MSEDA News

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Mary Fike
MSEDA Organizer
hmf@iglou.com
859 621 2479

December 10, 2017 – Lexington, KY – The MidSouth Eventing and Dressage Association (MSEDA) hosted eventing great David O’Connor as part of their year-end awards banquet and educational forum on December 2 and 3, 2017. An international rider and coach, O’Connor’s overarching theme through both the classroom and demonstration settings was that all training, whether dressage, showjumping or cross-country, should be done with the horse’s perspective in mind.

Beginning at the Lexington Hilton Downtown, O’Connor offered insight into the sport of eventing and its evolution, as well as explaining his thoughts on where the discipline is now and where it is poised to go. Saturday’s afternoon session walked attendees through the general theory behind how he develops horses and riders, and the basic skills he feels are essential for eventing success.

Photo by Smith Equine Media, LLC

Lexington-based MSEDA member Kristen Brennan attended the educational sessions on Saturday and was thankful to hear O’Connor emphasize the importance of the “lower level” rider in eventing. “I really appreciate that,” she explained. “At the end of the day, the working amateurs and juniors, and parents of juniors, who are riding at Prelim and below are who are supporting the majority of our events. Just because you don’t have Olympic aspirations doesn’t mean you aren’t important to the sport.”

Sunday brought seminar attendees to the beautiful Valley View Farm in Midway, Ky. Riders in Beginner Novice, Novice, Training and Preliminary rode under David’s watchful eye as he kept the audience engaged and learning throughout the day.

Chelsea Smith of Paris, Ky., appreciated that David focused on the greener horses and how to get them going properly in the Beginner Novice group. “The Training group had more-experienced riders and he focused more on the horses, which was neat. So often clinic focus solely on the rider, so it was great to focus on the horse and discuss what makes a horse better-suited for the job,” she explained.

Photo by Smith Equine Media, LLC

Chelsea’s favorite takeaways from Sunday included that “O’Connor stated several times that riders need to work more in forward seat—even in dressage. With each group, he commented on rider position and he wanted to be sure that the rider’s shoulders are parallel to the horse’s shoulders and that the rider’s hips are parallel to the horse’s hips--it’s the rider’s job is to become part of the horse’s motion.”

MSEDA is thankful for the ongoing support of O’Connor, who focuses on bettering both horse and rider athletes through safe, systematic training.

Learn more about MSEDA, how to become a member, upcoming shows and events and more at mseda.org

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The MidSouth Eventing and Dressage Association promotes and preserves the sports of eventing and dressage in the Mid-South area by providing leadership and education to its members and to the community at large. To further these goals, MSEDA will provide educational opportunities, host and sanction fair and safe competitions, promote the welfare of the horse and rider, and reward the pursuit of excellence from the grassroots to the FEI level. Mseda.org

By Kristen M Brennan, PhD, Alltech Inc.

Whether it is human or equine, nutrition can be confusing. Many horse owners never really think about nutrition past “my horse gets a scoop” and if their horse is fat or thin. But you do not have to have a PhD to understand the basics of nutrition. In this series, I aim to demystify equine nutrition for horse owners.

Dr. Kristen Brennan and Marcus

The Equine Gastrointestinal Tract

Before we can cover how to understand nutrition to properly feed your horse, we need to review the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract anatomy of the horse. The digestive anatomy of horse dictates how we should feed them and why their ideal diets are so different from our own. Horses are true herbivores, meaning they consume plant fibers to meet their daily energy requirements.  They are what are considered a hind gut fermenter, meaning they have the capability in their lower gastrointestinal tract to break down tough fibers found in plants to get the nutrients they need.

Digestion begins in the horse’s mouth. Horses chew, or masticate, and feed is mixed with saliva forming soft boluses. Saliva acts as a buffer for the acidic environment of the stomach and contains small amounts of enzymes that aid in the breakdown of feed. From the mouth, feed travels down the esophagus into the stomach. Because horses lack a two-way valve between the stomach and the esophagus, they have little reflux ability making their digestive tract a one-way street at this point. As horses had evolved to graze continuously eating small amounts throughout the day, the total volume of the stomach is small (about 10% of the total digestive tract) and feed only remains in it for a short period of time. While in the stomach, feed mixes with acid and pepsin, an enzyme that breaks down proteins into smaller pieces, to start the digestion process.

From the stomach, feed passes to the small intestine where most of the nutrients in the feed are digested and absorbed.  Through the help of digestive enzymes, proteins are broken down into amino acids, fats are broken down into smaller lipid molecules, and sugars and starches are broken down to glucose. After breakdown occurs, these products (along with most minerals and vitamins) are absorbed through the intestinal wall into the blood stream to be used by the cells of the body.

The remaining digesta moves to the cecum. The cecum serves as a large fermentation chamber, allowing the horse to breakdown plant fibers with the help of bacteria and other microbes that populate the cecum. The microbes take plant fibers and synthesize nutrients such as vitamins and fatty acids which are then absorbed through the cecal wall. After the cecum, feed continues microbial digestion in the large colon. Here water, fatty acid products from the microbial digestion, and some minerals are absorbed.  The remaining digesta, containing what can’t be digested or absorbed by the horse, passes to the small colon and rectum where water is absorbed and fecal matter is formed.

What is a Nutrient?

The next question you may ask is what is a nutrient? Simply defined, a nutrient is a component in food or feed that is necessary to support life. We can break nutrients down into two major classifications: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are those that are required in higher levels in the diet and for horses, these include water, protein, and energy sources (carbohydrates and fats). Micronutrients are those that are required in small, or even trace, amounts such as vitamins and minerals.

In the next part of this series, we will cover what each of these nutrients are, why they are necessary and what feedstuffs are sources for each.

It’s finally here! The MSEDA Annual Meeting and Banquet has arrived! If you haven’t bought your tickets yet for the banquet or the demonstration this weekend, fear not! There’s still time.

By Sarah E. Coleman

A Kickoff to a Fun-filled Weekend

This educational and fun-filled weekend will begin with the MSEDA business meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 at the Lexington Hilton Downtown; this meeting is open to all MSEDA members. Next up is real talk on the state of eventing by legendary international event rider David O’Connor. After lunch, David will return and speak on the systematic training of the event horse and rider. His insight and knowledge on the sport of eventing is beyond measure; we hope you make it out to listen to this icon in person!

Rounding out the evening will be a fantastic dinner, silent auction and awards banquet, with music provided by local (fantastic!) band The Fever. After watching and awesome photo slide show and recognizing those of you who work and play so very hard, we expect everyone to strap on their dancing shoes and really let loose!

It’s important to recognize the people and entities that have made this fun-filled weekend possible. They include:

• Awards Program Sponsor: Kentucky Performance Products
  
• Drinks and Dancing Sponsor: Excel Equine
  
• Gold Medal Sponsor: Original Depler
  
• Silver Medal Sponsor: Indian Hill Equestrian Club
  
•  Bronze Medal Sponsor: Holmestead Stables and Dr. Bryan Fraley

Additional Sponsors:

• Kevin Donahoe Horseshoeing
  
• Lebanon Equine Clinic
  
• Foxwood Equine Sports Medicine
  
• Northrop Equine Veterinary Care
  
• Dr. Nancy Adams
  
• Stacey Monroe Horse Massage
  
• Bannon Woods Equine Hospital
  
• Robert Spencer Equine Podiatry Services

Sunday Funday

The education and fun continue on Sunday, as MSEDA members are welcomed to the beautiful Valley View Farm in Midway, Ky., for a demonstration of riders and horses with David O’Connor. With sessions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., David will cover required skill sets at all levels of competition. 

Come Play

This entire weekend is dedicated to celebrating YOU, the MSEDA members who make all of this not only possible, but deeply fulfilling. This weekend we celebrate not only your accomplishments and goals as riders, but your deep knowledge of and respect for our disciplines, the horses, and each other. Here’s to a wonderful weekend!

Click here for more information.

Winters can be long and ugly, especially if you have limited riding space (no ring) or limited time—and no lights. It’s also quite easy to get disenchanted when you take a look at the long-term weather forecast and see that you MAY get to ride once this week and then …. Well, the weather doesn’t really go that far into the future to know when you can ride again.

By Sarah E. Coleman

If your horse is spending more time in his stall this time of year (or even if he lives out and his riding hours are limited), it can be worthwhile to offer him some things to do to while the weather outside is frightful. Recent studies have shown that enriching your horse’s environment can lead to many positives, among them the reduction in stereotypies like cribbing and weaving, but also allowing them an outlet for their energy.

These studies have also shown that horses who have enriched stall environments also are less fearful of new objects and people and the same horses express less defensive behavior. 

Suggestions for Enrichment

Eventer Alison Wilaby made big waves this year at the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover, where she won the Dressage division and placed second in the Eventing Division on Chapter Two, a 2012 gelding by More Than Ready. “Deuce” was bred in Kentucky by My Meadowview LLC and last raced at Turfway Park; he had 15 lifetime starts with $71,952 in earnings before partnering with Ali to take the Makeover by storm. 

By Sarah E. Coleman

A Kentucky Transplant

Contact:
Mary Fike
MSEDA Organizer
hmf@iglou.com
859 621 2479

Eventing Superstar David O’Connor to Offer Educational Opportunities in the Bluegrass

October 16, 2017 – Lexington, KY – the MidSouth Eventing and Dressage Association (MSEDA) will welcome eventing great David O’Connor to the Bluegrass as part of the year-end awards banquet and educational forum on December 2 and 3, 2017.

Beginning at the Lexington Hilton Downtown, O’Connor will offer insight into the sport of eventing on Saturday, Dec. 2. During the morning session, he will take an overarching view of where the discipline is now and where it is poised to go. Saturday’s afternoon session will cover O’Connor’s training system of both horse and rider.

O’Connor is uniquely qualified to offer an educational symposium of this caliber; he competed in two Olympic Games, a Pan American Games and a World Equestrian Games before transitioning to the administrative side of international eventing. He has held top coaching roles for both the United States and Canadian eventing teams, and was the President of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) from 2004 to 2012. Additionally, O’Connor was inducted into the United States Eventing Association (USEA) Hall of Fame in 2009. 

On Saturday evening, attendees of the educational forum are invited to stay for the ever-popular MSEDA Year-end Awards Banquet, which will be emceed by O’Connor. Open to all equine enthusiasts, the evening promises to be a good time, with delicious food, a live band and a member video.

On Sunday, horse-and-rider pairs of all skill levels will clinic in front of O’Connor’s watchful eye at Valley View Farm in Midway, Ky. O’Connor will focus on the skill set required of both horse and rider at the different levels, breaking down the theories into easy-to-understand concepts.

The entire weekend will be focused bettering athletes, both horses and riders, and celebrating their success in the show ring.

The registration fee is $60 per person for the two days. For more information, please click here.

Click here to register online

Volunteer opportunities for MSEDA members abound. Each month, we will feature an opportunity for members to obtain volunteer hours and help put on a successful, MSEDA-sanctioned show.

By Sarah E. Coleman

Date and Time: Tuesday, October 17 through  Sunday, October 22. 

Tuesday – In-barn inspections for the CCI* and three-day competitors
Wednesday - Jogs for the CCI* and three-day competitors (this is always something fun to watch if you are in the Lexington area in the afternoon!) 
Thursday - Dressage CCI*
Friday - Dressage three-day and OP competitors, XC CCI*, SJ OP
Saturday - Second Jog CCI*, XC three-day and OP riders, Dressage for the rest of the HT's, and CCI* show jumping
Sunday - Second Jog three-day competitors, XC ON and OBN, and SJ for three-day riders and OT

As you can tell, it takes an absolute village to run this event on schedule! 

Event History: The oldest team eventing competition in the United States, the MidSouth Three-Day Event and Team Challenge will feature multiple divisions recognized by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). The showcase division is the Hagyard MidSouth CCI*, which has been designated as the USEF National One-Star Three-Day Event Championships and will run in the traditional long format, which includes both the roads and tracks and steeplechase phases.

 While participants in the Hagyard/Midsouth CCI* face the most demanding courses, the hallmark competitions of the show are the team events, which are offered at the novice, training and preliminary levels. Over 400 riders will compete at the Hagyard MidSouth Three-Day Event and Team Challenge. Most of these riders will be part of a four-member team. Scores of all team members will be combined and prizes awarded to high-scoring teams. Individual awards are also given.

The MidSouth Eventing and Dressage Association (MSEDA) and the Michigan Combined Training Association conceived of the event began more than 20 years ago as a friendly competition among teams from regional combined training associations. With just a handful of entries, volunteers organized the event from beginning to end. Eventually, MSEDA took full control of the show and it has become a substantial fundraiser.

The show has become a highlight of fall eventing schedules. Riders from all 50 states and 10 countries have tested their competitive mettle at the MidSouth Three-Day Event and Team Challenge; we look forward to welcoming competitors back this October!

Volunteer opportunities before the event:
Stall cards will be placed on Monday morning, and with over 500 stalls, we can definitely use an extra hand or two. Dressage rings need to be set by Wednesday, and the jog lanes need to be decorated. 

Volunteer Opportunities during the event:
We can use hands everywhere, please please please volunteer! Lynn Davis is our wonderful volunteer coordinator; she can be reached at lynndavis@twc.com. She can put anyone to work, riders (yes, we can work around your ride times), husbands, boyfriends, parents, kids, etc. This is a great way to get the people in your life involved. 

Volunteer opportunities at the conclusion of the event:
Cross-country jumps need to be stripped and put away, dressage rings need to be put up and organized, we always love seeing how awesome our event was on different outlets. Thank you notes are always a great add. 

Who should a potential volunteer contact to either learn more or sign up? 
Please contact Lynn Davis, lynndavis@twc.com. She is a superstar and needs all the help we can get. We have over 500 riders at this event, and we have lots of moving parts. Please pitch in and do your part. 

What should volunteers know? 
It's October in Kentucky. It could very easily be 90 degrees or it can snow, so please dress appropriately: boots, rain clothes, extra layers, etc. We will provide all volunteers with snacks and lunch. 

Please, please: If you volunteer, please honor your commitment. We are counting on you to be at your assigned post. 

MSEDA had a strong representation at the 2017 Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover, with members competing in eventing, field hunter and dressage.

By Sarah E. Coleman 

Over 500 horses headed to the Bluegrass to compete in the Retired Racehorse Project’s $100,000 Thoroughbred Makeover, which took place Oct. 5-8 at the Kentucky Horse Park. Designed to increase the demand for off-track Thoroughbreds, the competition highlights horses in second careers (some that seem more unusual for retired racehorses) and showcases the versatility of the breed.

Horses at the Makeover could be entered in one or two of 10 disciplines: barrel racing, competitive trail, dressage, eventing, field hunter, freestyle, polo, show hunter, show jumper and working ranch.

Each horse that competed in the Makeover was required to have the following:

Two MSEDA members had horses competing at the Makeover: Mandy (Alexander) Weissmann and Jeannine Buhse. 

Mandy Weissmann and Mister Mardi Gras

Mandy competed her gelding, Mister Mardi Gras, in both Field Hunter and Eventing disciplines. Mister Mardi Gras is by Belong to Me and out of Miss Marta, and was bred by Lothebach Stables. “Krewe” as he is affectionately named, earned over $1 million -- $1,194,027 to be exact -- in 58 starts with 11 wins.  Trained by Chris Block, Krewe’s last race was on Sept. 3, 2016, at Arlington Park.

Leading the Field Hunters after the first day of competition, Mandy was asked to go on a mock hunt with Krewe, complete with hounds in the steeplechase infield, then asked to jump a  cross-country course individually; the course included crossing water, and opening and closing a gate. The individual test also included a hand gallop to a halt. Mandy truly went for it, opening Krewe up into a full gallop (the first since she had gotten him) and then coming to a (tough!) halt at the judge’s stand.

Mandy ended up reserve out of 31 entries in the Field Hunter division and 67^th out of 97 entries in Eventing. Krewe was also the winningest former racehorse of all entries at the 2017 Makeover.  

Jeannine Marie Buhse and Rockport Jewel

Rockport Jewell is a 2010 Iowa-bred mare who raced 30 times, mostly at Prairie Meadows in Iowa. She raced for four years, earning $74,039, with her last start in August of 2015. Pulled from a kill pen in February of 2016, the mare’s bad luck continued, with a bout of bad colic, an infection in her IV and then multiple hoof abscesses that prevented her from getting any real training before Jeannine went to see her in September.

For some reason, Jeannine connected with the mare, bringing her home to Louisville to be a trail partner—the Makeover was not even on her radar! But the trails would have to wait as Jewell’s bad luck continued—her entire sole came off from a very bad sub-solar abscess. With time, rehab, patience, phenomenal vets and farriers, and TLC, the mare went sound and she and Jeannine deepened their bond.

Learning that the mare was still eligible for the 2017 Makeover, Jeannine thought she would aim her for the Competitive Trail division, but Jewell (now named “Good Juju”) really enjoyed jumping, so Jeannine entered her in the Eventing and Dressage divisions. They completed in Eventing (and were tied for the highest score in cross-country) and finished solidly in the middle of the pack in Dressage.

More MSEDA Members in the Makeover

Three additional MSEDA members competed at the Makeover:
Nick Larkin rode Loves Not Fair (known as Lebron) in the Eventing portion of the Makeover for a fantastic fourth-place finish. The Makeover was Lebron’s first show (!!) and he earned the highest score on cross-country out of the 90-plus Thoroughbreds competing. (Did you notice that BOTH the tied high scores on XC were MSEDA members?!).

Ali Wilaby finished with a WIN in Dressage and a second-place finish in Eventing on the 2012 gelding Chapter Two. Chapter Two is by More Than Ready and was bred in Kentucky by My Meadowview LLC. His last race was at Turfway Park, and he had 15 lifetime starts with $71,952 in earnings. We will hear more from Ali in an upcoming MSEDA issue.

Whitney Morris brought two horses to this year’s Makeover: Bad Boy Rocket whom she showed in Dressage and Flying Candy Ride, whom she showed in Eventing. Rocket is a 2012 model by Mineshaft who was bred by Glencrest Farm LLC and Kempton Bloodstock LLC. He sold at auction for $475,000 and went on to win $19,640 in two starts. His last start was at Remington Park. Flying Candy Ride is by Candy Ride and was bred by Martin Wygod and Herman Sarkowsky. He made 16 starts, winning $23,946 and he last raced at Turfway park.

Whitney finished 24^th in dressage with Bad Boy Rocket.

Congrats to Mandy, Jeannine and all MSEDA members on their stellar performances at the 2017 Thoroughbred Makeover!

Interested in competing in the Makeover in 2018? Learn more here: www.retiredracehorseproject.org

Looking for a way to make your competition partner return to the ring faster after an injury or for a way to keep your old campaigner more comfortable? Magna Wave PEMF therapy may be the perfect solution for both equines. 

By Sarah E. Coleman

Pulsed Electro Magnetic Field Therapy (PEMF), also commonly called Magna Wave, is relatively new on the equine scene. Magna Wave is one company that manufacturers PEMF machines, and is one of the most common on the market.

“PEMF works on a cellular level to energize ions with increased oxygenation,” explains Emma Lyster of Lyster Equine Therapy in Paris, Ky., “This also pushes out toxins as the cell walls are made more permeable. It makes a significant increase of circulation to help get the blood moving and to reduce clumping of red blood cells, which causes inflammation and bruising.”

What Horses Benefit from Magna Wave?

Volunteer opportunities for MSEDA members abound. Each month, we will feature an opportunity for members to obtain volunteer hours and help put on a successful, MSEDA-sanctioned show.

By Sarah E. Coleman

Date and time: September 29-October 1 at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Event history: Jump Start Horse Trials is the only annual fundraiser for Keeneland Pony Club.

 Volunteer opportunities before the event: 

Volunteer opportunities during the event:

What should volunteers know?
Volunteers should wear appropriate footwear for working outside (not flipflops!) and bring raingear. Jump Start will provide lunch and snacks, and drinks all day, as well as a T-shirt.

For more information or to sign up for a volunteer time, please contact Jennifer Madden or Sally Lockhart.