Appaloosas return to Brandon for annual show at Keystone Centre

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This article was published 25/07/2017 (3365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Known for their spots, versatility and “solid minds,” more than 70 appaloosa horses are being featured at the Keystone Centre this week during the 59th annual Canadian National Appaloosa Show.

Encouraging the public to “stop by and watch,” show chairman Merv Veinot said that anyone interested in enjoying this week’s wide range of equestrian events should do so, free of charge.

The show comes shortly after the re-emergence of equine infectious anemia in Manitoba, which until recently had been absent in the province for the past several years.

Also known as “swamp fever,” at least 10 cases have been confirmed among horses within the province’s Interlake area.

While no horses have tested positive in Westman thus far in the year, Manitoba Horse Council executive director John Savard is stressing the importance of testing one’s animals for the retrovirus to prevent the spread of this often fatal condition that doesn’t have a cure.

Horses that carry the virus have to either be put down or quarantined for the rest of their lives, Savard said.

“It’s an awful thing for any horse owner to contend with,” he said. “A heartbreaker.”

Horseflies spread the diseases via blood, transmitting it as far as 200 metres from animal to animal.

As such, the constant zapping sound that came out of the Keystone Centre’s electric fly traps this week had the potential to contribute much more than the elimination of nuisances.

A blood test that identifies when horses have the virus, called the Coggins Test, is key to preventing its spread, Savard said.

This test is “requested but not required” at the Keystone Centre.

Veinot said that their event followed the Keystone Centre’s policy, and as such some horses have been had the Coggins Test administered and some haven’t, depending on the choice of their owner.

While equine infectious anemia receives a wave of press coverage from time to time, Veinot said that the virus has existed in Canada for a long time (since the 19th century) and doesn’t warrant the concern that is periodically given to it.

The Coggins Test itself carries its flaws, in that he said it’s only relevant at one point in time —the time in which it is administered.

The Manitoba Horse Council is pushing for greater use of the Coggins Test.

Savard encourages owners to get their animals tested annually, before each year’s fly season.

Leading by example, Savard said that all Manitoba Horse Council events require participants to provide evidence that their horses have cleared the Coggins Test before they’re allowed to exit their trailer.

“If you test and are thus able to identify the infected horses and deal with them, then you’re reducing the instances of any mingling in the herd of infected horses, and thereby reducing the chances of it spreading,” he said.

Still, the test merely looks for the retrovirus and does not immunize horses against it.

As such, Savard encourages horse owners to cover their equestrian friends with fly sheets and to use insect repellents and other means of keeping their barns clear of flies.

Meanwhile, participants at this week’s appaloosa show remain undeterred in having their prized horses strut their stuff as a demonstration of some of the best their spotted breed has to offer.

Brushing her 10-year-old horse Allie — who goes by the show name Smoking Hot Dream — in the Keystone Centre stables on Monday, Juanita Werezek said that appaloosas’ calm demeanour has enamoured her family to the breed.

Their unique spots, including many with “heart-shaped dots” also add a unique character to the breed, she added.

Her daughter, Alyssa, is scheduled to show Allie during this week’s festivities, with the family travelling from Vegreville, Alta., to participate.

Appaloosa enthusiasts have come from throughout the Prairie provinces and northern U.S. states to participate in this week’s events, Veinot said.

Events begin at 8 a.m. each day this week and wrap up by approximately 5 p.m. Friday has an additional evening showcase from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday is the event’s final day, during which everything will wrap up by approximately noon.

» tclarke@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB