The sad news for the team at Dynamik Stallions was that our super foundation stallion has been diagnosed with Equine Recurrent Uveitis.  All indications and advice pointed to him becoming blind over time. 

The Veterinary Eye Specialist has confirmed that this is not in any way a genetic condition and cannot be passed onto his foals.  The two veterinary specialists that work with Don Philino feel that the likely cause of the ERU in Don Philino's case could be from the fact that he was over vaccinated before import to Australia.  Don Philino was purchased in Germany at the time that Equine Influenza broke out in Australia.  Australian Quarantine decided that horses being imported at that time must receive three extra EI vaccinations 3 weeks apart in order to be imported.  Don Philino had already been fully vaccinated for EI before being given the extra vaccines and it has been terribly unlucky that this may have sent his immune system into a spin and potentially caused the immune mediated disorder ERU that sent him completely blind in late 2014.

We are devastated by this turn of events as I was looking forward to starting Don Philino at FEI. His training had been sensational and his piaffe and passage had really become established.  He tries and tries, even though for some time he must have been in quite a bit of pain and worried with his perceived changes in his environment.  He was still winning and placing at Advanced level dressage in Open classes despite losing a lot of his vision.  

Just a few weeks after losing his vision, Don Philino allowed me to present him in hand on the lunge at our 2014 Dynamik Stallions Open Day and there was not a dry eye in the crowd.  He was truly amazing and presented himself as a proud stallion with the most outstanding character.

Still, we are glad to have this beautiful boy in our stables and his excellent character is a credit to him with his ability to cope as a blind breeding stallion. He will still be available for viewings for breeding at this stage.  Due to further complications from this immune mediated disorder and the surgeries he has under gone as a result, he has been completely retired from being ridden as of 2015. 

DON PHILINO PROGENY 

Don Philino’s 4 year old son, ‘Don Peppino’ (Don Philino/ Diskus) was a finalist at the 2011 Bundeschampionte.  He has inherited his sire's amazing temperament and movement; he scored a 9.5 for his walk in the first round with a total score of 8.33 to gain himself a place in the finals where he placed equal 7th.  This is a really great tribute to Don Philino as a sire.

Don Philino's Australian progeny are also having success in breed shows with many of his youngsters winning Champion and Reserve titles.  Owners are reporting that his progeny have exceptional temperaments and present at their first outings as if they have been out many times before.

His progeny in Germany and Australia are proving themselves to be easily ridden by children and small adults.  It is very exciting that there are now young Don Philino progeny under saddle in Australia with a son awarded 20144 Pony Champion of Champions at the Autumn Dressage Festival in WA and at the same show, another son placing 4th in strong competition in the Open Preliminary Dressage classes.

A junior rider was awarded the highest percentage test score of all junior riders at the 2015 WA State Dressage Championships on board a son of our Don Philino.