The AllHorses Post

Horse Training Abuse Case Gains Momentum as PepsiCo Pulls Support from Shows

RT Fitch — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:03:12 +0000

By Phil Gast, CNN “There obviously is a huge problem…” An undercover video shows horses being struck with sticks and subjected to “soring,” an illegal process in which chemicals are placed on their lower legs in an effort to induce the signature Tennessee Walking Horse high-stepping gait. The graphic video shows trainer Jackie L. McConnell [...]

Wild Horse Controversy in Kansas?

RT Fitch — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:36:14 +0000

WICHITA, Kansas -- Deep in the heart of The Flint Hills, the ground gives warning of what is coming; thousands of horses, more wild than their name could ever suggest, thundering across Kansas in a spectacle many don't even know exists.

EHV-1 Outbreak Updates and Resources

NRHA Inside Reining — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:55:38 +0000

Visit the links below to stay up-to-date on the latest cases of EHV-1 that have been reported in May 2012. Equine Herpesvirus Confirmed in Colorado Horse - From the Colorado Department of Agriculture Equine Herpes Quarantines Iowa Ranch - From the Des Moines Register Suspected Equine Herpes Cases Reported in Tennessee – [...]

Toxic Irish Horse Meat Ending Up In European Restaurants

RT Fitch — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:20:06 +0000

Update from the Belfast Telegraph Poison Horse Meat Enters EU Food Supply The meat of unwanted pet ponies and even former racehorses is being sent from Ireland to end up in restaurants across Europe despite being unfit for human consumption. It has been claimed that every week, up to 1,000 old, sick and crippled horses [...]

Video Reveals Torture of Horses Trained to Win Championships

RT Fitch — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:52:38 +0000

Large numbers of the famed Tennessee Walking Horses have been tortured and beaten in order to make them produce the high-stepping gait that wins championships, an ABC News investigation has found.

Why Is FDA Approval Important?

taylor — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:00:48 +0000

The differences between pioneer products, generics, medical devices and compounded products.

There are some important facts to consider when choosing a joint health option. Get the facts at nogenericadequan.com.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Adequan When a horse or companion animal becomes sick or lame, you turn to your veterinarian for a diagnosis and the best, proven treatment to make your animal better. But, just because a product is available for purchase doesn’t make it a proven product or the right product to treat the problem. So, do you treat with an FDA-approved innovator drug, an FDA-approved generic drug, a medical device or a compounded product? In considering this question, Dr. Jeffrey Berk, a veterinarian at Equine Medical Associates in Lexington, Kentucky, says horse owners need to consider two things very carefully. “When considering an alternative treatment, veterinarians and horse owners need to understand they are not guaranteed the same level of safety or quality — i.e. potency and purity — as you would with an FDA-approved product,” says Dr. Berk, who is a member of the executive committee of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. FDA-approved products Some experts estimate that it takes four to six years and millions of dollars to get an FDA-approved animal drug from the laboratory to the marketplace. Most of the money is spent on conducting studies that prove the drug’s effectiveness in a form acceptable to the Food and Drug Administration, the governing body over both human and animal drug approval. The FDA approval process is the most extensive law of its kind in any country. All regulations are focused on protecting the end user and providing a safe, effective product. In short, the FDA will not allow a company to market a drug as FDA-approved if it has not proven its effectiveness in multiple scientific studies.

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The FDA reviews marketing claims and labeling for approved drugs, so the consumer has a clear understanding of what to expect. Check the medication administered to your horse. If it’s FDA-approved, it will have a package insert that explains specifically where the drug should be administered, what the dosage should be for a specific species and what condition or disease the drug is supposed to treat. FDA approval doesn’t end when the product is released to the market. Companies granted FDA approval for their drugs must continually demonstrate consistency, efficacy and good manufacturing processes, which includes plant inspections conducted by the FDA. Also, it’s mandatory for manufacturers of FDA-approved products to record and notify the FDA of any adverse reactions to their drug. The price for an innovator drug can be high, and you may want to find a cheaper treatment, but Dr. Berk says it’s usually a lack of understanding that prompts this response. “If you discuss the options with your veterinarian, and he recommends an FDA-approved drug instead of a device or compounded product, you should really consider his recommendation,” says Dr. Berk, who has practiced in Ohio, Florida and Kentucky. “I tell my clients, ‘Yes, you could use these products, but there are legal and liability issues involved, and you are not as likely to get a good outcome.’ When I discuss all the reasons for FDA-approved vs. medical devices and compounded products, very few clients want to use those other products.” Generic drugs According to the FDA, a generic drug is bioequivalent to the innovator drug and is also FDA-approved. The approval process is easier and faster for a generic drug than an innovator drug because the manufacturer doesn’t have to conduct preclinical or clinical studies. However, the manufacturer must scientifically prove the generic drug performs in the same manner as the innovator drug. After a generic drug is approved, the manufacturer also must comply with the same regulations as the pioneer drug. The marketing and labeling must be reviewed and approved so it doesn’t mislead the public. Even generic products will have a product insert in every box. Not every innovator drug has a generic brand available to the market. For example, Adequan i.m. (Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan) has no generic equivalent. Because generic drugs are FDA-approved, it is illegal to call a product the generic form of another drug when it has not been FDA-approved as such. Get the facts at nogenericadequan.com. Medical devices “The medical devices have slipped through the cracks because there is no stringent approval process for them as long as they are used as medical devices,” says Dr. Berk. “Polyglycan is the classic example. Here is a medical device that is being used as a drug. What it’s supposed to be used for is a post-operative joint lavage. Nobody is using it that way. Everybody is using it systemically as a substitute for Adequan i.m. (Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan) and/or Legend (Hyaluronate Sodium), which are FDA-approved drugs.” According to the FDA, a medical device is an instrument, machine or implement that can be used to diagnose, cure or prevent a disease, which does not achieve its intended action through chemical reaction or by being metabolized by the body. Simply stated, a device is not intended to change chemically or be absorbed by the body to achieve its purpose. Syringes, lavages, prosthetics and shock-wave units are examples of medical devices. A veterinary medical device is not approved or registered by the FDA. There are no premarket notification, premarket approval or mandatory adverse event reporting requirements. The FDA only oversees the misbranding, mislabeling and adulteration of veterinary medical devices. A medical device cannot be marketed as a drug or claim to work like one. Compounded products Compounded products are available to veterinarians to treat a unique disease or address a unique situation. The FDA’s position is that it is illegal to compound in bulk and sell to third parties. Compounding is reserved for when there isn’t a commercially available drug that can properly treat a specific affliction. “The problem we are seeing with compounded products is the compounding pharmacies are expanding their product lines to compete with FDA-approved products,” says Dr. Berk. “That is wrong and illegal. There are times when compounding is appropriate and good, and the basic criteria for compounding must always be met, i.e. the compounded product must be made for a specific patient to accommodate a specific need at a specific point in time.”

Download AQHA’s FREE Horse Wound Care report and receive first-aid tips to ensure your horse heals as fast as possible.

Compounded products can vary greatly in their chemical makeup. At the 2010 AAEP convention in Baltimore, Dr. Scott D. Stanley and Dr. Heather DiMaio Knych presented a study on compounded drugs. They studied seven different liquid variations of Pergolide Mesylate, with two bottles of each used in the study. They tested each bottle immediately after receipt and found nine of the 14 bottles were lower than the FDA standard for potency. Even under proper storage, the study found that by Day 15, only three bottles contained an FDA standard equivalence for potency. When considering a treatment option, it is important to know what the product is proven to do. Is it a drug that is proven to create a desired response, or is it a device that should be used as a final wash before closing up a wound or surgical incision? Is it a generic version of a successful product that is FDA approved, or is it a compounded product for a unique situation? Talk to your veterinarian to ensure that you are informed on the best treatment option for your horse.

Minimizing Laminitis Risk in EMS Horses

The Horse.com — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

While there's no cure for EMS, owners can take steps to reduce the risk of laminitis development, including combating obesity, reducing pasture and NSC intake, and discussing the use of a medication with a veterinarian....

Ask the Vet LIVE: Common Equine Skin Conditions, TONIGHT

The Horse.com — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Veterinarians will answer your questions on topics including skin allergies, pruritus (itching), hair loss, growths, and more on May 17 at 8:00 p.m. EDT....

BMD Drought EA comments due May 16

Laura Leigh — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:18:59 +0000

Freedom (Stone Cabin Release 2012)

The EA may be viewed at www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/battle_mountain_field.html. Questions and written comments should be mailed to Douglas W. Furtado, District Manager, Battle Mountain District Office, 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, NV 89820. Comments may also be provided through e-mail to this address: bmfoweb@blm.gov. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. ~~~ Please copy and paste any or all of the suggestions below and send to: bmfoweb@blm.gov ~~~ Comments relevant to the Final Battle Mountain District Drought EA The necessity to have a drought preparedness plan in place is (and should be) common practice within each district managed by the BLM. Each area has historic examples that are not highlighted within this plan, that are site specific. Drought is not like wildfire that hits hard and fast. Impending drought situations are slow to rise and very specific indicators become clear. The EA does indicate precursors for identification of emergent zones yet it does not outline expectation that is specific, nor does t address the timeline to notify the public of any action plan. As a member of the public representing an interest in wild horse and burro populations, this document appears to be a broad plan geared at removal of large areas that have been allowed to rise above low AML. This document has the appearance of creating a “loophole” in which to achieve removals in areas where budgetary constraints, after removals were cut by the Director. The process of gaining approval for removals of wild horses and burros within each HMA normally requires an area specific document and approval process. As several areas in this district have risen over low AML, this document does nothing to ensure that removals would occur only in effected areas as the parameters outlined are not specific enough. As we are into the month of May areas that are likely to show distress that require action would be known. They must be included, specifically, in any document that would result in any action plan. For example this assessment fails to distinguish the differences of the two field offices within the district. The Tonopah district currently has very few viable HMA’s left, the exception being the recently gathered “Stone Cabin” areas. Those areas have very few fencelines that would inhibit travel into other areas that would temporarily reduce stress. A temporary lifting of the “off-HMA” rule would reduce a need for expensive removals and the animals would move back as resources could sustain them. The majority of animals currently reside in the Battle Mountain field office. These areas also have specific information that is not present in this EA. The most vulnerable populations are not identified. Strategies are not prioritized in the document. Water hauling would be the least expensive operation. A cost comparison must be done that outlines the cost of removal and housing a wild horse for it’s lifetime against other options. Domestic livestock removal would create a cost savings to the tax-payer when compared to a removal/storage operation if the conditions escalate to an event beyond symptomatic treatment. Horses and burros can also be moved from one small effected area into an area that can sustain them by creating a disturbance. A disturbance such as a fly over often moves a population out of an area for a period of time and may also be an option to include in this document. However no comment made to this document can actually be based on any intent toward an action plan. The most specific area of this document covers removal procedure. The document quotes a “foaling season” that is actually inaccurate. “Foaling season” extends into fall with peak not expiring until August 1 with an extremely vulnerable population until September 1. Comments specific to removal procedure can be made but may not been seen as relevant to a drought strategy plan. No removals should be done until a humane care standard is in place for handling animals that includes areas of recourse should that protocol be violated. No removals should take place until a reasonable observation policy is in place for handling the public and the media. No permanent sterilization should occur (gelding, vasectomy, spay) until effects on the population structure are fully understood and to suggest such measures in a drought stressed population does not appear to have this document crafted with the “best care” of animals at it’s core. Until this document is specific to area and priority options, with an outline of an implementation timeline, it cannot be commented on effectively. A revised document should be crafted immediately and supplied to the public. Sincerely, Name Contact Filed under: Uncategorized

It’s Official: BLM’s Welfare Cattle Program Killing Western Public Lands, Wild Horses Not Guilty

RT Fitch — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:38:39 +0000

A new federal assessment of rangelands in the West finds a disturbingly large portion fails to meet range health standards principally due to commercial livestock operations. In the last decade as more land has been assessed, estimates of damaged lands have doubled in the 13-state Western area where the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducts major livestock leasing.