Industry Info
American Horse Council Announces New
Member Benefits & Anniversary Contests
In conjunction with the American Horse Council’s
(AHC) 50th anniversary celebration, this week AHC
announced a number of new member benefits, and
launched a membership drive campaign that includes
several contests.
AHC members can now enjoy $1000s more in mem-
bership benefits through partners Tickets at Work, a
FREE USEF Fan Membership which entitles them to
USEF Member Perks, and returning benefits from the
AHC Advantage Plan. These programs offer signifi-
cant discounts on brands including: John Deere, Na-
tionwide, Sherwin Williams Paints, Office Depot, UPS,
RedBrand Fence, Dover Saddlery, Premier Equestri-
an arena footing, Triple Crown Nutrition, US Rider,
SmartPak, and countless destinations, theme parks,
sporting events, Broadway shows and other events.
The first contest is a 50th Anniversary Video Tes-
timonial Contest. In a 3 minute video, members are
asked to share why they are AHC members and why
the AHC is important to the success of the equine
industry. There will be two winners, one individual
AHC member and one winner from a member organi-
zation. Entrants must produce a video to be shared and
judged on the AHC Facebook page and website. The
best videos will be announced during the AHC An-
nual Meeting on June 12, 2019. Winners will receive
a BG50 Stihl Leaf Blower, with a retail value of $230!
Official rules and entry information can be found on
the AHC website at www.horsecouncil.com.
The second contest is a new member campaign
drive. New AHC individual members, will be entered
in a drawing to win a John Deere S24 Lawn Mower,
valued at $2,600! Finally, State Horse Council mem-
bers who join AHC, can earn points to help your State
Horse Council win a gift certificate, as well as being
entered in the John Deere S24 Lawn Mower drawing.
AAEP Publishes Rotavirus Guidelines
The American Association of Equine Practitioners
(AAEP) has published on its website comprehensive
guidelines for the identification, management and
prevention of rotavirus, a leading cause of diarrhea in
foals up to six months of age at horse breeding centers
worldwide.
Published as a PDF file, the Rotavirus Guidelines
document conveniently summarizes the disease’s
clinical signs, risk factors, diagnostic methods, control
measures, biosecurity issues and other management
protocols.
The guidelines were created at the request of the
AAEP’s Infectious Disease Committee by Roberta
Dwyer, DVM, MS, DACVPM, equine extension vet-
erinarian and professor at the University of Kentucky;
and Ashley Whitehead, DVM, BSc, DVSc, DACVIM,
senior instructor in equine clinical sciences at the
University of Calgary. Drafted guidelines were then
reviewed and approved by the committee and the
AAEP’s board of directors.
“Foal diarrhea remains a disease of enormous sig-
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nificance to the horse industry,” said Dr. Dwyer. “Ro-
tavirus is one of the most common pathogens in major
breeding areas worldwide. Early recognition, diagno-
sis, treatment and biosecurity in cases of foal diarrhea
are key to minimizing disease impacts to breeding
farms.”
View the Rotavirus Guidelines or save them to your
phone or tablet for future reference at aaep.org/guide-
lines/infectious-disease-control/using-guidelines. In
addition to rotavirus, AAEP guidelines for 17 other
equine infectious diseases are available through the
site.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners,
headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954
as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health
and welfare of the horse. Currently, AAEP reaches
more than 5 million horse owners through its over
9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in
ethics issues, practice management, research and con-
tinuing education in the equine veterinary profession
and horse industry.