Just Jake

Quality Information

J. A. (Jake) Davidson — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:47:39 GMT

I am not in the practice of promoting websites. But for every rule there is an exception. There are many sites where the information comes from questionable sources and that leads to the dissemination of bad information. This site is different. A trip to http://www.horsequest.info/ will take you to a U.S. site called eXtension. It claims to be an interactive learning environment delivering the best, most researched knowledge from the best land-grant university minds across America. The site claims eXtension connects knowledge consumers with knowledge providers - experts who know their subject matter inside out. eXtension is unlike any other search engine or information-based website. It's a space where university content providers can gather and produce new educational and information resources on wide-ranging topics. After a review I am inclined to believe them.

The site is diverse with a section with news on current items of interest, and a series of hundreds of informative articles ranging from Understanding Coat Color, to Blood Pumping Mechanism of the Hoof, Bucked Shins and Lethal White Foal Syndrom. eXtension has an interactive Question and Answer section with thousands of equine related questions on just about every horse related topic you can imagine. You can also post questions of you cannot find what you are looking for.

One of the most interesting options available on the site is a series of 18 "Learning Lessons" that cover a wide range of topics in an interesting and easy to understand format. You need to register (free) and the system downloads an application called "Moodle" which runs the lessons. There are quizzes at the end of each section to see if you have paid attention. I think this section would be particularly valuable as a teaching resourse for young riders in a program like Pony Club or 4-H.

Give the site a once over. I think you will find yourself a regular visitor!

The Last Lap!

J. A. (Jake) Davidson — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:57:52 GMT

I have in several different articles and even blog posts discussed the matter of "taking your last ride". Well the time comes for everyone and I have made the decision that Jake as taken his last lap around a race track in a race bike or a jogger. Not an easy decision because the sensation is one of speed, power and a complete rush for me since the late 1970's. But the time has come.

Something has changed and I have lost the drive, desire or possibly the need for the lifestyle. Possibly with age this happens eventually to all of us. No, I cannot live without my horses - there are 6 in the barn. No I cannot live without driving - there are potentially 3 driveable retired racehorses in the barn, a cart and lots of harness. Yes I can apparently live without every summer weekend dedicated to eating stale hotdogs at fairgrounds and driving for hours to go somewhere to participate in an event that takes just 2 minutes. Yes I can apparently live without the thrill of the win and the more probable agony of defeat.

So Dancer was sold in Ontario where he continues to race and Airdrie has been sold back to the family that raised her from birth. She will continue her career racing in Manitoba and I wish her many fast quarters and lots of trips to the winners circle.I guess as far as racing goes Jake is out to pasture!

However one fact still rings true! If it isn't a standardbred - it isn't a horse!

Adverting Disaster

J. A. (Jake) Davidson — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:54:10 GMT

I get dozens of emails and e-zines flying in and out of my mail box every day. Many go straight to trash but some have titles that catch my eye. Most recently it was a report of horses that died in the USA and the resulting recall of a horse feed that was contaminated with a chicken and cattle drug called Monensin Sodium. This is also sold under the trade name Coban or Rumensin. This product belongs to a drug family call ionophores. There is another very closely related drug called Salinomycin Sodium with trade names Coxistac, Posistac, Bio-Cox and Sacox. All feeds made with these drugs carry the folowing warning: Do not allow dogs, horses, other equines, or guinea fowl access to formulations containing monensin. Ingestion of monensin by these species has been fatal.

Has been probably should be replaced with "will be" as ingestion of ionophores by the named species is pretty much the end of the line. These drugs are used to control intestinal parasites in poultry and bovines and also have the effect of increasing the efficiency of digestion in the target animals. As a result they are a very common and economically effective aid in the production of beef, poultry and even milk. This makes them in high demand from producers and therefore they are a necessary "evil" in most modern feed manufacturing facilities. They are a good thing because they help keep the cost of the food we eat very low. The bad thing is that the possibility of cross contamination is allways present if a mill also makes feed for any of the named vulnerable species.

It is imperative that feed mills have a protocol in place to ensure that these toxic drugs will not end up in your horse feed. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has regulated the sequence that feeds containing drugs may be produced and has done a considerable amount of work calculating the potential residue left in a system after mixing one of these drugs, and the downstream requirements to ensure that contamination of feed manufactured for a susceptible animal does not occur. Feed mills must follow this CFIA system.

All feed mills are vigalent and understand the potential disaster that can result from the inadvertant contamination of a horse feed.Unfortunatley feed is made by humans and humans have been known to mess up on occassion. While I sense an impending flood of hate mail from feed mills I feel it is important that every so often they be reminded of the potential disaster lurking in their bins, mixers, pellet mills and bagging operations by the people who pay their wages. Do not be afraid to ask your feed supplier if they use ionophores, what measures they have in place to prevent contamination, how often employees are reminded of the potential dangers and even if new employees are given training in the potential for disaster. If they say they have a written protocol, ask to see it. Your horse deserves a clean, safe and contaminant free dinner every day!

Under valued or Over Priced

J. A. (Jake) Davidson — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:01:19 GMT

Things must be getting bad, or it is a slow news week. My morning routine starts with a quick read of the news on a couple of internet sites just to see what new things are messed up in the world. Imagine my surprise when front and center on the Winnipeg Sun pages is an article titled “Tough Times for the Horse Market”. Even more interesting the article originates in Toronto.

The article starts by lamenting the drastic drop in horse prices in Canada and cites the reason as being the importation of more than 65% — 59,933 — of the 89,160 horses slaughtered in Canada in 2011. These horses were shipped from the U.S. for Canadian slaughter. I am certain that an influx such as this has driven the horse meat market to new lows. The article claims the meat value of a horse at well below $300.00 with horses being sold for as low as $75.00.

Where I see a problem is an inference that because meat horses are cheap the value of high quality horses has also decreased. There is a reference for $10,000 horses having to be sold for $6,000 and people saying the market is bad. I tend to agree with an Ontario Auction manager who said the problem is not a bad market but peoples inflated idea of the value of their horses. Before you slap a big dollar price on your horse and then complain when it does not sell take a trip on the reality train and think hard about the price you are asking.

The issue here is not one of the morality of horse slaughter. Where do you think these 89,160 horses would be and in what condition if there was no slaughter facility? The issue is a stupid US law that has resulted in a bad economic outcome that has crossed the border and become a Canadian issue. There are two separate issues here. 1) An excess of slaughter horses depressing the market and 2) An over evaluation of horses that are in the resale market.

Time for sellers to take a reality check!

Western Fair

J. A. (Jake) Davidson — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:59:28 GMT

Oh I am so bad. I just never give up. And for some reason everything keeps coming my way. Out of the blue and today I get more information to support my "If it isn't a Standardbred - it isn't a horse campaign". Western Raceway in London, Ontario has started an initiative where they are putting cameras on the helmets of the drivers to give the fans a different view of the race. These are not the polished images from the professional videos I have recommended over the last few weeks. This is raw footage of the real thing.

Mud hitting the camera is no different than the mud in the drivers face. Feel the horses lean into the turns at 30 + mph. See the stretch run. Over the next while Western Fair will be posting a series of these race videos. My boy Tahuya Riverdance pounds the track in London on a regular basis. Perhaps we will see a race from his perspective.

Sooner or later you will see why It has to be Standardbred!

See the video through the Standardbred Canada website at : http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/1-22-12/see-what-driver-sees.html or on UTube at ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mxbhauY-IPE&noredirect=1

Gold Cup and Saucer

J. A. (Jake) Davidson — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:48:48 GMT

Ok folks, I am at it again. Another episode in my unending quest to turn the entire horse world into “Standardbred World” and prove my point “If it isn’t a Standardbred – it isn’t a horse”. I invite you to watch another just released video. Sit down, take off your shoes, grab a drink and enjoy an hours’ worth of living the Standardbred racing life.

This movie is the story of the “Gold Cup and Saucer” one of the most prestigious Standardbred races in North America. Raced in Charlottetown, PEI the race is the culmination of an annual 10-day long festival. The presentation is the story of the 2011 race, the people, horses and the importance of this piece of history to both PEI and the people who live Standardbred racing on the far east end of Canada.

Filled with breathtaking images of horses and drivers careening around the track at breakneck speeds this movie truly represents what is good in the racing industry.

Two different ways to get there: http://vimeo.com/35041302 or through the Standardbred Canada website http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/1-19-12/gold-cup-saucer-documentary.html .

For those readers in the Lower Mainland of BC. If you feel the need to experience the real deal then check out Fraser Downs in Cloverdale. Friday nights and Sunday afternoons. It’s a family affair – bring the kids.

Five Freedoms!

J. A. (Jake) Davidson — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:54:24 GMT

There is a “thing” making the rounds in the animal welfare community. The “thing” is a concept that horses are entitled to five freedoms. The group behind this is the Farm Animal Welfare Committee of the World Equine Veterinary Association. The five freedoms are as follows:

1. Freedom from thirst, hunger, and malnutrition; 2. Freedom from discomfort; 3. Freedom from pain, injury, and disease; 4. Freedom to express normal behaviour; and 5. Freedom from fear and distress.

Now anyone who has even remotely followed my ramblings over the 80 odd Just Jake columns and 84 more blogs knows that I am an advocate for the welfare of the horse. However, I am also a realist and the reality is that there is no way, unless you put a horse in a gilded cage and monitor him 24/7 you can meet the 5 criteria. Even if you did it, you would be breaking freedom 4. Let us look at the list:

1. Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition. This is motherhood and no person can find an argument with this.

2. Freedom from discomfort. Now how can we guarantee that? What if he jumps and lands and strains something. What if followed by what if. Yes freedom from human caused discomfort, but to what extent?

3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease. Well duhh! Obvious yes, but impossible to do. Diseases are transmitted by nature, we all know our horses can inflict injuries on themselves that cause pain.

4. Freedom to express normal behaviour. Normal behaviour within what physical constraints? Should all horses be free to run over the barren prairies? Free to fight and battle for herd dominance to the detriment of others?

5. Freedom from fear and distress. Number 4 and number 5 are diametrically opposite. Normal herd behaviour is based on fear and dominance, which causes distress. How does one stop fear of the unknown? Stop fear of some unknown creature in a pasture (bears for example) or fear caused by a sudden noise or unusual situation. Horses survived because of a highly developed fear instinct.

Everyone reading this has broken the five freedom rules. You have if you rode too long, or too fast or jumped too high. All of this will cause some degree of muscle soreness. Therefore, you inflicted pain, discomfort and distress on your horse. If your horse is not turned out with others where he can play and fight, or is kept stabled during training, you have broken the five freedoms.

Making lists of rights and freedoms is fine but they must be applicable and reasonable. These rules are so encompassing that every horse owner in the world has been abusive. This sort of drivel only fuels the rhetoric of the radical welfare groups and taints the minds of people who have no concept of animal husbandry.

Horses in general are doing pretty well in today’s world. How about someone guaranteeing you or me the same five freedoms. Wouldn’t even a single day without (di)stress be wonderful. If you cannot do it for a person, how in heck can anyone expect it be reasonable for horse owners?

Flying at Fraser!

J. A. (Jake) Davidson — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:32:49 GMT

In my never-ending quest to prove to my readers that “If it isn’t a standardbred – it isn’t a horse”, I am heading to a well-known BC location. Fraser Downs in Cloverdale is the site of the action I want to you see. On December 4, 2011 Driver Dave Hudon hit the track with cameras affixed to every part of his sulky (and his head) to give you a unique view and feel of what happens when you are literally hurtling around a racetrack at speeds over 30 miles per hour. While the video is so smooth it does not look like you are going that fast, trust me these guys are movin!

As you watch the video notice how close the horses follow each other, with only milliseconds between each horse. Notice the tails flapping in the drivers faces; understand the potential for disaster if anything goes wrong. This is a high intensity activity.

Congratulations to Fraser Downs, Dave Hudon and the videographer Tom Davidson for presenting such a wonderful video experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrgtVbiRFws&feature=player_embedded#!

RACE DAY!

J. A. (Jake) Davidson — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:23:09 GMT

Race Day does not mean much to most of my readers. Most of you, probably 99.999% have never sat behind 1,000 plus pounds of horse heading around a turn at speeds near 30 miles per hour. However, for those of us who have experienced the ultimate relationship between man and horse it all culminates in race day. Now I will be the first to admit that it is a few years since I sat in a race bike with the intention of crossing the finish line first. I do still enjoy a brisk jog workout and the occasional 2:15 training mile. Race days will find me in my colours warming up one of my beasts. I do it for no other reason than to remind myself why I keep draining my savings account buying horses, harness and other “necessities” of life.

You can now taste some of the excitement of harness racing, and after January 28, 2012, you can get a full blast of the lifestyle. Filmed entirely on August 6, 2011 - Race Day, a 23 minute documentary will take you inside harness racing. Here is how the producers describe this venture.

RACE DAY offers a rare glimpse inside the colour, emotion, character and characters of horse racing.
This short documentary was shot in ONE day by 20 people who love, live and breathe harness racing.
Filmed at racetracks, farms and homes — and from race bikes, trucks and private jets — across North America, each contributor has a unique perspective: From pomp and polish, and million-dollar races, to green fields, pitchforks and elbow grease.
RACE DAY is a truthful taste of ordinary people living extraordinary lives in their united love of the greatest game in the world.

The film will have its debut at Standardbred Canada’s national awards night and will then be available on line to the world. You can now watch a trailer and some interesting footage on YouTube or at http://racedaydoc.com/ . You can be sure I will tell you when the complete movie is available!

Another Chance For Change

J. A. (Jake) Davidson — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:35:29 GMT

So here we are at the end of December and just like I said one year ago today another 365 days have rolled past us and we are on the verge of another new year. I certainly feel at least a year older. A new year is a reason for change and a new beginning. Just like I said last year what counts if you desire change is a new attitude. As you look back have you had a change in attitude. A revised view of the world and perhaps a change in your life because of a new outlook. Did you do it on your own? Probably not! Your changes required the support of friends and family because attitude is a group response. You are influenced by those around you. Together we achieve what we cannot manage on our own.

So again in 2012 let us all concentrate on Attitude. A strong Positive Attitude. The goal does not matter. What matters is that you attack each challange with a Positive Attitude. Share your positive attitude with all your friends. Being positive is contageous.

So if you didn't quite find success in 2011, try again in 2012. You can do whatever you need to do to be successfull in whatever venture you choose.

So carry on and make 2012 the year of the Super Positive Attitude, and as we say in the racing business may 2012 bring you many fast miles!