The retraining process can be extremely tough with any new horse. It can leave you learning new valuable lessons while also leaving you with many questions that you may not be able to answer on your own. With Goldie, retraining has been unique. I have ridden many horses in my life but never a horse as young as Goldie at just 5 years old, and who can naturally do the equivalent of a human squat in his hind end and fly backwards quicker than he is willing to go forward.
Month: April 2023
Reining Show Sees An EHV-1 Positive, Leaving 14 In Quarantine
The National Reining Breeders Classic horse show in Tulsa, Okla., saw a positive case of equine herpesvirus late last week, according to Quarter Horse News and the Equine Disease Communication Center.
On April 17, a Quarter Horse was removed from show stabling and transferred to a nearby hospital due to progressing neurological symptoms. The horse, who was vaccinated for equine herpesvirus, was later euthanized. Oklahoma state officials got test results back on the impacted horse on the afternoon of April 20 and identified 14 horses that had direct exposure to the index case. Those horses were quarantined and isolated the same day, and will be released after at least 14 days and two negative tests that come at least a week apart.
The horses that shared the barn with the index horse received two doses of “an amniotic product to reduce viral shedding” and will have their temperatures monitored while they are quarantined.
Read our recent reporting on how an equine amnion product may be able to reduce the spread of EHV.
State animal health officials told Quarter Horse News the show had attracted horses from 22 different states, and as of Friday, they were in the process of contacting those states to determine whether those horses could go home under quarantine.
The show concluded on April 23.
Stay up to date with the latest information on this and other equine disease outbreaks via the Equine Disease Communication Center.
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Wanamaker’s and NYTB Partner Again for Online Sale
The New York Thoroughbred Breeders' Inc. (NYTB) is partnering again with the online Thoroughbred auction company Wanamaker's to provide a New York-bred horses of racing age sale. The auction has been set for Thursday, Jun. 8, two days before the 155th running of the GI Belmont S. at Belmont Park, Wanamakers announced on Monday.
Entries for the sale will close on May 30, and the catalogue will be released on May 31.
“We are thrilled to once again partner with Wanamaker's to give buyers and sellers the opportunity to market and purchase New York-bred horses of racing age ahead of the summer racing season in New York,” NYTB Executive Director Najja Thompson said. “Following last year's sale, we received an overwhelming amount of good feedback. Looking to improve on the format to the utmost benefit of buyers and sellers, our new sale date on Thursday, June 8 will allow purchasers the opportunity to take the utmost advantage of owning a New York-bred with our racing program and awards with the opportunity to compete during the remainder of the Spring/Summer meet at Belmont Park and the entire Saratoga Race Course season.”
Prospective buyers may browse the website to view pedigrees, pictures, and videos of each hip offered. In-person inspections
may be scheduled by contacting sellers with the information provided in the catalogue. The entry fee for the auction will be $300 and commissions will be 5% on sales and zero on RNAs. To enter a horse, go to the Wanamaker's website.
The post Wanamaker’s and NYTB Partner Again for Online Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Not In The Mood? Attitude And Under-Saddle Performance Linked
A horse that appears angry or unhappy in his stall may be trying to share that he's not really ready to be ridden. Horses in these moods often have choppier gaits and a negative attitude when working under saddle.
A study produced by scientists at the Universite de Tours in Nouzilly in France used 43 lesson horses to prove that improving a horse's overall welfare can improve his performance under saddle. The horses were used for advanced riding lessons in dressage, jumping, and eventing. They were ridden about six hours a week and turned out for only one hour each week in individual sand paddocks, reports EQUUS magazine.
The horses were observed in their stalls multiple times a day for six weeks and their behaviors were documented. The scientists were specifically looking for indicators that the horses were unhappy at being kept in a stall: aggression toward people, hypervigilance, stereotypic behaviors like cribbing or a depressive stance. The average number of observations for each horse was 90.8 over the six weeks.Â
The head riding instructor was then asked three questions about each horse, with which she was familiar. The questions focused on how each horse went under saddle: if it was fearful, anxious, uncomfortable, or reluctant to go forward.Â
The final phase of the study involved an expert rider working each horse in the same tack. The rider wore inertial sensors on her chest and lower back; the horse wore a sensor on the underside of his girth to measure torso movements.Â
The rider did not know the horses or the behaviors they had exhibited. The ride was filmed and an independent assessor noted the behaviors that might indicate a negative attitude: head shaking, tail swishing and bolting. They also noted each horse's overall demeanor.Â
The researchers analyzed the data and found correlations between behaviors that indicated negative emotions in the stall and under-saddle performance. More-aggressive horses had choppier gaits that also made the rider move more. Horses that were more withdrawn were more reluctant to move forward while being ridden.
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The scientists concluded that the horse's welfare, and emotions, are reflected in their way of going. Effort to improve a horse's welfare may reduce a horse's negativity and result in better under-saddle performances.Â
The team suggests that welfare changes may include more turnout and interaction with other horses.Â
Read more at EQUUS magazine.Â
The post Not In The Mood? Attitude And Under-Saddle Performance Linked appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
