Boerperde assist in research
A total of 14 SA Boerperde between the ages of 6 and 12 months, have spent the last few months at the Equine Research Centre of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria at Onderstepoort. The horses were used in a research project evaluating a new generation vaccine against African Horsesickness.

"Although the current modified live virus vaccine has served our horse population very well for a long time, it has some limitations," said Prof Alan Guthrie, director of the Centre. "One of these drawbacks is the fact that young foals only react positively to the vaccine once the immunity against AHS it received from its mother, has worn off at around six months of age.

"In South Africa the breeding season generally starts in October, which means that by the time AHS reaches its peak in March and April, these foals generally are very susceptible to the disease."
"The new generation vaccine works on a totally different basis, and vaccinating young foals that still have immunity from their mothers, is possible without ill effect. This means that young foals can be vaccinated before the peak AHS season."

The collaboration between the Equine Research Centre and the Vlampies SA Boerperd stud, according to Prof Guthrie, is a true win-win situation: "Young horses that have not been vaccinated before, are provided to us and will go back to their stud after the project has been completed.

"They come to us off the veld as weanlings and when they go back, they are halter broken and humanised. So the owner benefits, while
we have suitable horses with a well-documen-ted background and no AHS antibodies with
an excellent temperament to do the study on."

According to Prof Guthrie, the Boerperd is an ideal breed for these purposes, as they have such tractable temperaments.

This is the first trial in a series of projects. According to Prof Guthrie there is unfortunately no way that he can reveal the outcome of the first trial, except that it is "very encouraging".

Understanding human cancer
Colorado State University Prof Gordon Woods's laboratory, is conducting research using the horse as a model for understanding human cancer and other age-onset diseases.

Prof Woods's laboratory is part of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and is in the department of bio-medical sciences. His team is conducting research on chemistry at cellular level to help explain why horses enjoy such a low rate of metastatic -cancer and other age-onset diseases, such as diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, in comparison to humans.

The mortality rate for horses with metastatic cancer is 8% and 0% for prostate cancer. By comparison, the mortality rate in humans is about 24%, of which 13-14% is for prostate cancer.

In looking at the reasons behind that difference, the Woods laboratory honed in on calcium as a regulator of cell activity. It is well-established that low calcium within the cell slows cell activity and high levels of calcium within the cell speed up cell activity. The Woods team was the first to determine, however, that equines have a low, intracellular calcium level and is currently studying how to use that as a way to increase their fertility. Studies have shown that humans with age-onset diseases have a higher level of intracellular calcium.

The next steps for Woods's team include studying the impact of increased intracellular calcium on horse fertility and, in the long term, studying the effect of reduced intracellular calcium in humans with age-onset diseases.

SA uithouritperde blink uit
Twee Suid-Afrikaansgeteelde uithouritperde, Moolmanshoek Pula en Moolmans-hoek Roes, is tans onder die top tien gekeurde uithouritperde in die wêreld. Derde op die gekombineerde leer vir perd en ruiter, is die Suid-Afrikaanse ruiter, saalmaker Leon Liversage, saam met Moolmanshoek Roes.

Moolmanshoek Pula, wat so twee jaar gelede na Bahrain uitgevoer is, het verlede jaar vir 'n geruime tyd die nommer een -posisie op die wêreldranglys beklee. Volgens sy medeteler, Wiesman Nel van Moolmanshoek naby Ficksburg, is beide Pula en Roes Boerperd/Arabier-kruisings. Nel en Liversage is in vennootskap in die teling van uithouritperde.

"Ons vind dat die Boerperd/Arabierkombinasie vir ons 'n perd gee wat die uithouvermoë en spoed oor lang afstande van die Arabier kombineer, met die robuuste gehardheid van die SA Boerperd. Roes en Pula is klinkklare bewys dat ons perde met die bestes in die wêreld kan saampraat," sê hy.

Hot young equiport mare
Blue Movie de Muze is the latest prestigious acquisition of Equiport – a new training and trading company in Southern Africa. Blue Movie de Muze arrived in South Africa in February 2009 and will be ridden by Karen Vorster whose horse, Galway Emerald Sandy Bay, won the Avis Derby Dressage competition last year. She will be stabled at Highlands Equestrian Centre, in the yard of Maggi Nicholson, east of Pretoria.

Blue Movie de Muze's full pedigree includes Blue Hors Cavan (Hanovarian) as sire and Ronja, (Westfalia) on the dam line. Blue Movie de Muze is one of only 89 offspring of the famous Hanovarian Blue Hors Cavan, who is still considered to be one of the best breeding stallions in Denmark, even though he underwent an unfortunate castration following a "testical hernia" in 2000.

Blue Movie de Muze is a 7-year-old mare. She has been rated in the top 15 six-year-olds at the Pompadour (CDI 3*) Championship in 2007. She has successfully competed in the 6-year-old circuit with marks higher than 60% throughout, and was schooled by international dressage rider, Teresa Brabant.
Blue Movie de Muze's dam is a half sister to the famous Rubenstein (by Rosenkavalier). Blue Movie de Muze's great grand-sire (Romadour II) is remembered for being the sire of Rembrand who won the World Championship and Olympic Games, teamed up with Nicole Uphoff. – Press release

WP ruiters vaar uitstekend
Op 26 Junie 2008 het vyf perde by Kenilworth, Kaapstad in kwarantyn ingegaan, die begin van ‘n byna vyf-maande lange reis om by die FEI Uithourit Wêreldkampioenskappe uit te kom wat op 7 November 2008 in Maleisië plaasgevind het.

Die Suid-Afrikaanse ruiters wat ons land gaan verteenwoordig het, was Corrie van Niekerk, Thia van Niekerk, Janene Pretorius, Naomi Muller, Gillese de Villiers en Carmen du Preez (wie vir 'n perd in Brasilië gekwalifiseer het en sou oorvlieg). Die perde het reeds vroeg in Augustus uitgevlieg Duitsland toe, waar hulle vir byna twee maande moes staan, as deel van die kwarantynvoorwaardes vir Suid-Afrikaanse perde, om Maleisië toe te vlieg.

Drie weke voor die rit het die perde van 'n ysige Duitsland na 'n bitter warm Maleisië gevlieg, waar hulle vir 'n derde keer ook dieetveranderinge moes ondergaan. Die kompetisie se organisasiekomitee het meeste van die perde se vlugte betaal, maar die ruiters moes self die kwarantyn, die stallering in Duitsland, asook hulle eie koste om by hulle perde te kon wees, betaal.

Ongelukkig moes Carmen du Preez op die laaste nippertjie onttrek, omdat die perde van Brasilië nie betyds Maleisië toe kon vlieg nie. Die res van ons perde het egter almal begin. Dit was ongelooflik moeilik, met 80% van die rit wat gedurende die nag gery is, en monsoenreën wat op hulle neergestort het. Die humiditeit was nooit onder 69% nie!
Ongelukkig kon drie van ons ruiters – Corrie, Thia en Janene – nie die rit voltooi nie, hoewel hulle perde goed gedoen het onder die moeilike omstandighede. Naomi Muller het egter 'n fantastiese rit gery en ten spyte daarvan dat sy en haar perd op 'n stadium in die nag geval het, het hulle 17de geëindig. Gillese het ook klaar-gemaak in 43ste posisie. Uit die 127 perde wat begin het, kon slegs 50 die moeilike 160 km voltooi en twee van hulle kom van die WP unie af!

Gillese se perd, Traka Crypton, was die jongste perd wat die rit voltooi het. Hy is die enigste perd van die Suid-Afrikaanse groep wat terug is Suid-Afrika toe, maar moes eers weer 60 dae in Europa gaan staan voor hy Johannesburg toe vlieg, waar hy weer in kwarantyn moes staan.

Hierdie klompie ruiters het met baie min ondersteuning finansieel en andersins, 'n baie groot uitdaging aangepak, en met die heel bestes ter wêreld meegeding. Al die ander lande se perde kon drie weke voor die rit uitvlieg vanaf hulle land na Maleisië. Dit maak hierdie twee ruiters se prestasie net meer ongelooflik. – Nicolene Leidig