Saturday, September 24, 2016

Harry and Snowman: Opens in Select Theatres Sept 30

Harryandsnowman.com

Harry and Snowman opens in select theatres September 30. Find yours here.

THE STORY

Dutch immigrant, Harry deLeyer, journeyed to the United States after World War II and developed a transformative relationship with a broken down Amish plow horse he rescued off a slaughter truck bound for the glue factory. Harry paid eighty dollars for the horse and named him Snowman. In less than two years, Harry & Snowman went on to win the triple crown of show jumping, beating the nations blue bloods. They were famous for their day and traveled around the world together. Their chance meeting at a Pennsylvania horse auction saved them both and crafted a friendship that lasted a lifetime. Eighty-six year old Harry tells their Cinderella love story firsthand, as he continues to train on today's show jumping circuit.

Harry deLeyer

Harry deLeyer grew up working on his family farm in Holland. After World War II, Harry and his wife immigrated to the United States where he was offered a job as a riding instructor at the exclusive Knox School in Long Island New York.

Harry's career was catapulted by Snowman and he went on to become one of the most successful riders and trainers in America. He represented the United States at the World Championships in Sweden in 1983 and was recognized by the United States Equestrian Foundation with a Pegasus Medal of Honor in 2002 for his lifetime contribution to the sport.

Now 85, the "Galloping Grandfather," as he is known around the world, still rides and trains, based out of his farm in Virginia.

Snowman

Less than two years out of the Amish plow fields, Snowman won the 1958 horse show jumping Triple Crown — the American Horse Shows Association Horse of the Year, Professional Horseman's Association Champion and Champion of Madison Square Garden's Diamond Jubilee.

Snowman appeared on the most popular game show of the 1960's, "To Tell the Truth" and on "Who Do You Trust" with Johnny Carson. He had his own fan club, he was profiled twice in Life magazine and was the subject of three best-selling books, including the 2011 NY Times Best-Seller, The Eighty-Dollar Champion.

Snowman retired from competition in 1962 to Harry's farm in Long Island where he lived until he died in 1974. He was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 1992.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Movie review: 'Bite the Bullet' based on an endurance horse race in 1908

Ruidosonews.com - Full Review

Lisa Maue, Guest columnist
September 7, 2016

Warning: Graphic scenes include what might be, for some, instances of animal cruelty.


Based on an endurance horse race that took place in 1908 and dreamed up the by “Denver Post,” “Bite the Bullet” is an epic tale that reduces several individuals to their basest selves, set against the changes resultant of the introduction of the railroad, the encroachment of the “civilizing” East and the subsequent shrinking of the West.

The real-life race started in Evanston, Wyoming and ended in Denver, Colorado, a distance of about 700 miles. The winner was to receive $2,500. In the fictionalized movie, entrants include a feisty woman, a man from Mexico with a toothache (hence the title), an old man seeking redemption, an Englishman, an upstart and a couple of Rough Riders, to name a few. With so many characters, be prepared to jump from one to another and to experience several story lines with frequent cutaways.

The quick back-and-forth pacing of the film is juxtaposed with numerous slow motion shots meant to heighten emotional impact. Some of the slow-motion scenes involve horses undergoing obvious distress consistent with such a grueling race as well as the outcome of the desperation of those who need the prize money. The back-and-forth format also pivots to show some characters caring for an animal on which they depend to others abusing the animals for personal gain. It is not an old story; nor is the plot line of man versus nature. In this case, New Mexico is the backdrop and its high altitude forests and seemingly endless deserts provide a joint formidable foe; one that tests even the most battle-weary and rugged individualists and forces many to join forces...

Read more here:
http://www.ruidosonews.com/story/entertainment/movies/2016/09/07/movie-review-bite-bullet-based-endurance-horse-race-1908/89953974/

Sunday, September 18, 2016

New Thoughts on Gastric Ulcers in Horses

KER.Equinews.com - Full Article

By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · August 26, 2016

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) describes horses with erosions or other compromises of the stomach wall. Some horses show few signs of EGUS, whereas others colic, develop diarrhea, and have poor appetites, dull coats, decreased performance, and even behavior changes. Many ulcers develop in the squamous or nonglandular part of the stomach. According to the research team behind a new study*, EGUS should no longer be used as an all-encompassing term. Instead, horses with ulcers affecting the glandular region of the stomach, where stomach acid is produced, should instead be described as having equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD).

“Not very much is known about EGGD, including risk factors, how they develop, or whether or not the same treatment and management options work for EGGD as EGUS,” explained Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., an equine nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research (KER)...

Read more here:
http://ker.equinews.com/article/new-thoughts-gastric-ulcers-horses?utm_source=KER+Newsletter&utm_campaign=200a2d1975-ker-horse-nutri-kentucky-equine-09_14_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0d95781dfc-200a2d1975-11166

Electrolyte Oversupplementation: A Real Risk for Horses?

KER.Equinews.com - Full Article

By Kentucky Equine Research Staff · August 30, 2016

Routine electrolyte supplementation is part and parcel in the diets of performance horses. Intricacies of electrolyte nutrition are sometimes not well understood, especially the implications of oversupplementation.

Wait, is it possible to oversupplement electrolytes?

“Oversupplementing electrolytes on a daily basis would be difficult to do, particularly if products are given according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and only fed when the horse has access to water,” explained Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a longtime nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research (KER).

If more electrolytes are given than the horse requires, healthy kidneys will filter the excess sodium and other electrolytes, and excrete them in the urine.

“As you can imagine, in order to flush large amounts of sodium, the body would need a lot of water. If too much salt or electrolyte is fed, a horse will drink more water because its body will attempt to dilute higher concentration of sodium in body cells,” expounded Crandell. “If there is not enough water in the body, it could present a problem, especially if a horse is dehydrated. If electrolytes are given without water to a dehydrated horse, further dehydration will occur, causing significant fluid-balance problems, including the possibility of salt toxicity...”

Read more here:
http://ker.equinews.com/article/electrolyte-oversupplementation-real-risk-horses?utm_source=KER+Newsletter&utm_campaign=200a2d1975-ker-horse-nutri-kentucky-equine-09_14_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0d95781dfc-200a2d1975-11166

Thursday, September 15, 2016

International Helmet Awareness Day 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

International Helmet Awareness Day 2016

Would You Know If Someone Was Suffering From A Concussion?

Lexington, KY (September 14, 2016) – As we prepare to celebrate the seventh annual Riders4Helmets International Helmet Awareness Day on Saturday, September 17th, we ask "Would You Know If Someone Was Suffering From A Concussion?"

Did you know that the average amount of traumatic brain injury-related deaths in equestrian sport is more than seven times that of traumatic brain injury-related deaths in contact sports (such as American football)? That’s an average of 60 deaths in equestrian sports each year.

Much of those deaths can be due to an inaccurate diagnosis of a concussion.

Concussion Basics

According to the Center for Disease Control, a concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head, which causes the brain or head to move back and forth rapidly. When that happens, inside your head your brain will bounce or twist around, damaging the brain cells, thus creating chemical changes in the brain.

Concussions cannot be captured on any imaging because there are no abnormalities, says Dr. Lola Chambless, a neurosurgeon at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and longtime eventing rider. “The symptoms are purely a clinical diagnosis—you will not see anything on a CT scan or MRI.

Signs and symptoms of a concussion are:

· Appearing dazed or confused

· Headache

· Nausea or vomiting

· Balance problems or dizziness

· Feeling groggy or sluggish

Is It a Concussion?

Because most falls can happen when you’re not at a sanctioned equestrian event, most concussions can go undiagnosed.

“Things like that happen all the time, and most people generally are not going to seek medical attention unless they are very symptomatic,” says Dr. Chambless.

Dr. Chambless has worked with the National Football League to help come up with a concussion protocol to be used along the sidelines at the games to help diagnose players with concussions. And while the protocol’s questions are football specific, they can be modified for any sport. She strongly encourages trainers, instructors and riders to all learn to ask these questions any time a fellow rider has come off their horse.

The series of questions are fairly simple to essentially test immediate and short-term memory of the person in question. Questions may include: Where are we riding today? What color is your saddle pad? Where did you last show your horse? What’s your horse’s name? If she/he cannot answer one of these questions, it is recommended to have a physician see them to make a further diagnosis.

And it’s the aftercare for concussions that are just as important. Someone who has suffered from a previous concussion should try to avoid taking any unnecessary risks with training, but most importantly prevent secondary injury. Secondary injury is when a rider returns to the saddle before they’ve fully recovered from a concussion, putting them at a much greater risk for long-term or permanent issues from a concussion.

Can a Helmet Prevent a Concussion?

While approved helmets do reduce the chance of a lethal head injury and can save your life, they do not prevent concussions.

Helmets are designed to limit the types of forces that cause skull fractures and intracranial hemorrhage, which are things that are going to kill you or leave you with neurologic problems. Unfortunately, they are not designed to affect the forces that generally we believe can cause a concussion.

“Unfortunately, there is no safety gear out there currently that really reduces your chances of concussion from a fall of 6 feet, which is basically what you're assuming you’re going to fall from in most equestrian injuries,” says Dr. Chambless. “We can’t prevent people from falling off, but we can make it a lesser risk by wearing a helmet and riding in safe situations.”

To find out more about International Helmet Awareness Day, visit riders4helmets.com and learn how leading helmet manufacturers around the globe are offering special discounts to help keep you safe in the saddle this year.

Tack Shops who wish to register to participate in the event, may email Lyndsey@riders4helmets.com and will then receive an email with information on how to sign up. Only tack shops who register will be eligible for restocking discounts from the 15 participating helmet brands (please note - participating brands vary by country).

Media Contact:
Lyndsey White
Lyndsey@equiseen.com

Thursday, September 01, 2016

Is Selenium Deficiency Deadly to Horses?

Thehorse.com - Full Article

By Erica Larson, News Editor
Aug 28, 2016

The warnings are nothing new to owners: Too much selenium in a horse’s diet—even as little as 5 mg per day—can cause signs of toxicity or even death. But did you know too little selenium can also be life-threatening?

Andrew Allen, DVM, an assistant professor at Washington State University’s (WSU) College of Veterinary Medicine, in Pullman, reviewed several recent cases of death due to selenium deficiency in adult horses at the 2016 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum, held June 8-11 in Denver, Colorado.

In equids, Allen said, the muscle disease nutritional myopathy (also referred to as white muscle disease), resulting from a selenium deficiency, generally presents itself in young, rapidly growing foals. Affected foals can show a variety of clinical signs depending on disease severity, including painful hind limb, back, or neck muscles with increasing weakness, stiffness, trembling, and recumbency (the inability to rise); difficulty swallowing; an irregular heartbeat; generalized weakness; and sudden death. This condition, however, is rare in adult horses...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/38074/is-selenium-deficiency-deadly-to-horses?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=nutrition&utm_campaign=08-29-2016