Horse bug hits contender

THE MYSTERIOUS illness which is af-
fecting horses in Terrace and throughout
the north is destroying a local woman's
chance at competing in the provincial
championships,

The disease has spread quickly through-
out the area, since horse owners learned of
ita couple weeks ago.

Horses develop pimple-like bumps on
their tongues. These pimples can then tum
into blisters and may be accompanied by
heavy salivation. So far it seems the dis-
ease takes about a month to mun its course.

At least 15 horses in Terrace have con-
tracted the. disease, including Cannie
Flaherty’s horse Grady.

She was planning to take him to the BC
provincial dressage championships August
3-4, but she can’t travel with him until
She’s sure he isn’t contagious.

And since no one knows anything about
the disease, local veterinarian David Fark-
vam can’t say when the contagious stage is
past.

‘We just have to wait and let it run its
course,’’ says Flaherty.

Grady hasn’t shown many symptoms,
save for bumps on his tongue, but he’s not
100 per cent, she says,

And when you're training for something
as serious as provincial competition, your
horse has to be at the top of his game.

“He doesn’t have as much energy," says
Flaherty, ‘‘Now I’m just waiting for bim to
get through it ,’’ she says. ‘‘Il’s a bigger
pain in the ass than it is anything else.”

She only purchased Grady last fall, and
this was to be the first season she showed
him.

If she did well at the provincials, as she’d
hoped, she planned to take him to the na-
tional competition in September.

But in order to compete nationally, you
have to qualify in the provincials. And that
means she won't have a chance, even if she
gets Grady back on his training schedule.

Flaherty has been training Grady at a
barn in San Jose, and returned to Terrace to
be with ber husband — hockey goalie
Wade Flaherty,

Her coach in San Jose who was training
for the Olympics, told her she thought
Grady could do very well, and could be
ready to compete in pre-Olympic levels in
a few years time.

‘It really sets you back a Icng ways,”
says Flaherty. ‘‘Even just this week he’s
lost strength,'’ she says, commenting on
his conditioning, —

However, Flaherty is still holding out
some hope that she could qualify for the
Nationals. There’s a slim chance that the
qualifying rules ‘might be changed, to take*

into account the effect this iriySterious dis-

ease has had.

SAY AHHHHH: Carmie Flaherty checks her horse's tongue to see if i's developed any more
bumps. He’s one of many horses in the Terrace area afflicted with a mysterious disease.

Disease may spread to humans

HORSE OWNERS who are checking their horses’
mouths for signs of the mysterious disease which
is affecting horses in the north should wear gloves
“Wher “they do so, advises “Skeena Health Unit
medical bealth’ articee Dix David Bowering.

Terrace veterinarian David Farkvam says the dis-

ease Which causes blisters on horses’ tongues, and
may be accompanied by heavy salivation and a
loss of appetite, could possibly be contagious to
humans, cattle, sheep and. goats, He dea

It may be a good idea to wash tack, feed buckets”
and watering buckets with a bleach solution. ,

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 10, 1996 - A3

News in Brief

Easy come, easy go

B.C.’s $20 million surplus has turned into a $235 mil-
lion deficit and critics of the government are crying
foul.

Finance minister Andrew Petter blamed it on lower
than anticipated forest industry revenues so far this
year,

He said he was alerted to the situation when he was
sworn in on June 17, and says he was not aware of
potential trouble during the May provincial election
cantpaign.

Skeena MLA Helmut Giesbrecht said it means tough
times ahead,

“Clearly in the four or five years that we’ve got
we're going to have to come up with surplus that’s
over and above the $235 million they’re talking about
now. That’s a challenge.”’

“I was cerlainly one of the ones that was proud that
we had come up with a balanced budget and now it
isu'l,”” he added, ‘So I’m not happy.”

Liberal leader Gordon Campbell accused the
government of misleading voters,

“The NDP knew exactly how bad things were, and
has been trying to deceive British Columbians by
hiding debt, and hiding deficits.”’

“Politicians at all levels and from all parties will be
larred by this. How can people be expected to believe
anyone in public office after they reccive this kind of
treatment trom a new government, still in its first
month of office?’

Turf turner

A FERTILIZER SPREADER and an aerating ma-
chine will cost city taxpayers more than $10,000.

City council has approved the purchase of a fertilizer
spreader from Multi Turf Specialists for $3,546 and an
aerator from Rollins Machinery for $7,257.

The purchases are expected to improve the city’s
ability to keep the Christy Park soccer fields up to an
acceptable standard,

Youths get active

A PRINCE RUPERT resident has been selected as
the northwest representative for a province-wide youth
initiative,

Chantal Farrell and six other regional youth workers
across BC will be talking to youths, focusing on local
problems such as violence and crime.

“We set up this initiative to ensure young people
play a lead role in tackling youth viiolence and crime,
and are part of the solution,” said Attorney General
Ujjal Dosanjh. “Chantal has a tremendous amount of
experience that will help youth in the northwest devel-
op and put into action crime prevention programs for
themselves and their communities.”

More than 60 communities, including Terrace and
Kitimat, are participating in the project,

Farrell is setting up meetings throughout the north-
west this: month to get youths involved, In Terrace a
meeting is set for July 16 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Ter-

race arena banquet room.

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