Life in the Contaminated Zone: Farriers Have to Play by the Rules in Australia

In order to keep horses shod and keep farriers working during the Equine Influenza (EI) epidemic in Australia's states of New South Wales and Queensland, the Master Farriers Association of New South Wales is now working under these rules:

1. Farriers who service race horses on a race course are not to service any other horse off that race course.
2. Farriers who shoe off a race course are not to service any race course.
3. Farriers who shoe pleasure horses are not to shoe any race horse
4. Farriers who shoe race horses are not to shoe pleasure horses.

These directives will remain indefinitely until further notice; legal action will be taken if these directives are not adhered to.

A new outbreak in a former "green" (uninfected) zone near the border between New South Wales and Victoria ups the risk of the disease spreading into the southern state, which is holding its breath with one of the world's greatest stakes races, the Melbourne Cup, coming up in early November. Equitana in Victoria has been cancelled for next month and the Royal Melbourne Show went on without a horse show last month.

Invitation: Chris Pollitt Lecture and AHF Fundraiser in Missouri October 20th

You are cordially invited to attend a
Laminitis Lecture, Auction and Dinner Party
to benefit
The Animal Health Foundation's Laminitis Research Fund

Saturday, October 20, 2007
4:00-10:00 P.M.

Purina Mills Conference Center
Gray Summit, Missouri (near St. Louis)

4:00 Lecture by Dr. Chris Pollitt, Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit,
University of Queensland, Australia
6:00 Cocktails, silent auction opens
7:30 Dinner
8:30 Oral mini-auction
9:00 Special Presentation
9:30 Auction Checkout

Casual Attire
Tickets $100 Each
RESERVATION DEADLINE OCTOBER 10.

"Let's Help Free the Horse of Laminitis"

About the Animal Health Foundation Mission: The Animal Health Foundation is a not-for-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to the study of Equine Laminitis (founder). Finding the cause and developing a prevention of Laminitis has been the goal of the Animal Health Foundation since 1984. The Animal Health Foundation has been supporting Dr. Pollitt's research since 1995, as well as the research of innovative experts like Kathryn Watts of www.Safergrass.org.

Note: The AHF is Dr. Pollitt's sole source of research support from the USA. He is coming to America with great new research findings that should lead to new advances in preventing and treating laminitis. Many of his new findings have been made possible by financial support provided by small and large donations from individuals received through the AHF.

Donations to the AHF go directly to laminitis research.

Click on this link to download complete invitation with RSVP card and directions to Purina site: AHFinvitation.doc

AFA Offers Free Convention Registration to Australian Farriers Impacted by EI Epidemic

This just in, related to the plight of Australian farriers in Queensland and New South Wales who are impacted by the Equine Influenza epidemic:

"Our heartfelt well wishes go out to the Australian equine community during this trying time. In order to help our fellow farriers and Australian members during this time, the AFA's Board of Directors has voted to waive registration fees for up to twenty Australian farriers choosing to attend the AFA's 2008 Annual Convention in Lexington, KY."

For more information about the American Farrier's Association, call (859) 233-7411, or go to www.NoFootNoHorse.org on the Internet.

Did You Know: A Farrier Bred and Raised the Legendary Racehorse "Refrigerator"

Recent news from the American Quarter Horse Association piqued my interest in a runner named Refrigerator. He was the first Quarter horse to break the $2 million earnings ceiling and his owners recently set up a fund in his memory to raise money for traumatic head injuries in horses. I'm not sure exactly how the gelding died, but apparently it was some sort of an accident.

Trying to find out how he died led me to one of my journalist colleagues. Sally Harrison covers the western performance scene the same way I cover the hoof scene, and I knew she would have the scoop on Refrigerator.

Little did I know what I had stumbled upon! It turns out that this icon of Quarter horse racing was bred and raised by farrier Sonny Vaughn of Oklahoma. He bartered his farrier services for the stud fee. Sally has resurrected some of her archive on Sonny and Refrigerator and created a new Refrigerator post on her excellent blog so that the farrier angle on the new AQHA fund could be known, once and for all.

Barbaro on Broadway? Tongue-in-cheek Web Report Brings Chuckles and Frowns

The never-ending stream of tributes to the world's most famous deceased racehorse has a late entry: news that actor Brad Pitt plans to direct and star in a Broadway musical based on the Kentucky Derby winner's life and death, with music by Elton John.

"I want to do this for all the people whose lives have been touched by this magnificent horse," said Mr. Pitt, "for all the children who go to bed at night snug in their Barbaro pajamas; for all the teenagers with Barbaro ringtones and tattoos; and for all the middle-age women, whether they used to ride English or western, who have turned their homes into Barbaro shrines."

Waaaaiiiitttt a minute.

Test your sense of humor by a read of this blog post by racing writer Phil Maggitti.

Besides, we all know that Brad Pitt is holding out for the Scott Morrison cameo role in the movie.

Host Hotel Sold Out for November's Lamintiis Conference in Palm Beach

If you are planning to attend the Fourth International Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot in Palm Beach in November, please note that it may not be possible for you to stay ath e host hotel, which is the West Palm Beach Marriott.

Additional rooms for conference participants are available at the Crowne Plaza West Palm Beach. The Crowne Plaza has extended the deadline for the discounted room rate until next week.

Please call 561-689-6400 for Crowne Plaza reservations and reference "Laminitis Conference"; shuttle buses will be available to take attendees back and forth to the convention center, so you should not need to rent a car.

Both the Marriott and the Crowne Plaza are close to the airport.

2008 American Farrier's Association Speakers Announced

AFA Convention Chairman Greg Johnson has sent along a list of speakers for the upcoming 2008 AFA Convention in Lexington, Kentucky.

This is a tentative list but should give farriers an idea of the types of presentations available: Chuck Jones, CJF (Farrier Rood & Riddle) “Shoeing the Sport Horse”; Chris Gregory, CJF, FWCF “Strategies for Passing Practical Certification Exams’; Eddie Williams, “Shoeing the Saddlebred”; Mitch Taylor, CJF “High Speed Video of Track Surfaces and Their Relationship to Toe Grabs”; Al Kane PhD, DVM, MPVM “Toe Grabs and the Effect on Race Horses”; Robert Hunt DVM “ Limb Corrections in the Juvenile Horse and the Associated Farriery Techniques”; Richelle Hochstatter, “Pros and Cons of an S Corporation and LLC, When & How”; Allie Hayes CF, “Anatomy Discussion Labs”; Charlie Helton, “ Ornamental Blacksmithing Demonstration”; AFA Certification Hands On; USDA Representative “Infectious Disease & The Relation to Farriers”; Scott Morrison DVM, TBA; Walt Taylor CF, “Professionalism in Farrier Practice”; and Brad Newman DVM, ”Acute Stage Laminitis Therapy”.

Other presentations include Round Table Discussion on Toe Grabs (Mitch Taylor, Al Kane, Steve Norman, & Thoroughbred Trainer to be announced; Buck McColl-Mini Lecture on “Nutrition”; John McNerney CJF Mini Lecture on “Tool Maintenance”; Tom Trosin CF, “How Not to Run a Farrier Business”; Horseman’s Day (Inviting owners, and trainers for Lexington Area).

For more information visit, the American Farrier's Association web site.

Convention dates are February 26 to March 1, 2008; the hosting chapter is the Bluegrass Horseshoers Association.

Today In History

The undefeated 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew defeated 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed in an historic race that pitted two Triple Crown winners against each other. Those were the days!

September 16, 1978:

For the first time in history, two Triple Crown winners met in a race, the Marlboro Cup at Belmont Park. Seattle Slew, the 1977 Triple Crown winner, defeated Affirmed, the 1978 Triple Crown winner, by three lengths.

Whenever I see this photo of Seattle Slew, I'm impressed with his running style. In 1992, his son A.O. Indy would chug down the lane at Belmont Park with that same yeoman-like stride. as the forelegs came down and the hooves disappeared into the track cushion, they seemed to pull the head down too. But I think something much more subtle was going on, and these colts used their necks and heads as either another pulling body part or as a balance aid, like a gyroscope. The colt Lure ran that way too a few years after A.P. Indy and I think I saw a little bit of it in Rags to Riches, who is the daughter of A.P. Indy. How sad that the announcement of her broken ankle would come on the day of her grandfather's great triumph.

(Thanks to the NTRA and to Patrick Kerrigan of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance for reminding me of that amazing race! )

Pastern Fracture Sidelines Rags to Riches; Filly Won't Run Again This Year

Rags to Riches in her stall at Saratoga in August.
Photo © Fran Jurga/www.hoofcare.com

Belmont Stakes winner Rags To Riches suffered a hairline fracture to her right front pastern during the running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Gazelle Stakes at Belmont Park yesterday. The filly finished second to Lear's Princess.

Here's the statement from her trainer, Todd Pletcher:

“The injury is not career ending, and she is expected to make a full recovery. It appears as though she sustained the injury during the stretch run. When she switched to the right lead, she came off the bridle and lugged in a bit. Though she cooled out fine following the race she appeared to be slightly off this morning. Subsequent x-rays discovered the hairline fracture. She is resting comfortably and will ship to Ashford Stud tomorrow where she will receive six weeks of stall rest to give the fracture time to heal. At the conclusion of her convalescence she will be re-x-rayed to determine when she will resume training. She will not race again until 2008."

Yesterday’s running of the Gazelle was the filly’s first race since her historic win over Preakness winner Curlin in the Belmont Stakes, June 9. That win catapulted her into the history books, as she became one of only three fillies to win the coveted “Test of the Champion” and the first to do so in 102 years.

Thanks to the NTRA and Kelly Wietsma of Todd Pletcher Racing for help with this post.

Dr. Chris Pollitt Video of Equine Influenza Symptoms at Australian Quarantine Encampment

Dr. Chris Pollitt of the University of Queensland's Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit took camera in hand on his rounds of the sick horses quarantined at the scene an FEI Eventing World Cup qualifier in Warwick, Queensland.

Dr. Pollitt's daughter Jane was to have ridden in the event; her Australian stock horse Washington is the fleabitten gray in the purple halter you will see in the video.

Be sure to check the web site of The Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit to learn more about Dr. Pollitt's work with another disease.

He will be headed to the USA in a few weeks for an extended lecture tour, culminating in the 4th International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Horse's Foot in West Palm Beach, Florida on November 2-4. See you there!