Like Karrie Bradshaw and her shoes, I can't have enough...

Browbands. This one was custom-made (at a reasonable price) by HPF designs. These pictures don't do the browband justice -- the colors are rich amber/gold/orange. Click the image to expand it and get more detail.

I contacted the owner and told her which of her beadwork browbands I liked, but asked if it was available in chestnut-compatible colors. Well, she not only did a browband in custom colors, she used a new design. I just love it!

Beaded browbands: A new twist...

One of my first really popular blog posts was Bring on the Bling (on the topic of browbands).  My aesthetic and style have come so far since then (sheds wistful tear)! What jazzed me back then -- the typical single strand beaded dressage browband -- now they seem, well, so YESTERDAY. The discerning equine enthusiast -- the ones who can never own enough horse accoutrements -- are turning to the woven beaded browbands, which are growing in popularity. Have you seen them? This one is from the HPF Designs beadweaving page.

These are my people...
Riley and I have gone  ethnic, opting for an earth-tone browband from the Kenyan Collection (see design choices). This is the browband that led to the unfortunate incident where I punched Riley's lights out. :-(

Also check out Mighty TB Clique browbands...


Looking for something different?
Okay, I still love regular browbands, but at this point I like to see something a little different -- -like this green hornet browband from  Crown jewels browband (click image to enlarge)

Manely bling  
Very unique! I like the shorter length of the "bling" (focused on the center) and the varied jewel sizes. I like Molly but don't have a brown bridle...

Flying change browbands 
These are browbands with interchangeable beads.

Browbands with bling
Well, frankly a little heavy for my tastes -- definitely for upper level horses

Designer browbands  This one is really different!

Browbands by design
Again, quite nice...

Harv is old news this month: It's all about RILEY

I found a fun search engine for word lovers -- the Lexicalist. The Lexicalist reads through millions of words of chatter on the Internet see who's talking about what. It's broken into three kinds of demographics: age, gender, and geography.

Comparisons are odious, but...
The word "Harvey" is used today about as much as last month (once every 198,431 words). "Riley" is being used 51% more today than a month ago (once every 146,646 words). Probably b/c it was his birthday? ;-)

Riley is more popular in the South, and Harv continues his stronghold in the middle of the country. I feel this reflects his traditional values and practical outlook, plus he was born in Arkansas.

¡Ay, caramba! Horses in commercials

I love words (which is probably why I blather on so much here), and I read a blog called Fritinancy by writer and branding specialist Nancy Friedman. She writes about the use of language in advertising and has written a few articles about horses in commercials. This one has a great punchline!

clipped from nancyfriedman.typepad.com

He, Too, Is on a Horse

What's up with all the white stallions? First we had Old Spice's Man Your Man Could Smell Like ("I'm on a horse"). Now Bing gives us a smoldering caballero in possession of "LOS LINKS!"

Extended version of Episode Uno:

Episode Dos:

I love that the feckless Juan Carlos alone has a Castilian accent, and that Isabella rides the horse backward. But uh-oh: In Episode Dos, did you catch the novios' flight destination? ¡Ay, Díos mío, not Arizona! They'd better be carrying their papeles.

Tales of territoriality: Part II

In the last post, my friend Gail was having a mild conflict with a horse owner. She needed to move her trailer, his farrier's trailer was in the way...

The second encounter...
Forty-five minutes later, the friend arrives with the trailer. It's a gooseneck and there will be no turn in the driveway.   Gail is starting to feel desperate.  The clock is ticking away! She goes back to the barn to see if the farrier is done. Drawing a deep breath, she approaches the farrier and owner. She sees that all four of the horse's shoes were on -- surely they're finishing up! 

Gail:  "The driveway is full, so I need the driveway clear -- it looks like you're finishing up?"
Owner: "Not necessarily."
Gail: [exasperated] I need to leave in the next 15 minutes, and the farrier's truck is blocking the way.
Owner: [testily]It will take as long as it takes.

The farrier appears to be deaf through this exchange. At a loss,  Gail walks down the aisle. She hears the owner and farrier joking and chatting, clearly not in a hurry. Gail is seething inside, but she isn't the confrontational sort.

Clash of the titans
Gail returns to the parking lot. While she was gone, yet another hauler has showed up in his rig, and now that parking lot is really crowded. That hauler's client Kate (another boarder) runs a Manhattan real estate firm,  she has 7 horses at the facility, and she has serious social capital at the barn. When she hears what is happening, she marches away, full of purporse. Moments later Gail hears Kates booming voice in the distance. The three of them -- Gail, her friend, and the hauler -- share a chuckle.

Kate returns and announces tha  the truck will be moved out of the way. Her hauler graciously lets Gail and her hauler go first around the driveway. They're on  their way...

I guess my main reaction to this story is WHY?

Why not just move the freaking truck?  Why didn't the owner feel embarrassed and selfish for inconveniencing Gail? Why did the farrier pretend not to be a part of the situation?

I've seen instances of territorial weirdness at barns before. People park in wash stalls for an hour when others are waiting; Trainers lead a string of clients and horses through an aisleway where a vet is trying to take x-rays of a fractious horse; boarders "claiming" grooming areas as theirs.

Do you have a tale of territoriality? What do you think motivates this behavior?

Is your horse sleep crashing?

Once while I was grazing Harv he suddenly buckled at the knees, bellowed, and nearly fell (he caught himself). I was pretty shaken but he seemed okay. It never happened again.

Has your horse ever nodded off and fallen, or nearly fallen, from a walk or standstill? If your horse regularly buckles at the knee, or if he falls for no reason, there may be a significant problem.  One such problem is sleep crashing.

What is sleep crashing?
Sleep crashing is basically sleep deprivation. Horses only get their REM sleep lying down, and they need 20-40 minutes a day. If they don't get their REM sleep, they may sleep extra deep when standing up. Their legs buckle, and you have your basic nod and crash -- unfortunately, serious injury is possible.

When horses are not comfortable getting up and/or lying down, or when they are uncomfortable lying down due to insecurity (e.g., in a new environment), they stand continuously.  Tying a horse in a standing stall is one obvious cause of sleep deprivation or crashing. Another cause of recumbent sleep deprivation could be the lack of a herdmate. Pastured horses will normally lie down to sleep while another horse stands guard.There are other causes which you can find in the article Sleep deprivation is not narcolepsy.


What is not sleep crashing/deprivation?
Narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a rare neurological problem that happens at any time, not just when the horse is dozing. Vets say that narcoleptic episode normally occur during periods of inactivity or from certain triggers like cold hosing. Owners report that narcoleptic crashes can happen when the horse is excited or moving around normally. Antidepressants have been used successfully to treat narcolepsy.

Girthing. Falling sometimes occurs when girthing, but this is not sleep crashing. Some horses fall when girthing and it's believed that in some horses the girthing process "hits a nerve." The solution is to tighten the girth very slowly.

Monotony. Horses may buckle while being braided or in almost any situation they find -- well, boring.

Back to sleep crashing...

What can be done about sleep crashing?
To help your horse do what you can to help make lying down easier, to remove things that disrupt sleep, and protect against injury in case of a fall:

• Administer pain-killers such as Bute, Equioxx or feed joint supplements.
• Use more, deeper bedding to minimize joint flexion when getting up or going down.
• Find a bigger, matted stall.
• Review herd interactions and socialization for problems.
• Rule out the possibility of night noise or other things that could disrupt sleep.
• Make sure cross ties have breakaway snaps.
• Some anxious horses may refuse to lie down in new surroundings. Do what you can to make the horse comfortable and part of a herd. In time they usually acclimat.

RESOURCES

Sleep deprivation is not narcolepsy from DVM360.com
Equine sleep disorder videos from Equisearch.com
Sleep crashing in The Horse
Horse sleep disorders and seizures reviewed for equine vets from The Horse
Sleep crashing from allexperts.com
Horse fell over: cause? from Chronicleforums.com
Equine narcolepsy from The Bloodhorse
Equine narcolepsy from The Horse
Sleep deprivation and narcolepsy from Smartpakequine.com
Sleep deprivation in horses from the Northwest Horse Source
Sleep patterns in horses from Equisearch.com
Sleep and sleep disorders in horses AAEP 2008 from The Horse
Sleep deprivation in the horse from Paton Martin Veterinary Services
Sleep apnea in horses from Dr. Tom Ahern

Is Your Horse Sleep Deprived? By Christine Barakat  - February 2007 issue of EQUUS magazine.

Tales of territoriality part I: Trailer trauma

You'd think, or you'd hope, that a discussion of territoriality in barns would be about horse herd behavior. But it ain't so. Here's a story...

Dressage show day...
A friend of mine -- Gail -- was taking her horse to a dressage show last Saturday, and she'd arranged for a friend with a trailer to pick her up at the barn where she boards. Normally trailers pull around a driveway that circles the barn. Today, though, that wasn't possible.

La petite drama unfolds...
A farrier had parked his truck on the circle driveway, rather "casually" -- so that trailers could not pass. Gail approaches the owner of the horse being shod.

Gail [to the farrier]: "Would it be possible to move the truck so that my hauler can drive through?"

The farrier didn't even look up.

Owner: "If the driveway is empty you can just do a U-turn."

It's 10am on a Saturday at a 33 horse barn with an active lesson program -- of course the driveway is *not* empty.  Rather than argue, Gail thanks the owner and walks away. There's a good chance that by the time her hauler comes (in 45 minutes),  the farrier will be done. Because her friend Julie was hauling as a favor, she'd cut the timing close so that she didn't take up Julie's whole Saturday. She wondered if she would miss her classes...

To be continued...

Ecolicious Equestrian: Harv and Riley get a spa treatment

I'm no nature girl. I've used one natural horse product, Eqyss Avocado Mist, and was not impressed. I use Showsheen or Vetrolin, usually. These products deliver a shine, but also silicone and other "undesirables."This spring I got an offer to try a free bottle of Ecolicious Equestrian De-stresser mane and tail conditioner. The rep also kindly sponsored the Foal caption contest (winner got a free bottle of the same stuff).

---

Disclaimer: This isn't one of those reviews-that-is-really-an-ad. I get freebies fairly regularly, and if the product doesn't leave an impression, I don't blog about it. When I'm contacted about freebies in advance, the sender understands that there is no guarantee of a blog reference. Just FYI.

---

Harv gets the spa treatment
Harv was the first one to get the De-Stress spa treatment. I have to confess when I read the directions, I was dismayed at step 2 -- wrap saran wrap around the tail and let it heat up for ten minutes. Harv doesn't like his tail handled and he swishes it violently when he's had enough! But as it happened he was a good boy. I used the "sticks to itself" saran wrap  which conformed to the tail beautifully. I only left it on for five minutes.


Harv's beauty issues
Believe it or not, Harv does have a flaw or two. His tail is thick, but stiff and strawlike.  Vetrolin and Showsheen make his tail slick and stiff and and strawlike.  The Ecolicious De-stress works like a hot oil treatment. It smells wonderful, was easy to apply, and easy to rinse out. But Harv's a tough hair case and I wondered what a non-silicon product would really accomplish. 

After his tail dried, it felt SOFT--like human hair. It was not blindingly shiny but there was a nice luster -- in the evening light I could not get a decent picture, it just looked like a black tail. If only you could feel the difference I felt. The Ecolicious blog has a before/after photo -- of course Harv's tail was not as bad but the "after" picture is comparable to what I saw. I didn't not wrap the tail anywhere near that thoroughly, and I didn't give it the full length of time in the wrap.

Riley's next...

This weekend I tried it on Riley. Riley has a lovely, thick, soft  tail that doesn't need much help. However, he is losing hair in the middle of the tail base from rubbing his dry, itchy skin, and his hair does tend to fall into ropes. I applied the product with no saran wrap and left it on for five minutes. Here is a photo (right) after I picked through the tail with my fingers only (no brush, no comb). Oh, the pink stuff is SWAT; flies are bad right now.

Look at the volume and shine. Bob took the photo and he was impressed. There's another photo at the bottom if you want to see the tip of the tail..

So it's a thumbs up!
I think all but the most die-hard Showsheen devotees will be pleased with this product. If you're wondering if I'd buy it with my own money, let me share that I've ordered the body conditioner of this product line.  I love that because it's all human grade ingredients, people can use it too.

Is there anything I don't like? 
In my opinion, the detangling properties don't compare with the other commercial products, and the price is 15% higher than some of the products I've used. However the earth-friendly products do tend to cost more and the prices are in line with the natural products I've seen.

More about Ecolicious and the destresser 
If you have questions about Ecolicious, leave a comment on my blog or on the Ecolicious blog. My contact, Petra, is a blog reader, and I'm sure she'll try to answer your questions...

RESOURCES

Ecolicious Equestrian Web site

DE-STRESS Intensive Restructuring and Detangling Treatment (description)

Equine Chronicle review of Ecolicious products
Ecolicious article in Southwest Trader

Riley demonstrates his "quick hind leg" at the new barn...

May 22, 2010. Riley canters both directions, he's forward, he steers. And he shows his "quick hind leg" although not exactly in the way I'd dreamed he would. The progress continues...

Katie the mule (a post from Brays of our Lives)

This is a post from Brays of Our Lives, which is actually written by a mule blogger (wink wink) who shares his views on humans, horses, and life. As a new fan of mules, I am rather taken with this feature on a celebrity mule, Katie...

clipped from www.braysofourlives.com

These links to a rising star in the mule world, Grace, were drawn to my attention by a nice COTH reader who thought I might be looking to make a "celebrity connection," if you will. (Wink, wink . . . and yes, mules CAN wink and we DO.) Now, I am loyal to Katie Scarlett 100%. I am a guy with a good girlfriend, and I am good to her. I send her e-cards. I write her songs.

Posted by
Bent Barrow Farm


at
8:30 AM
Friday, May 14, 2010

Here's Grace on the today show, where she demonstrates her slobbery kissing technique. Katie's got more of the sensuous lips thing going for her, but Grace gets points for a bold approach!

Here's an article about Grace starring alongside Robert Duvall. Apparently, the man was impressed with her intelligence, character, and talent. That's mules for you!

These links to a rising star in the mule world, Grace, were drawn to my attention by a nice COTH reader who thought I might be looking to make a "celebrity connection," if you will.

Horse show fiasco (no one hurt)

What is it about me that I am so intrigued by true crime and disaster movies? Oh, and videos like this one...

It sounds like no one was hurt, and you've gotta hand it to the guys who stepped up to the plate and slowed those bad boys down.

"You know how it is with babies..."

"You know how it is with babies. It's all very exciting, and then you're done..."
                                                                         Felicitas Von Neumann
 

Truer words were never spoken -- and here's the proof!

Harv meets Riley: A love story

Recently a stall opened up at "Barn A" where I board Harv. As much as I love Barn B where I was boarding Riley, I couldn't turn down the chance to have both horses together. Both barns are terrific...

Harv's digs: Old style charm
Barn A is on a farm whose origins date back to the Civil War. There are miles of trails available to boarders in a parklike setting. It was at one time a top level eventing barn and now it's more of a "mixed bag" of pleasure and dressage riders. The staff provide horses with a high level of personal attention and they closely monitor the 20 horses in their care. 

Riley's place: Clean and bright
Barn B is a new 40 stall facility, bright and new and clean and well ventilated, with tons of amenities. I love the felt footing in the indoor, the presence of a sprinkler system, and the horse-friendly design of the barns. It's family owned and operated, and the folks there were integral to the success of Riley's rehab. I'm grateful to them and was glad they filled the stall immediately (long wait list). 

Barn B is the most upscale facility I've ever boarded at -- but  it's a financial stretch for me. Barn A is at my price point, and besides I love it there and trust the staff completely with the care of my horses. Oh, I work there too. Oh, and my trainer will come there.

Harv and Riley: Together at last!
Harv and  Riley have never met before last Saturday-- they're stalled next to each other now, and I'm tickled that they've totally bonded. Harv had been upset when the stall next to him was vacated -- he kept calling and calling for the  horse that left. Then Riley came,  cool and confident and curious. He settled right in, and actually helped to settle Harv down. They canoodled over the top of the divider and touched noses from their dutch doors. When I lunged Riley the next day, Harv was calling to Riley
and Riley was calling back -- it was too cute.

It is so wonderful to see both of them at once, and not feel that in visiting one I'm neglecting the other. I'm deliriously happy right now.

Brentina and Totilas, sittin' in a tree....

So Brentina is among the select few mares scheduled to be bred to Totilas, the hot-stallion-du-jour.Only six mares from the U.S. made the cut among over 350 mare applicants. The stud fee is just about $7,000, and the first foals will be arriving in March 2011. Not surprisingly, Brentina's foal will be an embryo transfer. Here is Totilas at the World Dressage Masters in Munich a few days ago..

Among the other U.S. mares on the Totilas list, I know of only two (so far): Shooting Star Farm's Orchis; Valerie Swygert's Personality  by Amsterdam (see article on the latter). One mare in the UK has also been identified (12 mares in the UK made the cut). I believe 175 breedings are being made available this year.

clipped from www.dressage-news.com

Kees Visser, owner of Moorlands Totilas with the stallion and Edward Gal. © 2010 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Among the applications that excites Kees and Tosca Visser, owners of Moorlands Totilas, is to breed to the U.S.-owned mare Brentina that was ridden by Debbie McDonald to Olympic and World Equestrian Games medals and the first World Cup title for an American.

Between 150 and 170 of the applications at a fee of €5,500 (US$6,740) for total revenue of up to €962,500 (US$1,180,000) will be fulfilled in 2010 by the KWPN-approved Gribaldi son.

Criteria for selection of mares for breeding to Totilas include the competition record indicating a good sport horse, pedigree, approved offspring and height. The height factor is considered important as Gribaldi produced some small foals.

About 25 mares from The Netherlands have been bred. Six mares were approved from the U.S. and four in Canada.

Caption Contest Winners!!!

CONGRATS CONTEST WINNER!!!

"Well, as it turned out, Pegasus was a very prepotent sire. We'll definitely be using him again next year."

 Congrats to Haley at University of Virginia!!! 
 
Runners up (BTB pens and stuff)...
lzile "hover pony sequence initiating"
Julie "Foal for sale: Rocket boosters not included..."
Jillian "KKSSHHK Uh Houston? Space walk is a go. KKSSHHK"
Anne: "When I grow up , this will be my signature move! Let's see them ride that!" 




Send me your mailing addreses so that you can collect your winnings! Email behindthebit@gmail.com 

Coming soon to a hunter ring in the U.S!!!

Sven Rothenberger purchased this colorful stallion for his wife, for Valentine's Day. Very romantic -- however, the couple later realized that the horse would be too small for them (they're both very tall), and they've apparently sold him to someone in the U.S. who plans to show him in the hunter ring. Who has scoop on this colt? Where is he?

clipped from www.dressurstall-rothenberger.d

Ein Pferd zum Valentinstag

Nein, er hat sich nicht im Schnee gewälzt (auch wenn davon immer noch genug liegt), sondern er ist so auffällig gezeichnet: Fürst Farbenfroh heißt der bildhübsche Braunschecke, den Gonnelien von Sven zum Valentinstag bekommen hat. Geboren wurde der jetzt 4jährige bayrische Hengst von Fürst Grandios ( Fürst Heinrich x Argentinus) x Rubinstein I am 6.3.2006 bei Herrn Schwarz in Moorenweis, und schon als Fohlen wurde er mit einer Gold-Prämie ausgezeichnet.
Schön, einen solchen Hingucker im Stall zu haben!


TRANSLATION FROM GOOGLE
"A horse for Valentine's Day"


No, he has not rolled in the snow (although it is still enough), but is drawn so striking: Prince Colourful is the very pretty bay pinto, the Gonnelien by Sven has got for Valentine's Day. Was born of the now 4 years old Bavarian prince of Stallion Grandios (Fürst Heinrich x Argentinus) x Rubinstein I, on 06/03/2006 Mr. Schwarz in Moorenweis, and even as a foal he was awarded a Gold Award. Beautiful, such a catcher in the stable to have!"


Here he is at an inspection/approval (think I've shown this video in a previous post).

Bitting fact and fiction...

In this Horse Hero video British dressage rider Laura Bechtolsheimer discusses bitting with Sprenger MD Heinz Baumann. Topics include new research on the horse's mouth, fitting a snaffle bit, and fitting the double bridle. Horse Hero is a paid subscription but it's a LOT cheaper and more diverse than some of the dressage training subscriptions out there. The Brits offer a really different and valuable perspective...

What I learned from this video? That horses have less room in their mouths than previously thought, and that the tongue is the main contact with the rider's hands. A thick bit is not necessarily the most soft bit.

Ever wonder why Aurigan is the preferred metal alloy? Aurigan is 85% copper -- it's properties are hardness and oxidation. Copper oxides rapidly which gives a pleasing taste; oxidation causes salivation.

Gettin' testy: An insider's look at hoof testers

 I think they look like salad tongs. My husband thinks they're instruments of torture.  Some variation of hoof testers has probably been around since people have been using horses for work.

 Okay, now I've exhausted MY knowledge. Fortunately there is a wonderful article on the subject of hoof testers -- the kinds of hoof testers, how to use them, what they reveal, and their role in diagnosing lameness -- all from an experienced farrier.

 Gettin testy: A hoof tester primer was written for the magazine Professional Farrier by Danvers Child. It's a real gem, and I highly recommend both the magazine and the Danvers Child web site.  There are other articles too, which you  can check out below...

RESOURCES
Adams Lameness in Horses section on hoof testing
The use of hoof testers by Horseshoes.com
Hoof testing description from Equine Podiatry by Andrea Floyd Szabuniewicz M. Use of the hoof tester in diagnosing lameness in horses. Vet Med Small Anim Clin. 1975 Feb;70(2):205-12.
Gettin' Testy: A hoof tester primer by Danvers Child and Crystal Chapple. American Farriers.org.
How sore are your horse's feet? from BVA Animal Welfare Foundation

Harv's big feet: Renewed appreciation

I have the same farrier for Harv as Riley. I asked him if he could recommend a hoof supplement for Riley, and he answered with a grin, "Give him whatever Harvey is getting!"

Harvey does not GET a hoof supplement.


Riley has given me a renewed appreciation for Harvey's big size 3 feet. I never thought about Harv's feet, they were always just there, doin' their job. He has lost two shoes in the time I've owned him, both times from cavorting in mud that qualifies as "extenuating circumstances." He has had one abscess of one day's duration.

Thanks to Harv I never had to know much about  shoeing and  hooves. I never had to know about Duckett's goofy dot, the bones within the foot, or how to wrap an abscess. My biggest hoof-related concern was figuring out when the farrier was coming next.

And Harv is a THOROUGHBRED. He must come from one of the few lines that have "good feet." If you can find a horse with High Tribute bloodlines (or Princequillo further back in the pedigree), take a look at their feet. High Tribute passes on good bone and good hoof.

Harv, you spared me so much hoof headache! Thanks buddy.

By the way, the barn manager told me that he and his pasture mate were maniacs in the pasture yesterday. Airs above the ground, squealing, launching into the air, etc. He's having a good spring.

Argentinus: What's an old style warmblood?

We often hear about warmbloods being referred to as a "modern type." You know, leggier, shorter-backed, more refined than.... what? I'm wondering if younger readers or folks who are new to horses/dressage know what to compare the modern warmbloods to when considering what the "modern type" is.

Well, here's a pretty good example of an iconic warmblood stallion, Argentinus. He appears in the bloodlines of many of the top competing jumpers and dressage horses today. And he's definitely the "old style" warmblood:

(Hint: turn off sound first)



To my knowledge, the old style warmblood is a horse who...

•  Has a long back/short leg
• Has a heavy body type with very substantial bone
• Often will have a plain head
• Shows powerful gaits but not necessarily lightness
• Has a sire born prior to 1995 (somewhat arbitrary cutoff, and there are notable exceptions like Rembrandt)

Am I missing anything?

RESOURCES
Argentinus from Horsegate.com
Argentinus from Greenacres Stud
Argentinus from Hannoveraner.org
Argentinus from Pro-stallions.com
Stallions in the U.S by Argentinus sire or dam from Chronicleforums.com

Stifled! Does your horse have a bum knee?

 Stifles. They're the horse equivalent of the human knee and about as complex. I wrote about stifles last year, so I guess this is part II. Since then I found this great intro to stifles: Diagnosis and management of acute stifle injury in adult horses in In Practice September 2008. It's thorough and easy to understand. The picture on the left was borrowed from the article.

Here are a few stifle facts from other resources...

• The menisci are disks that lie between joints in the stifle. Meniscal tears of the stifle heal very slowly because they have even less blood supply than other tendons/ligaments.
  
• Some horses with stifle pain tend to stand with the stifle rotated out 
• Mild lameness is usually accentuated by ridden exercise, especially when the rider sits on the diagonal of the lame limb.
• Most humans tear or rupture the cruciate ligaments. This particular injury is rare in horses, which are much more likely to tear or injure the meniscal structures in the joint.  

 The equine stifle, like the human knee, is pretty critical to athletic pursuits of any kind. Although new therapies are showing promise, stifle injuries can be tough to treat. Generally, a significant stifle injury is bad news.

RESOURCES

Diagnosis and management of acute stifle injury in adult horses in In Practice Sept 2008.

Inside the equine stifle from DVM News  

Lameness may hinge on the stifle from Thoroughbred Times

Stifle in Adams lameness in horses.

Arthroscopy for meniscal tears from The Horse

Meniscal tears in horses from Michigan State University Veterinary Medical School.
 
Stifle disease from Burlington Equine
Meniscal injury and stifle lameness from Horseandhound.com

Diagnosis and treatment of stifle injuries from The Horse

Diagnosing stifle disease from The Horse

Lameness Associated with the Stifle and Pelvic  Regions  Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the AAEP 2002.

Treating stifle injuries from  The Horse

The 2010 foals are here! Caption this photo and win stuff!

Caption this photo to win a bottle of Ecolicious mane and tail conditioner, graciously offered by the Ecolicious Company. Just submit your caption as a comment, and the winner will be chosen Sunday. NOTE: Either remember to check the blog Monday or leave an email address in the comment, so you can be notified.

BTW, little Brando HH (Banderas/Landino/Pilot)  is offered for sale.

Elizabeth Houtsma kindly let me share this photo of one of her gorgeous Hillside Ranch babies on Facebook - meet Brando HH. Prize courtesy of Ecolicious Equestrian products.

Riley update part 2: The bad (well, not so great) news

So you saw the clinic -- the good news. Here is the not-so-good news, which hopefully is just the tail end of the hoof issues.

In mid-March, Riley went back under saddle with  a trainer, 3 times a week. I gave the trainer these guidelines:

• Work Riley only in the indoor (felt, cushy footing)
• Check digital pulses after every ride
• Don't use the flash attachment

I lost on this last point, but it was kind of a throwaway anyway. Always include one point that you're willing to concede :-). The point is, we were careful about monitoring his feet. At least I thought we were.


The first few weeks under saddle
In the first few weeks, Riley's front legs were holding up great, and he was sound. The hinds, though, were both swelling up, asymmetrically, on and off, from the pastern to about 6" above the fetlock. The left leg was the worst at first, but after a few weeks it suddenly got better. The right continued to swell --that ugly, bulbous, taut kind of swelling. On April 6, I got a call from the barn manager -- he was non-weightbearing on the right hind.  The vet came out and found an abscess on the inside of the hoof toward the heel.   She felt his heels were pretty worn down, so we had the farrier out and put hind shoes on him (he already had front shoes). In about 5 days the swelling was down. Problem solved, right?

Well.. No...
In early May -- about a month after the abscess was found, the right hind blew up again -- this time on the outside aspect of the hoof. The farrier came out. He  trimmed the right hind and found two abscess tracts -- the old one, and a new one on the other side. We moved to the left hind. As he trimmed the hoof, he found two identical abscess tracts -- same place as the right hind (see photo, let).

If you're counting, that's FOUR abscesses. I was beside myself -- would he ever be all right?  I figured that four abscesses had to be from mechanical forces/workload/bruising. This makes some sense since both hinds were swelling mysteriously from the start of his training. The vet concurs. I just hope these are from old, pre-shoeing bruises.

The right hind swelling subsided in a matter of days and he was moving sound, so we put him in the clinic. Last night, I went to the barn to check him, and he had stocked up again in the right hind, but it was cool and squishy. It largely dissipated when I handwalked him. I remind myself that his left hind, which was the first leg to swell and subside (abscesses popped without my noticing), is now tight and dry.  I hope the right will follow suit.

Riley, Riley, Riley...
I never thought I'd have to worry about your back feet, Ri. Anyhoo, that's the bad news.

There is an update #3, which I'll reveal later this week. It's neither good nor bad, just "news."

Riley update part 1: The good news

There are a couple of Riley updates -- both good and bad. The bad part is, I hope, water under the bridge, but I'll share it tomorrow. I'm starting with the good news because it's the most recent scoop, and because it reflect my optimism for my boy!

---

With just one month under saddle, Riley participated in his first clinic, with Felicitas Von Neumann (my trainer riding). I was so excited to see Riley go I barely listened to the clinician. Thank goodness for that videotape! You'll have to forgive a few glitches, we're learning the new camcorder.

  I'm so pleased with Riley's progress and with my trainer's sensible, positive approach to bringing him along.  Felicitas gives great advice, and she spoke on one of the common problems starting babies -- steering! The video is below, and for those of you who can't view Youtube here is the Vimeo version.






Off camera Felicitas told me that one of the challenges to training horses is to create the "reward" -- you can't really offer treats in a meaningful way. She believes that horses truly enjoy being energetic, balanced, and tension-free and that when we create a situation when they can move in this way it serves as its own reward. She said she tries to establish the aids as AIDS -- something to help, that the horse appreciates, and not tools for control or punishment. She said if used correctly even the whip can be a positive aid to the horse. She's a fantastic clinician. While her fees are above the norm for this area, I felt she delivered the goods.

"Ooooh, Pick ME, Pick ME!!!!!" [Waves hand wildly]

A year or so ago, attending the World Equestrian Games was my dream. I swore, Scarlett O'Hara-style, that "BYGODIAMMGOINGTOWEG!" Then Riley's surgery drained off my fun-things-fund (and then some).  Last fall, when a friend passed along a signup sheet for a bus trip to WEG, I reluctantly declined. That is, in a rare moment of self-denial I said "no" to spending money on horses.  I said no. But I wasn't happy about it.

Then, lo and behold, a ray of hope!

Purina is sponsoring a contest, Live from Lexington, for someone to blog the Games. The notion leaves me feeling giddy -- going to WEG and actually getting to blog it is a double-whammy of wonderful. I think I'd be good at it -- I really do! Now, how to convince Purina of this?

Here's where I could use your help
Last week I submitted a  writing sample (excerpted below) to the Purina Web site. If I'm chosen as a semi-finalist,  they'll ask the general public to vote for their favorite blogger from June 14 to July 1.

If all my friends and family vote for me I'll have about 13 votes, and that's if I include the cats. It'd be great if my readers -- the ones who have never been subjected to the real-life me -- could cast a vote (or two) my way.  Wish me luck!

clipped from www.livefromlexington.com

Stacey  Kimmel-Smith Bethlehem, PA

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--Why I love dressage--
Dressage is the most cerebral and
psychologically-oriented equestrian discipline -- you can compel a resistant horse to jump a fence, but a horse will not piaffe beautifully unless he *wants* to do it. That's why I love it -- it's a sport that makes the horse a full partner in the journey up the levels.

Dressage is not as unapproachable as many people think it is. My non-horsey husband takes my World Cup dressage videos to the chemical plant where he works. He tells me that janitors, PhD researchers, and sales reps gather around his computer to watch Debbie McDonald and Brentina piaffe to the musical strains of "Brick House."

If there is one thing I'd like to change about our sport (click to read more...)

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Quarter horse dressage: Some nice'uns

I just love the freedom of movement in this QH -- it looks like someone in his pedigree jumped the fence and hooked up with an Arabian, but lets take the author at their word: Quarter horse, about 19 years old. What impresses me most is that the young rider does not look super-experienced. I'd actually like to see him go in a plain snaffle...

Although this is a very different horse and rider, I really like the "flow" in this video. And you don't need to tell me twice that THIS is a Quarter Horse!




And some more cuties...

Quaterback update: May 2010

Well, not too many QB 2010 babies are posted on Youtube yet but there's some nice footage of the youngsters. I particularly love the first video of Quina's tricks. Keep in mind I'm not sure of her breeding. Quaterback is one of the descriptive tags, and she has lovely movement. Send any links you know of, and I'll add them here.

Yearling photos of Quinlan
(Quaterback x Harvard x Akzent II Quinlan CF)
I love the expression in this first picture, that nice soft eye...