Baby Miniature Donkey Gets A Pacemaker

Baby Kaya

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For some unknown reason, Kaya, a three-week-old miniature donkey was suffering from episodes of fainting.  She was taken to her local veterinarian who performed a complete physical examination.

The vet soon discovered a systolic heart murmur.  In addition, he could hear dropped heart beats that he believed were associated with the fainting.

After an electrocardiogram confirmed an abnormal heart rhythm, the veterinarian referred Kaya to the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at UC Davis.

It was there that “Kaya” was seen by both the Large Animal Internal Medicine Department and the Cardiology Department.

They learned that not only was Kaya experiencing fainting episodes, but she was an unusually quiet baby donkey.  She never bucked or played like a normal baby.

Upon further examination, the UC Davis veterinarians agreed with the diagnosis made by Kaya’s local vet. Kaya had both heart murmurs and an abnormal heart rhythm.

To understand the causes of these abnormal findings, the UC Davis veterinarians performed both an electrocardiogram (ECG) and an echocardiogram (cardiac ultrasound).

The ECG showed an abnormal rhythm (arrhythmia) consistent with third-degree AV block, which is a failure of the inherent pace-keeping mechanism of the heart.

The ultrasound showed that the mitral, tricuspid and aortic valves were slightly leaky but that the overall structure and size of the heart were normal.

Routine lab work ruled out infection or electrolyte disturbances as the underlying causes of the arrhythmia.

Given these findings, it was suspected that Kaya’s third-degree AV block might be congenital, meaning they were present at birth as a result of hereditary or environmental influences.

It was decided to give Kaya a pacemaker to treat the arrhythmia. However, there were important considerations for Kaya’s health regarding the placement of the pacemaker.

First, given Kaya’s age, it was likely that she would outgrow her pacemaker and that a second surgery would in all probability be required.

Secondly,  the placement of the pacemaker was critical. The jugular vein used for the placement of the pacemaker could never be used to administer intravenous medications or to draw blood.

After careful consultation, Kaya was placed under general anesthesia and a pacemaker was installed. The evidence of the pacemaker’s success was seen immediately.

Little Kaya bucked  for the first time that same evening!

It was six months later that Kaya  returned for a second and larger pacemaker.  This surgery and the placement of her second pacemaker was successful.

Kaya is a now a very happy, bouncing donkey !

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Reference:

Horse Report – School of Veterinary Medicine -UC Davis
March 2013

The 2013 Baby Budweiser Clydesdale Is Named “Hope”

The three-week-old star of Budweiser’s Super Bowl ad now has a name: Hope.

Anheuser-Busch said Tuesday that its contest to find a name for the foal born Jan. 16 at the company’s Clydesdale ranch in mid-Missouri generated more than 60,000 tweets, Facebook comments and other messages.

Hope was one of the more popular names generated through the social media effort.

“We were overwhelmed by the response we got,” Lori Shambro, brand director for Budweiser, said in a statement.

“Many of our fans wanted a name to reflect their optimism and spirit, which the name Hope encapsulates beautifully,” Shambro said.

The foal now weighs 200 pounds and will weigh roughly 2,000 pounds when she is grown, said John Soto, supervisor of Warm Springs Ranch, where Anheuser-Busch raises Clydesdales near Boonville, Mo.

Hope was the second Clydesdale born at Warm Springs Ranch this year.

“This newest member of the Budweiser Clydesdale family was 7 days old on the day this part of the Super Bowl commercial was filmed,” said Jeff Knapper, general manager of Clydesdale operations, in a press release.  More than 30 Clydesdales are expected to be born in 2013.

According to Knapper,  “A star was truly born on Jan. 16.”

And now she is known as “Hope”.

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ABC News:
For fascinating video and information

Link:
Inside Anheuser-Busch’s Iconic Horse Breeding Operation

Photos: Courtesy of Budweiser

Last Remaining Marine Mounted Color Guard To Appear In Rose Parade

Since 1967, the Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard, stationed in Barstow, California, has been representing the United States Marine Corps at events and ceremonies throughout the country.

What sets this color guard apart from any other military color guard is the fact that “America’s Heroes” are riding “America’s Living Legends,” wild mustangs captured and adopted from the Bureau of Land Management’s “Adopt a Horse and Burro Program.”

In addition, the team only rides Mustangs of Palomino color.  Several of these horses have been trained by inmates in Carson City, Nevada.

The riders are trained to recognize that horses are living creatures capable of thinking, feeling, and decision-making, no different than you and I.

The Marines learn to respect there mounts as individuals with different personalities.

Being aware of each horse’s potential challenges every rider to be a better horseman and stronger leader of Marines.

In January 1985, the Mounted Color Guard made its first appearance in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, and has been given the extreme honor of the first military unit to lead the parade.

Since 1990, the Mounted Color Guard has participated in every Tournament of Roses Parade.

They will, again, be featured in the Rose Parade, this year.

The USMC Color Guard travels all over the United States participating in parades, rodeos, and many numerous events and ceremonies.

The Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard is the only remaining mounted color guard in the Marine Corps today.

The horses continue to be ambassadors for the Wild Mustangs that remain a link to the history of America.

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USMC Mounted Color Guard

Over One Hundred Horse-Drawn Antique Carriages In Historic Christmas Parade

In Lebanon, Ohio the Antique Horse Drawn Carriage Parade has become one of the most anticipated Christmas celebrations. People travel afar to see this time honored tradition.

The unique Christmas parade features more than 100 antique horse-drawn carriages parading through the streets of beautiful historic downtown Lebanon.

Each year, hundreds of horses and thousands of local Lebanon, Ohio residents prepare for the coming of Christmas.

As night falls, historic buildings and candle-lit streets provide the perfect backdrop for this parade.

People of all ages line Lebanon’s charming downtown streets, candles in hand, anxiously awaiting the first of 100 horse-drawn antique carriages to pass by.

Held every year on the first Saturday in December, this Christmas parade has become one of the most unique and beautiful holiday celebrations in the Midwest.

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Source: Examiner News
Photos: Warren County, Ohio

Bell Ringing Mini Horse Raises Big Money For Salvation Army

Tinker may be miniature — as in a miniature horse — but he’s a big money raiser for the Salvation Army.

He uses his mouth to hold and ring a red bell and also picks up with his mouth a “Thank You Merry Christmas” sign. He can also bow and give kisses.

Major Roger Ross, a Salvation Army commander, said Tinker is one of their biggest money raisers in the area: He brings in 10 times the amount of a regular bell ringer.

“A good kettle for a couple of hours brings in about $250, and for the same time period (Tinker and his owners) have been known to bring in $2,500,” he said. “They line up to put money in the kettle.”

The 13-year-old horse, who’s brown, black, grey and white, has been ringing for four seasons.

“I actually save up all my donation and give it to Tinker because I have such a soft place in my heart for him,” said Karen Hammen, who gave money while Tinker stood outside a West Bend, Wisconsin craft show on a recent Saturday morning.

One of Tinker’s owners, Carol Takacs, said she and her husband got Tinker 12 years ago. She said she went to look at a property, fell in love with the miniature horses there and asked that one be part of the deal.

“About three or four years ago I was walking out of a store and there was a bell ringer and I gave,” she said. “I started thinking ‘I wonder if I can, if I can help make this even more interesting.’ So I went home and I started working with Tinker.”

His name was Tinker when they got him, Takacs said.

“As fate would have it, I could not have named him more appropriately if I had tried,” she said.

Before appearances, she spends a half-hour vacuuming his mane and fur and puts glitter on his hooves, a bell on his backside and a Santa hat on his head. And — of course — Tinker wears the Salvation Army apron.

She also made pins with his face on it — a gift for every $5 donation.

While most people are wooed by Tinker and his decorations, she said some don’t believe he actually holds and rings the bell.

“We don’t do that with Velcro or glue. There’s nothing on his bell. He knows that this is his job and he does it very well,” she said.

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Source: Associated Press

For Wild Zebra ~ It’s All About The Spots

An elusive zebra having both stripes and spots was observed by wildlife photographer and safari guide Paul Goldstein.

In all his 25 years in the wilds of Africa, Goldstein had never seen a zebra with markings such as this.

The zebra was discovered in Kenya’s Masai Mara, one of the best places in the world for wildlife watching.  After two years of tracking, Goldstein was finally able to photograph this animal.

It appeared that this unique zebra had been ostracized by the other zebra, presumably because of its spotted markings.

According to Goldstein, this unique zebra is shy, “extremely bad tempered” and aggressive towards other zebras and appears to have no mates. However, he does have a lot of scars.

Goldstein states that ‘every zebra in Africa has slightly different markings, but this one has taken that to extremes.’

“The mane is short and completely black. The hooped markings on the legs are completely different to normal ones.  It has the shape of a donkey, but is much darker all over. The spots are very prominent’.

According to recent research done by UCLA Environmental Studies, other spotted zebra have been observed in prior years.

In 1967, a Spotted zebra was photographed in Botswana.

And in 2009 a Spotted zebra was photographed Nairobi National Park in Kenya.

Scientists have been speculating about the purpose of the zebra’s stripes since the 1870s, when Charles Darwin criticized Alfred Russel Wallace’s theory that the stripes provided camouflage in tall grass. Zebras prefer open savannahs, Darwin argued, where the grass is too short to make stripes useful hiding tools.

Since then, some scientists believe zebra evolved in such a way so as to make it easier to recognize each other.

Others say it is to confuse predators when they bunch into groups to avoid attack.

Further suggestions have been that the patterns of dark and light fur might cause air turbulence, helping the animals to cool off.

This year a group of scientists suggested still another theory: that zebra developed stripes to keep blood-sucking flies at bay.

It is known that the patterns covering the zebra are as distinctive as human fingerprints.

But here we are, still at the age old question … how and why did the zebra get its stripes.

Now we have the question … how and why did the zebra get its spots.

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Sources:
UCLA Zebra Research
Discovery News
Mail Online

Photo Credits:
Paul Goldstein/Rex Features
Kenya Wildlife Services
Quagga Project
Brenda Larison
Dan Rubinstein

High Sierra Challenge: Woman, 64, Takes Annual Trek With Horse And Two Mules

Mary Breckenridge crosses the High Sierra every year with only her horse and two mules for company.

The beauty, the self-reliance, the solitude drive her.

With her horse, Surprise, and mules Dixie and Woody,  Mary Breckenridge guides them across Mono Pass on the second day of her trans-Sierra trip.

Taking in the view of Mono Pass

She always leaves in September, when heat still tents the Central Valley but cool mountain breezes stir silvery-green aspen leaves.

Higher up, the nights can be so cold that the water in her coffeepot turns rock-hard. It’s happened. She kept going.

Mary comforts Woody after he was spooked.

Packing and unpacking 300 pounds of gear daily, making and breaking camp, starting her fire from twigs.

Trekking the High Sierra makes her feel thrillingly self-reliant. A true Western woman.

This is my church, says, Breckenridge

Except, now that Mary is 64, and she’s not sure she can do it anymore. Not alone.

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For the entire story and video of Mary Breckenridge and her High Sierra Challenge:  Los Angeles Times

Photos: Katie Falkenberg

Rare Somali Wild Ass Is Born At Miami Zoo

For the first time in the history of the Miami Zoo, a critically endangered Somali Wild Ass was born. This celebrated event took place late this summer.

The Somali Wild Ass is critically endangered with only a few hundred left in the wild. Something as simple as a drought could be enough to wipe out the species completely.

The female foal was named “Hani”, which means happy or full of joy in Somali.

The Somali wild ass is the last remaining ancestor of the modern donkey.  They are the smallest of the wild equids and are found in the rocky deserts in very isolated areas of Eastern Africa.

The adults weigh approximately 500 pounds. The mares usually give birth to a single foal after a gestation of 11 months.

The Somali wild ass are characterized by their smooth gray coat and their striped legs which are indicative of their close relation to zebras.

Play behavior appears to be important in the development of this species, which might serve many functions later in life.

What has been learned is that the Somali wild ass is an amazing social animal. They have associations within the herd that remain consistent, and those associations are reflected in their behavior.

All the adult Somali animals are on loan to the Miami Zoo and other zoos by the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

They state that any information learned about this species can benefit their reproduction within zoological facilities and conservation in the wild.

They are part of a carefully planned captive breeding program, which is designed to maintain healthy populations of these extremely rare animals for generations to come.

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Re-written from news sources: 
San Diego News
Miami Herald
NBC Miami News

Photos:  Ron Magill

Endurance Horse Passes 20,000 Miles

Tulip, a 21 year old Morab gelding is the first horse in
American Endurance Ride Conference history
to surpass the 20,000 mile mark.

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Tulip, a Morab gelding who will turn 21 on June 21,2009  is endurance riding’s most enduring equine, with 20,805 miles to his credit and he is still going strong.

Tulip‘s name? The rumor, according to Dr. Les Carr, Tulip‘s owner, is that a bed of lovely tulips was nearby during Tulip’s birth.

The 15.2-hand Tulip, registered as a half-Arabian by the Arabian Horse Association, is by the Morgan stallion Calamity’s Pizzaz, whose sire is from the Kingston line. His dam, Belif, is a granddaughter of Bu-Zahar, a son of Ferzon-Hall of Fame sire of National Champions.

Carr, of Somerset, Calif., has amassed 46,460 miles of his own during his 24 years of AERC competitions. Both Carr and Tulip exemplify AERC’s commitment to valuing equine longevity.

Although he has completed four 100-mile rides, Tulip’s specialty is the 50-mile endurance ride, especially when combined into AERC Pioneer Rides, which include at least three consecutive days of 50- to 55-mile rides. And the grey gelding’s not burning up the trail; he and Carr tend to finish towards the back of the pack in most competitions.

“The AERC motto is ‘to finish is to win’,” noted Carr. “However, winning can be accomplished in different ways. One way to win is for the rider to make the decision to ride the same horse over a long period of time and place at the middle or tail end of the ride. This approach has been my choice.”

Most years, Carr and Tulip would complete around 1,000 miles of competition a year. Their highest mileage year was 2006, when the completed 1,970 miles. Along the way, the pair have picked up numerous awards from AERC, including regional mileage championships and Pioneer Awards.

At age 74, Carr keeps himself in shape with bodybuilding and weightlifting when he’s not riding. At 5’8″, he keeps his weight at a trim 148 pounds. A practicing clinical psychologist, Carr considers riding “a mystical and spiritual experience.”

Carr has no plans to retire Tulip. The pair have already completed 670 miles in the current ride season. But Carr said that he and Tulip will no longer be doing as many five-day Pioneer Rides (250 miles over five days), instead focusing on one-day 50s and the three-day, 155-mile Pioneer Rides.

“Life along the endurance trail is unpredictable, in line with our universe that is inherently chaotic and unpredictable,” said Carr.

But the septuagenarian, who rides along with his wife Jill and her trustworthy mule, Walker, at his side, Carr hopes to ride Tulip as long as possible along the endurance trails.

NewsLink:

Photo: Lynne Glazer

London Police Horse Pals Retire Together

Vincent and Ursula

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Two inseparable horses are set to retire together after spending a total of 30 years in London’s Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch.

Vincent, 22, and Ursula, 21, have built a special bond over the past 18 months after sharing adjoining stalls and playing together in the field at the Met’s stables in Surrey.

Not wanting to separate the two, the staff has arranged for the retiring duo to be sent to the same farm in East Sussex to share out their lives, together.

This was a special exception as horses are rarely retired to one location.

Inspector Alan Hiscox, chief instructor at the Metropolitan Police’s Mounted Branch Training Establishment, said: “Vincent and Ursula have contributed to every aspect of policing in the Mounted Branch, from frontline patrols and ceremonial duties, right through to training our younger horses and new officers”.

The Mounted Branch was established in 1760 and currently has over 140 officers and 120 horses at eight operational stables spread across London.

They have a  variety of roles including, high visibility patrols, public order duties as well as specific crime initiatives and specialist events, such as   trooping the color.

Every officer and horse receives extensive training. They ensure that both horse and rider are well equipped to deal with the rigors of policing in the capital.

Vincent and Ursula have both had illustrious careers having  served at football matches at Wembley and also at the Queen’s Birthday Parade.

Inspector Alan Hiscox  says: “I have had the honor of riding both Vincent and Ursula, they are very special horses.

“It has been very heartening to see them grow close and they deserve many long and happy years of retirement.”

Both horses will now live out their lives together. They will occasionally be ridden, go for walks and spend time in pasture.

They will be well looked after in their deserved retirement.