Horse Industry News
Kentucky Incentive Program Impacting Morab Breed
(PMHA Headquarters is in Kentucky and Articles of Incorporation are with the Commonwealth of KY.)
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 11, 2006) - Officials of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority (KHRA) today told the Interim Joint Committee on Licensing and Occupations that approximately 10,500 covered mares have been nominated to the Thoroughbred Breeders' Incentive Fund program for the 2006 breeding season.
The total is preliminary. An Internal audit will establish the precise total, the committee was told. The registration deadline for the 2006 breeding season was Aug. 1.
"We are extremely pleased with the number of registrations for the initial breeding year of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Incentive Fund," said Doug Hendrickson, chairman of the Breeders' Incentive Fund Committee of the KHRA. Governor Ernie Fletcher and the Kentucky Legislature "are to be commended for giving this tax money back to the breeders to be used as incentives to attract and maintain more mares to be bred and boarded in our state," Hendrickson said. The new incentive fund became effective Jan. 1, 2006. Governor Fletcher signed an emergency regulation in December 2005 to implement the program for the 2006 racing and breeding seasons.
The incentive program, an important part of Governor Fletcher's tax modernization plan for growing Kentucky's economy, was crafted to preserve and enhance Kentucky's preeminent position in the thoroughbred breeding industry. The main economic factor is a mare's residency.
The Breeders' (BIF) requires a mare to reside in Kentucky from the time of breeding until birth of the foal. Incentive payments are based on the foal's eventual winnings on the race track. A breeder of a horse foaled in 2006 or earlier is eligible to participate in the BIF if the horse was eligible to be registered under the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.
Breeders participating in the program for foals born in 2007 and all future years are required to keep their mares in Kentucky from the time of the first breeding to a sire registered to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund until foals are born. Certain exceptions to the residency requirement are provided for mares needing to leave the state for training or medical reasons.
The KHRA is an independent agency of state government charged with the responsibility of regulating the conduct of horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing and related activities within the commonwealth of Kentucky. The KHRA is attached to the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet for administrative purposes.
American Horse Council Press Release
Reprinted with permission
Contact: SMesa@ horsecouncil.org
Comments due February 12, 2007
USDA Re-Publishes Proposed Rules for Permanent Private Quarantine Facilities
WASHINGTON, DC - The USDA re-published an updated proposal on December 13, 2006, that would permit the establishment and operation of permanent, privately-owned quarantine facilities under certain conditions.
The horse industry is an international industry and increasingly more foreign horses are being brought into the U.S. for racing, showing, sale and breeding and often there are not enough quarantine spaces to accommodate them all.
“There are presently three facilities through which horses may be brought into the U.S. permanently,” notes Kerry Thompson, the American Horse Council's Director of Health and Regulatory Affairs.
“The need for additional quarantine space has increased dramatically and more facilities are needed to handle the additional commerce. Once rules are adopted, private industry can step in under USDA requirements and fill that gap.”
The American Horse Council and other equine groups have been calling for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to re-publish the rule proposal that was originally proposed over four years ago to respond to the need for more import facilities through privately-operated stations.
USDA has asked for public comment on the specifics of the proposed rule. To get a copy of the proposed rules, please contact Kerry Thompson at the American Horse Council.
Comments are due on or before February 12, 2007. The AHC will be submitting comments. Anyone may submit comments directly to USDA. There are several avenues you can use, including an online Federal eRulemaking Portal (http://www.regulations.gov), all of which can be found within the published proposal.
FDA Warning on Fumonisins in Horse Feed
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine has issued a warning to horse owners about a toxin called fumonisin that can be found in corn or corn byproducts. A number of horses die each year from eating products that contain the toxin. Fumonisins are produced by an endophytic mold found in corn kernels, typically when the corn plant is growing in the field. Levels of the toxin can increase after harvest if put in improper storage conditions.
The danger from ingestion of the fumonisin toxin is dose related, and can cause leukoencephalomalacia in horses, which is a fairly uncommon but deadly neurological disease. FDA recommends that corn screening not be used in horse feed because they are involved in most of the investigated cases of fumonisin poisoning.
In order to prevent the levels of fumonisin and other mold toxins from increasing, corn and feed that contains corn needs to be kept dry and protected from moisture when stored. FDA recommends that corn and corn by-products used in horse feed should contain less than 5 parts per million (ppm) of fumonisins and should make up no more than 20 percent of the dry weight of the total ration.
More information on fumonisin levels in feeds, including the official FDA warning, can be found on the following websites:
CVM Update — Fumonisins in Horse Feed
Fumonisin Levels in Human Foods & Animal Feeds
CVM and Fumonisins
Health Alert
American Horse Council Recommends Vaccination Against EEE
As the number of cases of Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE) rises to unusually high levels, the American Horse Council is reminding horse owners to vaccinate their horses for EEE and to boost that vaccination at regular intervals. In the recent outbreaks of EEE, affected horses have either been unvaccinated or were not vaccinated following the recommended intervals.
“The mortality rate in unvaccinated horses runs about 70- 95%,“ reports Dr. Tim Cordes, Senior Staff Veterinarian for Equine Diseases with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “This is significantly higher than the death rate seen with the West Nile Virus outbreak.” The mortality rate associated with West Nile Virus is about 33%.
According to the recommendations of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, horses should be vaccinated against EEE each year, preferably in the spring. Horses residing in endemic areas, however, should have an additional booster vaccination every six months. Owners seeking recommendations for vaccinating foals, weanlings and broodmares should consult an equine practitioner.
Phone: (920) 687-0188 • Cell: (270) 735-5331 · FAX: (920) 687-1818
E-mail: pmha@ puremorab.com