HAT Chat Articles – March 2007
A word from our President
Spring
has sprung, along with a host of weather extremes! I hope you and your horses have survived the
challenges Mother Nature presented during the last month. Yet it seems to take
just one beautiful day to get horse folks enthused and excited about activities
or time spent with their horses!
Spring
is a time for renewal, a time for growth and change. Opportunities abound this season for anyone
desiring to learn more about horses. A plethora of choice events are coming up
from basic horsemanship, natural horsemanship, show preparation, dressage,
horse care, or even vaulting. HAT is
privileged to sponsor an Adult Horsemanship Series thanks to the generosity of
clinician Mick Clark. It’s a month where it would be fun to clone oneself in
order to attend every event. Be sure to look through the Events Calendar so you
don’t miss out! And watch for breaking news on another HAT clinic to be
announced soon!!
Speaking
of growth, in the last six months alone, HAT hosted two very successful
clinics, had the largest Futurity in years, booked up a third clinic well in
advance, and have the largest paid membership ever recorded for this time of
year. In addition, we’ve received a record number of youth scholarship
applications to date. Which reminds me, to remind any graduating seniors, you
still have time apply!
We
invite anyone interested in horses to join us. May you enjoy springtime with
your horse doing whatever it is you like best!
Adult Horsemanship Clinic Series
HAT is starting a six-part
Adult Horsemanship Clinic series with an initial session on Saturday, March 24th
from 1-3pm at the Grayson County Courthouse in
A flyer with complete details
on the series is printed on page 3 of this issue.
Registration is required to
attend this series. For more information, contact Donna Franus at (214)
789-2429 or e-mail dlfranus@aol.com.
HAT 2007 Show Season Begins In April
HAT’s 2007 show season kicks
off with our Spring Open Show on Saturday, April 21st at Loy Lake
Arena in
A showbill is provided in
this issue. Additional copies may also be downloaded and printed from the Showbills
page on the HAT website, www.hat-texoma.org. The online showbills this year
will be posted in Adobe PDF format, which will eliminate almost all of the
printing problems experienced in previous years. If you are unable to open the
online showbill, follow the link at the bottom of the Showbills page to get the
latest copy of the free Adobe Reader program for your computer.
We have tried very hard over
the years to make our shows both entertaining and affordable, and have been
very proud of the fact that we have not increased our show fees since HAT was
founded back in 2001. Unfortunately, our expenses have continued to grow, and
this year we will be increasing our fees for the very first time. The fee for
individual classes will now be $8, and the all-day fees will now be $45 for HAT
members and $55 for non-members. Our grounds fees have also increased to $6 per
person or $12 per group/family. These new fees are listed on the showbill.
With only three shows on our
schedule this year, we have also decided not to offer Year End High Point
awards. We will instead be increasing the value of the Daily High Point awards
given at each show.
We look forward to seeing
everyone at
State/Local
News
Texas Department of Agriculture Levies Fines in Brazos
Austin, TX (February 20) –
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) announced today that Brad Raphel and
Walter Cronin were found in violation of the state’s pesticides laws, and fines
have been levied against Raphel and Cronin following an incident in July 2006
at a Brazos County equestrian facility where 27 horses died.
Raphel was charged with five
violations of the state law. These were:
Each violation carried a fine
of $1,000; however, the Texas Agriculture Code limits the total fine to $4,000
for all violations related to a single incident.
In addition, Raphel received
a warning for failing to notify employees before fumigating the horse feed.
Cronin received a $1,000 fine
for failing to properly supervise the use of a restricted-use pesticide. He
also received a warning for failing to maintain records for the first time the
pesticide product was applied.
TDA also issued a warning to
Producers Co-op in
PhosFume, manufactured by
Douglas Products and Packaging, is registered by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency to control insects and rodents in various agricultural
products, including animal feed, in storage bins, grain elevators, warehouses
and railroad cars.
- - - - - - -
Hay and Grazing Hotline
Did you know the Texas
Department of Agriculture (TDA) operates a Hay and Grazing Hotline? This hotline
is provided by the TDA as a service to the agricultural industry to help in
locating forage and hay supplies. TDA in no way warrants or guarantees the
quality or availability of hay or pastures for leases that are offered by
individual suppliers. The list provided includes individuals and businesses who
have contacted TDA indicating that they have hay for sale or pasture for lease.
Livestock producers and
owners can call the Hay and Grazing Hotline toll free number 1-877-429-1998 to
request a list of hay suppliers, pasture for lease and/or transporters by fax,
e-mail or mail. You can also view the latest information at their website – go
to www.agr.state.tx.us and click on “Hay Hotline”.
To list hay for sale or
pasture for lease on the Hay and Grazing Hotline, call 1-877-429-1998. Include
your name, address, city, state, zip code, telephone number(s) and email
address, the county and state where hay is located, variety and type of hay and
if delivery can be arranged or if buyer needs to pick up hay. On pastures for
lease, include county and state, type of forage, how many head can be grazed,
available water supplies and any other pertinent information. The listings will
be posted for 60 days and can be renewed with notification.
National
News
Roy and
Gretchen Jackson Endow Chair for Equine Disease Research
A $3 million gift from Roy
and Gretchen Jackson, owners of Barbaro, will endow a chair in the name of Dean
W. Richardson at the
In acknowledging the gift,
Penn President Amy Gutmann said, “Gretchen and Roy Jackson have already done so
much for veterinary medicine through their commitment to giving Barbaro every
possible opportunity to recover from his catastrophic injuries. People throughout
the world now understand that veterinary medicine – and Penn veterinary
medicine in particular – shares in the advances that define today’s biomedical
science. Now, with this generous gift, Gretchen and Roy Jackson not only
promote continued progress, but they pay tribute to the doctor who, like them,
gave his heart to a magnificent horse.”
“This endowed chair,” said
Joan C. Hendricks, the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine, “is a strong
recognition of the power of translating fundamental scientific advances into
new real-world treatments. With a new faculty position dedicated to the study
of equine disease, we will be better positioned to fight deadly conditions like
laminitis.”
The endowed chair is the
cornerstone of a major new Penn Vet initiative to fight laminitis, which
afflicted Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro. Laminitis is a severe, painful
condition in horses that can be fatal. The laminitis initiative will foster
training programs and studies for new treatments of equine diseases.
“We are very pleased to make
this commitment in support of the
Roy and Gretchen Jackson have
a long and close connection with Penn and the
“I am deeply honored by this
generous and important gift,” said Richardson, chief of surgery at Penn’s
The Penn School of Veterinary
Medicine is a leader in the development of new treatments and technologies to
improve the health and care of both companion and large animals and is at the
forefront of training students and veterinarians in diagnosing, preventing and
curing animal diseases.
- - - - - - -
The summit is the first
national gathering of representatives from leading American communities
impacted by the equine industry. It is intended to begin a national dialog on
the future of American equine communities and their role in 21st century
agriculture, best practices and contemporary equine economic development.
Throughout the
“We are seeing more and more
communities with equine interests being challenged by creeping urbanization,
and other common issues such as managing growth of emerging equine commercial
interests along with juggling the interests of diversified residents now living
in rural areas,” said Libbie Johnson, an organizer for the event who is also a
member of the United States Pony Club Board of Governors and the Polk County
Economic Development Commission. “The time was right to bring these issues to
the table and give area economic developers, planners and those relying on the
horse economy some tools for moving forward.”
Kimberly Brown of
The conference attendees will
also be special guests at the 61st running of the Block House Steeplechase, one
of the more prominent steeplechase events in the southeast.
Legislative
Update
American
Horse Council Supports USDA Proposal for Permanent,
Privately-Owned Quarantine Facilities
Washington, DC (February 15) –
The American Horse Council (AHC) submitted comments supporting the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed rules that would permit the
establishment and operation of permanent, privately-owned quarantine
facilities.
The AHC has been calling for
the USDA to re-publish the rule proposal that was originally proposed more than
four years ago to respond to the need for more import facilities through
privately-operated stations.
“There are presently three
permanent facilities through which horses may be brought into the
“The need for additional
quarantine space has increased dramatically and more facilities are needed to
handle the additional commerce. Once rules are adopted, private industry can
step in under USDA requirements and fill that gap.”
In its comments, the AHC
expressed its support of the establishment of permanent, privately-owned
quarantine facilities and emphasized the need for Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service personnel to be present at privately-owned facilities and
that the establishment of permanent facilities has no affect on the temporary,
privately-owned quarantine facilities.
While supporting the
establishment of permanent, privately-owned quarantine facilities, the AHC
expresses concerns to USDA concerning the guidelines on deciding the distance
of a facility to a port of entry and the lack of requirements for a facility to
be at least one-half mile from any premises holding livestock or horses.
A complete copy of the AHC’s
comments to the USDA is available in the Health & Regulations section of
the AHC Web site at www.horsecouncil.org.
- - - - - - -
American Horse Council’s New and Improved Web Site an Essential Resource
Now, www.horsecouncil.org is
a true reflection of the important work the American Horse Council does every
day in
“The American Horse Council’s
web site is a vital tool for our individual and organizational members and the
industry as a whole,” said Jay Hickey, American Horse Council president. “It is
important for our members and the entire horse industry to stay informed on the
issues and know when and how to make a difference.”
With a clean and
easy-to-navigate design, the American Horse Council’s web site is a
user-friendly wealth of resources. Learn about how bills introduced in this new
110th Congress may impact your business or activities. Educate yourself by
learning what bills happened with the last Congress, what actions Congress took
and which bills passed.
Stay knowledgeable about what
federal regulations there are and those being developed that directly affect
the horse industry. There are also many equine health-related government
resources and issues discussed on the web site.
For those looking to become
more actively involved, www.horsecouncil.org is the place to learn who your
senators and representatives are and how to contact them, along with tips on
getting your message across. Additional resources include pertinent information
on the bills and how to join the American Horse Council’s Congressional Cavalry
grassroots program.
In addition to all of the new
features and resources on www.horsecouncil.org, soon American Horse Council
members will have their own section of the web site where they can find even
more information and features.
Be sure to visit
www.horsecouncil.org to see our new look and find out more about the work of
the American Horse Council.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
As the national trade association
representing the horse industry in
The AHC is member supported by
individuals and organizations representing virtually every facet of the horse
world from owners, breeders, veterinarians, farriers, breed registries and
horsemen's associations to horse shows, race tracks, rodeos, commercial
suppliers and state horse councils.
Saddlebound
4-H News
Updates from the February
12th meeting:
We all had a GREAT time on
the trail ride at Platter Flats on Sunday. A perfect day for riding!
Quiz bowl meeting 2/22 7 pm
at Donna’s in Van Alstyne
Record book meeting 2/24 10
a.m. at Donna’s.
All ads for the horse show books
are due at the next Saddlebound meeting March 12th! AAAAHHHH we need to get selling!!
The next meeting will be at
Loy Lake Arena. This is Spring Break week so bring your horses! The meeting
starts at 7pm, the gates will be open at 5:30 for riding.
3/1 HAT meeting 7pm – program
topic is “A Judge’s Point of View” in the show ring
3/10 mock show at Loy Lake
Arena
3/11-trail ride - call
Shelley Pedersen for info.
3/12 Saddlebound meeting 7 pm
3/24 adult clinic put on by
HAT – call Donna for info.
4/6 7 pm - plan to
prepare/clean up the Loy Lake Arena if needed
4/7 4-H Saddlebound horse
show
4/21 HAT horse show
4/28 Zoo Snooze – register
with Nancy Coffman now!
6/1 and 2
6/9 free youth clinic put on
by HAT
Call me if you have any
questions 214-789-2429.
Donna Franus
Saddlebound Manager
Extension
Service News
by Eddie Baggs,
CEA-Agriculture
Pasture Drought Recovery
Spring
is on its way and many producers will be seriously thinking about
re-establishing or improving permanent pastures. Many bermudagrass pastures are
over grazed and the only thing to do is start over, or try to bring back fields
that have some hope of recovery. Establishment of pasture is not cheap, but it
will always be cheaper than feeding out of a bag or purchasing hay. However,
with the cost of fertilizer at $350/ton (and rising) and fuel at $2.50/gal, not
to mention seed and herbicide cost, the expense of establishment sure provides
an incentive to “do it right the first time”.
This
will mean starting with a smooth, firm and weed-free, moist and fertile seed
bed. You must think of grass as a crop to get the most out of improved
pastures. Initial tillage could include moldboard plowing, heavy disking with
an offset disk, chiseling, or sub-soiling. In many cases, heavy plow work may
already be too late, especially if you are trying to over-come a hardpan or
other serious structural problem. The soil should be worked with a disk no
matter how you initially open it up, to eliminate trash and reduce clod size.
The seed bed should be firm and free of clods but not fluffy. A rain should
settle the soil nicely after working, or you may use some sort of weighted roller
or cultipacker to establish the desirable seed bed for sprigs or seed.
Fertility
is a very important part of pasture establishment and a soil test is strongly
encouraged to start off right. It will be important to start with a complete
fertilizer based on the recommendations for the root zone. A complete
fertilizer contains Nitrogen (N) - Phosphorus (P) - and Potassium (K). Both P
and K are fairly immobile in the soil and will probably need to be applied
since rain will not get them where they need to be by the time the grass is
growing. Nitrogen can be top-dressed and will move down into the soil when
needed and the producer should plan on always applying it in split applications
since it is used quickly and may leach. The demand for nitrogen will increase
as the pasture matures.
Improved
pasture to most folks means hybrid bermudagrass like Coastal or Tifton 85.
These grass plants do not produce seed and therefore, must be planted by sprigs
or tops. There is seeded bermudagrass such as common, Giant and Wrangler
Sungrazer available. All should be planted in early spring. The hybrid grasses
will offer a jump in quality and possibly quantity. However, the seeded
bermudas are not far behind. The native grasses will be another step down in
quality but offer producers another option with less management and maintenance
expense.
Educational programs conducted by the
A Bit of Humor
Who Can Open the
Gate?
This story
takes you to a big pasture, filled with a lovely bunch of horses. A question
has just been asked amid the herd. Let’s listen in on the conversation among
the many breeds of horses.
“Who can open the gate?”
Lipizzaner:
No need for opening it! When are you all going to learn how to fly?!!
Thoroughbred:
I don’t want to mess with that gate and I am too scared of flying! I will just
jump over it and leave you all behind.
Paint: Yeah,
what he said! Na Na Na Na Na Na!
Palomino:
Forget it. Count me out. I am not taking any chances of messing up my chrome!
Arabian:
You’ll have to get somebody else to do it. I’m not messin’ up my nails for no
one!
Quarter Horse:
Maybe if I push on it with my big buns, I could open it!
Standardbred:
Pity on all of you. I’ll figure it out, just give me some time.
Polo Pony:
Wait just a minute, let me get my stick and give it a few bloody whacks!
Shetland:
Let me at it. I’ll break the stupid thing! Then you all can get out of my face.
Mule: Oh,
let’s just pack it in and call it a day.
Saddlebred:
Now, now. I’ll open it, if someone could help me with my shoes?
Friesian:
I’ll do it! Do you think it will mess up my hair? I always have such good hair
days.
Mustang: Heck
with opening it, how about I just run the whole darn fence over?
Belgian:
Step back! You all aren’t strong enough to do it. I’ll do it. Oh, but what if I
break it?
Morgan:
There, there. I’ll do it for you. No need to have such a big fit. Peace be with
all of you. Is there anything else I could do for you after I get done with the
gate?
Appaloosa:
Oh, hush all of you! Ya big bunch of sissies. No one is leaving till I say so!
Percheron: I
have already opened the gate while you all have been arguing! I even went down
the next row and opened all the other gates. So it will be awhile before I have
to listen to all of you argue again!
Ask The Vet
by Dr. Katie Hayes, DVM
My associate, Dr. Theresa
Chappell, went to an Intervet meeting where they presented their Mare/Foal
computer program and information about the Rhino/EHV (Equine Herpes Virus)
outbreaks.
Intervet Mare/Foal Computer Program
Intervet has come out with a
new website, which you can access on your home computer. The program is
designed to help with broodmare and foal care. It has a lot of useful
information about deworming, vaccinating and nutrition. For example, you can
enter a mare’s breeding date and it will give you a chart which tells when your
mare is due to foal and when to vaccinate and deworm. It will also give you a
chart for your new foal; enter its birth date, and it will tell you when to
vaccinate and deworm. There are several other useful charts such as
immunization records, farrier records and foal growth charts. As a service for
our clients, we will send out the mare and foal charts as soon as we get the
breeding and foaling dates. Go to www.Foalcare.com and check out all the useful
information. You may want to put it as one of your favorites on your computer.
If you need any help just call the office.
EHV (Rhino) Update
Equine Herpes Virus (EHV),
also called Rhino, is a virus of horses that can cause a variety of disease
processes ranging from mild respiratory disease to abortion to deadly
neurological disease. Most Rhino infections are caused by EHV-4, which
manifests as a respiratory disease normally seen in young training age animals.
Another form of the disease is caused by EHV-1 which causes respiratory
symptoms but can also cause abortion in pregnant mares, and a mutated EHV-1
virus that causes severe neurological syndrome that can be fatal.
Over 80% of the horse
population is latently infected, which means that they harbor the virus in
their bodies without signs of illness; foals can become infected as early as
one week old. When stress occurs, the virus can cause illness in a horse
without exposure to another infected animal. Broodmares, horses in training,
being transported, and horses on the show or competition circuit are the most
susceptible to stress and therefore are the most likely to develop symptoms of
Rhino. Broodmares can abort, even late term, foals can be born sick and die
soon after birth, horses in training may become ill with a high fever, snotty
nose, and cough. In rare cases horses may develop neurological signs such as
the inability to urinate, decreased tail tone, weakness, and inability to rise.
Control of EHV is aimed at
vaccination and quarantine. All horses should be vaccinated for Rhino annually,
those at high risk should be vaccinated every 3-4 months with Rhinomune,
Pneumabort K, or Prodigy which have shown in studies to produce the best
protection. The vaccination not only prevents further infection from exposure
to infected horses, it also helps to prevent illness in horses that are
latently infected and decreases the chances that they will be able to infect
other horses. Pregnant mares should be vaccinated with Pneumabort K or Prodigy
at 5, 7, and 9 months to prevent abortion.
New arrivals to farms should
be quarantined, with no nose-to-nose contact, and their temperature should be
monitored daily. Infected horses will have a fever (>102° F) before they become ill with Rhino and before they
can infect other horses. Any horse with a fever should be quarantined away from
contact with other horses. Young horses are more likely to be capable to
spreading the virus, so they should not be housed or have over the fence
contact with pregnant mares.
The neurological form of
EHV-1 is thought to be caused by a mutant strain, or a strain that is
genetically slightly different than the original virus. This is the virus that
has caused the quarantine of farms in
Recipe of the Month
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Vegetables Servings: 10
|
|
|
Sauce: |
|
|
2-1/2 lbs |
medium new potatoes (about 8), cut in half |
1 tbsp |
cornstarch |
|
2 cups |
baby-cut carrots |
2 tbsp |
cold water |
|
1 cup |
frozen small whole onions, thawed |
|
|
|
1 |
corned beef brisket (3 to 3-1/2 lbs) |
|
|
|
1/8 tsp |
pepper |
|
|
|
1/2 cup |
water |
|
|
|
1 tbsp |
Worcestershire sauce |
|
|
·
Combine potatoes,
carrots, and onions in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.
·
Rinse corned beef
thoroughly, and discard seasoning packet. Place meat on top of vegetables in
slow cooker, and sprinkle with pepper. Combine water and Worcestershire sauce
and pour over meat.
·
Cover and cook on
low heat for 8 to 9 hours, or until meat and vegetables are tender.
·
Remove meat and
vegetables from slow cooker, and cover to keep warm. Pour juices from slow
cooker into a 1-quart saucepan and heat to boiling. Mix cornstarch and cold
water until smooth, then stir into juices. Continue to cook, stirring
constantly, until sauce thickens. Serve sauce with the meat and vegetables.
Optional: cut up a small head
of cabbage into six wedges and place on top of the corned beef before cooking.