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TAA Announces 2023 Calendar Photo Contest Winners

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) hosted its Second Annual Calendar Photo Contest from April 5 until June 11, 2022. Twelve winning photos were chosen to be featured in the 2023 TAA calendar.

Contestants had the opportunity to win the top prize of a Tipperary 9800 Devon with MIPS helmet, sponsored by Tipperary. The top 12 winners received a TAA swag bag and copy of the 2023 calendar.

The first-place submission, which is also featured on the cover of the 2023 TAA Calendar, was won by Erin Degnan and her adopted off-track Thoroughbred Cackle the Cuda, courtesy of John Miller, Spectrum Photography. Cackle the Cuda made 43 starts before retiring from racing with a record of 8-11-6 and earnings of $118,790. Now this Kentucky-bred warhorse is enjoying a life of competitive trail and endurance riding. TAA-accredited After the Races began retraining Cackle the Cuda for a second career after racing, before placing him for adoption which ultimately led the son of Candy Ride (ARG) to Degnan.

The 12 photographs chosen for the 2023 calendar photo contest are as follows:

“Caribbean Meets Cowboy” by Chelsey Burris – TAA-accredited Organization: Friends of Ferdinand
“Cackle the Cuda” by Erin Degnan (Photo by: John Miller of Spectrum Photography) – TAA-accredited Organization: After the Races
“Hard Work Working Hard” by Natalie DePinto (Photo by: AK Dragoo Photography) – TAA-accredited Organization: Thoroughbred Placement Resources
“Cyrus Looks to The Future” by Robin Doniger – TAA-accredited Organization: Equine Rescue and Adoption Foundation
“Just A Girl and Her Heart Horse” by Lyndsy McLendon – TAA-accredited Organization: Equine Rescue of Aiken
“Three Bears” by Anita Motion – TAA-accredited Organization: Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
“Peekaboo, I see you!” by Sarah Mowat – TAA-accredited Organization: Illinois Equine Humane Center
“Learning Something New” by Natasha Roberson – TAA-accredited Organization: Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare
“Let's Rumble” by Courtney VanErstvelde (Photo by: Jessika Lester Photography) – TAA-accredited Organization: After the Races
“Winter Walks” by Justine Watson (Photo by: Glenn Watson) – TAA-accredited Organization: After the Races
“Playing in the Pond” by CJ Wilson (Photo by: Philip Martin) – TAA-accredited Organization: Win Place Home
“Splish Splash” by Wendy Wooley – TAA-accredited Organization: Secretariat Center

For the second consecutive year, the TAA calendar is sponsored by Repole Stable.

“The TAA is an awesome organization that we are always thrilled to support,” said Mike Repole. “Their calendar is a great way to show off what our amazing Thoroughbreds can do off the track.”

“Congratulations to all our Photo Contest winners, and thank you to everyone who entered,” said TAA Office Manager, Catherine Flowers. “We received many wonderful photos of Thoroughbreds excelling in their second careers, and we look forward to sharing these photos and stories with TAA supporters and donors. Thank you also to our generous sponsors Tipperary and Repole Stable for enabling us to put on this fun contest and produce this beautiful calendar for the second year.”

The 2023 TAA Calendar is now available for pre-order. Every $20 donation to the TAA is eligible to receive a calendar upon request. Calendars will begin shipping in November. To preorder the 2023 TAA Calendar, visit thoroughbredaftercare.org/donation_now

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Kentucky Equine Education Project To Host Horse Industry Advocacy Event Sept. 6

The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) will host a horse industry advocacy event at Midway University on Sept. 6, from 5-7 p.m.

All participants in Kentucky's signature horse industry are invited to attend to learn about legislative issues that can impact their equine business, how to engage in the legislative process, and how to best communicate with lawmakers.

In addition to representatives from KEEP and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, speakers will include Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, Senate Minority Caucus Chair Reggie Thomas, and Representative Matt Koch.

Candidates for contested open legislative seats are also invited to provide them with an opportunity to meet with horse industry participants and to learn about the industry and its $6.5 billion annual economic impact on the Commonwealth.

Individuals interested in attending the event should RSVP to Brittany Bell at brittany@horseswork.com

About KEEP

The Kentucky Equine Education Project, Kentucky's equine economic advocate, is a not-for-profit grassroots organization created in 2004 to preserve, promote and protect Kentucky's signature multi-breed horse industry. KEEP is committed to ensuring Kentucky remains the horse capital of the world, including educating Kentuckians and elected officials of the importance of the horse industry to the state. KEEP was the driving force in the establishment of the Kentucky Breeders Incentive Fund, which has paid out more than $177 million to Kentucky breeders since its inception in 2006, and pari-mutuel wagering on historical horse racing, which has been responsible for more than $40 million to purses and more than $24 million to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

KEEP works to strengthen the horse economy in Kentucky through our statewide network of citizen advocates. To learn more about how you can become a member or support our work, please visit www.horseswork.com.

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Lactating Mares In Work Require Adequate Nutrition, Appropriate Water Intake

Though some broodmares have a singular job, to produce foals, other mares with a foal at their side are still expected to partake in another job, often as a riding horse.

One concern is when the mare is ready to go back to work after giving birth. A mare who had a “routine” delivery with no complications is ready to go back to work in six to eight weeks, reports The Horse. If the delivery had any complications, the return to riding could take far longer. Mare owners are encouraged to consult with their veterinarian regarding a return-to-riding timeline.

When the mare returns to under saddle work, she will need to be given an opportunity to build back her muscular and aerobic fitness. If the mare's condition was good before returning to under-saddle work, lots of walking and slow trot work won't change her nutrient needs much.

However, if she was underweight before going back to work, she will need additional calories in the form of a commercial broodmare feed. If the mare is being fed properly and is still underweight, a call to an equine nutritionist is warranted.

Proper hydration is an often-overlooked component of a broodmare's diet. To produce adequate milk, a lactating mare will need to drink 50 to 80 percent more water than other adult horses. A mare that is being ridden, and possibly sweating, will need to drink even more water, possibly as much as 20 to 30 gallons of water a day.

Missouri Offering Loan Forgiveness To Combat Large-Animal Vet Crisis

The lack of large-animal veterinarians – particularly in rural areas of the United States — is rapidly reaching a crisis point. Currently, 46 states have veterinary shortages. While many strategies are being employed to help encourage graduating veterinarians to consider jobs in a large-animal practice, few are having resounding success.

One strategy working well in Missouri is the alleviation of student loans for those veterinary students who plan to focus on large animals. In 2007, the Missouri General Assembly created the Large Animal Veterinary Student Loan Program which forgives up to $20,000 a year in loan payments for a maximum of four years if the graduate works with large animals in Missouri. Thus far, the Missouri Department of Agriculture has awarded nearly $1.5 million in loan forgiveness to 46 students.

Student debt is one of the biggest barriers for students considering veterinary school; large animal veterinarians often make significantly less money than their small-animal counterparts, making it even harder to recruit and retain large-animal vets.

Two Missouri-based female recipients of the Missouri loan alleviation program explained how the debt-repayment program has assisted them:

Sonja Perry of the Bowling Green (Missouri) Vet Clinic, was able to make a down payment to become a co-owner in the clinic she works for, something that would have been impossible if she were still paying down her student loans.

Katelyn Bischof received the grant in her fourth year of veterinary school, when she was uncertain if she would remain in state to work. Since graduating in 2020, she has worked at the Hermann Veterinary Clinic, where at least 50 percent of her work is with large animals. The loan repayment program allowed her to accept the lower salary of a large-animal veterinarian and still pay back her student loans. Bischof's one year of loan forgiveness covered over 15 percent of her debt.

Though loan repayment is only one piece of the rural veterinarian crisis puzzle, it's an important one to address. Additional issues include work-life balance, client expectations, and workload.