Walking Horse Celebration Shuts Down Over Soring Inspector Issues

Billed as the largest horse show in North America, it boasts 4,570 entries for an 11-day show, a ten year waiting list for box seats, and $650,000 in prize money but the 68th Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tennessee was suspended after two classes had been completed on Friday.

At issue: the USDA's federal mandate to examine horses to make sure they are not "sore"; the Walking Horse trainers want to do their own inspections.

At other shows earlier in the year, trainers simply refused to show, and sometimes didn't even unload their horses, if the USDA's veterinary inspectors showed up. Some shows are large charity fundraisers, and they simply didn't take place.

The Celebration is by far the largest showcase of the breed and this type of showing, and not all classes ask horses to do "the big lick" type of gait. The show has arranged for streaming video on the internet and even pay-per-view on cable television, in addition to selling thousands of reserved-seat tickets.

According to the Shelbyville Times-Gazette, "Trainers decided not to show because USDA inspectors were checking every horse presented for inspection, an unprecedented procedure. The requests (to cancel Friday night and Saturday classes) were made to allow for meetings between the Trainers' Association, the National Horse Show Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture. Attempts at reaching a resolution to the conflicts concerning the inspection of horses prior to showing, especially concerning what is known as the scar rule, failed Friday night, prompting the cancellation."

The newspaper also says, "The USDA inspectors arrived midway through the show Thursday night, but did not inspect any horses. Friday night the USDA inspectors took an active role in the inspection process. According to reports, more than 30 horses were turned down in the first two classes, including nine in a row. Apparently, the inspection of horses participating in the Two-Year-Old Gelding class forced the trainers to make their request.

"Attorney David Broderick of Bowling Green, Ky., told Tennessee Walking Horse owners on Saturday afternoon that a lawsuit filed earlier this summer is seeking clarification of the enforcement of the Horse Protection Act and could provide some long-term answers to the dispute between the industry and U.S. Department of Agriculture regulators.

"Industry personnel claim that federal regulators are being unfair in their inspections of walking horses, resulting in horses being unfairly excluded from competition. For example, Broderick said the technique of palpation, or examining a horse's leg for sensitivity by means of an inspector's touch, is sometimes done in too forceful a manner.

"Owners discussed other possible solutions with Broderick, including pressuring horse shows to hire veterinarians instead of designated qualified persons (DQPs) to inspect horse shows. It's also possible that horse owners will hire veterinarians to inspect horses before sending them into competition, in order to gather evidence which could be used to challenge the federal inspection techniques.

At the 100th anniversary Wartrace show earlier this month, many trainers opted not to show rather than subject their horses to inspection. At that show, a junior exhibitor's father complained, 'There are more people watching the inspectors than watching the horse show'," according to the newspaper.

Death in Aachen...And Other Hoofcare & Lameness News from WEG

An endurance horse has died at the World Equestrian Games. The Anglo-Arab name "Dubai" began to tie up severely early into the competition and was immediately withdrawn and treated but later died at the referral hospital affiliated with the Games.

The American dressage horse Brentina has been withdrawn from the individual competition after helping the USA team secure the bronze medal in the team competition. Ridden by Debbie MacDonald, the mare has filling in a hind leg and has been pulled from the roster. Gunter Siedel will take Debbie's place.

Haydn Price is team farrier for Great Britain; Steve Teichman is handling duties for the USA. They plan to get together today.

Meanwhile, the farrier/vet conference is underway; no news yet from that corner of the horsey town in eastern Germany!

Link to Barbaro Video on CBS Early Show

Millions of Americans woke up this morning to see Barbaro and Dr Dean Richardson on the CBS "Early Show". Here's a link to a video of the segment, although I do not know how long this link will be active.

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=1927027n

Pharmacy Sued Over Horse Deaths in Saratoga

People here in Saratoga haven't forgotten the tragic death last year of the promising young racehorse Saratoga County in a local vet hospital. Saratoga County was one of several horses that developed colitis-like conditions that have been linked to the use of what is believed to have been a contaminated or improperly manufactured medication.

Severe laminitis is a common side effect of colitis and three of the four horses developed the hoof disease and were euthanized. A fourth horse at Belmont also received the medication and developed colitis and laminitis and was euthanized.

According to the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association, the pharmacy is being sued for the alleged wrongful deaths of the horses.

Horseshoers aren’t always lucky...but they always have a lot of friends

Under the fledgling gingko tree, The Saratoga blacksmith stands…

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow would have approved: On Tuesday morning, August 15th, recently-deceased Saratoga horseshoers were remembered in a memorial service at the horseman’s blacksmith shop behind the Oklahoma training track. Their living shoer friends stood around an anvil, under a tree, to honor them.

Jim Brummitt, Charlie Campbell, and Bruce Scott were familiar faces around Saratoga, and all three became ill and died last year at what should have been the heights of their careers. Charlie was the paddock farrier at Saratoga until his death; his twin brother Joe has taken over for him now.

A group of friends of the three pulled together and raised funds to create a memorial area by the blacksmith shop. A fresh young gingko tree, a picturesque anvil on a stump and plaques in remembrance of many deceased track shoers were dedicated.

The names on the plaque are: Jim Brummit, Charlie Campbell, Bruce Scott, Tony Amato. Jim O'Connell, Rodney O'Domski, John Dern, Frank Starnes, Andy Gardner Sr., Tom McNabo, George A. Boyle, and George Boyle.

About 20 current horseshoers showed up for the service, which included prayers lead by former jockey Pat Day. He thanked the farriers for the part they played in making it safe for jockeys to ride in races.

I looked around and I noticed that none of them was younger than 40 or so. Where is the next generation of New York racetrack shoers? Maybe, because Tuesday is the dark day at Saratoga, they all had the day off.

I'm very glad I was able to be there for the dedication. It was a terrible shock for me to learn that Rodney O'Domski had died. I knew him quite well a long time ago when he was the farrier at Coolmore in Ireland and only learned of his death when I read the plaque.

Gingko is an herb that is supposed to prevent memory loss...an appropriate choice for a memorial tree.

Ray Amato promised he'd help me identify all the horseshoers in the photo; as soon as I have all the names, I will edit this post.

Get well, Chris Pollitt!

Dr. Chris Pollitt of the University of Queensland and director of the Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit (AELRU) is recovering from injuries suffered both when he was kicked in the face by a horse and difficulties under anesthesia during surgery to repair broken facial structures and his nose.

Dr. Pollitt is a key contributor to Hoofcare & Lameness Journal; issue 80 contains information about his research to prevent laminitis using cryotherapy (intensive icing of the feet and legs).

Chris's smile may be a little crooked, but we should all be extra delighted to see him. In the USA, Dr. Pollitt is expected to attend the AAEP Convention in San Antonio, Texas in December. He is not a speaker, but will support his students and staff who are presenting new research from the AELRU. He has agreed to be a special guest at a gathering of Hoofcare & Lameness subscribers, tentatively planned for Monday evening of that event.

Send "get well" messages and maybe pledge a donation to: laminitisresearch@uq.edu.au or visit http://www.laminitisresearch.org>

In the USA, donations to Dr. Pollitt are channeled through the tax-deductible portal of the Animal Health Foundation. Read about laminitis research at http://www.ahf-laminitis.org
Stay tuned for more details.

Photo caption: Dr. Pollitt presented a marathon "master class" on the equine foot and laminitis at the 2003 AAEP Convention in New Orleans. (Fran Jurga photo)