By Ray Cox, The Roanoke Times

Different horse, same result for Tracy Fenney.

Capping a spectacular week of show jumping at the Roanoke Valley Horse Show, Tracy Fenney rode MTM Centano to a rousing championship in the $50,000 Grand Prix of Roanoke Saturday night.

A substantial Salem Civic Center audience hooted and hollered as Fenney edged fellow Texan Aaron Vale for first place in the six-horse jump-off tie-breaker. Fenney, who first appeared at this show last year, was the defending Prix champion aboard S&L Willie, who also qualified for the jump-off and finished fourth.

None of the horses over the shorter course in the extra period came home fault-free. Fenney took down one fence rail for four faults but still blazed through with a time of 41.007 seconds. She then had to suppress whatever anxiety she might have had as Vale, he of the record nine Prix wins here, appeared next to last in the jump-off with previously unheralded Wilkie Van't Merlesnest, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare.

"It was terrible," Fenney said. "It's always rough going near the beginning then having to wait for the rest of the class."

A last minute entry, Wilkie ended with eight faults and sixth place.

"I was thrilled with her performance," Vale said. "This was her first Grand Prix."

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7 days later the lost horse has been found on the Parkway.... more details soon!

A horse got separated from it's rider on Saturday, 5/23/09, in the National Forest near Fringer Road/Lithia (Buchanan). He is a dun quarter horse gelding, named Dan, fully tacked.There is a $250 reward offered for the safe return. If anyone has any information, please call Candice Polling (owner) at 540-797-2747 or Stephanie Suprenaut at 540-537-4442.

There have been many groups of horses and people searching the area since Dan went missing. Thank you to all who have helped!!

Have some time? Looking for a great blog? Check out www.ThePioneerWoman.com. Excellent stories, photography, recipes, and everything else about life on a ranch.

2009 Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is a stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, staged yearly in Louisville, Kentucky on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race currently covers one and one-quarter miles (2.012 km) at Churchill Downs; colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kg), fillies 121 pounds (55 kg). The race, known as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" for its approximate time length, is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in the United States. It typically draws around 155,000 fans.

Are you good enough to pick the Derby or Oaks winner now? Place a Kentucky Derby Future Wager or Kentucky Oaks Future Wager and get early odds that could be much more attractive than race day odds. Bet on your favorite now, cash in when the race is run!

The Kentucky Derby is one of the crown jewels of the elusive Triple Crown which includes the Belmont Stakes and the Preakness Stakes.

For over 125 years the Kentucky Derby has been everyone's race - from the dapper men and beautiful women, all in hats and sipping on frosty mint juleps, to the laid-back infield crowd who picnic on fried chicken and toss around Frisbees.


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see http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/1012081.html for details

At Brook Hill Farm we believe in second chances. Every year, thousands of equine athletes suffer from neglect or potentially career-ending injuries. Many other horses are neglected or abused, and are left alone to die in their fields. Horses that appear healthy, but are lame, may end up at auction, their future bleak. Brook Hill Farm provides a safe haven for these horses.

Besides accepting horses in need from all over the country, the farm also serves as the local horse rescue for the surrounding area. Veterinarians, a professional farrier, and a dedicated staff of equine professionals and trained volunteers work together to create and execute a rehabilitation plan uniquely tailored to each horse's situation. Once the horse completes their rehabilitation plan, they are adopted out, enlisted as equine teachers in our United Neigh program, or offered a permanent home on property to live out the rest of their life in peace and security. Many are able to resume a competitive career with local 4H and Pony Club participants.

We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization endorsed by the Unwanted Horse Coalition and rely on public support to care for and rehabilitate these horses in need. Please visit our website to learn more about our unique programs, find opportunities to help, and maybe even meet your “forever horse”.

See www.brookhillfarm.org for more information. Also, check out our posts in the forum!!

Buck 5 Year old gelding Mini. Buck does have birth defects in his back legs.

He needs a family of his own. He has spent the last year here at RVHR working to help raise funds for the horses at the facility.

For more information and more photo's on how you can help or sponsor a horse please visit our website at www.rvhr.com/buck.shtml or email info@rvhr.com .

Ukrop's is pleased to offer Golden Gift 2009.

You can help Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue earn a portion of this year's $200,000 payout! You will earn 1 (one) point for every dollar you spend at Ukrop's from March 2 through March 28. 2009. No registration is required. Just use your UVC Card when you shop. The more you shop, the more points you earn. Check with Customer Service at your Ukrop's store to make certain your mailing address is correct. The more you shop, the more points you earn. In May Ukrop's will mail you a Golden Gift Certificate. When you donate your points at the end of the program Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue can redeem them for a portion of the payout. For more details about this program, please visit www.ukrops.com.

The Golden Gift Certificate will be mailed to you in mid-May. Please mail your points to Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue - P.O. Box 13 Hardy, VA 24101 www.RVHR.com

New Arrival
Would you like to help us feed this sweet man and others that will be coming to the facility shortly?
Rusty is 20+ YO gelding and only 640 LBS
He is an Animal Control Assisted - Bedford Owner Surrender.

We are in need of Alfalfa Hay and Blue Seal Senior Feeds at this time.
For more information on how you can help or sponsor a horse please visit our website at www.rvhr.com or email info@rvhr.com .

Rusty is the first to arrive of 7 horses in need so far this year. The other 6 will be arriving in the next 7 days.

As the new horses arrive we will be sending out updates. Coming that we know of so far, 2 draft horses 1 arabian and 1 other Qrt horses we are not sure of the breed of the last two.

Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue Mailing: P.O. Box 13 Hardy, Virginia 24101 540-797-1999

Photographer uses unique methods to captures the horse-human relationship.

50 animals were forced to evacuate Lake Villa stables before calamity caused by excess snow

(SWVHC: thank god people were paying attention to the structure of the barn and the snow!)

By Robert Channick |Special to the Tribune

January 7, 2009

A band of 50 homeless quarter horses hit the road over the weekend for temporary shelter and hopefully greener pastures after the roof of their Lake Villa stables collapsed under a foot of snow last month.

Holed up for the last two weeks at an equestrian complex near Gurnee, dozens of national-caliber show horses from Dianne Eppers Stables were loaded onto trailers Saturday for a short haul to an empty barn in nearby Wadsworth, their new home for the next few months during repairs.

"A couple of the grooms heard a noise in the arena at about 7 o'clock in the morning," Eppers said. "When I got down there I saw one of the rafters had a bow in it."

Warned by the Fire Department that a roof collapse was imminent, Eppers put out the word, and soon the phone lines were burning up with concerned horse lovers.

"The networking in the horse world is pretty good," she said. "We made a few phone calls and trailers started coming in the driveway."

By the time the roof caved in about 10:30 a.m., the horses had been safely moved to Fields & Fences, a massive 191-stall equestrian center on Hunt Club Road.

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MCBRIDE, British Columbia (AP) — Two frostbitten, emaciated horses were recovering inside a warm barn on Saturday thanks to volunteers who spent the week before Christmas digging the animals out of snow in the mountains of northeastern British Columbia.

Birgit Stutz said Saturday that she and other rescuers cheered when they finally finished digging a half-mile escape route through the snow for the animals. The horses had been abandoned by a hunter and faced almost certain death.

Stutz said the horses eagerly accepted being bridled and seemed to know they were safe as volunteers led them on a seven-hour hike down the mountain in freezing temperatures on Tuesday. She said about 40 or 50 people took part in the rescue over the course of a week.

"It was a big effort," Stutz said in a telephone interview.

She said the horses were discovered on Dec. 15 by two local residents. They were above the tree line and had no shelter at first.

Logan Jeck and a friend stumbled across the horses while out looking for some snowmobiles left behind by tourists who had gotten stuck during a trip to the back country on the side of Mount Renshaw — about 750 miles northeast of Vancouver.

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By: Gwen Johnson
http://ourvalley.org

Little did Tracy Roberts know when she was very young that her love of horses would one day put her among the elite in the nation as far as breeders go and set her on a career path that she would never have dreamed would happen.

In December Roberts, who lives in Craig County, Va., and breeds competitive cutting horses, will be catapulted into the spotlight across the country when two of her yearling horses will be sold in Texas at the National Cutting Horse Association’s Western Bloodstock sale.

“This is something I have aspired to for 20 years,” said Roberts. The cutting show and sale will be broadcast live via satellite over the RFD channel. “I will be proud to have them announce on national TV that the breeder is from New Castle, Va.”

Cutting is a western sport that originated in America and is the only sport with horses America can claim as its own. It is based on the need of the cowboy to isolate a cow from a large herd, to be doctored, branded or weaned. Today the American Quarter Horse is the equine of choice for the job and is bred for intelligence and athletic ability.

Roberts' claim to fame will be two foals she raised, named Red Mollie and San Creek Cat. Red Mollie will be sold at the Invitational Sale which begins at 5 p.m. Dec. 9. Out of 6,500 entries chosen or “invited” out, Red Mollie ranked 26 out of 65, according to Roberts.

Her second yearling stud, San Creek Cat, will sell in the Preferred Auction Dec. 12. That sale features a number of select horses, as well.

Both equines are the offspring of a mare Roberts purchased as a yearling filly from a friend of hers, Carol Rose, who is one of the top breeders in the country. That great mare’s name is Sannie Olena. As it turned out, the horse not only had royal bloodlines, she was an athlete and proved to be a winner in national competitions and earned an impressive money record in winnings.

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We had a great time at the GHPEC Halloween Show this year.... huge turnout!!

David Bell did a great job of photographing the event, you can view (and order) prints at his web site: RideOnSports Photography

Department of Animal & Poultry Sciences
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Blacksburg, Virginia

The 2008 Hokie Harvest Sale will be held on

Friday, October 31, 2008.

We will once again feature weanling, yearling and two-year-old sporthorse prospects, plus riding horses and broodmares. The saleslist is NOW AVAILABLE (html pages for each horse)!

Download the entire catalog here in PDF form!

We always have young prospects and broodmares for sale thoughout the year. If you are looking for something in particular, or to schedule a farm visit, please contact Dr. Rebecca K. Splan

http://www.equine.vt.edu/HokieHarvest.html

By Nicholas C. Stern
News-Post Staff

James Strohm got his first horse when he was 12. He grew up raising horses; he broke them, and even did a little stunt riding.

"They're good buddies," Strohm said Saturday outside the Montevue Home in Frederick. Montevue is a county-owned assisted living center.

A resident at Montevue for about nine months, Strohm was among the first to take a turn stroking, hugging and kissing Oakmaide Black Satin, the horse that was brought there as part of an ongoing pet therapy program.

Wags for Hope was started in 2006 by Gabe O'Neill with his dog Charlie. The group of about 100 volunteers brings their animals for visits to roughly 25 nursing and assisted living homes and hospices throughout Frederick and Washington counties, as well as parts of West Virginia.

The visits help break up the monotony and loneliness many residents experience, while offering a meaningful activity for the volunteers.

"Interacting with animals makes them forget about their problems and the pain they're going through," O'Neill said.

Saturday marked the first time the group brought a horse.

O'Neill said Wags for Hope volunteer Meg Klackner had mentioned that many of the residents at Montevue were raised on farms, and missed being around horses.

"I thought that this would be a really nice thing," he said.

After a presentation about the group at a local Kiwanis Club, O'Neill said he was approached by Susan Vona, who owns a farm in Union Bridge and was willing to help with a horse.

Lillian Moneymacker, a Montevue resident, stayed by Satin's side for most of her visit. As a young girl, she would ride horses on her grandparents' farm after school.

"I love horses, and she's wonderful," she said.

Tollie York, the activities director at Montevue, snapped photos of residents as they mingled with Satin. She said they appreciate the company Wags for Hope volunteers and their animals bring each week.

"Animals bring out a lot of things people can't," York said.

Here is a pretty amazing photo from Ike, look again to notice the horse near the house.

As you may have noticed, a site redesign is underway! Goals are to clean and lighten up the page for faster loading, and to provide easier more direct access to all of our content. You'll also find the site more cross-browser compliant, whether you're running IE or Firefox.

It may take a couple days to get the changes propogated throughout the site, so you may see some inconsistencies in design between pages.

As always, ideas and suggestions are welcome, and please let me know about any broken links you run across!

Meet Molly. She's a grey speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when Hurricane Katrina hit southern Louisiana . She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled.

While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You know how that goes.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind. He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her. She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted her weight and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee, and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there.

'This was the right horse and the right owner,' Moore insists. Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood that she was in trouble. The other important factor, according to Moore , is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in post-Katrina Louisiana . The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb. A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.

The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports. And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants
you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck. She inspired people, and she had a good time doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life,' Moore said. 'She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others.'

Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal, but she's going to be better. To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'





This is Molly's most recent prosthesis. The bottom photo shows the ground surface that she stands on, which has a smiley face embossed in it. Wherever Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind.

With all of the hurricanes rolling through, how is your evacuation/emergency plan? If you haven't visited the Equine Mutual Aid Association, you need to check it out!

Tropical storm Hanna didn't have much of an impact on the Salem area, and there was a great show out at the Green Hill Park Equestrian Center. The show was a benefit for the Astride With Pride therapeutic riding program and was sanctioned by the Blue Ridge Horse Force. Wayne Jones and Cindy Quick of Star-ro Trailers and The Tack Room did their always fabulous job of managing. Attendance at shows is not random, exhibitors are learning who runs a good show, and this show and the Star City Classic are getting well known.

Thinking about eventing? Be careful, this photo sequence of UK rider Zara Phillips will leave you with a sense of relief that she was not injured.

AP) Kentucky horse racing regulators on Monday approved a sweeping steroid ban for the state's thoroughbred and standardbred races but dramatically toned down the proposed penalties for trainers whose horses test positive.

With a unanimous vote of confidence from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the steroid ban could take effect as early as this fall's meet at Turfway Park and would be well under way in time for next year's Kentucky Derby. Gov. Steve Beshear has said he'll push it through swiftly using an emergency regulation.

While the ban is tough, it's not nearly as tough as the one proposed by Kentucky's Equine Drug Research Council earlier this month. That group had called for suspensions of up to three years for trainers and veterinarians whose horses fail a steroid test, but the authority revised the penalties, capping them at a 60-day suspension for first time offenders.

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By JASON SCHREIBER
Union Leader Correspondent

HAMPTON FALLS – In his 42 years with the fire department, Deputy Fire Chief Russ Davies had never experienced anything like yesterday's rescue of a 1,000-pound horse that had fallen through a barn floor.
It was also a first for Fire Chief Jay Lord, a 20-year veteran of the department.

"We hope we never have to do that again," said Lord, who appeared exasperated after having helped more than a dozen firefighters and neighbors pull the horse, named Bailey, to safety in a harrowing hour-long rescue.

Firefighters considered bringing in a wrecker to haul her out, but they managed to do it on their own.

The trouble began about 2 p.m. at Cock Hill Farm, 149 Drinkwater Road, when Bailey walked into the barn and into a sheep stall that was supposed to be off limits. Farm owner Ed Beattie said he knew the wood floor of the stall couldn't handle the weight of the horse, but he had forgotten to shut the stall door.

Beattie was in the barn and saw Bailey head into the sheep stall....

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By Linda Williams /TWN Staff Writer

Firefighters constructing a containment line along the along the western edge of the Mill fire July 15 were surprised to see a horse in the early morning smoke. The firefighters were able to capture the injured equine and take it back to their base camp before setting the planned backfire.

The horse, affectionately nicknamed Mr. Ed by his rescuers, had abrasions to his front legs and seemed very weak and dehydrated. Firefighters speculated the horse was probably spooked by the original lightning storm the night of July 20 and became disoriented in the smoky aftermath.

Firefighters fed apples to the horse from their sack lunches and he was able to drink from a nearby creek.

The Mill fire was only one of the fires burning in the Soda fire complex in the Mendocino National Forest. The Mill fire continues to burn east of Pine Mountain and is not expected to be contained until late this week.

(administrator comment: I bet they wish they had known about the Equine Mutual Aid Association :)

When word of the injured horse reached the incident command post, they contacted Willits large animal veterinarian Dr. Sheri Cronin to arrange a rescue mission.

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Jennifer D'Ottavio
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 7, 2008 12:00 AM

A Chandler teen won an Arabian horse from a Mesa horse-breeding couple when they decided to "pay forward" their good fortune after receiving a new car.Duane and Hertha Chellevold, who have been breeding Arabians for 30 years, decided to sponsor a contest for young people after a relative gave them a new Chrysler minivan. The windfall made them decide to pass along the good deed. Lexie Micio, 13, won the 7-month-old purebred Arabian chestnut colt named Boot in early June.

Lexie has been riding for seven years and intends to ride and show Boot in English dressage. Lexie said she inherited her love of Arabians from her mom, who grew up in Saudi Arabia."I can't believe we won, he is a gorgeous animal." said Marisa Micio, Lexie's mother. "I was in tears the whole day. This is something my daughter and I can do together."

Lexie entered the contest after she saw it advertised in The Arizona Republic classifieds. In order to enter, applicants had to submit a paragraph explaining why they wanted an Arabian and how they would care for it.

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By CHARLES BOOTHE
Franklin News-Post

By Jana Wagoner
Source: Loudoun County Fire-Rescue
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11 2008

By Ashley Roberts
WSLS10 Reporter
Published: May 23, 2008

Jockey Anna-Katharina Bromann and her mount Schattenlady were racing in an event in Hanover when the horse’s saddle began slipping down its flank.
Clearly agitated, the horse crashed into the race course’s safety rails, throwing Bromann from the saddle in the process.

But to the amazement of race-goers, Schattenlady ran back onto the track and threw herself head over heels. Photographers captured the horse's mid-air acrotbatics, before she came crashing down on her back.

Despite the dramatic tumble, both horse and rider were uninjured.

By Megan Levy
Last Updated: 6:14PM BST 14/05/2008

The SW Virginia Horse Connection is very pleased to now have online two major site sponsors.

Saddles-N-Stuff: Catering to the first-time horse owner as well as the experienced, multiple horse owner, Saddles-n-Stuff is a complete tack shop offering the personal service and recommendations you can count on. Visit them at http://www.saddlesnstuff.com/.

Stone Bridge Farm: Stone Bridge Farm is one of the premier hunter, jumper and equitation facilities in Central and Southwest Virginia. The Farm offers spacious, modern and well-designed facilities, as well as highly-experienced, professional and caring trainers who have successfully brought along horses and riders to State, Zone and National titles. Visit them at http://www.stonebridgefarm.net/.