Poetin: World Champion Dressage Star's Laminitis Trial Verdict Date Set

The German dressage magazine St. Georg is reporting that a date has been set to announce the verdict in a lawsuit regarding the death of World Champion dressage mare Poetin in France.

Poetin was sold at auction and foundered soon afterwards. St Georg is reporting that the mare was injected with Celestovet, a cortisone-based steroid, on the day of the sale. According to a statement from the mare's purchasers, the horse was unable to walk normally off the van that delivered her from the sale. The mare sloughed both front feet and was euthanized 90 days after the sale.

Laminitis caused by steroid reaction is a controversial subject and it is expected that arguments are being, or have been, presented from both sides of the courtroom.

At the time of her sale, Poetin was allegedly owned by the Dutch bank ING ("the orange bank"), as part of a debt settlement. ING had refused to turn over the mare's medical files to the court.

Selenium toxicity and Laminitis Possible Side Effects of Drought-Damaged Hay

Received via press release from the University of Missouri today

COLUMBIA, Mo. — While much of the Midwest has recovered from the drought that parched the area last year, horses are continuing to experience effects from the hot dry summer of 2006. Due to a bad hay crop, University of Missouri-Columbia veterinarians are reporting an increased number of horses with chronic selenosis and vitamin E deficiency, problems that can be fatal.

“Last year’s drought meant that Missouri’s hay crop, which is usually balanced very well for a horse’s nutrition, was much poorer than usual,” said Philip Johnson, professor of veterinary medicine and surgery. “Because of the poor Missouri hay crop, horse owners imported hay from other states nearby and possibly fed their horses hay that was too high in selenium. This can have very grave consequences for horses.”

Selenium is a naturally occurring element and is an essential part of horse diets. However, too much or too little can create problems for a horse. When chronic selenosis, or selenium poisoning, occurs from eating too much of the element, horses can lose the hair in the mane and tail and develop a form of laminitis, a painful condition that affects the hoof. If left untreated for too long, a horse with chronic selenosis may require euthanasia as a result of severe laminitis.

Johnson said that the amount of selenium in hay can vary by county throughout the nation, but that Missouri hay typically has just the right amount of the essential element. For a small fee, horse owners can have their hay tested to determine if it has the right amount of selenium in it.

“Usually, by the time the horse is showing symptoms, it may be too late to reverse the disease completely,” Johnson said. “However, if a horse owner has other horses that are feeding from the same food source, it’s important to have those animals treated before the damage is permanent.”

Photo of Dr. Johnson provided by University of Missouri. Dr. Johnson will speak on his important research on the subject of laminitis and represent his university at the Fourth International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot, a gathering of the world's leading researchers and field practitioners in West Palm Beach, Florida in November.

Interesting photo of the day..."The Queen Will Understand!"

A New Zealander blogger visiting the UK snapped this very-behind-the-scenes shot of the Household Cavalry during the Trooping of the Colors ceremony in London yesterday. They couldn't get seats in the stands so went around the back and this is what they saw.

Double click on the photo to see what's really going on at Buckingham Palace! Apparently the Guardsman remained in the saddle throughout the process! The fellow on foot seems to be trying to shield the farrier from sight and the one in the black uniform is undoubtedly exhorting him to hurry up and finish!

Of course, we all know that the Windsors understand that sometimes you just have to wait for the farrier to finish.

Derek and Dot, the curious Kiwis, wrote, "The Guards were obviously trying to cover it up but I did manage to sneak one. Embarrassing for them, I know."

All in a day's "work", for D and D, who are spending "three or four" years touring the inland canals of the UK in a narrowboat.

Float along vicariously with them via their blog at http://nzgypsyrover.blogspot.com/.
Thanks for the photo!

Rags to Riches: First Filly to Win Belmont Stakes in 102 Years!

It was an historic day at Belmont Park today. Rags to Riches, one of the most regally bred horses racing in America today, proved that breeding will out as she duelled Preakness winner Curlin and burst across the wire to win the 1.5 mile classic, one of the last long-distance races on dirt in the USA. She's the first filly to win the race in more than 100 years, and the very first of her sex to win the race at the longer distance. The race was formerly run at a shorter distance.

R2R is by leading US sire AP Indy, himself a winner of the Belmont, and a son of Seattle Slew, who won the Belmont as part of his Triple Crown in 1977. But if you look on the other side of her pedigree, she is out of Better Than Honour, by Deputy Minister. Better Than Honour is also the dam of last year's Belmont winner, Jazil. That is one valuable broodmare!

Read all about it and watch the video on the Thoroughbred Times site. Photo by Z above, links to Thoroughbred Times.

I don't know anything about her feet yet but I know that she, like most of Todd Pletcher's trainees in the Northeast, was surely shod by Ray Amato at his home base at Belmont. I had the pleasure of meeting the filly in April at Keeneland, shortly before her win in the Kentucky Oaks. Thanks to her therapist, Dianne Volz, and her groom, Isabel Aguilar, for introducing me.

This was Todd Pletcher's first victory in a Triple Crown race. To do it in such a dramatic way, with a filly beating the colts, is a great way to break a curse.

I'm still hoarse from screaming!

On TV Night: Premiere of Ruffian Movie

Real-life horseman Sam Shepherd stars as trainer Frank Whitely in this based-on-fact movie of the life of the great racefilly Ruffian, who lies buried near the finish line at New York's Belmont Park, only yards from where she broke down while on the lead in a match race against champion colt Foolish Pleasure thirty years ago.

Air time is 9 pm Eastern on ABC; check your local listings and have a box of tissues nearby. The DVD goes on sale next week and may include the excellent documentary on the making of the film, including lots of biomechanics and special effects related to the filly's injury.

ALSO RECOMMENDED: Bill Nack's new book, "Ruffian: A Racetrack Romance" goes on the shelf next to Jane Schwartz's "Ruffian: Burning from the Start". Nack is one of the main characters in the ESPN movie; the film is roughly based on his book. Nack was the only person I have heard about who was on the track with both Ruffian and Barbaro as they were loaded onto ambulances after breaking down. His description of the parallels between the two tragedies, 30 years apart, is compelling journalism worthy of accolades from all corners of the horse and publishing worlds. (See following posts for more about Bill Nack and the book.)

The Final Hours of Ruffian: Bill Nack's Story Comes to Life

"I took off through the clubhouse and raced down the stairs and swept blindly past a guard and onto the crown of the track, where I heard a jockey screaming at me just before his muscular bay colt thundered past, nearly bowling me over as he came home alone in triumph past the finish line. I ran across the infield to where she had broken down and there he was, the man crouching under her, fumbling with the cast. Saw the ambulance rolling to a stop and saw the lifting of the screen as the filly stood there trembling and wide-eyed and scared, sweat pouring off her in the heat of that early Sunday evening: July 6, 1975. Went unwelcome to her burial at dusk the next night, on the infield at Belmont Park, and stood outside the small urn of light cast by the headlights from the truck that had borne her enshrouded remains from Doc Reed's hospital across the road."

Author Bill Nack takes you back 30 years to the glory and heartbreak of the great race filly Ruffian. His description of the last few hours of her life is shocking, raw, and disturbing. As it should be. This paragraph is just the beginning. I highly recommend that you read this book: "Ruffian: A Racetrack Romance" by William Nack, from ESPN Books, published last month. Please patronize your local independently-owned bookstore or ask Hoofcare Publishing to special-order it for you. Photo above: Ruffian in one of her many stakes victories, photo by New York Racing Association.