|
Boulder County Horse Association's (BCHA) Annual Horse Lovers' Fling is the major fund raising project for BCHA. The event brings hundreds of horse people together to meet, greet and celebrate Boulder County's horse industry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funds raised from the Fling benefit Boulder County horse educational programs, trail maintenance and awareness, promotional materials for the horse community and much more. |
| |
Educational Seminar Series
Previous Seminars
April 26, 2008: Equine Vital Signs
February 22, 2008: Common Ocular Abnormalities in Horses
November 8, 2008: Horse Behavior
September 13, 2007: Equine Insurance
June 12, 2007: Equine Podiatry
March 20, 2007: The Geriatric Horse
January 2007: Equine Chiropractic and Acupuncture
September 2006: Preparing a Draft Horse for Show
July 2006: Clicker Train Your Horse
June 2006: Equine Touch and TTouch
May 2006: Balimo
April 2006: Equine Dentistry
Nov. 2005: Colic
Oct. 2005: Reining
July 2005: Team Penning and Ranch Sorting
May 2005: Grazing Management of Small Acreage Property
May 2005: Save the Wild Horses Slide Show
February 2005: Draft Horse
October 2004: Emergency Evacuation
June 2004: Beeding & Foaling Part Two
February 2004: Breeding & Foaling Part One
January 2004: Carcass Disposal - What can you do when a beloved horse passes on?
April 2003: Impact of Drought on Your Pastures and Horses
May 2003: Assessing a Crisis
Oct 2002: Trailer Evacuation
Oct 2002: West Nile Virus
Saturday, April 26, 2008,
"Equine Vital Signs and Basic Emergency Assessment"
Presented by Stacey Bluhm, DVM.
Colorado Horse Rescue
BCHA and Colorado Horse Rescue co-sponsored this exciting and informative seminar on the measurement and implications of horse vital signs.
Dr. Bluhm spoke about colic, wounds, and laminitis. Approximately 38 attendees participated in a practicum, using CHR horses as the docile subjects. They listened to heartbeats and bowel sounds with stethoscopes, took rectal temperatures, and roughly estimated the weight of the horses using weight tapes.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008, 7:00 PM, "Common Ocular Abnormalities in Horses"
 Presented by Dr. Holly L. Hamilton, DVM
Longmont Public Library
Dr. Hamilton’s veterinary specialty is ophthalmology, a subject most of us are unfamiliar with until crisis strikes. Dr. Hamilton presented information on the diseases of the equine eye and included cornea edema, cataracts, uveitis, moon blindness, ulcers, glaucoma, and related conditions. Dr. Hamilton practices at the Animal Eye Center in Loveland with Steven M. Roberts, DVM, formally a professor of ophthalmology at Colorado State University Veterinary School. Summary of the seminar can be found in the March/April issue of "The Horse's Mouth."
Thursday, November 8, 2007: "Horse Behavior "
 Presented by Dr. Mark Fitch, DVM
Colorado Horse Rescue, Longmont
Dr. Mark Fitch will gave a talk on horse behavior, i.e. what they do. why they do it, and how to work around it. He illustrated his methods using the live problems presented by various CHR horses. The seminar was well attended and particularly helpful in showing how to provide veterinary care to horses fearful of human handlers. A complete write up of this seminar can be found in the Jan/Feb. 2008
BCHA newsletter, "The Horse's Mouth."
Thursday, September 13, 2007: "Equine Insurance"
Presented by Rob Carruth of Goetz Insurors
Altona Grange, Nelson Rd. & 39th St., Boulder
Rob Carruth is the National Program Administrator of the US Equine Federation and will spoke on all aspects of equine insurance. Hel addressed insurance information specific to horse owners, trainers, and facilities managers.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007: "Equine Podiatry"
Presented by Dr. Stacey Bluhm, DVM and Mr. Tom Rosen,
Rocky Mountain Equine Podiatry
Altona Grange, Nelson Rd. & 39th St., Boulder
The foot is responsible for the majority of equine lamenesses. Current techniques and technologies in equine podiatry were discussed for problems such as laminitis, navicular disease, cracks, wounds, club feet, white line disease, ringbone, etc.
Dr. Bluhm's power point presentation showed the importance of radiographs in diagnosing and treating lameness. Mr. Rosen showed varying types of shoes made of different materials in treating the different types of abnormalities. Attendees were able to handle bones of the foot and see the different types of problems that can arise which cause lameness. More information on the seminar will be available in the Sept/Oct issue of the Horse's Mouth, BCHA's bimonthly newsletter.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007: "The Geriatric Horse"
Presented by Dr. Nancy Loving, DVM
Medicine Horse: 8778 Arapahoe Rd, Boulder
Dr. Nancy Loving spoke about health concerns for the aging and geriatric horse. In addition to pertinent sections in her recently published book, ALL HORSE SYSTEMS GO (Trafalgar Square Publishing, 2006), she also authored a chapter in Equine Geriatric Medicine and Surgery (Saunders-Elsevier Publishing, 2006) regarding health care of the older horse.
An excerpt from her writing introduces her lecture and slide show: ”Not all that long ago, a horse in its teens was considered old. Even currently in many undeveloped countries, this is still considered to be the case. But in today’s sophisticated and modernized horse world, what is considered ”geriatric?“ In general, a horse is considered aged when it has reached 20 years of age, but there is more than one way to view the concept of age. The obvious is to consider the horse in terms of chronological age based on year of birth. Or, his ”age“ can be measured in physiologic terms, as in the difference between a young and an old horse’s health responses. Yet another view focuses on functional age related to use, as for example a racehorse may not have the stamina or speed to excel on the track, but may make a dandy hunter/jumper in a career change, or a mare may have surpassed her athletic life yet may still produce great foals.
”The number of horses living well into older years is increasing. The National Animal Health Monitoring study (1998) noted that 1/3rd of all horses were more than 11 years of age, while those over age 20 comprise about 1/10th of the horse population. It was reported that 2.5 percent of horses of all ages die each year, but for horses past age 20, the annual death rate is 5 times greater, at 11 percent. To bring these figures to an earthier vantage, this says that 11 horses out of 100 over age 20 die each year. More telling, though, is that of those 11, about 4 horses die as a direct consequence of old age, and of these 3 are euthanized due to issues of chronic weight loss or musculoskeletal problems that cause them difficulty in getting around."
”Technology and advances in medicine have given us tools to keep our horses alive longer and in many cases, to remain athletically active into old age. If we are able to address the predominant causes (weight loss and musculoskeletal concerns) of old age euthanasia, we have the potential to improve a horse’s quality of life in his golden years. Let’s look at some old horse tendencies and some problems, and ways to successfully manage these concerns to give your older horse the greener pastures he deserves."
For a summary of Dr. Loving's seminar, see BCHA's newsletter, "The Horses Mouth", May/June 2007 issue.
Sunday, January 28, 2007: "Equine Chiropractic & Acupuncture"
Presented by Dr. Deb Schultz, DVM, Windward Veterinary Services
Rabbit Mountain Equestrian Center, LLC, Hygiene
Dr. Deb Schultz, DVM, talked about the value of chiropractic care and acupuncture for our equine partners. “Chiropractics is all about joints and making sure they are moving properly,” she began. “When the horse's joints are stressed or over extended, they can lock up; and when a joint in the horse's body is not moving correctly, there becomes restricted movement, stiffness and pain.” Through demonstration, Dr. Schultz explained the rationale, techniques she uses, and purpose of chiropractic and acupuncture for horses.
A complete summary of the seminar, can be found in the March/April 2007 BCHA newsletter, The Horse's Mouth.
Sunday, September 17, 2006: "Preparing a Draft Horse for Show"
Presented by Jean and Dennis Kuehl along with teachers from the Colorado Draft Horse Association.
Rabbit Mountain Equestrian Center, LLC, Hygiene
This seminar provided hands on demonstrations for the purpose of preparing a draft horse for halter and hitch performance classes at shows. Concurrant demonstations gave participants opportunities to prepare horses to drive and described what a judge looks for in judging a show. Some of the mini-classes were Clipping, Tying Tails, Braiding Manes, Showmanship, Hoof Preparation, Training Routines for Hitch Competition, and Judging Critera and Practice.
Photo journal will be comoing in BCHA's "The Horse's Mouth", Nov/Dec 2006 issue.
July 15, 2006: "Clicker Train Your Horse" Demonstration
Presented by Cheryl Eastep
Mountain Meadows Holistic Equestrian Center and Joder Arabian Ranch, Boulder
Cheryl Eastep of Freedom Ranch in Byers, Colorado, presented a demonstration on “Clicker Training for Your Horse”. Cheryl brought her beautiful adopted mustang, who is new to clicker training, to demonstrate the principles of discipline. In her demonstration she trained her horse to touch a target and lift her leg when touched with the target. The demo included an explanation of the principles of Clicker training, what tools to use, things to think about while doing the training and experiencing the beauty of how simple it can be.
Details can be found in BCHA's "The Horse's Mouth", Sept/Oct 2006 issue.
June 18, 2006: "Equine Touch and TTouch"
Presented by Raian Kaiser
Rabbit Mountain Equestrian Center, LLC, Hygiene
Most horse owners are aware of the benefits of regular body work, both for themselves and for their horses. Raian Kaiser demonstrated the Equine Touch and the Tellington-Touch explaining the differences and similarities to improve balance, flexibility, movement, and pain reduction. With a massage table for humans, she demonstrated the touch movements on volunteers.
Both methods can be learned and used by horse owners who would like simple yet powerful methods to monitor the state of their horses' bodies during training, competition, rehab from injuries, or to use just to say "thank you" and for closer bonding between horse and human.
Details can be found in BCHA's "The Horse's Mouth", July/Aug 2006 issue.
May 13, 2006: "Balimo" Demonstration
Presented by Dawn Fisher
Mountain Meadows Holistic Equestrian Center and Joder Arabian Ranch, 7497 N. Foothills, Boulder
BALIMO™ was created by a bio-medical research scientist in conjunction with a professor of sports physiology and kinesiology to help the user develop a better sense of balance and to regain and increase flexibility of the hips and spine.
The demonstration showed the audience simple methods to increase awareness, agility and coordination while riding your horse. The focus was to create “balance in motion” by identifying and removing blockages in the body using exercises on the ground, then doing similar motions while riding. The techniques
were easy to learn and easy to perform.
The demonstration included: An introductory lecture to the program and philosophy, demonstrations with riders, and handouts to take home.
April 24, 2006: "Equine Dentistry"
Presented by Dr. Michael Pavsek, DVM
Altona Grange, Nelson Rd. & 39th St., Boulder
Dr. Pavsek discussed the "whys" and recommended schedule for routine dental maintenance for horses at all ages. He reviewed problems that can occur within the equine mouth, the source of these issues, and methods for resolution. It was an informative evening for those attending, and thank you to Dr. Pavsek for donating his time to BCHA.
Michael Pavsek, VMD, Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1988. In Colorado since Jan '89, he has had primarily a dental practice for the last 10 years. He has trained in dentistry in various locations over the years and is a member of AAEP and the International Association of Equine Dentistry.
Details can be found in BCHA's "The Horse's Mouth, July/Aug 2006 issue.
November 3, 2005: "Colic"
Presented by Dr. Nancy Loving, DVM
Altona Grange, North Boulder
Colic is one of those medical emergencies every horseowner dreads. Dr. Nancy Loving discussed numerous aspects of equine colic from identification of the problem and what to do about it, to strategies in prevention. Dr. Loving gave scientific explanations of the digestive tract of the horse and how it is prone to various ailments we call colic. Using photographs to illustrate her talk, Nancy explained the major causes and treatments for colic, how to notice warning signs, and how to prevent common types of colic. One of the most important preventive measures is to have a mindful healthy feeding program.
 Thank you Nancy for volunteering your time on this important subject and answering our many questions!
It was an informative evening!
October 16, 2005: "Reining"
Presented by Steve Schwartzenberger
Boulder County Fairgrounds, Indoor Arena
 Steve presented an overview and demonstration of basic training principles and processes of reining from start to finish. Bringing three horses from a 2 year old to an older horse, Steve demonstrated how he starts a young horse and progresses to advanced levels with older horses up to freestyle level. He answered many questions from the spectators who came from as far away as Wellington to attend the seminar.
Steve has established himself as one of the country's top trainers, wining prestigious events such as the NRHA Limited Open Futurity, the Farnam AQHA Congress Open Reining Futurity, the Rocky Mountain Summer Slide Open Futurity, and the Reno Spectacular Open Futurity.
Many thanks to Steve for donating his time to BCHA!
July 25, 2005: Team Penning and Ranch Sorting
Presented by Mark and Megan Cardillo
This BCHA seminar was held at the North Fork Quarter Horse Ranch. Participants learned and practiced the fast growing sport of team penning and ranch sorting.
Team penning: The riders cross the line, the time starts and their number is called. The first-man-in locates a cow with the correct number on it and goes in the herd after it.
The turn-back goes with him and keeps the cows with
the wrong numbers  (dirty cows) from coming out of
the herd. The second-man also locates a cow with the right number and as soon as the first-man has his cow
handled he goes in after his cow. The turn-back hustles over to help. Then the third cow is located and pulled from the herd. All three cows are herded down to the other end of the arena and into the pen. Time is called when a rider's horse is into the pen behind the cows and his hand is raised above his shoulder.
May 17, 19, & 24, 2005: Grazing Management of Small Acreage Property
BCHA co-sponsored this seminar with Colorado State University Cooperative Extension in Boulder County and the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Agricultural Resource Division.
Sessions one and two covered the fundamentals of grass growth, plant response to grazing, and appropriate grazing practices. The third session included a tour of local pastures. Rob Alexander, Agriculture Resource Specialist with Boulder County Parks and Open Space, led the workshop.
May 31, 2005: Save the Wild Horses Slide Show
Presented by Carol Walker
Boulder Public Library, Main Branch, Boulder Creek Meeting Room
An in depth look at wild horses in Wyoming and Montana, with images set to music, and information about what you can do to help protect the wild horses and get the new legislation passed to keep them from being sold for slaughter. There was a presentation, slide show, and plenty of time for questions.
February 5, 2005: Draft Horse Seminar
Training and Using Draft Horses on a Small Acreage
Presentation and demonstration by Dennis and Jean Kuehl,
Mountain View Belgians, northwest Longmont.
Fundamentals participants experienced: Training the draft horse in the round pen, appropriate
harness fitting, training the horse to understand harness and the concept of draft, hitching and driving
the horse/horses to a vehicle, and demonstrating the effective use
of draft horses on a small acreage.
October 17, 2004: Emergency Evacuation Seminar
Members of the Jefferson Couonty Mounted Search and Rescue Team, Boulder County Sheriff's Large
Animal Control Officer, and local barn managers presented information on how Boulder County is
responding to emergencies, particularly wildfires which may lead to an evacuation. An emergency
evaucation kit was displayed and the informative handouts distributed are available as pdf files
by following the links below.
(To open our pdf files, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer--free download available)
www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html Horse and Barn Owners Need to be Prepared
Evacuation Tips for Emergency Personnel
H.O.O.F form
Horse owners are encouraged to complete the H.O.O.F. form (Horse Owner's Operation Find). This form will
be added to a sheriff department's data base and help in finding owners of lost horses.
February 26 & June 17, 2004: Breeding and Foaling Seminars
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Equine Reproduction
Presented by Stacy Bluhm DVM and Marty Butley DVM of Boulder Valley Veterinary Clinic
The speakers presented a comprehensive introduction to breeding mares and collecting stallions.
Hormonal control of the mare's reproductive cycle, how to tell when a mare is in heat, the uses of
ultrasound, cooled verses frozen semen, semen evaluation, and much more were covered. Participants
had the opportunity to handle equipment and tissue samples.
January 2004: Carcass Disposal
What are your options when your beloved horse passes on? BCHA partnered with the Colorado State
University Cooperative Extension in Boulder County to present a seminar on this important and
difficult question. Speakers included Bob Hamblen from CSU Extension; John Scanga: The problem as
a whole, and Lori Warren: Legal Aspects of Burial. Together they covered topics of:
- What options are available
- Legal and other considerations
- Burial
- Transportation
- Cremation / Cemeteries
April 2003: Impact of Drought on Your Pastures and Horses
Drought can impact pastures in many ways. During drought, desirable forage species can be reduced
and other less desirable species may become a larger part of the available forage your animal eats.
This could result in the poisoning of some horses.
On Thursday, April 24th, The Boulder County Horse Association in Partnership with Colorado State University
Cooperative Extension-Boulder County held an educational seminar to address this issue.
We were very fortunate to have Dr. Anthony P. Knight, BVSc, MS, MRCVS, DACVIM as our keynote
speaker. Dr. Knight is Professor and Chair, The Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Colorado State University, Ft Collins, Colorado. Dr. Knight is
the author of "A Guide to Plant Poisoning of Animals in North America".
This seminar focused on the plants that may be harmful to your horse during drought along with pasture
management tips you can use during drought to protect your pasture. Dr. Knight also provides the latest
updates on West Nile Virus and Pigeon Fever.
May 2003: Assessing a Crisis - Nancy S. Loving, DVM
This slide show seminar was presented by Dr. Nancy Loving to assist the horse owner in
determining what to do when faced with a horse crisis. You arrive home from work and find your
horse in the pasture with a gash in its leg. What goes through your mind when you notice your horse's
eye is swollen half shut? What should you do when your horse turns up his nose at his dinner and walks
away? How urgent is it when your normally sound horse trots in from the pasture with a limp? How do you
decide when to call the vet and what to do for your horse? Dr. Loving reviewed many first aid measures
that the horse owner can take to improve the outcome of a medical problem. We looked closely at what
constitutes a true, life-threatening emergency and what situations will do fine for a short time with a
horse-owner brand of first aid.
Oct 2002: Horse Evacuation Seminar
Organized and emceed by BCHA Board member Kathie Hibbard, an enthusiastic and curious group of horse people
took a turn at the "trailer rodeo", listened to members of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office
talk about emergency plans, learned about the importance of trailer maintenance from Mac Mackin of Mac's
Trailer Service, and as a special bonus, watched a Marty Marten trailer loading demonstration. Word has it
that the afternoon was most informative and an excellent program!
Oct 2002: West Nile Virus
BCHA and CSU Cooperative Extension co-sponsored a seminar on West Nile Virus. Emceed by CSU Extension
Agent Paul Aravis, wonderfully informative talks were given by Dr. Nancy Loving DVM, Colorado Dept. of
Health Epidemiologist John Pape, Dr. Ron Ackerman DVM, Director of Animal Health and Disease Control,
of the Division of Animal Industry of the Colorado Dept. of Agriculture, Mike Maginess of Colorado
Mosquito Control, Inc., and Bonnie Greenwood of the Boulder County Health Dept.
|
2008 Annual Membership Meeting 
