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Passage of Equine Therapy Amendment Includes Increased Support for America’s Veterans

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The following is from the American Horse Council:

Prior to adjourning for the August recess, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment to the “Make America Secure Appropriations Act” (H.R. 3219) offered by Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), a bill that will increase equine therapy funding for veterans by $5 million during FY2018.  In a statement released Friday, July 28, Congressman Barr expressed his pleasure over passage of the defense spending legislation.  He stated that he is “particularly pleased that the final bill … expands the availability of evidence-based equine treatment for veterans who have suffered trauma while serving our country.”

Before the equine therapy provision becomes law, House and Senate lawmakers must convene a “conference” to negotiate final legislation for a vote in both chambers, and present the bill to the President for his signature.  Because the House will not return to Washington until September 5, Congress will not be able to negotiate a final bill until the fall. Although the Senate currently plans to remain in session through August 11, their agenda remains uncertain.  Following failure of healthcare legislation last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has identified Federal Drug Administration (FDA) funding, Department of Defense (DOD) authorization legislation, and federal appointments as priorities for the next two weeks.  Congress must pass final spending bills, or a continuing resolution, prior to the end of the current fiscal year on September 30.

To view a copy of Rep. Barr’s statement related to the equine therapy amendment, please see the following link: https://barr.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/barr-votes-to-enhance-national-security. If you would like more information about this bill or related issues in Congress, please contact Bryan Brendle at bbrendle@horsecouncil.orgor 202-296-4031.

UHC Media Roundup #75

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The following news round up comes from the Unwanted Horse Coalition.

Second Chance: Retired Race Horses Find New Home & Purpose, Comforting Veterans

Retired race horses are finding new careers on a farm in Maryland. At Leighton Farm in Prince George’s County, the horses are retrained for a new purpose. While some are trained as show horses, all the animals are also used as therapy for visiting veterans.
Horse Rescue Owners Says Farms Need to Balance Needs

Central Virginia Horse Rescue founder Cindy Smith believes the hardest thing a horse rescue farm has to do is turn away horses.
Cross-country Horse Rider and Savior Stop in Fallon

Crow’s Ear Farm president Valerie Ashker, 60, from Georgetown, Calif., is riding her horse across the country on U.S. Highway 50 to raise awareness about giving retired racehorses a second career.
New Jersey Equestrians Prepare for 2016 Kentucky Thoroughbred Challenge

This is the second story in a series that marks the milestones of three New Jersey residents as they journey toward the Kentucky Horse Park and the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover Challenge.
Montville resident helps OTTB race to save retired thoroughbreds

Chelsea Crozier, who has been passionate about horses her entire life and is the proud owner of a 16 year-old retired thoroughbred racehorse, was inspired to take on the task of trainer after following the activities of the 2015 Thoroughbred Makeover Challenge. The event brings in thousands of spectators to watch as hundreds of trainer/horse pairs compete in 10 disciplines, seeking the ultimate prize, America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred.
Lexington Twins Train Wild Mustangs, Winning Big in Horse Competition

Two 12-year-old girls with a love for horses tackled something that not many people would ever think to try. Robyn and Reagan Leitner applied for Extreme Mustang Makeover, trained two mustangs, and won multiple ribbons at the competition in Jacksonville.
Frodo: From Racehorse to War Horse

A feature article about Frodo, the former racehorse now at the Saratoga WarHorse program, an equine-based, peer-to-peer, military veterans program that addresses the unseen wounds of war.
Springtime at Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center

For the next few months, HorseChannel.com will be giving readers a behind-the-scenes look at the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center (MMSC) in Lexington, Kentucky. Following multiple horses throughout their time at the center, readers will find out how Thoroughbreds enter the center, the retraining techniques they undergo while learning skill sets necessary for a second career, and more.
Cross-country Horse Rider and Savior Stop in Fallon

Crow’s Ear Farm president Valerie Ashker, 60, from Georgetown, Calif., is riding her horse across the country on U.S. Highway 50 to raise awareness about giving retired racehorses a second career.
Taming the Wild: Hamilton Horse Trainer Competes in Extreme Mustang Makeover

A hundred days to train a wild mustang. That was the challenge that Hamilton horse trainer James Brown took back in February when 6-year-old Reba arrived at the Bitterroot Arena. Brown is the only Montana horse trainer competing in the 10th annual Extreme Mustang Makeover this year.
Five Minutes with Thoroughbred Advocate Anna Ford

An interview with New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director, who is spearheading a fundraising campaign to build largest racehorse retraining and rehoming facility in the nation.

The Marvels of the Equine Vacuum

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The equine vacuum cleaner is not only a way to dry clean your equine, but it can also be used as a muscle therapy tool and to promote good circulation. Of course, the first thing to do is to gently introduce the equine to the vacuum cleaner.

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As you vacuum, do it slowly and purposefully. The vacuum will remove dirt and grime and leave a healthy bed for hair shafts to grow.

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The suction from the vacuum cleaner grabs large patches of hide and pulls subcutaneous muscle tissue and blood vessels towards the surface. This allows more room for muscle tissue and blood vessels to expand and develop in a healthy way. Here I am vacuuming our rescue draft mule, Rock’s shattered hip where there is a lot of internal damage to the joint and severe atrophy of the muscles involved.

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On the left is 39 year old mini mule, Franklin before vacuuming, and then after vacuuming on the left side only in the picture on the right. As you can see, you get measured results almost immediately. The vacuum gently shapes and molds the muscle tissue into a more uniform area.

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When Rock first arrived, although being a 17 year old Belgian Draft mule, he had severe muscle atrophy throughout his entire body.

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After only six months of vacuum therapy, chiropractic, massage, proper diet and only fifteen minutes a week of leading exercises, his body was completely transformed!

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