months for horses who travel off farm or for horses who live on farms with many horses coming and going. If one or two vaccinations per year are a good thing,
wouldn’t more frequent vaccinations be even better? Maybe not. A study by the United States Department of Agricul- ture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veteri- nary Services Division, published in 2013 points to a possi- ble association of recent equine herpes virus vaccination of horses, who were subsequently exposed to EHV-1 at a large equine event held in 2011, with developing the neurological form of EHV-1. However, it could not be concluded from this field-based study that the recent vaccination of the horses actually caused them to contract the neurological form of herpes virus, just that it was possible. (There is no current vaccine that has a label claim for control of the neurological form of EHV-1.) Another survey done by Drs. Wayne Browning, Natalie
Zdimal and Dr. Leah Forquer of Bayhill Equine Clinic, a large practice near San Francisco, California, reported increased incidences in adverse reactions to vaccines being associated with over vaccination. Reactions included an increase in the severity of injection site reactions; an increase in horses exhibiting a type 4 skin hypersensitivity following vacci- nation; an increased number of horses with temperatures up to 103.4 following vaccination, and two cases of horses showing severe colic symptoms within 15 minutes of being vaccinated. (Both horses lived with the help of treatment, but were sick for a few days and one horse showed more adverse reactions to subsequent vaccinations against other diseases as well.) The USEF addressed this issue by passing a rule that speci-
fies shows may not require vaccinations any closer together than six months prior to the show (General Rule 845 in Chap- ter 8F, Welfare of the Horse). The rule does require horses be vaccinated against EHV and equine influenza (either by a veterinarian or by the horse’s owner or by the owner’s agent as directed by a veterinarian and that documentation of vaccination must accompany the horse at the show) in order to be eligible to show at USEF-sanctioned competitions. The one exception is in cases where a veterinarian certifies a horse cannot be vaccinated due to a history of adverse reactions, in which case twice daily temperature logs are kept on the horse prior to and during the show. The rule takes effect in 2016.
Convention “Buzz” Topics for discussion from the various meetings and around the lunch table included: Snippets from the Dressage Committee: Two interest-
ing topics of discussion were: “How much is too much ‘bling’ on a rider’s outfit?” and “Whether or not someone under 14 should be handling or assisting with the showing of a stal- lion in breed classes?” Several judges and technical delegates present in the meeting spoke against shiny coats, gemstones on hats, boots and buttons, and too much additional color on a rider’s coat (such as light colored elbow patches), saying these took their attention away from judging the quality of
the ride. A majority of people in the committee meeting also expressed safety concerns over handlers younger than 14 showing or assisting with showing stallions in hand. These were not proposed rule changes at this point, but are trends to keep tabs on for the future. Helmut cams, yea or nay? In late October 2014, the USEF had issued a ban on helmet cameras being worn by riders at any USEF-sanctioned competition. This was in response to British Eventing adopting a ban following a skiing accident by Formula 1 race car driver Michael Schumacher (who was wearing a helmet cam at the time and it was thought that the camera compromised the integrity of the protective helmet.) By January 5, 2015, the USEF had reversed the ruling, stating that they would allow the use of helmet cams but only if the competition management allows them and at the rider’s own assumption of risk. Para dressage is added to the Adequan FEI North
American Junior Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC). It becomes the sixth official discipline to compete in the NAJYRC, joining dressage, eventing, endurance, reining and show jumping. That leaves only the FEI World Equestrian Games disciplines of driving and vaulting out of the mix at the NAJYRC, although vaulting has been a demonstration sport at NAJYRC on a couple of occasions in the past. Why is para dressage classified with the non-Olympic disciplines under USEF rules? Oddly enough, with the new reorganization to “Olympic” and “non-Olympic” disciplines for representation on the USEF board, the para equestrian has been included on the non-Olympic side, even though these riders represent our country at the Paralympic Games. This is significant because they have to vie for one board seat against representatives from reining, driving, endurance and vaulting and also for funding. Whereas the three other Olym- pic disciplines (dressage, eventing and show jumping) each have one seat on the BOD. Mare’s milk soap—the newest trend in equestrian prod-
ucts? That’s right, mare’s milk soap, or rather Friesian mare’s milk soap, was on sale at the annual meeting in the Friesian Horse Association of North America booth.
A different take on the goat’s milk soap craze: Grandview Farm offered Friesian mare’s milk soap for sale in the Friesian Horse Association of North America’s booth.
Warmbloods Today 83
Kim MacMillan/MacMillan Photography
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