Ready to Launch - Tuesday January 6th, 2015
Our old Pedigree Guru website was out of date and limited in scope. Today's users want to access websites using a variety of mobile devices and that has been our basic approach to structuring the website and the displays and reports that users can create. We have taken the extra steps necessary to incorporate other performance breeds as well and the data is split into two databases, GlobeTrotter for Standardbreds and related breeds and GlobeRunner for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses. The website is currently accessible on a subscription basis and we hope eventually to make if freely available depending on the development of other sources of revenue such as from advertising.
Whether the website makes money will not be what determines its success.In fact it is our intention to return any profits directly back to the industry by supporting efforts in performance horse retirement or new vocations related to therapeutic activities for autistic and special needs youth. We have such a program starting up on Prince Edward Island at the Handybear Hills Horse Sanctuary operated by Yogi Fell. A donation to the sanctuary will be made by PM Online at the launch set for 4.30pm Tuesday at the Red Shores Special Event Facility.
The original purpose of PM Online was to demonstrate to the various breed registries around the world that a common database for breeders, universally supported by them, and complete with the necessary analytical tools, can work to the advantage of all breeders and for the benefit of the breed in the long run.
I also hope, however,that you can join me in the battle against Autism and other special needs afflictions, as the grandfather of a very special boy, with very special parents, who are faced with such a challenge every day. Autism is the real elephant in the room that can no longer be ignored.
Autism is one of a group of serious developmental problems called autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that appear in early childhood -- usually before age 3. Some children show signs of autism in early infancy. Other children may develop normally for the first few months or years of life but then suddenly become withdrawn, become aggressive or lose language skills they've already acquired. Children with autism generally have problems in three crucial areas of development -- social interaction, language and behavior. But because autism symptoms vary greatly, two children with the same diagnosis may act quite differently and have strikingly different skills. In most cases, though, severe autism is typically marked by an inability to communicate or interact with other people normally. Communication with horses, though, can bring remarkable results.
The number of children diagnosed with autism is rising. About 1 in 68 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to estimates from CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. While there is no cure for autism, intensive early treatment and therapy can make a big difference in the lives of many children with the disorder.
Your subscription to PM Online or advertising support will provide funds to facilities like the Handybear Hills Sanctuary and perhaps encourage others worldwide to develop their own Horses For Autism programs.
