Belly bands, though created with the intention to protect horses from spur rubs among other things, are being misused to disguise abuse. For this reason, the board of directors has chosen to ban them from use on the show grounds in favor of encouraging exhibitors to use spurs responsibly or face the consequences of overuse of spurs.

3312. Halter Classes. Entries shall be led into the ring in a halter, or a bridle maybe used in Pleasure Type division classes. Quarter boots, blinders or other appliances including braces are prohibited. A lip chain or lip cord may be used with a halter only as allowed and defined in this rule.

Today marks the first full day of investigation into what’s being described as the deadliest mass shooting in US history. 49 victims were killed in the gay nightclub “Pulse” in Orlando, Florida over the weekend and over 50 injured victims are in the hospital. While the original reports indicate that 50 people were killed, it’s notable that 49 were victims and the 50th death was the shooter himself, who was killed in a gun battle with police.

The lone gunman has been identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, a US citizen who was raised in New York. During the shooting, the gunman called 911 and “pledged his allegiance to ISIS,” while he held several hostages.

Click here to keep up with a live feed of the investigation on USA Today “Orlando Nightclub Shooting: What We Know.”

A half-dozen horses were rescued from rising waters that plagued the city of Houston and smaller Texas towns near the Brazos River. The flooding was the second incident in as many months to force humans and horses from their homes.

The NRCHA has committed to hold the Snaffle Bit Futurity in Fort Worth for the next three years, through 2019.

There has been an update in the case of the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old American Quarter Horse named Apache Sunrise. Various news reports indicate that both the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture- Criminal Division and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are looking into the stabbing death of the horse that took place sometime between May […]

Owners, trainers, veterinarians and other equine industry participants can be alerted to infectious disease outbreaks and updates through an e-mail notification system recently implemented by the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC), an industry-funded hub for efficient communication of information about equine infectious diseases and disease outbreaks.