News

Hyperbaric Chamber Explodes In Marion County

February 10, 2012 by Mark Thompson Leave a Comment

OCALA, Fla. — A woman and a horse died Friday in an explosion in Marion County, say police.Officials said a hyperbaric chamber exploded at 10 a.m. Friday at the KESMARC Florida Equine Rehab Center killing a woman and a horse.

Hyperbaric Chamber Explodes

Police said Erica Marshall, 28, died in the explosion.

Atlantic City Attraction Makes Plans To Revive â€œAppallingâ€ Horse Diving Show

February 9, 2012 by Mark Thompson Leave a Comment

Atlantic City, NJ â€“ The Steel Pier Association has announced their plans to bring a cruel spectacle back to the United States in the summer of 2012. Horse diving, where horses are ran up a 40-60 foot high ramp, and are forced to dive head first into the water below, has been decried by animal welfare organizations as cruel since the very first show in the 1880â€²s. Horses are typically jumped with a rider on their back, usually a young girl.

The Steel Pier Association is planning a $100 million dollar improvement to the Steel Pier over the next three years which will be featuring, according to theirÂ FebruaryÂ 4th, 2012Â press release, â€œnew thrill-seeking rides; a new food court and arcade area; a nightclub, museum and retail entertainment space; and a 2000-seat ballroom. Also featured will be an amphitheater with acrobatic acts as well as the iconic diving horse act.â€

Sign the petition to stop this here

HBO Responds to Racing Show Luckâ€™s Real-Life Horse Fatalities

February 7, 2012 by Mark Thompson Leave a Comment

Critics have already been effusive in their praise for Luck, the new HBO show created by David Milch. Executive produced byÂ Michael Mann and by starÂ Dustin Hoffman, the series sets out to expose the seedy underbelly of the thoroughbred racing scene.

But eagle-eyed viewers may notice one detail missing from the pilot episode, as well as one additional installment: theÂ American Humane Associationâ€™s usual seal of approval certifying that â€œNo Animals Were Harmedâ€ during the filming of the show. Instead, those two episodes state merely that â€œThe American Humane Association Monitored the animal action.â€

Rachel Alexandra Returns to Stonestreet

January 31, 2012 by Mark Thompson Leave a Comment

Rachel AlexandraÂ and her foal returnedÂ to Stonestreet Farm Jan. 30Â after being treated at the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital as a precautionary measure for pain management related to the Jan. 22 birth of a colt by CurlinÂ Â .

PegasusTV Expands to 200 Television Markets

January 23, 2012 by Mark Thompson Leave a Comment

Pegasus Television Network just announced via a press release that is has launched channels in the top 200 television markets in the United States. Â The channels will be based on-line, but each market will have its own channel where they can not only broadcast their 24/7 live national webcast but also local, regional and national advertising, news and information.

A use of technology that PegasusTV is counting on is the new internet-capable televisions, dvd players, and set-top boxes. Â Through these, viewers will be able to view the horse-related content in a manner they are normally used to viewing TV and not tethered directly to a computer screen. Â “Building on emerging statistics that viewers actually prefer watching local news and advertising within their own communities as opposed to national news or ad content, PegasusTVÂ deliversÂ coast-to-coast, national footprint coverage while allowing for local customization.”

PegasusTV is currently broadcasting which a range of interesting programming. Â Their website, however, has a way to go. Â An ad in the upper-right corner of their home page prevents one from accessing the Sacramento page. Â Only after finding a page without any videos on the page was I able to access the Sacramento page. Â The page was broadcasting their national live feed. Â When clicking on the schedule for the local channel I was redirected to an error page. Â So while I have high hopes for PegasusTV, and they do have some content now that can be viewed, only time will tell if they are able to improve the site and make a real go of it.

Currently PegasusTV is free including a video library. Â However, there is a $3.95 per month “large screen, no adÂ subscription version”Â option in which you’ll receive “unlimited monthly access to the 24/7 Pegasus Television Network’s national channel plus [an] automatic 25% discount onÂ anyÂ DVD from JustHorseVideos.com with no limit on how many DVDsÂ you can buy each month.”

For more information, go to:Â http://www.pegasustv.com/

2012 Gold N Grand Entries

January 14, 2012 by Mark Thompson Leave a Comment

One of the most popular show circuits in the area, Gold N Grand, released their entry book for the spring March 23-25 show. Go here for more information: http://www.murietaequinecomplex.com/

Stockebrand, A Dressage Olympian: Charged with Animal Cruelty

December 21, 2011 by Mark Thompson Leave a Comment

Three months after Rate My Horse PRO first reported that a California dressage trainer was being investigated by Sonoma County Animal Control and Care (ACC) for the alleged neglect of her horses, a charge has been filed.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Bill Brockley saysÂ Gwen Stockebrand has been charged with one count of felony animal cruelty under penal code 597(b). The full statute states:

Setting the Record Straight on Congressâ€™ Lifting of the Ban on Horse Slaughter

December 14, 2011 by Mark Thompson Leave a Comment

There has been a lot of talk in the past week about Congressâ€™ lifting of the ban prohibiting federal funding for the inspection of horses, which prevented the slaughter of horses for human consumption for the past five years.Â The issue is understandably a sensitive and emotional one for everyone who loves these majestic animals, but it is important that the discussion be tempered with the facts.

More here