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UPDATES
and LATE-BREAKING NEWS
April/May 2007
Horse Art Exhibition
Breed Association for Trakehner Horses in Australia
Horse Transport to China Olympics
HORSE
ART EXHIBITION
Horse enthusiasts of all kinds are being immortalized in a unique photographic
project conducted by Hawkesbury Regional Gallery as part of its forthcoming
exhibition, BloodLines: Art and the Horse. The exhibition, which opens
on the 1st of August 2007, is the first of its kind to be held in New
South Wales. It celebrates the horse and its contribution to Australian
culture through contemporary and traditional art, music and heritage.
The Gallery is located in the Deerubbin Centre at 300 George Street, Windsor,
and is open every day except Tuesdays and public holidays.
For a calendar of local events click on to the website at: www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au
BREED
ASSOCIATION FOR TRAKEHNER HORSES IN AUSTRALIA
The Trakehner horse has a new breed association, Trakehners Australia
Inc., with negotiations imminent with German based Trakehner Verband to
receive a contract as a "daughter" association of the Verband. The Verband
are the international keepers of the Trakehner Horse Studbook holding
a register of horses whose breeding can be traced to the early 18th Century
in East Prussia where the breed originated.
The Trakehner Horse is the oldest formerly bred warmblood originating
in East Prussia in the early 1700's at Trakehnen Central Stud. By the
early 1900's they were considered Europe's best performed military bred
Sporthorse before the entire breed was almost decimated in the second
World War. Trakehner Horses are often a little lighter boned than other
warmblood breeds with spectacular heads, floating movement and great stamina.
They have been used extensively to improve other warmblood breeds and
almost all the great warmblood bloodlines of today include Trakehner stock.
The Trakehner studbook differs from other warmblood breeds in that it
will only permit Thoroughbred and Arabian outcrosses. Another key difference
is that bloodlines are based on mare lines with progeny named after the
first letter of the dam rather than the sire as with other warmblood breeds.
Trakehner horses have been bred in Australia since the 1970's when the
first breeding stock was imported from Europe, resulting in a pool of
high quality bloodlines being available today. Having recently formed
a committee, Trakehner Australia Inc. is now open for membership. The
purpose of the Society is to promote the breeding, improvement, exhibition
and participation in competition of Trakehner horses.
A website has been developed containing a host of information about the
breed and Association including national and international news, Trakehner
horses for sale and at stud.
The site can be found at www.australian.trakehner.com.au.
For Further information contact Felicity Gilbert on (03) 5345 4026 or
email: felicity.gilbert@changeconcepts.com.au
FEI
EQUESTRIAN WORLD ON BBC
Only a year after it came into being, the television magazine
FEI Equestrian World has proven very popular. As of February this year
the programme is being broadcast by BBC World - BBC's commercially funded
international 24 hour news and information channel which can be seen in
270 million homes in more than 200 countries and territories.
The first issue of FEI Equestrian World came out exactly one year ago,
on the 21st February 2006, and in the last 12 months has become FEI's
most valued television product. More than a competition and sports news
magazine, this monthly half hour programme concentrates on the spirit
of the sport and the lifestyle surrounding it. It also focuses on FEI's
efforts in key areas such as sports development.
Interviews with equestrian stars such as Olympic Champion Rodriogo Pessoa
of Brazil, Britain's Pippa Funnell - the only rider to have ever won the
Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, FEI World Cup Jumping champion Marcus Ehning
or American Reiner Shawn Flarida are only a few of the equestrian stars
featured in the magazine. The camera's investigating eye caught them outside
of the usual competition arena. Whether in their kitchen, at the beautician's
or at the golf green, these personalities could be discovered in a more
private and softer light. The importance of breeding, the concerns of
horse owners or hippotherapy were given equal importance.
For those who would like to learn more about Dressage Queen Anky Van Grunsven
and the power music has in her sport, the Schroeder brothers, Malin Baryard-Jonsson
who manages to be a leading rider, a model and a mother, or the Academy
of Equestrian Arts in Versailles, look out for FEI Equestrian World, where
viewers are sure to find it.
FEI Equestrian World is broadcast in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin
America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Canada.
HOSENOMORE
They say necessity is the mother of all invention, and this rings true
for Katherine Smith and her Hosenomore irrigation system for hosing a
horse's legs.
While working as a groom for an Olympic rider based in Belgium, Katherine
sometimes had horses that needed each leg hosed for thirty minutes every
day for two weeks - a total of two hours per horse per day! At one stage
she had to hose six different horses' legs daily plus ride and train nine
horses. Her workday somehow didn't seem long enough and she figured that
there had to be a solution. A coiled air hose that was lying around the
barn was the inspiration for the design. She and fellow groom, Nina Bakke,
built a prototype and sent pictures back to her father, Mike Smith, who
helped to refine the design.
Hosenomore is attached to the horse with an adjustable harness. A standard
garden hose attaches to the device on the horse's shoulders. Four hoses
(with individual taps) are connected to the main hose and run down the
horse's legs. The end of each hose is coiled and easily wraps around the
legs above the knee and stays in place. The coils are perforated on the
inside edge allowing water to run down the legs. Each 'leg hose' has a
tap - so you can choose to turn off the back ones if you just want to
hose the front legs, or turn off three taps if you just want to hose one
particularly sore leg. It is often the front legs that suffer from shin
soreness. Each leg should be wetted down to start with so that the water
sticks to the leg rather than running off. Once it's running, and the
horse seems comfortable, the groom or stable hand can leave the horse
tied up and move on to other jobs, rather than having to stand there holding
a hose.
For further information, contact Katherine on email: kitty576@hotmail.com.
HORSE
TRANSPORT TO CHINA OLYMPICS
The Veterinary Committee and the Welfare Sub Committee of the FEI had
a meeting to discuss transport related issues for the 2008 Olympic Games,
on the 19th of March 2007. The meeting considered flight schedules, arrival
times and the related competition dates. While recognising the many complicating
factors involved in competition horse shipment it was felt that the Committee
should make a number of issues clear.
In the interest of a safe competition and an optimal transport, the Veterinary
Committee advises, parallel to the pre-Atlanta research outcome, that
the horses arrive approximately 10 days prior to competition. This will
enable a thorough flight recovery and give the horses a fair chance to
get used to the Hong Kong climatic conditions. It also leaves room for
treatment in case any horse suffers from travel sickness or minor injury
in flight. At the moment, flying schedules are being designed to adhere
as closely as possible to the 10 day period, although this will not be
possible in each case.
Further discussions are required to define the optimal stable temperature
in air-conditioned stables and the temperature phases leading from horse
arrival to competition (e.g. start with a cool temperature and gradually
increase in the days leading up to competition). The test event will help
in this evaluation. At this stage it is planned that most of the horses
will travel to Hong Kong in combi flights; this creates more room for
transport of grooms, gives more flexibility in flight scheduling, but
causes some problems in terms of unloading the horses and the aircraft
turnover time. This issue is being given urgent attention as the time
from aircraft to air-conditioned lorries/stables at the venue is one of
the most important transport related factors in preventing post flight
fever and has a major effect on post flight recovery of the horses.
It was recommended that the FEI be represented during discussions between
the allocated horse transporter, representatives of the Olympic Games
Committee, airport authorities etc. when transport issues are discussed.
It is planned to organise a seminar on Competition and Transport issues
in heat and humid conditions at the beginning of 2008, during which the
findings from a test event will be discussed.
This seminar will be open to all interested.