BURBANK — State officials last night confirmed that three additional horses in L.A. County have been confirmed positive for the non-neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpesvirus-1, all of them boarded in the same barn at Los Angeles Equestrian Center.
Two of yesterday’s three confirmed cases were at the same Oct. 27-29 horse show in Las Vegas that two previously confirmed horses had attended, according to reports from the California State Department of Food and Agriculture. One of those two previous cases, a 5-year-old Saddlebred, was euthanized Thursday.
All five horses resided in Barn A at the L.A. Equestrian Center, which acted quickly with biosecurity measures upon early cases to isolate any virus.
All three of yesterday’s confirmed cases are in isolation. Two of the three affected horses display neurologic signs, and the third horse has a fever.

BURBANK — State officials confirmed Nov. 4 that two ill horses at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center have tested positive for equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) after they had returned Oct. 30 from a horse show in Las Vegas, Nev.
One of the horses, a 5-year-old Saddlebred, was euthanized Nov. 3 because of the severity of its clinical signs, the California Department of Food and Agriculture reported.
Out of an abundance of caution, the CDFA has issued a quarantine for exposed horses at the facility and has implemented enhanced biosecurity measures. All exposed horses will have temperatures taken twice daily and will be observed for clinical signs compatible with EHV.
While the CDFA investigates the source of the virus and monitors for any potential spread, officials and L.A. Equestrian Center staff encourage owners of horses exposed to the area to follow basic protocols in the days ahead:

The Guitron family has a long tradition of braiding quality rawhide and leather tack in the spirit of the vaqueros for nearly 50 Years. Through this time, their selection of products has grown to include a full array of meticulously handcrafted tack, such as romal reins, bosals, headstalls and cavesons. Steve Guitron continues the family tradition. Made from only the finest leather and rawhide, you can be assured of the superior craftsmanship that is evident in his vast product line.

In the market for a tractor? Let Inland Kubota in Redlands steer you in the right direction. Now through Dec. 31, Inland Kubota can offer the Kubota L3301 compact tractor equipped with two new qualifying implements with a “Valuable Customer Instant Rebate” of up to $3,500. With more power, cleaner emissions and a bold new look, the new Standard L-series tractors are at the top of their class. The Standard L-Series has not only improved performance but also feature a revamped design with smooth, rounded contours from front to rear that improve visibility so you can get the job done faster and with ease in the comfort of the New Standard L-Series Tractors. You’ll finish the big jobs easily with the mechanical Synchro-Shutt le Transmission featuring inline forward and reverse shifting for quick directional changes. The transmission offers four main-shift speeds and two range-shift speeds (Hi/Lo) for a total of eight forward and eight reverse speeds (8FX8R), enabling you to select the right speed for better productivity. The gear-drive models include a live, continuous-running rear PTO for easier operation.

As a new SSgt. Reckless monument is lowered into a permanent place at Camp Pendleton, the mare seems alert to her surroundings.

Horsetrader photo

CAMP PENDLETON — October 26 was a significant date for a big-hearted mare off a racetrack in South Korea. It was on that day in 1952 that Reckless joined the United States Marine Corps. Her eventual battlefield heroics — real, not from Hollywood — would be unforgettable to those who witnessed them.

It’s no coincidence that, after years of inspired effort, a magnificent monument to SSgt Reckless will be dedicated on Oct. 26 this year at Camp Pendleton, the mare’s final resting place.

The hour-long ceremony that will begin at 10 a.m. is open to the public, and speakers will include Brigadier General Kevin Killea, Commanding Officer at Camp Pendleton, monument founder and Best Selling-author Robin Hutton and Jocelyn Russell, the renowned sculptor of the statue. Also present will be about a half-dozen of the men who served with her in Korea and Camp Pendleton, or grew up with her and have memories of Reckless.

Long before it was fashionable, Modesto Milling began taking organic feed production seriously. The company gained its first organic certification from Oregon Tilth of Corvallis, Ore., in 1998, becoming the first organic grain processor in Central California. Ninety-nine percent of the ingredients the company uses are organic or naturally-mined products, and its horse feeds contain only the best organic oats, barley and alfalfa, as well as organic coconut meal that are high in digestible fiber and healthy fats to promote healthy coats. What are other difference-making ingredients? Well, they include organic peas for high-quality protein; flax seeds and sunflower seeds for the omega 3 and omega 6 fats; organic stabilized rice bran for its fat and low-starch content; supplements like natural vitamin E and biotin for healthy coats and hooves; plus additional quality ingredients like diatomaceous earth, zeolite, yeast, sea kelp and other essential nutrients. The essential oils and herbs give the products a unique flavor that horses enjoy.

Sgt. Reckless, on duty in Korea.

Courtesy photo

LONDON — Sgt. Reckless, the mare whose service aided U.S. Marines to victory in battles of the Korean War, recently received more posthumous military honors — this time, across the pond in London, England.

The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a British animal charity, awarded Reckless the Dickin Medal — the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, the highest British military decoration for valor — for her service in 1952 and 1953 during the Korean War.

U.S. Embassy attaché Lieut. Col. Michael Skaggs accepted the award on behalf of the U.S. Marine Corps, since Reckless passed away in 1968 in Camp Pendleton, where a permanent monument will be dedicated later this year.

Banning Stagecoach Days and PRCA Rodeo is coming to Dysart Park on Sept. 9-11, and the Stagecoach Days Association is bringing back Honeycutt Rodeo and Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association on Friday and Saturday. Be sure to bring your appetite, as food and beverages will be plentiful. Live entertainment on Friday and Saturday night will be provided by Country Nation — to help you with your boot scoot boogie. Also, six-time PRCA comedy act of the year, Troy Lerwill (“The Wild Child”) will be performing Friday and Saturday evenings as well.

The Sand Fire began its tear through the Angeles Forest in L.A. County on July 22.

Katharine Lotze photo

SANTA CLARITA — Hundreds of horses were evacuated in a late July wildfire in northern Los Angeles County that scorched more than 40,000 acres in and near the Angeles National Forest.

The fire that began Friday afternoon near Sand Canyon Road took almost three days to fully contain, destroying 18 homes and killing a man during the fierce first 48 hours. More than 20,000 people were evacuated.

The blaze also destroyed Sable Ranch, a longtime Southern California location for film and TV shoots that succumbed on Saturday. The ranch was a popular location for Westerns with its Spanish-style hacienda, stables and various out buildings. Among the numerous shows shot there were television’s Maverick, The A-Team, and 24.

Volunteers at Gibson Ranch in Sunland tend to evacuated horses out of harm’s way on Saturday.

photo courtesy of Gibson Ranch

SUNLAND — Dale Gibson had finished his Saturday morning roping July 23 and was trailering back to his ranch through Kagel Canyon when he got a call.

“They asked me if I would come by and get a couple of horses, and I said `yes!’,” said Gibson.

He took them to Gibson Ranch, unloaded, and before he could eat lunch, the phone rang again.

“I told my wife I was going back to Kagel Canyon to haul some more horses,” he says. “After that point, the next time I walked into my house was 11 o’clock that night.”