tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442466678884613862024-03-12T22:44:14.183-05:00Dressage & My Horsey LifeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.comBlogger366125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-56520401808049727272015-04-29T13:09:00.001-05:002015-04-29T13:09:08.547-05:00Today's LaughOh man. I laughed till I cried :)<br />
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http://horsejunkiesunited.com/?p=92660<br />
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How to Train a Green Horse to Like Water in 17 Easy Steps</h1>
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<time class="entry-date updated" datetime="2015-03-27T11:00:49+00:00" itemprop="dateCreated" style="font-style: italic; white-space: nowrap;">March 27, 2015</time><div class="entry-comments-views" style="bottom: 0px; display: inline-block; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: auto;">
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<a href="http://horsejunkiesunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/cate-chestnut-mare.jpg" style="color: #ceab44; text-decoration: none !important;"><img alt="cate chestnut mare" class="wp-image-92662 size-medium" height="300" src="http://horsejunkiesunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/cate-chestnut-mare-300x300.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 310px;" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 21px; padding: 5px 0px 15px; text-align: left;">
The test subject!</div>
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By Cate Jones</div>
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Step 1) Catch horse from pasture. You didn’t have room in the trunk of your Jetta for a saddle, so all you have is a bridle and willpower. It’s mud season, so make sure that you get as much heavy mud on your boots as possible while running back and forth across ten acres in an attempt to catch your horse. This will help weigh you down later in the exercise.</div>
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Step 2) Realize that you don’t have a mounting block and you don’t think that climbing on from the hood of your car is the greatest idea. It worked when you were 10, but probably won’t now that you’re 25. Line mare up to the fence and attempt to climb on that way. Acknowledge the fact that George Morris would not approve of this method.</div>
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Step 3) Catch mare.</div>
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Step 4) Scrap mud off your backside and attempt to mount again from the fence. Grab mane so that you don’t repeat the somersault over her shoulder when she puts her head down to eat grass. Remain topside this time, and drag mare’s head up from the lovely patch of grass. Crinkle candy wrapper as incentive.</div>
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Step 5) Point mare towards direction of the pond. You’ve decided that since she’s going to be an event horse, she has to be okay with water, and that is your goal for today. Enjoy scenery and give mare loose rein.</div>
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Step 6) Catch mare.</div>
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Step 7) Fetch neck strap out of car, remount, and walk towards the pond again. This time WITH PURPOSE. Tell yourself you won’t try to take anymore “between the ears” pictures until you’re sure you won’t fall off again when mare hears the shutter click sound and levitates sideways.</div>
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Step 8) Get to pond. Gather reins as mare’s head has shot up at the sight of the body of water and you question that she actually is a Thoroughbred and not a Saddlebred. Mare freezes and snorts. Maybe she’s an Arabian?</div>
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Step 9) Catch mare.</div>
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Step 10) Apologize for Arabian comment. Remount, grab neck strap, and squeeze WITH PURPOSE. Homegirl is GOING to get into the water. TODAY. Squeeze harder. Kick. Flail. Mare takes a baby step towards pond. Lavish mare with candy and praise.</div>
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Step 11) Mare is now standing at the edge of the pond. She’s a little tense. You have a very firm grip on your neck strap. Kick WITH PURPOSE. Cluck. Beg. Plead. Pray. SIT BACK. Please. Just sit back.</div>
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Step 12) Shake hands with the nice folks at the NASA space station, as your mare has just launched herself into outer space in an attempt to clear the entire one acre pond. Sit back upon landing, as mare will realize she failed to clear the entire pond, and will launch herself again. Confirm in the back of your mind that mare is a bit of a drama queen. Wish you had brought a snorkel, as you are fairly sure the amount of water that mare is kicking up in her temper tantrum will drown you.</div>
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Step 13) Mare is now standing still in the middle of the pond. Glaring at you. Surpress shiver of fear about the retaliatory thoughts probably going through her head. She is chestnut, after all. Pat her and tell her she is the most wonderful creature in the world. Shovel lots of candy in her face.</div>
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Step 14) Catch mare.</div>
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Step 15) Remount, somehow, in the middle of the pond and wonder what possessed you to let go of the neck strap. Must have been red horse Jedi mind trickery. Wish you had gotten more mud on your boots during step one, as you really could have used more of an anchor. Pat mare, walk small circle in water. Grip neck strap firmly as you direct mare out of water. Wave to NASA as you launch yourselves onto dry land.</div>
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Step 16) Ride mare back to pasture, dismount, and praise thoroughly. Pat yourself on the back as you survived. Duck as massive mud clods are thrown in your direction, as mare bolts away at mach 90 to rejoin her friends.</div>
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Step 17) Call mare up for dinner that night. Notice she isn’t with the group. Walk into pasture and over the hill to find mare standing in the middle of the pond in her field, staring at you as if to say, “What? I love the water, Mom!” Shake your head and accept defeat. Ponder possible career in the Dressage ring.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-70492346627844489992015-02-25T21:47:00.001-06:002015-02-25T21:47:53.863-06:00The Disturbing Truth About Neck Threadworms and Your Itchy Horse<h1 class="entry-title" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;">
Reposted from http://thehorsesback.com/neck-threadworms/</h1>
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The Disturbing Truth About Neck Threadworms and Your Itchy Horse</h1>
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<a href="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/disturbing-truth-feature.jpg" style="color: #e47600; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="disturbing-truth-feature" class="size-full wp-image-1942" src="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/disturbing-truth-feature.jpg" style="border: none; max-width: 570px;" width="570" /></a></div>
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Look on any ivermectin or moxidectin-based wormer packet and you’ll see a long list of parasites. Tucked in neatly at the end – it’s nearly always at the end – you’ll see the words Onchocerca Microfilariae, otherwise known as neck threadworms.</div>
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Also known as neck threadworms, these critters vary in length from 6cm to 30cm (think the length of a regular ruler). Astonishingly, they live in the horse’s nuchal ligament.</div>
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Yes, the nuchal ligament. It runs the full length of the neck, from poll to withers, with a flat ligament part connecting with the cervical vertebrae.</div>
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Apparently, most horses have Onchocerca. For many they’re not a problem, but some horses develop a reaction to their microscopic larvae (the microfilariae). This is known as Onchocerciasis. The horses become itchy, mostly around the head, neck, chest, shoulders and underside of the belly. That’s why owners often make the understandable assumption that their horse has Queensland itch or sweet itch.</div>
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<em>(<strong>This article can also be found under: www.neckthreadworms.com)</strong></em></div>
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<span style="color: maroon;">A quick introduction to neck threadworms</span></h3>
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<em><span style="color: grey;">Original article by Jane Clothier, posted on www.thehorsesback.com, June 2013. All text and photographs (c) Jane Clothier. No reproduction without permission, sorry. Links to this page are fine.</span></em></div>
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Onchocerca is what’s known as a parasitic filarial worm (nematode). One reason these worms get relatively little attention is that they never live in the intestines. The microscopic larval form live in the horse’s skin, mostly around the head, neck, shoulders, chest and underside of the belly. It is the adult worm that later makes its home in the nuchal ligament.</div>
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The problem is global and horses in most countries have been found to have this parasite. Unfortunately for those of us who keep horses in warmer, humid climates, it’s more frequent here. The biting insect that serves as a carrier is the Culicoides fly, which is also connected to Queensland Itch (aka Sweet Itch, Summer Itch, etc.).</div>
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It’s an unfortunate coincidence of environment that leads to many cases of neck threadworms being missed, because they’re assumed to be Itch.</div>
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<span style="color: maroon;">Does your horse have “the itch” – or neck threadworms?</span></h3>
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It’s a humdinger of a thought. If your horse is itchy, something different could be happening to what you think is happening.</div>
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<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"> Your horse has the ‘regular’ itch (ie, Queensland, sweet, whatever it’s called in your region) and are reacting to midge spit – and nothing else. (The point of this article certainly isn’t to try and say that <em>all</em> itch cases are due to neck threadworms. Just some.)</li>
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<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"> Your horse has neck threadworms and its inflammatory reaction to them has increased its sensitivity, so it’s now reacting to fly bites everywhere – in other words, Queensland/sweet itch has been triggered as a secondary response.</li>
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<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;">Your horse only has neck threadworms, in which case they’re probably rubbing along the mane and particularly the base of mane, around the neck and face, under the chest and down the ventral line (under the belly), but not on the tail head – or at least, relatively little.</li>
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Are you by any chance now thinking other horses you know? If so, they might be suffering from Onchocerciasis. There’s a lot of it about.</div>
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<span style="color: maroon;">So how do we identify neck threadworms?</span></h3>
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<a href="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Mane-regrowth.jpg" style="color: #e47600; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="A pony with the Itch and neck threadworms. It's Autumn and she's stopped rubbing out her entire mane, but is still itching that tell-tale area in front of the withers. Her coat has raised in a temporary histamine reaction to the ivermectin wormer." class="size-full wp-image-1650" height="187" src="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Mane-regrowth.jpg" style="border: none; max-width: 570px;" width="250" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; padding: 5px 0px;">
<span style="color: maroon;">A pony with the Itch and neck threadworms. It’s Autumn and she’s stopped rubbing out her entire mane – it has grown back – but is still itching that tell-tale area in front of the withers. Her coat is raised in a temporary histamine reaction to the ivermectin wormer.</span></div>
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Neck threadworms have a distinctive life cycle, but as is so often the case, the problem presents in different ways, depending on the individual.</div>
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<em>In my brumby Colo, it started with him scratching the underside of his neck on posts. That was about 3 months before I had an inkling it might be neck threadworms. How I wish I’d known what it was at that point, so that I could have nipped the problem in the bud…</em></div>
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I’ve also seen it manifest as a new, previously unseen itchy and scurfy patch on the lower part of the neck of a horse who’d never been itchy. And I’ve heard of a local horse who suddenly started furiously itching his face, bang in the middle of the forehead, to the point that it bled. He had never been itchy before.</div>
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These are the classic early signs, usually recognised by the owner only through miserable hindsight. Other signs include small lumps forming along the underside of the horse and on its neck and face, weeping spots, and a scaly crest to an area of the mane through rubbing.</div>
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<em>The base of the mane, just in front of the withers, seems to be <span style="color: maroon;">party central</span> where neck threadworms are concerned.</em></div>
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<span style="color: maroon;">The real nastiness of neck threadworms</span></h3>
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<a href="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/oncher-in-the-eye.jpg" style="color: #e47600; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="The microscopic larvae can travel to the eye, although this is rare." class="size-full wp-image-1652" height="254" src="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/oncher-in-the-eye.jpg" style="border: none; max-width: 570px;" width="250" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; padding: 5px 0px;">
<span style="color: maroon;">The microscopic larvae can travel to the eye, although this is rare. </span></div>
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It just gets better: the larvae can travel to the horse’s eyes, where they can cause untold damage. This cheering sentence from Scott and Miller’s <em>Equine Dermatology</em> sums it up: “O. cervicalis microfilariae may also invade ocular tissues, where they may be associated with keratitis, uveitis, peripapillary choroidal sclerosis, and vitiligo of the bulbar conjunctiva of the lateral limbus.”</div>
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Oh heck. Nobody’s sure how common this is. All I know is that I don’t want to find out the hard way.</div>
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<em>Consider this: in humans, a slightly different strain of Onchocerca infestation is known as River Blindness.</em></div>
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Please remember this detail when you’re deciding whether to worm for neck threadworms or not.</div>
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<span style="color: maroon;">The very strange lifecycle of the neck threadworm</span></h3>
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These worms have a complicated existence. They’re among the shapeshifters of the parasitic worm world, developing through several larval stages before reaching adulthood.</div>
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The first stage microfilariae live in the horse, close to the skin. Their numbers are highest in the spring and decrease to their lowest point in mid-winter. They live in clusters, which is why you may first notice patches of scurfy skin where the horse has started itching. This is a reaction to the dead or dying larvae.</div>
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<a href="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Midline-itching.jpg" style="color: #e47600; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Itching down the midline. Mine have itched neck and shoulders only - so far. (Photo courtesy of blog, Baba Yaga's Mirror)" class="size-full wp-image-1656" height="333" src="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Midline-itching.jpg" style="border: none; max-width: 570px;" width="249" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; padding: 5px 0px;">
<span style="color: maroon;">Itching down the midline. Mine have itched neck and shoulders only – so far. (Photo courtesy of blog, Baba Yaga’s Mirror)</span></div>
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At this point, our good friends the culicoid flies make a contribution, by biting the horse and ingesting a good number of microfilariae along with blood. Within the fly, the larvae then develop through a further stage (or two). They are then deposited back into a horse when the flies bite. The flies can do this for an impressive 20 to 25 days after first hoovering up the larvae.</div>
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Back in a host horse, the larvae then make their way via the bloodstream to the connective tissue of the nuchal ligament, which runs along the crest of the neck. Here they moult and develop into adult worms. The adults live for around 10 years and in this time, the females release thousands of microfilariae (larvae) very year.</div>
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<span style="color: grey;"><em>Original article by Jane Clothier, posted on www.thehorsesback.com, June 2013. All text and photographs (c) Jane Clothier. No reproduction without permission, sorry. Links to this page are fine.</em></span></div>
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No matter where the adult worms settle, the itchiness is caused by the microfilariae that aren’t lucky enough to be consumed by a fly and are instead left to die off.</div>
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The next part’s really not fair. The more the horse itches and breaks the skin, the more the flies will bite exactly where the microfilariae are located, before transporting them to the same or another horse, to start all over again.</div>
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Unsurprisingly, horses with most lesions have higher microfilariae counts – it’s a perfect ascending spiral of parasite-induced discomfort.</div>
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The Onchecerca life cycle lasts for 4 to 5 months.</div>
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<span style="color: maroon;">Can we test for neck threadworms?</span></h3>
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The microfilariae can be identified in the living horse through a biopsy of the nuchal ligament. Published veterinary research shows you won’t get any indication within 34 days of worming, so the timing is critical.</div>
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<a href="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/After-first-worming.jpg" style="color: #e47600; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Worming with ivermectin can lead to weeping spots in the mane. This was after they'd cleared." class="size-full wp-image-1646" height="187" src="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/After-first-worming.jpg" style="border: none; max-width: 570px;" width="250" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; padding: 5px 0px;">
<span style="color: maroon;">Worming with ivermectin can lead to weeping spots in the mane. These can be painful. This photo was taken after they’d cleared, leaving bald areas. Sometimes the hair grows back white.</span></div>
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A dose of ivermectin-based wormer is the quickest way to tell if your horse has them. If the microfilariae are present, the horse usually responds with intense itching – and I mean, manically intense, demented itching – around 48 to 72 hours after worming.</div>
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It may develop weeping, gunky spots at the base of the mane. (If you live in a paralysis tick area, it’s similar to the localised reaction you see in response to the ticks.) These are very specific spots around 1cm in diameter, with hair loss after they’ve erupted.</div>
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<em>My brumby responded this way, rolling furiously and rubbing vigorously against posts. Unsurprisingly, he was also hard to handle for a few days. He was definitely sore at the base of the neck, where the weeping eruptions came out, and didn’t want to be touched there. I have to say that the scale of his reaction came as a shock to me, so take heed and be prepared with some soothing salves.</em></div>
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<span style="color: maroon;">What can we do about adult neck threadworms?</span></h3>
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Here’s the depressing answer: not much. But we <em>can</em> manage them.</div>
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<a href="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Nuchal.jpg" style="color: #e47600; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="The nuchal ligament runs from poll to wither and links with the vertebrae. Yellow = funicular part, home to neck threadworms." class="size-full wp-image-1649" height="191" src="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Nuchal-e1370944289847.jpg" style="border: none; max-width: 570px;" width="250" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; padding: 5px 0px;">
<span style="color: maroon;">The nuchal ligament runs from poll to wither and links with the vertebrae. Yellow = funicular part, home to neck threadworms. (Image copyright Sustainable Dressage.)</span></div>
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The adults live for 10-12 years and happily inhabit the nuchal ligament. What often happens is that the horse’s body throws down calcification around the adult worms in an attempt to isolate the foreign body. In some horses, you can feel a collection of pea-like bumps in the nuchal ligament. In the ones that I’ve checked, this was just in front of the withers.</div>
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The slightly better news it that the worms are so fine and the lumps so small that it doesn’t seem to affect the function of the ligament, which is tough and fundamentally taut anyway. However, I’ve not yet <em>knowingly</em> seen a horse with a long history of neck threadworms – I’d be interested in doing so.</div>
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Heavier calcification is usually most prevalent in horses in their late teens. It figures, as the adult wormers are older, and longer. Apparently they intertwine and live in small clumps. Mid-aged horses have mainly shown inflamed tissue around live parasites.</div>
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In horses less than 5yo, the parasites can be present but there’s relatively little immunological response. So if your horse has suddenly developed itchiness at the age of 5 or 6, you could be looking at the presence of this parasite.</div>
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<span style="color: grey;"><em>Original article by Jane Clothier, posted on www.thehorsesback.com, June 2013. All text and photographs (c) Jane Clothier. No reproduction without permission, sorry. Links to this page are fine.</em></span></div>
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<span style="color: maroon;">Managing the initial outbreak</span></h3>
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Do you worm your horses? Do you want to reduce the itching at the cost of having to worm more? I know I do, but I realise that some people can’t abide the thought of chemical wormers, or their increased use. But here’s what you can do if you want to reduce that dreadful itching and virtually eliminate the possibility of eye damage.</div>
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Unfortunately, there’s no single recommended protocol for worming against neck threadworms, so you’re in fairly uncharted territory.</div>
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<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/wormer.jpg" style="color: #e47600; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="wormer" class="alignright size-full wp-image-1666" height="218" src="http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/wormer.jpg" style="border: none; display: inline; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 570px;" width="250" /></a>To address the initial outbreak, the advice ‘out in the field’ is to use a regular dosage of an ivermectin-based wormer, multiple times<em>until symptoms subside</em>. The recommended interval I’ve seen is a week, but do <strong>check with your *equine* vet first</strong>.</li>
</ul>
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<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;">I’ve also read forum posts by US horse owners stating that a double dosage at fortnightly intervals is the most effective treatment. It’s usually around three doses, or <em>until symptoms subside</em>. One reason is that lower doses do not kill off enough larvae, allowing resistance to develop amongst those that remain. Wormers are certainly tested as safe at higher dosages, but again, horses are individuals, so always <strong>check with your *equine* vet first</strong>.</li>
</ul>
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<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;">I’ve read that an injection of ivermectin can be more effective, with off-label use of a product such as Dectomax being recommended as the heavy artillery when all else has failed. Again, do <strong>check with your *equine* vet.</strong></li>
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Some say that an <strong><span style="color: maroon;">ivermectin and praziquantel</span> <span style="color: maroon;">wormer</span> </strong>is more effective. One small comfort is that these wormers are available in the lower price ranges. It’s a consideration, because if you’re worming multiple horses, this won’t be a cheap time. It may even be worth looking at the large bottles of liquid wormer used by studs for greater economy.</div>
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Published research has shown that <strong><span style="color: maroon;">moxidectin-based wormers</span></strong> are equally as effective in addressing the microfilariae (but don’t double-dose with this one – only with ivermectin). That’s good, as it means you can address the neck threadworms, while covering your horse for encysted strongyles too (ivermectin wormers don’t).</div>
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Whichever option you follow, it’s worth following this worming protocol with prebiotics, probiotics and ‘buffers’ such as aloe vera to support a healthy gut lining.</div>
<blockquote style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(238, 238, 238) 0px 0px 1px 1px inset; background: url(http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/themes/backcountry/images/bg.jpg); border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-shadow: rgb(238, 238, 238) 0px 0px 1px 1px inset; margin: 5px 15px 20px; padding: 15px 20px 0px;">
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<span style="color: #888888;"><b>More about Neck Threadworms</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #888888;">The questions we’re still asking about neck threadworms and how they make a horse itch – <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://thehorsesback.com/neck-threadworms-questions/" style="color: #e47600; text-decoration: none;" title="Why Thinking About Neck Threadworms Still Leaves Us Scratching Our Heads"><span style="color: #888888;">Why Thinking About Neck Threadworms Still Leaves Us Scratching Our Heads</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: maroon;">Reducing the larval population</span></h3>
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After the initial worming, it’s a matter of management. What you’re trying to do is keep the numbers of microfilaraie low, so that the horse’s itching is reduced. Remember, most horses show little reaction, although the parasites are present. The aim has to be to bring them down to levels the horses’ systems can deal with, while taking other measures to boost the horses’ immune system.</div>
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<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: maroon;">Some vets say a single dose every 6-8 weeks during the fly season.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: maroon;">Others say every 3 months, timed in accordance with the larval lifecycle, which is 4 to 5 months.</span></li>
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<li style="list-style-type: square; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: maroon;">In humid sub-tropical zones, where all parasite burdens are dramatically higher, I’ve heard of people doing it as frequently as once a month.</span></li>
</ul>
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Beyond that, you’re back to the barrier treatments – fly rugs, lotions and potions to deflect the flies and to insulate the skin, lotions to soften the skin and heal the lesions, fly screens on shelters during the day, etc. And don’t forget about boosting your horse’s immune system generally through sound nutritional approaches.</div>
<blockquote style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(238, 238, 238) 0px 0px 1px 1px inset; background: url(http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/themes/backcountry/images/bg.jpg); border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-shadow: rgb(238, 238, 238) 0px 0px 1px 1px inset; margin: 5px 15px 20px; padding: 15px 20px 0px;">
<div style="padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
<span style="color: #888888;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-7465321-11378462" style="max-width: 570px;" width="1" />Why you should never use ONLY mectin wormers, even if your horse has neck threadworms, as here’s a particularly dangerous gastric worm – <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://thehorsesback.com/encysted-small-strongyles/" style="color: #e47600; text-decoration: none;" title="The Worm That Kills – And Why Only Two Worming Chemicals Can Stop It"><span style="color: #888888;">The Worm That Kills – And Why Only Two Worming Chemicals Can Stop It</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: maroon;">And if we do nothing?</span></h3>
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If we don’t address the problem one way or another, we have very itchy horses, for their entire lives.</div>
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Researchers say that the calcification in the ligaments has no effect, but you’ve got to wonder. There’s no guarantee that those scientists had a highly developed understanding of equine biomechanics. Maybe they did, but… who knows. A lot of the small amount of research available is over 20 years old and the knowledge base has since grown.</div>
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There’s a small but serious risk of damage to the eyes.</div>
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On the plus side, Onchocerciasis hasn’t been found to have any association with fistulous withers.</div>
<blockquote style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(238, 238, 238) 0px 0px 1px 1px inset; background: url(http://thehorsesback.com/wp-content/themes/backcountry/images/bg.jpg); border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-shadow: rgb(238, 238, 238) 0px 0px 1px 1px inset; margin: 5px 15px 20px; padding: 15px 20px 0px;">
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<span style="color: #888888;">How to put together a program of treatment for your horse with neck threadworms (and maybe the Itch) – <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://thehorsesback.com/fight-against-neck-threadworms/" style="color: #e47600; text-decoration: none;" title="How to Fight the Big Fight against Neck Threadworms"><span style="color: #888888;">How to Fight the Big Fight against Neck Threadworms</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: maroon;">To recap…</span></h3>
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Onchocerciasis is so often masked by the itch that awareness, even in the regions where it’s rife, is low.</div>
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And in those same regions, there are so many highly prevalent and deadly parasites – the worms that cause colic, that drag down the horse’s condition, that can kill through spontaneous mass emergence from encysted larval stages – that the neck threadworm larvae simply doesn’t get much of a look-in.</div>
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To repeat, I’m not saying that all cases of itch are neck threadworms. Just that these parasites may be involved and can be a contributory factor in a heightened immunological response that leads to Queensland itch (or sweet itch, or whatever you know it as).</div>
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However, some horses definitely have neck threadworms. The earlier we can identify and manage it, the better.</div>
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We can’t eliminate the neck threadworms, but we can certainly manage the effects and make our horses’ lives more comfortable.</div>
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<span style="color: maroon;"><em>(c) Jane Clothier – no reproduction without permission – jane@thehorsesback.com</em></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-73818529043659157932014-11-05T18:45:00.001-06:002014-11-05T18:45:41.731-06:00tour numéro deux :)Queen had her second backed ride today. Admittedly, there were parts of this scenario that were ill advised. A friend who was planning to ride with me was supposed to have both Queen and Classy Lady up and groomed so that we could hop on when I got there and get some work done before dark, but she hadn't even caught them yet when I pulled in. I said, "Eh, ok."<br />
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So we got them groomed and we got them tacked, and Queen made it apparent that she was antsy. Classy Lady was being a bit fussy as well. Still, we managed to get finished before dark, but it was getting kind of close.<br />
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Classy Lady was ok for mounting. Queen initially gave some objection when I tightened her girth again before mounting, but after a small correction, she let me get mounted. We walked around in circles in the front yard for a bit. So far so good.<br />
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Classy Lady proceeds to stumble and fall to her knees after one of the cats streaked across the yard in front of her. My friend let out a shriek from the surprise, and Classy Lady scrambled to recover while Queen went a little sideways from the movement and from my friend's loud shriek. I stayed put in the saddle, and Queen didn't go far. She didn't tremble either. Lots of praise for the black filly :)<br />
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After Classy Lady recovered some, we managed to collect ourselves and walk down the road a little while continuing to be ponied. Queen got a little tense at one point, but she settled fairly well. We went halfway to the next driveway down the road, then turned around. I dismounted and gave her some praise.<br />
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After lunging Queen for a few rotations in each direction, we repeated the jaunt down the road, this time with me walking next to her and my friend continuing to pony her off of Classy Lady. Queen was a bit more relaxed this time. I think I need to bulk up her conditioning program to strengthen her and balance her a bit so she's strong enough to carry weight. I'm not super heavy and my saddle isn't either, but she'd benefit from a stronger topline and better balance in her gaits.<br />
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Still, all in all, a very successful 2nd time under saddle! We will continue to do rides, but I definitely need boots for both Classy Lady and Queen. Time to get these kids trimmed properly and measured for some nice ones.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-25043094498877193412014-10-02T23:47:00.000-05:002014-10-02T23:47:32.512-05:00Updates!I know, I know, it's been forever. In my defense, I've been busy.<br />
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Life starts over.<br />
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You hit the end of one chapter, you start a new one. Sometimes you feel like it's a whole new reset. It's not just changing the drapes, it's a life remodel.<br />
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The last year has been one of those for me.<br />
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I think I've had a lot of positive change happen.<br />
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Anyway, on to the good stuff!<br />
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Queen the bratty pants got back for the first time last week! I should have blogged about this and gotten photos, but so sue me. She did SO well, didn't bat an eye. We also practiced with wearing a bit for ten minutes. After we removed the bit and bridle, we put a mild hackamore on, then Carin led Queen around by the halter while I sat on her for about ten minutes or less. We practiced whoa from pressure from the hackamore, and we practiced walk on. I used Carin's body language as an aid to the pressure from the hackamore and also to walking on from a halt. SMART BABY! I am pleased.<br />
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Fast forward to today. I'm reposting the blog entry I typed up for the greyhound foster page (yup, I have one of those of my own now and we just picked up a new foster TODAY!) Read on below for funnies.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Ok, so Dutch and Kori were very good for the car ride home to Birmingham with Deb and myself. They settled in quickly, not a peep the whole way, fantastic car dogs. </span><br />
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Then we got home.</div>
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Kori did very well with "leaving it" after I corrected her for being too interested in my barn kitty who was hanging out on my front porch. After a couple of times of being told no and giving a quick tug on her martingale, she started ignoring the cat (from a distance). </div>
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Dutch also did very well upon arrival at my house, and he did some bonding with my guy, Nathaniel. Nate loves big dogs. He finds it EXTREMELY amusing that if he decides to take a wiz in the woods, Dutch will try to wiz where Nate is doing his business. If he shifts, Dutch shifts with them, and they pee together (keep in mind we are almost two miles from the nearest minor road; our farm is at the end of a long gravel drive). I'm not sure what this says about Dutch's level of dominance that he's trying to mark in the same spot as the man of the house, but at least he's peeing outside and not on my furniture (so far).</div>
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Dutch meeting my inside kitty went fairly well at first, except I was surprised to realize that Fur Elise felt absolutely no sense of alarm around Dutch. With his muzzle on, he was very good about meeting her, and she let him even sniff her (with tight supervision). </div>
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After half an hour or so and some very furious rubbing of his face on any body part of ours that he could reach, we decided to see if he could swing it with no muzzle. </div>
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Cue cat experience number two.</div>
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Fur Elise decided to climb in my lap, and I was sitting with her when Dutch sighted her and cautiously approached me. He still had his leash on, but we were giving him a break from the muzzle, so he wandered up ssssssllllooowwwwwllllyyy, and was allowed a brief sniff. Everything was going fabulously until he decided to see if he could make her squeak by picking her up in his mouth. </div>
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Cue coming to Jesus moment. </div>
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Cat went one way, dog backed up very fast, I was the one doing all the excited squeaking and "no no no," after which he got a trip to the crate and a swat from the cat. </div>
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He now walks the opposite direction when he sees the cat. I am pleased. </div>
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Fast forward to dinner. Fed Dutch a meal, then we practiced some tricks with all three dogs in the kitchen. He is such a chowhound. He has a VERY good sit. We're still working on uncovering the rest of his tricks, but since it took Maggie a little while to start doing all of hers, I don't expect him to regurgitate every one of his on the first night.</div>
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Now we get to bedtime. Our dogs always sleep with us in our bedroom, so we set up an extra bed for him to sleep on since I didn't expect him to dog pile with Maggie and Atlas. I'm finishing up dishes in the kitchen at this point, but Nathaniel and all the dogs headed to the bedroom. Nathaniel takes a slight 15 second detour to check his phone since it was beeping, then follows the dogs into the bedroom, only to find fresh, runny poop on the bed I'd just set up for Dutch. So he calls me in for clean up duty while he walks all three dogs. Yay. </div>
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I try to show Dutch and tell him no, no pooping in the house, and then he FACEPLANTS into his own POOP. Sits up and looks at me, then FACEPLANTS AGAIN. Lays in it, gets it smeared all over the side of his face, and I'm laughing way too hard to be mad or scold him. Nathaniel walks in with the leash to take him outside and get him out of the way, and Dutch is like "nope, nuh uh, staying right here in the bed" and proceeds to LAY IN IT AGAIN! At this point I can't breathe I'm laughing so hard. </div>
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We finally got Dutch cleaned up. He got his face washed, but it's so late that a full bath is going to wait till the morning. What a night! I can't believe he faceplanted multiple times on purpose in his own poop. That was a new one for me. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-10476428554600634102014-02-10T14:56:00.001-06:002014-02-10T14:56:46.403-06:00Book Excerpt: Which Thoroughbred Best Fits My Needs?Great article!<br /><br />
<br /><br />
<a href="http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/anatomy/which_thoroughbred_061008/">Book Excerpt: Which Thoroughbred Best Fits My Needs?</a><br /><br />
<br /><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #4a464b; float: left; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-right: 20px; width: 385px;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="color: #596c34; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'URW Palladio L', 'palladio l', palatino, 'book antiqua', times, serif; font-size: 1.5em; margin: 0px;">Which Thoroughbred Best Fits My Needs?</h1><div class="by-line" style="color: #676554; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'URW Palladio L', 'palladio l', palatino, 'book antiqua', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px; margin: 10px 0px;">By Anna Morgan Ford</div></div><div class="brdcrmb_ad" style="background-color: white; color: #4a464b; float: left; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; width: 140px;"><div class="sponsor"></div><div><a href="http://www.equisearch.com/magazines/practical-horseman" style="color: #676554; text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/from_practicalhorseman.gif" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 10px;" /></a></div><div style="padding-bottom: 10px; width: 175px;"><a class="sub_today" href="https://www.neodata.com/ITPS2.cgi?ItemCode=PHNZ&OrderType=Reply+Only&iResponse=PHNZ.NEWDOM&KeyCode=UN1" style="color: red; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Subscribe Today and Save!</a></div></div><div class="deck" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #4a464b; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 10px 0px 15px;"><h3 style="color: #4a463b; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 5px 0px;">Guidelines to consider when choosing an off-the-track Thoroughbred for a specific English discipline, from the book <em>Beyond the Track</em>.</h3></div><div class="entry-content autoclear" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #4a464b; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div id="_atssh" style="border: 0px !important; height: 1px; position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 1px; z-index: 100000;"><iframe id="_atssh507" src="http://ct1.addthis.com/static/r07/sh148.html#iit=1391750597175&tmr=load%3D1391750574760%26core%3D1391750578011%26main%3D1391750597169%26ifr%3D1391750597178&cb=0&cdn=0&chr=UTF-8&kw=off%20the%20track%20thoroughbreds%2COTTBs%2Cthoroughbred%20conformation%2Chunter%2Cjumper%2Ceventer%2Cdressage&ab=-&dh=www.equisearch.com&dr=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F&du=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.equisearch.com%2Fhorses_care%2Fhealth%2Fanatomy%2Fwhich_thoroughbred_061008%2F&dt=Book%20Excerpt%3A%20Which%20Thoroughbred%20Best%20Fits%20My%20Needs%3F&dbg=0&md=0&cap=tc%3D0%26ab%3D0&inst=1&vcl=1&jsl=161&prod=undefined&lng=en-US&ogt=&pc=wpp&pub=wp-52f46daf553d5bec&ssl=0&sid=52f46db1a3581f25&srpl=1&srcs=1&srd=1&srf=1&srx=1&ver=300&xck=0&xtr=0&og=&aa=0&rev=126258&ct=0&xld=1&xd=1" style="border-width: 0px; height: 1px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 1px; z-index: 100000;" title="AddThis utility frame"></iframe></div><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;">If you intend to purchase a horse off the track, or adopt through a program, I recommend you engage the assistance of an experienced friend or trainer to help ascertain the horse's suitability for you and your discipline. Even if you buy and sell horses all the time, a second opinion is always of value.</div><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;">The most important step is to ask yourself what level of riding or competition you aspire to, as many off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) are athletic enough to pursue <em>any</em> discipline at the lower levels, and most minor injuries will hold up after proper time off. With this in mind, here are a few additional guidelines to consider when evaluating OTTBs. These are generalized suggestions--there is a lot more to consider when choosing a horse for a specific discipline.</div><dl class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_4401" style="background-color: #f4f3f2; float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px !important; padding: 5px 7px; width: 250px;"><dt><a class="thickbox" href="http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/anatomy/which_thoroughbred_061008/attachment/eventer_thoroughbred_700.jpg/" rel="attachment wp-att-4401" style="color: #676554; text-decoration: none;" title="Potential event horse or jumper"><img alt="Photo by Carrie Paston" border="0" class=" image" height="185" hspace="0" src="http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/eventer_thoroughbred_250.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" vspace="0" width="250" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #4a463b; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px;">Potential event horse or jumper</dd><dd class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #4a463b; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px;">Photo by Carrie Paston</dd></dl><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><strong>The Event Horse</strong><br /><em>Conformation</em></div><ul style="line-height: 18px; padding-left: 10px;"><li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">High shoulder point (the front of the shoulder is high, with a steeply angled humerus from there to the elbow; this ensures scope over large jumps)</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Uphill build</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Medium bone structure (extremely fine bone structure is less likely to hold up)</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Short- to medium-length back</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Short- to medium-length pasterns (long pasterns tend to break down)</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Well-set knees (horses "straight" in the knees are prone to knee injuries)</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Event horses can range in height. Note that larger horses (in height and mass) can be more difficult to keep sound as they are harder on their legs and feet.</li>
</ul><div class="inline-bnr" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 20px; padding: 0px;"><div class="bnr-heading" style="font-size: 12px; padding: 5px; text-align: center;">Advertisement</div><a href="http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=L&ai=C273wsm30UtCAGsyXlQeGnYGYBJ6usa8GAAAQASAAUJipl5P7_____wFgyd6phrij3BOCARdjYS1wdWItMjU2NTUxNjY0OTI0MTA2OMgBAuACAKgDAaoEzgFP0MXGkNSBFzpuoO859QnbVMIuMZQ45OdWUhVYr4hO_BSEDKNWT1VmP9smdYsy8Nd1_62pI9NxV_ENknI2W-z1BkYXbeLhr2aIDfJmwjhsgmEkNKAEhTi3boj-RBupkwgq5VysoAuKR-z7HPth0VWSi2rXSNcUMOaI0jefRurcA2S0ISQwL0wszqV2eLhqmX3VbmcN3i7P4oSLa1tPzr1taIkPexRNPvOwh1hleIcUsw7AbbvtB_3kl_Q1yfaJ4VyD_UFYhbkFpykttBRxb-AEAaAGFA&num=0&sig=AOD64_2nCz8qQMfHJkEFgCvV9kTkTV2w2A&client=ca-pub-2565516649241068&adurl=http://www.lesterbuildings.com" style="color: #676554; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="250" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/simgad/13644537950146114723" style="border: 0pt none;" width="300" /></a></div><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><em>Movement</em><br />Event horses need to be very athletic with fluid gaits. Prospects should have more "action" at all three gaits than, say, a hunter (see below). This often indicates it will be easier for them to move with impulsion in the dressage ring and that they will pick up their knees better over fences.</div><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><em>Personality</em><br />Brave, athletic and hard-working. Event prospects need to be bold, brave and forward-going horses that have good endurance. Many of these horses could also be described as "proud" or "arrogant." More energetic horses are often possibilities--as long as they are mentally sane and have a good work ethic, the extra energy is beneficial on the cross-country course.</div><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><em>Injuries to Avoid</em></div><ul style="line-height: 18px; padding-left: 10px;"><li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Breathing issues</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Severe tendon injuries (mild strains or bows are generally not an issue if given enough time off prior to retraining)</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Severe suspensory injuries</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Joint chips or fractures</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Vision limitations</li>
</ul><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><strong>The Jumper</strong><br />A jumper prospect will be very similar in build, action and personality to an event horse (see above). When looking for a jumper, put more emphasis on a stronger hind end and shoulder. A jumper does not necessarily need to be built uphill, but he should have a high shoulder point.</div><dl class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_4400" style="background-color: #f4f3f2; float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px !important; padding: 5px 7px; width: 250px;"><dt><a class="thickbox" href="http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/anatomy/which_thoroughbred_061008/attachment/hunter_thoroughbred_700.jpg/" rel="attachment wp-att-4400" style="color: #676554; text-decoration: none;" title="Potential hunter"><img alt="Photo by Carrie Paston" border="0" class=" image" height="177" hspace="0" src="http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/hunter_thoroughbred_250.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" vspace="0" width="250" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #4a463b; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px;">Potential hunter</dd><dd class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #4a463b; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px;">Photo by Carrie Paston</dd></dl><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><strong>The Hunter </strong><br /><em>Conformation</em></div><ul style="line-height: 18px; padding-left: 10px;"><li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Long, sloping shoulder</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Neck ties in well with the withers and shoulder</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Small, attractive head</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Flat topline</li>
</ul><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><em>Movement</em><br />Hunters should be light on their feet and have as little action in their legs as possible. A long, low, rhythmic stride that easily covers a lot of ground is desirable. The horse's head carriage should be long and low.</div><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><em>Personality</em><br />Easygoing, consistent and stylish. Hunters are judged on rhythm, style, and manners. They need to be calm in nature and consistent in gait and attitude as they move around the ring and over fences.</div><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><em>Injuries to Avoid</em></div><ul style="line-height: 18px; padding-left: 10px;"><li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Severe tendon injuries (mild strains or bows are generally not an issue if given enough time off prior to retraining)</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Severe suspensory injuries</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Joint chips or fractures</li>
</ul><dl class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_4402" style="background-color: #f4f3f2; float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px !important; padding: 5px 7px; width: 250px;"><dt><a class="thickbox" href="http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/anatomy/which_thoroughbred_061008/attachment/dressage_thoroughbred_700.jpg/" rel="attachment wp-att-4402" style="color: #676554; text-decoration: none;" title="Potential dressage horse"><img alt="Photo by Carrie Paston" border="0" class=" image" height="182" hspace="0" src="http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/dressage_thoroughbred_250.jpg" style="border: 0pt none;" vspace="0" width="250" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #4a463b; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px;">Potential dressage horse</dd><dd class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #4a463b; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px;">Photo by Carrie Paston</dd></dl><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><strong>The Dressage Horse</strong><br /><em>Conformation</em></div><ul style="line-height: 18px; padding-left: 10px;"><li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Withers set back from the shoulder</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Short back</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Uphill build</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Strong, well-built hindquarters</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Neck ties in well with the withers and shoulder (avoid ewe-necked horses)</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Neck should be medium to long</li>
</ul><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><em>Movement</em><br />The horse should naturally engage and drive from his hind end. A regular, even, four-beat walk is ideal. At the trot he should demonstrate natural impulsion and extension while remaining light on his feet. Look for a canter that is not overly "large"--a shorter stride is easier to maneuver around the dressage arena and eventually teach clean flying lead changes.</div><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><em>Personality</em><br />Hard-working, sensitive and sensible. A dressage prospect should be a sensitive yet sensible horse. He needs to be very responsive to leg, seat, and rein aids rather than dead-sided or hard-mouthed. He cannot become overwrought every time he is confronted with a new task--the ideal horse likes to work and accepts new challenges eagerly.</div><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><em>Injuries to Avoid</em></div><ul style="line-height: 18px; padding-left: 10px;"><li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Severe tendon injuries (mild strains or bows are generally not an issue if given enough time off prior to retraining)</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Severe suspensory injuries</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/themes/equisearch_2011/images/arrow_bullet_wh.gif); background-position: 0px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 15px;">Joint chips or fractures</li>
</ul><div style="color: #4a463b; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><em>This article is excerpted from the book </em><em>Beyond the Track: Retraining the Thoroughbred from Racehorse to Riding Horse, which offers tips on finding the right OTTB and giving him the solid educational foundation he needs to excel in a new career. To order, call 800-952-5813 or visit <a href="http://horsebooksetc.com/index.php?p=product&id=703&parent=0" style="color: #676554;" target="_blank">HorseBooksEtc.com</a>.</em></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-42486268111950528022013-09-18T17:04:00.001-05:002013-09-18T17:04:37.500-05:00Evil WomanCue Electric Light Orchestra music in the background.<br />
<br />
Mares.<br />
<br />
Sums it up in a word, but to elaborate, PONY mares. Explains so much, doesn't it?<br />
<br />
Ponies are closer to the ground, and therefore closer to hell. Pony mares, well, you get the picture.<br />
<br />
I have two pony mares. What does that say about me?<br />
<br />
ThePone is going to get an attitude adjustment here shortly, and with a quickness.<br />
<br />
That is all.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-8737484329635602312013-09-14T10:15:00.002-05:002013-09-14T10:15:31.342-05:00Pippa Training MusingsAnytime I mess with Pippa, I keep feeling torn. Her body is maturing early, early enough that when my vet checked her knees a few months before she was 2, he said her legs could stand a rider and work already, but mentally and emotionally I know she wasn't and still isn't ready. My trainer in NC (Sophie Pririe Clifton) is a firm believer in putting HER ponies under saddle at 2.5 years, and she does training from the ground from birth. I have been continuing with all sorts of mental training with both of my youngsters (Pippa and also Queen), exposing them to trail work in-hand and also various obstacles, similar to what they might see on an obstacle course so that they can get the mental challenge. The longer I have Pippa, the more strongly bonded we get to each other, and while I know this means she puts more trust in me and can handle more exposure, it also prompts me to be more protective of her and less anxious to rush into things. I am a firm believer in not backing before 30 months and not really working before 36 months since I really want my kids to be sound still when they hit their 30s. When I look at Paul Belasik's and Andrea Velas's model for excellence with their horses at the Pennsylvania Riding Academy at Lost Hollow Farm (this pair of riders and their program is my measuring stick for excellence, btw), they have such a high standard of care and their stallion, Excelso, is in his 20s, completely sound and never needs joint supplements, plus he is still doing all the grand prix movements every week. To my knowledge, they start a 6 month lunge/longe line program at 2, start backing at 2.5, and have them riding and ready for sale at 3 years old doing w/t/c reliably that an ammy (amateur) rider could purchase and bring them along under an experienced trainer. This is what I want for my horses, being able to ride comfortably and with soundness well into their 20s and 30s at upper level work. I don't really want to part with any of my girls, so I don't really train with any buyers in mind, but I am also aware that crap happens in life sometimes, so they need to be sound, sane, and used to strangers if they ever had to part ways with me at any point and find a new mom (or dad). Oh, what to do, what to do? My big concern with Pippa is making any steps backward since she had a rough start. We have such a good rapport right now, and she trusts me, and I don't want to rush through any training program with her that could damage that trust or injure her in any way. Meh, morning musings...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-79155214285789677112013-09-14T09:55:00.001-05:002013-09-14T09:55:33.178-05:00Slow MorningIt's so nice outside right now! I'm trying to get the motivation to get dressed and go down to the barn. Saturday mornings mean I've gotten more sleep with not having to work Friday night, and the result can sometimes be similar to feeling very groggy and almost hungover. If I can get moving, today I should trim feet while it is cool, then lunge a couple of ponies and get Pippa used to taking a bit in her mouth in preparation for backing in the spring.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-7539848464769899672013-09-06T12:53:00.000-05:002013-09-06T12:53:35.041-05:00Haying Our PastureWe have started haying our pasture! A nice neighbor of ours came over and cut the pasture this week while I kept my mares up in the small paddock. It has been curing, and we'll be sharing some with the neighbor and some will be ours to keep :) I'm possibly going to purchase some of the neighbor's share just to fill up my barn, and this will put some money in his pocket and give him a guaranteed sale. I'm beginning to think that I might start spraying for weeds and fertilizing a bit more than just what my ponies put out on the pasture, and then perhaps next year we'll actually hay a few times instead of just once, and use that to put up more hay. It's so nice to have neighbors with heavy farm equipment :)<br />
<br />
This weekend is going to begin some off farm training for my two youngest! Pippa and Queen are going to get some refresher lessons with the horse trailer, and we're going to start trailering to random places for the experience. This fall will also mark the start of Pippa's training beginning to ramp up, and she will begin a six month longe line and pony line program to prepare her to go under saddle this spring.<br />
<br />
Exciting things going on at Crimson Run Farm!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-9867943189032083732013-08-20T17:10:00.003-05:002013-08-20T17:10:40.331-05:00WOOT! GO PONY GO!<a href="http://www.dressagedaily.com/article/pony-named-%E2%80%9Coke-doke%E2%80%9D-edges-out-big-boys-east-coast-rider%E2%80%99s-cup-intermediate-dressage-compet">http://www.dressagedaily.com/article/pony-named-%E2%80%9Coke-doke%E2%80%9D-edges-out-big-boys-east-coast-rider%E2%80%99s-cup-intermediate-dressage-compet</a><br />
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A Pony Named “Oke Doke” Edges Out the Big Boys in East Coast Rider’s Cup Intermediate Dressage Competition at Centerline Events</h1>
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Written by Lynndee Kemmet</div>
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<img alt="photo: TerriMiller.com - Jovanna Stepan and Erin Meadows Oke Doke in the East Coast Rider’s Cup competition for Intermediate I" src="http://ds.dressagedaily.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/article_full_vt/j_stephan_oke_doke_13ht-8769_0.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="photo: TerriMiller.com - Jovanna Stepan and Erin Meadows Oke Doke in the East Coast Rider’s Cup competition for Intermediate I" /><br /><div class="image-caption image-captions " style="color: #666666; font-size: 10px; line-height: 1.25; width: 240px;">
photo: TerriMiller.com - Jovanna Stepan and Erin Meadows Oke Doke in the East Coast Rider’s Cup competition for Intermediate I</div>
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Saugerties, NY – A Connemara pony named Erin Meadows Oke Doke showed up the big horses in Intermediate competition at the 2013 <a href="http://www.centerlineevents.com/" style="color: #028484; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Centerline Events</a>at HITS on the Hudson. Oke Doke earned the Reserve Championship in the East Coast Rider’s Cup competition for Intermediate I by winning Friday’s ECRC FEI Intermediate 1 competition with a score of 67.039 percent and taking sixth in Saturday’s second round. The 14-hand pony (by Loughrea's Oisin out of Erin Meadows Celtic Treasure x Hideaway's Sebastian) and bred by Sandra Ferguson of Ontario Canada, was the only little guy in a field of two dozen challengers for the Intermediate I East Coast Rider’s Cup. “He’s really a poster child for ponies,” said his rider, Jovanna Stepan, of Rhinebeck, New York. The 12-year-old Oke Doke is owned by Tanya Murray, also of Rhinebeck, and she bought him two years ago from a family in Toronto, Canada after seeing a sales ad on DressageDaily. However according to the FEI rules, in spite of his ability and talent, he is currently is not allowed in CDI Classes.</div>
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<img alt="Jovanna Stepan with Tanya Murray's 14-hand Connemara pony Erin Meadows Oke Doke (by Loughrea's Oisin out of Erin Meadows Celtic Treasure x Hideaway's Sebastian) earns reserve champions in the East Coast Rider’s Cup competition for Intermediate I" src="http://ds.dressagedaily.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/article_full_vt/ttttrrrtrtrtrtr_111.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="Jovanna Stepan with Tanya Murray's 14-hand Connemara pony Erin Meadows Oke Doke (by Loughrea's Oisin out of Erin Meadows Celtic Treasure x Hideaway's Sebastian) earns reserve champions in the East Coast Rider’s Cup competition for Intermediate I" /><br /><div class="image-caption image-captions " style="color: #666666; font-size: 10px; line-height: 1.25; width: 240px;">
Jovanna Stepan with Tanya Murray's 14-hand Connemara pony Erin Meadows Oke Doke (by Loughrea's Oisin out of Erin Meadows Celtic Treasure x Hideaway's Sebastian) earns reserve champions in the East Coast Rider’s Cup competition for Intermediate I</div>
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“We’re still in touch with the Dunlop family, his previous owners who are part of his cheering squad,” Stepan said. “We fell in love with him the moment we saw the video.” She said at the time a pony seemed an ideal match for Murray, who is only five feet tall and was looking to get back into riding after a hiatus of having five children. Stepan is five-feet, six-inches but said Oke Doke still fits her well. “When you see him in the stall he looks like a pony but then people see him go and they say, ‘oh my gosh.’ He’s the smartest horse I’ve ever worked with.”</div>
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Murray rides the pony three days a week and Stepan trains him the other days. She’s already begun working on his passage and piaffe. “He has covered so much ground in two years,” Stepan said.</div>
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Oke Doke did his first Prix St. George in May and then two weeks ago did his first Intermediate I. There is no doubt in Stepan’s mind that he is destined for Grand Prix competition, but unless the FEI changes its rules, Oke Doke will never get the chance to challenge the big boys in CDI competition.</div>
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<img alt="Jovanna Stepan and Erin Meadows Oke Doke in the East Coast Rider’s Cup competition for Intermediate I" src="http://ds.dressagedaily.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/article_full_vt/oke_doke_and_jovanna_stepan.jpg" style="border: 0px;" title="Jovanna Stepan and Erin Meadows Oke Doke in the East Coast Rider’s Cup competition for Intermediate I" /><br /><div class="image-caption image-captions " style="color: #666666; font-size: 10px; line-height: 1.25; width: 240px;">
Jovanna Stepan and Erin Meadows Oke Doke in the East Coast Rider’s Cup competition for Intermediate I</div>
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Oke Doke is blocked from competing in regular CDI competition because he is a pony. There are separate pony CDIs for young riders but that doesn’t fit Oke Doke and Stepan. “It’s part of the old CDI rules when ponies were meant for children,” Stepan said. “So I’m sitting here throwing rocks at the glass ceiling.” Stepan plans to compete Oke Doke next month at the New England Dressage Association’s Fall Festival but she’d also love to take him to Devon but those are CDI classes and Oke Doke is not allowed.</div>
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Stepan is an ambassador for Just World International (<a href="http://www.justworldinternational.org/" style="color: #028484; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.justworldinternational.org</a>), a rider-supported organization that works to improve lives in the developing world, and now she’s taken on the role of being an ambassador for ponies. “I had never really trained a pony to this point and had never advised anyone to buy a pony before. But they are amazing. They stay sound, they live forever and many of them have the best character.”<br />Her goal is to keep moving Oke Doke up the levels and challenging the big horses in FEI competition with the hope that she can build support for opening CDIs to ponies. Over the past two years, Stepan and Oke Doke have spent time training with Emily Gershberg, Lars Petersen, Michael Barisone and well-known pony proponent Lendon Gray and all of them have been amazed by his talent. Stepan is confident that Oke Doke could hold his ground against the bigger horses in a CDI if given the chance. “It’s time we revisit the CDI rules," she said.</div>
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<a href="http://datastable.workit.us/sites/default/files/score_report_media_simple.pdf" style="color: #028484; text-decoration: none;" title="Centerline Events at HITS on the Hudson 2013">Results - Centerline Events at HITS on the Hudson 2013</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-34960596326390339222013-08-20T08:39:00.004-05:002013-08-20T08:39:44.080-05:00Lightness per Nuno Oliveira"Lightness is the consequence of impulsion and collection."
(Nuno Oliveira, 1998)<br />
<br />
"The relaxation of the mouth is not enough. It can be deceptive, because it does not necessarily lead to lightness. It has to be accompanied by the relaxation of the entire horse. When he yields with his back, it will definitely have repercussions in the mouth."
(Nuno Oliveira, 1998)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-30204660392749542692013-08-20T08:05:00.003-05:002013-08-20T08:38:38.145-05:00The Poll and Why It's Important<div class="tr_bq">
Per the Classical Dressage Masters --</div>
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"Every horse has only one appropriate head and neck position for riding with respect to his conformation into which he has to be brought and in which he has to be worked. In other words, it can never be arbitrary. It is determined by the poll, whose position is limited to a very small space, if not merely a point, in terms of its height. The rider has to search for it. He has found it by keeping the neck in the same place, or by raising or lowering it, when he feels that the reins affect the entire horse, including the back and hindquarters, through the poll and the steady neck.
This point in terms of the poll height has not been found yet as long as the horse yields to the reins only or even partially in the neck and evades with his neck."
(Adolph Kästner, 1876)<br />
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"Without correct poll flexion, without perfect coordination of the seat, the posture, the rider’s guidance and all aids, without precise and tactful guidance of the hand above the middle of the horse, rein contact is impossible. For, in the case of incorrect flexions, the horse either leans onto the inside rein while freeing himself from the outside rein, or he steps behind the inside rein while leaning onto the outside one, or he leans against both reins, or he stays behind both of them."
(Adolph Kästner, 1876)
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<br />
"No matter how much or how little the horse’s head and neck position needs to be adjusted, the rider must take care from the moment of the first mounting that he assigns the correct position to the poll, because it is only from this position alone that the entire horse can and must be addressed, if one wants to be successful. Through the correct position of the head and neck the rider obtains the feel of the entire horse in his hand and seat, so that he is able to make all the necessary improvements that the horse is capable of executing. It is only through this feel that the good, beautiful and uninterrupted, correct position of the head and neck can be achieved in which the rest of the horse’s body closely participates as well. The same goes for collection and obedience."
(Adolph Kästner, 1876)<br />
<br />
<i>The original posts by Adolph Kästner were posted to the Ritter Dressage Facebook page. Ritter Dressage is the collaborative effort of Dr. Thomas Ritter and his wife, Shana Ritter. </i><br />
<blockquote>
<i>"We started the website, ClassicalDressage.com, in 1998, with its related Discussion Groups and other forums, with the intent purpose of preserving and promoting Classical Dressage in North America. Since that time, Ritter Dressage has gone through numerous expansions and transormations, which included an extensive clinic schedule that spanned over North American with the inclusion of Europe, a successful Lipizzan breeding operation, USDF and FEI Dressage Competition and Competitive Coaching, and Twice yearly Performance Exhibitions for the General Public, and publication of an extensive list of articles and other works. </i> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i> In 2010, Thomas and Shana shut down their North American operations and relocated to Germany. Shortly thereafter welcomed the publication of Thomas' first book, "Klassisches Reiten auf Grundlage der Biomechanik" available in German with an English translation expected to be released in North America in the near future. In the meantime, we have been featured in several large Expert Forum Expositions in Germany and will be featured in Equitana in March 2012, as well as an extensive European clinic tour. Thomas' next book which features the training of the horse at the Longrein will be released in Spring 2012.<br />
<br />Thomas and Shana are building a homebase in Germany for North American riders to "land" and launch their European competition aspirations or simply to devote themselves exclusively towards their training education. We have also established contacts throughout Germany for the purchase of Dressage horses of various price ranges, and are available to facilitate in the purchase and importation of horses for North American riders. We can help North American buyers bridge the language barrier (Thomas is fluent in German and English) and stress of traveling in a foreign country (we can pick you up at the airport, show you around, make introductions with breeders and horse sellers, and facilitate negotiations, as well as coordinate details for the veterinary examinations and shipping specifics even after you have returned home). We have the unique advantage that we have contacts and extensive knowledge of both Warmbloods and Baroque Horses. </i> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>Email ritter@artisticdressage.com<br />http://www.klassische-reitkunst.com<br />http://www.artisticdressage.com"</i></blockquote>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-80936450436311544132013-08-19T20:17:00.001-05:002013-08-19T22:52:08.730-05:00Day 5 Complete: ATL/NC Training Trip, Summer 2013<p dir=ltr>Day 5 of our trip complete. Swiss Miss and I are both a little worn out, but mostly mentally. We managed to get beautiful, supple, forward response on the lunge line right from the get go this morning. Swiss Miss clearly thought about her lessons overnight. Sophie and I were QUITE pleased with her. We also did beautiful work on the wall working in-hand, and Sophie was very approving of how I picked up the technique very quickly. It helped that Swiss Miss was behaving so well, so I didn't have any resistance to throw me off while I was learning how to apply what I had observed when Sophie had worked her in-hand over the last couple days. Working under saddle was a little less fluid, but we did manage to accomplish finally connecting inside leg to outside rein and on the bit in both directions, though more consistently at the walk than at the trot. </p>
<p dir=ltr>The drive home was initially wet, then cleared, then was a real mess through Atlanta, but we made it home in one piece and Swiss Miss was quite glad to rejoin my small band of mares when we arrived at the farm. It's good to be back, and I'm looking forward to applying our new knowledge to our training schedule this week. </p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-58407137255198509432013-08-19T07:15:00.001-05:002013-08-19T07:15:52.517-05:00Day 4 Complete: ATL/NC Training Trip, Summer 2013<p dir=ltr>Day 4 of our trip complete. As Sophie has said before, it is always lesson 4 where we get to the root of the problem. Day 4 was where we discovered that, as far as fight or flight instincts go, Swiss Miss will give you a fight. Swiss Miss is still lacking in some of her basic vocabulary. She has a grasp on some of it, but she is so green and I'd been grounded for 5 weeks up until right before our trip, so she had only gotten the bare beginnings of training before we came. </p>
<p dir=ltr>She was worked on the lunge and in the saddle during our morning lesson, but was put back on the lunge in the end. She kind of just decided, "I've been working and mostly behaving for the last 3 days, and now I'm going to give you the finger." She grew very rude about space, and anytime you touched the right rein, she tried to swing her hind end out, so alternated between going sideways in the saddle or just popping the hind end off of the circle and pivoting, or on the ground she would attempt to spin out and face you to get out of work, then would try to bully you by putting her shoulder in your space. We worked hard, but managed to end on a good note for the morning lesson, and she was a bit tired by the end because we just let her fight herself and work it out on the lunge. </p>
<p dir=ltr>Our afternoon lesson started in-hand and was going quite well, but then she started being a bit defiant and bullying into your space again, swinging her head at Sophie (BIG mistake) and popping her shoulder at you. We have determined that her right side is the one she really avoids being through on, so that's the side we've been focusing on claiming and getting softness on. We worked most of this on the lunge and then tried to replicate in the saddle, and Sophie put us together on the lunge line so she could keep her forward for me so I could really focus on maintaining my own body and really focusing on my aids to get that release for Swiss Miss. Once she finally stopped squiggling all over the place, we had a few really nice rotations in each direction, then I vaulted off. </p>
<p dir=ltr>The final lesson concluded with her working beautifully on the lunge and finally "getting it" and cooperating, then she was given a walk break. Since Sophie unfortunately won't be able to have us stay another week, we reattached the side reins after her short break to see if the changes stuck, and voila! Soft, forward, softly chewing and licking pony with soft eyes going around on her circle with a proper frame and no more objections. </p>
<p dir=ltr>We're likely going to do a 6 week lunging program to work out the dangerous rudeness on the ground till she is responsive to just voice aids without any rein aid or exaggerated body blocking, and then I should have a better horse under saddle. We will ride today for lesson 6 before we head home, so wish us luck! We ride at 9:45 and haul out by noon!</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-81042801868078387102013-08-18T06:15:00.001-05:002013-08-18T06:15:14.198-05:00Day 3 Complete, ATL/NC Training Trip, Summer 2013<p dir=ltr>Day 3 of our trip complete. What a productive day yesterday! I am learning so much! Ok, so the thrilling parts. Sophie informed me that she was quite pleased that my position in the saddle has come a long way, and she said that she didn't have anything to fix, seatwise! She says that I have caught on to the concept of the perfect position, and while Swiss Miss can be a little squiggly and throw me off sometimes since she is green, I am now steady enough that I regain proper position quickly. Also, she told me she can tell that I am way more fit than the last time I came up. She said that she has always felt that I'm very athletic, but I am on day 3 of lessons for this trip and I'm not exhausted this time :) I only have a little bit of inner thigh soreness from posting and correcting on a green bean. Anyway, during each lesson yesterday, we started off in the surcingle and side reins. During lesson one, we lunged and have been teaching Swiss Miss how to properly carry herself in a frame and keep her poll high, plus we're working on her balance in different gaits. She is such a quick learner! The latter part of each lesson involved mounted work, and teaching Swiss Miss to maintain being poll high and coming into the bridle. We are really working hard at keeping her more forward so that she really rounds and comes into the bridle, coming onto the bit. I am focusing on keeping her forward and not yielding by giving up too much rein to make her confused with inconsistent contact, and I'm really glad for new gloves and my thin rubber laced reins. Our second lesson started in the surcingle, but instead of lunging we started with in-hand work! I am very excited to be learning how to work her in-hand. To begin with, we had to teach her forward while we make her feel a wee bit claustrophobic since we sandwich her between my body and the wall. She's quite sensitive and initially emotional, so keeping calm and just waiting her out till she yielded was critical, but she did so well! She is better to her left than to her right like a lot of horses can be, so touching the right rein is something she doesn't much care for and is a little resistant at learning to be through on her right side if she feels any contact on her right rein. Even so, she still caught on and managed to do some really lovely work. With Sophie's really fabulous arena footing, this pony is so fancy and such a nice, big mover. She really doesn't move like a pony at all. I am having such a good time! Onwards to two more lessons on day 4, then one more lesson on day 5 before we travel home. WOOT!</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-77790679761366886132013-08-17T06:33:00.001-05:002013-08-17T06:33:18.579-05:00Day 2 Complete: ATL/NC Training Trip, Summer 2013<p dir=ltr>Day 2 of our trip is complete. Aside from Swiss Miss tangling with the perimeter gate and losing yesterday, we still had a productive day once we arrived at Sophie's. Once we arrived at Blue Moon Farm, I got her unloaded and grazed her in the front lawn for a bit. She thankfully was not swelling, was calm and steady, and did not appear unsound anywhere. Sophie worked her over and said she's remarkably fine for having crumpled like a wet noodle into a heap after flipping over the gate, so we put her on the lunge line and she still managed to impress Sophie :) Many thanks to Juliette and Dr. Easterwood yesterday for helping me find the right quick action and medication to make Swiss Miss comfortable yesterday! As long as Swiss Miss is sound this morning on the lunge line, we will ride. However, I'm thinking a chiropractic is still in Swiss Miss's near future regardless! Fingers crossed for two good lessons today :)</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-15794918647750137032013-08-16T07:32:00.001-05:002013-08-16T07:32:39.989-05:00Day 1 Complete: ATL/NC Training Trip Summer 2013<p dir=ltr>Day 1 of our journey complete! Swiss Miss and I arrived safely yesterday afternoon at Juliette's farm and settled in. We had a nice lunging warm up, then attempted to work on position and faced some challenges staying focused with tons of distractions (other riders, shadows, other horses). Aside from some snarky faces at the other horses, she did quite well for a green bean. We managed to get forward and straight for a few strides, a few very good, responsive transitions, and ThePone gave me a very nice, square halt a few different times. She's really coming along, and most importantly, the willingness to get her head back in the game when I asked was one of the best parts of the whole lesson :) Post lesson she was thrilled to have her dinner in a nice stall, then Karen and I had our traditional night at Ru San's for my one night in ATL. So good!. Afterward I cleaned and conditioned all of my tack till the wee hours of the morning. Fred, my saddle looks and feels like a different saddle now! That Lederbalsam is good stuff! Also, apparently I've been using LeatherNew incorrectly for YEEAAAARRRSSSS... Now, to have some breakfast, repack my gear, hitch the trailer again and load the pony, then off to Sophie's for day 2!</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-67011522632308303762013-08-11T08:08:00.000-05:002013-08-11T08:08:02.547-05:00Failure is just feedback and an opportunity to growFor the thoughtful student or when working with the horse, resistances and confusion are a sign of an opportunity to learn. Rather than overpowering resistance with aggression or running always from confusion, one needs to look into it. It is only by exploring the fabric of yours or horse's confusion or resistance that one can grow.
Dressage is not and should not be a stagnant body of fact but rather, it is the tools one uses for exploring resistance or confusion. Success is not in doing tricks or special movements but in the confidence and positive attitude that is cultivated in the horse and rider which results from skillful means one uses in exploring these difficulties.
Confusion does have a use. It is the door to the next level. Resistance is useful. It shows you where you have lost the connection. Good dressage cultivates a willingness to work together on both sides of the relationship.<br />
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~Craig StevensAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-37778897524224847582013-08-02T17:06:00.001-05:002013-08-02T17:08:06.628-05:00Timing and Rate of skeletal maturation in Horses – by Deb Bennett, Ph.D. | Horsemanship & Herd Dynamics Harmony between Nature & Nurture ©<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://herddynamics.wordpress.com/timing-and-rate-of-skeletal-maturation-in-horses-by-deb-bennett-ph-d/">Timing and Rate of skeletal maturation in Horses – by Deb Bennett, Ph.D. | Horsemanship & Herd Dynamics Harmony between Nature & Nurture ©</a>: </span><br />
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<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">'via Blog this'</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Timing and Rate of skeletal maturation in Horses – by Deb Bennett, Ph.D.</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit;"><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Short pastern – top and bottom between birth and 6 months.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Long pastern – top and bottom between 6 months and one year.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Cannon bone – top and bottom between 8 months and 1.5 years</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Small bones of the knee – top and bottom of each, between 1.5 and 2.5 years</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Bottom of radius-ulna – between 2 and 2.5 years</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Weight-bearing portion of glenoid notch at top of radius – between 2.5 and 3 years</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Humerus – top and bottom, between 3 and 3.5 years</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Scapula – glenoid or bottom (weight-bearing) portion – between 3.5 and 4 years</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Hindlimb – lower portions same as forelimb</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Hock – this joint is “late” for as low down as it is; growth plates on the tibial and fibular tarsals don’t fuse until the animal is four (so the hocks are a known “weak point” – even the 18th-century literature warns against driving young horses in plow or other deep or sticky footing, or jumping them up into a heavy load, for danger of spraining their hocks).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Tibia – top and bottom, between 3 and 3.5 years</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Femur – bottom, between 3 and 3.5 years; neck, between 2.5 and 3 years; major and 3rd trochanters, between 2.5 and 3 years Pelvis – growth plates on the points of hip, peak of croup (tubera sacrale), and points of buttock (tuber ischii), between 3 and 4 years.</span></li>
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</span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Back and Neck vs. Limbs</span><ul>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Comfortable being touched all over. Comfortable: not put-upon nor merely tolerating, but really looking forward to it.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This includes interior of mouth, muzzle, jowls, ears, sheath/udder, tail, front and hind feet. Pick ‘em up and they should be floppy.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Knows how to lead up. No fear; no attempt to flee; no drag in the feet; knows that it’s his job to keep slack in the line all the time.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Manners enough to lead at your shoulder, stop or go when he sees your body get ready to stop or go; if he spooks, does not jump toward or onto you, will not enter your space unless he’s specifically invited to do so.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Leads through gate or into stall without charging.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Knows how to tie, may move to the side when spooked but keeps slack in the line all the time.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Knows how to be ponied.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Carries smooth nonleverage bit in mouth. Lowers head and opens mouth when asked to take the bit; when unbridled, lowers head and spits the bit out himself.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Will work with a drag (tarp, sack half filled with sand, light tire, or sledge and harness).</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mounts drum or sturdy stand with front feet.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Free longes – comes when called and responds calmly to being driven forward; relaxed and eager.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When driven, leaves without any sign of fleeing; when stopped, plants hind feet and coils loins; does not depend on back-drag from your hand to stop him.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Familiar with saddle, saddle blanket, and being girthed and accepts it quietly.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Backs easily, quietly and straight in hand, “one step at a time”.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Loads quietly in horse trailer, unloads by stepping backwards from inside horse trailer without rearing or rushing.</span></li>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">©2005 By Deb Bennett, Ph.D.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">TIMING AND RATE OF SKELETAL MATURATION IN HORSES,</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">All Horses of All Breeds Mature Skeletally at the Same Rate</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There is no such thing as an ‘early maturing’ or ‘slow maturing’ breed of horse. Let me repeat that: no horse on earth, of any breed, at any time, is or has ever been mature before the age of six (plus or minus six months). So, for example, the Quarter Horse is not an “early maturing” breed – and neither is the Arabian a “slow maturing” breed. As far as their skeletons go, they are the same. This information comes, I know, as a shock to many people who think starting their colt or filly under saddle at age two is what they ought to be doing. This begs discussion of (1) what I mean by “mature” and (2) what I mean by “starting”.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When is a Horse Skeletally Mature?</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Just about everybody has heard of the horse’s “growth plates”, and commonly when I ask them, people tell me that the “growth plates” are somewhere around the horse’s knees (actually the ones people mean are located at the bottom of the radius-ulna bone just above the knee). This is what gives rise to the saying that, before riding the horse, it’s best to wait “until his knees close” (i.e., until the growth plates convert from cartilage to bone, fusing the epiphysis or bone-end to the diaphysis or bone-shaft). What people often don’t realize is that there is a “growth plate” on either end of every bone behind the skull, and in the case of some bones (like the pelvis, which has many “corners”) there are multiple growth plates.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So do you then have to wait until all these growth plates convert to bone? No. But the longer you wait, the safer you’ll be. Owners and trainers need to realize there’s a definite, easy-to-remember schedule of fusion – and then make their decision as to when to ride the horse based on that rather than on the external appearance of the horse. For there are some breeds of horse – the Quarter Horse is the premier among these – which have been bred in such a manner as to look mature long before they actually are mature. This puts these horses in jeopardy from people who are either ignorant of the closure schedule, or more interested in their own schedule (for futurities or other competition) than they are in the welfare of the animal.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Schedule of Growth-Plate Conversion to Bone</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The process of converting the growth plates to bone goes from the bottom of the animal up. In other words, the lower down toward the hoofs you look, the earlier the growth plates will have fused; and the higher up toward the animal’s back you look, the later. The growth plate at the top of the coffin bone (the most distal bone of the limb) is fused at birth. What that means is that the coffin bones get no taller after birth (they get much larger around, though, by another mechanism). That’s the first one. In order after that:</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And what do you think is last? The vertebral column, of course. A normal horse has 32 vertebrae between the back of the skull and the root of the dock, and there are several growth plates on each one, the most important of which is the one capping the centrum. These do not fuse until the horse is at least 5 ½ years old (and this figure applies to a small-sized, scrubby, range-raised mare. The taller your horse and the longer its neck, the later the last fusions will occur. And for a male – is this a surprise? – you add six months. So, for example, a 17-hand Thoroughbred or Saddlebred or Warmblood gelding may not be fully mature until his 8th year – something that owners of such individuals have often told me that they “suspected”).</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Significance of the Closure Schedule for Injuries to</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The lateness of vertebral “closure” is most significant for two reasons. One: in no limb are there 32 growth plates! Two: the growth plates in the limbs are (more or less) oriented perpendicular to the stress of the load passing through them, while those of the vertebral chain are oriented parallel to weight placed upon the horse’s back. Bottom line: you can sprain a horse’s back a lot more easily than you can displace those located in the limbs.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here’s another little fact: within the chain of vertebrae, the last to fully close” are those at the base of the animal’s neck (that’s why the long-necked individual may go past 6 years to achieve full maturity – it’s the base of his neck that is still growing). So you have to be careful – very careful – not to yank the neck around on your young horse, or get him in any situation where he strains his neck (i.e., better learn how to get a horse broke to tie before you ever tie him up, so that there will be no likelihood of him ever pulling back hard).</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Relationship of Skeletal to Sexual Maturity</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The other “maturity” question I always get is this: “so how come if my colt is not skeletally mature at age 2 he can be used at stud and sire a foal?” My answer to that is this: sure, sweetie, if that’s how you want to define maturity, then every 14 year old boy is mature. In other words, the ability to achieve an erection, penetrate a mare, and ejaculate some semen containing live sperm cells occurs before skeletal maturity, both in our species and in the horse.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">However, even if you only looked at sperm counts or other standard measures of sexual maturity that are used for livestock, you would know that considering a 2 year old a “stallion” is foolish. Male horses do not achieve the testicular width or weight, quality or quantity of total ejaculate, or high sperm counts until they’re six. Period. And people used to know this; that’s why it’s incorrect to refer to any male horse younger than 4 as a “stallion,” whether he’s in service or not.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Peoples’ confusion on this question is also why we have such things as the Stallion Rehabilitation Program at Colorado State University or the behavior-modification clinic at Cornell – because a two year old colt is no more able to “take command” on a mental or psychological level of the whole process of mating – which involves everything from “properly” being able to ask the mare’s permission, to actually knowing which end of her to jump on, to being able to do this while some excited and usually frightened humans are banging him on the nose with a chain – than is a 14 year old boy.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What Does it Mean to “Start” a Young Horse?</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Let us now turn to the second discussion, which is what I mean by “starting” and the whole history of that. Many people today – at least in our privileged country – do not realize how hard you can actually work a mature horse – which is very, very hard. But before you can do that without significantly damaging the animal, you have to wait for him to mature, which means – waiting until he is four to six years old before asking him to carry you on his back.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What bad will happen if you put him to work as a riding horse before that? Two important things – and probably not what you’re thinking of. What is very unlikely to happen is that you’ll damage the growth plates in his legs. At the worst, there may be some crushing of the cartilages, but the number of cases of deformed limbs due to early use is tiny. The cutting-horse futurity people, who are big into riding horses as young as a year and a half, will tell you this and they are quite correct. Want to damage legs? There’s a much better way – just overfeed your livestock (you ought to be able to see a young horse’s ribs – not skeletal, but see ‘em – until he’s two).</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Structural damage to the horse’s back from early riding is somewhat easier to produce than structural damage to his legs. There are some bloodlines (in Standardbreds, Arabians, and American Saddlebreds) that are known to inherit weak deep intervertebral ligament sheathing; these animals are especially prone to the early, sudden onset of “saddle back’” However, individuals belonging to these bloodlines are by no means the only ones who may have their back “slip” and that’s because, as mentioned above, the stress of weightbearing on the back passes parallel to its growth plates as well as parallel to the intervertebral joints. However, despite the fact that I have provided a photo of one such case for this posting, I want to add that the frequency of slipped backs in horses under 6 years old is also very low.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So, what’s to worry about? Well…did you ever wish your horse would “round up” a little better? Collect a little better? Respond to your leg by raising his back, coiling his loins, and getting his hindquarter up underneath him a little better? The young horse knows, by feel and by “instinct”, that having a weight on his back puts him in physical jeopardy. I’m sure that all of you start your youngstock in the most humane and considerate way that you know how, and just because of that, I assure you that after a little while, your horse knows exactly what that saddle is and what that situation where you go to mount him means. And he loves you, and he is wiser than you are, so he allows this. But he does not allow it foolishly, against his deepest nature, which amounts to a command from the Creator that he must survive; so when your foot goes in that stirrup, he takes measures to protect himself.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The measures he takes are the same ones you would take in anticipation of a load coming onto your back: he stiffens or braces the muscles of his topline, and to help himself do that he may also brace his legs and hold his breath (“brace” his diaphragm). The earlier you choose to ride your horse, the more the animal will do this, and the more often you ride him young, the more you reinforce the necessity of him responding to you in this way. So please – don’t come crying to me when your six-year-old (that you started under saddle as a two year old) proves difficult to round up. Any horse that does not know how to move with his back muscles in release cannot round up.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bottom line: if you are one of those who equates “starting” with “riding”, then I guess you better not start your horse until he’s four. That would be the old, traditional, worldwide view: introduce the horse to equipment (all kinds of equipment and situations) when he’s two, crawl on and off of him at three, saddle him to begin riding him and teaching him to guide at four, start teaching him maneuvers or the basics of whatever job he’s going to do – cavalletti or stops or something beyond trailing cattle – at five, and he’s on the payroll at six. The old Spanish way of bitting reflected this also, because the horse’s teeth aren’t mature (the tushes haven’t come in, nor all of the permanent cheek teeth either) until he’s six.= This is what I’d do if it were my own horse. I’m at liberty to do that because I’m not on anybody else’s schedule except my horse’s own schedule. I’m not a participant in futurities or planning to be. Are you? If you are, well, that’s your business. But most horse owners aren’t futurity competitors. Please ask yourself: is there any reason that you have to be riding that particular horse before he’s four?</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When I say “start” a horse I do not equate that with riding him. To start a young horse well is one of the finest tests (and proofs) of superior horsemanship. Anyone who does not know how to start a horse cannot know how to finish one. You, the owner, therefore have the following as a minimum list of enjoyable “things to accomplish” together with your young horse before he’s four years old, when you do start him under saddle:</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Various people might like to add to this list. Please feel free, just so long as what you’re asking your young horse isn’t more than he can physically do. Getting the horse “100% OK” mentally and emotionally – those are the big areas in successful early training; most of the physical and athletic skills can come later, when it is fitting.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve had people act, when I gave them the above facts and advice about starting youngstock, like waiting four years was just more than they could possibly stand. I think they feel this way because the list of things which they would like to include as necessary before attempting to ride is very short. Their whole focus is on riding as why they bought the animal, and they think they have a right to this. Well, the horse – good friend to mankind that he is – will soon show them what he thinks they have a right to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The full article is linked below</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf" style="border: 0px; color: #6a7c4b; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf</span></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-77652333384247076142013-07-26T16:25:00.000-05:002013-07-26T16:25:22.823-05:00Annual Post: When is it too hot to ride?<div style="color: #; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;">
With the heat & high humidity wave we are having in Alabama, I thought this was a good time to remind everyone to be careful with their horses. As all of us Southerners know, its not just the heat, its the humidity! When the humidity is over 75%, a horse's ability to cool itself is greatly reduced, no matter what the temperature. When making the decision if its to hot to ride, you have to consider the temperature, humidity & wind. To figure out if its safe to ride use this simple formula...</div>
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<strong>The Formula:</strong></div>
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air temperature + relative humidity - wind speed = answer</div>
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<strong>Less than 130: All go</strong>-horses can function to cool themselves assuming adequate hydration.</div>
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<strong>130 - 170: Caution</strong>-a horse’s cooling mechanisms can only partially function as intended. Some cooling management procedures will need to be performed.</div>
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<strong>180 or above: Stop</strong>-a horse’s cooling systems cannot and will not function adequately. All cooling procedures will need to be utilized to keep the horse out of serious trouble.</div>
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For example</div>
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Temperature (F) + relative humidity (%) - wind speed</div>
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This morning (7/11/11) at 10:00 am in Oneonta, AL:</div>
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Temperature (F) 84 (so not that hot)</div>
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Relative Humidity (%) 80 (but VERY humid!)</div>
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Wind Speed 1 (MPH) (and no wind)</div>
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Answer =<strong> 163- use caution!</strong> As someone who has had heat exhaustion more than once, if I decided to ride, I would opt to go on a leisurely trail ride & not work my horse in these conditions, even though my ArabX handles the heat better than I do :)</div>
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Of course, you should consider both your & your horses level of conditioning, level of work & heat tolerance when making these decisions. And make sure you are aware of the signs of heat exhaustion in both horses & people!</div>
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If your horse does get overheated, remember that research at the Atlanta Olympics showed that the best way to cool a horse down quickly is to use cold water (ice water) with the sponge & scrape method. Do not leave the water on the horse since it heats up quickly & can actually slow down the cooling process- scrape the water off and apply more- repeat till the horse is cooled off.</div>
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For more information check out</div>
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<a href="http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-exclusives/avoid-horse-heat-traps.aspx" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-exclusives/avoid-horse-heat-traps.aspx</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.whmentors.org/saf/heat1.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.whmentors.org/saf/heat1.html</a> - this one covers the signs of heat illness in humans and equines, well worth a quick read</div>
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<a href="http://www.livestocktrail.uiuc.edu/uploads/horsenet/papers/Heat%20Stress.pdf" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.livestocktrail.uiuc.edu/uploads/horsenet/papers/Heat%20Stress.pdf</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.equinechronicle.com/health/preventing-and-dealing-with-heat-exhaustion-in-horses.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.equinechronicle.com/health/preventing-and-dealing-with-heat-exhaustion-in-horses.html</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-81315039492797934592013-07-17T14:28:00.001-05:002013-07-17T14:28:32.884-05:00On rope halters, hackamores, bitless bridles—’natural’ or potentially harmful? | Horse Wellness Blog<a href="http://sreinhold.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/on-rope-halters-hackamores-bitless-bridles-natural-or-potentially-harmful/">On rope halters, hackamores, bitless bridles—’natural’ or potentially harmful? | Horse Wellness Blog</a>: <br />
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<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a><br />
<br />
I felt that this was a thought provoking article :) Useful stuff to think about!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-88255988801958182712013-07-16T06:52:00.003-05:002013-07-16T06:52:42.985-05:00Salespeople *sigh*<p dir=ltr>I think it can be rather telling what people think of you when they try to sell you something. For example, one tack shop owner loaned me a $2200 saddle package for my saddle fitting today and didn't blink an eye. She didn't indicate she had any doubts as to whether I could spring for it or not, and trusted me to take care of it. Another tack shop owner whose shop I visited afterward looked me up and down and loaned me a $200 saddle. She also kept trying to tell me I don't know what size saddle I should really be in, and still tried to tell me I should be in a smaller saddle when the 16.5" Passier she had me sit in was pressing so hard up against my derriere that it made my tush look like it had rolls. Somebody doesn't know how to properly fit a client to a saddle... At any rate, I was a bit miffed over the second experience. Just proves that my favorite tack shop in town is my favorite tack shop for a very good reason. Many thanks to the people who work there who are always so friendly and helpful :)</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-20944965927266748202013-07-16T06:52:00.001-05:002013-07-16T06:52:58.452-05:00New Ponies!<p dir=ltr>Swiss Miss has joined my motley crew! Swiss Miss is a 2009 rose gray Thoroughbred/pony cross who belongs to my friend Danielle of Mardi Gras Time Stables in Pensacola, FL. She is up with me for training for the next year or so, unless she becomes a longer term resident ;)</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ests85HEj0s/UbDh9Mn32VI/AAAAAAAAZwk/HdBusqI7mws/s1600/IMG_20130602_124447_025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ests85HEj0s/UbDh9Mn32VI/AAAAAAAAZwk/HdBusqI7mws/s640/IMG_20130602_124447_025.jpg"> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-68467401619867293562013-07-13T12:40:00.002-05:002013-07-13T12:40:36.624-05:00The HusbandThe husband makes me laugh. Some days, the husband makes me want to tear my hair out (and his eyes, too), but most days he just makes me laugh :) I think every wife can understand these sentiments.<br />
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Yesterday, it was a two part day. We won't go into the details, but we'll suffice it to say that he survived the errors of his ways and made it to the next part, the fun part. On the way to dinner, he starts telling me how he thinks it would be a really great thing if we had a hundred or so acres of land and made a real working farm out of our place. He said he thought he would finally get on board with me having as many animals as I wanted. He started going on about goats, dairy cows and beef cattle, sheep, poultry and water fowl, and making our own hay. A big barn with an indoor arena, and farm hands. I couldn't help but laugh a little, but I love how my city-bred husband is so adaptable to my farm ideas. I think in order to make something like that work, we'd have to start with either something already established or just the land and a cabin, and cultivate from there. He's cool with my gardening ideas, and supports my desire for a large tractor with a front loader.<br />
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Now if I can just talk him into however many dogs, cats, and horses I want, we'll be good...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344246667888461386.post-81655353047830462972013-07-12T18:00:00.001-05:002013-07-12T18:00:53.433-05:00My Daily Rant - You Can't Even Call These People Equestrians<a href="https://www.facebook.com/erikahana?ref=tn_tnmn&success=1">Erika Folse</a>: "The lack of sense some people display amazes me sometimes. For example, earlier today, a woman on a public horse forum on Facebook commented on a sale ad for a broodmare. The ad very specifically states that the mare has been a broodmare and has not been ridden in a number of years, and that if you wish to ride her then an experienced horse professional should possibly retrain her first. The interested party asked the following, "Beginner safe if warmed up first?" I literally facepalmed over it. Do people just leave their brains in a box for safekeeping before they start trolling the internet? What part of BROODMARE and HASN'T BEEN RIDDEN FOR YEARS makes you think that a beginner could ride this horse after the current owner specifically states needs an experienced rider. <br />
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Your daily rant over local idiots. I feel better now, thanks. Don't be brain dead and ride."<br />
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<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07631991299149450268noreply@blogger.com0