Equine Health Alert Louisiana...Botulism Suspected in 15 Horses

Fifteen horses at a breeding farm in Vermilion Parish County, Louisiana, became acutely ill with suspected botulism, and 12 have died.

Since December 3, 15 horses have become acutely ill at a Quarter Horse breeding farm in Vermilion Parish County, Louisiana. Two horses died within 48 hours of onset of clinical signs. Ten horses were euthanized within the same time frame due to rapid decline. Two horses are still alive at the LSU veterinary teaching hospital.

Clinical Signs

The clinical signs began as muscle tremors in the postural muscles. The tremors

quickly progressed to the whole body. The

horses would repeatedly go down and display signs of agitation. Within three hours, the horses progressed to lateral recumbency. They were unable to roll into sternal or stand. A few of the horses demonstrated decreased tongue tone. Motor function to all four limbs is intact. The horses will sometimes paddle violently while laterally recumbent, but they are responsive to voice and touch during these episodes. Their temperatures are normal. They have moderately elevated heart rates

with no arrhythmias or murmurs.

Suspected Botulism in Louisiana

A preliminary investigation into the incident has suggested that contamination of a common feed source is responsible. Botulism is the suspected culprit. Alfalfa cubes produced in Colorado are a potential source.

Owners of horses displaying similar symptoms should contact their veterinarian immediately. Veterinarians should report any suspected positive horses to Dr. Rose Baker at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Louisiana State University.

EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. The EDCC is an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.

Reprinted from Horse & Rider Magazine

Life's a Beach in Louisiana

That's right, we do have a sandy white beach that you can ride your horse on in Louisiana! That's me, Ginger Schouest, on my horse Valentino at Bogue Chitto State Park in Franklinton, LA on THAT beach! I was attending a Christmas Trail Ride sponsored by the Louisiana Equine Council and coordinated by Friends of Bogue Chitto. They did an amazing job. Everything was perfectly planned out from the Cast Iron Cookers who cooked in the Pavilion that day for lunch down to the DJ and evening band, the PoBoys. (Shout out to Patsy Frazier, Dona Nugent and Lisa Bell) The entrance to the park is very nicely done and the ranger on duty was super friendly, helpful, and courteous. We skipped the main trail ride that day and did our own private exploration. This was my first time at Bogue Chitto National Park and I was on a mission to find that sandy beach I had heard about. The equestrian trails in the park in general are extremely well marked, however on this particular jaunt in search of the beach, it was a bit obscure and off the beaten path. We had to cross a long wooden bridge, about 250 feet long, which was a fun and challenging obstacle for my horse and once across, we rode about 1000 more yards on open grassland to discover the hidden cove nestled among the trees. My horse's surprise matched mine as he studied the rather largish, meandering body of water which is the Bogue Chitto River. Rumor has it that eventually the equine trail to the beach will be more transparent with the beach itself receiving an upgrade of some sort to better accommodate equestrians. To me, that pristine beach and the Zen feeling that surrounded it is horsey perfect as is. The park itself consists of about 14 miles of horse trails, 1800 acres, and is a blend of high and low ridges and quite a few crystal clear, sandy bottomed streams. They range in depth from very shallow up to about 3 or 4 feet, reaching up to your horses knees in some places, making it ideal for basic water obstacle challenges with your horse. The general horse trails were well manicured but maintained that natural habitat feel to them. The Equestrian park has been open for about twelve years now and has a nice pavilion and equine wash station. It is currently a day ride park and is only open for over night camping at special events however, that is changing. A comfort station was recently constructed with bathrooms, showers and laundromat areas. The Park has recently broken ground on ten nicely sized trailer slots which will include water and electricity and picnic tables and there is a dump station on park grounds so over night camping is on the very near horizon with even more camping spots in future plans. Keep up the good work Bogue Chitto! Louisiana Equestrians appreciate your efforts and the Louisiana Equine Council salutes you!

Nominations Now Open for the LEC Hall of Fame

The Louisiana Equine Council (LEC) is excited to announce the opening of

nominations for the 2023 Hall of Fame Award.

Anyone may nominate a candidate for this award. A candidate must have had a

great and favorable impact on the Louisiana equine industry. Membership in the

Louisiana Equine Council Hall of Fame is a means of honoring those whose

efforts have been valuable and integral to the Louisiana equine industry while

being unselfish in the nature of their actions. This award is not merely to

congratulate people for being successful competitors, breeders, etc.

Criteria:

 Nominee must have made outstanding and significant contributions to the

Louisiana equine industry over a significant period of years as a breeder,

educator, competitor, researcher, and/or trainer, etc.

 The contributions must have been influential to and supportive of the

growth of the equine industry.

 The nominee must be known to practice fair and humane treatment of

animals at all times.

 This award may be given posthumously.

If you would like to apply for this award or nominate another person, please go

the Louisiana Equine Council web site About Us/LEC Hall of Fame section for

information and a Nomination Form. www.laequinecouncil.com

Nominations should be submitted by November 15 to Lisa Bell at 11382 Robert

Willie Road, Folsom, LA 70437.

The Nominee will then be contacted to complete a Nominee Acceptance and

Professional History form. Nominee information packets should be received no

later than December 5 th for review and voting.

The recipient of this award will be announced at the Annual Meeting in January

2023.