The Ike Hamilton Expo Center is one of the south’s best facilities with everything under one roof.  The main arena is climate controlled.   There are plenty of RV spots. 

There will be lots of vendors and great awards including Silver Revere Bowls for Halter Classes,  Class Circuit Awards are Directors Chairs, All Around Award Jackets and an All Around English Award.  WOW!!

For more information call Nancy Russ at 228-533-7031(home) or email at qhshow@att.net.

For a show bill click here SugarBowlShowBill2011

The quarter horse shows will be held in conjuction with the Rainbow Futurity on Saturday the 26^th.   There will be a total of 5 shows along with the Rainbow Futurity classes.  Shows 3, 4 and 5 will be triple judged on Sat, Nov 26, and Sun, Nov 27.   The slated judges will be Cindy Rucker, GA, Kenny Hall, TX, Mike Carter and Charlene Carter, TN, and Carla Wennberg, NC.   The Rainbow Futurity judges will be announced at a later date.

 There will be Circuit Awards in every class and you must show to all 5 judges. There will be an exhibitors party on Friday Night, Nov.25, compliments of Baker Quarter Horses.

 For more information about the AQHA shows and stall information call Nancy Russ, 228-342-2922 or email  qhshow@att.net.     For information about the Rainbow Futurity call Reba Porter, after 6:00 pm at 601-444-1990, or email   info@rainbowfuturity.com.

For a copy of the show bill click here:    CajunClassicShowBill2011

Along with the routine facilities found in most equine clinics,  MSU-CVM equine department has air conditioned/heated stalls, isolation stalls, neurologic stall, sand stall for laminitic patients, anesthetic induction and recovery stalls and a sterile surgical suite.   The faculty and staff is great, having combined expertise in every area of equine health.   Having a facility and staff of this caliber in our area is wonderful  given how difficult it can be to find resources for our horses.

For more information about the Animal Health Center at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University and the services they offer you can go to, www.cvm.msstate.edu.

 The first and most important point is to be sure you get the best help you can.  If this is your first horse then you must certainly find an expert to help you.  In the long run it can save you a very big mistake in the event you buy the wrong horse.  But please be sure you find someone with credentials, not just a self-proclaimed expert.  There are a lot of those around.  I was in a meeting one time when one of these self-proclaimed experts came in to tell the group that she was a horse expert.  This so called expert, talked just a short time before she began to talk about neutering male horses.  I knew immediately she did not know anything about horses nor had she even been around knowledgeable people, or she never would refer to gelding a horse as neutering him.  The word neuter just never enters the vernacular of a true horse person, or even someone that has been around horses for even a short time.  So be very careful, find out what this expert has accomplished.  Have they had show horses and won awards with their horses or have they just owned horses.  There is a big difference if you have owned horses but done nothing with them or if you have trained and used your horses.  Just be careful who you find to give you advice.   If you are looking for another (new) horse then you may have the experience to go it alone.

The internet has changed the way we search for horses today.  In years past we got on the phone and started calling around setting up appointments to see horses.  Or we called a trainer and told him/her what we wanted and they got on the phone and started looking.   But today with the internet we can search anytime of the day or night.  Youtube is a fabulous source.  By just typing in the kind of horse you are looking for, such as: hunter under saddle prospect, you can find many videos to watch.  This lets you get your short list put together quicker than in past years.  Since you can see the horse move you can know immediately if you want to take the time to call or go see the horse.  Of course, not all horses are on Youtube so the only way to find the ones not on the internet  is by calling folks.  There are lots of websites with classifieds and some that are nothing but horses, such as, equine.com and dreamhorse.com.   In a short time you can check them all out.

 You can also use a trainer to find the horse of your dreams.  There are some advantages to using a trainer to find your new horse.  One is they know lots of trainers and sometimes they can find horses before they have really hit the market.  Also, if the trainer is familiar with the horse he/she can determine if a horse will suit you before you even get involved.  Using a trainer can be a real time saver, but it will cost you.  As with any service you will pay for the convenience of letting someone else do a lot of the preliminary work involved in finding a great new horse.   Even if you want to do the searching, you will probably want the opinion of a trainer, or your trainer before you actually make a purchase.   Just like the Vet Pre-Purchase, the money spent getting the advice of an expert can save you a lot in the long run.

Once you have found a horse you just love and want to own, you have to decide if you want to have a pre-purchase exam done on the horse.  If you are going to spend a large amount of money then the pre-purchase is a no-brainer.   But even if you are not breaking the bank on the horse, you may want to know that the horse does not have any potential problems that could cause the horse to end up unusable.  Of course the PPE is not a guarantee the horse will be sound into old age, but it can give you some information about problems that are already detectable.  You just have to decide if the money you spend on the PPE is money you want to add to the cost of the horse.  And of course the outcome of the PPE could require you not to buy the horse.  I can tell you from experience it is rough to spend over $1,000 on the horse of your dreams only to hear your vet telling you, there is too much risk because of something on the x-rays.  You feel you have literally taken that money and thrown it down a well. But it saved me from buying a wonderful horse that may not hold up to do the classes I want to do.  So in the long run that money may have saved me from a lot of disappointment down the road.  You can get different levels of PPE’s, you don’t have to have x-rays of every joint, etc.  Your vet can help you determine how deep you want to go on a PPE so the price will reflect that depth.

So if you have decided you need or simply want a new horse, crank up your computer, get online and  start looking at videos.

 When your horse needs complete stall rest for an extended period of time there are several things you need to consider.

 First of all ask your vet how much feed and hay your horse will need during his unfortunate incarceration.  Some horses will have their grain ration cut but sometimes it is necessary to discontinue all grain and only feed hay.   Because of your horse’s decreased energy needs it is very important to work with your vet to determine what and how much feed and hay your horse will need.  It is certain he will not need the same amount he gets when exercising regularly.   In my horses case he could have all the grass hay he wanted so I kept hay in front of him all the time.  That helped with his boredom and also his hunger from not getting but a little grain.

 Talk to your vet about the possibility of giving your horse some medicine to keep him calm.  Your vet will be able to help you decide which (if any)  would be best in your situation.

 If your horse likes to have a barn buddy, get him one!  If he has a horse that he is close to, keep that horse in the barn with him.  Since I have several horses I rotate the outside horses so they only stay in one night at a time, but my horse has to have another horse in the barn with him at all times.  It is a pain, but it keeps him quiet and content.  I actually know someone that put a mirror up on the outside of the stall grills and her horse calmed down thinking another horse was in the barn.  I tried it with mine, but he kept trying to look around the mirror, as if he was looking for the rest of the horse.  It was pretty entertaining but did not satisfy his desire to have a barn buddy.

If you can afford it, there are also rehabilitation facilities out there that will keep your horse and do everything just as the vet orders.  This could be a great alternative for people with busy lives.  The Sanctuary inOcala is a fabulous place with everything a convalescing horse could need to get better.  There are facilities in other parts of the country, especially in states that have a large race horse industry.  

 So when your vet says your horse has to be confined to a stall for an extended period of time,  make sure he/she spends some time explaining the special care your horse will need.

Shelby and “Walter” were also the Grand Champions in the 13 and under Reining classes at the 4-H district show in Baton Rouge, LA and the Louisiana State 4-H Horse Show in Monroe, LA.  Only the first place rider in each division is allowed to advance and compete in the 4-H Regional Championship Show. Shelby represented both St. John Parish and the state of Louisiana in this competition.  She is a 7^th grader at St. Joan of Arc School and the daughter of Michael and Alisha H. Reine.

  2011 Quarter Horse Congress Schedule

Also, if you are traveling across state lines with your horses you need to check with your veterinarian to see which states are requiring negative piroplasmosis tests.  You could end up being turned away at the state line if you show up without the proper paperwork.