Run for the Roses
Orb wins 139th running of Kentucky Derby
Fox News: LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Orb was so far behind a wall of horses at the Kentucky Derby that even his jockey wasn’t sure he could master the muddy track and make a run for the roses.
"I was really far back," Joel Rosario said. "I said hopefully he can go faster than that. I was saying maybe I was too far back, but it was so easy."
The bay colt made it look that way Saturday, splashing through the slop to win the Derby by 2 1-2 lengths and giving Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey his first victory in the 3-year-old classic.
Long shot Golden Soul was second with Revolutionary third while Normandy Invasion faded to fourth.
Orb, the 5-1 favorite, broke from the No. 16 post and bided his time near the back of the pack early while Palace Malice set a blistering pace in the muck.
Orb was still idling in 16th place a half-mile into the race. On the turn for home, Rosario moved him past 11 horses into striking position in the middle of the track. With a quarter of a mile to go, Orb began picking off the leaders. The only question left was whether he could sustain his momentum on a surface that resembled creamy peanut butter.
"He was very relaxed, it’s exactly what I wanted," Rosario said.
When the field turned for home on the cool, overcast afternoon at Churchill Downs, Normandy Invasion had the lead. But Orb was gearing up and prevailed in the deep stretch, carrying Rosario to his first Derby win.
"Perfect trip. I stayed on the outside I don’t want to be too wide on the first turn. I was hoping somebody in the middle (of the race) didn’t push me wide," he said.
Orb ran the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.89
Orb paid $12.80, $7.40 and $5.40. Golden Soul, a 34-1 shot, returned $38.60 and $19.40 while Revolutionary paid $5.40 to show.
The 62-year-old McGaughey said the victory meant everything to him.
"I’m thrilled to death for (the owners), thrilled to death for the people who put so much time into this horse, and, of course, I’m thrilled to death for me," he said.
Todd Pletcher had a record-tying five runners. Revolutionary was the best of the "Todd Squad," followed by Charming Kitten (ninth), Overanalyze (11th), Palace Malice (12th) and Verrazano (14th).
Goldencents, owned in part by Rick Pitino, coach of Louisville’s national basketball champions, finished a 17th. His jockey, Kevin Krigger, was trying to become the first black rider to win the race since 1902.
Rosie Napravnik was also bidding to make history as the first woman jockey to win the world’s biggest horse race. She finished fifth aboard Mylute, the highest finish by a female rider.
D. Wayne Lukas, who won the Derby four times and would have been the oldest trainer to saddle a winner, sent out two runners. Oxbow, with three-time Derby winning jockey Gary Stevens aboard, finished sixth. Will Take Charge was eighth.
Lines of Battle from Ireland finished seventh, denying European champion trainer Aidan O’Brien the international victory.
The rain that pelted the track earlier in the day had stopped by the time 19 horses paraded to the post for the 139th Derby.
The crowd of 151,616 must have known something, with a surge of late money sending Orb off as the favorite after Revolutionary owned that position most of the day.
Winning co-owners Stuart Janney and Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps scored their first Derby victory. The first cousins are among the sport’s blue bloods that include the old-money Whitney and Vanderbilt families.
Being from Lexington, the heart of Kentucky’s horse country, McGaughey figured to be a regular Derby participant. But Orb was just his second starter since 1989, when McGaughey watched Easy Goer lose to Sunday Silence.
Orb also was the second Derby starter for both Janney and Phipps, whose previous entries were in 1988 and `89. Their family wealth allows them to race the horses they breed, unlike the majority of current owners who are involved through partnerships that split up the exorbitant costs of the sport.
The cousins’ grandfather, Henry Phipps, founded wealth management firm Bessemer Trust in 1907. Janney serves as chairman, while Dinny Phipps is its director. He also chairs The Jockey Club, the sport’s governing body that registers thoroughbreds, while Janney is vice chairman.
May 4, 2013: Joel Rosario rides Orb during the 139th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky
Related:
Shug McGaughey finally finds his Kentucky Derby grail
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Two Horses Die at Grand Nationals… Aintree England
Sprinter Sacre’s victory on Friday was overshadowed by tragedy
Originally Posted: April 5, 2013
AINTREE, England (AP): The Aintree Festival experienced more grief Friday following the death of another horse over the fences in the Grand National Steeplechase, overshadowing the latest victory by Sprinter Sacre.
Little Josh was destroyed after breaking a shoulder following a fall in the Topham Steeplechase, the fourth race of the day. He was the second horse to die at this year’s festival, after Battlefront on Thursday.
”This injury was not treatable and it was the necessary course of action,” said Prof. Chris Proudman, veterinary adviser at Aintree.
It’s a major blow to organizers who made modifications to the course after four deaths in the past two Grand Nationals and complaints from animal-rights groups.
”We have made significant improvements in safety at the course, but we also recognize that jump racing carries risk you can never completely remove from the sport,” said John Baker, who runs the Aintree course in Liverpool.
Jockey Liam Treadwell was hospitalized after falling from Regal d’Estruval in the same race.
On Thursday, Katie Walsh pulled up Battlefront midway through the Fox Hunters’ Steeplechase. The 11-year-old horse collapsed and died shortly afterward from a suspected heart attack.
Aintree’s restyled fences have been softened by removing wooden stakes and replacing them with a more forgiving plastic material. Critics believe still more needs to be done, with 21 horses having died in races over Grand National fences since 2001.
”Sadly there is a statistical probability that horses will die at the Grand National meeting,” said Dr. Mark Kennedy, head of science at World Society for the Protection of Animals.
He said the risk horses are exposed to in a steeplechase at the three-day Aintree meeting is six deaths in 1,000 starts.
![4-6-13-Aintree-steeple-chase_full_380[1]](http://justonemorepet.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/4-6-13-aintree-steeple-chase_full_3801.jpg "4-6-13-Aintree-steeple-chase_full_380[1]")
Nigel Twiston-Davies, the trainer of Little Josh, said the horse had ”gone out doing what he loved most.”
”It could happen anywhere, it could happen at home and it’s not the fences – it could have happened at a park course,” Twiston Davies said.
About 30 minutes before Little Josh fell, Sprinter Sacre sauntered to victory over a top-class field in the Melling Chase, taking his unbeaten run over fences to nine races.
Running his first race over the longer distance of 2 1/2 miles, the 1-3 favorite cruised along with jockey Barry Geraghty before taking the lead by jumping the next-to-last fence and accelerating clear of Cue Card to win by about five lengths.
”When you let him loose, like at the second-last, he does it too easily,” said Geraghty, who completed a double for the day by winning the Topham Steeplechase on 14-1 shot Triolo d’Alene. ”The two-and-a-half miles didn’t make any difference. He has plenty of pace and is very versatile.”
Sprinter Sacre has become the superstar of British horse racing since the retirement of the unbeaten Frankel last year.
”He’s got a huge amount of ability and knows how to use it,” trainer Nicky Henderson said. ”I don’t think anybody has taught him about jumping. It is sheer natural talent.”
Sprinter Sacre is unbeaten since switching from hurdles in 2011, and beat a field containing Cue Card, who won a big race at the Cheltenham Festival last month, last year’s champion Finian’s Rainbow and Irish hope Flemenstar.
He was the third straight favorite to win on Ladies’ Day – the second day of the festival – after My Tent Or Yours (4-11) in the Novices’ Hurdle and Dynaste (9-4) in the Novices’ Chase.
The 40-horse Grand National, which is the highlight of the festival, takes place on Saturday.
Accidents? Drugging? You be the judge….
Related:
66-1 long shot wins Grand National Steeplechase
Frog Juice: Horse Racing’s New Doping Scandal | TIME.com
Murder on the Backside: The Unseen World of the Kentucky Derby
Tomahawk, General and Commander
I’m writing to you today with an urgent plea to help a very special group of wild horses who were victims of the deadliest Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) roundup in recent history.
It was January 2010, when the thundering helicopters descended on the pristine Black Rock Desert in Nevada’s Calico Complex. For the wild horses living there, life would never be the same. The relentless helicopters, chartered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), forced the horses to run for miles. Stallions tried desperately to keep their families together; foals struggled mightily to keep up with their mothers. Finally, they reached the trap. In an instant, their families were shattered; their freedom destroyed.
In the BLM holding pens, Tomahawk, a stallion captured at Calico, hung his head low. General and Commander, loyal friends, huddled together. The tags hung round their necks made clear that these noble band stallions — once great leaders and protectors of their herds – were now just numbers … casualties in the BLM’s war against America’s wild horses and burros.
In total, 1,922 wild horses lost their freedom in the 2010 Calico roundup. Hundreds of them perished in the years following the roundup in government holding pens. An untold number were sold by the BLM to a kill buyer, and almost certainly met with a horrific fate at slaughterhouses in Mexico.
Thankfully, over 100 survivors of the brutal Calico roundup — including Tomahawk, General and Commander — are safe, because Return to Freedom, the founder and parent organization of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, rescued them. The horses are living peacefully in the sanctity of Return to Freedom’s American Wild Horse Sanctuary in the rolling coastal hills of Santa Barbara County, California and at another sanctuary in northern California.
Since 2010, our attention has turned away from Calico toward other roundups and battles. But Return to Freedom must still care for the Calico horses, as well as 300 additional refugees from other federal roundups. The price of doing so is steep. Hay costs alone are $40,000 per month!
For 15 years, Return to Freedom has been on the cutting edge of the fight to save America’s wild horses and burros through its sanctuary, education and conservation programs. Return to Freedom pioneered a sanctuary model that utilizes birth control in order to allow wild horses to live together with their families, in their natural state. And Return to Freedom founded the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, a coalition that is now 50 organizations and tens of thousands of supporters strong.
Please, as we continue this fight, please let’s not forget Tomahawk, General, Commander and all the other beautiful Calico horses. Please help us show Return to Freedom that we stand with them… that we as a community are united our commitment to America’s wild horses both on and off the range.
I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your compassion, generosity and dedication to saving our beloved wild horses and burros.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Roy
If you can donate, please do and if you know someone who can donate please forward this on!!
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Driftwood Horses
Just when you thought you had seen it all…. These ladies build horses out of the driftwood they find…..
Not only are they beautiful but they are using what Mother Nature has left behind to create art.
h/t to Patricia Gillenwater
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Detroit Has No Horses But Pays $56K for Horseshoer — Union Boss Says It‘s ’Not Possible’ to Eliminate Positions
Posted Aug 20, 2012 at the Blaze – 
Original Source: Michigan Capitol Confidential
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) pays a “horseshoer” $29,245 in salary and roughly $27,000 in benefits. There’s only one problem — Detroit has no horses for the horseshoer to shoe.
Some critics argue that the department has been turned into some sort of a government jobs program. Meanwhile, the local union president says it is “not possible” to eliminate positions, the Michigan Capitol Confidential reports.
The horseshoer’s job description, which was last updated in 1967 (Lyndon B. Johnson was president), is “to shoe horses and to do general blacksmith work… and to preform related work as required,” according to the department’s website.
With a large amount of debt, DWSD has struggled with rising water prices and inefficient services. They use roughly twice the number of employees per gallon as comparable cities like Chicago.
The Michigan Capitol Confidential has more details:
A recent independent report about the DWSD recommends that the city trim more than 80 percent of the department’s workforce. The consultant who wrote the report found 257 job descriptions, including a horseshoer. Capitol Confidential sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the department for the salary, benefits and job description of the horseshoer position.
In response to the report, John Riehl, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 207, which represents many of the DWSD employees, told the Detroit Free Press that the department needs more workers.
“They don’t have enough people as it is right now,” Riehl said. “They are just dreaming to think they can operate that plant with less.”
But critics say this is just another example of city departments operating as a jobs program for union employees.
“They have said for years that they don’t have enough people,” said Roi Chinn, a former city administrator and 2013 mayoral candidate for Detroit. “As the bureaucracy thickens and union power grows, there is always a built in reflex … to want more.
“Whenever you think you’ve heard the bad about the city of Detroit, it gets worse.”
Chinn said if he was mayor he would sell the water department.
Daniel Edwards, a construction contracts manager with the DWSD, said the so-called horseshoer was transferred from the Detroit Police Department five years ago. And even though the police department does currently have horses, the DWSD employee doesn’t work with the animals. So the question is: what exactly does the horseshoer do?
“DWSD has a blacksmith shop in our Central Services Facility,” Edwards explained, attempting to justify the position. The shop “also … repairs equipment and works with various metals and welding for the department when needed.”
Detroit Free Press editorial editor Stephen Henderson recently described the “intolerable waste” in Detroit’s water and sewage department. He writes:
“For unions and the whole idea of collective bargaining, this is the kind of report that just makes any sort of future very, very hard to negotiate,” he wrote. “It suggests that collective bargaining turns government into a provider of jobs instead of public services.”
(H/T: Drudge)
Department of Islamic Justice Bows Down to Muslims Irrational Hatred of Dogs……. SHEER INSANITY !!!!
It’s time to get serious about eliminating Sharia Law, and all Muslim idiocies, like this one, so contact and pressure Congress to get rid of all Muslims consulting government, military, Obama’s administration, universities!!!! Europe has already political correctnessed themselves onto the road of oblivion. There is no one blinder than he who will not see and will not learn from others! Tony~
Dept. of Islamic Justice Bows Down to Muslims Irrational Hatred of D…
barenakedislam – Cross-Posted at TeaParty.org – h/t to Claudia Johnson
Because Muslims consider dogs to be filthy, the cases of pet dogs being poisoned in Europe and Turkey have skyrocketed. And now, this Muslim dog insanity is being submitted to by the Islamopandering Obama Regime, who have ruled that ‘Guide Horses’ must be allowed in shops, restaurants and even on airplanes.
logic from DOJ: Miniature horses are viable alternatives to dogs for individuals with allergies, or for those whose religious beliefs preclude the use of dogs,” the rules state. A recent Justice Department ruling that allows miniature horses to be used instead of dogs as service animals for the blind and handicapped, also mandates that shops, restaurants, hotels and even airlines be forced to allow service horses into their establishments or face lawsuits if they refuse to accommodate horses.
First, let me tell you why the use of horses as service animal is both stupid and cruel to the animals. Horses are NOT domestic animals as dogs and cats are. Horses are not physically compatible with an indoor life in a typical home. Horses, no matter how small, are grazing animals who require several hours a day of outside turnout where they can roam and graze at leisure. Horses cannot be housebroken which means these guide horses are fitted with a diaper – humiliating. To confine a horse to a house with only a limited amount of slow walking as exercise is cruel and unusual punishment.
Horses require a lot more room than dogs.. Dogs are fed and walked a couple of times a day, while horses eat hay and grass and produce waste throughout the day. Even the smallest mini needs an 8-by-10-foot stall and room to run around for exercise. Walking slowly in a harness does not constitute exercise for a horse. A horse is meant to be in an environment where he can move about, small or not, eat throughout the day and be with his buddies.
Horses don’t get fleas, but they do get parasites, ticks and attract flies.
Now that the Department of ‘Islamic’ Justice has ruled that service horses must be allowed in all retail establishments, there will be a run on people getting mini service horses, knowing that they can sue any business or restaurant that refuses to allow them in. I can see CAIR sponsoring a program to give horses to Muslims, just so they can sue even more businesses for ‘Islamophobic’ discrimination.
But just as fast as people may rush to get in on the newest fad, once they find out how difficult it is to properly care for horses, they will abandon them, leaving the animals homeless if it doesn’t work out. It’s not unusual, unfortunately, for them to end up on the slaughterhouse floor because there’s no home for them.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) is trying to have this stupid mandate overturned. As he stated:
“What I object to,” said Chaffetz, “is the Department of Justice forcing businesses and restaurants…. think about airplanes. Look, even the Miniature Horse Association has come out and said, look, you can’t potty train, for instance, a horse to the same degree you can a canine. And so it just seems like the federal government, the Department of Justice, is going overboard in issuing a rule. Sure enough, they issued a rule, March 14th, and within a week, restaurants being sued in California for not allowing horses into their restaurant. It just seems absurd, just over the top.
This reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of what the ADA regulations require. Those regulations specifically define "service animals" to include dogs only. As the regulations specifically say, "[o]ther species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of this definition." 28 C.F.R. 36.104. A business is required to accommodate service animals — dogs — except where "[t]he animal is out of control and the animal’s handler does not take effective action to control it" or "[t]he animal is not housebroken." 28 C.F.R. 36.302(c). So, even if we’re dealing with a service dog, if it’s not housebroken, a business does not have to let it in.
FOX NEWS Already there is a lawsuit in Los Angeles by Jose Estrada, the plaintiff in the case filed this month in Los Angeles court. His attorney, Morse Mehrban, told FoxNews.com that a dog "doesn’t have the sufficient strength to pull him in his wheelchair."
So Estrada, a paraplegic, uses a 29-inch-high miniature horse named Princess. According to the complaint, the two retail stores being sued "refused to permit said animal" inside along with Estrada last month. The suit says Princess "is housebroken" and would not "compromise" the safety of those two stores. Estrada is suing for "no less than" $4,000 in damages.
The federal rules state that businesses should allow in the horses as long as they’re trained, considering such factors as the size of the horse, whether it’s under control, whether it’s "housebroken," and whether its presence would compromise "legitimate safety requirements."
Amador says the horses cannot be housebroken.
The Guide Horse Foundation, though, says on its website that the horses "learn exactly the same behaviors as a guide dog," and that they "never bite or kick except when attacked." (That is crap! Horses will bite or kick for many reasons. But the biggest problem is horses, by nature, will spook and run away from a myriad of seemingly non-scary objects. I know from many years with horses, that they will spook at a plastic bag blowing in the wind, a piece of white paper on the ground, a loud noise, a dog that runs up to it, rustling leaves, and more. Nearly anything can and will spook a horse at one time or another. And because the horse’s natural instinct is to run away, that is what they will do every time)
The organization could not be reached for comment.
The American Miniature Horse Association does not condone the use of miniature horses for that purpose. Association President Harry Elder applauded those who have received "ADA certification" to train animals but questioned the use of miniature horses. "Although the American Miniature Horse is bred to be intelligent, curious, gentle, sensible, willing to cooperate and easy to train, it remains in all respects physically and instinctively a true horse. The American Miniature Horse can be readily trained to be lead or driven but, in most cases, it would not make a suitable replacement for an animal such as a guide dog," he said in a statement.
Guide Horse NO! Why Miniature Horses should NOT be used as Guide Animals for the Blind. In fact, they are a DANGEROUS alternative to a Guide Dog.
Not that it will do you any good, but you can contact the DOJ here:
Eric Holder
202-353-1555
http://www.justice.gov/
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London 2012 Olympics: Mitt Romney’s wife’s horse Rafalca heading for Games
The Republican candidate to become the next American president, Mitt Romney, will be heading to the London Olympics to watch the opening ceremony – and he has a special interest in the Games now, after his wife’s horse earned a berth on the US dressage team.
London 2012 Olympics: Mitt Romney’s wife’s horse Rafalca heading for Games
Going to the Games: Mitt Romney and wife Ann have a special interest in the Olympics after Rafalca, Mrs. Romney’s horse, qualified for the dressage team Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Jan Ebeling, Ann Romney’s riding tutor, and his horse Rafalca, which she co-owns qualified for next month’s Olympics on Saturday.
The 53-year-old Ebeling has been close to Games selection a decade, but his first Olympics will be in London after a third-place finish at the United States Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters in Gladstone, Florida.
While Romney was continuing his campaign to defeat President Barack Obama on a bus tour of swing states, his wife watched the dressage action from a VIP tent as Ebeling managed to impress in his run with Rafalca.
“I only looked at the scoreboard one time, and it looked good, and I thought, don’t look again,” Ebeling, who entered the four-day competition ranked ninth in the United States, said.
Ann Romney has proved a deep-pocketed dressage patron, and thanks to her husband being in the public eye, she has single-handedly gained the sport more attention than it has ever received in America, in spite of celebrating its centenary in the Olympics.
Both Romneys have said that they will be attending the opening ceremony, and perhaps they will now find a way to buy some dressage tickets, too.
AnnDRomney Ann Romney It’s great to be part of the Olympics again. We are so proud of Jan and Team USA. Now let’s bring home the gold! http://t.co/wArZ7mAs
About one week ago via web 
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Related:
Multiple Sclerosis-Afflicted Neil Cavuto Slams MSNBC’s Attacks on Ann Romney: ‘Horse’s Asses’…
Ann Romney’s Horse Comes in Third in Olympic Qualifying Event …
Riding as Therapy
Equine therapy is catching on as a fun and helpful activity for many MS patients.
One to three times a week a growing group of MS patients across the country saddle up to relieve some of their symptoms and to boost their self-esteem. Equine therapy is used to treat a variety of diseases and disorders besides MS, including mental illness, cerebral palsy, and brain injury. According to the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association Inc. (NARHA) in Denver, Colorado, more than 26,000 riders with disabilities benefit from therapeutic horseback riding activities at NARHA centers.
Hippotherapy, which means "treatment with the help of a horse," has been widely practiced in this country since the 1960′s. In 1952 at the Helsinki Olympic Games, Liz Hartel of Denmark garnered the silver medal for dressage (The execution by a trained horse of complex movements in response to barely perceptible signals from its rider.) despite being paralyzed from polio. Her victory helped focus the world on using horses to improve the health of those with various disabilities. As the experts investigated various ways for horses to help patients, they found that not all people can be aided in the same way.
"Hippotherapy is using the horse strictly as a modality for therapy, where the riders are not influencing the horse at all," explains Occupational Therapist Erin Hurley, director of the Unicorn Handicapped Riding Association in Medford, NJ. "Equestrian therapy is more of a global term. It combines therapy and recreation. That’s what most people with MS do. I think they get more out of it if they are an active partner in the process."
According to the NARHA, research shows that all therapeutic riding participants can experience physical, emotional, and mental rewards. Because horseback riding gently and rhythmically moves the rider’s body in a manner similar to a human gait, riders with physical disabilities often show improvement in flexibility, balance, and muscle strength. For those with mental or emotional problems, the unique relationship formed with the horse can lead to boosted confidence, patience, and self-esteem. All who ride also receive the benefit of a special sense of independence which comes from riding.
Equine therapy can provide certain benefits to MS patients. "The benefits from the therapy depend on the disability. With MS, it’s a physical disability in which case there are a lot of different benefits. For example, if you have an MS patient in a wheelchair, he (or she) is not getting a lot of stimulation to the spine," Ms. Hurley says. "The horse’s movement stimulates the human movement in the way the horse walks. If you’re sitting on the horse’s back, you’re getting those benefits of side to side movement and rotation movement each time the horse steps forward. Just the sensory input helps to stimulate the muscles in different ways. At the other end of the spectrum with spascity, equestrian therapy helps to loosen tight muscles especially through the hip area, lower extremities, and through the trunk."
The MS patients who ride at Ms. Hurley’s center come either once or twice a week. They ride for 30 minutes with the help of two side walkers, a person who leads the horse, and an instructor. By having the four people work alongside the rider, safety is ensured. Since these helpers are trained to work with MS patients who have weakness and balance problems, no one should be afraid to give horse therapy a try, say the experts.
"Each person works on different goals as we walk through the woods or inside our indoor arena depending on the weather," she says. "One woman with MS who started with us this year was having trouble walking. After a ride she says she can walk much better."
The experts and MS patients say that equestrian therapy offers much more to MS patients then symptom relief. "It raises their self-esteem and gives them something to do for recreation. They love it and really look forward to it," says Ms. Hurley.
Just getting out in the fresh air and doing something physical can do wonders for MS patients say the experts. "One of the most frustrating aspects of chronic illness or disability is the effect it has on leisure-time activities. Just when a person would benefit most from the relaxation, enjoyment, and socialization that come from recreation, he is limited in what he can do. It is important, however, despite what limitations may exist, to maintain existing or find new interests," write Dr. Robert Shuman and Dr. Janice Schwartz in their book, Understanding Multiple Sclerosis: A Handbook for Families (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1988). "There is a network of horseback riding programs for the physically challenged. Many people with MS find that riding builds back abdominal muscles, strengthens weak legs, and is a terrific source of self-confidence."
"Don’t defy the diagnosis, try to defy the verdict." - Norman Cousins
For Rita McGinley, 44, of Westmont, NJ, equestrian therapy helped many of her symptoms and also raised her spirits. She rode every week for about a year at the Pegasus Riding Academy in Philadelphia. Diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS four years ago, the registered nurse was forced to quit her job and later counseled patients at MSAA headquarters in Cherry Hill. Now undergoing intense physical therapy, she plans to return to equestrian therapy at the end of her current regimen. "It is so enjoyable. I ride bareback where there’s just a blanket between me and the horse. I feel every movement of those four hooves, and I can feel the muscles in my pelvic floor moving. I have problems with my bladder, and after I ride I can feel much improvement," she says. "It’s also great for strengthening and balance. There’s a general feeling of well-being on a horse and that another living being is helping me. I love it."
Members of the Montville, NJ MS Support Group have saddled up for a therapeutic ride at the Handicapped Riding Center at West Orange, NJ, part of the Montclair Riding Academy, for the past nine years. Dedicated to the development of horseback riding as a therapeutic, recreational, and social activity for people with disabilities, the academy hosts these MS patients every Wednesday morning at its gorgeous grounds.
"We really don’t know how it works. But from talking with different people, it seems that the horse helps them to move some of their muscles that they cannot move on their own. Most of the people with MS who come here think they are getting some benefit out of it. Some people insist on riding bareback so they have closer contact with the horse, but most people use the western saddle because it’s safer and easier to use," says John Sinico, a spokesperson for center. "They love it. They swear by it. They also tell us that mentally it’s a nice relief from their everyday worries. Instead of sitting home and feeling sorry for themselves they are out doing something. It’s active, not passive. All in all, it’s very beneficial."
Montville MS Support Group Leader Tom Hinkey says that some of the group members receive some relief from their spascity through riding, but they all get emotional benefits from it. By getting out and socializing and focusing on the horse, he says, they can forget about their problems and enjoy the day.
"If you don’t have a fear of horses, it can probably help some of your symptoms. It’s a lot of fun," says Ms. McGinley. "Whenever I rode, I would come home with a ‘horse healthy high.’ I miss it and can’t wait to do it again once my current physical therapy is over."
- Christine Norris
PROMOTING A SAFE RIDE
The North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) was founded in 1969 to promote and support therapeutic horseback riding programs throughout the U.S. and Canada. Comprised of more than 500 riding centers, the NARHA helps ensure safe instruction by administering a certification program for riding instructors. NARHA also offers an accreditation program to riding centers to promote excellence in providing therapeutically-valid services. The association provides riding centers with guidelines for selecting riders who are suitable and appropriate for therapeutic riding activities.
Multiple Sclerosis-Afflicted Neil Cavuto Slams MSNBC’s Attacks on Ann Romney: ‘Horse’s Asses’…
Uneducated Slander:
Earlier this week MSNBC’s continuous string of near slander against Mitt Romney has just spawned yet another aggressive bit of push-back, this time from Neil Cavuto of Fox News. You may recall that MSNBC anchor Lawrence O‘Donnell recently slammed Mitt Romney’s wife, Ann Romney, for claiming that she participates in the sport of dressage as therapy for her multiple sclerosis. According to O’Donnell, “There are a lot of things you can do to try to deal with MS. But come on, dressage does not appear in any of the more traditional courses of treatment.”
Turns out that that assertion is breathtakingly wrong, as Cavuto pointed out while citing multiple clinical organizations that treat multiple sclerosis and consider horse therapy a very traditional, and often very effective form of therapy. Watch his takedown here:
Cavuto Video to MsNBC: “Lean Forward – Bend Over! You… ‘Horses Asses’…
As you can plainly see, Cavuto doesn’t pull punches in this clip. “You’ve got a disease in your name – maybe you should stop calling names,” he starts the segment.
He then proceeds to go right for the jugular, while still remaining preternaturally calm, calling MSNBC a collection of “horse’s asses“ and slamming them as ”condescending, sanctimonious“ people with ”incredible ignorance” of multiple sclerosis treatments. He then points out that the horse riding therapy – known as “hippotherapy,” according to Cavuto – is used to treat walking conditions associated with multiple sclerosis. Quoting from the “industry bible” on neurology, Cavuto says straight out that “this is a legitimate therapy.”
Cavuto’s stern correction only serves to confirm the generally low opinion of MSNBC which is beginning to percolate amongst the rest of the media. Glenn Beck, for instance, hammered the network over its smear tactics on his radio show today after savaging their most recent factual errors:
“You have no credibility at all,” Beck thundered. “The ratings are going to tank on MSNBC, because Americans are fair.”
On a side note, setting aside the numerous factual errors on the network, Cavuto‘s takedown misses a blistering example of hypocrisy on the part of Lawrence O’Donnell. To complain about how particular therapies don’t appear on the “traditional” list, when the Left has pushed for numerous untested medical ideas, such as embryonic stem cell research and assisted suicide. Neither of these is in any way “traditional,” and O’Donnell is not on record opposing either of them, so why the selectiveness?
Hear and see Beck radio takedown of MSNBC video to fit their agenda: Here
"If they (the liberal bias media) is that egregious at lying on that issue, what else are they lying about?"
Dim Bulb: Lawrence O’Donnell | WashingtonExaminer.com
Ann Romney’s Horse Comes in Third in Olympic Qualifying Event …
London 2012 Olympics: Mitt Romney’s wife’s horse Rafalca heading for Games
To learn more about therapeutic riding or for a list of centers in your area, contact NAHRA at:
PO Box 33150
Denver, CO 80233
(800) 369-7433
(303) 452-1212
You may also visit NARHA on the world wide web at: http://www.NARHA.org.
Save a Life…Adopt Just One More…Pet!
Everyday we read or hear another story about pets and other animals being abandoned in record numbers while at the same time we regularly hear about crazy new rules and laws being passed limiting the amount of pets that people may have, even down to one or two… or worse yet, none.
Nobody is promoting hoarding pets or animals, but at a time when there are more pets and animals of all types being abandoned or being taken to shelters already bursting at the seams, there is nothing crazier than legislating away the ability of willing adoptive families to take in just one more pet!!
Our goal is to raise awareness and help find homes for all pets and animals that need one by helping to match them with loving families and positive situations. Our goal is also to help fight the trend of unfavorable legislation and rules in an attempt to stop unnecessary Euthenization!!
“All over the world, major universities are researching the therapeutic value of pets in our society and the number of hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and mental institutions which are employing full-time pet therapists and animals is increasing daily.” ~ Betty White, American Actress, Animal Activist, and Author of Pet Love
Photos By: Marion Algier – The UCLA Shutterbug
There is always room for Just One More Pet. So if you have room in your home and room in your heart… Adopt Just One More! If you live in an area that promotes unreasonable limitations on pets… fight the good fight and help change the rules and legislation…
Save the Life of Just One More…Animal!
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Photos by the UCLA Shutterbug are protected by copyright, Please email at JustOneMorePet@gmail.com or find us on twitter @JustOneMorePet for permission to duplicate for commerical purposes or to purchase photos.
See Creative Pet Halloween Costumes
If you can adopt or foster just one more pet, you could be saving a life, while adding joy to your own! Our shelters are over-flowing… Please join the fight to make them all ‘NO-Kill’ facilities.
JustOneMorePet- Outlaw For-Profit "High-Kill" Animal Shelters – Sign Better Fed Than Dead Petition May 22, 2013We petition the Obama administration to: Outlaw For-Profit "High-Kill" Animal Shelters Outlaw for-profit "High-Kill" animal shelters throughout the U.S. For-profit “High-Kill” animal shelters across America kill as many animals as possible, lining the pockets of veterinarian’s associated with these inhumane “High-Kill” shelter enterprises […]justonemorepet
- Incredible: The Moment a Woman’s Dog Emerges from Rubble During TV Interview Right After She Describes Losing Him May 22, 2013(Photo: CBS News) Amid the tragedy in Oklahoma, one woman who lost everything says God answered both of her prayers. CBS News spoke with Barbara Garcia in the wake of the devastating tornado Monday, the woman’s suburban neighborhood now nothing more than flattened homes and rubble. Badly shaken but resilient, explains how she is okay […]justonemorepet
- Attacks Your Bird’s Liver Like Alcohol – Is This What’s Making Her Flabby and Sick? May 19, 2013Story at-a-glance Baby is a female blue-fronted Amazon parrot who is 24 years young. When Dr. Becker met Baby, she had dull feathers, signs of over-grooming, large fat deposits on her breastbone, and several fatty masses called lipomas on both legs. Baby was overweight from a combination of a sedentary lifestyle and a diet that […]justonemorepet
- Help Your Dog Overcome These 3 Common Allergies… May 17, 2013Story at-a-glance Three very common allergies in dogs include flea allergy dermatitis, food allergies and environmental allergies. Treating your dog’s symptoms is only a temporary fix. It’s extremely important to find the root cause of an allergic reaction. Tips to relieve the suffering of your allergic dog. By Dr. Becker If your dog seems to […]justonemorepet
- Texas teenager caught this record 14-foot-3-inch, 800 pound alligator May 17, 2013Technorati Tags: Texas,alligator,wild animals,animal photos,JOMP,Just One More Petjustonemorepet
- Who’s a good dog? May 15, 2013This is for all the dog lovers. The human who got the animals to stay put should get some credit. Have a great day! – h/t to Gary Patterson Technorati Tags: dogs,pets,dog photos,JOMP,Just One More Petjustonemorepet
- Pet Week: 82.5 million U.S. households have pets May 13, 2013ATLANTA, May 10 (UPI/OddNews) — U.S. cable new outlet CNN marked National Pet Week by saying, among other pet-related statistics, an estimated $55.5 billion will be spent on U.S. pets in 2013. CNN said 82.5 million U.S. households had pets in 2012 and $55.53 billion is expected to be spent on pets by U.S. residents […]justonemorepet
- Animal Moms – Happy Mother’s Day 2013 May 12, 2013h/t to Liana Smith Technorati Tags: animal moms,doggie moms,Happy Mother’s Day,for the love a pet,JOMP,Just One More Pet,love,We are all God’s creatures,holidays,animal photosjustonemorepet
- New Hope for Fear and Anxiety in Abused Dogs May 10, 2013Story at-a-glance Recently the ASPCA opened the Behavioral Rehabilitation Center in Madison, NJ, a first-of-its-kind facility dedicated exclusively to helping rehabilitate dogs that have been victims of animal cruelty. The center’s patients will come from shelters across the country as well as from ASPCA-involved seizures, and will primarily be victims of pu […]justonemorepet
- The Scary-Looking ‘Sea Monster’ That Washed Ashore in New Zealand Finally Identified May 8, 2013(YouTube) TheBlaze: The ghastly-looking carcass that recently washed ashore in New Zealand had people speculating that it was some sort of “sea monster” or prehistoric beast. However, as it turns out, it’s just a killer whale — sorry to disappoint you. Because of its state of significant decay, the whale resembled something scarier than a […]justonemorepet
- Outlaw For-Profit "High-Kill" Animal Shelters – Sign Better Fed Than Dead Petition May 22, 2013
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Great Book for Children and Pet Lovers… And a Perfect Holiday Gift
One More PetEmily loves animals so much that she can’t resist bringing them home. When a local farmer feels under the weather, she is only too eager to “feed the lambs, milk the cows and brush the rams.” The farmer is so grateful for Emily’s help that he gives her a giant egg... Can you guess what happens after that? The rhythmic verse begs to be read aloud, and the lively pictures will delight children as they watch Emily’s collection of pets get bigger and bigger.
Buy Now: A Must Have For Every Pet Owner
Nail Clipping Made Easy and Painless
