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Publisher Jim Hargrove Editor John Hawfield Advertising Sales Kristina Goulet and Colt Williams
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• Horses Magazine has no liability for content, representations in advertisements, and articles may not express the opinion of the editors/publishers/owners. It is the buyer’s sole responsibility to clarify any and all advertising representations. We cannot be held responsible for any representations concerning a horse’s health, eye status, disposition, gait or any other aspect of the horse. Any burden of proof rests solely on the advertisers. • Horses Magazine reserves the right to edit or refuse any advertising or articles submitted for publication. We do not assume any liability for errors, but will correct it in next issue or a credit will be negotiated. Designs by Horses Magazine are the property of Horses Magazine. • Articles, editorials opinions in Horses Magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff of Horses Magzine or the publishers. • Address changes must be sent in 6 weeks in advance, magazines are not forwarded by the U.S. Post Office. • Copyright 2016 by Jim Hargrove Creative, Inc. All or part of Horses Magazine, including logos, cannot be reprinted without permission. • Horses Magazine is published twelve times a year by Jim Hargrove Creative, Inc., 2730 Lansing Rd., Bancroft, MI 48414
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I’m not coming out
until you get me a
what are you
waiting for!
Wash & Rinse The Grooming Company
at the Turn of a Switch!
It’s Just So Easy
The Brands You Know & Love
Always at Your Favorite Tack & Feed Store
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EACH SWIFT, SURE STRIDE BEGINS WITH A SOUND FOUNDATION.
Around the world, horse arenas and tracks trust the performance and safety of advanced GGT Footing and the dependable quality of custom-blended Fairmount Santrol sands. It’s been that way for over 15 years, most recently in the footings for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at Kentucky Horse Park. Now these top-quality footings and additives are united under the Fairmount Santrol Sports + Recreation banner… promising you service and support as solid as the
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products themselves.
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ODYSSE0 BY CAVALIA:
A THEATRICAL JOURNEY OF HORSES AND HUMANS THROUGH NATURE sound of an African harp called a Kora. Another beautiful liberty number unites purebred Arabian horses directed by inaudible vocal commands from their kneeling trainer. Through stunning natural landscape settings complemented by creative technology, spectators discover the staged space in layers, through curtains and projection. “You have the impression that the mountain is not real, until you see there are real horses going over the mountain. There is so much depth that you feel like you’re really visiting the most amazing landscapes in the world,” says Normand Latourelle, founder and artistic director of Cavalia. To the production’s stars – the horses – the stage is a playground. “The horse is the most beautiful animal we have on earth. It is easy to appreciate them aesthetically, but it’s also fascinating to see them express themselves on our stage, where we have recreated nature,” says Latourelle.
The first and eponymous show from the internationally acclaimed entertainment company Cavalia enjoyed a very successful run in Chicago in 2009, mesmerizing audiences of all ages. Eight years later, Cavalia is bringing its latest theatrical adventure Odysseo to the Midwest for the first time.
The dream begins in an enchanted three-dimensional forest, soon covered by a canopy of moving clouds. A herd of horses appear grazing and enjoying the setting sun. Suddenly, the flat surface of the stage begins to curve and undulate, growing into rolling hills from a distant desert.
Cavalia pushes the limits of live entertainment once again with Odysseo, a $30 million extravaganza that expands the definition of performance into an epic and soulful experience. The world’s largest touring production will be presented in Chicago under the White Big Top at Soldier Field South Lot starting April 1.
The staging and scenery make it happen. Twice the size of the structure created for Cavalia, Odysseo’s White Big Top is the size of a NFL football field. This unprecedented ‘traveling theatre’ is composed of several exceptional features including its grandiose stage – larger than a hockey rink – that enables large-scale, cutting-edge creative performances. Facing the bleachers of 2,074 seats, the 17,500-squarefoot stage requires 10,000 tons of stone, earth and sand to create so that it offers a vast space of freedom where horses and artists can display their intimate collaboration.
With a production double the size of Cavalia, Odysseo is a show unlike any other on the planet, an immersive theatrical experience in which horses are still front and center. Imagined by Normand Latourelle - creator of Cavalia and renowned for combining different forms of artistic expression and reinventing the scenic space - Odysseo is a veritable revolution in live performance that makes hearts race. Spectators will be transported on an epic journey to some of nature’s greatest wonders by this breathtaking production that features 65 horses and 48 riders, acrobats, aerialists, dancers and musicians. Odysseo marries the equestrian arts, stage performances, and hightech theatrical effects in never-before-seen ways. The show generates an inventory of superlatives: the world’s largest touring production and traveling big top, the biggest stage, the most beautiful visual effects, and the greatest number of horses at liberty. The show Cavalia explored the relationship between horse and human. Odysseo steps up the fantasy and portrays a dream of traveling the world with the horse where horses, riders, acrobats and musicians embark on a journey that leads them from the Mongolian steppes to Monument Valley, from the African savannah to Nordic glaciers, from the Sahara to Easter Island.
The immense stage creates a natural environment for the 65 horses from 9 breeds including the Appaloosa, Arabian, Quarter Horse, Holsteiner, Lusitano, Paint Horse, Percheron Hanoverian Cross, Selle Français and Spanish Purebred (P.R.E.). The horses are from Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Australia, the United States and Canada. Some horses are ridden in a variety of disciplines and some are at liberty. Perhaps most extraordinary is the training and talent of the horses in the liberty work. Audiences will witness the beauty of 15 horses lying on sand dunes with no tack or saddle, awakened by the
The horses of Odysseo are definitely into their work. Probably many horses would stand in line for the job that the horses have in the last scene of show. Arabians literally run though an onstage lake made of 40,000 gallons of recycled water. They just run and run with their tails in the air, bounding with joy – until they decide they have had enough. That could take 30 seconds or two minutes. The live band is following the action on stage and adjusting the song as needed. And when the horses are done playing around, they just gallop off stage. The staggering effects created by state-of-theart technology present the splendid voyage through extremely high-definition computer graphic images. To project these breathtaking graphic backdrops on an immense cyclorama the size of three of the largest cinema screens, Odysseo uses projectors as powerful as those illuminating the movie theaters. But whereas a cinema has only one projector, Odysseo uses 18 simultaneously. With Odysseo, you get to travel with horses and explore the world, on an odyssey. You have to see it to believe it. Tickets for Odysseo in Chicago are now on sale. For a memorable outing, the Rendez-Vous VIP package offers the best seats in the house, full meal buffet-dining before the show, open bar, desserts during intermission and an exclusive visit of the stables after the show. These and other tickets can be purchased online at www.cavalia.com or by calling 1-866-999-8111.
Download and View FREE on-line at www.horsesmagazine.com • March 2017 • HORSES MAGAZINE • 7
Feeding the and Growin Part Two: Lactating Mares and Weanlings • DEVELOP SAFE, RESPONSIVE AND WILLING HORSES • CREATE A TRUSTING AND RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIP • OVERCOME YOUR FEARS • ACCOMPLISH YOUR HORSEMANSHIP GOALS
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The most obvious consequences for the mare that does not receive exceptional nutritional support include weight loss, muscle loss, poor coat and poor hoof quality. Compromised immune function can also impact her fertility by lessening her ability to clear uterine infections.
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Your foal’s health is dependent on the mare’s nutrition The lactating mare’s body is geared to producing milk that meets the nutritional requirements of the foal -- no matter what. If there is a shortfall in calories, protein, vitamin or mineral intake, the mare will break down her own tissues to liberate those nutrients for incorporation into milk. This is good news for the foal, but not for your mare.
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A foal is born weighing about 1/10th of its adult size. From that point on, 100% of what eventually becomes the muscle, bone, blood and organs of the mature horse comes from nutrition. In the first three months of life, the foal’s size will triple while its diet is almost exclusively mare’s milk.
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Over the long term, leaching nutrients from the mare’s body to provide for the foal can lead to bone weakening and a well-recognized syndrome of Copper deficiency in broodmares – rupture of the uterine artery during labor, which can be fatal. Overproduction of calories without matching minerals may also contribute to osteochondrosis lesions in joints of foals.
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The Ultimate in Exceptional Nutrition - Milk
Equine Health
e Pregnant and Lactating Mare ng Foal Table I - 500 kg (1100 lb) Mare
Megacalories(Mcal)
Any food that can support the tremendously rapid growth of young animals must have something going for it. Milk protein is complete, meaning it contains all the essential and nonessential amino acids. The bioavailability of the protein is exceptionally high, as much as 100% higher than plant protein. Milk supplies calories in the form of lactose and fats. It is a rich source of vitamins, highly absorbable minerals in amounts needed for growth of bone and other tissues, as well as unique proteins that support immune function such as lactoferrin. Nutrition for the lactating mare What is called for are calories to support the work of growth, protein to build the framework for all tissues, and vitamins and minerals to support cell division, bone, enzyme systems and blood building. The most important thing to realize about meeting high demand situations like lactation is that you cannot meet those needs just by increasing intake of the usual adult diet. Compared to her baseline requirements when not lactating, the mare needs about twice as many calories but three times more Calcium and protein, and even higher levels of essential amino acids like Lysine. In short, you need to boost the density of protein, minerals and vitamins in the diet compared to calories. For example, at baseline a mare needs 37.7 grams of protein for each Megacalorie but in early lactation it’s 48.4. Table I shows what the numbers look like for a 500 kg/1100 lb mare at baseline compared to when lactating. You can see her calorie requirements are 1.89x higher than baseline while protein
Baseline
Lactating
16.7
31.7
is 2.44x higher and Calcium and Phosphorus are 2.95x greater than baseline. Meeting increased calorie needs will still leave the mare short of protein and minerals. If not supplemented, she will make up the deficit by breaking down her own muscle and tissues for amino acids and by taking minerals from her bone and storage sites to meet milk demands. This progressively weakens her body and leads to lower mineral levels in subsequent foals. What about the needs of weanlings when we take them off the perfect food, milk? Keeping weanlings in good, if not actually overly good, weight, body condition and growth is the easy part. That only takes calories. Providing adequate protein, vitamins and minerals to build a healthy, strong body is another story. It turns out that weanlings have virtually identical requirements as mares in early lactation in terms of the density of protein and minerals they need in the diet – amounts per Mcal of energy/calories. If you have a diet that meets the needs of the lactating mare, you can use the exact same diet for the weanling, just adjusting for amounts fed. For example, at six months of age a weanling will need to eat about half as much as his dam did while she was nursing. Use the same diet she was fed, just cut everything – hay, concentrate, supplements – in half and you’ll be fine. Diet for lactating mares and wean-
Protein
Ca
P
630 g – 37.7 g/Mcal
20 g
14 g
1.19 g/Mcal
0.83 g/Mcal
1535 g – 48.4 g/Mcal
59.1 g
38.3 g
1.86 g/Mcal
1.21 g/Mcal
lings As with any equine diet, you should start with the hay or pasture. Good pasture can easily meet the calorie and protein requirements of both mares and weanlings. If being fed hay, you want a digestible energy (DE) of at least 0.9 Mcal/lb and 11% crude protein. The mare in Table I would need to consume 35 lbs of that hay per day to meet her calorie and protein needs. This is a lot, but it’s definitely within the realm of possible. A 6 month old weanling would have to take in 17.5 pounds. This is also possible but if either one fails to take in the required amount for calories and protein, you need to step in. On the calorie end, 1 lb of a commercial grain mix will substitute for an average of 2.5 lbs of hay on the calorie end, but unless that grain has 27.5% protein it won’t be able to also make up for protein deficit. During pregnancy and lactation, it’s very easy to unwittingly short change a horse on nutrition. However, inadequate nutrition for your pregnant and lactating mare and growing foal can have a major negative impact, and is completely preventable. Optimal nutrition offers major returns for very reasonable costs. Balance between nutrients, especially minerals, is just as important as avoiding deficiencies. This dynamic approach, focusing just as much on balance as on intake of individual nutrients, is what I have seen to be the most effective – and also efficient – way to build an exceptional feeding program
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C
M
Y
for your lactating mare. Hay and Pasture Analysis for the Best Outcomes So far we have only looked at making up calorie and protein deficits in both diets. Minerals also come into play and make things more complicated. If you have never considered doing a hay (or pasture) analysis and consulting an experienced nutritionist or vet focused on equine nutrition, now is the time to do it. A hay or pasture analysis will tell you for sure what minerals need to be supplemented and in what amounts. If frequently varying hay sources makes that impractical, at least get information on regional hay analyses. These analysis and consultation options are the best way figure out how to best grow your babies. About Dr. Kellon Dr. Eleanor Kellon, staff veterinary specialist for Uckele Health & Nutrition, is an established authority in the field of equine nutrition for over 30 years, and a founding member and leader of the Equine Cushings and Insulin Resistance (ECIR) group, whose mission is to improve the welfare of horses with metabolic disorders via integration of research and real-life clinical experience. Prevention of laminitis is the ultimate goal. www.ecirhorse.org
2017.pdf
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Uckele Health & Nutrition is an innovation-driven health company committed to being on the leading edge of nutritional science and technology for over 50 years. Uckele takes pride in formulating and manufacturing a full spectrum of quality nutritional supplements incorporating the latest nutritional advances for equine athletes and companion animals to help achieve optimal health. www.uckele.com
STUDENTS IN GRADES 6-12: TAKE THE REINS AND JOIN THE IEA
www.rideiea.org
“Team spirit and confidence! This has been a wonderful experience for all of us. Highly Recommended!” -Parent, Westborough, MA
“As a coach I feel incredibly lucky to work with an organization that offers young equestrians so many opportunities! Our riders have developed such a strong sense of sportsmanship and horsemanship because of the ideologies and practices of the IEA! -Coach, Chatham, VA
CM
MY
CY
MY
K
Riders in grades 6-12 can compete with teams in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA). School-age equestrians, with various levels of experience, compete in Hunt Seat and Western disciplines throughout the school year. Riders not only compete for individual points, but for their team as well.
Founded in 2002, the IEA has more than 13,500 riders on over 1,500 teams competing in hundreds of shows across the United States each year. For more information, please contact Jennifer Eaton, IEA Membership Coordinator, at 877-RIDE-IEA (877-743-3432) or Jenn@rideiea.org.
It’s fun and challenging – and there is no need for any rider to own a horse! The IEA is available to public or private schools and barn teams. Horses are provided to each rider at every event. All mounts are selected by a draw. Parents like that the IEA provides an affordable format for their child as he/she builds riding skills. Many of our riders receive scholarships based on their performance throughout their IEA years.
TH
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Kristina Goulet
Trade Show Season An Amateurs Guide to SHOPPING!
By Kristina Goulet Finally, spring is on the horizon in the Midwest. The weather is improving (well, slightly), the horses are starting to shed their winter wooly’s and riders are feeling the itch of a busy riding season to come. What better way to get out there and keep our motivation going than hitting the spring trade shows!
State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, IN. • Featuring over 20 diverse clinicians from around the country including RFD TV’s Steve
• Horse & Farm exhibits offering opportunities to network with training, boarding and lesson facilities, breeding operations and horses for sale. • Acres of indoor and outdoor trade show exhibits with everything from tack, trailers, apparel, grooming and everything in between.
Here in the Midwest we are lucky to have some of the best horse related trade shows right in our back yard. Here are just a few to put on your schedule of must see events for Spring 2017! We’ll start with the 34th Annual Michigan Horse Expo. Held March 10-12 at the Michigan State University Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education in East Lansing, MI. This event is an absolute staple for horse owners in the Upper Midwest. • Many top notch clinicians featuring demonstrations and seminars, featuring Chris Cox. • Main Arena Events include and MIHSRA Rodeo and an NRHA Open Reining Competition. • Extensive shopping are with vendors presenting items including tack, supplements & feeds, grooming, apparel and much more. • Breed, Discipline and other Riding group exhibits with a featured Trails room. • Stallion Avenue where many different breed stallions are featured. • Visit www.MichiganHorseExpo.org for more information Next up on the calendar with the Hoosier Horse Fair & Expo. Running it’s 39th year, the expo is held March 31 – April 2 at the Indiana
of different breeds from around the world. Get up close and personal with unique and rare breeds.
Visit www.EquineAffaire. com for more information
Lantvit, John, Josh and Brandi Lyons, Dan James and Sharon Camarillo.
Last, but not least on our spring tour is the 35th Minnesota Horse Expo April 28-30 at the beautiful Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, MN. If you’ve not been to this facility it is worth checking out.
• Special Events at the Horse Fair include a Colt Starting Challenge, Celebrity Cutting Event and demonstrations of Jousting and Mounted Archery.
• Featured events include daily PRCA Rodeo performances
• Over 100 vendors in the trade show area with exhibits for shopping, education and breed & discipline associations.
• Training demonstrations with Richard Shrake, Stacy Westfall and many more.
• Visit www.HoosierHorseFair.org for more information
• Complete trade show floor with breed & discipline associations and vendor exhibits for all of your shopping needs.
Moving into April we have the 2017 Equine Affaire at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, OH running April 6 - 9. Heralded as “The Largest Horse-Related Tradeshow in North America” this one has to be on your Go To list! • Clinics, Training Seminars and Demonstrations by the finest Equine Professionals across many disciplines. Clinician list includes World Champions, National Champions, Olympians, WEG competitors, popular TV personalities…. And so many more! • Huge Breed Pavilion with presentations
• Free horse, pony and wagon rides.
Visit www.MNHorseExpo.org for more information Expos and Trade shows are a fantastic place to learn about a different breed or discipline, get up close and personal with the country’s top equine professionals and shop for things you may not have available locally. If you have not been, I highly recommend the experience. See you next month for more of the Amateur’s Guide!
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Lynn Palm
Training Outside the Box “Training Outside the Box” is just in time for spring training. The “box” refers to those confined areas, such as arenas and paddocks, where many riders have spent winter training time. Let’s get out of the “box” and learn to train outside for more fun, but always with safety in mind. This newsletter series is going to help you and your horse do just that!
interest because being outside adds variety to lessons; and (3) If the rider needs to teach a horse to go forward, especially a horse that gets lazy and lethargic easily and requires effort to ‘stay forward,’ training outside is the best thing to do!
Why train outside? In 1976, I trained my first National and AQHA World Champion “Lecanto Raider” on the trails surrounding the beautiful Northwood community of Eagle River, Wisconsin. He was trained 85% on the trails, and only 15% in an arena.
The most common question I am asked relates to training and trail riding outside. Riders are concerned about losing control of their horse, and what to do if the horse is disobedient, bucks, or rears. The rider gets fearful and apprehensive about getting hurt. We want to avoid these issues so riding and training outside remains fun and safe!
There are three important reasons for training outside: (1) It helps maintain the horse’s awareness and attitude because he has new environments to experience; (2) It helps keep both the horse’s and the rider/trainer’s
The answer to preventing these problems is recognizing and exercising the horse to release what I call the horse’s “inner energy.” Many riders do not realize that when they take their horse into a new environment, they will
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almost always experience their horse being overly sensitive and being higher strung in new surroundings. Riders tend to expect that the horse will work and perform in new surroundings in the same way as he does at home. They do not realize that a horse will nearly always be different in a new and different environment. This is especially true of horses that are not ‘seasoned’ - - those who have not become experts in going different places and traveling many miles over many years. Just as importantly, many riders do not realize that any healthy, fit horse will have some level of ‘inner energy’ that must be released before he can concentrate on the task at hand. The level of ‘inner energy’ can vary among horses, but it is always there in high strung or sensitive horses, and lazy horses as
well. When a horse has not released his ‘inner energy,’ he will be thinking ‘fast.’ Remember: You will be safe and you can teach a horse only if they are thinking ‘slow.’ You can recognize that a horse is thinking ‘fast’ if he is turning his head fast, moving his ears fast, and his movements are fast. One of the best ways to help the horse release this inner energy is through what we call “forced exercise.” There are 3 types of forced exercise: (1) lunging, (2) liberty work, and (3) ponying. Of these three, the most important to master is lunging. (If you need a review of how to lunge, see Palm Partnership Training™ Newsletters #56-60.) Personally, I feel lunging is the most important form of forced exercise because you can use it anytime, at home or away. All you need is a good fitting halter, a cotton longe line, and a lunge whip. The lunge whip should have a minimum length of 3 feet with a tassle that is 1-2 feet longer than the whip part. The whip should end in a little “snapper.” This strong woven material helps make a snap/pop noise to encourage the horse to move away from it and to move forward.
Here are a few rules to follow when lunging. If the horse is already bridled and needs to be lunged, simply fit the halter over the bridle. Attach the lunge line either over the nose (for more response) or under the chin. A lunge line that ends in a chain will be more se-
vere than a simple cotton line with a snap end. Before lunging (with a bridle on), it is very important to secure the reins so the horse cannot get them over his head, step on them, or get a leg between them. I’ll cover this issue in the “Your Next Step” section of this newsletter.
it is important to recognize and learn how to read a horse to determine if his inner energy and playfulness have been released. We’ll cover that in the next article. Your Next Step… When lunging with bridle on, always secure the reins. Place the halter over the bridle. Attach the lunge line, with or without chain end, to the horse’s halter. Do this by either threading the lunge line over the nose, to give more response, or under the chin. If riding in Western tack, tie reins under the pommel bringing them through the hole under the pommel and tying a knot in them. Loop the knotted end over the saddle horn. Make sure that the reins are not secured so loose that the horse could put his head down with his nose on the ground, or get a leg through the reins. Be equally careful not to tie the reins too short, either. It will restrict the horse’s head carriage. If riding in English tack, the easiest way to handle the issue of the reins is just to take them off.
Before we start training outside the box,
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Do You Have A Question?
Equine Law Topics Right of First Refusal Clauses: Are They Worth the Paper They’re Written On? WHAT IS A RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL? Equine-related contracts sometimes include a “right of first refusal” clause that restricts how a horse can be re-sold. Through these clauses, a horse buyer agrees to give the seller an opportunity to buy back the horse later under certain specified conditions. For example, these clauses sometimes provide that if the buyer (after becoming the horse owner) later receives a legitimate offer to buy the horse and is inclined to sell, the former owner must first receive the opportunity to match that purchase offer and pay within a certain time frame. RISKS AND OPTIONS FOR ACTION Right of first refusal clauses sometimes generate disputes in the horse industry. This can happen when horse buyers file away their
contracts and, years later, forget the promises they made. Sometimes, these clauses are so unclear or unenforceable as written that the parties don’t understand their rights and obligations. Generally speaking, what rights do people have if they believe someone violated a right of first refusal? Depending on the contract’s language and applicable state law, if the former owner who holds a right of first refusal is denied his or her contractual right to repurchase a horse and learns that a sale is in progress, that party – before the sale – could potentially bring a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop the sale so that a court can enforce the right of first refusal clause. These types of lawsuits also ask the court to order specific performance to allow the former owner to buy back the horse as the contract terms permit. If the right of first refusal was part of a verbal equine sale agreement, with nothing in writing, chances are good that the claimed “right” will not be enforceable based on the state’s statute of frauds. If the horse has already been sold, in violation of a right of first refusal, the would-be buyer’s lawsuit might potentially seek monetary damages. Proving what those damages are can be especially complex, however, raising numerous questions such as: Did the former owner
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(who was denied a re-purchase right) lose profits? Are the claimed lost profits too speculative and therefore not recoverable by law? Did (or could) the would-be buyer take reasonable efforts to mitigate his or her claimed losses? When you include “right of first refusal” clauses in your equine sale contracts, draft the language with great care and consider seeking legal counsel to help in the process. Equine sellers who rely on these clauses might want to remind the buyers about them as time goes on, before the buyer places the horse on the market; this may also help the buyer notify others that all sales will be subject to a right of first refusal.
pant.” That law defined a “participant” as: any person, whether an amateur or professional, engaging in an equine animal activity, whether or not a fee is paid to engage in the equine animal activity or, if a minor, the natural guardian, or trainer of that person standing in loco parentis, and shall include anyone accompanying the participant, or any person coming onto the property of the provider of equine animal activities or equestrian area whether or not an invitee or person pays consideration. Emphasis added. Although New Jersey’s EALA states that “participants” and “spectators” assume the risk of equine animal activities [N.J.S.A. 5:15-3], it also states, in part:
CONCLUSION Disputes involving rights of first refusal can be complicated, especially when the parties draft unclear clauses or fail to honor them. When drafting these clauses and when evaluating your rights under them, consider seeking timely advice of knowledgeable counsel.
The assumption of risk set forth in . . . this act shall be a complete bar of suit and shall serve as a complete defense to a suit against an operator by a participant for injuries resulting from the assumed risv ks, notwithstanding the provisions of P.L.1973, c. 146 (C.2A:15-5.1 et seq.) relating to comparative negligence. . . .
New Jersey Court Dismisses Lawsuit against Stable Brought by Injured Visitor
Emphasis added. Although the plaintiff argued that the EALA’s immunities were inapplicable to him because he was not there for “equine-related purposes,” the Court rejected this because the EALA defined “participant” to extend to people “accompanying” the participant. That day, his mother and older sister were “participants” because his mother gave a riding lesson and cleaned her horse’s stall, and his sister fed horses. As a result, the Court ruled that the boy was a “participant,” as well, and his lawsuit against the stable was properly dismissed.
Injured Child Visiting Stable with Family Was Still a “Participant” Under Equine Activity Liability Law
The case was: Kirkpatrick v. Hidden View Farm, New Jersey Court of Appeals, 1/9/2017.
As of January 30, 2017, 47 states – all but California, Maryland, and New York – have passed some form of an Equine Activity Liability Act (“EALA”). These laws sometimes share common characteristics, but all of them differ. Most follow a pattern that prevents an “equine activity sponsor,” “equine professional,” or possibly others from being sued if a “participant” who “engages in an equine activity” suffers injury, death or damage from an “inherent risk.” Lawsuits sometimes focus on whether an injured visitor at a stable or event qualifies as an “equine activity participant” and whether that person’s case is properly dismissed based on immunities in a state EALA. On January 9, 2017, the New Jersey Court of Appeals looked at the issue of whether that state’s EALA – called the Equestrian Activities Liability Act, N.J.S.A. 5:15 1 to 12 – applied to a minor who accompanied family members to a horse stable but took no part in any horse-related activities there. The plaintiff in that case was a nine year-old boy who joined his mother and older sister at a stable. On the day of the incident, he was not riding or handling a horse. As he walked down a barn aisle, a horse in one of the stalls reached out its head and bit him, causing injuries. His mother, at the time, was cleaning a horse stall nearby. For the law to apply, the plaintiff needed to qualify as a “partici-
Julie Fershtman is one of the nation’s most experienced Equine Law practitioners. A Shareholder with the firm Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC, based in Michigan, she has successfully tried equine cases before juries in 4 states. She has also drafted hundreds of equine industry contracts. She is a Fellow and officer of the American College of Equine Attorneys. Her speaking engagements on Equine Law span 28 states, and she is the author of three books on equine law issues. For more information, please visit www.fershtmanlaw. com, www.equinelawblog.com, and www.equinelaw.net.
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Clinton Anderson
Colt Starting
Clinton talks candidly about his first colt starting experience, what he’s learned over the years and how he’s had to refine some of his techniques to make them user friendly.
Your safety depends on your preparation… The biggest thing my mentor Gordon McKinlay instilled in me when starting colts is preparation is 99.9 percent of your success. The better prepared your horse is to be ridden, the better your ride will be. Gordon was meticulous about not getting on a horse until he was ready. I could be working with a young horse and Gordon would come down and say, “Is he ready to ride?” I’d say, “No, he needs another day or two” and he was fine with that because if you get on a horse before he’s ready, you’re going to get bucked off and plant a bad habit in the horse’s mind. Don’t be a hero… Later, when I left Gordon’s to apprentice with Ian Francis, he had the same philosophy and always told me, “There are a lot of heroes in the graveyard.” He was referring to all of the people who get on their horses too soon, get bucked off and break their neck. Both men, but especially Gordon, taught me that preparation is everything in starting colts. Equal doses… I usually spend five to seven days working with a colt on the ground before I ride him for the first time, even if he’s really quiet. I learned early on that colt starting isn’t just about desensitizing your horse, but sensitizing him as well – getting him to move his feet, yield and soften to pressure. The better your horse understands how to move his feet and yield to pressure on the ground, the easier it’ll be for him to do the same thing under saddle. Get him moving…
In my first colt starting lesson, Gordon taught me the importance of not only walking and trotting a colt during the first ride, but also cantering. Cantering picks up the colt’s energy level and frees up his mind. Most people think that you should only walk the horse during the first ride, but I quickly learned that unless you get a colt cantering and moving, he’ll develop “sticky” feet and start to get resentful or lazy about having to move. That’s when he starts to develop bad habits like bucking or rearing. A tired colt is a good colt…
If you overfeed and underwork your colt, you’re just asking for trouble. I’ve never seen a tired colt, one that’s relaxed and had a lot of miles put under his feet, give anyone any trouble. I have however seen fresh and overfed colts rear, buck and do all kinds of dangerous things because they’re feeling so good that they want to explode out of their skin. Be realistic about your ability… The best success tip I can give anyone thinking about starting a colt is to be realistic about your ability. If you’re a green rider and you’re frightened to trot and canter, the last thing you need to do is start a colt. You should have an independent seat, which means that you can walk, trot and canter on a loose rein and you don’t need to squeeze with your legs to stay in the saddle. If you’re not confident in your ability to stay with a horse, then you’re not ready to start colts.
The first six weeks… The first six weeks of a horse’s life under saddle is the most crucial time of his career. Whatever a horse learns first will be the thing that sticks with him for the rest of his life. So if you teach him that it’s OK to buck, run away or be stiff and heavy, it’ll take a long time to undo
the damage. However, if you teach the horse in the first six weeks that he needs to be soft, supple and relaxed, it’ll the lay the foundation for everything else you do with him. Don’t fold to peer pressure… Don’t ever get on a horse because somebody is pressuring you. I don’t care if it takes two days or two months before you get on a horse; take the time you need to prepare him now so you don’t get in trouble later. If you’re not 90 percent sure it’s going to be a textbook ride, don’t get on. I say 90 percent sure because with colts you can never be a hundred percent sure that everything is going to go according to plan. Colts are unpredictable… Most people don’t realize just how unpredictable and dangerous horses can be. Horses aren’t man killers or aggressive by nature, but they’re big powerful animals with an extremely fast reaction time. Think of a colt like a small child. Just like kids, your colt is going to do unexpected things. He’s going to be unpredictable. He might spook and jump sideways 10 feet, and if you’re not good enough to sit on him,
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you’ll be on the ground before you blink your eyes. I’ve seen every wreck you could ever have with a colt.
horse to be ridden, do it. What is a week or two out of a horse’s life to prepare him for a successful first ride? Prevention is always better than cure.
Don’t be fooled… A lot of people will raise a foal in their backyard and get tricked into thinking when they go to start him as a 2-year-old he’s going to be the same, quiet, easygoing horse. Some colts will stay quiet, but a lot of them react when you introduce the saddle and a rider’s weight. I think sometimes people forget that everything you’re doing with a colt from the first ride on is a brand new experience for him. Take nothing for granted, and never assume a horse is safe, always make him prove it to you. Don’t let a bad habit form… One of the most important things you can
do with your colt is to not let him form any bad habits, especially bucking. You’re better off not letting him learn that he can buck someone off rather than having to spend the time and effort to fix his behavior. If you need to spend an extra two or three days on the ground preparing the
Author note: Clinton Anderson is a clinician, horse trainer and competitor. He’s dedicated his life to helping others realize their horsemanship dreams and keeping them inspired to achieve their goals. The Downunder Horsemanship Method gives horse owners the knowledge needed to become skilled horsemen and train their horses to be consistent and willing partners. Discover for yourself how Clinton and the Method can help you achieve your horsemanship dreams at www.downunderhorsemanship.com.
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Richard Winters
How To Sell A Horse Richard Winters A few years ago I wrote an article on “How To Buy A Horse”. I’ve also given numerous lectures at horse expos around the country on the same topic. However, I’ve never addressed the subject of how to sell a horse. I’m not saying that I’m an expert. Our business has never been one where we buy and sell a tremendous amount of horses. However, I have sold horses for a few hundred dollars and I have sold a horse for over $100,000. We have made money on some and lost money on others. Below are a few things to think about. Know Your Target Audience I learned this lesson a few decades ago with a young Thoroughbred mare that I started and had going over some low jumps. I was hoping to sell her and took her to a local horse auction in my area. However, I soon learned the auction had been advertised and promoted for Western and recreational horses. There were very few people interested in a young green English jumping prospect. I think she sold for $1,500. If I recall, I bought her for $2,000. Auctions can be a good place to sell a horse. There are generally numerous buyers looking and ready to purchase a horse. An auction can
to ride the horse. If they decide to purchase the horse, I will pay the trainer 10% of the sale price. If I have a horse in training for a client and I help them sell the horse to Sally and her trainer, then the horses’ owner would pay the other trainer and myself 5% each of the sales price. The fact of the matter is this: If trainers begin to know that you do not pay a commission, they quit bringing their buyers to try out your horse! Of course, every situation is different and some equine disciplines may handle it differently. However, this is generally true for Reiners, Cutters and Cow Horses. Take Advantage Of Technology With a little bit of “tech” savvy, you can market your horse in a professional way to a lot of people fairly easily. Digital pictures and online video can be uploaded to the Internet quickly and sent to any inquiring buyer, anywhere. There are also sites that you can post this information for a small fee where potential buyers would be looking. You can get elaborate and have professional pictures and video taken. Yet, in all reality, you can get a lot of information to people with the capability of your smart phone. Take Pride In Your Horse If I wanted to sell my car, I would wash it be-
also be very convenient and streamline. You
fore the buyer came to see it, do the same with
again someday. It might be a behavioral issue such
don’t have to take numerous phone calls or have
your horse. Bath your horse. Give your horse a
as being cinchy or broncy, possibly some type of
people coming out to “try” your horse time and
haircut. Make sure the feet are trimmed or shod.
stable vise or physical issue. Perspective buyers
again. You show up at the sale with your horse
Weather depending, maybe have your horse
need to know these things. It’s not your obligation
in the trailer. Hopefully, you go home with
blanketed. Remember, you can only make one
to run down your horse and put them in a negative
an empty trailer. Paying a consignment fee
first impression. Show that buyer that you have
light. However, being forthright and disclosing
and commission will be factors that you must
a horse that has been well cared for. Ride your
pertinent information is the best policy.
consider if you decide to sell your horse at an
horse. Keeping your horse on a regular riding/
auction That is how the auction company makes
training routine will help them show better and
their money. They’ve covered the promotion
therefore sell better. Make sure your horse is in
expenses and have brought the buyers together.
shape. We all look better when we are in shape!
The consignment fee is their compensation. Trainer Commissions Even when selling horses privately, trainer
Disclose, Disclose, Disclose That’s the advice I once heard when it’s time to sell a piece of real estate. “Buyer Beware”
and or broker commissions are commonplace. If
is one thing. However, your lack of disclosing
Sally wants to look at my western performance
serious problems could come back to bite you.
horse, she might have a trainer come with her
Especially if you’re planning on selling horses
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I’m thinking of all these things because I have two young mares that I’m getting ready to sell at a western performance horse auction this month. I’m keeping them in stalls with blankets on. I’m trying to ride them every day. I have them on a shoeing schedule so that they will be freshly shod one week before the sale. I took some good quality pictures of the horses a couple weeks ago and sent them to the sale company so they could post them on their Facebook page. I have also shot a short
video of the horses and posted it on YouTube. That way people can have an idea of the horses training and performance before they ever get to the sale. Being aware of these things can hopefully prepare you to market your horse in a positive and effective way.
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