Archive for June, 2009

AHorseBlog – CHIO Aachen organisers agree to independent anti-doping inspection Commission

CHIO Aachen organisers: “No alternative to our stance”. The Isabell Werth case underlines the need for a new beginning.

Chio Aachen

Chio Aachen

FEI.org: Aachen, June 24th, 2009 The organisers of the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen, see the positive doping result of Isabell Werth’s horse Whisper, announced today, as confirmation for their stance in their rigorous anti-doping battle. “The Isabell Werth case proves that there is no alternative to our viewpoint. The equestrian sport needs a new beginning,” commented Michael Mronz, General Manager of the Aachener Reitturnier GmbH. This new beginning is to be guaranteed by an independent Commission implemented by the German Olympic Sports Association, under the Chair of the former Constitutional Court Judge, Udo Steiner. “We supported the German Equestrian Federation from the very beginning in their decision to disband the German team and install this independent Commission. The current development shows that this is the right approach,” said CHIO Show Director, Frank Kemperman. “We welcome Isabell Werth’s preliminary suspension by the FEI,” continued Kemperman. Subject to the decision of the FEI tribunal, Isabell Werth will thus not be competing at the CHIO Aachen (June 26th – July 5th, 2009).

Independent of the Commission, the CHIO organisers already decided several weeks ago to intensively expand its anti-doping battle during the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen 2009. 42 stewards will be in action, statistically speaking, that is one steward for every eleventh horse. The staff members of the “Horse Watch Service” will be on duty at night to guarantee the round-the-clock monitoring of the horses.

The number of doping tests has been considerably increased, in this way every eighth horse in Aachen will be tested. All testing will be carried out by the independent doping inspectors of the MCP (Medication Control Programme). This guarantees the maximum quality and indefeasibility of the testing. In addition, a thermographic camera will be put to use in Aachen, which can detect irregularities on the legs of the horses. “Should any suspicion arise that substances have been applied to the skin of a horse, the veterinarians can immediately carry out further on-site inspections,” explained Frank Kemperman.

Ticket hotline: +49-(0)241-917-1111

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AHorseBlog – American Horse Council Announces Opportunity for USDF Members

Saddle Up for the Congressional Cavalry Program!

In an effort to better represent and serve the horse industry in Washington, DC, the American Horse Council (AHC) has organized a new grassroots effort, entitled “The Congressional Cavalry Program.” The AHC represents the horse industry before Congress and the federal regulatory agencies on important national issues. The AHC invites USDF members to participate in this program and help make a difference in federal legislation and regulations that affect the horse industry.

American Horse Council Members in Washington, DC

American Horse Council Members in Washington, DC

All USDF members who wish to be involved in grassroots efforts in Washington, DC can join the Congressional Cavalry Program at their discretion. The purpose of the program is to identify people in each Congressional District across America who will agree to contact their Representative/Senators or other federal officials when asked by the AHC. Contacts from constituents are the most effective way to persuade a Member of Congress or a federal official to take action with respect to a particular issue regarding horses.

Individuals will be mobilized when there is a need for grassroots contacts, such as letters and telephone calls. Members of the program will be put on an E-mail or telefax list so they can be contacted and activated quickly. The AHC will provide participants with whatever information is necessary. Any level of commitment by participants is welcome.

The Congressional Cavalry Program might eventually provide the base for additional activities like visits with Members of Congress back home; invitations to Members of Congress to visit a facility or event; and reports to Congress about activities back in the district that illustrate the importance of the horse industry to the state and local economy, the sport, and recreational life.

If you want to sign up for or have any additional questions about the Congressional Cavalry Program, please contact the American Horse Council at 202-296-4031 or ahc@horsecouncil.org.

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MyEquusBlog – Panimetro – How He Broke His Leg

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 | Equine Assistance, My Horses, Panimetro | Comments

PanimetroI finally found this email from Kate Grimsley a co-founder of VICCTRE, explaining Metro and his injury:

Metro came to St Croix and then to a race on St Thomas 2 years ago. He broke from the gate strong, but on the first turn suffered a fracture of his left front sesamoid.  His owner Felix retired him with our organization VICCTRE.  He was a noble and willing patient and had an amazing will to heal. We brought him to our rehab facility DEC of 2005. The second link is from that race he did not finish.

Click on thumbnail images for larger view.

http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_archive?id=9421807 - St Croix exerpt: Panimetro, the horse brought here to beat the two big horses from across the pond, finally looked liked a world beater in the feature race. The race, 1 mile for a purse of $4,000, was a twilight special. Because of a couple of long delays, the race went off after 6 p.m.

The race was all Panimetro. With Elmo Barnes in the irons, he took the lead at the club house turn and quickly opened up some seven lengths on the field as they ran down the back stretch. Hearts at Risk, with Miguel Sanchez aboard, put in his run as they entered the far turn, but he did not have enough to get Panimetro.

panimetro-head-editadaIt was as if Barnes took his foot off the gas at the top of the stretch and Panimetro cruised to victory five lengths ahead of Hearts at Risk in a time of 1:38.4. El Chuso with Esail DeJesus aboard was a distant third.

http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_archive?id=11332129 - St Thomas exerpt: Panimetro, with Elmo Barnes in the irons, looked strong coming out of the gate, jumping out to a two-length lead running on the inside, but seemed to get spooked as things tightened up coming out of the first turn and nearly careened into the rail before trotting off to the side of the track.

He had a significant fracture and a lot of soft tissue damage, but he was determined and so were we.  He allowed the farrier and vet to work on him as he lay down…and Mother Nature took over.  Almost a year and 1/2 later he was ready to make the trip to the continental US.  He arrived in North Florida after quarantine on Puerto Rico and a flight to Florida and now he has the best life ever!  He lives with a wonderful woman Teri Rehkopf and we are so happy for him.  I now live close by and see him now and again.  He is doing so well!! Can you send up pictures of him racing? He is so noble and a wonderful, wonderful horse.  His leg was HUGE… just huge and he could not put any weight on it for a long time after the injury. Now, it is almost ‘normal’, but he has NO flexion in that joint He is happy and sound at walk and trot.  He is just a happy, HAPPY horse and has a girlfriend named Rocki.

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MyEquusBlog – Panimetro – Thoroughbred Racehorses Beat the Odds, Retire to Florida

Sunday, June 21st, 2009 | Equine Assistance, My Horses, Panimetro | 7 Comments

This is a reprint from North Florida Horse Rescue/old HorsesintheSouth.com so that my readers can understand where my Metro came from and why he is so special.

February 23, 2007 – Keystone Heights, FL. Seven-year old Panimetro, a thoroughbred racehorse, suffered four major fractures in his left front ankle, an injury similar to Barbaro’s-the Kentucky Derby winner that was recently euthanized. 

“Metro” could have met the same sad fate, but was able to heal himself by lying down for long periods over the last year and a half and allowing caretakers to attend to him. 

Metro in the Virgin Islands

Metro in the Virgin Islands in 2005

This was the largest shipment of rescued racehorses from the Virgin Islands Community Cooperative Thoroughbred Retirement Effort (VICCTTRE), a nonprofit 501(C)3 organization that had rescued, rehabilitated and adopted 28 horses since its 2004 inception. 

All four horses raced both stateside and in the islands.  All suffered serious injuries, from Metro’s broken leg to bruised soles, damaged hooves and arthritis.  With the medical care, love and dedication of the VICCTRE volunteers they now have a new life to look forward to.

Kate Grimsley, VICCTRE’s founding director and barn manager was in tears before sending Metro to his new Florida home. “It’s amazing to me, on the heels of Barbaro, who had to be euthanized, to see his will,” Grimsley said. “I’m a different person for knowing this horse.”

(Note: Chris Dunn’s neighbor, Teri Rehkopf, CEO/owner of HorsesintheSouth.com adopted Metro on the spot – she told Chris that he had to stay with us to assure that he would get the best of care. He is Teri’s mare’s companion horse. He has a huge stall with open access to his own paddock. He is let into his own pasture during the day.)

Contact:
Chris Dunn
904-626-1990

See below and the original press release at the Virgin Islands Daily News.

VICCTRE celebrates hard-fought recovery of racehorses
By LYNN FREEHILL
Friday, February 2nd 2007

ST. THOMAS – As a thoroughbred racehorse who suffered a broken leg, Panimetro could have met the same sorrowful end as Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winner who was euthanized this week.Instead, the 7-year-old Panimetro fought to heal – by lying down for as many as 12 hours a day, thus giving veterinarians and caretakers a chance to attend to him in his stall. Now he’s headed for a new life and a new home. 

On Thursday, he was among four retired race horses sent to greener pastures after being cared for by the Virgin Islands Community Cooperative Thoroughbred Retirement Effort. It marked the largest single shipment of rescued horses that the nonprofit organization has produced.

Bach One, Brimstone Tough and Smooth Distinction each spent between six and eight months at VICCTRE’s stables behind St. Thomas Dairies. They raced locally and stateside before retiring, and VICCTRE volunteers found each to be special.

Kate and Bo visiting Metro at Teri's place

Kate and Bo visiting Metro at Teri's place

“It’s amazing to me, on the heels of Barbaro, who had to be euthanized, to see his will,” Grimsley said. “I’m a different person for knowing this horse.”

Soaping Panimetro up and hosing him down Thursday in preparation for 4 p.m. shipment, VICCTRE volunteer Bohdania Potter agreed. She took special care around a bulb of scar tissue that developed on the horse’s left front ankle, where he had sustained four major fractures.

“When I first came here, he was in horrible condition. It was tearjerking to see how bad he really was,” Potter said. “He had his own urge to survive.”

To date, 28 horses have been rescued, rehabilitated or adopted through VICCTRE since its inception in 2004, Grimsley said. The four horses shipped Thursday will spend two weeks quarantined at Hacienda Allegra in Puerto Rico. Eventually, they will be sent to Florida and paired with a Marion County Correctional Facility inmate for natural-horsemanship training. (Note: They were adopted by other people in the southeast USA instead via Habitat for Horses with Chris Dunn’s commendable efforts).

Other VICCTRE horses have been adopted, either on-island or on the U.S. mainland, or placed in therapeutic riding programs for the physically or mentally disabled, Grimsley said.

Contact Lynn Freehill at 774-8772 ext. 311 or e-mail lfreehill@dailynews.vi

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MyEquusBlog – Treating a Strange Injury of Panimetro My Adopted Ex-Racehorse

Thursday, June 18th, 2009 | Miscellaneous, My Horses, Panimetro | 5 Comments

Metro Aug 2008

Metro Aug 2008

I’ve been nursing my adopted injured ex-racehorse, Panimetro (barn name is Metro), for the past 2 weeks in this 95+ degree weather and severe thunderstorms. He pulled a tendon on his bad left leg where he had broken fetlock in 4 places. The vet thinks tenosynovitis of his SFDT or suspensory, possibly from standing in wet sandy-mud that was like a quicksand from all the rain we’ve had, and twisted it trying to get it out. This happened on Tuesday. Jerry fed the horses their breakfast and Metro walked into his stall OK, but by mid-morning he was standing out in his paddock in the hot sun and wouldn’t move. We tried to move him and he acted like he would fall over. His leg had swollen all the way up to his elbow with a very painful reaction to touch and it even hurt to touch his shoulder. So, we stood out in the full sun in his paddock hosing him off for almost 2 hours until the vet came. She gave him a pain shot (we had just given him a shot of Banamine) and we all dragged/pushed him into his stall. She made up a mixture of Nitrofurazone/DMSO/Dex ointment, slathered his leg with it and wrapped in cling wrap, then put a pillow wrap with standing wrap on and put him on stall rest.

She gave me Ditrim antibiotics (10 pills, 2 times a day), bottle of Banamine (10mg orally in morning), Bute (2 at night), and oral Trichlor-Dex medicine (at night) to give him. I melted it all in water, mixed it with white Karo syrup and his Tahitian Noni Flex that he already gets twice a day every day. Luckily he ate it in his feed so I didn’t have to mix and squirt in his mouth.

All during the time from when we got him back into his stall and started on the meds, he was in good spirits, eyes were lively and he had a good appetite. He was able to get around his stall and would drag his leg. He did lie down to sleep in his stall Tuesday night, as we saw signs of shavings on his body. Jason also sneaked out at midnight and saw him sleeping with his back foot cocked and his weight on both front legs.

We did a re-wrap of leg at noon the next day, Wednesday, but his leg had swollen from his knee up to his elbow three times its size with cellulites at knee and fetlock, plus he had gotten a swollen lymph node under his chest. So the vet came back out again in the evening to look at it. She had me walk him and he was able to walk with minimal limping. We unwrapped it and hosed it with cold water for 20 minutes. She prescribed walking him four times a day for 10 minutes each. At noon, unwrap it and hose for 20 minutes with cool water and re-wrap it and spread with the Nitrofurazone/DMSO/Dex combo on the whole leg. Jerry also made the paddock attached to his stall small so he could go outside to poop and walk, but we had to stand with him so he wouldn’t run or rear and play as he was feeling much better.

Thursday morning, he lay down in his stall and rolled to scratch his back. His leg had gone down in size by 2/3rds by then. By Friday, the swelling was almost completely gone above the knee. As soon as I opened the paddock so he could go out while I watched him, he immediately lay down and rolled on both sides. By this time, he wasn’t trying to run or rear and play in the paddock so we could let him outside in his paddock on his own and left it open Friday night.

See http://horsesinthesouth.com/blog/index.php/2009/06/21/myequusblog-panimetro-thoroughbred-racehorses-beat-the-odds-retire-to-florida/ for a reprint of the story of Panimetro when he first came to me.

Below is a gallery of images going from the 1st day, June 10-16 2009, showing how it was so swollen on the 1st day, then even more swollen on the 2nd day, but as soon as I started hand-walking him 4 times a day and hosing it with cold water and putting the Nitrofurazone/DMSO/Dex ointment on the whole leg, the swelling kept going down until it’s almost normal again, at least for his leg, which isn’t really normal anyway for a horse that broke their fetlock in 4 places…

Click on an image for a larger view. Click the back button to return to the Blog.

During the interim: We had another horrible thunderstorm with hail and all last Saturday, so we had to lock Metro back in his stall. Rocki had access to her paddock from her stall and the hail scared her so much, she was standing in her attached paddock in the rain when Jerry got home from a car show the university had. By the way, Jerry had just bought a nice big Yamaha motor scooter (with carry places for small groceries) to ride to work and to the boat to save on gas. Since it hadn’t rained for the last 3 days in the week,  he figured he would do a test ride downtown to a car show at the he needed to attend as a professor.  There were huge thunderstorms downtown (northeast) and they were also coming in from the west to merge. He stopped and bought a good motorcycle rain jacket with padded safety sleeves (he had already gotten a helmet). He was fine until he got almost to the road to turn on to get to our place when the hail and sideways mini ‘tornadic’ rains hit. He had to pull over as did all of the cars behind him until that passed. He finally made it home by 4:15pm and was going to be here at 2pm. This is when he saw Rocki outside in the rain as he is parking his scooter at the barn, so he locked her inside her stall.

I ran out to the barn jumping all the way so I wouldn’t get hit by lightning and helped wipe her down and find the towels for him. What was scariest was that I couldn’t reach him on the phone since he was on the scooter, so we were incommunicado for over an hour. My neighbors were gone too and didn’t think it was going to rain that day as it had been dry all week, so they left their horses out with no way to get inside. Jason and I went over and brought them in before the storm hit. Just an hour before that I had been in the pool swimming and cooling off from taking care of Metro in the oppressive heat and then going to my neighbors while wet to pick blackberries.

Whew! What a day! What a week! I was faced with the possibility that if Metro didn’t walk, he could founder and would have to be put down. His leg is still slightly swollen just below the knee on the inside and there is heat at that spot, so he still has healing to do yet before he gets to go back out in the pasture, plus I will have to hand walk him to keep him from getting bored and let him graze. His paddock is back open for him now as it has dried up enough, but we see more storms coming this week.

The weather we’ve been having for going on 8 weeks now has really messed up both mile long dirt roads to our place. We are in a private association so the county won’t help us fix the road – it’s up to us home owners to do. The roads have been impassable without a 4-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle (of which we have 2). Our neighbor’s truck isn’t 4-wheel drive and neither is their car, so they just bought a 4-wheel drive jeep/truck to get in and out.

The road keeps washing out almost every day after the heavy rains, and the guys who manage the road for us keep fixing it so we can get in and out. The first week or 2 was pretty bad, until they got some association dues paid to help with the grading and extra dirt. Much fun, there ;P

Read more about Metro at:
EXERPT: The Vid gains first stakes winner
Multiple Grade 2 winner The Vid earned his first stakes winner on Thursday when Panimetro won the $66,600 Copa 4 de Julio at El Comandante in Puerto Rico. Out of the stakes-winning Take the Floor mare Floor Me, Panimetro won the 1 1/8-mile race by one length on a good track in 1:53.50.

Panimetro is one of 15 starters from the second crop of The Vid, who has 67 foals of racing age. His progeny have earned $361,035.

Dr. and Mrs. James Gamble bred Panimetro in Florida. He has won four of 16 career starts in two seasons and has earned $72,009 for owner Establo Madoca.

Joseph J. Sullivan bred and campaigned The Vid, who won 14 of 40 career starts in five seasons, including the 1995 Dixie Stakes (G2) and back-to-back wins in the Canadian Turf Handicap (G2) in ’95 and ’96. The son of World Appeal earned $952,216.

The Vid died at Irish Acres Farm near Ocala in June 2000 at the age of ten.

More: Panimetro (g. by The Vid). 14 wins, 2 to 6, $297,800, Copa 4 de Julio, Clasico Dia delos Padres, Clasico Campeon Importado, 2nd Clasico Jose de Diego, Clasico Jose Celso Barbosa, 3rd Clasico Jose de Diego, Clasico Jose Celso Barbosa, Clasico Juan Ponce de Leon, Clasico Verset’s Jet twice, etc.,  
PDFs

…and more… after the 4th page in Google, I stopped for now. Wow! I hadn’t checked on him to see how many places he is mentioned! There are 13 pages in Google that have the word Panimetro mentioned.

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AHorseBlog.com – Eventing Radio Episode 26 – 2009 Upcoming Rider Ashley Adams

Friday, June 5th, 2009 | Eventing Radio Network, Miscellaneous | Comments

Ashley Adams and Vaunted

Our pick for 2009 Eventing Radio Upcoming Rider Ashley Adams shares a bit about her past and what she has planned for the future. We are also joined by Gill Rolton who is fighting to save the Adelaide CCI4* and Kate Green with a report on the Tattersalls World Cup Qualifier. Listen in…

Eventing Radio Episode 26 – 2009 Upcoming Rider Ashley Adams:

    Answer this week’s trivia question here.
    Florida Horse Park facilities were burglarized last month. Click here if you would like to donate to help the park.
    USEA Hall of Fame inductee and well-known rider and trainer, Denny Emerson is promoting an idea to encourage riders to compete in a long format event. Read more about Denny’s idea…
    What a fun interview with our 2009 Eventing Radio Upcoming Rider Ashley Adams. We will get updates throughout the year from Ashley and her mount Vaunted. We will have a dedicated page built for Ashley shortly to follow her progress throughout the year.
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AHorseBlog.com – Ancient Mammals (Equus) Shifted Diets as Climate Changed

Friday, June 5th, 2009 | Miscellaneous | Comments

A new University of Florida study shows mammals change their dietary niches based on climate-driven environmental changes, contradicting a common assumption that species maintain their niches despite global warming.

Led by Florida Museum of Natural History vertebrate paleontologist Larisa DeSantis, researchers examined fossil teeth from mammals at two sites representing different climates in Florida: a glacial period about 1.9 million years ago and a warmer, interglacial period about 1.3 million years ago. The researchers found that interglacial warming resulted in dramatic changes to the diets of animal groups at both sites.

The two sites in the study, both on Florida’s Gulf Coast, have been excavated quite extensively, DeSantis said. During glacial periods, lower sea levels nearly doubled Florida’s width, compared with interglacial periods. But because of Florida’s low latitude, no ice sheets were present during the glacial period. Despite the lack of glaciers in Florida, the two sites show dramatic ecological changes occurred between the two periods.

equus-toothThe research examined carbon and oxygen isotopes within tooth enamel to understand the diets of medium to large mammals, including pronghorn, deer, llamas, peccaries, tapirs, horses, mastodons, mammoths and gomphotheres, a group of extinct elephant-like animals.

This fossilized horse (Equus) tooth shows where a series of enamel samples have been drilled to help identify seasonal fluctuations in the animal’s diet. This horse lived about 1.9 million years ago during a glacial period in Florida. (Credit: Mary Warrick/University of Florida)

Read full story at ScienceDaily

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