Show us YOUR Favorite Trail Horse and get your chance to be on RFD TV !
The American Competitive Trail Horse Association is proud to announce Season Two of America’s Favorite Trail Horse, a national TV Series in search of America’s favorite trail horse. “Season One of America’s Favorite Trail Horse was a huge success! The horses we met and the stories that we shared touched our hearts, there was no way that we couldn’t do this again” stated ACTHA co-founder Karen VanGetson. “Our mission is to give the great trail horse the recognition it deserves and this is a wonderful opportunity to do just that”.
In a similar format to Season One, horses all over the country will have a chance to compete to win over $100,000 in cash and prizes, including a new 4 Star living quarter’s trailer. The finals will be held at the beautiful Franklin Family Ranch in Blanco, TX and will be aired on RFD TV!
Do you have a great Trail Horse? Have a partnership you’d like to share with America? TELL US YOUR STORY! We’re looking for all breeds, all skill levels, and lots of personality! Season 2 of America’s Favorite Trail Horse will be completely new! The emphasis this season will be on the horse/human interest story. Every equine and their human partner have a story, a partnership, a bond…we want to hear it! We want to broadcast it to the world and show how awesome the great American Trail Horse is, and we want you to tell us your journey! Each horse and rider in the Finals will be showcased in one of thirteen 1-hour episodes. America will vote for their favorite trail horse during 10 voting episodes, and then America votes again for their favorite from the top winners to crown America’s Favorite Trail Horse 2012!
More Options for 2012!
Season 2 brings some exciting changes. We have designated two divisions to accommodate different levels of competition. The divisions are Professional and Pleasure. We will also offer Live Auditions as well as Video Auditions. See details on our website. We want you on RFD TV this Fall! Go to www.actha.us to register today!
Oklahoma horse owners should take great relief that the EHV-1 outbreak has been contained. The entire horse industry should be commended for cooperative response in alleviating the disease threat. Due in part to the good communication between horse owners, facility and show managers, veterinarians and state health officials people were made aware of the situation and facilities were appropriately quarantined if necessary. One premise in Oklahoma is under quarantine from a confirmed EHV-1 positive horse that attended the Utah event. The horse is now normal and all remaining horses on the premise are healthy. No horses from this premise have attended an event in Oklahoma during the past few weeks and movement will be restricted until the situation is completely resolved.
Since the initial outbreak of EHV-1 at the National Cutting Horse Association’s Western Nationals Show in Ogden, UT from April 29- May 8, 2011, the disease has been contained to the greatest extent possible. The numbers available indicate that the spread of the virus has been contained. During the first week there were 86 suspect/confirmed new cases, the second week showed 62 suspect/confirmed new cases, the third week showed 10 suspect/confirmed new cases and the fourth week after the occurrence showed 0 new cases.
Horse owners should still be cognizant of the situation but also be aware of the facts regarding the virus. The EHV outbreak has only affected horses attending two events and horses directly exposed to that group upon returning home. The two events are the NCHA Western National Championship in Utah and the Kern County Cutting Horse Event in California. Affected and exposed horses in all states are under state quarantine or movement restrictions.
Acting State Veterinarian, Dr. Michael Herrin recommends horse owners and event managers remain at a heightened level of awareness, consider the current facts of the situation, and make an informed decision based upon actual risk. Events in Oklahoma that host horses of an unrelated type have no increased risk of disease exposure now than before this incident began. There have been no changes in import regulations and no recommended event cancellations issued by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (ODAFF).
The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry encourages horse owners to implement and practice proper preventative measures. ODAFF also encourages horse owners to consult their local veterinarian for review and advice on an appropriate vaccination schedules for EHV.
A recent media release from the American Horse Council cites a few statistics that you need to be aware of. In outlining challenges and opportunities related to the new Congress, AHC President, Jay Hickey has this to say:
“Like most industries, the horse industry’s legislative concerns don’t break along partisan lines. The industry must work on a bi-partisan basis with Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle,” said Hickey. “The AHC and the horse industry have been working with Congress for four decades. This is a new Congress with more than 100 new members. The AHC has already called on its Congressional Cavalry to welcome both the new and returning Members of Congress and to explain the importance of the horse industry to the nation’s agricultural, economic, sporting and recreational life.”
“The horse industry has a $112 billion effect on the economy and supports 1.5 million jobs. Every state has a horse industry. Forty-five states have more than 20,000 horses. The equine community must continue to ensure that the 112th Congress recognizes that,” said Hickey.
While returning from the Idaho Horse Council annual meeting, I couldn’t resist a photo of this view along the highway above Whitebird Canyon and historic battlefield. Doesn’t have a lot to do with the meeting, but hey, it represents part of the mystique of the horse industry and our heritage.
Council members had a good discussion about topics relevant to all parts of the country…health regulations, animal identification, noxious weeds, trail preservation, ways to reinvigorate the racing segment, competition for time and dollars, abandoned horses, animal welfare, slaughter, etc. I mention all this as an excuse to encourage all ApHC members to consider joining, or at least getting acquainted with, their respective state horse councils. The “power of association” really works and our community can’t afford to let others make policies and laws without us.
Farriers’ National Research Center and Horseshoeing School
14013 East Hwy 136, LaFayette, Georgia 30728
Phone (706) 397-8909 Fax (706) 397-8047 Email: RCaseySch@aol.com
www.caseyhorseshoeing.com and www.HorseshoenTime.tv
I-75 exit #320, West on Hwy 136 12 miles, in the Villanow community
Farrier Spring Fling
May 15-16, 2010
Farriers’ National Research Center & School
Celebrating 21 years by offering: A FREE Event for horse owners and horse shoers; donations will accepted for a raffle; a family event.
-Helpful information for owners from farriers and professional equine specialist!!
And…1 day FREE Hoof Trimming Class for Owners
From trimming, shoeing, dentistry, massage, saddle fit, training and modern thermal imaging and magnetic therapy. Learn all about your horse!
My name is Dr. Shana Gillette and I am a faculty member in the Clinical Sciences Department of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University. I am the principal investigator on a study of equine infectious disease issues. Dr. Josie Traub-Dargatz, CSU Professor of equine medicine, is the co-principal investigator. As part of the study, we are conducting an online survey on infectious diseases of concern to the equine industry.
We hope you will be willing to alert your members to the importance of our online survey. It is important that we receive broad participation from all members of the equine industry for a fair representation of concerns regarding equine infectious disease issues.
We hope you and your association members can take a few minutes to fill out our online survey. It is available at the following link:
https://academictrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9sP6LHag1t5xthW&SVID=Prod
Completion of this survey is voluntary. People who decide to participate may withdraw consent and stop participation at any time without penalty. The survey will not ask for a name or email address, to ensure that all answers remain anonymous. Colorado State University will securely collect and store the data. The collected data will then be validated and analyzed and results will be published on the website for the Animal Population Health Institute at: http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/APHI
While there are no direct benefits to be gained to individuals who participate in this survey, we hope the equine industry will gain more knowledge on the primary equine diseases of concern. There are no known risks to participation.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Shana Gillette at (970) 297-5117 (shana.gillette@colostate.edu). If you have any questions about your rights as a volunteer in this research, contact Janell Barker, Human Research Administrator, at 970-491-1655.
Sincerely,
Dr. Shana Gillette, Assistant Professor
Dr. Josie Traub-Dargatz, Professor
Yesterday, the American Horse Council released its 2009 Report on Equestrian Access on Federal Land. The 2009 report is intended to provide a brief overview of the responses the AHC received from equestrians to its ongoing access survey in 2009. The report can be viewed and downloaded on the AHC’s website at: https://www.horsecouncil.org//images/2009 ReportEqAccessFedLand.pdf.
In July of 2009 the American Horse Council launched an effort to collect information regarding equestrian access issues on federal lands. This effort was prompted by a growing concern among recreational riders around the country that they were seeing a reduction in the number of trails and trail heads open to equestrians on federal land.
The center piece of this effort has been an AHC online form riders can use to report their personal experiences regarding trails on federal lands that have been closed to them or other access issues. This online form is located at https://www.horsecouncil.org/survey.php.
Hundreds of thousands of Americans use horses and pack stock to enjoy America’s great outdoors each year. However, it is an experience that cannot be enjoyed without access to public land, trail systems, and trailheads.
“The AHC will use this report to illustrate some of the challenges facing recreational riders,” said AHC President Jay Hickey.” “Our federal land mangers work hard to provide recreational opportunities and we need to make sure they have adequate resource and equestrians need to work with them at all levels. However, sometimes there are issues and conflicts that need to documented and brought to there attention. This report is just one part of our efforts to ensure equestrian continue to have recreational opportunities on federal land.
We certainly need to brag about Wade Clayton, Needville, Texas. He and roping partner Jake Kropik won the $86,000 top prize at the U.S. Team Roping Championships “open average” event in Oklahoma City back in October. Wade was riding an 11-year-old Appaloosa gelding named Below Freezing (nicknamed “Bear”), sired by Dashin Johnny Bar. The horse and rider have been together for several years.
Bear is just one more really outstanding argument against some of the myths about Appaloosa horses and their performance abilities. “USTRC” certainly ranks as top-level competition, for both horses and people. Having an Appaloosa at the top of the heap is, as some folks like to say, “way cool.” Congratulations!
Thought this might be of interest:
To help horse owners feed their horses cost effectively and with confidence, Michigan State University (MSU) Extension is offering a free, live webcast Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. EST.
Aimed at garnering horse owners the most bang for their horse-feeding buck, the webinar “Nutritional Supplements for Horses” will feature Carey Williams, Rutgers University equine Extension specialist. She’ll discuss types of supplements, when supplements might be beneficial and how to determin if your horse needs a supplement. For more information or to register, go to noncredit.msu.edu.
My Horse University is a national online horse management program for horse enthusiasts. Based at MSU and founded by the MSU Department of Animal Science, MSU Extension and MSU Global, this program offers equine education courses and resources that can be tailored to achieve horse-management goals.
From a news release generated by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, published in Science magazine and available in full at ScienceDaily.com
An international team of researchers has decoded the genome of the domestic horse Equus caballus, revealing a genome structure with remarkable similarities to humans and more than one million genetic differences across a variety of horse breeds. In addition to shedding light on a key part of the mammalian branch of the evolutionary tree, the work also provides a critical starting point for mapping disease genes in horses.
“Horses and humans suffer from similar illnesses, so identifying the genetic culprits in horses promises to deepen our knowledge of disease in both organisms,” said senior author Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, scientific director of vertebrate genome biology at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and a professor of comparative genomics at Uppsala University in Sweden. “The horse genome sequence is a key enabling resource toward this goal.”
In addition to sequencing the genome of a Thoroughbred horse, the researchers also examined DNA from a variety of other horse breeds, including the American quarter horse, Andalusian, Arabian, Belgian draft horse, Hanoverian, Hakkaido, Icelandic horse, Norwegian fjord horse, and Standardbred breeds. The team surveyed the extent of genetic variation both within and across breeds to create a catalog of more than one million single-letter genetic differences (called “single nucleotide polymorphisms” or SNPs).
In a first proof-of-principle of the power of trait mapping in horses, the researchers harnessed the SNP catalog to localize the candidate mutation in the Leopard Complex or “Appaloosa spotting,” in which horses’ coats are mottled with striking patches of white, either with or without colored spots. Horses carrying this trait often suffer from a form of night blindness, a disorder that also afflicts humans. The researchers narrowed the list of genetic suspects in horses to 42 associated SNPs, including two candidate mutations residing near a gene involved in pigmentation.
“This demonstrates the utility of the horse for disease gene mapping,” said Wade. “By making these resources freely available to the scientific community, we hope that many new results will flow from them in the coming years.”
From our For-What-It’s-Worth Department comes a new study by Ohio State University that asked professionals in the field to rank agriculture education programs on characteristics that include research, faculty and program features.
The Top 10 were labeled “distinguished programs.” And they are: 1. University of Florida; 2. Texas A & M; 3. The Ohio State University; 4. University of Missouri; 5. Iowa State University; 6. Oklahoma State University; 7. North Carolina State University; 8. Pennsylvania State University; 9. Texas Tech University, and 10. University of Arizona.
The American Horse Publications (AHP) is conducting an Equine Industry Survey to gauge participation trends in the U.S. equine industry. In addition, the survey seeks to gather information regarding the most important issues facing the industry.
Dr. C. Jill Stowe is providing consulting services for data collection and analysis to the AHP. Dr. Stowe is an assistant professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky.
The survey is sponsored by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health and Pfizer Animal Health.
Those eligible to participate in the survey are men and women, 18 years of age and older, who currently own, manage, or lease at least one horse and live in the United States.
The survey closes January 15, 2010.
This study is anonymous; this means that no one, not even members of the research team, will be able to associate information you give with responses. When the survey results are tallied, only aggregated results will be presented.
“The AHP’s member publications, Web sites, and newsletters reach nearly 3 million people involved in the horse industry in the United States and around the world,” said Kimberly S. Brown, current AHP president. It was Brown who proposed the survey, which was backed unanimously by the AHP board.
“We have been through a rough year, and there are many stories out there of unwanted horses and the decline of the horse industry,” noted Brown. “But I think the real story is the wanted horses and their owners who are still strong despite the economic downturn.
“We think this is a great opportunity for us to use our collective resources and reach into the horse industry to get answers about how we are doing today, how we think we’ll be doing in the near future, and what we are concerned about in our industry.
“Let’s get 100,000 or more horse owners to participate in this survey!” said Brown. “We have a wonderful chance to come together to gather information that can benefit us all, so spread the word!”
“I especially want to thank Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health and Pfizer Animal Health for sponsoring this survey,” said Brown. “Both of these companies—and the people behind the companies—are supporters of the horse industry because of their love of the horse, not just because it’s their business. And I want to thank Dr. Stowe for being willing to contribute her time and expertise to ensure we have a legitimate survey with accurate statistical analysis.”
To take the survey just click on www.horsesurvey.org
I’m pretty sure a recently released report by USDA has critical implications for the horse industry and our breed. The conclusion that “Boomers” are expected to continue their migration to the “country” is no big surprise, but it reinforces the notion that we need to figure out more ways to take advantage of a marketing opportunity.
USDA Releases Report: “Baby Boom Migration Tilts Toward Rural America”
Economic Research Service (ERS) reports:
The size and direction of migration patterns vary considerably by age, and baby boomers are migrating to rural destinations. If baby boomers follow migration patterns similar to their predecessors, the rural population age 55-75 will increase by 30 percent between 2010 and 2020. Local economic development strategies aimed at attracting more jobs will likely have little effect on the migration decisions of baby boomers searching for a better quality of life.
See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/September09/Features/BabyBoom.htm.
The ApHC has successfully completed the first international shipment of frozen semen under our international marketing plan. The breedings were donated by ApHC stallion owners whose stallions and collection services met USDA export guidelines and Australia’s import protocols. A total of 24 breedings from two ApHC regular-registered, champion stallions should have arrived in Australia yesterday, Sept. 1st. The breedings will be part of a stallion service auction managed by the Australian Appaloosa Association (AAA). Proceeds of the U.S. donated stallions will go to start a futurity for dual-registered appaloosas in Australia.
U.S. Livestock Genetics Export, Inc. (USLGE) funded the documentation fees and shipping and AAA will fund the clearance fees, storage. Insemination fees will be the responsibility of the mare owners and AAA.
This is the first shipment of genetic materials under the Market Access Program (MAP) branded program funded by USLGE.
Hi there,
I wanted to let you know that on October 14, our show about BJ Winship and her Appaloosa horse will air on Julie Goodnight’s Horse Master RFD-TV show. BJ was a delight to have on the show. Her father raised Appaloosas for years and offered that BJ could select the horse she wanted from his herd. BJ chose Candy who was part of the brood mare herd.
BJ’s dad passed away just recently and BJ is dedicated to helping Candy be the best horse she can be in order to celebrate her dad’s legacy. Since Candy hadn’t been started under saddle until late, she didn’t have a good stop cue. The episode with Julie starts with BJ telling her about her dad’s history with horses, then her plan to make BJ a great horse—if she can learn to stop! In the next two days, Julie taught BJ how to cue her horse with her seat first—teaching a sequence of cues that will help the horse have a relaxed stop once training progresses.
I’m attaching a quote from Julie about working with BJ and some still photos from the show.
“Working with BJ and her lovely Appy mare, Candy, took me back to my childhood and the first time I ever saw an Appaloosa. It was a stunning leopard stallion and he and his master were something to behold. Candy is a lovely mare with a good mind, strong build and that priceless willingness that is true to the breed. It was fun to think about BJ getting to choose a mare from her father’s herd and it was clearly fulfilling to BJ.” –Julie Goodnight
Julie’s Blog about the Horse Master shoot in Oregon, where BJ was one of 6 shows: http://juliegoodnightontheroad.blogspot.com/2009/07/long-road-home.html
Thank you!
Heidi Nyland
Horse Master Producer/ Marketing Director
heidi@juliegoodnight.com
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