A Big Day for the Little Guys

It hasn't been an active news week, and yet Thursday broke the all-time record for visitors to this blog. I don't know who you are but thank you for coming and reading the news. Please keep checking back for more news.

Thanks to Equitana of Essen, Germany for supplying this and some other wonderful photos that you'll be seeing on the HoofBlog.

AAEP Statement on FDA Withdrawal of Pergolide for Human Use: Will It Still Be Available for Horses?

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has issued this statement to its members about the potential crisis of pergolide's removal from the drug market.

"As you may be aware, the FDA has withdrawn the drug pergolide from the market for use in humans. In order for the drug to continue to be available for use in veterinary medicine, the FDA must approve an exception for pergolide to be used by veterinarians and to be compounded in bulk quantities.

"The AAEP, through its Drug Compounding Task Force, has been in contact with the FDA, and they are aware of the significant impact of pergolide’s withdrawal from the market on equine medicine. The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine is working with its counterpart for human medicine, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, to allow importation of pergolide for use by compounding pharmacies. The FDA expects to have an official announcement by the end of this week.

"The AAEP will continue to communicate with the FDA on this issue."

Note to blog readers: Pergolide is a drug that has been found to have some problems in human use; it is often prescribed for Parkinson's disease. Pergolide has been very helpful to some older horses suffering from problems like Cushings disease or insulin resistance that may have laminitis as a side effect. Many horse owners are concerned about a shortage of the medication for their horses.

Please read my original post from March 30 for more information.

Blue Horse Matine: Top Horse Scratched from World Cup Finals in Las Vegas

Click on the screen arrow to find out why thousands had anticipated this horse's performance at this week's World Cup dressage finals in Las Vegas. An injury during transport caused the mare to be scratched today. (see story that follows) Even if you think you don't like dressage...take a look at this!

I believe this is what you call "peak performance"; this video is from the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany last August. The British commentator is UK team rider Richard Davison.

Crowd's Favorite Dressage Horse Scratches at Las Vegas World Cup

(Thanks to the US Equestrian Federation for help with this post.)

Before the curtain had a chance to rise on the 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada's Thomas and Mack Center, some unexpected news from the Danish camp brought a simultaneous chorus of concern and disappointment from fans and foes alike.

Denmark’s Andreas Helgstrand announced in an afternoon press conference today that his horse would not compete due to lameness. One of the favorites leading into the dressage competition, Blue Hors Matine, the striking 10-year-old grey Danish Warmblood that entertained and surprised the crowds at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, by taking the Individual Bronze and Silver in the grand prix special and the freestyle respectively, was pulled after the mare showed fluid gathering around her front left pastern.

The trouble began as the horse reached the ground from her transport to the venue. “The ground was slippery,” said Helgstrand. It was then that the horse twisted her left front leg’s pastern. After exhibiting some “twisting,” an ultrasound was performed and it confirmed the malady.

The horse looked good on Monday and Tuesday according to Helgstrand, but in the initial jog, the horse was held for re-inspection. The horse’s veterinarian said the horse might be good by competition time; however a decision had to be made before the draw.

“When we trotted the horse today, going up she was trotting 100%, and when we trotted her back, she was twisting again,” said Helgstrand. “So, there is no chance to compete with her.”

Such disappointment is part of the landscape when dealing with horses and the Danish rider said, “When you work with horses, there are ups and downs. This happened at the wrong time of course…but it’s better to keep it down now and let the vets look at her and do what is best for the horse.” Helgstrand pointed out that the prognosis for the mare, according to the veterinarians, was good.

No doubt Matine will now be aimed at the European Dressage Championships to be held in Torino, Italy in September.

More news about Matine: http://www.dressagedaily.com/

The mare has been the center of rumors: following her 81.25% score at WEG last August, the Danes were said to have been offered 9 million euros (approx US$12.25 million) for her...by an American, of course. They continue to deny the rumor.

Blue Horse Matine's scratch comes after a news-filled week on the international dressage and show jumping scenes, with several horses scratching before the flights even left Europe. Dutch team chef d'equipe Sjef Jansen shocked the dressage world by resigning his post, protesting that the Dutch riders were not serious enough in their preparation for the 2008 Olympics.

Note: I don't usually go overboard about a horse, but I make an exception for Matine. Commentator Richard Davison said of her performance at WEG in Aachen in August 2006: "It is an absolute privilege to watch this horse."

HELP WANTED: EARN-WHILE-YOU-LEARN FARRIER'S ASSISTANT

Lameness-specialist farrier consultant needs a part-time apprentice / helper to assist with caseload during eastern Massachusetts appointments at vet clinic and travel to stables. Paid position, approximately 3 or 4 days each month. Pull shoes, clean feet, etc. More work possible for the right person. Great learning potential, lots of opportunities to see digital radiography, cutting edge techniques, etc. in action on top horses and learn to work with veterinarians. Not for beginners. Perfect for someone new to the area, a retired farrier, or someone who aspires to become a lameness-specialist farrier. Send email to equinvet@earthlink.net.


(Do you have jobs to post, queries for literature searches, or other requests? Fran Jurga's HoofBlog is read by thousands of people, from all over the world, each month. This blog is also picked up daily by Google News...and who knows where it goes from there? Contact fran@hoofcare.com to arrange a listing. Our friends at Equine Therapies just did! Also consider a classified or display ad in our "real" journal, Hoofcare & Lameness, for maximum penetration in the farrier/vet overlap segment of the horse health sector.)

Pedophile and Farrier: Safe to Mix?

A phone call tip from British farrier Giles Holtom FWCF the other day tipped me off to a row among British farriers over the admission of a young man who is a convicted pedophile into the apprentice scheme in Great Britain.

Apparently Giles and the UK Horse Shoers Union (UKHSU) object to the decision of the Farriers Registration Council (FRC) to admit the fellow into an apprenticeship. It sounds like the FRC, as you may imagine, is bound to follow the letter of the law, which does not discriminate in employment of pedophiles.

But perhaps the law is not quite understanding of the position of trust that many farriers are given by their clients, is the opinion of many of the UKHSU's outspoken critics of this move.

Come to think of it, they are pretty critical of everything the FRC does. Last year, UKHSU member Peter Baker RSS was elected to a seat on the Farriers Registration Council, and has been an agent for change, particularly in the area of farriers having more say in the governance of their own trade.

A few years ago, the roof was patched on our office building. The roofing crew arrived n a big van and worked hard. They used the Hoofcare & Lameness bathroom, came and went with my blessing. One day one of them stopped by my desk and asked me if a knew a fellow here in Gloucester. I said I did, but stuttered that he wasn't around any more, he'd been sent to jail for a long time.

The man brightened and said, "I know, I'm his cellmate!" And that's how I found out that the men on my roof and in my bathroom were a pre-release work crew from the county prison.

I still get the chills thinking about it. Oh yes, and the roof still leaks.

Let's hope the British apprentice works in racing stables and not on family ponies.

You can read some of the facts in a story in this week's printed copy of Horse and Hound, or read the online version of the story, which I think is shortened.

If you think farrier politics in the USA are ripe, take a look at some of the articles posted on the home page at the UK Horse Shoers Union, where many independent-thinking or just plain esoteric farriers have found a voice. Many have axes to grind with the "system" and the "establishment" of British farriery, which makes the freedoms that American farriers enjoy seem well worth fighting for. Their forums (aka bulletin boards) are sort of difficult to understand unless you know the players and organizations. But the characters are larger than life.