APRIL 2019 THE RIDER /27


Launch of the Guelph Equine Public Policy Group


“The Guelph Equine Public Policy Group will ensure that Canada’s governments under- stand how they can – and why they must – serve the equine community public interest,” said Akaash Maharaj, the Group’s Chair.


Guelph, Ontario – Friday, 15 March 2019 The University of


Guelph periodically calls to- gether Canada’s horse com- munity, to develop a consensus on the commu- nity’s shared national priori- ties. The university’s most recent Equine Industry Sym- posium (EIS) has now created the Guelph Equine Public Policy Group, to advance those priorities with Canada’s governments and public insti- tutions. “The members of the


Guelph Equine Public Policy Group include national ath- letes, industry leaders, horse welfare advocates, heads of international institutions, and


highly respected figures from the worlds of Federal, Provin- cial, and Indigenous govern- ment,” said Abby Hodder of the EIS Organising Commit- tee. “They are ideally placed to lead this new, independent initiative.” Group members are all


sponsible for meeting and working with ministers, legis- lators, and public authorities, to press for implementation of those policies. “The hard reality is that


volunteers, and were selected for their expertise in equestri- anism, equine industries, horse welfare, and public af- fairs. The full list of members and their biographies are available at the Group’s web page.


https://bit.ly/2EU3ZKk ] The Group’s mandate is


[see


to develop and to champion public policies that will sup- port the ability of the Cana- dian horse sector to be: humane, accessible, and pro- fessional; economically, envi- ronmentally,


inter-generationally sustain- able; and integrated into co- herent policy frameworks for education, employment, and culture. The Group is also re-


and


Canadian horses and horsepeople suffer when our voice goes unheard in the cor- ridors of power,” said Akaash Maharaj, the Group’s Chair. “The Guelph Equine Public Policy Group will ensure that Canada’s governments under- stand how they can – and why they must – serve the equine community public interest.” The Group conducts its


work transparently, invites public participation, and wel- comes public scrutiny. It pub- lishes open accounts of its activities, its decisions, and its meetings with public policy makers. It is independent of the University of Guelph and of the EIS. It receives no public or university funding. [see https://bit.ly/2HlBZkn ]


Expert Industry Guests announced for FREE Online Gut Health Course Exclusive to Racing!


Guelph, ON Mar, 7, 2019 - Given the demanding life of the equine athlete, a high number of racehorses are at risk of digestive tract health concerns such as ulcers and colic. In a new online short course by Equine Guelph on The- HorsePortal.ca, March 11 – 29, you can learn from experts how to reduce the chance of digestive tract issues in your barn, and improve your horse’s per- formance on the track. High energy concen-


trates and the need for high energy diets to sus- tain performance and body condition can contribute to digestive health issues. Highly


equine nutritionist Don Kapper (Professional Ani- mal Scientist) will be shar- ing his wealth of knowledge on feeding for optimal digestive health


experienced


and performance. Kapper is the author of the chapter on “Applied Nutrition” for the authoritative veteri- nary textbook: “Equine In- ternal Medicine”, 2nd edition and was a member of the “Performance Elec- trolyte Research” team at the University of Guelph. Dr. Melissa McKee


of McKee-Pownall Equine Services, discov- ered a love of the Stan- dardbred athlete while attending veterinary school. After working as a veterinarian in New Jersey and Alberta, Dr. McKee returned to Ontario in 2002 and now focuses on helping race and perform- ance horses reach their po- tential. She understands well the stress associated with being a high-level athlete, including race day, transport, and limited turn- out. McKee looks forward


to the discussion forums offered in this unique on- line course. Dr. Kyle Goldie prac-


tices in all areas of equine veterinary medicine and has a keen interest in quar- ter horse racing. He looks forward to this important course that will help horse owners detect early signs and symptoms of ulcers and colic, help assess management plans, and develop preventative strategies. FREE courses avail-


ries! This course takes a common sense and practi- cal approach to training – no prior online learning experience required. Time online is flexible and at your convenience, work- ing around your schedule. AGCO licence holders can find coupon codes and sign up for Gut Health & Colic Prevention, exclu- sive to racing industry members at www.The- HorsePortal.ca/RacingPi- lot


able to trainers, assistant trainers, grooms, jockeys, drivers and other current AGCO licence holders on a first come, first served basis with coupon code. Limited space is available. Join the winning herd


improving performance through digestive health. Never taken an online course before? No wor-


Make a Point to Discuss Vaccinations with your Vet to Guard against Influenza and Disease


A real and present threat to your horse’s health


Story By: Jackie Bellamy Zions


Guelph, ON Mar, 12, 2019 - More than 100 racing yards were on lockdown this past Thursday Feb 7 as horse races were called off due to a flu outbreak in Britain. All horse owners need to guard against the very real and present threat of equine in- fluenza. According to a re- cent FEI health update in response to equine flu out- breaks, the virus can be eas- ily transmitted between horses that are in close con- tact, such as attending events, group training and hunting, or between vacci- nated and unvaccinated horses in the home yard. “Vaccinating horses


against equine influenza is key to combating the spread of equine influenza,” FEI Veterinary Director Göran Åkerström said. “It is im- portant that all horses are vaccinated, regardless of


whether or not they compete or come into contact with other horses, but there are also biosecurity measures that should be put in place, including best hygiene prac- tices.”


Plan Ahead The approach of


spring and the anticipation of outings and increased ex- posure to pathogens means it is time to book the vet for shots. How well do you un- derstand the vaccines cur- rently available and the discussions you should have with your vet? Six questions are


asked in Equine Guelph’s healthcare tool – the Vacci- nation Equi-Planner, kindly sponsored by Merck Animal Health, to help horse owners start those conversations. Every farm has different risk factors including: age, use, sex, exposure to outside horses and geography. Whether you are the


proud owner of a young foal, competition horse, hobbyhorse or broodmare,


the Vaccination Equi-Plan- ner (EquineGuelph.ca/vac- cinationtool) points out considerations for each and discusses different core and optional vaccines your vet may recommend. Your veterinarian will


be up to date on what dis- eases are endemic in your location. Did you know horses aged 1 - 5 tend to be more susceptible to in- fluenza? Horses that travel or are exposed to travelling horses or new arrivals are also at increased risk. ‘’Equine influenza is


one of the most frequent res- piratory tract disease in horses. As such, it has a sig- nificant impact on equine populations worldwide. Vaccination along with ap- propriate biosecurity meas- ures remains one of the most effective ways to prevent this highly contagious dis- ease. However, immunity against influenza is rather short-lived, so horses that are at higher risk of getting infected can benefit from a semi-annual booster. Horse


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exposed to the disease have the strongest immunity to it. By giving a modified


live vaccine, your veterinar- ian is administering a live pathogen, that has been modified so it will not cause the clinical disease but will mount an immune response to help provide protection against the disease, should the animal ever be exposed. More about the sci-


The personalized questions in EquineGuelph.ca/vaccina- tiontool helps horse owners start conversations with their vet for an annual plan.


owners should discuss with their veterinarian the most appropriate vaccination schedule based on their horses’ specific circum- stances. Also, as the in- fluenza virus constantly changes through antigenic drift, best practice calls for using a vaccine that includes recent strains of influenza as recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). An influenza modified live virus vaccine can also provide coverage against current strains through broad cross-pro- tection’’, says Dr. Serge Denis, Equine Consultant with Merck Animal Health.’’


What is a Modified Live Vaccine? A modified live equine


A/Equine 2 influenza vac- cine for intranasal adminis- tration is commercially available in Canada. “I have had some in-


teresting conversations with horse owners regard- ing vaccinations,” says Veterinarian and Ontario Association of Equine Practitioner President, Dr. Amy Bennet. “There does


seem to be some miscon- ceptions regarding specific vaccines, especially the modified live vaccines. By far, the biggest concern I hear from horse owners is that their horse could poten- tially become sick from the modified live vaccine and they are concerned that their horse could then pass this disease onto other horses. I also hear concerns of unvac- cinated horses becoming in- advertently vaccinated from a recently vaccinated horse within the herd.” Bennet explains, a


modified live vaccine is de- rived from the naturally oc- curring pathogen but is modified in a way that it doesn’t produce clinical dis- ease, while still mounting a strong immune response. Modified live vaccines for influenza are given intra- nasally. When the vaccine replicates in the horse’s nasal mucosa, a rapid local immune response occurs. The horse develops an im- mune response that combats disease similar to when the horse is exposed to the wild strain equine influenza virus, making sure that the tissues that would be first


ence behind modified live and inactivated vaccines can be


found at


EquineGuelph.ca/vaccina- tiontool under resources.=


Know the Rules Given the highly con-


tagious nature of the disease and the impact on horse health and industry econom- ics, some racing regulators, like British Horse Racing Authority, and racetracks, such as Woodbine, as well as organizations including the United States Equestrian Federation, Federation Equestre Internationale


(FEI) and Equestrian Canada have rules requiring vaccination against equine influenza. Check on the records


required. For example, Equine Canada passports must be signed and stamped by your certified veterinar- ian and filled in with the date of administration, name and batch number of the vaccine, method of adminis- tration (Intra-muscular or Intra-nasal) among other specified details. There are also windows of time before competitions for the admin- istrations of vaccines to be aware of. Equine Guelph and


Merck Animal Health are pleased to provide a com- prehensive starting point for horse owners to begin draft- ing their annual personal- ized immunization plan with Vaccination Equi-Planner at EquineGuelph.ca/vaccina- tiontool. This information will help when discussing vaccinations with your vet.


thanks the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for pro- viding education, training and awareness project funding in support of AGCO licensees.


Story by: Jackie Bellamy- Zions


Equine Guelph


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