Latest News – The Horse
Vesicular Stomatitis Wanes
Only 57 premises remain under quarantine for vesicular stomatitis (VS) in the United States today (Nov. 10), signaling that the disease continues to decline. Nearly 440 ranches and farms have reported outbreaks of the disease since April. Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming have reported new VS premises since the end of October. Nebraska released the last of three previously quarantined VS premise
Ellis Park Racetrack Clean-Up Focuses on Clubhouse
Clean-up efforts were underway at Ellis Park yesterday (Nov. 9) to reopen the storm-battered track for simulcasting operations tentatively on Nov. 16.
Structural engineers from Louisville construction firm Luckett & Farley certified the track’s clubhouse, main grandstand, the Sky Theatre and the lower level of the jockeys’ quarters as structurally safe late Tuesday afternoon.
Picking Up the Pieces at Ellis
No call at 2 a.m. is good. Rodney Leibring, DVM, received one of those calls on Nov. 6. Leibring, a Thoroughbred racetrack practitioner, was asked by the male caller if he was at Ellis Park yet. Leibring, confused because he wasn’t expected ther
Afleet Alex Out for Year; Gets Vote as Top “Sportsman”
Cash is King Stable’s Afleet Alex, tabbed by the senior writer at Sports Illustrated to be the magazine’s “Sportsman of the Year” for 2005, won’t race again until next year, trainer Tim Ritchey announced Nov. 5.
Afleet Alex, winner of this year’s Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and Belmont Stakes (gr. I), hasn’t fully recovered from an injury to his left front ankle, Ritchey told th
Reflecting on Katrina: A New Orleans Vet’s Perspective
Many of Dr. Allison Barca’s clients were in some way affected by Hurricane Katrina. Since the storm, she says she’s been living a sort of hell, seeing clients each day who have lost family, horses, and homes to the hurricane, and identifying dead horses so their owners can have closure.
Ellis Park Tornado Damage Assessed; Trainers Ponder Options
Insurance adjusters were at Ellis Park Nov. 7 assessing the damage wrought by a tornado that struck the western Kentucky racetrack early in the morning the previous day.
Three horses were killed and several others were injured, according to reports from track owner Churchill Downs Inc. and the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). There was no loss of human
USRider Promotes Fuel Economy for Horse Owners
Drive more efficiently. Keep your vehicle properly tuned. Plan and combine trips. Choose a more efficient vehicle.
You’ve probably heard these fuel conservation tips frequently repeated in the media recently. Why are these ideas being belabored? Because there’s a national push for Americans to reduce their fuel consumption. In addition, these travel tips can help horse owners save
Horse Killed, People Injured in California Collision
A loose horse that wandered onto a roadway near Woodland, Calif., last week was killed by one vehicle and its body was hit by a second automobile, according to the Woodland Daily Democrat (
Tornado Kills Three Horses in Northwestern Kentucky
According to an Associated Press article on bloodhorse.com, a tornado that tore through Ellis Park racetrack in Henderson, Ky., early yesterday morning (Nov. 6) killed
English Fireworks Season Deadly For Horses
Two horses ended up dead during an annual fireworks season in England. One died as a result of a barn fire; the other died when frightened by fireworks and becoming entangled in a chain.
Ryerss Fifth Annual Benefit Auction Raises More Than $15,000
More than 100 people gathered on Oct. 16 at the Holiday Inn in West Chester, Pa., for Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines’ Fifth Annual Benefit Auction. The farm’s largest fundraiser, which is put on by the Ryerss Farm Auxiliary, was an even greater
Coping in the Wake of Fair Hill Barn Fire
The sight is devastating. Charred posts and jagged pieces of tin are jutting into the air from the blackened remains of what was a 40-stall horse barn on the peaceful rolling hills of the Fair Hill Training Center.
Just to the left of on
No Rotation Deworming (Excerpt)
Programs that use no rotation involve the continued use of one effective drug until it no longer reduces small strongyle numbers as indicated by fecal egg counts.
Companion to ‘Equity Act’ Introduced in U.S. House
Companion legislation to the Equine Equity Act, which grants financial concessions to the horse industry, has been introduced in the United States House of Representatives.
U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis of Kentucky introduced the bill Oct. 27. Sen
Breeders Speak Out in Favor of Kentucky Medication Changes
More than 100 Kentucky-based breeders have come out in support of new equine medication and related penalties proposed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority.
Arthur Hancock III of Stone Farm near Paris, Ky., sent breeders copies of a
Slaughter Bill Heads to Senate for Approval
On Friday, Oct. 28, the U.S. House of Representatives approved by a vote of 318-63 an amendment prohibiting the use of federal funds for USDA horse meat inspections. That amendment was added to the $100-billion federal appropriations bill. If
