Kentucky Horse Blog

efforts-to-ban-horse-slaughter-continue_100Efforts to ban horse slaughter continue to move forward within the various government channels.  In the most recent government spending bill that Congress has approved, there is a provision that would effectively remove the ability to slaughter horses in the United States.

How this was implemented within the context of the bill is really quite simple.  The USDA that monitors all meat inspections, would be prohibited from collecting its fees - this would in turn not allow them to supervise the slaughter, and that would in turn remove the ability of the horse slaughter facilties to be able to operate without their supervision.

This is an example of just one aspect that many persons find objectionable within the horse industry.  There are other efforts

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ky-horse-farms-production-level-results-in-declining-horse-values_99The most recent January Keeneland sales in Lexington KY are showing one thing:  the KY horse farms production level are resulting in declining horse values.  The numbers from the sale overall shake out as follows:

# Sold:  153

# not sold:  55

Gross Sales:   $1 million

Average Price:  $6652

Median Price:  $3500

Unselective breeding, and overbreeding are starting to take its toll on horse values.  Persons aren’t wanting to purchase any old nag just because it happens to be from Kentucky.  They are being selective - and the horse breeders in KY need to start paying attention to the market demand, or they may end up being stuck with too many horses of their own.

The Taylor Made Sales Agency January Sale, was the top sale for the 8th consecutive

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ky-horse-farms-struggle-with-hay-prices_100The Louisville KY newspaper The Courier-Journal wrote an excellent article in the Friday January 18 2008 edition regarding a growing problem for many KY Horse farms.

As many of you are aware, hay prices this year have gone up dramatically.  This has led many Kentucky horse farms owners to begin giving away, or donating their hroses because they lack adequate food for the horses to get through the winter.  In some more extreme cases, horse owners are simply abandoning their animals.

The problem began back in the Spring of 2007.  Hay stocks were recorded to be the lowest that they’ve been in about 50 years.  Then there was a late hard frost that killed almost all alfalfa crops in KY.  Add in the very long drought this summer, and soaring temperatures -

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alltech-fei-world-equestrian-games-selects-official-shipping-agent_239The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games has selected the official shipping agent for the event:  Peden Bloodstock.  This company will be responsible for the shipping & caring of the approximately 800 horses that are expected to be in attendance for the event.  They will also be responsible for the attendants, equipment, and carriages to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington KY.  Obviously, since they will be bringing in horses from all over the world to Kentucky, they will have to manage and deal with the various quarantine and biosecurity aspects necessary for any importation of livestock into the United States.

Peden Bloodstock has an excellent track record.  They’ve been the official shipping agent for all of the World Equestrian Games (WEG) since the

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world-equestrian-games-private-property-rental-company-selected_153Short’s Sports & Events (a subsidiary division of Short’s Travel Management) has selected Event Home Leasing as their private property rental company firm for the World Equestrian Games.

Event Home Leasing is locally owned in Louisville KY by Charles & Dana Martin. Dana has experience from other major events in Kentucky which include being the player accommodation chairman for the 1996 as well as 2000 PGA Championship events that were held at Valhalla Golf Club on Shelbyville Road (US 60). Dana also has years of experience with handling private property rentals each year for the Kentucky Derby - she has been leasing property since 1996 in that venue.

If you are interested in RENTING a private property for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010,

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stewart-home-school-horse-farms-equestrian-therapy-program_187The Stewart Home School equestrian therapy program caters to persons with intellectual disabilities - and was destroyed by fire on November 5, 2007 and 7 of the 8 horses were lost in the blaze. The only horse to survive was Tia Marie who made it out of the disaster with singed whiskers and a shorter mane, but nonetheless in relatively good spirits given the tragedy. Tia Marie’s stablemate is a horse named Cyclops and is on loan from the Indian Ridge Farm from Buff & Kim Bradley until the facility can be rebuilt and new horses can be a part of Tia Marie’s new herd.

The community has banded together, along with some very generous donations - and the Stewart Home School equestrian therapy program is starting to rebuild. Aid as far away as Kansas, Oklahoma

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lexington-kentucky-keeneland-sale-set-for-january-7-13-2008_257Lexington Kentucky Keeneland Sale has been set for January 7-13 2008. It is being called the January Horses of All Ages Sale.

There are currently 1201 broodmares listed as being available for the sale and it includes many industry leading mares that are in foal to some of the top stallions such as:

A.P. Indy

Distorted Humor

Elusive Quality

Smart Strike

Storm Cat

Unbridled’s Song

among many others

There will also be a lot of younger horses available for sale at the January Horses of All Ages Sale. There is scheduled for 862 yearlings to be marked for sale.

And there are 482 horses that are of appropriate racing age going to be put on the market.

Only 2 stallions are listed currently as available for sale.

The sale in January 2007 at

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additional-benefits-of-world-equestrian-games-for-kentucky_384A lot of persons that aren’t planning on participating in the 2010 World Equestrian Games that will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington Kentucky, are planning on cashing in on some of the estimated 300,000 attendees to the event.

Many Kentucky counties/cities are organizing committees to try and draw some of the persons attending the WEG, to spend some time (and money) in their area.

Just some of the Kentucky counties/cities that have organized committees are as follows:

Grant County - home to some of the countries best Draft horses is planning an event that would include plowing and horse pulling contests, and is aiming to schedule their event for some of the less popular events during the WEG - and give visitors the opportunity

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lexington-kentucky-readying-for-the-2010-fei-world-equestrian-games_157Lexington Kentucky is readying for the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games by beginning work on many city projects that will help establish the city as a world leader.  $2.55 million was recently donated by the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation to help jump start those efforts.  For reference, the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation is named after the 2 brothers that purchased the Lexington Herald and Leader in 1973.

The primary focus will be for projects that will not only help the persons attending the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games, but also will continue to be of benefit for the residents of Lexington Kentucky once the WEG has ended.

These types of projects are typically called “legacy projects”.  An example of 1 such legacy project would be when

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rolex-to-sponsor-fei-world-equestrian-games-in-lexington-kentucky_258Its official (just had to throw that pun in there):  Rolex is now a sponsor of the FEI World Equestrian Games to be held in Lexington Kentucky in 2010.

Rolex has a long standing tradition of being a patron of the equestrian sports for many years.  The Rolex 3 Day Event held at the Kentucky Horse Park every year, is just one of the many horse events that they’ve helped promote.  They’ve been involved in equestrian sponsorship for 50 years - and they’ve been a sponsor for the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2002, and 2006 - and now, they will be a sponsor for the games in 2010. [The FEI World Equestrian Games is only held once every 4 years.]

It was not disclosed the amount of financial contribution that Rolex made to become a sponsor for the event, but

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