Leather in the Washer?
If you’ve always wanted to toss your leather chaps or other leather garments into the washing machine for a little quick clean-up, read on!

A United States patent was recently granted to the Leather Therapy company of Oldwick, New Jersey, for its new Leather Therapy Laundry Solution Rinse and Dressing.

These two laundering products were created by Leather Therapy to care for garments created from collagen-based fiber and leather structures. Any bio-created fiber, i.e., fleece, hair, leather and suede will benefit from the maintenance system covered by this patent. Items such as riding breeches of stretchable fabric and leather, fleece vests and jackets, chaps, knit and leather gloves are now candidates for the washing machine!

According to the company, leather is nature’s three-dimensional fabric and requires lubrication to maintain softness and suppleness. Leather Therapy’s laundry products support and protect the integrity of fiber and leather garments with moisturizers.

The laundry solutions were designed with no bleach or enzymes, and are stable in a wide range of pH water conditions normally found in city water or hard country well water.
For more information visit: www.leathertherapy.com, or ask your local Seminole Dealer about the products.

Young Dominates the Circuit
Megan Young of Jacksonville, Florida, is shown here winning the 2004 ASPCA-Maclay National Championship at the Metropolitan National Horse Show in New York.

“ It has been a great year,” said Young, a Santa Fe Community College psychology student. “I never expected it to be so wonderful. I’m the luckiest kid ever.”

The ASPCA-Maclay Finals are often the proving ground for future top international riders. Notable equestrians such as William Steinkraus, Frank Chapot, Conrad Homfeld, Leslie Howard, Peter Wylde, Ray Texel, and Nicole Shahinian-Simpson won the ASPCA-Maclay National Championship prior to going on to international equestrian success.

Megan Young is coached by her mother, Katie, and Bobby Braswell and Christina Schleusmeyer of Quiet Hill Farm in Ocala.

Wash & Rinse At The Turn Of A Switch.
Healthy HairCare Products introduces Herbal Horse Wash and Vigor Power Wash, all in one wash systems.

Healthy HairCare Product’s new wash systems sprayer attaches to your garden hose and allows you to control wash and rinse at the turn of a switch, meeting every horse’s washing needs. Bucket and sponge not needed with this effortless horse washing system. No waste, no mess, less work, safer for the environment, easier & more economical, 8-16 washes per 32 oz. container.

Healthy HairCare Vigor Power Wash, an aromatic liniment, stimulates blood flow for the relief of minor soreness, inflammation and stiffness of muscles, knees, tendons, ankles & backs. Camphor, Oil of Sassafras, Oil of Wintergreen, Oil of Cedarwood, Oil of Rosemary, Oil of Thyme & Juniper Oil carefully blended with green soap leave the horse clean, shiny and invigorated.

Herbal Horse Wash is a high-grade blend of natural herbal extracts and conditioners. Ginseng Root, Alfalfa, Wheat Germ, Licorice, Nettle, Aloe Juice, Soy Protein & Arnica Montana Flower are perfectly balanced to clean, protect and condition hair and skin.

To learn more about Healthy HairCare Products™ or locate an authorized retailer visit the company’s website at www.healthyhaircare.com. Healthy HairCare Products are available through your local Seminole dealer.

Weather Conditions Spark Potomac Horse Fever Epidemic
Remember to vaccinate this season.

Heavy rains, standing water and flooding in the summer and fall of 2004 have led to increasing levels of Neoriketssia risticii (previously known as Ehrlichia risticii) cases—more commonly known as Potomac Horse Fever—across the United States. Outbreaks have been seen throughout the East Coast, and extremely wet weather has made conditions perfect for the disease in the Midwest as well, affecting states such as Oklahoma.

Vaccination against Potomac Horse Fever (PHF)—including a fall booster shot in this year’s epidemic—is a critical component in the fight to save horses from the deadly disease. PHF-Gard™, from Pfizer Animal Health, has been shown in scientific studies to be 80 percent effective in preventing infection by Neoriketssia risticii bacteria. Horses that have been vaccinated may become infected, but they may also experience a less severe form of PHF, which increases their chances for survival.

“I have no doubt that vaccination and a booster shot is absolutely needed to save horses’ lives,” said Robert Holland, DVM, PhD, Senior Equine Technical Services Veterinarian at Pfizer Animal Health. “Horse owners and veterinarians are concerned about potentially fatal diseases like West Nile Virus, but the truth is that as many, or even more horses in certain regions, may contract, or even be killed, by Potomac Horse Fever this year.”

Neoriketssia risticii is carried by fresh water snails, which can transmit the disease to 17 different species of aquatic insects. The horse then acquires the disease by ingesting these bugs, which can spread out onto pastures and throughout water supplies. The disease often requires nine to 12 days of incubation before symptoms appear.

“ Owners need to understand that this is a very serious disease,” said Dr. Holland. “Horses are dying because the symptoms of infection aren’t easily recognized and the vaccine isn’t being used widely enough. There also seems to be the impression, perhaps because of the name Potomac Horse Fever, that the disease is restricted to a particular area of the East Coast. This is simply not true. Neoriketssia risticii is an extremely wide-spread organism and it’s seen virtually everywhere in this country.”

Potomac Horse Fever is extremely difficult to diagnose as its clinical symptoms mimic many other equine bacterial infections. Depression and a transient high fever are among the first signs of infection. After seven to 10 days, owners may notice a loss of appetite, colic, toxemia, diarrhea and even life-threatening laminitis.

In many cases, the animal’s stool is loose and profuse and dehydration may result. Edema of the legs, abdomen and head indicate poor circulation caused by the disease, as well as a protein imbalance. Mares infected with Potomac Horse Fever may abort pregnancies late in gestation.

PHF-Gard is supplied to veterinarians in convenient 10-dose vials. Each dose is in a small, 1 milliliter amount and is administered via an intramuscular injection to healthy horses 1 year of age and older. The vaccine uses an established antigen purification system to produce an immunogenic response. Annual revaccination is recommended. The AAEP Vaccination Guidelines suggest that horses in endemic areas be vaccinated more frequently due to increased risk of exposure.

People and Horses Living Longer
A 36-year-old horse is comparable in age to 100-year-old human. With advances in nutrition and health care, horses and humans are living healthier, longer.

A new Horse/Human Age Relationship Chart reveals that, beginning at birth,
horses age 6.5 years for each human year until puberty. Once a horse reaches age four, that rate slows to 2.5 years for each human year.

The Age Relationship Chart, created by equine veterinarians, is intended to help horse owners better relate to and understand the health issues their horses may experience at each stage of life, said Dan Kramer, equine market manager at Pfizer Animal Health, who released the information.

“ Horses go through the same life cycles as do humans. They have distinct childhood, adolescence, puberty, maturity and geriatric phases of their lives,” Kramer said. “This chart giveshorse owners added insight into their horse’s life stages and greater understanding of the issues at each stage. For example, a 22-year old horse would equate to a human of age 65.5. A horse that is 36 years old would be celebrating its 100 th birthday if it was a person.”

Like humans, advancements in health care are allowing horses to live fruitful and productive – even even competitive – lives well into their golden years. From this perspective, the chart offers not only a point of reference, but also a challenge for horse owners, equine veterinarians and equine health care companies.

“ Humans are now living full and productive lives well into their 80s, thanks to research and better health care,” Kramer said. “Correspondingly, with emphasis on improved management and equine wellness, we should now be able to keep our horses strong, useful and competitive well into their late twenties.”
Michael Matz is one equine competitor who has experienced first hand the ways in which a lifetime of good health care can support a horse’s abilities well into its advancing years. Matz and his jumper, Jet Run, won the 1979 Pan American Games, taking home a team and individual gold, and the Volvo World Cup in 1981. The horse wasn’t retired from that level of competition until 1985, when he was 17 years old. (That’s 53 in terms of a human world-class athlete.) Jet Run’s retirement years truly were long and golden. He passed away at 28.

“ Jet Run was a horse who really liked what he did for a living. He was really happy at it,” said Matz. “He had a great deal of stamina and we tried to give him the best possible care available.”

“ I think keeping a horse healthy and performing well boils down to the kind of care and management that we as owners and trainers give them. This is really the number one concern for the horse’s longevity,” Matz continued. “Good preventive care and knowing the needs of each individual horse can be the difference between a good horse and a great one, and the difference between a good rider and a great rider.”

Pfizer Animal Health believes so strongly in the power of equine preventive health care that the company offers PreventiCare™, a unique equine wellness program offered through veterinarians.

This system requires that all enrolled horses adhere to six minimum requirements of wellness care: annual physical examination, annual dental examination, appropriate immunizations, nutritional counseling, twice-yearly avermectin treatment and daily use of Pfizer’s Strongid® C or Strongid® C 2X™ anthelmintic. In the event that an enrolled horse requires colic surgery, PreventiCare’s Colic Assistance Plan™ goes into effect. Pfizer will reimburse the operating surgeon for surgical costs and three days of aftercare, up to $5,000 over the life of the horse.

“PreventiCare and the Colic Assistance Plan are our ways of demonstrating how much we believe in the power of preventive health care,” said Kramer. “We recently modified PreventiCare to extend eligible participation. Now, horses that were enrolled before 20 years of age may remain enrolled through age 24. Like humans, we’re convinced that with good management and proper well care, horses can live longer and more productive lives well into the future.”

For more information on how your horse can receive the benefits equine wellness care, visit www.pfizer.com/equine or talk with your veterinarian about the program. For the ultimate in equine nutrition for your older horse, visit www.seminolefeed.com or call 1/800-683-1881 to speak with an equine nutritionist.