Stop Flu Where it Starts

Posted Nov 8 2017

The following is from the Merck Animal Health:

Stop Flu where it starts.

Trust Flu Avert^® I.N. for superior protection against relevant flu strains threatening the U.S. horse population.¹

Just ONE dose required
An ideal first flu vaccine for young horses, providing protection at the site of infection and long-lasting immunity

House Releases Tax Reform Details

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Posted Nov 3 2017

The following is from the American Horse Council:

House Releases Tax Reform Legislation, Moves Forward with Small Business, Estate Tax Relief

The House Ways and Means Committee has shared highlights and text on historic tax reform legislation, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. While highlights from the bill are outlined below, AHC is currently reviewing the fine print of the 429-page legislation, received from the tax committee shortly after 12:00 PM ET. Today’s release initiates a long over-due effort to streamline the nation’s 70,000 page tax code. In a move that is consistent with advocacy from the equine industry and its allies, the House bill will repeal the estate tax after six years, and reduce rates for small business, or so-called “pass through” entities. Please see the below highlights, focusing on issues that have the most significant impact on the equine industry:

Business Provisions

Small Business: The bill sets a maximum tax rate of 25 percent on small business, or “pass through” entities. Under current law, small businesses can pay federal taxes at rates as high as 39.6 percent.
Corporate Tax Rate: The bill lowers the corporate rate to 20 percent, down from the current 35 percent corporate tax rate.
Expensing: The plan will “allow business to immediately write off the full cost of new equipment.”
Business Interest: The plan also states that small business will be able to deduct interest on loans that allow job creators to “hire workers and increase paychecks.”

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Individual Provisions

Estate Tax: The House bill will repeal the estate tax after six years, and double the current exemption on estates valued at $5.49 million. This is a positive development for family-owned farms and businesses.
Charitable Giving: The plan “continues the deduction for charitable contributions.”
Mortgage Interest: The bill preserves the deduction for existing mortgage interest, and establishes a $500,000 cap on interest from new home purchases
Streamlined Tax Brackets: The plan consolidates the number of individual brackets from seven to four. Under the House bill, the IRS will create brackets at rates of 12 percent, 25 percent, 35 percent and preserve the 39.6 percent on higher income earners.
Retirement Savings: The plan “retains retirement plan options” including 401(k)s and Individual Retirement Accounts.
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) – The plan eliminates the unpopular AMT, which doubles the amount of time taxpayers must spend to calculate their tax liability within any given year.
In a compromise that has bogged down negotiations, the House plan will retain the deduction for state and local property taxes at amounts up to $10,000.

Path Forward

According to congressional sources, the Ways and Means Committee will mark up the legislation for four days, beginning the week of Monday, November 6. The bill will go to the House floor for a vote before Thanksgiving, which falls on Thursday, November 23. According to Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX), the Senate will take up tax reform legislation after Thanksgiving.

To learn more about up-to-date activity related to tax reform, AHC is conducting a webinar on the issue featuring congressional and industry perspectives on Monday, November 13 at 3:00 PM ET. To view a copy of a two-page summary of the bill’s highlights, please click here: Tax Policy Highlights. To review a copy of the bill, please click here: now available online.

For more information, please contact Bryan Brendle, Director of Legislative Affairs, at bbrendle@horsecouncil.org.

Read on AHC Website

If you don’t speak up for Mustangs, who will?

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Posted Nov 2 2017

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

While we fight to save our humane mustang management program in Nevada, we cannot lose sight of the national issue.

With Senate appropriations delayed and the timeline still uncertain, now isn’t the time to take a rest. Our opposition isn’t.

Already, dozens of our supporters have recorded video messages to Congress. We created a heartfelt ad with your submissions — you can watch it now and then record your own!

Our video tool lets you easily record a short video on your phone or laptop. It won’t take more than a few minutes, and the video will be sent directly to your members of Congress.

We know you’ll have plenty to say but a few points we hope you’ll include:

Congress must maintain the longstanding prohibition on destroying healthy wild horses and burros and oppose any effort that would open the door to slaughter.
80% of Americans oppose the slaughter of America’s wild horses.
The PZP birth control vaccine is a scientifically-proven, low-cost alternative that can used to humanely manage wild populations and maintain their wild free-roaming behaviors.

So record your own video now. It’s really easy. It’ll take just a few minutes of your time. And it will help us cut through the clutter in Washington and be heard on this critical issue.

For the horses,

Grace Kuhn

P.s. Camera shy? You can support us and help get ads like this up by donating here.

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National Equine Health Plan Published

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Posted Nov 1 2017

The following is from the American Horse Council:

National Equine Health Plan Published

Valuable resource will help curtail risk of disease spread

The American Horse Council (AHC), in conjunction with the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and state animal health officials, is pleased to announce that the National Equine Health Plan (NEHP) is now available at equinediseasecc.org/national-equine-health-plan.

The horse industry is unique because horses are transported with more frequency than other livestock. It’s been seen firsthand how disease outbreaks cost the industry millions of dollars for the care of sick horses, implementation of biosecurity, and lost revenue in the form of cancelled or restricted commercial equine activities such as horseshows. In 2013, the industry felt it was time to step up and address the issue of the handling of disease outbreaks and the dissemination of information surrounding the outbreaks. This gave way to the creation of the NEHP that will outline the issues surrounding the prevention, diagnosis and control of diseases and the responsibilities and roles of the federal and state authorities and the industry.

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The goals of the NEHP are to protect the health and welfare of the U.S. equine population, facilitate the continued interstate and international movement of horses and their products, ensure the availability of regulatory services, and protect the economic continuity of business in the equine industry.

The NEHP also functions as a roadmap for coordinating horse owners and industry organizations with veterinarians and state and federal animal health officials to prevent, recognize, control and respond to diseases and environmental disasters. The plan facilitates horse industry preparedness, effective rapid communication, and owner education, which make up the foundation for preventing diseases and disease spread. Links to information and resources are included in the NEHP document, including a list of “Roles and Responsibilities” for all stakeholders in the industry.

The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) is a key element of the NEHP and provides critical communication of information during disease outbreaks. Additionally, equinediseasecc.org provides information about diseases, vaccination, biosecurity, state health regulations, state animal health official contact information and links to USDA-APHIS veterinary services. By integrating the roles of regulatory agencies with industry stakeholders, equine health and welfare are improved.

The NEHP provides immediate access to resources and communications needed to optimize disease mitigation and prevention. It serves as a guide for regulations and responses needed to mitigate and prevent infectious diseases. The AHC and the AAEP encourage sharing this document as it will help educate horse owners about how veterinarians and state and federal officials work together to decrease the risk of disease spread.

If you have any questions about the NEHP or the EDCC, please contact Dr. Nat White at edcc@aaep.org or Cliff Williamson, Director of Health & Regulatory Affairs at the AHC at cwilliamson@horsecouncil.org.

Read on AHC Website