WEC October 2017 Wrap Up...

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What a phenomenal two weeks of WEC it's been!  Thank you Mother Nature for sending us your best 70 degree sunny days and all of the Sport Horse Team for a good time.  Congratulations to Erin and Rio, their first debut in the Jumpers and despite some technical difficulties Erin managed to hold it together!

Congrats to Rocko for his Reserve Champion in the Non-Thoroughbred Hunters and his win in the Children's Equitation 3' with Hannah.  A HUGE congrats to Aila and Playboy, with their combined score of 154 and out of a field of 13 competitor, they managed to secure the blue ribbon in the Children's Hunter 3' Classic!  What an amazing feat for a rider who was at the end of a lunge line as a beginner in May of 2015!  And lastly, thank you Brian for your continued guidance and all of Team Sport Horse for their continued support!

And without much further delay, please enjoy the visuals we managed to capture below...

IHJA Annual Show 2017 Wrap Up...

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FINALLY, the videos are downloaded, results are posted and it's time to share the news with everyone!  With only five horses present at the sold out finals this year, the SHi team managed to walk away with 4 Champion and 1 Reserve Champion in their respective divisions!   Thanks to the entire team for all their hard work and efforts!  A big congrats to Aila on her 3rd placing in the Mini-Children's Medal Final held on Sunday, GREAT JOB!  Below are the videos we managed to capture, at least one round of all of our team.  Enjoy!

Upcoming Horse Show Schedule Update...

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Well, the secret is apparently out that the WEC in Wilmington OH is the place to be this winter.  Stalls are sold out through the end of February so we are revising our show schedule to include the following weeks:

February 22-26, March 1-5, March 8-12, March 15-19, March 22-26 and March 29-April 2

If anyone is intending to show any of these weeks and would like to be included in the stall counts, you need to LET US KNOW NOW before they're gone again!

Happy showing y'all!

Upcoming Horse Show Schedule...

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Despite winter temperatures and less sunshine, time is flying and we're already preparing for the February show at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington Ohio coming up February 15-19.  Stall reservations will be due Monday, February 6th so please let us know if you're planning to join this event.  As previously shared, stalls are free so we are anticipating good turn out.  Happy showing everyone!

Equine Wellness...

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“Antibiotic Resistance: Why Care?”
— By Nancy S. Loving DVM

History has taught us that prior to the discovery of penicillin in the early part of the 20thcentury, many people died of what are now treatable bacterial infections because there were limited options of available antimicrobial medications. In our current time, we take for granted the plethora of pills, tablets, solutions and ointments available to combat many varieties of bacterial infections.

Since the 1940s until recently, antibiotics have often been used indiscriminately and inappropriately in many cases. Widespread use of antimicrobials has caused many infectious organisms to adapt and build resistance rather than succumbing to the killing effects of antimicrobial medications. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) notes, “Each year at least 2 million human illnesses and 23,000 deaths in the United States are caused by anti­biotic-resistant bacteria.” 

As it turns out, microbial development of resistance genes to thwart antibiotics is not a new phenomenon; in fact, researchers have found that specific enzymes responsible for some resistance factors date back 2 billion years. But what has spawned the current concern about resistance has to do with the popularity of using antibiotics for just about any sign of a sniffle or cough, or any other problem that is best left for the person’s or animal’s native immune system to deal with. 

Antibiotics don’t work against viruses or fungi; only against bacteria. Many antibiotics only target specific bacteria; so, using the wrong antibiotic product does nothing to kill the infectious agent but may instead kill off other commensal (useful) bacteria. In addition, exposure to unnecessary antibiotics potentially stimulates development of resistant genes in bacteria, including those that weren’t the initial target for treatment.

A recent report by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states: “Overuse of antibiotics in both humans and animals helps drive the evolution of resistant bacteria. Bacteria have a natural tendency to mutate and to acquire genes from other bacteria. These changes enable them to resist antibiotics and flourish in envi­ronments where antibiotics are used. 

As resistance genes move between bacteria, the bacteria themselves spread through soil, water, and wildlife. Over time, with continued antibiotic use, the situation worsens. Scientists are concerned that resistant strains of bacte­ria could spread globally through travel or trade, includ­ing the exchange of foods.”

It is just as important to consider that animals treated with antibiotics are part of the process of microbial resistance. The CDC comments, “Treatment of food-producing animals with antimicrobial agents that are important in human therapy may present a public health risk by the transfer of resistant zoonotic pathogens from animals to humans.” While horses aren’t food-producing animals, overuse in this species contributes to the problem of resistance. If many of our antimicrobials cease to be effective, then we will have nothing left in the medication armamentarium to use to treat human or animal infections when it really matters. This is why we should care. 

World Equestrian Center Wrap Up...

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Just when you think "it doesn't get any better than this", the World Equestrian Center manages to  step it up and live up to their name!  The facilities are amazing to say the least, not to mention a balmy 65 degrees making for a great place to "hang out" while the white stuff is flying.  The competition is not lacking either, but team Sport Horse pulled it together and covered that banner with ribbons.  Placings ranged from first through eighth and will be displayed on the ribbon wall in the entry way across from the wash rack.

Without Shayna's presence we were unable to capture most rounds but did manage to capture Punk and Brian in the 1.35m Jumpers.

Enjoy (despite the wife's nervous comments :)

 

Attention All Boarders & Lesson Students...

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Well, old man winter has arrived and appears he'll be staying for a while.  With falling temperatures and in climate weather comes less turn out and frisky grumpy horses.  All stalls are filled and with that plenty of stall kicking around feeding time.  The juggling act of finding amicable neighbors has begun, so next time you come to the barn and can't find your horse, don't fret.  It's just moved apartments in search of a better neighbor.

As of today we also have a stallion among our midst and with that in mind, please do not tie any mares in the north west isle way cross ties closest to the indoor arena.

The hose reel is now housed in the office/lounge area when not in immediate use to keep it from freezing.  We are hoping to get tank heaters out in the next day for all water troughs but not all fields have power so please keep an eye on your horses water consumption!  The tractor and manure spreader have also been housed when not in immediate use, any manure left in the spreader during these cold temperatures risks freezing the web to the floor and breaking it.  Anyone who would like to pick or clean their stall at night will have to purchase muck tubs and set them by the farrier's area overhead door where we will dump them the following morning.

And lastly, lesson schedule changes will be somewhat unavoidable with these winter temperatures.  Anything below 20 degrees warrants a make up day and we will advise everyone as quickly as possible pending the forecasted weather.

Here's to good books, fireplaces and hot lattes!!!  Best wishes to everyone for Old Man Winter Season!!!