This morning we are pleased to see more incremental progress with Laine’s lung injury. While she remains on the ventilator, she is beginning to take some breaths on her own. Her vital signs are also improving. Her fever, while still high, is down to a less critical level. Her blood pressure, which has been running low, is beginning to rise up to a more acceptable level and her blood oxygenation saturation is very good (meaning that her lungs are performing their primary function of distribution...

The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) announced that 2008 preliminary award standings for the Adequan/USDF Year-End Awards, including the Adequan/USDF All-Breeds Awards, are now available on the USDF website, as well as archived award results for the previous two competition seasons. Anyone who logs into the USDF site can access the most up-to-date award standings and monitor these standings throughout the competition year. Archived results are available only to those individuals who are...

Farnam’s Platform® Feed kicked off the initial phase of their Emergency Stall Card Program with Florida Horse Parks and show managers. Customized Emergency Stall Cards are provided to the horse parks for exhibitors to hang on their horse’s stall with contact information in case of an emergency. Cards are also available to show managers to include with competitors’ number packets. Show managers in Florida, Illinois and Oklahoma participated in the initial phase of the program. “There is nothing...

Photo by Mike Ferrara (Champions, reserve champions and top tens will be crowned at this year's U.S. Arabian Nationals for the final time in Albuquerque, NM. ) The 41st annual U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (U.S. Nationals) is set for one final farewell on October 18-27 at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM. Since 1967, Albuquerque has hosted the U.S. Nationals 19 times. Beginning in 2008, the U.S. Nationals begins a three-year contract in Tulsa, OK. Marking this...

On August 1, 2007, the AAEP Foundation hosted a Lameness Research Meeting and Panel in Fort Collins, CO. Twenty-four researchers and lameness experts from around the world met to prioritize future lameness research needs. The group also explored specific questions about the direction and cost of future lameness projects. Discussions by participants identified numerous lameness areas that require more research with significant financial resources necessary to complete the needed research. The...

The FEI does not report the existence of a positive case until the earlier of the following: the results of an initial (“A”) test are accepted by the person responsible, or the results of a confirmatory (“B”) test also return a positive result. This policy is grounded in the principle that athletes’ rights must be respected in the fight against doping. “It is understandable that an athlete or an athlete’s attorney may try to influence public opinion prior to receipt of final results in an...

KERx Special Needs Nutrition, a division of Kentucky Equine Research, recently unveiled EquiShure™, a timed-release buffer designed to reduce the problems associated with subclinical acidosis in horses. EquiShure is scientifically proven to stabilize the pH of the hindgut. Horses fed diets rich in grain or high-fructan pasture grasses often experience a sharp decline in the pH of the hindgut, which in turn causes a deleterious shift in the microbial population. When changes in the microbial...

Ariat International, Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of English and Western riding boots and apparel, will debut its newest collection of technologically advanced apparel to the world when it launches its USEF Apparel Collection at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) beginning August 20 in Aachen, Germany. Ariat’s USEF Apparel Collection includes Shadbelly and Pinque coats, polo shirts, button-down oxford shirts, lightweight wind and water-resistant jackets, waterproof jackets,...

The American Hanoverian Society (AHS) 2005 Inspection Tour itinerary includes visits to 31 sites throughout the United States and the Canadian province of Ontario. Two inspection teams, consisting of members from both the AHS Mare and Stallion Committee and representatives of the German Hanoverian Verband, will make their way across the country inspecting eligible mares and stallions for inclusion in the Hanoverian breeding program, as well as registering and evaluating this year's foal crop....

The FEI has announced that four horses tested positive during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. None of the four horses represented the United States. “Although lengthy, the medications hearing process is an intentionally thorough procedure and all countries and riders involved deserve to present their case. We will wait until that outcome before making any statement,” said John Long, Chief Executive Officer of the USEF.