US Equestrian Magazine by United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.

Official Magazine of the United States Equestrian Federation | Fall 2020

Wellington, Fl • 561-313-4367

New Construction - This beautiful 5Br/6.5Bth modern-transitional home is a must-see with its open floor plan, custom mill-work, wood floors and two luxury master suites, all perfectly situated on 5 cleared acres with a center-isle stable. The home boasts an open floor plan with a stunning waterfall-edge center-island kitchen with quartz countertops, his & her offices and a master suite on the ground floor. The elevator or spiral-wood staircase will usher you to the second floor living space, a second master suite, 3 guest bedrooms and an additional laundry room. You’ll enjoy your time poolside with the covered lounging & entertaining areas, summer kitchen with dining space and full cabana bath and outdoor shower. For equestrians, the 3,000 sq. ft. stable allows for up to 10 stalls and is customizable with a $50,000 builder allowance or if you’re a car lover, build your dream showroom! Offered at $3,950,000

Matt Johnson Engel & Volkers Florida Selling Wellington & the Palm Beaches 561-313-4367 • MattSells.com

©2020 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Licensee of Engel & Voelkers Florida Residential, LLC. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

First of its kind. Still one of a kind. After 30 years, Adequan® i.m. (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) is still the only FDA-Approved 1, 2 equine intramuscular PSGAG joint treatment available. And still the only one proven to:

Reduce inflammation Restore synovial joint lubrication Repair joint cartilage Reverse the disease cycle Adequan® i.m. actually treats degenerative joint disease, and not just the signs. Ask your veterinarian if Adequan® i.m. is the right choice for your horse. Learn more at adequan.com.

www.adequan.com BRIEF SUMMARY: Prior to use please consult the product insert, a summary of which follows: CAUTION: Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. INDICATIONS: Adequan® i.m. is recommended for the intramuscular treatment of non-infectious degenerative and/or traumatic joint dysfunction and associated lameness of the carpal and hock joints in horses. CONTRAINDICATIONS: There are no known contraindications to the use of intramuscular Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan. WARNINGS: Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. Not for use in humans. Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children. PRECAUTIONS: The safe use of Adequan® i.m. in horses used for breeding purposes, during pregnancy, or in lactating mares has not been evaluated. For customer care, or to obtain product information, visit www.adequan.com. To report an adverse event please contact American Regent, Inc. at (800) 734-9236 or email pv@americanregent.com. Please see Full Prescribing Information at www.adequan.com. 1 Adequan® i.m. Package Insert, Rev 1/19. 2 Burba DJ, Collier MA, DeBault LE, Hanson-Painton O, Thompson HC, Holder CL: In vivo kinetic study on uptake and distribution of intramuscular tritium-labeled polysulfated glycosaminoglycan in equine body fluid compartments and articular cartilage in an osteochondral defect model. J Equine Vet Sci 1993; 13: 696-703. All trademarks are the property of American Regent, Inc. © 2020, American Regent, Inc. PP-AI-US-0373 03/2020

CONTENTS

FEATURES 58 EQUESTRIAN VOICES

Equestrians come from all backgrounds

Prepare your horse for seasonal changes

78 TRAILER SAFETY

Your pre-travel checklist

DEPARTMENTS 6 Partners 8 Sponsors 12 Marketing/Media 14 Letter from the President

16 Snapshot

18 USEF News 26 Seen & Heard Cover: Vaulting athlete Mikhail Proctor and Goliath. Photo: Taylor Pence/ US Equestrian

28 Learning Center 34 Pro Tip 40 Juniors’ Ring 42 My First 46 Trending 50 Horse Health 84 For the Record

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PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): KIM BOYD VICKREY, LESLIE POTTER/US EQUESTRIAN, COURTESY OF HORSEWARE

68 SEASON OF CHANGE

Official Magazine of the United States Equestrian Federation

US EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE Volume LXXXIV, Fall Edition PUBLISHED BY The United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. CHIEF MARKETING & CONTENT OFFICER Vicki Lowell | vlowell@usef.org EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Glenye Cain Oakford | goakford@usef.org CREATIVE DIRECTOR Candice McCown | cmccown@usef.org ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kim Russell | 859 225 6938 | krussell@usef.org DIRECTOR OF SPONSORSHIP & SALES Layson Griffin | lgriffin@usef.org ASSISTANT DESIGNER Kate Strom | kstrom@usef.org EDITORIAL STAFF Kathleen Landwehr, Jane Ohlert, Leslie Potter, Kim Russell, Ashley Swift CONTRIBUTING WRITER Darby Bonomi Equestrian Magazine (ISSN 1548-873X) is published five times a year: Horse of the Year Special Edition, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, by the United States Equestrian Federation®, 4001 Wing Commander Way, Lexington, KY 40511; Phone: (859) 258-2472; Fax: (859) 231-6662. (ISSN:1548-873X). NOTE: Effective Spring issue of 2018, Equestrian magazine will be published and provided electronically and only four editions will have printed copies and be provided by U.S. Mail. The Winter issue will only be provided electronically. The Horse of the Year issue will be mailed only to competing members as of the date of publication and the year immediately prior to the date of publication. USEF is not responsible for the opinions and statements expressed in signed articles and paid advertisements. These opinions are not necessarily the opinions of USEF and its staff. While the Federation makes every effort to avoid errors, we assume no liability to anyone for mistakes or omissions. It is the policy of the Federation to report factually and accurately in Equestrian and to encourage and to publish corrections whenever warranted. Kindly direct any comments or inquiries regarding corrections to Glenye Cain Oakford goakford@usef.org or by direct dial 859-225-6941. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to US Equestrian, 4001 Wing Commander Way, Lexington, KY 40511. Canadian Publications Agreement No. 40845627. For Canadian returns, mail to Canada Express, 7686 #21 Kimble Street Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, L5S1E9. (905) 672-8100. Reproduction of any article, in whole or part, by written permission only of the Editor. Equestrian: Publisher, United States Equestrian Federation®, Chief Executive Officer, William J. Moroney (859) 225-6912. Director of Advertising, Kim Russell (859) 225-6938. Copyright © 20120 Equestrian is the official publication of the United States Equestrian Federation, the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport in the USA, and is an official publication of USEF.

Published at 4001 Wing Commander Way, Lexington, Ky 40511 USequestrian.org

#JointheJoy Follow us on social media @USequestrian 4 FALL ISSUE 2020

INTRODUCING THE NEW LAND ROVER DEFENDER

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PARTNERS Proud partners of US Equestrian

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Official Footwear & Apparel ariat.com

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Official Partner of US Equestrian Official Training Support Device of US Equestrian & MemberPerk movensee.com

Title Sponsor of the U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage Team and Official Joint Therapy

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Official Show Coat Supplier of US Equestrian Teams charlesancona.com

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Official Hay Steamer of US Equestrian Official Supporter of Equine Respiratory Health of US Equestrian & MemberPerk haygain.us

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INDUSTRY-LEADING S A F E T Y S TA N D A R D S

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SPONSORS Proud sponsors of US Equestrian

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Official Academic Sponsor upperechelonacademy.com

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Official Performance Horse Boot and Leg Wear equifit.net

Official Helmet Supplier Safety Education Partner Learning Center Content Partner charlesowen.com

Official Equine Ground Transportation of US Equestrian salleehorsevans.com

Official Sponsor & MemberPerk smarthalter.com

Presenting Sponsor of the USEF Pony Finals collectinggaitsfarm.com

Official Awards Blanket & MemberPerk buildyourownblanket.com

Official Ribbon Supplier hodgesbadge.com

Official Sponsor & MemberPerk ridetv.com

Title Sponsor of the North American Youth Championships and National Championship for Para Dressage adequan.com

Title Sponsor of the USEF Young & Developing Horse Dressage National Championships horseinsurance.com

Official Feed & MemberPerk triplecrownfeed.com

Official Shock Wave Supplier of US Equestrian Team Vets pulsevet.com

Official MemberPerk bigassfans.com

Official Sponsor Title Sponsor of the Junior Jumper National Championship nsbitsusa.com

Title Sponsor of the USEF Pony Medal Championship marshallsterling.com

Official Training Treat of US Equestrian and Official Supplier of US Equestrian Teams gumbits.com

Official Sponsor honorhillfarms.com

The United States Equestrian Federation does not endorse or recommend any commercial product or service. Therefore, designations as official suppliers of the USEF of any commercial product or service cannot be construed as an endorsement or recommendation by the United States Equestrian Federation.

8 FALL ISSUE 2020

NUTRITION

BEYOND COMPARE All Triple Crown super premium horse feeds are nutritionally advanced and contain EquiMix® — a unique blend of digestive aides, enzymes, prebiotics and probiotics. EquiMix now includes ButiPEARL™ Z EQ, encapsulated pearls of butyric acid, zinc and peppermint oil to support the digestive tract. EquiMix helps boost immunity, promote gut health and reduce the risk of Leaky Gut Syndrome — for nutrition that goes beyond expectations. VISIT TRIPLECROWNFEED.COM/EQUIMIX OR CALL 1.800.451.9916 ButiPEARL™ is a trademark of Kemin Industries, Inc., USA

SPONSORS Proud sponsors of US Equestrian

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10 FALL ISSUE 2020

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12 FALL ISSUE 2020

THE TRUST BETWEEN A HORSE AND RIDER ...

IT STARTS WITHIN.

ADRIENNE STERNLICHT

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Stay Safe, Vigilant, and Flexible The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted each of our lives in many difficult and sometimes tragic ways. It also dramatically impacted our sport, which experienced significant disruption, including a complete shutdown from late March through the end of May. But, beginning in early June, we began to carefully reopen horse shows under a strict set of safety guidelines in line with public health authority recommendations to allow the many stakeholders in our sport who are dependent on horse shows for their livelihood to get back in business with as little risk as possible. We also did this recognizing that for those of you who felt the risk of horse showing is still too high, your participation is optional and we encouraged you not to show. With few exceptions, this reopening has gone smoothly. Our collective community proved that it could be flexible and adaptable, as did your Federation, which has processed over 600 rule modifications, over 65 mileage exemption requests, and over 350 competition license modifications to help us all navigate through these uncertain times. As I write this letter, horse showing is back to about 65% of pre-COVID levels, and we preserved as many championships as we could. To keep shows open, we must all remain vigilant. It is often the simple things that make the most difference. Social distancing, wearing face masks or face coverings, and frequently washing our hands are three simple measures that are proven to reduce virus transmission. While we acknowledge that this is an inconvenience, we must comply with these requirements. We truly appreciate your support in maintaining as safe an environment as possible so that our sport can continue to function despite the immense challenges posed by the virus.

TO KEEP SHOWS OPEN, WE MUST ALL REMAIN VIGILANT.

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While we continue to navigate through this horrific situation, we cannot overlook the incredible opportunity we have to emerge from this pandemic stronger and more successful than ever. To that end, USEF is currently reviewing the numerous COVID-19-related rule modifications approved since March to determine which should continue through the 2021 competition year and whether any of those should become permanent. Our goal is to maintain the agility from this year without compromising our sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s integrity. We look forward to working with you and welcome your continued feedback. We will get through this, and I am optimistic that the changes made will result in a significantly improved sport for the future. Stay safe, stay flexible.

Murray S. Kessler

PHOTO: ISABEL J KUREK PHOTOGRAPHY

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16 FALL ISSUE 2020

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USEF NEWS

CEO UPDATE:

Use of Face Masks/Coverings and PandemicRelated Requirements

United States Equestrian Federation CEO Bill Moroney in late July issued an update to the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan for Licensed Competitions with the following communication: “While we are all grateful for the opportunity to enjoy competing again, the challenges and risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic remain part of our daily lives. Governors are beginning to pull back or even reverse reopening initiatives in several states as positivity rates are increasing. “We truly appreciate the diligence and cooperation of participants and organizers who have gone above and beyond to ensure the health and safety of their competition communities by adhering to the various state and local requirements, as well as the requirements and recommendations outlined in the USEF Action Plan for Licensed Competitions. However, USEF has received reports of non-compliance with and nonenforcement of the Action Plan. Every instance of non-compliance and non-enforcement not only endangers the health and safety of your fellow participants, but also threatens our ability to continue having competitions in this extremely tenuous environment. “The ability to keep competitions operating depends on every one of us, individually and collectively. It hinges on our cooperative participation in efforts to control the spread of the virus. “With that in mind, effective immediately, USEF mandates the use of face masks/face coverings at all times while on the competition grounds except when mounted on a horse or driving a horse-drawn carriage or cart. The 18 FALL ISSUE 2020

USEF Action Plan has been updated to reflect this strengthened mandate. “In addition to the updated face mask/face covering requirement, USEF expects that: • All participants will adhere to, and all competition organizers will enforce, social distancing requirements at all times while on competition grounds. • Competition organizers will restrict access to competition grounds in accordance with state and local travel and quarantine restrictions. • During a competition, Stewards and Technical Delegates will report non-compliance to competition management, and individuals who continue to demonstrate non-compliance with social distancing or face mask/ face covering requirements will be promptly removed from the competition grounds by competition management. • Stewards and Technical Delegates will document and include in their report to the USEF all incidents of non-compliance, so that USEF can address any deficiencies. “We all share the enormous responsibility of doing our utmost to maintain a safe competition environment. It is no easy task. It can sometimes be uncomfortable, even unpleasant. However, in this significantly altered environment, these steps are necessary to keep our competitions as safe as possible and keep them operating. We cannot lose sight of the wide-reaching and devastating impacts facing our industry that would result from competitions being shut down due to failure to comply with mitigation efforts. If you are unwilling or unable to adhere to the COVID-19 requirements mandated by USEF or state and local agencies, please stay home and refrain from attending or operating USEFrecognized events until the pandemic resolves. “We continue to monitor and assess the pandemic impact, and we will keep you informed of any updates to our position as circumstances warrant or as instructed by the government and public health authorities. “The safety and welfare of our members and their horses remains our top priority, and everyone must do their part and take every step necessary to keep fellow competitors as safe and healthy as possible and to keep the competition environment open.”

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USEF NEWS

The United States Equestrian Federation, Pennsylvania National Horse Show, and Washington International Horse Show presented by Mars Equestrian have relocated several USEF hunter jumper national championships to North Carolina’s Tryon International Equestrian Center after pandemic-related issues forced cancellation of both the PNHS and WIHS. TIEC, located in Mill Spring, N.C., was selected as the best location to host these events because of the size and scope of the facility, its central location relative to other venues, the existing competitions on the calendar and its proven recent success in hosting events. The dates for each competition are outlined below: • Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals – October 8-11 • Neue Schule/USEF Junior Jumper National Championships – October 8-11 • Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals–East – October 15-18 • WIHS Equitation Finals, Pony Equitation Finals, and Children’s and Adult Hunter and Jumper Finals – October 21-25 “We are pleased to accommodate the USEF, PNHS and WIHS special fall championships at TIEC. Each year competitors work 20 FALL ISSUE 2020

hard to qualify for these year-end events. In what has been a remarkably challenging year, we plan to build off of the success and learning we have experienced to date operating nine weeks of successful competition to offer a safe and celebratory competition environment for these events in partnership with their respective organizing committees,” said Sharon Decker, President of Tryon Equestrian Partners - Carolinas Operations. USEF, TIEC, PNHS and WIHS are all dedicated to providing the safest and highest-quality competition environment for dedicated members, exhibitors, and their families. All events will be spectator-free. The show organizers will continuously monitor the COVID-19 status and will adjust or amend shows based on the guidance from federal, state, and other public health officials. Entries and stabling will be managed for each event separately by PNHS, WIHS and Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search in coordination with TIEC. Please do not call TIEC directly regarding entries and stabling; however, do reach out to TIEC directly for inquiries regarding available on-site lodging at lodging@tryon.com. For more information on these events, please visit usef.org, panational.org, and wihs.org.

PHOTO: TAYLOR PENCE/US EQUESTRIAN

USEF Medal Finals, Prix des States, Talent Search and WIHS Equitation Championships Move to Tryon

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22 FALL ISSUE 2020

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USEF NEWS

US Equestrian Launches USEF Helmet Safety Fund To Support Virginia Tech Helmet Lab US Equestrian is pleased to announce the kick-off of the USEF Helmet Research Safety Fund, a fundraising effort to further the safety of equestrian athletes across all breeds and disciplines. The fund will support further research into U.S. helmet safety standards and the creation of an equestrian-specific rating system, providing riders insight into how helmet models compare when looking at safety and protection. US Equestrian is partnering with the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, and 100% of funds raised will support the independent research to develop this important sport-specific rating system. In addition to the financial fundraising component of the program, USEF will be sharing important data on falls and injuries from USEF competitions which will be utilized in the research and development of the Equestrian STAR rating project at the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab. “All of us at the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab are excited to partner with US Equestrian on the helmet rating project,” said Dr. Barry Miller, Director of Outreach and Business Development for the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab. “US Equestrian’s involvement will increase awareness, promotion, fundraising, and cross-breed/discipline benefits, as well as the broad-based connections USEF can provide to other sports in the NGB family.” “Currently, equestrian helmets must meet basic safety standards on a pass/fail system to receive the ASTM/SEI approval,”

explained US Equestrian CEO Bill Moroney. “This is a fantastic project for everyone to be involved with and we embrace the opportunity to work with all of our affiliates on a communitywide initiative to support this research and enjoy the shared benefits of the results.” To date, the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab has developed STAR helmet ratings for sports including football, youth football, soccer, flag football, cycling, and hockey. Since 2011, Virginia Tech researchers have been providing unbiased helmet ratings that allow consumers to make informed decisions when purchasing helmets. The helmet ratings are the culmination of over 10 years of injury biomechanics research with special attention to concussions and which helmets best reduce concussion risk (vt.edu/helmet). US Equestrian is launching an awareness campaign educating the equestrian community on the importance of this research and inviting everyone to donate towards the Virginia Tech helmet fundraising goal of $450,000. Notably, the USEF affiliate United States Hunter Jumper Association has announced a donation of $100,000 to Virginia Tech’s helmet fund. Future virtual meetings will bring together US Equestrian affiliates, partners, helmet manufacturers, and industry thought leaders to work together to advance this initiative. To donate, visit usef.org/donate/helmetresearch.

USEF Offers New Online Transfers and Leases In an effort to simplify USEF horse ownership transfers and lease registrations, we are happy to announce a new online option. Effective immediately, a member can log in to their USEF member account and mark any of their horses as sold or leased. Once entered, the buyer or lessee will receive notice that the animal has been released for them to acknowledge and complete the process. The buyer

or lessee can simply log in to their USEF member account; accept the transfer or lease; make the necessary payment; and go compete. To make this as efficient as possible, the seller or lessor will need to enter the buyer or lessee’s member number. All of this can be done on your mobile phone! While USEF rules acknowledge that we are not a title registry and our

records are not legally binding, we want our records to be as accurate as possible. The majority of all ownership transfers and lease registrations are one member to one member transactions. For requests that have multiple owners on either side of the transaction, the process will continue as normal. If you have questions about this new process or any USEF program, please do not hesitate to contact us. USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 23

USEF NEWS

USRider® Announces Enhanced Services to Assist Equestrians on the Road “The primary mission of USRider continues to be to ensure the welfare and safety of our members and their horses,” says Bill Riss, General Manager of USRider. “We are committed to adding all the necessary resources in order to provide the quickest possible service by the most qualified providers in order to safely get our members back on the road.” US Equestrian members can access a discount on their USRider activation fee or membership renewal through an exclusive MemberPerks benefit. US Equestrian members also receive their 13th month of USRider service for free. “We’re so pleased to continue our partnership with USRider and provide a discount on access to their emergency roadside assistance for our members,” says US Equestrian CEO Bill Moroney. “As equestrians return to the road this summer, we know that trailering safety is at the top of everyone’s mind. USRider’s services are invaluable to anyone who travels with horses, and we encourage our members to take advantage of them.” Learn more about USRider’s services at usrider.org. Find out more about the benefits of US Equestrian membership at usef.org/join-usef/ memberperks.

PHOTOS: PHOTO:ANDREA HENRYKEVANS/US EQUESTRIAN, SHANNON BRINKMAN PHOTO SADURA/STOCK. ADOBE.COM

With horse shows and travel opportunities reopening for the summer of 2020, many equestrians are dusting off their trailers and planning trips. Safety is always the top priority when hauling horses, and horse owners can take advantage of the peace of mind that comes with access to USRider’s roadside assistance services with a discounted membership through US Equestrian’s MemberPerks program. USRider provides 24/7 nationwide emergency roadside assistance and towing services for horse owners, including arranging towing for a loaded trailer and coordinating emergency stabling. USRider has enhanced its services for members this year, including: • Expanding coverage by adding more USRider Certified tow providers. • Opening a new call center and increasing the number of Member Care Specialists. • Adding new national auto service partners to expand the emergency service network and provide discounts on auto services. • Automating the reimbursement request process to expedite payment of claims. • Improving the search portal for stabling, vet, and farrier partners for travel planning and emergency use. • Adding discount partners for tack, apparel, supplements, and more.

24 FALL ISSUE 2020

BEFORE

AFTER * Three months feeding Senior Sport™

“I’m not going to lie, I really didn’t expect to see this improvement. Big Momma is a 16.3hh, 19-year-old mare. I thought we would really struggle to get her back up to weight as she was in really poor condition when she arrived and wasn’t massively interested in her feed. Fast forward three months and she is almost unrecognizable! Super shiny coat, ribs and hips filled in and eating up every morsel of feed and hay.” - Harriet McCord

SEEN AND HEARD

In & Around the Ring

“W

ith the break from competition, the athletes have been working hard on improving, and it should be a great experience. This will be one of the few team experiences available to athletes this year, and we look forward to having a strong group of applicants.” - U.S. Developing Coach Leslie Law on the 2020 Adequan® USEF Futures Team Challenge events scheduled to take place this fall in Unionville, Pa., and Temecula, Calif.

This page: Tamie Smith claimed the top three places in the Advanced division at The Event at Rebecca Farm in picturesque Kalispell, Mont., in July, shown here with her winning mount Mai Baum. Opposite Top: Cameron Brown pats KT Lansini during their victory gallop as the Overall Grand Champion 3’6” at the 2020 Adequan®/ USEF Junior Hunter National Championship – West Coast in Petaluma, Calif., on July 19. Opposite Bottom: Kaeley Arterburn relishes her 2020 USEF Saddle Seat Adult Amateur Medal Final champion title aboard CH(EQ) La Zingara at the Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show in July in Lexington, Ky.

26 FALL ISSUE 2020

“W

e’ve gone on miles of trail riding and [helped] green horses learn to ride trails, as well! We go on all kinds of trail rides from the very tame and flat trails to trails with twists and turns.”

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT): SHANNON BRINKMAN PHOTO, © ALDEN CORRIGAN MEDIA , TAYLOR PENCE/US EQUESTRIAN

- Robyn Atkins on some of the activities that helped her and the versatile Hazelrun Graceful Aire reach 3500 hours in the My Morgan & Me Program with the American Morgan Horse Association

USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 27

LEARNING CENTER

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PASO FINOS

by Glenye Cain Oakford

Paso Finos are highly versatile, participating in a wide variety of show classes and in sports outside the ring, from trail riding to jousting.

The Paso Fino Horse Association Grand National Championship Show takes place Sept. 14-19 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Ga.—watch it live now at USEF Network. Need an introduction to this graceful, smooth-gaited breed whose name means “fine step”? Here are five facts to know when you tune in to watch the show.

1.The Paso Fino’s origins go back to the

Spanish conquistadors. The Paso Fino’s arrival in North America began more than 500 years ago with the Spanish conquistadors, who brought Andalusians, Spanish Barbs from North Africa, and smooth-gaited Spanish Jennets (now extinct) to the New World. Bred for their stamina, smooth gait, and beauty, “Los Caballos de Paso Fino”—the horses with the fine step—served as the foundation stock for remount stations of the Conquistadors. Centuries of selective breeding by those who colonized the Caribbean and Latin America produced variations of the “Caballo de Criollo,” among them the Paso Fino, which flourished initially in Puerto Rico and Colombia, and later in many other Latin American countries (primarily Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Aruba, and Venezuela). Descendants of the Conquistadors’ horses are believed to have spread into North America after the Spanish soldiers forayed for a brief time into this territory. 28 FALL ISSUE 2020

Awareness of the Paso Fino as we know it today didn’t spread outside Latin America until after WWII, when American servicemen came into contact with the stunning Paso Fino horse while stationed in Puerto Rico. Americans began importing Paso Finos from Puerto Rico in the mid-1940s. Two decades later, many Paso Fino horses began to be imported from Colombia. For a while, there was some debate as to which country produced the “true” Paso Fino. Though there are still some self-professed “purists” who advocate for one or the other country, the American Paso Fino—true to our “melting pot” tradition—is often a blend of the best of Puerto Rican and Colombian bloodlines.

2. Paso Finos’ unique gait is natural and

super-smooth. The Paso Fino is born with a gait unique to the breed, and its attitude seems to transmit to the observer that this horse knows its gait is a very special gift that must be executed with style and pride! The gait is smooth, rhythmic, purposeful, straight, balanced in flexion, and synchronous front to rear, resulting in unequalled comfort and smoothness for the rider—in fact, the Paso Fino is known as “the smoothest riding horse in the world.” The Paso Fino is a graceful, agile, and supple equine athlete that uses all four legs with precision

PHOTOS: STUNNING STEEDS

With the Paso Fino Grand National Championship taking place in Perry, Ga., Sept. 14-19, it’s a great time to learn more about this versatile breed and its unique gait.

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LEARNING CENTER and harmony. Click here to watch a video about the Paso Fino’s gaits. The gait of the Paso Fino horse is totally natural and normally exhibited from birth. It is an evenly-spaced, four-beat lateral gait with each foot contacting the ground independently in a regular sequence at precise intervals,

The gait of the Paso Fino horse is totally natural and normally exhibited from birth. creating a rapid, unbroken rhythm. Executed perfectly, the four hoof beats are absolutely even in both cadence and impact. The Paso Fino gait is performed at three forward speeds and with varying degrees of collection. In all speeds of the gait, the rider should appear virtually motionless in the saddle, and there should be no perceptible up-and-down motion of the horse’s croup. The gait is an evenly spaced, four-beat gait, and the speeds, from slowest to fastest, are • Classic Fino – Full collection, with very slow forward speed. The footfall is extremely rapid, while the steps and extension are exceedingly short. • Paso Corto – Forward speed is moderate, with full to moderate collection. Steps are ground-covering but unhurried, executed with medium extension and stride. • Paso Largo – The fastest speed of the gait, executed with a longer extension and stride, and moderate to minimal collection. Forward speed varies with the individual horse, since each horse should attain its top speed in harmony with its own natural stride and cadence. Extension and flexion must be harmonious, with no tendency to become “light” on the front or “strung out” behind. Paso Finos also can execute other gaits that are natural to horses, including the flat walk and lope or canter. As you might expect, training Paso Finos comes with its own set of approaches. A strong foundation in classical training is critical for any horse, and Pasos are no different. What makes them unique is that they are highly sensitive, intelligent, and willing. Where you might have to drill some horses repeatedly, Pasos 30 FALL ISSUE 2020

often retain things on the first try. They are also very responsive, so a light touch will work better and they respond quickly to commands. The natural gait requires good flexibility, so you will often see trainers stretching to keep them supple. Pasos have up to three feet off the ground at any given time, with no upward suspension in the gait, allowing you to enjoy the smoothest ride around.

3. The Paso Fino is versatile.

There are a variety of classes and divisions, including in-hand classes, pleasure, performance, trail, and versatility, which also includes a jump! • Classic Fino – The only gait performed is the Classic Fino. • Performance – Horses perform the collected Corto, collected Largo, and collected walk. • Pleasure – The gaits performed are the mildly collected Corto, the midly collected Largo, and flat-footed walk. Manners and obedience are especially important. • Specialty – These classes demonstrate the versatility of the breed and can include pleasure driving, trail, Western pleasure, costume, and versatility classes. In the versatility classes, the horse must perform a flat walk, the Paso Corto, the Paso Largo, and the Canter, and must also jump a 2’, single-rail obstacle. • Bellas Formas – The horse is shown in hand, and the choice of gait may be either the Classic Fino or Paso Corto. Judged on both conformation and gait. Outside the show ring, Pasos participate in long-distance events (such as endurance, competitive, and pleasure long-distance riding), dressage, a variety of sport horse programs, barrel racing, jousting, trail riding, and more!

4. There are also Diagonal Paso Horses.

Diagonal Paso Horses can be ridden collected or with extension, which contributes to their great versatility. In their native Colombia, they are prized as ranch horses and show horses, while in the United States they are used for showing in a variety of competitive divisions, as well as for pleasure and trail riding. The term Diagonal Paso Horse usually refers to any of three particular breeds: the Colombian Trote y Galope horse, the Trocha horse, and the Trocha y Galope horse. • Colombian Trote y Galope – Fairly new to the U.S., this breed developed originally as a cross between the Lusitano and Paso Fino breeds. The Lusitano contributes to

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sound produced by the four beats when the sequence of the cycle is performed. Its sound follows a 1-1-1-1- rhythm. The Trocha horse is shown fully collected with rapid, fluid, powerful footfalls. The Trocha horse usually possesses a long, full mane. • Trocha y Galope – This breed is similar to the Trocha but must also perform the galope gait with a very elegant, smooth, collected 32 FALL ISSUE 2020

frame and controlled forward movement. Typically, their manes are roached.

5. Different classes require different

show attire. The equestrian’s style of clothing changes according to the type of class. • Official Paso Fino show costume features a long-sleeved bolero jacket (over a longsleeved shirt or blouse) and full-length riding pants or a jumpsuit that covers the boots; jacket and pants or jumpsuit must be conservative in color and trim. The exhibitor must also wear a Spanish-type felt, leather, or suede hat with a round, flat crown and with a flat or slightly rolled brim with a matching or contrasting hatband. Male riders shall wear a tie. Worn in Bellas Formas, Classic Fino, performance, and adult equitation classes. • English/plantation style show costume consists of a long-sleeved shirt, full-length trousers, tailored jacket or vest, hat, and riding boots. Boots are English, with a rounded toe and some heel. Women riders may wear skirts, culottes, or gaucho pants that are long enough to cover the knees when the rider is in the saddle, along with knee-high boots. Hats are straw, usually in cream or black. This attire is seen in pleasure, versatility, trail, country pleasure, and pleasure driving classes. • Western show costume features a Western-type hat, long-sleeved Western shirt, full-length trousers, and Western boots, along with chaps, shotgun chaps (with zippers close to the legs), or chinks (shorter leggings, which enclose the leg from the waist to just below the knee). A jacket or vest is optional. This costume is worn in pleasure, Western pleasure, trail, country pleasure, and pleasure driving classes. A safety helmet meeting the American Society for Testing and Materials/Safety Equipment Institute F1163 Standards can be worn under or instead of a hat in a class.

LEARN ABOUT MORE BREEDS IN THE LEARNING CENTER Visit the Learning Center at usef.org/learn to discover more about US Equestrian’s 21 breeds and disciplines. Check out our dedicated Breeds section for videos and information about Friesians, American Saddlebreds, Arabians, and Morgans, as well as a free overview of all of our recognized breeds and disciplines.

PHOTO: STUNNING STEEDS

The Paso Fino’s heritage goes back to the Spanish conquistadors. They are known as “Los Caballos de Paso Fino”— the horses with the fine step.

the height, power, and diagonal gait, while the Paso Fino influence is in the horse’s brio (spirit), quickness, sensitivity to aids, and smoothness of movement. The “trote” is a two-beat, much exaggerated diagonal gait, but without suspension. The trot is powerful but comfortable, and there is no need to post. The horses look as if they are marching. The “galope,” or canter, is a movement of forward diagonal propulsion in three beats: the first stage begins with the striking of one hind leg; the second stage is taken by the opposite hind leg and the foreleg diagonal to it; then the third stage is completed when the last foreleg hits the ground. The beat makes a 1-2-3, 1-2-3 sound. Typically, these horses’ manes are roached. This originally was done for practical purposes, as many are working horses in Colombia. It is not a requirement for show, but it is done in order to accentuate their characteristically thick, regal necks. • Trocha – Highly prized in its native Colombia, the Trocha horse performs one gait during competition, a smooth, four-beat diagonal Paso gait. The “trocha” is measured in a rhythmical and harmonious tempo but in four beats, identified by the

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LET’S TALK

Equestrians and Their Coaches Can Team Up to Conquer Nerves by Darby Bonomi, Ph.D.

The Amateur’s Perspective Amateurs (and juniors!) often carry around a lot more anxiety and stress than they let on to their trainers. Many are reluctant to really express how burdened they feel. Fearing 34 FALL ISSUE 2020

criticism, demotion, or reduction in respect, hardy equestrians often try to “power through” their nerves. Sometimes powering through is effective for a time, but it’s rarely a long-term solution. Tension usually builds, and things go south. Athletes can “blank out” during a performance—basically, not being present for all or most of their ride. They might hold their breath, freeze up, or completely forget a test or course. Adding to the stress is the anticipation of their trainer’s disappointment or judgment. As these tensions snowball, performance dwindles and frustration mounts, often leading to sharp words or tears. The Trainer’s Perspective Trainers are some of the hardest-working people I know. They have the complicated job of training the horse, teaching the student, keeping everyone safe and sound—and being both a human and equine psychologist. Trainers invest tremendous amounts of time and energy into each pair, and they want to see them reach their potential. While trainers are experts at reading horses and equestrians, there are times when they can’t understand what’s going on inside

PHOTO: SHELLEY PAULSON

Listening, a free exchange of ideas, mutual agreement on a plan, and a deep respect for each other’s point of view help trainers and athletes build a team to overcome an athlete’s nervousness or fear.

As a sport and performance psychologist, I find that fear is a central theme in my work with equestrians and their coaches. Whether it’s in the form of perfectionism, fear of failure, or anticipation of injury, nerves can significantly interfere with our ability to perform our best— and rob us of enjoyment, too. When athletes get the jitters and emotionally shut down, trainers wrestle with how to respond and help navigate those nerves. In the heat of the moment, both sides may experience frustration as they struggle to find a solution. In my experience, tension between students and coaches is usually a matter of lack of understanding between the pair or, at least, a failure to effectively communicate understanding. How can we get on the right track toward working through these performance nerves? Let’s start by understanding each other’s points of view.

PRO TIP

Step 1: Communication 101 First, I recommend that both the equestrian and the trainer sit down in the office and talk about the issues. Brainstorm together about when the anxiety arises, what it seems to be about, and what makes it better or worse. Both the athlete and the trainer need to allow time for their own perspectives to be heard. End the meeting with a clear articulation of the problem, and outline three steps you’re both going to take to address it. Then work the plan. For example, maybe the problem is that the equestrian gets so anxious she forgets to breathe in competition. She tightens up her body, the horse responds in kind and gets quick, which makes the rider more nervous, and then she feels she has to circle him to get things under control. The first strategy would be to get her breathing during the entire class, course, or phase by planning exact places to take a breath, by counting out loud, or by saying a mantra in every corner, such as “Breathe.” 36 FALL ISSUE 2020

Having a trusted partnership with a trainer to work through pre-ride or pre-competition anxiety is a key component of stress reduction.

PHOTO: KATYA DRUZ/ARND.NL

the black box of their athlete’s mind. When the athletes don’t let them in on their experience, trainers are left to guess: do I push or do I let up? Is the equestrian too fearful to do the exercise again or should I insist and hope that it goes well and the pair builds confidence? A significant stressor for the trainer is safety. What will it mean for the horse’s psyche if the pair tries it again and fails? Is the rider or driver going to get hurt by trying the movement again on an amped-up horse? Do I school the animal or let the student continue? Trainers are forced to make quick judgments, sometimes with less than complete information—especially about how the athlete is feeling. Now that we understand a little more about each other’s perspectives, let’s get some practical tips on working together in order to reduce anxiety and improve performance.

PRACTICE MAKES THINGS BETTER

PRO TIP

Or perhaps the issue is that the student’s anxiety arises out of self-imposed perfectionism or a belief that the trainer has specific expectations of him. These kind of feelings often go unexpressed. Taking time to air out the assumptions on both sides will ease and clarify expectations and allow for a discussion of what is realistic. From there, the team can craft a more reasonable plan for moving forward.

Step 3: Reflect and Follow Up Don’t just have one meeting and let it go. While you are working the plan and practicing for a few weeks, make sure you continue to check in with each other and see if there are adjustments you need to make. Good communication is regular verbal communication that comes from a neutral, non-emotional place. Texts and emails can assist, but it’s important to keep talking. Maybe the trainer notices that show nerves hit their peak the first day of the show, because that is when the horse is fresh, and the student feels uncertain. Knowing this, the trainer may adjust the pre-performance plan early in the week, giving both horse and equestrian time to settle in. Or maybe the performance anxiety rises toward the end of the competition, when everyone is tired—that observation may call for a different approach. Whatever the observations, it’s important to keep working together. Step 4: Trust the Partnership As the trainer and athlete feel more free in their communication, trust will grow and the equestrian will feel a sense of safety which, in turn, will reduce anxiety. Having a partner to work through rough patches, in and of itself, is a key component of stress reduction. Tension between a coach and athlete only magnifies the sense of isolation and rarely helps performance. When I witness well-functioning trainer/student partnerships, what I see is a team. During a show warm-up, it’s a collaboration, a “checking in with each other,” with both on the same page. There might be tension, but it’s clear that the two are batting for the same side. There is listening, a free exchange of ideas, and mutual agreement on a plan—and, above all, a deep respect for each other’s point of view. Channeling nerves into focused performance—and true enjoyment—is something that most athletes strive for, from novice to elite. Similar to refining technical aspects of the sport, this mental skill requires collaboration and buy-in from the coach and others who support the athlete. Even though ours is generally an individual sport, managing stress and achieving optimal performance are the product of a wellfunctioning team effort.

38 FALL ISSUE 2020

PHOTO: FRANK SORGE/ARND.NL

As trainer and athlete feel more free in their communication, trust will grow and the equestrian will feel a sense of safety that will reduce anxiety.

Step 2: Practice and Refine Even if the anxiety problem occurs mainly at competitions, it’s important to practice the new routine at home. During training sessions, work together to mimic show conditions—especially those that contribute to the fear. Actively visualize being at the competition grounds, and feel the nerves that arise. Then, work the plan to manage them. Just like anything, practice makes things better. An anxious person should develop a pre-ride routine that is calming and centering, and practice it regularly. This routine might include relaxation breaths; mindful meditations both while actively working the horse and while doing things like grooming; and setting simple intentions for each ride, drive, or vaulting session. The key is to develop and refine the plan at home, so it feels familiar at competitions.

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JUNIORS’ RING

Lettering Program Gets New Look, Name The popular program will now be known as the US Equestrian Interscholastic Athlete Program— but its mission providing recognition for equestrian athletes in grades 5 through 12 remains the same.

US Equestrian Interscholastic Athlete Program merchandise is available through shopusef.org.

40 FALL ISSUE 2020

The US Equestrian Interscholastic Athlete Program recognizes dedication to equestrian sport through competing in at least three USEF-licensed or non-licensed competitions or through logging a minimum of 100 hours of riding, driving, or training each year.

“The US Equestrian Interscholastic Athlete Program recognizes the dedication that our young athletes demonstrate year after year,” said US Equestrian CEO Bill Moroney. “Balancing school work, extracurricular activities, and training for and competing in equestrian sports is a commendable achievement. Through this program, we aim to provide recognition for our young athletes’ hard work, comparable to the recognition those in other sports receive for their interscholastic athletic pursuits.” To participate in the US Equestrian Interscholastic Athlete Program, athletes must be current competing or fan members of US Equestrian. Members can apply for the program through their Member Dashboard on usef.org. Participants also can submit proof that they have completed the program’s requirements through the Member Dashboard. For more information on the programs and requirements, visit usef. org/learning-center/youth-programs/lettering. If you have questions about the US Equestrian Interscholastic Athlete Program, contact equestrianathlete@usef.org. The US Equestrian Interscholastic Athlete Program is the first phase of an upcoming series of programs that will recognize achievement for time spent in the saddle for members of all ages. Learn more about the programs offered by US Equestrian and the benefits of membership at usef.org.

PHOTO: TAYLOR PENCE/US EQUESTRIAN

US Equestrian is excited to unveil a new name and an updated look for its popular student athlete recognition program, formerly known as the US Equestrian Athlete Lettering Program. Under its new name, the US Equestrian Interscholastic Athlete Program, the initiative will continue to provide recognition to athletes who participate in equestrian sports through their middle and high-school careers. Participants in the US Equestrian Interscholastic Athlete Program can apply for the program for up to eight years total, beginning in fifth grade and continuing through their senior year of high school. In order to receive recognition for a year of participation, athletes must compete in at least three competitions (both USEF-licensed and non-licensed are accepted) or log a minimum of 100 hours of riding, driving, or training time. Athletes will receive a patch for their first year of participation and a pin for each subsequent year for which they complete the requirements. The pins and patches feature an updated program logo, which is also available on a new range of merchandise at shopusef.org.

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MY FIRST

My First Horse by Glenye Cain Oakford

Kaya MacLeod lived a horse-lover’s dream when she received Flynn Rider, an American Saddlebred, last year as a Christmas present.

“It Was Really Special” Trainer Wallace wasn’t the only one taking note of MacLeod and Flynn’s progress. “Once I saw the two of them clicking, we started the wheels in motion with her trainer to get a pre-purchase exam done and buy him,” said MacLeod’s mom, Meera Sood, a middle-school science teacher. “Kaya had been asking for her own horse for 42 FALL ISSUE 2020

Kaya MacLeod and Flynn Rider on the cross-country course at the Champagne Run at the Park Horse Trials in July.

about a year-and-a-half. We didn’t tell her about it until she came out to the barn that day and got the surprise of her life.” “In early December, I showed up for one of my lessons, and the stall card on his stall said I was the owner,” recalled MacLeod, 15. “It was magical! As soon as I saw it, I burst into tears. I was so happy, and for a split second I thought I had imagined it. It was really special.” MacLeod started riding as a kindergartener, when her mother signed her up for a package of five saddle seat lessons. “I thought it would be a one-and-done thing, but the ‘done’ never happened,” Sood said. As MacLeod grew, she played volleyball and basketball and ran track, but her dedication to horses never faded. Her interest in jumping eventually drew her to eventing. “I’d pick her up after a two-hour basketball practice and take her to a riding lesson, and she’d ride her heart out,” Sood remembered. “I knew that her legs must be nearly dead, but she was really committed to this. And then I saw how well she and Flynn clicked.” There was one moment in particular that struck her, Sood said. MacLeod and Flynn rode in a jumping class during the St. Louis National Charity Horse Show’s Saddlebred week, showing the versatility of the breed. “People were just amazed, and I saw how well they clicked,” Sood said. “I thought, ‘This is the horse for her.’ I thought they could grow together. It seemed like there was a good bond between them.”

PHOTO: XPRESS FOTO

Christmas 2019 came a bit early for Kaya MacLeod, a Missouri teenager. And it came on four legs, in the form of a bay American Saddlebred gelding named Flynn Rider. It’s a familiar dream for many young equestrians, but MacLeod’s first horse came with a bit of a twist. American Saddlebreds are familiar to many equestrians as saddle seat mounts, but MacLeod is a budding eventer. She rides at Columbia Equestrian Center in Columbia, Mo., where her trainer, Kris Wallace, specializes in American Saddlebred sport horses. “They’re just built so well for all these sporty disciplines,” Wallace said of American Saddlebreds. “Take Flynn: he’s a got a great shoulder, and he’s got great use of his back. We’re asking him to use himself differently now, and that takes some time. But we’re not asking these horses to do difficult jobs that they’re not built to do. They tend to have a shorter back, which is extremely beneficial for the self-carriage of a dressage horse or a horse with a lot of scope over a jump. So that’s great. “They also have a huge heart and a huge drive to please. They love to be rewarded and know they’re doing a great job. There’s just something special about this breed—you know you can trust them and they trust you. They’re different in a very good way.” MacLeod first met Flynn Rider back in the spring of 2019, shortly after the bay gelding arrived at the Columbia Equestrian Center. “My trainer asked me to ride him in one of my lessons that July,” MacLeod recalled. “I really liked him, but there was a different horse in the barn that I liked more, so at first I kind of brushed him off like, ‘He’s fun but that’s it.’ But as time went on, I kept riding him, and I took him to a show in September [St. Louis National Charity Horse Show], and he exceeded all my expectations. He was only six at the time, and he’d only been jumping a couple of months. I started thinking, ‘This little horse is cooler than I thought!’” Flynn is smart and trainable, said Wallace, but he’s also got plenty of personality. “He loves the show ring and loves the spotlight,” she said. “He’s one of the goofiest, most personable characters, but he’s Mr. Business in the ring. He likes having a job and he’s talented at this one. He’s got that forward drive that Kaya likes to ride, but he’s also safe. It’s the perfect balance for a kid.”

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Left: Kaya MacLeod (center) with her parents and Flynn Rider last December, when she received him as a Christmas present. Right: Kaya MacLeod and her American Saddlebred Flynn Rider are demonstrating the versatility of the American Saddlebred by competing in eventing.

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Horse Trials Debut July marked another first for MacLeod—her first eventing competition at the Beginner Novice level—at the Champagne Run at the Park Horse Trials, which took place in Lexington, Ky., at the Kentucky Horse Park. “I was pretty nervous,” MacLeod admitted. “It was my first Beginner Novice, it was my first event on my own horse, and it was at the Kentucky Horse Park!” After scoring 37.3 in their dressage test, the pair went on to jump double clear in their stadium jumping phase, setting them up well for the next day’s cross-country test. Luckily, there was a familiar face in the start box: the starter that day was MacLeod’s uncle, Dr. James MacLeod, an equestrian himself. “That was pretty special to see her uncle send her off on her cross-country ride,” said Sood. “It got me a little emotional.” “We’d been cross-country schooling, but that’s a completely different atmosphere from going out of the box by yourself,” MacLeod said. “But Flynn loves it out there. I was probably more nervous that he was. He was like, ‘Mom, I’ve got this.’ My trainer said, ‘Just ride the first three or four fences confidently, and you’ll be golden.’ “The first fence was more of a mental thing for me than for him,” she added. “I’m pretty sure his ears were forward the whole time. He was a little fast—he’s a big horse with a big stride, and he covers a lot of ground.” In their debut, MacLeod and Flynn placed 14th in their Beginner Novice division, jumping double-clear in stadium and cross-country to finish on their dressage score of 37.3. Saddlebreds are a little unusual in disciplines that involve jumping, but that’s changing as more people see what they can do. At Champagne Run at the Park, there were a number of Saddlebred competitors in addition to Flynn, including two—Lily Callahan’s Royal Crest’s Granite Permission and The Phantom Pistol—who won their divisions at the Training and Starter levels, respectively. MacLeod pronounced herself “really proud” of her Beginner Novice debut with Flynn, and she’s looking forward to more competitions in the future, including a move to the Novice division at the Heritage Park Horse Trials in October. But equestrian sport isn’t only about the placing, as Sood pointed out. “I think resilience is a big thing she’s gotten from her riding,” Sood said. “There are times when she gets frustrated, as any equestrian does, and that ability to bounce back and to know that it’s not always going to be that way is huge. And the fact that it’s a horse—not a soccer ball or an inanimate object, but a living thing that’s relying on her—speaks to the big responsibility you have. If you’re playing another sport, you can put it aside and leave it. But if you’re working with a horse, you can’t just leave it out for two weeks and ignore it.” “The main thing that’s drawn me away from other sports and toward horses is that you can’t form a bond with a ball,” said MacLeod. “At the end of the day, your horse chooses to listen to you, and you’re choosing to work together as a team. You can change things to make your horse work better for you, but with a volleyball or basketball, you can change your style of shooting or passing to make the play run better, but the ball is still predictable. Horses keep you on your toes. You never know what to expect, and you’re always driven to become a better equestrian and a better rider, just to improve your horse’s ability. It keeps me motivated.”

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MEERA SOOD, XPRESS FOTO

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HORSE HEALTH

Q &A :

Equine Asthma

with Dr. Laurent Couëtil

by Glenye Cain Oakford

Equine asthma can affect horses in winter and summer, indoors and outdoors. We asked veterinarian and researcher Dr. Laurent Couëtil how to prevent and manage it.

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• •

For horses prone to asthma in the barn, allowing regular turnout on pasture For those prone to asthma related to pasture allergies, more barn time

What is equine asthma? “It’s a pretty broad definition, but essentially what we are talking about are horses that show respiratory signs but don’t seem to be sick, per se, in the sense that they don’t have a fever and don’t act like they have an infection—their appetite is fine, and they are bright. “There’s a whole spectrum. The most severely affected can have what we used to call heaves; those horses are easy to recognize in the sense that they are very obviously having a hard time breathing just standing there in the stall. Their nostrils will be flaring and they have a lot of ‘abdominal push,’ which is where the term ‘heaves’ came from. Those have severe asthma. “At the other end of the spectrum, there are horses who are not very much affected at all. You might only hear a cough once in a while or the horse might not be performing as well as he used to, and there’s nothing else we can find to explain that decrease in performance. These are the mild asthma cases. “What all cases have in common is that they have some degree of airway inflammation if you look at their deep lungs. The best way to assess the degree of inflammation is by doing a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), or what I like to call a ‘lung wash.’ It seems to be a good way to assess the degree of inflammation in the airways and how the lung is doing. It’s not a good test if you are looking for an infection, especially a bacterial infection,

PHOTO: TAYLOR PENCE/US EQUESTRIAN

Dr. Laurent Couëtil is a veterinarian and professor of large animal medicine at Purdue University, where he also is the director of the Equine Sports Medicine Center and of Equine Research Programs in the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine. Couëtil specializes in the early detection and treatment of respiratory diseases in equine athletes and has been studying the problem of equine asthma in sport and race horses. We spoke with him about the causes and types of equine asthma and about steps horse owners and barn managers can take to prevent it. “What is clear is that with improved environmental management you can really benefit horses with asthma a great deal,” Couëtil said. “These management changes are really quite cost-effective techniques. Using a hay steamer or switching to haylage doesn’t add a lot of expense, versus having to treat horses with medication and losing time in riding or competing. The message to me is that this is the most important thing to implement first, and then if you can’t control the problem with improved environment, then you might have to go to the next step, which is medication.” Couëtil’s top tips for reducing equine asthma in a barn include • Using high-quality hay or haylage • Steaming hay before feeding it, which can reduce the most damaging smaller particles that can travel deeper into a horse’s lungs • Feed hay from the ground, rather than from a hay net • Keeping the barn as dust-free as possible • Sweeping the barn aisle or using leaf-blowers when the horses are not in the barn • Keeping barn doors open for better ventilation

Equine asthma can occur indoors in horses fed hay or outdoors in horses on pasture.

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52 FALL ISSUE 2020

HORSE HEALTH but the horses we’re talking about are horses who do not have fevers and act well otherwise. “As in people with asthma, you might not feel bad, but you have some degree of difficulty breathing. You can get to the point where you can’t catch your breath as you sit or stand there, but in the mild cases it might just bother you when you run or exercise. It’s the same range in horses.” Are there different kinds of equine asthma, as there can be in people? “In people, one form of asthma is seen in children or younger people, and that tends to be more of an allergic type of asthma. People with that type of asthma tend to have a particular type of cells in their airway that we call eosinophils. We see the same kind of asthma in horses, especially in younger athletic horses. They also have eosinophils in their lung wash fluid. We think of that as more an allergic type of asthma. “In humans, the severe form seen in adults—and especially the form that doesn’t respond well to inhaled medication—if you look at the kinds of cells in the airway in those people, they tend to be more neutrophils. These people look more like the more severely affected horses, the ‘heave-y’ horses. “Asthma in humans and horses is fairly complex; it’s not a one-size-fits-all type of disease. You have mild to severe and different types of inflammatory cells in the airway.”

PHOTO: FRANK SORGE/ARND.NL

How common is asthma in horses and what causes it? “Let’s start with the severe, or heaves, form, because that’s the one that’s been studied the most and for the longest time. There are two main kinds of it. There’s the classic winter form, where the horse is indoors more in the winter and fed hay in the stall, and that’s when they show the signs. This is most common in climates where you have to put horses in a barn in the winter, like the northern region of the United States. In those areas, as a ballpark figure, about 15% of horses have that condition. They’re usually more mature horses, in their teens or later. “The second form looks exactly the same from the outside, but the trigger is different: it is that the horse is on pasture. We see that more in the southern U.S., in places like Louisiana and Florida. The horses might be fine in the winter, but starting in May or June and peaking in July or August, they show signs that are the same as those in the winter horses: nostrils flaring, coughing, increased effort to breathe. But it’s triggered by molds and pollens in the pasture. So the trigger is still grass-related, but in the winter form the grass is dry, because it’s hay. There haven’t been large studies to look at the incidence of the summer-pasture form, but we think it’s about 10% or less. Horses with the winter form do fine on pasture, and horses with the summer-pasture form do better on hay—and you have a few unlucky horses who suffer from both forms. “Those are the two severe forms. But there is also a milder form. We did a recent study in Thoroughbred racehorses here in Indiana that found that 80% of them had some degree

“What is clear is that, with improved environmental management, you can really benefit horses with asthma a great deal,” says Dr. Laurent Couëtil.

of inflammation in their airways that we’d call asthma. It’s not entirely surprising, because these horses spend as much as 23 hours a day indoors. “When we looked at how they did, the more inflammation they had in their lungs, the lower their performance. So clearly it’s not just ‘normal’—it does have an impact on how those horses are performing. It doesn’t mean that a horse with some degree of airway inflammation cannot win; but if that horse didn’t have that inflammation, it would be able to perform better and to what would be a more true indication of what it is capable of doing.” What kinds of things are horses inhaling when they’re eating hay, for example? “We have shown in studies that it’s important to measure what the horse is exposed to at the tip of the nose, rather than just measuring somewhere in the back of the stall, because some horses might bury their noses and others might just take a bite and then move away from the hay. Measuring the exposure in their breathing zone—the volume of air they breathe in and out—is more precise. We measured two different kinds of particles, some measuring less than 100 microns; to give you an idea of the size, 50 to 100 microns is the width of a human hair. Particles less than 100 microns are called inhalable, and you can see them. The small particles, which are less than four microns, are called respirable; you can’t see them with the naked eye. “We know from humans that these respirable particles go deep in the lung, whereas the inhalable particles tend to be stuck more in the nose and throat. “We have found in our study that just the very small particles— the respirable ones—were tightly associated with the severity of inflammation in the airway. Essentially, the higher the exposure to the small particles, the higher the lung inflammation, and it particularly affected the neutrophils. The neutrophils are like the guards: their job is to find that these particles are foreign objects and get rid of them or kill them if it’s an infectious agent. “We also measured the composition of the dust itself and looked at other so-called irritants that are part of the dust particles and they contribute to causing inflammation in the lung. There’s always contamination with bacteria from the environment, of course, and the endotoxins they carry. And if you have dust, you have molds, fungi, too.” USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 53

HORSE HEALTH

Left: Wetting hay can help reduce exposure to dust temporarily. But, especially in warm weather, “that hay will dry again and you’re back to square one,” says Dr. Laurent Couëtil. Right: Steaming hay not only reduces dust, but also has a sterilization effect, killing bacteria and fungi.

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fungal growth in that corner of the stall. So it does have its problem. “I have a lot of horses referred here from practitioners who aren’t seeing them respond even though they are receiving wet hay. So I think there’s only so much you can accomplish with that. “Ventilation is also important, so you want to keep the barn doors open and have other ways to help with ventilation. Don’t use a leaf-blower in the barn or, if you do, kick the horses out. It takes about an hour for dust and the particles we are worried about to settle back down.” When you steam hay, does the heat also help? “It helps because it does have a sterilization effect, killing bacteria and fungi. That’s an important aspect. Studies in the United Kingdom also have shown that, unlike keeping hay wet, steaming doesn’t negatively affect the quality of the hay by leaching nutrients out. In the case of steaming, those nutrients are still there. “Most of the time, too, horses do seem to like the steamed hay, so if you have a horse that is a picky eater, they usually tend to do quite well with the steamed hay. That’s another side benefit.” What management strategies can mitigate the pasture-associated summer form of equine asthma? “Look at the reports from weather stations about mold levels and pollen levels from trees and grasses. When those levels start going up, that’s when trouble will happen. Those horses also can have trouble in barns that are well ventilated, because if you bring air into those barns

from outside, you’re bringing in all those triggers, which are airborne. “These horses do better inside. If you feed them hay, feeding them hay from the ground is always better than from a hay net. We’ve shown in studies that if you feed a horse from a hay net, you get about three to four times higher dust exposure than if you’re feeding that same hay from the ground. “Horses also are more likely to show signs if they are eating dusty or low-quality hay and if they are eating out of a round bale, even if they are outdoors, especially if it’s exposed to the rain and will mold more. If you use a round bale, try to protect it by using a feeder that has a cover over it to keep the bale in better shape. When you store round bales, protect them from the elements.” Can mowing help? “Mowing doesn’t seem to change what is triggering the disease for the summerpasture form of equine asthma. It mainly seems to be from eating grass, rather than tree pollen, that is triggering these horses’ problems. It’s likely we’re talking more about mold-type fungi that are on the grass, and not necessarily grass pollen itself, as a trigger. But that hasn’t been worked out completely; researchers are still studying that.” Are there other things that can help treat an asthmatic horse? “If you have a show horse that you need to get ready, omega-3 supplements do help. Medications, especially inhaled medications, can also help horses by speeding up the resolution of the problem.”

PHOTOS: MI0PHOTOGRAPHY90/SHUTTERSTOCK, CALLIE CLEMENT/PHELPS MEDIA GROUP

How can stable management practices help prevent or mitigate equine asthma? “For the barn-related asthma, particularly when it’s severe, it helps if you can turn the horse out, and it’s been shown that giving low-dust hay and feed helps. “In a study we did at the track, we wanted to know whether feeding horses lower-dust hay could improve lung health. Horses were allocated to either eating their regular hay for a six-week period or they were fed steamed hay, which was their regular hay steamed in a Haygain steamer. A third group was fed haylage, which has a higher water content than hay. We measured dust in the horses’ breathing zone and did a BAL at the beginning, at three weeks, and at six weeks, and throughout we assessed their health. “Sure enough, we found that the steamed hay and the haylage decreased the amount of dust the horses were exposed to. That was expected, but nobody before had looked at the effect on lung health. And we did see a decrease, mainly in the neutrophils in the airways. “It’s been shown that wetting hay down, by dunking it in water before you feed it, will decrease the dust exposure. But the issue is that, especially as you get into the warmer weather, the hay will dry again and you’re back to square one. And if you leave the hay in water all the time, a lot of the nutrients leach out. The other issue with wetting hay down is that this creates a source of moisture somewhere in the barn or stall, so you might have

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PHOTOS: (LEFT COLUMN, TOP TO BOTTOM) ELAINE WESSEL/PHELPS MEDIA GROUP, DUNCAN THURMAN, MIKE SEXTON, (RIGHT COLUMN, TOP TO BOTTOM) HOWARD SCHATZBERG, KIM BOYD VICKREY, TAYLOR PENCE/US EQUESTRIAN, COURTESY OF ISA BERDUGO

EDITED BY GLENYE CAIN OAKFORD AND ASHLEY SWIFT

In Our Own Words The equestrian world’s diversity isn’t only a cause for celebration. It also offers a chance to share different perspectives, experiences, and wisdom—the inspiration for growth, both in individual horsemanship and as a community. We asked seven equestrians from several breeds and disciplines about their experiences, their challenges, and what they’d like their fellow equestrians to know about them as individuals. Their words reveal both highly personal stories and often underreported issues, highlighting some of the differences in equestrians’ experiences. But they also speak to what equestrians collectively share, beginning with the love of horse and sport.

USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 59

ALI NILFORUSHAN Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Ali Nilforushan at the 2019 Temecula Valley National Horse Show.

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I think this is an amazing country, but I always tried to speak perfect English with no accent because I didn’t want anybody to give me anything just because I was a minority. And back then, you were enemy number one being from Iran. Being Iranian in America was not cool. I believe my diversity and the things I went through are an advantage for me. When I’m standing at the back gate and I’m looking at somebody that has not been through what I’ve been through, I think to myself that I have an advantage. I’m mentally stronger. I’ve been through war. I fought every moment to be in this country. It builds this great depth of character. I wanted people to notice me because I was just as good as them and I came from adversity. I never wanted you to feel sorry for me because of all the hardship I went through. If you look at me as an equal, that’s a win. I wanted to get this [success] because I earned it. I wanted people to say, “Where’s that kid from? The Middle East? And he rides like that?” This sport was and has been very good to me, which is one of my driving forces in this business right now—to fix the things I see that definitely need to be looked into. In this current environment, a kid like me would never have a chance to become a professional, let alone an Olympian. The way I look at it, being very wealthy should be an advantage, not a necessity. And we need to figure out ways for kids that maybe don’t have the ultimate means to also have a shot at this. I look at this as you and I are lining up to do a 100-yard dash. We’re here to see who the best is. If you’re super-wealthy and you can buy better horses, that should give you a three-step head start, a four-step head start. It shouldn’t mean that I can’t race you. The beauty about the horse business, to me, is that it was my sanctuary. I was discriminated against very hard in school. People wouldn’t drink water after me at the water fountain. Nobody would sit next to me. I was called a terrorist no less than 10 times a day…. But I always had my love for horses. I always just envisioned being on a horse. And when you’re on a horse, it’s just you and that horse and none of the things that they say can get to you. That’s why the sport means so much to me, because it saved me from all the horrible things that kids can do and say. It’s interesting, I never felt like a minority in the horse business. I always just tried to fit in; I just wanted to be one of the people at the show. It was beautiful. I never felt any racism or anything, which is what made me love the sport so much. Then the better I became, the cooler I became, and it gave me my confidence. By the end of high school, I was one of the cool kids in the school. And all of that, all of those blessings, came into my life because of this incredible industry, this sport. This sport is everything that I have. I want people to know that my plan is to genuinely leave a legacy in this business and be one of the people who has brought about change in many aspects of this sport. I have everything because of this sport, and I will give everything back to this sport. I’m here for real and to make this industry everything I truly see that equestrian sport should be.

PHOTOS: ELAINE WESSEL/PHELPS MEDIA GROUP, MIKE SEXTON (OPPOSITE)

Ali Nilforushan came to the United States from Iran at age seven. He rose through the show jumping ranks, eventually making history as Iran’s first Olympic equestrian when he competed as an individual show jumper at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Nilforushan and his wife Francie later founded Nilforushan Equisport Events, a horse show management company devoted to producing world-class events on the West Coast.

Bryanna Tanase has had a passion for horses since early childhood. Now 22, she made her first contact with horses in a therapeutic riding program in 2016 and decided three years later to make the challenging transition to the sport of para-dressage. In early 2020, she received her National Classification as a Grade I rider, which will allow her to compete. She currently is based at Quantum Leap Farm in Odessa, Fla. Bryanna Tanase on Shane at Quantum Leap Farm in Odessa, Fla.

BRYANNA TANASE Tarpon Springs, Fla. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time on my computer, and I still do, as it’s how I continue learning about horses. One day my little self was curious to see if there were riders that had a disability out there, because until that point I hadn’t seen any. So I googled it and found videos of different international riders, like Rebecca Hart, Roxanne Trunnell, and other team riders. I watched the videos and thought, “Oh, yes, I need to do this!” Para-dressage is different from therapeutic riding in that I have to focus a lot more on making my body stronger, too, in addition to learning more about dressage. Therapeutic riding is a way of introducing people to riding and adapting the basics of riding to someone’s disability, whereas trying to transition out of therapeutic riding and into para-dressage, you realize how much work you need to put in. It’s like stepping into a new world. Therapeutic riding and para-dressage are completely different. One is recreational, and one teaches the horse and rider to be an athletic team. You learn how to communicate with the horse in therapeutic riding, but there’s a whole different level to it when you’re doing para-dressage. An example is attempting movements like leg-yielding, when you would normally use your leg to guide the horse through the movement. Since I do

not have enough strength in my legs, my instructor and I had to come up with a different way I could perform it. It becomes a difficult balance, too, because not only do you need to learn the movements that are needed, but you also have to do them in a way that fits your unique abilities and make sure they look good. I’m Grade I, which means that when I compete it will be at a walk only. Grade I is meant for the most severely disabled riders. I was born with cerebral palsy, which is caused by brain damage and affects balance, coordination, and movement. I use a wheelchair for mobility; I can’t walk or stand on my own. Horses have increased a lot of my balance, and I’ve gotten a lot stronger physically, emotionally, and socially because of them. They’ve become my legs and given me a new perspective on life. They are my greatest joy. Horses have given me more than I could ever put into words. The horses have given me something to look forward to in my life, and they’re always there if I feel sad or lonely. I absolutely love every minute with horses, whether I’m riding, grooming, helping with chores, or just enjoying their company. They’ve really helped me with my confidence, as well. Being a person with a disability, you’re often really hard on yourself about things that you see other people do, and you forget to focus on the things that you can do, instead of the things that you can’t do. Horses remind me of my capabilities. If I hadn’t gotten into horses, I probably wouldn’t do a lot of the things I do now, and I feel more comfortable with people now, too, because horses give me something to talk about and be excited about. I’m super passionate about horses and sport and my love for them makes my life feel complete. I’d like other equestrians to know that all of us involved in it are working very hard to make our goals happen. We might have disabilities, but we’re doing our best to use our disabilities to our advantage. We’re not defined by our disabilities, and we know our limits. We are serious athletes, and we want to show others what we can do. Some people might be scared about us being on horses, but we know what we signed up for! We’re just as passionate as everyone else in the sport. We might have a lot of extra challenges in the way, but we’re not letting them stop us from doing it, even if it takes us a lot longer than the average person to get where we want to go. We’re letting our passion for the sport lead the way. USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 61

Murray, Ky.

Chandra Thurman and Kassie at home.

Chandra Thurman’s parents and grandparents bred and raised Morgans and American Saddlebreds. She first competed in Western disciplines. But after she was introduced to dressage through Murray State University’s equestrian program, Thurman took up the discipline four years ago. Now 28, Thurman currently competes her 13-year-old Andalusian/Thoroughbred mare Kassie at Training level. My mom always said horses are in my blood. When I was in college, I kept hearing people talk about dressage and was like, “What’s this thing called dressage?” That’s when I found my trainer, and she introduced me to the dressage world. I thought, “I can do this. This is cool.” I just love the grace of it. It’s kind of fancy. It’s not nitty-gritty like barrel racing or eventing where you’re jumping big jumps, but I think the grace and beauty of it is special. Someone told me once that it reminded them of ballet, and that stuck with me. It’s so graceful, it’s light. It’s really a dance with your horse, and you can see that with anyone who comes into the arena. I just love the beauty of that. Competing—going in there and having a goal— gives me confidence. I think that’s the main thing I love about competing, having those little goals. You might get one or two things out of 100 right in one test, but then you come out of the ring and you know you can get one or two more the next time and keep adding to it. It’s that drive to keep doing a little bit better each time. 62 FALL ISSUE 2020

I was at a show once, and I’d unloaded Kassie and was getting her settled in. I was on my trainer’s trailer getting stuff off, and someone said, “Don’t you work here?” I told her I was here with my horse and she looked at me kind of funny. That was the first time that had happened, and it took me aback. I thought, “We’re just going to keep doing us.” Nobody is going to deter me. If people are going to judge me because of my skin color, I’m going to just show you what I’ve got, because I’m more than just my skin. I won my class that day, and that lady and a friend came back later and said, “You are such a good rider, and I love your horse.” Racism is there, and I’d say to people, “Don’t be blind to it. If you see it, say something.” I’ve seen people get judged even with a look; sometimes people can’t hide the emotions on their face. We’re all there for the same goal, and we should all be there for each other. It doesn’t matter what your skin color is. We’re all there for one goal, and that’s to have fun with our horses. Don’t judge people just based on their skin. Be nice to everybody and it will go a lot better! People will have fun and won’t go home upset and think, “I had fun at the horse show until someone called me a name.” You don’t want anyone to have a bad experience. We’re all spending our money on this 1,200 pound animal, right? So we shouldn’t judge someone differently because of who they are, where they come from—that shouldn’t matter. When I got into the dressage world, I think there’s an image of what a dressage rider is. I’m not skinny by any means, and I think everybody’s image was that you had to be skinny, white, and pretty to be a dressage girl. And here I am—that whole image is not me. But that is the image you see in magazines and instruction videos. For dressage, some people think you have to have a perfect size, you have to have a fancy warmblood, you have to be fair-skinned and be perfect, but everybody is from different backgrounds, colors, shapes, and sizes, and it shouldn’t matter. We all go in there and stop at X, and we’re all the same. I feel like, going into this, I’m going to have a lot of stares, a lot of whispers, a lot of looks. I just go in there confidently, no matter what. I know people will judge, but I just smile and be nice to whomever I can, because I’m not there for them. I’m there to let little girls who see me say, “She looks just like me. I want to do that.” That’s what I want to achieve.

PHOTOS: DUNCAN THURMAN, KASEY THOMPSON FOR PAWS AND REWIND (OPPOSITE)

CHANDRA THURMAN

Isa Berdugo discovered horses and the equestrian community at age seven at a local hunter barn in Pennsylvania. Berdugo, 19, now competes in jumping in the 1m section and owns two horses, his 14.2-hand Welsh-cross pony Foxy and his current competition mount, the 17.3-hand Hanoverian Say Anything, a.k.a. Lloyd. Being trans inside this sport, especially being a USEF member, has been a different experience than I think for some people. I’ve had difficulty with being in a show barn setting with my identity. I had to play a duality in my life for so long. I knew I was trans, but I felt that if I were to come out inside of sport that I’d be faced with a lot of issues. For myself personally, I knew I needed to medically transition with testosterone, and, by doing that, I knew that I’d have to get a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) from the United States Anti-Doping Agency in order to compete. I’ve reached out to a bunch of trans athletes who are outside our sport for support and advice on how to go about that. I started testosterone, knowing I would have to wait months until I got my TUE before I could compete again. I felt, and to an extent I still do feel, very separated from and othered in sport. I first came out on my Instagram, and when I saw that members of my barn saw it and ignored it, I felt pretty uncomfortable and like I was doing something wrong. When I came out and decided to start testosterone and became more vocal, I noticed that people wanted to know less about me as a person and more about my trans identity, medically. Most people who knew didn’t use my pronouns and didn’t engage in a conversation about supporting me. That felt objectifying, and it was profoundly impactful in how I saw my future in sport. It was only when I started seeing other equestrians message me who were worried about coming out in their sports that I saw the positive in being publicly out and being open about it. There’s a huge difference between saying, “I am trans; here are my pronouns,” versus “This is my identity, and I’d like everyone to know that as soon as you meet me.” I’ve chosen to be visible. It’s been difficult, but it’s been rewarding when I get messages from people who are otherwise scared to come out, feeling they can by seeing me in sport. I’ve heard from young people who say, “Hey, I’m trans, I want to be a USEF member, and I want to compete.” They’re just starting to be open about it and put it on their profiles, but they want to not worry about their identity impacting competing and barn dynamics. When I didn’t see someone who looks like me and had my history, it left me questioning whether I could ever compete in the future and continue in the jumpers. I don’t speak for every trans athlete, but I do speak for myself and my experience within the sport, which has been mixed when it comes to my identity. But I knew coming out and being open was the right thing to do, because I never had anyone like that when I was younger to look up to. I’d like people to know that being a trans equestrian has allowed me to get a different sense of some of the issues inside

the sport, primarily the tradition of everyone looking the same and maybe having to be the same. I’ve seen that and said, “I think we can do better with representation.” Because diversity has always been here; it’s whether we allow people like me and other diverse voices in the sport to have a platform and be heard. I encourage people to support equestrians that aren’t exactly like them and listen to their experiences. Those kinds of intersections are so important for the sport to survive and go forward, to have more members and more participation in the future. I’d like people to know how much I dedicate to being the best equestrian I can be, including my horsemanship and my interpersonal skills with other equestrians. I’d also like people to know that I’m a real person with my own struggles. I’m also a disabled equestrian; I have a couple of neurological conditions that impact how I ride, physically. And I’d like people to know me for being adaptable, for being able to keep the tradition of the sport alive when it comes to jumpers, as well as being able to celebrate the differences—as well as my ability to adapt within the sport, the many times I’ve been pushed down and been able to come back up. I think that’s pretty much the core of every equestrian: being able to adapt inside and outside the ring.

ISA BERDUGO Southampton, Pa.

Isa Berdugo and Say Anything in the competition ring.

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Jerome Parker, a third-generation horseman, is the grandson of the renowned black Morgan and American Saddlebred trainer Joe Parker. Jerome’s father, Hugh Parker, specialized in the Arabian horse industry. Jerome himself started out as a successful Morgan and American Saddlebred trainer before moving into judging and serving as a ringmaster.

My dad gave me the best advice that I have carried into my career as a professional. He always emphasized to treat each horse as an individual. Whatever worked for the last horse might not work for the next one. So try to work with them and their abilities and try to make them stand out instead of telling them, “You have to follow my lead.” I try to see what the horse wants to do, how they react to different things, and then move forward that way. I stay as natural as possible. That was probably one of my dad’s biggest things, to keep them natural. Whatever their movement is, you try to get a little more out of it, but do not try to reshape it. You always try to work with them instead of against them. My mom and dad were adamant about never allowing color to be an excuse for not being able to do something. That wouldn’t fly in our house, even if there may be truth to it, but we weren’t allowed to use that as a crutch. We knew that things wouldn’t always be fair because of the color of our skin, so we figured out that we’re just going to have to work harder. I’ve carried that through my life, into the horses. Whenever I felt like I’m not getting a fair shake I think, “I have to go home. I have to work harder, try to do better, and keep pushing my way through.” My grandfather would have had a much rougher time than what I’m going through. So for me to use that as a crutch would be a disrespect to his legacy. I try to do my best and hope that that’s good enough for other people also. If you look at my history, everything that I saw was successful men of color. I’m surrounded by my uncles, my dad, my older brothers. There was no reason to think I couldn’t do it, too. We might have to work harder or do a little more, but I also had a legacy that was propping me up. I was standing on my uncles’ and my dad’s and my grandfather’s shoulders, so to speak. I already had a blueprint where some other kids coming up didn’t. In the horse business, you come across some people that aren’t very nice and have not very nice things to say about you or your color. But in my life, there’s predominantly been so many good people. They are lifelong friends or customers, and now judges, that have given me such good advice and support, so that keeps me motivated. If you try to understand somebody else’s hardship, it gives you a new light on things, just like when we’re training horses. If I’m a negative person, that horse is never going to be able to reach his full potential. But if I’m positive, I can help him reach his full potential, the horse will perform better, and you’ll look better because the horse looks better. So it’s honestly true [for horses and people] that if you come in contact with enough good people, your life is going to get better. Some days [my family’s last name] is a heavy burden, and other days it opens doors that I might not be able to get open. I try to add to the legacy so that it lives on and the name still means something 50 years from now. Ultimately, I love the sport. I love the people in the sport and I think I’m supposed to be a voice for the people that don’t have a voice. If I got this opportunity five years ago, I would have said, “No, thank you.” I don’t want to be judged. I don’t want people to think I’m pulling the race card. And now I just don’t care. I know I’ve lived the life I’m proud of, but what good is it unless I lend my voice to somebody who may be struggling and needs a leg up? That should be my job because my family did it for me. I hope I can do that for others.

Northford, Conn.

Jerome Parker (left) with young competitor Lucas Kampfer at the Connecticut Morgan Horse Show. 64 FALL ISSUE 2020

PHOTOS: HOWARD SCHATZBERG, TAYLOR PENCE/US EQUESTRIAN (OPPOSITE)

JEROME PARKER

Mikhail Proctor, a largely self-trained horseman, is a three-time national champion vaulter. An accomplished gymnast and former show jumper, the Ft. Worth, Texas, native moved to Lexington in his youth and graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2013 with an animal science degree. Proctor and fellow vaulter Makayla Clyne co-founded Fleur de Lis Vaulters, which is based in Lexington, Ky. He competes aboard Goliath, a Percheron/Standardbred/Tennessee Walking Horse that he adopted in 2011 from the Kentucky Equine Adoption Center. My aunt took me to my first riding lesson; I think I was maybe five. I fell in love with the horses, and from there I found some friends who had horses, and I’d go there and clean stalls in exchange for some riding time. I’d watch lessons going on outside the stall, and then I’d grab a horse and see if I could do the same thing. A lot of it I kind of taught myself—it’s a very unorthodox way of coming up in the industry, but that’s just what I had to do. As a self-trained equestrian, I don’t always do everything that everyone else does, but that was just my way of getting myself into the sport. I knew it was very expensive, and my parents knew that, too, so I had to get a little creative to still be able to exercise that passion. Being a person of color in the equestrian world really hasn’t been much of a negative experience for me. I think a lot of that just has to do with my personality. I don’t allow it to be an issue. I spoke with someone in an interview during college, and they claimed that I basically wasn’t truthful on my resume, but they didn’t ask any of the references. They just looked at my resume and said, “There’s no way you were able to do all this.” I said, “You can ask the references,” but they didn’t want to do that. They just flat-out said that someone like me is not capable of doing that stuff. It was very clear that was not going to be the opportunity for me. My dad calls me Mr. Outspoken, and I wasn’t mean, but I told them, “You’d think in this day and age that wouldn’t play a factor, but if you check the references, you’ll find that everything is true.” I explained how I felt. I didn’t yell and I wasn’t mad at them. If that’s how they want to behave, then I’ll let them deal with that and I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing. I’m not looking for approval from anybody. With the vaulters, we make it an inclusive environment. It doesn’t matter where you come from or what you look like. We’ve got vaulters from all different backgrounds and different income levels. None of that matters. At the end of the day, if you look up the definition of an equestrian, those factors have nothing to do with it. The horses can actually teach us a lot. If you look at the way they interact with each other, it doesn’t matter what discipline they do, doesn’t matter what color they are, doesn’t matter what state they came from or where they were bred. You put horses out in the field, they’re going to figure it out within 24 hours. There’s no reason we can’t do the same thing. And that’s basically the environment we have here: everyone moves at their own pace, we’re all here because of the horses, and that’s the most important thing.

Mikhail Proctor and Goliath.

MIKHAIL PROCTOR Lexington, Ky. Other folks I’ve talked to say they’re not interested in the sport because there’s not enough people who look like them; from what I was hearing, it almost sounded a bit like they were intimidated. I don’t really get intimidated easily. So, for me, if someone feels like that’s a factor, the best way to fix it is by showing up. It’s not about winning. The growth aspect is the best part. If anyone’s feeling discouraged, just put those thoughts aside, be there, be a part of it, and do your thing. If someone wants to comment, let them comment. And if it’s a competition, let the scores speak for themselves. The times when I become conscious of it are when I either see it or experience it, but it doesn’t stop me. Everyone’s experience with horses is going to be different. Who are they to say what your experience is? Just keep going and doing your thing. USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 65

I am one of just under a handful of Asian equestrians, but I am surrounded by a supportive and caring barn and show community. I don’t notice that I am treated any differently or unfairly because of my race, but I do notice that there aren’t many BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and People of Color] in this sport, and I believe there should be more diversity. Why do I believe there should be more diversity? It is important because it will bring more people into the sport. It allows the horse industry to grow and stay strong. We as a community need to support ideas and programs that increase opportunity and accessibility to all people. It would be great for equestrian companies to be more inclusive in their product marketing. I notice there is very little representation of BIPOC in equestrian product advertising. If you look through a magazine, the advertising includes plus-sized models, petite-sized models, adults, and children. However, BIPOC are not included in that mix. Targeting the community through representation by featuring BIPOC models would help demonstrate that they can participate too, and that equestrian is an inclusive and welcoming sport. The horses have provided me an opportunity to participate in the sport I love in a way that I never knew existed when I first started riding. I’m grateful for the experiences that I have had, and the people I have met, by showing horses. I believe that no dream is too big. Work hard and believe in yourself; dreams do come true. 66 FALL ISSUE 2020

SOPHIE YIH Alamo, Calif.

PHOTO: KIM BOYD VICKREY

Sophie Yih began riding at a hunter jumper barn in her native California when she was six and later transitioned to saddle seat. Now 16, she has proven herself a competitive force in saddle seat equitation, among other divisions. Sophie’s love and passion for the American Saddlebred and Arabian horse breeds is evident and inspires her dedication to growing and honing her skills as a rider. In the Arabian horse and American Saddlebred communities, she is known not only for her elegant riding but also for her passion and drive.

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USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 67

The transition from summer to fall can call for adjustments to your horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diet and care, as veterinarians from Hagyard Equine Medical Institute explain. BY LESLIE POTTER

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USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 69

PHOTO: COURTESY OF HORSEWARE

Top: Your horse always needs access to good forage and clean water, shelter from bad weather, routine hoof care, and regular turnout or exercise. Left: To help mitigate the risk of colic, ensure your horse has 24-hour access to clean water at a drinkable temperature.

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PHOTOS: KENNOTAEPLAE/STOCK.ADOBE.COM , (INSET) LESLIE POTTER/US EQUESTRIAN

In many ways, horses are well adapted to changing seasons. Their wild relatives evolved to survive in extreme weather, from droughts to months of ice and snow. But for our domesticated equines, keeping an eye on certain health and management concerns during changing weather conditions is key to keeping them healthy and sound, year after year. A DIET FOR ALL SEASONS In the wild, horses build up stores of body fat during the lush growing season and lose much of that extra weight during the barren months of winter. But that doesn’t mean that domesticated horses should live the same way. “Ideally, you want to keep a good body condition on your horses year-round,” said Dr. Rana Bozorgmanesh of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky. “If they have a job that’s seasonal, I think it’s okay for them to gain a little bit of weight when they’re not in work. But you don’t want it to go crazy where it’s going to affect their insulin release. “As it gets colder, you’re not going to have as much growth in the grass, and usually it’s going to have less nutrition, as well. This is generally the time that you’re going to need to start thinking about supplementing horses with other types of forage to provide enough calories so that they don’t start to lose weight. “Some people try to put weight on their horses in the fall in preparation for winter, especially with older horses that you know will lose weight, and I think that’s fine,” Bozorgmanesh said. “The weight itself is one thing, but the other thing that’s important to realize is the actual process of digestion—particularly of forage—creates heat, and so during the winter horses need plenty of forage to eat.” For most horses, this comes in the form of hay. For horses who have trouble chewing hay, soaked hay cubes or pellets are a good way to provide extra fiber in a safe, easy-to-eat form. But if forage alone isn’t maintaining your horse’s weight, consider adding or increasing supplemental feed. “Concentrates are good for adding a lot of calories,” said Bozorgmanesh. “If you want to put more weight on your horse, you could feed them more concentrates. And then for them to be able to maintain, and create heat, feed them more hay.” USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 71

COLIC WEATHER Anecdotally, many horse owners report increased colic cases when the weather is erratic during seasonal changes. But it may not be the weather itself that creates that risk. “Some of that is associated with how much water horses drink,” Bozorgmanesh explained. “Certainly when it gets colder, they tend not to drink as much. Sometimes it’s because they don’t want to drink ice-cold water.” In warmer seasons, pastured horses spend most of their day walking and grazing, and the change to a winter routine of huddling up with their buddies or standing by the hay feeder could also be a risk factor for colic. “They may not move around quite as much in the cold, so that can affect gut motility to some degree, as well as any changes in exercise,” said Bozorgmanesh. “Horses are creatures of habit, and any changes like that are going to predispose a horse to colic due to effects on gut motility and their general routine.” To mitigate the risk, ensure your horse has 24-hour This is the photo caption text. access to clean water at a drinkable temperature. 72 FALL ISSUE 2020

PHOTOS: FRANK SORGE/ARND.NL, ARND BRONKHORST/ARND.NL

If your horse is on a very productive pasture, you may notice weight gain in the spring when the lush grass returns. That seasonal feast can lead to problems beyond a larger girth size. “Some horses are prone to laminitis,” said Bozorgmanesh. “Those are the horses that are going to eat a ton of fresh, green grass in the spring, gain weight, and get laminitis. That is obviously not ideal.” Regardless of whether your horse is turned out on grass all or just some of the time, be sure to introduce spring grass slowly, says Dr. Elizabeth Barrett, sport horse associate and emergency surgeon with Hagyard. “Slow them down. Use a grazing muzzle,” said Barrett. “Try to mow the grass. If you have a certain type of horse—middle-aged or older, overweight, a real easy-keeper—you still have to be careful, even if the horse lives outside.” Barrett adds that adjusting the timing of your horse’s pasture turnout can help as well. Grass is typically lowest in carbohydrates in the morning, and therefore potentially safer for easy keepers, because the plants have spent their sugar stores growing overnight and have not yet replenished through a new day’s photosynthesis.

PHOTO: LESLIE POTTER/US EQUESTRIAN

“If you feel they’re not drinking the same as they normally do, you can give them electrolyte paste or salt their feed or hay, and that will encourage them to drink,” Bozorgmanesh said. “Providing slightly warmer water if it’s ice-cold and making sure the water supply isn’t frozen—those are all things to consider.” CLIPPING AND BLANKETING Coat growth and shedding are triggered by changes in daylight, not temperature. If you live in a climate where the weather stays warm year-round or if you plan to keep your horse in regular work throughout the winter, you might want to give your horse a full or partial body clip. “If they’re exercising a lot, they’re going to get sweaty with their winter hair coats,” Bozorgmanesh said of performance horses. “You clip them so they won’t get as sweaty when you exercise them, and that will make it easier for sweat to dry. “Full clips for horses who are doing a lot more work [in the winter] are probably okay, but remember that you’ll have to blanket them more.” Horse owners tend to have strong opinions about blanketing, but the fact is, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of blanketing vs. allowing your horse to go au naturel. “Part of the way that horses stay warm is the layer of air between the hairs [of their winter coat], so if you compress that, it’s harder for them to keep warm,” said Bozorgmanesh. “But, essentially, I think that when it’s 10 degrees Fahrenheit or less, for a lot of horses, that layer of air alone is not enough to keep them warm.” Bozorgmanesh adds that although compressing the natural hair coat may affect that insulating layer while the blanket is on, it doesn’t have a negative long-term impact on a horse’s ability to keep warm. Generally, horses are able to stay warm even in severe cold as long as they have some shelter from wind and wet precipitation. “People underestimate how much benefit shelter is,” Bozorgmanesh said. “It’s not like a blanket, per se, but it’s protecting them from that wind-chill factor. “On the flip side, if a horse is stalled, yes, they’re protected from the elements, but they don’t move around as much,” she cautioned. “Moving around is one way that horses generate heat, so they can still get cold in the stall.”

Falling temperatures in autumn can make pasture less plentiful and often less nutritious, too. Supplementing with other types of forage in the fall and winter can help maintain your horse’s weight.

USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 73

MUD SEASON Besides being a muck-boot-sucking nuisance, wet and muddy conditions can contribute to health concerns for horses, particularly in the skin and hooves. One of the most common and challenging skin problems goes by many names: scratches, dew poisoning, pastern dermatitis. You’ll recognize this condition by bumps and scabs on your horse’s ankles, most often on the back of the pastern. “There is some predisposition to scratches, like in your big draft horses with feathers,” said Bozorgmanesh. “But definitely muddy or wet pasture is the big risk factor. Particularly if they’re standing in it for a prolonged period, the skin gets macerated by the wet, and then bacteria can get in that way.” The best prevention is to avoid keeping your horse in muddy or wet areas whenever possible. Be sure to

This is the photo caption text. 74 FALL ISSUE 2020

wash any boots or wraps after using them. And check for signs of scratches frequently, because the earlier you can treat it, the better your chances of success. A similar condition that can affect any part of the horse’s skin is rain rot. “Rain rot is caused by a specific bacteria called Dermatophilus congolensis,” said Bozorgmanesh. “The bacteria that causes rain rot essentially spreads through the skin layers and causes pustules—bumps— and then the skin layer beneath the bumps will die off.” That leads to the scabby skin and paintbrushlike clumps of hair that are the signature symptom of rain rot. “To prevent rain rot, you’re going to want to provide shelter or use waterproof blankets,” Bozorgmanesh said. A horse’s hooves are at risk of health problems in wet weather, as well, including the development of painful abscesses. “Particularly during the wet season, feet are very wet and more permeable, and then we have more issues with abscesses,” Hagyard’s Dr. Liz Barrett said. “And certainly we see the cycle where it’s wet and then gets very dry, the hoof might trap bacteria and

PHOTO: SANDRAFOTODESIGN/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

If you have a senior horse, a hard keeper, or a horse with poor dentition that prevents him from efficiently consuming hay, consider blanketing to help supplement his natural warming mechanisms. And if your horse is clipped, blankets are essential in the winter to take the place of his winter coat.

then dry out, and then develop an abscess because it can’t drain properly. “Some horses are going to get abscesses no matter what you do, even if you care for them perfectly,” Barrett continued. “The main thing is just to have good, routine hoof care: regular trimming and regular foot care. Pick out their feet so you’re at least getting them cleaned once a day.” While changing seasons emphasize different horsehealth and management concerns, the main principles of healthy horsekeeping remain the same: access to good forage and clean water at all times; shelter from bad weather; routine hoof care; and a turnout and exercise schedule that accommodates your horse’s needs. Keep these things at the forefront, and you’ll have a happy, healthy horse year-round. Wet and muddy conditions, which are common from fall through early spring in many areas, can lead to everything from hoof abscesses to skin problems like scratches or rain rot.

LEARN MORE For more information about clipping, blanketing, hoof and skin issues, and more, check out these videos and other resources in US Equestrian’s online Learning Center at usef.org/learn. “Equine Skin Problems” with Dr. Stephen O’Grady “Blanketing 101” with Emma Ford “Blanketing Basics” with Horseware and Hagyard Equine Medical Institute “Body Clipping Your Horse” with Shannon O’Hatnick “Common Hoof Problems” with Dr. Stephen O’Grady “Six Ways To Beat Mud” with Dr. Stephen Higgins

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PHOTO: SHELLEY PAULSON

Good maintenance practices, regular inspections, and preparing your horse for travel can help make hauling easier and safer.

78 FALL ISSUE 2020SUE 2017

A Safe Return to the

Road

Before you hit the road with your horse, it pays to make sure your trailer, emergency kit, and equine shipping gear are in order. BY LESLIE POTTER

Many riders sat out at least part of the 2020 show season due to the COVID19 pandemic and resulting travel restrictions, and that means a lot of horse trailers have been sitting in driveways and garages collecting dust. Before you hitch up to travel to your next show, clinic, or trail ride, take some time to do a maintenance check to make sure that your horse will be traveling safely. We spoke with trailering experts from equestrian roadside assistance program USRider and equine transportation company Sallee Horse Vans for their advice on safely returning to the road.

Inspection Checklist Before your first trailer trip after a long off-season (or pandemic-related lockdown), take the time to do an in-depth safety inspection. For added peace of mind, take your trailer to a professional for annual inspection and service, even if your state doesn’t require inspection for trailers. “You should have your trailer professionally inspected and serviced no less than annually,” said Thom Reconnu, the fleet and facilities manager for Sallee Horse Vans. “It’s recommended every six months if the trailer is used weekly. If you’re going by mileage, it should be no more than 5,000 miles between full hub services.” Reconnu explained that full hub service includes removing the hub assembly and inspecting and cleaning the brakes and hub spindle. The wheel bearings are the most common source of hub failure, so those should be inspected and repacked or replaced. Replace the seals, and torque the retaining hardware to spec. “USRider recommends your trailer be professionally serviced at least once a year, and more often if you’re planning on taking multiple longdistance trips,” said Bill Riss, general manager of USRider. “Check all trailer tires (including spares) for signs of dry rot, correct air pressure, faulty air valves, uneven tire wear, and overall tire wear and damage. Invest in a high-quality air pressure gauge, learn how to use it, and inspect tire pressure before each trip. Always replace tires if worn or damaged. Tires should be replaced every three to five years, regardless of mileage. When replacing tires, always replace the valve stems. Only high-quality tires specifically designed and rated for trailers should be used; never use retread or automobile tires on a horse trailer. Think of it this way: quality tires are like fine leather shoes. They only hurt once: when you pay for them. USEQUESTRIAN.ORG 79

Regularly check your towing connections and safety chains as part of your pre-travel routine, experts advise.

Remember to check the tire pressure on your trailer’s spare tires—and carry two spares. “The most common service we see is after a member has had a second blowout and has already used their spare,” said USRider’s General Manager, Bill Riss.

Before leaving the property, make sure your brake lights, turn signals, and running and perimeter lights are all in good working order.

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PHOTOS: LESLIE POTTER/US EQUESTRIAN

“It is also important to service the wheel bearings every 12,000 miles or annually, regardless of mileage, due to moisture build-up,” Riss continued. “Keep a spare set of wheel bearings in your trailer in case of premature failure. Be sure to inspect trailer wiring and lighting; inspect door latches and grease the doors; inspect the floor (be sure to remove any rubber mats so the entire floor can be examined); and inspect and lubricate mechanical moving parts, such as the hitch and suspension parts. If the trailer has been sitting for a while, check for wasp nests, spider webs, and any other creatures that may have made a new home.” While you don’t need a professional to give your rig the okay for every trip, you should make it a habit to do your own inspection of key components of your trailer, hitch, and tow vehicle before loading your horse. “Develop a standard inspection routine so as not to miss anything,” said Reconnu. “Check the lights. Check your tire pressure and condition, including the spare. Check hub integrity by pulling hard on the top of the tire; there should be no movement. Look for grease slung out on the rim, which would indicate seal failure. Check your towing connections and safety chains. Test your breakaway battery and electric brakes. Check doors, gates, ramp, window latches, and pins, inside and out.” Riss recommends the pre-trip checklist written by Neva Kittrell Scheve, author of “The Complete Guide to Buying, Maintaining, and Servicing a Horse Trailer” and “Hawkins Guide: Horse Trailering on the Road.”

Get your trailer inspected at least once a year—and every six months if it’s used weekly, our experts from USRider and Sallee Horse Vans recommend.

○ Wheel bearings serviced? ○ Tires in good condition? ○ Check tire pressure

(including spares and inside tire on dual wheels).

○ Hitch locked on the ball? Correct size ball? ○ Safety cables/chains connected? ○ Plug and secure electrical connection. ○ Connect emergency breakaway system. ○ Emergency battery charged? ○ Test trailer lighting

(brakes, turn signals, running, perimeter).

○ Check/test brake controller. ○ Prior to loading horse(s), check trailer for hazards. ○ Leg wraps, head bumper on horse(s)? ○ Secure and lock all trailer doors. ○ Headlights on? For greater safety—get noticed. ○ Drive safely: allow greater braking distance and travel at generally slower speeds.

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Trailer Emergency Kit

The Trailering Off-Season

Even with regular inspection, after enough miles on the road you are bound to eventually encounter an emergency maintenance issue, especially when it comes to tires and wheels. “The most common service we see is after a member has had a second blowout and has already used their spare,” said Riss. “USRider recommends having at least two spare tires for your trailer.” Aside from flat tires, Reconnu says that burned-up hubs, which can lead to wheel-bearing failure, are one of the most common mechanical emergencies he sees on the road. “The best prevention for hubs is routine service—feel for heat at each stop,” he said. “The best prevention for flat tires is frequent inspection—every time you stop. Ensure that your tire-changing equipment is on hand and serviceable.” Reconnu recommends having a spare pre-greased hub assembly on hand in case of failure on the road. You can be prepared for these relatively common scenarios by ensuring you have an emergency kit in your truck or trailer for every trip (see sidebar for items USRider suggests for your emergency kit).

When you know your trailer is going to be unused for an extended period of time, such as at the end of your competition season, storing it correctly can help reduce the risk of maintenance problems and slow down weather-related wear. USRider recommends taking the following steps when putting your trailer away for the season: • Remove the emergency breakaway battery and store inside, out of the weather. Charge the battery at least every 90 days. • Jack up the trailer and place jack stands under the trailer frame so that the weight will be off the tires. Follow trailer manufacturer’s guidelines to lift and support the unit. Never jack up or place jack stands on the axle tube or on the equalizers. • Lubricate mechanical moving parts, such as the hitch and suspension parts that are exposed to the weather. • If you are unable to store your trailer inside, tarp it - making sure to cover the tires. “If you don’t plan to use your trailer over the winter, clean it out after its last use,” said Riss. “Empty all perishable items from the tack compartment, dressing room, and living quarters. Remove anything that could be damaged if the roof or

PHOTO: GLENYE CAIN OAKFORD/US EQUESTRIAN

Teaching your horse or pony to load and unload properly before you travel— and practicing loading and unloading periodically—will also help make your journey less stressful.

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windows leak. Put a couple of handfuls of mothballs inside to help repel mice and other pests.” Reconnu advises a thorough cleaning and inspection for any possible leaks before storing your trailer for an extended period. “Pressure wash the trailer inside and out,” he said. “Clean out under the mats. Ensure window and door seals are closed and tight. Check the roof, sides, and body panels. Remove and replace old caulk, if necessary. Park the trailer at an upward angle in front for water to run off.”

Outfitted for Safety Before you load up for your next trailer trip, you’ll need to decide whether or not to outfit your horse in protective gear, such as shipping boots or a head bumper. Your decision should be based on your individual horse and the shipping conditions, according to Dr. Liz Barrett, sport horse associate and emergency surgeon at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky. “If a horse is a good shipper, I don’t think they necessarily need to have wraps on for protection,” Barrett said. “If they’re not a good shipper, or if it’s a trip where you’re somewhat concerned about the weather or terrain, or if they’re with another horse who could be a bad shipper, those are the situations where I would put on shipping boots or a head bumper.” It’s essential that your horse is accustomed to wearing protective gear before you try to use it in a real trailering situation. Shipping boots and wraps cover more of the leg than other types of wraps, and, for many horses, that feeling takes some getting used to. A head bumper is also a potentially strange sensation for your horse, and you’ll want to try it out ahead of time if you plan to use one while shipping. A bumper will protect your horse’s poll area if he jerks back and hits his head on the ceiling or in the doorway of the trailer when loading or unloading. If your horse has a tendency to pull backwards—or if he’s very tall—it’s good practice to use a head bumper. “The trailering injuries I see most often are in horses that are kickers—those that kick the stall walls,” said Barrett. “Those are the ones that would have been protected with boots. If there’s another horse in the trailer that scrambles, that can cause injury as well. Otherwise, I probably see more bumps, like when the horse hits their head when they’re coming off the trailer backwards or they panic on the trailer and actually get stuck somewhere.” Shipping wraps and head bumpers can’t prevent all potential trailering injuries, but if your horse is accustomed to wearing them, they can offer some protection from bumps and scrapes and give you some added peace of mind on the road. Traveling with your horse opens up countless opportunities for more enjoyment of equestrian activities. By following good maintenance practices, taking time for regular inspection, and preparing your horse for travel, you’ll be able to load your horse up with the confidence that you’ll both arrive at your destination safely.

Emergency Kits for Trailer and Tow Vehicle Before you head out with your horse in tow, USRider recommends that you have the following items in your emergency kits. Be sure to inspect your kits regularly to make sure everything is well stocked and in good working order before you travel. For the trailer: ○ Spare tire. USRider recommends carrying two spare tires. ○ Hydraulic jack that is rated to jack your trailer while loaded ○ Lug wrench ○ Three emergency triangles or flares (triangles are preferred) ○ Chocks ○ Flashlight ○ Electrical tape ○ Duct tape ○ Equine first-aid kit with splint (and know how to use it) ○ Knife for cutting ropes, etc., in emergency ○ Water ○ Buckets/sponge ○ Water hose ○ Spare halter and lead rope for each horse ○ Spare bulbs for exterior and interior lights ○ Spare fuses, if applicable ○ Fire extinguisher with up-to-date charge ○ WD-40 or other lubricant ○ Broom, shovel, fork, and manure disposal bags ○ Insect spray (bee and wasp) For the tow vehicle: ○ Registration for the vehicle and trailer ○ Proof of insurance ○ Jumper cables ○ Spare tire/jack/tire iron ○ Tool kit, including wiring materials ○ Spare belts and hoses for the tow vehicle ○ Tow chain ○ Cellular phone and/or CB radio (CB may be more effective in rural areas without cell phone service) ○ Replacement fuses ○ Work gloves ○ Portable air compressor ○ Extra cash/credit card ○ Road atlas ○ Hawkins Guide: Equine Emergencies on the Road ○ USRider Membership Kit

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Hearing Committee Rulings and Administrative Penalties OFFICIAL NOTICES Contributed by the Regulation Department unless otherwise indicated. The following official notices are only intended to give penalty information for a given case and not to disclose the factual basis for each violation or penalty. The Hearing Committee decides each case based on the evidence presented at the hearing and takes into account many factors that may raise or lower a given penalty. For example, the Hearing Committee takes into account such things as whether the violation was intentional or unintentional, the nature of the violation, the credibility of witnesses, penalties in similar cases, past violations of Federation rules by a respondent, and many other mitigating factors. US Equestrian members can access and search the United States Equestrian Federation rulings and findings online at USequestrian.org. Hover over the Compete tab on the homepage. In the menu that appears, click Rulings & Findings under Rules & Regulations. HEARING COMMITTEE RULINGS Below are the official rulings reached by the Hearing Committee following hearings held in these matters and/or plea agreements made. This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc., Hearing Committee on May 11, 2020. The Committee Members present received and accepted a plea agreement tendered pursuant to Chapter 6, GR617, in connection with the WEF 8 Horse Show held on February 25-March 1, 2020, wherein BRENDAN WILLIAMS, of Wellington, Fla., violated Chapter 7, GR702.1d and GR702.1e, of the Federation’s Rules, in that he made contact with one of the Judges by texting the Judge during the competition. For this violation, it was determined that BRENDAN WILLIAMS be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1,500 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc., Hearing Committee on June 30, 2020. The Hearing Committee Members present received and accepted a plea agreement tendered pursuant to Chapter 6, GR617, in connection with the Lexington Junior League Horse Show held July 8-13, 2019, wherein WILLIAM MARTIN of Waddy, Ky., violated Chapter 4, GR410-411, of this Federation, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse KING OF QUEENS after it had been administered and/or contained in its body dantrolene and hydroxydantrolene. For this violation of the rules, the Hearing Committee members present directed that WILLIAM 84 FALL ISSUE 2020

MARTIN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a and fined $5,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that, for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by KING OF QUEENS at said competition must be returned for redistribution pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. This is official notice of actions taken by the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc., Hearing Committee on July 6, 2020. The Hearing Committee received and accepted a plea agreement tendered pursuant to Chapter 6, GR617, in connection with the Lake Placid Horse Show held June 25-30, 2019; the I Love New York Horse Show held July 2-7, 2019; and the Kentucky National Horse Show held September 18-22, 2019, wherein ROBERT ALLEN, of Moorestown, N.J., violated Chapter 9, GR913.3, of this Federation, in that he was reported three times for making non-negotiable payments for entry fees to the competitions. For this violation of Federation rules, it was determined that ROBERT ALLEN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES This is official notice of the imposition of Administrative Penalties pursuant to Chapter 4, GR412, and/or Chapter 6, GR616, offered by the Federation and accepted by the following parties and approved by the Hearing Committee in lieu of hearings. STEVEN BLUMAN of Davie, Fla., violated Chapter 4, GR411, of this Federation, in connection with Holiday Festival I Horse Show held on December 13-15, 2019, in that he, as trainer, failed

to properly submit an Equine Medication Report Form to document the administration of meprobamate to the horse, NUMERO GRANDE, which was appropriately withdrawn for the requisite 24-hour period before competing. For this violation, it was determined that STEVEN BLUMAN be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. DANIEL DE PICOLI of Wellington, Fla., violated Chapter 4, GR410-411, of this Federation, in connection with Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, Fall “A” Circuit II Horse Show held on October 18-20, 2019, in that, he, as trainer, exhibited the horse ENJOY DU GUE after it had been administered and/or contained in its body boldenone, boldione, and stanozolol. For this violation, it was determined that pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1b and GR703.1f, DANIEL DE PICOLI be found not in good standing, suspended from membership and forbidden from the privilege of taking any part whatsoever in any Licensed Competition for four months, and is excluded from all competition grounds during Licensed Competitions for that period (1) as an exhibitor, participant, or spectator; (2) from participating in all Federation affairs and activities; (3) from holding or exercising office in the Federation or in any Licensed Competition; and (4) from attending, observing, or participating in any event, forum, meeting, program, clinic, task force, or committee of the Federation, sponsored by or conducted by the Federation, or held in connection with the Federation and any of its activities. The four-month suspension shall commence on September 1, 2020, and terminate at midnight on December 31, 2020. Any

horse or horses owned, leased, or of any partnership, corporation, or stable of his, or shown in his name or for his reputation (whether such interest was held at the time of the alleged violation or acquired thereafter), shall also be suspended, pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1c, for the same period. DANIEL DE PICOLI was also fined $4,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that, for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by ENJOY DU GUE at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. COURTNEY LENKART of Bartonville, Texas, violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the WEF 5 Horse Show held on February 4-9, 2020, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse, CAPTAIN AMERICA, after it had been administered and/or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin. For this violation, it was determined that COURTNEY LENKART be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that, for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by CAPTAIN AMERICA at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. KEN MARKOSKY of Norwalk, Conn., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Ocala Winter Classic Horse Show held on February 4-9, 2020, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse, EVANSTON, after it had been administered and/or contained

in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin. For this violation, it was determined that KEN MARKOSKY be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that, for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by EVANSTON at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. JENNIFER MIX of Stevenson, Md., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the Belfield Season Opener Horse Show held on December 1-3, 2019, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse ZANDRO after it had been administered and/or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin. For this violation, it was determined that JENNIFER MIX be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that, for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by ZANDRO at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

DANNY MOORE of Spring Hill, Fla., violated Chapter 10, GR1004.20a, and Chapter 7, GR702.1n, of this Federation, in connection with the Holiday and Horses Horse Show held on November 26-December 1, 2019, in that he officiated as the Hunter Course Designer although he was ineligible to serve due to his failure to refresh his Criminal Background Check in accordance with the Federation’s Safe Sport Policy. The facts and mitigating circumstances in this case, coupled with the onset of the COVID-19 virus, which has created significant challenges for our members, supported the following penalty although it is lower than typical first-offense violations. For this violation, it was determined that DANNY MOORE be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $250 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1k. STEVEN POOL o f M a rion, N.C., violated Chapter 4, GR410-411, of this Federation, in connection with the Venice Equestrian Tour II Horse Show held on January 22-26, 2020, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse ROCKET ZONE after it had been administered and/or contained in its body cetirizine. The facts and mitigating factors in this case supported the

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86 FALL ISSUE 2020

following penalty even though it is below the suggested range for Category II Violations outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. For this violation, it was determined that STEVEN POOL be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that, for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by ROCKET ZONE at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. CARLY RAMSEY of Honey Grove, Texas, violated Chapter 4, GR410-411, of this Federation, in connection with the Arizona Season Finale II Horse Show held on November 20-24, 2019, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse COLIN after it had been administered and/or contained in its body triamcinolone acetonide. The facts and mitigating factors in this case supported the following penalty even though it is below the suggested range for Category II Violations outlined in the Drugs and Medications Penalty Guidelines. For this violation, it was determined that CARLY RAMSEY be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $1,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It

was further directed that, for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by COLIN at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. JILL SHULL of York Springs, Pa., violated Chapter 4, GR410, of this Federation, in connection with the McDonogh Winter Classic Horse Show held on January 23-26, 2020, in that she, as trainer, exhibited the horse MY TURN after it had been administered and/or contained in its body methocarbamol in a plasma concentration exceeding the maximum permitted level and guaifenesin. For this violation, it was determined that JILL SHULL be censured pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1a, and fined $750 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that, for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by MY TURN at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g. JAMIE STRYKER of Morriston, Fla., violated Chapter 4, GR410-411, of this Federation, in connection with CFHJA December Horse Show held on

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FOR THE RECORD December 5-8, 2019, in that he, as trainer, exhibited the horse QUINTILUS after it had been administered and/or contained in its body romifidine. For this violation, it was determined that pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1b and GR703.1f, JAMIE STRYKER be found not in good standing, suspended from membership and forbidden from the privilege of taking any part whatsoever in any Licensed Competition for one month, and is excluded from all competition grounds during Licensed Competitions for that period (1) as an exhibitor, participant, or spectator; (2) from participating in all Federation affairs and activities; (3) from holding or exercising office in the Federation or in any Licensed Competition; and (4) from attending, observing, or participating in any event, forum, meeting, program, clinic, task force, or committee of the Federation, sponsored by or conducted by the Federation, or held in connection with the Federation and any of its activities. The one-month suspension shall commence on December 1, 2020, and terminate at midnight on December 31, 2020. Any horse or horses owned, leased, or of any partnership, corporation, or stable of his, or shown in his name or for his reputation (whether

90 FALL ISSUE 2020

such interest was held at the time of the alleged violation or acquired thereafter), shall also be suspended, pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1c for the same period. JAMIE STRYKER was also fined $2,000 pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1j. It was further directed that, for this violation of the rules, all trophies, prizes, ribbons, and monies, if any, won by QUINTILUS at said competition must be redistributed pursuant to Chapter 7, GR703.1g.

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