Laminitis Makes Strange Bedfellows at New Bolton: Pacing Stallion Artsplace and Barbaro Fight Founder Side by Side

According to the web site harnessracing.com, and as quoted on the US Trotting Association web site, leading pacing (harness racing) sire Artsplace has been moved from Southwind Farm in New Jersey where he has been standing at stud. The 18-year-old sire of no less than 14 $1 million winners has been suffering from laminitis for some time, and will now be treated at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center outside Philadelphia. This is the same hospital where Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is recovering from a fractured hind leg and contralimb laminitis.

Happy Birthday, Edward Martin

Today, October 2, is Edward Martin's birthday; the godfather of modern farrier friendships turned 81 at home in Closeburn, Scotland, where he is quietly battling the effects of Parkinson's disease. Even so, reports are that Edward is getting out of the house and attending church regularly. His sister Jane is attending to him.

Contrary to some reports, Edward is not withering away in a nursing home, nor has he had a stroke or heart attack. He is quite ill, however, and the effects of the debilitating disease are tough punishment for such an active, vital man.

You may have missed his birthday, but you can still send him a card:

Edward Martin
Field's End
Shawsholm Road
Closeburn by Thornhill
Dumfriesshire
Scotland

(Apologies to those who do not know of Edward Martin. News continues in the next post.)

In the photo: Edward Martin visited the Clydesdale shoeing competition named for him at the Museum of Scottish Country Life last September. Here he is with American farrier (and judge that day) Mark Milster of Oklahoma. Thanks to Jean Meneley of Reno, Nevada, who visited Edward and loaned her photos.

Performance-formula Cosequin SP Will Be Sold Only by SmartPak Equine

SmartPak Equine announced today that it has partnered with Nutramax Laboratories, Inc. to manufacture a special version of Cosequin targeted to the horse in intensive training and competition.

The new formula, called Cosequin "SP", is an exclusive Cosequin formulation with DOUBLE the amount of glucosamine (7200mg) and a full dose of MSM (10,000mg) in addition to the normal amount of Cosequin’s proprietary low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate. The target market will be competitive horses in their prime.

According to SmartPak, the price will be $49.95; recommended dose is one 21-gram scoop per day per horse. The new formula will be available exclusively from SmartPak.

By the way, SmartPak Equine was recently recognized in Inc. Magazine as the 106th fastest-growing private business in America of 2005! In the Consumer Products category, SmartPak was the 6th fastest growing firm in the country. With a growth rate of 868 percent in the last three years, SmartPak has achieved a recognition never before attained by a business in the horse industry.

This information was provided in a news release.

Learn more by checking SmartPak's ads in Hoofcare & Lameness Journal or visit them at http://www.smartpakequine.com

Biomechanics expert Bob Colborne will team with Equinalysis gait evaluation system

At the British Equine Veterinary Association Conference in England earlier this month, Equinalysis announced that Robert "Bob" Colborne PhD of the University of Bristol (UK) has joined the firm as Advisor on Equine Biomechanics. He is currently program director of the equine science program at Bristol.

Bob is widely published in the area of joint mechanics and gait energetics in horses, dogs and humans and was part of the ICEL conference at Michigan State in 2004, where many Hoofcare & Lameness subscribers met him. He was an author with Hilary Clayton of the paper "Net joint moments and joint powers in horses with superficial digital flexor tendinitis", published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research.

Bob's role at Equinalysis will be to provide experience to Equinalysis in the continued development of its practices and procedures as well as consult with business partners, horse owners and insurance companies. Bob will advise users of the Equinalysis system on methods of data capture and analysis to ensure standardisation of practice, and to optimise the information yielded by a clinical gait analysis. His biomechanics background will compliment the firm's existing veterinary and farriery expertise from leading practitioners John McEwen and Haydn Price, respectively.

Bob said “I am delighted to be helping to make biomechanical analysis of equine gait accessible to those in the field who will benefit most from it.” He added, “Kinematic gait analysis offers a quantitative way to evaluate equine movement, and to objectively track changes occurring over time as a result of training or treatment.”

To learn more about Bob Colborne, visit http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Anatomy/about/staff/Colbourne.htm.

To learn more about Equinalysis, vist
http://www.equinalysis.co.uk

Photo: Equinalysis trade stand at BEVA Congress in September. Principals include farrier Haydn Price, veterinary advisor John McEwen, and human sportsmedicine doctor John Davies. Biomechanics expert Bob Colborne of the University of Bristol has now joined the team.

UK's Largest Equestrian Center to be Built near Edward Martin's Home in Scotland

News about Mr. Edward Martin is sparse, but thanks to farrier Jean Meneley of Nevada, we do receive occasional reports. For those who don't know him, Edward Martin is the senior statesman of the worldwide farrier industry and a friend to all in the horseshoeing and blacksmithing worlds. Among Edward's many accomplishments and honors include the MBE, "Member of the British Empire", awarded by the Queen for his services to farriery. I could do a blog just about Edward!

Edward is still quite weak from the complications of Parkinson's disease, but thanks to the efforts of his sister, Jane, is still able to live at home in the little village of Closeburn in the Scottish borders district. Edward enjoys hearing from old friends, so please write to him. The fact that you may not receive a response does not lessen the value of your effort in writing to him.

Edward's neighborhood is buzzing today! Former British Olympic event rider Karen Dixon is a neighbor of Edward's, and I believe one of his former clients, as well. According to a report received from Horse & Hound (UK magazine) today, Karen and her husband Andrew have just announced plans to build the largest equestrian center in all the United Kingdom, at a cost of 30 million pounds...somewhere around $65 million. In addition to stabling, arenas, and a cross country course, the plan also calls for a village, presumably with an equestrian theme.

The location is the town of Lockerbie, site of the horrific Pan Am aircraft bombing about ten years ago, and just up the road from Edward's village. With my tongue set firmly in my cheek, I can't help but wonder if it will be called "The Robert Burns Equestrian Center", after the area's beloved native poet.

Here's a PS from Horse & Hound that I thought was interesting: "The development trend comes on the back of a recent British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) survey which found the number of people riding in Britain has nearly doubled from 2.4m in 1999 to 4.3m in 2006."

Those are numbers that you could take to the bank.

Barbaro Funds Will Help Laminitis Research

This is second-hand news, so please wait for an official announcement before believing it, but...

In an interview in the Philadelphia Inquirer this weekend, owner Gretchen Jackson reported that she expects half of the donations to the Barbaro Fund at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center will go to laminitis research.

"Isn't that nice?" you may be musing..."Bring me some real news!" But wait...generous people have already donated more than $1.25 million to the fund, which means that roughly $600,000 will go to research.

But whose research? Chances are, the funds will stay right at New Bolton Center, where a laminitis research initiative has been on the wish list anyway.

Here's a quote lifted from the article: One of her (Gretchen Jackson, owner of Babaro) top priorities, she said, is New Bolton's Barbaro Fund, which has received 1,500 contributions totaling $1,225,000. Jackson said half the fund is slated to go for laminitis research, in the grandest-scale attempt yet to eradicate the disease. She's had a conversation with Secretariat's owner, Penny Chenery, about the disease, because Secretariat died from it.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/special_packages/latest/15592399.htm

In the photo: jockey Edgar Prado visiting with Barbaro and surgeon Dean Richardson on September 19. Photo by Sabina Louise Pierce/University of Pennsylvania.