UA Annual Horse Festival 2004

Bigger and Better than Ever!

Would you like to participate in the 2004 Horse Festival? We are currently booking top quality horse-related acts and equine educational demonstrations.  This year's dates are the evening of March 27 & all day March 28.

Our goal is to show the wide variety of breeds and uses of horses in an educational and entertaining way. All profits go to support the students and horses in the D. E. King Equine Program. We like to present the very best quality in every category. This popular event has drawn over two thousand visitors in previous years.

For example, we have hosted Babcock Ranch's reining and working cow-horses, upper-level dressage performances, therapeutic riding demonstrations, Paso Fino’s exhibitions, The Old Fort Dandies drill team, fabulous Arabian show horses, World Champion Miniatures, and 19-hand-high Belgians, to name just a few! Educational seminars on equine massage, therapeutic hoof care, veterinary care, and imprint training foals have been presented in the past.

If you have high quality horses that are excellent representatives of a breed or discipline (English, Western, gaited, harness, or any other specialty area) you might qualify to perform. If you have expertise in an equine related area and would like to participate we would like to speak to you.

We have limited booth space for vendors that range in price from $50 - $100/ show.  Or, if you would like to support the D. E. King Equine program, a variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. For more details or an application to participate contact Kathi Jogan kathinark@aol.com 

Dr. Jeremy Powell 

In recent years, approximately one-third of the horses that have become infected with the West Nile Virus either died or they were euthanized from complications with the disease.   This antibody actually targets the West Nile Virus allowing veterinarians to do more than just supportive therapy on these infected horses.  You can find out more about the product by going to the website.

Jeremy Powell, DVM
Assistant Professor of Animal Science
University of Arkansas

Veterinary Grad Debt Relief

President signs bill assisting veterinary graduates with debt load
Student loan repayment offered to veterinarians working in underserved areas 
The AVMA marked its second legislative victory in a month with the Senate's passage of the National Veterinary Medical Service Act on Nov. 24. Earlier in the month, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the bill, which authorizes the Department of Agriculture to provide student loan repayments to recent veterinary graduates who agree to work in underserved areas of the country. President Bush signed the bill December 6.  Read more...

Electronic Livestock Tracking

Stakeholder Announcement 
USDA's Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health Implements Electronic Certificates of Veterinary Inspection to Safeguard Animal Health
Veterinary Services - October 22, 2003
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/sa_ahepilot.html

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, a part of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS) program, is working with six States on a pilot project that would allow state and federal animal health officials to have instantaneous access to information regarding livestock movements in and out of their state.

In the event of an animal disease emergency, this information is critical to determine the disposition of potentially exposed or infected livestock.

An electronic system of this nature would decrease the time needed to obtain animal disposition information from days to minutes.

Accredited veterinarians can voluntarily use the Web–based Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) via the Internet. An ICVI will be printed out to accompany the animal and the information will be transmitted electronically to the destination state.

By using an electronic Web–based application, accredited veterinarians, and state and federal animal health officials will be able to electronically produce, transmit, and obtain reports of interstate animal movement information. This ability to electronically track the interstate movement of livestock is one of the tools supporting our Nation's combined efforts of industry and government to safeguard the health of the national herds via early detection of emerging diseases or significant livestock diseases, including foreign animal diseases.

See the complete article or http://usaip.info/

For additional information on this topic, contact Teresa Howes (970) 494-7410 or send an e-mail to teresa.k.howes@aphis.usda.gov.

Herd Your Horses Board Game 

Fun "Horsey" Game
~ Educational Too! ~

Dr. Jack received "Herd Your Horses" for Christmas and would like to spread the word about this great board game.  

Game includes a deck of beautifully designed horse cards by equine artist K.L. Tafoya, each with name, breed, color, markings and biography of a fictional horse. Players can act as ranch hands or as wild mustangs rounding up herds and encountering dangers of the wilderness. Includes a solitaire game for solo play.  You can order it online from this site.

Contributed by Rita R. Schmidt