Innehållsförteckning för October 2016 från Practical Horseman

Three articles this month have me thinking about the balance between adhering to structure and developing initiative when training horses. Dressage trainer Bruno Greber explains to clinic participants—many of them hunter riders—that stronger lines of communication, based on clear aids and structured riding, will help a horse move with more suppleness and freedom (page 54). As riders worked on a 20-meter circle outlined by four cones, they learned that when their aids were clear, their horses traveled with balance and ease around the circle. But when their aids were muddled, their horses had difficulty. Seemingly at the other end of the riding spectrum, jumper trainer Richard Spooner talks about training his homebreds and young jumpers (page 42). His approach is to introduce obstacles into flatwork, first weaving around jumps in…

Based at Fox Covert Farm, in Upperville, Virginia, Jim Wofford competed in three Olympics and two World Championships and won the U.S. National Championship five times. He is also a highly respected coach. For more on Jim, go to www.jimwofford.blogspot.com. It is either a blessing or a curse, depending on how you look at it. “Equinitis,” an addiction to horses, consumes the victim’s life (and disposable income). No matter if you were born with it or caught it along the way, you are addicted for life. As a doctor friend of mine said, “Equinitis is chronic in the male and incurable in the female.” That pronouncement fits my own observations. I was born with equinitis, so I have never known any difference. Once you have it, the malady manifests itself…

In 2013, grand prix rider Richard Spooner and his wife, Kaylen, took the innovative step of launching a crowdfunding campaign with hopes of purchasing a going grand prix prospect. Funds fell short to purchase the 5- to 8-year-old with show mileage they’d hoped for, but, as promised, they used the nearly $7,000 raised for the next best thing: a younger, greener prospect. After a two-year search, they bought an unbroken 4-year-old Holsteiner from breeder Gerwig Bahle’s Okanagan Show Jumping Stables in British Columbia. Christened Rockette after the Rockethub.com crowdfunding site they used, the Lorroz Z by Calife IIZ mare started with the Spooners in January of this year and she has become quite the Facebook sensation. On “Richard Spooner’s Rockethub Project” Facebook page, the couple is documenting each step—from first…

When it comes to treating soft-tissue injuries, researchers continue to seek methods that will promote healthy, normal collagen-fiber growth, diminish the development of scar tissue and maximize the odds of full recovery. Below are some of the options you may want to discuss with your veterinarian. However, Carol Gillis, DVM, PhD, DACVSMR, of Equine Ultrasound & Rehabilitation in Aiken, South Carolina, cautions that, to date, these treatments “have variable and controversial results and require further research to determine their most effective use, particularly in combination.” Stem cells can transform into different types of tissue—in a damaged tendon, they become fibroblasts, which make collagen. Stem cells can also produce growth factors that stimulate healing. Stem cells can be collected from your horse’s fatty tissue or bone marrow. They’re then concentrated and…

Citing ongoing financial issues, the FEI and the organizing committee for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 in Bromont agreed to terminate the contract that would have brought the international competition to Quebec, Canada, in two years. Canada won the bid to host the 2018 WEG in June 2014 after indicating that the event would have government backing. Although local government funding was available, there was no financial support from the Canadian federal government. At press time in mid-August, the FEI was exploring alternatives. PM…

Grooming Just Got Easier The versatility of HandsOn™ Gloves makes grooming and bathing easier and more enjoyable for you and your horse. The nodules are firm enough to remove cakedon mud and manure yet gentle enough to be used on your horse’s face and legs. The five-finger design allows you to keep the gloves on and still handle other items you may need while grooming. They do not slip off when wet and keep your hands clean. The lining is 100 percent nylon from wrist to fingertips with a rubber overlay and air-dries in 30–90 minutes. Black; sizes small/medium/large; $24.99; handsongloves.com. Two-in-One Halter The handmade HYBRID Halter® combines the buckles, rings and throatlatch snap of a flat halter and the training effect and control of a rope halter. It also…

Living in the horse show “bubble,” it’s sometimes easy to forget how much poverty still exists in the rest of the world. But Daniel Bluman never has. “I come from a country that has a lot of poverty, so I’m very aware of how privileged we are,” he says. “We pay crazy amounts of money to show, for the vet, the farriers. With one fraction of that money, you can feed multiple families for a whole year in nations such as Colombia.” Daniel got involved with the charity JustWorld International when he was a teenager. “I donated the best I could, some money and time, volunteering for charity events. After I started being more successful in my business, I associated with another charity, Fundación Social Antorchas de Vida, which is…

APPLY for a U.S. Eventing Association 2017 Worth the Trust Scholarship by Oct. 3. Two awards will be made to help fund training opportunities for promising eventers. A young adult amateur (age 16–25) will receive $3,000 and an adult amateur (26 and older) will receive $2,000; www.useventing.com. VISIT the 50th All American Quarter Horse Congress—the world’s largest single-breed show— Oct. 6–30, in Columbus, OH. Main features include 21,000 horse-show entries, $3 million in cash and prizes, an extensive trade fair and lectures and demonstrations; www.quarterhorsecongress.com. WATCH up-and-coming showjumping riders put themselves to the test as they compete in Gladstone, NJ, Oct. 7–9, during the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East; www.usef.org. ADMIRE the skills of top horses and riders at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions, Oct. 12–…

McCrea Victorious At Bromont Jonathan McCrea and Special Lux won the first competition of the Longines FEI World CupTM Jumping North American League, July 31, at Bromont in Quebec, Canada. After posting the fastest time in the first round, McCrea faced seven other riders in the jump-off. He successfully negotiated the course with a clear round and a time of 42.24 to beat Leslie Burr Howard and Gentille van Spieveld, who took second with a clear round and a time of 49.58. 4 NAL Competitions Set for This Month ■ Oct. 8: The Longines FEI World CupTM Jumping Sacramento will be a featured event of the Sacramento International Horse Show, Oct. 5–10, at the Murieta Equestrian Center, located in northern California, just outside the capital. The facility features four indoor…

George H. Morris is the former chef d’équipe of the U.S. Equestrian Federation Show Jumping Team. He serves on the USEF National Jumper Committee and Planning Committee, is an adviser to the USEF High-Performance Show Jumping Committee and is president of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame. 1 Our first rider has a good leg but minor adjustments would make it even better. The stirrup iron could be a hair more toward the toe for improved suppleness, but it is angled correctly so that the little toe touches the outside branch. Her toe is out, her ankle is flexed and her calf is in contact with her horse’s side. If I were teaching her, I possibly would shorten the stirrup a hole because her seat is quite far out of…

Seen enough horses for awhile? There are plenty of options for those seeking a change of pace or something to do between competitions. The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium offers endless fascination and it’s a great place to take the kids. Check out the African grasslands habitat and the country’s largest indoor rainforest or just watch the sharks swim by. Horse-drawn carriage tours are a good way to get an overview of the always-hopping Old Market, where those who already have eaten at the city’s steak houses can switch gears to find a variety of international restaurants and clubby bars. It’s also the place to go for nightlife. Crafts, jewelry and clothing shopping opportunities abound in the Market as well. Lauritzen Gardens is a botanical attraction that has a large…

You finish a weekend competition and your horse comes up just a bit off with some mild swelling and heat in his lower foreleg. After a few days off, he feels back to normal—and you feel like you dodged a bullet. But did you? In reality, your horse may have started on the path to a serious tendon injury. If so, identifying and treating it promptly will be crucial to minimize the damage and maximize the chances of a full recovery. Here, Carol Gillis, DVM, PhD, DACVSMR, of Equine Ultrasound & Rehabilitation in Aiken, South Carolina, and Scott McClure, DVM, PhD, associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Iowa State University, provide an overview of tendons, how injuries occur and what you can do to optimize the prognosis for your…

Champions Crowned At NAJYRC Equestrians age 14–21 competed in dressage, show jumping and eventing during the Adequan®/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships, presented by Gotham North, July 27–31, at the Colorado Horse Park, in Parker, Colorado. Here are the winners in each discipline: ■ Jumping: A mixed team of riders from Zone 4 and Zone 7 earned the Young Rider team gold medal. Sophie Simpson, 18, and Why Not contributed to the team effort and claimed the Young Rider individual medal without incurring any faults. In the Junior division, Mexico took team gold with 16 faults and Lucy Matz won the individual gold medal. ■ Eventing: The mixed team from Area V/IX held on to its lead from cross country to finish first in the CICY**. In the…