ATTENTION HORSE OWNERSIf you have not vaccinated your horses for West Nile virus, please give them that protection as soon as possible. In our area, we will have the hearty Rocky Mountain mosquito around until the end of October or longer. The vaccine is safe and has little or no reported adverse reactions. Do not wait until fall vaccines are due, give West Nile now!LIVESTOCK REQUIREMENTS FOR COLORADO STATE FAIRThe Colorado State Fair is Aug. 24 through Sept. 3.All Colorado-origin cattle, horses, sheep, llamas and goats must be accompanied by an official health certificate that was issued within 48 hours of departure for the event. A special statement from the veterinarian about VSV and other health issues must be on the document.Therapeutic riding center Looking for volunteersPikes Peak Therapeutic Riding Center has experienced a 30 percent increase in riders since last year at this time. Now averaging 85 riders each week, some riders are in danger of losing these powerful lessons because of a lack of volunteers. Volunteers are the muscle and heart of the organization. They donated more than 18,000 hours in 2006 at a value of $18,891.Volunteers are horse leaders, side-walkers, stall cleaners, horse groomers and assist with tack. You do not need to be a horse person to volunteer.Come to the volunteer orientation Saturday, Sept. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon. If you would like to make a difference in the lives of children and adults with disabilities, call PPTRC to RSVP for orientation. Call 719-495-3908 or e-mail at volunteer@pptrc.org.
