MSEDA News

By Susan Harris

Continuing Education is amazing! Last winter I was very fortunate to receive a scholarship form MSEDA.  This scholarship allowed me to attend the outstanding USDF Trainers Conference in Wellington, Florida.  The symposium was with Johann Hinnemann.  He has been the coach for German, Dutch and Canadian Olympic Teams.  He also is a Reitmeister or Master Rider.

Every year the seminar is held at a beautiful farm in the White Fences Equestrian community.  The participants range from 1st level through Gran Prix.  The horses and riders are outstanding!  Each pair has specific issues that are addressed in their sessions.

It is such a wonderful learning experience to sit around and watch these amazing athletes.  It is always good to hear the about new techniques in dealing with training problems and to refresh yourself on the basics.

The following are some of the ideas and exercises I found particularly helpful:

Focus and structure:

1. Saying out loud what you plan to do at each letter.

2. Visualize each movement you plan to do.

3. How should it look - how to prepare to do the movement – finish & evaluate.

Ideas

1. Not to go so deep in corners as to upset the rhythm or cadence.

2. Always shoulder fore.

3. Canter to achieve more activity.

4. Many transitions within the gaits and in lateral exercises.

5. Renew activity – example, medium to collected to medium.

6. Look where you want to go.

7. Clean simple aids and repetition.

I am still excited about the seminar.  Learning so many great exercises and new ideas is wonderful.  I continually refer to the extensive notes that I took during the conference.

In addition to attending the MSEDA Trainers Conference, I went to the USDF Certified Trainers Symposium with featured speaker Shelley Francis. (Shelley and her horse, Doktor were the alternates for the United States in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio).

Shelley gave an overview of her training philosophy.  I loved her simple and quite approach, while maintaining the utmost attention to detail.  We viewed her instructing to several of her students. She also gave a fabulous demonstration on her Grand Prix horse, Danilo.

Fortunately Shelley made room for me to take several weekly lessons the entire time I was in Wellington. My 6 year old horse, Endeavor, who is just starting 3rd level greatly benefited from Shelley’s patient training methods.  Shelley really helped with his overly enthusiastic Flying Changes.

My students benefit every day from the new exercises I learned, my better eye on the ground and the enthusiasm I attained while in Florida.  I appreciate the financial help from MSEDA very much!  Florida 2016 was such a wonderful experience.

Thank you for your sponsorship!

Susan L. Harris

By Sarah E Coleman

This year’s MSEDA at the Park was held on September 9 and 10. Though the show was a bit smaller as many riders has just returned from the American Eventing Championships in Tryon, N.C., and it ran between some United States Dressage Federation Regional Championships.

A total of seven USDF teams competed, with five adult teams and two youth teams.  The results can be found here: http://showsecretary.com/rs.asp?Show_ID=602

The 2017 show dates are September 8-10 at the Kentucky Horse Park. There will be both USDF Youth and Adult team competition once again.

We would love your feedback on the competition!

We look forward to seeing you in 2017!

While choking in humans can be a very violent, noisy affair, choke in horses can present in a very different way.

By Sarah E Coleman

What horses are at risk?

The main cause of choke in horses is a lump of poorly chewed food, though horses can choke on non-food items, as well. These objects are typically rocks or some other item a horse samples, or could be wood if a horse is a cribber.

 Horses that bolt their feed are more at risk for choke than horses that eat more slowly, as they eat as much food as they possibly can as quickly as possible. Additionally, older horses that have bad (or no) teeth are also at higher risk for choke as they have a harder time chewing their food properly.

Horses that eat specific types of feed can also be predisposed to choke: pelleted feeds, in particular, can cause a horse to choke as they are compressed during the processing of the feed, then expand when exposed to moisture, like saliva. 

How to diagnose choke

While not all chokes present the same way, some indications that your horse may be choking include:

• Standing with his neck held straight out and down
  
• Repeatedly trying to swallow (the horse might seem like he is gagging)
  
• Drooling
  
• Saliva and/or food or grass coming out of the horse’s nose
  
• Coughing

How choke is handled

Horses can choke for a variety of reasons, but some of the most common are:

• Anxious about grain meals (there are also many causes of this, but it could be related to having had food withheld from him in the past, being low in the pecking order, etc.)
  
• Not enough saliva
  
• Poor dentition
  
• Complications from EPM (where muscles surrounding the larynx may not work as well and allow food to get trapped
  
• Injury to the esophagus (either from trauma or a tumor)
  

How to prevent choke

There are certain things that can be done to prevent choke. These include:

By Kristen M. Janicki, MS, PAS 

The Mid-South Eventing and Dressage Association welcomed Missy Ransehousen on August 21-22^nd at Masterson Station Park in Lexington, Kentucky.  Missy has made her own mark on the equestrian world through her chosen sport of eventing. Many would view her to have an obvious advantage of growing up with an Olympic legend (her mother, Jessica), but proving herself in this sport has been based on hard work & dedication. When you grow up in the shadow of a three-time Olympian, you work hard, develop your own style, and choose what you love the most:  coaching & eventing!

Photo by Erica Spradling

Saturday's Dressage Lessons

Day one began with individual dressage lessons at the Dressage Complex under cloudy and sometimes rainy skies.  Tiffany Smith and the lovely bay gelding Indigenous Gent (currently competing at the preliminary level) took to the sandbox first.  Missy and Tiffany joked about her horse “assuming the position” in dressage, so they took to challenging him to take his frame outside of his comfort zone.  After a brief warm-up, Missy instructed Tiffany to canter a 20-meter circle in the center of the ring, working on stretching the horse’s head and neck downwards.  Keeping him supple through his jaw will his body to follow suit.  “This horse doesn’t need to be low in his frame but should be through,” Missy said.  

Photo by Kristen Janicki

Then, staying on the circle in that downwards stretch, Tiffany worked on bending him to the outside for several strides, allowing him to straighten and then bending to the inside.  By straightening her upper body, Tiffany brought Indy’s head and neck up.  “If, when you lift, he starts bracing, bring his head and neck back down and ask again,” Missy explained.  She encouraged Tiffany to keep the canter swinging, and, if it starts to feel up and down, push forward for a bigger stride.  

Tiffany Smith. Photo by Kristen Janicki

Tiffany also admitted that riding the corners are a challenge for her, so Missy reminded her to keep her eyes and chest up to prevent the upper body from tipping forward in the corners.  Instead of using her inside lower leg to support and bend the horse’s body, Tiffany should close her inside thigh with steady lower leg contact.  

Beginner novice level riders, like Claire Mulhollem and Anastacia Curwood, worked to create a steady rhythm throughout the three gaits.  At the trot, Missy had them work off the rail and leg yield over on the long side, using their legs and body to move the horse rather than directing with the reins. 

Anastasia Curwood. Photo by Kristen Janicki 

To improve your horse’s walk, Missy suggests stretching your leg downwards and be conscious of your position in the saddle, sitting tall.  If you are wearing spurs, turn your toe outwards keeping your legs long rather than shortening your lower leg position.  Riders should “feel your horse’s hind legs stepping underneath them,” Missy said.

Sunday’s Stadium Jumping 

Beginner Novice

Beginner Novice group, consisting of Sharon Anthony and Claire Mulhollem, worked on creating a steady rhythm to the fences either at a trot or canter and keeping the same rhythm throughout their courses.  For Sharon, Missy wanted her to think about keeping her eyes and chest up with her weight in her heels.  This helped to create better balance over the fence itself.

Photo by Erica Spradling

Claire’s big mare tends to get very enthusiastic about jumping and the key element to controlling that energy included maintaining a steadier canter to the fences.  Staying centered to the fence, especially off of a turn, requires preparation.  Making sure the horse remained on the aids helped Claire prepare for the fence ahead. 

Photo by Erica Spradling

Training

Martha Lambert. Photo by Erica Spradling

Hannah Hubsch and Martha Lambert were up next aboard their mismatched mounts, a tall Thoroughbred and Connemara pony.  For Martha, Missy concentrated on keeping the connection and hind legs moving.  Keeping the horse on the aids and maintaining connection helps the horse balance his body.  If the horse loses balance in the turns, “finesse the reins and use a half halt,” Missy said.

Hannah Hubsch. Photo by Erica Spradling

Missy really challenged Hannah’s position over fences, having her shift her hips more underneath her and forward.  “That way, as you jump, you don’t have to move as much with your body,” she said.

With her tall and lean mount, Missy told Hannah “don’t get in a hurry to get to the jump with a big horse,” especially one with a lot of scope.  Keep the rhythm of the stride you want and close your leg rather than using your upper body to meet a distance.

Novice

It was all about pace and energy for Bridgette Aickelin’s big grey gelding who would rather poke his way around the course.  Missy worked on getting Bridgette to use more power while maintaining the same ground-covering stride, resulting in a steadier smoother round and scopier jumps.

With Megan Lynn, Missy emphasized her position to help Biggin’s jump.  “Don’t throw your shoulders forward, he has to jump up to you”.  Maintaining a firm lower leg in the last stride to the fence helped to keep the stride moving forward.  

Photo credits:  Kristen Janicki (Saturday), Erica Spradling (Sunday).

MSEDA would like to thank Missy Rasehousen for sharing her eventing expertise with all of the horses and riders.  

For more information about MSEDA, go to www.mseda.org

Weed control in pastures can seem futile, especially if you have limited space and resources, but proper pasture management is key to making sure your horse’s get the most nutrition from turnout.

By Sarah E Coleman

We all know that horses can be picky eaters, so it behooves farm managers and owners to eliminate as many weeds as possible in their fields. While it may not be possible to eliminate every weed single weed, in reality you may not want to: some weedy plants provide horse’s with nutrients, as odd as that may seem. In Kentucky, some of the most common non-palatable weeds include curly dock and tall ironweed, but crab grass is readily eaten by most horses.

Thankfully, most horses will not eat poisonous plants unless there is no other forage option available. Here in Kentucky, the most poisonous to horses are horsechestnut, red maple, wild black cherry, Japanese yew, mountain laurel and rhododendron.

Weeds are tough buggers: they tend to be more aggressive than grasses and other desired forages, competing with them for water, light and soil nutrients. If nothing is done to stop them, weeds tend to win and take over entire fields.

Ways to Win the Weed War

Find the agent for your county here.

For more info on herbicides, click here.

By Sarah E Coleman

By now, everyone in the state of Kentucky has heard of the equine neglect case involving Chuck Borell and his daughter Maria, a Breeder’s Cup-winning trainer, who, as of early August, had a warrant out for her arrest. With 43 counts of second-degree animal cruelty against her, she has not yet been served, as she has not returned to Kentucky.

There were 43 horses involved in the case on the 121-acre farm in Mercer County; 28 of the horses in the best physical shape were left on the farm. Eight horses were moved to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s Blackburn Correctional Facility and several others that were not Thoroughbreds were taken in by the Kentucky Horse Park (but are not on Park grounds). Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farms took in two Thoroughbreds.

Though the horses are now being taken care of, those passionate about equine welfare felt that it took much too long for the horse’s health to become a priority. Adding to the confusion, it was clear before the horses were moved to the Mercer County farm that they were being neglected—so how did 43 horses slip through the cracks?

Why Did it Take So Long to get Anything Done?

By Excel Equine Feeds

One of the issues that I hear often from horse owners is that they have trouble keeping weight on one or two horses in the barn.  Most barn managers have had to deal with the finicky eater or hard keeper at least a few times in their lives.  Sometimes horses start to lose weight from being introduced to a more demanding training schedule, stress, bad health care, or they are just picky eaters.  Whatever the reason, there are steps that you can take to get your horse on the right track towards achieving a healthy body condition.

First, make sure you rule out underlying issues that could be keeping your horse from gaining weight.  Poor teeth are a common problem in older horses.  Make sure you are getting your horses’ teeth floated once or twice a year and always do a check yourself to make sure there are not any sharp points on their teeth if you are suspicious that they are experiencing mouth pain.  Also, your worming program needs to be up to date.  Make sure you are giving your horses a wormer that your veterinarian recommends.  This could change based on everyone’s different geographical locations.  Aside from teeth and worming…one of the biggest health issues that could hinder weight gain is ulcers.

Ulcers will cause the horse to have a lack of appetite and be ill tempered due to pain.  This happens more commonly with horses kept in stalls that do not have access to walking around on pasture and grazing for at least a portion of the day.  It is also prevalent in competition horses that experience stress from travel and competing at a high level.

 Make sure that if your horse acts like he or she might have ulcers, to consult your veterinarian and get them on medication to alleviate this.

Also, free choice hay helps greatly with ulcers, and should really be a management practice already in place for all of your horses.  The horse naturally needs consistent fiber going through its digestive system to buffer the gut.  Horses produce acid in the stomach all the time, not just when they eat.  So when their stomach is empty, acid is still present and can cause ulcers if there is not roughage running through digestive system.

So after you have checked into underlying health and management issues and your horses still isn’t gaining weight what can you do?  First, Make sure they have access to fee choice forage.  Also, you can start to add some alfalfa to their forage to increase their caloric intake from a safe source.  Adding Alfalfa will increase their protein intake, which will help with building muscle, and will increase their calorie intake, as it is more energy dense than grass hay.  If a horse will not clean up all of its hay, introducing hay cubes can sometimes work.  Alfalfa is also very palatable, so if you have a picky eater, usually they will take to Alfalfa pretty well.

The last part of adjusting a feeding program is if all of the above mentioned methods do not provide results, start looking into the concentrates being fed.  When selecting a grain, make sure to look for a higher fat product (between 6-10%).  Fat allows for you to add calories without too much volume, which is important for the horse.  Their stomach is small compared to the rest of their digestive system, so food passes through there very quickly.  You do not want the large intestine to get overloaded with undigested starch, because this is what often leads to colic and laminitis.  So by feeding something higher in fat, you lessen the risk of overload because you do not have to feed as much.

 It is like choosing a small handful of nuts over a bowl of cereal…you might be getting the same calories, but in a much different amount!

Adding fat can be in the form of purchasing a higher fat feed or adding rice bran or oil to your horse’s ration.  Remember to add all changes to a horse’s diet slowly as to not upset the microbes in large intestine.  Another good point about feeding added fat is that it often provides a slow burn type of energy that does not cause extra excitability…it can actually improve behavior instead!

Whether you are dealing with a health issue or simply a hard keeper, following these tips and guidelines will help in achieving the desired weight gain. At the end of the day, weight gain is about calorie intake.

 We as horse owners just have to figure out how to get those calories back into your horse and why they might not be enough at the current rate being given.  Make sure to also utilize your feed company’s equine nutritionist and you should be on your way to having a happy and healthy animal that is at a good weight and thriving.

Taking place on Oct. 19 at the Kentucky Horse Park, the Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event and Team Challenge offers a unique format for MSEDA member competitors: the opportunity to ride on a team. Teams are available at the following levels: Beginner Novice, Novice, Training and Preliminary.

Riders interested in riding on a MSEDA team should email Martha Lambert at landsendfarm@hotmail.com and ask to be placed on a team. If the team is not full, they are added to the team roster.

Riders will need to send in their entry and fee (on opening day, by mail) to the show secretary—but the check for their entry fee should be made out for $100 less than the traditional price, as MSEDA will “sponsor” the team.

All MSEDA-sponsored team members get an embroidered ear bonnet and saddle pad.

This is a great way to ride in a team environment and for MSEDA to give back to their members!

While many people think those of us who are horse-obsessed are crazy to ride when it’s so blessedly hot outside, we all know better: the horse world doesn’t stop, whether for heat, rain, cold or wind (or anything in between!). Though riding through August in the Bluegrass can bring its own set of challenges, whether it’s hydration, proper clothing or finding time during the coolest part of the day to ride, we wouldn’t change it for the world.

By Sarah E Coleman

Not all riders have the ability to ride before work before the heat really comes on, whether because of unusual work hours, the distance to the farm or because the farm amenities don’t support riding while it’s dark outside. If you’re forced to ride during the heat of the day, there are some precautions you can take to get the most out of every ride—even if it’s brutally hot outside.

One thing to note, however, is that there are going to be some days that are truly too hot to ride. While none of us like to lose training days, it’s more important that both you and your horse stay safe. Heat stroke—horse and human--is no joke and can have dire consequences.

The National Weather Service says that a heat indices of 102-124 degrees F are “dangerous”--so you should begin to contemplate not riding at all. If the heat index is 125 degrees F or higher, you shouldn’t ride at all, as both you and your horse become at risk for heat stroke, which is where the body loses the ability to regulate its temperature because of excessive heat.

Keeping Your Cool

So if you’re in the “safe” temperature zone to ride, but it’s still uncomfortably hot, consider these tricks to make your hack a bit more comfortable.

• Hack in the woods. It can be up to 20 degrees cooler in the shade, so consider taking your horse out of the ring to walk on shady trails. A long hack, or one that involves hills, can make your horse exert himself physically, making him use his back and hind end, while not having the sun beating down on him.

• 

  Consider investing in clothing that’s made of technical fabrics. While it can seem silly at first to spend in upwards of $60 on a shirt you will get filthy at the farm, there really is something to be said about the wicking properties of the fabrics. More breathable than cotton, they can help keep you cooler; shirts with mesh under the arms also increase airflow. And don’t think you have to buy these shirts at a tack shop—Dicks, Target and even Wal-Mart usually have some clothing options in their athletic wear sections (might be a good excuse to check out the new outlet shops!).

• Wear loose-fitting clothes and consider dampening your shirt before you get on if you’re not ready to take the splurge on a technical riding shirt. While this might not necessarily appropriate for group lessons, if you generally ride by yourself, wetting your shirt before you get on can be a lifesaver. And really, no one will know after about 10 minutes if your shirt is wet from water or sweat!

• Investing in cooling vests and bandanas is also an option, though they, too, will wet the shirt you’re wearing. While helpful, they may warm up before you ride is over if you’re hacking for a longer period of time.

• Purchase smaller summer wardrobe upgrades. While new, lighter-weight breeches may not be in your budget right this second, you can purchase breathable summer socks and even lighter-weight gloves to help get you through the dog days of summer.

• Consider a vented helmet, if you’re in the market to buy a new one. While traditional black velvet caps are always in style, you’ll be amazed at how much cooler your head is if you wear a vented variety. If a new helmet isn’t in your budget, contemplate purchasing a helmet visor to keep the sun from beating on your face and chest.

• Wearing lighter-colored clothing can help keep you at least a few degrees cooler, so be a bit picky about what you wear to the barn for a ride.

• Take water to the arena with you and be sure to sip it while you take walk breaks. While many sports drinks tout their hydrating properties, some of them are so sugary as to make you feel sick if you guzzle it while overly hot. Cut these drinks with straight water or a flavored water to dilute some of the sweetness.

• Consider adding fruit to your barn diet if you can’t seem to drink enough water. Watermelons, peaches and even cucumbers will help you stay hydrated during hot days.

• Turn on the sprinkler system in your arena while you ride, if your horse is quiet. It’s sure to make you feel like a kid again!

• Place a personal misting fan near your water and use it when you take walk and water breaks. These tiny-but-mighty tools may also help your steed stay cool.

• Place a bucket full of cold water and old towels on the side of the arena. Pull one out (don’t wring it out) and place it over your horses neck as he takes a breather. Swipe of the excess water with your hand before you go back to work.

While there are many options to help keep your cool, there’s bound to be some days where it’s just too hot to ride. Chilling out in front of a fan with your horse isn’t a wasted day—it’s simply more time for you to bond.

It can seem a bit daunting to ride under a Big Name Trainer whom you don’t know, but clinics are wonderful ways to get a new set of eyes on your riding and add additional insight into ways to make your horse even better. 

By Sarah E Coleman

We all have equestrian idols, those we admire for their partnership with their horse, the way they get the job done and even the grace with which they accept a less-than-stellar outcome at a horse show or event.

Lucky for us, many of these equestrian superstars offer clinics as a way to supplement their training and riding income and as a way to give back to the equestrian community. If you’ve never given a second thought to riding in a clinic, now is the time to rethink your decision.

Erin Strader