Issue 2 • 2017
CONTENTS Issue #2. 2017
On the cover: Eugene and Renee Norris at the Swanton Pacific in 2008. Photo by Lynne Glazer Imagery, www.photo.lynnesite.com
WHOA Putting Pieces of the Puzzle Together:
Part 1
By popular demand, professional trainer Jessica Cole addresses the concept of relaxation as a fundamental building block to getting the best from your horse.
By Jessica Cole Managing Your Horse’s Teeth Horses do a substantial amount of growing up in a fairly short amount of time, and here are some common concerns on managing deciduous, canine, and wolf teeth in young horses.
By Lynn Caldwell, D.V.M. A Story of A Love Being Gone But Not Lost Veterinarians were able to use the ovaries of a beloved mare to obtain three foals using a rare procedure called in vitro maturation
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By Mikayla Boge
IN EVERY ISSUE 8 Corporate Partners 10 President’s Letter 12 EVP Letter 16 Jibbah Jabber 18 Praiseworthy/Achievement Awards 20 AHYA 30 3 FAVES: John Ryan 54 AHA Listings 61 Advertisers Index 63 FOCUS Life 4
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IMPACT Arabian Horse Ambassador Oration++++// Changing the perception of Arabian horses in the open world is a challenge that this beautiful bay stallion has achieved, becoming a Breyer model in the process.
By Peggy Ingles High Point HOTY a Catalyst to Victory for Adult Amateur and Youth Winners AHA’s annual awards based on Achievement Award points went to Have Enough++++//, his owner and breeder Laura Gordon, and Raven Gropp.
By Linda Carroll Curzon++++//: A Once-In-A-Lifetime Horse Half-Arabian, Curzon++++// is the AHA 2016 Open Competition Award winner for his accomplishments against horses of all breeds in open competitions but it’s his willingness, attitude and personality that have created a bond between horse and owner.
By Sarah Evers Conrad
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GET INVOLVED Reboot Your Endurance Experience Tired of the same old same old endurance workout? Here are some tips from Lisa Schneider to keep your riding fresh. Also, some suggestions on progressive conditioning from Jean Vero, DVM, Chair of the AERC Veterinary Committee.
HERITAGE Mares of Distinction The dream of breeding a national champion is often among the goals for a resulting foal, and some mares have delivered just that over and over again.
By Tiffany Meites, Ph.D.
THE NOW Legendary Breeder Judith Forbis
Chronicles Role of Ansata Hejazi in Restoring Arabian Breeding in Kuwait
During the first Gulf War, the Arabian studs of Kuwait were decimated and one special stallion helped resurrect their breeding program.
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Wanted: Volunteers at Every Level Giving back is essential to our success and often personally rewarding
DEAR MEMBERS: We are now on our second issue of the magazine and one of the interesting feedbacks we have received is how members want to tell us about their experiences with their horses, how much they enjoy and love them, how proud they are to own Arabians and how eager they are to share their horses with others. If our new magazine, Arabian Horse Life, helps us create a dialogue with our members then we will have succeeded in developing a true tool for interactive communication with you. Keep the communications about your experiences coming! Spring is blooming and with Spring come the new foals, events and activities. It is wonderful to see the photos of the new foals and thanks to 2017 technology, we all are able to share in the joy and beauty of these wonders of nature. I compare it to the technical equivalent to having a foal-watching party. Just as technology has enabled people to share the excitement of a new foal, horse show successes, and trail-riding beauty. I would like to discuss another, less technically advanced idea to allow friends to share their love of Arabian Horses, volunteering. The definition of a volunteer is “A person who voluntarily offers him/herself for a service or undertaking.” Everyone says they have the best volunteers, and I am going to sing the praises of ours. We have dedicated, hardworking people who are second to none. Our Arabian Horse Association, the regions and clubs are made up of truly great people, and we can only function successfully thanks to the timeless efforts of our volunteers. Our tireless Commissions, Committees and the Board have many things in common, but one of the main basic items is — you guessed it — they are volunteers. They give of their time to make things better for all of us. We have volunteers, like Allan Ehrlick, who spends his Scottsdale time securing much needed Patrons for our National shows. Or Debbie Himmel and her youth 6
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committee who attend the National Shows, the AHYA Board meetings and convention, many times on their own dime, to mentor our youth and the next generation of Arabian horse owners and members. Or the Horseman’s Distress Fund members who have created a program that is like nothing else anywhere and that no other breed has. These people help others who they may not know but that will surely benefit from their selfless undertakings. The list of volunteers would take over this magazine because it is so long, and every single one of those people is important to the success of our Association at all levels. Recently our AHA Board members were all in Denver for a series of meetings, the AHA Board meeting, the Competition Advisory meeting and the subsequent Board of Directors caucus. The caucus resulted in some spirited discussions and great ideas to move the Regions forward cohesively and successfully. With Spring, there will be many events that will need helpers. Horse shows, distance rides, equestrian-focused seminars and clinics will be occurring most every weekend and will need help. When a person offers help, I sincerely believe that you get more back than you give. In addition to spending time with our beloved horses, you get to meet and enjoy the stories of horsemen that have made AHA the premier breed association that it has become. You don’t have to own a horse to be able to help out with our Arabian horse-related events. I challenge you all to contact your Regional Director, or one of your local clubs, and give a day or even a few hours to help them with their events. I promise you that the memories you will take away from your time as a volunteer will stay with you for a lifetime. Sincerely,
Nancy Harvey AHA President nancy.harvey@arabianhorses.org
Arabian Horse Association
CORPORATE PARTNERS AHA Corporate Partners support expanded opportunities for all who participate in Arabian horse activities. AHA would like to thank our 2016 Corporate Partners. By purchasing products and services provided by these companies you are supporting the horse you love—the Arabian!
www.arctrophy.com
www.adequan.com
www.arabian-horse-global-network.com www.thehatlady.com
www.arabianhorseinsurance.com
Corporate Sponsors www.trailswesttrailers.com
www.bennettfinejewelry.com
www.farmvet.com
www.friersonssuits.com
www.montanasilversmiths.com
www.showseason.com
www.visittulsa.com
www.arabianresults.com
Affinity Partners
WWW.ARABIANHORSES.ORG/AFFINITYPARTNERS For more information, please contact: Arabian Horse Association • 10805 East Bethany Drive Aurora, CO 80014 • 303.696.4500 • 303.696.4599 fax ArabianHorses.org • info@ArabianHorses.org
FROM THE EVP
The Work of AHA DEAR MEMBERS: About 8 years ago I wrote my letter to our then Modern Arabian Horse magazine on the inner structure and workings of AHA. Our membership has turned over extensively since then so I felt it would be timely to revisit the inner workings of AHA trying to answer how “Denver” works. There are basically eight departments: Accounting, Competitions, National Events, Customer Service, IT, Judges and Stewards, Marketing, and Executive. The most public of these departments, with which the membership interacts with the most, are Competitions, Customer Service, Judges and Stewards, and Marketing. The National Events Department provides staff support for the U.S. Nationals, Youth Nationals, Canadian Nationals, Sport Horse Nationals and Distance Nationals. Support comes in the form of working with the show commissions in year-long planning, National Events Omnibus, operating the show office, and working with commercial exhibitors. The Competitions Department conducts other AHA programs and events, including the Arabian Breeders Sweepstakes, Halter & Performance Futurities, Achievement Awards, three different dressage programs, support for national event entries, and many more. The Endurance and Competitive Riding Program, which also includes recreational riding, operates out of this department. They recognize and enter results for 392 competitions, handle approximately 12,250 calls and answer over 6,000 competition and program related emails. In addition, the Competitions Department develops the content for the AHA Handbook and formats, proofs and posts AHA Resolutions. Members of the Customer Service Department work as a team to assist members and Arabian, Half Arabian and Anglo-Arabian enthusiasts with registrations, transfers of ownership, memberships, website navigation, convention registration, racing, overall education, and more. They travel to competitions and equine events to provide the same services and outreach into communities, thus promoting the Arabian breed. Our breed Registrar directs the Customer Service Department. The phone rings about 55,000 times per year and about 26,000 e-mails are answered per year. The Marketing and Sales Department is responsible for breed promotion activities. Under the marketing umbrella are five divisions: Communications, which is responsible for public relations, media relations, and the PR Network Program; Product Marketing, which is responsible for promotion of AHA programs such as breed awareness advertising, management and production of AHA’s annual convention, ArabDataSource, Discovery Farms, as well as other activities and programs; the Marketing Publications Group, which produces hundreds of pieces of AHA marketing materials, show programs, the National Events Omnibus, the AHA Handbook and the new Arabian Horse Life magazine; Corporate Alliances, which is responsible for cash and in-kind corporate partnerships and sponsorships; and Youth Programs, which serves our youth as well as the management and promotional needs of the Arabian Horse Youth Association. The Judges and Stewards Commissioner’s office houses two staff members and functions as its own department. The office not only works with the licensing, education, and evaluation of 281 judges and, in conjunction with USEF, with 131 stewards, but it also contracts with 57 judges and 18 stewards and Technical Delegates (TDs) for our four national championship shows. The 8
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office assists and facilitates the functions of the Education/Evaluation Commission regarding judges, the Judges and Stewards Selection Committee, the Judges and Stewards Steering Committee and the Commissioner’s Review Panel, which deals with the process of handling complaints of improper conduct by judges and stewards. Our Judges and Stewards Commissioner serves on both the USEF Licensed Officials Committee (LOC) and has just been named as chair of an LOC ad hoc committee to restructure the LOC. A less public department is the Business Technology (IT) Department, which technically assists all the other departments. We have 18 servers, 68 PCs and laptops, firewalls, switches and wireless routers that support hundreds of different applications used by accounting, the AHA website, membership, registration, competitions, DataSource and sweepstakes/futurities. Because several staff members are long-time AHA employees, they also provide deep historical knowledge of the data and systems that keep the organization humming. There are seven year-round employees of this department keeping our highly technical systems working smoothly. The group is fully involved in the Future State project, where we are migrating our older database based applications to a new website centric system while changing our processes to meet our new business rules. The Accounting Department tracks and manages our money, much of it in small amounts. As a result, in 2016, AHA issued 52,400 invoices. There are six people in the department — an accounts payable person, an accounts receivable person, 2 accountants, Accounting Supervisor, and Controller. Not only is our cash flow closely monitored (we write about 10,000 checks per year too), but funds for 2,500 Sweepstakes checks plus Futurities funds are closely managed. Accounting performs all the normal accounting and audit controls that a small corporation of our size would be expected to perform and tracks all the purchasing done by departments, commissions, committees, etc. Human Resources and Office Services is an arm of the Executive department, which manages and serves the employees of AHA. Employee benefits and payroll are coordinated by HR while Office and Building Services operate the mail room, which received 60,986 pieces of mail and processes 181,933 pieces of outgoing mail annually at last count. AHA also makes use of an off-site warehouse and a smaller in-building warehouse. Presently AHA has 45 employees. During 1999 IAHA and the Registry had 103 employees collectively. The Executive Department manages the overall operation of the Association. With the assistance of my Executive Assistant, Joleen White, who has been with the Association for 39 years, the Executive Department oversees the workings of AHA including facilitating the work of AHA’s Board and Executive Committee. And by the way, Joleen shares her longevity with the Association with Jenelle Fleming, who also has 39 years of service in our BT Department. I both appreciate and respect the work our employees do. They love the Association and the Arabian horse. About half our employees drive about 40 miles one way each day to work. Dedication is the word I would use to describe YOUR staff. I wish each of you had the opportunity I have had to get to know them and understand the work they perform. Our front door is always open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Visitors are always welcome. Sincerely, Glenn T. Petty Executive Vice President, Glenn.Petty@ArabianHorses.org
My thr in my bee favorite thin horses, arn (other tha gs giant baobviously) aren my my stas g of horse tre my that he h of hand warats, Michigalps me get thromers our bar n winters, and ugh gets rid n cat, Ziggy. Z on ever of mice and siiggy winter yone’s lap in t ts to warm he them up . ~ Rache l e C a t e Region Grosse 13 Director Ile, Mic higan
Dates and D
eadlines
March 10-12 April 1 – Ara
– AHYA Boar
d Meeting
bian Horse F
Scholarship
oundation
Application Due n Horse Mon th June 1 – AH YA Conventi on Eligibility D eadline June 15 – AH YA Officer C andidate Application s Due July 20 – AH YA Board M eeting July 21 – AH YA Conventi on July 22-29 – Youth Natio nals, Oklahoma C ity, OK May – Arabia
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ip Opoundation Scho h s r rse F hola
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Why come t
o AHYA Con
vention?
•Meet those leading AHY A and vote fo leadership r new •Learn abou t what is ha ppening wit •Meet new h AHYA friends •Gain leade rship skills
faves Freedman World Cup Super Grip Saddle This is my favorite Saddle of all time. It is a very close contact saddle and makes you feel as if you are one with the horse.
EQyss Grooming Products Leave On Spray This is a conditioning spray that is a very good conditioner. It is very light and not oily leaving a very clean look. It combines extract of avocado and aloe vera to condition and prevent hair breakage. (It contains no oils, silicones, waxes or synthetic polymers. This anti-static, nontoxic, alcohol-free formula can be used on wet or dry coats. It has a green apple scent.)
Kevin Bacon Hoof Dressing Ointment of Laurel This is a hoof dressing we have been using for several years. It seals the pads to keep them from absorbing too much moisture and promotes healthy hoof growth. (This hoof dressing is a 100 percent natural product made from animal fat and fresh laurel leaves that have been macerated to release their active substances.)
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Howard Schatzberg
whoa
By John Ryan A section covering products used by our national level trainers in the Arabian horse community.
REBOOT your Endurance Experience
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get involved
By Lisa Schneider Photography by Lynne Glazer
I
saw a bumper sticker recently which read, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.” If what you’re doing is working well for you and your horse, then by all means, keep at it. However, if you are not getting the results you want, or your training (or horse) has gotten stale and boring, then it’s time to shake things up a bit. Changing up your riding routine can be motivating and can make all the difference in the world to both of you. Chances are good that if you’re bored, your horse is, too. First, figure out what the problem is. Are you stuck with the same old out-and-back trail unless you trailer out? Do you ride alone because you have to get a ride in whenever you find time? Is your horse not well-behaved with others? Second, set aside riding time by scheduling it like a regular appointment. Get some professional help (no, not a therapist, although...). Enlist the aid of a professional trainer to help you overcome any issues your horse might have. Third, try something new. Whether it’s for yourself or your horse, creative ideas can challenge both of you mentally or physically.
Top — Three riders at the Cuyama Oaks XP near New Cuyama, Calif. Above — Brandon Reed and “Hawk” at the Tevis in 2009 Left — Sandy Holder and Judith Ogus (foreground) at the Swanton Pacific in 2008
Here are some tips to keep things fresh and fun for both you and your horse: 1. GET social. The power of social media is incredible! Post on Facebook or your local trail riding group’s email list to get some new riding buddies. 2. GET motivated. Goals are always motivating, so check out AERC’s ride calendar (aerc.org) to find a ride that will challenge you and your horse. Set a goal and come up with a training schedule to get you there. 3. GET into something new. Is some piece of tack not working well for you or your horse? Borrow a friend’s tack to see if that works better. I like the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” concept, but sometimes Issue 2. 2017
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* A Facebook group for newbies where they can ask questions, share experiences, and seek support from one another as well as mentors
it can be fun to shake things up a little so you don’t get stuck in a rut. People often use the same bit or saddle for every horse they ride and it may be coincidental that it works, or it might be just convenience.
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4. GET out of your comfort zone. Make plans to meet up with friends to see their trails. Take a basic dressage lesson. Swap horses with a friend during a short ride. Go for a night ride on familiar trails. 5. GET involved with the Green Beans*. It is so rewarding to help someone learn more about endurance. This can run the gamut from allowing the neighborhood kid to ride your extra horse to organizing an Endurance 101 clinic in your area (guidelines and practical suggestions are on the AERC website under the Education tab). Newbies have lots of questions on topics such as saddle fit, trail etiquette, finding an endurance horse, getting ready for their first ride, etc. Contact the office to see if you qualify for AERC’s Mentor Program. It’s a great way to give back to the sport and your name and contact info will be listed on the AERC website. 6. GET to a clinic. There are clinics for every level of rider, from beginner to advanced. Fine tuning a few things can really make a big difference. Learn strategies for conditioning and racing that can help you top 10 or finish mid-pack with a fresher horse for multi-days. 7. GET involved with a local endurance ride. Contact ride management to see if they need help — it’s a pretty sure bet they will. It’s very motivating to be around all the fit horses and riders. arabian horse
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Perhaps you can make a difference in someone’s day by offering suggestions or just lending a helping hand when it’s needed most. You can also crew for a friend who might be able to crew for you in the future. GET yourself to a riding clinic
Cross-Train with bicycles — and your kid Ride with friends or find a local endurance event
8. GET to a trade show or horse expo. These events are like Disneyland for horse people. There are new and cutting-edge things to try, presentations on rider fitness, rider clothing, new training methods, the latest horse trailers and trucks, and lots of tack. 9. GET yourself in better shape. Do some heat training, take a fitness class, try a video on basic stretching/yoga/ pilates for equestrians, hike with your horse, or teach him to tail. There are only so many hours in a day and we always need a few more than we have, but making your own fitness a priority will result in you feeling better in the saddle and that always benefits your horse. Break down a new skill into its components and work on each piece over and over until you master it. Put it together and voila, you will find you have new skills in your repertoire. 10. GET together with some friends and take a trip to an iconic endurance ride. Seeing Tevis, Old Dominion, or the AERC National Championships is always an amazing experience. Be like a sponge and absorb everything! Try to avoid the same-old, same-old training on the trails. By making conditioning fun and challenging ourselves in many different ways, physically and mentally, it keeps things fresh and helps to avoid burnout. Practice the things you aren’t so good at, set some new goals, and be creative. You’ll be surprised at how much you’ll improve. Everyone can benefit from some new experiences. It’s what keeps life fun. Happy trails!
get involved
Progressive Endurance Conditioning for Your Horse By Jean Vero, DVM
Chair of the AERC Veterinary Committee
T
he following suggestions are just some of the tried and true successful programs many riders have historically used in our sport. For certain there is no exact cookbook method that will work on every horse, every time — remember each horse is an individual and each owner/rider will need to be sensitive and flexible in applying the best methods and steps needed to prepare their particular horse for this demanding sport. In addition, a reasonably fit horse, or a horse that competed the previous season and only needs to be brought back up in fitness again, will not need to undergo as much of a cautious program as a completely green, young horse. Limited distance riders can also reduce the mileage needed to prepare for the shorter distances.
Green or Unfit Horse FIRST: 1 to 2 months: Ride 3-5 days a week, walking rides of 3-5 miles, after several weeks add in short trots of 5-15 minutes — get them accustomed to the trail and all the spooky things that are out there.
SECOND: 2 to 4 months: Reduce workouts to 3-4x a week, with additional days of schooling — working on flexion, suppleness, responsiveness and “trainability.” Steadily increase the trotting times, but keep the speed conservative at 5-7 MPH. Weekly increase the mileage up to 10 miles per ride. Check heart rates post ride, target of less than 60 BPM in 10-20 minutes. Check legs daily for pain, heat, swelling, if so noted then allow adequate rest and recovery and go back in conditioning steps, until the issue has fully resolved and does not occur again. THIRD: 4 to 6 months: Start increasing once a week, to once every two weeks a longer ride. Gradually add in two miles per every long ride, working up to 25 miles. Keep the other two to three
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days a week at 8-12 miles, or 4-5 short rides and one preparing your horse for a lifetime career in endurance. long ride in a two week cycle. Keep the average speed at You should not have any aspirations of going at speed, no more than 6-8 MPH. Work up to trotting 2/3 to 3/4 and racing in your first year of conditioning and compeof the total distance. Continue monitoring progressive tition with your horse. Spend the time in your first one to heart rate recovery and limbs for any issues. two years putting in those miles, both at home conditionThis pattern of several short rides, with one long ride ing and at rides, to allow your horse the time it needs to per week to two weeks, will be the backbone of your strengthen and adapt to the rigors of distance competition. horse’s conditioning program for life. Do not forget again Some conservative racing in 50 milers in your second to allow time on the off days for schooling with arena year, and perhaps a modest 100 miler or two, are not exercises to encourage proper carriage and responsiveness. unreasonable in your horse’s second season. Speed play Check your horse daily for any limb swellings or changes, and interval training are also useful tools to begin emdecrease or lack of appetite, poor attitude, or dullness ploying in your second year of conditioning, along with — these are all signs of overtraining and warrant a rest a modest increase in working speeds. If you have done and recovery period before returning back to work. If your homework well, and paid your dues with nearly after four to six months of steady, careful, progressive uncountable hours in the saddle with your horse — when conditioning and your horse is handling the weekly your horse has finished its third year of conditioning long rides with no problems at all and is still energetic and competition, it is generally thought of as a seasoned, and happy afterwards — you and your fully hardened endurance horse. By the end horse are ready for a conservative 50 miler. of that third season your horse is considered For more info If your horse handles that first 50 miles ready to be raced at the longest distances, or on progressive well, with a bright eye, perky, sound and competed in the toughest multidays, with loading lots of gas left in the tank — pat yourself hopefully many, many more years of healthy conditioning, on the back for a job very well done. Allow competition to go! see Endurance your horse a little down time to recover — News, one to two weeks, and than get back to work Thanks to AERC for the information provided January 2017 again, continuing the building process of in this article.
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F CUS Life
FOCUS LIFE In each issue of Arabian Horse Life, we will feature member submitted photos to celebrate the love and dedication our members have for their purebred and part-bred Arabians! To submit your hi-res photo, visit: http://tinyurl.com/hhbvkqt
Submitted by Shannon Edney
Merlin Hochstetler with his home-bred stallion Desperados Majik
Submitted by Debbi Castro Arabians and desert pyramids, what could be better!
Submitted by Nyssa Sheridan A quiet Winter’s ride on a beautiful Arabian!
! E S E E CH Say
Life! cus o F HA’s on A e r ’ you
Submitted by Deirdre Monroe What a great way to spend a day! Doing Endurance with your Arabian!
Submitted by Judy Quinn of her Grand-daughter and a mare they owned, Fable Aphrodite
Submitted by Betty Radtke Springtime and foals, our favorite time of year!
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