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Q-TALK Q-TALK ARCHIVE THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2005 TheHorse.com reports that equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) may not be as common as previously thought. While studies have shown the exposure rate of horses to Sarcocystis neurona to be only about 52 percent, Steve Reed, D.V.M., said many practitioners assume that nearly all horses have been exposed and elect to begin treating suspect cases rather than spending time and money on a test they think will be positive anyway. "But what if that horse is seronegative (indicating no exposure to the parasite)?" Reed asked the audience at the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas last month. "Do we spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars of the client's money to treat a negative horse on a therapeutic trial? S. neurona Western blot test (WBT) on (blood) serum is cheap and easy, with very few false negatives. With a very acute onset you might get a false negative, but there are very few of those." Although complete results are not available, Reed discussed an ongoing study of EPM exposure being conducted by Ohio State University and Equine Biodiagnostics/IDEXX. The researchers evaluated serum WBT results in neurological patients presented for diagnosis from 2000-2003. They found that the incidence of exposed horses was 35 percent in California; 80 percent in Oklahoma; 65 percent in Texas; 66 percent in Kentucky; 56 percent in Florida; and 57 percent in New York. In most cases, these numbers are far from supporting any assumption that nearly all horses are exposed to EPM, Reed said. "The actual seropositives (exposed) in the general population may be much lower," Reed said. In other words, because most of the study horses were tested that already exhibited neurologic signs, they don't represent a random sample and might be expected to have a much higher incidence of any pathogens causing neurologic signs than the general horse population. Reed said new tests need to be developed, specifically ones that will provide clinically relevant information, such as possible predispositions of horses to develop clinical EPM. "We are working on an assay at Ohio State (University) that we believe might give an indication of how recently a horse was exposed and/or infected," Reed said. Medical Fund Set Up for Pat Hubbert Reined cow horse trainer and Quarter Horse breeder Pat Hubbert has been undergoing extensive chemotherapy and radiation to combat bone cancer. Friends and family have set up a fund to help Pat and his wife, Judy, with their growing medical expenses. Contributions can be sent t The Pat Hubbert Fund, c/o Smokes Dude Horses, 1007 B St., Petaluma, CA 94952. If you would like to send Pat a get well card, mail it t 5796 Blank Road, Sebastopol, CA 95472. Ethics in Showing The Fort Worth Star-Telegram brought up an interesting subject earlier this week when they published a story on the ethical problems facing today’s youth livestock shows. Seems that the lure of “big money” is creating the temptation to cheat, and kids and their parents are doing whatever it takes to gain an edge. Max B. Baker writes that “regulations prevent the use of many drugs in show animals, and professional management is out except in an advisory role. But some families across the nation are paying thousands to buy premium calves, then hiring handlers to help raise them. Sometimes they even pump the animals full of drugs and other substances to enhance their appearance. “Some say it's a secret that stock shows don't like to talk about. "’It is a dirty business out there,’ said Eldon Pyle, whose daughter, Lauren, owned Fort Worth's grand champion steer in 2002. Although his daughter received $135,000 for her steer, Pyle said he lost money on the deal. “Pyle, the owner of a Fort Worth manufacturing company, said he could afford to pay $15,000 to $20,000 for the calves his son and daughter worked. He also paid for two handlers, one of them from Oklahoma, to help them along. “Handlers are allowed as long as they serve as advisers and not as the primary caregivers. "’I don't believe what I did is the true spirit of the Stock Show,’ Pyle said. He said only the most naive people would deny that there are problems on the show circuit. "’I'm throwing rocks at my own self,’ Pyle acknowledged. The thousands of dollars he spent to help his children be top competitors was ‘stupid money,’ he said. ‘The everyday kid won't win the show. ... It's the pros that are winning it.’" Although this story doesn’t necessarily apply to Quarter Horse shows, it’s worth noting. AQHA is doing more and more every year to create a level playing field at its shows, including the expansion of drug testing this year at local shows. But the bottom line is this: Winning tastes sweeter when you play by the rules. Ranches Among Ranch Homes Living among the great, open spaces that can be found in the Texas Panhandle, one sometimes forgets that there are also ranches in highly populated areas like Long Island, New York, which is home to about 30,000 horses. Jim Merritt of Newsday recently wrote about how some New Yorkers are escaping the city for life on the farm. “The past year has brought a change in lifestyle for Jim Kay, a medical malpractice defense attorney at a Lake Success law firm, and Verna, a recruiter for JetBlue Airways. The family moved from New Hyde Park after buying the $605,000 home in June; it's a three-bedroom ranch with a fireplace-outfitted den and a dining room overlooking a dogwood grove. Here’s What to do With Those Leftover Easter Eggs
Jennifer Horton of the Iowa Quarter Horse Association sent me this e-mail this morning: “Here’s what we do in Iowa when we have eggs leftover from our youth pancake breakfast fund-raisers – we hold an egg-and-spoon class after the show. “At the Iowa March Spring Fling show last weekend in Cedar Rapids, we had eggs leftover from our youth fund-raiser. So we gathered some spoons and daring riders (most were bareback) and put together a quick egg-and-spoon class following the horse show Saturday evening. It took us a while to shake the eggs loose – several had to move the spoon from their hands to their mouths and lope before Humpty Dumpty fell.” Thanks Jennifer! Q-Talk on Holiday There will be no updates to Q-Talk tomorrow as the AQHA offices are closed for the Good Friday holiday. It will return on Monday. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2005Martys Twister was awarded 2005 MD Silver Spur Award at the AQHA Convention in St. Louis last week. The 1986 dun gelding, by Martys Mito and out of Stella Two by Homra, is owned by Sharon Evans, the wife of the late Lou Evans, of Phoenix. Shortly after “Max” was purchased in 1995, Lou started to experience the first symptoms of kidney failure. Seven years later, Lou was diagnosed with cancer and was given one year to live. Max instantly displayed an unusual alertness to Lou’s well being – protective, yet gentle. Max became the center of Lou’s world, and with him, Lou found renewal and solace, saying that the time he spent with Max “recharged his batteries.” One year later, Lou was placed in hospice care. Sharon brought Max to the hospital and led him to the glass doors of her husband’s room. Max whiffled, and Lou looked up smiling. At the end of the visit, Max refused to leave, whinnying and fighting to keep the doors open with his head. Lou’s response was, “that’s my Max.” Max bellowed loudly, struggling again to keep the doors open – at that moment Lou lapsed into unconsciousness. He died that night. “Max is a very special horse who taught my husband a most essential lesson in life: a complete devotion and love that knows no bounds, no exceptions and no limits – that only a horse can give,” Sharon said. Max was given the award on March 13, what would have been Lou’s birthday. Sharon was awarded a gift certificate from MD Barns for $25,000 towards the purchase of a new MD Barn. First runner-up in this year’s contest was A Little Ladys Touch, a 1992 chestnut mare owned by Jessica Rhea Blackmon of Ash, North Carolina. The second runner-up was Queens New Star, a 1984 gray mare owned by Kayleigh Fritz of Lakefield, Minnesota. Each of these award winners received a $10,000 certificate from MD Barns. For more information about the MD Barns Silver Spur award, click here or call (806) 376-4811. Equines Have Hair Cut in Malicious Acts Andrew Lightman of MetroWest Daily News near Boston reports that Mendon, Massachusetts, police are investigating a case of three malicious equine haircuts. “Two donkeys and a horse had their hair cut," Detective James Walckner told Lightman. "I don't know why someone would do that but we're looking at all possibilities." An 18-year-old jumping horse named Minnie had her tail chopped off just below the bone, sometime during the evening of March 9, the second such incident in the past 12 months. Several Sicilian donkeys also on the farm are also missing hair from their tails and from the manes on their foreheads. Police suspect a man who had asked the farm owners for some feathers and horsehair. Shortly after he was refused, Minnie’s tail was cut. The farm owners have been unable to identify the man and the crime is currently unsolved. "It's too coincidental to dismiss," Walckner told Lightman. "But at the same time we don't have any specific information linking him to the incident." Black Hills Horse Expo to Feature Trainer’s Challenge In the same vein of the recent Road to the Horse event in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the 2005 Black Hills Horse Expo will present a trainer’s challenge at 1 p.m. April 10 at the Pennington County Event Center in Rapid City, South Dakota. The event consists of three of the area’s horse trainers, who will have two hours to work with an untrained young horse. The competitors will not have the opportunity to view the horses in advance, and the horse assignments will be randomly drawn the morning of the competition. The two hours will be spent inside the round pen, with a one-hour break to allow the horses time to rest. The trainers will not be allowed to interact with their assigned horse during the break. After the second round pen training session, the horses and trainers will complete a simple timed obstacle course in a five-minute time frame. Judges will score 10 categories on a scale of 1-10. After the last competitor has completed the course, an official will tally the scores and announce the winner. The lineup of trainers competing in the inaugural Trainer’s Challenge is impressive. World Champion Bareback Rider Mark Garrett will match training skills against former professional rodeo steer wrestler Vern Ward and experienced horse trainer Gideon Lucey. Garrett has achieved acclaim from his success as a bareback rider, and his reputation will be augmented with the horsemanship skills he will demonstrate in the round pen. Ward and Lucey will also bring their years of experience with starting young horses to the competition. Judging the event are Walt Brindley of Newell, South Dakota; Don Ulmer of Hot Springs, South Dakota; Billy Meyers of St. Onge, South Dakota; and Jerry Golliher of Belle Fourche, South Dakota. Joining the judging panel will be Horse Expo Keynote Clinician Julie Goodnight. The horse expo is April 8-10, and features clinicians, a stallion showcase, demonstrations and a trade show.
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