In Memoriam Charmaine Bergman

From the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association comes news of another breeder's passing. Below is the CWHBA's article of tribute to Charmaine Bergman. Rest in peace.

A beacon has gone out far too early and far too quickly. Charmaine passed away today (February 24) after a relapse of cancer that had attacked her spine. Always positive, she had led the CWHBA through a difficult recovery at the same time as she herself was recovering from an earlier cancer. Her welcoming attitude and constant dedication to the association, over so many years, was a beacon that drew new people into the fold. She was an avid and charming conversationalist who's knowledge and broad life experience made her comfortable in every setting. Her interest in people was genuine.

Charmaine's career with the CWHBA spanned more than 20 years and included service as President of the Saskatchewan Chapter, National Secretary and Treasurer and finally National Chair. She was also a senior inspector and qualified International Young Breeders judge.

Her personal connection to the industry was as an accomplished dressage rider, a breeder and stallion owner.

Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to her husband John, and her close circle of friends.

Although this end was anticipated, we could not be prepared and are deeply saddened. We miss her and will keep on missing her for sometime to come.

theHorse: Mare Gestation Calculator

As breeding season approaches, here's a handy way to calculate your mare's foaling date from when she was bred: The Mare Gestation Calculator, from theHorse.com. It's a simple tool but very useful.

"Are you wondering when your pregnant mare will foal? Use our Mare Gestation Calculator to find out! The average gestation length in the mare ranges from 320 to 362 days; most mares will foal within 330-345 days of successful breeding. However, mares have successfully foaled with gestation lengths outside this range."

Click here to use the calculator.

Photo: Oldenburg mare, Mijobe, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons

Horse&Hound: Interview With Breeding Expert Tullis Matson

British magazine Horse and Hound has a new interview with Tullis Matson of Stallion AI Services in Shropshire, UK. Matson has handled some of the UK's top sport horse stallions - and also collected semen from wild elephants! He talks about those experiences, and also the new technology they're keeping up with. 

Read the article here.

Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

theHorse: Caslick's in Mares, Why and How

The Caslick's procedure "has become a mainstay of equine reproductive practice," and this article on theHorse.com explains why, and how it's done.

"Veterinarians perform this common surgical procedure on broodmares to help keep the reproductive tract clean." —from Caslick's in Mares on the Horse.com

Read the article on theHorse.com here.

In Memoriam Debra Lynn Symes

Thelma and Louise Sporthorses lost half the partnership in January of this year. Deb Symes ("Thelma") passed away suddenly on January 23. Deb Symes and Heather Smith, DVM ("Louise") pooled their two farms' resources and their shared interests over ten years ago, to become Thelma and Louise Sporthorses, in Alberta, Canada. The partnership created was a memorable one.

With the passing of Deb, the world lost a good person. Below is the announcement on the website for Thelma and Louise Sporthorses.

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of half the Thelma and Louise partnership. Debra Lynn Symes (Debs), who was “Thelma,” was born December 12, 1969, in Red Deer and passed away suddenly on Saturday, Jan 23, 2021 in Pincher Creek Alberta with her husband by her side. She is survived by her loving husband Keith Robertson, her best friend Heather Smith (“Louise”), her mother, her brothers, and many other extended family members.

"Deb was passionate about horses and was an accomplished rider, trainer and breeder of horses and mules. For the past 10 years, she has been employed at Buffalo Head Vet Clinic with her dearest friend & partner Heather Smith in Taber. They were the co-Founders of Thelma and Louise Sport Horses and Mules. Deb was a world traveler, full of life and the driving force behind so many of her friends, goals, and dreams. Deb was a jack-of-all-trades, and there was nothing she couldn’t do."

Please read the full memorial page to Deb here.

American Horse Publications Launches Fifth Equine Industry Survey, Sponsored by Zoetis

Help make sure the voices of breeders are heard - take the Equine Industry Survey! "The more information we collect, the better we make our world for horses."

JANUARY 18, 2021

American Horse Publications (AHP) launches its fifth Equine Industry Survey at www.ahpequineindustrysurvey.com. Horse owners who live in the United States, are 18 years of age and older, and who currently own or manage at least one horse are invited to complete the survey by March 30, 2021.

Take the survey!

The survey, which is conducted every three years, will gauge participation trends and management practices in the U.S. equine industry, identify critical issues facing the equine industry as perceived by those who own or manage horses, and better understand issues pertaining to horse health.

The online survey is made possible by a sponsorship from Zoetis, the leading animal health company dedicated to improving equine wellness, every day. Zoetis has sponsored the survey since its inception in 2009.

“Zoetis is proud to continue our sponsorship of the AHP Equine Industry Survey,” said Jeannie Jeffery, vice president of the Zoetis U.S. equine business. “We hope that the survey will continue to help identify successes and opportunities for improvement in the equine industry that horse owners, veterinarians and professionals can unite to resolve.”

“AHP is grateful for its partnership with Zoetis to provide ongoing and vital data on the trends in horse care, management, and welfare of horses in the U.S.,” said Christine W. Brune, AHP executive director. “We appreciate the collaborated effort of AHP members and the industry in promoting this survey and will strive to maintain or exceed previous responses.”

The study is anonymous; this means that no one – not even members of the research team – will be able to associate information that is given with respondents. When the survey results are tallied, only aggregated results will be presented.

Horse owners and enthusiasts are invited to promote the survey by sharing this link with horse-owner groups and individual horse owners. The more information we collect, the better we make our world for horses.

The 2021 AHP Equine Industry Survey is being conducted by American Horse Publications (AHP). Dr. C. Jill Stowe is providing consulting services for data collection and analysis to the AHP. Dr. Stowe is currently an associate professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky. 

Take the survey!

American Horse Publications is dedicated to excellence in equine media through education and communication. AHP strives to be the primary source of education, resources and networking for the equine media community. We believe a proactive approach in an ever-evolving communications-driven world allows us the flexibility and opportunity to promote, support and reward excellence in equine media. For more information, please contact Chris Brune, American Horse Publications at ahorsepubs@aol.com or 386-760-7743 or visit the AHP website at www.americanhorsepubs.org.

Anna Goebel, owner of Warmblood Stallions of North America, has been a proud member of American Horse Publications for over twenty-five years.

Zoetis is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building on more than 65 years of experience in animal health, Zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines, vaccines and diagnostic products, which are complemented by biodevices, genetic tests and precision livestock farming. Zoetis serves veterinarians, livestock producers and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals with sales of its products in more than 100 countries. In 2019, the company generated annual revenue of $6.3 billion with approximately 10,600 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetisus.com.

In Memoriam Anissa Cottongim

The Cottongim family announced the passing of Anissa in January at the age of 51, after a courageous battle with cancer. 

"Anissa grew up in Europe and later attended a German university for a year. She fell in love with the Trakehner horses she rode while in Germany, and went on to become a breeder of some renown.

"For Anissa, it was the thrill of her life to own a spectacular, upper-level competing Trakehner stallion born on her farm and approved in both Germany and North America. She took immense pride in all of the foals sired by her stallion, and especially in her homebred foals, including one competing with an upper-level rider at advanced horse trials. She was unselfish in helping others with their breeding programs and devoted countless hours as a volunteer to the American Trakehner Association to ensure the breed would flourish in North America.

"With the lasting bonds she built among her equestrian, child welfare, and military family communities, Anissa was loved by people literally around the world."

theHorse: 8 Steps for Breeding Your Mare

A recent article on theHorse.com gives mare owners a systematic set of steps to take for breeding your mare to ensure the best outcome. As the article says:

"Sperm, meet ovum. If breeding horses were as simple as that, we wouldn’t have an entire branch of the veterinary profession devoted to equine reproduction."

Read the 8 steps here.

Photo is of a Lipizzan mare and foal. Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

theHorseMagazine: Global Perspective on Dressage Breeding

Chris Hector, author of the impressive reference book The Making of the Modern Warmblood,  has shared a talk he gave in 2010 in Warendorf, Germany. The title is "Breeding Dressage Horses: A Global Perspective," and it's really a history of dressage breeding - and a wonderful read. One of the comments was, "One of the great equestrian journalists writing on his passion," and that sums it up.

The dressage influencers are covered, both equine and human, and specific breeds like the Thoroughbred and Trakehner; as well as the role of the early auctions and the rise of specialist dressage training barns. Here is a list of the sub-heads:

Location, Location, Location [local breeding stations]
The Emergence of the Dressage Stallion
The Trakehner Influence
The Role of the Thoroughbred
The Dressage Specialist Trainer
Nature or Nuture?
The Stallion from Somewhere Else
Jumping Blood - a Plus or Minus for the Dressage Horse?
Scandanavia - the Emerging Dressage Power-House?
Local Goes Global [Paul Schockemöhle]
What Does It Mean for the Consumer?

Here are a few excerpts:

"What follows is the text, slightly updated, of my address to the Dressage Horse seminar at Warendorf in 2010. While the invitation was a great honour, it was also very intimidating to be asked to address such a distinguished gathering, especially on a topic that so many people present knew so much about. What I tried to offer was a slightly different perspective, the view from outside. ... the flow of ideas and horses throughout all the major European breeding areas."

"In the early days, 'The breeding station was also a focus of social life, a place for parties and celebrations, for old friends to meet for a quiet schnapps while their mares were served by one of ‘their’ stallions. ... mares still often arrived at the show in a crate towed by a tractor, and yes, sometimes the feet pushing the accelerator were encased in clogs. It turned the districts into a unique laboratory for stallion evaluation." Also covered is the rise of the young horse classes and their importance in breeding, which have "produced a fast-track to dressage success. Instead of having to train a horse for five or six years, all we need are a few months under saddle and we have the instant stars of the young horse classes. It is great for an expanding ‘dressage industry’; whether it is so great for the young horses is open to debate."

Click here to read the full article, well worth it.

KER: Color Preferences Among Horses

I found this article about color vision in horses to be very interesting. It's not a breeding-specific topic, and it might be of interest to breeders among others. It looks at whether horses prefer one color over another, by giving a set of horses a choice in water bucket colors. 

The article is from Kentucky Equine Nutrition. It was a small study with half Thoroughbreds and half Haflingers.

Click to read the full article here.

One practical application is that, if you have a horse that doesn't always drink as well as it should, use a [spoiler alert] turquoise water bucket!

Photo: Guillaume Champeau, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

theHorse: What's Plaguing Your Problem Mare?

Owners of sport horse broodmares are choosing stallions, and will be looking to get their broodmares pregnant in the next few months. Then comes the awaited "black dot" on the ultrasound confirming the pregnancy - if all goes well. theHorse.com has a recent article on how to stack the deck in your (mare's) favor. 

"Most mares get pregnant without major problems, but some encounter difficulties along the way. Here’s how to work with your veterinarian to resolve the most common issues." —from the article "What's Plaguing Your 'Problem Mare'?" posted by Heather Smith 

Click here to read the article.

Photo: eXtensionHorses, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Equine Industry Survey 2021

JANUARY 18, 2021 – Today American Horse Publications (AHP) launches its fifth Equine Industry Survey at www.ahpequineindustrysurvey.com. Horse owners who live in the United States, are 18 years of age and older, and who currently own or manage at least one horse are invited to complete the survey by March 30, 2021. 

The survey, which is conducted every three years, will gauge participation trends and management practices in the U.S. equine industry, identify critical issues facing the equine industry as perceived by those who own or manage horses, and better understand issues pertaining to horse health.

 

The online survey is made possible by a sponsorship from Zoetis, the leading animal health company dedicated to improving equine wellness, every day. Zoetis has sponsored the survey since its inception in 2009.

Zoetis is proud to continue our sponsorship of the AHP Equine Industry Survey,” said Jeannie Jeffery, vice president of the Zoetis U.S. equine business. “We hope that the survey will continue to help identify successes and opportunities for improvement in the equine industry that horse owners, veterinarians and professionals can unite to resolve.”

 

“AHP is grateful for its partnership with Zoetis to provide ongoing and vital data on the trends in horse care, management, and welfare of horses in the U.S.,” said Christine W. Brune, AHP executive director. “We appreciate the collaborated effort of AHP members and the industry in promoting this survey and will strive to maintain or exceed previous responses in 2021.”

 

The study is anonymous; this means that no one – not even members of the research team – will be able to associate information that is given with respondents. When the survey results are tallied, only aggregated results will be presented.

The survey sponsor and AHP members who promote the survey will receive complete results of the 2021 survey to release through their own channels up to 60 days prior to release of the survey results to the AHP membership. The general equine industry may request a summary of this new information by contacting the AHP office at ahorsepubs@aol.com in October 2021.

 

Horse owners and enthusiasts are invited to promote the survey by sharing this link with horse-owner groups and individual horse owners. The more information we collect, the better we make our world for horses.

The 2021 AHP Equine Industry Survey is being conducted by American Horse Publications (AHP). Dr. C. Jill Stowe is providing consulting services for data collection and analysis to the AHP. Dr. Stowe is currently an associate professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky.

 

 

American Horse Publications is dedicated to excellence in equine media through education and communication. AHP strives to be the primary source of education, resources and networking for the equine media community. We believe a proactive approach in an ever-evolving communications-driven world allows us the flexibility and opportunity to promote, support and reward excellence in equine media. For more information, please contact Chris Brune, American Horse Publications at ahorsepubs@aol.com or 386-760-7743 or visit the AHP website at www.americanhorsepubs.org.

Zoetis is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building on more than 65 years of experience in animal health, Zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines, vaccines and diagnostic products, which are complemented by biodevices, genetic tests and precision livestock farming. Zoetis serves veterinarians, livestock producers and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals with sales of its products in more than 100 countries. In 2019, the company generated annual revenue of $6.3 billion with approximately 10,600 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetisus.com.