Tag: Horse Care

An ongoing outbreak of vesicular stomatitis continues to grow in Southern California, with the most recent update from federal veterinary services officials tallying a total of 57 premises under quarantine across four counties.

Vesicular stomatitis is a viral disease that impacts multiple breeds of livestock and is transmitted mostly by biting insects. It's endemic in Central America and is mainly carried to the U.S. through black flies, sand flies, and biting midges. It can also be transmitted horse to horse or through shared water sources and equipment. The disease is characterized by blistery lesions on the nose, mouth, ears, or coronary bands, which are painful and may reduce a horse's appetite or cause lameness. Most cases resolve on their own, but old and vulnerable animals can struggle with it, and it can be passed to humans in some circumstances.

The best strategy for prevention, according to the USDA, is good insect control as well as quarantine policies for new horses arriving to a facility. There are vaccines in development for vesicular stomatitis, but none have been federally-approved for use in horses yet.

In 2019 and 2020 the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Service dealt with large-scale outbreaks. The 2019 outbreak was the largest in four decades and included 1, 144 facilities across eight states. An outbreak in 2020 reached 326 premises in eight states.

The current outbreak is impacting facilities in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties and started in an 11-year-old Quarter Horse mare. Facilities that have positive cases are placed under state quarantine until two weeks after the appearance of lesions from the last impacted animal.

Besides its impacts on animal health, vesicular stomatitis is problematic because it limits movement of both horses and cattle and can have a ripple effect on equine events which take place around the same time of year that vector insects are most active.

Stay informed on the California outbreak via the Equine Disease Communications Center or through the USDA's page for vesicular stomatitis.

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Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, Ky., is pleased to announce the arrival of 2014 Travers Stakes (G1) winner V. E. Day to the farm.

A chestnut son of English Channel–California Sunset, by Deputy Minister, V. E. Day came to Old Friends following the death of his owner-breeder Magalen O. Bryant in 2021. Bryant's representative, Johnathan Miller, and her daughter, K. C. Graham, visited Old Friends earlier this year when it was decided the stallion would retire from stud duty.

“V. E. Day was a courageous Travers winner and we inquired about his post-breeding career last year,” said Michael Blowen, president and founder of Old Friends. “We're very excited that his owner trusts us with her magnificent chestnut.”

Foaled in Kentucky on April 21, 2011, V. E. Day was trained by James Jerkens for Bryant his entire American racing career.

As a 3-year old in 2014, V. E. Day got his first career win his third time out in a maiden special weight race at Belmont Park on May 10, which turned out to be the start of a four-race win streak. In his next race, he won an allowance race at Belmont Park on July 2, followed by a win in the Curlin Stakes (Black Type) at Saratoga on July 25 for his first stakes win.

Then, next time out, he scored the signature victory of his career when he won the 145th running of the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 23. In the race, he defeated Wicked Strong by nose for his first Grade 1 win.

Later that year, he finished 11th in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.

He returned in 2015 as a 5-year old, but had no wins. However, he did have two second-place finishes, both at Belmont, which came in the Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (G2) on June 6, and in the Temperence Hill Invitational Stakes (Black Type) on Sept 12.

He was then sent to France in 2016 as a 6-year old and had three third-place finishes in four starts. The first two came at Clairefontaine-deauville on July 7 and Aug. 12, and the last came at Le Croise-laroche on Nov. 19,

Following that race V. E. Day, who had won on both turf and dirt in his career, was retired with four wins, three seconds, three thirds, and $1,044,061 in earnings in 17 career starts.

During his stud career, he stood at Waldorf Farm in New York, Lovacres Ranch near Warner Springs, Calif., and Buck Pond Farm in Versailles, before being pensioned and sent to Old Friends for his retirement.

The post Old Friends: Travers Winner V. E. Day Retired From Stud Duty, Arrives At Retirement Farm appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Horses with skin wounds that were treated with an autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) gel healed more quickly and had a reduced risk of infection and sepsis than horses with wounds not treated with the gel, reports The Horse. 

Horses with wounds that aren't addressed quickly and effectively can have their lesions become chronic; these wounds can become infected and lead to sepsis, which can be life threatening.

Dr. Muhammad Talha Sajjad, with the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Punjab, Pakistan, showed that using PRP gel, which uses platelets obtained from the horse's own blood, can speed healing. He noted that platelets contain polypeptides, which have long amino acid chains that provide a rich source of growth factors involved in wound healing.

PRP gel has no side effects and can easily be used in the field. 

Sajjad and a research team applied PRP gel to chronic wounds on 10 rescue horses that were between 5 and 10 years old. A control group of horses of similar age were treated with sterile saline.

They then evaluated the gel and the saline treatment using ultrasonography and cytokeratin staining, which identifies the extent of blood vessel and skin cell redevelopment. The horses were assessed on days 8, 40 and 60. On days 40 and 60, significant wound healing was seen in the horses that had had PRP gel applied to their wounds. 

The scientists then evaluated how PRP gel made from blood donors healed chronic cutaneous wounds in donkeys. They again had a control group.

Donkeys treated with autologous PRP gel had wounds with more new blood vessels and increased fibroblasts compared to the control group. Healing occurred in a relatively short period of time, Sajjad noted.

Sajjad added that PRP gel use on chronic wounds like burns could be beneficial as those wounds leave the horses at higher risk of wound infection and sepsis. PRP gel is a cost-effective modality to accelerate wound healing by promoting wound contraction and collagen fiber stabilization, which can reduce risk of sepsis and infection, he concluded. 

Read more at The Horse. 

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In its 20th year since inception, the New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show Presented by Heider Family Stables raised more than $175,000. All proceeds from the show go directly to support New Vocations' efforts to rehab, retrain and rehome retiring racehorses.

Held at Highfields Event Center in Aiken, SC, New Vocations' 20th Annual show brought together over 150 retired Thoroughbred racehorses from nine states, showcasing the versatility of the breed. Both familiar faces and new, excited exhibitors competed in a variety of classes including dressage, hunter, jumper, in-hand, western and pleasure.

“To say we like to support New Vocations and their work with retired racehorses would be a big understatement. Seeing these beautiful animals repurposed is the right and responsible next step. To the dedicated New Vocations staff and all the volunteers, we say a heartfelt “thank you” for your amazing work. We're already looking forward to next year's Charity Show,” shared Scott & Cindy Heider, Heider Family Stables.

“I'll never forget our first show two decades ago, which was the first of its kind. It's been wonderful to see the event grow and play a large role in our efforts to spotlight the Thoroughbred's versatility while raising much needed funds for our program,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director. “We are very grateful for the continued support from our sponsors, many of which are Thoroughbred owners, breeders and industry organizations. It is through their support that we are able to put on such a first class show year after year.”

Show highlights included:

● Reclaiming their title, the winner of the Open Hunter Derby was Atticus, shown again by Mandy Lynch. Registered with The Jockey Club as Sir Hector, this 2003 Indiana-bred gelding by Bates Motel had two starts in his racing career.

● Winner of the Open Jumper Stake was Sky Full of Stars, shown by Brayden Gault. Registered with The Jockey Club as Platinum of Course, this 2014 Florida-bred mare by Awesome of Course had five starts in her racing career.

● Winner of the War Horse In-Hand class, with Mind Magic shown by Julie Goodell. The 2012 New York-bred gelding by Freud had 58 starts in his racing career and $107,817 in earnings.

At the show's exhibitor party, New Vocations also presented several special awards recognizing the following entrants:

● The youngest Thoroughbred competing (Keen Not Mean foaled March 19, 2020)

● The oldest Thoroughbred competing (Bold Esteta foaled March 22, 1994)

● The Thoroughbred who sold for the highest price at auction (New Vocations Graduate: Diamond Bachelor, $570,000)

● The Thoroughbred with the most career starts (Pharaoh's City, 80 starts)

● The Thoroughbred with the highest earnings (Gottcha Gold earning $933,570)

● The most recently raced Thoroughbred (New Vocations Graduate: Igottahaveit, 1/21/2023)

New Vocations is already gearing up for the 2024 All-Thoroughbred Horse Show. Dates and additional details will be available at newvocations.org/events and on New Vocations' social media channels as they become available.

About New Vocations: Founded in 1992, New Vocations has grown into the largest racehorse adoption charity in the country. Its mission to rehabilitate, retrain and rehome retired racehorses has led to the placement of over 8,500 retiring Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds in experienced, loving homes since 1992. With nine facilities in six states, New Vocations works directly with racing owners and trainers seeking aftercare options to serve more than 550 retiring racehorses each year. Learn more at newvocations.org.

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