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Check Out Our New And Improved Website: www.theequinereport.com Therapeutic Riding...................................20 Equine Health by Neely...........................21 Cattle Producers of Louisiana...............................................27 4-H..............................................................53

FEATURED ARTICLES Jumonville Farms............................... Cover Retired Racehorse Project.................................................. Cover T. B. Porter.......................................... Cover LSU/Validation of a Colic Surgery..............................................18 Southeast Junior/High School Rodeo Results...............................22 Louisiana Derby........................................41 Guns, Horses, and Balloon......................45 Immigration and the Horse Industry...........................................49 NBHA State Results.................................55 Stallion Spotlight Open Me A Corona...................................59 LQHBA Insider Orland Orozco...........................................60 Update with Orlando Orozco..................61

Jumonville Farms: Taking Quarter Horse Breeding into the Future by Barbara Newtown

J. E. Jumonville, Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder, lives with his wife Bunny on their farm in Ventress, Louisiana, 30 miles northwest of Baton Rouge. Jumonville Farms covers over 1,000 acres; about 200 acres are dedicated to horses and hay, and the rest is leased out for sugar cane cultivation. The land is lush and flat and located between the False River and the Mississippi. The land is safe from flooding—as long as the Mississippi levee never gives way.

J. E. learned about horses from his uncle, who showed in cutting competitions and used horses in his cattle operation. J. E. says, “I traded a bull for my first racehorse, Go Far Wonder, when I was in my 20s. I was blessed from the get-go. That horse ran 3rd in his first race, two weeks later ran 4th, and then he won 5 races in a row. I got excited about racing and started reading books and learning about it. He was just a claiming horse!”

Continued on page 12...

Introducing the Retired Racehorse Project by Emily McAtee

Two years ago, a colt called American Pharaoh won the Triple Crown: the first horse to do so since Affirmed took away the title in 1978. The horse world stirred when his owner continued to race him, and we wondered why he didn’t quit while he was ahead. When American Pharaoh took 2nd at Saratoga two races later, we criticized the owner for continuing to American Pharaoh: photo from The race him instead of enjoying his winning Daily Maila streak. Then American Pharaoh came back and won the Breeder’s Cup Classic in Keeneland, and we all forgave his owner for continuing to race him. American Pharaoh is now residing at Coolmore Ashford Stud, where his stud fee is a cool $200,000 per live foal. It’s the happy ending that reminds us of all of the racing movies we grew up with, like National Velvet and Seabiscuit.

Continued on page 30...

T. B. Porter

A Living Legend

by Barbara Newtown

T. B. “Teaberry” Porter, age 90, of Leesville, Louisiana, is a longtime national rodeo star and tough as nails and leather. He had his arm amputated in March, 2012 after a wrestling match with a bulldozer. By June, 2012 Porter was back at work on his 600 acre ranch, rising at 5 a.m. every morning, repairing equipment, baling hay, bush hogging pastures, and checking his 500 cows and calves.

T. B. comes by his cowboy toughness naturally. His father raised stock for local rodeos, traded horses and cattle, and provided mules for working on the railroad. T. B. roped, rode, and trained animals not for sport or fun but because he was a real cowboy. By 1938 his father had acquired the big Leesville ranch, and T. B. was working right alongside him. Continued on page 15...

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2 The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

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The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

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THE

OF THE

by Dr. Kelly Hudspeth, DVM

Tale

Big changes in Veterinary Medicine for 2017 in food animals!

Part I

As a mixed-practice veterinarian, I learned to use certain descriptions in veterinary school. One is “small animal” and “large animal”. Small animal refers to basically dogs, cats, birds, etc. Large animal usually means cows, horses, and farm animals like pig, goats, and sheep.

Another term is food animal. Food animal medicine was usually cows, pigs, sheep, and goats with the greatest emphasis on cows. That was 25 years ago when I graduated from vet school(which by the way sounds impossible). Now food animal means fish, rabbits, pigs(even the mini pigs), sheep, goats, cows, and any exotic that could ever be eaten.

In 2017, food animal medicine is being shaken into a whole new basket. New rules that apply to the use of any antibiotic that is also used by humans.

Because of the resistance problem developing with antibiotic use and the super bugs that are out there, war has been waged on this in the field of veterinary medicine. Now this war is not by the field of veterinarians, but by the FDA. So all veterinarians are bound by these new regulations as of January 2017. I will do a series of the changes and some old laws that have always been in existence but not really followed that are being emphasized this year. Not only will a veterinarian’s certification or license be at risk if the rules are not followed, there can be an actual arrest because it is considered against the law.

So for those of you who will visit your veterinarian over the next few months, be patient with them if some things that were really convenient cannot be done anymore and if the lengthy list of paperwork items take longer than usual. Give us all a little time to learn the new “ropes” and get your needs met legally.

Next week, we will discuss the antibiotics in feed and why the feed store can’t just sell you these products anymore and how to go about getting what you need to purchase this feed. There will be a series of articles over the next few weeks dealing with these changes.

This is the tip of the tale on this subject!!!!

See Part 2 on Page 16

6 The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 20177

The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

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Harmony Equestrian Services, LLC is a dream that has come true

for Amanda Lluvera. After 10 years in the military, she took the opportunity to attend Meredith Manor International Equestrian Center and graduated with her Riding Master VI, Training, Teaching, and Equine Sports Massage Therapy Certifications. Amanda has dedicated her life to learning and developing her skills as a rider and as a riding Instructor.

As a disabled veteran, Amanda has used horses to help with her own rehabilitation.

Now she helps both children and adults use the healing power of horses to enrich their lives. With this passion for horses and for developing her horsemanship skills, Amanda has cultivated a unique ability to teach both amateur and professional riders by helping them communicate more effectively with their equine partners.

Using a unique training and teaching system, Amanda has the ability to break down the theories of horsemanship and riding techniques to make them applicable and understandable for all ages and skill levels of riders.

Harmony Equestrian Academy is a 501©3 non-profit organization in the fundraising stage of offering the healing power of horses to soldiers, veterans, their families, and children with disabilities both mental and physical. HEA is excited to start offering services soon!!

8 The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

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10 The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

Slobber Factor

by Dr. Kelly Hudspeth, DVM

As spring approaches new growth is taking place, new food for our horses can be found popping up everywhere. As we transition from hay during the winter to pasture most of the growth is welcome.

Occasionally when we allow our horses to graze, unwanted substances can be found in our pasture. There is a specific fungal organism called Rhizoctonia leguminicola. This organism is responsible for the production of slaframine.

Slaframine poisoning can occur in animals grazing on pasture or consuming contaminated hay. The common name used for slaframine is Slobber Factor.

If you ever have a horse exposed to this toxin, you will completely understand the name.

I was called one day about a slobbering horse. Many things go through your mind that may produce that clinical sign. With thoughts ranging from a lodged foreign body to rabies running through my mind, I made my way to the horses location.

Once there, it was amazing how much “slobber” this horse was producing! Literally enough to dehydrate him. It was pretty amazing and definitely memorable.

The horse was being kept in an enclosed area that was covered with red clover. The organism can grow on all clover but red is the most common. I had only been out of vet school a few years and was relieved to see all that clover. Not only did it provide a really good reason for the severe salivation, the condition usually is not fatal as long as exposure is terminated.

These folks did have a complicated situation because the clover was literally all over the area where the horse was kept. They had to move the horse. Since the condition is self limited, the horse recovered in a couple of days.

If you ever see one of these animals, it is not easily forgotten. If there is a history of a recent change of food like new hay or a lot of clover in your pasture and your horse’s mouth has two long strands of slobber, you must consider the possibility of slaframine intoxication.

Other clinical signs that may or may not be present are piloerection, respiratory distress, diarrhea, lacrimation, and decreased appetite.

The treatment is simple. Remove the contaminated food source if possible or if it is a clover covered pasture, remove the horse. Recovery should occur in 1-3 days with no treatment necessary.

The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

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Continued from cover...

Jumonville Farms: Taking Quarter Horse Breeding into the Future

by Barbara Newtown

That claimer’s winnings were the beginning of Jumonville Farms. Over the next seven or eight years, J. E. put together 18 different tracts of land.

J. E. served as a senator in the Louisiana legislature from 1976 to January 1992. The governors of Louisiana during that time were Edwards, Treen, Edwards again, and Roemer.

J. E. says: “When I served, everyone tried to work together to accomplish things. We weren’t there to obstruct. We didn’t get everything we wanted, and the other party didn’t get everything they wanted, but when we came out of it we had something that was better. Today, if a Democrat is for something, every Republican is against it, and vice versa.

They call it gridlock and it is just ridiculous… But we do have a good racing program in Louisiana!” During his time as a senator, J. E. sought to bring together the Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing worlds. It was a tough sell, but he helped set in motion rule changes that extended Louisiana Horsemen’s Protective and Benevolent Association benefits to Quarter Horse members, that required the LHPBA to represent both QH and TB associations in contract negotiations, and that required licensed racing associations in Louisiana to return 50% of their gross handles to horsemen in the form of purses.

J. E.’s good luck with horses continued. The first yearling he bought won the richest race in Louisiana in 1971. An incomplete list of the nationally-ranked racehorses bred and/or owned by Jumonville Farms over the years includes Champion Lady Juno, Justanold Love, Queen for Cash, Dashingly, Truckle Feature, Leading Star, Marketina, Louisiana Girl, Sgt Pepper Feature, Feature Mr Jess, Jess Louisiana Blue…

J. E. also continued his personal interest in showing cutting horses. He and his mare Dry Dot performed well in amateur and open regional competitions. In 1982 the pair placed third in open cutting at the National Cutting Horse Association Super Stakes. The mare sold for $250,000 just before J. E. rode her in the non-pro division—which he and Dry Dot won. Rumor has it that J. E. tried to buy her back after the win.

The story of Laughing Saint, a 2007 Thoroughbred filly J. E. bought in Kentucky, illustrates how pedigree and conformation and intuition work together to produce winners… and how Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse lines can mingle to produce sheer speed. When J. E. and Bunny were visiting with Hall of Fame Thoroughbred trainer Bob Baffert in California, he showed them the twoyear-old stallion Vindication by Seattle Slew.

Vindication (horseracingnation.com): “I liked Vindication,” said J. E. “He went on to win the Breeders Cup Juvenile in 2002.

He got hurt and didn’t run in the Kentucky

Derby, and only bred for one or two years before he died.”

A few years later in Kentucky, J. E. remembered how impressed he had been by Vindication when he saw one of his daughters up for auction. “There weren’t many of his daughters, but I thought I’d like to have one. I liked her bottom side. I liked her conformation. Those three things together got me to buy that filly, Laughing Saint.”

J. E. didn’t break Laughing Saint until she was 3—she was little and a late bloomer. He put the filly in Thoroughbred training and discovered that she was a bleeder. “I was afraid to race her so I never did. Well, we had never bred a Thoroughbred to a Thoroughbred. We had always bred Thoroughbred mares to our Quarter Horse studs, but I wanted to breed this mare to a Thoroughbred in Louisiana.

It was early in the breeding season and I was still looking around and just couldn’t make up my mind… My son Dutch had the vet here one morning, and he called me and said, ‘That mare is a breeder today,’ so I said, ‘Well, just go ahead and breed her to Jess Louisiana Blue.’ Dutch said, ‘You think that will work?’ and I said, ‘We are just going to try it and see.’ We raised that foal, sold it as a half Quarter Horse half Thoroughbred at the Louisiana Yearling Breeder’s Sale, and that horse, Jess A Saint, went on and won the million dollar Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Futurity in 2015.”

Jess A Saint (lqhba.com): One day this spring the Senator, Dutch, and I piled into their Mule 4-wheeler and took a tour of the Jumonville land. A railroad track cuts across the property and separates the horse operation from the cane. J. E. stopped the Mule right on top of the raised crossing to give me a panoramic view of the farm.

We looked over the cane fields and the pastures…and had a moment of mirth when I leapt from the Mule when J. E. paused on the tracks. (I’m a New Yorker: tracks are dangerous!)

We stopped in a field of robust Quarter Horse yearlings, destined for auction and a racing career.

They crowded around, polite and friendly, sniffing the Mule and our sleeves. Dutch credits “Mrs. D.” with the good behavior of the youngsters.

He said that he and Mrs. D. try to get their hands on the babies and yearlings every day. “When people meet the young ones, they’re like, ‘Wow!’ because the horses are not afraid.” Mrs. D. is responsible for keeping track of medical information for the babies—shots, wormers, etc.

She also does the night shift, watching out for mares in labor. Although the farm uses a Foal Alert system, Mrs. D. “still likes to get up every hour or two and check the mares. Our night watch does a very good job!”

12 The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

We then toured the paddocks, most of which held mares and foals.

The Senator examined each baby with an eagle eye, looking for bruises, off steps, changing leg angles, and, a particular dislike of his, chewed tails.

“A chewed tail knocks down the auction price,” he said. “It shouldn’t matter, but it does.”

He spied a shortened tail on a foal who shared a paddock with another mare and baby. “He and his mom need to be by themselves,” he said to Dutch.

We stopped by a paddock with a big, stout, dark brown stallion. “That’s Jess Louisiana Blue,” said Dutch. “He’s 19. We raised him. His babies have proven themselves on and off the track. He’s had several big runners and even some barrel world champions. He’s a Godsend to us. It’s a blessing to have him!”

I noticed his substantial bone. “He’s a solid horse,” I said.

“Yes, ma’am, and he throws it on his babies, too. He’s a level-headed stud horse, a real gentleman,” said Dutch.

Jess Louisiana Blue (jumonvillefarms.com): The other two stallions at Jumonville Farms are Sizzling Cartel (by Corona Cartel) and Feature Mr Bojangles (by Feature Mr Jess).

“Sizzler,” a bay, won the Firecracker Futurity and came in second in several other futurities and derbies.

“His first crop ran last year, and I think he had 10 winners out of 16 starters, and several futurity finalists. He looks like he’s going to be a very nice stud.”

Sizzling Cartel (photo: Amanda Glidden): Feature Mr Bojangles is new to Jumonville Farms.

Dutch and his father bought the eight-year-old sorrel stallion at last year’s fall mixed sale in Oklahoma.

“He’s a two-time Grade 1 winner. He earned $899,000. Very good family. And he’s new to Louisiana.” Dutch said they’ve had a great response from outside mare owners.

(Jumonville Farms usually doesn’t board mares; instead, Dutch collects the stallions and ships the fresh, chilled semen.)

Continued on page 25...

The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

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14 The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

National Finals Rodeo in Dallas.

Continued from cover...

T. B. Porter by Barbara Newtown

T. B. was a national celebrity not only for his rodeo wins but also for his Wrangler advertisements in the early 1950s. He was a natural for the Wrangler contract: he was a classy-looking cowboy in his starched white shirts and, always, Wrangler jeans.

For a year a picture of T. B. was slipped into every pair of Wrangler jeans that left the factory.

By age 16 he was winning on the rodeo circuit, using skills he’d been learning since age 2, when he first sat on a horse.

“Daddy would trade horses for cows and cows for horses,” says T. B. “Texas ranchers would send their wore-out cow horses to Louisiana farmers for pulling plows.” But some of those horses were still pretty good, and found new careers with the Porters as rodeo talent. T. B.’s favorite horse was a black gelding named Hitler, a Thoroughbred out of King Ranch racing stock. Hitler had been traded to a Lake Charles rendering plant owner, but T. B. traded for him and turned him into a great roping horse and a straight, fast hazer for bulldogging. (His bulldogging partner rode a horse named Mussolini.)

Most of the South Louisiana Quarter Horses that T. B. traded and trained over the years had a lot of Thoroughbred in them, much like the Appendix Quarter Horses of today.

In an interview with the Shreveport Journal in 1963, T. B. talked about training roping horses. “Roping horses are peculiar,” he said. “A horse that’s good for one fellow won’t be good for another roper.”

T. B. said that it takes two years to make a good roping horse, starting with one that already has been working around cows. The horse must be fast, gentle, and must break quickly. However, “usually a roper looks for a good horse that’s already broken in and then makes a purchase of anywhere from $1500 to $3500.” In today’s dollars, that’s $10,000 to $25,000.

In T. B.’s heyday, calf roping was an individual sport. Team roping, with a “header” and a “heeler,” became part of the rodeo circuit about the time T. B. retired. Calves were heavier when T. B. was competing: 250-350 lbs., rather than 175-200 pounders we see today. Unlike today when most cowboys dismount to the right and run down the rope to flank the calf, T.B. and the cowboys from his era dismounted to the left and scurried along the rope to leg the calf due to the heavier weight. For that reason you can’t compare the speeds between then and now. T. B. says, “In those days 9 or 10 seconds would win you money.”

Besides calf roping, he specialized in bulldogging, both as steer wrestler and hazer. “I tried bull riding once,” says T. B. “But the bull bucked me off and stepped on my stomach, and I said that’s it.”

His only injury in his rodeo career was some torn cartilage in his hand. “I wrestled a steer and he went down on the wrong side, on top of my hand.”

Did he see a doctor? “Nope, it hurt for a while,

though.” At age 2 T. B. had fallen off a porch and sustained a groin injury, which labeled him unfit for military service, but, apparently, not unfit for rodeoing.

In 1949, at 22, T. B. won the national calf roping championship at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He competed in 42 events over 28 days to secure the title. That was the first time any competitor had won on the first attempt, and the first time a Louisiana cowboy had won. He received a saddle, presented by Gene Autry, and $4000, comparable to about $40,000 today. He called his parents after the awards ceremony and said, “I just had to win” because he was the only cowboy from Louisiana. T. B. and Cindy, a bay mare, and Sunshine, a sorrel gelding, had driven from Leesville to NYC via Hope, Arkansas, where they picked up T. B.’s cowboy friend Ray Wharton. They drove mostly at night, “because we had no AC in those days.” T.B. pulled his homemade, fenderless trailer with a black, two-door 1948 Pontiac. Was he awed by New York? “I’d been to New Orleans and Dallas and Fort Worth and places like that, so it wasn’t that much of a deal. It was just another trip.” But he mentioned going up the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, visiting the Natural History Museum, getting to steer the Staten Island Ferry, riding his horse down Broadway in the rodeo parade, and giving autographs to children in hospitals.

T. B.’s first wife, Dorothy, was hit by multiple sclerosis in the 1960s. T. B. gave up rodeo competitions in the 1970s to stay home and take care of her until her death in l982. Their daughter Judy Weisgerber wrote in 2001 that “love for family was high on our list of priorities, but only after our love and respect for God. My two sisters, brother and I learned to respect other people, their animals and their material possessions…Working alongside three generations on the farm also instilled in each of us the importance of a strong work ethic.”

Porter has spent his life working hard and volunteering often. After his rodeo days, he kept busy by operating a western store in Leesville and a trucking business that moved everything from garbage to houses, and by driving a school bus. He has served as Chairman of the Livestock Advisory Committee of the Farm Bureau Board, President of the Vernon Parish Cattlemen’s Association, and President of the Louisiana Cattlemen Association.

He joined the Leesville Lions Club in 1951, served as President, and is now the oldest member. He was Chairman of the Leesville Lions Club PRCA Rodeo and was responsible for the rodeo being sanctioned by the PRCA. He was a board member of the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City and was a member of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture Sanitary Board.

T. B. supported rodeo by helping young people learn the skills of calf roping and bulldogging. Porter Ranch has had a practice arena for rodeo education for over 60 years. Continued on page 36

T. B. competed and won in rodeos all over the U. S., from Massachusetts to California, but most of his showing took place in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri. He has won awards such as calf roping champion at the 1949 18th World Rodeo Championships in Boston; the Silver Spur prize at the Gladewater Round-up Rodeo for most sportsmanlike competitor; the Crawfish belt buckle for best LA cowboy; and the prize for top cowboy in Oklahoma and Arkansas. He was the first professional cowboy from Louisiana and the first Louisiana PRCA cowboy to participate in the

The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

15

THE

OF THE

by Dr. Kelly Hudspeth, DVM

Tale

Changes in food animal medicine 2017

One of our new born.

Part 2

Last week we discussed that the animals that are considered food animals are anything that can or will ever be eaten within reason. So your pet rabbit, or your mini pig that you would never consider killing, much less eating, are still considered a food animal because of the species. Common food animals in our area are fish, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, and cows. Although the list goes on, we deal with these animals the most often.

Many times these animals are fed food with antibiotics in them. This is helpful in controlling disease or even treating disease. There are additives that can be added to water or that are already in a food that you purchase for the feed store.

Because of the concern with antibiotic resistance and the emergence of super bugs, new laws are now in existence on what antibiotics can be used in food and when they can be used. And perhaps the biggest change is the VFD Rule. VFD means Veterinary Feed Directive and the law states that foods that have this on the label can only be used by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.

Used by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian is not as easy as it sounds. A veterinarian cannot just call the feed store and say that they know your herd and your family and food can be sold to you. And a veterinarian cannot just write you a prescription to be taken to the feed store.

First of all, a specific need for this feed must be established. It must be established by the veterinarian and documented by both the veterinarian and the owner. We are going to take it step by step of an imaginary case to help explain how this has to work.

Mr. Williams goes to the feed store to purchase some food with an additive in it to help prevent illness and to increase weight gain. Mr. Williams is told by the feed store owner that he cannot sell him this food without a VFD from his veterinarian.

Mr. Williams calls Dr. Vet and says he needs a VFD. Dr. Vet explains that even though he was just at his farm two weeks ago and works his cows on a regular basis, the process of getting a VFD will require a trip to the farm to observe the animals that will receive the food. An appointment is made.

Dr. Vet arrives at Mr. Williams’ place and observes 10 calves that have been bought and are going to be put on rye grass. About three have a snotty nose that is draining and a few are coughing. There is actually only one feed that is labeled for respiratory problems. ( I know this because I just heard that in a class on the new laws this month) So problem solved! Dr. Vet can now write the VFD for the food?– NO, NO, NO! Because on the label of this food, even though it says for respiratory problems, Pasteurella is specifically listed on the label. So the veterinarian needs to get a culture to prove Pasteurella is the cause of the problems. If it is a viral agent, then the VFD cannot be written!

Bottom line : Any medicated feed that is on the list of human important drugs cannot be used off label for any other reason than the reason given on the label. Weight gain or to improve food efficiency has been removed from all labels and is no longer considered a reason to use the food with the restricted antibiotics.

For a VFD to be legal, the food must be labeled for the use of the condition that the veterinarian writes it for and that condition must be something the veterinarian can diagnose in the animals being fed the medicated food. The veterinarian must keep a record on the animals including the diagnosis, what food will be used as well as the weight and number of animals it is used on and how much will be hand fed a day. The owner is also responsible for keeping a record on these animals. The veterinarian and the owner work together to make sure the withdrawal period established is followed.

So a VFD cannot be written in this case. Next week, we will explore a case where a VFD can be written and what that involves. This is done in a series because these “food animal” changes are a lot to “digest”! Even for veterinarians!

This is just the tip of the tale! ***Look for Part 3 & 4 in our June/July 2017 Issue

16 The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

17

Validation Of A Colic Surgery And Survival Prediction Model Mustajab Mirza, Jonuel Cruz-Sanabria, Adèle Grouè, Kimberly Pescosolido, Michael Kearney, Frank M. Andrews

Introduction Colic is the leading cause of death in horses. Time is crucial in these cases, as the horse’s condition can deteriorate quickly. However, upon arrival, an immediate diagnosis is often challenging, and therefore giving an accurate prognosis is generally not possible. For these reasons, a valid, simple, and reliable colic prediction model would help clinicians rapidly determine the need of surgery and the likelihood of survival. A colic model for surgery and prognosis was developed 20 years ago. However, this model has not been validated for horses admitted to the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) with acute colic.

Objective and Hypothesis • We aim to validate a colic prediction model that was developed in 1990 and to determine its accuracy in predicting the likelihood of surgery and death.

• We hypothesize that the colic model will accurately predict the probability of surgery and survival in horses presented to the LSU VTH with acute colic.

Material and Methods • Horses presenting to the VTH with acute colic from 8/20/12 to 7/13/13 were studied.

• Clinical parameters including age, sex, breed, rectal exam, frequency of pain, peripheral pulse character (Figure 1) and frequency of abdominal sounds was used to validate the surgical model.

• Clinical and laboratory parameters including age, sex, breed, peripheral pulse character, heart rate, surgical or medical treatment, capillary refill time (Figure 2) and packed cell volume (PCV) were used to validate the prognosis model.

• Clinical and laboratory parameters were collected and entered into an Excel spread sheet created by Dr. Nathaniel White, using Bayes’ theorem that calculated the post-test probability of both surgery and survival.

Statistical Analysis The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit chi square (GOFCS; formula below) was used to assess if each model fit the data.

A chi square value of > 15.51 using 8 degrees of freedom was considered significant if it yielded a P < 0.05

Results • 71 horses were evaluated for acute colic.

• 25/71 (35%) had surgery (Figure 1).

• 46/71 (65%) were treated medically (Figure 2).

• 17/71 (24%) were euthanized.

• 1/25 (4%) died after surgery.

• 53/65 (82%) survived to discharge.

• The model was an accurate estimate of the probability of surgery (5.18; P > 0.05).

• The model was not an accurate estimate of the probability of survival (15.88; P < 0.05.), as only one horse died after surgery.

Continued on page 19...

18 The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

Continued from page 18...

Figure 1: Number of horses in which surgical or medical treatment was opted, yellow however Is the number of horses where surgical recommendation was declined

Figure 2: Number of horses that died or survived. Number of horses that died (yellow), were euthanized for economic reasons (lavender), and had a poor prognosis (dark purple)

Discussion and Conclusion • In this report, 35% of horses presented to the VTH with acute colic require surgery.

• 35% of horses were treated medically.

• 82% of horses presenting to the VTH survived to discharge.

• The colic model (rectal palpation, frequency of abdominal pain, peripheral pulse character, and frequency of abdominal sounds) was able to accurately predict surgery in the population of colic horses presented to the VTH. • The colic model (peripheral pulse character, heart rate, surgical or medical treatment, capillary refill time and packed cell volume) was not able to accurately predict survival in the horses, however, there was a trend towards model fit.

• One reason for the non-fit of the prognosis model might have been due to the fact that only one treated horse died.

Take Home Message The study here shows that clinical parameters, as part of the physical examination, are excellent a predicting surgery, whereas clinical and laboratory parameters are needed to predict survival in horses presenting to the VTH with acute colic. Survival is high (82%) in horses presenting to the LSU VTH with acute colic.

References • Reeves, M.J. et al. (1990) A multivariable prognostic model for equine colic patients. Preventative Veterinary Medicine 9:241-257.

• Reeves, M.J. et al. (1992) Validation of logistic regression models used in the assessment of prognosis and the need for surgery in equine colic patients. Preventative Veterinary Medicine 13:155-172.

• Dukti, S. and White, N.A. (2009) Prognosticating Equine Colic. Vet. Clin. North Am. Equine 25:217–231 Funding and Acknowledgement Funding: Equine Health Studies Program We would like to thank Dr. Baia and Dr. Camacho as well as the rest of the VTH Equine Team for all of their support and teaching assistance.

We would also like to thank Dylan Shannon and the LSU-SVM Summer Scholars Program for their support.

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20 The Louisiana Equine Report â&#x20AC;¢ April | May 2017

Equine Health

by Neely

Neely Walker, PhD: LSU Ag Center | Equine Extension Specialist

Feeding the malnourished horse Weight loss or reduction in appropriate body condition can be linked to a number of factors most commonly including, age, disease, and lack of proper nutrition.

Regardless of the reason for the reduction in body condition, care must be taken to create a plan to return the horse to a more “ideal” nutritional plane. This plan should include veterinary examination to ensure that proper organ function is in place and that the horse is not suffering from a condition or illness that would cause the weight loss or reduction in appetite.

In order to access a horse’s current condition, you must first understand the Henneke Body Condition Scoring system. This system relates the amount of excess energy reserves or fat cover on a horse’s body, and utilizes a scoring system of 1-9. A “moderate” or a horse with ideal fat stores will have a score of 5. A horse with a score of 5 will have a level back, ribs that cannot be visually distinguished but can be felt easily, fat around the tailhead, with withers that appear rounded with a shoulder and neck that blend smoothly into the body. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s minimum care standards for horses require that a horse has a minimum body condition score of a 3 to prevent cruelty or neglect charges. A horse with a body condition score of 3 is considered “thin” and only has built up fat halfway on the spine, slight fat covering over the ribs, however the spine and ribs are easily visualized, has a prominent tailhead, and the bones of the pelvis, hip, and withers are accentuated. A horse can also be considered “starved” if it has lost more than 15% of its body weight in 60 days or less.

A normal horse with adequate nutritional support will utilize fat and carbohydrate stores as an energy source to fuel normal physiologic activities which are then replenished by nutrients in their diet. When a horse does not have access to or cannot consume enough nutrients, the body begins to break down proteins, from tissues like muscle and vital organs to provide the energy it needs to maintain the basic daily functions. If this process continues for an extended period of time, irreversible damage can be done to major organ systems, which decreases the overall chance that the animal will return to a normal body condition or survive.

Once an animal reaches a malnourished state, it can be a long difficult process for them to return to a normal nutritional plane. It is important to work with a veterinarian to ensure proper feeding methods and products are being used. It is very easy for a malnourished animal to experience “refeeding syndrome” a condition that occurs when horses are introduced to feed to quickly which will result in a surge of insulin secretion and a rapid uptake of glucose. The rapid increase of glucose will cause increased mineral uptake into the cells and can cause heart, liver, kidney, respiratory failure or death. Refeeding syndrome can occur in 3-10 days following an increase in calories, therefore it is important to reintroduce feed slowly to a malnourished horse to prevent additional health issues.

be the best option to increase body condition score in a malnourished horse due to its high protein, low carbohydrate composition. This reduces the potential spike in insulin and the chance of refeeding syndrome from occurring. The suggested alfalfa feeding regime is listed below:

• Days 1-3: 1 lb of alfalfa hay every 4 hours

• Days 4-14: 4 lbs of alfalfa hay every 8 hours

• After 2 weeks, horses can be fed as much hay as they will eat.

Even though research has shown that alfalfa hay is the best option, its expense and availability may make it an unviable option. In that case, grass hay can be substituted; however grain or concentrated pellets should be avoided completely until the horse has returned to a normal body condition score. The suggested grass hay feeding regime is listed below:

• Days 1-3: 2 lbs of grass hay every 4 hours

• Days 4-14: Slowly increase grass hay until you can feed 8 lbs of grass

hay 3 times a day

• After 2 weeks, horses can be fed as much grass hay as they will eat.

While there are appropriate protocols to help a malnourished horse return to a normal body condition, it is a long, slow process. Typically 3-5 months up to a year may be needed to see the horse return to a healthy status. It is extremely important that a malnourished horse be examined by a veterinarian on a regular basis so that appropriate recommendations for treatment of illness, disease, parasites, vaccinations and dental condition can be addressed when the animal is in good enough condition to reduce overall stress. Keep in mind that despite an owner’s willingness to continue extended care of a malnourished horse, in some instances humane euthanasia may still need to be considered, due to lack of improvement or other complications due to the reduced health status. Maintaining adequate nutritional status and care for your horse is the best preventative for the dangers associated with a low body condition. If you suspect your horse is malnourished please contact your local veterinarian immediately.

References 1. Withman, C.L. & Stull, C.L. (1998). Metabolic responses of chronically starved horses to refeeding with three isoenergetic diets. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 212(5): 691-696.

2. Whiting, T.L., Salmon, R.H., & Wruck, G.C. (2005). Chronically starved horses: Predicting survival, economic, and ethical considerations. Canadian Veterinary Journal 46: 320-324.

3. Stull, C.L. (2003). Nutrition for Rehabilitating the Starved Horse. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 21(3):456-457.

4. McIntosh, B., Hopkins, F., & Meadows, D. The Care and Feeding of the Starved Horse. UT Extension Info Series: AS-H 155.

5. Henneke, G.D., Pottern J.L., Krieder, L., & Yeates, B.F. (1983). Relationship between condition score, physical measurements, and body fat percentage in mares. Equine Veterinary Journal 15:370-372.

Research has shown that high forage diets are the most successful at returning horses to an appropriate body condition score following malnutrition while preventing the occurrence of refeeding syndrome. Alfalfa hay has been shown to

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Youth Page Sponsored by:

SOUTHEAST LA JUNIOR HIGH RODEO RESULTS

HELD ON MARCH 3rd & 4th, 2017 AT THE LAMAR DIXON EXPO CENTER, GONZALES, LA ALL AROUND COWGIRL ANNA WILLIAMS AND ALL AROUND COWBOY COY HEBERT

SOUTHEAST LA HIGH RODEO RESULTS

HTHE LAMAR DIXON EXPO CENTER, GONZALES, LA ALL AROUND COWGIRL JOSEY MURPHY –ALL AROUND COWBOY RHETT GOODNER

STEER BAREBACK RIDING SADDLE BRONC STEER RIDING BAREBACK RIDING 1 Coy Hebert 48 $75.00 1 Coy Hebert 50 $75.00 1 Cody Richardson 60 $75.00 1 2 Kolby Stelly 40 $40.00 2 Dalton Wilbur 42 $50.00 3 Kaleb Douget 39 BARREL RACING TIE DOWN ROPING 1 Jaden Thomas 16.003 $135.00 1 Coy Hebert 11.69 BARREL RACING 2 Camryn Richard 16.460 2 Jayce Reeves 13.58

1 Ranna Hebert 16.090 1 3 Anna Forsythe 16.478 $90.00 3 Grant Foster 14.65 $105.00 2 Taylor Ardoin 16.304 $180.00 2 4 Allie Frey 16.523 4 Chance Little 15.29 $70.00 3 Lauren Lee 16.353 $135.00 3 5 Kaylee Kinney 16.721

5 Dominic Broussard 17.17 4 Ashley Auston 16.357 4 6 Lizzie Holley 16.739 6 Kolby Stelly 17.80 5 Josey Murphy 16.391 $90.00 5 7 Millie Frey 16.870 7 Ty Aymond 23.53 6 Hannah Forsythe 16.423 $45.00 6 8 Gabby Gunter 16.901 8 Luke Dubois 27.71 7 Chloe Frey 1 6.439 7 9 Kylie Cliburn 17.003 8 Kati Murphy 16.566 8 10 Karli Kyle 17.073

9 Lindsey Priola 16.652 9 10 Kaitlyn Ryder 16.661 10 BOYS BREAKAWAY ROPING IRLS BREAKAWAY ROPING 1 Justin Plaisance 3.84

1 Anna Williams 3.69 BREAKAWAY ROPING 2 Gatlin Martin 3.90

2 Millie Frey 3.70 1 Josey Murphy 2.53 $200.00 1 3 Levi Brown 3.95 $105.00 3 Kylie Conner 4.84 $105.00 2 Abigail James 2.86 $150.00 2 4 Kase Busby 4.05 $ 70.00 4 Gabby Gunter 5.12 3 Lena Johnson 2.92 3 5 Eli LeBleu 5.09 5 Kallie deVeer 5.17 $70.00 4 Kamryn Duncan 3.27

6 Braedan Adams 5.10 6 Camryn Richard 5.87 5 Katy Fogleman 3.46 $50.00 7 Brayden Aymond 12.37 7 Bailey Mudd 6.64 6 Lizzy Broussard 3.58 8 Jacob Coleman 13.19 8 Kinley LeBlanc 15.26 7 Chloe Hillman 3.95

9 Madeline Hagan 23.75 Lauren Craig 5.26

10 Josie Conner 27.35 9 Tanzi Stafford 5.40 10 Maddy Guitreau 5.78 CHUTE DOGGING BOYS GOAT TYING 1 Kacen Gantt 4.31 $70.00 1 Kase Busby 10.42 $90.00 GOAT TYING 2 Caleb Jacobsen 5.77

2 Jayce Reeve 10.56 $60.00 1 Camaren Johnson 7.24 $137.50 1 3 Chance Little 10.85 $50.00 3 Hadley Morrison 12.48 2 Kaylee Cormier 7.42 $82.50 2 4 Coy Hebert 17.31 4 Kolby Stelly 12.98 3 Mackenzie Becnel 7.71

3

5 Luke Dubois 14.93 4 Korie King 8.02 4

6 Mason Richard 16.16 5 Alexis Stelly 8.04 5

7 Judd Morrison 17.13 6 Tanzi Stafford 8.24 6

8 Braeden Adams 18.47

7 Chloe Frey 8.45

7

9 Channing Johnson 20.23 8 Kati Murphy 8.48 $55.00 8

10 Kolby Lasyone 23.39 9 Lena Johnson 8.63

9 10 Kelly O’Neal 9.00

10 BULL RIDING GIRLS GOAT TYING 1 Cody Jenkins 68 $60.00 1 Anna Williams 7.99 $105.00 BOYS CUTTING

2 Jace Trosclair 51

2 Annamarie Pierce 8.64 $ 70.00 1 Rhett Goodner 72.0 $75.00 3 Seth Prejeant 46 $40.00 3 Lizzie Holley 9.52 2 Chris Melsheimer 71.0 $50.00

4 Kylie Conner 10.10 3 Lance LaBove 68.0

5 Kate Eiland 10.90 4 Kase Bacque 67.0

6 Jaden Thomas 11.31 5 Timothy Venable 66.0

7 Jenna LeDoux 11.51 6 Cyle Denison 65.0

8 Stoney Raymond 12.48 GIRLS CUTTING

9 Meadow Raymond 12.59 1 Larkin McBride 74.0 $120.00 1

10 Kallie deVeer 12.85 2 Katy Fogleman 73.5 $80.00 2 POLE BENDING RIBBON ROPING 3 Allison Melsheimer 73.0 3 1 Jaden Thomas 19.949 $105.00 1 Ty Aymond/Anna Williams 9.42 $125.00 4 Kelly O’Neal

72.5 4 2 Bailey Mudd 21.293 2 Jayce Reeves/Camryn Richard 10.25 5 Lexi McBride 72.0 5 3 Mattie Johnson 21.799 3 Kolby Stelly/Karli Kyle 10.64 6 Rivers Raymond 71.0 6 4 Camryn Richard 22.148 4 Coy Hebert/Kylie Conner 10.70 $75.00 7 Chloe Frey

70.0 7 5 Annamarie Pierce 22.379 5 Levi Brown/Anna Forsythe 11.33 8 Kamryn Duncan 69.0 8 6 Kylie Conner 22.814 $70.00 6 Luke Dubois/Kylie Cliburn 12.19 $50.00 9 Bella Dronett 67.0 9 7 Kate Eiland 23.016

7 Connor Harper/Josie Martin 16.66 10 Charli Little 66.0 10 8 Laney Walker 23.130 8 Chance Little/Josie Conner 16.75 9 Gabby Gunter 24.629 9 Matt Glover/Millie Frey 19.64 10 Kaylee Kinney 26.737

10 Will Boudreaux/Jancy LaLande 21.49 TEAM ROPING 1 Levi Brown/Jacob Coleman 10.90 $135.00 2 Chance Little/Gatlin Martin 22.37 $ 90.00 3 Tyler Williams/Jayce Reeves 22.82

22 The Louisiana Equine Report • April | May 2017

SADDLE BRONC RIDING Garrett Ellender 59 $125.00

TIE DOWN ROPING Macon Murphy 13.48 $170.00 Rhett Goodner 14.13 Kyle Clark 14.28 $127.50 Bailey LeBove 14.39 Brad Nesnor

15.76 $85.0 Wesley Vidrine 17.38 Landry Lee 17.44 $42.50 Austin Hebert 17.53

Colton Willson 17.7 Evan Darbonne 19.34 STEER WRESTLING Gavin Soileau 5.46

$105.00 Remey Parrott 11.67 $70.00 Grant Soileau 23.43

POLE BENDING Brooklyn Gunter 9.563 Lauren Craig 20.891 Jillian Carter 21.131 Alaina Picou

21.220 Lizzy Broussard 21.221 Ali Murphy

21.252 Bella Dronett 21.318 Kati Murphy 21.381 Allison Prejean 21.585 Abby Petry 21.779 BULL RIDING NO QUALIFIED RIDES

$160.00 $120.00 $80.00

$40.00

TEAM ROPING Noah Briley/Seth Smith Rhett Lindsey/Chandler Sarpy Grant Soileau/Gavin Soileau Blake Chauvin/Logan Espey Logan Stapleton/Clay McDaniel Tyler McGuffee/Mason Pitts Koby Sanchez/Kase Bacque Kamryn Duncan/Trey Hebert Reid Cobbs/Ethan Sparks Macon Murphy/Zeb Corkern

6.96 $210.00 7.10 7.34 9.33 $157.50 9.49 $105.00 10.23 $52.50 11.68 13.56 13.93 14.36

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Jumonville Farms: Taking Quarter Horse Breeding into the Future by Barbara Newtown Feature Mr Bojangles (stallionesearch.com): Acquiring Feature Mr Bojangles was good business—but it was also a gesture of respect for his deceased sire, Feature Mr Jess, who was bred

by Jumonville Farms. J. E. said, “Feature Mr Jess is an accredited Louisiana-bred.

I sent him to a trainer in Oklahoma and he did very well. He won the Rainbow Futurity at Ruidoso Downs and came back the next year and won the Rainbow Derby. No other Louisiana horse has ever won a Grade 1 race at Ruidoso, and Feature Mr Jess won two of them. We had to put him down at age 10. We haven’t had a foal from him since 2001 or 2002, and he’s still ranked high: he is the only stud in the country with two horses in the top 11 money winners in the history of the business.”

Feature Mr Jess: The Jumonvilles think so highly of Feature Mr Jess, the leading sire of a leading sire (Mr Jess Perry), that they have recently arranged to purchase all of the deceased horse’s frozen semen.

The fertilizations will be assisted by the ICSI technique, which allows a veterinarian to inject a single sperm into the ovum. The main advantage of “intracytoplasmic sperm injection” is that the veterinarian can identify and isolate a sperm that is active, moves “forward” rather than in circles, and shows less DNA damage. And, of course, a single straw of frozen semen could yield a number of pregnancies. The science is relatively new (the first human resulting from the ICSI procedure was born in 1992), but so far, in humans, at least, ICSI pregnancies seem to result in “normal” offspring and may even lessen the chance of miscarriage.

Here is the first foal sired by Feature Mr Jess through the ICSI process (a colt out of Thelouisianapurchase,

by Jess Louisiana Blue): The Mule took us back towards the farm buildings.

A big, clear span structure has room for equipment, good-looking round bales, and a space for collecting stallions; next door is a handsome barn with stalls.

A tree-shaded viewing stand overlooks a panel hot walker; turn around, and you can see almost all of the farm’s 1,000 acres. But the real jewels of the farm are the office and J. E. and Bunny’s home. Both places are rustic yet elegant and look like they should be on a historical preservation list… but are less than 50 years old. The office foyer boasts a trophy case filled with racing and breeding honors. I met Mrs. D., the hands-on foaling expert, and Robyn Short, the office manager. Robyn takes care of race payments, contracts, accounts, etc., as well as keeping customers happy.

Mrs. D and Robyn:

The Jumonville home is a remarkable design: it feels like a combination of a vintage plantation house and something conceived by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Senator described how he constructed the unusual floor in the sunken living room: he took timbers from the Firestone building in the French Quarter of New Orleans; that was the last building in that district that was permitted to be torn down. The timbers were sawn up in chunks that were fitted so that you can see repeating tree rings in the floor.

I met gracious Bunny Jumonville over a delicious lunch of salad and crawfish etouffée.

J. E. said, “Bunny asked me years ago why we were still doing this! I told her that God gave us talent, we’re supposed to use it, and he’s blessed us because we’ve done it.” J. E. added that Bunny has a fine eye for conformation.

J. E. and Bunny have persevered in their mission to produce quality racing Quarter Horses. In 2015, the American Quarter Horse Association recognized their lifelong commitment with the prestigious 50-year Breeder Award, presented at a ceremony at the AQHA Hall of Fame in Amarillo, Texas. 50-year breeders must have registered at least one foal a year in the AQHA for fifty consecutive years.

After lunch Dutch reminisced about growing up on the farm. “We have pictures of me, my older brother ‘Tres’ [J. E. Jumonville III], and my younger brother Clayton in diapers sitting on horses with our dad. Later, all three of us had responsibilities in the summer. It was etched into us not to sit around. We worked in the fields with the crops, we worked the horses.” J. E. assigned each son three to five horses to take care of: they had to clean stalls, feed, groom, exercise, and wash their horses. “We didn’t know it at the beginning, but he was getting the young horses ready for the sales!”

Dutch said that he didn’t get much sleep during the summers. “I mean, I was driving tractors, plowing fields at 10 at night. I was loving it, though.”

Dutch returned home after college and took up farming full time for several years. He planted milo, wheat, sugar cane, and beans. He spent the first year rebuilding every piece of equipment that he needed to use. “My dad told me that you can’t tell anybody what to do if you don’t know how to do it,” said Dutch. The only time he hired people was in the thick of planting and harvesting; the rest he did himself.

After Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, Dutch had the opportunity to work for an electrical contracting company that was hired to install power poles for FEMA trailers. That job, like many tasks after Katrina, began to look like it would take longer than a few months—in fact, Dutch was busy putting up poles for three more years. Fortunately, “I had just finished up my bean crop and had planted some wheat, and it happened that we had some farmers doing dirt work for us. I leased the land to them, and they put in the sugar cane. I came back after those three years and the farm started picking up.

My dad still was really hands-on, so it was a transition time. But he always says, ‘You can’t have two chiefs.’ He makes most of the decisions, but I take care of the everyday.

I love working with my dad,” said Dutch.

At this point in J. E.’s life, he has more of an “eyes-on” relationship to his horses than a “hands-on” one. “Dutch is the one you should talk to,” he told me, when we first met and I started asking nitty-gritty questions about the breeding and foaling and sales prep at Jumonville Farms. J. E. knows that the future of the horse industry depends on the passion and the skills of the next generation, and he takes pride in Dutch’s horse sense, work ethic, and love of the farm. J. E. is willing to let go and pass the torch. “I’m 74 years old and when people ask me what I do around the farm, I say, ‘I think I just get in the way. Dutch runs the whole thing.’”

Jumonville Farms has seen flush times and tough times. “In the beginning,” said Dutch, “we didn’t have a lot of money. Then we had a lot of money. Then we didn’t have any money at all… but all along we worked through the highs and the lows. We know what work means.”

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26 The Louisiana Equine Report â&#x20AC;¢ April | May 2017

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April, A Time of Awakening

by Dave Foster

April is a time in the south where one can really appreciate Spring.

The calendar says Spring begins March 20, however, “Ma Nature” plays a more important role than the calendar. The corn and rice are in the ground, rye grass is providing excellent forage and our fall and spring born calves are progressing well. Historically, slaughter steers and heifers coming out of the feedlot usually benefit from high prices early in the month and get cheaper as the calf-fed supply (put in last fall) increases which puts a downward pressure on price. This year may be a little different. Fed cattle prices broke into the $130.00 cwt. in mid-March providing an incentive for feeders to move cattle forward which may reduce the numbers coming to market in April and May. Also, cattle in the feedlots this winter have performed well with Feb. & Mar. showing 70% or more cattle grading USDA Choice. So, retailers/food service have plenty of choice product on hand (at lower purchase prices) which may continue demand for beef as retailers reduce prices to move more product. All of these scenarios are purely speculation on my part, but it could be a reality. Graze out wheat and summer grass will encourage grazers to buy our calves under 600 lbs. and with the supply of those calves limited this time of year, prices should continue to rise.

responded to the call and sent hay and money for fences. Reading all about the rally to help those effected by the fires makes me proud to be a part of agriculture.

The cattle market will be changing this month so be in tuned with what is happening. Superior Video will be in Natchitoches, LA this month for the second time to have their auction. Don’t miss this event, even if you don’t have cattle on their auction, support our Louisiana cattle industry. This event will also give you the opportunity to see what our Louisiana calves bring for July-Sept. delivery. I know it is never to late, however, if you have not had conversation with your local auction market rep, order buyer and or video rep about selling your calves now for sure is the month to do it. Don’t forget, call your marketing rep and for more information contact Cattle Producers of Louisiana at www.lacattle.org or call 888-528-6999.

Wildfires in early March came through Texas, Oklahoma and southern Kansas destroying pasture and ranchland as well as thousands of head Enjoy the season of Spring and take some time to sit and watch your of livestock. Lives were lost as well when they went out to save baby calves on that green Louisiana forage. their stock. The agriculture community responded by raising money to assist farmers and ranchers in that area. Many Louisiana people

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28 The Louisiana Equine Report â&#x20AC;¢ April | May 2017

Pumpkin’s Story: Surviving EPSM

by Kathy Packman

Pumpkin came to live at Covenant Farm in Dubach, Louisiana, in September of 2015. She was purchased by a boarder who was looking for a truly “bombproof” horse, and Pumpkin seemed to fit the description to a T. At only six years of age, Pumpkin was not only a veteran of parades, where she had ben ridden behind the fire truck with sirens blaring, but she had carried a rider shooting guns. Between her imposing size and her sweet temperament, this 2000 lb. Belgian mare soon won everyone over, and she quickly became a farm favorite.

Pumpkin with her fans, before she got sick, June 2016:

Soon after arriving, however, Pumpkin began showing some on-and-off lameness issues. We were not too surprised, because she had come to us wearing shoes that were too small and with a severe case of white line, but we had confidence that, over time, her foot problems could be corrected. By late winter her feet had improved greatly, and she appeared to be healthy and happy, except that she would occasionally take a “stringhalt” type of step. We had been told that draft breeds may be prone to “shivers,” and that possibly she had a very mild case, and we should watch to see if got any worse, but over the next few months, there appeared to be no change.

Then, as summer progressed, she began showing some slight lameness signs again, which quickly began to progress to an odd gait. At the same time, she also seemed to be losing some muscle, especially in her hindquarters. Dr. Damon Odom confirmed that Pumpkin appeared to have EPM, and we began treatment. She responded beautifully to the treatment, and once again seemed back to normal.

In mid-December, however, Pumpkin came in from the pasture moving a little slower than usual, and one front leg seemed slightly swollen. Dr. Odom came out to check her and thought it looked like she had sustained some soft tissue damage, probably from being kicked by another horse, and he prescribed rest and an anti-inflammatory. We left her in her stall

for the night and turned her out by herself in a small paddock the next morning. Sometime shortly before mid-day, she lay down in the paddock, and a while later, when she tried to get back up, she was unable to rise. We called the vet again, and he instructed us to give her pain medication and try to get her up, assuming that the pain in the front leg was the reason she wouldn’t get up. When that didn’t work, he came out again and, as the swelling now appeared to look more like cellulitis, he began antibiotics and gave her more pain meds. When she still couldn’t rise, we tried flipping her over in hopes that she could use her good front leg more effectively from the other side, but to no avail. At this point, we knew we had to use more drastic measures, as leaving her down could very well be the end of her. We had used the bucket on our tractor to lift a horse in the past, but we knew our tractor was not heavy enough to lift a 2000 lb. draft, so we began the search for someone with a heavier piece of equipment. Unfortunately, it was already late evening by this time, and we couldn’t find anyone who would come until first thing in the morning. Fortunately, even though she was unable to rise, she was able to eat and drink, and Pumpkin and I spent a sleepless night together. I prayed for her survival.

down again, so all in all, things were looking up.

The next morning, a very large backhoe arrived, and with the help of Dr. Odom and our farrier, Heath Norred, who fortunately happened to be there that morning, we fashioned a sling out of tow straps and lifted Pumpkin back on her feet. Unfortunately, her hours on the ground had taken their toll, and after taking a few shaky steps, she went back down. We got her up once again, and this time she was able to walk about fifteen feet before she went down again.

With a weather forecast of thunderstorms for the night, we wanted to try to get her into our covered arena; however, at this point, it seemed unlikely she was going to be able to walk that far over uneven ground without going down again. We made a “stretcher” out of plywood and chains and turned her over onto it and towed her into the covered arena using the tractor. Once there, we lifted her with the backhoe yet again. This time, to everyone’s relief, she stayed on her feet. We brought hay, grain, and water, and she immediately began to eat. Because she was slightly dehydrated by this time, Dr. Odom began administering fluids as a precaution. Within an hour she had perked up considerably, and we began to be a bit more optimistic. We assumed that the painful leg was the cause of her inability to rise, and we hoped that she would stay on her feet long enough to get the cellulitis under control. Because it was Friday, the backhoe operator offered to leave the backhoe there over the weekend just in case she went

By the next day, Pumpkin was still on her feet, and her leg seemed to be improving. She was walking all around the arena and eating and drinking, and appeared to be almost back to normal. We kept her in the arena for a couple more days, and then, as the swelling in her leg had disappeared and she seemed to have no more pain, we brought her back up to the small paddock by the barn, cautiously hopeful that she had recovered.

Pumpkin right after being lifted, December 2016:

Removing the harness, December 2016:

Unfortunately, on the morning of the fifth day, Pumpkin went down again, and once again was unable to get up. And once again we began the search for an available backhoe and operator. This time we were able to get her up and keep her up after only one try, and once up, she seemed perfectly normal. But now we were beginning to wonder if there could be something besides a painful leg causing the inability to rise.

This was when we first started considering the possibility of EPSM (Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy). As diet change is the main course of treatment for EPSM, rather than wait for a muscle biopsy, Dr. Odom had us take out all grain and add oil to her diet to see if it would make a difference.

Continued on page 34...

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Continued from cover...

Introducing the Retired Racehorse Project by Emily McAtee But what happens to the losers?

Well, some continue to race (Divining Rod, who ran against American Pharaoh), and some are retired and standing at stud (Firing Line, who also ran against American Pharaoh, is now standing at Crestwood Farm with a $5000 stud fee).

But of course, these are horses that were able to compete in the Triple Crown, so their futures are pretty secure. What about the horses who never make it that far?

What happens to the ones that just aren’t bringing in money the way that they used to, or that just never had a love for racing in the first place?

Divining Rod: Photo Provided by Eclipse Sportswire and Found at horseracingnation.com

If you’ve been around the racing industry, you might be gritting your teeth a little, because we all know the different avenues Firing Line: Photo Found at horseracingnation.com that a horse can take once his racing days are done. Some are good… some are not.

Thankfully, my job today is to talk about one of the good avenues opening up to racehorses everywhere: The Retired Racehorse Program.

The Retired Racehorse Program (RRP)’s goal is to “facilitate placement of Thoroughbred ex-racehorses in second careers by increasing demand for them in equestrian sports and serving the farms, trainers, and organizations that transition them.” It was started in 2010 and really took off in 2015 with the introduction of the Thoroughbred Makeover. The $100,000 in prize money drew in nearly 200 trainers across 10 different disciplines. This was followed up in 2016 by 480 trainers from 45 different states, 3 Canadian provinces, and apparently a few trainers from England.

This year, RRP has announced that the number of competitors has grown yet again, to a remarkable 578 trainers, all searching and buying up retired racehorses to train for second careers. I am pleased to say that I am one of the 578.

I first heard about the Thoroughbred Makeover in 2015, and I wanted to do it in 2016, but I had been told that the Army would probably repost my husband and me elsewhere during the year, so I chose to abstain. I ignored a lot of the news surrounding RRP that year, purely out of jealousy that 480 trainers had their horses to take to this huge competition, and I did not. Once the 2016 competition was over, I started watching their site very closely again, determined that I would not let this chance slip by me again. I think I had my application in within 24 hours of registration being opened. I had to jump through an extra hoop or two (which basically consisted of sending a video showing that I can, in fact, ride a horse), because I don’t have the same show record or experience as a great many of the riders who applied, and they wanted to be certain that I would a) show up and b) not embarrass them. Either way, I was gratified to receive an acceptance letter so that I could begin my search for my RRP partner.

Finding a horse turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. Since this year’s Thoroughbred Makeover is basically my grad project before I leave Harmony Equestrian Services in about a year, I thought I would try to be as professional as possible. So I put together a beautiful business letter the figurative “cherry on top.” asking various Thoroughbred trainers,

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owners, breeders, racetracks, and rescues to send me a horse. I sent out 28 letters… and received 3 responses. For how much effort I had put in, it felt like a rather underwhelming response. Part of the reason I had such a frustrating experience finding a horse is probably because of the Thoroughbred Makeover. The demand for OTTBs has risen, and so in spite of 28 Business Letters and a full weekend of my life. the fact that I kept hearing that people needed to get rid of their racehorses, I could no longer find anyone who was going to just give me a racehorse: I had a long list of criteria and a small budget, and finding the perfect balance between the two was not easy. I even had one woman tell me that if I bought a horse for anything less than $2000, it would break down before I ever made it to the competition.

Eventually, I ended up going through a local and fairly new rescue called the Gulf Coast Thoroughbred Network (GCTBN) to try to find a horse, and I am quite certain that Brandi McGovern (who was my point of contact) finally got sick of my incessant phone calls and was relieved that I finally just chose a horse and left her alone.

Eventually I came home with a 15.2 hh 7 year old sorrel OTTB by the name of Champali Lake. What I know for certain about him is that his last race was in April of 2016, where he came in 8th. I believe he was sent to the kill pen around June. When the GCTBN pulled him from the kill pen, he had a sub-solar abscess that was so extreme that the sole of his foot could be pulled back. After several months in foster care, his hoof healed, he put on weight… and then managed to lose some of it again. When I first went to see him, he was at about a 3 or 4 on the Henneke body condition scale, and Brandi was apologizing profusely for how skinny he had gotten. I looked at him and went “Oh, he’s still at a 4, that’s perfectly acceptable. The last one I looked at I could have gone paragliding using his hip bones.” And we continued on to have a wonderful conversation. I found her to be intelligent, devoted to the welfare of her animals, and the owner of a warped sense of humor very akin to my own. During my assessment I found that Champali Lake was timid, but still willing and eager to please. His hamstrings were tight, but his back was not. The motion of his joints was inclined to be stiff, but his motion was naturally elegant and floating. I got very excited, because the potential was there, and that was all I needed.

We are now on about week 7 of our training, with 26 weeks remaining. For the time being we are training in low level Dressage to help him stretch and get strong again, and then we will start introducing him to other disciplines as well to see if there’s something that he absolutely loves. So far, he’s taken to Dressage like a puppy to water: a little timidly at first, but now happy to play this game we call “training.”

Since he is doomed to another 6 months of Dressage training, he has also been condemned to a barn name worthy of the pomp and circumstance of the Dressage Ring: “Champagne.” He’s already made astonishing progress, surpassing all of my expectations so far. I’m excited to see where we go from here, and I hope you’ll join us on our journey toward the 2017 Thoroughbred Makeover.

Sources:https://www.retiredracehorseproject.org/ https://www.retiredracehorseproject.org/2016-thoroughbred-makeover/1191-100-000-thoroughbred-makeoverattracts-top-trainers-from-ten-sports https://www.retiredracehorseproject.org/2017-thoroughbred-makeover/1331-100-000-thoroughbred-makeoverlaunched-with-578-trainers https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/sports/american-pharoah-wins-belmont-stakes-and-triple-crown.html# http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4088232/American-Pharoah-welcomes-foal.html http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=8835978&registry=T http://www.habitatforhorses.org/the-henneke-body-condition-scoring-system/ http://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Firing_Line http://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Divining_Rod http://www.gctbnetwork.org/

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Pumpkin’s Story: Surviving EPSM

by Kathy Packman

Not ever having had experience with an EPSM horse before, I immediately began researching everything I could find on it.

In my search for information, among the many articles I read was one written

by Dr. Beth Valentine, a veterinarian at Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Valentine has done extensive research on EPSM, especially in draft breeds. Upon corresponding with Dr. Valentine, she sent me links to a series of articles on EPSM that she had written which appeared in Rural Heritage magazine. I found that horses with EPSM cannot break down glycogen in their muscles, causing a buildup of glycogen which leads to muscle weakness and cramping. They often have weakness and stiffness in their hindquarters. They may also lose muscle along their topline and be reluctant to pick up their feet for cleaning or farrier work, all of which Pumpkin had been exhibiting. In addition, her occasional stringhalt step can also be indicative of EPSM. I also found that about two-thirds of all draft-type horses may carry EPSM, and it is not uncommon in Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and warmbloods, among others.

According to Dr. Valentine, though EPSM has probably been around for centuries, it has only been recently recognized as a disease. One of the problems of EPSM is that, since the symptoms can be similar to so many other issues, it is commonly misdiagnosed. Besides the aforementioned symptoms, horses with EPSM can show signs of tying up, stiffness, back soreness, and frequent colic. Symptoms can often be confused with those of EPM, Monday morning disease, arthritis, shivers, and Lyme disease, among others. In fact, just weeks after Pumpkin’s diagnosis, a four-year-old Thoroughbred gelding at our barn was diagnosed with EPSM through a muscle biopsy, only after having had extensive x-rays and negative tests for EPM and Lyme disease. Doodle looked perfectly normal. His main symptom was just an all-over soreness with no apparent cause, especially when ridden.

Doodle with EPSM, June 2016: Dr. Valentine has developed dietary guidelines to treat horses with EPSM. These include removing most starches and sugars from their diet, feeding plenty of grass or legume hay, and supplementing with a minimum of one lb. of fat per 1000 lb. of body weight daily. When using a vegetable oil, this would mean two cups of oil daily for a 1000 lb. horse. In addition, they need at least 1 iu of vitamin E per pound of body weight per day, and 1-2 mg. of selenium per 1000 lb. of body weight per day in areas that are selenium deficient, and a multi-vitamin supplement if forage quality is not optimum. According to Dr. Valentine, many horses with EPSM will show 100% improvement on the diet.

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Doodle after diet change, April 2017: In addition to the diet, exercise is critical for horses with EPSM. They need plenty of turnout and regular exercise, and extensive stall time and long trailer rides should be avoided.

After instituting all of Pumpkin’s dietary changes, all that was left for us to do was to watch and wait. She would remain on her feet and then go back down every four to five days, and twice more we had to call in the backhoe to lift her up, and each time she would appear to be perfectly normal once we got her on her feet. Realizing that this could go on for several more weeks while the dietary changes took effect, Pumpkin’s owner decided to purchase a gantry crane capable of lifting 2000 lb. rather than continuing to hire a backhoe every time. The day they got the crane, she was due to lie down again, and we were happy that this time we were prepared. She did not go down that day, and the following morning I was thankfully surprised to see her on her feet. I was even happier, when, upon closer inspection, I could see dirt on one side of her. She had gotten down and back up on her own for the first time in weeks! Pumpkin continued to improve, and she appeared to have no more problems rising on her own, although Dr. Valentine cautioned us that there could be ups and downs (literally, in Pumpkin’s case) until the body could fully adapt to the added fat in the diet, which takes about four months.

She is nearing the four month mark now, and Pumpkin seems to be healthier than ever. Fearing that, due to time constraints, she would not be able to give Pumpkin the exercise she needs right now, her owner has loaned her to the equine therapy program at the Outdoor Wilderness Learning Center, which is a part of the Methodist Children’s Home in Ruston. Once again her imposing size and sweet personality is winning the hearts of everyone she meets, as well as helping to heal the hurts of at-risk youth who are a part of this wonderful program.

Pumpkin and friends at OWL, March 2017:

Pumpkin and rider at OWL, March 2017: For more information, you can find the series of Dr. Valentine’s articles on EPSM at https:// www.ruralheritage.com/new_ rh_website/resources/horse_ health/horse_health_main. shtml

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T. B. Porter by Barbara Newtown His own children and grandchildren have been successful rodeo competitors at state and national levels.

Nowadays the traditions of Porter Ranch continue with the help of T. B.’s son David. T.B.’s daughters drop in to help out, as well. But T. B. is the motor behind the ranch. His daughter Judy describes his battle with the bulldozer: “Around 2 p.m. [on March 2, 2012] he went to jump start the bulldozer to work on the road that was muddy and hard to drive through. The bulldozer started, and he went to climb off to back up his truck. He put the dozer in neutral and when he stepped on the track, the dozer jumped in reverse. This threw him down and the dozer track ran over his right arm. The arm was broken above and below the elbow. His right shoulder was pulled out of place, the right collarbone and right shoulder blade broken, and the muscle between the shoulder and elbow badly injured. He tried to call David [who was pressure-washing a dump trailer] and David did not hear the phone. Daddy got up and put his 5-speed truck in reverse, backed up, put it in drive, and drove to the shop where David was working, about 100 yards.

He told David that he was hurt and hurt bad and needed to go to the hospital. He made sure David turned everything off before leaving. He never lost consciousness and was fully coherent until surgery around 7 p.m. that night. He turned 85, March 9, 2012 in the hospital…” When he was finally discharged, says Judy, “the best medicine was to be able to drive through the pastures and check on his cows.” A tough cowboy indeed.

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Girvin from Good to Great in Louisiana Derby Submitted by Brian Spencer on April 1, 2017

Much like five weeks ago in the Grade II Risen Star Stakes, Brad Grady’s Joe Sharp-trained Girvin showed professionalism and immense promise when outclassing eight rivals in the 104th Grade II $1,000,000 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby on Saturday afternoon. After breaking from post eight and settling in mid-pack as his Grady-owned stablemate Hotfoot carved out name-appropriate fractions of 23.46 and 47 flat, the Brian Hernandez, Jr.-piloted son of Tale of Ekati rallied four-wide around the far turn after six furlongs in 1:11.15, collared new leader Local Hero and jockey Florent Geroux in mid-stretch and then sprinted home, out-finishing Calumet Farm’s Todd Pletcher-trained Patch and Tyler Gaffalione by 1¼ lengths.

The final time over the fast main track was 1:49.77, with a final eighth of a mile in 12.97 seconds.

Patch finished 1¾ lengths ahead of Local Hero, while longshot Hollywood Handsome finished up well, rallying from last to miss third by a nose under Shaun Bridgmohan.

Sent to post as the 6-5 favorite, Girvin returned $4.60, $3 and $2.40, while Patch returned $5.20 and $3.60 and Local Hero returned $3.40 to show. He earned $600,000 to increase his career bankroll to $874,400 in just his fourth career start. He now owns a record of three wins and a second from said quartet of tries and heads to the Grade I $2,000,000 Kentucky Derby as one of the logical contenders.

“He’s such a talented horse,” Hernandez said. “He puts a lot of confidence in you. Today my biggest thing was when I saw Local Hero settle as well as he did, I wanted to stay behind (him) and give myself a target. Every time I needed him he was there for me. Turning for home, he got to switching leads back and forth, but he was kind of just messing around.”

“It doesn’t feel bad [to have a Kentucky Derby horse],” Sharp added. “He’s a talented horse. We’re enjoying the ride. It’s great connections and a great owner and it has been a real team effort.”

Gaffalione was very pleased with his mount’s effort, which was only his third start, first around two turns and first since breaking his maiden six weeks ago at Gulfstream Park. “We had a great trip. He’s still young and learning, but today he really ran a big race. There was a lot of traffic out there. Once we dove inside and found a path, he really accelerated and finished up really good. He’s pretty handy and you can do whatever you want with him. He listens very well.”

“I had a great trip and we had a good pace in front,” Geroux said of Steve Asmussen-trained Local Hero. “He was nice and relaxed and Steve and his team did a great job getting him ready for today. He was a different horse today than last time he ran. I was in position to win the race and they just outran me at the end.”

“I had a nice trip and there was enough pace for us,” Bridgmohan said of Dallas Stewart-trained Hollywood Handsome. “He really made a nice sustained run at the end and is improving.”

Sorry Erik (Kent Desormeaux, jockey), Senior Investment (Channing Hill), Guest Suite (Robby Albarado), Hotfoot (James Graham) and Monaco (Rajiv Maragh) completed the order of finish.

“Hopefully they don’t give up on this horse because I really think he has a good future,” Hill said. “He really doesn’t get what he’s 100% doing yet. He was never super-clear, but he fought all the way to the wire. I had to step on the brakes on the turn a bit, but honestly I thought I had a real shot on the backside when I was behind the winner. He’s a Belmont (Stakes) kind of horse.”

“I had Girvin in my sights, so he was my target to follow around there, but he gradually just got away from me as we went along,” Albarado said. “That’s a nice horse that won the race but it just wasn’t our day today with Guest Suite.”

“I did what I was told to do,” Graham said. “He’s a cool little horse and he wants to do right.”

“Everything was going good and the horse broke really sharp,” Maragh said. “When they started picking it up, he really couldn’t keep up.”

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HONORABLE DUTY REFUSES TO LOSE IN NEW ORLEANS NEW ORLEANS (April 1, 2017) – DARRS, Inc.’s Brendan Walsh-trained Honorable Duty cannot catch a break with bettors at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, but that does not stop him from breaking through to victory. In his third consecutive stakes event this season, the son of Distorted Humor proved superior to his fellow handicap division members, winning the Grade II $400,000 New Orleans Handicap by a neck in one of the more determined efforts in recent memory. Somehow sent away by the wagering public at 8-1, despite winning the Grade III Mineshaft Handicap at 5-1 last out and the Listed Tenacious Stakes at 6-1 a race prior, he ran down Gunpowder Farms and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Grade I-placed Canadian classic winner Breaking Lucky in the final strides under a textbook, all-grit-no-quit drive by 2014-15 meet champion jockey James Graham. The final time, after the Reade Baker-trained runnerup set a swift pace under Luis Contreras of 23.50, 46.63, 1:10.35 and 1:35.22, was 1:48.35 for the 1 1/8 miles. It was another five lengths back to Stonestreet Stables and Regis Racing’s Iron Fist in third for trainer Steve Asmussen. John C. Oxley’s Noble Bird, the 9-5 favorite, faltered after stalking under Florent Geroux, checking in sixth of nine.

Honorable Duty paid $18.80, $8 and $4.60, while Breaking Lucky returned $5.60 and $4.60 and Iron Fish returned $6.60 to show. He won for the sixth time in 12 starts and increased his career bankroll to $501,276 with the $240,000 first-place prize.

“He’s getting better and better with every start,” Graham said. “His work last week was unbelievable and that’s the way he ran today, just came home real strong. When I picked him up and asked him to go, he ran hard all the way to the wire.” “[Gelding him before the Tenacious] really helped,” Walsh added. “He got to the point where his mind was getting the better of him and he wasn’t going to advance without doing that and so we did it and he’s done nothing wrong since.”

“I was watching the races from earlier and it’s been all speed,” Contreras said. “He broke good, so I gave him a chance to run and once I was on the lead, he relaxed for me the whole way. Even with (Iron Fist) on the outside, he was relaxed. I waited, because of the long stretch, until past the quarter pole to ask him and he went again. It was in the last sixteenth that (Honorable Duty) was really coming and got me in the last jump.”

“I was content with the trip,” jockey David Flores said of Iron Fist. “He broke and I just stayed out of his way. I just wanted to let him be comfortable, and he was, we just ran out of horse the last quarter-mile.”

“Sometimes he can get rank, but I had a lovely trip,” Geroux said. “I tipped him out at the half-mile pole to give him a chance and he didn’t go on.”

Eagle, Hawaakom, Noble Bird, Mo Tom, International Star and Aglimpseofgabby completed the order of finish.

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Guns, Horses, and … Balloons: The Sport of Mounted Shooting

by Barbara Newtown

Mounted shooting involves galloping at top speed, flying changes of lead, hand gun or long gun marksmanship, and partnership with a literally bomb-proof horse.

The Mounted Shooters of America and the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association are the main national organizations.

Other groups include the Single Action Shooting Society and the Cowboy Sports Association.

[The following descriptions follow the Mounted Shooters of America rules. A .pdf of the MSA Rulebook is available at: http://msapoints.com/web/index_htm_files/2017%20MOUNTED%20SHOOTERS%20OF%20AMERICA%20 Rulebook.pdf ] Competitors ride memorized patterns, chosen by the organizers, which usually involve galloping through a maze of ten poles and one or two barrels. In most patterns, two colors of balloons are tied to the tops of the poles, and the object is to shoot the light-colored balloons first and the dark-colored ones last. A typical pattern may require the horse and rider to do tight circles or flying changes to get good shots at the first five, and then race at top speed down a straight line to burst the last five. In any pattern, missing a balloon incurs a 5-second penalty. Other penalties can be piled on to the time of the ride, such as: knocking over a barrel, 5 seconds; missed balloon, 5 seconds; off course, 10 seconds; starting before the signal, 60 seconds. The mounted Range Officer, in charge of the competition, has the last word.

The ammunition is black powder blanks. The discharge of hot ash from the hand gun or long gun is what breaks the balloon. Certified ammunition producers provide ammo that is guaranteed to break a balloon at 20 feet. All competitors receive their ammunition in the “loading area” from the “shoot producer” before the competition starts. No participant is allowed to bring his or her own ammunition to the venue. The MSA encourages all competitors to check their state rules for transporting and using firearms.

The ideal horse for this sport is usually a Quarter Horse, since quick acceleration after a tight turn is a must. Clean, balanced lead changes help shave seconds off the twisting part of a pattern. And the horse must be absolutely broke to the sound of a pistol or rifle on either side of his head! Nevertheless, ALL breeds of horses and mules, registered or unregistered, are welcome to compete, as long as they are healthy and used to the sound of gunfire. First-time competitors (either horses or humans) must demonstrate to the officials beforehand that they can negotiate a pattern and (in the case of humans) fire a weapon safely.

The hand gun should be a fixed sight, single action .45 caliber revolver. In the hand gun division, each competitor carries two holstered revolvers, one for each five balloons. The first revolver must be returned to the holster before the rider reaches for the second revolver.

In rifle competition, the first five balloons must be shot with a revolver. The rifle must be in a leather scabbard attached to the saddle when the timer starts.

According to the MSA, the rifles must have been made before 1900 or must be copies of the same. Calibers are 45LC, 44/40, or 44 magnum. The rifle must be braced against the shoulder or the armpit.

Rules for shotgun competition diverge from rifle rules in two ways: 1) the last five “shotgun” balloons must be in two groups (2 and 3 balloons), and 2) [as the MSA Rulebook puts it] “a hand must be on the forearm of the shotgun while in the act of firing the firearm.” In other words, guide your horse with your legs!

Competitors must wear Western hats or safety helmets, long-sleeve shirts, and Western boots. The MSA encourages competitors to “pursue Western or patriotic themes in their dress.” The hat and sleeve rules are waived for “ladies” wearing dresses.

Mounted shooting combines the precision of a dressage test, the explosive speed of a barrel race, the pounding hooves and gunfire of the Wild West, and a lot of whooping and hollering from the spectators. Even if you don’t ride, you can volunteer: knowledgeable people are needed to help at the ammo table. If you don’t know anything at all about guns or equines, you can always get busy inflating balloons!

For a look at mounted shooting, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX7Sx55IKdg

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EVANGELINE DOWNS RELEASES 2017 THOROUGHBRED STAKES SCHEDULE 24 STAKES RACES WITH PURSES TOTALING $1,695,000 ON THE CALENDAR OPELOUSAS, LA – Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel will begin its 52nd season of Thoroughbred racing action on April 12 in Opelousas, Louisiana.

The 84-day season will run through Saturday, September 2 with live racing each Wednesday through Saturday night. The 2017 season will feature a first post time each live racing night of 5:40 pm Central time.

There will be 24 stakes races held during the season and the total purses for those races will be $1,695,000. The two biggest racing nights of the season will take place on a pair of Saturdays.

The Saturday, June 3 program will feature three stakes races, including the $100,000 Evangeline Mile for 3-year-olds and up at one mile on the main track. That night will also include the $50,000 Need For Speed Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at five furlongs on the turf course and the $50,000 Lafayette Stakes for 3-year-old Louisiana-breds at seven furlongs on the main track.

Louisiana-breds will also be in the spotlight on Louisiana Legends Night, which will be on Saturday, July 8. There will be eight stakes races run on Legends Night with purses totaling $750,000. The feature event of the evening will be the $100,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up at 1-1/16 miles on the main track. The $100,000 Distaff is at the same distance as the Classic for fillies and mares 3 year-olds and up. There are several other stakes races on Legends Night with $100,000 purses including: the Sprint at 5-1/2 furlongs on the main track for 3-year-olds and up, the Mademoiselle at 5-1/2 furlongs on the main track for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up, the Cheval at one mile on the main track for the 3-year-olds, the Soiree at one mile on the main track for 3-year-old fillies. There are two turf races scheduled as a part of Legends night: the $100,000 Turf at 1-1/16 miles for 3-year-olds and up and the $50,000 Starter at 7-1/2 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up.

Kentucky Derby weekend at Evangeline Downs will not only include the simulcast of the Run For The Roses from Churchill Downs, but also the $60,000 Equine Sales Oaks on Friday, May 5 at 1-1/16 miles on the main track for 3-year-old fillies and the $60,000 Equine Sales Derby on Saturday, May 6 at 1-1/16 miles on the main track for 3-year-old colts and geldings.

The final stage of the stakes schedule will be focused on 2-year-olds. On Saturday, July 29, two divisions of the D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity will be run. The $75,000 Filly Division is at 5-1/2 furlongs on the main track for Louisiana-bred fillies and the $75,000 Colts and Geldings Division is also at 5-1/2 furlongs on the main track for Louisiana-bred colts and geldings.

Closing night of the season, Saturday, September 2, will also showcase two stakes races for 2-year-olds. The $50,000 Evangeline Downs Princess will be at six furlongs on the main track for fillies and the $50,000 Evangeline Downs Prince is also at six furlongs on the main track for colts and geldings.

For more information on the American Quarter Horse season at Evangeline Downs, visit the track’s website at www.evdracing.com. Evangeline Downs’ Twitter handle is @EVDRacing and the racetrack is also accessible on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EvangelineDownsRacing.

About Evangeline Downs Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel is owned by Boyd Gaming Corporation, a leading diversified owner and operator of 22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Boyd Gaming press releases are available at www.prnewswire.com. Additional news and information can be found at www.boydgaming. com, or www.evangelinedowns.com.

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Executive Actions on Immigration and the Horse Industry From The American Horse Council Newsroom: Reprinted by The Louisiana Equine Report

Recently, President Trump issued several executive orders relating to increased immigration enforcement and border security. These actions will impact many employers, including those in the racing and showing segments of the horse industry, even those that rely on legal foreign workers.

For many years horse farms, horse shows, trainers and others have had difficulty recruiting American workers. This has forced many to rely on foreign workers and utilize both the H-2B non-agricultural and H-2A agricultural temporary foreign worker programs to meet their labor needs even though these programs are often extremely burdensome to use. Additionally, many of the workers employed in the industry may lack legal status.

Most foreign workers in the industry are directly responsible for the care of the horses upon which the entire horse industry is dependent. Without these workers to raise, train, and care for the industry’s horses, many other jobs held by Americans not only in the horse industry, but also supported by the horse industry will be in jeopardy.

Generally speaking, increased enforcement, increased competition for legal workers and greater demand for H-2B and H-2A workers will make it more difficult for horse industry employers to fill many positions.

Learn More President Trump’s new executive actions call for a wall along the southern border, increased detention and expedited removal of undocumented immigrants, and will enlist the local law enforcement in these efforts. There are still many questions regarding the magnitude of the impact President Trump’s actions will have.

However, it is likely there will be an increase of audits and raids to identify and deport undocumented immigrants. It is also possible many workers will leave the country on their own and fewer will come due to increased enforcement.

Many employers in industries like agriculture and the horse industry who have a large percentage of foreign workers will face increasing pressure to find legal workers and stiff competition for workers that are available. Already, the cap for H-2B visas for the first half of the fiscal year was reached on January 10th. There is a statutory cap on the total number of to H-2B visas issued each year. Currently, Congress has set the H-2B cap at 66,000 per fiscal year, with 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the first half of the fiscal year (October 1 – March 31) and 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the second half of the fiscal year (April 1 – September 30).

Because the cap has already been reached, for many employers that means no H-2B workers will be available if they are needed in 2017. There is no cap on the H-2A agricultural visa program, but those workers can only be employed by horse breeding farms and cannot be utilized by trainers at race tracks or horse shows.

Simply put these executive orders, and existing problems with the H-2B program will make find workers for many positions in the horse industry much more difficult.

What should members of the horse industry do?

First, horse industry employers should be prepared for increased worksite enforcement and make certain all required paper work is in order. This means that employers should make sure all Form I-9s are complete and accurate.

Second, the most immediate need for the horse industry is H-2B cap relief and restoring the returning worker exemption. If you, your business or members of your organization rely on H-2B workers, please contact your Senators and Representative and let them know that it is vital Congress reinstate the H-2B returning worker exemption.

• Call your Senators and Representative today. If you do not know their direct numbers, you can reach them through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121. Once connected to the office, ask to speak to the person who handles H-2B issues and tell him or her how important the H-2B program is to you. Ask them to work with their party leadership to restore the H-2B returning worker exemption at the earliest opportunity.

• Tell them horse farms, trainers, horseshows, and others in the horse industry are often unable able to find Americans who are willing and able to take jobs as grooms, and stable attendants.

• And despite substantial efforts to recruit American workers the industry has been forced to rely on foreign workers and the H-2B temporary worker program to meet their labor needs.

• The cap for H-2B visas for the first half of the fiscal year was reached on January 10th. For many employers that means no H-2B workers will be available if they are needed in 2017.

Or email them here: app.muster.com/take-action/1KBtiFGTnz/ There continues to be many questions regarding the impact of these executive actions and the possibility of more executive actions and immigration legislation.

The AHC will continue to monitor this issue. Additionally, The AHC has worked for many years with a broad coalition of users to make both the H-2B and H-2A programs less burdensome and to ensure the programs are available to the horse industry. The AHC will continue this work and look for new opportunities to address the immigrant labor problem facing the industry.

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Hall of Fame The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders’ Association Hall-of-Fame showcases the many horses and people who have earned the distinction of becoming part of Quarter Horse Racing history in Louisiana. To be part of the Hall-of-Fame, horses and people must have been outstanding over a period of years in a variety of categories. They must have brought exceptional visibility and/or contribution to Quarter Horse Racing and the State of Louisiana.

Hall-of-Fame inductees are chosen each year by a selection committee and are honored at the annual LQHBA Awards Banquet. The inaugural inductee class were announced in January 2016 and will be honored Saturday April 9 at the LQHBA Awards Banquet in the Evangeline Downs Event Center beginning at 5:00 p.m. (CST).

The inductees have each played a significant role in Louisiana Quarter Horse industry. Inductees into the 2016 class for the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders’ Association

Hall-of-Fame are: PEOPLE • Claude & Bessie Jeane • Leverne Perry

Claude & Bessie Jeane - Inducted 2016

HORSES • Oh Black Magic • Rockets Magic • Royal Bushwhacker

Rockets Magic 2016

Laverne Perry - Inducted 2016

Royal Bushwacker 2016

Oh Black Magic 2016

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SHOW RESULTS - WARMUPS 2017 NBHA LA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS March 24th – 26th, 2017

CLASS RESULTS – OPEN 5D 2017 NBHA LA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS March 24th – 26th, 2017

1D MICHELLE CARROLL BLAISE BERCEGEAY MEGHAN THOMAS TRUDY BULLARD LINDSEY NETTERVILLE KELLY MUDD

1D BATMAN 4 RUNNIN FOR A LITTLE OLD BANNER 1 CALS FROSTY SOCKS 4 FANCY MAN PERKS 4 WATCH JOHNNY DASH 3

14.533 14.566 14.656 14.667 14.671 14.707

794.00 657.00 520.00 383.00 246.00 137.00

ELLE SULLIVAN BRANDON FORTNEY ELLE SULLIVAN ASHLEA PIERCE MACY HURST MEGHAN THOMAS MADISON JOHNSON

INDEFEASIBLE BJ KB DASH TA CHICKS GOLD MASTERCARD STRAW FAME TRUDY OLD BANNER NATIVE FRENCHMAN

6 4 6 6 6 1 6

14.651 14.684 14.730 14.842 14.896 14.916 14.918

$1472.00 $1245.00 $962.00 $736.00 $566.00 $396.00 $283.00

GRAND 4 DANDY RED QUIXOTE 6 POCO PINE BAR ZIP 1 CATMAN SASSY SEEKER 5 CORONA’S HOT PROSPECT SSNOCOWBOY AT THE BAR 4 BERTA 6

15.037 15.051 15.055 15.066 15.071 15.155 15.155

676.00 560.00 443.00 326.00 210.00 58.00

2D JOSE GRIFFIN ELLE SULLIVAN VICTORIA BAXTER ASHLEY AUSTIN LISA ETHERIDGE DEBBIE GUILLORY BETSY PARENT

RETURN MY CASH CHARGIN TO FAME ATTENTION ON DEMNAD #FARFROMTROUBLE TANGO NATIVE SMASHIN DIVA DANDY RED QUIXOTE

5 6 4 4 4 5 6

15.152 15.183 15.210 15.210 15.212 15.230 15.223

$1313.00 $1111.00 $758.00 $758.00 $505.00 $354.00 $253.00

LUCY COTA’S FRENCH FIRE 4 JAZZY JASPER 4 NIGHT LIGHT 6 MASTERS BAYOU LADY 6 JAKE 6

15.558 15.560 15.565 15.574 15.596 15.602

558.00 462.00 366.00 270.00 173.00 96.00

4D RHONDA ADDISON ASHLEA PIERCE WILL BAGLEY HAYLEE BRIDEWELL GRACIE CASKEY CHARLEIGH BARRAS

NAWLINS BREES MISS ALASPARKLE APRIL LADY BUG COUNT CAVIAR SKIPPIE GREASEBAR

4 6 1 1 5 6

16.045 16.046 16.066 16.078 16.080 16.090

441.00 365.00 289.00 213.00 137.00 76.00

3D JENNY SMITH ASHLEY ARCEMENT WILL BAGLEY BRANDON FORTNEY MEGAN HOTARD MORGAN ABNEY JILL HUNT

FIESTA 5 SSNOCOWBOYAT THE BAR 4 APRIL 1 BULLIED CAUSE IM FAMOUS 4 PERDIZ EZ MONEY 2 INDY 6 SPECIAL ROYAL BABE 6

15.654 15.657 15.660 15.668 15.672 15.673 15.679

$1154.00 $977.00 $755.00 $577.00 $444.00 $311.00 $222.00

5D ALYCE PITRE BRENNA WEIGEL JENNIFER JEFFERS FAYE HAL VORSON STACY WHITE MELINDA GRAY

DROVER FOX COPPER LADY DOCS BADBOY SALOON BUCK COLE R S RED FROST ROCO

6 6 6 1 6 5

16.556 16.570 16.608 16.633 16.662 16.683

323.00 267.00 211.00 156.00 100.00 56.00

4D BERKLEY LIOTTO GRACE LACOUR JESSICA HEBERT MATY BAGLEY HAYLEE BRIDEWELL DEBBIE SMITH LAURA WALKER

CANDEES MAXIMUSRUCKUS 4 STREAKIN WIL 6 CLS CALS GIRL 6 MELODYS COCO ROSE 1 LADY BUG 1 SWAMP WITCH 4 KAROOZINS ON FIRE 1

16.156 16.156 16.160 16.169 16.175 16.184 16.204

$919.00 $919.00 $651.00 $498.00 $383.00 $268.00 $192.00

16.654 16.665 16.672 16.680 16.690 16.698 16.736

$837.00 $708.00 $547.00 $419.00 $322.00 $225.00 $161.00

2D PRESLEY SMITH BETSY PARENT MEGHAN THOMAS JENNY SMITH KASIDI SMART ASHLEY ARCEMENT KAMERON WARD 58.00 3D KASIDI SMART EMALEIGH CORKERN MCKENZIE GAUTHIE CAMBRIE DELAUNE BRENNAN WEIGEL ROBERTA CULPEPPER

5D MORGAN ABNEY MAGIC JENNIFER JEFFERS DOCS BADBOY SALOON RONNIE STUBBS UH OH IM FROSTED JEANNIE BRYANT SFW TUCKEDNCASHMIRE DONALD TAYLOR FAMOUS CASH DELANI LASSEIGNEFLITTIN IN RARE FORM NATALIE BROOKS BOOMER

6 6 6 5 1 4 2

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2017 Event Schedule APRIL Saturday & Sunday April 1-2 Deep South Dog Agility Show Wednesday, April 5 Ride Day $5.00 per horse.

9 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Friday, April 7 Blood Drive Saturday, April 8 Cattle Show Monday, April 10 Ride Day $5.00 per horse.

9 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Thursday, April 13 AG Wonders Day Thursday, April 20 Ride Day $5.00 per horse.

9 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Friday 21, April 21 Finally Friday Saturday, April 22 NBHA Barrel Race Wednesday, April 26 Ride Day $5.00 per horse. 9 a.m. 10 p.m.

MAY Wednesday, May 9 4-H Achievement Day

Friday, May 12 Finally Friday Barrel Race Saturday, May 13 NBHA Barrel Race JUNE Friday, Saturday & Sunday June 2-4 LIBA Summer Show Friday, June 9 Finally Friday Barrel Race Saturday, June 10 NBHA Barrel Race Friday & Saturday June 16 & 17 Rockin S Rodeo Friday June 23 Finally Friday Barrel Race Saturday, June 24 NBHA Barrel Race Tuesday & Wednesday, June 27-28 Southeast District Horse Show Friday, June 30 Finally Friday Barrel Race

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Barrel Racing

by Glynn Parent

Cowgirl on her horse in a state of grace whippin and ridin at a barrel race.

A view from the alley 3 barrels standing tall. Plan right now is for none of them to fall Just before my run I say a prayer for protection and guidance from the man upstairs.

Leavin the alley given all we got. If I knock a barrel down this is all for naught.

As I cross the timeline the barrel race starts. From here to the finish itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about heart As I run to the 1st and hit my spot. I turn that barrel tight as a knot.

As I go to the 2nd all I think is hustle cause running at this wall can be a tussle.

I ride my horse in hard and sit down right cause timings what I need to turn this tight.

I gotta be strong not the time to be faint turn this barrel tight and peel off some paint.

I head for the 3rd feelin good cause we turn the first two like we should.

I ride my horse in hard and sit down right cause timings what I need to turn this tight.

I gotta be strong not the ime to be faint. Turn this barrel tight and peel off some paint.

Rounded that 3rd now looking at the gate. This parts easy cause we only run straight.

Headin home I need all we got left. 3 Barrels standing we did our best.

As I cross the timeline all the heads spin.

To look at the clock cause the FASTEST TIME WIN$!

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STALLION SPOTLIGHT

Open Me A Corona Is Ready To Breed

by Barbara Newtown

Open Me A Corona, a 2010 sorrel stallion by Corona’s Leaving You, is changing careers: after five stellar years on the track (21 starts, 16 wins, 13 stakes wins, $929,150), he’s ready for the breeding shed. Open Me A Corona boasts bloodlines that should create fast offspring: his sire, Corona’s Leaving You, is by Corona Cartel; his damsire, Mr Eye Opener, is by Dash for Cash.

Dr. Tommy Hays, of the Elgin Veterinary Hospital near Austin, Texas, shares ownership of the horse with Charles Forbes, Jr. They bought the horse when he was a yearling. Dr. Hays spoke to The Equine Report about Open Me A Corona’s race record.

What was Open Me A Corona’s favorite distance?

He won at every distance! That’s unusual. He was never beaten at 250. He has track records at 250. He was never beaten at 440 yards. Everybody thought they could catch him at 440, but they never could. He’s just a runner. At Delta Downs, for two years in a row he won every stakes race there. He was undefeated at 2 and undefeated at 5. He had a couple of little bobbles here and there at a couple of stakes, but he won almost all the time. To win 13 stakes at all different distances is pretty incredible.

Very impressive—and to keep winning until age 6, that’s doubly impressive.

Right. I’m an equine surgeon, I operate on horses, and he never chipped during those five years. We never had to operate on him. Having soundness and longevity and then being able to run 250 to 440…

If he could win everything at 250, he must have been talented about coming out of the gate.

He was good coming out of the gates. He only slipped a couple of times. Now, in the Opelousas stakes last year he stumbled and fell at the start, which he had never done before, and that’s when he began to have a knee problem. He came back like a month later and won the Louisiana Champion’s Day at 440. That was his last race. He got sore again and I saw that he had a chip. I operated on him and sent him to stud. Now he’s standing at Delta Equine Clinic in Vinton, Louisiana. We hope his babies are as fast as he was!

Have you been looking for specific kinds of mares with certain pedigrees?

You know, I haven’t really worried about what kind of

mare, because he was such a multi-talented horse. For instance, if you have a horse that can only run short, you might look for big, Thoroughbred-y mares… or if you have a horse that can only run 440, you’re looking for real stocky mares that are real Quarter Horse-y bred.

For him, I don’t think it matters, because he’s a moderate-size horse.

How tall is he?

I’ve never put a stick to him, but he’s about 15.1. Not real big, but not small. These mid-size horses, that aren’t too heavy in the front end, they last longer. They don’t hit the ground so hard.

Who’s his trainer?

Bobby Martinez. He lives close to us in McDade, Texas.

That’s where his barn is, but he runs at all the Louisiana tracks. He’s a quality trainer and he wins quality races.

What’s your horse’s character like?

You’d think he was a 10-year-old ranch horse. He’s quiet and relaxed, and that contributes a lot to why he was such a great runner for so long. He doesn’t get riled up, but he’s serious about the game. When he showed up at a race, you knew he was going to be competitive.

He’d walk around the paddock, stand in the gate, and then run as hard as he could. I think a lot of horses get nervous and run the race before they get to run the race.

You could put a kid on him and walk around and he would be as relaxed as can be.

What would you like to add?

I work on a lot of top barrel racers’ horses, and several of them are breeding their mares to him because he’s such a pretty horse and he’s the right size, temperament, and soundness for them, too. I hope Open Me A Corona will a have a dual life—that he’ll be a good sire for racing and rodeo or whatever else he wants!

Getting a horse like him is like catching lightning in a bottle. It just happens. I’m probably not going to have another horse that will do everything he did. It’s pretty hard to match an exceptional career like his.

But, who knows? Maybe he’ll be one of those sires that consistently produces what he was… That’s what we’re after.

Thank you, Dr. Hays!

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LQHBA Insider

By Martha Claussen

of the purse was $15,600, so his debut in the “claiming game” was a success. But it also was the start of a solid friendship with Rubin.

“We called Ex Gustav “Christmas” as he always won big races on holidays,” said Rubin.

“Orlando is a very likeable guy! He needed a place to keep his horse and I had room. We’ve been friends ever since.”

TRAINER ORLANDO OROZCO

You won’t find a lot of background information on Quarter Horse trainer Orlando Orozco, which is kind of a shame as he has just won back-to-back training titles in Louisiana! So, who is this talented horseman who has flown under the radar? Let’s get to know him in this edition of the LQHBA “Insider”!

Quick Ascent in Seven Years Orlando Orozco, 40, grew up in Weslaco, Texas, a small community in South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley.

“I was raised around horses,” said Orozco.

“My family went to Mexico each summer and my uncle introduced me to racing.”

He was an assistant to Guadalupe Tristan at Hialeah in 2009 and took out his training license the next year.

The first year, Orozco had just 26 starts and two wins. Maybe the numbers were not spectacular, but one horse, Ex Gustav, had a significant impact for Orozco.

“I claimed him at Delta for $10,000, but I had no stalls in Vinton,” recalled Orozco. “Donald Rubin had two empty stalls, so I asked him if I could stable Ex Gustav with him and he said yes.”

On July 3, Orozco entered the 2-year-old son of Panther Mountain in a $24,000 allowance race at Delta Downs and with Jose Vega in the irons, won at odds of 6-1. The winner’s share

Claimers Got Him Titles at Evangeline and Louisiana Downs Orozco’s biggest year came in 2016, when he made 397 starts and won 50 races. He won 19 races at Evangeline Downs, winning his first leading trainer title over Trey Ellis, Lanny Keith and Carlos Saldivar, who tied for second in the standings with 17 wins. At the recently concluded Louisiana Downs meet this year, Orozco made 29 trips to the winner’s circle, topping Kenneth Roberts, Sr. and last year’s leading trainer, Saldivar, who each won 18 races.

“I run most of my horses at the claiming level,” said Orozco. “My owners are hard-working people who love to come out to the races and watch their horses run. I try to run my horses where they belong, and in the end, a win is a win.”

His owners are happy, and Orozco is grateful to Louisiana for the four race meets.

“Louisiana is a great state to run in,” added Orozco.

Hard Work Pays Off Orozco underwent back surgery last year and his three-month recovery kept him away from working in the barn. His brother, Maurico Orozco, Jr. helped him out. He reports that his back is “a whole lot better” and able to take on a full workload.

“I am a ‘hands-on’ trainer,” admitted Orozco.

“I love the morning works and even enjoy grooming my horses. To this day, I can honestly say I do not have a favorite. To me, they are all my babies.”

Orozco has tremendous support from his wife, Esmerelda, as well as a big extended family in

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Texas.

“She understands that the horse business is seven days a week, and that there is not a lot of time for much else.”

Encouragement from Fellow Louisiana Horsemen Orozco credits Rubin for his help along the way and his many owners who have remained loyal.

“I am lucky that I do not have owners who grab a condition book and tell me where to run their horses,” stated Orozco. “My owners let me do what I need to do and I understand that if we make money, they will continue to stay in the game.”

He also appreciates his friendship with Chad and Margie Loup.

“They are all around good people,” said Orozco. “I remember both of them reaching out to congratulate me on my Evangeline Downs title.”

Delta Downs gets underway on April 21 and Orozco, who will have 36 stalls this meet, is humble about his chances regarding another training title.

“I’ll be facing the “big boys’ who have some really nice 2-year-olds,” said Orozco. “We all want those stakes winners, but I know if I am in this long enough, it will happen.”

His good friend Donald Rubin knows that Orozco will have plenty more success in the future.

“Orlando is a hard worker and will help anybody,” stated Rubin. “He’ll get some good 2-year-olds in the future and the big wins will come, for sure.”

Update with Orlando Orozco

by Barbara Newtown

Orlando Orozco, leading Quarter Horse race trainer at Evangeline Downs in 2016 and leading trainer this spring at Louisiana Downs, makes his mark the hard way: studying the claiming horses. “I stay around the track and barn, and I try to go to the races every day. I pretty much know the quality of the horses I’m up against.”

Orlando consults the replays. “I look for mistakes the horses might make, things I can improve on.” He says that a trainer can make some horses run better, but other horses will just remain where they are. And, of course, a horse might be sore, and a little TLC could make a difference. Orlando also keeps an eye out for his favorite lines, which include Heza Fast Dash and Jet Black Patriot. Nevertheless, the old track wisdom works: always race against slower horses!

The downside of claiming is that someone might just “claim” your horse away from you after the race. The upside of claiming: as one of Orlando’s friends put it, “When they tell you they’re going to claim your horse, that means you have your horse in the right spot.” Another upside of claiming is for newbie owners: it is a fast way to get into the racing business. Orlando says he will claim about three horses out of every meet for new owners. Racing is built on hope: the horse you claim may turn out to be another John Henry, the Thoroughbred gelding who went from claiming races to stakes races in one year, and whose earnings by age 10 totaled $14,923,762.75 (2017 dollars).

“A lot of the owners that I have are from the Houston area, where I’m from,” he says. “I also have some people from Louisiana and North Texas and South Texas.

They’ll call me and tell me they’re looking for a horse and what kind and what price and we will try to find one for them to run.”

“I like to be straight up and forward with the owners when they bring a horse to me,” Orlando says. “You know, some owners might not like you telling them that their horse needs to be at a certain level. I try to run their horses where they can win and when the owners win races they are happy! I tell them the truth straight up.

Sometimes I might be wrong, but still my whole deal is winning races. There have been a couple of times where I’ve told the owners a certain horse wasn’t going to cut it and there wasn’t any sense in them spending more money.”

In the claiming game, Orlando says, “you can’t fall in love with a horse!” However, he still has a soft spot in his heart for his first successful claimer, Ex Gustav (by Panther Mountain). Not only did Ex Gustav bring home wins in allowance races, but he also brought together Orlando and Donald Rubin, who generously let Ex Gustav stay in his barn in Vinton, Louisiana, during Orlando’s first year as a professional. Donald and Orlando remain good friends.

2017 marks a change in Orlando’s barn: he’s getting more two-year-olds than ever before. “I took 14 to the trials this year,” he says. “The owners are bringing younger horses to me.”

One of Orlando’s favorite jockeys, Jose Rodriguez, had a bad spill on February 25th, during the trials at Louisiana Downs. “He was riding over half of the horses in my barn,” Orlando says. “He helped me a lot. I wish him a speedy recovery. I talked to him the other day and he plans on coming back next month.” Orlando says that he and his jockeys and grooms and owners and veterinarians are a big team. He is grateful to all of them and they work together well.

Since his back surgery, Orlando doesn’t try to ride any more, which is probably a relief to his wife Esmeralda, who is scared of horses. But Esmeralda is with Orlando all the time. They attend every meet together and stay in a camper that, as Orlando says, isn’t big or fancy but gets the job done. When the couple isn’t at a meet, they live in Angleton, Texas, south of Houston and about two hours from Delta Downs. Orlando likes racing at Delta not only because it’s the closest Louisiana track to home, but also because the purses are larger.

Even though Orlando no longer wants to sit in the saddle, he still loves being around horses. He’s a “hands-on” trainer. “I have people in the barn who help me, but I like to get in there and groom them and bathe them myself. I don’t like to clean stalls too much, but I’ll clean one every once in a while!”

Orlando’s been coming to Louisiana for eight or nine years. “The people in Louisiana are all-around good people. The trainers and staff on the backside are just easy to get along with.”

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Louisiana Equine Report : Office: 225-363.6773

Mike @ 225.229.8979 | Email: mike@laequinereport.com | www.theequinereport.com