Emergency Preparedness Roundtable

By , Posted 21/21/13 10:44 AM    

 Are you prepared for an emergency?  What if your barn and property flood or there is a fire?  How and where are you going to take the horses?  

Don't wait till an emergency occurs, start preparations now!

Participants can share their experiences and make recommendations to help protect your property and the safety of horses and handlers. 

• Prepardness checklist
• Communication
• Insurance and liability
• Trailering
• 'Fire' drill
  
• Food & Supplies
• Stabling

Location:  Hunter Lane Equestrian Center
Host:         Benita & Pete Mattoli
When:       May 15th
                    6:30pm social,  7:00pm Roundtable discussion

Directions

Legal Tips for the Barn Owner

By , Posted 12/12/13 02:49 PM    

   with Lauren Terk, Attorney
   Terk Law Offices

March 20th, Wednesday
BRONC Meeting at Sanbar Dressage

An avid horsewoman in her own right, Lauren Terk first served the equine community in 1994, when she began authoring a column on equine law issues in a Northern San Franchsco Bay Area horse magazine.

Having established her knowledge of the factual and legal issues unique to the eqiine world, Ms. Terk has been retained to draft contracts including trainers' liability releases, trailering agreements, horse lease/sponsorship agreements, horse sales agreements, and even a power of attorney for veterinary care and euthanasia.  In addition she has litigated cases involving the alleged negligence of trainers, boarding facilities, trail ride operators and farriers.

About Lauren Terk, Attorney
Ms. Terk graduated from the University of Washington in 1985 with a BS in Business Administration / Accounting. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1988.  She serves as judge pro tem for the Marin County Superior Courts, for which she also serves as a discovery master and court assigned mediator. To learn more, visit her website at www.terklaw.com

When:  March 20th
Time:  6:30pm social, 7:00pm lecture / meeting
Location:  Sanbar Dressage, 6529 Lakeville Hwy, Petaluma
Host:  Sandy Kriegsman  (707) 769-0998

A Roll in the Hay

By , Posted 10/10/13 11:53 AM    

   with Danny Winters of
   North Bay Hay & Grain

   January 16th, Wednesday
   BRONC Meeting

   Another year of uncertainty in the commodities market, economy and weather will affect farmers and ranchers which could result in soaring      prices and shortages of hay and grain that could have a major impact on your business's bottom line.

Danny Winters, President & CEO of North Bay Hay & Grain will talk about ways to insulate your business and strategies to take advantage of purchase timing, various hay alternatives and more. Not only is hay purchasing about the best prices for the best quality, but knowing what type of hay is best for your stable and how to evaluate it.

Time: 6:30pm social, 7:00pm meeting & lecture

Location:
Sweetwater Farm
4000 Bisordi Lane, Fulton, CA 95439

Contact: Gwenne Volpert, Owner 707-545-4635 or email
 

Arena Footings and Maintenance

By Tricia Henry, Posted 19/19/12 10:27 AM    

 John Dienhart is the Footings Specialist at West Coast Footings, a company that he and his wife, Barb, started in 1993.  John is such an expert in his field that many show facilities hire him to do the footing/grounds work.  You can see him at Murieta Equine Complex, Pebble Beach Equestrian Center, Fort Klamath in OR, Nampa in ID and many more.  He handles the disciplines of Cutting, Jumping, Dressage and Barrel Racing.  Until 2009 he worked the footing for the Western States Horse Expo, the Magnificent 7, which is a premier top rated working cow horse competition.

He will talk with us about basic footing, what is it, what should we expect from it and how to control and maintain it.  He will answer your questions about your arena and its specific problems and possible solutions.  Because John is a hands-on, practical person, you can expect doable, budget conscious answers to the problems we all have maintaining out arenas.

Up & Coming Regulations That May Affect You

By Tricia Henry, Posted 1/01/12 09:06 AM    

Following up on our last meeting which focused on mud, manure & water management to minimize environmental impact, our March speaker will discuss past and upcoming regulations that may affect all horse property and barn owners along the same lines.

Joe Pozzi, President of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau will give BRONC members some insights on how the process works, politics involved and how to be a proactive part of it.

More details to follow............. 

Horses, Mud, Mosquitoes, Manure and You

By , Posted 14/14/12 01:20 PM    

Have you ever had a problem with mud? Are you worried about mosquitoes spreading West Nile Virus? Do you have a plan for your manure? Did you know that there are ways to solve these problems and help water quality in the Creeks near your property? Managing a property for horses can be challenging. Horses are large animals that can easily compact soil and their teeth are able to graze vegetation down to the ground. These two facts combined with winter rain could lead to fields becoming a muddy mess, where mosquitoes are free to breed. In addition, the lack of vegetation can cause soil to erode and the rainwater to pollute the creeks with mud. This talk highlighted practices that reduce mud and mosquitoes and manage manure to reduce water pollution derived from equestrian facilities. In addition, Valerie Minton from the Sotoyome Resource Conservation District spoke about new free programs that they offer owners and managers of equestrian facilities.

BRONC President Sandy Kreigsman to receive Equus Award

By , Posted 14/14/12 01:12 PM    

 Our BRONC President, Sandy Kriegsman of Sanbar Dressage in Petaluma has been choosen by the Sonoma County Horse Council to receive the prestigious Equus Award.   She will be honored at the SCHC's Equus Awards Dinner event on March 24th at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa.  

Mark your calendars and send in your reservations to attend the dinner to honor Sandy for all her contributions, mentoring, support and friendship to all of us in the horse community.  Let's get the whole barn owner's community together and show our support!

To learn more about the awards event and download your reservation form, visit the Sonoma County Horse Council's website at www.SonomaCountyHorseCouncil.org

Steps to Prevent Crime on your Ranch

By Tricia Henry, Posted 17/17/11 09:05 AM    

At our November BRONC meeting, Detective Tony King and CSO Pat Moffitt of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office great presentation on crime that is happening on rural properties and how to prevent it.  The following are recommendations that every Barn owner should implement to protect not only their property but those of their clients.

The type of crimes happening are theft of equipment, metals, tack, chemicals and livestock.  All of these involve trespassing and often vandalism.  The total loss so far to farmers and ranchers in Sonoma County since the first of the year is  $840,405 of which only $21,035 has been recovered. Detective King gave us simple steps to not only help prevent theft but to increase your property's recovery.

• Record all make, model, pin & vin numbers on equipment and hand tools
• Mark equipment & tack with your name, color or ID numbers
• Obtain an Owner Applied Number (OAN) from www.agcrime.net
• Secure all equipment and remove keys
• Photograph large equipment and tack
• Use tracking devices on large, expensive equipment
• Disable machines or trailers that have to be left off property (disconnect batteries, remove hitches, pull fuses, etc)
• Lock up chemicals and tools
• Make note of suspicious vehicles or people and send to the Sheriff's Office
• Avoid feeding your livestock next to a public road as they become accustomed to this and run up to any vehicle
• Brand, mark, tattoo or microchip your livestock or horses
• Post no trespassing sign and Farm Watch signs

For more information on how to protect your property, contact the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office Rural Crime Task Force at 707-565-3940 or Pat Moffitt. Visit the OAN website for brochures and how to obtain an Owner Applied Number.

Sonoma County Equine Herpes Virus - 1 Outbreak status from Barn Owner

By Sandy Kriegsman, Posted 28/28/11 11:17 AM    

Dear fellow Barn Owners and friends,

Thank you for your kind words and emails. It made me feel good during this stressful time. I want to update the facts for you.

• On August 23rd, 2 horses spiked a fever in the upper barn. This was the barn to which the originally infected horse had been moved for isolation for 11 hours on Friday the 19th.
• Nasal swabs done on these two showed that one of the horses had a high viral load, the other only a low 'environmental' load. . • The two are being kept isolated and treated with anti-viral medicine.
• Neither of the two show any neurological signs nor any overt sign of the disease other than the original fever and the positive nasal swab result.
• The horse that had originally gone to Davis was not put down but passed away at Davis on the morning of the 24th.
• The California Dept. of Food & Agricultural, Animal Health Branch Chief, Dr. Kent Fowler and Equine Program Lead, Dr. Katie Flynn, both from Sacramento, came to Sanbar on the 24th to view our site, and make recommendations concerning our bio-security practices and quarantine.
• All recommendations were put into place and the horses and premises quarantined. Quarantine release is determined on a case-by-case basis, but if no further cases appear, Sanbar will likely be released from quarantine around the 10th of Sept.
• Dr. Nicola Pusterla, Associate Professor in the Equine Infectious Disease Research Lab at the UC Davis Veterinary School requested that nasal swabs be obtained from all horses at Sanbar. That was done and all but one of the 2 horses that had spiked a fever, showed negative or low 'environmental' viral load.
• This virus is ubiquitous in the environment and a significant percentage of the general horse population can show a low 'environmental' load of the virus. Until compatible clinical signs, especially a fever, and a positive nasal swab are identified, the horse is not considered to be an infected EHV-1 horse.
• All barns have been thoroughly disinfected as requested.
• We will continue to take temperatures of all horses twice a day until the official quarantine ends.
• We will continue all the bio-security measures until the official quarantine ends. It is now just waiting. Hard to do for all concerned.
• Our thoughts and sympathy are with the owner of the horse that passed away.

Sandy Kriegsman
Sanbar Dressage

What Can Horse Owners Do to Protect Their Horses?

By Tricia Henry, Posted 17/17/11 02:48 PM    

 If your horse attended the Ogden, Utah event:

The CDA encourages all horse owners who attended the Ogden, Utah event to notify their veterinarian and isolate and monitor their horses for clinical signs of the disease. Individual horse and barn bio-security is very important. Some horses may not show signs of the disease but may still be a carrier. Those owners are also encouraged to restrict movement of their horses.

Horse Movement

The CDA also reminds horse owners to consider this disease risk before transporting horses. Like any disease, EVH-1 can transfer from nose-to-nose contact. It can also be spread by contaminated tack, equipment, and people's clothing. In addition, the virus can be spread through aerosols (airborne) for a limited distance. Continue to monitor our webpage for further information to aid in the decision making for transporting horses.

Disease Prevention

Biosecurity and biocontainment control practices can reduce the risk of exposure to this disease. Key points of a biosecurity plan include isolating new animals and those returning to the home premises, supplying clean feed and water, implementing infection-control practices for visitors and personnel, and avoiding movement from various locations Especially important is the isolation of any sick horses and making contact with your veterinarian. Any individual horse with clinical signs consistent with neurological EHV-1 infection should be removed immediately from the area and placed in a separate enclosure for isolation. Effective biosecurity practices lead to fewer health problems for animals and contribute to a longer and better-quality life.

For more information on equine biosecurity methods visit, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/content/printable_versi on/HorseBioSecurity_final.pdf

Barn Owners on the Cutting Edge

By Tricia Henry, Posted 21/21/10 10:59 AM    

Todays barn owners are incorporating new technologies to manage and improve their business.  From hay analysis and customized diets to arena footing, developments enhance the health and welfare of our equine investments & clients.  The Northern California group of Barn and Ranch Owners have formed an Association to share ideas, information and support for one another.  Membership is open to boarding facilities, training facilities that board client horses and breeders.  To qualify for membership, the equine facility must be a revenue producing business.

If you are interested in joining BRONC, email Shawna de Grange, Membership Chair