Winter 2024/2025 Issue

Page 30 Winter 2024/2025 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN FREE Print subscribers get FREE classifieds! Print subscribers get FREE non-commercial classified ads! Just email your non-commercial (events, horses/trailers/tack for sale, boarding/lessons/training etc.) classified, 35 words or less to steph@eastcoast equestrian.net . Be sure to include your name and mailing address as it appears on your subscription label. (Not a print subscriber? Sign up online at eastcoastequestrian.net .) Classifieds can run in more than one issue but must be resubmitted each month. Deadline is the 12th of the month before publication. FARMS HORSES HORSES MISC. Tell our advertisers you found them in East Coast Equestrian! Go ahead... Ask da Mare By Malorie de la Mare Dear Mal… I heard something about people getting sick from East- ern Equine Encephalitis. These people were in New York, and I think there were some deaths. I’m really confused about this. Isn’t it a horse disease? I know that people can get encephalitis but thought that was something completely different. What is going on? Should I be worried? I live near the New York border and board my horse at a farm just across the border in New York. What should I do to protect my horse and myself? And why has this happened? -Frightened on the Border Dear Frightened… These are truly scary times. And the recent outbreak of East- ern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) did make headlines. EEE is not uncommon. But it is unusual for humans to become seriously ill after contracting it. Birds carry the virus but show no symptoms of the disease. Mosquitoes that happen to bite an infected bird are the vectors that transmit it to humans and horses, which Har- vard Medical School expert Dr. Ekaterina Pesheva calls “dead- end hosts, because the virus does not replicate at high enough levels in the blood to provide a good route for transmission to feeding mosquitos. But the virus can kill these dead-end hosts.” Currently there is a vaccine to protect horses from EEE. There is not a vaccine for humans. Periodically there have been sig- nificant outbreaks of EEE—as in 2019. But these outbreaks have not affected more than 20 or 30 people. Given the profusion of mosquitoes, and the vulnera- bility of horses who spend a lot of time outdoors, ensuring that your horse is vaccinated is one thing you should do. Protecting yourself from mosquitoes is the best strategy to protect yourself and other humans in your life. That means you should use the bug spray that works best for you, make sure you wear long sleeves and long pants when you’re out in the field with your horse. Make sure that standing water is eliminated—that’s a favorite breeding ground for mosquitoes. To be clear, EEE can be very serious for humans. Symptoms of the disease include sudden severe headache, fever, chills and vomiting. The symp- toms get worse in severe cases Can I Catch EEE from My Horse? and generally there are not a lot of treatments beyond support- ive care. The best strategy is to avoid mosquitoes! Dear Mal… I’ve been reading about endurance competitions and am wondering how they make sure the horses on these distance com- petitions are safe? It seems to me that the horses bear the heaviest burden here—beyond the weights of the riders. They’re literally working for hours without a break, in rain and storms, in sun and blazing heat. Is this really a humane sport? -Worried Dear Worried… Let’s start with one fact: horses that compete in sanc- tioned endurance competitions are cared for by veterinarians at several “vet checks” through- out the competition. And the veterinarians have the last word. If they think a horse is not fit to continue, the horse doesn’t continue. The number of “vet checks” depends on the distance of the ride. During the “vet check,” the horse’s pulse rate and recovery time are measured. Same with respiration rate and recovery to “normal.” The horse’s temperature is taken, and the vet performs a “hands on” inspection of the horse. Horses are not released to continue com- petition until the vet is satisfied that the horse is “fit to contin- ue.” The vet may tell the rider to rest the horse for a period of time, and then check the horse again to see if the vital signs are normal. If not, the horse is pulled from the competition. So, yes. Endurance competitions are tough. Often the terrain is diffi- cult and the weather is another factor. But if you take a look at the rules that govern endurance competitions, you will see how care of the horse during compe- tition is a priority, not an option. As an aside, there are often endurance competitions region- ally, where spectators can get an up close look at the competition and the infrastructure under- lying the whole business—an infrastructure aimed at protect- ing the horse and the rider. You can learn more at the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) website, www.aerc.org , or at USA Northeast Endurance, Inc. (www.usaneenduranceinc. org). Have a question for Mal? Email her at PAEquest@aol.com. Call Phyllis or Debbie today at (717) 509-9800 www.eastcoastequestrian.net The year’s best deal on advertising happens NOW! The March/April issue of East Coast Equestrian is the highest circulation issue of the year! It contains the Official Program of HorseWorld Expo Plus, each issue of East Coast Equestrian is online at www.eastcoastequestrian.net , which is accessed by 8,000 individuals throughout the U.S. and beyond each month. The March/April issue offers huge bonus distribution at Horse World Expo . It is handed to tens of thousands of horse owners as they enter the event. It’s used throughout the Expo and then goes back to the farm as a buyer’s guide with a long shelf life. It also reaches our 4,550 subscribers and is sent to 340 tack shops and feed stores throughout PA, MD, DE, NJ and NY. Deadline for ad space reservations is January 21, 2025 February 27 - March 2, 2025 in Harrisburg, PA TRAINING: Westfield Farm LLC, Tailored for horse and owner. ALL Breeds and disciplines. We will make your trail horse safe or a winning show horse. More info at Westfieldfarmllc.com or CALL 717-432-2828. We get results. 17.66 Acres. Zoned for Horses. Great View. Southern Exposure. Private tree-lined property. Cen- trally located Northampton County PA. Part of our larger farm. We are retiring and looking to downsize. Build your home here! $625,000. (610) 533-5200 Omega Horse Rescue located in Air- ville, PA has a variety of horses and ponies ready for their forever homes! Please visit our website to see pic- tures, videos and how you can help! www.omegahorserescue.com. Horses for sale. Standardbred broodmare. Sierra Cosmos x Lindy Lane. No papers. Her 2024 colt by a Friesen/ Standardbred. Nice to handle and good looking. Call (570) 205-8202. Patchwork Ponies 2024 foal crop- 3 fillies, 2 colts- of Section B Welsh will be weaned and ready for new homes by Christmas. Two yearlings and a three-year old also available. lester@ckt.net Better than right off the track! The PTHA's Turning for Home, Inc. always has OTTBs that are properly rehabbed, retrained and ready for their new careers. Find your next horse at www.turningforhome.org or call 215-808-7562. CATS: Barn homes in Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties, PA. are needed to give rescued strays a chance at life. Cats are neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated; delivered and acclimated. Fill out an application to adopt at StrayCatBlues.org or call 215-631-1851. Nov. 23 Noble Hill Rescue HARVEST OPEN BARN 2002 Noble Rd, Kirkwood, PA 17536. 10am- 2pm. Homemade Food, raffle baskets, gifts, crafts for sale Pony rides weather permitting. Donations accepted. 717 203 9785 DUTTON RZ SADDLE FOR SALE. Adjustable fit, WisAir Airflow, Weight 9lbs 14oz, Size 17 ½. PERFECT CONDI- TION $2000. or Best Offer 570-401-3228 Barn cats looking for jobs! Fully vetted, no fee, hard working cats. We deliver—PA, MD, DE, NJ. Contact us! (215) 219-8148 or info@forgottencats.org .