Enhancement to Thoroughbred Connect Announced by The Jockey Club

/

The Jockey Club announced today an enhancement to Thoroughbred Connect™, the organization’s online resource for rehoming Thoroughbreds at the conclusion of their racing or breeding careers.  

Under this new feature, persons in possession of Thoroughbreds in need of aftercare can now list those horses publicly on thoroughbredconnect.com. Those willing to provide assistance for a Thoroughbred appearing on the list may request their contact information be sent automatically to the person in possession of the horse. 

Thoroughbred Connect enables Registry customers to express their willingness to be contacted by people in possession of Thoroughbreds in the event the horses are in need of aftercare or assistance. Those interested in providing aftercare or assistance can attach their name and contact information to the electronic records of Thoroughbreds within The Jockey Club’s database using Thoroughbred Connect.  

Since its introduction in May 2011, more than 830 Registry customers have signed up to use the service, and over 1,700 horses have been enrolled.  

“We made this enhancement after hearing from a number of our customers who told us they’d like to see a list of horses in need of assistance, in order to expedite their placement into new homes,” said James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club. “We are extremely pleased with the overwhelmingly positive response to the service since its launch in May and we will continue to enhance the convenience of the service for our customers.”  

Each horse listing includes a link to the equineline.com Free Auction Results Search for the horse so that an individual can view public sales results as an aid in researching the horse’s history. Links to a five-generation pedigree from equineline.com and to racing information from equibase.com are also provided.  

To raise further awareness and use of the service, The Jockey Club has added the Thoroughbred Connect logo and website address on the back of the Certificate of Foal Registration.  

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred racing and breeding, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms, among others. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.

Workers Comp 2011-12 Forms

/

The latest revisions of the Worker's Comp applications and supporting documents are now online.

Worker's Comp 2011-12 Application (Full Renewal)
 This is the full renewal application to be used if you have not yet completed an application for the New Policy Period (7/17/11 - 7/1/12)

Worker's Comp 2011-12 Addendum to Application and Participation in Trust
Complete and return this form only if you have already completed an application for the New Policy Period (7/17/11 - 7/1/12) 

Horsemen's Workers' Compensation Insurance Trust Indemnity Agreement

 

Most of these documents are also available on all pages of the website on the right hand side under the Important Downloads header. You can also find these downloads and more under the Resources/Downloads section of the website.

NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance: Aftercare

/

July 6, 2011
Contact: Eric Wing (212) 521-5316

NTRA SAFETY AND INTEGRITY ALLIANCE LAUNCHES AFTERCARE WEBSITE

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced that the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance has today established a new Website,www.ntraaftercare.com, dedicated to retired Thoroughbred racehorses.

Information contained on the new site includes: 
• Contact information for aftercare liaisons at all Alliance-accredited racetracks
• Interactive aftercare organization map showing facilities by state
• Links to educational aftercare articles
• Resources available to aftercare organizations, including grants and funding, gelding clinics, legal document templates, and a listing of national/regional organizations and associations.
• Best practices for racetracks and aftercare organizations
• Video library of Alliance Professional Education Seminar aftercare presentations
• Event calendar
• Aftercare news and success stories

Aftercare facilities are able to sign up at the site to have their facility listed, and to have their events listed on the site's calendar.

"This new site will provide solid, practical information-for both prospective
and current adopters-on funding options, second-career possibilities for Thoroughbreds and many other relevant topics," said Mike Ziegler, Executive Director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. "The site is targeted to anyone interested in getting involved with horses after their careers on the track are over."

The NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance focuses on human and equine safety and wagering security. Information on the Alliance, including the Alliance Code of Standards, can be found at www.NTRAalliance.com.

The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson, former four-term Governor of Wisconsin and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, serves as independent counsel of the Alliance.

Memo to Horsemen

/

RE: 2010-2011 policy period extension 

The board of directors have extended the current worker’s compensation policy period until midnight July 16th 2011.  Your policy will remain in effect until that time. The start rates ($40 in state, and $60 out of state) will remain during the extension period.  If you have any questions or need more information, please contact one of our field offices or the main office. 

Thank you,

EHV-1 Neurological Disease Incident

/

From the American Horse Council http://www.horsecouncil.org

Background

State and federal animal health officials confirmed several cases of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) and Equine Herpes Virus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) in horses that attended a cutting horse event in Ogden, Utah held from April 29 to May 8, 2011. 

The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) implemented immediate biosecurity protocols and notified state veterinarians of individual horses, potentially exposed to the reportable disease EHV-1 during the Ogden event, which may have reentered their respective states.  Horses which were exposed at the event in Utah and have since left the event may expose horses at their home farm or other equine facilities.

Following confirmation of the EHV-1 neurological disease, the American Horse Council (AHC) and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and requested federal coordination for data collection, dissemination, and communication efforts among state and federal veterinarians in order to protect the health of horses and mitigate the economic implications of further EHV-1 transmission within states not yet affected.

Current Status

In response, USDA has reached out to state veterinarians, federal Area-Veterinarians-In-Charge (AVICs) and private practitioners to collect current information on the EHV-1 disease incident and develop a coordinated response among state, federal, and industry partners.  The full scope of the current EHV-1 situation and a complete accounting for the number of horses affected and/or exposed has yet to be determined.                                                               

USDA and state veterinarians have initiated an epidemiological investigation and incident response effort, and we anticipate USDA releasing the initial incident report on the exact number of horses confirmed EHV-1 positive in the coming days.  USDA anticipates updating and releasing future incident reports on the current EHV-1 incident on a weekly basis going forward.  If the current incident results in wide-spread exposure or a large influx of positive horses, we anticipate that USDA will provide that information as it becomes available.

There have been numerous articles citing a wide variation in the number of confirmed cases of the EHV-1 neurological disease in horses.  This large disparity in epidemiological information underscores the importance of allowing USDA and state veterinarians to collect the appropriate data, verify the information gathered, and disseminate factually correct information.

Until state and federal animal health officials are able to gather, verify, and disseminate accurate information on the scope of the current incident, it is critical individual horse owners and organizations undertake appropriate and responsible actions to mitigate the welfare and economic implications of potential future transmissions. 

New Travel Requirements for Horses Entering Colorado

As of the release of this notice, only Colorado has implemented enhanced entry requirements in response to the on-going EHV-1 disease situation.  Colorado's requirement reads as follows: 

Standard requirements for horses entering Colorado include a health issued certificate within 30 days of their arrival and a negative Coggins test within 12 months.  The new requirement consists of a permit to enter the state.  Horse owners who wish to bring their horse into Colorado must first call their veterinarian.  That veterinarian can then contact the Colorado Department of Agriculture's State Veterinarian's Office at (303) 239-4161 and request a permit number.  That number would then be included on the health certificate.

Please contact the Colorado State Veterinarian's office (303-239-4161) for additional information on these requirements.  Additionally, if you anticipate transporting your horse across state lines it is recommended you contact the each respective state veterinarian's office prior to departure to determine if there are any restrictions or enhanced entry requirements due to the current EHV-1 incident.

In the interim, the AHC stresses the importance of responsible ownership practices and informed communication among industry organizations.  Please see the following links for additional information on EHV-1 transmission risks and disease mitigation strategies.

Additional Resources

USDA-APHIS website:

EHV information sheets, color brochures, historical information, and a review of disease mitigation strategies are available on the USDA-APHIS website:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/ehv/

AAEP website:

General EHV resources through the American Association of Equine Practitioners:
http://www.aaep.org/ehv_resources.htm

Neurologic Disease Guidelines:
http://www.aaep.org/pdfs/control_guidelines/Neurologic%20Disease%20Guidelines.pdf

Equine Herpes Virus:
http://www.aaep.org/images/files/EquineHerpesvirusGuidelines051711.pdf

Biosecurity Guidelines:
http://www.aaep.org/pdfs/control_guidelines/Biosecurity_instructions%201.pdf

Biosecurity Instructions for Caretakers - English & Spanish:
http://www.aaep.org/pdfs/control_guidelines/Instructions%20to%20grooms.pdf

National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) website:

For history of the current outbreak and additional outreach materials:

http://www.nchacutting.com/

ACVIM Consensus Statement on EHV-1:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2009.0304.x/pdf