Stables and equine professionals know it is inevitable – clients move on or lose interest in horses, and the business relationship terminates. Often, but not always, these relationships end on excellent terms. Over the years, disputes and lawsuits have occurred between horse owners and equine professionals involving termination of the relationship. Horse owners want the right to leave immediately and want refunds of overpaid fees. Stables and trainers want advance notice to fill the empty stall, and they want all debts settled before the horse leaves the stable.
This article addresses some of these disputes and offers suggestions for avoiding them.
For decades, this author has written articles on the importance of getting equine-related agreements in writing. Some of the articles even shared common characteristics of effective contracts. Still, people in the horse industry continue doing business with nothing in writing, and disputes have occurred. This article explores what can potentially happen when verbal contract disputes become the subject of a legal battle.
Continue reading …Phenylbutazone (“bute”) is an anti-inflammatory drug—a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory similar to aspirin, Advil, Motrin, Banamine, etc. Bute has been used for decades in horses to relieve pain, particularly in musculoskeletal injuries, navicular syndrome, arthritis, and so on. Melinda Freckleton, DVM (a private practitioner in Catlett, Virginia) says this is a drug that is used frequently and is a comparatively safe and effective way to reduce pain and inflammation.
Continue reading …The acronym, PAC, shows up regularly in local, regional, and political news. But what is a PAC? What is a SuperPAC? Most importantly, why does the AQHA have a PAC?
Continue reading …Taylor Searles and Deanna Green will be familiar names for most of our readers as the two ladies have displayed excellence throughout the Youth and now Amateur division of AQHA competition for most of their lives. They have extended that dominance to the National Collegiate Equestrian Association arena as well, competing for the Western Team of Auburn Equestrian. Recently, both girls broke the record for the most career wins in program history at Auburn University, where they are both seniors this year.
Continue reading …The horse’s teeth are crucial for proper eating/chewing and therefore a big factor in whether or not the horse obtains adequate nutrition. Healthy teeth are important for good health and fitness. Teeth also play a role in performance of an equine athlete because tooth problems can lead to pain, which can lead to certain behaviors that can affect performance. Sometimes a performance problem may be subtle or not readily recognized as being linked to a tooth problem. It’s important to figure these things out, with proper diagnosis and treatment, in order to address and correct the underlying issue.
Continue reading …The practice of pulling embryos from celebrated show horses has become a routine part of our industry–both for the retired mare that can no longer carry a foal and for the mare that’s currently still being shown.
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One might be forgiven for believing that Ann Woodruff picked up her talent, poise, and presence in the show pen by osmosis. After all, for many years she was ringside, supporting and encouraging her daughter, Lillian, to numerous championship titles. Now, the roles have reversed. Ann is scooping up the wins in the arena while Lilli cheers her on from the rail. With enormous drive and passion, Ann has enjoyed remarkable success in her inaugural few months of showing after a hiatus that spanned decades. Yet, like most overnight successes, the reality is that success has been years in the making.
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