Canadian Horse Journal - SAMPLE - Oct 2015

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CONTENTS •

October 2015

SPECIAL FEATURES

HORSE HEALTH

Departments

8 2015 Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Highlights Great Britain’s Scott Brash makes

12 Headshaking in Horses New treatment may help reduce the

3 To Subscribe

34 At the Starting Gate of a New Direction Retraining the off-the-track

14 Heaves: Is Your Horse at Risk?

Diagnosis and management of

history

recurrent airway obstruction, and studies at the WCVM that may help horses breathe easier.

Thoroughbred

48 Garry and Pat Westergaard A lifetime spent with horses 52 Jessica Phoenix’s Shining Stars Canadian Olympian has enjoyed

brilliant success with off-the-track Thoroughbreds

56 Your Grief is Real Healing from the loss of an equine friend.

26 How to Feed Donkeys Contrary to popular belief, modern

domesticated donkeys have different dietary requirements from those of our horses.

28 Does Diet Influence Stereotypic Behaviours?

Increasing evidence suggests that diet is a significant factor in the behaviour of horses.

30 Developing a Healthy Topline Help your horse build a better topline with proper diet and correct exercise.

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6 Editorial 58 Horse Council BC Horse Day 2015 a huge success 60 Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association News

Jill’s eye view

62-64 Country Homes & Acreages

EquiNetwork 66-67 Hitchin’ Post, Classifieds 67 Index to Advertisers 68 Roundup

page

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PHOTO: ©CANSTOCKPHOTO/ALEXEYS

symptoms of this uncomfortable and potentially dangerous syndrome.

PHOTO: ©SHUTTERSTOCK/JACKTAKEPICS

In This Issue

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE

2015 Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament SEPTEMBER 9 – 13, 2015 The biggest names in show jumping converged on Calgary in September for the 2015 edition of the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament.

Top international horses and riders came for five days of competition, the highlights of which were Saturday’s $300,000 BMO Nations’ Cup, and Sunday’s $1.5 million CP International, presented by Rolex. One of the most prestigious grand prix events in the world, the CP International is part of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, and all eyes were on Scott Brash of Great Britain as he attempted to become the first rider ever to take the Grand Slam title. Brash had already made history by winning two consecutive legs of the challenge with victories at CHI Geneva in December, and a second victory at CHIO Aachen a few months later. An unprecedented €1 million in bonus money was on offer to the rider who could win all three grand prix events in succession.

Lamaze Claims the ATCO Structures and Logistics Cup Canada’s Eric Lamaze claimed victory in Thursday’s $35,000 ATCO Structures and Logistics Cup for the second year in a row aboard the 12-year-old Hanoverian, Fine Lady 5.

WEDNESDAY

McLain Ward Wins on Opening Day The first competition of the tournament was the $35,000 TELUS Cup, which attracted 53 competitors with 17 returning for the jump-off. McLain Ward (USA) and HH Carlos Z won in 39.46 seconds, just ahead of Eric Lamaze (CAN) and Fine Lady 5 at 39.77 to take second.

THURSDAY

Kent Farrington Takes the AKITA Drilling Cup Thirty-seven competitors started in round one of the $85,000 AKITA Drilling Cup on opening day, with 17 coming back for the jump-off which saw seven double clear rounds. Kent Farrington (USA) with the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Uceko, stole the win in an impressive 38.62 seconds.

Wathelet Captures the CANA Cup In his first trip to Spruce Meadows, Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet celebrated his 35th birthday by winning Thursday’s $126,000 CANA Cup riding the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood, Algorhythem.

PHOTOS: ©SPRUCE MEADOWS MEDIA SERVICES

FRIDAY

Farrington Wins Tourmaline Oil Cup In his second win of the week, Kent Farrington (USA) and the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Uceko, bested 26 entries to capture Friday’s $210,000 Tourmaline Oil Cup. The difficult course saw no clear rounds, but Farrington’s one time fault in 80.66 seconds was enough for the win. Canada’s Tiffany Foster at 78.31 was second with Victor.

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Smits Tops the ATCO Electric ‘Circuit’ Six Bar The crowd-favourite $75,000 ATCO Electric “Circuit” Six Bar on Friday night was won by Edwin Smits (SUI) over four rounds.

Thirteen entries started, but the fourth and final round came down to Michael Whitaker (GBR) riding Valentin R who dropped the top rail of the final fence set at 1.95 metres, but Smits aboard the 10-year-old Selle Francais gelding, Rouge Pierreville, cleared it for the win.

HORSE HEALTH

New Treatment Offers

Hope for Headshaking in Horses

BY MARGARET EVANS All horses will shake their heads to rid themselves of flies, dust, or a minor discomfort. It is a simple reflex action. But when it is persistent, intense, almost dangerous, and the horse is jerking his head up, rubbing, blowing, or constantly shaking as though a fly flew up his nose, it’s time to take a much closer look.

Headshaking syndrome in horses is similar to facial pain syndrome in people. It is a sensation of tingling, pricking, or unpleasant nerve pain known as trigeminal neuralgia. In horses, the condition can be triggered by overactivity of various branches of the trigeminal nerve that brings sensation to the face and muzzle.

“Usually, trigeminal-mediated headshaking is sudden in onset, although may be gradual, often [seen] between the ages of six and twelve, and may be more common in geldings,” says Dr. Veronica Roberts, European specialist in equine internal medicine at the University of 12

www.HORSEJournals.com • October 2015

Bristol. “Approximately one third of horses are seasonally affected, usually spring/ summer. So far, the only fact about the pathogenesis of trigeminal-mediated headshaking of which we can be sure is that the trigeminal nerve of affected horses is sensitized, firing at too low a threshold.”

According to Roberts, the syndrome occurs due to neuropathic facial pain, perhaps from a nerve disease or a change in facial sensation due to a neuropathy of the trigeminal nerve, which is the main sensory nerve to the face.

“We do not know why this neuropathy occurs or indeed what it is that goes wrong in the nerve,” she says. “The nerve appears normal when it is examined under a microscope.”

In the past, the prognosis for the condition has been poor. Some 25 percent of horses will improve, 70 percent of them with the use of a nose net. Various medications, used to some degree of success

with people, have been tried on horses but with mixed, short-term results. The costly drugs, though, come with side effects including drowsiness, which prohibits the horse from competing.

“We were involved at the University of Liverpool in developing a surgical procedure, caudal compression of the infraorbital nerve. It carries a long term approximate success rate of 50 percent, but there is a significant risk of severe side effects which may require euthanasia and about a quarter of the cases relapsed. We therefore only recommend this procedure where euthanasia is the only other option.”

However, a new procedure has been developed and is still being monitored. Clinical trials of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS neuromodulation) were pioneered at the University of Bristol in August 2013 and results were published in 2014.

The procedure involved the use of a probe that was inserted just beneath the

PHOTO: COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

skin and next to the nerve in question.

Seven horses diagnosed with trigeminalmediated headshaking were selected for the trials. They were sedated and the skin was desensitized with a local anesthetic during the probe’s insertion under ultrasonographic guidance. The nerve was then stimulated for 25 minutes following a protocol of alternating frequencies based on human clinical data, after which the probe was removed and the procedure repeated on the other side. Three treatments were done during the trials, each one repeated when signs of headshaking returned.

“All the horses tolerated the procedure extremely well under standing sedation, although there remains a risk to performing any procedure in a conscious horse,” says Roberts. “Side effects have been minimal with a few horses having a hematoma at the site of probe insertion, which resolved uneventfully without treatment and did not appear to cause any problems. Five horses returned to ridden work following their third procedure, with an average remission time of 15.5 weeks. One horse responded to the first procedure but not to later ones.”

Roberts says that, based on the trials, they have continued to offer the PENS treatment for horses that have not responded to a nose net. By August this year they had done the procedure 100 times with all the horses tolerating the procedure well and no significant side effects. However, there were some variables as to how each horse responded, some better than others.

Three did not require repeat treatments and have been ridden since spring 2014.

The protocol guideline is that the second procedure is done five days after the first and the third procedure is done about ten days after the second. After that, two to three weeks is allowed to gauge the horse’s response.

“It certainly seems to be the case that horses can respond to the third treatment when they did not [respond] to earlier ones, so we should try three procedures before deciding if the horse will respond to treatment,” she says. “Some horses have a promising start but then fail to respond to later treatments. Some horses don’t respond at all, and some only for a short time. It is my early impression that where horses respond, but for insufficient time, length of remission may increase with repeated procedures. It is still very early days and we have a lot to learn and refine.”

Roberts says that trigeminal-mediated headshaking still carries a poor prognosis, even with the availability of neuromodulation. “I do think the future in treatment lies in regulating the nerve’s

function back to normal and neuromodulation may be the way to do that for many individuals. We are still just using a human protocol stuck on to a horse so it needs refinement and development.”

All the horse owners were advised to lunge their horses each day to assess their behaviour following each treatment. If they appeared comfortable and were not headshaking, they could proceed to riding while watching for reactions.

A new study has found that a treatment called percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation could reduce the symptoms of headshaking in horses.

Roberts has a webinar, suitable for vets and owners, which can be viewed at the following link: www.langfordvets.co.uk/ CPD/CPD-events/online-cpd Results of the trials were published in b the Equine Veterinary Journal.

October 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

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HORSE HEALTH

HEAVES

Is Your Horse at Risk?

BY KATHARINA LOHMANN, MEDVET, Ph.D., DACVIM Heaves is a chronic, non-infectious lung disease that primarily affects mature horses and can have a significant effect on a horse’s well-being and performance ability. Heaves is also referred to as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and is often compared to human asthma. The primary pathologic mechanisms leading to clinical signs in affected horses are bronchospasm, inflammation and thickening of the lower airways (small bronchi), and accumulation of mucus and inflammatory exudates in the airway lumen.

The term RAO indicates that the disease is chronic and recurrent, although “remission” from clinical signs can be achieved through treatment and proper management of affected horses.

Heaves is considered an allergic condition that is set 14

www.HORSEJournals.com • October 2015

off by inhalation of “respirable” particles. Mould spores, bacterial endotoxin and dust particles are the most commonly recognized inciting allergens. The primary sources of these allergens are feed (especially hay) and bedding materials.

Clinical Signs of Heaves The typical clinical signs a horse owner will notice are an increased respiratory effort and coughing. Nasal discharge can also be seen in some horses but horses do not appear sick and do not have a fever. Signs can vary considerably depending on the severity of disease; in mild or early cases, coughing at the beginning of exercise may be the only noticeable sign. Horses with advanced disease typically show an obvious “abdominal lift” when

PHOTO, RIGHT: PAM MACKENZIE PHOTO, LEFT: ©CANSTOCKPHOTO/VIRGONIRA

More commonly known as heaves, RAO can be triggered by something as simple as eating poor quality hay. Feeding of hay is a major environmental risk factor due to the wide variation in hay quality and dust content. Round bales in particular should be avoided because horses tend to bury their heads in the bales when eating, increasing the number of inhaled respirable particles.

Symptoms of RAO or heaves commonly include frequent coughing spells and nasal discharge. A diagnosis of RAO may seem daunting to horse owners, but most people can successfully adapt their management regimes to ensure their horse’s continued health and well-being, although it can end a high-performance animal’s career.

breathing (especially at the end of exhalation), and may develop a “heave line.” A heave line indicates hypertrophy of the abdominal muscles due to continued increased breathing effort. Severely affected horses may also lose weight and will generally have significantly reduced performance ability.

Additional signs that can be noticed on veterinary examination are an increased respiratory rate, a tracheal rattle due to accumulation of fluid in the trachea, abnormal lung sounds on auscultation (especially wheezes), and intolerance to a rebreathing examination.

Due to its nature as a chronic recurrent disease, clinical signs of heaves typically occur in a seasonal pattern. Many horses will have exacerbation of the disease in the winter months when they are stalled, and will improve when they

are turned out to pasture. A syndrome of a “summer pasture associated obstructive pulmonary disease” occurs in the Southern United States, and may be very similar to heaves, although the inciting causes appear to differ.

Based on my personal experience, some horses in Western Canada appear to have exacerbations of heaves in late winter/early spring as well.

Diagnosis Heaves is diagnosed based on historical information (especially the recurrent pattern and seasonality of disease), clinical examination findings, and laboratory diagnostics. Laboratory tests typically include the analysis of one or more lung lavage samples, which may include a tracheal aspirate and/or a broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) October 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

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©PHOTO: THINKSTOCK/DENBOMA

Feeding Donkeys Donkeys are members of the equine family along with horses, ponies, zebras, and mules. It is commonly assumed they can be fed a diet similar to that of horses but in a lower quantity; however, donkeys have unique evolutionary traits that make them anatomically and behaviourally distinct.

Donkeys are highly adaptable feeders. If given the opportunity, they will consume a variety of different grasses and shrubs to obtain sufficient nutrients. It is generally accepted that the donkey can exist with less food than a horse. Their efficient utilization of food makes donkeys easy keepers, but don’t let the term misguide

you. It is important to take care in determining when and how much to feed as obesity is a major concern in modern domesticated donkeys.

Forage studies have shown that donkeys voluntarily consume much less forage compared to horses – 1.5 percent of body weight (BW) for donkeys compared to 3.1 percent of BW for horses. The donkeys’ heightened ability to digest low quality forage has been likened to that of a goat. Their pasture should not be lush and nutrient dense. Low quality pasture grasses are adequate.

There is limited information about protein requirements for donkeys, but researchers have suggested that they are very efficient in the utilization of dietary protein.

It has also been suggested that donkeys have a 20 percent lower digestible energy requirement than horses. Good grass hay is adequate. Legume hay such as lucerne is not recommended for the same reason that lush pasture is not good for donkeys – the digestibility is very high as is the energy and nutrient content. Donkeys are prone to obesity and will develop laminitis if they are given access to lush pastures, such as those in the spring and fall.

above: Hay and grass are often sufficient to supply the nutritional requirements for donkeys, and they also have the ability to digest lower quality forage than that suitable for horses.

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Concentrates ©PHOTO: FLICKR

left: Donkeys that are pregnant or lactating may need their diets supplemented with concentrated feeds to meet their additional nutrient requirements.

DR. TANIA CUBITT

While grass and hay are often sufficient in supplying the maintenance requirements for most donkeys, additional supplementation in the form of concentrate feeds may be needed when they cannot eat sufficient forage to meet nutrient requirements. Donkeys that are working

heavily, pregnant, lactating, growing, or senior need concentrate feeding, and the amount should be determined by their BW and physiological state of the donkey.

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Nutritional Disorders Obesity is the biggest challenge facing most non-working donkeys kept where food sources are abundant and of good quality.

Emaciation is very common in most areas where donkeys are used heavily for work and food is scarce and of poor quality.

Body condition scoring of donkeys is similar to condition scoring horses using the Henneke Body Condition Scoring System where 1 is emaciated and 9 is obese. Donkeys tend to accumulate fat on the neck, on either side of the chest wall giving a saddlebag appearance, and around the buttocks. Several studies in horses and ponies have clearly shown that regional fat deposited on the neck of the animal indicated a higher risk for developing metabolic challenges such as insulin resistance and laminitis. Donkeys frequently accumulate fat on their necks and are at high risk of insulin resistance and laminitis.

Practical Feeding Strategies Donkeys that are not doing any work should be able to meet all of their nutrient requirements from good grass hay fed at a rate of 1.5 percent of BW. If the donkey is overweight, this amount should be decreased to 1.25 percent of BW. In severe cases, with the guidance of a veterinarian or nutritionist, this can be reduced to 1 percent of BW. Working, lactating or growing animals may need additional concentrate. Due to the donkeys’ increased ability to metabolize energy and protein it is important that we do not feed concentrates that are high in these nutrients.

When feeding donkeys, consult your veterinarian or equine nutritionist. Most major feed companies have an equine nutritionist on staff to help determine the best overall diet. b October 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

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PHOTO: ©SHUTTERSTOCK/JACKTAKEPICS

HORSE HEALTH

DEVELOPING A HEALTHY

Topline

BY DR. TANIA CUBITT

T

opline is the term used to describe the muscle coverage over the top of the horse’s neck, withers, back, loin, and croup. Because topline is muscle, a horse with a good topline will be stronger and more athletic, and will present a more pleasing appearance.

What should we feed to develop the perfect topline? First we must understand that the shape of the back can vary greatly from one individual to another, and so the topline will vary in length and in curvature, with some relationship between the two.

Horses with toplines that are sunken in over their withers, concave along the back and loin, or dished in around their hip bones and hindquarters will have diminished strength in those areas.

Several factors contribute to a poor

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topline including age, workload, pregnancy or lactation, lack of or incorrect exercise, poor saddle fit, and diet.

It has been a common practice for many years to feed additional calories from fat supplements or grains to try and improve a horse’s topline condition. This is not very successful as these calories are either used for energy and exercise or they are stored as fat. Typical fat storage areas in horses are behind the shoulders, over the ribs and neck, and around the tail head but not necessarily over the topline. A horse would have to be fed quite a lot of additional calories for fat to be laid down over the back. If we think of humans for example, you wouldn’t eat multiple doughnuts with the end goal of developing muscles over your back and shoulders. One of the

biggest misconceptions regarding a horse’s topline is that the topline is made up of fat – it is actually made mostly of muscle.

Since the muscles along the withers, back, loin, and croup make up the horse’s topline, losses in this area are actually atrophy of these muscles.

Understanding that the horse’s topline is primarily muscle, the question becomes: What can we feed to develop more muscle?

Since muscle is made up of over 70 percent protein, building and maintaining muscle in the body requires the correct amount of dietary protein. Unfortunately, protein is mistakenly seen in a negative light nutritionally and often avoided. When a horse has a poor topline it is due to diminished muscle mass and potentially due to insufficient good quality protein in the

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above & below: Along with proper diet, correct exercise will help develop the horse’s topline. The horse should be ridden in a soft, balanced frame, and carrying himself comfortably. In addition to riding, lunging with side reins, working over cavaletti both on the lunge line and under saddle, and walking or trotting up hills at a level appropriate to the horse’s condition, are all excellent ways to build muscle.

Using a Slow Feeder in your sacrifice paddock or stall keeps horses from pawing through the hay and reduces waste. Slow Feeders simulate a more natural method of “grazing” which can result in a horse taking hours to consume a few flakes. This helps you feed less and helps to manage boredom and the associated vices like cribbing and chewing ets fences or trees.

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October 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

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PHOTO: ©SHUTTERSTOCK/ANN QUIGLEY

At the Starting Gate of a

New Direction RETRAINING THE OFF-THE-TRACK THOROUGHBRED

BY MARGARET EVANS

There is a growing interest in developing second careers for Thoroughbreds. When their racing days are over, many have gone on to become pleasure and trail riding partners, competition mounts in a range of disciplines, and even Olympic athletes.

34

When our Thoroughbred mare, Daisy, returned home after the racing season, she was fit, lean and highly wired.

Three-year-old Daisy had done relatively well at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver, BC. She had won her first race that season, and had placed in many others.

When she came home that fall, we decided to breed her.

She would have some down time before going off to the stud farm in early spring. But over the winter, I realized our smart, high-strung filly would need some retraining to reinforce basic manners not only for safe handling, but for her future as a pleasure riding horse.

Daisy was a fidget. She couldn’t be left in the barn alone even for a moment, wouldn’t stand still for grooming, and was fussy about having her feet picked up even though she had been shod regularly at the track. Physically she was healthy with all shots and dewormers up to date, but what she needed was a more

www.HORSEJournals.com • October 2015

relaxed frame of mind.

Thoroughbred horses are legendary in their ability to leave the racetrack environment and go on to brilliant new careers in competition such as hunter/ jumper, eventing, dressage, flat and hack shows, Western disciplines, or become working ranch horses or pleasure mounts. But they come from the track with their own unique set of experiences and habits and must frequently be reprogrammed with a new, focused mindset.

Understanding these habits and having a game plan for improving or changing them is essential if the new owner is to move forward successfully with a retraining program. Investing an adequate amount of time and ground handling into that transition period will yield many rewards in the years ahead and help the horse blossom in a new career.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/CHERYL ANN QUIGLEY PHOTO: SKYLINE PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: SHANNON BRINKMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Olympic eventer Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, Ontario, has enjoyed great success with ex-racehorses, most notably Exponential, a dark bay Ontario-bred colt that raced at Woodbine and Fort Erie from 2000 to 2003. At the 2010 World Equestrian Games, Phoenix and Exponential helped their Canadian Eventing team claim the silver medal. They finished 22nd individually at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the only Canadian to complete all three phases of the eventing competition.

above, top & bottom: Horses come from the track with a unique set of experiences and behaviours. Once rehabilitated to a slower lifestyle with a training program geared to their individual needs and temperament, they can blossom in a new career.

“There is a growing interest in developing new careers for Thoroughbreds when their racing days are over,” says Garry Westergaard, horse trainer, breeder, clinician, judge, and owner with wife Pat of G.W. Equine Services in Sherwood Park, Alberta. “Some of these horses have the potential to be successful in many different disciplines if they are effectively reprogrammed so to speak, from the racetrack environment to their new careers. This transition, though, doesn’t always go smoothly as the ex-Thoroughbred racehorse can have some interesting and peculiar behaviour problems as well as physical issues that will need to be dealt with.”

According to an article written by Barbara Sheridan for Equine Guelph (Second Careers for Racehorses: The Transition from Racetrack to Ribbons), each year the racing industry ensures a steady stream of horses that

have found themselves at the end of their racing careers.

On average, ages can run from two-year-olds (with only one season of racing) to four and five-year-olds, while some with steady, lucrative careers retire from the track at six years and up.

The reasons for their move to another career may vary anywhere from a slowdown of their speed, to less frequent wins, to owners deciding to downsize their racing barn in the face of high overhead costs.

Sometimes, these young retirees have some physical issues that must be addressed before any retraining can get underway.

In California, Priscilla Clark operates Tranquility Farm in Tehachapi where she has rehabilitated, retrained, and adopted several hundred off-the-track Thoroughbreds.

“Other than the fact that most have an unsoundness, October 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

35

Garry and Pat Westergaard

A Lifetime Spent With Horses

BY MARGARET EVANS

G

arry and Pat Westergaard own and operate G.W. Equine Services of Sherwood Park, Alberta. Garry has been in the horse business for over 55 years and over the decades he has developed extensive services as a horse trainer and breeder, farrier, clinician, and judge.

Pat is an Equine Canada Level I Western Coach and was associated with 4-H equine program for over ten years.

Starting and developing young horses has always been Garry Westergaard’s specialty. No wonder, given his heritage, coming from a long line of horse trainers: His father broke horses, and his great-great-grandfather was a horse buyer in Europe.

In the early 1960s, Westergaard trained young horses and he was a cowboy on the Douglas Lake Ranch as well as the Nicola Ranch in Southern BC. In the early 1970s, he focused on training horses for riders in various disciplines.

Westergaard believes that all horses, whether destined for the show ring, reining pen, or racetrack, should have the same basic education and then move on to specialized training.

“I’ve been starting and retraining horses of many different breeds for more years than I care to admit,” says Westergaard. “I have found that each and every horse is an individual with its own personality and PHOTOS COURTESY OF LINDAFINSTEAD

Horse trainer, breeder, farrier, clinician, and judge Garry Westergaard operates G.W. Equine Services of Sherwood Park, Alberta, with his wife, Pat. Their breeding program specializes in quality Appendix Quarter Horses.

PHOTO: KIRSTEN QUIST PHOTOGRAPHY

above: Garry Westergaard with Cream, a training graduate.

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I’ve been starting and retraining horses of many different breeds for more years than I care to admit.

ability to learn. If I was asked to name a favourite breed, Thoroughbreds would be close to the top of the list. I was probably influenced by some Texans who I worked for at one time. They liked to have some ‘runnin’ horse’ in their Quarter Horse breeding program.”

That approach played into the Westergaards’ own breeding program. “Pat and I are carrying on in the same tradition by utilizing the Thoroughbred breed in our appendix horse breeding program,” he says.

When Westergaard is looking for an off-the-track racehorse for retraining he is not too concerned about the

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PHOTO: SHANNON BRINKMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Jessica Phoenix’s Shining Stars Canadian Olympian has enjoyed brilliant success with off-the-track Thoroughbreds

BY MARGARET EVANS

PHOTO: SHANNON BRINKMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

B

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orn in Uxbridge, Ontario in 1983, Phoenix is a veteran Olympic, World Equestrian and Pan American Games competitor. She was named 2011 Equestrian of the Year by Equine Canada following a historic individual gold-medal finish at the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico.

“Probably my most successful off-the-track Thoroughbred was Exponential,” she says. “I rode him at the World Equestrian Games in 2010 and the Summer Olympics in London in 2012. I’m trying to retire him Jessica Phoenix and Exponential at the Jersey Fresh ThreeDay Event in 2013. Now 19 years old, Exponential is due to retire but Phoenix describes him as an incredible athlete who wants to keep on working.

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because he’s 19 years old. But he’s such an incredible athlete that he prefers to be kept in some sort of work. He was seventh at Rolex at the Horse Fair in 2011 and he also went to Burghley (UK) and finished in the top 25.”

In his racing days at Woodbine and Fort Erie, Exponential was known as War Buckaroo (War Deputy x Misspent Bucks), a dark bay Ontario-bred colt born in 1997. He raced from 2000 to 2003 and Phoenix acquired him in 2005 when he was eight years old. At the 2010 World Equestrian Games, Phoenix and Exponential were members of the Canadian Eventing squad that claimed the team silver medal.

Getting an ex-racehorse to an elite level of eventing starts, like all things, with the basics.

“The biggest thing is getting them interested enough in the dressage phase,” she says. “They are so fit when they come off of the track and they have such an excellent base of conditioning. [But] you have to retrain the muscle and retrain the mind so that they can handle the dressage phase.

They need to refocus.”

Overall, Phoenix has found that the Thoroughbreds she has acquired from the track are very good on the ground. She says they have had so much handling and so much experience with vets that they are often better behaved than the warmbloods.

They have had shoes on all around since they were two years old and have seen a lot of vets and farriers on the track.

“They have seen so much by the time we get them as four–year-olds that they are actually fun to work with because they have had life experiences,” she says. “The biggest difference is that, because they are four, they are fairly fit and you have to do a lot to engage their mind. You have to keep it exciting for them and not let them get bored mentally. You need to make training fun so

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Phoenix’s most successful off-the-track Thoroughbred was Exponential, her mount at the 2010 World Equestrian Games and the 2012 Olympic Games.

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Grief is an individual process, and although for some it may feel like a betrayal, including a new equine friend in your support group can be comforting.

Healing the loss of an equine friend

BY APRIL CLAY M.ED., REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST

When someone loses a family member or friend,

Kate lost her horse suddenly to colic after years of building a successful and satisfying relationship in the show ring and out. She recalls: The relationship I had with my horse had always confused some people in my life and the sudden change in my behaviour after losing him led to some insensitive comments and poorly worded questions about how I felt and the time I took away from my regular routine after losing him. I was often asked why I was so upset or what the “big deal” was. After all, “He was just a horse, right?”

Like Kate, you may feel isolated and alone with your feelings. Or worse yet, you may feel guilty about your emotional state and try to suppress it. Those around you may not understand or even try to minimize your loss.

When people are not permitted to openly grieve, it can complicate the healing process. Psychologists have a name for this, it’s called disenfranchised grief.

often others rush in to see what they can do to lessen the pain. However, when your loss involves a companion of the four-legged variety, sometimes the response you receive is less than sympathetic.

right: We spend so many hours in the company of our horses, but when they are no longer with us the loss can feel devastating.

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www.HORSEJournals.com • October 2015

©ISTOCKPHOTO/ITEACHPHOTO

Find Your Support Whenever you share your life with a being, whether human or animal, the loss can feel devastating. Because our horses are depending on us to meet their needs, naturally they are tightly woven into the daily fabric of our lives. Feeding, exercising, caring, training, or just plain hanging out, there are a lot of hours spent in each other’s company. So, when that interaction is missing, the empty hole can feel like a chasm.

Loss is one thing we humans cannot fix. We cannot prevent it or

PHOTO: ©CANSTOCKPHOTO/TNCPHOTOGRAPHY

Your Grief is Real

undo it. That lack of control is something we all have to learn to come to terms with, and live with. Through this commonality comes our greatest healing strength – sharing and the support of others. When it comes to the loss of an equine pal, it’s important you choose who you talk to, and it’s important to talk. Painful feelings kept inside are like an infection, they need to come out in order for you to heal.

Take care who you choose to share your loss with. Seek out likeminded souls who are safe to confide in. Form a support circle and make these your go-to people when things get rough.

Do What is Right for You Grief tends to come in waves, some small and some big. Don’t worry about rushing back to the barn or to any part of your schedule that feels painful. If you have to cancel or reschedule commitments, do what is best for you. Keeping some aspects of your daily routine can be comforting though, so don’t feel you have to change everything. Grief is a very individual process, based on many variables including past losses, nature of the relationship, resources available to you, and others. So listen to your gut, and trust you’ll know what’s right for you.

If getting back to the barn or to a relationship with another horse feels like a betrayal, remember that it isn’t about replacement, it’s about healing. A new equine friend can be as comforting as the human variety, but in a different way.

Kate describes finding her way back to the barn: After taking some time away from the barn and when I felt I was ready, I took up a lease on a spunky pony that I had been riding from time to time for my barn owner/employer. This was the push I needed to take the final step and start riding again. After losing a horse or a pet, the idea crosses your mind that you should slow down and take a step back, maybe

HORSES in High

School

wait a while before getting another. The thought crossed my mind, but I found getting back into the sport helped me balance my grief better than dwelling on it. Even though I had lost an amazing teammate, I had another partner to work with and something to focus on.

Honour the Memory An important aspect of grief involves the way we remember and honour those lost. Find your own comforting and meaningful ways to preserve your memories. Use photos or compile a scrapbook with pictures and mementoes from the good times you shared. You can also design your own memorial or ritual by gathering some friends and sharing stories. Remember that you will never lose the relationship you had; it will just take a different form. Your connection to your horse will never be lost. b April Clay is a Registered Psychologist with an independent practice focused in counselling, consulting, and sport psychology. She draws from a wide variety of experiences working with couples, individuals, adolescents, and children, and with many types of athletes and performers.

April is a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and also works as a service provider for the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary.

As an adjunct to her practice, April writes for several local and national magazines, and offers workshops on a variety of topics. As a sports consultant, she draws on some 15 years of experience as a competitive horse show jumper.

School aged residents of British Columbia can now take three professionally developed High School level courses and gain High School credits that count towards graduation!

Offered by the Rocky Mountain School District’s Distributed Learning School, Equine Studies 10, 11, and 12 are approved Senior Secondary School elective courses, each counting as 4 credits. Students will learn about horse physiology and psychology, different breeds, riding aids, health issues, horse care, training techniques and careers.

Delivered entirely online, the courses offer students the flexibility to work at their own pace! Ask us about opportunities for Independent Directed Studies, which allows students to examine/explore specific areas of interest while gaining even more credits towards graduation!

Visit us at: www.HorsesInHighSchool.ca Register at: http://getsmartbc.ca October 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

57

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