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[AgriLife Today] Texas horse owners encouraged to vaccinate in preventing mosquito-borne neurologic diseases

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By: Blair Fannin

Writer: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259, [email protected]

Contact: Dr. Terry Hensley,979-862-3202, [email protected]

COLLEGE STATION – Texas horse owners are urged to have their animals vaccinated to fend off the threat of West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis.

Dr. Terry Hensley, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service veterinarian and Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory assistant agency director in College Station, said horse owners can easily unintentionally overlook annual vaccinations.

“Some don’t realize the importance of vaccinations,” Hensley said. “We all get busy and sometimes simply forget to have them vaccinated, or some horse owners are looking to save a few dollars and fail to have it done. However, for these diseases there’s no cure. You can treat the symptoms, but there’s no cure. Mosquitoes are transmitting these diseases. You can be 10 miles from the nearest other horse, but it’s the mosquitoes that are moving it.”

Hensley advises horse owners to work with their veterinarians and vaccinate against the core diseases: West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis and western equine encephalitis. Hensley said the American Association of Equine Practitioners recommends vaccinating for these three diseases along with rabies and tetanus.

“A proper vaccination program is one of the most cost effective preventative health measures that an owner can do,” Hensley said.

In 2015, he said, Texas experienced a high number of West Nile cases in the western part of the state as well as the Panhandle and Gulf Coast regions. Cases of eastern equine encephalitis were reported in Southeast Texas, particularly in bayou areas where there are large amounts of standing water that can harbor mosquito populations.

“Overall, we are simply advising horse owners to work with a veterinarian to develop a health program that includes the core vaccines,” he said. “A few dollars spent on vaccines are the best dollars spent in health prevention.”

For more information on the laboratory’s neurologic testing, visit http://tvmdl.tamu.edu or phone 888-646-5623.

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Equine

The Danger of Lower Limb Wounds of Horses

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By Garrett Metcalf, DVM

It is common for horse owners to have a horse with a wound or laceration at some point in their life. Sometimes small lacerations can be perceived as benign, inconsequential problems that do not need immediate veterinary attention and are managed by the owners or trainers initially. Unfortunately, these simple-looking wounds can involve very important anatomical structures that can lead to serious infections that can be life-threatening or, at best career-limiting, for the horse.

Large wounds tend to get all the attention from owners or trainers because when they occur they are so obvious and visually appalling that medical attention is sought almost immediately. Those types of large wounds can be devastating, but they often involve the upper body regions of the horse, which heal better and often don’t involve structures such as joints or tendons.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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Equine

A Rodeo Photographer’s Journey

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By Phillip Kitts

Have you ever wondered what the rodeo looks like for contract personnel in the winter?
This month we will look at what the winter months look like from the rodeo photographer’s perspective.

To understand the time and demands that go into a career as a rodeo photographer, let’s start at when the season gets busy. Not all rodeo photographers work the same. There are many varieties in their career field. They can vary from the few weekends here and there to the full-timer who travels more than 30 weekends a year.

The full-timer that spends most of their year working usually hits the road in late winter. Yes, the winter months are slower but the photographer who has cemented themselves into the field usually books a few during late winter.

Rolling into the spring it begins to get busy. Depending on the photographer, spring can start with an every other weekend type schedule all the way to every weekend through the summer. In 2023 there were photographers that had 20-plus weeks straight going from rodeo to rodeo.
When late fall rolls in things begin to slow down, even for the go-getter who books everything they can.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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Equine

Where Legends are Made

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By Krista Lucas Wynn

The format of the American Rodeo, now known in its entirety as the American Western Weekend, has changed quite a bit throughout the years. The inaugural American Rodeo was held in 2014 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It is now held at Globe Life Field, across the street, with two full days of reined cow horse, cutting, reining, and rodeo competition.
Rodeo cowboys and cowgirls have been working to qualify for the 2024 event since last January. It is a long road to the American, starting with qualifier events all over the country. If a competitor wins money at a qualifier, they then advance to the regional finals in Las Vegas, Oklahoma City and Lexington, Ky.

Then, the top five from each event move on to the Contender Finals in Abilene, Texas, Feb. 10. There, the field will continue to be narrowed down to five in each event to compete at the American rodeo.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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