HQ Magazine Issue 155B by hqmagazine

DIGITAL ISSUE 155B | 2021

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Hello! And welcome to this, our second digital edition of HQ. We are so grateful for all of the feedback we received with our first issue and hope that you’ll enjoy this one EVEN more! It’s wonderful to produce this content in concert with such a wide variety of experts from different fields. Over the last few weeks, we’ve been contacted by many great and knowledgeable individuals who are keen to contribute and participate, and we’ll be sharing more of their work with you over the coming weeks and months. There are many projects in the pipeline, and we really can’t wait to start sharing them all with you. We, again, really want to thank all of our advertisers, who are allowing us through their very generous support, to make this magazine FREE for each and every equestrian. We are so grateful for their dedication and commitment to growing and developing the South African equestrian community and sport. Thank you, thank you, thank you! For now, please sit back, relax and enjoy this issue and for those of you with horsey kids (or who are still horsey kids at heart), check out our HQ Pony Magazine, also released today. There are lots of happy horse times ahead! With much love,

Lizzie and xxx the HQ team Dr Lizzie Harrison | Editor

ON THE COVER: Callaho Lorenzo owned by Laurence Mowatt. Photography: Hilary O'Leary

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Designer: Mauray Wolff

DIGITAL ISSUE 155B | 2021

IN THIS ISSUE 06 Dominey Alexander A true great

58 Cieli Equestrian From the heavens

16 Lisa Williams Winning the Shongweni WCQ

66 Winter woes Keeping your horse healthy

22 The Cell C Inanda Africa Cup A new format and lots to celebrate

70 Pearly whites Keeping the white bits white

28 HQ Video 76 Understanding event lines The bad and the ugly 32 An introduction to Equitation Becoming the best rider you can be

80 Aloe Vera For horses

36 Rider Anatomy How it affects your position

84 Anaemia in horses What is it?

40 Where are your feet Developing proprioception

88 Q&A

46 Stress And its effect on your riding performance

92 Products we love

52 How does your horse think? With Dr Stephen Peters

96 Spot the difference

97 Pridey’s Piece

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XXX

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PHOTOGRAPHY: HILARY O'LEARY

DOMINEY ALEXANDER A TRUE GREAT

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ominey Alexander is well known by most in the equestrian community and with good reason. Excelling in showjumping, dressage and coaching, it seems his list of talents are endless. To mention just a few of his wins over the years would take up far too much space for one article alone, but suffice to say, he has won most of the major showjumping titles at least once, plenty of dressage titles, and his pupils have excelled across the board. HQ was fortunate enough to have a quick catch-up with Dominey and to find out what his plans are for the next few months. HQ: Despite the challenges of the last 12 months, what would you say have been your highlights? Dominey: The last 12 months under COVID-19 have certainly been interesting, although I must say that my horses and, to be honest, those of my pupils as well, actually improved through COVID-19. Not having the competition pressure meant that we had the time to train things properly, and all the time we needed to work on any issues. There was never a rush to quickly get ready for something, and that relaxed the pressure and really benefitted the horses and the training. HQ: So you have some amazing horses in training at the moment. Can you tell us a bit about them? Dominey: It’s a question really of where to start, so in no particular order, we first have RnR Jelle S. He’s an absolute privilege to ride. He was beautifully produced in Europe. He is super scopey and is just the sweetest and bravest horse. I love riding him, and he has this huge personality that you can’t ignore. I love the fact that when he doesn’t like something, he just tells you. He’s an absolute Ferrari horse. Then we have RnR Capital Colman. He’s ready to go 1.40m now. He’s very talented – fast, careful, brave, scopey, rideable – he has it all. He’ll hopefully take after his dad (Capital Colnardo currently with Jennifer Gates in

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the USA), and all indications suggest that he will. Again, he’s a horse with a big personality, and he’s clever – really, really clever. He finds training so easy, and the fact that he knows what you’re asking before you’ve even asked it can make him tricky to work with. You have to be at your best as he gets bored quickly! And he isn’t too interested in the flatwork, but show him a jump and his turbo kicks in. He really is the ultimate athlete.

Then there is Athena who is owned by Simon Murray. I jumped the big Derby with her last year and had one down. She is a wonderful mare, and when you have her on your side, she really fights for you. She tries incredibly hard, and I’m excited for what the future holds with her. Next, in terms of dressage horses I obviously have Daddy Cool who is by Don Index, out of a Lauries Crusador mother. He’s only seven, but he’s the most unbelievable

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Dominey and RnR Capital Colman

athlete. He’s in Elementary Medium at the moment and ready to go Medium. It’s so interesting – I worked out the other day that he’s only been to seven shows in his entire life, and at every single one, he’s been amazing, and that’s what has allowed him to rise through the ranks so quickly. Last week at Kyalami Equestrian Park, he achieved 73% in the Elementary Medium, and I hadn’t had the time to train the walk work as I’d been away in Cape Town. He can easily

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do a Prix St George test at home. He’s remarkable. And then I have Cellehof Totaleur (Toto) – the firebreathing dragon. Karen bred her, and I absolutely adore her. She’s feisty and has the most fantastic ringtemperament. She just has presence – your eyes love to watch her. At under one year of age she won the Supreme Horse of the Year overseas with international judges, which just shows her unbelievable wow-factor.

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Dominey and RnR Jelle S

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HQ: That’s a serious collection! Dominey: Yes, I’ve ridden a lot of mediocre horses over the course of my riding career and horses that I’ve had to produce to be able to compete at the top levels. Now, I have horses like Daddy Cool and Colman, who are just born athletes. You don’t have to train them. You ask them to jump the jump or do a certain movement, and they can do it. It really is an absolute privilege to sit on horses of this quality. HQ: Tell us about your new horses. We believe there are quite a few moving up through the ranks. Dominey: So I have two brand new horses, just out of quarantine. One is a colt called Copacabana (by Colestus out of a Lordanus/Perpignon mare), who is just three years old. He was backed in Germany and has been out of quarantine here for six weeks. Luke Compaan is getting him going now, but we’ll take things slowly. Then I have a brand new horse that I haven’t yet met. I saw a video of him and just knew I had to have him. He’s a seven-year-old called S’Oakley Z by Hunter’s Scendro out of a Larinero/ Kogani II mare. He’s a gelding, and once I’ve got the feel for him I’ll start taking him out to competitions. Then, I have a Cellehof baby that I’ve very excited about. His name is Cellehof Parelli, and he’s another 3-year old that Luke Compaan has backed for me. He is by Perouge (Lisa Williams’ horse Campbell’s brother, and

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also owned by Lisa) out of Alzu Omission, who I jumped in the 1.40/1.45 classes. He free jumps beautifully and is nice and tall, so I’m excited to start with him. Finally, I have a very exciting dressage youngster called DeNiro. He’s again by Don Index out of a mare called Harmony. He’s only four years old, but I think he’ll do well. HQ: Any big achievements for your pupils that you’d like to mention? Dominey: All of my pupils have been doing nicely. Ash Healy winning with Hausberger’s Eldo in the World Cup Qualifier at Stokkiesdraai was obviously big. Kelly O’Connor is now overseas, and I’m sure we’ll see great things from her. Charley Crockart is also doing brilliantly. Then we have Lisa Williams who just won the World Cup Qualifier at Shongweni with Campbell. And I must also mention the young rider Thomas Van Rijckevorsel, who at only 16 years old is jumping and winning prizes in the adult 1.35m. All in all, I’m very proud of them all – they’ve been remarkably consistent and ultimately, that’s what counts. HQ: What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given when it comes to horses? Dominey: The best advice I received is that it takes five years to produce a Grand Prix horse, not five months.

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HQ: What piece of advice would you like to impart to young, up and coming riders in the sport? Dominey: I’d like them to know that it all takes time and lots of tears, but the highs, in the end, are worth it. HQ: What do you wish you had known when you were just starting your career? Dominey: I wish I’d know the importance of patience. But, ultimately, patience comes with understanding, understanding comes with experience, and experience comes with resilience. You need to learn these things as you go along. You never stop learning! HQ: Who are your role models and biggest influences? Dominey: Gonda Betrix and Rob Hoekstra. HQ: Are you still as motivated as when you started? Dominey: Yes, definitely, and now I’ve really got the

horses to do something with. I’ve had some very nice horses in my life, which I suppose spoil you and make you set your benchmark higher. Now I’m lucky enough to have a whole string of very talented horses who are all well above benchmark, and that’s hugely exciting. HQ: Finally, what are your plans for the rest of the year? Can we expect to see you (all being well) at all the big shows? Dominey: Yes, I’m keen to get the young horses going. We’ll take our time, but hopefully, we’ll get them to the Young Horse Performance Series next year. I then have a personal goal of having my dressage horses at the Advanced level within 12 months. If we can’t do it, it’s not the end of the world, but that’s my goal. Then I’d also like to win a World Cup Qualifier this year with RnR Jelle S and finish somewhere in the top five for the series. Finally, I’d like to try and win Derby with Athena.

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THANK YOUS Dominey would like to thank his sponsors RnR (Natalie and Ross), Darryl at Western Shoppe, Prestige, Pikeur, Samshield, Simon Murray and of course, his wonderful wife, Karen. As Dominey says, ‘Without all of them it just wouldn’t be possible'.

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FOCUS

DID YOU KNOW Some Arabian horses are born with one less rib, lumbar vertebra, and tail bone! These missing bones account for the shorter set legs and the higher tail carriage. Their slightly different skeleton is also said to give them greater heart and lung capacity, which is a great asset for endurance.

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HORSE AND RIDER

LISA WILLIAMS

RY PHOTOGRAPHY: J. REILLY AND HILA 16

O'LEARY

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WINNING THE SHONGWENI WCQ

ost equestrians in South Africa are aware of the journey of Lisa Williams and the very special Campbell. For those who are not, Lisa travelled to Europe and the USA with Campbell in 2018 and competed very successfully overseas, really putting South Africa on the map. She culminated her time there at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon and the FEI World Cup Final in Gothenburg. She subsequently returned home with Campbell and has been competing with him and her other two horses ever since. The Forsyte World Cup Qualifier, Shongweni, (17-20 June) saw Lisa and Campbell ‘do it again’, clinching victory with a compelling performance. HQ met with Lisa to discuss the show and her plans for the future. HQ: Tell us a bit about your Shongweni experience? Campbell looked like he was enjoying himself! Lisa: The Shongweni Foresyte shows are always so beautifully run. The venue is stunning; the weather is was great; and the facilities are top class. When we arrived in Shongweni, Campbell was his usual spunky self, and the sea air makes him even wilder. There’s a lot of holding

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onto the neck strap when he’s like that, and I tried to tell a few people in the warm-up that he’s my four-year-old, not my seasoned 15-year-old! We I never restrict him or discipline him though because it’s when he’s like that that he performs at his best. He is always focused when he’s competing in the arena. He knows his job. In Campbell’s first round of the World Cup Qualifier, he was excellent, and I tried to be the fastest clear going through to the second round (which is poll position for the jump off), but Jonathan Clarke beat me to it. I knew that to win the class, in the jump-off I needed to be galloping by the time we hit the start. Jonathan is excellent at turning very tight, but Campbell can drop a stride easily, so I used that to my advantage and dropped a stride from jump one to two. I needed the pressure on from the outset and then just had to hope that was enough! Thankfully it was! HQ: How did 2020 affect you and your horses? Lisa: Lockdown was good for all of my horses, really. With Campbell, it meant that he could take things a bit more slowly. You can’t stop work entirely as he’s an older horse, and he needed to keep fit and strong, but we did a lot of

PHOTOGRAPHY: JAMIE-LEE REILLY

hacking (when lockdown permitted) and were able to take our time over things. With Pilgrim, it was an opportunity to get to understand each other, and then for Perouges, I used the opportunity to get him much stronger behind and to find his balance. I really built exercises to work on specific things to improve him. I watched many videos of different exercises, particularly from Team Ireland, that I’d then build every few days and work the horses over. All in all, lockdown gave me more time to be more diligent, without any pressure, and that makes every result much more replicable. HQ: How do you prepare for shows? Lisa: The show calendar at the moment is jam-packed and we’re competing every two to three weeks, which is really a lot for the horses. To allow my horses to cope with this gruelling schedule, I don’t do an awful lot of jumping between shows. In the first week after a show, we don’t do much at all jumping wise, if anything. We hack and focus on flat-work and pole work. In the second week, we’ll do some different types of gymnastics. If the show is at the end of the second week, we’ll have a jumping lesson. If we have a third week to prepare, we’ll continue with the different gymnastics and have a lesson with a course of bigger

jumps before going to the show. All three of my horses have very similar preparation for the shows. The training is mostly structured around what my young horse Perouges needs at the time, however. Campbell doesn't need new types of training. He knows his job, so it's more about keeping him fit and strong - he's happy to do the work the others need. HQ: Has going overseas affected how you compete? Lisa: Overseas, I really learned the importance of a faster tempo. Taking one extra stride or covering one extra metre by going wide to a jump will cost you time faults over there, and here now too, so you learn to ride at a faster pace. It’s something I’m training in my young horses too. I regularly get them into an almost gallop on a 20-30metre circle and let them find their balance. Overseas I learned that you don’t have time to balance your horse’s body, so they must balance themselves. Therefore, I do the 20m circles and even the short sides of the arena as fast as possible to teach them to look after themselves and move at that speed while maintaining their own balance. Obviously the more experienced the horse, the easier and faster they manage it. The young horses can’t manage many fast canter strides by themselves before they need re-balancing.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: DENFORD STUDIOS

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Overseas they also walk every distance in an indoor course (and most distances in an outdoor course). They don’t just walk the related distances. They literally walk every single distance and I’m the same. I’ll even walk some of the long distances at Derby - ridiculous! I didn’t learn this overseas, but when I was there, the importance of it was reiterated for me. Early in my riding career, I was coached by Jonathan Clarke, and he was fastidious about counting strides, and that was actually where I learnt to do it. Nobody had taught him about the counting of strides when he was young, so he wanted to make sure that his pupils I knew the importance of it. He would make me count

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endless distances, and eventually, it becomes a habit. It is so valuable. If you mess up the take off stride by being too close or far off a jump, within reason you can still adjust your stride by knowing how many strides you have already done and how much space is left to do the remaining strides in the distance. Counting helps me feel where I am in the distance. HQ: How do you think the South African circuit stands up to the overseas circuit? Lisa: The sport here is exponentially better than it was even five years ago . We have more and more riders in

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the upper amateur levels and more horses jumping at the top. The horses we are sitting on are of higher quality, and we have lots of combinations jumping at the top levels proficiently. We’re also riding much faster than we used to be. If we could take a team of 10 of our top riders and horses overseas now, I think we’d be good in the 2-star level immediately and would quickly be ready for 3-star. Unfortunately, however, the limiting factors are our currency; the distance to Europe and the USA, as well as the quarantine restrictions, which make it almost impossible for most of us. HQ: Do you miss competing indoors? Do you think it’s something we miss out on here? Lisa: Overseas, the indoor shows are just so much fun. They have vibrant music and great announcers; they are incredibly creative with how they decorate the venue. The atmosphere is wonderful. The indoor shows feel like big events! I think we do miss out on not having an indoor circuit in South Africa. When I went over there, I didn’t think I’d manage the indoor competitions. I wasn’t sure I was rhythmical enough, but you learn very quickly to ride accurately in that setting, while keeping a good pace.

HQ: Tell us about your other horses? Lisa: Perouges is out of the same mother as Campbell, and he’s very similar to his brother. He’s economical and doesn’t overjump, which is just like Campbell. He’s also cheeky; and he is a bit arrogant, and bizarrely, just like Campbell, he doesn’t like back boots. It took me a long time to figure that out with Campbell, but when I got it with Perouges, I felt the signs and immediately knew what the issue was. He’s 8 years old now and is in the 1.35s. I’m excited about my partnership with him. Pilgrim is my 12-year-old. I wasn’t sure that I would ever manage to ride him because he is so tall and quite long in his body. Dominey was riding him and doing a great job while I was overseas, which was very difficult for me to come close to. Lockdown was good for us as it gave me time with him for him to understand me and me to understand him, without the pressure of preparing for shows. I had the time to build exercises that developed our relationship and trust, and now we’re really on the same page. I’m enjoying riding him and looking forwards to seeing what we can achieve together. HQ: What sort of maintenance do you do for your horses? Lisa: For maintenance, I use the Rudd Solar Solarium,

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PHOTOGRAPHY: HILARY O’LEARY

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and I put the Bemer on my horses every day before I ride them. I then use my medical grade laser machine about three days a week. Campbell gets stiff in his pectoral muscles and his abdominals, so I laser those and rub them with pure arnica. Most showjumping horses, in my opinion, benefit from laser treatments on of their stifles, sacroiliac joints and lumbar spine, as well as the poll and the temporomandibular joints, which and I also include those in the treatment regime. In conjunction with the above I regularly use supplements for the maintenance of joints and ligaments e.g. Pentosan, Hyaluronic Acid and Multiglycan. I believe ‘prevention is better than cure’. HQ: What are your goals for the next 12 months? Lisa: [Laughs] To win everything! No, my aim is to compete in the rest of the World Cup Qualifiers and then take part in SA Champs and the Derby. All being well, I’ll be taking the horses to all the big shows, and we’ll just see how we do!

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THANK YOU I must thank Equestrian Affair, who dresses me so beautifully and generously. Lara (Neill) really is amazing. And then I want to thank my other sponsors Serengeti Eyewear, Equisleeves, Back on Track for my helmet, Anthony Ward (Highlander Farriers), Campbell’s farrier, for his work and dedication and the use of the WERKMANN BLACK on all my horses, and Dr Jeanne Botha from Equimotion for all her help and TLC. I must express my enormous gratitude to my coach Dominey Alexander. He has walked a long road with me and always been so unbelievably supportive of me, especially while I was overseas campaigning. He continued to be my coach during this time, regularly travelling to Europe for shows or lessons. He really believed in Campbell and me, and saw our potential – even before I did And last, but definitely not least, I have to mention my wonderful husband, who never doubts me. He never tells me I’m overambitious. He’s there every step of the way and was overseas with me too – carrying buckets, packing trunks, towing long distances…… whatever it takes. I couldn’t do it without him.

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TEXT: FARRYN DAY PHOTOGRAPHY: HILARY O’LEARY

THE CELL C INANDA AFRICA CUP A NEW FORMAT AND LOTS TO CELEBRATE 22

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he Cell C Inanda Africa Cup, held annually at the Inanda Club in Sandton, Johannesburg, is one of the highlights of the African Polo Calendar. In 2019 and previous years, the Africa Cup was played over two weekends, the first weekend being a qualifying weekend, in which the best four South African teams were chosen to progress to the finals’ weekend. These four South African Teams were then up against four visiting sides from across the African continent. Due to COVID and the challenges faced by African teams travelling to South Africa, in 2020 the Cell C Inanda Africa Cup was played by two South African Development sides. A first for African Polo, the match was live streamed across various platforms, while social media influencers commented and kept fans engaged from across the world on game day.

You too can watch the match on the Official Inanda YouTube Channel. Or follow: @inandaclub @sao_polo_ @citypoloatinanda

THE CELL C INANDA AFRICA CUP 2021 This year, the format has evolved once again. The visiting side originates from Nigeria, with the South African side being selected from Development Players. This is an enormous honour for our South African Development Players, with the experience and exposure gained being invaluable. Most of the development players chosen currently work as grooms for professional polo players and have spent years producing and caring for their ponies. HQ|155

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Due to COVID, it was incredibly tough to arrange for the Nigerian players to visit and play in the 2021 Cell C Inanda Africa Cup, as one of the players contracted COVID while another was exposed and unable to travel. Once again, the South Africans stepped in and made a plan, quickly arranging for local development players Thulani Phungula and Zompie Totetsi to play for team SAO Polo Nigeria, along with Nigerians Ope Oyinlola and Magaji Saidu Barda. The talented Masedi Molosiwa, Bafana Skosana, Thokozane Zondo and Donono Lithula represented team Cell C South Africa in this tightly contested match. When playing internationally, visiting players do not arrive with their own horses but rather ‘rent’ horses from local players. This year, Team City Polo Inanda mounted five of the eight players and proudly came home with the prestigious ‘Best Playing Pony’ trophy. Both Bafana and Zompie are part of the City Polo Inanda team and winning Best Playing Pony further validates the effort and care that the grooms put into the ponies.

THE DAY ITSELF Saturday the 19th of June was a day filled with excitement as the teams prepared for the big event. To encourage the next generation of polo stars, the Inanda kids were invited to play an opening match after which Team Inanda took on their rivals from the East Rand Polo Club. In an action-packed contest, the game was won by Team Inanda, winning 6 – 5 in extra time. At 14:45 the Inanda Cell C Africa Cup went live on various platforms across the world including the Inanda You-Tube channel, PoloPlus10.com, and the Total Horse Channel USA, and the pony lines were abuzz with excitement and anticipation.

Forcing the South Africans into a running start, Magaji Saidu Barda (popularly known as ‘Mags’) scored the first goal within minutes of the start whistle. Then, in an exhilarating display of skill, team South Africa scored a brilliant field goal, levelling the scores 3-3 at half time. Ultimately it was Team SAO Polo Nigeria that were victorious with Mags taking the 3rd penalty of the match, bringing the final score to 7 – 4. Mags showed his true value on the field and was awarded the ‘Most Valuable Player’ of the match.

THE PLAYERS TEAM SOUTH AFRICA: 1. Masedi Molosiwa: Masedi only discovered polo later in life, but that hasn’t stopped him from living the polo lifestyle, becoming obsessed with all things polo! Masedi plays out of Watermark Polo Club. 2. Bafana Skosana: Bafana started his polo career as a groom in 2010. Currently part of Team City Polo Inanda, Bafana is affectionately known as the ‘Young Horse Man’ and schooling and making of polo ponies off the track is HQ|155

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ABOUT THE GAME Positions and roles Players are assigned positions numbered 1 to 4. Number 1 can be compared to a ‘Striker’, with their primary focus being to attack, create opportunities and score goals. Number 2 is the ‘Delivery Guy’, ensuring forward play, and delivering the ball to the Number 1. Number 3 is pivotal and is labelled the ‘PlayMaker’, setting up movements and play, often played by the most experienced player on the team. Number 4 is the ‘Defender’, with their priority being to bring the ball off the back line and up to their team-mates in attack. Are they ponies or horses? Originally the size of polo ponies was restricted and no ponies over 14hh could play. However, in 1919, height restrictions were abandoned allowing for horses of any size to take part. Although this rule was changed many years ago, polo players still choose horses at around 15h – 16hh, and polo horses are still referred to as ‘polo ponies.’ The ponies Argentina and Uruguay are the biggest producers of polo ponies worldwide, with most being bred from a combination of local Criollo horses and Thoroughbreds. In South Africa, the vast majority of polo ponies are Thoroughbreds which started their lives on the racetrack and have transitioned into polo as their new career. In fact, many of our local Thoroughbred polo ponies have been exported to the UK, Europe and South America with a few earning the prestigious ‘Most Valuable Pony’ at the best tournaments in the world.

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his ultimate passion. Often heard referring to his horses as ‘his babies’ Bafana’s love of the game stems from his love of training young horses. 3. Thokozane Zondo: Born and raised in Bergville, KZN, Thokozane grew up on a farm owned by polo player Jimmy Uys. His love for horses and polo soon developed and Thokozane now teaches new players to ride and play polo at Gunsmoke Polo on the East Rand. 4. Donono Lithula (Captain): Donono is from Kokstad and started riding in 2009. In 2014 he joined Bropolo in Harrismith as a young horse rider and has never looked back! Donono is an incredible horseman and has been awarded many ‘Most Valuable Player’ prizes, most recently at FreeState Champs.

TEAM SAO POLO NIGERIA: 1. Thulane Phungula (SA): Thulane is known as the ‘Madallah’ of the East Rand Polo Club and is a highly respected rider and horseman. Thulane’s talent lies with bringing on young horses and nurturing them to become great polo ponies. 2. Magaji Saidu Barda: ‘Mags’ was born into an equestrian family in Abuja, Nigeria. His grandfather Alhaji Abba Kalli, a ‘kingmaker’ in the Katsina State Emirate Council, was one of the first local players to play in Nigeria. Mags plays all over the world, with his home being at Guards Polo Club in Abuja. The Inanda Cell C Africa Cup was his debut in South Africa, making the prize of ‘Most Valuable Player’ that much more special. 3. Ope Oyinlola (Captain): Ope is an international businessman based at the Lagos Polo Club in Nigeria. Also from a polo family, Ope is the last of his brothers to learn to play polo. He is a self-confessed polo addict and hopes that his daughters will one day learn to play too. 4. Zompie Totetsi (SA): Zompie started his polo career in the Free State at Polo Africa, and his love for horses was immediate. Now a professional, he has played for South Africa in numerous Internationals over the past few years. Now, Zompie is part of City Polo at Inanda, and with his calm nature he is an excellent polo coach - inspiring riders of all ages.

FOCUS

A MOMENT OF SUSPENSION In 1878 Eadweard Muybridge set out to answer the question about suspension during the gallop. Leland Standford, a former California Governor, was convinced that there was a moment of suspension and commissioned Muybridge to obtain proof. Muybridge set up 12 cameras along a track that were able to take photos with an exposure lasting a fraction of a second. As the horse galloped past the cameras it tripped wires that were connected to the cameras resulting in the 12 cameras capturing 12 photographs in quick succession and proving Standford right. As we all now know, there is a moment in the gallop where the horse has all four feet off the ground i.e. a moment of suspension!

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FOCUS

GIFT HORSE Ever wondered where the saying “never look a gift horse in the mouth” originates? In the past, horses were a part of everyday life for most people. If you were given a horse, it was rude to inspect his teeth to learn more about his age and health. Instead, it was expected that you would be grateful to have been given a horse at all, as he would be of great help to you in your day to day existence!

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TEXT: TANA SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY: L.C. PHOTOGRAPHS FEATURED RIDERS: SIENNA BLAAUW, KIARA BURN AND ERIN O’DWYER

AN INTRODUCTION TO

EQUITATION

BECOMING THE BEST RIDER YOU CAN BE

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he word ‘equitation’ was originally used to refer to the overall position or style of the rider when in the saddle. The original meaning of this word was then taken to create the discipline called (you guessed it) Equitation. Equitation, which can be ridden by riders of any age and ability, can be ridden at training or graded level and is a recognized discipline under the South African Equestrian Federation. When riders enter an Equitation test, they can expect to be judged on their position and how effective they are when in the saddle. A good Equitation rider is capable of riding in a neat and effective manner and can display a true connection between themselves and their horse. They should also have the ability to ride other horses in the same neat and effective way. Ultimately, the purpose of Equitation is to improve riders’ skills by providing them with correct instruction and helpful tips to allow them to become the best possible rider they can be. It is the only discipline in which the rider and their influence on their equine partner is formally judged.

DID YOU KNOW Equitation is a discipline that was introduced to South Africa in the 1970s by the talented Mrs Charlotte Stubbs.

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THE LEVELS In Equitation, different tests are created which combine a flatwork part, which is now known as ‘Part 1’, and a course consisting of approximately 8 jumps, now known as ‘Part 2’. There are then four levels that riders may ride at when competing in Equitation: WELCOME (60CM) • At this level, the riders are required to do basic transitions such as halting, walking, trotting and cantering. • Elements may include: trotting poles, Figures of 8, cantering a jump on a circular track, a small gymnastic, and canter poles. • There are two parts to each test at this level.

NOVICE (70CM) • At this level, the riders are required to do more complex transitions and movements. • Elements may include: trotting a Figure of 8 over trotting poles, cantering two poles on a circle changing rein through the circle, cantering a more complex gymnastic and jumping fences set at right angles. • There are two parts to each test in this level.

INTERMEDIATE (80CM) • In this level, the riders are required to do more complex transitions and movements than in Novice. • Elements may include: cantering two jumps on a circular track, cantering a vertical on a Figure of 8 track, trotting a more complex gymnastic, jumping HQ|155

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fences set on a zig-zag, cantering a Mercedes, performing rollbacks and adding and subtracting strides in a related distance. • There are three parts to each test at this level. OPEN (90CM) • In this level, the riders are required to do more complex transitions and movements than in Intermediate. • Elements may include: jumping bounces on a curve, adding and subtracting strides in a related distance, cantering a related ‘s-bend’ and cantering a ‘looping star’. • There are three parts to each test at this level. Each test is created in a way that tests the riders and provides them with basic flatwork exercises to complete, which, in the future, will help them achieve the best possible results. Each part in the Equitation test will be judged by either one or two skilled judges, and once the test is completed, the judges will then score each part out of a possible 20 marks. The rider with the highest mark at the end of the class will be announced as the winner. In Welcome and Novice, the score is out of 40 marks in total and in Intermediate and Open the score is out of 60 marks in total.

TURN-OUT A large part of Equitation is the neat and correct turn-out of the horse and rider combination. Horses are required HQ|155

NOTE In the Intermediate and Open levels, there is a third part to the ridden test in which competitors swap horses with each other and ride the new test. to have their manes and tails plaited and to be neatly groomed and presented with clear, correct tack. Riders are recommended to wear beige breeches, a collared shirt with a tie or a Chinese collared show-shirt, a neutral-coloured show blazer and have polished boots. Hair should be tied up, and the overall impression should be of a neat and well-presented rider and horse.

TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Equitation is a fun and informative discipline that has been enjoyed by many top and recreational riders over the years and provides a great medium for riders to improve their skills and the way in which they work with their horse. Equitation shows are hosted all over the country and give graded Equitation riders an opportunity to earn points and to be chosen for a team that will then represent the province at the South African Championships at the end of the year. Equitation is seen as the basis for all disciplines in the equestrian sport as it teaches the riders to apply the correct aids, sit correctly, hold the correct position and ride in an effective manner. These skills are used in all the other equestrian disciplines, and doing Equitation as a discipline will greatly improve these skills and make you a better all-round performer.

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TEXT: CHRISTIE WOLHUTER, OWNER AND FOUNDER OF EQUIBIO

RIDER ANATOMY HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR POSITION

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SADDLES COME IN VARIOUS SHAPES AND SIZES, AND HUMANS COME IN EVEN MORE!

hen it comes to saddle fitting, much attention is paid to how a saddle fits a horse, and whilst this is certainly the most important factor, it is still beneficial to take the rider’s anatomical makeup into account. When looking at performance, small significant changes can add up to measurable improvement. Various aspects of our anatomy that can influence our seat include, but are not limited to, seat bone width, hip socket orientation, pelvic tilt, and leg length ratios. In this article, we will be looking at the role of leg length and how the stirrup bar position can play a role in this setting.

LEG-LENGTH AND STIRRUP BARS Jochen Schleese, master saddle fitter, owner of Schleese Saddles and founder of Saddlefit 4 Life explains the following in his article, The long and short of it: How leg length affects your riding position: “The stirrup bar acts like a fulcrum, from which the stirrup leather hangs – forming a pendulum on which your body weight is carried when you put weight into the stirrup. Gravity always wins, so if that stirrup bar is located too far ahead of the rider’s hip, the stirrup bar, acting as a pendulum, swings the lower leg forward so that the stirrup leather is perpendicular to the ground and the rider ends up in a chair seat.” Now, most would assume it is only important for your leg to be in the right place in dressage and flatwork, but this is not the case. In jumping, when moving over a fence, the only base of support is the stirrup, and where that stirrup is attached to the saddle influences the rider’s position. Furthermore, over a fence, the rider’s responsibility is to interfere with the horse’s movement as little as possible. Long-legged riders, as well as riders with a big length difference between their thigh bone and shin bone, need a saddle that allows their knee to fit correctly in the knee roll whilst still allowing the stirrup bar to be far back enough to prevent them from getting in the way of the horse. Many jumping saddles, unfortunately have the stirrup bar placed relatively far forward. HQ|155

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This is an easy way to measure stirrup bar alignment. In this image, you can see my stirrup sits nice and close to the ball of my foot when I put my leg into hip and heel alignment. The same can be done in a jumping saddle with shorter stirrups.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE IF YOUR STIRRUP IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE? Take your feet out of the stirrups and make sure your seat bones are in the correct place in your saddle, not too far back. Align your heel to the middle of your hips, as shown in the image above. If your stirrup bar is in the correct place, your stirrup leather should hang into a position where your stirrup is near the ball of your foot (see image). When the stirrup bar is too far in front of the hip, the stirrup will sit out in front of the foot. A CASE STUDY A similar phenomenon can be seen in a saddle that is too small for a rider. One of the horses I am riding at the moment is our pony Danni, owned by my sister. She is relatively small, and because I am a small rider, 164 cm, we bought her a 16-inch saddle to accommodate her

Example of a saddle that is too small for the rider.

‘short’ back. Our thought was that as a rider, my comfort was secondary to hers. Now the problem comes in when we take a more in-depth look at my anatomy. I have always had a problem with my lower leg pushing forward. I also have an uncanny knack for buying ponies built like a table, which really doesn’t help the problem (a story for another article!) Before I founded EquiBio, I thought it was just a problem with my seat and my riding ability, but the more I looked into it, with input from my saddle fitter, Shellea Ripley, the more it seemed like an equipment problem. My thigh bone is 45 centimetres, and my shin bone is 38 centimetres. The longer thigh bone needs to be accommodated by a bigger saddle, even though I am technically a person of small stature. So why does a saddle that is too small for a rider can cause the chair position? A rider cannot change the length

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This is the correct seat size and stirrup bar placement for my anatomy. My leg is relaxed into hip and heel alignment.

of their femur, so a longer femur will cause a rider to push the knee out of the knee roll or keep the knee in the correct place on the knee roll but push the seat bones further back in the saddle. I tend to keep my knee in the right place in the knee roll, but in a saddle that is too small, push my seat back. Now we return to what Jochen has to say, as my hip is now too far away from the stirrup bar, which is sitting too far forwards. The result? Chair seat – no matter how hard I may try to avoid this. This can also be visualised in the image shown above. This rider seems to have a long thigh bone and a long shin bone. Her knee is in the knee roll, but you can see her seat bones are too far back, towards the cantle of the saddle. Now, it important to note that most dressage saddles have the stirrup bar placed a bit further back to accommodate the longer stirrup positions, but in this case, it still looks like the stirrup bar is not as far back as it should be for

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NOTE Some brands of saddles have adjustable stirrup bars. There are also some brands of saddles that have the stirrup bars set a bit further back by design. Chat to your saddle fitter about your options! this rider. The stirrup bars seem to be too far in front of her hip, putting her into the chair position. It is not easy for her to have hip and heel alignment without pulling her leg back. So, what did we do about it in my case? We sold the small saddle and bought a saddle that was appropriate for my anatomy, a 17 inch, which fits the pony perfectly as well. Now a saddle that fits you doesn’t have to cost a fortune. The most expensive saddle with the stirrup bars in the wrong place may still put you into the incorrect position. All of this just goes to show that saddle fit is not just about your horse’s anatomy, but also your own!

EXERCISES

WHERE ARE YOUR FEET DEVELOPING PROPRIOCEPTION 40

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EXERCISES

roprioception is often an underrated aspect of movement patterns, but yet it is absolutely vital for even the most basic of undertakings. Proprioception refers to the body’s ability to perceive its own position in space. For instance, it allows us to walk on the ground without using our eyes to watch every footfall. It is easy to see why proprioception is key for horses. First and foremost, a lot of what we ask our horses to do in terms of exercise is ‘unnatural’ for their bodies and requires different movements than they would inherently practice on their own. This needs a clear awareness of their body in space to avoid tripping, falling, standing on themselves and to help them clear fences! Whilst most horses will ultimately adapt to the demands placed on them, anyone who has sat on a clumsy young horse for the first time, will know just how much proprioception develops in horses over the course of training. To accelerate a horse’s progress and to give them more confidence in meeting our demands these simple exercises can really help our horses, particularly youngsters, to develop a good sense of the positioning of the limbs in space. This will ultimately pay off in the long run and you will have a far more balanced and coordinated partner.

BASIC EXERCISES FOR PROPRIOCEPTION Simple exercises are often the most effective because riders are likely to practice them more consistently. And, let’s face it, when it comes to improving movement and co-ordination, consistency matters above everything else. Riders are often surprised how a little rearranging of the horse’s posture, as is required with these exercises, can create notable improvements. These adjustments include activating and lifting the base of the neck, increased rotation and bending in the trunk and back, and stimulation TOP TIP As these exercises are so easy to set up, and do not require much space there is no reason that they can’t be set up outside of the arena. This is particularly useful for horses that do a lot of work in the arena and can become a little sour.

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of the nervous system particularly in the feet and forelegs. The following pole exercises offer an easy way to improve proprioception in your horse without the logistics and effort involved in setting up more complex exercises. The fact that they are so simple to set up also means that you can do them even on days when you are short on time. These exercises alone are not going to make a horse fit, but when practiced for 5 or 10 minutes before you ride, they help to activate the nerve pathways and deep postural muscles that will improve your overall session. These exercises can be performed from the ground or in the saddle, although it can be a good idea to do them from the ground so that you become well acquainted with observing your horse’s posture and general bodily alignment.

EXERCISE 1: THE FORELEGS • Stand your horse perpendicular to a single pole lying flat on the ground. • Ask him to step one front foot and then another over the pole. • Once both front feet are over, ask him to stand still for 1-2 seconds. • Now ask him to step his feet back across the pole. • And then immediately walk his front feet forward over the pole again. • Continue repeating this forward-backward movement for between 6-8 repetitions.

EXERCISES

POINTS TO NOTE • Most horse will initially step on the pole or be clumsy with their feet. This is not naughtiness or evasiveness, but instead a genuine reflection of the difficulty of this simple exercise. Continue practicing and generally within a few repetitions you will find that the fancy footwork improves! • Once you have this mastered you can up the level of difficulty by asking all four legs to step over the pole individually and then asking the horse to back up over the pole. Again, this sounds easy but really is not! EXERCISE 2: THE OBLIQUE • Walk your horse across the pole at a diagonal angle; imagine his body making a 45 degree angle with the pole.

This exercise is great for stimulating the deep scapular (shoulder) muscles as this exercise asks the horse to move his foreleg away from his midline, which helps mitigate the effects of repetitive front-to-back movement. If you have cavaletti blocks available, you can make the exercise even more difficult by raising the ends of the pole.

EXERCISE 3: THE PARKING BAY • Walk your horse energetically toward the pole, aligning him parallel to it. • When the horse’s body is alongside the pole, halt promptly. • Stand immobile for approximately 3 seconds. • The back-up for 6 steps, remaining as close to the pole as possible without hitting it. • Immediately walk forward and halt again. • Walk forward away from the pole and prepare to re-approach it and repeat the sequence above. • Once you have repeated this a few times, you can modify it to include trotting on your approach to the pole. You can also vary which side of the pole you choose to halt in order to keep your horse’s attention. In this exercise the pole serves as an alignment tool. The horse is aware both visually and physically of the pole’s position and he therefore makes small adjustments to account for his own positioning beside it. In this way his sensory nerves are stimulated.

• Continue walking back and forth across the pole, each time making a 45 degree angle. • Alternatively, you can turn the pattern into a figure-8 by circling around the end of the pole after each crossing. • Repeat ten times in each direction.

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EXERCISES

EXERCISE 4: TRANSITIONS • Place a single pole on the ground or raise it on both ends. • Walk or trot towards the pole. Two steps before you cross the pole, transition to a different gait/speed to cross the pole. For instance, if you are approaching in a trot, quickly transition down to a walk, step over the pole, and then immediately resume trotting. • Repeat this sequence but keep it interesting by varying whether you go up or down a gait/speed. The goal is to keep your horse alert and responsive to your aids or guidance from the ground. This exercise is great for making lots of small adjustments to your horse’s balance and energy. POINTS TO NOTE Going up and down gaits is great and is definitely the right place to start to introduce your horse to the exercise, but if you really want to refine your communication skills with your horse then varying HQ|155

REMEMBER The sensory nerves communicate with the motor nerves so the more we trigger the sensory nerve communication, the more refined a horse’s movement can become.

activity over the pole can be a great exercise to try. Think of activity within a gait on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being the least active trot your horse can do, and 10 being the most active trot. You can then, for instance, come into the pole at a 7-8 trot and drop right down to a 2-3 to cross the pole before returning to the 7-8. You can then swap this round and enter at a 2-3 trot, increase to a 7-8 trot for crossing the pole, and reduce to a 2-3 trot afterwards. If you can get your horse to be this responsive to changes of speed you are really onto a winner!

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GOOD TO KNOW While horses can sleep both lying down and standing up, they only experience Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep whilst lying down. Their ability to experience REM makes it likely that they also dream.

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T S 46

E R

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... AND ITS EFFECT ON YOUR RIDING PERFORMANCE

tress and anxiety are innate aspects of athletic competition and often inhibit performance and ultimately contribute to an unfavourable competition outcome. Many athletes report difficulty concentrating, inefficient decision-making, hazy thought, and reduced energy as a result of competition stress. However, despite the negative discourse surrounding stress in everyday life, it can often provide motivation, increase levels of focus, and is the main reason athletes will sometimes feel “in the zone”. Which brings us to ask: how does stress impact equestrian performance? The answer to this question is not as simple as it may appear and has been the subject of sport psychology inquiry for decades.

WHAT IS STRESS? Stress was initially identified in the 1940s by Hans Selye, a Hungarian endocrinologist. Selye grappled with pinpointing a definition of stress for years, but eventually, he posited stress to be “the nonspecific response of the body to any demand placed upon it”. This incredibly vague definition essentially means that stress is the process our body goes through when dealing with circumstances that disrupt our psychophysiological homeostasis. The human body naturally seeks balance, and homeostasis is a technical term for how your body goes about seeking and establishing this balance. An example of homeostasis can be seen in our body’s perpetual attempt to regulate its temperature. When you get too hot, you will perspire, and when you get too cold, you will shiver; both of these are automatic responses from your body, as it attempts to keep your core temperature at around 37°C. When this balance is disrupted, either physically or psychologically, your body experiences stress until it reaches a point of homeostasis or balance with which it is comfortable.

resources for action. This is more widely known as the “fight or flight” response and can be thought of as the body’s survival mode. In response to stress, all major resources are mobilised to enable the body to fight or flee to survive. In terms of homeostasis, the stressor (performance pressure) would cause a deviation from psychological homeostasis (from calm to nervous); this deviation would cause stress and would activate the fight or flight response. Once the stressor has been dealt with through successfully fighting (completing the round) or fleeing (going home and not jumping), the body’s stress response will usually end and the parasympathetic system will return the nervous system to its normal state of arousal.

THE STRESS EXPERIENCE While the body’s response to stress is unchanging, whether you actually feel stressed is entirely individual, and certain things that cause stress for some may cause no stress for others. Whether you interpret a situation as stressful or not is determined by two distinct evaluations or “appraisals”. Firstly, an analysis of the significance of the stressor will give you an idea of whether or not it is a threat or opportunity: this is called “primary appraisal”. For example, someone who has jumped at Derby for many years may

THE BODY’S STRESS RESPONSE In order to fully comprehend stress in a competition setting, it is important first to have a working grasp of how the body responds to a stressful situation. Stress is a very normal human reaction that happens to everyone. In fact, your body is designed to experience stress. When you are exposed to a stressor (such as the pressure of a showjumping competition), the body activates the sympathetic nervous system and mobilises the body’s HQ|155

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view a small local competition as an opportunity to try new things in a relaxed environment, resulting in a low-stress level. However, an up-and-coming rider would view the same local competition as considerably more threatening, resulting in higher stress levels. Secondly, an analysis of your ability to cope with the environmental stress as it presents itself, regardless of the significance, is called “secondary appraisal”. Dealing with a stress-inducing scenario requires certain resources, like resilience, coping mechanisms, and even skill-level. Your determination of whether or not you possess these resources will determine the amount of stress you experience. For example, the up-and-coming rider may experience heightened stress during the local competition (primary appraisal). However, if she feels she possesses the necessary coping mechanisms and skill level (resources), she will feel a reduction in stress levels. Alternatively, if she feels she does not possess the necessary resources, her already heightened stress levels are likely to increase. Understanding appraisal is a key part of understanding competition stress and performance, as

the situation alone does not account for the stress seen in the competitor. Individual factors need to be taken into account in order to understand how the situation will impact the rider’s performance.

STRESS AND PERFORMANCE Stress is often seen as the enemy of performance, with commentators and competitors often referring to stress as the cause of a loss. However, despite the general discourse surrounding stress, it is not always maladaptive Many years ago, researchers by the names of Robert Yerkes and John Dodson were the first to posit stress as a positive sensation in the realm of sports performance, and they termed this positive stress “eustress”. Their research illustrated that stress at the right levels can make the competitor feel energised, focused and help them to get into a flow state where work feels effortless and enjoyment is at its highest. This is often referred to as being “in the zone”. This beneficial stress or eustress, is posited as being the point of peak performance, where competitors are highly motivated and they feel that their skill-level HQ|155

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OUR EXPERT Ryan Tehini (BA, BSocSci (Hons) Psych, MA Research Psychology (cum laude)(UP)) For Psychological Skills Training for sports’ competitions, please get in touch with me: ryantehini@gmail.com, or 073 567 7387

matches the task required of them. However, even though stress can be exceedingly positive, it is a fine line to walk as too much or even too little stress can result in the same underperformance. Too little stress causing poor performance may sound like an oxymoron, but if an individual is under stimulated and bored, their performance decreases. This is thought to be one of the reasons that Einstein failed entrance exams or that an Olympic showjumper does not perform to the best of her ability at a local show. Too much stress, however, is far more typical of a reason for underperformance and is termed “distress”. Have you ever experienced brain freeze when you try to remember the course? Or made a mistake in the arena that you usually never would have made? These are classic signs that you are experiencing too much stress. Too much stress as a competitor can lead to fatigue, health declines, burnout, and cognitive impairment and is ultimately detrimental to your performance. Stress is a fine line to walk as a competitor, but your performance will increase exponentially if you learn how to master it.

STRESS AND HORSES As we noted in last month’s article, horses are incredibly in tune with reading human emotion, and with stress being one of the easiest emotions to read in humans, they can pick up on your stress from a mile away. However, there is one notable aspect of equestrian sports that makes it a particularly interesting realm for stress and performance. As prey animals, horses are hardwired for survival and subsequently possess a fight or flight mode of their own. HQ|155

As a rider, you will surely have noticed that horses fight or flight mode is particularly sensitive, and they will spook at the drop of a plastic bag. This makes equestrian notably complex as it is one of the few scenarios where you have to manage two stress levels instead of just one. On top of this, a horse's response to stress is usually not a delivery of optimal performance but instead a state of panic, making optimal performance highly unlikely.

MANAGING STRESS While reducing stress is usually the focus when the subject comes up in conversation, this is not always the best approach for athletes. Stress can be a useful tool in competition, as long as it is managed and maintained at a helpful and not debilitating level. However, the most universally applicable advice I can give to handle stress is to give yourself breaks. If you were exercising and you became tired, you would slow down, allow yourself some time to recover, and then get going again at a better pace than before. Afford yourself this same opportunity with your mind; balancing out high levels of stress with intermittent feelings of positivity can exponentially reduce your overall stress. Feeling good should not be a luxury, it is a psychological necessity, and you need to make time for it, particularly in stressful surroundings. In the coming months, this section will take a closer look at some valuable psychological techniques that can be used to harness stress and increase your riding performance.

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IMAGE: MERLYNN TRICHARDT

DID YOU KNOW? ARIAT’S BRAND NAME IS DERIVED FROM THE NAME OF THE TRIPLE CROWN WINNER SECRETARIAT.

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HOW DOES YOUR HORSE THINK?

WITH DR STEPHEN PETERS

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An evidence-based approach to horsemanship involves assessing and integrating scientific findings to inform decisions and create best practices in horsemanship. Scientific findings in the neuro-functioning of the horses’ brain and its application will increase one’s ability to understand and read horses. – Dr Stephen Peters

any of us were privileged to attend the webinar hosted by Natalie Fourie, a Neurofeedback Brainwave Regulation Therapist from EQ-ADVANTEDGE NETWORX, with the world-renowned neuroscientist Dr Stephen Peters. Over the course of an hour, Dr Peters described the basic anatomy and functionality of the equine brain and explained the significance of these when working with our equines. Within this limited time-frame, he conveyed vast amounts of information and left the audience with much to ponder. Here we aim to present just a brief overview of his talk. We would highly recommend that anyone interested in this content contact Natalie Fourie (natalie@eq-advantedge.co.za) to be notified of the next Dr Stephen Peters webinar or sign up at http:// eqadvantedgejhb.co.za/ to watch this first webinar in full.

AN INTRODUCTION Equine brain dissections, CT and MRI scans and multiple behavioural studies have provided a solid evidence base for understanding cognition in horses. Unfortunately, much of the equestrian world is unaware of this

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information, even though it would be hugely beneficial in working with our horses. Whilst every horse is an individual and has had a different history and different set of experiences, many commonalities underpin our horses’ behaviour and how they think. Understanding these can optimise our ability to communicate with our equine partner, and thereby improve our training and achieve better training outcomes.

MAIN MESSAGE The only brain that we are familiar with is our own, so we often expect our horses to operate in the same way as we do. Unfortunately (or fortunately!), the brain of a horse is very different to that of a human. One key difference for our work with horses lies in the fact that horses only have a minimally developed frontal lobe (a pre-frontal lobe). This means that horses do not understand or enact abstract concepts like disrespect or revenge. These abstract concepts require a frontal lobe to comprehend and enact them and horses, quite simply, don’t have one of sufficient size to reason in this way.

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CORPUS CALLOSUM

CORTEX

CEREBELLUM

OPTIC CHIASM OLFACTORY BULBS

HYPOTHALAMUS

CAN MY HORSE LOVE ME? Horses can feel oxytocin – a bonding chemical, so they can feel really good around you. The release of oxytocin is contingent, however, on the horse also feeling safe with you. The reason this is so important is that we give put a lot of negative labels on our horses due to the ways we interpret their behaviours. This is often used to ‘justify’ punishing the horse and behaving in a negative way towards them. Instead, we need to take a step back and realise that our horses do not think in the same way we do, and are not capable of planning an elaborate revenge strategy for the carrot we forgot to hand out last week. If we can make our horse feel safe, they will be happy and willing to work with us, and that, ultimately, is the bottom line. The science Dr Peters presents in his work really brings this home for all of us.

SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURES IN THE EQUINE BRAIN (See diagram) OPTIC CHIASM – It was commonly thought that if a horse saw something in one eye, he needed to see it in the other eye as well, as the information was only reaching one side of the brain. Imaging studies and brain dissections have now shown that this is not the case, with information from the right eye going to the left side of the brain and vice versa, but the corpus callosum providing a mechanism for the information to cross from one side of the brain to the other. CORPUS CALLOSUM – This allows the left and right sides of the brain to communicate. The left side of the brain operates the right side of the body and vice versa, just like in humans. Signals must pass across both sides of the brain before a horse can trot in diagonal pairs, for instance. HQ|155

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PRE-FRONTAL LOBE – The pre-frontal lobe in the horse is for voluntary movement and attention. Younger horses don’t have as much myelin (a fatty insulator) coating the nerves in the pre-frontal lobes, so their attention span is much shorter than that of an adult horse who has developed myelination. Therefore, when working with young horses, you need to do shorter training sessions more frequently. Older horses are able to focus for longer periods so they can cope with longer training sessions. CEREBELLUM – The cerebellum in the horse is enormous and has many folds to create a massive surface area. This is a significant structure in the horse as it is essential for balance, sequencing, motor movement and fine motor movement. Additionally, when a horse learns a series of motor movements, they are stored in the cerebellum as motor memories. OLFACTORY BULBS – Olfaction (smell) is the only sense that goes directly to the brain in the horse. Every other sense goes via the thalamus before it arrives in the brain. The sense of smell is highly developed and thus has a direct connection to the brain. HYPOTHALAMUS – The hypothalamus is the barometer of the autonomic nervous system. This signals whether the horse becomes sympathetically aroused (fight, flight, freeze), parasympathetically stimulated (rest and digest) or if we maintain homeostasis (a state of balance between the two).

TAKE-HOME MESSAGE You are responsible for your horse’s nervous system, and as it is possible for it to adapt, you can change it through patience and correct work. A lot of the training we do is actually about getting our horse's neurological system to where we need it to be, and achieving this often is the key to improved performance. The fact that we can modify the nervous system and the connections that exist within it is enormously empowering for the horse owner as it can result in smarter, calmer and more confident horses. HQ|155

DOES MY HORSE KNOW THAT I’M ANXIOUS? In a study on this subject, researchers took a group of novice riders and measured the blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels in the horse and the human. They then took a group of experts with lots of experience with horses and did the same tests in the horse and human. They subsequently told the subjects that they would be led into the barn by themselves on their horse, the door would be locked, and then they would be charged with a golf umbrella. The experimenters then led the horse into the barn but did not do as they said (i.e. no golf umbrella was used). However, the researchers retook measurements after leaving the barn and the blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels were now sky high in the beginners. The levels went up in the experts but much less than in the beginners, as the experts were much more confident in their ability to handle the situation. Most interestingly, however, in the context of this work, the blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol measurements skyrocketed in the horses of the beginners as well, but not in the experts. This shows how sensitive horses are to the emotions of the human riding them. Your horse is reading you all the time. If you are concerned that you make your horse stressed, it may help to do meditation, or if you are highly aroused, angry or upset, you should consider skipping the session with your horse. You need to be very aware of how your emotion influences your horse!

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ABOUT DR STEPHEN PETERS Dr Stephen Peters is a Neuroscientist specialising in brain functioning. As a horse brain researcher, he has given numerous Equine Brain Science presentations throughout the U.S.A and Canada and performed many horse brain dissections for students. He is the co-author with Martin Black of Evidence-Based Horsemanship. He regularly presents at the Best Horse Practices Summit and collaborated with Maddy Butcher on Horsehead: Brain Science & Other Insights. Dr Peters recently worked with Mark Rashid and Jim Masterson (of the Masterson Method) on a twoday equine brain seminar, which resulted in a DVD, Your Horse’s Brain: A User's Manual. He often presents in joint seminars with West Taylor of Wild West Mustang Ranch, demonstrating equine brain science with the help of mustangs in the arena. He prioritises an evidence-based approach to horsemanship that involves assessing and integrating scientific findings to inform decisions and create best practices in horsemanship. His scientific findings in the neurofunctionality of the horse's brain and its application will increase one's ability to understand and read horses. His ultimate goal is to achieve a deeper knowledge of the neurological underpinnings of horse behaviour, reactions and emotional states. This is hoped to lead to best practices that optimise horse-human communication and promote clear and safe interaction in the best interests of the horse and owner. Dr Peters is passionately dedicated to a scientific approach that ultimately improves the welfare of the horse. For more information on his work, please check out his website: www.horsebrainscience.info Or you can read his book ‘Evidence Based Horsemanship’, which he co-authored with Martin Black.

Of course, by the same token, the wrong training and a lack of understanding of the horse’s neurological system can result in shut down, scared and defensive horses. One thing is for sure, however, training with the neuroscience in mind is certain to give the best outcome. The key lies in remembering that the horse’s brain is very different to our own and that their way of interpreting the world is not the same as ours. If we remember this and seek to understand our horse, rather than labelling them, we are far more likely to have a positive and lasting impact on our horse and their neurology.

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he last few days have been busy for the Cieli duo, with the launch of their range in Western Shoppe. For a brand that launched on the 20th of February 2021, this is quite a coup and really demonstrates the speed with which this brand has taken off in South Africa.

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Started and run by Mari-Lize Giovannoni and Brittany du Toit, both with backgrounds in design, fashion and marketing, the brand looked set to be a success from the outset. But even the dynamic pair themselves could not have anticipated such a meteoric ascent to equestrian fame.

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It is rare to go to a show now and not see the Cieli label prominently displayed on the caps, jodhpurs, belts and riding shirts of those in attendance. It is unusual for a brand to have such an impact, so quickly, but the equestrian community has really embraced the Cieli style wholeheartedly.

ORIGINS Mari-Lize and Brittany were introduced to each other just before lockdown 2020 and instantly realised their shared vision. Together they crafted the concept of Cieli Equestrian: a heavily Italian-fashion influenced, quality, yet affordable equestrian brand. Their similar taste, design ideals and work-ethic made them an unbeatable pairing from the very beginning. As Mari-Lize describes “The brand started with a name and three colours. We chose the name for its meaning in Italian, ‘from the heavens’ and when we saw the word ‘Cieli’ written out we knew it was perfect. The word has a strong meaning and a unisex appeal and it is just perfect to describe our style. In terms of the three colours we selected navy, grey and orange. We weren’t sure at the outset if this would limit us, but we love the colours and know how versatile they can be. Each of our ranges will also incorporate different pantones but these are our core colours.”

STYLE When asked where they draw their style inspiration, Britt is clear: “Italy. We love Italian fashion and translating it into this world and setting creates a unique look. Plus, we both have our own unique styles – Mari-Lize is much more sporty and I’m quite classical. Combining these two really creates Cieli – it’s sleek, yet sporty.” Mari-Lize continues “We’ve taken some big risks, but we love the stuff we create so we trust that. For instance for our orange jodhpurs, we had to dye huge quantities of material in that colour. Of course it was a risk but it has certainly paid off. We love them and it seems our customers do too!”

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Quality, price and design must all come together to meet the needs of the equestrian. – Mari-Lize Giovannoni

FUTURE The future certainly looks bright for Cieli. When asked about their partnership with Western Shoppe, Britt responds enthusiastically “We have so much to learn from them. They’ve been successful in this space for so long, and to be able to work with them is really a dream come true. It’s all about convenience for our customers as well. Whilst everyone can still order online or find us at shows, they can now go into a physical store and pick up the items. Customer convenience and satisfaction is key for us.”

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THE PROCESS The pair describe their process as beginning with the receipt of material swatches. As Britt describes “We source material from South Africa, Europe, and the rest of the world and then when it arrives we sit down with it and get a feel for it. The fabric often inspires the design. We see a fabric and we know what we can do with it. Recently we received a honeycomb fabric and I instantly knew what I wanted to do with it. I then go away and draw some designs, and MariLize and I sit down a couple of days later to look at them together and make adjustments. We very rarely disagree but we always tweak each others’ designs to get things absolutely perfect.” Another key part of the Cieli process is the testing. Mari-Lize describes “To ensure our fabrics stand up to the test we get big samples and put them to work, before we commit to using them. We put them in the washing machine, we expose them to Velcro, we rub them all over the horses…We really make sure they are quality and will last.”

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In terms of future ranges, the pair were coy. They explain that there will be some new colours and items hitting the shelves soon, but weren’t willing to reveal any more. They explain, “We get asked to do a lot of different items and colours, and we just want to make sure that everything we put out into the market has the hallmark of our style and quality. We don’t want to compromise on that, and produce quantity over quality. We are looking to expand into other markets and to create new ranges, but we’ll only do it when we are absolutely happy with the product. Basically, you’ll have to wait and see what we do next!” In terms of selling the brand further afield, Mari-Lize said “With Britt going overseas to Ireland we’re hoping that she can take the brand there and grow it in Europe. Similarly, we’ll be looking to work with Western Shoppe on opportunities for expansion. It’s a very exciting time for us.” For Cieli, it seems, the sky may not be the limit. We wish them well, and look forward to seeing where this exciting brand goes next.

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FOCUS

TIPS FOR BUYING A SECONDHAND HORSEBOX 1. Make sure that you inspect the horsebox thoroughly or get someone knowledgeable to do this for you. 2. Lift the mats in the box and check the condition of the floor and ramps, prodding and poking to check for softness. Rotten, wet or damaged floors are dangerous. 3. Check that the ramps are not too heavy. 4. Check that the electrics work. It is especially important to make sure that the electrical connection on the box’s lights isn’t corroded. 5. Look at any springs or hinges and see if they are in good condition. 6. Ensure all tyres are in good condition. 7. Hitch up and take the box for a test drive to see how it handles. 8. Ask to see any paperwork related to servicing or repairs.

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TEXT: FARRYN DAY PHOTOGRAPHY: MERLYNN TRICHARDT

WINTER WOES KEEPING YOUR HORSE HEALTHY

outh African winters are not nearly as harsh as those in Europe, yet this time of year still presents some challenges for horse owners. So, as the temperature drops, how do we keep our equine partners in tip-top shape?

MAINTAINING WEIGHT The first challenge for horse owners, especially those with young or old horses, is maintaining weight and body condition. As temperatures drop, horses may reach their ‘lower critical body temperature’. Lower critical temperature is the temperature below which a horse needs additional energy to maintain body warmth. Consider this as the point when the horse starts to shiver – it is at a much lower temperature than in humans. The estimated lower critical temperature for horses with a summer coat is 5˚C, and -7˚C with a winter coat. Many individual factors can affect a horse’s lower critical body temperature including age and size. An underweight horse with a short coat will have a higher lower critical temperature (shiver point) than that of a horse with a thick winter coat and plenty of fat stores. Similarly, smaller animals have a greater surface area relative to body weight and can lose heat more rapidly than a larger animal. Weight loss results when horses are

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regularly below their lower critical body temperature, as calories which are normally used for weight maintenance are then used to maintain body temperature. In terms of feeding to counter this, the most effective way to help your horse maintain their body condition during winter is not to add extra concentrate feed, but rather to add additional forage to their diet. As the body digests fibre, microbial fermentation produces heat, which helps to keep the horse warm ‘from the inside out’. Another important consideration, in order for effective food absorption to take place, is to deworm your horse if necessary. Probiotics are also recommended to maintain the horse’s gut microbial balance and enable effective digestion and absorption of forage and hard feed.

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As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, photoreceptors in the horse’s coat trigger the growth of new and longer hair to keep them warm. This winter ‘fluff’ can often be deceiving and ‘hide’ weight loss to a certain extent. Therefore, it is important to constantly assess your horse’s body condition and manage them accordingly to prevent weight loss.

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FARRYN DAY @smicfarryn @smicequestrian @citypoloatinanda

AVOIDING COLIC The second major challenge during winter is impaction colics. This is especially tricky as we wish to add more fibre and nutrients to the horse’s diet as winter grazing tends not to be plentiful or contain many nutrients and yet a lot of this food will be dry. During the summer, lush grazing contains between 60 and 80% moisture, which contributes to the horses daily water intake. In the winter, dried feedstuff and forage contains less than 15% moisture and therefore they need to consume more water. Insufficient water intake can lead to impaction colic as faecal matter becomes too dry in the gut and causes an impaction. If caught early, impaction colics can be treated. However in severe cases the impaction may require surgery to be removed and may sadly result in death. By increasing the salt intake over winter, you can encourage your horse to continue to drink enough water enabling them to use their food correctly and prevent impaction colic. The average horse requires between 30g and 60g of salt per day. Non-iodated coarse salt is recommended and is available from most feed suppliers.

EXERCISE Most horses are required to continue exercising over the winter months but it is important to plan your horse’s exercise schedule to reduce any negative impact on them. In order to allow the horse sufficient time to cool down and dry off after exercise it is best to ride earlier in the day rather than late evening. When sweat evaporates it takes a lot of heat with it, so it is important to consider putting a cooler on a horse after winter exercise, especially if you have to ride in an evening. On the racetrack, in order to prevent a thick and fluffy coat, the lights in the stables are left on, thereby mimicking the longer days of summer. The horses subsequently don’t get a very thick winter coat, but this means that they need special care and attention to prevent weight loss. Similarly, some competitive horses are clipped over the winter months in order to make cooling down and drying off after exercise quicker and easier. Clipped horses also require special care as they no longer have their natural barrier against the cold. They will need to be blanketed during the evenings, and on very cold or windy days will need a light blanket when out in the paddock. Feed requirements may also need to be increased to prevent loss of condition. HOOVES In many parts of South Africa, winter time is extremely dry with no rainfall which can causes horses’ hooves to become dry and brittle. A quick and easy fix, especially for large numbers of horses, is to create a ‘mud puddle’ next to their water trough in the paddock. When they go to have a drink they walk through the mud and give the hooves some much needed moisture – just be sure to pick the feet daily in order to keep prevent other ailments developing. TAKE-HOME MESSAGE The most effective way to keep your horse healthy during the winter months is to be present and know your horse. Notice how much water they drink daily, how much hay they eat, if they’ve lost any weight or if the coat looks dull. Noticing small changes which can easily be rectified if caught early, can prevent major illness, and stress for you and your horse. HQ|155

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TOP TIP

If possible, try to order baled forage in advance to prevent inconsistencies in the horse’s diet during the winter forage price spike.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: MERLYNN TRICHARDT

PEARLY WHITES KEEPING THE WHITE BITS WHITE

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eeping grey and coloured horses’ white bits even white-ish can become a never-ending battle. Wet mud and stable stains dominate proceedings, and many owners give up trying to keep on top of the challenge. But if you desperately want to banish the grime and reveal those pearly whites, then read on to learn the best ways to do it…

GRASS AND STABLE STAIN REMOVAL Some stains from the paddock or stable are more stubborn than others to remove, but the secret to success is to attend to them as soon as they appear. The longer they are left, the harder it will be. You have been warned! STABLE STAINS • Use warm water on all stained areas. The warmer the temperature, the easier it is to lift the stain out. • Dampen the stained area thoroughly using this warm water on either a sponge, or direct from the hosepipe. • Apply a stain removal spray (specific for equines) and massage in well with a massage pad or firm bristled brush. This part is essential and will help to loosen the dirt. You must then leave this for a few moments before rinsing off. • For stubborn stains, or before a show or competition, shampoo and massage the area well before the final rinse. GRASS STAINS • These can be difficult, but if they are dealt with quickly, they come off more easily. Apply the same method above in the first instance.

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• On hocks and other areas, where grass stains can be deep-seated, and there may be a more permanent discolouration, a chalk-based whitener will disguise it. This is something that you only need to do for competition or show purposes. • A whitener can be applied by dipping a damp sponge into the powder or by mixing a small amount of the powder THE GOLDEN RULES

1. Do a patch test: With greys, and especially those with pinkish skin, you must be careful when introducing new products. Always perform a patch test where you test the shampoo and cleaning products on a small area to check that they don’t irritate and cause problems before applying them to the whole body.

2. Buy decent brushes: Certain bristles will work better for shifting mud and dirt but you will need softer brushes for finishing off and flicking out the remaining dust and dander. 3. Choose sensible rugs: Only rug to protect the white spots if the weather is suitable. Over-rugging is a welfare issue. 4. Beware household items: Many will advise using household cleaning products to ‘whiten’ your horse, but this is potentially dangerous. 5. Keep on top of the problem: Start a weekly routine and attend to stains as soon as they appear. The sooner you take action, the less you will need to do in the long run.

and water in a pot and painting it on with a brush. In both cases, allow drying before brushing off any residual powder.

YELLOW TAILS AND MANES This is a common problem and really depends on how long the urine has been left in the tail. The longer it has been unwashed, the harder it will be to get it back to its original whiteness. With mares, in particular, urine can stain the tail more easily, and if left for an extended period, will absorb into the hair follicle, creating a more permanent stain. However, if washed once a week and conditioned afterwards, the likelihood of permanent staining of the tail is dramatically reduced. To regain original whiteness may take anything from one good wash to many weeks and months of regular washing and conditioning, so be patient. HOW TO WASH • Immerse the tail in a bucket of warm water and allow to soak for three to four minutes for the hair to really absorb the water. Soak the mane thoroughly with warm water too. • Spray in stain remover is helpful at this stage, particularly if dealing with a lot of discolouration. Apply the stain remover to the tail and/or mane and massage in well. Leave for three to four minutes to let the product soak in before rinsing. • Apply a whitening shampoo. These are made specifically for whitening and brightening and use colouring to help HQ|155

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negate the yellow of the stain and bring out the white. Rub in well before rinsing and repeating using warm water. • The next stage is to make up a blue powder rinse. The technique of ‘blueing’ as it is called will enhance the whiteness of any white hair and can be used for manes, tails and all over the body. Follow the instructions that come with the product. Generally, this will involve using a small amount of blue powder mixed in a bucket of water and soaking the mane and tail for a few seconds before giving a final rinse in warm, clear water. • Lastly, apply a mane and tail conditioning lotion. This will provide a barrier against the urine in between the weekly washes. Apply the lotion two or three times a week to ensure no further staining penetrates the hair. • Repeat this washing and whitening procedure each day for the first week for stubborn staining.

FETLOCK STAINS GENERAL WHITE FETLOCK CARE White fetlocks are difficult to keep clean, but with just a bit of effort, they can be returned to their pristine condition. It just remains to be seen how long you can keep them this way… For general grass and stable stains on the fetlocks, follow the instructions above. Regarding specific fetlock care, beware of allowing the fetlocks to remain damp for too long, as this can cause skin issues. FEATHER CARE Keeping thick feathers white and clean takes a massive amount of time and care. But keeping feather hair well HQ|155

looked after will ensure the skin underneath is well cared for too. Wet and muddy conditions will create a haven for bacterial under thick feather hair and can cause sore and cracked skin. Care and maintenance as part of the grooming routine will ensure skin problems will be noticed, so it’s crucial to make feather care a daily part of your routine. To look after feathers: • Apply a good quality barrier oil to provide protection against water and mud and allow feathers to be brushed through more easily. The addition of flowers of sulphur can also help to keep feather mites at bay. • Keep on top of any stains and remove them daily. Stains that are left will be much harder to remove. Invest in a good quality stain remover and purple shampoo to help lift the stains and prevent new ones. • After washing, it’s quick and easy to dry feathers by using an old-fashioned method involving wood flour. Fluff the flour into the feathers; this will add volume and aid in the drying process as well as help keep the skin healthy. • For added whiteness, especially on show days, use a fine mineral-based whitening powder after applying wood flour. Apply directly to the feathers and work into the hair, brushing out afterwards. • This will also aid in drying and give additional whiteness and volume. The whitening powder can be mixed with water and painted on the leg. Less is more when applying in a wet format. • Finish by applying a spray-in conditioner. This will protect the hair and make it easier to brush through and provide a barrier against dirt and staining.

– Prince Caspian

PHOTOGRAPHY: HILARY O’LEARY

Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different.

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TEXT: CHRISTINE BLACKETT

UNDERSTANDING

EVENT LINES THE BAD AND THE UGLY

f there is one thing that has been a complete gamechanger for me in the last fifteen years of barefoot trimming, it would have to be learning to read the horse's hoof wall in order to understand what has happened in the horse's life in the last few months. This often shows me why we have a hoof issue or what hoof issues we can expect to encounter in the future. Armed with this knowledge, I have a good idea of whether we need to intervene urgently and how to do this, or if we can calm down and just wait things out. When I talk about ‘reading the wall’, I am mainly focussing on event lines. These are the horizontal rings that one sees on almost every horse's feet, at least from time to time. The more pronounced the line, the more severe and the harder the correlating even was on the horse’s body. Have you ever wondered what causes these event lines? Many times we can work out precisely what the cause was, or at least the probable cause. Other times, we really won't know. Generally, I would say that the more problematic

event lines will have an obvious cause, and these are the ones we want to take note of in the hopes that we don't have a repeat event or so that we can try to do damage control while the hoof grows out.

CAUSES Event lines can be caused by the following: High sugar diet Metabolic disease/Insulin Resistance Diet change Season change Deworming Illness Reaction to medication or a vaccine Toxicity Excessively hard work on hard ground (concussion line) Shoes being pulled Abscess Mare foaling down HQ|155

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EVENT LINES OCCUR ON THE WALL OF THE HOOVES I.E. THE OUTER SURFACE.

SUGAR SENSITIVITY By far the most common cause of event lines would be sugar sensitivity. Why is this? The main cause is probably the romantic idea that most of us grew up where the horse can graze on lush green pastures for hours every day and then come in and eat a hearty meal of concentrates. Unfortunately, as many are now realising, this is not ideal for the horse. While a small amount of concentrates and a restricted amount of time on lush grazing might be fine for some horses, others can't cope with either, even in small amounts, without heading into full-blown laminitis. Horses with sugar sensitivities usually have multiple event lines seen close to one another.

DEWORMERS, MEDICATION AND VACCINES I have witnessed a fair number of horses reacting to dewormers, which disrupt things in the gut temporarily. For many horses, it is a minor disruption, which will go largely unnoticed, but for the odd few, this may trigger full-blown laminitis. Horses that get sick and are on medication are also quite likely to push out an event line. Generally, the sicker the horse and the stronger the medication, the more severe the stress line appears. These horses may even have a predisposition to abscessing and usually, an event line will be seen from the same time, becoming very obvious maybe a month or two after the incident.

DIETARY CHANGES I would say that the second most common causes of event lines are dietary changes. Hopefully, in the case of my clients, for the better. When we move horses onto lowersugar concentrates or off commercially mixed concentrates entirely and onto properly formulated, hoof-friendly mineral supplements and foodstuffs, horses inevitably start to grow out a much tighter hoof wall. This can initially cause a change in the appearance of the event lines, but the event lines will disappear or reduce in number over the next couple of months. Similarly, a few months down the line, any flares present in the wall will have mostly grown out, and the horses will be left with much neater hooves that are less likely to flare or crack.

EFFECT ON THE HOOF WALL The frustrating side effect of an event line is the weakening of the outer hoof wall and white line (laminae). This happens rather dramatically in many cases. This weakened hoof wall may not be a problem in stable weather conditions such as a dry winter, but generally prolonged wet conditions or worse, alternating wet and dry spells can wreak havoc. The result can be anything from minor chipping and cracks to much deeper cracks and seedy toe. What you will see, however, is that most cracks and chips or seedy toe do not extend much past the event line, provided it can be linked to an isolated event. This is comforting as the hoof wall above the line will typically be much stronger than that below the event line, meaning that

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once the event line reaches the bottom of the hoof and grows out, the hoof should return to its previous strength without much intervention. If there are multiple event lines and ongoing hoof weakness, one would assess the diet quite seriously.

HOW TO TACKLE EVENT LINES In many cases knowing what to expect can have a calming effect on most frantic horse owners. For clients that remain frantic, I give them things to do. Whether it helps is a different story, but if it helps the owner, that is good enough for me. Generally, this is my plan of action when spotting event lines: 1. I try to figure out the cause of the event line by asking some questions about the horse's history. Was he sick? When was he last dewormed? Has he had any recent diet changes? If the horse's diet is quite good, there is probably a different cause. If this is a passing event such as the horse got sick or reacted to medication, we may discuss a game plan for if the horse was to get sick again. Some herbal and homeopathic remedies can either help to reduce the effects of more serious medication or may even be able to replace them without the risk of side effects. In this case, it is important that one uses a vet who actively works with and studies natural remedies, perhaps in conjunction with an experienced herbalist. Of course, if the diet is an ongoing problem, I will chat to the client extensively

about hoof friendly nutrition and probably refer them to my nutritionist for further support. 2. I explain what might happen if dry and wet spells occur and how this may further weaken the old-growth, resulting in cracks, chips and possible seedy toe. 3. I point out the new, stronger and less flared growth and estimate more or less how much longer we will have to wait for the whole hoof capsule to heal. Obviously, if further events occur, things may go backwards along the way. 4. I then discuss topical options. If the owner wants to be proactive, I will suggest a topical remedy be applied daily. While I see great results with topical disinfectants for thrush and contracted heels, I am waiting to be blown away by something topical that will beat the effects of solid nutrition when it comes to weakened hoof walls. This is not to say that it isn't possible, but just that I haven't seen it yet. I have worked with many cases of bad seedy toe that only came right when the internal problems were addressed, but if a product comes along that does make a big change, I’d love to hear about it! In most cases, we only treated the hooves internally without topical disinfectants. 5. As my understanding is that not much can be done to fix the old and damaged hoof wall, I try not to focus on it too much apart from keeping it neat and regularly trimmed. I also do everything I can to encourage good quality, strong growth to come in to replace the old hoof wall, predominantly through dietary interventions.

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TEXT: HANNAH BOTHA, MSC EQUINE SCIENCE, RCL FEEDS NUTRITIONAL ADVISOR

ALOE VERA FOR HORSES

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loe vera is not a new addition to the management of horses, and for many years it has been used topically to help with ailments such as inflamed or burnt skin. However, recently, more people are looking towards more natural treatments for common conditions in horses, and aloe vera has garnered genuine interest, particularly for treating gastric ulcers. But can aloe vera really help, and is it safe? This article aims to delve deeper into the science behind aloe vera and answer these critical questions.

IS ALOE VERA SAFE TO FEED? Unfortunately, there is very little research into the use of such ingredients in horses, and very little has been done to determine the correct dosage and long-term effects of many of these natural substances. Dietary or herbal supplement products are expected to be safe, effective, and of appropriate quality. However, the complex chemical nature of such supplements makes it difficult to evaluate their efficacy and safety. Herbal products often exhibit significant variability in quality because of some issues, including authentication, adulteration and substitution during manufacturing; and factors during growth, harvest, and postharvest processing. In general, it does seem that aloe vera gel is safe for internal use in horses, just as it is in humans. However, aloe vera has one component that can be troublesome, the laxative anthraquinones, which have been shown to cause diarrhoea. It’s hard to know if an aloe vera brand contains these, as laxative anthraquinones aren’t declared on the label. If a horse is fed aloe vera according to body mass, then it may be that

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a problem with diarrhoea is seen. Generally, however, the dosage of aloe vera given in horses is rarely in proper ratio to body mass, so the fed quantity does not usually cause droppings to become loose.

IS ALOE VERA EFFECTIVE AGAINST GASTRIC ULCERS? Unfortunately, when it comes to products like aloe vera, the equestrian industry is often in the dark due to a lack of research into effectiveness. This means that many things are done with limited evidence and by extrapolating from other areas of medicine. However, in this instance, the limited amount of information led a research team from the University of Adelaide in South Australia to research and assess the effect of aloe vera on protecting the stomach's sensitive lining. “The inner leaf gel of the aloe vera plant has been reported to be effective in the prevention and treatment of gastric ulcers in man and in animals in experimental models. Its anti-ulcer properties have been attributed to a variety of possible mechanisms, including antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory properties, cytoprotective and mucus-stimulatory effects, and its ability to regulate gastric acid production,” explained the team. Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) includes ulcers affecting both the squamous and glandular portions of the

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stomach. EGUS negatively impacts performance, can be difficult to treat effectively, and often recurs once treatment has stopped. To determine whether aloe vera was a viable option for horses with EGUS, 39 horses diagnosed with one or more gastric ulcers (grade ≥2 lesions of the squamous and/ or glandular mucosa) were offered either aloe vera or omeprazole. Key findings of the study included: · Better general healing rates were noted in the omeprazole group · Of the patients diagnosed with squamous ulcers, 56% of horses offered aloe vera improved, whereas 85% of horses treated with omeprazole improved The research group do note, however, that it is possible that a higher dose of aloe vera would have resulted in higher rates of improvement, although the study dose was higher than that commonly given to horses and above that recommended by the manufacturer. Even though aloe vera proved inferior to omeprazole in the treatment of gastric ulcers, more than half of all horses improved, indicating that aloe vera could be a

useful adjunct in maintaining gastric health and could help reduce ulcer reoccurrence after treatment with omeprazole. However, this situational usage has not been studied and therefore using aloe vera for EGUS still warrants further study.

CONCLUSION As with any herbal supplement, care should be taken as long-term effects, correct dosage rate, and impact on nutritional profiles within the body have generally not been studied in the horse. Treating EGUS effectively requires scoping, veterinary treatment and ongoing alterations to management, diet and stress levels to ensure that the root cause is treated and not just the symptoms. REFERENCES *Bush, J., R. van den Boom, S.H. Franklin. Comparison of aloe vera and omeprazole for treatment of equine gastric ulcer syndrome. Equine Veterinary Journal. In press. https://thehorse.com/19987/aloe-vera-for-equine-ulcers/

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ANAEMIA IN HORSES WHAT IS IT?

naemia is when the number of circulating red blood cells in the bloodstream is lower than normal. The normal ‘packed cell volume’ (PCV) in horses is 32-52%. Packed cell volume measures the percentage of fluid in the blood vessels taken up by red blood cells. The range for packed cell volume is so wide because red cell count is influenced by the age and breed of the horse.

For example, ‘hot blooded’ horses like Thoroughbreds have a higher PCV than ‘cold blooded’ horses like Clydesdales. An individual horse will have a narrow range of normal values specific to its age and breed. Red blood cells are essential as they carry oxygen to all the cells of the body. Therefore, clinical signs of anaemia are related to the fact that cells and organs in

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H O R S E A N D H E A LT H

the body are not receiving enough oxygen to function as they should. Horses that suffer from chronic anaemia will not show clinical signs until a lower blood red cell count is reached than horses with acute anaemia. This is because the horse can adapt to a slow loss of red blood cells (and therefore a slow loss of oxygen) over time, whereas they cannot cope with a rapid drop in the circulating blood cells from a significant loss of blood in a short space of time.

CAUSES OF ANAEMIA Broadly speaking, there are three causes of anaemia: blood loss, blood cell destruction, and inadequate blood cell production. BLOOD LOSS (HAEMORRHAGE) Blood loss can occur externally, e.g. with a nosebleed, or internally, e.g. with a tumour or a large worm burden. External blood loss is usually very obvious, but internal blood loss can be difficult to recognise, particularly if it is small volumes over a long time, such as gastrointestinal losses. Blood loss from the last part of the gut can be seen as fresh red blood in the manure, but blood from the stomach, small intestine and most parts of the large colon is only detectable with laboratory tests. This often means that owners won’t know that a horse is losing blood until it is quite late. DESTRUCTION OF BLOOD CELLS (HAEMOLYSIS) Autoimmune haemolysis is one of the most common causes of haemolysis. This involves particular proteins (antigens) on the red blood cells being recognised as foreign by the body’s immune system and so being

destroyed. This can occur in foals, where the foal inherits red blood cell antigens from its sire, against which the dam has antibodies. The foal receives these antibodies when it suckles the dam’s colostrum (first milk containing antibodies). These antibodies attack the foal’s red blood cells, destroying the cells. The foal becomes increasingly weak, pale and jaundiced and will ultimately die if the condition is not recognised quickly. Sometimes particular drugs or infections can initiate secondary autoimmune haemolysis in the adult horse by having proteins very similar to those on blood cells, which trigger the immune system to attack the infection, drug and the horse’s own red blood cells. Some parasites and infectious disease, such as Babesia, can cause destruction of red blood cells. Toxins from some plants, e.g. onions, red maple and bacteria (e.g. Clostridia, Streptococci), can also cause rupture of red blood cells. Small blood vessel disease and genetic diseases are other causes of haemolysis.

INADEQUATE RED BLOOD CELL PRODUCTION Inadequate red blood cell production secondary to another chronic disease process is the most common cause of anaemia in the horse. This frequently occurs with infection, inflammation, tumours, endocrine disorders, and liver and kidney disease. Loss of old blood cells is not matched by new production and release of red blood cells from the bone marrow. Red blood cells last approximately 150 days in the horse, and so this type of anaemia develops slowly as old cells are not replaced with sufficient new cells. This type of anaemia is usually only picked up when a blood sample is taken as it is often not associated with any obvious clinical signs.

BLOOD LOSS (HAEMORRHAGE)

BLOOD CELL DESTRUCTION (HAEMOLYSIS)

INADEQUATE PRODUCTION (DYSERYTHROPOIESIS)

Severe wound

Autoimmune disease

Chronic disease

Small strongyles (worms)

Babesia (blood parasite)

Iron deficiency

Severe gastric ulceration

Toxins e.g. onion

Bone marrow failure

Gut tumours

Equine Infectious Anaemia

Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage

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H O R S E A N D H E A LT H IRON SUPPLEMENTATION

Anaemic horses are generally not iron deficient unless it is very long-standing, e.g. chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. Iron deficiency anaemia can be identified under the microscope as pale and small red blood cells, but iron deficiency is rare in horses. This means iron supplementation is usually unnecessary and will not boost red blood cell numbers, oxygencarrying capacity, or performance in non-anaemic horses.

HOW IS ANAEMIA DIAGNOSED? Anaemia is diagnosed by taking a blood sample to determine the number of red blood cells present. Different ages and breeds of horses have different normal red cell counts, and therefore age and breed-specific values must be considered. Exercise and stress will temporarily raise the red cell count due to the release of stored red blood cells from the contractile spleen, and so blood samples should be taken when the horse is at rest and relaxed if possible. Information about the specific type of anaemia can be given by looking at the size, colour and shape of the red blood cells. For example, small, pale red blood cells occur in iron deficiency anaemia. Then, consideration of the concentration of other markers in the blood, such as proteins and bilirubin (a breakdown product of blood), can help identify if anaemia is from blood loss or destruction of blood cells. A laboratory test called a Coombs test can determine if an autoimmune reaction is occurring. Blood cell precursors and immature blood cells reside in the bone marrow, so further detail can be given by analysing a bone marrow sample. These samples are usually taken from the sternum in a standing sedated horse but can also be taken from a rib or the hip. SIGNS OF ANAEMIA Signs of anaemia in horses include: • Pale gums • Weakness • Poor performance • Fever • Increased respiratory rate • Depression • Increased heart rate • Lethargy • Loss of appetite • Signs of blood loss, e.g. nosebleed • Jaundice (yellow-tinged gums and sclera) • Red spots (petechiae) on gums and mucosa

Finally, evidence of blood loss or other disease processes should be sought to help to elucidate the cause further.

HOW IS ANAEMIA TREATED? Treatment depends on the specific cause and the severity of the anaemia. The circulating blood volume in a horse is about 8% of his body weight, e.g. 40 litres for a 500kg horse. A sudden loss of 20% blood volume (8 litres in our 500kg horse) will result in marked signs of anaemia and may require a blood transfusion, particularly if the loss continues. The decision as to whether to give a blood transfusion is usually made by considering the severity of clinic signs, PCV and cause of anaemia (if known). Blood from another horse will only last a short period (a few days) but can provide temporary lifesaving benefits. The blood for transfusion should ideally be from a matched donor, i.e. the donor and recipient horses are the same blood group so that the donor does not have antibodies against red cell proteins in the anaemic recipient horse. There are eight major equine blood groups: A, C, D, K, P, Q, U, and T, each of which is further subdivided into subtypes because of slight variations in the proteins on the surface of the red blood cell and so it is virtually impossible to find an exact match. Horses with blood groups A, C and Q, should not be used as donors as these are associated with the more severe transfusion reactions if not compatible. In an emergency where blood typing is not possible, blood should be used from an unrelated gelding. The reason for any blood loss or destruction should be identified and treated accordingly. Likewise, any primary disease process causing anaemia of chronic disease should be addressed. Autoimmune disease may need to be treated with steroids. Chronic blood loss may cause secondary iron deficiency, in which case iron supplementation will be beneficial, although this is rare in the horse. HQ|155

YOUR EQUESTRIAN QUESTIONS ANSWERED

My horse is generally very forward going and happy to jump. However, the second you introduce any type of filler she is a nervous wreck. How can I help her with this? With these kinds of issues, the best advice is to go back to basics. The first thing to do is revisit simple poles on the ground and then turn them into small jumps at the end of a line. Initially, we would advise starting in the trot, so you trot over the poles and the small fence. Once you have your horse listening to you, you can introduce fillers below the jump at the end of the line. To do this, put the filler on the outside of the jump and gradually pull it into the middle and then all the way across the jump. Once your horse is happy with this,

you can swap the trotting poles for canter poles and keep the jump small. You can then begin again to move the filler in from the outside of the jump to the middle and gradually move it all the way across. It is also worth practicing this exercise in different environments, so that you can use these exercise in different places and with different fillers and poles. This ensures your horse really is okay with it. Of course, it goes without saying that you will need to ride confidently yourself, and if you are nervous, it might be best to ask your coach to ride your mare down these lines the first few times. If you anticipate a problem, it is bound to occur, so set yourself up for success and ride down the line as if you were approaching any other fence that your mare would normally clear without an issue.

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Q&A We’re thinking of rescuing a donkey. Can horses and donkeys live well together, or will I need to keep them separate? Horses and donkeys can live very happily together, but it is essential to research donkeys’ specific needs before making your final decision, as the needs of horses and donkeys do vary somewhat. If you decide to get a donkey and home him with your horses, you need to ensure that you introduce them slowly, just as you would any new equine. We would advise turning them out in adjacent paddocks initially. When the time comes to add the donkey in with your horses, you will need to monitor herd dynamics very closely. Donkeys do not have the same flight instincts as horses and may not respond when a horse’s body language asks them to move away. This can increase the risk of conflict and injury in the group. A BRAY WITH FRIENDS It is also worth noting that a donkey’s bray can be very unnerving to horses. New donkeys tend not to bray when settling in, but when they do start to vocalise, horses can be a little upset!

For animal wellness

Q&A

TOP TIP

We would recommend that you work on the walk while out hacking rather than in the arena.

The dressage judge described my horse’s free work as ‘lacking impulsion and stretch’. How can I work on this? My horse is slow and deliberate in the walk and prefers to look around than hang his head. Is this fixable, or is my dressage score for the free walk always going to be low? Walk is usually the most challenging gait to work on as it is all too easy for the horse to drop behind the leg and lose the engagement of the hindquarter. It is, therefore, often a sticky point in the dressage test. However, with the proper preparation – particularly a focus on the medium walk first – you can get your free walk looking more respectable for the dressage judges!

RELAXATION FOR THE WIN Your horse needs to be relaxed to have a good walk. If your horse is not relaxed, work him in trot, or even canter, until he is ready to listen to you. Once he is relaxed and paying attention, make some walk-trot transitions, keeping the horse in front of the leg at all times. Remember that when you are making a transition from trot to walk, you need as much impulsion as you do to move from walk to trot!

GET HIM MOVING To get your horse to march more in the walk it often helps to ride out with another horse that really walks out. If this cannot be done then you need to ask for energy with your lower leg whilst encouraging your horse to remain in an outline. Pole work can often help with this as well. Once the medium walk starts to march forward, you can then move to focusing on the free walk. LONG REIN, NOT LOOSE REIN The first thing to remember is that the movement is a ‘free walk on a long rein,’ not a loose rein, and therefore there must be a contact down the rein. This does make it easier to keep your horse’s concentration and maintain his outline. When first doing this exercise, do not expect your horse to stretch too much and for too great a distance, as he will need to develop confidence and learn to maintain his concentration. Again, pole work can help – gradually increase the distance between the poles, making sure that you maintain the increased length of stride after you have walked over the poles. The poles will often encourage the horse to stretch the neck and look forwards and down.

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Aktiv Equine EquiSHIELD: Immune Booster for Horses

EquiSHIELD is an immune boosting supplement for horses, formulated to assist the horse’s immune system in preventing and combatting poor health. It is added to the horse’s diet in times of stress (travel, intense exercise, recovery from illness) where the immune system may be compromised and more susceptible to poor health, in vaccination periods where vaccines contain live viruses, or to better equip the horse’s physical response to viruses and diseases. EquiSHIELD contains the key components Vitamin E, Lysine, Methionine, Beta Glucan, Fulvic Acid and Selenium. Vitamin E plays a role in immune response, neuromuscular function and is a biological antioxidant. Together with Selenium, the combination provides essential protection to body tissue against oxidationinduced damage, maintains normal muscle function and is a preventative aid against muscular disease. Fulvic Acid is a humic acid, and a natural and organic electrolyte. It has many benefits to equines including improvement to gut health, immune function, detoxification ability, inflammation management, and coat health. Beta Glucan is a powerful, positive immune system stimulant with multiple benefits. In equines, it has shown to moderate and improve digestion, improve nutrient absorption, and stimulate the activity of macrophages (pathogen fighting immune cells). Lysine and Methionine are essential amino acids that boost the horse’s immune system and improve overall health. Among many other benefits, they improve protein quality and availability, hoof and coat health, support a healthy nervous system, and aid collagen formation and repair processes. Recommended dosage: Horses 150-350kg: Feed 30g per day Horses 350500kg: Feed 50g per day Horses over 500kg: Feed 80g per day EquiSHIELD can be used for extended periods of time.

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SMART Calming Paste

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T H E H I N D Q U A RT E R

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE CAN YOU FIND THE 10 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE TWO IMAGES?

FOR MORE PUZZLES AND FUN CONTENT CHECK OUT OUR HQ PONY MAGAZINE RELEASED ON THE FIRST OF EVERY MONTH!

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T H E H I N D Q U A RT E R

Dear readers, supporters and fans, It is with great pleasure that I announce my return to the pages of HQ. I am sure you are relieved to see and read me again. We will not dwell on my notable absence from the first digital issue of HQ, but my column is back, and back for good! It has been a tumultuous few months for me. My mother announced that we would be taking over HQ and my instant reaction was one of joy and jubilation. I was shocked, however, to hear that many of the editions would be digital, and that they would also be free to boot! I was horrified. My hooves are not designed for touchscreen trickery and people should pay a premium to read my words of wisdom. Tut tut… As a final insult, the turnaround time on digital means that I have to write at a rate that does not suit my talents. It takes me hours, nay, days, to put together the prose I provide for my followers and to ‘churn out content’ is just not my style. I am an artist. But my mother announced that if I wanted to be a drama queen I would soon find myself out in the cold. She certainly meant it, and failed to approach me for the first issue. Shockingly, I see it was quite well read, despite my absence. I can only put this down to the fact that all you readers were desperately looking for my section. Anyway, I was suitably angry about the betrayal and therefore decided to blow my mother’s content out of the water with a masterpiece of prose and fine art in this edition. Thank you Merlynn for your wonderful depiction of me, in repose, in my study. I wish for you all to know that Merlynn and I shall be working together monthly to create this stand-out feature for HQ. I have explained to my mother that I will be forced to retire from riding duties due to the onerous demands of my new schedule. She does not seem pleased, frankly, but my readers need me more. Over and out, Pridey xxx

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NEXT ISSUE 1st August 2021

www.hqmagazine.co.za 98

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The Puresan FEI 1.50m Stokkiesdraai World Cup Qualifier 2021

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Ashlee Healy and Hausberger’s Eldo. HH Feeds is an app-based feed company catering to all your animal feed, fodder and supplementation needs. We believe in providing the best quality service and products to all of our customers, no matter what. Download our app today on the Google Play or Apple App Store and let us help you feed your champion.

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HQ Magazine Issue 155B

Articles inside

Rider Anatomy - How it affects position

Pridey’s Piece

Products we love

Q&A

Anaemia in horses

Aloe Vera

Pearly whites

Winter woes

An introduction to Equitation

Where are your feet

Cieli Equestrian

How does your horse think?

Stress

Lisa Williams

The Cell C Inanda Africa Cup

Dominey Alexander