CEM - Contagious equine metritis

As economic globalization increases, disease can speedily spread among continents. One disease that severely affects breeding businesses domestically and internationally is contagious equine metritis (CEM).

Although CEM is found mainly in Europe, cases have recently been diagnosed in the U.S.—including within the Appaloosa and Quarter Horse breeds. CEM is curable and responds readily to treatment, though breeders and health officials are advised to take the disease very seriously.

Local veterinarians must report this sexually transmitted disease to state and federal area veterinarians when suspected or confirmed. CEM impacts breeders by restricting movement to and from affected breeding premises until the treated horses are confirmed free of the bacterium, Taylorella equigenitalis. Many countries have introduced strict import regulations to prevent its introduction into their horse populations.

Symptoms: Metritis is defined as inflammation of the womb, and symptoms in mares include temporary infertility even in the absence of visible signs. The incubation period is from two to 14 days, and some mares develop a vaginal discharge lasting a few days to two weeks within a week or two after breeding. However in some mares, the only sign may be a return to estrus heat after a shortened estrus cycle. Rarely, abortion occurs at about seven months gestation in the affected pregnant mare.

In stallions, CEM bacteria reside in the folds of the external genitalia, particularly the urethral fossa and its associated sinus. It’s largely undetectable without laboratory culture or by breeding to several test mares and culturing them.
Both mares and stallions may be asymptomatic carriers.

Diagnosis: Laboratory tests from swabs of the genital tract can detect T. equigenitalis in culture or through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The organism is difficult to culture because other, faster-growing organisms obtained on the swab can obscure the slower-growing T. equigenitalis.

Treatment: In both the mare and the stallion, treatment includes a combination of scrubbing the external genitalia with an antiseptic such as Chlorhexidine, and applying antimicrobial ointment such as nitrofurazone or silvadene. In most cases, one round of treatment is effective but sometimes two or even three rounds are required.

Prevention: CEM spreads from mare to stallion or stallion to mare in two ways: during mating and through use of contaminated semen during artificial insemination. Isolation of stallions from mares, and treatment that’s confirmed successful by a veterinarian, effectively prevent the disease from spreading.

CEM can also spread congenitally via an infected mare to her foal. And, CEM can spread through contaminated breeding equipment, instruments or handlers, making fastidious breeding hygiene a necessity.

King Plaudit ApHC Hall of fame

King Plaudit ApHC Hall of Fame

King Plaudit (Red Plaudit x Cheyenne Maid), foaled in May of 1964, was a product of the legendary Colorado horseman Hank Wiescamp’s breeding program. A chestnut with a large white blanket accentuated by a blaze face and four white stockings, King Plaudit was sired by Weiscamp’s stallion Red Plaudit, making him a paternal half-brother to future Appaloosa superstar Prince Plaudit. But King Plaudit was able to make his mark on the Appaloosa breed on his own terms—he was a sterling example of quality and type, with eye-catching Appaloosa color to boot. King Plaudit soon attracted the interest of Wallace Barbee, a Missouri horseman looking to take his Appaloosa breeding program to the next level. After visiting Wiescamp’s Colorado ranch, Wallace purchased the young colt and began showing him at halter to great success—33 undefeated halter titles in one year.

Following his stellar career in the halter ring, King Plaudit settled into life as the senior stallion at Wallace’s Bar-B-Ranch. His first foals were born in 1968, and in 1969 his first large foal crop arrived. Among those 1969 foals was one of King Plaudit’s first National Champions, a refined chestnut blanketed filly named Plaudit Doll, who won the weanling fillies class at the ApHC’s 22nd National Show in 1969. King Plaudit’s foals quickly became ubiquitous in halter rings throughout the country, but King Plaudit wasn’t just a sire of quality halter horses. In the next several years the get of King Plaudit would begin flexing their muscles in performance events as well. Foals such as Schoolgirl Plaudit, Show Plaudit, Sissy Plaudit, and Socialite Plaudit earned wins in a wide variety of events including hunter under saddle, reining, trail, and western pleasure. A few of King Plaudit’s get even branched out into the racing world; his son Splash Plaudit, himself a halter champion, sired 25 ApHC race starters which earned over $272,000 at the track. In addition to his race-winning get, Splash Plaudit also sired halter and performance champions, such as bronze performance medallion-earner Diamond Splash.

By the mid-1970s, King Plaudit’s popularity was soaring: His get were winning in the show ring, King Plaudit himself was winning Get of Sire titles, and ads for the stallion and his get could be found frequently in the Appaloosa News. King Plaudit’s status as a highly sought-after Appaloosa stallion led owner Wallace Barbee to syndicate the stallion in 1974.

By the early 1980s, both King Plaudit and many of his get had more than proven themselves as serious show ring competitors, as well as quality producers. King Plaudit’s final foal crop was born in 1983, but his get could be found in the show ring long after his last foals were born. Today, many horses with pedigrees tracing to King Plaudit continue to bring in the ribbons.

King Plaudit sired a total of 437 ApHC-registered horses, which earned a total of 413 performance points, 117 halter points, 21 Registers of Merit, and four bronze medallions.

http://www.appaloosajournal.com/2011/03/2010-hall-of-fame/