Likits: Horses love'em, but owners?

I recently posted a message to the Chronicle of the Horse (COTH) about Likits^TM. Likits^TM are a hanging stall toy with a flavored waxy middle -- the part that horses love. The Likit^TM is refillable.


Harvey loves them, but darn it, I hate the refills! I can't figure out how to get the round, waxy flavored stuff out of the refill container. It's obviously poured into the mold, and it's STUCK in there. I usually end up cutting the Likit out with needle nosed pliers. What on earth am I missing? In the absence of instructions from the company, I posted to the Chronicle of the Horse bulletin board. Here is the first response, from Sublime Equine.


Likits are EXTREMELY EASY to get out of their plastic containers if you just follow these easy steps!

1. Bring Likit right in front of your horse while you try and open it, so horse continuously tries to maul you for it during the extraction process.

2. Assemble a plethora of tools you're SURE will work. ie, hammer, hoofpick, pliers, scissors, chainsaw, explosives, rabid beaver, etc, etc.

3. Squish pliers between the plastic and Likit itself to pry plastic off. Realize every twist you make with the pliers is breaking off parts of the Likit, and pieces of the plastic container go flying like shrapnel. Safety goggles are advised at this point.

4. Throw away the GOD DAMMED pliers. Those DAMN THINGS didn't do ANY HELP. They are CLEARLY worthless PIECES OF JUNK!!! Move onto other tools, to find that they're all WORTHLESS. Decide you should become an inventor to make a tool that ACTUALLY WORKS, DAMMIT!!!!!!

5. Resort to throwing the Likit on the ground in hopes the plastic will break somehow. Stomp on it with your muddy boot for good measure.

6. Begin swearing. Or crying. Or both. If your horse gives you a look like you've CLEARLY gone mad, you're on the right track!

7. Go back to step 5, and repeat until Likit is freed from its plastic fortress, or until exhaustion sets in. Either way, it's going to be another couple hours.

GOOD LUCK.

Thanks Sublime, for making me laugh!

Dear Miss Mannerisms: Barn snarks

Dear Miss Mannerisms:
No matter where I board there has always been barn drama! How do I handle barn snarkiness -- comments about me, or to me, or about others, that are less than tactful?"
Signed,
The high road-ster


Miss Mannerisms responds:

To board is an enriching experience in many ways--fellow boarders can be a source of friendship, support, and learning. Or, they can be something altogether different. To taste the experience of boarding barns, one need only go to the Chronicle of the Horse (COTH) bulletin board and search for "barn" and "vent" or "trainer' and "vent" or "board" and "vent." Read, and periodically take deep cleansing breaths.

Miss Mannerisms has gleaned some of her wisdom from COTH postings on this very subject. When dealing with snarks, one must resist the temptation to return fire; instead, one puts one's deflector shields UP. Grace, humor, and indulgence can defuse nearly any situation. As a dear former co-worker says, "once you show anger, they've won."

Upon hearing a "snark remark" one may use several approaches to neutralize the offender:

THE SOUTHERN BELLE

Whatever the comment, it's always proper to say, "Bless your heart!" THEY SAY: "Your horse was way overpriced." YOU RESPOND: "Bless your HEART, you're so sweet to care!"

MORAL IRONY

Similar to southern belle, but let's face it, a lot of northerners just can't pull it off. "You're so GOOD! "You're so GOOD to tell me that my horse drags his hind toes!"

THEATRIC INCREDULITY

Lean close to offender, wide-eyed, and in a stage whisper. "Did you realize you just said that out loud?"

NEXT SUBJECT!

Say nothing; wait 30 seconds; then say something pointedly unrelated, viz: "Do you think Karen O'Connor and Teddy will go to the Olympics?"

"SORRY I WASN'T LISTENING"

Ask them to repeat themselves -- it'll make'em think about what they're saying: "Excuse me? I didn't quite hear what you said. Could you please repeat it?" (Ask them to repeat it a couple times). or "Excuse me? I must have misunderstood you."

"I THINK YOU MEANT TO SAY..."

Repeat back what they say to you, paraphrasing/softening their words. THEY SAY: "Robin's new horse is a WHACK JOB!" YOU RESPOND: "So you're concerned for Robin's safety?" THEY SAY: "That judge only pinned you because he likes skinny blondes!" YOU RESPOND: "So you feel the judge favors a certain aesthetic?"

WE'RE GOOD BUDDIES AREN'T WE?

Avoid sarcasm! Must be conveyed with humor and amusement... THEY SAY: "Did you clip your horse yourself? It looks awful!" YOU RESPOND: "I'm so glad we're close enought to talk openly like this." THEY SAY: "That blanket you bought was a WASTE OF MONEY, wasn't it?" YOU RESPOND: "Don't hold back, [person's name]! Our friendship can take it!

AMBIGUOUS ADJECTIVE APPROACH

"What an extraordinary thing to say." "What a peculiar thing to say." "What an astonishing thing to say." "What an unusual thing to say."

BUT PROBABLY NOT

Pause a moment before saying, doubtfully, "You may be right."

PRESIDENTIAL POWER

For any given none-of-your-business or intrusive question, respond: "Sweetie, you can ask me anything. [Now smile broadly] But I have the power of veto."

WHAT A PIECE OF WORK

With a big smile, shaking your head, "[Person's name], you're quite a character!"

Horse nutrition: Reading feed labels

Last Friday I attended a lecture on equine nutrition offered by a local veterinarian. Dr. Ron Feindt of Bucks County, PA spoke to a group of about 35 inquisitive people--there were lots of questions! He covered a wide range of topics --soup to nuts--but I was most interested in his advice on reading feed labels. I thought I'd share some of my notes...

Feed label regulation
Feed labels are subject to national and state regulation, and guidelines are provided by professional associations.

Types of feeds

• Textured concentrates. Sweet feed, or grains (whole or processed) mixed molasses for palatability, along with other nutrients to improve the balance of the total ration.
• Processed concentrates. Pelleted or extruded feed, usually processed for improved digestibility and to eliminate fines/sorting which affects ration balance.
• Complete feed. A mixture of concentrates and forage intended to replace the need for forage or any other feed -- it meets all nutrient requirements by itself.
• Supplements. Protein, mineral, and trace elements or vitamins.

Feed label practices: Buyer beware!
Some states require that feed companies use specific listings on their labels. This way you know exactly what you are getting. Other states permit the use of generic, or collective terms like "plant protein by-products" rather than individual ingredients. This allows them to use the same label even when the bag contents changes, and they can buy whatever is cheapest on the open market. Generic listings allow a much broader ability to substitute ingredients into and out of a particular product. For example, barley could be substituted for oats, or cottonseed meal could be substituted for soybean meal. This is a change in contents that you cannot predict from bag to bag, and your horse may react differently to each formulation. Generic ingredient categories include terms such as grain products, plant protein products, forage products, grain by-products and so forth. Specific listings must list the actual ingredient, such as oats, barley, soybean meal, or cottonseed meal. It has been found that soybean meal as a protein source is superior to cottonseed meal, which is the most common protein source for horse feed. Look for feed labels that lists ingredients individually. This assures you of a fixed formula and consistency from bag to bag.

Protein sources
Feeds can use a variety of protein sources, from corn, oats, cottonseed, barley, to soybeans. Currently the highest quality protein source for horses being added to feed is soybean meal, or a soybean product. Also remember that crude protein is not digestible protein. If the protein sources are inferior and have a low digestibility, the horse will not be able to use that as a protein source. This is especially important for growing horses.

Lysine and amino acids
Amino acid levels are a good indication of the digestibility and overall quality of protein. In fact, lysine levels are more important than protein levels for growing horses. Use feeds that guarantee lysine levels. A 12-percent protein feed with a guaranteed lysine level of 0.6 percent will give you better results than a 14 percent protein feed with a lysine level of 0.4 percent. It is the amino acid content of the feed, not the total protein level of the feed, that will determine how well a horse uses ingested protein. Soybean meal, milk protein, and alfalfa are high in lysine, while grains and grasses are generally low.

Cheap fillers in feed:
Here are examples of "cheap fillers" that you want to avoid:

• Wheat Middlings: A by-product of wheat processing; cheap filler,little nutritional value.
• Soybean or Oat Hulls: The outer covering of the grain or seed; cheap filler
• Artificial Flavorings: not overseen by the USDA
• Alfalfa Meal or Bermuda Straw: Filler made from poor quality and older hay; not much nutritive value
• By-Products: leftover from processing another material. Not federal laws or guidlines defining what is meant by a by-product.

Low starch diets
A low starch/sugar diet is healthier for the horse, and for horses with Cushings or who are prone to founder, it is especially important. A small amount of high quality whole oats is much better than lower quality, over-processed grainby-products and materials. Ingredients which contribute to starch and sugar in feeds include grains as well as molasses which can wreck havoc on the horse's glucose levels.

Some companies are marketing a low starch/sugar product that consists of inferior grain ingredients and by-products. While low in starch, these products are also low in nutritional value. Quality companies are using rice bran, flaxseed and/or beet pulp.

Check quantities!
Some concentrated feeds also contain ingredients that may sound great but the amounts aren't enough to make a difference to the animal. If labels show quantities of MSM, biotin and probiotics, check the amounts. MSM is only beneficial in amounts of 10 grams per day. With probiotics, companies often include only one or two strains of bacteria when a minimum of six or seven are needed.

Over-Processing and Storage
Highly processed concentrated feed products lack beneficial enzymes as well as some vitamins and minerals--the heat from processing depletes them. More nutrients are lost with age.

Fat and Fiber
Look for feeds that have a minimum of 3% fat and/or a maximum of 10% fiber.
The higher the fat guarantee and the lower the fiber guarantee, the higher the digestible energy content. Lower fiber-containing feeds tend to be more digestible. Fat contains more energy per pound than any other dietary component. Therefore, as fat increases and fiber decreases, digestible energy levels increase.

Minerals and vitamins
Say you are comparing two feeds that have equal guaranteed copper and zinc levels. One feed label lists copper carbonate and zinc oxide, while the other feed label lists copper sulfate and zinc sulfate. Which one would you rather have? The answer: select the feed with copper sulfate and zinc sulfate since mineral sulfates, because they tend to be more digestible than mineral carbonate or oxide forms.

Organic mineral sources are even better than mineral sulfate forms, but they tend to be more expensive. You will see them in the ingredient listing section of the label as "proteinates" or "chelates" (that is, copper proteinate or zinc proteinate). These chelated minerals are 25-55% more available than their “inorganic” counterparts (sulfates and oxides).


There are many Web sites covering this topic. Here are a few...


How to read a feed label from The Horse magazine (restricted access)

Basics of Feeding Horses: Reading the Feed Tag

Feed Tag Information for Commercial Feeds for Horses

Guaranteed Analysis Feed Label

Buying Prepared Horse Feed : sweet feed, pellets, extruded

Feed Tag Information for Commercial Feeds for Horses

Equine Nutrition series (1) (2) (3) (4)

Puissance: Wow! and [cringe]

Puissance competitions. On one hand, how exciting to see horses and riders test themselves in one huge singular effort. And what an awe-inspiring effort! On the other hand, I can barely stand to watch. The world record has stood for over 50 years (see the second video). A jump of 8 feet, 1 1/4" is held by an ex-racehorse named Huaso. Jumping something like that must be an act of tremendous courage and faith in the rider.

One heckuva jump


World record jump, 8 feet 1 1/4", held by Huaso
Starts about 1 minute and 10 seconds into the video...



As if that jump wasn't incredible enough, read the Wikipedia article on Huaso. After his racing career Huaso was purchased as a dressage prospect--but then he had a serious accident and impaled himself on something. According to the article, he "eventually recovered, but accquired a slight limp in the left hind." In South America in the 1930's, being too lame for dressage apparently didn't preclude a career in showjumping.

Well, who's to say? That hind-limb-lame horse jumped a fence over 8 feet high. To quote an old cowboy friend, there's a horse you don't mind feeding every day. Interesting that the post-jump footage is the triumphant rider hoisted on the shoulders of his countrymen. Hopefully off-camera someone is patting Huaso and saying "GOOD BOY!" Shall I just mention, in case someone missed this -- he's a thoroughbred!

Button or dressage braids. How-tos and advice

There are two compelling reasons for competing in dressage rather than hunter disciplines: manes and tails. Hunter jumper braids are a form of torture that starts with the actual braiding, continues at the show (where your lack of craftsmanship brings unwanted attention), and culminates in braid removal at the end of a long day. I've never tried to do a tail, but standing behind a horse's rear and and pulling tail hair into a tight weave seems nothing short of foolhardy..

I can trim a tail passably well, and button braids are pretty forgiving. My youngster has soft pliable hair that is easy to braid tightly. Lord knows I'm no expert! My only advice is to read as much as you can, and practice! Here are the resources I've found on the topic.


THE BEST

Looks Like Winner... -

RESOURCES


How to make dressage button braids from the Dressage Connection
My personal favorite set of instructions. Good photos, short and clear instructions.

Anky Von Grunsven's button braids
Nice pictures--and if you press CTRL-+ you can enlarge them for a better view. Take a look at this one, if only to see Bonfire with his hair down! The unrolled braid is the nicest and tightest of any in these instructions. However, the final step of sewing the braid up does not look complete. The braid is very long, but the instructions say to turn the brain under only once. Doesn't it look like they've been turned a couple of times?

Button braids on COTH, several posters give photo examples of their braiding plus descriptions of their technique.

Robbie's braiding clinic on COTH
A poster summarizes what she learned at a braiding clinic -- with pix.

Button braids and how tos discussion on the Ultimate Dressage bulletin board

Art of English plaiting
Very nice pictures. This article instructs the braider to "turn under" the completed braid prior to securing with a rubber band or sewing thread. It seems to me that this would loosen the braid, but if the braids are sufficiently tight to start with it probably won't matter.

Button braids by Wiki-how
Instructions for elastic/rubber band and sewn in methods. The instructions are good and very readable with nice, clear pix. but the finished result is not super-polished compare to say, Bonfire's.

Dressage Ladies, Part 4

This is the final installment of the Dressage Ladies series on barn drama and intrigue. The names and numerous details have been changed but the events are "real." Read Dressage ladies part 1, part 2, and part 3.

Kindergarten lesson: Courtesy
I boarded at Greener Side Farm for five years. Toward the end of my tenure there, the dressage ladies form a quadrille team and set their sights on a USDF award. It's an admirable goal and they are methodical in their planning. They practice together twice a week for an hour. They post an announcement on the barn board that they will need to reserve the indoor arena for their use from 6-7pm on Tuesays and Thursdays. There is grumbling among the trainers, whose bread and butter depends on access to the ring that is heavily used already. But most boarders are impressed by the enthusiam and commitment of the ladies. At any rate, no one puts up a fuss.

Most of the summer, things go smoothly, and the dressage ladies are doing well. There are few quadrille teams in our region -- in fact they may be the only team in the region -- but even without competition, their scores are good. There is one problem. The ladies are not strictly adhering to their set training times. They start late, they finish late, they ride longer than their appointed hour.

One evening my own lesson with Amanda is switched to 7pm Tuesday. I tack Harv up and walk to the indoor ring. I find the dressage ladies there, and Amanda is seated on the mounting block in the corner. She tells me the ladies want to run through their test one more time. I wait along with Amanda so that it's clear that we are ready.

It is 7:25pm. The dressage ladies have run through their test two more times. They have not looked in our direction. Amanda, sitting on the mounting block, is inscrutable. Harvey is bored. I am furious. But we sit.

Did I ever tell you I'm from the midwest? One of the cornerstones of the midwestern culture is the avoidance of conflict. For better or worse, I can absorb a lot of abuse. But a lot has happened, not just to me, but to people around me. Karen, Heike, Amanda, they deserve respect. I deserve respect. But this group of women cheerfully walk all over us.

They complete their 2nd test since 7pm, and Natalie suggests they run through the last part again. With this, I lead Harvey into the center of the ring. I reach for a clear, authoritative tone and say, "Okay. You need to wrap up now." Roberta, one of the ladies, puts on a smile and makes a plea that "this last part is very short." My response: "You've already had a half hour of my lesson time." There is a pause. Then Natalie laughs and declares to her ladies that they will pick up again on Thursday. They agree to throw in the towel, and start to walk their horses out on a loose rein.

Thank God that's over. Amanda and I move to the far end of the ring, away from the ladies, and we work on a 20 meter circle at the walk. I try to listen to Amanda, but the ladies are laughing and speaking in theatrical voices that boom out across the ring. Much sooner than usual, Amanda has me pick up a trot--I suspect this will allow her to shout brief directives that I might hear better. We make a few circles, and then I come around a turn to find Roberta cutting across our circle on a long rein. She's not looking at us and is chatting merrily away on volume ten. I make my circle an egg to avoid her. About every few minutes someone non-chalantly walks their horse across our circle. Our twenty meter circle. In a 150' X 200' ring.

Harvey is spooky and distracted at this end of the arena, which has a loose door that shakes periodically. This is turning into a awful ride. I decide that I am going to focus on the lesson and my horse, and the dressage ladies can look out for themselves. I concentrate to getting Harvey more forward, since he trying to shy as we approach the door. I see Natalie walking on the outside track, and I figure she'll stay on the track. I continue on my circle.

Harv is turning away from the scary door and it rattles a bit -- without warning he scoots away away just as Natalie turns off the track and into our circle. Our horses collide glancingly at the shoulder and Harvey shuffles away. Natalie's young Dutch warmblood leaps sideways and then crow-hops down the long side. Natalie stays on, but she loses her seat and is hanging off to the side for a few strides.

Natalie rights herself and adjusts her saddle. It was not a bad crash, but we were lucky it wasn't worse. Harv is okay, but he's upset. I can feel his heart beating against my leg. My lesson is more or less over. Midwestern values or no, a voice in my head is saying this is enough. Now my volume dial flips up to ten, and I address the ladies:

"DID YOU ALL SEE THAT COMING? BECAUSE I DID! WHY CAN'T YOU BE CONSIDERATE!??"

Natalie's voice snarls back, "Why don't you control your stupid horse!"

Not exactly witty repartee.

Natalie's response makes me feel smug, and I'm relieved that her comeback is dorky. Also it seems to me that she has revealed her true nature. This is the "real" Natalie, without the veneer of sophistication and class that she's put over on us for years. Caught off balance, literally, she's suddenly just a mean old lady.

After they leave, Amanda turns to me, looking bemused. "I can't believe you spoke up," she said. It's kind of a backward compliment. I guess I'm not known for bravery. Maybe she sees that I'm in need of praise, because she says, "Good for you."

This is as close to a come-uppance as I ever got. So what happened to Natalie and the dressage ladies? Natalie left her ladies high and dry one day, moving to Ohio, and I believe she works out of an elite barn that holds World Cup qualifiers, stallion tests, and the like. Every once in awhile she is the featured trainer in Dressage Today's question and answer column. I changed barns, and later on so did the dressage ladies. I think they are in New Jersey now. I see the whole hee-haw gang at Devon (they have a box seat), and they're pleasant and chatty. I suspect in a well-managed boarding barn, without the politics and overcrowding, these ladies are probably nice, regular folk. Greener Side, under new management, continues to be a hotbed of barn drama; I'm just glad to be out of there!

I bought a new horse!!! My Second Life

Yes, it's true. I now own a 3rd horse, and I bought him without a prepurchase exam. He's not a sport horse type, but he's the romantic ideal--the gothic long-maned, thunder-hooved, elegant mount. I'm the envy of thirteen year old girls everywhere. He's my favorite non-existent horse color and he's the perfect size for me (I made him that way). He rears, whinnies, and even flies on command and generally does exactly what I want. And best yet, no one else can ride him. Only me.

I bought him on Second Life from the AKK Horse Ranch. Here is a picture of my horse Duncan and my avatar, Stacey Kjeller.

Am I a fan of Second Life? Not really, at least not until I discovered horses there. I work in higher education, and Second Life is a new learning environment we'll be using. So my hook or by crook, I've gotta know what it's about. Second Life is a virtual world complete with everything in our current world, including, apparently, consumer debt. My first purchase -- a pair of glasses -- was $300 SL dollars (about a dollar in US dollars). The horse was 2K or about 7 dollars. You don't exactly experience sticker-shock in Second Life. In fact, it turns out to be cheap entertainment.

So my new horse and I are exploring Second Life in style. It actually is fun. I saw an avatar wearing jods, so I betcha there's a virtual tack shop around here. Shop on!

Any of you equestrian Second Lifers out there, share your experiences!

Proximal suspensory desmitis: A common lameness in sport horses

Disclaimer: The information in this article is summarized from the list of resources that is included below. I tried to be as accurate as possible. However, I'm not a vet and the article itself hasn't been proofed or fact-checked by anyone other than me. If you are considering treatment for your own horse, please consult the original sources or your own vet.

Tendon/ligament injuries are all too common in performance horses. The things we value in in equine movement -- suspension, engagement, and a ground-covering stride -- depend on the delicate suspensory mechanism in horses' legs. As a horse propels himself forward, the tendons and ligaments in the back of the leg work like a bungee cord to capture and release the energy. Horses who work for a living -- passageing, jumping, galloping, and whatnot--put a lot of stress on the suspensory apparatus.

What is proximal suspensory desmitis?
Proximal suspensory desmitis (PSD) is an injury to the upper suspensory ligament in either the front or hind legs. Proximal in this case refers to the upper part of the ligament near the hock or knee, and desmitis means "inflammation of a ligament." The suspensory ligament, or interosseous medius, is actually a mixture of tendon and muscle fibers. Overloading of the ligament leads to tearing of fibers and the small blood vessels. There is bleeding within the ligament and a hematoma forms. The horse experiences pressure and pain. In the hind limb, this ligament is surrounded by bone, which complicates diagnosis and treatment.

Some facts about PSD:

• It tends to occur in highly trained horses, especially dressage and event horses.
  
• Straight-hocked horses are more prone to PSD.
  
• Horses with foot pain or unbalanced feet are more prone to PSD.
  
• PSD often occurs bilaterally (in pairs of legs).
  
• Symptoms tends to be subtle, with little or no heat or swelling, and often without outright lameness. More typical symptoms are poor performance, changes in gait, or resistance/evasiveness that are mistakenly atrributed to arthritis and other ailments.
  
• PSD symptoms worsen when the horse is trotted on a circle with the affected leg on the outside.
  
• PSD gets worse with exercise and it gets worse in soft footing.
  
• PSD can be caused by working a horse too hard or beyond his level of conditioning.
  

Diagnosis
Nerve blocks can help a veterinarian identify the proximal suspensory ligament as the source of lameness. However, nerve blocks alone can seldom conclusively diagnose PSD. Radiographs are primarily useful to see if there is a fracture or bony remodelling associated with PSD that could affect the healing process. Thermography can provide a glimpse of the heat pattern of the area. Diagnostic ultrasound the gold standard for assessing the suspensory ligament. The vet looks for ligament enlargement, poor definition of the margins, or some disruption of its internal architecture. In some cases, no lesions show up on ultrasound but are visible on MRI. MRI is increasingly used to make a definitive diagnosis.




Treatment
Sometimes I read about a therapy or drug, and ask my vet about it. Her reply is sometimes positive, but occasionally she'll scoff, "Eh, No one does that," and then she'll proceed to tell me why it's such a loser treatment. So keep in mind as you read the summary of options below, this is just a census of available treatments as reported in various sources at a given time--not any sort of recommendation:

• Stall rest and proper, unrushed, rehabilitation is essential.
  
• Thermography or ultrasound may be performed at two-week intervals can help a veterinarian evaluate healing.
  
• For recent injuries, anti-inflammatory corticosteroid drugs may help. Sometimes hyaluronic acid is injected.
  
• High energy shock wave or radial pressure wave treatments relieve pain and stimulate ligament repair. These are most effective if employed within the first thirty days of the injury.
  
• Stem cell therapy promotes remodelling and regeneration of tissue and shows promise for tendon injuries generally. There are several methods available. Cells can be extracted from the injured horse's own bone marrow, or from stem cells extracted from their bone marrow. After lab processing, cells are then injected into the area of injury. Read more about bone marrow therapy in The Horse. Stem cells can also be extracted from the injured animal's fat (adipose tissue) --about a tablespoon is needed. The company Vetstem uses this method. Read a case study of success using Vetstem to treat PSD. Yet another method uses cells from a pig's bladder. Urinary bladder matrix (UBM), is sold under the name ACell Vet. You can read about it in a presentation by the originator of the technique or in a recent article published in The Chronicle of the Horse.
• Platelet-rich plasma contains something called "growth factors" -- sorry, can't explain much beyond this. But apparently when the plasma is injected into the lesion, the growth factors promote healing. To date there is only anecdotal evidence of success -- no research.
• Surgical options include two approaches. Neurectomy, or surgically removing part of the nerve associated with the suspensory ligament, offers some pain relief without treating the primary injury. The plantar neurectomy cannot produce a greater degree of improvement than that seen after local anaesthesia, so nerve blocks should be performed first. Newer techniques such as desmoplasty with fasciotomy (tendon-splitting to you and me) have been successful in relieving pain and pressure. The tendon splitting procedure is primarily used for "core" injuries where there is a pocket of injury inaccessible to circulation. The splitting opens the area to the healing process. While it stimulates healing, surgical techniques do not speed healing. One study that tracked horse's training and performance following surgery found that 85% were able to return to full work after surgical treatment.
• Counter-irritant therapy. One example used occasionally with success for PSD is the infiltration of the suspensory ligament with iodine in oil. Most of the evidence "for" this treatment is anecdotal.

Outcomes
There is short answer to how well horses "come back" from these injuries, but injuries treated quickly and agressively have better results, and foreleg injuries tend to have a better prognosis. Shock therapy is a proven technique that should be considered. Surgical treatment, while invasive, does seem to yield positive results in most cases.

RESOURCES

Recommended

The Lowdown on High Suspensory Disease (Proximal Suspensory Desmitis) from AAEP.

Proximal suspensory desmitis in veterinary textbook Adams lameness in horses.
Lots of statistics and info on the prognosis fo for PSD.

Proximal Suspensory Ligament Disease of the Forelimb from The Horse Magazine.

Dealing with suspensory injuries by Heather Thomas Smith for an October 2003 issue of California Thoroughbred.
Excellent description of the surgical procedures available for PSD.

Morris, D., et. al. Treatment Options for Hindlimb Proximal Suspensory Desmitis. Compendium Equine, October 2007. p. 266-272.
Restricted access, but a terrific article! Covers treatment options. You can get it via interlibrary loan from your public library, but if you are having trouble, email me for a copy.


Others

Horse owners guide to the suspensory ligament
This article talks about the healing process for ligament injuries.

Suspensory brochure from UC Davis
A primer on tendon and ligament injuries, with fantastic illustrations.

Proximal suspensory desmitis in the horse: extracorporeal shock wave therapy compared to injections according to Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt.


Crowe, O. Treatment of 45 cases of chronic hindlimb proximal suspensory desmitis by radial
extracorporeal shockwave therapy. Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the AAEP 2002.
This study showed that of the forty-five horses treated, 41% percent of cases were sound and returned to their previous or greater level of exercise 6 mo after diagnosis. EWST improves the prognosis for this type of injury.
Restricted access.

Proximal Suspensory Desmitis (PSD) of the Forelimb from University of Florida's MEDS Newsletter, vol. 1, issue 3.


Authors: Crowe, O.M. Treatment of chronic or recurrent proximal suspensory desmitis using radial pressure wave therapy in the horse, Equine Veterinary Journal, Volume 36, Number 4, May 2004 , pp. 313-316(4).

White,N. Surgical treatment of suspensory desmitis. Virginia Tech document.

Hewes, C. and White, N. Outcome of desmoplasty and fasciotomy for desmitis involving the origin of the suspensory ligament in horses: 27 cases (1995-2004). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2006 Aug; vol 229 (issue 3) : pp 407-12.
Study of 27 horses with PSD who underwent "tendon-spitting survery." 85% of horses returned to full work.

Suspensory ligament injuries from Petlearn.


Chronic suspensory injury from Eggleston Equine, LLC. December, 2006 article.

He's lame again! from Metamora Equine.
Has a nice illustration.

All about suspensory ligament injuries from Horse and Hound

Les, Sellnow. Tendons and Ligaments from The Horse, September, 2006.

My new dressage whip! Shameless product endorsement

Having lost my 3rd dressage whip in the last 18 months (last time was not my fault!), I'm trying a different approach. Instead of buying cheap and easily replaceable whips, I decided to find my ultimate dressage whip--one that I will want to care about and keep. My dream-whip qualities are: light, flexible, easy to hold, and possibly having initials embedded somehow. This kind of thing is hard to search on the Web (how do you get  a feel for a whip?). Any company that acts on the inspired idea of using gel in the whip handle is a company I'll take a gamble on -- especially for $16! I'm now the happy owner of a Gelwhip^tm from SmartPak. It's comfy to hold, molding  to your hand, and it's soft yet slightly tacky for a good grip. I didn't find this whip anywhere but through Smartpak Equine. Oh, it doesn't have initials, but I hope my fondness for this whip will aid me (get it?) in keeping it.

Next, I need to train my own horse to do this...




Dressage whip resources and advice

The Good horseperson discusses whips
Take a look at this great blog article on whips. I've never read a thorough discussion of whips, and this one is both unique and insightful. Good work!

How to hold a dressage whip an excerpt from Googlebooks. How to hold a dressage whip, an excerpt from The Beginning Dressage Book: Expert Advice on How to Train Your Horse by Kathryn Denby-Wrightson.

Various discussions on the Ultimate Dressage bulletin board...
More whip questions...
Help Me Find the Perfect Whip
Best dressage whip?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcIlit2A_KM

Dressage ladies, part 3

This is part 2 of the Dressage Ladies series on barn drama and intrigue. The names have been changed but the events are "real" and unembellished. Read Dressage ladies, part 1 and part 2.

Kindergarten lesson: Fairness
Every year, the dressage ladies sponsor a dressage show under the auspices of a local GMO. The first year, none of the boarders knew about the show until the day before it happened. We arrived at the barn to find rings dragged and cordoned off for the next day. The rings were also in use the next day so we lost a weekend of riding. There was talk among the boarders of this communication oversight. It was a continuation of a pattern of unannounced clinics, saddle fittings, and lectures. Natalie explained that the events were intended only for her clients. Nevertheless, boarders resented that during these sessions their access to facilities was curtailed.

Sign us up!
The next year I note the Greener Side annual show in my GMO omnibus. Natalie posts an announcement at the barn as well. I sign up and so does my friend Heike, who lives only a few miles away. Heike has an off the track thoroughbred, Donny, with lovely gaits and a volatile temperament. Though she is an unflappable rider, Donny tests her mettle. "He was advertised as quiet, and he was quiet when I bought him," she jokes, "because he was starved." When she took the athletic chestnut home and fed him, he revealed his true personality--that of a lunatic. Donny has mastered all forms of resistance and intimidation. At best he is fractious but controllable. At his worst he rears, bolts, spins, kicks, and bucks. On the bad days, Heike must have someone hobble Donny (holding up a foreleg) so she can tack him up. Spectators gawk at his antics in and out of the ring. But Heike still schleps him around, hoping he'll eventually settle. I admire Heike but feel she is also a kind of lunatic.

Show day!
The day of the show, we learn there are very few entries, and there are only five trailers on the grounds. I note with amusement that two of the dressage ladies are showing their upper level schoolmasters at Intro level. Harvey and I ride first level, Donny and Heike ride at second level.

Harv scores in the low and mid-sixties, first and second place in this sparse competition. Heike and Donny have a very good day, and they score 67% and 69% at second level tests 2 and 3. Donny gave his best performance ever, channeling his negative energy into a ride that was lively but contained and obedient. His suppleness and engagement show his potential for dressage. I tell Heike they have had a breakthrough ride.

The show wraps up in the late morning, and the farm provides a splendid buffet. We mingle with other competitors and the judge. Heike had ridden under this judge before, and he offers Heike high praise for her persistence and tactful riding. She receives the second highest score of the show (one of the dressage ladies scores in the 70s at Intro level). There is clapping and congratulations and praise from boarders and observers. Having endured years of bad behavior and unwanted attention at shows, Heike basks in the moment. Throughout the lunch break, the dressage ladies are off in a corner deep in conversation.

After lunch, Heike goes to collect her scores and ribbons while I wrap Donny's legs. I look up to see her approaching the trailer, and as she gets closer I notice she is stomping and huffing slightly. There is no trace of happiness in her face now. She is carrying only the score sheets. A show official--Natalie, it turns out--has informed her that because she was the only competitor at second level, she will not receive any ribbons. Despite her protestations--Heike is no pushover -- they would not yield their position.

This is just not to be borne, we agree. Heike's husband Jeff is there, and he tries to absorb what has happened. Jeff is an imposing fellow, well over 6 feet and well, kind of hairy. He drives a beer delivery truck during the week, but on weekends he rides a motorcycle he calls a crotch rocket. He has met us at the show on his bike, and is wearing all the trappings. Jeff is not your stereotypical biker -- he is soft-spoken and articulate; he loves cats; he's a good cook and he's more likely to peruse a Williams Sonoma catalog than a biker mag. But clad in leather and oozing testosterone, we feel that he is the ideal person to plead Heike's case. We brief him on dressage protocol and the lack of precedence or rules for denying a paying competitor a ribbon. Then we send him off to intimidate the officials.

Perhaps ten minutes later, Jeff walks back to us. His face is inscrutable as he approaches. He is emptyhanded, and my heart sinks. But then he smiles broadly and pulls Heike's two blue ribbons from his jacket. We clap, we chant, we shower him with praise. Jeff shrugged and said it was easy. He was polite, and after he made a brief appeal they produced the ribbons as if it had always been their intention. He wondered if Heike had misunderstood them. I assured him that Heike had understood completely.

Epilogue
A final word on Heike and Donny. Heike had a great season with Donny that year, but that beautiful springy trot was his undoing. After that summer, he sustained a tendon injury. He was stallbound for over a year, ultrasounded every few months, but when Heike tried to put him back in work he went lame again. He was never riding sound after that. Heike still owns him and keeps him on her property. I'm impressed by her love for this unpredictable horse. It's gratifying that their last season was a breakthrough year. And I'm glad she got those ribbons!


To be continued... Final installment!

The sales video: Dos and don'ts

Take a look at this sales video. Kudos to the owners! It is not a highly-produced marketing masterpiece, but it gets the job done the way that a lot of fancier and more elaborate videos on Youtube do not. Sure, the round pen is a bit confining for this big boy. His gaits might be freer if he were at liberty (he seems a little stiff through the back and neck). The footing looks hard.

What do I like about it? It's filmed with Youtube's quality in mind -- a ton of closeup footage in good light that makes it easy to see horse's gait and way of going, albeit in a less than ideal environment. In the round pen, you can really evaluate the animal in every single frame. You see transitions and analyze the mechanics of the trot and canter. There is no distracting music or dialogue, and it doesn't appear to have been edited much. After watching it I feel I've seen a decent sample of that horse's movement and temperament. The free jumping is a bonus. It probably didn't take a lot of prepwork or time, but the buyer has seen a good representation of the horse. Another video shows the same horse under saddle.

My Dos and Don'ts
Having looked at a number of sales videos in my day (window shopping, mostly), I've formed some impressions of what sales videos should include. There are also good guides to producing sales videos, but most are written for producing a DVD --Youtube and other video services have become widespread as a marketing strategy. These do's and don'ts incorporate information from these guides as well my own observations on Internet video.

Dos

• Do make your video easily accessible. Upload a short (less than 5 minutes) video of the your horse's best footage to Youtube or vimeo.com (DVDs are so yesterday). You can always follow up an inquiry with a longer high quality DVD.
  
• Use current footage, especially if you have a younger/growing horse.
  
• Groom your horse as you would for a show. Dress as if you are showing or clinic-ing if you are the rider.
  
• Select an uncluttered area -- as attractive as you can make it-- and use a contrasting background or contrasting leg wraps to define movement.
  
• Use a tripod and experienced cameraperson, and plan the shoot.
  
• Take the footage outside in the morning or late afternoon, ideally on a bright but overcast day. Sunglare and shadow can interfere with viewing, but if you must shoot at mid-day, keep the sun at your back. If you tape indoors make sure the lighting is adequate or you'll get murky footage like this.
  
• Include a title page with horse's vital stats (age, breeding , etc.), the date of the footage, and your contact information.
  
• Film at eye level.
  
• Include a conformation pose. Stand the horse up without tack, both sides, front and back. Photos can be incorporated into the video if you have good shots. Include closeups of the horses forlegs and hindlegs as well as walking toward and away from the camera.
  
• If you have a prospect or broodmare, include their inspection, performance test, or breed show footage, including the inspector's comments. This super video of a stallion prospect at his inspection features great comments from the inspection officials.
  
• For riding horses, show all three gaits, both directions.
  
• If the horse is trained riding horse, show them working at the highest level that they can perform consistently.
  
• If you show your horse lungeing, include free lunge work (without side reins).
  
• If the horse is moving at liberty, work in a paddock or small arena for maximum usable footage. If you must film in a large area, use the zoom feature. Try to fill the frame with the horse. This video does a nice job capturing good footage at liberty, although I'd lose the music.
  
• Do edit judiciously. Remove long sequences of "bad" (e.g., overexposed, dark, too far away, etc.) footage. On the other hand, try to avoid short, choppy sequences.
  
• If you are posting the footage to Youtube, check the Web site for guides on formatting the video for optimal viewing. Consider Vimeo.com, which supports high definition video.
  
  Don'ts
• Limit use of outdated footage, or at least use it along with current footage.
• Avoid using slow motion footage--what purpose does it serve? It seems like an attempt to make lackluster gaits more dramatic, and it's very frustrating for viewers who are trying to evaluate your horse.
  
• Don't videotape from the next county. Stay up close!
  
• Use music sparingly, and make any music fit the horse. I once got footage of Harvey's half brother. The video showed an error-ridden first level test set to the musical score from Chariots of Fire. It was unintentionally funny.
• Don't use distracting elements in the video. To see what I mean, go here.
  
• Don't wear bright red (it tends to "bleed" into surrounding areas on videos).
  
• Don't videotape your TV!!!
  
  
  
  RESOURCES
  Sales videos that work!. Practical Horseman, December 2002, reprinted on the Horse Grooming Supplies bulletin board. Probably not legally posted, but it is there if you want to see it!
  
  The best!
  Shopping by video from Graemont Inc.
  This article talks about using videos to evaluate a horse and covers "tricks of the eye" that can make a horse appear better or worse than he is. A must-read for buyers and sellers.
  
  Successful horse videography
  
  Sales horse video quick tips from Equipoise
  
  How to evaluate dressage prospects by videotape. In the August 2000 issue of Dressage Today magazine.
  
  What you do and don't like to see in a sales video from COTH
  
  Cuts in a sales video from COTH
  
  Awesome sales videos from UDBB
  
  Horse video tips from ultimatehorse.com
  
  Cindy Troy. Sales videos that work! Practical Horseman. Dec 2002. pg. 66-70.

Harvey's birthday aftermath

Harv's birthday was a great day. Today, Tuesday, was not a great day.

6am
I wake up early and and rush out to the barn to drop off the Devon entry forms for my trainer to sign. The deadline is approaching fast. After leaving the forms in her office, I stop in the feed room. Peering into the fridge, I see there is still some of Harvey's birthday cake left. Only a tiny bit of cake remains, but there is a huge ring of icing around the perimeter of the half sheet cake. Crusty on the outside, soft inside, in crayola colors. Oh, the temptation! Working swiftly to avoid being discovered, I scrape all the cream cheese icing off onto a plate and wrap it in saran wrap.

9:am
Now I'm off to my job as a reference librarian, feeling virtuous to arrive well in advance of my 11am conference call. I'm working noon to 9pm today. When I arrive at 9:30am, my team members give me a frosty reception. "What's wrong?" I ask. "You were supposed to be here at 8am," Ellen says flatly. "I covered the reference desk for you." I had volunteered to cover someone's 8am shift, and it had slipped my mind. Furthermore, Ellen tells me that three people have called in sick--we'd all be wearing many hats today.

Without justification I'm annoyed with my team -- the guilt trip, the accusatory looks, the bad news. I recall that early that morning I had left a voice message reminder at the reference desk that I am working the late shift today. I had been home for 40 minutes after making that call. Why had no one called to tell me of the snafu? Guilt does funny things to your brain, and despite my thoughtless mistake I'm in high dudgeon that no one saved me from myself.

9:45am
I go back to my office to deposit my belongings and check my voice mail. The VP's secretary has left me voice mail informing me that I was being bumped from the meeting room I'd reserved for a meeting at 1pm. Meeting rooms here are scarce, so I need to find another room, fast. Then John stops by in a rush to tell me that the 11am conference call has been rescheduled to 10am. That's ten minutes away.

9:55
Can anything else go wrong? I cannot cover my partially missed shift, and I cannot take time to find another conference room. I'm unprepared for the 10am meeting. There are doubtless more shifts to cover with people out sick. There goes lunch, and probably dinner. Stacey, welcome to your 15 hour day. I have a few minutes until the rescheduled meeting. I scan my office and see my bag and coat on the work table. I cock an eyebrow. There's my dessert plate heaped with icing and remnants of carrot cake, a mound that is easily my calorie allotment for the day. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. The rest of us seek comfort in food. I grab a spoon.

Great Dressage Stallions: Donnerhall

Donnerhall 1981-2002
Riley's great grandsire is Donnerhall, one of the great dressage sires of this century. I have seen videos of Donnerhall, most notably his final competition performance in Rome. He was gorgeous, but to be honest what impressed me most was the crowd's adoration of this old gentleman. An Oldenburg liver chestnut standing 16.3 hands, he had flowing, supple gaits. He was not known so much for his gaits as his rideability and talent for dressage. Donnerhall died in 2002, but he left a legacy. There are a ton of D-line stallions around, and for good reason. Donnerhall is one of the most influential breeding stallions in dressage.

A few tidbits about Donnerhall...

• As a young horse he placed second out of 70 horses at his Stallion Performance Test, with an overall score of 131.92 (1).
• At least 16 of his offspring are competing at an international level--twice as many as other prominent sires such as Weltmeyer (2).
• He has the highest dressage breeding value index (271) of all stallions (3).
• Donnerhall sired more than 77 approved stallions and more than 84 state premium mares [note: the numbers vary from source to source, but I'm quoting (4)].
  
  Donnerhall wasn't just a great breeding stallion. He showed that it is possible to combine a successful breeding career with a competitive career. With rider Karin Rehbein he achieved phenomenal success in the dressage ring, winning over 30 international grand prix, grand prix special, and freestyle classes. He retired in 1998, after many years at the top of international level dressage. His wins and accomplishments are listed in many of the resources listed below. Donnerhall is deeply revered in Germany, and it is evident in this video tribute:
  

Donnerhal sounds like the penultimate stallion for the ambitious amateur, with his rideability and talent for collection. For anyone considering a D-line prospect, here are some tidbits of information abut him that I've gleaned from articles and listservs...

• Donnerhall does not necessarily pass on a physical type, and many of his get do not look much like him. They do inherit strength for collection, fanastic temperament, and rideability (5).
  
• Donnerhall crosses extremely well with Pik Bube mares and with lighter type thoroughbred mares (6). One gorgeous example of a Pik Bube cross is Don Schufro.
• Donnerhall is known for his ability to sit down on his haunches and collect, and to pass on this ability to his offspring.
• Donnerhall offspring sometimes inherit his bulkier build, and what is considered an old fashioned type. On Donnerhall offspring you sometimes see a large, noble head and a longish back. For this reason breeders like to cross him with a lighter, leggier type or thoroughbred blood.
• Donnerhall's pedigree would not necessarily have predicted his success. His father Donnerwetter never produced another horse remotely like Donnerhall. Donnerhall had several full brothers that were nothing like him. Donnerwetter was standing in the United States toward the end of his life. (7)

You can read a detailed history of Donnerhall (8) and his obituary (9) at the Horse Gate web site. Rideauwood Farm has a Web page with a detailed list of his significant offspring (10).


1. Wikipedia's Donnerhall
2. Great Dressage Sires of the World, Donnerhall the Greatest
3. The The German Oldenburg
4. Donnerhall from Sport-Horse Breeder
5. What stallion should I use?
6. Donnerhall from Horse Magazine
7. You choose: Who is the best of the big 3?
8. Horse-Gates Donnerhall
9. Donnerhall Obituary/Tribute
10. Donnerhall: A Living Legend

Other Resources
Dressage Unlimited Obituary
Donnerhall info from Sport Horse Data
Discussion of Donnerhall stallions on wwwarmbloods.com
Best Donnerhall son discussion on www.uncouthbb.com
Donnerhall dressage rankings 2000-2003. Published annually in the magazine “Der Hannoveraner”.

Dressage Ladies, Part 2

This is part 2 of the Dressage Ladies series on barn drama and intrigue. The names have been changed, and I'm adding my own spin, but the events are "real" and unembellished. Read Dressage ladies, part 1.

Kindergarten lesson: Kindness
Of the people I know at Greener Side Farm, Karen is the most fun to hang out with. She has a mischievous sense of humor and she finds everything funny, which is a good quality to have at Greener Side Farm. If someone had told me she was a standup comic I wouldn't have batted an eye -- so I'm shocked to learn she is a computer programmer. Karen's a fellow geek! She designs software that hospitals use for patient records management. Karen used to ride with the dressage trainer Natalie when Natalie was at a different barn. I suspect they parted ways because Karen was not sufficiently worshipful. Now Karen leases another boarder's horse at Greener Side, and Karen and Natalie avoid one another.

Pasture injury
The horse Karen is leasing is badly injured in the pasture and out of commission for a few months. In the midst of a difficult divorce, Karen confides to me that riding is her therapy. Hmmm, I think. Greener Side Farm turnout is a little sporadic, so Harv needs to be ridden daily. I ask if she'd like to ride Harvey a day or two a week. She eagerly agrees, and that same weekend she pops up on him. We work in the indoor, where several of the dressage ladies are riding. Is it my imagination, or are we being observed with more than casual interest? I dismiss the feeling and become absorbed in watching my own horse under saddle with a nice rider. Harv trots along looking relaxed and happy, and Karen praises his attentiveness. We make arrangements for her to ride him a few days a week, and we are both happy with this win-win situation.

A week or so passes. Then one day the barn owner approaches me. Speaking in a hushed tone, he tells me that someone has complained that Karen is training Harvey -- and it is against the barn rules to use an outside trainer. I explain that Karen is not training Harvey; it's not even a lease; no money is changing hands. Furthermore, my own trainer Amanda has given the arrangement her blessing. As I make my case, the owner looks pained and uncomfortable. When pressed he admits that Natalie had complained, and I realize that the facts of our arrangement do not matter. He tells me that Karen is not to ride Harvey. In fact, she is not welcome at the barn any more.

Anger management
The barn politics at Greener Side Farms are tiresome, for sure, but this incident weighs heavily on my mind. I feel guilty and angry. Karen calls me several weeks later -- she has found another barn, and another horse to ride. She reassures me that she is doing okay, and she isn't really surprised that Natalie had caused a fuss.

I am furious at Natalie, who I can't easily avoid. When we meet, she is agressively cheerful as is her usual demeanor. I try to be nonchalant in her presence, but privately I vent to my trainer Amanda. Amanda listens sympathetically but is careful not to say anything impolitic. Her advice: stay off Natalie's radar.

To be continued...

Bob's take on the equestrian world

My husband: Animal lover, military enthusiast, electron microscopist, lay-scientist, conservationist, and former farm loan officer. He views the equestrian world--foreign to him until he met me--from a unique personal perspective, definitely a man's perspective. Here are some endearing moments.

At Devon: "Look, the horse over there is doing a Pilaf." (piaffe)

Watching show jumpers at Devon: "I see that some horses are wearing mud flaps." (bell boots)

At Rolex: "What day will they be doing the fitness trail?" (cross country course)

At the barn: "Here, I brought you your shin guards." ( half chaps)

By the paddock: "I turned Harvey out and secured the perimeter!" (closed the gate)

Catching a loose horse: "I've got him by the snout!" (muzzle)

At the barn: "Who cleans their cages?"

As he was mucking Harv's stall (having learnt who cleans their cages): "Now I know why they call us 'bride and groom.'"

At Riley's inspection: "Hey, they even have gestapo soup." (gaspacho)

And finally, Bob's first breed show experience. After weeks of planning and 3 solid days of preparation, we get up at 4am to drive to Fair Hill MD with Riley. Riley is in the ring for about 2 minutes. Bob's reaction:



My husband's comment about horse showing from Stacey Kimmel-Smith on Vimeo.

Natal: A brindle warmblood!

Skip to Resources on the brindle coloring

Several years ago I saw this ad for a brindle warmblood stallion. He looked absolutely gorgeous. In my experience, horses that are a great color are very seldom great horses -- no doubt it happens, occasionally, but it's a lot to ask for. But I was intrigued, in no small part because I'd only recently learned there was such a thing as a brindle horse. I'd finished the novel Riding Lessons, a pretty fun read about a brindle-colored show jumper, only a few months before.

The original ad listed the contact information in Brazil, and there was no Web site. I kept that Chronicle issue just because of that ad, but ultimately forgot about it -- for awhile. Then, maybe two years ago, I ran across an article in Sidelines News about the same horse -- the stallion was now in the U.S. and being ridden by a talented teen, Renick Townsend. I had assumed she owned him, but he was actually on loan to her to show in Florida in Children's jumper division.

Natal is a spectacular jumper and you if you haven't seen him in action, click the video below. You'll be equally impressed with his young rider, who just turned 16 in February. I corresponded with Renick's mother Jill via email; Renick is a busy young woman who catch rides and competes extensively. I suspect we'll see more of her. The family's Winter Heaven Farm Web site has lots of pictures and more video of Natal.

This Youtube footage was posted by someone claiming to be Renick--it is not! A little odd that the video is posted under a false identity, but the video is nice. You can see more videos at the Winter Heaven web site. Renick has since moved up to junior jumpers. Natal went back to his owner in Kentucky for awhile, but the Townsends believe he might be back down in Florida again with a BNT.

I'll let the experts explain what causes brindling, while it seems to be passed along genetically in some horses, in otheres it not a directly inheritable trait. It is caused by a rare genetic occurence called chimerism. A chimeric horse develops when two non-identical twins fuse into one embryo in utero.


More about Brindles

Equine Color web site
Recommended by Cornell University

Equine Color Genetics by Dan Phillip Sponenberg, Blackwell Publishers, 2003
Excerpt on the brindle color in horses

Brindle horses: A rare equine color
Clearly a home grown site with lots of pictures and descriptions of brindle horses, breeders, and reports.


Breed profile: Brindle horse from Equisearch
Very nice overview of the history, appearance, and genetics

Miscellaneous modifiers
Discussion of rare types of coloration, including brindle.

Bridlepath blog on brindle horses

Brindle and Striped Equine International

The dressage ladies, part 1

Setting the scene
It’s 2001, and I‘m boarding Harvey at Greener Side Farm [not the real name], a 60 stall training facility that is leased to four trainers. Boarding at a barn with four trainers is like living in medieval times among warring fiefdoms. It is not pretty. The barn owner doesn't mediate the territorial disputes and posturing -- there were no guidelines on ring use or sharing laundry facilities, for example. However, there is a tacit understanding that the successful and established "cash cow" trainers have the right of way in all matters.

Natalie, a successful grand prix dressage trainer, is the reigning queen of the barn. If you saw Merle Streep in The Devil wears Prada you've got a pretty good picture of Natalie. She is tall and elegant, with a voluptuous figure, sharp features, and short silver hair. A clan of devoted female clients trains with Natalie--affluent, confident, attractive women. They are probably my age, but I refer to them as the dressage ladies. The ladies have multiple horses ranging in experience from green to schoolmaster level. Natalie travels to the Netherlands to import horses for them. The imported horses are gorgeous and talented, but they're not easy to ride. The ladies stick with their schoolmasters, and they pay Natalie to ride the imports.

Alpha mares of dressage
You'd like the dressage ladies. I like them. But they are a paradox. They have big, warm smiles. They show interest in me, and Harvey, and they have encouraging words and suggestions. But somehow, in this hotbed of barn politics, they're distant too, never quite making eye contact. They seem keenly aware of their place in the hierarchy. Or, maybe they just missed a few basic lessons in kindergarten.


Kindergarten lesson 1: Sharing
This facility has two available wash stalls. The dressage ladies choose to groom their horses there. Endlessly. They chat, they laugh, they groom, they fart around. Meanwhile, there are hot, sweaty horses and owners lined up to use the wash stalls for their actual intended purpose—washing off their horse. I'm one of them. The ladies acknowledge us, “Oh we know you’re there. We’ll just be a moment.” Big, warm smiles in our direction. And they continue to behave as if we are NOT there. Twenty minutes later we're still waiting. Their jocular manner sets the tone, and everyone is polite. None of us in the queue exchange glances or show impatience. I suspect it is because the ladies have acknowledged us, and because they are being so nice.

Patience is not my strong suit, and I'm finding the situation hard to stomach. I give up, walk to the other end of the aisle, and ask the barn workers if I can use their hose to wash my horse off. Standing in the driveway, I squirt Harvey with freezing water. He's tethered to me via the lead rope, but resentfully moves his hindquarters away when he is spritzed. I pursue him, hose spewing water, and he keeps pivoting away from me. We move in a small circle, both of us tripping over the hose. When all's said and done, I'm actually wetter than Harvey. We look foolish, but at least I’m out of the queue.

To be continued...

Converting a horse's age to "people years"

We all know about "dog years" but did you know that there are also "horse years?" I didn't. A recent article in the (see NAVC Proceedings 2007) offers a method of estimating your horse's age in human years. while it strikes me as a little bit of veterinary hocus-pocus, perhaps it has a basis in science. Maybe they look at benchmarks of human life vs. horse's life (puberty, reproductive status, excercise tolerance, etc)? Anyway, here is the formula:

First Year = 12 human years
Second Year = 7 human years
Next Three Years = 4 years apiece
Subsequent Horse Years = 2 ½ years each

So, to figure out the human equivalent of Harvey's age current age (21)...

Year 1 = 12
Year 2 = 7
Years 3, 4, 5 = 12 years
Years 6-21 = 40

Harvey is 71 in human years!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE HARVSTER!!!!
Harvey turns 21 on Wednesday, March 5! Harv's birtdays merit a barn-wide celebration, and I take carrot cake for the boarders and carrots for the horses. For his 21st, there will be wine too. This is a photo from last year's birthday, Harv and I are second from the left. Three other horses turned 20 in March so we went together to celebrate. In addition to food and a photo retrospective on each horse, the 20 year olds got a neck ribbon of their own. Don't they look great? It was a lovely day.