:
Can-Am Equine Emporium Opens The Can-Am Equine Emporium in London, Ontario, Canada, opened today at the Western Fair Agriplex. This year’s event, which concludes Sunday, features more than 300 presentations, 60 breeds of horses and 300 vendors. “What we’ve tried to do since year one is bring facts from speakers from around the world,” Can-Am President Paul Maguire told Kathy Rumleski of the London Free Press. Maguire has lined up speakers and vendors from several countries, including Australia, Sweden, Ireland and the United States. The show is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and until 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information on the event, click here. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2005 The AQHA Stud Book and Registration Committee considered several issues on Monday at the AQHA convention in St. Louis. They came up with several recommendations:
For a copy of the committee’s agenda or more information from the convention, click here. 2005 Congress Show Schedule Released The Ohio Quarter Horse Association has released the show schedule for the 2005 All American Quarter Horse Congress, which is October 2-23 in Columbus, Ohio. The show schedule is available on the OQHA Web site. Links will be added soon to view the schedule by event type, and also to download the show schedule. You can also download the 2005 Congress Futurity brochure and entry forms online. The 2005 Congress futurity brochure was mailed February 28 to all horse show exhibitors on the Congress mailing list, with nominations due to the OQHA office in Richwood by April 1. If you didn't receive one, click here to download the brochure and/or the entry forms for the performance futurities or the reining futurities. Deadly Equine Virus in Alberta The Jasper Booster in Jasper, Alberta, Canada report today that a potential horse-killing virus that led to the quarantine of two farms in the McBride area likely originated in Jasper National Park. “Equine infectious anemia, also known as swamp fever, was detected in three horses of a herd of 24 that were moved to a McBride farm last fall for the winter, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. “One of the three horses was given to somebody else who tried to export the animal to the United States. While testing for swamp fever is not mandatory in Canada it is if the animal is being brought into the United States. “That horse tested positive for the disease, and all horses that were moved from Jasper to McBride were also tested, with two more cases of the virus being detected. “The three horses will be destroyed and the government will compensate the owner. “Swamp Fever poses no risk to human health or to the health of other wildlife. The virus is spread through flying, biting insects such as horseflies. Since most flying insects die-out in the fall, the disease cannot spread until the spring and summer. “While many horses die from the disease, others do not and continue to spread the virus without showing symptoms, which include wasting, muscle weakness and severe anemia. “Swamp Fever is considered an endemic, incurable disease among horses in Canada. In 2003, there were 22 positive cases found in Alberta and 28 cases in British Columbia.” Employers Should Use ‘Horse Sense’ Tim McGuire of United Feature Syndicate wrote in his column today how a friend, who is an equine specialist in Northern California, intrigued him with her “Five Rules of Requisite Love” for her two aging horses. She contends that her five rules can help horses live long, happy lives. They are:
“Again, I was amazed by the way Dr. Bennett's rules for treating horses apply perfectly to the workplace,” McGuire writes. “Here's how I translate her advice for horses to advice for leaders:
“In her article, Dr. Bennett writes her five rules for requisite love ‘will make it more likely your horses will be happy, comfortable and productive for the whole span of their lives.’ I think applying similar rules can create happy, comfortable and productive workplaces for people.” TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2005AQHA Executive Vice President Bill Brewer, during his state of the association address to Sunday’s general membership meeting at the AQHA convention in St. Louis, laid out the Association’s strategic plan for the next three to four years. The plan concentrates on stewardship of the breed, developing the Foundation, marketing, affiliates and refining the Association’s governance. Brewer also unveiled the move of AQHA’s weekly television show “America’s Horse” to TVG, a television network that AQHA already partners with to cover American Quarter Horse racing. “America’s Horse” will be the anchor of non-racing programming starting at 10 a.m. EST on Sundays. The long-running television program will be joined by a new AQHA television show called “The Q Life,” which will feature the horses and people of the Quarter Horse industry. To read more about the happenings at the convention, click here. ‘Equine Walker’ Saves Horse's Life TheHorse.com reports that an "equine walker" that was designed and built in 24 hours by a veterinarian and a blacksmith has successfully assisted a severely malnourished filly. The filly is walking on her own and recovering remarkably, Roger Murphy, D.V.M., of Lexington, Kentucky, told Stephanie L. Church. "’She's grazing and able to get around,’ he said. ‘She can't run, but she can walk, and she's doing very well. She's put on about 50 pounds so we're going in the right direction.’ "’This filly was just so bad she couldn't get up or down,’ Murphy said. ‘She had no body fat — she was down to digesting muscle. We were giving her intravenous fluid therapy with plasma and electrolytes. All of her enzymes and electrolytes were out of whack, and her pack cell volume was really high." “After running fluids for three or four days, Murphy said the filly's legs became so edematous (swollen with fluid) that they were eight to 10 times their normal size, and oozing fluid at the coronet bands. She had been suspended in a sling, but she needed to walk, and that was too cumbersome for the filly and her handlers. “Additionally, ‘Her blood was sludgy and thick--she was in trouble and probably hours away from dying. I went to bed thinking if we don't do something, we're going to have to put her down,’ Murphy said. He awoke in the middle of the night and sketched an idea of a framework for an apparatus that could get the filly on her feet, bearing a little — but not all — of her weight. Beach Faulkner, a blacksmith in Paris, Kentucky, helped Murphy in mid-February build the contraption and had it ready in about 24 hours. The frame was built large enough to easily support a horse, but small enough to fit through a standard stall door opening. The filly was to be suspended in a pre-fabricated sling from a wench on the top of the frame. Wheels on the four corners of the frame swiveled for ease of movement. "It performed wonderfully," Murphy told Church. "It actually has two brakes on the back so you could slow her down by restricting the motion of the wheels." “Hipp Farm employees would take the mare out for 20-minute walks down the driveway three times a day, and each day they would let the filly carry a little more of her own weight so that she could build some muscle. "’We allowed her free range out in the yard. We'd lock one wheel, so she'd graze and go around in circles,’ Murphy said. ‘She'd get tired of going that way, so then we'd lock the other wheel. She looked like she became strong enough in back end and front end that we took her out a couple of times, but she wasn't strong enough to stay standing.’ “The filly spent 11 days total in the sling. On February 22, ‘she was pulling down the driveway at a real good clip,’ Murphy said, so they tried releasing her from the sling and she walked on her own. Since she's been out of the sling. "’She's got a lot of fight--she's a tough little horse, and I think that saved her,’ he added. ‘Every time I go down to the paddock, she'll walk over my way and graze close by. We developed a bit of a bond through the whole thing. She's not the friendliest thing, but she's appreciative.’" To read more of the story and see photos of the walker, click here. MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2005The first IMPACT (Involving Members Professionals And Customers for Tomorrow) Seminar at AQHA’s annual convention in St. Louis began with a discussion on stewardship of the breed. “It’s our duty to protect our horses,” AQHA’s Executive Vice President Bill Brewer began the discussion. He cited the Association's policies on therapeutic medication and humane treatment as ways that the organization works to protect its horses. “Each one of us is an ambassador for the American Quarter Horse,” Brewer said. Brewer said the breed’s stewardship will be assisted through educational efforts and information available through the association’s magazines: the American Quarter Horse Journal, America’s Horse and the American Quarter Horse Racing Journal. He also stated that the Association plans to increase funding for research projects, continue tracking reports of abuse and establish a task force to address single trait selection within the breed. “These are just a few of the proactive steps that we have taken,” Brewer said, adding that a judge’s monitoring system has also been established. AQHA President Frank “Scoop” Vessels III stated that he was addressing the group not just as president of the organization but as a breeder. “Over the past 10 years there have been some definite red flags when it comes to the issue of breeding for specialization,” Vessels said, referring to genetic disorders HYPP, HERDA and GBED. “We have 5 million horses, and we have an inbreeding problem,” he said. “Let’s think about that. I believe there is more genetic diversity within our own breed than there is outside.” Vessels said that in the quest for a champion offspring, breeders have chosen certain gene pools, and over generations the horses are more closely related “than we could have ever imagined.” “By breeding within our respected genetic specialty categories, I believe that we get further and further away from the original American Quarter Horse,” he said. “At what cost are we ultimately willing to pay for a champion?” Vessels stated that while time and resources were being spent on battling genetic defects, breeders already know how to reduce the risk of genetic disorders – stop line breeding. “The solution lies within all of us,” Vessels said. GBED Foals are Descendants of King and Zantanon Also during the convention this weekend, Stephanie Valberg’s research into GBED (glycogen branching enzyme deficiency) determined affected foals are descendants of Zantanon and King. Because it is a recessive genetic disorder, Valberg estimates that about 8 percent of King descendants are carriers of the genetic disorder. Although previously unrecognized, Valberg said that GBED has likely been a cause of neonatal mortality in Quarter Horses for many decades. Valberg’s research uncovered that the affected foals each had a gene mutation that causes the animals’ cells to stop reading the gene to make GBE, thus no enzyme is made and there is no normal sugar or glycogen stored in the body. The University of Minnesota has a patent pending on a GBED test that will be able to determine if a horse is a carrier for the disease. UC Davis is licensed to perform testing. For more information from the convention, click here. European Reining Event to Attract Top Riders
At $100,000, the 2005 World Reining Trophy has one of the largest prizes in Europe. Top riders from around the world will come together to compete for this top honor. The event is June 9-12 at the Horse Academy facility in Mooslargue, France. The show attracted 190 horses last year, and the show management is expecting top reiners from the United States at this year’s event. In 2004, ARC Oak Enterprise (Surprise Enterprise x Sophie Oak by Doc’s Oak) and Australian Martin Larcombe won the open trophy for owners Cisal Quarter Horses of Italy. The pair finished 2004 as the National Reining Horse Association open world champions. As Smart As Charley (As Smart As The Fox x Charlys Tinky Chex by Bueno Chex) and Shawn Flarida placed second in last year’s World Reining Trophy, and were NRHA reserve open world champions. The bay stallion is owned by Jürgen Kalischinski of Germany. Jeannette Krähenbühl of Switzerland and her gelding ARC Golden Boy (Surprise Enterprise x ARC Topsail Lady by Topsail Cody) were the non pro champions in 2004. They also placed third at the FEI World Masters in Oklahoma City in December 2004 and were second in the NRHA non-pro rankings with more than $100,000 in earnings. For more information on the World Reining Trophy, click here. Illinois National Forest Plans to Curb Horseback Riding Becky Malkovich of The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale, Illinois, reports that managers of the Shawnee National Forest want to limit equestrian use in the 280,000-acre park to designated system trails. Their proposed plan would also prohibit the use of ATV/OHM all-terrain vehicles and off-highway motorcycles "The public has told us what they feel is important regarding management of the Shawnee National Forest," forest supervisor Hurston Nicholas told Malkovich. "They want a healthy forest that meets the needs of people and wildlife. It should provide clean water and a variety of recreation opportunities, including a good trail system. Implementing the proposed plan would help meet those needs." A 90-day public review period of the plan begins when the Notice of Availability of the DEIS is published in the Federal Register, which is expected March 18. Copies of the proposed plan and DEIS or a summary are available at the Forest Supervisor's Office, 50 Highway 145 South, Harrisburg, Illinois, at most area libraries or at the forest service Web site. Three public open-house meetings to answer questions and receive comments on the DEIS and proposed plan are scheduled. Those meetings are in Marion, Illinois, from 3-7 p.m. April 19 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 100 Columbus Drive; in Belleville, Illinois, from 3-7 p.m. April 20 at Fischer's Restaurant, 2100 W. Main St.; and in Vienna, Illinois, from 3-7 p.m. April 21 at the Vienna High School Commons, 601 N. First St. World-Famous British Equine Painting on Display in Baltimore
The painting, along with other equestrian artwork by Stubbs, is on display at the Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland. “Stubbs and the Horse” is the first major exhibition in 20 years on George Stubbs (1724-1806) in the United States. The selection of paintings and drawings in the exhibit show the remarkable range and variety of Stubbs’ images of the horse, from anatomical studies to equine portraits and scenes of mortal combat in the wild. Commissioned by Charles Watson-Wentworth, “Whistlejacket” was to be completed in stages and was eventually to depict the prized stallion as a mount for King George III. However, when Watson-Wentworth saw Stubbs’ work of just the horse, he decided to leave it as it was. To read the fascinating history of “Whistlejacket,” click here for a story in The Baltimore Sun. Stubbs’ exhibit is on display through May 29. Museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. For more information on the exhibit, click here. Make-A-Wish Foundation Gives Quarter Horse to Illinois Teen Andrea Hahn of The Southern Illinoisan writes that 15-year-old Brent Holland of Vienna, Illinois, is ready to rope his wish after receiving a 3-year-old roping-trained Quarter Horse. "He didn't know anything about it," his mother, Barb Holland, told Hahn. "It was hard to keep it a secret for three months." Hahn writes that, “Brent looks like any other 15-year-old cowboy-in-training. If he wasn't pointed out, he would blend in with all the other young men and boys strolling around the horse and tack auction at the Double P Tack Store auction facility Saturday. “But Brent has Barrett's esophagus, which his mother said is a pre-cancerous throat disease. He also has Scheurmann's disease, which is a bone condition. He is being treated now, his mother said. If the throat disease becomes malignant, he will have a life expectancy of about six years. “Brent began riding horses at Loyd Farms in Vienna a little more than two years ago. His mother said during that time she has noticed a new vibrancy in her son, and a greater activity level. “Not long ago, Brent began to develop a relationship with a young sorrel Quarter Horse named Mac. A horse at Mac's training level - really, any horse - was just not in the Holland's budget. “Barb said she knew the Make-a-Wish Foundation was there to help sick children, but she associated it with trips and vacations - which is one of the wishes the foundation most commonly gives. The idea, according to Make-a-Wish foundation officials, is that a trip away gives a sick child a chance to be just a child and to forget about the sick part for awhile. “Lenna Matakewicz and Ann Limegrover, both of Carbondale, were the "wish-granters" assigned to Brent. They said this was the first time they had ever given an animal as a wish, but said it wasn't so far out of what the foundation promised. “The wish was worked out with the help of Gary Loyd, who owned Mac, and Keith Page of Double P. Loyd and Page combined forces to sell the horse and all the tack -- bridle, saddle, and everything else Brent would need - to Make-a-Wish for a bargain price. “In addition, Loyd has promised the Holland family two years of free board for the horse. "’He's been coming to my place and riding,’ Loyd said. ‘When he went to Make-a-Wish, he wished for that horse (in particular).’ “As for Brent - when he could talk past the big grin on his face - he is already full of plans to learn roping and to team rope with a couple of his buddies who ride and rope. "’I've always loved horses,’ he said. ‘Mac is always ready to go, but he listens really good.’”
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