Registration Now Open for the AHC’s 2016 National Issues Forum
Registration is now open for the American Horse Council’s 2016 Annual Meeting and National Issues Forum, sponsored by Luitpold Animal Health, taking place from June 12-15 at the Washington Court Hotel here in Washington, DC.
Registration is available online here, and more information including a tentative schedule and hard copy registration form can be found on the AHC website in the Events section. All hard copy registration forms can be emailed to afurst@horsecouncil.org, faxed to 202-296-1970, or sent via regular mail to 1616 H Street NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20006.
The AHC has reserved a block of rooms at a discounted rate of $289/night, and reservations can be made online here. Please note, all room reservations must be made before May 21 in order to guarantee the discounted rate.
If you have any questions about the meeting itself or registering, please contact Ashley Furst at afurst@horsecouncil.org or 202-296-4031.
Adoption Program Provides Bright Life For Thoroughbreds In Retirement
Amy Cone of Bellevue, IA, rides Snapphok, a former racehorse adopted through the Galloping Out program.
Have you ever wondered what happens to a racehorse after its years on the track are over? For the thoroughbreds that hoof around Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, their future is bright thanks to Galloping Out, an Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (ITHA) program that sets up retired racehorses with new careers.
Working as a racing horse is similar to an elite athlete. Horses are often ready to quit by age 8, according to Chris Block, president of Galloping Out. However, injuries, slow speeds or temperament can force horses out of the game earlier.
“Our horses can be anywhere from 3 to 10 years old,” Block told the Journal & Topics. They can live as long as 20-25 years, so having a place to go after their racing days is important for these animals.
Read the rest of the article at the Journal Online.
Adobe Town Herd Horses in Danger
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wants to conduct yet another wild horse roundup in the Adobe Town Herd Management Area (HMA) in Wyoming. Previous roundups in this HMA in 2013 and 2014 resulted in the deaths of scores of Adobe Town horses. The BLM is spending millions of our tax dollars on perpetual roundups in this area for the direct benefit of the wealthy and powerful Rock Springs Grazing Association, whose members receive millions more in taxpayer subsidies to graze their livestock on our public lands in the Adobe Town HMA.
This roundup will include a “research project” in conjunction with the University of Wyoming that will place radio collars on approximately 15-40 mares to gather data about “habitat selection, seasonal use and movement between habitats, and the migration patterns with and outside of the HMA.” Unfortunately, valid data on natural behavior will be scarce after a traumatic helicopter roundup that removes 46% of the herd and shatters the horses’ close-knit family/ social structures.
Equines of a Certain Age
Lucky Three Ranch knows a thing or two about elderly equines—miniature mule Lucky Three Franklin just celebrated his 40th birthday on April 1, and we’ve been happy to celebrate many of our other equines through their 20s and 30s.
Handsome elderly gentleman, Franklin
Photo: Donkey Sanctuary
That’s why we’re very happy to acknowledge Tootsie, a resident of the wonderful Donkey Sanctuary in Ireland, who is an incredible 54 years old—making him one of the oldest mules ever. The Donkey Sanctuary rescued Tootsie in 1992, and he is part of their “Super Grannies” group of equines that are all over 30 years old, who receive special treatment, feed, and love from the Sanctuary’s volunteers.
Curious about other historically aged equines? Longears have the opportunity to live particularly long lifespans, so there may be many out there, but here are a few we know about: Suzy, Rosie and Eeyore, donkeys who lived to be 54; Flower, who is believed to have reached the age 70; and Joe, a 45-year-old full-sized mule from Colorado Springs who’s still around today.
Wishing well to all of these sweet seniors!
Big Day on Capitol Hill for America’s Horses
On Tuesday, April 19, America’s horses scored two significant victories on Capitol Hill. By a 25-23 vote, the House Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment to prohibit the expenditure of U.S. tax dollars on horse slaughter. And later that day, the U.S. Senate voted to adopt an amendment to the Energy Policy Modernization Act to protect the Corolla wild horses of North Carolina’s Outer Banks by ensuring the genetic viability of this historic herd of colonial Spanish mustangs. Both victories are testimony to the growing strength of the grassroots base of support for America’s horses — both domestic and wild — and the power of the people to overcome the special interests that lobby for horse slaughter and the eradication of wild horses on our public lands..
Thank you to Representatives Sam Farr (D-CA) and Charlie Dent (R-PA) for working to protect horses from brutal slaughter, and to North Carolina Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis and Congressman Walter Jones for their dedication to protecting the Corolla wild horses. A sincere “Thanks” to everyone who called and wrote their Representatives and Senators on these two issues. Both of these victories are important examples of how our calls and letters can and do make a difference for our wild horses and burros.
More Baby Rescues – Miracle Mustang
On my phone as we head out to deliver these babies to the amazing folks who will continue their specialized care. Although it breaks my heart to place them so young, we need space for the new babies coming in.
We were notified about a single Baby, but if course that has changed. Now it is 2 babies, one of them only 2 days old as we are driving. Babies this young can crash so fast and these kids are what we specialize in. No one can save them all, but it is truly a privilege to care for them when they are so delicate.
Are their days numbered?
The historic Corolla wild horses on North Carolina’s Outer Banks have survived for 500 years, but their days may be numbered without legislation to protect them.
Two calls from you could change the future for these historic wild horses, who are direct descendants of the colonial Spanish mustangs brought here in the 1500’s.
The federal government is imposing a herd size of 60. This number is not large enough for a viable herd and is causing inbreeding and birth defects. An Amendment would increase the herd size to 120-130 to ensure the future of this herd.
Legislation to protect the Corolla wild horses twice passed the House of Representatives unanimously, but has stalled in the Senate.
Please call your Senators to ask them to vote in favor of the Burr-Tillis Amendment to the Energy Policy Modernization Act.
The vote could be as early as Tuesday. Even if you have weighed in previously, your voice is needed again, so please act today!
Help a Horse Day with Spirit Keeper Equine Sanctuary
Spirit Keeper Equine Sanctuary will be celebrating the ASPCA® (The AmericanSociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) national Help A Horse Day April 22-24.
This nationwide Help A Horse Day Celebration is for equine rescues and sanctuaries to raise awareness about the lifesaving work they do year-round to care for at-risk horses in their community who have often been abused or neglected. Horses have been central to the ASPCA’s work since its founding 150 years ago, when Henry Bergh stopped a cart driver from beating his horse, resulting in the first successful arrest for the mistreatment of a horse on April 26, 1866.
In addition to caring for special needs horse at our facility Spirit Keeper Equine Sanctuary has an Equine Re-Homing Assistance Program to help people who are no longer able to keep their horses.
Cracking the Tax Code
The United States’ tax code is written in a special dialect—call it “taxspeak”—that is nearly incomprehensible for most people. One way to make sense of taxspeak is to study the subject until you master it, but that takes substantial time and effort. A more practical approach is to find someone who already knows the language and can decipher it for you. B. Paul Husband is a Burbank, California, attorney with a rare talent: He knows the tax code and, more importantly, he can explain what it means without resorting to taxspeak. In this article he will help us interpret some of the important tax provisions affecting the horse industry.
Slaughter Baby Update – Miracle Mustang
Hi All, (My photo is not flattering – but it is the reality of what we do!! ha ha, but Kim Dezellem so kindly took it to show what it is like on these rescues – thanks Kim lol) Spent nearly 8 hours there. Kim came and brought milk and lunch and stayed for moral support :)
Sorry it has taken so long for an update. We picked up 7 (Seven) babies at the shipping yard. The littlest one is Thumbellina, who was maybe half a day old. We were told that she had nursed from her mama, and that she had gotten her colostrum.
However, by the wee morning hours she was crashing, and could not stand and could barely even drink from her bottle. I tucked her into the living area of the Rolling Foal Hospital, right smack in front of the heater and while my heart was breaking, prayed like crazy. We have seen this so many times. They are so tiny and fragile and the stress can just be a door closer.
I gave her electrolytes (again), tiny drops of glucose and gradually she started to come around. She was very shaky but managed to drink a few drops of her formula as well as the electrolytes.
Take A Stand Against Barbaric BLM Sterilization Experiments
Please take action on our petition to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board, which is asking its members to oppose the BLM’s dangerous plan to conduct painful and risky surgical sterilization experiments on wild mares.
The experiments will subject mares to the risk of death from hemorrhage, evisceration and infection, and will cause pregnant mares to abort their foals. If implemented in the field, this sterilization method (“ovariectomy” – surgical removal of the ovaries) would take the wild out of wild horses by destroying their natural free-roaming behaviors and causing social chaos on the range.
We will be delivering these signatures in just three days and need to make sure our voices are heard. Will you please help by sending a message to oppose this horrific plan?
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American Horse Council Tax Bulletin – April 2016
By Thomas A. Davis, Esq., Davis & Harman LLP, Washington, DC
The taxpayers, wife and late husband, bred Tennessee walking horses on their farm in Tennessee. They incorporated the horse-breeding operation as LSA, Inc. and claimed substantial losses as deductions from LSA on their personal tax returns. (The husband died in a fire at their residence in January of 2003.) The IRS determined that the horse-breeding operation was not an activity engaged in for profit and therefore assessed taxes and penalties against taxpayers.
By Thomas A. Davis, Esq., Davis & Harman LLP, Washington, DC
During the taxable years in issue, 2010 and 2011, the taxpayer, Linda Kaiser, operated a financial consulting and insurance business from her home called “Kaiser Consulting/Insurance Sales.” The taxpayer also conducted a horse training activity known as “The Forty Carrot Wisdom Co.” Previously, she had operated a small business, worked in real estate and insurance, and was a sales manager at a multinational financial services company.
By Douglas P. Romaine, Esq., Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC, Lexington, KYTo date myself, I remember when a rate of $100 per hour for an attorney was a big deal. Today it is not unusual to find hourly professional fees in major metropolitan areas have broached $1,000 per hour and beyond. This article is not intended to examine the vagaries of hourly rates or their steady march up the scale but to make the observation that in the federal tax system where taxpayers generally bear the burden to prove that the determination of the IRS is not correct, it is often an expensive proposition for a taxpayer to contest an assessment.
“Sir, Reporting to the Mule in the Red Sash!”
West Point Military Academy Press Release
“General Caslen, on behalf of all Army Rangers and the Class of 1975 and the West Point Society of South Carolina, we present you with Paladin!” said Steve Townes ’75, CEO and Founder of Ranger Aerospace LCC, who has been West Point’s “mule donor in perpetuity” for well over a decade. ( Since 2001. )
Four-year-old Paladin, whose name refers to 1 of the 12 legendary peers or knightly champions in Charlemagne’s court, began his West Point experience on March 31, 2016, reporting to Ranger III, now gray in his muzzle.
In a ceremony to welcome the Army team’s newest mule, Director of Cadet Activities COL Tom Hansbarger ’92 officially signed in Paladin, who had two green duffel bags tied on his back. Several notable guests were on hand to witness the event, including VA Secretary Bob McDonald, another member of the Class of 1975, and LTC Anne Hessinger, an Army veterinarian who served at West Point from 2003 to 2006 and is now an equine officer at Fort Bragg, NC.
Paladin, small in stature, posed calmly for a round of photos after reporting to Ranger III, the mule in the red sash, before being led across the street to the barber while onlookers cheered him on with a rousing “Beat Navy!” chant. Paladin showed his spunk though when he kicked out his left hind leg toward the barber who was trying to get close tom him in order to shave a big “A” into his hind quarters. “He’s just nervous, just like every other plebe on their R-Day,” remarked an officer in the crowd who was watching the event.
At the conclusion of the event, Ranger III and Paladin were loaded into horse trailers for a trip to Morgan Farm, where Paladin will spend his summer at his quarters. He will be officially introduced to the West Point Community and Army football fans on September 10 when Army West Point hosts Rice. The mule mascots will lead the team onto the field, carrying flags and interacting with fans.
Paladin, whose name was selected by the Corps of Cadets and approved by the Superintendent, is the third mule donated by Townes, a former mule rider and former Army officer with the 75th Ranger Regiment who has set up an endowment ensuring the Academy’s future mascots. Ranger III and his brother Stryker, Townes’s last donations, both reported for mascot duty at West Point in 2011.
Chilly Pepper: Update on Big Girl
Vet check yesterday. Heart is good, lungs are good, pain level not too high. We are managing that on an as needed basis.
Scheduling specialized farrier to meet us at Vet’s for hoof clean up (not really a trim as Doc says not enough to trim), and to see how bad the thrush is. X rays will be taken while under sedation and we will be able to make informed decisions about the best care for her hoofers.
Doc is hopeful we can actually get some hoof wall on her and have a much improved hoof after 6 months or so with specialized care, treatment and supplements.
Weight is approximately 1350 pounds and at least 20 years old, (probably a bit older)
Sad news, Big Girl has cancer. She has melanomas under her tail, (and they are not exactly small), and some (lumps) on her underside. This is not uncommon with white and grey horses, but this does have the potential to be deadly and can go really fast or it may not be an issue at all. Her lumps have the potential to cause issues with her anus if they grow larger.
Doc said the cancer can be very unpredictable and she has seen it go very quickly and seen other equine with small melanomas live out a very happy life.
Tell BLM Advisory Board: Say No to Dangerous Sterilization Experiments!
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet on April 13, 2016 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and April 14, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Redmond, Oregon.
Please take a moment to sign the petition asking this citizen advisory board to oppose the BLM’s barbaric, risky and invasive sterilization experiments, proposed to be conducted on captured wild mares at the BLM’s corrals in Hines, Oregon. These painful experiments will expose mares to risk of death by bleeding, infection and evisceration (a deadly condition in which the intestines protrude through surgical incisions). The majority of the mares used in the experiment will be pregnant and the procedure will cause many to abort their unborn foals. We have one week to gather as many petition signatures as possible, which AWHPC will hand deliver to the Advisory Board. Help us take a strong stand against this cruelty by signing and sharing today!
Emergency Help Needed for Latest “Critical Case” at Chilly Pepper
Matt and I had to do an unexpected rescue today. “Big Girl” is a 20+ (?) year old Percheron who weighs about 1600 pounds. She was for sale as a “riding horse” and we were told she just needed her hoofers trimmed. We were also told that even if you used a crop or whip, she would not canter. But it was fine to trot her.
As panic welled in my gut, we handed over the cash to “bail her” and bring her home. Did she even have enough back hooves to have a chance? Her front hoof was bare sole with the hoof wall well above where it should be. I cannot begin to imagine how uncomfortable it is for her to have to hold all that weight on such broken feet.
We are praying that there is not too much damage done for her to heal. When you think of the saying “NO HOOF – NO HORSE”, PURE PANIC COMES TO MIND!
We are asking for prayers and any help you can give to save this beautiful girl. She will need to be sedated to have her feet worked on as it seems to be too painful and hard for her to stand on 3 feet. We were told it takes 3 men and medicine to do her front feet, but you “cannot do her hind feet”. I lifted her rear hoof up today to try and see what damage had been done, but it was apparent that she was really uncomfortable and after that she was very wary of me.
She is settled in with Magic and tomorrow we will contact the vet and try to get her some help. No horse deserves this, and we can only pray we got to her in time. This is overwhelming, disheartening and simply devastating. But when God puts one of His creatures in front of you, there is no choice, you do whatever you can to help, so once again we are asking folks to join us so we can help this beautiful soul. Any prayers and help you would like to give and what you can comfortably do for “Big Girl”…. are so very much appreciated.
You can go to Paypal – Palominodancer@yahoo.com or go to our website
www.chillypepper.org if you would like to help Big Girl, the horse with no hooves :(
You can donate via check at Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang, 34694 Sidebottom Rd., Shingletown, CA 96088
530 474-5197
Good Management Practices for Health and Insect Control
First and foremost, a routine grooming schedule at least every other week and preferably every week is essential for the hygiene of your equines. We use fly masks without ears on the animals that are sensitive around their faces and we spray with Tri-Tech 14 once a week for insects that will pester your equine. We NEVER clip the insides of the ears. Regular grooming once a week to remove excess hair, mud, etc. will eliminate places on the animal, including their legs, that would be subject to their laying eggs. We worm our equines in January, March, May, July and September with Farnam ivermectin and then break the cycle with Strongid in November to prevent the cycle of internal worms and parasites. Using Johnson’s baby oil in the manes and tails helps keep the flies at bay, helps to prevent “frizzies” and train manes to lay over, and will also keep other animals from chewing on them.
In order to keep flies and other insects under control, all stalls, runs and pens need to be kept free of manure and debris daily. Barns need to be cleaned periodically with disinfectant.
Fields and pastures should be harrowed in the spring, fall and between hay cuttings. Only rake hay when absolutely necessary before baling. Turnout fields should be kept separate from your hayfields. Do not use manure on your hay fields. This can cause an increase in weeds that can attract more insects since equines can pass weed seeds through their digestive tract.
Keep all tack and equipment clean so it does not attract flies to your tack room and grooming area. Spray the tack room when you leave with a household flying insect spray for any residual flies.
Here are several rules to remember for good management and insect control around your own farm:
1) Feed the right kinds of healthy feed for equines and know the differences for mules and donkeys. This requires some research on your part. Do a quick body check at each feeding.
2) Keep all stalls, pens and sheds free of manure (clean every day!) and routinely harrow your pastures.
3) Keep manure collection piles well away from your house and barns (we have ours hauled away weekly).
4) Keep all water sources clean with a weekly cleaning schedule.
5) Practice good grooming practices at least once a week. When grooming, do a complete body check on your equine to look for any oddities that might arise and treat as needed. If certain body areas begin to get sores (like Jack sores), scabs, or bumps, use Neosporin or if they are severe…Panalog, also called Animax or Dermalone by prescription from your vet. And, know WHEN to call your veterinarian.
6) Use Tri-Tech 14 by Farnam fly spray weekly for bugs and insects that can pester your equine. This seems to be the best and longest lasting. Herbal remedies and other sprays will work, but will need to be applied much more often.
7) Never clip the hair inside of the equine’s ears! The hair will keep out most insects.
8) Do not clip the hair on the legs unless you absolutely must for showing! The hair protects the legs from insect bites.
9) Use fly masks for those mules and donkeys that have sensitive skin around the face. Farnam Super Masks will usually fit most animals. You can find them in most tack and vet stores.
These simple rules will help to keep all your animals healthy and happy, and will leave you with a fresh and clean-smelling, nearly insect-free facility.
What’s New with Roll? White Line Veterinarian
Roll has been coming along quite well with his White Line Disease. He has been growing a new foot at a rate of about 1/8” per week and is gaining ground. My Ranch Manager Chad had found some thrush around the frog during the morning check. He cleaned it and applied iodine to the area. However, we noticed that the lamina growing beneath the old hoof wall at the toe was beginning to curl upward. So, we contacted our veterinarian Greg Farrand to come out and take a look.
We had concerns that it would push on the old hoof wall which could put torque on the new hoof wall above and possibly cause it to begin to curl up as well. This would result in irregular hoof growth that could result in uneven pressure and an unbalanced foot. If this occurred, it would result in an imbalance throughout his entire body that could put 3000 lbs. of pressure on the damaged foot and impede our progress with him.
We went from changing the neoprene in his boot every other day to checking it twice a day to brush out any debris and to dry it off so it wouldn’t be SOAKING wet all the time.
We took off Roll’s boot and Greg began by testing the hardness of the new growth. We were concerned that it was getting a little soft with our wet spring weather after the snow had melted. It was sunny, warm and dry today, so when he tested the hardness with his little hammer, it was not as soft as we had thought a few days before.
Greg cut off the old dead lamina that was curling up and then trimmed back to healthy tissue. He did this to keep it from separating and tearing off which could possibly causing further problems.
After Greg pared off the dead curling lamina, he checked the sole growth for infection and there was none. Then he finished paring the dead lamina around the affected sole. Greg checked for a cavity between the new hoof growth and the old hoof growth to make sure everything was sound.
After paring what he did, we were left with healthy tissue and no further measures needed to be taken. He recommended that the farrier trim his heels down since he had not been trimmed since February 26th.
We are now scheduling our farrier, Dean Geesen, to come out to trim him again as soon as possible. We will continue the same protocol and be ready and flexible to promptly handle anything else that might come up in a timely fashion for the best results. Things are still looking positive.
4/7/16:
We wanted Roll to go as long as possible in between trims because we didn’t want to put too many nail holes in his damaged right hind foot. Today Dean Geesen came out and trimmed the foot after our veterinarian had the opportunity to check the foot yesterday.
Things are looking very encouraging for Roll as long as we don’t hit any serious snags. The foot is growing at a rate of 1/8” per week and is producing healthy tissue and no more separation that we can tell. We opted to get him trimmed and then just wait another month and x-ray the foot again to make sure there are no hidden issues.
We were changing the boot every other day when the weather was drier, but now we are taking off the boot and cleaning the hoof twice a day, then blowing it dry with a hair dryer to help keep out the spring moisture that was beginning to produce thrush. The trimming gave us the opportunity to trim down the heels a bit to get him backed off his toe and to re-balance the foot. We are happy with his progress so far.
Roll continues to stay sound! The key to his entire treatment has been to frequently assess the progress and then be willing to be flexible in any changes to the treatment that we might have to do. Being proactive like this is definitely the key to success in Roll’s treatment!
WY Wild Horse Wipeout Continues – Take A Stand!
Take A Stand Against BLM’s Illegal Wyoming Wild Horse Wipeout!
The BLM is accepting public comments on a proposal to remove all the wild horses from the Checkerboard lands within and outside of the Great Divide Basin, Salt Wells Creek, and Adobe Town herd management areas (HMAs) in Wyoming at the request of ranchers.
If allowed to stand, this action will place the fate of wild horses living on public lands throughout the West in the hands of private landowners who want them all removed. We have mounted a significant legal challenge to the BLM’s illegal Wyoming wild horse wipeout, and our case is currently being considered by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. While we battle the BLM in court, we need you to show the agency that “We the People” want our wild horses protected on our public lands. . . . Please take action today!
Mules at West Point
Mules have served as the loyal mascots at the United States Military Academy at West Point since 1899, as a symbol of heartiness and durability. This great video from Army Athletics details the history of mules both as mascots to the teams, as well as in service to the army at home and abroad. The video also follows the mules that are taking their place of honor at West Point, as the previous generation of the mule corp retires.
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