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The Greater Houston Horse Council is a non-profit organization formed to promote the interests of the entire horse industry, especially in the Greater Houston area.
HOW TO JOIN THE GREATER HOUSTON HORSE COUNCILFill out the application form (Join Online!, to the left) and print it out. Mail it with your check to the Greater Houston Horse Council at PO Box 132592, The Woodlands, TX 77393-2592.Unfortunately we are not set up to allow for on-line payments at this time.
MEETING PLACESince January, 2006 we have been meeting at the Carriage House Restaurant. Begining with the January 2007 meeting, the meeting time is changed to 7:00 pm. Check the "GHHC Meetings" page (to the left) for details.
GHHC Members: We need you!We have a need for volunteers of various kinds. At the present time, we have a particularly acute need for a membership chair and others to volunteer on the membership committee. Contact any officer or director if interested.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR SPEAKERS!We hope to have speakers at most GHHC meetings this year. Do you have a presentation that would be of interest to horsemen and horsewomen? Do you know someone else who does? If you are interested in speaking to us at one of our meetings, contact Marcella Bonny
Preserve Our Right to Ride on Public LandThere is a bill currently in the Senate that is important to trail riders.S. 2283 would preserve the use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on public land administered by the National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or the Forest Service on which there is a historical tradition of the use of pack and saddle stock animals. Take the time to sit down and write a brief letter to your senator, telling him or her why this is important to you. Emails are easier, but don't require as much effort and probably don't carry as much weight as a letter. In Texas, our senators are John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison. Send to: The Honorable John Cornyn 5300 Memorial Drive Suite 980 Houston TX 77007 and to: The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison 1919 Smith Street, Ste 800 Houston TX 77002
From the U. S. Animal Health Association- January 8, 2008The Veterinary Workforce Grant Program and the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment are not part of the House Version of the 2007 Farm Bill Urgent Need for you to CONTACT SENATORS AND HOUSE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS The Veterinary Medicine Workforce Grant Program (Section 11014) and the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment (Section 7003) are part of the Senate version of the 2007 Farm Bill passed in mid-December. The House version of the 2007 Farm Bill did not include these two important sections. The nation's ability to protect and improve the health of food animal populations and maintain a safe and affordable food supply depends heavily on the inclusion of Sections 11014 and 7003 in the final 2007 Farm Bill. Veterinarians and animal health stakeholders are urged to contact their members of the House and Senate Committees on Agriculture emphasizing the need for protecting the health of our animal populations and the nation's food supply. Sections 11014 and 7003 in the Senate version will insure an adequate number of food animal veterinarians to provide this much needed first line of defense against animal disease and provide the necessary manpower to insure the safety of our food supply. Now is the time to communicate the importance of Sections 11014 and 7003 prior to appointment of the Joint Conference Committee that will resolve the differences between the two versions of the Farm Bill. Since the House did not include these two Sections, it is critical that we make contact with House Members of the Committee on Agriculture to urge them to support the Veterinary Medicine Workforce Grant Program and the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment. Both the House and the Senate Committee on Agriculture members need to be encouraged to work with their colleagues as well as the Conference Committee to ensure these important Sections are part of the final 2007 Farm Bill. Editor’s note: The above language speaks of “food animals” but the language of the senate bill makes it plain that the rural veterinarian who treats large animals is who they are trying to encourage: “…the Secretary shall give priority to large and mixed animal practitioner shortages in rural communities.” This bill would give financial assistance to veterinary students who agree to practice in rural areas where they are needed. Not your problem, you say? What if you plan to move to a rural area when you retire? Before you make the move, perhaps you should check on the availability of veternary services. In case you haven't kept up with trends, the rural vet who treats all kinds of animals is becoming rarer. Young veterinarians are more and more opting to be dog and cat doctors. There is more money in it, and no chance of being kicked in the teeth by a 1200-lb patient. Below are the congressmen from Texas who serve on the House Ag. Committee: Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-3605 F:(202) 225-1783 house.gov/conaway Rep. Randy Neugebauer 429 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-4005 F:(202) 225-9615 randy.house.gov Rep. Nicholas Lampson 436 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-5951 F:(202) 225-5241 lampson.house.gov Rep. Henry Cuellar 336 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 P:(202) 225-1640 F:(202) 225-1641 house.gov/cuellar
The First annual GHHC Christmas Party was an unqualified success story.The gathering of GHHC Members and their guests on Dec 21, 2007 at the Carriage House Resturant in Houston was a joyous occassion. Special appreciation goes out to both Alvie and his daughter Alicia, owners of the Carriage House for making their establishment available to us on a Monday evening, when they are normally closed to the public!) Better then 75 people RSVP'd that they would be attending so we went into high gear to make sure all was prepared and ready when the holiday crowd arrived.The tables were beautiful in their Red and Green table cloths & holiday flowers...while Christmas decorations hung throughout the restaurant. Holiday music played in the background while party attendees enjoyed a nice selection of food and beverage. We had "White Elephant" Gift, Grab and Go exchange (Don't ask, it must be a Southern thang!) but everyone there left with a nice surprise... Many attendees who participated in the Karaoke Contest, appeared to be having a blast. Darolyn presented Carter with a smart looking cowboy hat from Santa, so we know he will be styl'n at this years Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The organizing committee consisted of Carol Holloway, Richard Levine, Melodie Cleveland, Marcella Bonny and Cathy Stroble. Judging on the many thank you notes received in the week following the party, there is no doubt, this gathering will become a regular event on the annual calendar for GHHC.....if you did not attend in 2007, make sure it is a must do on this years holiday plans... A special note of appreciation to Melodie and Chris for the design and distribution of the Christmas party flyer....it surely put a professional touch to the event preperation.... Cheerfully reported by: Richard M Levine, Member BOD GHHC Our September 22 Event Was a SuccessOur thanks to Kathy Strobel and Southern Breeze Equestrian Center for hosting our recent clinic. We welcomed 20 new members, freeze-branded two horses, microchipped a dozen more, and witnessed presentations on several good topics.Butch Davis did the branding and micro-chipping. Joe Mask spoke on the subject of horse theft prevention, and Scott Campbell spoke on the subject of equine nutrition. Wes White discussed training techniques and gave a round pen demonstration. Chiropractor Dr. Jackie Doval gave a live demonstration and discussed chiropractic methods as they apply to horses. Joyce Dickson showed us how the Impression Pad is used for saddle fitting. We also got to see some hunter/jumper and dressage horses work. We are grateful to all of our presenters. There surely was something of interest to all attendees.
Horse Slaughter ArticleFrom the AVMA: http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/jan08/080115a_pf.asp
Horse Slaughter in MexicoOctober, 2007Now that the horse slaughter industry in the United States has been shut down, more horses are being sent to Mexico. Slaughter numbers in Mexico are up 300 per cent. Those horses meet an extremely brutal death. Their spines are severed with daggers to render them quadriplegic. They are then hoisted up by a hind leg and their throats are cut. Nothing renders them unconscious, until they finally bleed out. We have delivered them into the hands of barbarians (Editor's opinion).
HORSE SLAUGHTER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION ENDS IN THE UNITED STATESMay 28, 2007 U. S. Supreme Court Refuses to Hear an Appeal on Slaughter Issue Earlier, the Fifth Circuit Court ruled in favor of the Texas anti-horse slaughter law. The Supreme Court has decided that that ruling shall stand. This means the end of the slaughter of horses for human consumption in Texas, unless the Texas Legislature passes a law re-instating the practice. As the current legislative session comes to a close, efforts to pass legislation making slaughter of horses for human consumption legal again have failed. The Illinois Legislature just passed legislation prohibiting the slaughter of horses for human consumption, thereby closing Cavel International, the last remaining slaughter plant.
Animal Cruelty Bill PassesHB 2328 (the Animal Cruelty bill) passed. It makes it easier to prosecute someone for killing a horse in those cases where the horse was tortured. “Torture” is broadly defined in this bill as “any act that causes unnecessary or unjustifiable pain or suffering.”If torture is not involved, someone who kills your horse will be prosecuted under the criminal mischief statute (Section 28.03 of the Texas Penal Code).
EQUINE HERPESVIRUS - TYPE 1: FLORIDA OUTBREAKIf you travel with your horses out of state, you may want to keep an eye on the equine herpesvirus- type I (EHV-1) outbreak in Florida. Several facilities are quarantined. For details, visit the web site Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.UPDATE: January 2, 2007 More states now report outbreaks of EHV-1. For up-to-date information and links to those agencies in other states monitoring this situation, check with the Texas Animal Health Commission . FROM THE TEXAS ANIMAL HEALTH COMMISSION |
Greater Houston Horse Council info@GHHC.com |
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