Below you will find a brief introduction and link for a survey regarding Appaloosa stallions throughout the history of the breed. Your participation in the survey supports an active youth member who has developed her graduate thesis around the Appaloosa breed. The ApHC is proud to support its youth membership and we are asking you to as well by participating in the following survey:
I’m Brandy Kines and am writing to solicit your help in the research process of my thesis. I am a long-time member of the Appaloosa Horse Club and have been showing Appaloosas since I was five. Currently I am pursuing a master’s degree in Agricultural Communications at Texas A&M University.
For my thesis, I am chronicling the stallions that have influenced the Appaloosa breed and industry since the 1960s. I have read the book Spotted Pride and it has influenced me to pursue this as a thesis topic.
I am contacting individuals who are active participants in the industry. If you agree to help, you will be asked to complete an online survey to identify the stallions you believe should be included in the thesis, which should take a maximum of 15 minutes.
After the survey, if you have had personal involvement (breeder, trainer, exhibitor, etc) with one of the stallions identified for the study, you may be asked to participate in an interview about the stallion. The interview will take no longer than an hour.
I appreciate your taking the time to consider helping me with this undertaking. If you are interested in participating, please use the following link to access the survey.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=wgt7f2M_2fmRG07HTHvSEeDw_3d_3d
Thanks!
Brandy Kines
We had a call from Robert Bjorkman, Granby, Texas, who happens to own ApHC champion cutting horse Earthquake Ike. He wanted to be sure we knew about a feature article in the April issue of Quarter Horse News. The article, “Appaloosa enthusiasts strive to expand their horses’ presence in the Western performance world,” by Stephanie Duquette, presents a nice cross section of outstanding Appaloosa athletes.
Robert was enthused about the coverage in a QH publication and was justifiably proud of the fact that his horse and many others are adding to the credibility of Appaloosas as performers among all breeds and on any stage.
Calizona Appaloosa Horse Club along with Lazy Faire Ranch in West Cajon Valley, California is co-sponsoring the 7th annual benefit trail ride for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on May 2, 2009. Riders of all ages and their horses or mules are invited to “Saddle Up” & participate.
Cancer is the leading disease killer of American children and St. Jude is the leading center for the study of these diseases. Approximately 4,000 children are currently being seen at St. Jude. St Jude covers all costs not covered by insurance. Families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is supported by public contributions. Monies raised from this event will build an endowment fund to ensure St. Jude’s continued efforts. Prior years’ events have risen over $2,500 and we’d like to raise more this year. Have fun – Help save lives and Saddle Up for St. Jude!
Calizona ApHC is soliciting donations from Appaloosa enthusiasts anywhere in the country. Funds do not just have to come from riders and participants in our local community. Any amount in a donation to support this important cause would be appreciated. Your donations win you prizes too! Donate $35.00 and receive a “Saddle Up for St. Jude’s” T-shirt & pin. Prize level donations of $75, $125, $175 are cumulative and in addition to the pin & T-shirt include a saddlepack, sweatshirt, and cap. Prize items are mailed to the donor approximately one month after the event.
For those that are interested, donations can be mailed to:
(checks made payable to St. Jude Children’s Hospital)
Calizona Appaloosa Horse Club
6163 Jarrow Rd, Phelan, CA 92371
If anyone has questions or desires more information, please call Leslie Foxvog (760) 249-3533.
From the American Horse Council
On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This bill appropriated over $1.7 billion for the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that can be used for the maintenance and construction of trails and other infrastructure improvements on public land. Recreational riders must work with these organizations to ensure that equestrian trails are among the projects to benefit form these funds.
• The U.S. Forest Service will receive $650 million for capital improvements.
• The National Park Service will receive $ 750 million for operations, trails and maintenance.
• The BLM will get $320 million for management and construction.
The AHC has urged these federal agencies to use a significant portion of these funds for maintenance and construction of trails and other facilities that are open to equestrians. The NPS, USFS, and BLM have yet to finalize spending plans for this recently appropriated money.
Right now an opportunity exists for equestrian groups to provide input to land managers in their states and communities on how this money should be spent and what projects are important to them. Competition among projects for this funding will be intense and there is a limited window of time before final decisions are made.
The AHC encourages its member organizations and individuals who use these public lands to contact their local Ranger Districts, Forest Supervisors, BLM field or District offices and NPS Superintendents and work with them to identify projects beneficial to riders in their area. Doing this will ensure recreational riders are part of the planning process.
If you have any questions regarding this, please call the AHC: 202-296-4031.
What’s an Appaloosa’s favorite color? Green—and Appaloosas across the nation are earning plenty of money with the Appaloosa Horse Club’s (ApHC’s) Performance Permit Color Incentive Fund. More than $45,000 was awarded to owners and breeders of 78 Appaloosas that competed in 2008.
Performance Permit Color Incentive Fund payout is divided into 20 divisions; the first 19 divisions, one for each ApHC zone, are for regional show competitors, and the final division is split between ApHC racing and distance programs.
Want to get in on the action? The only requirement is to show a regularly (#) registered Appaloosa in ApHC-approved shows, and watch as the points and dollars add up!
The Performance Permit Color Incentive Fund is a direct benefit of the Performance Permit program, which allows non-characteristic Appaloosas to compete in ApHC-approved and sponsored events. The permit remains effective for the life of the horse once it is issued, regardless of ownership changes.
Appaloosas must be parentage verified through DNA analysis by an ApHC-approved laboratory before a Performance Permit is issued. The original certificate of registration, current photographs of the horse, and applicable fees must be submitted to the ApHC along with the permit application, which are available through the ApHC and its official Web site www.appaloosa.com. An updated certificate of registration will be returned to the horse owner once the permit is issued.
For all of the of the details regarding the Color Incentive Fund and Performance Permits, visit www.appaloosa.com or call the ApHC Performance Department at 208-882-5578 ext. 400.
Story by: Patti Ansuini © 2009 ~ All photos courtesy of Charles Hilton Images ~
www.charleshiltonimages.com
Dan Lopez admits he’d heard about Craig Cameron’s Extreme Cowboy Race and had even seen the number one rated RFD TV show a time or two. It was fun to watch, but adds that it had never occurred to him that he might one day become a seriously Extreme contender.
At 74, Dan is semi-retired but still trains and shows a few horses for long time clients. The past few years he has geared down his operation and enjoys some free time riding his favorite mount, a colorful 12 year old Appaloosa stallion known as Badger Lee. The pair help friends out at cattle round ups and of course he wouldn’t miss a spring branding with his friends and neighbors.
During the holiday season several of Dan’s friends had stopped by and talked up Craig Cameron’s Extreme Cowboy Race. They asked his opinion on how he felt about entering the fast paced event that was scheduled for a run during the upcoming Equine Affair in Pomona, California. Several of his clients had asked that if he weren’t interested in taking a shot at the title himself perhaps he’d consider training them.
Dan reflected on the idea for a short time and gave them the answer most had hoped for. He didn’t feel he could honestly train someone to do something he’d never done himself so all bets were now on Dan. Family and friends alike reasoned, ‘wouldn’t it be something for that old Reinsman to show those youngsters how it’s really done’.
To read the rest of the excellent article about Dan Lopez, complete with additional photos, click here: extreme-cowboy-race
The Montana House of Representatives voted 66-33 yesterday to approve and send to the Senate a piece of legislation (House Bill #418) that would authorize “investor-owned equine slaughter or processing facilities” in the state.
FROM THE AMERICAN HORSE COUNCIL
President Obama has signed into law the Stimulus Bill, which is intended to provide a jump-start to the U.S. economy. The Stimulus Act continues the bigger write-off for horses and other property purchased and placed in service during 2009. These benefits were part of the 2008 Tax Stimulus bill, but expired at the end of 2008. The Stimulus Bill also includes a few other provisions that may impact horse owners.
Expensing Allowance
The first incentive allows an owner who purchases a horse or other business property and places it in service in 2009 to expense up to $250,000 of the cost. This so-called “Section 179” expensing allowance applies to horses, farm equipment and most other depreciable property. Once total purchases of horses and other eligible property reach $800,000, the expense allowance goes down one dollar for each dollar spent over $800,000.
To illustrate the expensing allowance, assume a horse business purchases $750,000 of depreciable property in 2009, including $650,000 for horses. That business can write off $250,000 on its 2009 tax return and depreciate the balance. If instead, purchases were $900,000, the expense allowance would go down by $100,000. In either case, the amount of the purchases not expensed may also be eligible for bonus depreciation, as explained below.
Bonus Depreciation
The second incentive continues the 50% first-year bonus depreciation for horses and most other depreciable property purchased and placed in service during 2009. It applies to any property that has a depreciable life of 20 years or less. Also, the property must be new, meaning that the original use of the horse or other property must commence with the taxpayer. For a horse to be eligible, it cannot have been used for any purpose before it is purchased.
To illustrate expensing and bonus depreciation, assume that in 2009 an owner pays $500,000 for a colt to be used for racing and $50,000 for other depreciable property, bringing total purchases to $550,000. The young colt had never been raced or used for any other purpose before the purchase. The horse business would be able to expense $250,000 (as explained above), deduct another $150,000 of bonus depreciation (50% of the $300,000 remaining balance), and take regular depreciation on the $150,000 balance.
Other Provisions
State and Local Sales Taxes. The Stimulus Bill provides all taxpayers with a deduction for state and local sales and excises taxes paid on the purchase of new cars, light trucks, and recreational vehicles through 2009. The deduction phases-out for taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes of $125,000 and $250,000 for taxpayers filing a joint return.
NOL Carryback. Current law permits net operating losses (NOLs) to be carried back to the two years before the operating loss occurs and carried forward to the twenty years after the loss. For 2008, the bill would extend the maximum NOL carryback period to five years for small businesses with gross revenue of $15 million or less.
Estimated Tax Payment Relief. The Stimulus Bill reduces the 2009 required estimated tax payments for some small businesses.
Please call the AHC if you have any questions.
Phone: 202-296-4031
www.horsecouncil.org
Nutrenaworld.com now has a brand new look and feel. The website is designed to be a central source for current and prospective customers to get the latest news on Nutrena brand products, find Nutrena brand retailers, and share information.
Visitors to the site will notice a more contemporary look and a more streamlined, user-friendly format. The new site features a prominent “store locator” tool that allows customers to find the nearest Nutrena brand retailer. “As we created this new website, the most important component for us was to make sure it was easy to navigate and had an intuitive design,” said Deb Correll, Nutrena brand manager. “Customers are now just a few clicks away from finding out where they can purchase their favorite Nutrena brand products.”
The new Nutrenaworld.com remains consistent with the company’s more than 80 years of expertise in the care and feeding of animals. The site includes a “MyNutrenaStory” feature, which allows people to leave online testimonials, share information about their favorite products, and post photos of their animals. There also is a new section focused on innovation, giving customers an inside look into product research and development.
“We want customers to feel connected with each other as well as the Nutrena brand products they use,” said Correll. “So we created a place for people to come together, learn more about the Nutrena brand and share information about their horses, pets and livestock- and we call this place Nutrenaworld.”
Source: Cargill news release
To help horse enthusiasts better interpret equine behavior, My Horse University at Michigan State University (MSU) is offering a three-part webcast series in March and April.
Camie Heleski, MSU Department of Animal Science, will head up the series March 18 with a webcast titled “Horse Behavior Categories.” March 25, Katherine Houpt, Cornell University, will discuss “Understanding Horse Body Language.” And on April 1, Cindy McCall, Auburn University, will present “Managing Horse Behavior: Let Your Horse Be a Horse.”
Registration is $25 for each webcast or $50 for the entire series. To register, visit www.myhorseuniversity.com. All three webcasts will be archived for future viewing by registered participants. For more information, visit www.equisearch.com.
We received this note from Dennis Dean, ApHC director, about a tragedy in California. Not sure of original author.
Reined working cow horse and cutting trainer Doug Ingersoll (Lincoln, California) lost a 4000 square foot barn with all their tack and 12 horses in an early morning fire on Friday the 23rd. Apparently Doug had to be tackled by the fire crews to prevent him from trying to go into the barn…there was just no way to save the horses, who likely died of smoke inhalation before flames. There were no human injuries, 1 of the horses that was killed belonged to Doug, the others apparently were client horses. His other barn housed 8 horses and they were not affected by the fire. He & Debbie have lost all of their tack and equipment.
According to Deb Shatley, if anyone has had cutters or reiners you probably have an idea what he needs…however he does work young horses and uses plain snaffles, wire snaffles, etc. If you have something you wish to donate please call or email Deb first so she can determine if the item is still needed. Deb’s phone # is 916-768-6837 and email dgshatley@gmail.com.
They do not know what caused the fire, and it is being investigated.
It has been reported that Sun Circuit is already doing a fundraiser for them which is going on now and NRCHA is also lining up some benefits. MD Barns has contacted them already and want to help in the rebuild.
A fund has been set up at Bank of America: Doug & Debbie Ingersoll Fire Fund, Account number 08829-70156. People can apparently make a deposit for them at any B of A, or send their checks to Debbie Shatley, P. O. Box 519, Lincoln, CA 95648.
CFIA has announced the introduction of import restrictions on horses and equine semen originating from the USA as a result of the current US outbreak of Contagious Equine Metritis. Horses and other equidae (asses, mules and zebras) will not require an import permit, but will require additional declarations on the health papers certifying that they have not been on a premises where Taylorella equigenitalis has been isolated during the 60 days immediately preceding exportation to Canada or a premises currently under quarantine or investigation for CEM; and that any female(s) in the shipment have not been bred naturally to, or inseminated with, semen from a stallion positive for CEM, or a stallion resident upon a positive premises or under quarantine or investigation for CEM. Additionally, the animals must not show any signs of CEM on the day of inspection.
Semen has different restrictions based upon the date of collection. Semen collected prior to December 15th 2008 does not require an import permit, but will require a U.S. Health Certificate that declares the date of collection, the identity of the donor stallion and the identity of the collection premises. Semen collected after December 15th 2008 will require an import permit (obtained from CFIA), and a U.S. Health Certificate with the declaration that the donor stallion(s) have not been on a premises where Taylorella equigenitalis has been isolated during the 60 days immediately preceding collection of the semen for export to Canada or a premises currently under quarantine or investigation for CEM; and that the semen was processed using an extender that contains antibiotics effective against /Taylorella equigenitalis/ . Semen presented for importation into Canada must be in individual receptacles or straws, each marked with the collection date, identity of the donor and the semen collection premises.
Embryos will require an import permit (obtained from CFIA), and a U.S. Health Certificate with the declaration that the donor mare(s) have not been on a premises where Taylorella equigenitalis has been isolated during the 60 days immediately preceding the collection of the embryo(s) for export to Canada or a premises currently under quarantine or investigation for CEM and have not been bred naturally or inseminated with semen from a stallion positive for CEM, or a stallion resident upon a positive premises or under quarantine or investigation for CEM; and that the flushing medium that was used to collect the embryo(s) contains antibiotics effective against Taylorella equigenitalis. Embryos presented for importation into Canada must be in sterile straws or pipettes, each marked with the collection date, identity of the donor and the embryo collection premises.
Import Permit applications can be obtained from the CFIA web site at
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/ heasan/import/ permit_covere.shtml
A single import permit costs Cdn$35, multiple use Cdn$60. Border inspection for semen will cost Cdn$35; horses (single) Cdn$25. Inland inspection of semen will cost Cdn$32 for 1-49 units, Cdn$51 for 50-499 units, incrementally increasing for more units. Canadian horses that enter the US and will be returning will now be given an extra page by the endorsing CFIA Vet. to go with the Canadian Export Health certificate, that must be presented to an accredited vet in the USA for completion, and must be be endorsed by a USDA vet before returning to Canada. Canada Border Services Agency will be looking for this document before allowing re-entry.
Additionally, semen and embryos will be subject to inspection upon importation, and consequently there will be restrictions in some cases as to point of entry to Canada. The
restrictions placed on entry of horses is implemented immediately, while the restrictions on semen and embryos will be implemented approximately January 26th 2009.
As it is not unlikely that there will be some initial confusion with these new requirements, we recommend that Canadian importers and/or US exporters in the near future contact CFIA and/or USDA-Aphis for confirmation of requirements prior to attempting border crossing.
Most of the time between sessions at the Color Breed Council Judges Seminar is taken up with conversations among friends and new acquaintances. In this case, Pat Trebesch and Sandy Jirkovsky have know each other and, I assume, judged shows together for “many” years.
One of the real benefits of the CBC session is that judges have the opportunity to review and compare rules of several breed associations. Good ideas for clarifying one group’s set of rules can be borrowed by the others. Judges are an excellent resource for helping us understand more about what works and what doesn’t at the ground level.
Andrea Simons, ApHC-carded judge from Aubrey, Texas, presented a session at the Color Breed Council’s International Judges Seminar in Oklahoma City last week. She discussed showmanship classes and “The Art of Showing Your Horse.” Many of the finer points included required and optional equipment and attire, correct and incorrect positions and maneuvers, specific faults and credits, etc.
One of the obvious goals of the seminar is to foster consistency among judges in the way each class is evaluated. Our exhibitors need to know that these folks take their jobs seriously and that the sessions included nitty-gritty discussions among seasoned professionals and applicants alike.
by Dave Russell, Brownfield Network
As the number of horses testing positive for contagious equine metritis (CEM) nationally continues to grow, comes word from the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) that CEM is not a “fix-it-yourself” disease.
BOAH has been receiving questions from horse owners who would like to treat their mares on their own without oversight or guidance from regulatory officials. BOAH equine director Dr. Tim Bartlett is discouraging that from happening saying it could negatively impact the nationwide eradication of the disease, which is why he recommends horse owners contact BOAH with questions and concerns.
“If not done properly, there’s always a risk that an individual animal may not be completely cured,” said Dr. Bartlett. “The USDA has a very specific testing and treatment protocol that must be met to ensure CEM is eradicated.”
Treatment has begun on all three stallions traced to Indiana, under the supervision of BOAH.
« More Past Entries More Recent Entries »
All Posts
