Volunteers spend a week rescuing two horses in Canada

MCBRIDE, British Columbia (AP) — Two frostbitten, emaciated horses were recovering inside a warm barn on Saturday thanks to volunteers who spent the week before Christmas digging the animals out of snow in the mountains of northeastern British Columbia.

Birgit Stutz said Saturday that she and other rescuers cheered when they finally finished digging a half-mile escape route through the snow for the animals. The horses had been abandoned by a hunter and faced almost certain death.

Stutz said the horses eagerly accepted being bridled and seemed to know they were safe as volunteers led them on a seven-hour hike down the mountain in freezing temperatures on Tuesday. She said about 40 or 50 people took part in the rescue over the course of a week.

"It was a big effort," Stutz said in a telephone interview.

She said the horses were discovered on Dec. 15 by two local residents. They were above the tree line and had no shelter at first.

Logan Jeck and a friend stumbled across the horses while out looking for some snowmobiles left behind by tourists who had gotten stuck during a trip to the back country on the side of Mount Renshaw — about 750 miles northeast of Vancouver.

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New to Trail Riding? This is pretty entertaining.

Ride 'em, cowgirl – Local horse breeder is among elite in country

By: Gwen Johnson
http://ourvalley.org

Little did Tracy Roberts know when she was very young that her love of horses would one day put her among the elite in the nation as far as breeders go and set her on a career path that she would never have dreamed would happen.

In December Roberts, who lives in Craig County, Va., and breeds competitive cutting horses, will be catapulted into the spotlight across the country when two of her yearling horses will be sold in Texas at the National Cutting Horse Association’s Western Bloodstock sale.

“This is something I have aspired to for 20 years,” said Roberts. The cutting show and sale will be broadcast live via satellite over the RFD channel. “I will be proud to have them announce on national TV that the breeder is from New Castle, Va.”

Cutting is a western sport that originated in America and is the only sport with horses America can claim as its own. It is based on the need of the cowboy to isolate a cow from a large herd, to be doctored, branded or weaned. Today the American Quarter Horse is the equine of choice for the job and is bred for intelligence and athletic ability.

Roberts' claim to fame will be two foals she raised, named Red Mollie and San Creek Cat. Red Mollie will be sold at the Invitational Sale which begins at 5 p.m. Dec. 9. Out of 6,500 entries chosen or “invited” out, Red Mollie ranked 26 out of 65, according to Roberts.

Her second yearling stud, San Creek Cat, will sell in the Preferred Auction Dec. 12. That sale features a number of select horses, as well.

Both equines are the offspring of a mare Roberts purchased as a yearling filly from a friend of hers, Carol Rose, who is one of the top breeders in the country. That great mare’s name is Sannie Olena. As it turned out, the horse not only had royal bloodlines, she was an athlete and proved to be a winner in national competitions and earned an impressive money record in winnings.

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Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue Free Teaching Day

Free Teaching Day
DATE: November 9th, 2008
TIME: 1pm to 4 Pm
LOCATION: 1725 Edwardsville Rd. Hardy, VA
MORE: Hosted by RVHR
RSVP: 540-797-1999 or email info@rvhr.com

Learning how to be safe around horses.

People Training Days

RVHR offers Free Clinics each month if you like to learn to handle a horse and be safe please join us for one of the following clinics. Bring you chairs, drinks and Questions.

Each host of our clinics would like to ask for those who will be attending please RSVP

Bring your donations of cans, phones, POP's & Carrots & Apples there will be a representative from RVHR to collect them at each clinic.

Thank you.

Dates and times subject to change these clinics will be canceled due to weather.

Please call ahead to check 540-797-1999

November 9th, 2008 - Hardy Hosted by RVHR 1725 Edwardsville Rd. info@rvhr.com

GHPEC Halloween Show Photos

We had a great time at the GHPEC Halloween Show this year.... huge turnout!!

David Bell did a great job of photographing the event, you can view (and order) prints at his web site: RideOnSports Photography

Hokie Harvest Sale

Department of Animal & Poultry Sciences
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Blacksburg, Virginia

The 2008 Hokie Harvest Sale will be held on

Friday, October 31, 2008.

We will once again feature weanling, yearling and two-year-old sporthorse prospects, plus riding horses and broodmares. The saleslist is NOW AVAILABLE (html pages for each horse)!

Download the entire catalog here in PDF form!

We always have young prospects and broodmares for sale thoughout the year. If you are looking for something in particular, or to schedule a farm visit, please contact Dr. Rebecca K. Splan

http://www.equine.vt.edu/HokieHarvest.html

Do Horses Like Honey??

Don't worry, the horse was fine!!
A chainsaw was needed and the horse had only minor injuries.

This should remove any doubt the ability of a horse to find trouble...

A good save by a horse....

BCHA Open Horse Show

What an amazing weekend for a horse show. Today at the Green Hill Park Equestrian Center the Botetourt County Horseman's Association http://www.bcha-va.com/ held their 11th annual open show.

While the classes were great, and the turnout wonderful, the photo below captures the true spirit of any horse show: have fun, relax, and never miss the opportunity to nap with your horse.

click to enlarge photo

Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue Open House

click the image above to enlarge flyer :)

Assisted living residents get therapy from horse

By Nicholas C. Stern
News-Post Staff

James Strohm got his first horse when he was 12. He grew up raising horses; he broke them, and even did a little stunt riding.

"They're good buddies," Strohm said Saturday outside the Montevue Home in Frederick. Montevue is a county-owned assisted living center.

A resident at Montevue for about nine months, Strohm was among the first to take a turn stroking, hugging and kissing Oakmaide Black Satin, the horse that was brought there as part of an ongoing pet therapy program.

Wags for Hope was started in 2006 by Gabe O'Neill with his dog Charlie. The group of about 100 volunteers brings their animals for visits to roughly 25 nursing and assisted living homes and hospices throughout Frederick and Washington counties, as well as parts of West Virginia.

The visits help break up the monotony and loneliness many residents experience, while offering a meaningful activity for the volunteers.

"Interacting with animals makes them forget about their problems and the pain they're going through," O'Neill said.

Saturday marked the first time the group brought a horse.

O'Neill said Wags for Hope volunteer Meg Klackner had mentioned that many of the residents at Montevue were raised on farms, and missed being around horses.

"I thought that this would be a really nice thing," he said.

After a presentation about the group at a local Kiwanis Club, O'Neill said he was approached by Susan Vona, who owns a farm in Union Bridge and was willing to help with a horse.

Lillian Moneymacker, a Montevue resident, stayed by Satin's side for most of her visit. As a young girl, she would ride horses on her grandparents' farm after school.

"I love horses, and she's wonderful," she said.

Tollie York, the activities director at Montevue, snapped photos of residents as they mingled with Satin. She said they appreciate the company Wags for Hope volunteers and their animals bring each week.

"Animals bring out a lot of things people can't," York said.

Hurricane Ike

Here is a pretty amazing photo from Ike, look again to notice the horse near the house.

Site Redesign

As you may have noticed, a site redesign is underway! Goals are to clean and lighten up the page for faster loading, and to provide easier more direct access to all of our content. You'll also find the site more cross-browser compliant, whether you're running IE or Firefox.

It may take a couple days to get the changes propogated throughout the site, so you may see some inconsistencies in design between pages.

As always, ideas and suggestions are welcome, and please let me know about any broken links you run across!

Meet Molly - Her story and pictures will warm your heart...

Meet Molly. She's a grey speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when Hurricane Katrina hit southern Louisiana . She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled.

While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You know how that goes.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind. He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her. She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted her weight and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee, and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there.

'This was the right horse and the right owner,' Moore insists. Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood that she was in trouble. The other important factor, according to Moore , is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in post-Katrina Louisiana . The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb. A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.

The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports. And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants
you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck. She inspired people, and she had a good time doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life,' Moore said. 'She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others.'

Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal, but she's going to be better. To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'





This is Molly's most recent prosthesis. The bottom photo shows the ground surface that she stands on, which has a smiley face embossed in it. Wherever Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind.

Hanna Swings By...

With all of the hurricanes rolling through, how is your evacuation/emergency plan? If you haven't visited the Equine Mutual Aid Association, you need to check it out!

Tropical storm Hanna didn't have much of an impact on the Salem area, and there was a great show out at the Green Hill Park Equestrian Center. The show was a benefit for the Astride With Pride therapeutic riding program and was sanctioned by the Blue Ridge Horse Force. Wayne Jones and Cindy Quick of Star-ro Trailers and The Tack Room did their always fabulous job of managing. Attendance at shows is not random, exhibitors are learning who runs a good show, and this show and the Star City Classic are getting well known.

Thinking about eventing? Be careful, this photo sequence of UK rider Zara Phillips will leave you with a sense of relief that she was not injured.

Ky. Regulators Ban Doping For Race Horses

AP) Kentucky horse racing regulators on Monday approved a sweeping steroid ban for the state's thoroughbred and standardbred races but dramatically toned down the proposed penalties for trainers whose horses test positive.

With a unanimous vote of confidence from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the steroid ban could take effect as early as this fall's meet at Turfway Park and would be well under way in time for next year's Kentucky Derby. Gov. Steve Beshear has said he'll push it through swiftly using an emergency regulation.

While the ban is tough, it's not nearly as tough as the one proposed by Kentucky's Equine Drug Research Council earlier this month. That group had called for suspensions of up to three years for trainers and veterinarians whose horses fail a steroid test, but the authority revised the penalties, capping them at a 60-day suspension for first time offenders.

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Horse OK after fall through barn floor

Still sedated, Bailey the horse rests after her rescue yesterday. (JASON SCHREIBER)

By JASON SCHREIBER
Union Leader Correspondent

HAMPTON FALLS – In his 42 years with the fire department, Deputy Fire Chief Russ Davies had never experienced anything like yesterday's rescue of a 1,000-pound horse that had fallen through a barn floor.
It was also a first for Fire Chief Jay Lord, a 20-year veteran of the department.

"We hope we never have to do that again," said Lord, who appeared exasperated after having helped more than a dozen firefighters and neighbors pull the horse, named Bailey, to safety in a harrowing hour-long rescue.

Firefighters considered bringing in a wrecker to haul her out, but they managed to do it on their own.

The trouble began about 2 p.m. at Cock Hill Farm, 149 Drinkwater Road, when Bailey walked into the barn and into a sheep stall that was supposed to be off limits. Farm owner Ed Beattie said he knew the wood floor of the stall couldn't handle the weight of the horse, but he had forgotten to shut the stall door.

Beattie was in the barn and saw Bailey head into the sheep stall....

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Saving 'Mr. Ed:' Horse rescue on fire lines

By Linda Williams /TWN Staff Writer

Firefighters constructing a containment line along the along the western edge of the Mill fire July 15 were surprised to see a horse in the early morning smoke. The firefighters were able to capture the injured equine and take it back to their base camp before setting the planned backfire.

The horse, affectionately nicknamed Mr. Ed by his rescuers, had abrasions to his front legs and seemed very weak and dehydrated. Firefighters speculated the horse was probably spooked by the original lightning storm the night of July 20 and became disoriented in the smoky aftermath.

Firefighters fed apples to the horse from their sack lunches and he was able to drink from a nearby creek.

The Mill fire was only one of the fires burning in the Soda fire complex in the Mendocino National Forest. The Mill fire continues to burn east of Pine Mountain and is not expected to be contained until late this week.

(administrator comment: I bet they wish they had known about the Equine Mutual Aid Association :)

When word of the injured horse reached the incident command post, they contacted Willits large animal veterinarian Dr. Sheri Cronin to arrange a rescue mission.

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Horse Vacation Give-Away

Enter Now!

New Site Launched

The Equine Mutual Aid Association has been launched, check out http://www.equinemutualaid.com/

Horse given as a good deed

Lexie Micio,13, of Chandler won a purebred Arabian horse named Boot from a Mesa breeder.

Jennifer D'Ottavio
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 7, 2008 12:00 AM

A Chandler teen won an Arabian horse from a Mesa horse-breeding couple when they decided to "pay forward" their good fortune after receiving a new car.Duane and Hertha Chellevold, who have been breeding Arabians for 30 years, decided to sponsor a contest for young people after a relative gave them a new Chrysler minivan. The windfall made them decide to pass along the good deed. Lexie Micio, 13, won the 7-month-old purebred Arabian chestnut colt named Boot in early June.

Lexie has been riding for seven years and intends to ride and show Boot in English dressage. Lexie said she inherited her love of Arabians from her mom, who grew up in Saudi Arabia."I can't believe we won, he is a gorgeous animal." said Marisa Micio, Lexie's mother. "I was in tears the whole day. This is something my daughter and I can do together."

Lexie entered the contest after she saw it advertised in The Arizona Republic classifieds. In order to enter, applicants had to submit a paragraph explaining why they wanted an Arabian and how they would care for it.

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Vale Gives Crowd Big Thrill At Roanoke Valley Horse Show

On the last ride of the Open Jump Stake event, the noted rider comes through with a winner.
By Ray Cox, Roanoke Times

Should you be in first place in a big money open jumper class at the Roanoke Valley Horse Show one night and there are contestants yet to leap, you have to hope one of them isn't Aaron Vale.

Atop Electric, the last of 20 horses to appear in the $7,500 Open Jumper Stake Thursday night at the Salem Civic Center, Vale assumed the role of heartbreaker yet again.

With the very fast MTM Centano and rider Tracy Fenney already through two fault-free tours and the owner of a time to beat of 24.944 seconds, Vale had his objective squarely in front of him.

Problem was he didn't have all that much faith in his horse.
"He's a young horse, only 8, I don't even know his breed," Vale said. "I bought him last fall in England. He jumps well; he does not turn too well. I didn't think I had much of a chance to catch Tracy."

Nothing like knowing the competition. Vale and Fenney have been competing against each other since they were children in Texas.

"Thirty years," Fenney said.

Vale opened up the throttle, courting disaster all the way through his first round. All the fences remained in place when he raced across the finish line.

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Healing Strides takes needed step

By CHARLES BOOTHE
Franklin News-Post

As the temperature soared above 90 degrees on Monday, riders, parents, staff and guests at Healing Strides of Virginia in Boones Mill could find relief from the hot sun under a new roof.

A covered equine arena was recently completed, and officials were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, held in shade the large facility provides.
"This (the arena) is a godsend," said Lynda Gray, president of the board of directors of Healing Strides, a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic programs using horses. "Without this, we would be stifled this time of year."
Services at Healing Strides include therapeutic riding lessons, equine assisted psychotherapy and equine assisted learning, all for both children and adults.

The organization was started in 1991 and moved to its new location on Naff Road in 2002.
Michelle Holling-Brooks, Healing Strides program director, pointed to the large fans on the ceiling that provided a constant breeze to help cool the riders and horses.

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visit Healing Strides

Lightning strikes horse barn near Neersville

By Jana Wagoner
Source: Loudoun County Fire-Rescue
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11 2008

During the storm that passed through Loudoun June 10, lightning struck a barn near Neersville, catching it on fire and causing $300,000 worth of damage, Loudoun County Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Mary Maguire said.

The fire happened around 4:15 p.m. at the barn at 36502 Kidwell Road. Fire-rescue units arrived on the scene to find heavy smoke and fire coming from the 100-foot-by-60-foot horse barn, Maguire said.

Sixteen horses and several workers were in or around the barn when the fire started. All were able to escape by the time fire units arrived, Maguire said.
It took about three hours to fully control the fire, as it had spread quickly throughout the roof area, involving most of the structure. Fire crews were able to prevent the fire from spreading to a neighboring barn, Maguire said.
There were no injuries reported during the incident.

Three Salem kids qualify for Virginia 4-H State Championship Horse & Pony Show

Miranda Adkins

http://blogs.roanoke.com/sosalem/

This past Saturday, May 31, three Salem 4-H Riders competed in the 4-H Northwest District Qualifying show held at the Equestrian Center at Green Hill Park.

Hannah Whitt, 14, left, won third in the Intermediate Hunter Rider Walk-Trot class, and sixth in the Intermediate Hunter Rider Walk-Trot-Canter class. Corey Hayes, 15, center, won second in the Model Hunter Horse Class. Participation in at least one class is required to qualify for the State 4-H show at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington September 18-21.

The two, along with Lynsey Wyatt, 11, right, are members of the Salem 4-H Riders. The club meets once a week at Hopetree Family Services in Salem to provide riding lessons to Hopetree’s youth. Wanda Hayes and Shara Wyatt are the organizational leaders for the club.

Stone Bridge Farm Kicks Off Summer Horse Show Series

Krista Hodgkins, from Roanoke, and Well Spent. The pair, who board and show with Stone Bridge, were Reserve Champion in the Off-the-Track Thoroughbred Hunter Division

Natural Bridge, VA, May 24, 2008 - Stone Bridge Farm held the first of five shows in its 2008 Summer Horse Show Series last weekend. The two-day show attracted over 150 riders and horses from around southwest Virginia. The show, which is recognized by both the Virginia Horse Shows Association and the Southwest Virginia Horse Show Association, featured classes for hunters, jumpers and equitation riders of all ages and abilities.

Last weekend’s show was also the debut of a new hunter division exclusively for thoroughbreds that were previously raced, or trained as racehorses. Stone Bridge Trainer, Chris Kelly, said, “We want to give owners a chance to introduce their ex-racehorses to the show ring, and give them an inviting situation to show these horses.” Stone Bridge Farm currently has several former racehorses in training as show hunters.

The next shows in the Farm’s Summer Horse Show Series will be held on June 14-15, August 23-24, September 20, and November 1-2.

http://www.stonebridgefarm.net/

Virginia Tech Police and the FAA are looking for a helicopter pilot who swooped over a horse pasture; hurting one of the animals.

By Ashley Roberts
WSLS10 Reporter
Published: May 23, 2008

Virginia Tech Police and the FAA are looking for a helicopter pilot who swooped over a horse pasture; hurting one of the animals.

It happened Thursday, May 22nd around 1:30 p.m. Dr. Trevor Ferguson says he and some students were in the horse field caring for the animals when they spotted a low flying helicopter. “It looked like they were maybe potentially trying to land out there. “It {helicopter} came close to the ground and came up to what was about level with the power lines out there and progressed towards us along the power line and there were probably about 20 horses near a fence line.”
Ferguson says all the horses scattered throughout the field, except for one named Hope. She ran into a fence post, which caused quite a few cuts and bruises.

Luckily, doctors were able to provide immediate care. “We’re very fortunate we had veterinarians on site doing other routine clinical business,” says University Spokesman Jeffrey Douglas. “We were able to get to that horse really quick.” With daily medical care, like applying bandages and cleaning wounds, Ferguson expects Hope to recover from her injuries in 2-3 weeks.

In the meantime, investigators are trying to find out who caused them in the first place. “Right now, we simply have no idea what could have happened here,” says Douglas. What kind of helicopter it was or who was at the helm?” Police tell 10 on your side the incident doesn’t appear to be intentional, but are still investigating until they know for sure what happened. If you have any information about the incident, you’re asked to call Virginia Tech Police at 540-231-6411.

Is your horse-related business “really” a business? The IRS may not think so

Brian C. Bernhardt
for Virginia Business

The May cover story of Virginia Business explores the growing horse industry in the commonwealth. As the industry has grown over the years, however, it has also attracted the attention of the IRS. As with all businesses, the IRS is not only concerned with whether owners of horse-related businesses are including all of their revenue on their tax returns, but also whether they are truthfully accounting for their expenses. The IRS is also concerned with a deeper, more theoretical issue — whether the horse-related activity is “really” a business or simply a hobby.

This theoretical question has very practical consequences: If the horse-related activity is “only” a hobby, then you can only deduct expenses up to the amount of revenue received... -read more-

Horse performs somersault on race track

This racehorse has certainly beaten the odds - surviving after performing a dramatic somersault on a track in Germany.

Jockey Anna-Katharina Bromann and her mount Schattenlady were racing in an event in Hanover when the horse’s saddle began slipping down its flank.
Clearly agitated, the horse crashed into the race course’s safety rails, throwing Bromann from the saddle in the process.

But to the amazement of race-goers, Schattenlady ran back onto the track and threw herself head over heels. Photographers captured the horse's mid-air acrotbatics, before she came crashing down on her back.

Despite the dramatic tumble, both horse and rider were uninjured.

By Megan Levy
Last Updated: 6:14PM BST 14/05/2008

Stone Bridge Farm Launches New Hunter Division

Stone Bridge Farm is pleased to announce that its 2008 Horse Show Series will feature a new hunter division exclusively for thoroughbreds that were previously raced, or trained as racehorses. The Off-the-Track Thoroughbred (OTT) Hunter Division will be designed to introduce ex-racehorses to the show ring, and to provide owners and trainers with an inviting venue in which to show these horses. Entries will be limited to tatooed thoroughbreds.

The division will include an under saddle class and two classes over fences of 2'6" in height, and will be judged on performance, manners and way of going. Trotting on the corners will not be penalized. The division will be sponsored by Dr. Suzanne Shalet and Ann Russek of Lexington, Virginia. The horse receiving the highest number of points in the OTT Hunter Division at all five Stone Bridge Farm Horse Shows will receive a high point award and cooler.

For information, dates and horse show prize lists, please email Katrina Weinig, at jorglover@aol.com; call Stone Bridge Farm at (540) 291-1000; or visit the Farm's web site at http://www.stonebridgefarm.net/

Time to think about Hay?

It is that time of year again, people are readying their plans to fill their barns, and isn't all this rain wonderful?

Be sure to check our Hay Resource on the forum pages, a great place to list what you're looking for in hay, or what you have to sell.

And, in case you think you know how to load a truck, we can all learn from this picture.

Hay Resource link: http://www.swvhc.com/forum/forum_topics.asp?FID=7

Welcome Site Sponsors!

The SW Virginia Horse Connection is very pleased to now have online two major site sponsors.

Saddles-N-Stuff: Catering to the first-time horse owner as well as the experienced, multiple horse owner, Saddles-n-Stuff is a complete tack shop offering the personal service and recommendations you can count on. Visit them at http://www.saddlesnstuff.com/.

Stone Bridge Farm: Stone Bridge Farm is one of the premier hunter, jumper and equitation facilities in Central and Southwest Virginia. The Farm offers spacious, modern and well-designed facilities, as well as highly-experienced, professional and caring trainers who have successfully brought along horses and riders to State, Zone and National titles. Visit them at http://www.stonebridgefarm.net/.

All of the content on this site is provided free as a service to the local equestrian community, sponsors allow us to pay the bills associated with the running and operation of the site.

Support this site - Visit our Sponsors!!!

Interested in becoming a sponsor and advertising on this site? Go to http://www.swvhc.com/advertising.asp