CANCELLED - To be rescheduled

June 19, 2012, Lexington, KY - Barn and stable fires claim horses lives.
• 22 show horses killed in New York barn fire - January 2012
• 27 horses perished in a barn fire in Michigan - February 2012
• 6 race horses killed in a fire in Chicago - March 2012
• 18 horses die in a barn fire in Illinois - April 2012

We hear about these tragedies all too often, and hope it does not happen to us. Everyone can remember the 2011 fire, recently profiled on CBS 60 Minutes, which roared through Boyd Martin’s stable claiming the lives of 6 horses and causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in loss which almost ended Boyd’s career. Miraculously, one of Boyd’s mounts Neville Bardos, while suffering extensive burns and damage to his lungs, was spared and came back to be his current Olympic hopeful mount. This is one of those stories which legends are made from, but one which none of us should ever have to experience.

Barns and stables are filled with highly flammable materials, and present a big fire prevention challenge. Add the presence of panicked animals and you have a recipe for a disaster if a fire breaks out. However, barn and stable fires are preventable and can be extinguished with the deployment of good barn management and the right fire extinguishing agent.

Whether you keep your horses at home, or stable them, a barn fire is an event you must plan to prevent. The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. has teamed up with Fire Freeze Worldwide, Inc. to bring to your attention “Cold Fire” an environmentally horse safe and cost effective fire extinguishing agent.

Join us on June 29, 2012 at the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington Kentucky, for a live demonstration of the effectiveness of Cold Fire and an explanation of its benefits to the equestrian community.

Where: The Kentucky Horse Park, Alltech Arena, Lower Parking Area.
Follow the Directional Signs

When: June 29th, 2012 at 11:00am

Please R.S.V.P by June 27th to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Bill Harless
Marketing & Communications Director
The United States Pony Clubs, Inc.
4041 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511

Kentucky Department of Agriculture
James R. Comer
Commissioner of Agriculture
111 Corporate Drive
Frankfort, KY  40601
Phone: (502) 573-0450
FAX: (502) 573-0046
www.kyagr.com
  
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
For more information contact:
Holly VonLuehrte
(502) 573-0450

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Today, Agriculture Commissioner James Comer issued a warning that weather conditions are ripe for an outbreak of West Nile Virus and cited State Veterinarian Dr. Robert Stout’s advice that Kentucky equine owners should consult their veterinarians about vaccinating their horses against the disease.

“While we do not wish to cause unnecessary alarm, we are concerned about the equine population’s vulnerability to this potentially deadly disease,” said Commissioner Comer. “I am confident that Kentucky’s equine owners will act in the best interests of their horses and seek guidance on vaccinations.”

West Nile is spread by mosquitoes, and mosquitoes thrive in the warm, wet conditions Kentucky has experienced in the last few weeks. No horse in Kentucky that has undergone a full West Nile vaccination regimen is known to have contracted the virus since 2003, according to Dr. Stout. West Nile was first discovered in Kentucky in 2001, and Kentucky experienced 513 equine cases of the disease in 2002 and 102 cases in 2003. Kentucky recorded one equine case in 2011, in Fleming County. 

West Nile Virus causes encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, in horses, humans, birds, and other warm-blooded animals. It is transmitted by mosquitoes that acquire it from infected birds. Humans and equine cannot transmit the disease. It was first discovered in the United States in 1999 in New York.

Lexington, KY, March 5, 2012 - The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) is providing coordination for the U.S. Equine Disaster Relief Fund to support horse owners affected by this past week's tornadoes. KHC has experience responding to equine crises through this fund and the Save Our Horses (SoHo) Fund.
 
"In the past, we have supported many victims of flooding and disasters in other states, and now it is Kentucky which needs this support. Our hearts and prayers go out to all who have been affected by this tragedy. The U.S. Equine Disaster Relief Fund will help Kentucky horse owners with temporary feed and fencing as they work to recover from this disaster," remarked Anna Zinkhon, President of the Kentucky Horse Council.
 
"We are also in touch with the Indiana Horse Council to determine the extent of the need there," she continued.
 
The Kentucky Horse Council has been contacting officials in those areas most affected by the tornadoes, to assess the impact of the extensive tornado damage on horse owners.
 
"We are relieved that over the weekend, horse organizations such as the Northern Kentucky Horse Network have already relayed important information among horse owners regarding temporary shelter and how to assist those victims who have horses. Buffalo Mounted Patrol has traveled to West Liberty, where the devastation was incredible, to patrol damaged areas until rescue efforts could be fully mobilized," commented Ginny Grulke, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Council.

When any state needs assistance due to a natural disaster, KHC notifies its members and the Kentucky horse community and begins the process of responding to the needs of the affected horses, typically by purchasing feed which the local response agencies then distributes to affected horses. For the tornadoes that hit this past weekend, it is Kentucky who needs the help.
 
Donations to the U.S. Disaster Relief Fund can be made at www.kentuckyhorse.org/disaster-relief/.  
 
ABOUT THE KENTUCKY HORSE COUNCIL - The Kentucky Horse Council is a non-profit organization dedicated, through education and leadership, to the protection and development of the Kentucky equine community. The Kentucky Horse Council provides educational programs and information, scholarships, personal liability insurance, trail riding advocacy, horse show support, and an annual statewide equine industry directory. The specialty Kentucky Horse Council license plate, featuring a foal lying in the grass, provides the primary source of revenue for KHC programs.

For the benefit of Kentucky's horses,

free gelding surgeries will be offered at the Kentucky Horse Park on Saturday, March 10, 2012.

This free clinic is being provided by the Kentucky Horse Park in partnership with the Kentucky Horse Council's Save Our Horses fund and the American Horse Council's Unwanted Horse Coalition.

The free gelding surgeries are open to any equine owner who is financially unable to afford the surgeries.  Castrations will be performed by a veterinarian or a veterinary student under close supervision by a licensed veterinarian.  Stallions must be halter broke, in good health, with two descended testicles and be at least four months of age, with current Coggins and health certificate. 

Applications are now being accepted.  A $20 registration fee will be charged per horse. Surgeries by appointment only.

Information and registration forms: Gelding_Clinic_2012_forms.pdf

  If you need additional information please contact Sheila Forbes, 859-233-4305 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Illustration (c) Chris Ware.