The answers to these questions can be found somewhere on The Reichert Celebration website at www.ReichertCelebration.com. For example, the question for today was

May 16th Question of the Day: How much is a stall for the ApHC show prior to July 15, 2012? Be the first person to e-mail Mindy@ReichertCelebration.com and you will win one free stall at the 2012 Reichert Celebration.

Each daily question will be posted at a different time in order to give everyone a chance to win. The name of each winner will be posted on the Reichert Facebook page between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Terry Schroeder of The Reichert Celebration says some of the great prizes will include free stalls, parking, camping spots, gift certificates to area restaurants, and even a pair of boots. The cash value of these prizes can range anywhere from $65 to $300.

Click here to visit The Reichert Celebration on Facebook, and stay tuned for a new question tomorrow.

Related posts:

1. Stall and RV Forms Now Posted For 2011 Reichert Celebration
2. Rider Applications For Reichert Celebration Equine Chronicle Color Classic Due Tomorrow, May 15th
3. Reichert Celebration Announces New Premiere Signature Trail Classes for 2010

To give you personalized, fast advice, AQHA Equine Color Specialist Lisa Covey will be on AQHA’s Facebook page from 2 to 4 p.m. each Friday through June to answer your questions.

So gather up your horses’ information, photos and questions, and join us from 2 to 4 p.m. on Fridays for Coat Color Q&A at www.facebook.com/aqha1. Lisa will be standing by to answer your questions. Simply post your questions and photos for Lisa on AQHA’s Facebook wall.

Frequently asked questions include:

• Based on the dam and sire, what color possibilities does my future foal have?
• I want to breed for a specific foal color. What color stallion do I need to breed my mare to?
• My newborn foal just hit the ground. What color do I register her as?

In addition to the Friday Coat Color Q&A sessions, AQHA’s Facebook page provides excellent customer service, the latest news, helpful tips and sweepstakes for great prizes. Join the more than 340,000 fans who make AQHA’s Facebook page a great place to foster your love for the American Quarter Horse.

Related posts:

1. AQHA Equine Color Specialists Available to Answer Your Questions
2. AQHA Celebrates 100,000 Facebook Fans With Discounts For Everyone
3. 2010 APHA Workshop, June 3-5: More Stringent Color Requirements, Genetic Testing and Amateur Walk-Trot Up For Discussion

The exhibition entitled “All The Queen’s horses” celebrates Her Majesty’s life-long interest in horse racing and photos of many of her most famous winners.

Click here to read more.

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2. Free Admission to See Largest Equestrian Traveling Exhibition With Artifacts From Around the World, April 5th
3. Black Beauty Stage Production Will be Touring Britain This Summer

On May 10th, the Mississippi Board of Animal Health posted a notice on their website confirming two cases of EHV, with four additional cases being suspected. Three of the horses were euthanized. As of May 14th, another notice was posted confirming that no new cases have been reported in Mississippi.

However, also on May 14th, a notice was posted on the Tennessee Department of Agriculture website confirming that they had received a new total of nine reports of suspected or confirmed cases. Two have been euthanized. Their recommendations for those who attended the Bucksnort Trail Ride is to keep your horse isolated at its current location for 21 days after the potential exposure time period.

Then, on May 15th, we posted another press release, this time from the Colorado Department of Agriculture, which stated they were investigating one confirmed case of EHV-1 at a Douglas County farm. Within that report, it was noted that the horse had been transported from Iowa by way of a private company, and the animal eventually had to be euthanized.

Three other facilities in Colorado received horses from the same transport company, and those animals were placed under isolation.

We have provided links to each one of the press releases and/or website notices that contain additional detailed information about the EHV-1 cases in individual states. Please keep in mind that in the case of reporting suspected or confirmed cases of EHV-1, as well as any other reportable equine diseases, we will only be relaying information from state departments of agriculture, state boards of health, or other official entities.

Bucksnort Trail Ride LLC has also recently issued a statement on their website indicating that their Memorial Day Trail Ride has been cancelled, but they are optimistic that the recommended biosecurity procedures will be completed before the next ride scheduled for June 11-17

Related posts:

1. Total Now up to 15 EHV-1 Cases Confirmed on CA Premises, Also 1 Additional Premises Confirmed
2. Several Suspected Cases of EHV-1 Reported in Tennessee
3. EHV-1 Update From Florida

Kicking off the festivities will be an Equine Chronicle sponsored Exhibitors’ Party, Wednesday, May 16th, from 4 to 6 p.m. Our very own Gordon Downey will be at the show tonight, snapping pictures as usual, so be sure to pose for a candid shot that might appear in our online photo gallery. In addition to the Exhibitors’ Party, an exclusive Sponsor Party will be held Friday evening, May 18th, from 4 to 7 p.m.

And now, getting down to all of the important horse show details, the judges for the 2012 Sun and Surf will be Chris Thompson, Wayne Halvorson, Tony Burris, Dean Ross, Christa Baldwin, and Leonard Berryhill.

There is a lineup of speciality events sprinkled in with the usual offering of AQHA performance classes, including several NSBA western pleasure and hunter under saddle futurities. The Non-Pro Trail Classic is also scheduled for this year, as well as the NSBA 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure Futurities with Open, Limited, and Non-Pro divisions, NSBA 3 and 4-Year-Old Trail Futurity, and NSBA 3 and 4-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle Futurity with Open and Non-Pro divisions.

Last year, the Sun and Surf had the misfortune of being one of the first shows to take place after the onset of the EHV-1 scare, which affected many breed shows across the country, especially in California. But this year, Show Manager Clay MacLeod is happy to report that both stall reservations and entries are up, and they expect quite a good turnout for the event.

“We are looking at about 500 stalls being used, and the weather is absolutely beautiful here today,” MacLeod says. “The show starts tomorrow, and it is supposed to be sunny and 75 degrees. You couldn’t ask for nicer conditions.”

“We are expecting a really good turnout this year. The show secretary has told me that already show entries are up 15% and quite a few people haven’t even entered yet. So that is very good news.”

As usual, awards will be equally spread out through multiple age divisions, including the popular Super Select division for the 60+ crowd. These veteran exhibitors will have the opportunity to win special High Point Champion buckles and circuit awards within this division.

Logo courtesy of Sun and Surf Circuit.

Also, award buckles will be given out for Halter and Performance Halter Champions and Silverado Silver Circuit Champion buckles will be given out in all performance events. Marrita McMillan bronzes will be awarded as All-Around prizes and Shorty’s Caboy Hattery gift certificates will be given for Reserve. The divisions that will have the chance to receive some of these great All-Around prizes include 13 and Under/14 and Over Youth, 13 and Under/14 and Over Novice Youth, Amateur, Select Amateur, Novice Amateur, Junior Horse, Senior Horse, Green Horse, and 11 and Under Walk/Jog.

And for the off chance that you need a little escape from the horse show, you can take a short drive to one of San Diego’s stunning beaches, go sightseeing in La Jolla, place a bet at the Del Mar racetrack, or check out the shopping in Mission Bay. With four star golf courses, waterfront dining on the ocean, and many speciality boutiques, there is definitely no shortage of recreational activities on the West Coast.

For more information about the 2012 Sun and Surf Circuit click here to visit their website.

Related posts:

1. Many More 2011 Around The Ring Candids From Sun and Surf Circuit
2. 2011 Sun and Surf Circuit, May 19-22 Will NOT Be Postponed Due to EHV-1 Threat
3. Fun in The Sun at The Sun and Surf Circuit in Del Mar, CA

The trusted WEST NILE INNOVATOR® West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine has moved to the Pfizer Animal Health brand with an updated package and label. Brought on with the acquisition of Wyeth and Fort Dodge Animal Health in 2009, WEST NILE INNOVATOR is now manufactured by Pfizer Animal Health.

WEST NILE INNOVATOR is approved for use in healthy horses 10 months of age or older as an aid in the prevention of viremia caused by WNV. West Nile is a widespread, mosquito-borne neurological disease that can kill approximately one in three clinically affected horses1, leading the American Association of Equine Practitioners to classify West Nile virus as a core vaccine that is recommended for all horses on an annual basis. Semi-annual vaccinations should be considered for horses in locations where mosquitoes are active year round.

WEST NILE INNOVATOR was shown to be 96.7 percent effective against a 2003 WNV outbreak among immunologically naïve horses2. As the first commercially available WNV vaccine with more than 30 million doses sold, WEST NILE INNOVATOR is still the veterinarian’s first choice for West Nile disease protection3. The vaccine is adjuvanted with MetaStim for an improved immune response to WNV4 and helps provide a duration of immunity of at least one year.

“The preference we see among veterinarians for WEST NILE INNOVATOR shows that veterinarians understand the demonstrated efficacy the vaccine has against WNV, which is a serious concern for horse owners,” said Andrea Wright, DVM, MVSc, Marketing Manager, Equine Biologicals for Pfizer Animal Health. “In addition to research and real-world data, Pfizer Animal Health stands behind the WEST NILE INNOVATOR vaccines with the Equine Immunization Support Guarantee.”

The WEST NILE INNOVATOR vaccines are included in the Equine Immunization Support Guarantee, which provides up to $5,000 for reasonable diagnostic and treatment costs if a horse properly vaccinated by a veterinarian contracts the corresponding equine disease. Disease protection backed by the Equine Immunization Support Guarantee includes infection from West Nile virus, equine influenza virus, tetanus, Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus, Western equine encephalomyelitis virus, and Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus. Vaccinations must be provided and administered by a licensed veterinarian with an established client-patient relationship to be eligible. For more information on this program, horse owners should contact their veterinarian.

For more information on the WEST NILE INNOVATOR vaccines, contact your Pfizer Animal Health representative or call 1-855-4AH-PFIZER (1-855-424-7349).

About Pfizer Animal Health

Pfizer Animal Health, a business unit of Pfizer Inc., is a world leader in the discovery, development and manufacture of innovative animal health vaccines, medicines, and diagnostic products. Pfizer Animal Health invests more in research and development than any other animal health company. We work to assure a safe, sustainable global food supply from healthy beef and dairy cattle, swine, poultry and fish while helping dogs, cats and horses live healthier longer lives. We strive to be the animal health company that provides full healthcare solutions to veterinarians, livestock producers, and pet owners. To learn more, visit www.us.animalhealth.pfizer.com.

References

Schuler, LA, et al. Evaluation of an outbreak of West Nile virus infection in horses: 569 cases (2002). J AM Vet Med Assoc. 2004 Oct 1;225(7):1084-9.

Epp T, Waldner C, Townsend HG. A case control study of factors associated with development of clinical disease due to West Nile virus, Saskatchewan 2003. Equine Vet J 2007; 39:498-503.

Market Dynamics Inc., October 2011

Davis EG, et al. Investigation of Antigen Specific Lymphocyte Responses in Healthy Horses Vaccinated with an Inactivated West Nile Virus Vaccine. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2008; 126(3-4):293–301.

All brands are the property of their respective owners. ©2012 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved

Related posts:

1. Pfizer Stands Behind Vaccine Products With Equine Immunization Support Guarantee
2. 22 Cases of EEE, 21 Cases of West Nile, Pfizer Reminds You to Vaccinate Your Horses Against Mosquito-Borne Diseases
3. Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus Cases Rising, Experts Urging Vaccinations

“I’ve groomed professionally full-time and part-time for several Olympic riders. Many years as a professional groom brought me to the recognition of the need for a resource acknowledging and focusing on professional equine grooms as a career. So I founded Pro Equine Grooms to provide support, education and growth opportunities for professional equine grooms. I’m also building a membership component that will include the option for health insurance. Professional grooms are skilled individuals and deserve all the rights and respect that other professionals earn,” Liv Gude shares.

Liv details the duties and responsibilities that grooms encounter throughout their day, which are broad and varied. She talks about the demanding pace that grooms must keep to juggle the horse care, grooming, tacking up, cooling down, turn-out, tack care, and more requires.

“There were days that I would spend six hours walking – when the rider has the day off and the horses need to be hand walked twice a day.” Liv also talks about how grooms get their training, how they fit into the total team that supports the horse and rider in training and competition and much more. She also gives insight into where she’s taking Pro Equine Grooms as a resource and membership organization. Look for everything she’s doing at www.proequinegrooms.com.

Blue Ribbon Business Bits (BRBB) is a free podcast series that focuses on topics related to horse business and non-profit start-up, management, marketing and leadership. These audio segments are downloadable so that you can listen to them while you muck stalls, clean tack, or drive to your next client’s barn. It can be found at www.BlueRibbonConsulting.com under the Audio Library tab. You’ll find educational topics as well as interviews with experts that share their knowledge on these topics. New segments are added monthly.

Blue Ribbon Business Bits is provided as a free resource to the horse business and non-profit community by Lisa Derby Oden, Blue Ribbon Consulting. Lisa Oden has been providing business development, marketing, and non-profit consulting services to the horse industry since 1995 and is author of “Growing Your Horse Business” and “Bang for Your Buck: Making $ense of Marketing for Your Horse Business.” She has received awards at the state and national level for her work in the horse industry, and can be reached at lisa@blueribbonconsulting.com, www.blueribbonconsulting.com, and 603-878-1694.

Related posts:

1. Horse Business Audio Library Offers On-the-Go Business Training and Tips
2. New Resource Designed Especially to Support Professional Development of Equine Grooms: Job Options, Finding Health Insurance Solutions, and More
3. “Social Media for Your Horse Business” Teleseminar Series Kicks Off in January

What scientists call the Sutter’s Mill Meteorite landed at 7:51 a.m. PDT on Sunday, April 22, 2012, outside of Lotus, Calif., in a horse pasture located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The de Haas family owns the property.

“It sounded like a sonic boom but longer,” said Alan Ehrgott, who lives in the Sutter Mill area. “It seemed to last 45 seconds. It stopped me in my tracks.”

The de Haas family has generously donated the meteorite to NASA.

Merv de Hass, who owns the land where the meteorite was found, donated the fragment to NASA. “If I could contribute to science in some small way, then that would be great,” said de Haas. “I’m looking forward to the results.”

Eugena de Haas lives on the land where the meteorite was found. She informed NASA scientists that they were approved to search that land. “I feel like I have done a service to my country,” she said.

“The de Haas family has welcomed NASA’s involvement with open arms,” said NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) Director Yvonne Pendleton. “I want to express my personal gratitude to them. They should be commended for their contribution to scientific discovery.”

This is a very rare type of meteor and scientists have precious few samples of this kind of material. The meteorites are very interesting to scientists from an astrobiology perspective, as they contain molecules related to how the building blocks for life on Earth may have been delivered from outer space. Scientist believe that this meteor could hold the answers to the origin of life on Earth and the universe. By studying the meteor, scientists also will learn more about the early solar system and the formation of our planets.

Caption: Fragments of the Sutter’s Mill meteorite fall collected by NASA Ames and SETI Institute meteor astronomer Dr. Peter Jenniskens in the evening of Tuesday April 24, two days after the fall. This was the second recovered find.
Image credit: NASA / Eric James

“This is among the most chemically primitive meteorites,” said NLSI Deputy Director Greg Schmidt. “It’s like asking ‘how did life on Earth begin?’ and then having a fossil fall right in your back yard. This is exciting stuff — who knows what’s inside? The Sutter’s Mill Meteorite could be the most profound sample collected in over 40 years.”

People who work at NASA had an opportunity to participate in the meteor hunt. Peter Jenniskens, a meteor astronomer with the SETI Institute working in collaboration with NLSI, led the search. A group of NASA Ames employees went to the mountains to assist in the search on Thursday, May 3 and Friday, May 4, 2012.

“It’s heartwarming to see people coming together in the name of science,” said Pendelton.

For Jenniskens, finding this meteorite is equivalent to winning the lottery. Because this discovery is a very rare carbonaceous chrondrite that decomposes quickly in damp weather, the science team hopes to cover a large amount of terrain to identify possible candidate pieces for recovery before they decompose.

As Jenniskens finds the meteorites, he notes their exact location to better understand the meteor’s fall to Earth.

“I am grateful this meteorite was found quickly,” Jenniskens said. “We need to recover as much material as possible from the damp environment before weather affects the rocks too badly.”

Since there was such a large piece of land to search in a short amount of time, Airship Ventures’ Zeppelin was called in to help conduct the search. The airship provides an ideal search vehicle, due to its ability to fly slowly and methodically over an area with a group of trained observers aboard to relay possible candidate coordinates to a ground team for investigation. The airship also carries a high definition gyrostabilized camera, often used to help photograph sporting events. In addition to the camera mounted on the airship, observers in the ship used binoculars and cameras to help spot burn patches and potential impact sites.

“I suspect this is the first time in history that anyone has searched for meteorites with an airship,” said Schmidt.

So far, the fragment donated by the de Haas family was one of the largest meteorites recovered, but the search for even bigger samples will continue over the next few months. The search for more fragments will continue for the next month. However, scientists will be studying these meteorite samples for many years to come.

To view a video about the search, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=143134601

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2. Two Bodies Discovered in Manure Pile at Indiana Horse Farm
3. The New Product That Can Turn Horse Manure Into Usable Energy

Hay is the foundation of a good nutrition program, but horse owners are often left to the sight, smell and touch of hay to “make general assumptions” about its quality. Nutrena believes that horse owners do not need to be left “guessing” when making important grain & supplement choices for your trusted companion or equine athlete. By taking advantage of Nutrena’s complimentary hay testing at the Western States Horse Expo, owners can start maximizing their horse’s nutrition program today.

The ideal sample is obtained using a hay probe to collect a core sample. If you do not have a hay probe available Nutrena recommends that you collect equal parts of the stalk, stem & leafy material in the hay sample to fill a one gallon clear plastic bag with your hay sample. The bag must be sealed and labeled with your name, phone number, and type of hay. If you are collecting samples from small square bales, collect the sample(s) from the center of bale, and combine samples from three or more hay bales, if possible. If you are collecting samples from round bales, collect the sample(s) from the center of the round bale and combine two or more round bales, if possible.

Hay is the foundation of a horse’s diet providing 50-90% of the horse’s total nutrients. The protein and fiber values are an important factor in balancing the equine diet- and these values will vary widely by state, county, field and cutting. It is important to calculate the digestible energy (DE) and calorie content in your hay. By balancing your horse’s diet – “what’s in your hay” should be telling you what feed and/or supplements to be using.

Over the past 13 years, Horse Expo Events has established the Western States Horse Expo as the gold standard of equine events. The 2012 Western States Horse Expo takes center stage from June 8-10, 2012 at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, CA. In addition to the Magnificent 7, the Project Cowboy – Cowgirls Only, and the Horse Expo Horse Sale during that weekend, there will be several clinicians at the Expo: Chris Cox, Bernie Traurig, Steve Rother, Larry Whitesell, Eitan Beth-Halachmy, David Bodin, Bonnie Davis, Dr. Sue Thompson, Christy Landwehr, Peggy Cummings, Robert M. Miller, DVM. There will also be breed demonstrations, Young Rider Park, Equine Dream Art Show and Book Corral.

For more information about Nutrena, please visit www.nutrena.com

For more information on the Western States Horse Expo please visit www.horsexpo.com.

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1. Equestrian Vaulting Comes to Western States Horse Expo in CA. This June
2. 2010 Western States Horse Expo Is A Big Success
3. Statement From CA Western States Horse Expo Regarding EHV-1

2012 NSBA World Show Judges:

• Christa L. Baldwin
• Michael R. Colvin
• Chris Jones
• Brad Kearns
• Jennifer Leckey
• Rob Meneely
• Lisa Moden
• E.H. Pait, Jr.
• Judd D. Paul
• Sara B. Simons
• Michelle Tidwell
• John Tuckey
• Greg Wheat
• Shane G. Young

Related posts:

1. Judges For 2012 NSBA World Championship Show and Breeders Futurity Announced
2. 2012 NSBA World Championship Show Qualifying Ends April 30th
3. Congratulations to New NSBA Judges: Clint Fullerton, Wayne Halvorson, Sara Simons, Tom Robertson and More